Hatate Quest Nelja

[Oldmansour]

>"Right. I'm sure you can take down as many of these lapsed fake tengu as she can think up."

>"Well, maybe. But not if the other me shows up. That one's had a few years training on me. You might actually be better suited to take her on than me."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"I'll take her picture so hard."

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"I'll take her picture so hard."

>At your bold declaration, Momiji can't help but laugh. As she does, Ranka's eyes refocus on you and your comrade. "No, I can't feel anything that might be a way out of this world. Well, unless it's at the Cobalt Keep, I can't read that place."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Alright, thanks Ranka."
>Let's keep going for the goal.

[Oldmansour]

>"Alright, thanks Ranka."
>Let's keep going for the goal.

>With Momiji offering no further warnings, and Ranka offering neither additional philosophical debate or flirtation, you spend the rest of your journey musing over just what you want to say to Aya when you get to her. You're still a bit upset over the situation you're in, but you find yourself more curious than upset. If Celes is right, and the changes to the Tengu society are the result of what Aya desired, then what exactly was it that drove her to want such drastic changes? Momiji's one of her closest friends, and she's at a loss to explain it. And you're an investigative genius, if you do say so herself, but why Aya would desire this kind of world is a big mystery to you, too.
>You are certain, though, that one way or the other, you are going to get through to her and snap her back to her senses. Whether she wants your help or not.

>You cover the remaining distance easily and quickly, and you find Twilight's club coming into range in short order. Even from the outside, it is a very upscale establishment, standing out from the surrounding buildings, which is not an easy thing to do in this Dai-tengu neighborhood. Whatever else has changed, the Dai-tengu still field the wealthiest looking buildings and homes among all the tengu. At Momiji's request, Ranka vanishes into the wind before you get too close to the building, to further reduce the chances of Aya detecting her presence. That and you both know that she wouldn't want to spend too much time indoors anyway.
>Outside the white-washed doors, there stands a blue haired Dai-tengu standing as doorman. She nods your way and beckons the two of you over.

[Hello Purvis]

>Stride over like we own the damn place.

[Oldmansour]

>Stride over like we own the damn place.

>The doorman bows her head at your approach. "Good day to you, Himekaidou-san." says the well dressed Dai-tengu. "I was told you might stop by. Shameimaru-san is expecting you." Politely, she pushes the door open for you.
>"And Inubashiri-sama." the doorman continues, bowing deeper to the White Wolf. "Shameimaru-san wanted me to tell you that she has had prepared the outfits she spoke to you about before."
>Momiji winces. "Thank you." she says shortly.

[Hello Purvis]

>Heh heh HEH!
>Nod to the doorwoman, try not to think about how weird and wrong it is, and head inside and make toward that bit where we expect to find Aya.

[Oldmansour]

>Heh heh HEH!
>Nod to the doorwoman, try not to think about how weird and wrong it is, and head inside and make toward that bit where we expect to find Aya.

>The scene inside the door reveals a very mature feeling interior. The dark purple carpet compliments the mahogany walls, and fine art hangs from each of the walls. The single room has many circular tables arrayed in front of a stage, where a dignified Long-Nose coaxes a jazzy piece from a baby grand piano. Other instruments are in evidence, an electric guitar, a bass, drums and a horn, and you wonder if you may have missed a band. A long wooden bar along along the length of the west wall, and a bespectacled grey-haired Dai-tengu mans it, polishing a glass with care.
>The room is not well populated, with a pair of well-dressed young Dai-tengu ladies sitting at the bar, gigging and sharing what appear to be cosmo's, while a party consisting blonde White Wolf, a brunette Crow Tengu and a rose-haired Yamabushi sit together, working over an array of Japanese food items.
>Your eyes do not take long to seek out the figure of the woman you came seeking. Aya Shameimaru sits at a table alone, a book in her hand and a glass of red wine on the table in front of her. During her time in this world, Aya's grown her hair out longer, letting it fall down her back to between her shoulder blades. Instead of her usual ensemble, Aya currently sports a moderately revealingly cut black dress that comes down to her thighs. Black stockings coming out of high heeled shoes conceal much of the rest of her legs, and a green choker with white filligree encircles her neck. You've never seen her look like this before. You've never really noticed before, but she really is a beauty.

[Hello Purvis]

>Yeesh...
>Oh well, if we have to beat her down, this'll make it easier.
>"Aya, c'mon! We gotta go! Big deal happening!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

I've already forgotten all of the ideas I've previously floated for anything regarding this encounter. The thing I'm irritated the most about right now is how Aya threw in the towel on the journalism competition, because there's no point in Hatate pushing herself if her rival has quit (and before Hatate could properly claim the top spot, no less).

Are you thinking about dragging Aya to Cobalt Keep, or just getting her out of the public eye before ranting/beating her up?

[Hello Purvis]

Just getting her out of the public eye.

[Kilgamayan]

Okay, makes sense. I kinda wonder about the possibility of dragging her to the Cobalt Keep, but that can come later, if it's even a good idea at all.

[Oldmansour]

>Yeesh...
>Oh well, if we have to beat her down, this'll make it easier.
>"Aya, c'mon! We gotta go! Big deal happening!"

>_

>Your shout echoes around the room, causing everyone to look up from what they were doing in surprise. Except Momiji. She simply winces at your outburst.
>Aya, for her part, smiles when she sees you. "Still as enthusiastic as ever, I see." she says dryly.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Less words, more getting on the move! We don't have time!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Less words, more getting on the move! We don't have time!"

>Aya chuckles at your exuberance, but asks seriously, "Are you sure you need me? It's nearly my time to perform."
>"You perform here?" Momiji starts. "You didn't mention that before."
>"I did say that I sang here and there these days." Aya corrects. "By here, I included here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes I know this has been taken into account and weighed and this this more important, now come on we're losing time!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes I know this has been taken into account and weighed and this this more important, now come on we're losing time!"

>"Can I at least get my camera?" she asks with a short laugh.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes! Move!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes! Move!"

>With a nod, Aya stands, but does not leave right away. Instead, she looks at the bartender. "You don't mind, Sal?"
>The old man harumphs, but gives her a nod. "You'll make it up to us later."
>"But of course." she assures him with a bow, then flaps her wings and flies off out the door in the northeast corner of the room.
>"You could have tried being subtle." Momiji whispers once people have stopped staring at you.

[Hello Purvis]

>Whisper back, hopefully outside of tengu senses.
>"Subtle invites her to try to be clever. This makes it look like there's a big deal and there's no time for arguing."

[Oldmansour]

>Whisper back, hopefully outside of tengu senses.
>"Subtle invites her to try to be clever. This makes it look like there's a big deal and there's no time for arguing."

>"But we also wanted to avoid attention from other tengu." Momiji counters.

[Hello Purvis]

"Yeah, but that wasn't going to happen somewhere that crowded. Even if we took her without a word, there'd be gossip like crazy."

[Oldmansour]

"Yeah, but that wasn't going to happen somewhere that crowded. Even if we took her without a word, there'd be gossip like crazy."

>Momiji frowns, but doesn't argue. "Well, I suppose it's done now, come what may."
>At that point, Aya returns to the room, her old-fashioned camera in hand and satchel slung over her shoulder. "So, where's the fire?" she asks.

[Hello Purvis]

>"This way."
>Leave, take to the air, and head toward the lower mountain regions. Scout out a good place to land.

[Oldmansour]

>"This way."
>Leave, take to the air, and head toward the lower mountain regions. Scout out a good place to land.

>Aya bids a farewell to the other patrons of Twilight's, then heads out of the building behind you. The three of you take to the skies, setting a course southwest, towards the out of the way dried up spring that Momiji mentioned.
>Curiously, Aya doesn't actually speak during travel. Rather unusual for her. Given the impression you hope you'd given her, you'd expect her to have a number of curiosities towards this supposed big scoop you've corralled her into. Then again, given the effect this world seems to have had on her, she may have gone soft, let her journalistic instincts atrophy. That, you hope, is not the case. It would be very dissatisfying.

>As you fly on beyond Tengu territory, the silence becomes more and more acutely awkward. You're not the worrying sort, but a part of you starts to wonder if Aya might be on to you. She's a clever old bird, even if you'd rather not admit that, and certainly not to her face.
>At a point a couple dozen miles beyond the closest tengu border post, where a small river joins with three others to form a small pond in a grassy field popular for fishing among both tengu and kappa, Momiji suddenly declares, "It's filled again?"
>"What is, 'miji?" Aya asks her.
>The White Wolf looks abashed at her sudden declaration, and gives you a brief apologetic look before answering Aya, "That, uh, that little spring we found-"
>"Oh, that." the elder Crow answers with an easy smile. "Yeah, filled in a few years back. Funny story there- Oh, is that where you were taking me, Hatate?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah."
>Descend.

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah."
>Descend.

>The spring is still some distance away. Momiji must have spotted it with those telegnostic eyes of hers. So you fly on a bit. Fortunately, this time there is something to distract Aya, as Momiji asks, "How'd that happen?"
>"Well, we thought it dried up on its own, like these things do now and then.  But 'round four years ago, a couple of oni were doing some digging above the spring, and they found the underground river that fed the spring. Turns out the water flow just got blocked by a huge block of jade that fell on the river. Once they moved that block, the water started flowing again, and hey presto, we got our spring back. They even made this necklace for me with some of that jade." she adds, her fingers carressing the finely carved represnntation of a crow in flight around her neck.
>"Why would they do that?" Momiji asks, puzzled.
>"That's what I asked them, too. Turns out the oni have a pretty deep sense of gratitude that no one ever talked about. They said, they never would have found the jade they were looking for if I hadn't made that deal with Yuugi, and they wouldn't take no for an answer."
>Momiji nods. "So, these oni. Do they use the spring?"
>"I don't think so, 'least not regularly. They were more interested in the metal and stone around there. Not that they could do much that way, the kappa were really scared their mining would mess up the waters on the mountain. But they seem content with what they got." She gives Momiji a smile. "And I asked them not to tell too many people about the spring. It used to be our place. I wanted to keep it that way if I could."
>The White Wolf returns her smile. "I'm glad. I've missed that spring."

>Their conversation takes you up to your destination, a rather picturesque little lake fed by a waterfall. The terrain is on the rocky side, but the stones are clean and white, and the grass between them is dotted by pink and yellow flowers. The scent of spring fills the area. Surrounding tall trees offer concealment for any who would enjoy the pond. It's not difficult to see why Aya and Momiji wanted to keep the place to themselves. It's a nice place to get away from people.
>"So." Aya says as you descend towards the waterside. "You want to tell me what we're really doing out here, Hatate?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Motion for her to follow, and descend.
>Also, how does Aya feel, winds-wise?

[Oldmansour]

>Motion for her to follow, and descend.
>Also, how does Aya feel, winds-wise?

>The feeling of her wind seems to fit with how Ranka described it. You can sense her, but not as strongly as you could normally. It is as though she's only half there. Less than half, really.
>"What do you mean?" Momiji asks her as the three of you descend.
>"This was her idea." Aya replies as she touches down. "You're a terrible liar, 'Miji, so you never would have tried to get me out here without being honest about it. Now, Hatate, on the other wing..."