Keine Quest: The Broken and the Lost

[Hello Purvis]

>"Me. Or rather, the me you knew."

[DracoOmega]

>"Me. Or rather, the me you knew."

>"Are you referring to your hakutaku aspect?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh good, she did tell you. Give how unwelcome many youkai seem to be, I was worried. That makes things much easier. But, we're getting sidetrekked. Do you believe me at all?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh good, she did tell you. Give how unwelcome many youkai seem to be, I was worried. That makes things much easier. But, we're getting sidetrekked. Do you believe me at all?"

>"Youkai are not unwelcome simply because they are youkai. After all, the kappa and tengu live within Kanako's domain and pay respect to her. What has given you that impression?"

>"And..." she sighs. "I might. Or, at least I don't think you're trying to lie to me, whatever else you might think."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I've spoken with several, and none of them seem to regard this place well. But very well. That's my story. All the proof I can really offer is an coherent understanding of history as I know it."
>Maybe stretching the truth a little.

[DracoOmega]

>"I've spoken with several, and none of them seem to regard this place well. But very well. That's my story. All the proof I can really offer is an coherent understanding of history as I know it."
>Maybe stretching the truth a little.

>"And who have you spoken with that has said this, then?" She eyes you a little suspiciously. "All Yasaka-sama asks is that everyone respects the rule of law in her domain and not do harm to each other. Some youkai are unwilling to accept this. If they would choose differently, they too would be given her protection. The decision is and always has been theirs."

>"But, proof aside, why did you come to me with this?"

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "I'm trying to get back to my world, I have a feeling that if I can find the person who caused the difference between my world and this one, I'll be able to get home"

[Hello Purvis]

>"And there's the off chance you might know something about a particular youkai involved with this."

[DracoOmega]

> "I'm trying to get back to my world, I have a feeling that if I can find the person who caused the difference between my world and this one, I'll be able to get home"

>"Hmmm.... well, if you really are from another world, I'd like to help if I can. But I'm not sure I follow your idea of how you can get back. Do you have any idea how you even got here?"

>"And there's the off chance you might know something about a particular youkai involved with this."

>"Which youkai would this be?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Describe Wingly. We've probably gotten into a particularly groove for explaining it succinctly by this point.

[DracoOmega]

>Describe Wingly. We've probably gotten into a particularly groove for explaining it succinctly by this point.

>Sanae nods along to your description, then sadly shakes your head. "I've never heard of a youkai like that, I'm afraid. And you think she's connected to all this?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"She was the one I was investigating before falling asleep and waking up in this world. Time. Whichever it is."

[DracoOmega]

>"She was the one I was investigating before falling asleep and waking up in this world. Time. Whichever it is."

>"Ah. Well, I feel fairly certain that she has not strayed within Yasaka-sama's domain, at the least. I could ask Yasaka-sama herself about this, though. Her gaze does not stop only at the borders of this mountain. It's possible she may know the youkai you speak of."

>"I'm curious, though. Do you think that if you can find her again, you can somehow use her to return?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"At the very least, shake her until an explanation falls out."

[E-Nazrin]

>"I don't know. I know very little about her, aside from an apparent aura of somnolence. But it's quite likely she would be able to provide some insight into how it happened."

>"At the very least, shake her until an explanation falls out."

[DracoOmega]

>"At the very least, shake her until an explanation falls out."

>"I don't know. I know very little about her, aside from an apparent aura of somnolence. But it's quite likely she would be able to provide some insight into how it happened."

>Sanae has a small chuckle. "Well, I can keep you apprised of anything I find. Is there anything else I can do to help?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"You can help me re-learn what this world is like and what the Keine here is supposed to know so that I don't worry people too much with this. Or help me come up with a way to break the news that won't lead to too much trouble."

[DracoOmega]

>"You can help me re-learn what this world is like and what the Keine here is supposed to know so that I don't worry people too much with this. Or help me come up with a way to break the news that won't lead to too much trouble."

>"Re-learn? I'm not sure I'd even know where to begin without a frame of reference. And wouldn't our Keine be more qualified to tell you what she's supposed to know than I am?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"That's what I thought at first. But she wasn't home today, and I don't know where she is. At this point, I'm inclined to believe that either we swapped places or I 'woke up' into her life with different memories. So I'm not sure it's an option. If she's around, though, finding her would be a huge help."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "If only she, the other Keine, was here. I visited my, er her home, and it was empty. No one. Some parts looked like they were being used, then she left in a hurry."
> Wait, if I am in a whole other world, and the Keine that should be here is not...
> "Oh dear... I may have just figured something out, the Keine from here... may in fact be in the Gensokyo I am from, and if she is, she will be just as confused as I am."
> Talking about alternate selves is REALLY weird and difficult.
> How much do we know about Sanae, assuming all the important about her is still the same?

[E-Nazrin]

>"As for a frame of reference for the times I need to relearn, well... basically everything that happened during the long winter and afterward. Perhaps farther back than that, depending on how the scarlet mist incident before that went. I have an okay idea of what happened in general, but not too many specifics."

[DracoOmega]

>"That's what I thought at first. But she wasn't home today, and I don't know where she is. At this point, I'm inclined to believe that either we swapped places or I 'woke up' into her life with different memories. So I'm not sure it's an option. If she's around, though, finding her would be a huge help."

> "If only she, the other Keine, was here. I visited my, er her home, and it was empty. No one. Some parts looked like they were being used, then she left in a hurry."
> "Oh dear... I may have just figured something out, the Keine from here... may in fact be in the Gensokyo I am from, and if she is, she will be just as confused as I am."

>Sanae looks very troubled. "Woke up into someone else's life....? I'm sorry, but I can't say that I like either of those scenarios. And if our Kiene really has vanished... In any case, Yasaka-sama must know of this. When I return to the Moriya Shrine, I will speak with her of this at once."

> How much do we know about Sanae, assuming all the important about her is still the same?

>You've met Sanae a number of times before, although she tended to have less contact with the village than Reimu. She seemed like a fairly well-intentioned person, although a little out of place for a while. But that's not really surprising given that she literally WAS out of place, for a while. She seemed hard-working, but not always that perceptive. This Sanae seems a little more... well, 'commanding' is too strong a word, but her bearing seems a bit more forceful. That might come from actually being the day-to-day face of a god in charge.

> Talking about alternate selves is REALLY weird and difficult.

>It's kind of difficult wrapping your head around the separation of her and you and we...

>"As for a frame of reference for the times I need to relearn, well... basically everything that happened during the long winter and afterward. Perhaps farther back than that, depending on how the scarlet mist incident before that went. I have an okay idea of what happened in general, but not too many specifics."

>"Those events of which you speak happened before I arrived in Gensokyo. Honestly, if anyone else were to ask questions about that, I would send them to you. Even if you... uh, she... isn't here now, her records would still be the best source of information on this, I'd think. Even the other villagers might be more useful than me. I know what effect it had on people, but only after the fact. They lived through it all."

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'll have to review those records more carefully, then. Still, it doesn't help in understanding the day-to-day life here. This is not... the location of the human village I know, and the subtle differences can be the most jarring... to myself and others."

[Hello Purvis]

>What can we remember about the other person who was there, last night, with the youkai?

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Do we know that Sanae is from outside Gensokyo, beyond the border? *is shot*

[DracoOmega]

>"I'll have to review those records more carefully, then. Still, it doesn't help in understanding the day-to-day life here. This is not... the location of the human village I know, and the subtle differences can be the most jarring... to myself and others."

>"I... wish I could help you, but I'm not sure how I could tell you what things are different than you remember, without being inside your own mind. I'm not trying to be stubborn, but to me, all of this is normal. I have no idea which details might possibly be different, especially subtle things like you speak of. You look and sound normal to me. Well, other than what you speak OF, of course. And the hat. But that's neither here nor there."

>What can we remember about the other person who was there, last night, with the youkai?

>She was a human girl, who sounded young and frightened. She didn't seem to recognize your name, and you didn't recognize her voice, either. She was wearing a dark-colored dress of some sort, but it was hard to make out much more than that given the poor lighting, and trees in the way.

> Do we know that Sanae is from outside Gensokyo, beyond the border? *is shot*

>Yes. The circumstances of the Moriya Shrine's arrival in your own Gensokyo are well known to you.

[E-Nazrin]

>"Well, to start with, the lights in the village are... different from what I remember. How do lanterns shine so brightly with just that little wire in them?"
>"As for the hat, I guess you could say I lent it to someone on my way here in exchange for some help on the road... for a while I hoped it would help differentiate me from my twin in this world, but perhaps I should reconsider."
>"While I doubt it's changed, do you know the usual school schedule here? I need to know what days I may have to myself to investigate this."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, to start with, the lights in the village are... different from what I remember. How do lanterns shine so brightly with just that little wire in them?"

>"Ah, those?" She smiles. "They're electric lights. They're based on technology from the outside world that we've been developing with the help of the Kappa. Gensokyo has had limited technological infrastructure, so it's been taking some time to get things up to speed, but our production capacity increases all the time, and the real fun stuff should be happening soon.There are a lot of bright things in everyone's future, I expect. Uh... pun unintended. Really, better lights are about the least impressive of Yasaka-sama's projects. The Kappa village has a lot more of the prototypes floating around than here. Some of the villagers have been a little reluctant to adopt things produced by youkai. But it's an old superstition. It'll pass."
>She pauses as she considers the implication of this question. "Do you mean that the village you remember did not have such things?"

>"As for the hat, I guess you could say I lent it to someone on my way here in exchange for some help on the road... for a while I hoped it would help differentiate me from my twin in this world, but perhaps I should reconsider."

>"Ah, I see. Well, it's hardly THAT anomalous looking, really."

>"While I doubt it's changed, do you know the usual school schedule here? I need to know what days I may have to myself to investigate this."

>"Well, I would assume it's during the weekdays, but it's not really something I'm involved in, I'm afraid."

[Hello Purvis]

>"If I were to search for this youkai, where would you recommend looking?"

[DracoOmega]

>"If I were to search for this youkai, where would you recommend looking?"

>"I'm not sure I know. As I said, I will ask Yasaka-sama if she knows anything. Other than that, you're probably best off looking further away from Youkai Mountain. If something as unusual as that were here, I'm pretty sure we'd already know about it."