Keine Quest (Part 5): Broken History

[Hello Purvis]

>"What was she doing before the nap? Anything noteworthy at all that day?"
>Look to Ran and Marisa. "I'm not sure if you can detect these sorts of things or not, but if you can, can you try to find any hint of a lingering enchantment on her?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm right, aren't I?"

>"That's besides the point!"

>"What was she doing before the nap? Anything noteworthy at all that day?"
>Look to Ran and Marisa. "I'm not sure if you can detect these sorts of things or not, but if you can, can you try to find any hint of a lingering enchantment on her?"

>The woman shakes her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary."
>Marisa frowns. "I didn't notice anything, but I'll take a closer look." Ran seems lost in thought.
>Marisa holds her hands in the air just about Maribel, and small spell circle flashes briefly between her palms. There is a flicker of soft blue light. Marisa shakes her head. "I don't see anything like that."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm not from here. What is the ordinary?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm not from here. What is the ordinary?"

>"Oh, just psych classes, some reading. Went out to the mall. Boring, normal stuff."

[E-Nazrin]

>"Do you know what she was reading?"
>Psych? Mall?

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you know what she was reading?"
>Psych? Mall?

>"Don't really remember," the woman says. "Why would it matter?"
>So many unfamiliar words since you've been here...

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, was it a normal book? An unusual one might have properties to it that could have caused this."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, was it a normal book? An unusual one might have properties to it that could have caused this."

>"What do you mean 'unusual'?" The woman gives you a strange look. "You mean like magic or something? I- I think it was just a novel. I didn't really pay attention." She takes another unsteady breath. "If Mary'd found anything like that, I'm sure she'd have told me."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod and sigh.
>"Has she told you about things like that in the past?"

[DracoOmega]

>Nod and sigh.
>"Has she told you about things like that in the past?"

>Renko shakes her head. "Nothing like that. But, well...." She pauses and frowns. "The two of us, we... we look for stuff that's out of place in the world, you know? Spirits, things like that." She shakes her head. "Never really found much. Until today, I suppose." She is silent for a while.
>"Mary... had these dreams, sometimes," she says, her voice tired sounding, "where she was in another world. Only she was convinced that they weren't really dreams and that this world was actually out there, somewhere. I... think she was starting to be uncertain which was dream, and which was reality."

[Blitzer]

I'm considering that Gengetsu is involved.

>"Did she tell you anything about this world?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Did she tell you anything about this world?"

>"Only a little," she replies. "A lot of it was just forests and such. But... she sometimes saw people, or...  other creatures. She told me about being chased by youkai a few times." She turns to Ran, frowning. "You're a youkai, aren't you?"
>Ran nods. "I am. But I promise you I have no desire to harm anyone here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It might well be that she was seeing into our world. Did she ever describe anything specific to you?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It might well be that she was seeing into our world. Did she ever describe anything specific to you?"

>"Um... I remember her mentioning a big red mansion she saw by the shore of a lake. And there was... Uh..." She shakes her head, and gives you an apologetic looking frown.  "Sorry, my... I feel like I can barely think straight."

[Kasu]

> "That was most likely the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

[DracoOmega]

> "That was most likely the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

>"You... know it?" the woman asks.
>"Sounds about right," Marisa says. "She say anything about a red-hair guard who always hangs out by the front gates? Green dress, kinda annoying?"
>The woman shakes her head. "I... I don't think so."
>Ran's brow furrows and she walks over to Maribel again.

[Hello Purvis]

>Pat her hand. "We're onto something, I'm certain. And, I've not introduced myself. I'm Keine Kamishirasawa."

[DracoOmega]

>Pat her hand. "We're onto something, I'm certain. And, I've not introduced myself. I'm Keine Kamishirasawa."

>The woman musters as much of a smile as she can as you try to comfort her. "Sorry... I'm Renko. Renko Usami. Do you..." She hesitates, and you can see her grasping nervously at the fragment of hope you present. "...do you think you know what's wrong with her?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not yet. But we're following threads that the doctors here cannot. I am hoping Ran has an idea."

[DracoOmega]

>"Not yet. But we're following threads that the doctors here cannot. I am hoping Ran has an idea."

>Ran continues to stare at Maribel. "I don't know what connection there is between her and Yukari, but each piece of information adds more parallels. Do you recall what I said Yukari's last words were? She said that she hadn't woken up. That she would never wake up. Keep in mind, Yukari was awake while she said this. I never knew what she meant."
>"Who... who's Yukari?" Renko asks.
>"She is..." Ran hesitates. "I'm not sure how I should put it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"She is one of the oldest and most powerful youkai in Gensokyo; that is, our world. Maribel bears a very strong resemblance to Yukari. Quite frankly, it's a shock to us, too."

[DracoOmega]

>"She is one of the oldest and most powerful youkai in Gensokyo; that is, our world. Maribel bears a very strong resemblance to Yukari. Quite frankly, it's a shock to us, too."

>"You're saying Mary looks like someone important from your world? And, uh, not even a human at that?" She frowns. "...you said something about her 'last words'?"

[Kasu]

> "Not really her 'Last Words' as in she died after... More like her 'Last Words' until she went into a coma...  If you can even call it that."

[DracoOmega]

> "Not really her 'Last Words' as in she died after... More like her 'Last Words' until she went into a coma...  If you can even call it that."

>"It... may not be an entirely inaccurate description of her present condition," Ran says. "Certainly she has closed her eyes and not reopened them, despite being alive."
>Renko's brow furrows. "So you're saying there's someone in your world who looks like Mary who's also in a coma now?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's more complicated than that. Complicated enough that it doesn't really make sense to any of us yet."

[DracoOmega]

>"It's more complicated than that. Complicated enough that it doesn't really make sense to any of us yet."

>"If it makes you feel any better," Marisa says, "I feel about as clueless as you probably do right now."
>Reimu rolls her eyes. "Oh yeah, that's sure to make her feel better."
>"Tell me," Renko says, looking at you earnestly. "I can handle complicated. Even in the state I'm in now, I'll make myself understand it."

[Kasu]

> "Its rather hard to describe, but I'll try."
> Attempt to describe Yukari's current state.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Before I begin, do you understand what a hakutaku is, and what role they play?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Before I begin, do you understand what a hakutaku is, and what role they play?"

>"Uh, not really," Renko says. "I think they were some sort of wise legendary beast that advised rulers in ancient times. Why?"

> "Its rather hard to describe, but I'll try."
> Attempt to describe Yukari's current state.

>You do your best to describe Yukari's current condition, suspended in the web of borders and cut off from the rest of the world by a splice in time. Renko listens attentively, and nods as you speak, but it's clear she doesn't really understand it very well. You can hardly blame her; you barely understand it yourself.
>"That's all... a bit much for me," she says. "How's this related? Why do you think this has anything to do with Mary, other than the fact that they look alike? Why'd you even come here in the first place?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"More than that. Hakutaku are, essentially, youkai of history. I am one, though it's not very apparent at the moment. That event happened 18 years in the past from your perspective. But, from that of the present, it happened seven years ago. And this is where it begins to get painfully complicated."