Keine Quest: The Broken and the Lost

[DracoOmega]

>Head south.

>You follow the road along the south, past some more houses. You think you may be able to hear some quiet conversation in the distance. After a time, a very different kind of building comes into view; one which you're not used to seeing in the village. It appears to be a small shrine.

[Hello Purvis]

>Look toward conversation, see if we can note who is conversing.
>Check shrine's decor for Yasakaness. Or Moriyaness

[DracoOmega]

>Look toward conversation, see if we can note who is conversing.

>You look back towards the source of conversation but it seems to be too far away for you to see anyone. They're probably among the houses to the northwest, somewhere. Or maybe someone in the marketplace?

>Check shrine's decor for Yasakaness. Or Moriyaness

>You move closer to get a better look at the shrine. It's a fairly simple structure, with fenced off grounds lined with neatly trimmed trees and a torii over the entrance. You notice a coiled serpent motif along some of the pillars supporting the shrine itself. No signs of anything frog-related, however.
>You also notice someone in a simple blue and white robe sweeping the shrine grounds. She's currently back-on to you.

[Hello Purvis]

>Approach the Shrine Maiden. Does she resemble the infamous Green White?
>"Ah, good morning."

[DracoOmega]

>Approach the Shrine Maiden. Does she resemble the infamous Green White?

>Her outfit does look quite a bit like Sanae's, although perhaps somewhat simpler. And her hair is black.

>"Ah, good morning."

>She turns around and smiles at you. "Oh good morning, Keine. You're up awfully early. And it really does look like it'll be a good morning, doesn't it?"
>Then she seems to notice Rumia, and her smile goes flat. She doesn't seem to know quite what to say.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't worry, Rumia's with me. And she's been a good girl. She even helped me when I was attacked earlier."
>Pat Rumia on the head.
>"Do you have some time? I need to ask a series of incredibly stupid questions."

[DracoOmega]

>"Don't worry, Rumia's with me. And she's been a good girl. She even helped me when I was attacked earlier."
>Pat Rumia on the head.

>You try to reassure the shrine maiden. Rumia giggles a little as you pat her. After a moment, the shrine maiden turns back to you, but her facial expression changes little, and she continues to eye Rumia suspiciously.
>"What do you mean, attacked?"

>"Do you have some time? I need to ask a series of incredibly stupid questions."

>She lets out a little laugh despite herself. "That brings back memories. Ooops, did I say that out loud?" She makes a playful gesture of covering her mouth with one hand.

[E-Nazrin]

>"Apparently. And, I had to fend off Mystia on my way to the village. Rumia kept her busy."
>pat Rumia again and give her a smile.
>"Still, I'm going to make sure she behaves herself here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"But with no further ado, let's get to the stupid questions. And yes, it'll tie into why I was outside. Firstly, I live here, right? Where?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Apparently. And, I had to fend off Mystia on my way to the village. Rumia kept her busy."
>pat Rumia again and give her a smile.
>"Still, I'm going to make sure she behaves herself here."

>She looks and Rumia and nods hesitantly. You're pretty sure she's not happy about it, but she's willing to let it go for now.
>"On the way to the village? I wasn't aware that you'd left. Where did you go?"

>"But with no further ado, let's get to the stupid questions. And yes, it'll tie into why I was outside. Firstly, I live here, right? Where?"

>She pauses and just stares at you. It seems she really has no idea how to answer that sort of question out of the blue.
>"Um, what? I'm not sure what you mean by that."

[E-Nazrin]

>"Just pretend I have amnesia. It'll be simpler that way."

[DracoOmega]

>"Just pretend I have amnesia. It'll be simpler that way."

>"Uh.... is this some of a joke? Somebody put you up to this?"  She wanders towards the edge of the shrine grounds and looks around to see if anyone is hiding just out of sight. Then she turns back to you "Wait, do you even know HOW to pull a prank on someone, Keine?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"If it helps to think I'm pulling a prank, that's fine. Just humor me."

[DracoOmega]

>"If it helps to think I'm pulling a prank, that's fine. Just humor me."

>She sighs. "Oh, ok. But so help me, if someone jumps out from the bushes at me or something, I swear I'll make sure you draw nothing but bad fortunes from here for a whole year."

[Hello Purvis]

>"If someone jumps from the bushes, I'll pound them myself. So, where do I live?"
>Keep a discrete eye on Rumia to make sure she doesn't end up needing a pounding.

[DracoOmega]

>"If someone jumps from the bushes, I'll pound them myself. So, where do I live?"
>Keep a discrete eye on Rumia to make sure she doesn't end up needing a pounding.

>"Towards the northwest end of town, near the water."
>Rumia just seems to be wandering around harmlessly, looking at the trees and torii, without getting too far away from you, thankfully.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you. This will all make sense later, I promise. Sorry to give you such a weird thing to deal with in the morning."
>Head off toward the watefront, make sure Rumia follows. Make haste!

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you. This will all make sense later, I promise. Sorry to give you such a weird thing to deal with in the morning."
>Head off toward the watefront, make sure Rumia follows. Make haste!

>"Uh, ok..."
>You gather Rumia and head of towards the waterfront.
>"Are you sue you're ok?" the shrine maiden calls out after you, as you leave.
>You travel along the road you just came, back towards the marketplace and then north. Someone seems to be setting goods out on one of the stands. He turns to wave and then stops and stares. You hear a few other people starting to mill about.
>You head north of the market and then follow the road west, past the school. More houses continue in this direction, and the river curves a little closer to the settlement at this point.

[Hello Purvis]

>Look around for houses that look like something we'd live in. There's gotta be something we'd do to distinguish our home...
>Also, keep a look out for ourself.

[DracoOmega]

>Look around for houses that look like something we'd live in. There's gotta be something we'd do to distinguish our home...
>Also, keep a look out for ourself.

>You stroll down the road, trying to find a house that looks like it could be yours. Really, your taste is pretty plain and ordinary in a lot of ways, so you doubt that any of them will yell 'Keine lives here!'  But you decide to take the perspective of 'If I was going to choose to live in one of these houses, which would I choose? After a while, you settle on a quaint yet stately low-roofed home. There are a couple other possibilities, but you have a fairly good feeling about this one.

[Hello Purvis]

>You stroll down the road, trying to find a house that looks like it could be yours. Really, your taste is pretty plain and ordinary in a lot of ways, so you doubt that any of them will yell 'Keine lives here!'  But you decide to take the perspective of 'If I was going to choose to live in one of these houses, which would I choose? After a while, you settle on a quaint yet stately low-roofed home. There are a couple other possibilities, but you have a fairly good feeling about this one.

>Have a closer look at it. Peek into a window if we can do so discreetly, and see if there's anything that can be recognized.
>If there's no more examining to be done, knock on the door.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Have a closer look at it. Peek into a window if we can do so discreetly, and see if there's anything that can be recognized.
>If there's no more examining to be done, knock on the door.

>You walk over and try to peer in through some windows. You see a kitchen, with the usual implements. Actually, looks kind of fancier than yours. A living area of some sort. That does look like an almost exact replica of a vase you own. Was always one of your favorites. However, the next room practically seals the deal. Bookcases, scroll racks, writing implements. If this isn't your place, then someone has amazingly similar tastes and interests.

>You go and knock on the front door. You don't appear to get an answer.

[Hello Purvis]

>Knock some more.
>If there's no answer, try opening the door.

[DracoOmega]

>Knock some more.
>If there's no answer, try opening the door.

>You knock some more. Still no response.
>You try to open the door, but it seems to be locked.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Rumia, have a look through the windows and see if anyone is in there, would you? I'll stay by the door."
>Consider where we might hide a spare key.

[DracoOmega]

>"Rumia, have a look through the windows and see if anyone is in there, would you? I'll stay by the door."

>"Ok!" Rumia flies off and starts circling the building, mushing her face up against each window in turn.

>Consider where we might hide a spare key.

>That's... a good question, actually... Your memory is good enough that you hadn't found much need for spare keys. You did give one to Mokou, but you don't know if there's anyone here you'd have similarly trusted.

[E-Nazrin]

>Consider how long we'd have to wait for the normal-peoples' wakeup time.

[DracoOmega]

>Consider how long we'd have to wait for the normal-peoples' wakeup time.

>Well, a couple seem to be up, now. A great many more should probably be waking up over the next hour or two.

[E-Nazrin]

>Consider the wisdom of playing patty-cake with Rumia on the streetcorner.

[DracoOmega]

>Consider the wisdom of playing patty-cake with Rumia on the streetcorner.

>Well, Rumia would probably enjoy it. However, given how the shrine maiden reacted, you imagine you'd draw a lot of strange and disapproving looks after a while.