Reimu Quest (Part 5)

[日巫子]

>"It's a thing they can do. It doesn't matter how much you divide them, you know?"

> "...But she can't..."  Konngara takes a moment to rub her temples.  "I already explained what happened.  If you're this convinced, then just wait until Kikuri's out of the bath and then you can talk to her.  Okay?"

> _

[O4rfish]

Maybe it's time to put on our miko outfit, instead of this swimsuit.
>Why is it snowing underground?

[Hello Purvis]

In good time. Blankets are snugglier.

>"I don't see why she can't, if she's a god. And yeah. we're going to have a talk with her."

[日巫子]

>Why is it snowing underground?

> Why wouldn't it be?  This is normal weather for the underground, although you've heard it hasn't been this intense since before the reactor opened up.

>"I don't see why she can't, if she's a god. And yeah. we're going to have a talk with her."

> "Because she doesn't have enough faith for that," Konngara says as she walks towards the kitchen.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow.
>"I'll consider that. But I'm not wholly convinced just yet."

[日巫子]

>Follow.
>"I'll consider that. But I'm not wholly convinced just yet."

> You're not entirely convinced, but you'll figure it out soon enough.
> You follow Konngara into the kitchen, where she stops by the sink and opens a cabinet overhead.  After rummaging through it, she takes out a smallish box, from which she takes some gauze, bandages, and a bottle of...something or another.  She then makes a beckoning motion at you.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Let the oni tend to our hands. Just scan the kitchen for anything that looks, or intuitively feels, cluelike. And be ready for it to sting.

[日巫子]

>Let the oni tend to our hands. Just scan the kitchen for anything that looks, or intuitively feels, cluelike. And be ready for it to sting.

> You hand over...your hands...and look around the kitchen.  The only thing that sticks out to you is that recipe you found earlier, but you highly doubt it has to do with anything at all besides dinner.  This room looks like a perfectly normal kitchen to you.
> As you're scanning the area, something trickles over your hand, and you flinch out of reflex.  As fast as it happens, however, Konngara presses a gauze pad over the wound and wraps it in bandages.  After that's done, she takes your other hand and repeats the process.  Before long, she's checking the bandages to make sure they're on okay.  It feels a little stiff, having your hands wrapped up like this, but all bandages to until you break into them.  Besides, your fingers are still perfectly mobile.
> "Done."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thanks, that was nice of you."
>Where did onis get all that bad reputation from, anyways? They've clearly been the best youkai we've had to deal with this whole mess.
>"So, do you have any alternate theories? The only thing I could think of would be a magician trying to place a curse, but I'm in rather good with all the magicians I know."

[日巫子]

>"Thanks, that was nice of you."
>Where did onis get all that bad reputation from, anyways? They've clearly been the best youkai we've had to deal with this whole mess.
>"So, do you have any alternate theories? The only thing I could think of would be a magician trying to place a curse, but I'm in rather good with all the magicians I know."

> Konngara just barely smiles for a few seconds.
> Come to think of it, the oni have given you the least amount of trouble over the past few days.  However, you've heard that in the past oni and humans didn't get along well at all.  Oni would kidnap humans, and humans would use backhanded methods to exterminate oni.  Dealing with oni was probably a lot harder back then, especially before the border.  Considering your situation and the era, you've lucked out.
> You ask if she has any ideas, and she shrugs.  "Sleeping badly, maybe...?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not that badly."

[日巫子]

>"Not that badly."

> "Stress...?  Fever...?" she guesses, half talking to herself.  "Possession...probably not..."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't think stress gets that bad. And fevers don't go away so easily. And as far as I know, I'm not possessed. You can check if you want."

[日巫子]

>"I don't think stress gets that bad. And fevers don't go away so easily. And as far as I know, I'm not possessed. You can check if you want."

> "Huh...I think--"
> As Konngara is contemplating the situation, you hear a door opening outside the kitchen.  Kikuri comes into view, wearing dry clothes and a towel around her shoulders.  Patting her hair with the towel, she enters the kitchen and makes a beeline for the fridge.
> "Kikuri, did Reimu show you anything?" Konngara asks, her voice sounding a little quieter than usual.
> "No.  Why?"  Kikuri leans against the fridge with a glass of water in her hand.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Why don't you tell us the story again?"

[日巫子]

>"Why don't you tell us the story again?"

> "Me?"
> Konngara nods and says, "What happened."
> Kikuri takes a sip of water and starts talking.  Her voice sounds hoarse.
> "I was asleep over there--"  She points towards the opened door in the other room.  "--when I heard someone talking, so I opened the door to see what was going on.  The red-white was there, and she had this weird look on her face.  I asked what she was doing here.  She held up her hand like this..."
> Kikuri pauses to hold up her hand as if she's commanding someone to stop.  It's clear she's addressing Konngara, and not you, as she refers to you in third-person.
> "And then she swung her gohei at me and then started stumbling around.  I went to get you because I was startled."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"And I didn't say a thing to you? And how close did I get?"

[日巫子]

>"And I didn't say a thing to you? And how close did I get?"

> "No.  You were a few feet away.  Maybe two or three?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Alright. And what talking did you hear?"

[日巫子]

>"Alright. And what talking did you hear?"

> "You were saying 'you around?' or something," Kikuri says, and coughs into her sleeve.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Weird. See, what happened was I went in there."
>Gesture.
>"And felt a little off; you know that feeling you get when something's wrong? That. The door on the left was rattling, so I kicked it open, and out you came, looking like death warmed over. I tried to talk with you, and you didn't say anything. I tried to show you something, and you didn't say anything. I poked you with it! Then you tried to strangle me, so I whacked you with my gohei, and things went downhill."
>"So what you're saying is I didn't say or show anything to you, then took a swing at you, right?"

[日巫子]

>"Weird. See, what happened was I went in there."
>Gesture.
>"And felt a little off; you know that feeling you get when something's wrong? That. The door on the left was rattling, so I kicked it open, and out you came, looking like death warmed over. I tried to talk with you, and you didn't say anything. I tried to show you something, and you didn't say anything. I poked you with it! Then you tried to strangle me, so I whacked you with my gohei, and things went downhill."
>"So what you're saying is I didn't say or show anything to you, then took a swing at you, right?"

> Kikuri takes another sip of water.  "Right.  It didn't look like you had anything with you."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Go on?"

[日巫子]

>"Go on?"

> "Well, I just told you my side of the story," Kikuri says.  "Even if I had a reason to kill you, I wouldn't waste my time trying to strangle you."

> _

[Sect]

> "You'd use lasers instead?"

[日巫子]

> "You'd use lasers instead?"

> "Well..."  Kikuri's eyes wander over to Konngara, who is looking at her with a mildly distressed expression on her face.
> "I don't really know what I'd do," Kikuri concludes.

> _

[Sect]

> Stare at her with suspicion.
> Shrug, then take one of the shards and poke it out of our blanket. "Well, does this look familiar?"

[日巫子]

> Stare at her with suspicion.
> Shrug, then take one of the shards and poke it out of our blanket. "Well, does this look familiar?"

> She's really shady!
> In any case, you go ahead and show her one of the shards.  Her eyes widen a bit, but she quickly regains her composure.
> "Yeah.  That's..."  She pauses.  "That's from the moon.  My moon.  I have something like that, too."

> _

[Sect]

> "Your... your whatnow?"

[日巫子]

> "Your... your whatnow?"

> "Moon.  That shard was part of a moon.  It's also been referred to as a shell," Kikuri says.  "Do you remember when we fought, a long time ago?  That orb I was in was made of those fragments."

> _