Reimu Quest (Part 3)

[Hello Purvis]

>Head toward the fence, and examine the trees.

[日巫子]

>Head toward the fence, and examine the trees.

> You approach the fence and take a look at the trees.  They appear to be run-of-the-mill, broad-leafed trees, with shrubbery and plants growing around them.  A little further in, there's one with a particularly wide trunk.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Check around wide-trunk's base for holes. If one does not present itself, go from there.

[日巫子]

>Check around wide-trunk's base for holes. If one does not present itself, go from there.

> From where you're standing, you can't see any.  You'll have to jump the fence to get a better view.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Fly over that fence and get to checkin'.

[日巫子]

>Fly over that fence and get to checkin'.

> You hop the fence and approach the large tree.  Sure enough, there's a hole carved into the base, leading down.  If you held your knees you'd be able to slide down.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Interesting. Kneel down and peek inside.
>What were the directions from there?

[日巫子]

>Interesting. Kneel down and peek inside.
>What were the directions from there?

> You look inside the hole.  It slopes and swoops down, like a slide.  Bits of tree roots poke out from the ceiling, but other than that it looks like whoever made this did a good job of smoothing out the tunnel.
> You think the directions from here are to go straight until you reach a mossy rock.

> _

[O4rfish]

>Wonder if we can persuade Alice to tumble down this rabbit hole.

[Hello Purvis]

>Head straight for that mossy rock.

[日巫子]

>Wonder if we can persuade Alice to tumble down this rabbit hole.

> After forcing her into your sleeve, you doubt she'd want to crawl into any more suspicious places.

>Head straight for that mossy rock.

> You walk straight past the tree and keep going.
> As you go, you pass by many youkai.  It's only natural: it's night, and many youkai are nocturnal.  Fortunately, you have the will-o-wisp Patchouli lent you to light your path.  While most youkai in Gensokyo are humanoid, there are a few that are not, and they are not fond of the light.  You are able to keep your adversaries at bay, but not without them giving you disdainful looks as they pass you.
> After a while, you start to move downhill.  The ground here is muddy, and you have to keep walking through it for a while, but you eventually do find the rock Koakuma mentioned.  It's probably even bigger than you.  On the moss are tiny flowers that glow in the night air.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Contemplate the next instruction, and look around to make sure those youkai aren't giving us any of the sass.
>Also take a moment to appreciate the flowers.

[日巫子]

>Contemplate the next instruction, and look around to make sure those youkai aren't giving us any of the sass.
>Also take a moment to appreciate the flowers.

> The next instruction was to take a right and keep going until you reached the clearing.  At least, that's what's written on the paper.
> Once you've double-checked the instructions, you glance around you.  The youkai just seem to be avoiding you for now.  They certainly don't seem happy to see you.
> You admire the flowers.  They're about the size of your thumb, with five petals and those little antennae things lilies have.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Head right to the clearing, and check up on the next instruction ahead of time.

[日巫子]

>Head right to the clearing, and check up on the next instruction ahead of time.

> You take a right and keep walking.
> More youkai appear out of the corner of your eye, but disappear as quickly as you saw them.  The will-o-wisp fortunately holds up.  You double-check your directions, and find that after you reach the clearing the hole should be there.
> You walk and walk, and water starts pooling around your ankles.  You find yourself descending into a pool, and lose your footing.  The rest of the journey will have to be done by swimming.
> As you swim, however, you feel as though you're losing control of yourself.  The current grows stronger, and you find yourself being drawn along out of the trees and into a wide clearing.  All of the stray grasses and what-not have been stripped away by the water, which is funneling down into a largish hole.  You, too, are being drawn into the whirlpool.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Take to the air and float upward, then examine the situation at hand.

[日巫子]

>Take to the air and float upward, then examine the situation at hand.

> You struggle out of the water and fly above the whirlpool.  The will-o-wisp is okay.
> You take a look at your surroundings.  The water here almost completely engulfs the trees, and you imagine they'd be completely underwater if not for the whirlpool.  You can see the current leading here for quite a while.  Some small fish, unable to escape, get sucked down.  The hole itself is maybe about as wide as your arm is long, and appears to be a simple hole in the ground rather than something man-made...er, youkai-made, probably.

> _

[Sect]

> Hm, if it's only arm length wide, it shouldn't be too terribly hard to plug it up. The only question is how: do we know where we can get some large, thick wooden boards, or some boulders large enough to seal up the hole?

[日巫子]

> Hm, if it's only arm length wide, it shouldn't be too terribly hard to plug it up. The only question is how: do we know where we can get some large, thick wooden boards, or some boulders large enough to seal up the hole?

> You suddenly realize you'll have to find something to plug the hole with.  Under any other circumstances you would have been able to ask the Human Village for construction materials.  As for large rocks, on the surface you could find them anywhere in the forest or the mountains, but you're too weak to lift them on your own.

> _

[Cheez8]

> Check inventory. Never hurts to see if we're forgetting about something useful, and right now we could really use something useful.

[Sect]

> That's silly. It's not like we have a bathtub up our sleeves.
> ... Wait a second...

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>is the futon still in our sleevespace?
>if so, contemplate whether using the "bathtub" or using the futon is better to plug up the hole.

[日巫子]

> Check inventory. Never hurts to see if we're forgetting about something useful, and right now we could really use something useful.

INVENTORY

> Modern shrine maiden robes
   > Pretty much a highly stylized schoolgirl uniform.  Complete with cute little shoes, ankle socks, and hair decs.
> Detached sleeves
   > Where you keep all of your items.  For some reason, they have a functioning hammerspace which you suspect is Yukari's doing.
> Swimsuit
        > Made by Kourin, for you, to navigate the waters easier.  Currently bloodstained.
> Yin yang orb
   > Your signature weapon.
   > You're the only one who can touch it without either burning yourself (human) or suffering excruciating pain (youkai).
> Gohei
   > Marisa jokes that it's like a magic wand, but you refuse to be associated with Gensokyo's magician population.
> Spellcards
   > Dream Sign "Evil Sealing Circle" (4 hits)
      > Used to overwhelm adversaries with ofuda.  +5 damage
   > Divine Spirit "Fantasy Seal" (4 hits)
      > Used to close in on adversaries with ofuda.  +5 damage
   > Holy Relic "Yin-Yang Demon God Orb" (3 hits)
      > Smite thy enemies with a giant orb.  Surprisingly light lifting.  +6 damage
   > Divine Arts "Omnidirectional Demon-Binding Circle" (5 hits)
      > Used to paralyze adveraries.  +7 damage
      > May also be used outside of battle to temporarily stun adversaries.
   *> Untitled "Flying Mysterious Shrine Maiden" (1 hit)
      > Powerful card that can only be used when you are close to unconsciousness or death.  +10 damage
   *> "Fantasy Nature" (1 hit)
      > Powerful card that can only be used when close to death.  +10 damage
> Tea set
   > You have a lot more of these in your house. 
   > You like leaving them in friends'/acquaintances' houses so you can have tea whenever you like.
> Ofuda x10
   > Multipurpose magic cards you keep for non-danmaku usage
> Broom
   > The shrine broom.  Shut up, Marisa.
> Bag of fried beans
   > You take these with you whenever you go underground, but you wouldn't dare use them on Suika.
> 1265μ
   > It's always a good idea to keep a some money on you.
> Silk Glove x1
   > A soft silk glove with lace on the cuff, clearly a glove of wealth and taste.  Belongs to Yakumo Yukari.
> 4/8 Shard
     > A mysterious bronze shard that gives off a warm glow.  What exactly is it, and where did it come from?  You have no idea.
> Tea Set x1
   > A tea set with red roses painted on it.  The packaging claims that any tea served with this set will have healing properties.  Currently has a large crack on it.
> Bag of marbles x1
   > A bag of magic marbles that can be used to spy on people, as long as you have the largest one with you.
> Jar of Beads x1
   > A jar filled with beads of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
> Inflatable inner tube x1
   > For those who can't swim, or are too lazy to.
> Creatures of the Deep
   > A book of fantastic underwater animals.  Belongs to Komeiji Koishi.  Belongs to Komeiji Koishi.  You almost ruined it by opening it underwater, but Patchouli fixed it.
> Tea leaves and strainer
> Box of Nostalgia-Inducing Items
   > A box of items from your childhood.  Contains some old dresses, a few dolls, and a music box.
> x3 cookies
     > Chocolate chip cookies, made by Satori.
> Water Charm
   > Given to you by Suwako.  Helps you breathe underwater.
> x1 Roll of Bandages
     > To dress your wounds with.
> Directions to the Tunnel
     > Written directions to a tunnel outside the SDM premises.  Presumably leads underground.  These directions were given to you by Koakuma.
     > Leave the library through the cellar and keep going straight over the fence.  There's a big tree with a covered hole at the base of it, but that's not where you want to go.  Then just keep going straight through the forest for twenty or so minutes until you reach a big moss-covered rock.  After that, take a right and keep going until you've made it to a clearing.  The hole is usually concealed by some grasses but it shouldn't be too hard to find.
> Floriology: The Colorful Language
     > A small book about the language of flowers.  Belongs to Patchouli Knowledge.  You are currently borrowing it from her.

> That's silly. It's not like we have a bathtub up our sleeves.
> ... Wait a second...

> Oh, that's right, you have the....
> ...Ohhh, nooooo....you left it in the greenhouse during the fire...!!!

>is the futon still in our sleevespace?
>if so, contemplate whether using the "bathtub" or using the futon is better to plug up the hole.

> From the looks of it, no.
> You have neither of those items now.

> _

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>are there any large trees nearby that are thick enough to cover the hole?
>If so, contemplate toppling one over (using danmaku or anything destructive we have on us.) so it lands on the hole.

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

Hang on, wasn't Creatures of the Deep repaired?

> Facepalm.
> Back to the SDM!

[Sect]

> Before we go to the SDM, contemplate if the bathtub would be strong enough to resist all that pressure.

[日巫子]

>are there any large trees nearby that are thick enough to cover the hole?
>If so, contemplate toppling one over (using danmaku or anything destructive we have on us.) so it lands on the hole.

> There are some large trees nearby, but the water is deep enough that you don't think they'd sink if you toppled them.  They are also far away from the hole, which is in the center of a wide clearing.

> Facepalm.
> Back to the SDM!

> Oh for...

> Before we go to the SDM, contemplate if the bathtub would be strong enough to resist all that pressure.

> You almost return to the SDM, but then stop to think about how the bathtub would even fare against the water.  While it would cover up the hole, you don't think it would be able to keep all the water out forever.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Have we ever tried rolling a boulder into our sleeves?

[Sect]

As much as I don't like the idea of backtracking to the SDM, I think a good solution would be getting that tub, using it to temporarily seal the hole (with us inside the hole so we can go underground), then either kicking whoever's making it flood in the face or recruiting Suika to boulder that shit up now that we know where it's coming from. While we're down there we can either sleep with Koishi guiding our subconscious into lucidity or drag Koishi up to play with Flandre.

[Hello Purvis]

I am thinking we ought to try for a slightly less impermanent solution myself, if we can scare one up. I don't have faith in a tub being able to hold up under the weight of all that for any real length of time. Especially if it has a drain.