Maribel Hearn Quest - ACT 1

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

MARIBEL HEARN QUEST:

>You are Maribel Hearn.

>You are a 19 years old university student majoring in psychology living in Kyoto, Japan. For a significant portion of your life you've caught glimpses of a land called Gensokyo in your dreams. Additionally, you were born with an ability to see boundaries, something that isn't normal for humans. You've kept these aspects about you secret for many years.

>And then you met Renko Usami.

>You and Renko share several common interests, including a love for the supernatural. She is currently your best and only friend, and you've been friends since high-school. Together, the two of you form the Secret Sealing Club, which investigates supernatural activities. Renko, like you, also has an unnatural ability. If she has a clear line of sight with the night sky, she can pinpoint her exact location, as well as the time. It's prevented both of you from getting lost during investigations on several occasions.

>In recent years, your powers seem to be intensifying. As they developed, you gained the ability to dream about Gensokyo while still awake, as well the ability to take Renko into your dreams with you. For a while this made it difficult to tell apart dream from reality. Fortunately, this feeling faded over time.

>Now, your ability seems to have intensified yet again. You've noticed that you can create very small tears in boundaries. You found out that these tears will usually repair themselves over time, but you also discovered that you can close them manually. You've started experimenting with larger tears as the days passed. Today, you stand by an old shrine in the mountains: The long-abandoned Hakurei Shrine. Here, you can see the shimmering barrier, invisible to everyone else, that surrounds Gensokyo, the land of your dreams. You told Renko that today you'd be trying something major: You are going to attempt to create a tear in Gensokyo's boundary, so you two can finally enter it physically.

>However, you can't do so just yet. Renko is running late.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How often does Renko run late?
> Who is Sumireko Usami?
> As long as Renko isn't here yet, check chest for usual growths.

[Neovereign]

//Oh boy, Yukari Maribel Quest, here we go~
>Check inventory.
>Who do we know of, specifically who have we seen in Gensokyo?
>Where is she!? Of all the times she chose to be late, she had to do so today...

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> How often does Renko run late?

>Of all the thirty or so investigations the two of you had since you formed the Secret Sealing Club, this has to be the fifth or sixth time.

> Who is Sumireko Usami?

>Renko has only talked to you about her once, after which she requested not to speak of her again. Sumireko was Renko's older sister. She disappeared when Renko was young, a few years before you first met her, actually, and, from what you understand, has been presumed dead.
>You also know that the name Secret Sealing Club was originally thought of by Sumireko. You think Renko suggested the name as a way to honor her.

> As long as Renko isn't here yet, check chest for usual growths.

>Your chest is about the same as it's always been.

>Check inventory.

>INVENTORY:
 >Clothes (equipped)
 >>Your signature outfit, a purple and white dress with a black belt.

 >Hat (equipped)
 >>A white cap that you wear almost all the time.

 >Satchel (equipped) (capacity: 6/20 units)
 >>A bag for carrying items. Has a limited carrying capacity.

  >Video Camera (2 units)
  >>A device used to record videos. Of course, your phone can do this too...

  >Sack Lunch (3 units)
  >>A lunch you prepared for your expedition.

  >Cellphone (1 unit)
   >>A communication device used to call other people. You doubt this would be of much use in Gensokyo...

>Who do we know of, specifically who have we seen in Gensokyo?

>You know that a shrine maiden is responsible for tending the border, you know that she's a member of the Hakurei family, but not much else..
>Additionally, you know that there is quite a bit of youkai living within Gensokyo as well. Some of them, you swear, were able to detect your presence, despite you never actually being there.
>You've also caught glimpses of a maid, as well as a mysterious white-haired girl surrounded by flames in a couple of your dreams, but you don't know much about either of them.

>Where is she!? Of all the times she chose to be late, she had to do so today...

>You wonder in frustration as to why your best friend is taking so god damn long.
>_

[Neovereign]

>Call Renko's number.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Call Renko's number.

>You retrieve your cellphone from your satchel, and dial Renko.
>After a few seconds of ringing, she picks up.
>"Hello?"
>_

[Neovereign]

>"Where are you Renkoo? You're supposed to be here by now. This is the big day."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Where are you Renkoo? You're supposed to be here by now. This is the big day."

>"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm running up the shrine steps now. I'm almost there!" you think you hear Renko panting.
>_

[Neovereign]

>Hang up and wait.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Hang up and wait.

>You hang up the phone and place it back in your satchel.
>After waiting for about a minute, you finally see Renko Usami running up the last of the shrine steps.
>She stops to catch her breath.
>_

[Lollipop]

>Scold her for being late

[Neovereign]

>"So, do you have everything ready?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Scold her for being late

>You walk up to Renko and give her a scolding. How dare she show up late on a day like this!
>"I already said I'm sorry!" Renko responds, "Hey, at least I'm here now, right?"

>"So, do you have everything ready?"

>"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
>_

[Neovereign]

>Make a tear in the shimmering barrier.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Make a tear in the shimmering barrier.

>You lead Renko closer to the shrine and face the barrier.

>You hold out your arms and concentrate...

>As you do so, you see a line form on the shimmering boundary, gradually growing longer until it touches the ground in front of you. It then violently rips open into a jagged-edged tear about two meters wide! Renko seems to jump as soon as it appears. Beyond it, you see a landscape that looks similar to where you're standing, but more beautiful.
>This tear is the largest you have ever created, and you feel your energy drain the longer you keep it open. It might be a good idea to move through before you can't maintain it anymore.

>"Ready?" Renko asks.
>_

[Neovereign]

>"M-mhm."
>Enter the tear.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"M-mhm."
>Enter the tear.

>You and Renko step through the tear.

>You allow the tear to close behind you, you feel a shockwave move through the air as it does. Thankfully, it's not strong enough to knock either of you off your feet.
>You begin to take in your surroundings. You are standing on a hill resembling the one you just came from, however it is much less overgrown, and the road here seems well kept. To your right is an old shrine. You believe this is the Gensokyo counterpart of the Hakurei Shrine.

>Opening that tear took quite a lot out of you. Drawing a breath of air, you take a few steps forward. However, as soon as you do, you feel your legs give out beneath you!
>As you fall to the ground, the last thing you hear as your vision fades is Renko calling your name...

>...

>When you next awaken, you are lying on a futon in an old room. You notice Renko kneeling at the side of the bed.
>"Oh, good! You're awake." she smiles, "You had me worried for a bit..."
>_

[Lollipop]

>Ask her where we are

[Neovereign]

>"Uh...We made it into Gensokyo, right?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Ask her where we are

>You ask Renko where you are.
>"We're in the Hakurei Shrine. The maiden who lives here let us stay until you recovered..." she replies, "How are you feeling, by the way?"

>"Uh...We made it into Gensokyo, right?"

>"Yes, Merry. We're here."
>She gives you a warm smile.
>_

[Neovereign]

>"I'm fine. That just took a lot out of me. So, we're finally here... Wait, you didn't do anything without me yet, did you?"

[Lollipop]

>Ask Renko if she saw anyone
>Try to create a small boundary tear to the outside world

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"I'm fine. That just took a lot out of me. So, we're finally here... Wait, you didn't do anything without me yet, did you?"

>"Of course not! I was waiting for you to wake up..."

>Ask Renko if she saw anyone

>You ask Renko if she saw anyone while you were unconscious.
>"Only the shrine maiden that lives here. I don't think she's introduced herself yet..."

>Try to create a small boundary tear to the outside world

>You would have to be near the barrier in order to do that...

>"Well, it seems that somebody's awake..." you hear a voice say.
>_

[Neovereign]

>Greet the voice.
>"So, who are you?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Greet the voice.

>You sit up on the futon, still feeling a little fatigued, and turn to the source of the voice.
>Standing in the doorway is a woman, likely in her late 20s or early thirties. She's wearing a red outfit with white, detached sleeves. In her black hair is a large, red ribbon. Her arms are crossed, and she seems to be eyeing you with suspicion.
>You say hello.

>"So, who are you?"

>"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing..." the woman smirks.
>"I'm Reimu Hakurei." she scowls, "Now who are you, and how did you get here?"
>_

[Lollipop]

>Tell her you think you've seen her before

[Neovereign]

>If this person tends to the barrier, she'd probably scold us if we mentioned messing with it.
>"I'm Maribel Hearn. I... don't remember how we got here. I think I passed out a while ago anyways."
>Shrug.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Tell her you think you've seen her before

>You tell Reimu that you think you've seen her in your dreams.
>"What the hell are you talking about!?" she exclaims, "Besides, I asked you a question!"

>If this person tends to the barrier, she'd probably scold us if we mentioned messing with it.

>You decide that mentioning that you tampered with the barrier in order to get here might be a bad idea.

>"I'm Maribel Hearn. I... don't remember how we got here. I think I passed out a while ago anyways."
>Shrug.

>"You liar." Reimu scowls, "I know you did something to the barrier in order to get here, and you've only been out for about five minutes. Now, I'm only going to ask you one more time, and you better tell the truth! Who are you, and how did you get here?"
>You hear a bell ring.
>_

[Lollipop]

>Stall by asking what (or who) rung the bell

[Neovereign]

>"Hey, we don't want any trouble here..."
>Check for a source to the noise.