SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
Now I haven't played the game, so take it with a grain of salt, but to me it looks like it's coming out of the back of his head, just behind the 'spearpoint'.
Tengu Reporter Quest (Touhou) (World 7 - Wheel of Time)
- Thread starter Entropy Judge
- Start date
- Crossover
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Try to fight defensively and draw out the fight until Mario and the others can get here and deal with it.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
EDIT: Votes are locked.
Last edited:
... What was his name?
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Try to fight defensively and draw out the fight until Mario and the others can get here and deal with it.
You're certainly not about to let some random lackey boss you around, but you'd also rather not reveal just how powerful you are. You slip to the side, fully outside the shed, and the spearman turns to face you. It's difficult to read any expression in its metallic face, but you think you irritated it. Well, hopefully you'll do a bit more than that. "I won't let you ruin this," it growls, and the air around you becomes noticeably damper than it had been. Then it starts popping, and you throw yourself backwards just as it explodes, catching a wall of water to the face but suffering no other damage. The weapon growls angrily and takes two stiff steps forward. A copy steps out of it and drives its spear into the ground in front of the shed, then turns and advances with the original. One of the Toads starts to creep out, but the spear glows brightly for a moment before a lightning bolt chars the post where he had been. "I won't let you ruin my promotion!"
A flame-covered stone appears above the copy's head, and you skip to the side as it hurtles toward you. The original lunges with its spear, and you twist around it, shoving the spearhead with one hand to try and knock it out of line. Whoever you're facing is quite strong, however; it wouldn't take superhuman strength to shift the spear, but it would take strength beyond what you appear to be capable of. The copy flings another burning missile at you, and the air gets humid and starts popping once more. This time, you throw yourself forward, surprising the pipe-like creature. Even so, its movements continue to be almost mechanically precise, not like the Axem Rangers. Could this one simply be working off of pure 'programming' or instinct, whereas the Rangers actually learned how to fight? So many questions, and – assuming Mario and the others actually get here sooner rather than later – you probably won't have any good chances to ask them. It'll be another couple minutes, probably, before this one gets irritated enough to try talking on its own. The clone summons a red orb, then throws it down into the ground, while the original summons a flaming boulder. As you skip away from the hurtling boulder, your left wing erupts in pain, as the red orb bursts out of the ground. Ignoring the menacing laughter, you feel your wing with your left hand while your other fishes out your camera. There doesn't seem to be any damage done to your wing, fortunately; it just hurts a lot. Like danmaku, really … and you know how to deal with that. Both the original and the clone summon red orbs this time, but as they move to hurl the orbs into the ground, you snap a picture, and the orbs wink out of existence. Your opponent stares blankly at its hand, then at the ground, and when its eyes turn to you, you smile innocently – then you hurl yourself forward and grab its leg so you can tumble it back. You're not about to start punching something made of metal, after all.
You turn your attention to the clone and bombard it with minor danmaku. It doesn't react, leaving you unsure as to whether you're actually harming it – but if you're not, it's not actually a problem. You don't want to make it seem like you could really beat this guy, after all. And then a massive bolt of lightning slams into the clone, leaving nothing of it behind. Even the spear fades away. As your opponent lurches to its feet, a red-and-blue blur dives out of the air and … jumps on its head. One, two, three landings – and Mario lands between it and you, a rather large hammer in one hand. You slip back, as if eager for the reprieve, and look toward the inn. Mallow and Geno are moving … with some speed, anyway, if not quickly – although, to be fair to Mallow, you're pretty sure he was the one who tossed the lightning bolt. Mario lets his hammer rest on the ground for a moment, and draws his arm back as if telegraphing a punch. When he throws it forward, however, he launches a torrent of fireballs. You're quick to take a picture of the attack, of course, but they seem to hardly bother the enemy. It roars in outrage, rather than a pained shriek, and advances through the onslaught. Then Mario grabs the hammer and charges in.
His attacks are simple and direct, without any of the elegance of real martial styles. He's not a trained fighter; he's simply learned what works and does that. Wide, sweeping horizontal strikes and colossal overhead blows. It's the lack of footwork that really hampers him, though. He keeps moving enough to not push himself off-balance, but he lacks the grace of someone who knows how to move in a fight. Then he ducks back, and a blinding blue beam carves through the night. The enemy, whoever he was, explodes, and you adopt a grateful smile. Before anyone can question you, however, the villagers tumble out of the shed and surround Mario. You step back, then frown: your bag is still by the shed – and then Hatate drops out of the sky with Toadstool and picks it up for you. You wave when she looks at you, and you watch the crowd part for the princess before converging around them. So much of you wants to take pictures and ask questions, but -
"Well, at least Hatate was able to get to us before anything went too wrong," Geno says, and you smile at him. His glower doesn't change. "You should have said something before going to check." You sigh and adopt a meeker expression, and Hatate stares at you. She's had acting classes, right?
"Yes, I should have, and I'm sorry for not getting you earlier. I didn't think you'd want to be woken up without some real proof, though – and I didn't expect whoever was impersonating the villagers to get here so quickly!" Mallow shakes his … well, his upper torso. He doesn't really have a head.
"We weren't really getting any sleep. Turns out the fake innkeeper was standing in the room, watching us." You stare, dumbfounded, then clap your hand to your face.
"But now we don't have any leads," Geno says sadly. You lower your hand and shake your head.
"Not true. There is something in the water somewhere. The fake Elder was talking to himself about it. He wanted to use you guys to get the Star Piece, because it was in the water and he didn't want to fight someone because he'd rust." Geno and Mallow share a confused look, and you shrug. "It's not much, true, but it's more than you came here with. Maybe ask the villagers if there are any pirates or something around here."
"Really, Aya? Pirates? Why would there be pirates in an area like this?" You smile at Hatate and take your bag from her.
"Well, if I were a pirate, I'd make a lair here for precisely that reason. Well, that and the beautiful sunsets." She starts to roll her eyes, then falters. After all, pirates can appreciate beauty as well as a youkai!
What do you do?
[ ] Stay in the area and wait to see what Mario and the others do.
[ ] Go see that town with a star that Toadstool mentioned.
[ ] Look around the mountains nearby.
[ ] Other?
You're certainly not about to let some random lackey boss you around, but you'd also rather not reveal just how powerful you are. You slip to the side, fully outside the shed, and the spearman turns to face you. It's difficult to read any expression in its metallic face, but you think you irritated it. Well, hopefully you'll do a bit more than that. "I won't let you ruin this," it growls, and the air around you becomes noticeably damper than it had been. Then it starts popping, and you throw yourself backwards just as it explodes, catching a wall of water to the face but suffering no other damage. The weapon growls angrily and takes two stiff steps forward. A copy steps out of it and drives its spear into the ground in front of the shed, then turns and advances with the original. One of the Toads starts to creep out, but the spear glows brightly for a moment before a lightning bolt chars the post where he had been. "I won't let you ruin my promotion!"
A flame-covered stone appears above the copy's head, and you skip to the side as it hurtles toward you. The original lunges with its spear, and you twist around it, shoving the spearhead with one hand to try and knock it out of line. Whoever you're facing is quite strong, however; it wouldn't take superhuman strength to shift the spear, but it would take strength beyond what you appear to be capable of. The copy flings another burning missile at you, and the air gets humid and starts popping once more. This time, you throw yourself forward, surprising the pipe-like creature. Even so, its movements continue to be almost mechanically precise, not like the Axem Rangers. Could this one simply be working off of pure 'programming' or instinct, whereas the Rangers actually learned how to fight? So many questions, and – assuming Mario and the others actually get here sooner rather than later – you probably won't have any good chances to ask them. It'll be another couple minutes, probably, before this one gets irritated enough to try talking on its own. The clone summons a red orb, then throws it down into the ground, while the original summons a flaming boulder. As you skip away from the hurtling boulder, your left wing erupts in pain, as the red orb bursts out of the ground. Ignoring the menacing laughter, you feel your wing with your left hand while your other fishes out your camera. There doesn't seem to be any damage done to your wing, fortunately; it just hurts a lot. Like danmaku, really … and you know how to deal with that. Both the original and the clone summon red orbs this time, but as they move to hurl the orbs into the ground, you snap a picture, and the orbs wink out of existence. Your opponent stares blankly at its hand, then at the ground, and when its eyes turn to you, you smile innocently – then you hurl yourself forward and grab its leg so you can tumble it back. You're not about to start punching something made of metal, after all.
You turn your attention to the clone and bombard it with minor danmaku. It doesn't react, leaving you unsure as to whether you're actually harming it – but if you're not, it's not actually a problem. You don't want to make it seem like you could really beat this guy, after all. And then a massive bolt of lightning slams into the clone, leaving nothing of it behind. Even the spear fades away. As your opponent lurches to its feet, a red-and-blue blur dives out of the air and … jumps on its head. One, two, three landings – and Mario lands between it and you, a rather large hammer in one hand. You slip back, as if eager for the reprieve, and look toward the inn. Mallow and Geno are moving … with some speed, anyway, if not quickly – although, to be fair to Mallow, you're pretty sure he was the one who tossed the lightning bolt. Mario lets his hammer rest on the ground for a moment, and draws his arm back as if telegraphing a punch. When he throws it forward, however, he launches a torrent of fireballs. You're quick to take a picture of the attack, of course, but they seem to hardly bother the enemy. It roars in outrage, rather than a pained shriek, and advances through the onslaught. Then Mario grabs the hammer and charges in.
His attacks are simple and direct, without any of the elegance of real martial styles. He's not a trained fighter; he's simply learned what works and does that. Wide, sweeping horizontal strikes and colossal overhead blows. It's the lack of footwork that really hampers him, though. He keeps moving enough to not push himself off-balance, but he lacks the grace of someone who knows how to move in a fight. Then he ducks back, and a blinding blue beam carves through the night. The enemy, whoever he was, explodes, and you adopt a grateful smile. Before anyone can question you, however, the villagers tumble out of the shed and surround Mario. You step back, then frown: your bag is still by the shed – and then Hatate drops out of the sky with Toadstool and picks it up for you. You wave when she looks at you, and you watch the crowd part for the princess before converging around them. So much of you wants to take pictures and ask questions, but -
"Well, at least Hatate was able to get to us before anything went too wrong," Geno says, and you smile at him. His glower doesn't change. "You should have said something before going to check." You sigh and adopt a meeker expression, and Hatate stares at you. She's had acting classes, right?
"Yes, I should have, and I'm sorry for not getting you earlier. I didn't think you'd want to be woken up without some real proof, though – and I didn't expect whoever was impersonating the villagers to get here so quickly!" Mallow shakes his … well, his upper torso. He doesn't really have a head.
"We weren't really getting any sleep. Turns out the fake innkeeper was standing in the room, watching us." You stare, dumbfounded, then clap your hand to your face.
"But now we don't have any leads," Geno says sadly. You lower your hand and shake your head.
"Not true. There is something in the water somewhere. The fake Elder was talking to himself about it. He wanted to use you guys to get the Star Piece, because it was in the water and he didn't want to fight someone because he'd rust." Geno and Mallow share a confused look, and you shrug. "It's not much, true, but it's more than you came here with. Maybe ask the villagers if there are any pirates or something around here."
"Really, Aya? Pirates? Why would there be pirates in an area like this?" You smile at Hatate and take your bag from her.
"Well, if I were a pirate, I'd make a lair here for precisely that reason. Well, that and the beautiful sunsets." She starts to roll her eyes, then falters. After all, pirates can appreciate beauty as well as a youkai!
What do you do?
[ ] Stay in the area and wait to see what Mario and the others do.
[ ] Go see that town with a star that Toadstool mentioned.
[ ] Look around the mountains nearby.
[ ] Other?
- Location
- Internet
[X] Go see that town with a star that Toadstool mentioned.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Stay in the area and wait to see what Mario and the others do.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
EDIT: Votes are locked.
Last edited:
To Monstro Town
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Go see that town with a star that Toadstool mentioned.
But you're here for more than just appreciating the scenery. You're here to explore and investigate, and to that end …. "Do you two know where that town with a star is? The princess mentioned it back on that hill, and since Hatate and I can't really help out here, we might as well go see what it's like." Geno frowns at you, and you really wish you knew him better. He's probably putting things together in his head, it's just a matter of what he's putting together. You've probably spent too much time around him, to be honest.
"Really, we aren't exactly sure," Mallow says, apparently unconcerned with Geno's suspicions. "We met a rat in Moleville who told us about it, but his directions didn't make much sense. Just something about heading to the end of the land." He hops, disconcertingly separating his torso from his legs, then shrugs. "I guess with you two, it won't be much of a problem, though, since you can just fly." You smile at his good-natured grumbling.
"Thank you, Mallow. Now, you two make sure to stay dry in the ocean, you hear? Oil up that wooden body, Geno, and Mallow, no electrocuting the entire ocean just to deal with one enemy." Geno remains impassive, merely nodding once, while Mallow … is probably embarrassed? He scratches the back of his head and doesn't meet your eyes, anyway. Hatate makes her good-byes as well, and after you retrieve your bag the two of you melt into the background before taking flight … but when you turn to look back, you're certain Geno is still looking toward you. Really, he's so suspicious of you, and what have you done to earn that much distrust? Nothing, yet!
"So, what's occupying your mind?" You glance at Hatate, then down as the relatively lush area atop the cliffs transitions to a rather small desert. A curious green cloud-creature floats below you, chuckling as you snap a picture, but it doesn't bother you.
"I'm wondering if Geno needs to be dealt with, really." Hatate stares at you, blinks, and only then do her eyes bulge out like Cirno's when that frog almost ate her. "I think he's starting to reach some conclusions about us that might not be good for us in the long run. You didn't do anything outrageous when you went to get them, did you?" She makes one of those not-quite-guilty smiles and doesn't meet your eyes.
"Um, well … there was another of those weird pipe-guys there, so I broke a window and used the wind to try and hold it in place so they had some time to get ready." Her face turns red and she waves her hands excitedly. "I mean, it was just a normal Toad at first, and when it saw me, then it transformed! I even went in through the front door, in case anyone was watching!" You sigh and shrug. Oh, well. Your flight over the desert continues – it would probably take a day or two to traverse on foot, but of course you don't take nearly that long – but when it ends you don't see anything resembling a village. Hatate finally finds it, tucked away in an inaccessible crevasse, and while you do wonder how anyone else is supposed to get there, it's of no real concern to you, and you descend to land by the row of doors built into the cliffside.
"Hm … a very nice place," you say, and Hatate nods. You walk down the strip of flat land, but none of the doors really seem to have anything to distinguish them. Oh, one doesn't have a doorknob or hinges, one has that spinning mushroom you've come to associate with a shop, and one has a sign with a stylized "J" next to it, but everything here just feels … comfortable. One of the doors opens, and a not-quite-old Toad steps out, taking a deep breath before smiling at you.
"Welcome to Monstro Town," she says, nodding and looking over you and Hatate. "I'm the landlady; everyone calls me Monstermama. You two looking to settle down here?" Hatate bows politely as you shake your head.
"No, thank you. I'm Aya, and this is Hatate. We heard a rumor about an amazing star here, actually, and came to see what it's like." Monstermama's face lights up.
"Oh, our star! Of course, I'm sure she'll be glad to see someone who came all this way to see her. Come in, just go up the stairs." She waves for you to enter, and nods her head at the staircase at the back of the room. "Don't let anyone frighten you, dears; everyone here has reformed, but some people still like to put a scare into strangers – for the rush, you know. If anyone is uncivilized, just let me know and I'll get them to apologize." You smile back at the distinguished Toad.
"Thank you, Monstermama. I'm sure we'll be fine." Hatate follows you up the stairs, and you find … not a Star Piece, but a large chest placed in front of a table as if sitting there, and a starfish sitting on an impromptu stage. The starfish looks over at you and waves. … Really? You resist the urge to sigh despondently and instead walk over to her, camera at the ready. The starfish takes a moment to wait for you to settle in, then starts a rather charming little dance. As she holds the pose at the end, you take a picture and Hatate claps happily. She runs through two more dance routines, bowing cheerily after each one, before she seems to get tired, and before she can start a fourth, you hold out your hand. "Thank you, Miss Star. They were very pretty, but we have to go for now." A relieved expression crosses the star's 'face' and she waves goodbye with one arm before lying flat. You glance at the closed chest, then head back down.
"So, what do you think? She's quite adorable, isn't she?" You nod and look around.
"She's very talented, Monstermama, but … not actually what we're looking for." You quickly describe the Star Pieces to her, and she frowns and shakes her head.
"Sorry, never heard of 'em. And you came all the way here to see if we had one? Hmm …. Well, have you checked the sky? Heh, don't give me that look. There's a place where even us land-dwellers can reach the sky over at Bean Valley. I've never been there, myself – it seems to be closed off, now – but there's definitely something up there." A place in the sky, is it? Hmm ….
What do you do?
[ ] Stay for a while and investigate Monstro Town.
[ ] Go look for the place in the sky.
[ ] Other?
But you're here for more than just appreciating the scenery. You're here to explore and investigate, and to that end …. "Do you two know where that town with a star is? The princess mentioned it back on that hill, and since Hatate and I can't really help out here, we might as well go see what it's like." Geno frowns at you, and you really wish you knew him better. He's probably putting things together in his head, it's just a matter of what he's putting together. You've probably spent too much time around him, to be honest.
"Really, we aren't exactly sure," Mallow says, apparently unconcerned with Geno's suspicions. "We met a rat in Moleville who told us about it, but his directions didn't make much sense. Just something about heading to the end of the land." He hops, disconcertingly separating his torso from his legs, then shrugs. "I guess with you two, it won't be much of a problem, though, since you can just fly." You smile at his good-natured grumbling.
"Thank you, Mallow. Now, you two make sure to stay dry in the ocean, you hear? Oil up that wooden body, Geno, and Mallow, no electrocuting the entire ocean just to deal with one enemy." Geno remains impassive, merely nodding once, while Mallow … is probably embarrassed? He scratches the back of his head and doesn't meet your eyes, anyway. Hatate makes her good-byes as well, and after you retrieve your bag the two of you melt into the background before taking flight … but when you turn to look back, you're certain Geno is still looking toward you. Really, he's so suspicious of you, and what have you done to earn that much distrust? Nothing, yet!
"So, what's occupying your mind?" You glance at Hatate, then down as the relatively lush area atop the cliffs transitions to a rather small desert. A curious green cloud-creature floats below you, chuckling as you snap a picture, but it doesn't bother you.
"I'm wondering if Geno needs to be dealt with, really." Hatate stares at you, blinks, and only then do her eyes bulge out like Cirno's when that frog almost ate her. "I think he's starting to reach some conclusions about us that might not be good for us in the long run. You didn't do anything outrageous when you went to get them, did you?" She makes one of those not-quite-guilty smiles and doesn't meet your eyes.
"Um, well … there was another of those weird pipe-guys there, so I broke a window and used the wind to try and hold it in place so they had some time to get ready." Her face turns red and she waves her hands excitedly. "I mean, it was just a normal Toad at first, and when it saw me, then it transformed! I even went in through the front door, in case anyone was watching!" You sigh and shrug. Oh, well. Your flight over the desert continues – it would probably take a day or two to traverse on foot, but of course you don't take nearly that long – but when it ends you don't see anything resembling a village. Hatate finally finds it, tucked away in an inaccessible crevasse, and while you do wonder how anyone else is supposed to get there, it's of no real concern to you, and you descend to land by the row of doors built into the cliffside.
"Hm … a very nice place," you say, and Hatate nods. You walk down the strip of flat land, but none of the doors really seem to have anything to distinguish them. Oh, one doesn't have a doorknob or hinges, one has that spinning mushroom you've come to associate with a shop, and one has a sign with a stylized "J" next to it, but everything here just feels … comfortable. One of the doors opens, and a not-quite-old Toad steps out, taking a deep breath before smiling at you.
"Welcome to Monstro Town," she says, nodding and looking over you and Hatate. "I'm the landlady; everyone calls me Monstermama. You two looking to settle down here?" Hatate bows politely as you shake your head.
"No, thank you. I'm Aya, and this is Hatate. We heard a rumor about an amazing star here, actually, and came to see what it's like." Monstermama's face lights up.
"Oh, our star! Of course, I'm sure she'll be glad to see someone who came all this way to see her. Come in, just go up the stairs." She waves for you to enter, and nods her head at the staircase at the back of the room. "Don't let anyone frighten you, dears; everyone here has reformed, but some people still like to put a scare into strangers – for the rush, you know. If anyone is uncivilized, just let me know and I'll get them to apologize." You smile back at the distinguished Toad.
"Thank you, Monstermama. I'm sure we'll be fine." Hatate follows you up the stairs, and you find … not a Star Piece, but a large chest placed in front of a table as if sitting there, and a starfish sitting on an impromptu stage. The starfish looks over at you and waves. … Really? You resist the urge to sigh despondently and instead walk over to her, camera at the ready. The starfish takes a moment to wait for you to settle in, then starts a rather charming little dance. As she holds the pose at the end, you take a picture and Hatate claps happily. She runs through two more dance routines, bowing cheerily after each one, before she seems to get tired, and before she can start a fourth, you hold out your hand. "Thank you, Miss Star. They were very pretty, but we have to go for now." A relieved expression crosses the star's 'face' and she waves goodbye with one arm before lying flat. You glance at the closed chest, then head back down.
"So, what do you think? She's quite adorable, isn't she?" You nod and look around.
"She's very talented, Monstermama, but … not actually what we're looking for." You quickly describe the Star Pieces to her, and she frowns and shakes her head.
"Sorry, never heard of 'em. And you came all the way here to see if we had one? Hmm …. Well, have you checked the sky? Heh, don't give me that look. There's a place where even us land-dwellers can reach the sky over at Bean Valley. I've never been there, myself – it seems to be closed off, now – but there's definitely something up there." A place in the sky, is it? Hmm ….
What do you do?
[ ] Stay for a while and investigate Monstro Town.
[ ] Go look for the place in the sky.
[ ] Other?
- Location
- Internet
[X] Stay for a while and investigate Monstro Town.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Stay for a while and investigate Monstro Town.
Sounds fun.
Sounds fun.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
EDIT: Votes are locked.
Last edited:
Investigating Monstro Town I
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Stay for a while and investigate Monstro Town.
On the one hand, Smithy could be making a move on the place in the sky – or have attacked it already – but on the other, you have a chance to do some actual reporting! You could split up, but staying together seems to be helping to keep your profile low. "Hmm … we'll head up there, I think, but not right now. I don't suppose you have anything to keep you busy at the moment?" Monstermama gives you a curious look, then shrugs and shakes her head.
"No, nothing right now. I resolve disputes and help newcomers settle in, but everyone seems to be getting along quite well for now." You smile happily.
"Then would you mind telling us a bit about this place? How long it's been running, how it got started, things like that." Monstermama stares at you for a moment, then smiles and shakes her head.
"Oh, my, I never thought …. Well. Let's see – the idea for a place like this is quite old. There have always been monsters who weren't as hostile to others as the rest of their kind, and sometimes there are members of a place that is hostile to everyone else, but who aren't themselves hostile. They don't feel comfortable in their home, but they can't easily go somewhere else. Monstro Town itself, well, we got the idea about fifteen years ago, and actually got the first members here ten years ago." She smiles wistfully. "Things were so much more exciting then, but I like it the way things are now."
"'We'? So this was a group effort?" Monstermama laughs at your question.
"Ohoho! Of course! Do I look like the kind of person who could meet all kinds of people and set up a whole village? Ha. No, there are Monsterfriends out there, spreading the word of Monstro Town whenever they find a sympathetic monster, or just being a friend if someone is too afraid to come here. They don't advertise themselves, but they're out there." She watches the past for a few seconds, then shakes her head. "As for how things work – well, it kind of depends. Everyone does their part for Monstro Town, even if those parts are different. You should walk around, talk to everyone, if you want to get a feel for life here; one old lady's voice doesn't define this place. It's a group effort." You nod and look down at your notes, and the quickly-scrawled sketch of Monstermama. It's enough.
"Thank you, we will. Have a good night, Monstermama." She nods, still smiling, and you and Hatate leave her home.
"So, how do we do this? Talk to anyone, I mean; even if there was a street here, no one's on it." You snort and gently smack the side of her head.
"Goodness, Hatate, really? We'll just knock on a door and see if anyone answers. It's simple." But not necessarily easy, of course. No one answers at the first two doors, and while someone does answer at the third – a short little creature resembling Booster's Snifits, only wearing red and with a plainer white mask – it shakes its head when you explain what you're doing and closes the door. Hatate sighs, but you simply move on to the next door. A cute little wolf with bright yellow eyes answers your knock. "Hello, we're just looking around, trying to learn some more about this place. Would you mind talking with us about it?" The wolf looks at you, then Hatate, then nods excitedly.
"Of course! Come in, come in." It scoots back to let you in, and you smile appreciatively. At the table is another monster – a large blue stone with a face – but your host waits for you to sit at the two small stools at the table. "We've only been here about a year, so we can't really tell you a whole lot about it, but if we can answer your questions, we will."
"Well, why don't we start with why you came here?" The wolf looks embarrassed.
"Er, try not to laugh, okay?" You give her a confused look, but nod anyway. She looks at Hatate, receives another nod, and sighs. "Er, well … I can't Howl. And I'm a picky eater, but mostly it's the Howling thing. Most of my family didn't mind, but my mother … haa~. My mother would say, 'Cheddar, a proper Chow Howls. We'll overlook your fussy eating habits, but you must Howl.' And she'd make me sit and practice and practice, and eventually I got fed up and just left. I feel a bit bad sometimes, but I'm still happier here than I was at home. Well, I guess this is my home now, so …." Her companion hops minutely, thumping softly, and she looks up, then rubs her ears against its nearest corner.
"I have an eye problem." The creature hops again, punctuating each sentence with a thump. "Depth perception, Monstermama said. I can't tell how close something is. I used to work in a bank, but since I couldn't stop people getting in, they let me go. Thought about trying to work for Bowser, but took a wrong turn. I like it here, too." You nod; they seem like a nice couple.
"So what do you do here?" Cheddar grins wolfishly and darts from the table to hold up a large whistle.
"I'm one of the watchguards. If a group has to leave for some reason, they get guards. We blow these whistles if something bad is coming around." Her companion thumps.
"I help make juice. They put the stuff in a bucket, and I press it. It still takes several thumps to get each bucket done, though." Hatate catches your eye, and you nod.
"What about when you're not working? Do you just stay in here?" Cheddar looks at her stony companion.
"I do. I listen to our neighbor. He talks a lot. About crystals and evil things. But his door is locked and he never comes out." Cheddar nods.
"It's one reason we're where we are; we can stomp around without bothering anyone!" Before you can ask what she means about 'stomping around,' she pulls open a large cupboard to reveal a gigantic green shoe with a winding key sticking out of the heel. "It lets me hop around, too!" She closes the cupboard and returns to the table, again rubbing her ear against her stony companion. "Sometimes I go to Jinx's Dojo. He sings prettily. But he's probably asleep now, especially since he has a new student."
"Dojo? So he's a martial artist?" Cheddar nods.
"Yep. He comes out with the groups too, sometimes, since he's the strongest person here in Monstro Town. I think he likes getting rides, too, even though he tries to be so serious all the time." You nod; this Jinx person seems like he might be pretty interesting. But Cheddar has a point; it is getting rather late.
What do you do?
[ ] See about finding somewhere to sleep.
[ ] Keep looking for someone to interview.
[ ] Go see Jinx's Dojo.
[ ] Other?
On the one hand, Smithy could be making a move on the place in the sky – or have attacked it already – but on the other, you have a chance to do some actual reporting! You could split up, but staying together seems to be helping to keep your profile low. "Hmm … we'll head up there, I think, but not right now. I don't suppose you have anything to keep you busy at the moment?" Monstermama gives you a curious look, then shrugs and shakes her head.
"No, nothing right now. I resolve disputes and help newcomers settle in, but everyone seems to be getting along quite well for now." You smile happily.
"Then would you mind telling us a bit about this place? How long it's been running, how it got started, things like that." Monstermama stares at you for a moment, then smiles and shakes her head.
"Oh, my, I never thought …. Well. Let's see – the idea for a place like this is quite old. There have always been monsters who weren't as hostile to others as the rest of their kind, and sometimes there are members of a place that is hostile to everyone else, but who aren't themselves hostile. They don't feel comfortable in their home, but they can't easily go somewhere else. Monstro Town itself, well, we got the idea about fifteen years ago, and actually got the first members here ten years ago." She smiles wistfully. "Things were so much more exciting then, but I like it the way things are now."
"'We'? So this was a group effort?" Monstermama laughs at your question.
"Ohoho! Of course! Do I look like the kind of person who could meet all kinds of people and set up a whole village? Ha. No, there are Monsterfriends out there, spreading the word of Monstro Town whenever they find a sympathetic monster, or just being a friend if someone is too afraid to come here. They don't advertise themselves, but they're out there." She watches the past for a few seconds, then shakes her head. "As for how things work – well, it kind of depends. Everyone does their part for Monstro Town, even if those parts are different. You should walk around, talk to everyone, if you want to get a feel for life here; one old lady's voice doesn't define this place. It's a group effort." You nod and look down at your notes, and the quickly-scrawled sketch of Monstermama. It's enough.
"Thank you, we will. Have a good night, Monstermama." She nods, still smiling, and you and Hatate leave her home.
"So, how do we do this? Talk to anyone, I mean; even if there was a street here, no one's on it." You snort and gently smack the side of her head.
"Goodness, Hatate, really? We'll just knock on a door and see if anyone answers. It's simple." But not necessarily easy, of course. No one answers at the first two doors, and while someone does answer at the third – a short little creature resembling Booster's Snifits, only wearing red and with a plainer white mask – it shakes its head when you explain what you're doing and closes the door. Hatate sighs, but you simply move on to the next door. A cute little wolf with bright yellow eyes answers your knock. "Hello, we're just looking around, trying to learn some more about this place. Would you mind talking with us about it?" The wolf looks at you, then Hatate, then nods excitedly.
"Of course! Come in, come in." It scoots back to let you in, and you smile appreciatively. At the table is another monster – a large blue stone with a face – but your host waits for you to sit at the two small stools at the table. "We've only been here about a year, so we can't really tell you a whole lot about it, but if we can answer your questions, we will."
"Well, why don't we start with why you came here?" The wolf looks embarrassed.
"Er, try not to laugh, okay?" You give her a confused look, but nod anyway. She looks at Hatate, receives another nod, and sighs. "Er, well … I can't Howl. And I'm a picky eater, but mostly it's the Howling thing. Most of my family didn't mind, but my mother … haa~. My mother would say, 'Cheddar, a proper Chow Howls. We'll overlook your fussy eating habits, but you must Howl.' And she'd make me sit and practice and practice, and eventually I got fed up and just left. I feel a bit bad sometimes, but I'm still happier here than I was at home. Well, I guess this is my home now, so …." Her companion hops minutely, thumping softly, and she looks up, then rubs her ears against its nearest corner.
"I have an eye problem." The creature hops again, punctuating each sentence with a thump. "Depth perception, Monstermama said. I can't tell how close something is. I used to work in a bank, but since I couldn't stop people getting in, they let me go. Thought about trying to work for Bowser, but took a wrong turn. I like it here, too." You nod; they seem like a nice couple.
"So what do you do here?" Cheddar grins wolfishly and darts from the table to hold up a large whistle.
"I'm one of the watchguards. If a group has to leave for some reason, they get guards. We blow these whistles if something bad is coming around." Her companion thumps.
"I help make juice. They put the stuff in a bucket, and I press it. It still takes several thumps to get each bucket done, though." Hatate catches your eye, and you nod.
"What about when you're not working? Do you just stay in here?" Cheddar looks at her stony companion.
"I do. I listen to our neighbor. He talks a lot. About crystals and evil things. But his door is locked and he never comes out." Cheddar nods.
"It's one reason we're where we are; we can stomp around without bothering anyone!" Before you can ask what she means about 'stomping around,' she pulls open a large cupboard to reveal a gigantic green shoe with a winding key sticking out of the heel. "It lets me hop around, too!" She closes the cupboard and returns to the table, again rubbing her ear against her stony companion. "Sometimes I go to Jinx's Dojo. He sings prettily. But he's probably asleep now, especially since he has a new student."
"Dojo? So he's a martial artist?" Cheddar nods.
"Yep. He comes out with the groups too, sometimes, since he's the strongest person here in Monstro Town. I think he likes getting rides, too, even though he tries to be so serious all the time." You nod; this Jinx person seems like he might be pretty interesting. But Cheddar has a point; it is getting rather late.
What do you do?
[ ] See about finding somewhere to sleep.
[ ] Keep looking for someone to interview.
[ ] Go see Jinx's Dojo.
[ ] Other?