Three Fairies Quest

[O4rfish]

>"We're in the horns of an impassible. I know! Let's go inside and get Kourin to tell us how real this bird is."

or we could fight about it I guess. She is being kinda rude.

[Hello Purvis]

Naw, she is being dumb and so goddamn crazy, thus we must be cool and collected and the better faerie.

[Tapsa]

>"We're in the horns of an impassible. I know! Let's go inside and get Kourin to tell us how real this bird is."

>"What, is that the drifter who lives here?", asks the fairy.
>"Actually, he's a sage. You know this place but you've never been in there?", says Star.
>The fairy rolls eyes. "Sage? Yeah, suuure..."
>"He just lives like a drifter so people don't know he's a sage and annoy him all the times. He's a clever sage!", Star says.
>"Fine, get that guy over here then! Doesn't matter if he's a sage or not, I'm definitely gonna make you accept the truth!"

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"You are gonna be so shocked your hair will catch on fire!"
>Head inside!

[Tapsa]

>"You are gonna be so shocked your hair will catch on fire!"
>Head inside!

>"The truth is gonna punch you so hard in the face that your teeth are still caved in after respawning!", the fairy says.
>Luna sighs. "You guys are getting way worked up over some dumb bird..."
>As you draw closer to the front door of Kourindou, you get a terrible premonition that the door is going to swing open with force and smash into you. Luna gives you a curious look.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Move away from the door, and try to open it from the side.

[Tapsa]

>Move away from the door, and try to open it from the side.

>"Why are you doing that?", asks a confused Luna.
>As you strain to reach for the door handle that would already be difficult enough for you to get from a less awkward angle, you hear a click and notice it rotate downwards! You pull your arm away on a reflex, out of the way of the opening door and the person stepping outside.
>A man in a tan-colored dress suit stands by the threshold, his hand still grasping the door handle. He surveys your party with a disapproving and deep frown, before acquiring eye contact with you.
>"Don't try anything funny, kiddo.", says the man.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"But I like jokes..."

[Tapsa]

>"But I like jokes..."

>"Oh, jokes are fine.", says the man in tan as he turns around on the threshold and reaches back inside Kourindou with both of his arms while pushing the door slightly wider with the heel of his black dress shoe. You note that on the back of his neck, there seems to be a part of a tattoo peeking out from behind the suit's collar.
>"But no tricks, alright?", he says with a solemn face, before backing out, forcing a dozen glossy bags that he's grasping on to through the narrow doorway.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey that's a neat tattoo! Where'd you get it?"

[Tapsa]

>"Hey that's a neat tattoo! Where'd you get it?"

>"It's a long story.", says the man.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"I like stories!"

[Tapsa]

I sure as hell hope yalls scatterbrains didn't forget whose day it is today!

>"I like stories!"

>"Too bad. I ain't got the time to tell any.", he says, hardly even looking you in the eye anymore.
>"Why not?", asks Luna.
>The man in tan leaves you standing alone by the open doorway, ignoring Luna and briskly walking past both her and Star.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Your suit is poo colored!"
>Head inside.

[Tapsa]

>"Your suit is poo colored!"
>Head inside.

>You're not sure if he even heard your insult over all the loud rustling and shuffling of his haul of bags, or if he's just ignoring you. He heads westwards down the path.
>"Oh, it's just an another haughty humie. How about we let karma get him for a change?", says Star.
>"Eehh... Yeah, I guess we could use a break.", Luna says.
>You come to an agreement with Star and Luna and head inside Kourindou through the open front door. You hear the nameless fairy say something to the man in tan as he walks past her and the pink bird, but you can't really tell what exactly since you're moving about on a cranky wooden floor inside a building.
>The clutter of this shop presses in on you from all sides. Objects no less alien to you than the ones sitting outside around this building dominate the shelves, drawers and cupboards of this room, of which the more exquisite and exotic-looking ones you could imagine being on sale themselves as well. You can already hear Star and Luna vocalizing their amazement behind you.
>At the other end of the room behind a counter is a bespectacled, silver-haired man. There's no mistaking Rinnosuke - or Kourin, as you remember Marisa calling him, even though you've only really seen him once before.
>"...Faeries? How unusual."
>Rinnosuke pushes down his glasses a little and stares at you intently over them.
>"You three look familiar."

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"HEy Kourin!"
>Wave.
>"Who' was that jerk in the poop suit?"

[Tapsa]

>"Hey Kourin!"
>Wave.
>"Who was that jerk in the poop suit?"

>"Aah, that's right. You're those three from before." He nods slowly and deliberately. "The faeries that Reimu and Marisa often mention."
>The shopkeeper adjusts his glasses with a little sigh in response to your question.
>"Not a person I'm familiar with, I'm afraid. I take it you didn't obtain a very favorable first impression of him out there."
>"Yup, he was rude to Sunny!", says Star. "Do you know why he had so many bags?"
>"I do not. He wasn't particularly talkative nor willing to disclose much about himself. While a less chattier window shopper is a nice change in pace, I wouldn't have minded to hear him explain where he had obtained such unusual clothing."
>Rinnosuke clears his throat.
>"So, what brings you here, faeries? It has been a long time since your last visit. Have you discovered a new treasure?"

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"No...um..."
>Blink.
>"But Reimu did!"
>Display the mystery artifact. "What is this thing? Some kind of curse-a-ma-jing?"

[Tapsa]

>"No...um..."
>Blink.
>"But Reimu did!"
>Display the mystery artifact. "What is this thing? Some kind of curse-a-ma-jing?"

>The shopkeeper raises an eyebrow.
>"You're running an errand for Reimu? But aren't you the faeries who always prank her?"
>"Errand? No no no, that's not it.", Star says, waving her hand dismissively at Rinnosuke. "Reimu's so terrified of our pranks that she gave a treasure to us as a tribute to make us stop!"
>"Huh? But wasn't she sick, so--"
>Star swiftly forfeits Luna's ability to speak by covering her mouth with a hand.
>"Ah, this is bad! Luna's choking! Don't worry, I've got this!", Star says, smiling as Luna struggles to pry her hand off her mouth. She bends Luna over and starts knifehanding her repeatedly between her shoulder blades.
>Rinnosuke's nervous chuckle is barely audible over Luna's muffled screaming.
>"I see, I see. So, in the end, the shrine maiden who has defeated oni, vampires and even gods, had to bow down before a trio of faeries? Well, I'm certainly looking forward to hearing Reimu's account on this."
>"Those who misunderestimate us have never prospered!", Star proudly declares, continuing to cling on to Luna, who is now stumbling around the shop trying to wrestle Star off herself.
>"Mind the merchandise, will you?", Rinnosuke says, frowning at the potentially destructive antics of the two. "Anyway, let's have a look at this treasure, shall we?"
>You show the mysterious, unidentified squishy pink object to the shopkeeper. He freezes up and stares at it in what would be an awkward silence if it wasn't for Luna.
>"...Excuse me, but I must check something. I'll be back with you shortly.", he says.
>Rinnosuke opens the door on the wall behind the counter and exits the room.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Watch out for snakes!"
>Look back to Luna and Star.
>"Is she gonna be okay?"

[Tapsa]

>"Watch out for snakes!"
>Look back to Luna and Star.
>"Is she gonna be okay?"

>"Maybe... But I might need to pull a Heimlich here!", Star replies.
>You watch as Luna manages to grab a giant folding fan off a shelf while stumbling around with Star. A massively exaggerated slapping sound is heard as Luna hits Star with the fan. Star loses her grip on Luna and is sent staggering backwards, clutching her chest as if it has been pierced by an arrow. With her knees given in, she stares at Luna in shock, before the rest of her body gives in as well and collapses forward.
>"I... I can't believe you...", says Luna, breathing raggedly.
>"What on earth was that...", says Star, rolling over to lie on her back on the floor.
>Luna brandishes the giant fan at Star. "Why did you shove your gross and sweaty hand in my mouth!"
>"I had to do it, or else you would've told Kourin a big lie.", says Star.
>"That's not an excuse to karate chop me in the back!", Luna says, poising to hit Star with the fan again.
>Star holds up an arm in anticipation of the strike. "Hey! You're not allowed to hit me while I'm knocked down!"
>You hear the door behind the counter open again. Rinnosuke re-enters the room with his hand placed across his face.
>"Sorry for the wait." Rinnosuke sighs and slides his hand off his face. "Now, could you hand it over to me for a moment? I'll have a look at it."

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>Hand it over!
>"I think we fixed Luna!"

[Tapsa]

>Hand it over!
>"I think we fixed Luna!"

>You lost: Squishy pink tube
>"I'm not broken!", says Luna.
>"You know better than to complete the circle of violence, Luna." Star changes up her blocking arm into a wagging finger. "Now, be a nice fairy and put that fan down."
>Luna trembles with anger for a while, but ultimately gives in to Star's persuasion by dropping the fan.
>Star giggles and stands up.
>"Good, good~"
>Ever since you handed the object over to Rinnosuke, he appears to be looking very unconformtable.

[Hello Purvis]

>"It is cursed, isn't it!"

[Tapsa]

>"It is cursed, isn't it!"

>"Well, er, hmm..."
>Rinnosuke's eyes veer off to the side.
>"Sunny, look...", says Star, pointing at Rinnosuke, "His face is turning red... It's definitely cursed!"
>"...Yes, cursed... It's cursed.", says the blushing shopkeeper.

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Put down it! PUT IT DOWN!"

[Tapsa]

>"Put down it! PUT IT DOWN!"

>"Wait, I touched it at Reimu's too..."
>Star slaps her hands to her face and stares at you with wide eyes.
>"Calm down, this isn't a harmful curse. It's a..."
>Rinnosuke puts the mysterious squishy artifact down on the counter.
>"...curse of unidentifiability."

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"...But why does that make your face go red? I could still recognize you with that!"

[Tapsa]

>"...But why does that make your face go red? I could still recognize you with that!"

>Rinnosuke shakes head.
>"Only the object itself is unidentifiable. Like I said, this isn't a harmful curse that affects its surroundings."
>"But what if its got curses hidden under that curse and you can't tell?", says Star.
>The shopkeeper gives a little shrug. "I couldn't tell you offhand whether an object is cursed or not anyway. When I examine an object, only its name and utility are revealed to me."
>"You don't need a gypsy to tell if it has hidden curses! Your face turned red when you touched it! It has to be the sunburn curse! Where's a mirror?", says Star, before she starts to pace restlessly around the shop, looking for a mirror.
>Rinnosuke touches his blushing face.
>"Hmm? Ah, yes, the blushing, erm... That always happens when I attempt to identify an unidentifiable object. And wouldn't a sunburn be sore?"
>Star stands by a standing mirror and leans in toward it, carefully inspecting her face.
>"Hey, I don't see anything..."
>Star snaps around and points at Rinnosuke.
>"...but what if it's invisible and painless for fairies at first but then gets worse later!?"
>"Well, if you really are convinced that you've been cursed... You should pay Marisa a visit. She knows her way around curses."
> Rinnosuke grabs the object off the counter and turns to you.
>"I need to make preparations for a small ritual to rid this object of its unidentifiability. I premuse you wouldn't mind if I kept it to myself for a day or so?"

>_

[Hello Purvis]

>"Um, I guess not. But I don't really get what's going on. I think you need to get a pro!"