Hatate Quest Kaksi

[Hello Purvis]

>"See. That sort of thing just sounds like you're mad at or jealous of tengu, which just comes off as your own arrogance. You're not going to win anyone over like that, it just sounds spiteful and bitter rather than concerned. Anyways, I'm listening because I'm interested in how others live and think. A lot tengu are, why do you think we have newspapers floating around? We keep to ourselves, but we're not stupid. Well, okay, some are, but there's always going to be people like that."
>"But you know what I mean, right? I'm not mad at you and I know that's not what you mean, just you're not really expressing yourself very well."

[Oldmansour]

>"See. That sort of thing just sounds like you're mad at or jealous of tengu, which just comes off as your own arrogance. You're not going to win anyone over like that, it just sounds spiteful and bitter rather than concerned. Anyways, I'm listening because I'm interested in how others live and think. A lot tengu are, why do you think we have newspapers floating around? We keep to ourselves, but we're not stupid. Well, okay, some are, but there's always going to be people like that."
>"But you know what I mean, right? I'm not mad at you and I know that's not what you mean, just you're not really expressing yourself very well."

>Ranka's face crosses between angry and, somewhat surprisingly, hurt by your words. She takes a rather long breath and looks away from you, towards the clouds above you. "You might be right." she says at last. "Maybe I can't make you see what I mean. And maybe it's as much me as you, I haven't always been really good at explaining things to people. Keine told me that once, now that I remember. She said I was smarter than I think I am, but not the best at teaching people. Or... something like that." adds with a shake of her head. "But if you really want a better explanation than I think I can give, you might have to ask someone else, a wind child that's better at explaining things than I am."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Rather that doing that, maybe it's better to help you figure out what you want to say, huh?"
>"This is what I'm noticing, you talk about how we're wounded and stuff, but at the same time, you've already been wrong about us a few times, and about me in particular. I...get the feeling you don't really understand us as well as you think you do, you know what I mean? Like, a cat can watch a pack of wolves, but even if that cat get some idea how the wolves work, does the cat really understand their hearts very well?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Rather that doing that, maybe it's better to help you figure out what you want to say, huh?"
>"This is what I'm noticing, you talk about how we're wounded and stuff, but at the same time, you've already been wrong about us a few times, and about me in particular. I...get the feeling you don't really understand us as well as you think you do, you know what I mean? Like, a cat can watch a pack of wolves, but even if that cat get some idea how the wolves work, does the cat really understand their hearts very well?"

>Ranka giggles. "No, I don't think so. You'll just end up frustrated, and so will I. Why don't we...... How did it go? Agree to disagree?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Heh, okay. See, one of the things I've learned as a journalist is that you need to step outside of yourself sometimes for these things, put yourself in the other's pinions, you know? I've been trying to with you, but I think we'll both have to do it if we're gonna get anywhere. But until then, we can agree to have our own ways."
>"So...about those pictures, eh?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Heh, okay. See, one of the things I've learned as a journalist is that you need to step outside of yourself sometimes for these things, put yourself in the other's pinions, you know? I've been trying to with you, but I think we'll both have to do it if we're gonna get anywhere. But until then, we can agree to have our own ways."
>"So...about those pictures, eh?"

>Ranka smiles proudly for some reason. "I can imagine Honoka would be proud of me for that. Hmhmhmm."
>"I thought you said you didn't have those pictures on you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I mean of you, silly!"

[Oldmansour]

>"I mean of you, silly!"

>"Oh yeah." Ranka shakes her head. "No, thanks."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's a shame, but I won't pester you about it. Well, not until later, anyways."
>"So where do you live?"

[Oldmansour]

>"That's a shame, but I won't pester you about it. Well, not until later, anyways."
>"So where do you live?"

>Ranka laughs a quiet, knowing laugh.
>The golden-haired youkai spreads her arms out wide. "Why, everywhere, of course."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's about what I figured you'd say. So let's narrow it down. Where you do you prefer to live? Or spend most of your time regarding as something like home?"

[Oldmansour]

>"That's about what I figured you'd say. So let's narrow it down. Where you do you prefer to live? Or spend most of your time regarding as something like home?"

>Ranka's smile becomes a little less whimsical as she lowers her arms. "That's not really how I am. There are some places I don't like going, like the Underworld, and over tengu territory. And I don't do indoors. At all. Unless I'm having really good sex, or it's really important to someone I like. But 'home' for me is Gensokyo. I sleep on the east wind and rise with the north one day, I love the Hakurei shrine and Keine's village and the Myoren temple and nearly everything above ground. My home is really anywhere that I'm welcome, anywhere I'm comfortable."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Again, I thought you'd say that. But it must be inconvenient not going indoors. How do you get around that?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"Again, I thought you'd say that. But it must be inconvenient not going indoors. How do you get around that?"

>"You'd be surprised what you don't need buildings for." Ranka gives you a tart little smile. "Though I suppose you thought I'd say that, too."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Actually no, I figured you'd get friends to do it. Honestly, I am a little surprised you would limit yourself like that, though."

[Oldmansour]

>"Actually no, I figured you'd get friends to do it. Honestly, I am a little surprised you would limit yourself like that, though."

>"Everyone has a thing or two that everyone else finds weird, limiting, something like that."

[Hello Purvis]

>"True, true. Does it include caves and such?"

[Oldmansour]

>"True, true. Does it include caves and such?"

>Ranka nods.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh well. Given the way down there is known for it's wind, I wondered if it might not be a little different. Would it be prying too much if I ask what happens when you're forced indoors?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh well. Given the way down there is known for it's wind, I wondered if it might not be a little different. Would it be prying too much if I ask what happens when you're forced indoors?"

>"Oh it IS windy down there, no question about that. But it's flying through a big bunch of tubes, or hallways. Tried it once, didn't like it too much."
>"I get unhappy." Ranka answers your question quite simply.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ah, good. You had me thinking it might actually harm you or something, which would have been a real problem with that Red Tide person and all. So, we've sort of poked at this in the past, but who are your friends?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Ah, good. You had me thinking it might actually harm you or something, which would have been a real problem with that Red Tide person and all. So, we've sort of poked at this in the past, but who are your friends?"

>Ranka smiles. "You worried. Ain't that sweet."
>"You mean in general, or did you want a list?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, it's only natural to worry when someone might be hurt by a common thing, don't you think?  And both, but it doesn't have to be a complete list."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, it's only natural to worry when someone might be hurt by a common thing, don't you think?  And both, but it doesn't have to be a complete list."

>"Well, you can probably imagine I'm friendly with most of the wind spirits of Gensokyo, and Kanako, and Sanae, but I don't think Suwako likes me too much, which is a shame, since she's cute as a button. And Honoka of course, and the Cobalts." With a grin, she adds, "Yes, even Sabine. She reminds of Honoka in a few ways, and that's always a good thing. And I like Reimu, of course, even though she's run me off of her shrine before. Snatched me right out of the air once, too, didn't even know she could do that. Oh, and Marisa, I think I mentioned that, though, didn't I?"

>"I hate to interrupt." Celes calls up to you from behind. "But I believe we should make a slight course correction before we travel much farther."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod to Ranka, then look back. "Why's that?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod to Ranka, then look back. "Why's that?"

>Sabine points ahead of you. "There's a big brou-ha-ha dead ahead of us."
>A glance in the direction she points confirms her report. Ahead of you, you can see the structures of the Myoren temple to your northeast. A couple of miles to the west of the temple, over a stretch of thinly wooded land, a fairly serious exchange of danmaku seems to be taking place. You would guess there are at least four individuals participating, or perhaps two very spirited and powerful individuals.
>"Taking into consideration the location," says Celes, "I would guess that it is another confrontation between the residents of the Myoren temple and their Taoist adversaries. It would be best for us to avoid them."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'll meet you guys on the other side, then. That's an opportunity for me!"

[Oldmansour]

>"I'll meet you guys on the other side, then. That's an opportunity for me!"

>"As you wish. You are a journalist, I wouldn't think of telling you to pass on a lead. However, since Ranka knows the way to Marisa-san's home, I admit that I probably will not wait for you."
>"We'll tell ya what you missed, of course." Sabine adds with an angular smirk.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You guys are the ones taking the detour, aren't you?"
>How far out of the way is that spat, near as we can tell?

[Oldmansour]

>"You guys are the ones taking the detour, aren't you?"
>How far out of the way is that spat, near as we can tell?

>Celes nods. "But doesn't covering a story necessitate a delay from other tasks?"
>Your group is presently headed directly for the fight. Celes and the others would indeed have to detour around it, though there's really no way to tell how far they'll have to go without knowing more about the parties involved.