Sanae Quest (Part 4)

[日巫子]

> "Well, I hope it's because Konngara took a liking to me." Wink at the littlest shrine maiden.
> "Well, Suwako-sama's my ancestor, but really, I'm nothing compared to those two. I do have a little power over miracles, though, so maybe that's where you're getting that impression."
> We've called ourself a living goddess before, but that's really just a title, right? We've couldn't have gotten on the level of Kanako-sama or Suwako-sama, right?
> "So, if you don't mind me asking, does this shrine recieve many visitors? I wasn't even aware of this shrine until a girl at the Buddhist temple told me about it."

> Konngara giggles nervously.
> "The frog goddess, right?  That's pretty impressive."
> Your title is "living goddess", but there's no way you can be at Kanako-sama's or Suwako-sama's level...right?
> "That Hijiri woman from the temple visited once or three times.  She must have mentioned it to other people."

> _

[Sect]

> "It's a very nice place, very quiet and peaceful. How did you and Konngara end up here?"

[日巫子]

> "It's a very nice place, very quiet and peaceful. How did you and Konngara end up here?"

> "Yes, thank you."  Kikuri's headwings flutter.  "I was Underground for many years, but then I wanted a change of scenery, so I came up here.  I picked up Konngara along the way because I figured that I needed a shrine maiden."

> _

[Sect]

> Arch an eyebrow. "'Picked her up along the way'? That's an interesting way to put it. It's almost like you kidnapped her, not in the bad way, I mean."
> Hee hee... an oni being kidnapped. That's a first.
> Look at Konngara. "So does Konngara go to school? That might help with her shyness, being with other kids her age. There's a public school, and I know that the Buddhists hold classes as well."

[日巫子]

> Arch an eyebrow. "'Picked her up along the way'? That's an interesting way to put it. It's almost like you kidnapped her, not in the bad way, I mean."
> Hee hee... an oni being kidnapped. That's a first.
> Look at Konngara. "So does Konngara go to school? That might help with her shyness, being with other kids her age. There's a public school, and I know that the Buddhists hold classes as well."

> Kikuri laughs.  "That's a funny way of putting it."
> Talk about role reversal.
> You look at Konngara.  There was a school in the area, wasn't there?
> "Yes.  Hijiri was perfectly okay with talking to that school teacher in the village."

> _

[Sect]

> "That's good." To Konngara: "So, how are you liking school? Do you have plenty of friends there?"

[日巫子]

> "That's good." To Konngara: "So, how are you liking school? Do you have plenty of friends there?"

> "It's n-nice...there're friends there...Ran, Yuugi..."  She counts them off on her fingers.

> _

[Yonowaaru]

>"Ran? I don't think I've ever met her..."

[日巫子]

>"Ran? I don't think I've ever met her..."

> Kikuri rests her chin in her hand.  "What, does that name ring a bell or something?"

> _

[Sect]

Yono: >:<

> "Ah, no. It's just occuring to me how few people I know around here. It's shameful, really, a shrine priestess like me not meeting new people."
> To Konngara: "That's really good, though, that you're making friends. It would be a shame to be lonely, right?"

[日巫子]

> "Ah, no. It's just occuring to me how few people I know around here. It's shameful, really, a shrine priestess like me not meeting new people."

> "You're not the only one."  Kikuri reaches over and pokes Konngara's cheek, making her squirm away.

> _

[Sect]

> Giggle. "Hey now, Konngara's got an excuse! She's just so small and shy and adorable that if she's not careful someone might just snatch her up! I'm a grown girl, I don't have an excuse."
> To Konngara: "That's really good, though, that you're making friends. It would be a shame to be lonely, right?"

[日巫子]

> Giggle. "Hey now, Konngara's got an excuse! She's just so small and shy and adorable that if she's not careful someone might just snatch her up! I'm a grown girl, I don't have an excuse."
> To Konngara: "That's really good, though, that you're making friends. It would be a shame to be lonely, right?"

> You figure you don't have an excuse, given that you created this world.
> Kikuri grins.  "Snatch her up?  Don't try anything, now."
> Konngara flushes and looks away.  "...I guess..."

> _

[Sect]

> Smile at Konngara. "Right. Friends can help you get out of really rough spots. If I were sad and didn't have anyone to go to, then I wouldn't know what to do. Fortunately, though, you have Kikuri, and now Ran and Yuugi, and any other friends you made at the school, so you know that you have someone to go to if you're sad or lost."
> Smirk at Kikuri. "Oh~, we weren't thinking of doing anything like that, right Kogasa~?" Wink at Kogasa to play along.
> Settle down. "So, do you have festivals here? Maybe a little something for the solstices, or holidays? I bet it'd get a bit hectic with just Konngara to handle things."

Interesting things being brought up: considering that Konngara has some sort of negative history with Yukari, but is friends with Ran here, I wonder if they were friends before Yukari did whatever it was that pissed Konngara off...

[日巫子]

> Smile at Konngara. "Right. Friends can help you get out of really rough spots. If I were sad and didn't have anyone to go to, then I wouldn't know what to do. Fortunately, though, you have Kikuri, and now Ran and Yuugi, and any other friends you made at the school, so you know that you have someone to go to if you're sad or lost."
> Smirk at Kikuri. "Oh~, we weren't thinking of doing anything like that, right Kogasa~?" Wink at Kogasa to play along.
> Settle down. "So, do you have festivals here? Maybe a little something for the solstices, or holidays? I bet it'd get a bit hectic with just Konngara to handle things."

> Konngara nods.  "...yeah."
> You smirk at Kikuri, then wink at Kogasa.  Kogasa takes the cue and grins.  "Not at all~"
> "Haha, I've got my eyes on you~~" Kikuri half-sings.
> "We'll celebrate different festivals and stuff, but it's usually just the two of us."

> _

[Sect]

> "Oh, okay. Well, let me know if you're planning on throwing a party sometime, we'd love to come to it. And if you need help setting up anything..."
> Glance at our watch, then glance up into the sky. What's the time here and there?

[日巫子]

> "Oh, okay. Well, let me know if you're planning on throwing a party sometime, we'd love to come to it. And if you need help setting up anything..."
> Glance at our watch, then glance up into the sky. What's the time here and there?

> Kikuri smiles.  "Ohh, thank you."
> You glance at your watch.  It's 6:30am in the real world.  Time passed by there fast.
> You look at the sky.  It's early afternoon here, probably 2:30pm or so.

> _

[Sect]

> "Ah, we skipped lunch! Kikuri, would you terribly mind if I treated the both of you to a late lunch?"

[日巫子]

> "Ah, we skipped lunch! Kikuri, would you terribly mind if I treated the both of you to a late lunch?"

> Ahh, you skipped lunch.  As if to punctuate the fact, Kogasa's stomach growls.
> "Really?!"  Kikuri looks elated.  "What do you think?" she asks Konngara.
> "...it's okay."

> _

[Sect]

> Clap our hands. "So! Would you like me to cook something here, or do you want to go to town to eat?"
> Wow, we've never seen Kikuri this animated. She must not be as stoic as we thought. Or maybe it's just being with Konngara makes her happier...

[日巫子]

> Clap our hands. "So! Would you like me to cook something here, or do you want to go to town to eat?"
> Wow, we've never seen Kikuri this animated. She must not be as stoic as we thought. Or maybe it's just being with Konngara makes her happier...

> "We can stay here," Kikuri says.
> Kikuri was so stoic in the waking world, but maybe she's not?  Or maybe it's because Konngara is here...You're not really sure.

> _

[Sect]

> "Okay! Konngara, could you lead me to your kitchen, please?"
> Time to flex our cooking muscles once more!

[日巫子]

> "Okay! Konngara, could you lead me to your kitchen, please?"
> Time to flex our cooking muscles once more!

> Konngara nods and retreats into the shrine, the shackles on her wrists clanking as she goes.  Kikuri withdraws into her orb, floating back above the shrine.
> Time to up your cooking skills once more!

> _

[Sect]

> Follow her! Take stock of their larder, and see what we got to work with.
> "Hey, Koga, Konngara, want to help me?"

[日巫子]

> Follow her! Take stock of their larder, and see what we got to work with.
> "Hey, Koga, Konngara, want to help me?"

> You follow Konngara into the shrine's kitchen.  It's really small, and cluttered with all sorts of cooking utensils.  You take stock of what they have to cook with, and find a few bags of rice, a lot of fish, vegetables including onions, carrots, and potatoes, a lot of fruit including apples, and...tomatoes!  They have tomatoes, yes!
> You ask if Kogasa and Konngara want to help.  Kogasa nods.  "Okay~"
> Konngara blinks and stares at you for a good minute, then nods.

> _

[Sect]

> "You two must like fish..."
> What to make... hey... apples... check to see if they have cinnamon and sugar. If they don't have any, make sure Konngara isn't looking, and conjure up some.

[日巫子]

> "You two must like fish..."
> What to make... hey... apples... check to see if they have cinnamon and sugar. If they don't have any, make sure Konngara isn't looking, and conjure up some.

> Konngara nods.
> Huh...apples, huh?  You look around for cinnamon and sugar.  They don't have any, so you wait until Konngara is looking in another direction before conjuring up some.  Kogasa opens her mouth to say something, but seems to change her mind.

> _

[Sect]

> Wink at Kogasa, and make a "shush" gesture.
> "Hey, Konngara, want to make applesauce?"
> Grab four apples, and have Kogasa and Konngara peel, core, and chop them. Get a saucepan and put it over the heat. When Kogasa and Konngara finish, put the apples, water, sugar, and a little bit of cinnamon in the saucepan, and cover the saucepan.
> "It's been a while since I've seen it done, but we're supposed to wait until those apples are soft. Now... how about we stuff some of these fish with veggies, and grill them? Serve it with rice, and then applesauce for dessert!"

[日巫子]

> Wink at Kogasa, and make a "shush" gesture.
> "Hey, Konngara, want to make applesauce?"
> Grab four apples, and have Kogasa and Konngara peel, core, and chop them. Get a saucepan and put it over the heat. When Kogasa and Konngara finish, put the apples, water, sugar, and a little bit of cinnamon in the saucepan, and cover the saucepan.
> "It's been a while since I've seen it done, but we're supposed to wait until those apples are soft. Now... how about we stuff some of these fish with veggies, and grill them? Serve it with rice, and then applesauce for dessert!"

> You wink at Kogasa and make a shushing gesture.  She grins and nods, staying quiet.
> Konngara perks up.  "Applesauce...?"
> You grab some apples, and hand them off to Kogasa and Konngara to chop up.  Konngara isn't very good at it, so Kogasa ends up doing most of the work for this part.  As they do this, you get a saucepan and put it over the head.  Once the apples are ready, you put them along with some water, sugar, and cinnamon into the saucepan, and cover it all up.  Now all that's left is to wait for the apples to get soft.  In the meantime, you suggest stuffing some fish with veggies, grilling them, and serving them with rice.
> "Sounds good!"  Kogasa is probably remembering the food you made back at the Palace of the Earth Spirits.  Konngara doesn't say anything, but nods.

> _

[Sect]

> "Okay! Konngara, can you gather and measure all of the ingredients? Kogasa, start washing and chopping up the veggies, and I'll work on the fish."