Hatate Quest Nelja

[Hello Purvis]

>"Frankly, it sounds like you can get everything you wanted and you still wouldn't be happy."
>"Here, let me lay out what the basic plan would be. We get people riled up, while Momiji puts pressure on Lord Tenma to look into this whole mess.  And I'm pretty sure we can get people riled up a whole bunch of ways. For instance, Tsubaki just gave us a golden opportunity, we pile the shame on her, we bemoan how the ancestors have been forgotten, we get people talking. Then once that ball is rolling a little bit, we hit some other angles. Don't think I didn't hear that "can't be with her" thing, that sounds like an angle we can use."

[Oldmansour]

>"Frankly, it sounds like you can get everything you wanted and you still wouldn't be happy."
>"Here, let me lay out what the basic plan would be. We get people riled up, while Momiji puts pressure on Lord Tenma to look into this whole mess.  And I'm pretty sure we can get people riled up a whole bunch of ways. For instance, Tsubaki just gave us a golden opportunity, we pile the shame on her, we bemoan how the ancestors have been forgotten, we get people talking. Then once that ball is rolling a little bit, we hit some other angles. Don't think I didn't hear that "can't be with her" thing, that sounds like an angle we can use."

>"I wouldn't count on that last one." Aya replies. "She's human. Even in the old days, that was a taboo."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, but those were the bad old days before Genoskyo and spellcards and stuff. I'd bet my paper if we we had a yamabushi(?) consult the ancestors now with all the correctly done rites, they'd be willing to let it go ahead. We'd have to figure out a bunch of stuff, but that's okay."
>"Soooooo, who is it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, but those were the bad old days before Genoskyo and spellcards and stuff. I'd bet my paper if we we had a yamabushi(?) consult the ancestors now with all the correctly done rites, they'd be willing to let it go ahead. We'd have to figure out a bunch of stuff, but that's okay."
>"Soooooo, who is it?"

>Aya manages a grin. "She's a challenge for you to figure out. See if you can ferret out one of MY secrets, when you get back home."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Heh, fair enough. And that's your in right there, isn't it? You just make a mystery of it."

[Oldmansour]

>"Heh, fair enough. And that's your in right there, isn't it? You just make a mystery of it."

>She chuckles quietly. "People don't need my help to gossip about the mystery of my love life, kiddo. They've been doing that for years without any help from me, ever since the first time the Dai-tengu tried to have me married off."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That just makes it an easier hook, doesn't it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"That just makes it an easier hook, doesn't it?"

>"Suppose it does. But encouraging gossip is something I'd hoped I'd never have to do again. That kind of gossip, I mean."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, it's not so bad. We just have to lead 'em to be sympathetic, and nudge 'em toward the truth with baby steps."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, it's not so bad. We just have to lead 'em to be sympathetic, and nudge 'em toward the truth with baby steps."

>"And you really think our people would accept the idea of one of their celebraties shacking up with a human?"
>"Why not?" Momiji asks. "I do. And Hatate does as well, or I doubt she'd be supporting the idea."
>"Two out of a few thousand ain't the best average, 'Miji."
>"True. But everything has to start somewhere, right?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Besides, if two people are okay with it, chances are there's going to be more where that came from."

[Oldmansour]

>"Besides, if two people are okay with it, chances are there's going to be more where that came from."

>"Maybe among the lower castes. But I don't have that kind of faith in the Dai-tengu anymore, and they're the minds you're going to need to change."
>"You thought it was possible." Momiji points out. "This place proves that."
>"There's a difference between faith and dreams, 'Miji." Aya retorts wearily. "This place may have made my dreams come true, but reality doesn't care about my dreams."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Actually, the Dai-Tengu don't matter, either. There's exactly one tengu who does matter, in the end, and you're the one with his respect Momiji. If he speaks, what can the Dai-Tengu do but accept it? And, should we expose them for wrongdoing, and he decides to strip the wrong-doers of their wealth and set them to work brewing tea for the White Wolves, then what can they do about it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Actually, the Dai-Tengu don't matter, either. There's exactly one tengu who does matter, in the end, and you're the one with his respect Momiji. If he speaks, what can the Dai-Tengu do but accept it? And, should we expose them for wrongdoing, and he decides to strip the wrong-doers of their wealth and set them to work brewing tea for the White Wolves, then what can they do about it?"

>Aya frowns a little. "I think you're giving our exalted leader a little too much...." Her lips twitch thoughtfully as she trails off. She visibly mulls something over for a moment or two, then her frown fades. "Maybe... It's possible?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Of course it will! I mean, it's not going to be easy. No one's going to just let a human waltz in. The ancestors would have to approve, and she'd have to earn it. But it's not as though humans are still living in mud huts and hitting each other with deer bones anymore. We have managed to teach 'em a thing or three."

[Oldmansour]

>"Of course it will! I mean, it's not going to be easy. No one's going to just let a human waltz in. The ancestors would have to approve, and she'd have to earn it. But it's not as though humans are still living in mud huts and hitting each other with deer bones anymore. We have managed to teach 'em a thing or three."

>"Many a true word. But look, fair warning, Hatate, even if you get Tenma on board, there's still gonna be trouble. There's going to be Dai-tengu who won't like changes, and you're right, Tenma has the power to punish them for it. But A disenfranchised noble with wounded pride and nothing left to lose is a dangerous thing. I've tangled with a couple of those down the line, and I got the scars to prove it. You've got to be ready for that."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I see it as a chance to make their fall into humiliation all the more of a learning experience."

[Oldmansour]

>"I see it as a chance to make their fall into humiliation all the more of a learning experience."

>"The trick there is to make sure the Dai-tengu don't put their own spin on the event. You wouldn't believe how good they are at making their own look good, even when they do something horrible." After a moment, she shakes her head. "Let me rephrase that, they're gonna put their own spin on anything anyway. Getting the truth out's gonna be on you, and they probably won't make that easy on you."
>"Probably?" Momiji asks.
>The elder crow manages a wry grin. "I don't relish the idea of going back to that place. But the idea of running interferance for Hatate here, keeping her out of the line of fire? Giving them more than just her to worry about? That, I can face." Despite her grin, you can still see the sadness in her eyes when she talks about leaving this world.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm thinking of it like this. They can spin, but they need to get people to buy it. And that's where we're going to shine."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm thinking of it like this. They can spin, but they need to get people to buy it. And that's where we're going to shine."

>Aya offers you an amused grin. "So you think you can get people to listen to you over their social betters, who have more age, experience and influence than you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I do it all the time? It's called reporting!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, I do it all the time? It's called reporting!"

>Aya shakes her head. "You never did hurt for confidance."
>Momiji clears her throat quietly. "If I may, Aya, Hatate?"

[Kilgamayan]

> Look over.
> "Yo."

[Oldmansour]

> Look over.
> "Yo."

>"Might I suggest that this can wait? Getting out of this book is what matters, what we do after can wait."
>Aya gives the white wolf a grin. "In a hurry or something, 'Miji."
>"We still don't know what long-term effects there might be from staying here too long. The sooner we can get out of here, the better."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, that's probably true. I guess we can make conspiracies and stuff later."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, that's probably true. I guess we can make conspiracies and stuff later."

>"Still trying to watch over me, eh, 'Miji." Aya teases the wolf.
>"It's got to be a habit after all the trouble you've dragged me into."
>After Aya has a laugh at the grumbling of the white haired tengu, she says "Well, would you mind awfully if I popped back to town to get my camera?"
>Momiji blinks. "YOU don't have a camera on you?"
>"Of course I do, just not the one I came to this world with. I may have changed a bit, but that's still my favourite camera, and I don't like to travel too far without it."
>"That makes sense. And you wouldn't mind if I went with you?"
>"Worried I'll backslide?"
>"In so many words." the serious wolf says with a nod, before turning her head to you. "Why you don't you go meet up with Celes and bring her up to date? Aya and I'll be along."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Alright. You gonna meet up with Me and Celes and the place, or wanna meet up somewhere else?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"Alright. You gonna meet up with Me and Celes and the place, or wanna meet up somewhere else?"

>"The place?" Aya asks.
>"We planned to meet up with Celes at a barber's in the hu-"
>"Liluye?" Momiji blinks in surprise, but Aya gives her an impish grin. "Come on, 'Miji, you think I wouldn't know her? It'll be interesting to see her again, maybe now some of the stuff she's said will make sense to me."

[Hello Purvis]

>"That'd be good. All I know is she's supposed to be weird."

[Oldmansour]

>"That'd be good. All I know is she's supposed to be weird."

>"Oh she is that. But having talked to you two, I think she's not like the other people of this world. She might actually be from yours. ... Ours." she corrects herself purposefully after a moment. "Either that or she's a loony who knows her way around a pair of scissors."