> "Well, that depends. Was everyone here back in the room with the Emperor? Those uniforms make it really hard to tell all of you apart."
> Nod.
> "Okay. I know the Emperor's special advisor is full of it, and since she admitted she's been here since before there was an empire, that tells me she had at least some influence on the decision to make Kosa an empire. I'd bet my bucket she's using you guys to get revenge on Higan for giving her the boot. Given all that, I expect the chance of change will be enough to get the professor to stand down, especially if confirmation comes from the VIVIT that was with me."
> "I do. It'll be important that the professor hears it from that VIVIT, though."
> "Something like that. The entire idea of a person that's also a machine is still a bit over my head."
> Float on out after him.
> Frown.
> "And here I thought they were going to leave her in the medical bay. Surprised to see you out of there, for that matter."
> "Right, yeah, I do. Okay. Everyone here can hear the silence right now, right?"
> "Nope. Listen for the hiss."
> Press the communicator button and pause for a second.
> "Hey, what happened down there? All the rumbling stopped."
> Press.
> press.
> "Yeah, actually. We even talked for a while."
> Press.
> Press.
> "there were 8 guardx in the room with him."
> Press.
> Press.
> "By talking with him. We both discovered some surprising stuff. He's now reconsidering a number of things. But...we will all need to work together for there to be change."
> Press.
> "It is what it is. The Emperor actually prefers youur surrender, but I told him I couldn't guarantee that, mostly because I know you never would. It would be for everyone's best if you at least stood down, though."
> Press.
> Roll eyes.
> Press.
> "Do you want to hear it from Big R, then?"
> Press.
> Look up at the leader guard.
> "She's going nuts at me. Can I tell her that I learned someone's been lying to the Emperor for years? Or is that too much info and would tamper with the validity of my pink-haired friend's testimony?"
> Snap fingers.
> "Wait, I got it. What if you ask my pink-haired friend the important question now, through this? Once you have her answer, we can give them the info so they'll be more cooperative."
> Nod at the guard, then look at Sombraluz.
> "Remember the other woman you brought here? She has a very important opinion. I'm gonna ask about getting it now."
> Press the button.
> "Okay, I have an idea. I know you want to know what's up. There's a guard here with an important question for my pink-haired friend. If he can ask her that question with this communicator, then I can tell you what's really going on here after he gets her answer. And no, the question isn't about where you are right now. Which I could have asked after telling you the Emperor was dead if I actually wanted to betray you."
> Press.
> Can we hear our translated self through the interpreter device while we use it as a long-distance communicator?
> Press.
> "A question about our home."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Sounds like it."
> Press.
> When we saw Sombraluz through Patchouli's spell, was he wearing a translator?
> Press.
> "Someone else on this side is going to ask you a question. All I need you to do is answer honestly."
> Press.
> Press.
> "I can explain everything after you answer the question, okay?"
> Press.
> Do not press the button. Instead, look back and forth between Sombraluz and the leader guard.
> "I'm not sure if the long-distance communication translates. Just to be safe, does anyone here know my language?"
> "Works."
> Point at the button.
> "Press it once to talk so they'll hear, press it again so you can hear them in return. Once you've confirmed with her that you're on this end and she's on that end, ask her to describe Higan to you."
> Put it back on.
> "Repeat what she said to the guards."
> Frown.
> "This will bring it to a close."
> Look at the lead guard.
> "C'mon, back me up here. You know Higan is the whole hangup in this mess."
> Nod.
> "And nothing about it being the capital of Gensokyo, I assume? That's the most important part, and I'll explain why once you confirm it. I promise."
> Give a meaningful glance over at the lead guard. If he says anything, let him speak, and do not speak ourselves. If he doesn't, launch into the following.
> "Okay. Here's the deal. The Emperor has a 'special advisor' named Sariel. She's actually originally from Higan. Worked there until she was banished amidst some scandal. Somehow, she wound up here, before Kosa was an empire. She's been feeding the Emperor lies about Gensokyo, claiming Higan is its capital amongst who knows what else, and his decision to invade our home seems at least partly influenced by what she's told him. Near as I can tell, she's using him - and all of you - to get revenge on us because she's bitter about her removal."
>"If I tell them what's going on, they may agree to stand down."
> Replace 'may' with 'should' in the above piece of dialogue.
> "Of course."
> Press.
> "Okay, great. You can give the device back to the professor now."
> Press.
> Press.
> "The emperor has a special advisor that's actually a former worker from Higan that was banished after a scandal. She's been feeding him lies for years, and seems at least partly responsible for Kosa's change to an empire. Near as I can tell, Kosa's planned invasion of Gensokyo is her using him and his forces to get revenge on Higan for deposing her."
> Press.
> Press.
> "If he decides he's been misled since before the creation of the Empire, don't you think he'll reconsider the whole idea? Especially since he was willing to put himself on the battlefield over all the lies."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Then what do you propose? Asking him really nicely? Because I can promise you that all trying to forcibly remove him will accomplish is ruin any chance of convincing anyone to take our side. He's ready and willing to die for his vision if he has to; do you really think he doesn't have plans in place in case that comes to pass?"
> Press.
>BTW, can we fire lethal danmaku?
>Assuming we can throw lethal demonfire, how much more effective than ordinary fire (or ordinary napalm) would it be at killing someone?
> "I don't know. I pointed out to him that he'd be stuck in a hostile Gensokyo for a long time if your machine got destroyed while he was there, and he sai he'd considered that risk and was willing to take it. He was even sure he'd find some way to fix it and come back here eventually. I don't think he's concerned about what you're saying coming to pass."
>"Professor, perhaps you would want to meet with him personally? You might be able to convince him of some of your ideas."
> Press.
> Say what O4rfish suggested.
> "We can take care of just the crazy and let everything else fall apart from there."
> Press.
> Press.
> "He listened to me."
> Press.
>Where is Kasen, anyway? Is she with Yumemi?
> Press.
> "An invasion he's now reconsidering. Because he listened to me. He could have blithely dismissed me as trying to save my home when I produced information that ran counter to his key assumptions. He called Sariel's information into question instead."
> Press.
> Press.
> "When he was reay to go to war and possibly die on her advice? Good grief! Why do you think he's that much of a lost cause? Are you his jilted lover or something?"
> Press.
> Is Ruukoto here yet?
> Press.
> "I sure do! You want to know about a true bureaucratic lost cause? My mother is a bureaucratic lost cause! She's the one that never listens to anyone! Nothing is more important than her job, not even her own goddamn kid! An she didn't even need a demon from another world to perch on her shoulder to change her attitude like this guy! I got more legitimate respect from Canus in ten minutes than I got from my own mother in the last ten years!"
> Press.
> Press.
> "You think civilizations are important? My mother judges souls for a living, sending them to what afterlife she sees fit for endless lengths of time, longer than any civilization will last. You'd think someone in that position would have respect for the individual, wouldn't you? But she can't even bring herself to respect her own child."
> Press.
> Give an exasperated sigh and look at the lead guard.
> "She wants all this to signal the end of the dictatorship you all have going on here."
> "You're telling me."
> Shake head.
> "For all she gripes about all of you, she's really no better. Canus, her, all of you, no one here cares about the commoner. We're all just pawns in a giant political chess game."
> Cross our arms.
> "I'm not promising anything I can't deliver. You and your Emperor don't give any more of a damn about me than she does. Give me something tangible to promise that she'll want or you can toss me aside like you'd been planning this whole time anyway and get back to your mouse hunt without me."
> "What do I want from you? Both the dictatorship and the plans to invade Gensokyo scrapped. Permanently. There's literally nothing you could give me otherwise that would mean anything if either of those are left in place, because I have zero guarantee you won't just change your mind and take everything back later."
> "Then think of something we'd want that you can't just take back when you change your mind later."
> "If I could think of something else I would have proposed it by now. But after exposing Sariel and trying to resolve a major political domestic dispute in a country I'm not even from, my brain's kinda drained in the coming-up-with-new-ideas department."
> Shrug.
> "Sariel means nothing to me. I'd like something irreversible that works toward that not-invading thing."
> How long did Sariel work for Higan, and was she strictly a shinigami?
> "I'm well aware, which is one of several reasons why I didn't suggest one. It's easy to dismiss my earlier requests as unreasonable, but as long as neither of them are met, I'm alive solely at your mercy, and that's no way to live. In that light, to me, they don't sound so unreasonable."
> Snort.
> "Don't treat me like an idiot. You and all these guards here have a hell of a much higher life expectancy than the commoners, who the Empire sees as nothing more than war machine fodder."
> "And how often do those situations that you chose to get involved in come up? Are you constantly fighting wars you didn't start? Do you live your life in fear for your livelihood every single day due to circumstances out of your control, just like a regular person here?"
> "I'm talking about the people that live under law they didn't choose, the people that the man in charge himself told me he would keep throwing at a war until it was won. Have you tried talking to these people and seeing how happy they feel? How proud they are of the Kosa destiny of glory that theoretically includes them? How willing to die they are for someone else's vision?"
>"And what of the nations you conquered? Surely you don't honestly believe their people support you. They're the ones who live in fear, and why shouldn't they? A lot of them no doubt died, and given how soldiers generally seem given to act no matter where they're from, I'd bet a lot of the survivors had some bad experiences, too. Rape and pillage, and all that. ANd don't try to tell me this doesn't happen. It always happens."
>"What do you do with people who don't support you? How many dissenters are arrested? Oh, and count bullshit excuse charges like 'disturbing the peace' in that."
>"Do you really think the conquered people don't hate you? Don't fear you?"
>"The fact that this whole thing started from the lie of an exile from my world would make it all quite funny if not for the effect it's had on people who want nothing more than to live their lives in peace."
> "I've got it then. Something you can't just take back later. Let me go out into the city and ask the people myself how much they like the new regime."
>"That's something that can easily be hidden, we just have to find that wheelchair I brought as a disguise. It worked fairly well on the soldiers after all."
> "All righty, then. Though I'll admit I'm not sure all that will coax her out of hiding."
> "You asked me what I wanted. I told you what I wanted. But I haven't yet been given anything that convinces me your assessment of the commoners is right and hers is wrong. I'm not stabbing her in the back on a flimsy promise. If you want to get her out here, give her something that will make her want to come out, or give me a believable reason that you're all in the right and she's just a common terrorist."
> How exposed to the more bureaucratic side of Higan are the ferry workers?
> So they wouldn't necessarily know many of the documents that get passed around?
> How much time did we spend each day in Eiki's office?
>"And what would it take to convince either of you?" says the agent. "What can possibly be produced that you couldn't just brush away as a lie?"
>"Well, if there is nothing like that, isn't that concerning?"
>"Really, if you can't show me any concrete evidence that the citizens enjoy living in this state, I would be worried that all this effort to set it up was wasted."
>stall for time
>Inventory
>Quests
>Have we seen any shops since arriving in New Kosa?
> Are Canus or Sariel here yet?
> Did Canus not say anything about following us eventually?
>We had a spellcard of our own, and one we captured from an oni. Were they taken from us when we landed the ship?
> Sigh.
> "Okay. Let me try something else."
> Press the button.
> "Okay, so the soldiers that have been standing around me this whole time didn't take too well to the whole dissolve-the-dictatorship thing. You got any other ideas?"
> Press.
> Press.
> "I don't think that's going to go over any better. I'm pretty sure that's not even anatomically possible for a human."
> Press.
> Press.
> Sigh.
> "No, I think you may have had it right the first time."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Wouldn't surprise me."
> Press.
> Is the hangar visible from here?
> What's around us, then?
> Press.
> "Uh, I'm not quite sure what you mean."
> Press.
> Press.
> "That...maybe. I think I could see that."
> Press.
>Hand the two cards to Zombralulz. "I'll trade these for the two cards I had when I got here."
> Blink.
> "Oh."
> Press.
> "I see. Also, just so you know, whatever sort of group we and you eventually going here, I'll need to take a side detour to the lab at some point to pick up some more of my stuff. Not sure how long that'll take, since I don't know where it is from the elevators."
> Press again.
> Press.
> "As long as we're clear about that."
> Press.
> Press.
> "I thought we went over that already, though."
> Press.
> Is there a corridor to the east?
> Press.
> "Okay, I'll see what I can do."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Okay."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Got it."
> Press.
> Press.
> "No, I don't think so."
> If we can still hear the hissing that means we're communicating, press the button one last time to shut it off.
> Look back to Sombraluz.
> "How did anyone ever tolerate her in more than really small doses before all this?"
> Roll eyes and shake head.
> "You really are. Anyway, it sounds she wants to negotiate, which is good because I'm getting a bit tired of being the go-between for two incredibly stubborn agendas."
> "She wants to give me instructions on where to go."
> "All three of them will be there, yeah. She didn't say exactly where we're headed, though. She doesn't want to give the army a chance to set anything up before we all get there."
> "Do you want me to ask for the directions, then?"
> "That we'll start getting directions as soon as we're ready."
>Do we know whether Sombralus is Sicilian?
> Nod.
> Press.
> "Okay, we're ready for those directions."
> Press.
> Can she talk to us while we have it on?
> But she didn't before, way back when we first made the mistake of leaving it on for a long time, right?
> And, so far, the voice on the other end has been inaudible to anyone not wearing the device?
> How audible was the hissing when Sombraluz was talking to Kasen?
> Why are you asking this now for the very first time :C
> Okay, once more from the top of our head: what are the functionalities of this translator device, and how are they used?
> And when did we shut the entire device off?
> So the communication button is the same button as the on/off button for the entire device? I thought I was pressing the comms button in that post and had completely forgotten about the existence of a second button.
> Is the translator part still working, at least?
> ...Why would the communicator need two buttons to turn on and off?
>So there's a Mode button and a Power button. So far, we haven't hit the Power button until just now, which is causibg this argument, right?
> Nod.
> Press.
> "Okay, we're ready for those directions."
> Press.
> Turn the comms part of the device back on before going through the press-and-speaking process given before.
> Look over to the east for that corridor again.
> Press.
> "Got it. Heading east."
> Press.
> Press.
> "I'll see what I can do."
> Press.
> Look at Sombraluz while pointing down the east corridor.
> "We're headed that way."
> Start bouncing down the east corridor.
> "So I don't really expect this to get anywhere, but she seems a little worried about patrols."
> "I don't suppose there's anything that can be done about it?"
> Jerk a thumb toward the communicating soldier.
> "Especially with what sounds like giving instructions to who knows who else."
> "Causing more havoc after this agreement would be pretty rude. And pretty stupid, given you have me and our VIVIT even if you don't have her."
> How far into the corridor are we?
> Shrug.
> "They're just working toward what they think is the best political situation for the country they love by employing tactics that others frown upon."
> "I'd think it'd lead to being a little more sympathetic and understanding, even if you don't necessarily agree with their point of view. Assuming you think what you've done and are still doing is on the level, I don't see why you wouldn't think they're the same way."
> "And how many good men have died to further the Emperor's vision?"
> "I suppose. Still, it's a shame both sides distrust each other so much. They're too similar to need to resort to lethal combat."
> "How many of those patrols know not to use force?"
> Have we hit the second south-leading corridor yet?
> "I guess that's true."
> Press.
> "Okay, I can tell you the patrols won't fire first, at least. I don't think you'll get more than that."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Oh yes. I'm willing to bet you haven't seen anything yet."
> Press.
> Have we passed any corridors that lead north?
> How many more intersections can we see up ahead?
> Press.
> "Anyway, we're trudgin' along the east corridor now. How far up this thing we need to go?"
> Press.
> Look back at the southern-leading corridors, sweeping from the first one to the second one, then on up to the third one ahead of us, as if mentally counting them.
> Press.
> "Got it."
> Press.
> Point to the third southern corridor (while we are presumably still moving).
> "We're headed down that way."
> Keep heading forward toward that intersection.
> Point at them.
> "Uh, do they know they're going the wrong way?"
> "Oh, okay."
> Start heading down the southern corridor.
> Are there any visible intersections ahead?
> Is there a second eastern-leading corridor?
> Press.
> "Okay, we're headed down the third southern corridor. Where to next?"
> Press.
> Press.
> "Got it."
> Press.
> Point down the hall.
> "Fourth intersection, she says."
> Start bouncing along down the hallway toward the fourth intersection.
> Give our own shout of mixed surprise, pain, and anger with a profanity or two added. What the fuck is this?
> Duck down into the bucket and try to rub our eyes into some sense of betterness.
> Keep our head down while trying to look around.
> Both using danmaku? Interesting...
> Check what's going on behind us.
> Is there any obvious cover in the immediate vicinity?
> Is the bucket still standing upright?
> If the bucket knocked over, how much of our stuff would spill out?
> What if we tilted it over ourselves while we were in it?
>Are we in danger of being hit if we remain where we are?
> Tip ourselves over so we fall toward the red blurs, since they're probably our friends. Brace ourselves for impact, of course.
> Take a few seconds and give our eyes more of a chance to adjust to the surroundings. Groan in irritation in the process.
> Did Kasen have a green skirt?
> How solid are these black lines?
> How are our ears doing?
> Look on either side of us for those lines.
>Examine pantsu.
> Does the weapon look familiar at all? Maybe like the thing that guard used on us earlier?
> At least they're fighting non-lethally...
> Might as well bring our hands and arms over our head in something of a duck-and-cover position.
> Peek up at the rebel side. How are they holding up?
>Scroll up and retroactively examine Kasen's pantsu
> How does she look? Any blood or black lines anywhere?
> Where's Chiyuri?
> Give a concerned cry and get ourselves upright again.
> Take a look back at how Kasen is doing.
>KUNG FU MOVIE AWWW YEAH
> Are there other soldiers still battling?
> Is Sombraluz coming up from behind or is he theoretically in her line of vision?
> At which of her sides is he coming?
> "The right!"
> Goddamn, she's good!
> Let's leave her to her own devices, now that it's one-on-one. Swiftly fly our way over to Yumemi.
> "You injured?"
> "You may not have a minute. There might be patrols on their way."
> "Right. You think maybe you could use one of those radios once you're up, though?"
> "Might be worth grabbing one."
> Take a look back at the fight.
> "Where's Chiyuri?"
>Wonder if we'll get to see Angel Arm or Caved.
> "All right. Do you want some help getting up?"
> Help Yumemi to her feet.
> Quick, turn around!
> How far do they have before an intersection?
> "Ah! Wait!"
> Look back at Yumemi.
> "Should we get him?"
> Look back at the other two.
> Take off at top speed after Sombraluz, pointing at him so Kasen gets the hint.
> Head down the same westward path.
> How is Kasen doing speedwise?
> How far ahead is the next intersection?
> "Wait up! Everyone's been duped!"
>Why did we want to get ambushed again? If we let him go, would that be really bad?
> Ugh.
> Continue pursuit, then.
> "Help us stop the real criminal here!"
> "Jeez, quit being a baby like Yumemi!"
> "Get over yourself and use your head! How many have died because of us? And how many have died because of all the lies that special advisor has been feeding to your emperor?"
> "Or maybe you don't care about dead Kosans! Is that why you're running away and leaving your unconscious allies in the care of your enemy?"
> Look over at Kasen.
> "Catch him, but avoid shooting him if you can. I can't keep this up, I'm not good enough."
> Might as well keep trying to pursue.
> Was she directly in front of us or to one side?
> Which side?
> Maintain speed and swerve to the right to get out of the way.
> Bring ourselves to a halt and look over at Kasen.
> "At least he finally stopped. Guess we should show the same courtesy."
> "So I've heard."
> Turn back to Sombraluz.
> "So what now?"
> "Detain me? For what?"
> "Really now? I guess that would explain why I started shooting up your forces after not being blinded or deafened by whatever the hell that thing was, and why I didn't tell my friend here not to attack you despite Yumemi making it pretty obvious what she wants to see done to you, and why I held your allies' lives hostage after you ran away."
> Roll eyes.
> "I didn't take any hostages. The point is that I could have, if I were actually trying to work against Kosa."
> "If I had known that was coming I would have shieled my eyes and ears. You had every opportunity to shoot me and didn't. If you wanted me to help your guards, maybe they shouldn't be taking cheap shots at my friend. If you're that concerned about me catching you, then you've already forgotten the first two times I tried, back when I wasn't actively trying to not attack you."
> "Then tell me which of those things is a lie."
> "You mean the surprise attack that I also got hit by? So because I get hit by a surprise attack, I can't take offense to another one?"
> "Neither side shot at me, near as I can tell. Since you didn't shoot at me, does that make me your ally and their enemy?"
> "You're making assumptions to fit what you want to believe is true, like both the Empire and the rebels have been making since I got here. I saw some weird device, then I heard firearms, then I couldn't see or hear anything, then I gained enough of my senses to see the one person I know I can trust getting double-teamed by you and your guard. How does me shouting out a warning to that one person mean I'm responsible for that ambush? Was I supposed to think she'd gone off the deep end and you wanted peace?"
> "Yeah, go on, keep claiming I had anything to do with that ambush. Maybe if you say it enough, it'll magically turn true."
> "I'm not the one handwaving what they don't want to hear and what doesn't fit their reality. Even ignoring your blanket dismisssal of my situation on more or less waking up from whatever that blast was, you've said nothing to address the multiple opportunities I've had to do something actually malicious, like take that throwing star we both know is missing from your belt and slice open an unconscious neck or two. Hell, you even tried to accuse me of taking those guards hostage when I was standing right in front of you with no unconscious guards around. Maybe they let you out and about with that head wound too early?"
> "Me betray you? You're the one that attacked her before I was aware of anything! If you wanted me to think highly of you, maybe you shouldn't have betrayed me by attacking my friend!"
>Do we know which direction to go to reach the hangar?
> "So you expected me to sit there and let you take her out? When you had that weapon on you the entire time and could have used it to stop the fight and gotten everyone to calm down and start talking instead of fighting?"
> "How was I supposed to do any of that when I couldn't see or hear?"
>Could we escape towards the hangar, or was Sombralulz running that way?
> "Because you had a point where Yumemi was down and my friend was distracted by the last guard. You could have stepped back, drawn your weapon, and stopped the fight. Instead, you prolonged the fight by moving in on her."
> "If you really believed you couldn't get away from her while her attention was focused elsewhere, why did you try to run away? Surely you must have thought she'd catch you."
> "No. I'm calling bullshit on this. If you thought it possible to get away when she was focused on you then there's no way you didn't think it possible to get away when she wasn't focused on you. The numbers don't matter, Yumemi was out of the action and I was too far away to do anything."
> "Is that how you wanna handle this? Fine. Let's both tell your Emperor what happened, and we'll see if he's as delusional as you."
> Smirk.
> "Nice way to dodge the question. I guess you must know he'll see through your lies."
>Rub head a little and groan
>"Ugh...whatever that thing was earlier might have got me a bit off balance. I know what I'm thinkin', and I'm thinkin' we both might be a bit all wet here. Let's go from the top, what happened from your side of things?"
>"Not gonna split hairs on the last parts, but the first...I really didn't know. I'd think I'd have prepared better if I did know. As for chasing you down...well, this conversation is important. Look...let's just head to your Emperor. If you wanna take me as some sorta "hostage", fine."
>"Kasen, dunno if you wanna come with or do something else but they have the numbers advantage and I still think this Sariel thing is gonna be important to the Emperor."
>"So you can't keep that...thing at my back ready to go off the moment I try anything? The condition of your men and the research done on Kasen will show that we don't *have* lethal bullets like you do."
>Where are the three of us in relation to each other and the walls? Which direction is everyone facing, and where is the gun pointing?
>"Well, you wouldn't have to, but you seem quite suspicious of me, with some cause, I'd say. I really want this meeting with the Emperor. I will come quietly if you give me that, with any condition you want to be sure of me. Otherwise..."
>Shrug
>"I don't know. Is there anything I can do for you to allow this?"
>Frown
>"Maybe you should ask the Emperor if he thinks I'm dangerous."
>Just to confirm, when we die we'll be brought before the Yama, right? Will we remember everything we know about this or will it be fuzzy or something? Is it karmically good or bad to consider suicide for a perceived greater good?
> Take a moment in silence, then shrug.
> "Well, if that's how things are going to be, I guess I don't have much of a choice left. You can go ahead and shoot me."
>"Sombraluz, your empire has put my land in jeopardy, and my people aren't even aware. Your emperor has a strong and encompassing grip on your countrymens' allegiance, and the dissenters seem to have no hope of resurgence, let alone rebellion. You have bested me for what is certain to be the last time, and my prospects for negotiation or repatriation look bleak and dismal. My options are limited, but I still have enough power to make a statement, albeit one that few may hear of and fewer understand. "
>"Kasen, I apologize for leaving you. Perhaps someday we'll meet again ... on the other side."
>Insert shuriken into neck, point first.
> "If you insist."
> Reach down into the bucket for the throwing star.
> "I figured you'd want the pleasure, but I have no problem just offing myself."
> Charge at Sombraluz, but instead aim for the arm holding the weapon. Try to latch onto his arm and grab at the weapon to keep him from using it again.
> In which direction did he duck?
> Slam the brakes on the toward-the-wall momentum!
> Turn ourselves so we're facing eastward.
> Is he between us?
> Call over our shoulder, keeping our eyes on Sombraluz, while slowly floating a little bit to the west.
> "Fence to the east."
>Assuming gun is possessed by Kasen: "I'll leave you to think on it. Kasen, we're leaving."
> Frown, then look back at Sombraluz. Let go of the throwing star, if we haven't already, and bring that hand back out of the bucket.
> "Then I guess you have a choice to make, knowing what you do about Sariel."
>Status of gun?
> "It's your choice. You can run. I won't stop you. We both know I couldn't if I wanted to. You can run, and there will still be chaos. I may avoid getting myself involved in Kosa's stupid slapfights, but you'll still have the Empire fighting the rebels. Still have property damage, injuries, maybe even a good number of deaths before things get resolved. Or you can nut up, and work to actually eliminate the true enemy. Take out the person that's been misleading your Emperor for years. Take the first step to really stop the violence and chaos. Be a better person than Yumemi is."
> "She said she's been here since before the Empire. From what I can tell, Yumemi made that Okazaki Drive thing before the rise of the Empire, too. Sariel would know all about Gensokyo, being from there, which means Yumemi gave her a revenge opportunity. She's told the Emperor that Higan is its capital, that Gensokyo's citizens work toward it, revere it, keep it in mind at all times."
> Tilt our head back toward wherever we think Kasen is.
> "I think you've heard at least one person claim otherwise."
> "On the surface, perhaps. But Sariel has a checkered Gensokyo history. She is actually a former Higan employee, one who was...reassigned, shall we say, amidst a major scandal. Scandals do not happen in Higan, you see. Hers is the only one I've ever heard of, and I lived there for quite a while. I don't know the details of what she did, but I can guarantee that it was something really unpleasant if she got punished that way. Knowing she's been here since before the rise of the Empire, and hearing what the Emperor thought he knew about Higan based on her information, I'd bet my bucket she's been plotting revenge since the instant she learned about the Okazaki Drive, and that everything she's advised the Emperor on was probably designed to bring Kosa a little bit closer to enacting revenge on Gensokyo for her."
> "What else does she need to do? Kosa wrecks Gensokyo and her revenge is complete."
> Frown.
> "I understand that they're mechanically different, but you're going to have to explain to me how they're philosophically different."
> "Then I gotta ask which of the two possible scenarios is more likely, given how long she has known of the Okazaki Drive and what it could do; building up a reputation as a valued advisor on honest work and then flipping a switch one day and risking everything she had worked for on this, or plotting potential revenge from the beginning."
2 (re Canus) I do not believe we will be able to convince either Sombraluz or Canus to take any sort of concilitory action first.
I would not be surprised to see some kind of timeskip message. ("It's ten days later. Sombraluz and four guards open your cell, and explain that you are to be repatriated to Higan as part of a treaty agreement between Higan and New Kosa.")
3 (re Gensokyo) Kisume has already gone on a "Tour de Gensokyo" when the stakes were much lower and the only objective was finding out about that mysterious agent. We know that Gensokyo has powerful residents; those residents could be multiplicatively more effective working together than working separately; they could be much more effective with foreknowledge of an invasion and time to plan; and I would assume that Kisume would be able to reason this much.
4 (re Kisume's goals as I see them) Her primary goal is to prevent the invasion of Gensokyo. Secondary goals are: to return to Gensokyo, preferably alive; to improve the situation in Kosa the way she would want it improved if she were living there. All other goals I view as tertiary, and I do not believe we may learn any information from anyone that would change or override these goals. This said, I have been viewing as foolish the actions you (Kilga) have been taking, which I interpreted as entering into conversations hoping to learn goal-influencing information, which would preclude pathing the encounters to best support Kisume's goals during the most critical phases.
> "Then perhaps a further investigation should be led into the formerly trustworthy advisor for doing things that are not in the best interests of the Empire."
> "Then perhaps a further investigation should be led into the formerly trustworthy advisor for doing things that are not in the best interests of the Empire."
>Glance around for the gun, and if we see it: start moving subtly in its direction. Talking as we do this.
> "...Perhaps sooner rather than later?"
> Sigh.
> "Let me ask you a personal question, then. Let's say you lot find Sariel guilty of being the big fat liar she is and you do whatever you're gonna do with her. Do you personally think Gensokyo is then any less of a trophy just waiting for the Kosa Empire to collect it?"
What makes you think Kasen would let us do it?
Even assuming that Purvis considers Kisume and Kasen to be "large names" out of the hundreds of touhous, and assuming he needs them to return to Gensokyo very soon, and assuming he wouldn't allow himself to use any other plot device that the one already used, I still don't see how he would punish us for entering a command consistent with the goal he has written into his story.
No helpful Kosan NPCs exist other than those already encountered.
I do not have a major problem with asking about possible additional ally NPCs
Kisume and Kasen need to use the ship to travel back to Gensokyo, and any attempt to destroy the ship will turn out to be worse than a waste of time.
If we get captured by the soldiers, we will still get to persuade Sombraluz and Canus to not invade Gensokyo.
None of these make sense in terms of a game, a story, or a simulation. I have to ask how you know them, and why they were not made public knowledge, because they massively impact our options.
>"Listen Sombraluz, I want to explain my line of thinking so that maybe you see my actions in a better light. The most important thing for me is preventing this invasion. I'm willing to destroy that ship to do it; I am even willing to kill myself to provide advance notice to Gensokyo to fend off your troops. Of course, I would prefer a nonviolent solution, and one which lets me return to Gensokyo alive, which is why I have been spending so much time and energy trying to convince you not to invade."
> "Then you should probably know that as gung-ho as he was about making my home a trophy, he stopped our discussion as soon as I gave him info that contradicted what Sariel told him. And when I asked him why her being a liar mattered in terms of whether or not my home was worth invading, he implied it mattered a good deal. So maybe he'd like to hear his additional information sooner rather than later."
> "I can stay away while you report it, if you want. I can even spend some time trying to slap some sense into Yumemi. I wouldn't be surprise if he wants to talk to me again afterward, though, so don't keep me too far away."
> "I don't think I could talk to Yumemi in confinement. I suspect she'd kill me before out-and-out surrendering."
> Tilt our head back toward Kasen again so as to talk more toward her.
> "Can you pick that weapon up?"
> Look back at Sombraluz.
> "What's the third way?"
> Sign and roll our eyes.
> "Man, and I thought I had heard it from you about how I was a traitor."
> ...Eh, let him go.
> Turn around and look back at Kasen properly.
> "Hopefully with news that Sariel's in trouble. We might want to leave all the same, though."
> "Let's head back to Yumemi and discuss this with her."
> Assuming no Kasen objections, head back to where Yumemi was.
> "Oh, no, no, no, not like that. D'you want me to show you how to really pick a body?"
> Bounce on over to the fallen guard she was working on.
> "Not him so much. Got his weapon, though, at least."
> "Probably. Here, watch."
> Bounce over to the next-closest body and get to prime riflin'.
> Leave the stuff on the guard. For once, we're not here to pilfer.
> Bounce over to the two indicated guards.
> "What are you looking for, anyway?"
> Give 'em another good search. We've an audience today!
>While we're giving the guys a good search; "It's a little skill you tend to pick up if you wanna get anywhere living how I do. Folks usually just end up out cold, so you gotta be quick about it, and careful enough that you don't go wakin' 'em back up with your pawin' about. Get in, get the goods, and get out, all in a minute or less."
> Leave it all on their bodies.
> "Anything look good?"
> "Okay. What now, then?"
> "Lead the way. Just to warn you, though, I suspect the Emperor will want to see me specifically some time soon."
> Follow.
> "Bet my bucket that happens to Sariel instead."
> Look over to Kasen, then back to Yumemi.
> "A former employee of Higan."
> Shake head.
> "Have you seen the river with all the souls floating around it? It's across that river."
> "She did. She used to ferry them across it so they could have their afterlife destination judged by the Yama."
>Let's mentally review what we know about the Sariel Incident.
> Recall known (if any) details of the Sariel Scandal.
>"Well, she used to be one of the big cheeses who guided those souls, but took a major demotion when she went postal, likely got a promotion or something and it went to her head. And got the boot out to Makai for it. Needless to say, it was a real mess. Total scandal and disaster. Makai's pretty much a backwoods as far as Higan was concerned, so getting sent to work there's pretty much a death sentence to your job, and is more like gettin' exiled."
>"Beats me as to how she got here though."
> Shrug.
> "I'll tell you something else, though. She's been here since before there was an Empire."
> "She said so herself in Canus's presence, and he didn't correct her."
> "I do have suggestions, but I suspect they'll go over as well with you as similar suggestions did or will do with the Empire."
> "Based on more theorizing than I like admitting. But given the circumstances of her getting deposed, I'd be willing to bet Sariel's salty about what happened to her in Higan. So she shows up here, and then suddenly there's an Empire. And she's been lying to Canus about Higan, claiming it's the capital of Gensokyo, a place he now wants to conquer. All of that combined, doesn't that seem like a little more than mere coincidence to you?"
> "Yeah. Which is why I think the best course of action for everyone is for the Empire and the rebels to put their back-and-forth on hold for a while until Sariel is dealt with. And which is also why I said I think Canus will want to see me specifically some time soon."
> "Someone's gotta be willing to make the first move. Otherwise you're both stuck trying to off each other while someone you both know is lying gets away scot free."
> Frown.
> "If there's a chance deposing Sariel ends the Empire, is there really a need to keep killing?"
>"Simple. She's the one that laid the groundwork for the whole thing. She goes, the whole thing falls apart like an oversteamed dumpling."
>"And he's the one getting all the ideas from her. Take her outta the equation, and he leads by himself. Or someone else takes over in place of him."
>"Well, it's pretty simple logic. If she's the one who caused the empire to be founded, it stands to reason that she'd be the one pulling all the strings, right? Cut the strings, and what do you get? Plus, I'd be willin' to bet my bucket that she's still fair burnt-up over getting kicked over to Makai. Which would explain why things are how they are now."
>"To sum it up, I just used what I knew, found out, and figured out."
> "I can't imagine what he'd use her for. It sounds like she wasn't commonly known among the populace, she would have had no knowledge of Kosa language and culture when she got here, and the guards I've run across seem to have no clue how danmaku works. The only thing that I can tell she's been useful for is warning the Empire about spellcards, and even that wasn't very thorough."
> "Well, I guess I'm not convinced he's a puppet either, but I'd be willing to be she's at least partially responsible for the decision to forge an Empire in the first place. Maybe she found him to be a guy potentially receptive to the idea and just started influencing him to give it a try. With her exposed, I think he'd be forced to rethink what he's doing."
> Shrug.
> "He reconsidered Gensokyo for no apparent reason otherwise."
> "Oh, Higan not actually being Gensokyo's capital doesn't makes an armed forces difference. If anything, it makes his job easier, because now he doesn't have to worry about any sort of central organization."
> "I'll probably find out eventually, since I still want to know why it matters. What's that thing?"
> "Oh, okay."
> Lower our voice.
> "Hey. We gotta move."
> Does it sound like one person or many people?
> "Footsteps."
> Is Ruukoto around?
> Float on through the door, moving enough to allow passage for the people behind us.
> Keep voice down still.
> "Where's this?"
> "Okay. So we just wait for whoever's out there to go by?"
> "Then what do we do instead?"
>"Give them an old-fashioned bucket-to-the-face if they walk in here?"
> "That radio thing might be a problem. The door will work as a choke point, so we won't be able to quickly take out anyone in the back."
> Do we all have room to hide in this room?
> Nod.
> "Probably. Hopefully they won't just send one person in here and leave everyone else outside."
> "Okay. Shall we prepare, then?"
>"Ok, quick in here."
>Jump into one of the stalls.
> "Everybody grab a stall. Avoid the ones closest to the door. Ruukoto should probably take one furthest from the door to minimize chances of them finding her first. Once you hear chaos, bust out and help out."
> Enter one of the middlish stalls.
> Inventory
> Are we parked on the ground or floating in the air?
> Do the walls and door of the stall extend to the ground?
> Be floating up above that wall/door/ground cutoff threshold, then.
> How many people does it sound like?
> Get our hands in a ready to fire position and pray they don't skip the doors and go after Ruukoto's first.
> Got Kasen first, of course.
> How much space is there between the top of the stall and the ceiling of the room?
> Then let's do just that! Duck down and fly up and over the door, hopefully coming crashing down on the nearest guard.
> Cracks? Does it sound like broken bones?
> Oh, those things.
> How close is the nearest soldier?
> How many soldiers can we see?
> Can we see the exit from here?
> Zip at the nearest one, aiming bucket for head!
> So this guy is below us now?
> Keep flying forward and aim bucket-to-head for the guy we saw get caught by Kasen's bullets.
> Quick, locate the other guards.
> Is Kasen already at that corridor?
> Hurry toward that corridor, then!
> "Whoa!"
> About face and chase ourselves back down the corridor!
> Son of a bitch.
> Hope Kasen is okay...she's all we have now.
> ...Probably best to act dead right now, too.
> Let out a groan and don't move.
> Might as well try.
> Give sitting up a go.
> "...Safe?"
> "...Hurts."
> Very gently move our body around a little bit, just to test the limits of what we can do before we set ourselves on painfire again. Try not to shake too much; don't want to scatter glass more than it already is.
> "...Okay...give me a moment."
> Close our eyes again. Take a couple of breaths in the hope that they help us relax instead of making the pain worse.
> "...On the chance you see this...please...don't blow my cover...just listen to me...for once in your life...play along...for everyone's sake...don't blow my cover..."
> "...No one...here right now...let's find Chiyuri..."
> "...Please."
> Nod. The less we have to open our mouth right now, the better.
> Ya think?
> Nod again.
> "Eventually."
> "I'm all ears."
> Might as well give it a shot...try to pick ourselves up out of the current bucket and make our way to the one and only.
> "Where to?"
> Sort through the stuff we had in the metal bucket and gather it into the real deal.
> "The what?"
> "Oh. That could work, I guess. Thought it risks making Canus think Sariel's in the right."
> Leave the glass shards in the metal bucket and move the rest of it to our bucket.
> "Depends on how he's dealt with."
> Frown.
> "A way I suggested, and you acted surprised at."
> Blink, then shake head.
> "Maybe it was Ruukoto I suggested it to, then."
> "We kill him."
> "And I know I suggested it before anyone suggested it to me. And I know whoever I suggested it to hadn't thought of it before."
> Sigh and flop ourselves forward onto the lip of the bucket so it's holding us up.
> "Whatever. I don't have the energy to fight this."
> "So how do we make sure Sariel's disposed of before escaping?"
> "...I don't follow."
> "By sticking around and hearing Canus' decision about her."
> "Unless someone has a better idea for making sure she goes down."
> "Well. Is everyone here prepared to stick that out?"
> "You think I'll get that close to him without a zillion guards around?"
> "That's not what I asked."
> "He will. Killing him with guards around is the hangup."
> "Would you be amenable to a group movement to Gensokyo?"
> "Both sides, going there together."
> "I proposed a plan already. He's considering it."
> "Long story short, everyone goes to Gensokyo and we get more incriminating evidence against Sariel from Higan."
> "Your involvement was mentioned but not guaranteed. I'd bet Canus wouldn't leave you three here to your own devices, though."
> "I think he can be persuaded if I go back to him alone after getting shot. Especially if Sombraluz reports what he was supposed to."
> "You took care of that already. Your description of Higan is what Sombraluz is reporting to Canus."
> "Ideally, the four of you will be waiting at the machine that got us here."
> "Then you can escape to Gensokyo and his decision will be made for him, regardless of what he thinks of Sariel or myself."
> "Because you expressed interest in it earlier, and because it would mess up his plans."
> Frown.
> "I guess subtlely must get lost in translation. I go to meet the Emperor by myself, you four get control of the model seven. If he cooperates with me, all well and good. If he doesn't, then you take the model seven to Gensokyo without him, and his grand invasion plan is ruined."
> "I don't matter, so don't factor that in. For the other thing, I'm sure something can be worked out where both sides can prove lack of weapons."
> "He can keep an eye on you that way. You can't destroy his stuff here if you're over there."
> Shrug.
> "I think he would have rejected the idea immediately in that case."
> "Then you'll leave if he refuses. If you can secure the model seven, you'll be going to Gensokyo regardless. It's just a question or whether or not he wants to go too."
> "If you were him, what would you do about it?"
> "Can he stop the model seven without destroying it?"
> "You can't start it up and then let it sit in waiting?"
>"By the way Doctor, can you think of anyone else we should recruit to help us talk to Canus?"
> "Then I can try to negotiate without giving away where you are."
> "Maybe my telling him where you are can serve as a signal to you to start it up."
> "They are. I'm not sure why that matters, though."
>"What was that situational idea you had?"
> "What if I have it on constantly?"
> "I don't know what else to suggest. All I know is I don't want to leave until I make sure Sariel is dealt with."
> "That'd be fine by me."
> Frown.
> "Well...I don't know if Gensokyo has the materials."
> "You think you could get him to go to Gensokyo while you stay behind?"
> "Oh, I see what you're getting at."
> Frown a bit.
> "Though I figured you were doing all this for the people of Kosa."
> "And what advantages will you still have when you return here without us?"
> Frown.
> "I'm not going to get my way in regards to Sariel, am I?"
> "If you're not going to stick around once the decision is made, where does that leave me?"
> "I'd rather not be alone with Empire people longer than I have to. Both sides would exist to watch each other and make sure no one goes nuts. I also figured you'd want to be on-hand for Higan's information and the subsequent Sariel decision."
> "That assumes you stay, which assumes Canus is okay with you staying."
> Yumemi.
> "So what do we do instead?"
> "I guess we can leave it up to him to decide if he wants you to come or not."
> Nod.
> "And what'll you be doing in the meantime?"
> Look to Kasen.
> "So will you be going with them or coming with me?"
> "Works for me, though they may ask you to surrender even if they don't ask that of me."
> "Hmm...actually...you know, you might actually be the other of the last two people Sariel wanted to show up right before this invasion. Yeah, I think I can at least try to keep you free without further combat."
> "Beyond be yourself? If you know any other hermits, that'd be smashing."
> "Shame. Oh well, maybe one will be enough to dissuade the claim that Higan is a 'permanent fixture' in everyone's minds."
> "I think we're set, then."
> Give a small smirk.
> "Just remember, once this is all over, you're gonna help me freak out Parsee."
> Do we remember how to work the elevator things?
> "What happened to One through Six?"
> "Huh. Okay."
> Look to Kasen.
> "You ready to ride an elevator?"
> Nod.
> Turn back to the Kosans.
> "Stay out of sight."
> Turn back to Kasen.
> "Okay, let's go."
> Hopefully not aggravating that wound.
> "Hey, no problem. Most of us are still in one piece, right? You should come to Gensokyo some time, I bet lots of people would get their minds blown by a machine person."
> Shrug.
> "You're a rookie, you'll learn to deal. You didn't run away, at least, which is probably better than many can say."
> "Anyway, don't worry about it. You did your job, and everyone's going to come out of this on top."
> "Always."
> Nod.
> "Of course."
> Look back to Kasen.
> "Okay, now I think we're ready."
> "Back to the floor where I first found Canus."
> Do we still have any purple key cards?
> Take it.
> "Probably. How high does that one go?"
>"By the way, what is the name of this building?"
> The escort above? That's the group with Sombraluz and not the most recent one?
> "Okay, great."
> Turn to Kasen.
> "That sound okay to you?"
> "Got it. Let's head out."
> Float over to the door. slowly open it if it's closed, and take a careful peek out of it into the hallway.
> Turn around, given one last goodbye wave to the Kosans, then beckon Kasen and exit the room, closing the door behind Kasen.
>Stealthily move towards the elevator, peering around corners and the like all the way.
> Presuming we remember where the elevator is, of course.
> Let's try that longer path. Who knows what we'll find?
> How far ahead of us is the next turn and/or intersection?
> Are there any doors near our immediate vicinity?
> Give Kasen a serious look with narrowed eyes.
> Jerk one thumb behind us, then point the index finger of our other hand at the door.
> Look back ourselves.
> "...Okay, that's not who I expected. Uh, you might need to handle this, if it comes to that. I don't think I can."
> Nothing to be done about it now. Remove the translator, setting it in our bucket, and let Sariel approach.
> Exchange looks with Kasen.
> "Keep eyes and ears peeled."
> Look back to Sariel.
> "Start with how you got here in the first place."
> "So you just walked here?"
> Frown.
> "If you're going to be vague and waste time, I'd rather just go see Canus."
> "Yes. But if you're going to be this stubborn about it, they can wait. Why were you looking for us?"
> Point at our firearm injury.
> "I'm not going anywhere by myself. This is private enough."
> "Got drugged and abducted by Sombraluz and his VIVIT."
> "We want to go home with zero chance of ever being preceded or followed by invaders."
> "Well, I freely made the decision to try to stop all possibilities of an invasion, if that's what you mean. If not, I have no idea what you're getting at."
> "Because I like being in charge of myself, and I'm willing to bet most of Gensokyo feels the same way."
> "I imagine most of Gensokyo, including myself, also likes not being killed."
> "Inevitability isn't an excuse to exacerbate the process."
> "Of course not. But we both know an invasion wouldn't be that simple."
> Take a quick look behind us before looking at Sariel again.
> "Best for who?"
> "Why is death on all sides good for me?"
> "But how do either of those things benefit me?"
> "You do. I may want nothing to do with them, but I don't want them wrecked."
> "You think I don't know what's coming eventually? If it concerned me I'd be somewhere else in life right now."
> "The results stared me in the face every single day. I still made my choice."
> Shake head.
> "That would make me a hypocrite. I'd be just as bad as them."
> "I left because they wanted me to be something I wasn't. Who they are now, that's what they chose. My ruining that because I don't like it is no different from what they tried to do."
> Give Sariel a curious look.
> "It's weird how much you rail against the system when you claim you're here because you're this land's reaper."
> "Then what happens to this land's souls?"
> "Where might that destination be?"
> "Can you give specific locations?"
> How does the celestial bureaucracy compensate its workers?
> "Huh."
> Rub chin.
> "Who would hold the shinigami accountable for their actions?"
>"And how exactly would this be different from how it is now?"
> "What would all the non-shinigami do? That sounds like a good deal of sudden unemployment."
> Frown.
> "I dunno. I can sort of see the argument, I guess, but it doesn't seem like Higan's in such a state that it needs to sacrifice quality for speed."
> "I'd have to guess the current afterlife destination determination system arose after a good deal of situational study and is practiced by those that have devoted their lives to that study, rather than by one or two shinigami that think it isn't as hard as it looks and may or may not have the credentials to support that idea."
> "I'm guessing that's what got you reassigned in the first place?"
>"Yknow, I was walking along this hallway, and you stopped me and asked for some of my time. Now here we are, and I'm thinking I'm a gonna keep on walking along this hallway."
> "As much as I'm going to. I've noticed the fact that I've left Higan, which was irrelevant and brushed aside when we first met upstairs, is now apparently a key cog in your attempt to win me over to your plan. I've also noticed this plan with the ultimate goal of obtaining full shinigami control over the dead involves creating a whole boatload of new dead people, a good number of which are neither from Higan nor from Kosa and thus don't fall into either category of evil that you've proposed. Even if we ignore your unceremonious removal from Higan, all the lies you've fed to Canus, and my inherent connection to the Yama, this entire thing is way too sketchy for me to conclude anything other than you being up to something unpleasant."
> "That sounds like a bunch of rhetoric and no substance. If you don't have anything meaningful to bring to the table, I gotta go."
> Where are the beams aimed?
> How high is the ceiling?
> How wide is the hallway?
> How far away is Sariel?
> Are the lasers coming right at us, going over our head, or both?
> Are the beams also going to both our sides?
>If we were to run away from Sariel, we would be traveling in the direction of the emperor, correct?
> How close together are the beams?
> Inventory
> Are there any openings above us?
>"Kasen, is she going to kill us?"
>Supposing we were to fire non-moving danmaku: how long would it hang there?
>Flee. Try to go toward the elevators.
> Take a look back.
> Is Kasen only moving straight back?
> Are Kasen and ourselves on opposite sides of Sariel in regards to the width of the hallway?
> How close are we to the hallway wall?
> Slow our retreating pace and head to the upper west corner of the hallway.
> Turn around proper and get a good look at our current situation.
> How far away are we from Sariel now?
> Use the temporary beam respite to start heading back down the hall toward Sariel, staying in the upper west corner.
>Belatedly shank Sariel and damn the beams :|