>"Patchouli was somewhat curt at first, but certainly polite."
>"Well, the 'idea infection' angle is interesting. Whether or not Sakuya is content to wait for them to return, I have no idea. Well, I'm sure she isn't content, but she may be able to accept it. I don't know."
>"I'd really like to be able to talk to Dai, just the same. But I'm not sure there's any way to be able to get to her if they keep up the level of defensiveness they had when I was there, earlier."
>"That's good. Patchouli has a good heart, but she and I disagree strongly on some things."
>"Sakuya might not like it," says Byakuren, "But she wouldn't be surprised by it. She does keep a number of faeries working diligently, herself."
>"Just give them time to get bored," says the hooded woman. "I'd check back in the evening, at latest."
>My God. They're full of memes.
>"What sort of big ideas have gotten into their heads before? This one seems fairly significant. What other things have they been focused on during these, uh, incidents, or is there no clear pattern to it?"
>"Patchouli was... her behavior was quite civil, and she treated me well. She gave me the geode almost as an advance payment, as well as a pair of books for a youkai friend I made in the forest. But her personality seemed a little... harsh for my tastes. I'd like to think I'm not just doing this for power... maybe that's just a first impression, though."
>"Do you think that Miss Inaba would be able to help me figure out how to befriend the fairies? Or maybe ask for her help directly?"
>pause to consider
>"... and is she a rabbit?"
>You are a psychology student. They definitely seem to be full of memes, if the hooded woman is right.
>"Well, I know at least a few times, when things have gotten troublesome," says the hooded woman, "They've tried to stage a revolution. Thankfully, they're not really organized or powerful, so they do little more than annoy and loot a bit."
>Byakuren nods. "Patchouli is...at once a utilitarian and a pessimist. She looks to people like Marisa and Reimu, and say it is only a matter of time before they give in. And she believes that it is better to bargain with circumstances than try to resist them. This aside, she really is a good person at heart. You know my thoughts on the matter of becoming a youkai, and the ultimate decision is yours. I'll support you as long as you have no intending of being a menace."
>"If you could find her," says Byakuren. "She lives in Eientei in the Bamboo Forest, which is notoriously hard to get through. I'm not even sure if she's here, I'm told she's been making diplomatic trips. And yes, she's a rabbit youkai, lunar rabbit to be precise."
>_
