Remilia Quest

[Hanzo K.]

>"We'll see."
>Let's use the smellingsalts on Rei now.

[Oldmansour]

>"We'll see."
>Let's use the smellingsalts on Rei now.

>Opening the jar, you resist the urge to plug your nose instinctively. This stuff is STRONG, must stronger than your average ammonium compound. "Youkai strength" indeed. Wriggle, not having your sense of decorum, coughs sharply, and covers her nose, her eyes watering. Ritusko, oddly, seems even less fazed than you.
>Wrinkling your nose, you wave the jar under the fledgling vampire's nose. Immediately, she coughs, blinks, coughs again, then ratchets upright, coughing and grasping at her throat and nose.

[Hanzo K.]

>Seal up the jar, and put it away. Could this stuff be even stronger than Flan?
>....Rather frightening prospect that.
>"Well, glad to see you're awake again. Still hungry?"

[Oldmansour]

>Seal up the jar, and put it away. Could this stuff be even stronger than Flan?
>....Rather frightening prospect that.
>"Well, glad to see you're awake again. Still hungry?"

>Your nose is quite grateful to you as you replace the lid on the jar of salts.
>Thinking about your sister, you have to admit that, despite the fact that she is one of the most powerful creatures, and easily one of, if not the, most dangerous, you can't quite recall the last time she ever created a smell quite that potent. She may have competition here.
>Rei coughs and sputters a couple seconds more, before looking visibly collecting herself. "Did I.... *cough* Did I just faint?"
>"You sure did." Wriggle chimes.
>"I didn't know I COULD faint now...." She flings her head back and forth. "Where'd Reisen go?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"She left to inquire at the village. Being one of the few Youkai permitted in there means she can search there for Sakuya on my behalf."
>It bears wondering how Flan would react to being brought around by something this pungent...She'd probably react worse than when she had that spicy food.
>"She left behind this jar of smellingsalts so we could wake you."

[Oldmansour]

>"She left to inquire at the village. Being one of the few Youkai permitted in there means she can search there for Sakuya on my behalf."
>It bears wondering how Flan would react to being brought around by something this pungent...She'd probably react worse than when she had that spicy food.
>"She left behind this jar of smellingsalts so we could wake you."

>Rei manages to look relieved, disappointed and happy all at once.
>If you brought those salts back to the mansion and let Flandre experience them, you would probably be well served to tell Sakuya to remove your valuables some miles away first.
>A rather dreamy looking smile crosses Rei's face. "She's so nice, isn't she."

[Hanzo K.]

>Just smirk a bit, it seems we were right after all.
>"At any rate, you should finish the Ramen. We'll depart for the Myouren Temple as soon as you do. Unless you don't mind Wriggle finishing it for you."

[Oldmansour]

>Just smirk a bit, it seems we were right after all.
>"At any rate, you should finish the Ramen. We'll depart for the Myouren Temple as soon as you do. Unless you don't mind Wriggle finishing it for you."

>Spot on, by the looks of it.
>"What? Oh, right!" Evidently the thought of food had slipped her mind altogether. "Uh, yeah, that's fine, Wriggle, I wasn't hungry before, really."
>The insect youkai grins. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."
>As Wriggle dives in to her second helping, Rei asks you, "So, Sakuya's at the Myoren Temple? What's she doing there?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, we don't know for sure, Reisen suggested that she was at one of several places. The Myouren Temple, the Human Village- Which neither of us are currently welcome in anymore. And the Underground. Reisen is taking care of the village, so we'll visit the Temple, and work from there."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, we don't know for sure, Reisen suggested that she was at one of several places. The Myouren Temple, the Human Village- Which neither of us are currently welcome in anymore. And the Underground. Reisen is taking care of the village, so we'll visit the Temple, and work from there."

>"Sounds like a plan. And the folks at Myoren would help, anyway, I bet, they're good like that. Met any of them before?"

[Hanzo K.]

>Have we?

[Oldmansour]

>Have we?

>You have not. In fact, now that you think about it, you know next to nothing about the Myoren temple, nor its inhabitants. You know it stands somewhere nearby the human village, but not where. A particularly brave jeweler visited the SDM several months ago to peddle his wares, and he mentioned the name in passing. Apparently the leader of the place is a very kind, very beautiful woman, but they don't have much in the way of money, mostly because they give away much or all of what they take in, and use the rest of buy food and other materials for the needy. He didn't mention anything beyond that.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Have you? I have only heard of them in passing."

[Oldmansour]

>"Have you? I have only heard of them in passing."

>Rei nods. "Even been there, once. Was my first stop after I left the village." She shrugs slightly. "Wasn't the most exotic place I could have started with, but, everybody's gotta start somewhere."
>"I wanted Byakuren's blessing before I went too far. That's the woman who runs the place, by the way, Byakuren Hijiri. I don't know if she has any kind of affinity for travelers and explorers, but, I figured she gave more reliable blessings than that shrine maiden Keine talks about sometimes, uh.... What was her name again?"
>"Reimu?" Wriggle offers between mouthfuls.
>"Reimu, yeah, that was her name."

[Hanzo K.]

>Sigh. "Hakurei is quite possibly the laziest shrine maiden I have ever heard of."
>Smile slightly. "And yet, one of the few who can beat even I. Amusing, isn't it? I have to give that human some respect for being able to do so."

[Oldmansour]

>Sigh. "Hakurei is quite possibly the laziest shrine maiden I have ever heard of."
>Smile slightly. "And yet, one of the few who can beat even I. Amusing, isn't it? I have to give that human some respect for being able to do so."

>Rei gives the shrine maiden's name some consideration, after you mention her power. "I should probably avoid crossing her path, now that I'm a vampire, shouldn't I?"

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "Indeed. She's likely to come for you first off, and work her way to your sire by that. It's how she reached me when I first created the Scarlet Mist several years ago."
>Sigh. "It's a shame she's only human, as she was one of the few to actually give me a good fight. Going up against Sakuya's no fun because she'll generally throw the fight out of loyalty. She shall possibly be one of the few I shall miss when they depart life's embrace, if only because she was powerful."
>Smirk. "Does it not make sense to mourn when the strong perish?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod. "Indeed. She's likely to come for you first off, and work her way to your sire by that. It's how she reached me when I first created the Scarlet Mist several years ago."
>Sigh. "It's a shame she's only human, as she was one of the few to actually give me a good fight. Going up against Sakuya's no fun because she'll generally throw the fight out of loyalty. She shall possibly be one of the few I shall miss when they depart life's embrace, if only because she was powerful."
>Smirk. "Does it not make sense to mourn when the strong perish?"

>"Oh yeah, that red fog was YOUR doing, wasn't it? Keine taught us about in school, about the Scarlet Devil and her mansion. But, there was one thing she didn't mention, one thing that a lot of kids my age wondered about."
>As Wriggle slurps up the last of her broth (girl must have been hungry, to eat seconds that fast), Rei asks you, "Why DID you turn that mist loose?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"The reason why I did that...?"
>Smirk. "Think about it. What is the one thing that limits a vampire above all else? The Sun. Even a youngling such as yourself can figure out the rest."

[Oldmansour]

>"The reason why I did that...?"
>Smirk. "Think about it. What is the one thing that limits a vampire above all else? The Sun. Even a youngling such as yourself can figure out the rest."

>"Ahhhh, I get it. If you blocked out the sun, then you could go anywhere you wanted without any problem, any time of day."

[Hanzo K.]

>Point at her a little. "Precisely."
>"Well, Wriggle's finished, we've had our fill, all that's left is to pay, and make for the Temple."
>Look over to Ritsuko. "So, how much does the bill come to?"

[Oldmansour]

>Point at her a little. "Precisely."
>"Well, Wriggle's finished, we've had our fill, all that's left is to pay, and make for the Temple."
>Look over to Ritsuko. "So, how much does the bill come to?"

>The black-winged youkai replies, "For you and your companions, 2,250 yen, please."

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's fish out 2,500 then, the vegetables were rather good after all. A proper lady always tips well.
>"Alright, this should be enough to cover it, with a little extra."
>Smirk. "It can't be said that I don't pay well after all."
>Look to Rei and Wriggle. "Well, let's be off! Rei, since you've been there, you lead the way."
>Let's get going for the temple, following Rei's lead. It isn't usually our style, but like it or not, she's the only one who knows where it is right now.

[Oldmansour]

>Let's fish out 2,500 then, the vegetables were rather good after all. A proper lady always tips well.
>"Alright, this should be enough to cover it, with a little extra."
>Smirk. "It can't be said that I don't pay well after all."
>Look to Rei and Wriggle. "Well, let's be off! Rei, since you've been there, you lead the way."
>Let's get going for the temple, following Rei's lead. It isn't usually our style, but like it or not, she's the only one who knows where it is right now.

>Ritsuko accepts your generousity with a smile and a polite bow. "Thank you very much."
>Remaining money: 72,947 yen.

>Your bill settled, you set Rei to point duty again, again reminding her to circumvent the village's airspace, just in case that had slipped her mind. Fledglings do need reminding of things, now and then.
>She sets off in a southwesterly direction, but, after Wriggle reminds her that this would take you all over village airspace, she veers to the south to go around it. This adds a bit of time to your overall flight, but less time, you suspect, than a confrontation with Keine would entail.
>Your travel is uneventful, not even menaced by fairies. You can't help but be a touch dissapointed by this; a little danmaku play might have helped relieve some of the stress you've accumulated over the course of the night. As you fly past the southern edge of the village, the land before you opens up in a grassy plain, largely unadorned, save the occasional trees and stone here and there, with an obvious trail leading to the southwest.
>Flying over the trail, you find that it is not uninhabited. Humans are walking down the trail towards the village. Many humans, actually, in pairs or larger groups, stretching back a fair ways. Their path is being led and lit by a flying woman with black hair carrying a bright lantern, wearing what seems to be a sailor's uniform. Albeit a somewhat feminine version thereof. Another flying figure seems to be bringing up the rear a couple dozen feet behind her carrying another lamp.

>"That's a lot of people..." Rei notes, the corners of her mouth twitching.
>"Keep your fangs in your mouth, Rei." Wriggle admonishes her. "Reimu's not someone you wanna mess with, and that one in the lead there's no softie herself."

>The time is now 9:31 PM

[Hanzo K.]

>"Is there anyone you recognize? The only reason why humans would be outside the village this late would be if they were at that temple, no?"
>We should still have plenty of time in the night to follow up on at least some of the leads.

[Oldmansour]

>"Is there anyone you recognize? The only reason why humans would be outside the village this late would be if they were at that temple, no?"
>We should still have plenty of time in the night to follow up on at least some of the leads.

>"That many humans this time of night, probably for Mysty's show." Wriggle supplies. "If 'ko was right, and Mysty's still there, it's a safe bet she was putting on one of her shows. She and that shouting girl have been doing that now and then recently."
>Rei nods, but says nothing. Your aged and experienced eye can see her new instincts playing over her face. She was probably chasing Wriggle before just for the thrill of hunting someone, moreso than real need of blood. You'd bet your favourite cap those instincts are flaring up again.

>More than likely. Sunrise is at 630 AM, leaving you slightly less than nine hours until sunrise.

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's give Rei a light smack to the back of the head. Nothing too severe, just a sharp little reminder. "Keep them in check youngling. One wrong move and things could end up rather messy."
>"So, Wriggle, what do you know about this 'shouting girl'?"

[Oldmansour]

>Let's give Rei a light smack to the back of the head. Nothing too severe, just a sharp little reminder. "Keep them in check youngling. One wrong move and things could end up rather messy."
>"So, Wriggle, what do you know about this 'shouting girl'?"

>Dropping a little down to her level, you give the young vampire a small tap on the back of the head, prompting a "Gah." from the woman in question. Wriggle laughs.
>The insect youkai pauses to think for a moment. "Kyouko's her name, Kyouko Kasodani. Friendly girl, kinda new to the temple, started living there... half a year or so ago, I think. She's kinda the temple gardener, and BOY, can she shout! You're lucky she hasn't broken some of the windows at your place before now. And her danmaku's not bad, either. But she's got a good singin' voice, too; her and Mysty harmonize well."

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "So, we can simply make for the Temple from here. I take it they're heading home from there?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod. "So, we can simply make for the Temple from here. I take it they're heading home from there?"

>Wriggle nods, then jerks her thumb at Rei, who hasn't taken her eyes off the procession. "Might wanna give them a wide berth, though. Just in case."