Reimu Quest (Part 9)

[Sect]

> Hm... maybe how old the pictures are is the right order? Let's swap them around, with Tamiko's in the right hand side, the two people in the center, and the hat lady on the left.

[日巫子]

> Hm... maybe how old the pictures are is the right order? Let's swap them around, with Tamiko's in the right hand side, the two people in the center, and the hat lady on the left.

> You put Tamiko's photo on the right, the portrait in the center, and the last photo on the left.  Nothing happens.

> _

[Sect]

> Flip flop the center and left pictures?

[日巫子]

> Flip flop the center and left pictures?

> You switch the photos so that the portrait is on the left, and the girl by the river is in the center.  The prism lights up, and the walls and floor start to flake away like cherry blossoms.  You are left on a round platform with the prism still holding the photos, and begin to descend into the darkness.  You start to pass gaps of all different sizes, some with hands clinging to the edges, all with eyes that leer at you as you go down.  A tapestry of light unfolds at the bottom, drowning the gaps in light.  The platform comes to a stop and you find yourself in a huge room.  It's dome-shaped and appears to be made of glass, but it's hard to tell what you see.  Some parts look like space, others like rippling water, others like trees wavering in a weak breeze.  The geometric patterns on the floor make up the lighting, and reveal Yukari sitting at the far end of the room.  There's a gap open in front of her, and whatever's in there has her completely absorbed.  You see a needle and thread in her hands and a small white box on the floor, similar to the one Ran handed off to Sanae and Youmu.
> You've made quite a scene entering on the platform with the prism, but Yukari doesn't even look up.  She just keeps sewing away.

> _

[Sect]

> Check inventory. We'll need something to throw at her.

[日巫子]

> Check inventory. We'll need something to throw at her.

INVENTORY

> Modern shrine maiden robes [EQUIPPED]
   > 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 x7
   > 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.
> 1235μ
   > It's always a good idea to keep a some money on you.
> 7/8 Shard
     > A mysterious bronze shard that gives off a warm glow.  These shards originally made up Kikuri's moon.
> 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.
> 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.
> 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.
> x1 IOU
     > Given to you by Kaku Seiga, as a reward for finding Miyako Yoshika.
> Sealed Feathers
     > Some feathers you coughed up.  White and tipped in red.
> Kaiun Omamori
     > An omamori for good luck
> Yakuyoke Omamori
     > An omamori for avoidance of evil
> x1 Porcelain Bowl
     > A bowl with tiny horses painted on it.  Belongs to the Yakumos.
> Candle in holder
     > A lit candle, to help you find your way
> x1 Flashlight
     > An artifact that creates light, even underwater.  Belongs to Morichika Rinnosuke.
> ☼300
     > Underground currency, left in your donation box by an unknown sender.
> White Feather
     > A strange but beautiful feather obtained from the abyss.  Nothing about it is known.

> _

[Sect]

> Okay, so nothing's exactly suitable for throwing. We could whack her with the business end of the broom.
> ... Why DO we have our broom?
> Circle around the edge of our room to stand behind Yukari with our arms crossed.

[日巫子]

> Okay, so nothing's exactly suitable for throwing. We could whack her with the business end of the broom.
> ... Why DO we have our broom?
> Circle around the edge of our room to stand behind Yukari with our arms crossed.

> There are many things you could throw, but don't.
> The question is, why DON'T you have your broom?  It's not like you expected to see any action, so you put it in  your inventory so you wouldn't have to make the trip to the shed when it came time to sweep the front path.
> You circle the edge of the room until you come to a stop behind Yukari.  Looking over her shoulder you see that she's working on the same filmy material falling from the sky at the Boundary.  You can still see the stitches before they melt in, and she's really quite good with needlework.  She's also ignoring you.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>No nonsense voice: "Explain. Now."

[日巫子]

>No nonsense voice: "Explain. Now."

> Yukari's hand hesitates with the needle.  She looks over her shoulder and smiles.
> "Oh, hello, dear.  You're going to have to be more specific than that," she says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"People are dead, Yukari. I don't want any games. Explain."

[日巫子]

>"People are dead, Yukari. I don't want any games. Explain."

> "You want to know why this is happening, do you?"  Yukari turns back to her sewing.  "Well, you see, Gensokyo is separated from the Outside World both physically and temporally.  The Boundary shields it and keeps it from sliding around through timelines, but the lifeline keeping it attached to the present day has been severed as a result of a newly-birthed universe colliding into it.  Thus Gensokyo slid thousands of years into the future, when the world is already coming to an end."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Huh. Okay, so, which lifeline? Last time I checked, I'm still around. And moreover, what do we do about it?"

[日巫子]

>"Huh. Okay, so, which lifeline? Last time I checked, I'm still around. And moreover, what do we do about it?"

> "Oh no, not you.  The temporal lifeline," says Yukari.  "As of now, the Boundary is too weak to protect Gensokyo from integrating with the Outside World.  You alone are not enough to carry this burden."
> She gives you a side eye, and you realize she's looking at the bandages on your hands.  "Ah, that's right.  You're the only one left who was born into the Hakurei bloodline, aren't you?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not unless I have some sisters."
>Very irritable voice
>"Which, given you told everyone to lie to me, I'm not going to rule out."

[日巫子]

>"Not unless I have some sisters."
>Very irritable voice
>"Which, given you told everyone to lie to me, I'm not going to rule out."

> "'Everyone'?  Just who have you been talking to?" Yukari asks.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you've been trying to hide my past. And trying to hide that incident from me, too. And other things I don't feel like going into right now. But overall it's convinced me that it may be best to just seal you into a toilet if things don't improve right now."

[日巫子]

>"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you've been trying to hide my past. And trying to hide that incident from me, too. And other things I don't feel like going into right now. But overall it's convinced me that it may be best to just seal you into a toilet if things don't improve right now."

> Yukari lets out a barely-audible sigh.  "Ahh.  It was and is for the best, you know?"
> You demand she do something, and she shakes her head.  "Improve things, how?  Fix the Boundary?  Gap a successor for you out of thin air?  Fixing the Boundary requires another blood contract and finding another shrine maiden to add to the line requires me leaving the Boundary alone.  All of Gensokyo at the Boundary with needles and thread couldn't repair the damage now."
> She sews without pause, looking down at her work.  You're standing behind her, and can't see what kind of face she's making.  It can't be anything good, though.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Or you could stop hiding my past from me and pretending it'd do anything good you piece of shit hag!"
>Dump the shards in a pile beside her.
>"There. I know you have the last one around here somewhere."

[日巫子]

>"Or you could stop hiding my past from me and pretending it'd do anything good you piece of shit hag!"
>Dump the shards in a pile beside her.
>"There. I know you have the last one around here somewhere."

> Yukari turns her head to look at the shards, unperturbed by your harsh comments.
> "One of my constructs was carrying around something that looked like that," she says.  "You really want to know, don't you?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes! Did you think I was making things up or something?!"
>"And your stupid construct took a shot at me and Ran, so don't expect it to be very happy."

[日巫子]

>"Yes! Did you think I was making things up or something?!"
>"And your stupid construct took a shot at me and Ran, so don't expect it to be very happy."

> "Surely Ran will be able to subdue it," says Yukari.  "Take a seat."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm fine standing."

[日巫子]

>"I'm fine standing."

> "Very well.  First of all, tell me what you know already."

 >_

[Hello Purvis]

>"I know what Kikuri did, and from what I've gathered it weakened the border and did something to my memories."

[日巫子]

>"I know what Kikuri did, and from what I've gathered it weakened the border and did something to my memories."

> "Wrong.  She weakened the Boundary, but in the long run it wasn't enough to cause this kind of damage.  Any lack of memory relating to that particular incident is most likely from head trauma."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well there you go. Start explaining."

[O4rfish]

>"Yukari, let me see if I understand what you're saying. Sanae received enough worship to become a god. She created a dream world, which unbalanced Gensokyo enough that it slipped away from the present Outside World up to the future Outside World. Is that right so far?"

[日巫子]

>"Well there you go. Start explaining."

>"Yukari, let me see if I understand what you're saying. Sanae received enough worship to become a god. She created a dream world, which unbalanced Gensokyo enough that it slipped away from the present Outside World up to the future Outside World. Is that right so far?"

> "My, that's perceptive," Yukari says.  Her voice raises an octave in surprise.  "You've pretty much figured out the incident yourself.  She hasn't, though."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"So what do we do about it?"