Be as open as you can be about where you're from and what you're doing here.
- Ask politely why Hardy wanted to speak with us.
You bow politely – presumably she can't read your mind this way? - but before you can start speaking Hardy starts walking toward you, grinning happily. "Ah, but before we get into that, let's go get something to eat!" You blink, momentarily confused, then shake your head to clear it.
"To … eat? But -!" You spin and wave placatingly at Hatate; she should just be glad that you'll be going back above ground!
"Yes, to eat. Spirits can't eat, after all, so doubtless Hardy has quite an appetite built up," you say soothingly, hoping Hatate won't make too big a deal out of it. She stares at you, partially in shock, until Hardy links her arm with yours and leans into you.
"My, you're quite well-informed – and so cute, too!" You stumble along as she pulls you with her, her wing half-wrapping around you to keep you moving forward, and you fix a pleasant smile on your face.
"Yes, well, a friend of mine met someone like that recently." … And she had a huge appetite, too. If Hardy's possession is only temporary, well – poor Giselle. Hardy smiles sharply and nods, and fortunately the stairs are narrow enough that you can't quite walk beside her, especially with her wing half-furled, so you let her lead the way. Hatate looks lost, but follows you up the stairs.
Hardy doesn't say anything on the long walk upstairs, and you take the time to think about how you should deal with her. Considering how little time she had to actually read your mind, she probably couldn't read too deeply, so she probably doesn't know where you're from or what you're doing here … but she is a god here, and that means she is a power you need to deal with. Particularly since she is a god of the dead, which means that she should have a lot of people who would, under certain circumstances, obey her commands – and a war between youkai and the denizens of this world, even if it's winnable, is not what the tengu want. Conflict is necessary, yes, but with the raw magic of this world, and with people not merely believing but knowing that things beyond mortal knowledge exist … after a short adjustment period, youkai could easily slip into the night, the cracks of human society.
Hardy's priests seem able to determine that she is possessing Giselle on sight, although the floating scythe probably helps, and she quickly orders a feast for herself. Both priests and priestesses attend to her needs, and when the three of you are seated at a table loaded with a huge variety of food and drink, she dives in immediately, eschewing all the table manners and local etiquette you and Hatate have been careful to observe and note. Of course, she is a god …. When half the table has been cleared, and you and Hatate have finished your second cups of not-terrible wine, Hardy finally sighs and looks curiously at you and at Hatate. You refill your cups and wait for a moment, but when you look up she's back to smiling. "May I ask why you wished to speak with us, Hardy?" She finally sits back and drains a large cup of wine before responding.
"I didn't know about you, actually. She is the one I wanted to speak to," she says, and Hatate trembles, "because I was curious about how she flew with no wings – no mage here is that capable. And then she contacted me directly -" Hatate leaps up, upsetting dishes and startling the attendants.
"No I didn't! It doesn't do that, it just …." Hardy stares intently, and Hatate slumps back into her chair when you tug her arm gently.
"Hatate has an ability called 'thought photography,' which allows her to locate images based on certain keywords. So … hm, try Giselle." Hatate takes out her camera, and Hardy stands up to lean over the table. A few moments later, and the camera's screen shows a carved relief of the Apostle. "Like that. It shouldn't directly contact any entity, because it only looks for images related to the subject. We don't know how you were contacted, but we do apologize for disturbing you." You and Hatate both bow, and Hardy waves off your apologies as she sits back down.
"... Can you use that ability without that device?" Hatate clutches her camera to her chest.
"I … I can, but it's a lot harder and takes a lot more time."
"I see. And your ability to fly?" Hardy looks at you, now, and you smile.
"Well, there are a few things there …. We aren't humans. We're – you might call us demons, I suppose, but we're inherently magical beings, and our particular origins are that of the sky. Flight is natural to us, manipulating the wind is an inherent power, and we don't like being underground or otherwise unable to feel the wind and sky." You gesture at the opening to the terrace beyond the room you're dining in and coax a small whirlwind into existence. It dances around for a moment before bowing and dispersing. Hardy's expression remains flat, but Hatate looks worried. "Additionally, where we come from, most entities with any sort of magical power can fly, including human magicians."
"Hmm … so you come from the world beyond the gate, then?" You look down at the wine in your cup and sigh.
"We … don't actually know. We didn't come through that gate, we came to this world another way, so we don't know where it leads." Hatate chokes and sputters and stares at you. "The one who sent us here did send us to Alnus because it was easier to make the portal there." Hardy looks at you thoughtfully, then leans back – shifting uncomfortably due to her wings – and then returns to eating. You pat Hatate's shoulder, but it doesn't seem to help her much. You sip your wine, wishing it was something much better, and after a few minutes Hardy stops eating again.
"You are being quite open with me. Why?" You shrug at the goddess's question.
"We're here to explore, because our world is becoming less suitable for us. Magic is fading there, and our existence continues only by secluding ourselves in a tiny little pocket that runs contrary to the rest of the world. Many of the youkai there aren't happy with that, and recently someone managed to, somehow, reach other worlds to exist on. Our leaders made a deal with her to send us out to explore some of these worlds for the purpose of migrating there if one is suitable enough. And you are a god, someone who wields power and authority. Regardless of the mortal races of this world, if you deigned to object to our presence, you could order your followers to unite against us – and even if we could win that war, that sort of existence isn't what we want. We are enemies of humans, yes, but not that way. We want their fear, yes, but we want them to survive to fear. Wiping them out, in whole or in part, is a loss for us. So if we do desire to come here, we will need, if not acceptance by you and your peers, then indifference. Explaining why we are here and what we want does not have any drawbacks that I can see."
"Hmm …. So if your kind came here, you could damage society and cause chaos? It would be interesting?" You blink at what sounds like desire in her voice, then bow your head in acknowledgment, and she laughs. "I see, I see … well, I shall think on this. I will give Giselle my answer." She reaches back and grasps the scythe floating behind her, and then departs. Giselle shakes herself, brushing off imagined dirt, and sighs … and then continues eating.
"Mm, this is really good. Oh, you two can walk around the temple if you want, or find a room – one of the priestesses will show you where you can stay. If there's something you want, just ask." She doesn't quite dismiss you, but she does devote more attention to her food.
What do you do?
[ ] Keep talking to Giselle.
- About?
[ ] Find your rooms and talk to Hatate.
- [ ] See how she's holding up.
- [ ] Go over the information you've gathered already.
[ ] Explore the city some more.
[ ] Other?
