Hatate Quest Kolme

[Oldmansour]

>"That's what she says, but it sure doesn't justify what happened. And I think that's going to be our way to get through to her. She's not dealt with actual tengu for awhile, so she's let herself go and thinks all this is okay in the end because no one's told her different. So, we need to remind her of it, make her feel guilty about it. Then, wake her up. She'll want it all to be fake then, because it'll make her feel a bit better if it's all just a dream."

>"So, your plan is to... shame and guilt her into waking up?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I can't think of any other way to make her want to leave, if this really gave her everything. Not to mention she kinda has it coming."

[Oldmansour]

>"I can't think of any other way to make her want to leave, if this really gave her everything. Not to mention she kinda has it coming."

>Momiji's ears droop as she lowers her head. "I can't say I really like the idea of doing that to Aya. I mean I get it, we need to save her. I just don't really like the idea of being... well, cruel, to do it. Not to Aya."

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown.
>"Well, the cruelty is second to the honesty. I dunno, maybe I'm just mad at this whole thing, and I just want the one other person who matters to admit it's screwed up..."

[Oldmansour]

>Frown.
>"Well, the cruelty is second to the honesty. I dunno, maybe I'm just mad at this whole thing, and I just want the one other person who matters to admit it's screwed up..."

>"No... You're probably right, it's the better of the two options. If Celes is right, the alternative would be we'd have to beat her back to her senses." She chuckles suddenly. "Never thought I'd find myself saying something like that."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I suppose I ought to say I'm not looking foward to doing it either, but I dunno. I think I am because I wasn't looking forward to Aya turning into such an embarrassment. But the important thing is, you'll back me up, right?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I suppose I ought to say I'm not looking foward to doing it either, but I dunno. I think I am because I wasn't looking forward to Aya turning into such an embarrassment. But the important thing is, you'll back me up, right?"

>Momiji's smile hardens just a bit, an expression you've come to call her game face. "I may not be as upset as you are, but I want to save Aya just as much, maybe more. I'm with you, Hatate."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Good. Because I might have to cut deep. Maybe even deeper than I mean to. But we can't have her knowing if I need to go beyond that point, right?"

>_

[Oldmansour]

>"Good. Because I might have to cut deep. Maybe even deeper than I mean to. But we can't have her knowing if I need to go beyond that point, right?"

>_

>"Still the better choice, assuming we don't just provoke her into attacking us. I don't like our odds if it came to that, either with blades or bullets."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What? No! There's no way she could take you in a real fight, let alone the both of us. Especially if blades get involved!"

[Oldmansour]

>"What? No! There's no way she could take you in a real fight, let alone the both of us. Especially if blades get involved!"

>"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Momiji replies modestly. "But the simple fact is, I couldn't hit her if she didn't want to let me. She's faster than most Dai Tengu I've known, and she handles the wind better than a lot of them too. Handles a combat fan like a pro, too. She really IS a prodigy." She chuckles quietly. "A couple of White Wolf shoguns over the years tried to recruit her to do some Ranger training before they tried to get anyone else. Only reason she refused is because she said she was under Dai Tengu orders for other duties."
>"But I doubt it'll come to a real fight anyway. Trapped in a fantasy or not, she's still Aya, and we're still her friends. At worst, I expect a serious danmaku duel."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well if it came to that real blows, she can't be in two places at once. And if it comes to danmaku, well, I have my camera. There's no way she'll let that pass. And I've got her before."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well if it came to that real blows, she can't be in two places at once. And if it comes to danmaku, well, I have my camera. There's no way she'll let that pass. And I've got her before."

>Momiji's smile turns into a grin. "Hasn't she got you before too?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah but that was ages ago."
>"Anyways, I think we're gonna have to get her away from others, too. Because if Celes is right about all this, there's a good chance that it'll try to back her up. So, we need to make sure there aren't any people around to do that."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah but that was ages ago."
>"Anyways, I think we're gonna have to get her away from others, too. Because if Celes is right about all this, there's a good chance that it'll try to back her up. So, we need to make sure there aren't any people around to do that."

>The white haired wolf has a quiet chuckle.
>"I was thinking the same thing myself. I don't like the idea of fighting my way out of Twilight's anymore than Iike fighting Aya. The only problem with that might be if she can communicate with the people of this world on the winds. If she feels especially threatened by us, she may be able to call in reinforcements from some distance away. Not to mention that it would identify us as threats to the book, then we'd get the same treatment this Dio would."

[Hello Purvis]

>Is there any way to interfere with that that we know of?

[Oldmansour]

>Is there any way to interfere with that that we know of?

>A more powerful wind user can interfere with the wind use of another. Or someone possessing skills in the field of interference. Some crow tengu specialize in that in the event of emergencies. At times, the presense of a disruptive or powerful wind spirit or divinity can interrupt comuncations through the wind, someone like Kanako or Ranka, for example.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You think we could get Ranka to do interference?"

[Oldmansour]

>"You think we could get Ranka to do interference?"

>"Ranka?" Momiji says with surprise, then she smiles. "That's a good idea. She'd probably be able to, at least long enough for us to talk to Aya." Then she leans back, her smile fading. "But that's still a risk. She's a product of the book herself, even if she is somehow different."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, but if she's gonna be following us, then that's going to bite us in the butt sooner or later anyways. So we might as well gamble in a way where she's useful if we win."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, but if she's gonna be following us, then that's going to bite us in the butt sooner or later anyways. So we might as well gamble in a way where she's useful if we win."

>"Yeah. Use the resources you have available." She barks out a laugh. "I should be used to that after all these years of Dai tengu budgets. But yeah, it's not like we have too many other options."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Got any good ideas where we should lure her to?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Got any good ideas where we should lure her to?"

>"Well if we're going to ask Ranka to help, we probably shouldn't try to bring Aya anywhere too indoors." Then she laughs again. "'Too indoors'. Bet you've never used that one in your paper."
>"Here's an idea, though, Twilight's has a number of private boxes on its top floor for its V.I.P's, which Aya is there now. And I think they've all got sky-doors as well. The should give us privacy to talk and keep Ranka comfortable. Plus, she'd only have to block the wind flowing out of two exits, the door and the roof."

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we think she could do this well enough that Aya wouldn't notice it's being done?
>"Could work. A bit too close to others if things go bad, but I suppose it's easier than luring her out to the middle of a forest or something."

>_

[Oldmansour]

>Do we think she could do this well enough that Aya wouldn't notice it's being done?
>"Could work. A bit too close to others if things go bad, but I suppose it's easier than luring her out to the middle of a forest or something."

>_

>You don't know Ranka well enough to know if she can pull off that level of subtelty.
>"Well, maybe not." Momiji says. "What if you told her about some kind of story you heard about in some out of the way valley on the mountain, or field down around the Bamboo Forest? She's still a journalist, if not as devoted to the job as she is in our world. She might be willing to follow your lead where you wanted."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I dunno. Giving a rival help like that is kinda suspicious of itself."

[Oldmansour]

>"I dunno. Giving a rival help like that is kinda suspicious of itself."

>Momiji points out, "But you're not rivals in this world. Well, her and the other Hatate."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, but she'll figure out the difference soon enough, I think."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, but she'll figure out the difference soon enough, I think."

>"For sure. But if she was willing to work with one Hatate, why not the other?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mmm, maybe. So, you know any good spots out there?"