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Flandre's Quest (Touhou) World - (Madness Quest)

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To the Myouren Temple!
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    • [X] Skip to the Myouren Temple visit.


    Dinner is, of course, as wonderful as always - some kind of chicken with just enough garlic to sate the craving inspired by its scent - and afterward you all go to a terrace to look out at Gensokyo. The talk is generally of inconsequential things, although Nanoha does try to get Remilia to agree that Incidents are not wholly necessary; while you can understand her point of view, your sister points out the differences in culture and perspective between her and the humans of Gensokyo - and, in particular, how people like her and Fate and Reimu simply don't have the fear needed by most youkai.

    Once the humans go to sleep, you watch Sakuya teach Satsuki some of the finer points of being a maid: moving silently and efficiently, without being noticed and without sneaking. Meiling helps, too, as there is some overlap in the basics of movement, and you get the feeling that Satsuki is more comfortable with the gatekeeper. Now, is it because Meiling is easier to get along with, or because Sakuya is human? A question to ponder, certainly, but not of immediate importance … probably. Eventually you withdraw to your own room to think about the upcoming visit and how much attention you should pay to the temple's inhabitants - from what Remilia said, they're either going to dislike you or try to convert you, and while the latter could be amusing, it could also be rather annoying. Not that you can't argue against whatever points they bring up, but … it would be annoying.

    Despite your pleading, Remilia makes you change into a normal outfit, and Ilya and Lulu likewise wear their own usual styles when they come down to breakfast. They seem relieved to see you dressed down, and you glance at your sister out of the corner of your eye, but you can't tell if she made them change, or if she just knew they would be changed and didn't want you to make them feel bad. Naturally, you can't tell, and she doesn't seem to notice your attention. It's not really something to make an issue of, anyway, and the wardrobes are still in your suite, so the three of you can find things to wear later, if you want.

    "You won't be staying with us, Remilia-chan?" Nanoha stares at your sister, and Remilia shrugs.

    "I shall remain in the area, of course, but as I said: I do not agree with their beliefs, and some part of your discussion with them will involve that unless you wish to cancel the trip altogether. In order to minimize the disruption, I shall make my departure after your introductions."

    "Hmm … Reimu seemed like she didn't have a problem with you being there, though? And you get along with her …." Remilia nods at Megane.

    "Reimu believes in a division between humans and youkai, and upholds the laws of Gensokyo, including the extermination of youkai. That she has no difficulties meeting with youkai who are not immediately hostile has no bearing, because if she is not pursuing her duties, she treats everyone equally." You sigh quietly and shake your head almost imperceptibly, but you see Remilia's eyes fix on you for a moment. "I suppose the best evidence I can show you is to take you to them, so, if there are no objections, shall we go?" You barely wait for the heads to finish nodding before rising, cheerfully ignoring the look from your sister and gathering your friends to hurry to the carriage before anyone else can get there, whereupon the three of you claim a couch and fort up with blankets and pillows. Remilia and Vita seem similarly nonplussed, but Nanoha and Megane have trouble not laughing, especially when the minutest bump collapses one cushion-wall.

    The trip is quite short, and when you leave the carriage, you're rather surprised to find that you're close to the village, well within easy walking distance. On reflection, it's not that surprising - Gensokyo just isn't that big, and if they want to make humans and youkai live peacefully together, they would have to be near the only concentration of humans. Did Madoka and Homura see it when they went walking with Sakuya? Hmm …. Two figures come walking toward your group, following the long paved pathway that leads from the main temple building to the gate. One is a mouse youkai carrying a pair of bent rods, the other looks like some kind of nun with a pink fog or mist flowing around her. Remilia leads your group toward them. The mouse glowers at you and Remilia, but ignores everyone else after looking over them once.

    "Good morning. My name is Kumoi Ichirin." She bows politely, which is met by most of your group, although neither you nor Remilia do more than nod your heads in recognition. After everyone introduces themselves, apart from the mouse youkai, Ichirin bows again and starts to turn. "Please, come with me to the temple." Vita moves over to be on the same side as the mouse youkai and watches her watch you.

    "So what's your name?" The mouse looks at her for a moment, ignoring Nanoha and Fate's winces at the knight's lack of decorum, and shrugs.

    "Nazrin. I serve Bishamonten." She goes back to keeping an eye on you and Remilia, but after a moment Vita nods and sidles back to Nanoha's side. Somehow, it seems that they get along. Your sister, on the other hand, seems to be getting angrier about something. Try as you might, nothing obvious presents itself, and Ichrin takes you up the stairs and into the temple. A doglike youkai scoots out of the way and bows over her broom as you walk past. Inside is a large room with a broad, low table; at one end sit two women. The first is a cheery-looking woman with odd hair that fades from purple to blonde; the second has tiger-pattern hair, and on the table before her is a shining pagoda. Nazrin walks around Ichirin and seats herself behind the pagoda-woman's right shoulder, while Ichirin moves to stand against the wall to the cheerful woman's left.

    "Byakuren Hijiri, magician and chief monk, and Shou Toramaru, disciple of Bishamonten," Remilia says abruptly, introducing the two strangers, then half-turns to identify everyone else. "My sister Flandre Scarlet, my maid Sakuya Izayoi, and our guests: Illyasviel von Einzbern, Lutecia Alpine, Agito, Megane Alpine, Zest Grangeitz, Vita, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, Nanoha Takamachi. Now that that is over, I shall withdraw for the time being." You see the tiger-haired woman - Shou - fight to keep from glaring at your sister, and her hand reaches up to squeeze the pagoda in front of her. The monk, however, doesn't seem too perturbed by your sister's rudeness, only unhappy.

    "Are you sure you won't stay, Remilia? There aren't many places you can see, as you aren't a monk, and I'm certain we can have an amicable discussion about our beliefs, if nothing else." She sounds very diplomatic, very agreeable and considerate. Perhaps if she were more like the woman to her right, who seems to share Remilia's animosity for them, or even Ichirin, who seems irritated by your presence, then your sister wouldn't mind her so much. As it is, her apparent kindness and philosophy seem to only aggravate whatever is annoying your sister, and she shakes her head.

    "I am quite sure you are wrong. As for where I shall be - I understand you have a cemetery. As I am equally sure that I shall get along with the residents of that location, that is where I shall wait. Stay here, Sakuya." Remilia turns away, wings unfurling to their true size, and stalks around your group, not even meeting your eyes as she passes you - and equally ignorant of the fleeting look of worry on Byakuren's face. Scowling fiercely, Nazrin hops to her feet and scurries quietly after her, and as everyone else starts to sit down you pointedly watch the mouse furtively creep out of the temple. When you turn around, Shou actually looks somewhat embarrassed, and Byakuren smiles welcomingly at you.

    "Flandre Scarlet? Won't you please sit down?" Your eyes narrow slightly. On the one hand, if they've managed to irritate your sister this much, they're probably going to make you angry pretty quickly, too. On the other hand, you should stay with your friends and guests, and they do seem to be trying to be polite - which may be what set Remilia off to begin with. Hmm.


    What do you do?

    [ ] Stay in the temple.
    - [ ] Don't let yourself be drawn into philosophical discussions.
    - [ ] If it comes up, point out that the idea of humans and youkai getting along is hilariously wrong.

    [ ] Join your sister in the graveyard.

    [ ] Other?
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Stay in the temple.
    - [X] Don't let yourself be drawn into philosophical discussions.

    Practicality. Can't leave the guests, and don't want to get angry. Even if it is a sleight...
     
    I'm super curious.

    Remilia is many things, but she is NOT quick to anger over non-trivial things.

    She walked in to the temple EXPECTING some level of provacation, and assumedly steeled her emotions for it, and still lost her calm.

    I'd bet there was some kind of deadly insult somewhere that went completely over our heads just now. We cannot afford for it to be noticed at the worst possible moment.

    Flandre has the lack of baggage outside of the SDM that she could very well likely just politely eventually say something like ". . . I do wonder, however, about whatever angered my sister that much, that quickly. She tends to hold her temper quite well, and was especially steeled so for this outing in particular. Now I worry that I missed whatever thing just set her off, as my imagination is quite wild. She is much sharper than I am, and may have noticed some subtle detail that she interpreted as an insult or provacation. I would hope to avoid being blindsided my the same potential misunderstanding, myself, of course. Her maturity in the face of such matters utterly eclipses my own, and I wouldn't want to embarrass our guests further or impunge on your hospitality . . ."
     
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    Spiriting Away
  • Sidestory
    • Golden Lark said:
    Remilia is many things, but she is NOT quick to anger over non-trivial things.

    I'd bet there was some kind of deadly insult somewhere that went completely over our heads just now. We cannot afford for it to be noticed at the worst possible moment.
    Click to expand...
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    Remilia is, indeed, many things :)

    That said, there is one thing that happened that I'm a little surprised no one's mentioned so far.


    "Oi! Dai!" He jerked toward the familiar voice, looked out the alley to see Naoki and Makoto waving at him. He curled away, hunched over, and tried to ignore them. "Hey, come on, Daisuke …." In order to stop his trembling hands, he clutched his shoulders, but he couldn't stop his head from shaking - not from shaking from side to side, not from shaking in terror.

    "No, no, no -!" He mumbled in terror and flopped forward, trying to crawl away. He heard Makoto spit in disgust, hoped they would leave.

    "Drunk again …."

    "How many friends have we got? Can we walk away when we're his?" Daisuke whimpered pitifully as Naoki tried to help him to his feet, and squeezed his eyes closed as Makoto helped him. They didn't live around here, didn't usually come around here - why did they have to find him? "There we go, Dai - come on, let's go to a bar, get some food. Maybe we'll see Makoto's sister, and you can try forgetting about her."

    "Hm? Who's -?" Daisuke opened his eyes at Makoto's voice, looked up - and sighed in relief. It was the smaller one, this time. The smaller one, the one that was cute, and playful, and didn't wear clothes that wiggled and bulged in back like a horrific monster. His legs gave out again, and Naoki caught him - Naoki, but not Makoto, because Makoto was falling back as the thing slammed into him. Mercifully, Daisuke hit his head when he fell, so he wouldn't have to see or hear what happened to his friends ….

    Small mercy. He moaned and started to sit up, then whimpered as the small thing jerked its head, inhumanly quick and precise, stared at him with withering black eyes, then returned to its business - making some kind of diagram on the ground with its long claws. "… No … no more. Please. No more." It paused and looked at him again, and he lowered his head back to the ground. After a few minutes, the air felt different - cold, and hostile.

    "You wish to cease our deal?" He shuddered at that excessively formal and polite voice. A woman's voice, attached to a gorgeous woman's body, but without a shred of woman inside. He shuddered, tried to speak, and couldn't stop trembling. "I want you to explain," the voice continued, and he tried to keep from swallowing his tongue, tried to keep from throwing up. "Our deal has not yet run its course. We rid you of a troublesome wife, at your request. Covered up your wrongdoings, with her and with your company. Accelerated your rise through your company. And now, a mere seven years later, you wish to annul our deal, which has only benefited you, which has not cost you anything you did not already wish." He whimpered, didn't look up - to look up would mean to meet those terrifying golden eyes.

    "Please … I can't do this anymore. If - if I do, I … I … I think I'll kill myself." He shuddered. That's what his father had done, and he hadn't even had the excuse of summoning demons to eat people - if a petty embezzler could take his own life, surely the son who'd given his wife to demons, who'd set those same demons on office friends and coworkers, without regard for others … surely he could do it!

    "Suicide? Hmm … I suppose that would be a waste. Very well. Return the book to us, and the contract will be severed. There will no longer be a binding between us." Daisuke shuddered, nodded - and the presence vanished. Nervously, he looked around the alley - but the bodies were gone, the little one was gone, and the terrifying diagram and symbols that had been carved into the asphalt were gone. He shuddered and carefully eased his way to his feet. He had to get home - he could finally be free, free of these demons!

    He made his way to the little apartment he'd started using before remembering that the book - that cursed thing that had started everything - was at his real home. A building he hadn't entered, hadn't even been in the same town as, in months. He swallowed and went to find a taxi.

    He remembered finding the strange little book. His wife - pretty enough, pleasant, not as intelligent as him and knew it - was making noises about wanting children again. Had found out about his visits, and was disappointed but eager to please. Irritated with her, he'd yelled at her - again - and stormed out. Work hadn't been going well, either. That sap Takuya had been making noises about him again - 'crime runs in the family' he'd said, as if Daisuke was guilty of his father's sins. He hadn't been paying much attention to where he'd been going, and had found a curious little store. The old man running it had claimed to be a magician - talked incessantly about the powers within mushrooms of all things! Daisuke had thought that he'd meant a different kind of magic … and, entirely by chance, when the man had gone back for some tea, he'd seen the book. He had taken it, begun reading it. It wasn't so big, just a leather-bound book, with diagrams and instructions inside it.

    And when the withered old man came out with the tea and saw him reading it, he had dropped the tea and demanded to know how Daisuke had gotten it. Believing the old man to be nothing more than a gifted actor, perhaps a scam artist, Daisuke had paid him about the cost of a modern paperback - more than any two items in the store - and, ignoring the man's crying and pleading, had walked back home, locking himself in a separate room to study the book.

    The rules, when he'd finally summoned - that - had been simple enough. They weren't western genies, couldn't do magic or grant wishes or anything like that. All they could do was … take people. No more than two or three people at a time, and they had to be either in Daisuke's presence, or specifically marked by him in a certain manner, and they had to be secluded. But those people simply vanished, without signs of struggle, and sometimes with evidence implicating something else. Some money of his had vanished with his wife, so she must have left him - returned to him with the next summoning, but in a wide variety of bills and coinage. Takuya's home had been ransacked, and witnesses reported seeing men associated with … a certain organization … near his home shortly before sounds of a struggle had resulted in a foreigner calling the police. Most of his choices simply vanished, however, and he was very careful to add only a few people that he had personally interacted with.

    The arrival at his home jolted him from his memories, and after swiping his credit card he entered the gate, retrieved the key from its hiding place, and entered his home. He walked through the western-style first floor and up the stairs to the traditional level. He entered the storage room, opened the closet, and pulled up the tatami mat. Inside a crack in the cement was a key, and he took that key to the basement. He opened the electronic safe and used the key to open a disguised compartment in the door itself - inside which was the contract book … and a single photograph of Daisuke and his wife. He looked at the photograph, sighed, shrugged, and placed it in the safe proper before taking the book. He turned around and nearly dropped it: the larger one was standing in front of him, backside wriggling disgustingly as its unblinking yellow eyes stared at him. It held out one hand for the book - long, somehow disturbing fingers; short, thick nails; soft skin. He was glad the thing had a habit of hiding its hands; he despised looking at them. He set the book on its palm and waited for it to leave. The book went into one voluminous sleeve, but instead of vanishing, the thing continued staring at him.

    "Well? What are you doing still here?" He knew there was fear in his voice, but he also knew the thing knew he feared it; trying to hide that fear wouldn't change anything. It cocked its head at him.

    "Have you forgotten? It is one of the rules." Unblinking yellow eyes met his. "Those who do not have a contract cannot be allowed to see us."

    Somehow, I got the idea for the outline of the story from watching It Follows. :shrug:


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    EDIT: Votes are locked.
    Adhoc vote count started by Entropy Judge on Mar 22, 2019 at 3:54 PM, finished with 13638 posts and 10 votes.
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  • Sidestory
    • Byakuren's Argument
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Stay in the temple.
    - [X] Don't let yourself be drawn into philosophical discussions.


    You relax your eyes and drop down between Ilya and Lulu, ignoring Byakuren's pleased smile as your friends scoot a little closer to you. While you don't need to be here - Sakuya can report back any problematic behavior or audible discussions to Remilia - if you went to join Remilia you would be leaving your friends, or at least forcing Lulu to decide whether she wants to be with you or her mother. And since it was your decision to come here, you should at least make a token effort to interact with your host. You study the table - very well-made, if you weren't looking closely you probably wouldn't have noticed that it's multiple pieces fused together - then sit up straight, turning your attention on the pagoda. It's a fairly simple little toy with a single roof, although you do wonder at the red gems resting inside it. Noticing your attention, Shou embarrassedly scoops the pagoda toward her, hiding it under a sleeve or scarf, and Byakuren sighs. So, probably a focusing agent of some kind for combat, meaning they were worried about your sister attacking them. Idiots.

    "Ah, I was talking with Sakuya-chan earlier, and she said you're a recent arrival to Gensokyo, Byakuren-chan?" The relief is all to visible on Shou's face, but Byakuren seems much more calm as she nods to Nanoha.

    "Yes, my friends undid my seal at the beginning of last year," she says, smiling brightly at Shou and Ichirin, who but blush and smile adoringly at her. "Ah, here they are. I'm so sorry they were delayed." Several people enter the room from a side path, each carrying a tray with either food or drinks on it. As they set them down, you see that the food consists entirely of bread and vegetables, and the drink appears to only be tea. Shou looks at it all despairingly … and at least two of the servers recognize you, judging by the way they're hesitating to come near you. Sakuya comes to their rescue, and Byakuren bows her head in embarrassment, which makes the rest of her party repeat her actions. Except the two who caused the disruption - they flee in shame. "My apologies, Flandre Scarlet -" You wave your hand in acknowledgement.

    "It's quite alright. I don't know if they recognized me or not, but they are youkai, so they're going to be more sensitive to my presence than humans are." The other servers, humans all, look at you and Byakuren in confusion; apparently your name isn't quite so widespread as it could be …. You take a sip of the green tea that Sakuya pours for you before continuing. "Anyway, I think I'll keep out of your discussions, unless it's really truly important for me to join in. I believe you were talking about how you came to be in Gensokyo?" Her patient gaze fixes on you for a moment, but you let your own attention wander around the room, and eventually she bows her head momentarily.

    "As I was saying, I had been sealed away by fearful humans, and it was only last year that my friends were able to finally locate and free me. It has been quite interesting, learning about the changes of a thousand years, but now I am trying to save the people here - those who are disadvantaged by their positions. Youkai in particular need my help, since they are so derided by humans, so there are many monks-in-training here who are youkai." Fate tilts her head curiously, and Byakuren pauses to wait for her to speak.

    "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand. Aren't youkai more powerful than humans?" Byakuren half-bows gracefully.

    "Generally, yes - but there are youkai who do not like to fight. You saw the reactions to Flandre just now -"

    "And your preparation for Remilia." You look over, surprised. It's not Ilya, but Vita who says that. Nanoha and Fate stare at her, horrified, and Shou looks furious. Byakuren merely shows some distress and sets her hand on Shou's shoulder. Could that be why your sister was so rude? Merely trying to provoke the monk into some emotion? "Oh, come on! I don't know what that thing sitting on the table was, but it's really obvious you were planning on using it if that vampire started something! Don't treat us like we're idiots." Again, Byakuren half-bows before responding.

    "It is true that we prepared to defend ourselves. We advocate peace, but we will defend ourselves, and Remilia Scarlet has made no secret of her hostility toward us. We are also not stupid, and a being as powerful and capricious as Remilia is needs to be guarded against." There's a very tense moment of silence and Vita leans forward to look meaningfully at you before snorting and shaking her head. "Anyway … what we are trying to do is allow humans and youkai to live in peace with one another. Youkai need sustenance just as humans and animals do, but instead of merely fruit and vegetables and water, youkai need the imagination and fear of humans. Human fear of the unknown, human belief in the harmful - these are what create youkai. So youkai must attack humans, make them fear, in order to continue existing. With this temple, I hope to prevent that. By -"

    "Byakuren!!!" You turn to look back at the entrance as a terrified cry interrupts the monk. Nanoha and Fate leap to their feet, as does Shou, and a strange blue-haired girl carrying a weird parasol - it has a long floppy tongue and is an off-putting purplish color - runs into the room, tears streaming down her face. She starts to run around the table as Byakuren rises and Shou starts to sit back down - and wraps her arms around Fate, burying her face in the Enforcer's chest. Nanoha falls back to avoid being whacked by the parasol. "Byakuren! It was so scary!" Fate looks stunned as the girl cries against her, but her hands immediately start stroking the girl's hair soothingly as Byakuren walks around the table, an embarrassed look on her face, and yet another youkai hurries into the room, carrying a small anchor looking very frustrated. She hesitates when she sees the parasol-girl crying against Fate, and Byakuren gestures for her to wait before starting to pull the weeping girl away from Fate.

    "Kogasa, Koagasa. There, there, it's alright, I'm here. What happened?" The girl - Kogasa - pulls back from Fate and looks at Byakuren - then her head whips around to stare at the sympathetic-looking Enforcer, and then she hops back, head swiveling back and forth as words fail to properly emerge from her runaway mouth. Byakuren solves the problem by stepping forward and catching Kogasa's head in her hands and holding it still. "Kogasa. Are you alright?" After a few seconds the girl nods and Byakuren lets her go.

    "… I was in the graveyard, trying to come up with some good ways to surprise people, and I saw this little girl walking around. She looked tired and weak, so I decided to give her a great big spooking! But when I jumped out and said 'Boo!' she wasn't there. And so I turned around, and there was … there was …." She shudders, parasol waving wildly, tongue flailing even moreso. "It was some kind of great big youkai, wearing a bloody dress and with huge wings and blazing red eyes and claws like swords!" She clutches the parasol to her chest, eyes closed, and wiggles in fear. You have a very hard time not laughing; Ilya just sighs, but you're pretty sure she's never actually seen Remilia in a bad mood. Then again, considering her own appearance, maybe she wouldn't be as affected by the human disconnect between 'little girl' and 'terrifying monster' ….

    "And so you ran all the way back here?" Kogasa nods glumly, eyes on the floor, at Byakuren's gentle question. "How did you get past Murasa?" Kogasa cocks her head, then looks at the entrance, toward the anchor-wielding youkai.

    "Um, um … I don't know. I … don't remember seeing her …." Murasa snorts and crosses her arms, anchor fading away.

    "She just ran right over me. I wasn't expecting her to be that strong. She really surprised me-!" Murasa stops herself, as if she just said something strange, and Kogasa freezes in place.

    "You. I. You." The parasol-wielding youkai dashes for the doorway, leaning close to the sailor youkai, parasol looming over her. "You said I surprised you. You said you were surprised. You said - something happened to surprise you, and that something was me. That's what you said, right? I … surprised you?" Murasa nods, a strange smile on her face - and Kogasa leaps into the air, somehow not smashing her parasol against the ceiling.

    "Yay! Byakuren, I did it! I surprised someone! I surprised Murasa!" She hugs Byakuren, but before the monk can respond she whirls away and rushes to Fate. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I'm so happy!" Fate's smile grows strained as Kogasa hugs her, but she's able to cover it before Kogasa pulls back and looks up at her. "I did it! I sur- did I surprise you?" Fate nods.

    "Yes, you were very -"

    "Yay!! Byakuren, I di-" This time, Byakuren physically stops her from speaking, although her expression is still as friendly and gentle as usual.

    "Yes, Kogasa, I heard. And I'll make sure to introduce you later, but right now we are holding a meeting, so would you mind going with Murasa for now?" Kogasa nods onoce Byakuren takes her hand off her mouth, then gives the monk a hug just as tight as the one she gave Fate, bows, runs to the door, bows to everyone, and retreats with the sailor youkai. Vita coughs as Byakuren slowly walks back to her spot, and Nanoha tries to keep from laughing as Fate sits back down. "… That was Tatara Kogasa. She … isn't exactly a trainee monk here, but she isn't too distracting, and she tries to learn. And while I am glad that she cheered you, she is a good example of the kind of youkai I am trying to save. She is a karakasa obake, an umbrella tuskumogami, and her … the point of her existence is surprising people. That's why she exists - she was discarded, forgotten, and blew away, and so she wants to take vengeance on humans for making her and then not even using her. Of course, she's really a gentle girl, and her 'vengeance' consists of nothing more than spooking and surprising people. Gensokyo can accommodate existences like hers, but … if she doesn't surprise people, she loses the will to continue existing. I want to save those youkai, those who are lost and can't continue their former purpose. By instilling the tenets of Buddhism in them, by helping them become enlightened - they won't need to frighten humans, won't need humans' fear. So they can live peacefully with humans."

    She certainly looks sincere, looks like she truly hopes for that world to come to pass. An idealist. Shou and Ichirin both nod seriously - even the mist around Ichrin seems to be nodding - and it looks like Nanoha and Fate are sympathetic - but Vita has a very similar expression on her face to the one on Ilya's, and you'd be sharing it too if you hadn't said you wouldn't get involved in philosophical debates. Skepticism of the possibility, and the desired outcome would be boring. You wouldn't have a purpose, there would be no point. Might as well roll over and die.

    "Do you have many applicants?" Byakuren nods, somewhat unhappily, at Megane's question.

    "Many applicants, yes, but … it is true that they are new and still learning, but it's hard to tell who really wants to learn, to truly walk the Path of Enlightenment. Sometimes … sometimes it seems that they want something specific to be taught, and don't care about the rest of it. And many youkai are here for only a short time." She shakes her head. "But I will continue to walk the Path, and to help others find the Path, and to help others when they stumble upon the Path." She closes her eyes and clasps her hands, apparently in prayer. After a few moments, her eyes open and she shakes her head slowly. "I apologize. I'm afraid Kogasa's encounter unbalanced me. May I show you some of the areas of the temple while I collect my thoughts?" Naturally, you, Vita, and Ilya are the only ones who would even consider declining, and neither you nor Vita are going to make waves - although you would have stayed with Ilya if she had said something.

    Byakuren is at first startled, but then delighted, that Nanoha actually knows something about the architectural style of Buddhist temples, and even more surprised that Fate knows something of it as well, although she is obviously less learned than Nanoha. One thing that does surprise Nanoha is that there isn't a particular object enshrined at the 'hondo,' a sort of main hall designed for that purpose. Rather, the temple treasures - the Jeweled Pagoda and Shou herself - are revered in a separate bulding, a 'chinjudo', which houses the guardian spirit of the temple. That is when Byakuren explains that Remilia wasn't entirely correct, calling Shou a 'disciple' of Bishamonten: while true, she is actually a sort of avatar of Bishamonten, and can channel that deity's aspects similarly to the way Reimu can call on her gods. After a reproving look from Byakuren, however, Shou places the Jeweled Pagoda back within its shrines and removes the gems - catalysts for unleashing its power offensively.

    You aren't sure if Remilia would approve or mock the idea that the temple was willing to unleash a god's power against her, but it's possible that that's why she was so rude - she knew what the Pagoda's presence meant and was furious that they thought so little of hospitality that they would not only bring it, but display it. Of course, if they didn't have it out it likely wouldn't be of any use if Remilia did attack … but that doesn't change the core matter.

    "Ah, there's Kogasa," Byakuren says, pointing to the two youkai sitting by a small pond. "Shall we go meet them properly this time?" Nanoha and Fate both nod, smiling, and they start to walk toward the pond, but you hesitate. It is, after all, a bright day, even with your own parasols to shade you and Ilya and Lulu, so maybe you should go back to the visitors' hall and rest … or you could look at the graveyard and find your sister.


    What do you do?

    [ ] Stay with everyone and meet Kogasa.

    [ ] Head back to the visitors' hall and rest.

    [ ] Go to the graveyard and look for Remilia.

    [ ] Other?


    DM Note: Too bad Flan can't rail against the evils of fascism today.
     
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    • [X] Go to the graveyard and look for Remilia.

    Would be nice to give Remilia a conversation partner since we kind of chose this place, and more sister bonding is always cool. Also curious if that Pagoda is really what set Remilia on edge. On the otherhand, wouldn't mind heading for Kogasa, who knows - Flan could still rail against the evils of fascism by giving some perspective to Kogasa. That happiness at her accidental surprise was both heartwarming and kind of depressing, poor girl must be starving.
     
    [X] Stay with everyone and meet Kogasa.

    Remilia will be fine. Theres nothing we can talk about at present which would be at all polite to our hosts.
    Lets get to know the poor umbrella
     
    I've been lurking on this thread for a while, but didn't feel a need to post until now. First off, congrats @Entropy Judge for making such a fun quest. This quest is one of my only two major sources of knowledge of Touhou Project, the other being the quest A Fox in Paradise on Spacebattles, but you do a good job at making the setting understandable. I also greatly approve of the inclusion of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, which really needs more fan works that are not just NanoFate fluff.

    However, the reason I actually decided to post now is to ask about the latest Sidestory. It was intriguing, don't get me wrong, but it really seemed out of nowhere. Who was that Daisuke guy, and what were the books and the demons he dealt with that killed him? I do not recognize the setting or the characters, so the whole thing confused me. Thank you.

    Edit:

    I forgot to vote.

    [X] Stay with everyone and meet Kogasa.

    Don't show weakness in front of those who dislike you. Also, show that you are better than them by putting faith in hospitality when they didn't. Subtle passive aggressiveness ahoy!
     
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    Sir Bidoof said:
    what were the books and the demons he dealt with that killed him? I do not recognize the setting or the characters, so the whole thing confused me. Thank you.
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    I think it's deliberately kept ambiguous... that said, my personal guess is that the two 'demons' are Remilia and Flandre before they came to Gensokyo. The fact that Daisuke's descriptions don't quite match them could be due to altered perception.

    We know they spent a few centuries as nobles in Germany, but the sidestory could be taking place after that.

    It could be something completely different, of course.
     
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    Sir Bidoof said:
    However, the reason I actually decided to post now is to ask about the latest Sidestory. It was intriguing, don't get me wrong, but it really seemed out of nowhere. Who was that Daisuke guy, and what were the books and the demons he dealt with that killed him? I do not recognize the setting or the characters, so the whole thing confused me. Thank you.
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    Daisuke was ... just some guy. Like Light before he got the Death Note, or Marron Shed before he found out about the dark castle in Juniper. He's someone who was in a kind of 'bad' situation, in that everything wasn't going perfectly the way he wanted it to, and then he got the power to make sure things went the way he wanted. He's not part of any other story, except insofar as he draws from examples like the two I noted above.

    The book and the 'demons' - the book is something I made up to help explain things, but the 'demons' are Yukari, Ran, and Chen. Basically, a lot of youkai, in one form or another, feed directly on humans, but they aren't allowed to go after humans from the Human Village in the vast majority of cases. Some humans slip through on their own, usually showing up in Muenzuka or some other out-of-the-way place ... but not enough. So the Yukaris are spiriting away people to help keep things stable. The book is just a contract/summoning tool to let someone call them more easily.

    Part of the reason I wrote that story, and the way I wrote it, is because I'm not very good at descriptions, and because .... Basically, Daisuke is just this guy. He doesn't know about Gensokyo, about Touhou, all that. He doesn't know who Yukari is, who Ran is. He looks at Yukari and he thinks, "That woman is gorgeous!" And then he's around her for a bit, and he starts to notice that she's off. Uncanny Valley, she looks like a beautiful woman, but she has this archaic, extremely formal way of speaking, and her eyes are gold, and she's just so still. And Ran, with her covered tails that shift around and unblinking eyes and hands that are the paws of a fox youkai - she's terrifying to be around. So he doesn't think about them, doesn't like to think about them except in the broadest of terms, because actually confronting them and looking at something that looks human but doesn't quite fit is disturbing.

    Or something like that, anyway. :sweatdrop:


    EDIT: Votes are not locked.


    EDIT: Votes are locked.
    Adhoc vote count started by Entropy Judge on Mar 24, 2019 at 6:05 PM, finished with 13649 posts and 8 votes.
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    Not That Surprising, Really
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    • [X] Stay with everyone and meet Kogasa.


    Ilya, sharing a parasol with you as she is, notices your hesitation, but when she looks at you questioningly you just shake your head and start following the others. If Remilia wants something, she can easily communicate it to Sakuya if no one else, and she may well wish to be alone to consider her actions. Besides, leaving to be with your sister would be much the same as rejecting the temple's hospitality, and even doing that to be with Remilia could be very rude, since she definitely rejected it. Resting in the visitors' hall wouldn't be so bad, but you don't actually need to get out of the sun - even without a parasol you wouldn't need to so soon - and showing false weakness by claiming heightened vulnerability could well backfire by making your guests want to leave for your sake … not to mention making them suspicious if you overplay it.

    "Kogasa!" Byakuren calls out to the youkai, and they turn to face your approaching group. The parasol youkai's mouth opens in a wide grin and she jumps to her feet to come meet you, but the sailor youkai sighs and slips into the water, vanishing from sight. You and Lulu close your parasols as you move toward a bench underneath a wide-spreading tree.

    "Byakuren!" The parasol youkai throws herself at the monk, wrapping her arms around her and laughing happily. "Oh, I'm so happy!" Byakuren hugs her back, then holds her back so she can show her the approaching Mid-Childans.

    "Kogasa, this is Fate - ah, my apologies, your surnames were …?" Fate smiles and nods back.

    "Fate Testarossa Harlaown. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kogasa." She looks up at the parasol, her smile faltering as she looks at the leering eye and lolling tongue. "Er, was this …?" Kogasa grins mischievously and nods.

    "Yep! Doesn't it look youkai-like? Wouldn't you be scared if you were walking along a road at night, and Blah!" Fate jumps back, but you shake your head even as Kogasa laughs at her 'victory' - you saw Fate's hands, saw her holding Bardiche. If this poor youkai needs to scare people, she should start with someone a little less capable ….

    "Kogasa, these are our guests," Byakuren says, gently scolding the youkai, and Kogasa immediately straightens, parasol going to its natural place against her shoulder.

    "Ah, I'm sorry, Byakuren! I just …." She trails off, and Byakuren pats her shoulder.

    "I understand. But right now we're just showing them around the temple." Kogasa nods, then bows, probably unintentionally forcing Byakuren to step back to avoid being struck by the parasol or its lolling tongue. "But since it's been a while, why don't we take a short rest in the shade?" Of course, you're already sitting on one bench, but the three of you scoot to the side so Megane can sit next to Lulu. Zest takes one at an angle, that isn't entirely in the shade, and Vita and Agito join him. When the others come to sit, Kogasa stares and skips toward you.

    "Ooh! They look happy," she says, staring at your parasols, and you smile.

    "Of course. They keep away the sun and the rain, and I make sure they're in good condition." Your mind briefly flickers back to the parasol you lost - the one that was destroyed. Did you ever ask Remilia about finding them? Would it be possible? And what does Homura know about the current Kirika that exists in her world … you give yourself a shake - these are not thoughts you should have right now. Later. Kogasa reaches out and pets the handle of the one you're holding. "My name is Flandre Scarlet." She looks up and nods.

    "Flandre Scarlet. Hm. Nice to meet you." Then she takes a step back and looks at your friends.

    "Ah, I'm Lutecia Alpine, and this is my mother, Megane." You look past Kogasa as Lulu introduces herself, and Byakuren looks shocked. A little funny, that expression. Nanoha seems to think that Kogasa's ignorance is amusing, or perhaps cute. "Flan? Is everything okay?" Kogasa bows to Ilya after being introduced and turns to the next bench.

    "I'm fine, Lulu. She could be new, or just out of touch. A lot of youkai are, especially if they're actually being used by someone." It is a bit frustrating - a lot frustrating, if you're honest - but you also don't have anywhere near the presence of your sister. Ilya pats your hand, and you wink at her.

    "Er, Kogasa?" The youkai turns to face Byakuren, cocking her head at the monk's confused expression, and you clear your throat.

    "Do you know where the Misty Lake is?" She scoffs at your question and faces you more fully.

    "Of course I do!" You smile sweetly, not showing your teeth.

    "And do you know about the mansion near it?" She looks at you for a moment, frowning - and then her eyes widen in recognition.

    "Ah! That Scarlet Devil place, right? I've heard of it, of course, but I've never been near it. Everyone says it's a horrible place full of awful youkai who'll kill you without a second thought." Byakuren pales as horror dawns on her face, Vita chokes back a laugh, and you chuckle while nodding.

    "That's true, although we are very polite about it. If you don't do anything too bad, you'll probably just be thrown out. If you do cross too many lines, though - yes, we'll kill you without a second thought." Kogasa blinks, staring at you … then she hops back and squeezes the handle of her parasol.

    "You … you're from that place?" You nod, and her shoulders rise up - just before she lunges forward, with a hopeful look on her face. "Can you teach me?" You stare back at her, then cock your head to the side.

    "Huh?" 'Truly an amazing rebuttal that will be studied for all time.' Kogasa nods rapidly, and you very definitely don't hear Vita cackling.

    "Yes, really! You're from that horrible awful place, so that means you know a lot about being scary." Her expression falls and her hands twist on the parasol. "I'm really not very good at surprising people. Most of the time … most of the time people just look at me and then tell me to go away. Sometimes I think I'd be better off just being an umbrella again, but no one wants to use an umbrella like me. That's how I became like this in the first place, after all …." She trails off, mumbling the last sentence, then shakes her head and wipes her sleeve across her eyes. "So … so can you teach me how to surprise people?" She looks up at you hopefully, lips quivering and not-quite-teary eyes. Over her shoulder, however, Byakuren looks dismayed; probably not because of the youkai asking for help, or even for your help, but because Kogasa doesn't seem to even be thinking about that Buddhist 'Path' she mentioned.

    "… You do understand that I'm not really very good at surprising people, right?" Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. "Oh, I'm great at terrorizing and horrifying people - but that's not surprising them. They're rather different skillsets." She looks down at you, then nods. Kind of surprising, really ….


    What do you do?

    [ ] Agree.

    [ ] Agree … but not today.

    [ ] Agree … if she can convince Byakuren.

    [ ] Decline.

    [ ] Other?
     
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