> Is there any immediately obvious place within the wave where we could more easily pass over or under it?
> We're not presently flying straight into anything unpleasant, are we?
< Take the moment necessary to determine any particular spots where it would be feasible to go over or under the incoming convex wave.
> Would we have the time to get around said shots?
> Are they any different from the mid-height shots we had to slow down a bit to avoid earlier?
> Given we've been changing flight directions, turning left would no longer send us toward the dishonorable retreat area, correct?
> Bank left, then, and dip a little to get ourselves under those stray bullets. As before, slow down a little bit when we get to them if we need to be sure we'll pass under them safely.
> Is the spot we noticed earlier still available?
> Is it above or below the convex arc?
> How much space do we have?
> Let's slip on through, then, slowing down if need be to get more controlled movement.
> Assess current bullet situation.
> Is the oni currently visible?
> Can we tell if she's looking at us?
> Change direction again and head back toward the oni, speeding up as much as can safely be done while still dodging the few stray bullets we noticed with little effort.
> Does this new attack have any sort of pattern?
> Do we have the concentration available to respond with a volley of our own while avoiding these new shots as we continue forward?
> Is the oni within speaking distance?
> Allow ourselves the smallest of smiles.
> "Most impressive!"
> If we can increase our speed further in flying forward at the oni, do so, only slowing down to avoid incoming stray shots as needed.
> As we're flying forward, create a wide horizontal line of the non-explodey explodey-looking bullets to fly out straight forward toward the oni.
> Are there any more shots coming in our direction?
> Does the oni appear to be winding up for some physical attack, such as a punch or a kick?
> How close are we now to the oni?
> Keep flying forward and avoiding incoming bullets as appropriate.
> Fire off another horizontal line of shots, but this time, condense the width of the line a bit and make them the exploding shots.
> Finish it off here. Send a stream of the non-explodey shots directly at her torso.
> Get ready to swoop in and catch her in case she gets knocked out and falls from the air.
> Did we catch her with the stream, or actually catch her in our arms?
> Where is she looking at present?
> Do we have any bullets or bullet patterns that take time to charge?
> Sweep a wave of explodey bullets at the oni that is roughly as wide as the last wave of explodey bullets we made.
> "Ah."
> Stop firing and descend to the roof level.
> Watch with a curious look.
> Look around for the voice.
> "Ah. My sincerest apologies for the accident. Are you injured?"
> "I was being chased by some of the patrons of the Pressed Rose."
> Frown.
> "The proprietor had offered free alcohol to any who would see me off the premises."
> Nod.
> "I would normally go nowhere near that establishment, but I am currently investigating the theft of some weapons, and I have been told that the proprietor is one of two people in town most likely to know anything."
> "All that being said, I do regret that you and your sister were dragged into the issue in this manner."
> Do we remember the directions to Kay's place from here?
> Gesture in the general direction of Kay's place.
> "I understand that Kay is the other person in this city that may have the information I seek. I have been told she lives in that general direction."
> Let our eyes light up slightly.
> "That would be most appreciated."
> "Good day, Marisa. I have actually come in need of a favor. I seek an audience with Patchouli."
> Look crestfallen.
> "I see..."
> Grit teeth.
> "For her, it would be less a favor and more repayment for stealing from me."
> Sigh.
> "But, very well. It is a small blessing that I do not need to spend any time there. In that case, do you know how to find people in hiding, or know anyone other than Patchouli who does?"
> Do we know where to find any of those individuals?
> How long ago did we lose track of Seiga? An hour or so?
> Nod.
> "And do you know where I can find the Taoists? It is Seiga Kaku specifically I am looking for; I am hoping any of them will know where she has gone."
> "Curious. Did any of them say what they were doing in the village?"
> "...Strange. That sounds rather unrelated..."
> Frown.
> "I am in pursuit of Seiga because she snuck into the Netherworld and performed some ritual that appears to be siphoning energy from the Saigyou Ayakashi, possibly into herself. We have captured her jiangshi, but Seiga herself managed to escape. I have no idea where she has gone."
> Shake head.
> "I appreciate your concern, but there is no need. Yuyuko-sama and Yukari-sama are investigating the Saigyou Ayakashi themselves right now, and I intend to bring Seiga down personally."
> "It is not as if I am new to the incident-solving game. Besides, Seiga attacked my home and made a fool of me in her escape. I want her myself."
> Nod.
> "Thank you. Mmm...did Miko or her attendants say where they were going?"
> Do we remember how to get to Eientei? We've been there a few times before, after all.
> "I will investigate that way, then. They are the best lead I have right now."
> Is that the place where we first ventured when we met them? If so, can we get back there?
> Whereabouts was the entrance?
> "I admit I have not, actually."
> "That is true. Though Yuyuko-sama seemed to suggested the graveyard was actually not worth investigating, as that is apparently where her jiangshi is instructed to wait for her."
> "...Perhaps I should request your help in resolving this incident, then."
> "I do still wish to wring Seiga's neck myself. But we have two worthy investigation leads, and despite some appearances to the contrary, I cannot be in both places at once."
> "I think I would prefer to pursue the active Taoists, if that is okay. I can ask her for you if you like, though."
> Nod.
> "I will keep this in mind. I would also suggest warning Byakuren about Seiga, though it may be worth saying that the activities of the other Taoists do not appear to be related."
> "Thank you."
> "Do what you need to do. Please let me know what you find."
> This is a location in the Human Village?
> "I can do that."
> Nod.
> "I will be off to Eientei, then, unless you have need of me further."
> "Then let us- Ah! I almost forgot. Do you know who here in Gensokyo is of medium height and has red hair? Other than those at the vampire manor, of course."
> Do we know this youkai?
> "That...sounds vaguely familiar. Do you know where I can find her?"
> "I will keep an eye out, then, if my travels take me that way."
> "Thank you, and good luck to you as well. May we meet again with better news."
> Leave Marisa and shove off toward Eientei.
> Strange...but if Mokou set them up and Marisa recommended them, perhaps we should follow them.
> Follow the rocks and hope for the best.
> What do they appear to be doing?
> Is the next rock visible?
> Can we still see the previous rock?
> Inventory
> How far ahead are the fairies?
> Nothing for it. Proceed onward on our path.
> Do we recognize any of the fairies? Perhaps the ice fairy, or maybe the trio of fairies from that spooky trial of guts that one night.
> How long does the process of turning our ghost half into a mirror image of ourselves take?
> Do we have full motor control of our ghost half in that situation, or do we simply mimic ourselves?
> Assuming a non-combat situation, how much energy does it take to maintain and control our ghost half's mirror image?
> Would we dishonor our father, ourselves, or our swords if we were to unsheathe on or both for the purposes of putting on a show rather than combat?
> Nod to the fairy that spoke.
> "Good day, all of you. May I pass through? I have business at Eientei."
> "Could I pass over you, then?"
> Are there any fairies actually physically in our way along the rock-indicated path?
> Is flying over someone considered rude, or is this just a case of fairies being fairies?
> Blanch a bit.
> "Oh. Pardon my insensitivity."
> "Well. What are you using this spot for?"
> Are there any holes present, on the ground or otherwise?
> Narrow eyes and put our right hand on a sword handle, but don't draw it yet.
> "What's this about holes?"
> From which directions are they coming from?
> How well does our swordswomanship normally fare in mob attacks like this? Do we have any such experience at all?
> We know how to slash people without doing permanent or incredibly messy harm, yes?
> Given how fast the fairies are flying and how close they are, do we have time to unsheathe both swords before they slam into us?
> Take 'em out, then, and use that moment to let the fairies keep acting so we can better tell what their plan of attack is. If fairies can ever be said to have a plan of anything, anyway.
> Are the bamboo stalks shorts, longer, or the same length as our swords?
> Are any in slashing range yet?
> Where is the nearest one?
> Our swords are well-crafted enough to cut bamboo, yes?
> In which hand is the fairy on the left, the closest one to us, holding her bamboo?
> Dash at the fairy on the left, previously established to be the closest charging fairy, and slash her bamboo through near her hands. aim our run so we would go by her on her right (our left).
> Are they coming from our right?
> Have any other fairies moved to attack us yet?
> Veer in the direction of the two that might be able to get to us, and slash their bamboo in half as done before with the first fairy, still passing by on the left.
> Is the fourth bamboo-wielding fairy still in our line of sight?
> Can we block danmaku with our swords?
> Is there anyone currently in our running path that we risk running into?
> At our current speed, do we have time to look to our left without crashing into the fairies ahead of us?
> Do so.
> Is it angled in such a way to be coming right at us, or it is aimed at where we are running to?
> Given how fast we are going, how long would it take us to brake and change direction sharply?
> Can we tell how quickly the danmaku is moving, and/or how long it will take before it reaches us?
> Based on what we remember in running, are there any fairies immediately to our right that we would risk crashing into if we turned in that direction?
> Turn our line of vision to our right while hitting the brakes.
> Make a sharp turn to the right and continue forward, slash at any bamboo in fairy hands that we happen to see.
> Where are the two bubble-shooters relative to us?
> Are they aiming directly for us, or at where we are going?
> Are the firing fairies to our left or right, or straight ahead of us?
> Are the bullets heading for our current position, where we are headed, or somewhere else that's less relevant?
> Is there a bullet-free path to the closer fairy on the left?
> What about the fairy straight ahead of us?
> Is there anything to what is now our right?
> Look back ahead of us and start running toward the closer firing fairy on our left.
> If we want to continue heading forward while avoiding these bubbles, what are our options?
> Take the path to the right.
> Dash and slash that fairy!
> Which side?
> What's going on to our right?
> Do they look avoidable if we head in that direction?
> IF we headed in that direction, would the bullets that are currently closing in on us fast follow us in that direction?
> Where is that other bubble-firing fairy right now? Is she directly to our right at this point, or still mostly ahead of us?
> Have we had enough time to gauge the speed of the bullets coming at us from our left?
> If so, would we still be able to outrace them if we went after the fairy that is diagonally ahead and to our right?
> Turn and head due right.
> The oncoming bullets are now behind us, yes?
> How much slowing down, if any, do we need to do to avoid the strays in our path?
> Would we have any sort of aural clue if the bullets behind us are catching up to us?
> What are our dodging options for moving forward?
> Go ahead and do that, then, assuming it will take minimal effort to avoid those bubbles. Keep in mind that our goal is to outpace the shots behind us for long enough that we can get around them another way.
> Are there any fairies in front of us?
> Are there any more bullets in front of us?
> This is the fairy that was to the right and ahead of us before we turned right ourselves?
> This 'other' fairy is a different one from the one we slashed to unconsciousness?
> Is the fairy to our right still firing?
> How parallel or perpendicular does our path to that fiary on the right run relative to the wave of bullets behind us?
> Do we have a clear path to the fairy on our right?
> Let's make haste toward that fairy on the right, then.
> Are we in slashing range yet?
> Cut her down before she has the chance to fire.
> Dash forward while swinging a sword to our left at the thing, in the hopes that we can either deflect/slice it or outrun it.
> Are any of them coming right for us?
> Are any conscious fairies still visible?
> Of those coming at us, which one is closest?
> Are any of the fairies that are still firing more or less behind this closest charging fairy?
> Does anyone have any bamboo 'swords' left?
> Take a quick glance around us to make sure there are no more incoming bullets that are an immediate issue. If there are indeed none, refocus on what is in front of us.
> Discounting the fairies that are running away, about how many conscious fairies are we currently dealing with?
> Do we have a clear path to the closest charging fairy?
> Where is the closest charging fairy relative to the other charging fairies? Is she in the middle of them, or on/near the end?
> Is the "leftish side" from our perspective of theirs?
> Dash at this closest left-side fairy, using the distance between us to gauge where the bubbles are going and maneuvering around them.
> Based on our knowledge of where the bubble shots were traveling, could we safely turn run and dash in that direction without smacking face-first into a bubble?
> Slash the fairy down, and then turn to the right and head for the next-closest fairy in that direction.
> Dash at them and cut them down.
> Could we reasonably jump over the knee-level bullet coming from the left?
> Oh, whoops, I misunderstood the situation.
> Are their bamboo stalks longer, shorter, or the same length as our swords?
> Instead of slashing at the fairies, slash at their bamboo stalks. Aim for the area above where they are holding the stalks if possible; if this is not feasible, just aim for about the middle of the stalks or something.
> Are there more fairies ahead of us?
> If so, are there any clear paths to any of those fairies?
> Slash at the fairy to our right to take her out, then dash toward the last oncoming fairy.
> How much longer will it be before the bullets being fired by the fairies in the back reach us?
> Do a horizontal slash to take this newest fairy down.
> Are we aware of how the oncoming bullets have changed, or would we need to check on them again?
> Swing our other sword at the in-range fairy to take her down properly, and then re-assess the oncoming bullets.
> How much longer do we have until they're upon us?
> Take a quick look behind us to check any fairy activity there.
> Is is possible for us to keep both waves of shots in our field of vision at the same time? Or are we going to have to turn our back on one if we want to focus on the other?
> Which pattern looks less complicated?
> So which fairies are still present and conscious? The disarmed one and the few that are shooting bubbles from our front?
> How much longer do the bubble shots coming at us from behind have to reach us?
> Look back toward the fairies that are firing at us and have another look at those waves.
> Are there any obvious paths through the bullets, or at least any obvious large openings?
> How long do we have before these bullets would be upon us?
> Are those two circles moving toward each other or away from each other?
> Could we reasonably jump over the bubbles?
> How close is the nearest large gap in the radiating circles?
> And there are presumably no clear paths to any of the fairies ahead right now, yes?
> Head directly forward, toward this at-present not-overlapping part.
> How's our right looking?
> The fairies are ahead of us, yes?
> Are there any openings to our left?
> Will the bullets get here before the openings become viable?
> Head right. Prompt again after a couple of beats.
> Are the gaps to the left (what was our left before we just moved right, at least) now large enough to be accessible?
> Are our left-and-ahead options notably different in any fashion?
> Assessment of each left-and-ahead option, then.
> Is there a straight-ahead-of-us option?
> If so, are there any other options further away from the left?
> How many left-and-ahead options are there?
> Can we tell which direction we're currently facing?
> If we headed left and forward at a 45 degree angle, would there be a gap there?
> Go in that direction, then, watching oncoming bullets as we do so (as opposed to seeking out the fairies firing them).
> Are any not running away?
> Let's continue heading left into the pseudo-clear area, then. There probably aren't any surprises coming from fairies.
> What about our forward?
> Head forward toward the fairies, then, keeping the bullets in the way in mind.
> How close are the three remaining fairies?
> Are they spread all around in front of us or off to one side of us?
> How clear is our straight-ahead?
> Is there as of yet any obvious pattern to the new bullets the remaining fairies are firing?
> Head straight forward, concerning ourselves first with the existing flak before the fairies or the new bullets.
> These are the newly-fired streams that are shifting, or the flak from before?
> Is the way forward still clear?
> Are the fairies now more to our right than ahead of us, or are they still more ahead of us than to the right?
> How far away are the remaining fairies?
> Are all three streams aimed directly at us?
> Continue forward. Let's see how good those streams really are at tracking us.
> Have the streams actually been changing their direction as we've moved?
> How close are the streams now?
> Is our right side clear?
> Are the fairies now behind us as well? Or are they directly to our right, or possibly a little bit ahead?
> How have we been moving around recently? Have we been dashing, flying, or something slower like walking?
> Let's say we're dashing, then.
> Is the way to the remaining fairies mostly clear?
> Dash toward the fairies!
> Weren't they behind us? How did they catch up to us?
> What kind of bullets are they?
> Can this type be slashed to stop them?
> How far away are the fairies now?
> Stop and turn to face the incoming bullets, honing our focus in preparation for cutting them down.
> How plentiful is the incoming wave of bullets looking?
> Is Roukanken drawn?
> Would Roukanken also be useful for cutting bullets?
> How are we with swinging both swords at once, or at least rapidly alternating slashes?
> Most unfortunate.
> How do the incoming bullets look for slashing purposes?
> Let's get to it, then.
> Dash on through!
> Where are the remaining fairies now, relative to our position?
> Are there any bullets between us and the fairies?
> Then let's make use of the time we have. Dash at the fairies!
> Are the streams behind us, to our left, or both?
> Are the bullets actually moving faster than we are?
> How close are the fairies now?
> If we stopped to cut them all down, how long would we have before the bullets were upon us?
> How physically large are the fairies?
> Which one is the smallest, the one on the left, the one in the middle, or the one on the right?
> Is the fairy on the left closer to the smallest fairy or the largest fairy in terms of size?
> As we're dashing by, slash at the rightmost fairy with the sword in our right hand to hopefully take her down.
> At the same time, reach out and wrap our left arm around the middle fairy, grabbing her in the crook of our elbow and pinning her tight against our torso.
> Are we in a position where we can wheel around and slash the last fairy with our right arm?
> Can we tell if any of the bullets have dissipated?
> The last stream is presumably from the fairy we haven't attacked yet, yes?
> Can we tell how hard and/or fast that last stream is coming?
> Are we in a position where we could slash the remaining bullets with our right-hand sword?
> Are we presently moving past the last fairy?
> How fast can we pivot to turn, given we're currently hugging a squirming fairy?
> Let's try that, then. Pivot and turn and dash at the last fairy, trying to grab and pin-hold her with our right arm and torso the same way we captured the other fairy.
> Can we tell if her stream has stopped?
> Is it possible to shift our arm's grip at all to tighten it?
> Would pressing her against ourselves harder help at all?
> How has the other fairy behaved?
> How are we gripping the larger fairy? Looking at what part of her body our arm is wrapped around, how our arm is positioned around her, and where on our torso she is 'pinned'.
> Where i on our torso is the smaller fairy pinned?
> Did we sneak our arm under the larger fairy's arms grabbing her, or are we pinning those as well?
> Do we have enough of a grip on the larger fairy that we could use friction to slide her down our body with our right arm?
> Do we have enough control of our left hand that we could point the tip of our left-hand sword dangerously close to the larger fairy's face?
> Is the larger fairy close enough that we could lean our face right into her face?
> Good enough, we won't be holding the pose for long.
> Lean our face into the larger fairy's face with a glare, and put on a loud, no-nonsense ordering-around voice.
> "Stop!"
> Could we conceivably slide our left arm across to help with the grip on the larger fairy, sliding it along the smaller fairy or just rolling her across our body?
> What options to we have for tightening our right arm's grip?
> How uncouth would it be to drop our right-hand sword to the ground in the interest of further freeing up right hand/arm dexterity?
> Nothing for it, then. Drop our right-hand sword and use our now-free hand to tigjten our hold on the larger fairy.
> "I said stop!"
> Return our head to a normal position, if we haven't already.
> Bring the volume of our voice down a bit, but keep the no-nonsense tone.
> "You need to stop first."
> "I won't let go if you don't stop."
> Do we have any other means at our disposal for tightening our right arm's grip, even if it meant letting go of the sleeve for asecond or two?
> What options do we have for such readjustments? Or would it be natural enough that we would just do it with a general idea?
> Are we current grabbing the fairy's sleeve from below?
> If so, would we have a better grip on the fairy if our arm traveled upward across her back such that we could grab her shoulder from above and kind of pull her a little bit downward as well as toward us?
> Could we give the larger fairy a one-time shove toward us to possibly give us a chance to reposition our arm? Or are we already expending all of our right-arm effort at present?
> Given we are currently grabbing into the fairy's sleeve shoulder from below, and her arm is outstretched to push against us, could we reasonably twist our hand around to get it into the fairy's armpit without moving most of our arm if we let go of the sleeve?
> Could we snake our hand inside of her sleeve to get at her armpit? Or is her sleeve too long for that?
> Let go of the fairy's sleeve and dart our hand over to the armpit that corresponds to the arm whose sleeve we had just been grabbing. Once our hand is in, start tickling the fairy.
> Is she still pushing on us with her arms?
> Keep tickling until at least one of her arms stops pushing on us at all.
> Given our current grip and arm positioning, could we spin the fairy in place so that her back is to us before refixing our grip, making it impossible for her to push on us with her arms with any effectiveness?
> Could we use our arm to roll her across our body while keeping her gripped, then?
> What other options do we have for making our grip more secure, now that her arms are no longer pushing on us?
> Is the other fairy facing toward us or away from us?
> How large and loose-fitting is our shirt? Same question for our vest.
> Is the bottom of our shirt free, or tucked into something?
> Are we wearing a sarashi or something similar?
> Given the small size of the smaller fairy, would it be possible to trap her within our vest? Or is our vest too snug for this?
> If our shirt came untucked, would it be possible to trap the fairy under it? Or is our shirt also too snug for this? Assume our vest was unbuttoned for this hypothetical.
> Do we have any other potential containment unit on-hand for a foot-tall fairy, such as a bag?
> Could we unbutton our vest with one hand?
> Are our vest buttons within reach of our hands if we don't move our arms very much/at all?
> Could we slide our left arm across the body of the smaller fairy to get our hand within reach of our vest buttons in order to minimize risk of escape possibly dragging the fairy across our torso in the process? Assume our hand is free for this hypothetical.
> If we stopped tickling the larger fairy, would we be able to reach the buttons with our right hand, or is our arm not long enough? If our arm is not long enough at present, do we have enough leeway to bring it closer to the center of our torso? Theoretically the fairy is going to need a moment to process any movement information.
> Please forgive our uncouthness, Father.
> Continue tickling the larger fairy. Tilt our head slightly away from the larger fairy if necessary to keep it out of the range of swinging arms.
> Dropping our left-hand sword, slowly slide our arm across the smaller fairy to get our hand to the closest button on our vest and undo said button.
> How many buttons does our vest have in all?
> How is the other fairy holding up?
> Make our way up to the middle button and undo that one. Keep close track of the smaller fairy's squirming during the unbuttoning process, though, in case she figures out such a way to get free. Stop in the middle of the unbuttoning process if we need to prevent her from escaping. If it helps, use our arm to apply pressure toward ourselves as we move out hand up to make it more difficult for her to squirm about.
> Is our shirt still tucked into our skirt?
> Would we have any chance of trapping the smaller fairy under our shirt with the last vest button still buttoned? Or will we have to undo that one as well to have any hope?
> How long has it taken us to undo each button? Two or three seconds?
> Our torso is more than a foot long vertically, yes? Perhaps even more than a foot and a half long?
> Keep our left arm & hand as secure on the smaller fairy as we can.
> Stop tickling the larger fairy and let go of her, letting her fall to the ground.
> Using our now-free right hand, untuck the front part of our shirt from our skirt so our shirt hangs down out in front of our skirt. Make sure we untuck enough width to be able to fit the width of the smaller fairy under the shirt. Try to keep an eye on the larger fairy's activities while doing this.
> Use our newly-acquired right-arm freedom to get a proper grip on the smaller fairy with both hands.
> Once we have this grip on the smaller fairy, drag her down to where our shirt is untucked and shove her up inside our shirt as far as we can. Press her against ourself as hard as needed to make the process of getting her inside easier.
> Did we manage to get her all the way into our shirt, or are her legs (and possibly more) sticking out from below?
> Has the larger fairy moved yet?
> Are her kicks doing an inhibiting amount of damage to us?
> Could we possibly tuck our shirt back in, or is it too tight?
> If we unbuttoned the last vest button, could we move the fairy further up inside our shirt?
> If we move the fairy further up inside our shirt, could we then tuck our shirt back in, even if it wouldn't stay tucked in for long?
> If we untucked the rest of our shirt (to provide more slack) and unbuttoned the last vest button, could we possibly stick the larger fairy under our shirt vertically alongside the smaller fairy? Or would that strain our shirt too much?
> How close to the bottom of our shirt are the smaller fairy's feet? Can we even tell?
> How elastic is the waistband of our skirt?
> Are we wearing both bloomers and regular delicates, or just one or the other?
> Does our skirt have a buttoned waist, then? Or is there a zipper somewhere? Or is it something else entirely?
> How large and how flexible are the legging portions of our bloomers?
> Still keeping an eye on the larger fairy on the ground, maneuver our hands and arms so the arm with the less dextrous hand is behind the smaller fairy's legs, and try to pull it toward us to pin her legs against our stomach to keep them still. (If we're ambidextrous, then use our right arm for this.)
> Pull the other hand from under our shirt and undo the last vest button with it.
>Look to see if the sword we dropped is still there.
> Could we hold both swords in one hand if we're just interested in carrying them and not worried about wielding them?
> How dense is the bamboo in the immediate area? Are we likely to immediately lose sight of the fleeing fairy, or will she need several seconds to get lost?
> Have we left anything on the ground other than our swords (and a pile of KOed fairies)?
> Is our vest at risk of flying off if we move?
> Gonna have to be quick about this, then. Good thing we're a Konpaku!
> Drop down on one knee and bend forward. (This lean forward should be far enough that, if we were to let go of the fairy, she would not drop straight down out of our shirt, but get hung up for a moment on the fabric.) With our currently-free hand, grab the appropriate sword.
> Once we've retrieved this sword, bring our fairy-bracing arm out from under our shirt, and clamp our sword-holding-hand arm horizontally across the bottom of our shirt, pinning it to our body and 'sealing' the smaller fairy inside. In the same motion (as much as such is possible), grab our remaining sword with our swordless hand.
> "Hang on, little one!"
> Take flight, positioning ourselves as horizontally as possible, and pursue the escaping fairy. Sheathe the sword in the hand that is not clamping our shirt while flying.
> Take on a gentler tone.
> "Do not worry. I will keep you safe."
> As we fly in pursuit of the escaping fairy, use our now free hand to take over shirt-clamping duties from our sword-holding hand, and let go of our shirt with the sword-holding hand and sheathe Hakurouken.
> How far up our body could we hike our skirt without having it fall right back down?
> Did that last blow feel like a punch or a kick?
> Make a note of when the smaller fairy is within grabbing range.
> In the meantime, use our now-free hand to push on the back of the trapped fairy's legs, pressing her legs into our body and hopefully limiting her kicking movements. Don't be too aggressive with this pressure; make it gentle but firm.
> Let's say we'll want to capture the fairy by grabbing her from directly above. In fact, it might be a good idea to descend upon her; flying headfirst downward will allow gravity to help us keep the smaller fairy from falling out of our shirt.
> Does our waistband have any give at all, even if just a few inches?
> Keeping our same direct of pursuit, start angling our flight upward, to give us a chance to dive down on the escaping fairy. (Obviously, do our best to not smack headfirst into a bamboo branch.)
> While ascending, push inward and upward with both of our arms to push the fairy further upward. Our leg-pinning arm might end up colliding with the fairy's backside to do this; this is okay, as it will help push her upward. Our shirt-clamping arm should do its best to not bunch up our shirt; loosening the pressure this arm has on our shirt so that it slides up the outside of our shirt is ideal. Do not pull this arm so far away from our shirt that the fairy could slip and fall through, however.
> How tight is our collar? Could the fairy reach through it and smack us in the face?
> Where is the fairy's head now, relative to our body?
> Where are the fairy's feet now, relative to our body?
> Keeping the leg-clamping arm in place so the fairy cannot fall out, let go with our shirt-clamping arm and use that arm's hand to tug a bit on our shirt downward a few times to try to fix some of the bunching-up.
> Are we yet directly above the escaping fairy?
> Are the captive fairy's feet above or below our navel? Or can we not tell?
> Are we now at a good diving height?
> Have we been flying in a relatively straight line all this time, or has the escaping fairy's path been full of twists and turns?
> Let's get a little bit more height, then.
> Can we dive safely if we also turn to the right?
> Is our shirt completely untucked all around us at this point, or are the sides and back still holding up?
> Tighten our grip on the captive fairy's legs just a little bit to secure her in place. Use our free hand to secure her head, or at least where we think her head is.
> Turn right and dive down toward the escaping fairy!
> We should dive head-first, but face-based collision would be less than ideal. Our goal should be to scoop her up in both arms and bearhug-pin her to our torso (or pin her to the smaller fairy, who will then be pinned to our chest). We should keep our arms and hands holding the smaller fairy secure until such a time and distance when we can scoop up the escaping fairy.
> Is our hold hard on our arms, torso, or both?
> How badly is the smaller fairy being crushed? Can we even tell?
> Did we manage to pin any of the larger fairy's limbs?
> With the way we have grabbed the larger fairy, could we bring her closer to our waist while maintaining a secure hold? If so, would that alleviate the pressure on our arms and shoulders, since she won't be (as) pinned against the smaller fairy? If this is possible, do so.
> Slow our flight to a stop and, assuming we're not going to crash head-first into any bamboo, reorient our position so we are horizontal again, but with our back pointed toward the ground and our face pointed toward the sky. Hopefully gravity will also ease the strain on our arms a little.
> How close are our hands to each other? Do we have our arms well-wrapped around the fairy, or are our hands just barely clasped together?
> Is the fairy small enough that we could grab her sides and hold her in place that way, like we (presumably) did with the smaller fairy to get her under our shirt earlier?
> Could we bring her around to one side of our torso or the other while maintaining this grip?
> Let's say we wanted to do something like that, then. If we were lying on our back, and we were able to bring the larger fairy down our body a little bit so one of our arms ends up stretched across part/most/all of the bottom of our shirt, would that help keep the smaller fairy trapped?
> Let's at least take care of the lying-on-our-back part for now. Go ahead with the full flight-stopping, orientation-changing command from earlier, but without adjusting our hold just yet.
> Also, how hard is the smaller fairy being pressed into our body, in terms of what we feel?
> Is the smaller fairy still trying to punch and kick us into submission? Or has she been reduced to wailing and wriggling?
> Could we swing our legs up in front of us and clamp them around the larger fairy?
> Since no one is around, let us do so. Swing our legs up in front of us and try to clamp the larger fairy between them.
> If we grabbed the upper arms of the larger fairy with our hands and pinned them to her side, would that be enough to prevent her escape when combined with our leg hold?
> If we grabbed the larger fairy's shoulders with our hands, would that be enough to prevent her escape when combined with our leg hold?
> Which of those two options would put less strain on our arms?
> Which of those two options would alleviate more pressure on the smaller fairy?
> If we can keep the larger fairy in place, will either of those options still prevent the smaller fairy from escaping?
> Would keeping the larger fairy situated such that her body is pinning the bottom of our shirt to our body be enough to prevent the smaller fairy from escaping?
> If so, would we be able to move and/or keep the larger fairy in such a position with either of the proposed alternate hand holds?
> How much struggling against our shirt (as opposed to against our body) has the smaller fairy done so far?
> Around what part of the larger fairy's body are our legs wrapped?
> Let's chance it, then. Odds are the smaller fairy is super irritated with us for what we've done to her and she'll want to punch and kick us some more before thinking of trying to escape.
> Switch our grip on the larger fairy from the strenuous bear hug to grabbing her shoulders. Squeeze a bit with our legs at the same time, if we can apply the extra pressure.
> Is the larger fairy at least pinning the bottom of our shirt to our body, if not still pinning part of the smaller fairy to our body?
> Can we tell how much out shirt has ridden up our body, in terms of exposing our stomach? Or can we not see around the large bump in our shirt?
> How much of the smaller fairy's activity can we see in our shirt? Does she seem to be assaulting our shirt or our sternum more?
> Do the smaller fairy's struggles seem to be putting her at risk of simply falling out of our shirt somehow?
> Could we move parts of our arms against our sides to prevent this from happening without loosening our grip on the larger fairy? We don't even need to apply any pressure, we just need to have limbs in place that she can't accidentally roll under. If this is possible, then do so. Otherwise, don't worry about it, it's not a huge risk.
> Ease up ever-so-slightly on the leg squeeze. We don't want to break the fairy in half, just keep her in place.
> Take on an even tone.
> "Let's talk, shall we?"
> "If you cooperate, I will let you go. Okay?"
> "You will cooperate? Good. Tell me about the holes."
> Look down at where the smaller fairy's head approximately is. If we can bend our neck far enough to see down our collar at all, that would be even better; do that.
> "What do you know, little one?"
> "Rabbits? Is this at Eientei?"
> Have we ever known hole-digging to be a thing at Eientei?
> Do we have any idea why they might be doing it now?
> Unfortunate that these holes aren't related to Seiga. Oh well, at least we were headed to Eientei anyway.
> "Interesting. I wonder if the rabbits are building something?"
> "Of course. As it turns out, I have business with Eientei. Shall we go there together? I have enough dirt at home and do not need any more, so you can have all of it as you like."
> Are both fairies still squirming away?
> "Oh, there is a plan?"
> "Ah, I see. What will you do instead, then?"
> "You're going to try to fight them for it? That seems dangerous."
> "I...suppose that is true. But are you certain you two would win a fight by yourselves, if it came down to that?"
> Does either fairy have anything on her head? Presumably we can't check the smaller fairy now, but we should have had a good enough look at her earlier.
> "But if I was able to do so much by just myself, what would happen if you got into a fight with a lot of people?"
> All due respect to Reisen aside, do we think we could take her in a fight?
> "There is one rabbit there who is very tough, though. I consider her my equal, at the very least."
> "What about the princess and the doctor?"
> "Ah. Hmm...would it still count if I distracted the guards at the gate while you grabbed some dirt? Or is a fight required?"
> Is the larger fairy still squirming, or has she also given up?
> "I am, because I have my own business there. If their sentries are paying attention to me there, however, then you can sneak around somewhere else."
> How much of the bottom of the front of our shirt is currently pinned to our body by the larger fairy's body?
> Is any of the bottom of the front of our shirt pinned to our body by our arms? If not, could we do so without loosing our grip on the larger fairy, such as with our elbows?
> If we let go of the larger fairy with one hand, are our legs secure enough around the larger fairy that she would have at least a tough time escaping from them and our remaining hand?
> If the smaller fairy does indeed go straight backwards, given all the pins in place, will she actually be able to get out that way?
> Let's let her do her thing for the time being, then. Keep track of where we feel her moving, though, just in case.
> "You could do that after taking some dirt, could you not?"
> Where is our ghost half at present?
> Chuckle a bit and float our ghost half across us a few feet above us, so the larger fairy can see float by.
> "I am many things, but I do not believe a backwards person is one of them."
> Have our ghost half float back and forth a bit more, occasionally bobbing up and down, to keep the larger fairy entertained.
> "I am simply thinking outside the box. If you sneak around and get some dirt, and then come back later and do your raid to get more dirt, then you will have your fun and your shouting, and even if you don't come out on top, you will still have some of their dirt. Ah, be careful not to kick your friend if you're going to crawl around over there."
> How's the ambient temperature?
> Right. Hadn't considered earlier that we were essentially shoving her into a food preserver!
> "Ah, and I bet you want to see the ghost that's out here too, yes?
> Give the larger fairy's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
> "What would you say? You've been watching the ghost for a little while now."
> "All right, how about this? Since you've both been very cooperative, I will let you both go if you promise to guide me to Eientei."
> "Splendid."
> Release our hold on the larger fairy and drop our legs back down to a normal position.
> Cradle our arms below the bottom of our shirt and gently return ourselves to an upright position.
> "Don't worry, I have you."
> How is the fairy looking?
> Is there anything we can do to help straighten her back out?
> "I apologize for the discomfort, particularly in regards to the temperature."
> Tuck our shirt back in.
> Assuming the fairies aren't getting impatient or flying off, once our shirt is restored, rebutton our vest.
> "Very well. Please lead on, and I will follow."
> Following a fairy through a forest maze can't possibly go wrong! Let's tag along.
> What kind of physical condition are we in, given we just took a whole bunch of small blows?
> Can we see anything straight ahead?
> "I see. Thank you for your assistance. May I ask your name?"
> Give the fairy a short bow.
> "Well met. I am Youmu Konpaku."
> Give a small sarcastic grin.
> "Should you ever need a cold place to hide, you need only ask."
> ...Are we?
> "I tend to have my own business to attend to in the summer, unfortunately. But perhaps I could make some more social calls."
> "Regardless, if we are to part here, I wish you luck in your quest for dirt."
> Give another short bow.
> "Farewell, Misty Sunrise."
> Cute kid. Gotta shove off to Eientei now, though. Head in the direction we were pointed in.
> Progress report on casting for Yuyuko-sama's play.
> Guess those fairies weren't kidding about the digging. Are there any large piles of dirt just lying around?
> Head around the building to the main entrance.
> What do we have for ideas for the red-haired actress?
> Are we aware of any rabbit propensity for theater?
> Get closer and investigate said placards.
> Have we received any suggestions for the redhead, other than our own personal ideas of Komachi and the gate guard, both of which have been placed in the circular file?
> Blink.
> "No. I am only here in pursuit of the Taoist matriarch. I heard she was traveling this way."
> Frown.
> "Has she not come by, then?"
> How commonly-held is that particular 'opinion' of Miko's appearance?
> "Ah, good. May I ask where they went?"
> Where could we find an earth spider?
> Do we know how to get underground?
> Nod.
> "Thank you for your information."
>
> Gesture at the placards, as well as any piles of dirt and trenches in the immediate area.
> "So...if I may ask, what is going on here?"
> ...Would we ever consider such a thing?
> Have we ever considered protesting in such a fashion when we were not permitted to do something we wanted to do?
> Have we ever been openly and intentionally disobedient for any reason?
> "I see. I will bother you no further, then. I hope for a peaceful and acceptable resolution to your situation."
> Give a short bow to the general assembly.
> "I will see what I can do. Farewell."
> Take flight and head upward until we've crested the forest canopy.
> Do we know the direction in which the entrance to the underground is?
> Quests
> East
> "Pardon me. Is this the Deva's home?"
> Frown.
> "So I was given incorrect directions?"
> "Well, I need to see someone regarding stolen weaponry, and I have not been told anyone else in this city has the remotest interest, other than the proprietor of the Pressed Rose."
> "There was a premeditated sneak attack earlier today, on the young green-haired lady in the bucket in one of the caves leading to the surface. A special weapon of hers was taken while she was unconscious, but nothing else. It seems likely the perpetrator was headed toward this city. As a weapon of my own was also stolen very early this morning, I am wondering if the perpetrator came here to sell them to the Deva; it is my understanding that she is a collector."
> "Ah, that is unfortunate for me. I suppose it is possible someone from the surface attacked her and took her weapon before returning to the surface, but it sounds as though the knowledge that she even has that weapon is extremely limited, at least in regards to those on the surface."
> "The young lady in the bucket, yes. She has an earth spider friend."
> "All the more reason to recover it quickly, then. Is there anyone that swells down here that would attack someone from behind and steal their weapon? Obviously I doubt any oni is responsible, but I know there are other people that live here."
> "Possibly, but unlikely. I would be surprised if a fairy were able to maintain enough focus and awareness as to silently sneak up on someone, fell them before they can fight back, and then take only one of their possessions."
> "To be honest, we are not sure. She knows nothing about her assailant. She did not hear them approach her, nor did she catch a glimpse of them before she was knocked unconscious."
> "I do wonder if it would be an earth spider, if she is friends with one. I can certainly investigate the Palace again, however."
> "Out of curiosity, how well-known are the origins of that wand of hers? As much as it seems to make more sense for someone to have come form the surface to take it, I am not sure anyone on the surface actually knows she has it."
> "It seems she acquired it in repulsing an invasion of this land from a foreign military. I concede it sounds farfetched, but one of my former advisors was partly responsible for the mess, and it is not common knowledge that this foreign military even exists, so I trust her claims are true."
> "Certainly."
> Wait for her to return.
> Nod.
> "Thank you."
> Enter!
> Are there any standard social graces for meetings between nobles such as this?
> Nod.
> "Thank you for your hospitality."
> Enter!
> "I do, though a small bit of history about myself is helpful for the full explanation."
> Nod.
> "Understood."
> Give the Deva a bow.
> "My name is Toyosatomimi no Miko, and I am a hermit that follows the way of the Tao. Many years ago, before I entered a self-induced deep slumber, I was actually the Empress of Japan. I no longer have interest in such things, however."
> "How this relates to the young bucket lady is that one of my former advisors anticipated I would wish to return to prominence upon my reawakening, and made contact with some sort of foreign agent with military connections. She intended to have this foreign military support my return to prominence in exchange for political favors. However, this agent mysteriously vanished one day, presumably to his homeland, and I have had no contact with this agent or military since my awakening. The young bucket lady claims the foreign military intended to double-cross my former advisor and invadeand conquer this land, but that she put a stop to the invasion. She says she obtained her wand from a rogue former employee from Higan that was working with this military."
> What else did Kisume tell us?
> "Unfortunately, I know little else about the origin of this wand. The young girl mentioned that the rogue Higan employee apparently had apparently fallen out of favor in the past and was seeking a measure of revenge."
> "The young girl mentioned she had help from someone by the name of Kasen. She could theoretically corroborate this story. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about her, other than that she is difficult to locate."
> Kisume said nothing of the sort, did she?
> "I do not believe she mentioned any such thing."
> Catch the bag.
> Put the bag away with our things and give the Deva a deep bow.
> "Thank you so much. Your generosity is most appreciated."
> Nod.
> "I shall not breathe a word about it."
> "On the subject of that wand, may I assume that your attendant has already informed you as to the recent weapon thievery?"
> "Indeed. On top of that wand, as you may have observed already, I am missing a blade of my own, which is quite dear to me."
> How would we describe our swordswomanship?
> Where did our interest in swordswomanship come from? Did it coincide with our political interests, or was it its own separate interest?
> Were we ever needed on the battlefield alongside our soldiers?
> "I am almost certainly not the most skilled swordswoman in this land, but I can certainly do more than simply defend myself when necessary."
> Give a small smile.
> "I can certainly return once our arms have been retrieved, if you desire."
> Nod.
> "It shall be done."
> "I am beginning to think the same, if they have not been sold into your possession. The only other person that seems to possibly have any interest in such things is the proprietor of the Pressed Rose."
> "I have already ventured there once, and was chased from the building before I had the chance to ask. I am not even certain if she followed up on her promise of a free drink to the first patron to see me away."
> "That is, ah, her Buddhist matriarch and I do not see eye to eye, shall we say. Miss Houjuu is particularly...passionate about her distaste for myself and my companions."
> "She certainly would. I would love the opportunity to find out if our weapons have made their way to her. However, unless she has some burning hatred for the young lady in the bucket, I am not so sure she is the actual thief."
> Nod.
> "It would still be nice to conduct a proper investigation of her, however. It is possible that she accepted them from the thief with the intention of returning th\e wand to the young girl later."
> "Hmm. That may speak in her favor, I suppose. Based on my short experience here, it seems unlikely that you would not know she obtained those weapons."
> Tap a finger to our chin.
> "If this is true, it would mean someone from the surface knew the young girl had that wand, and came down here specifically to take it before returning to the surface. How strange."
> "How often does this city see visitors from the surface?"
> Frown.
> "That...does not bode well for specific leads."
> "You did, yes. It seems I am back to where I began this morning."
> "I suppose that is true. Hopefully the young girl will have some ideas as to who may want her wand, though, as I am not sure where to look next."
> Nod.
> "This does seem the best course of action, yes. My gratitude for your information and advice."
> "Oh dear. I hope she has not been untruthful about the origins of that wand?"
> "It is certainly very interesting that another land had the power to come and go from this one as it pleased. It is my understanding that this is no trivial feat."
> Nod.
> "Is there anything else you would like to know that I may be able to offer?"
> "Once I have recovered my blade and brought justice on whomever took it from me, I do not expect we will visit here substantially more often than any other person from the surface. As we are hermits of the Tao, seclusion is ideal, even if socialization is necessary from time to time."
> "Of course."
> Nod.
> "Is there anything else you wish to know?"
> What us our opinion of Youmu Konpaku?
> "Very well. By your leave, then, I believe I shall question the young bucket lady further, in the hopes that she can provide extra information."
> Give the Deva a bow.
> "Thank you again for everything you have provided me. I hope to see you again very soon, with a sheath less empty than the one I have now."
> Exit the building the same way we came in.
> When did we say we would rendezvous with Futojiko?
> When did the huntress say she would be by the lake?
> Did she specify which lake she would be waiting at? We've only seen the one near the vampire manor so far, yes?
> Let us leave the city and head back toward Kisume.
> Head back to where we first encountered the bucket and her spider friend.
> "Kisume?"
> Have a look around.
> Investigate this cloth.
> Frown.
> Get closer to Kisume so we are within comfortable conversation distance.
> Remove our earmuffs and have a listen to Kisume.
> Well, that's not very indicative of anything.
> Put our earmuffs back on before the headache sets in.
> Is there anything of interest visible in the bucket (other than its tenant)?
> How is the bucket staying held up?
> How large is Kisume?
> Head upward so we can see into the bucket. Be careful not to smack our head on the cave ceiling or any stalactites.
> Eh, whatever, we'll just leave her there for now.
> Head back to the surface.
> So she still has her swords? Interesting. At least someone around here didn't get pilfered.
> Has she seen us yet?
> Maybe she has some info, being a fellow swordswoman? Wait for her to look in our direction. When she does, flag her down.
Achievement Unlocked: Talking to Myself :V
> General: Have we been given control just as Youmu has pulled up to casual conversation distance, before any words have been exchanged?
> General: If dialogue is exchanged between the two characters in a setting where nothing else immediately notable is happening and no one else is present, will there be parser prompts acknowledging that said dialgoue has taken place, with or without environmental updates?
> Miko: Examine Youmu.
> Youmu: Examine Miko.
> Miko: What do we remember of the woman that answered the door at the Underground Palace?
> General: If conversations are summarized, will reactions be provided by the parser, or will those need to be supplied by the player?
> Miko: Do we have any idea where Seiga is kicking around these days? If we don't, do Futojiko know anything?
> Both: Exchange pleasantries, with Youmu expressing relief for finding her target so quickly.
> Both: Share present calamities, with Miko inwardly disappointed that Youmu has no idea about where the weapons might be and Youmu outwardly disappointed that Miko has no idea where Seiga might be. During this exchange, on top of Youmu learning the details of the stolen weapons (Miko's and Kisume's) and Miko learning the details of Seiga's actions in Hakugyokurou, Youmu should learn that Seiga has been dismissed from Miko's entourage, and Miko should learn of the existence of Meira, somewhere in the Forest of Magic, and that she did not mention any stolen swords.
> Miko: Propose a deal whereby Miko is willing to join Youmu back at her home and investigate the tree herself to give an idea of exactly what Seiga has done, in exchange for Youmu investigating Nue on Kisume's behalf (without mentioning Miko's involvement, of course).
> Youmu: Be interested, but a bit reluctant to put herself in the middle of that feud. Describe Yuyuko's play, both the (limited) details of the play itself and Youmu's casting task, and request Miko join as the person that does not have black hair.
> Miko: Agree to this, expressing the idea that it would be good for both her followers and the Buddhist disciples to see the two leaders interacting in such a close and positive manner (which Miko does believe), while also inwardly thinking that such a commitment is necessary to avoid the risk of only Byakuren gaining further popularity in the event of a wildly successful performance. Also mention the redheaded woman at the underground palace as another possible performer.
> Both: Agree to split up and meet a bit later at the Gensokyo entrance to Hakugyokurou (Youmu should provide Miko proper directions), so Youmu has the chance to conduct her underground business, and Miko has the chance to head back to the vampire manor, both to return the huntress' trap and revisit the manor itself and ask if anyone has come by with weapons to sell to their exhibits. Miko should provide Youmu with directions for how to get through the caves to the city proper, as well as mention Kisume's current slumber near the top of the web chamber.
> If all this is acceptable and in-character, then:
> Miko: Head lakeward.
> Youmu: Head underground.
> Investigate, keeping an eye out for the huntress.
> Is the fairy activity centralized anywhere, or is it spread all around the lake?
> Which shore are we closest to now?
> Which shore is closest to the manor?
> Which shore is closest to the bamboo forest? (This may need to be answered in the most technical of senses.)
> Let's get close enough to the eastern shore so that we could hear shouting and such, but not quite close enough for conversation to be possible without back-and-forth shouting.
> Once this is done, make our way to the southern shore, keeping the same respectable distance.
> Approach openly from the sky.
> Is the huntress visible anywhere along the lake?
> Continue along our flight path, but stop as the fairies get close and grace them with our attention.
> Oh wonderful.
> What sort of formation do their bullets have?
> How closely clumped is the cloud that's firing on us?
> Fire off a long horizontal line of explodey bullets at the cloud of fairies, and then reassess how their bullets are approaching us.
> Is the middle open for dodging?
> Head into the middle, then, firing off a circle of explodey bullets like the slightly-exanding ones we used against that oni once we get there.
> How much room inside the middle of the web do we have to maneuver?
> Are the white orbs straight-line shots aimed at us, homing shots, or just being generally fired at the hole in the middle of the web?
> What is the rough shape of the open area in the middle of the web? Is it circular, rectangular, triangular, or something else entirely?
> If we assume the fast shots will stay on their straight line course, do we have enough room to move to either side to avoid them?
> Is moving upward or downward not an option?
> Can we tell if we have more room to our left or our right?
> Drift right to avoid the speedy bullets, firing another explodey ring as we go.
> Do we have the room to move back left to avoid the bullets coming at our new position? Or are the previous bullets still passing by?
> Would our timing abilities be improved if we focused solely on bullet avoidance for a few seconds, ignoring fairy counting and firing back?
> Do we still have some room to the right?
> Move further to the right to avoid the incoming high-speed shots, firing off a horizontal line of the bullets that look like explodey bullets but don't actually explode as we move.
> Straight ahead of us, unless I misunderstand the purpose of the question.
> Okay, this is the part where we focus purely on dodging to the left by dropping our focus on the fairies and forgetting about firing and looking at the incoming speedy bullets.
> How is the gap between the last salvo of speedy bullets and the current salvo of speedy bullets looking?
> Is the directional change between the last salvo and this salvo gradual or immediate?
> Were they firing constantly while changing their aim to follow us? Or were we not paying that degree of attention?
> What else can we do to increase our odds of getting through the gap safely?
> Are we aware of bullet coverage behind us from the fairies?
> So we could accidentally back into the web?
> Are the speedy bullets moving faster than we can fly?
> Are the speedy bullets aimed at any particular region of our body (head, torso, waist, legs)?
> Prepare self for dodging.
> As the final bullet in the previous salvo is passing us by (presumably on the left), airdash to the left and backward a little bit, with as little upward/downward movement as possible. Theoretically, we won't smack into the bullet passing us by, because it will be moving too fast and getting out of our way as we move. Ideally, we should start moving as soon as the bullet is on the line formed if one were to draw a straight line through both of our shoulders.
> Move just a smidge to the left to give ourselves some breathing room, and allow ourselves to split our focus again so we're aware of what the fairies are doing.
> Do we have any curved-trajectory or homing danmaku at our disposal?
> Has the situation updated as a result of that first command?
> How does the fairy layout look now?
> How much effort does firing "from nondirect sources" take?
> How far away from ourselves could we place these nondirect sources?
> How do the nondirect sources fire? Do they fire a bunch of shots in a predetermined straight line, can we change their aim after setting them up, or do they fire in a rotating circular pattern? Or do they work some other way entirely?
> Is the cloud of fairies within our placement range?
> What kinds of bullets can we fire from these nondirect sources?
> Set up two nondirect sources to each fire a single horizontal half-circle wave of knife bullets. They should be placed one to our left and one to our right as close to the fairies as we can get them, making them each form roughly a 30 degree angle away from ourselves (using a straight line ahead of us as a basis for judging this). The half-circles should start firing toward each other and sweep out-to-in toward the fairies; this means that the left source will start aiming to its right, then sweep aiming toward its front, and end aiming to its left, and the right source should mirror this.
> That's what you get.
> Now that the artillery fairies have adjusted their aim, move a bit more to the left. We should have a little bit of space that way, since at worst we are back to where we first started dancing inside the web.
> Set up another pair of nondirect sources, placing them in the same location relative to our current position as the last ones were relative to our previous position. They should also fire a single sweeping horizontal half-circle wave, but this time, they should both travel out-to-in instead of in-to-out like the first ones.
> Once these nondirect sources are released, reassess current position within the web, particularly noting the space we have to our left.
> How many fairies remain?
> How many are web-weavers and how many are artillery?
> How are the speedy shots looking, in terms of dodging difficulty, now that the cloud has been reduced in number so?
> How much room do we have to move forward?
> How are the fairies spread out in terms of to our left, in front of us, and to our right?
> How much effort would it take to create a single nondirect source of danmaku that shoots bursts of horizontal half-circles in one-second intervals for five seconds?
> Could we still keep enough focus on dodging to avoid the speedy bullets while preparing such an attack?
> That's a good idea. Let's wait for the previous salvo (if it can still be called that) of speedy shots to be finished, and then dash back to the right. Use the same focus and timing as last time, though this time we don't need to also move backward, just rightward will do.
> Assuming this dodge is successful, prepare one of the aforementioned burst nondirect sources, and release it straight ahead of us, as far forward as we reasonably can.
> Take a moment to compose ourselves. But only a moment, since we're very composed by default.
> Do any other fairies seem eager to challenge us?
> Is the southern shore still clear of fairies?
> Circle our way around the lake to the southern shore, giving the lake and any fairies fighting over it a wide berth so as to not attract more unwanted attention.
> Head toward the gate.
> "I have noticed. Sadly, I have made an agreement to be elsewhere soon. so my stop here must be brief. If I may ask, has anyone else visited this estate today?"
> "Ah, how unfortunate for myself. I was hoping the one that had thieved my sword would have tried to sell it to this estate."
> "Is thievery common for her?"
> "Hmm. Is she also known for sneaking up on her targets and silently knocking them out before stealing? She does not seem the type, but..."
> "That does seem more her style. I ask these things because I am not the only person to have their weapon pilfered this morning; a young bucket girl was attacked from behind as I described, with the assailant taking a wand of hers after she fell unconscious. It seems likely my theft and hers are related. Given your estate has a vast array of valuables, I would advise extra caution, both against thieves and anyone trying to unload weaponry, until the culprit is caught."
> "You are quite welcome."
> "On an unrelated note, have you seen a wolf-eared huntress pass by this area today? I have a possession of hers that I wish to return, and when we parter earlier, she said she would be around the lake 'later today'. I did not see her around the lake on my way here, but such is forgivable given the circumstances, I think."
> "Do you know where she went?"
> Where is the Hakurei Shrine relative to our current position?
> Is the Bamboo Forest to the north?
> Where is the entrance to the swordswoman's home relative to our current position?
> Where is the entrance to the swordswoman's home relative to the Hakurei Shrine?
> Sorry, I meant Youmu/Hakugyokurou with those last two questions. Re-ask both questions with this in mind. (I do appreciate the Meira info, though!)
> So stopping at the Hakurei Shrine on our way from here to Hakugyokurou would not be out of our way?
> Nod.
> "Thank you for the information. I have business at the Hakurei Shrine, so I must be off now. Best of luck to you."
> "Yes, I think caution is for the best. See you again some time."
> Take flight and, again giving the lake a wide berth, circle around the lake eastward until we are north of it. Once we are clear of the lake's fairies, head to the Hakurei Shrine.
> Is massive violent fairy activity always this common?
> Speed on to the shrine proper. It's about time we got away from this fairy nonsense.
> Make our way over to Reimu with a smile.
> "Good day, Miss Reimu. That is actually not why I am here."
> Chuckle.
> "Hardly! I am merely here to inform you that I will be meeting with my companions here later. If they arrive before I do, they have been told to be on their best behavior and not hassle anyone for any reason unless you permit it. And that does mean anyone."
> How far away is the donation box?
> "Yours is both a convenient and safe meeting place. My poor dears have run themselves ragged searching for my stolen sword, so the easier a time they have of it, the better. Particularly in this fairy weather."
> Is she talking about a location in the Human Village?
> Begin making our way over to the donation box.
> "I would rather they not be in the village right now, at least whilst they are separated from myself. Besides, while they are here, perhaps they can be of use to you, particularly as it comes to preparations for tomorrow."
> Inventory
> "Their search brought them underground, and unfortunately, they ran afoul of some ruffians with no appreciation for quality faces. Naturally, my friends were victorious, but the encounter did not leave them in the greatest physical condition."
> Toss 10☼ into the donation box.
> "Given their present state, I am not completely sure I trust them to not be harassed."
> Return to the table area.
> "Of course. Ah, unrelated to that, it is my understanding that we may be in a theater troupe together very soon, you and I."
> "You are considering participation in the ghostly swordswoman's performance, yes?"
> Smile.
> "I am. I actually see this as an opportunity, to hopefully buy at least a small respite for my friends."
> What exactly did Hijiri do to us, anyway, that kicked all of this off? Was it something specific, or was it just her being a race traitor and associating with the likes of Nue?
> "I believe that our working together so closely on such an event will encourage certain individuals to behave themselves."
> Nod.
> "At the very least, if there is any trouble, I can promise you it will not be our doing."
> Wave a hand dismissively.
> "Of course, of course. I am fully aware of where we stand in this land."
> Nod.
> "Your hospitality is much appreciated. They have been instructed to assist you as needed if you desire, so if a need for an extra pair of hands arises, do not be afraid to ask."
> "Just...please do not push them too hard."
> "Ah, one last thing before I depart."
> Take out the Iron Key.
> "I acquired this curiosity at the mouse's shop in the forest. Have you any idea from where it came or to what it goes?"
> "Ah, I see. Intriguing. May I ask who has associated with the former shopkeeper for some time? Perhaps such a person would know more about this."
> "Hmm. Well, I suppose a mystery is no fun if it is easily solved."
> Do we recognize the name 'Mystia'?
> "I am afraid I am unfamiliar with this last person."
> Have we had lamprey before? If sos, did we enjoy it?
> Is Reimu's gohei visible anywhere?
> Nod.
> "I will keep her in mind. The subject of unfamiliar people reminds me, however. I am also interested in speaking to a person named Kasen. Do you know where I can find her?"
> "Ah. How unfortunate. Very well, I shall leave you to your meal in peace. If I may offer one word of caution, however; since I do not see it out here, I would suggest keeping close track of your gohei. My blade was not the only weapon to be pilfered this morning."
> Nod.
> "That would be for the best, I think."
> "Very well. I will be in Hakugyokurou for a period of time, investigating what my former advisor has done. If you learn something is amiss regarding anyone else's weapons, please do not hesitate to let me know."
> "I wouldn't dream of it. Best wishes for the rest of your day."
> Take flight and head off to Hakugyokurou's entrance, recalling Youmu's directions.
> Perhaps they will be able to help. Continie approaching this person, unless we can see that they are a fairy.
> Can we make out any features, other than that they are in red?
> Are they within vocal distance?
> Give an exaggerated wave and see if they react.
> Speak up to an appropriate volume.
> "How do I get to Hakugyokurou from here?"
> "I have been requested by Youmu Konpaku to investigate a disturbance at a great tree!"
> Blink for a moment.
> "Very well! Thank you for your time!"
> Resume our search.
> She is more than welcome to do so! It's not like we're going to enter without Youmu anyway.
> Continue searching, though be sure to make a note if she speaks again or moves to engage us.
> Stop our search and let her approach.
> Well! What an attitude.
> Frown.
> "I would rather not back out of my agreement with Miss Konpaku. At least, not without talking it over with her when she arrives here."
> "Oh my. Has this happened before?"
> Frown.
> "I'm afraid I cannot do that."