Tengu Reporter Quest (Touhou) (World 7 - Wheel of Time)
- Thread starter Entropy Judge
- Start date
- Crossover
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Investigate the lake.
Just to get the frozen Zora thing out of the way.
Just to get the frozen Zora thing out of the way.
SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
Huh. Never Ending Story reference. Hopefully metaphorical rather than literal.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
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Into the Forest
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Investigate the forest.
"Yes, I think you're right. Let's see what's got the locals so scared of the forest, shall we?" Hatate nods and looks back, but you keep looking toward the field. There's an obvious opening in the forest, so apparently that's how people who can't fly get in. And since there isn't anything noticeably interesting from the air, you might as well see what it's like from the ground!
"Aya! What – oh." After a startled squawk, Hatate figures out what you're doing and follows you, looking around warily, camera at the ready. You simply breathe deeply; the trees aren't too unfamiliar, pine and oak and maple, all verdant and growing strong. You follow the path – and it is a path, perhaps natural and perhaps not, but a clearly designated place to walk. To your left and right, the trees grow closer together, but never matching the human fear of utterly impenetrable forests. Somewhere, you hear a wolf howl, a call unfamiliar to you. Perhaps the wolves here are different from the few Japanese wolves that were shepherded into Gensokyo?
The higher branches of the trees begin crossing overhead, and fog darkens the forest further. You find your notebook in your hands as you look around, recording the stillness, the aloneness of the forest. "... Like the Bamboo Forest," you murmur, and shake your head when Hatate makes an inquisitive sound. You look down, and then to your left and right, and chuckle. The path which you have been following has vanished, fallen leaves and needles blanket the ground in every direction. True, it is dark now, but if this fog persists with any longevity during the day, then it would take very little for a human to become lost.
"Aya … can you hear that?" You frown at her, then cock your head and brush your hair away from your ears. You hear … a soft piping, coming from – somewhere.
"Interesting. So what do you think of this place so far?" You look at Hatate, dismissing the music for now.
"It's …." She looks around, breathes deeply. "It's … peaceful? Like … you're in your room, or your office, and no one's bothering you, but if you wanted, you could go see other people." You smile as you look away, making sure it doesn't grow into a laugh. It's not as wild and violent, but tengu forests would sometimes be like this. Not so passive, and it required tengu patrols and magicians, but … she's right. This is peaceful, in a youkai way. You resume walking, continuing to smile as you make notes for an article, and Hatate starts humming – along with the piping music, you think. Then the forest to your right rustles suspiciously, and you look left just as a small figure steps from behind a tree and shoots at you with a blowgun.
Notebook and pen go in one hand as you draw your fan with your other, but you don't need that to jerk the wind in front of you violently, hopelessly tumbling whatever projectile it launched at you. Dim orange lights in a shadowed face flare momentarily, and the nimble creature darts back behind the tree. You spin, ready for the second humanoid, and your fan lashes out three times. The creature wears no cloak, but it wails piteously when its hat flies away, and vanishes nearly as precipitously. You're already turning back to where you … are pretty sure the other creature came from, but as the seconds pass it seems that it isn't coming back. "... Did you see it?" Hatate opens her mouth twice, frowning, then shakes her head.
"I … I don't know, Aya. I was listening to the music, and then they attacked, and …." She cocks her head, listening. "The music's gone, now." You listen briefly, then shrug.
"Maybe they were using it as a lure. Or it might have just been another group that was making music, but since these two were beaten so easily, they all fled. Or it might be unrelated to us and these two." You look around and sigh. "I'm going to bet that the locals call this place something along the lines of 'Forest of the Lost," you say, and Hatate snorts. Right, she wasn't born quite yesterday …. You point yourself back in what you think is the right direction and resume walking.
You frown and look around. The temptation to simply fly up and see where you are in relation to the entrance is strong, but that's admitting defeat perhaps a bit too early. Besides, you aren't lost yet – and now you can hear the music, too. "It's not the same as the piping earlier, is it? It's … more energetic." She nods.
"But more relaxing, too. Not as haunting."
"Not as youkai-like?" You smile as she frowns back at you, then cock your head. "If we're heading toward the music's origin, then … maybe fifteen minutes?" Hatate shrugs, but since you can hear it clearly, she lets you pass in front of her to lead the way. The fog is slightly thinner now, and you've mostly run out of notes to take, but you keep your notebook and pen out anyway – but the fan is back at your belt. The minutes pass, the music grows louder, and, a little later than you guessed, you meet the musician.
"Oh? Grown-ups?" A girl dressed all in green is sitting on a stump, with a small winged ball of pale blue light floating by her head. She frowns worriedly at you, then looks around. "Ohh … it's so late, you're probably lost. That means …." She shivers and starts edging off the stump.
"Hello! Are you affiliated with the little fellows in green and red who live around here? And what happens if we get lost?" You smile good-naturedly, and the little girl freezes.
"Um … you mean the Skull Kids? They would have attacked you …." She looks more closely at you and Hatate, and her blue eyes widen. "You – you aren't Hylians! Then … maybe …." You look over your shoulder at your wing, then shrug and spread both wings. Your pen scratches across the page, taking notes and making a brief sketch of the girl.
"What, exactly, does that change?" The girl squeaks, then shakes her head and looks at you hopefully.
"Hylians who get lost in these woods become Stalfos. But if you're not Hylians … I'm not sure if that'll happen to you. But everything's been getting strange since -!" The girl gasps and her expression is back to one of fear. And she's edging away again ….
What do you do?
[ ] Catch the girl and make her explain things properly.
- Any particular questions?
[ ] Let her run off and sneak after her.
[ ] Keep exploring the forest on your own.
[ ] Other?
"Yes, I think you're right. Let's see what's got the locals so scared of the forest, shall we?" Hatate nods and looks back, but you keep looking toward the field. There's an obvious opening in the forest, so apparently that's how people who can't fly get in. And since there isn't anything noticeably interesting from the air, you might as well see what it's like from the ground!
"Aya! What – oh." After a startled squawk, Hatate figures out what you're doing and follows you, looking around warily, camera at the ready. You simply breathe deeply; the trees aren't too unfamiliar, pine and oak and maple, all verdant and growing strong. You follow the path – and it is a path, perhaps natural and perhaps not, but a clearly designated place to walk. To your left and right, the trees grow closer together, but never matching the human fear of utterly impenetrable forests. Somewhere, you hear a wolf howl, a call unfamiliar to you. Perhaps the wolves here are different from the few Japanese wolves that were shepherded into Gensokyo?
The higher branches of the trees begin crossing overhead, and fog darkens the forest further. You find your notebook in your hands as you look around, recording the stillness, the aloneness of the forest. "... Like the Bamboo Forest," you murmur, and shake your head when Hatate makes an inquisitive sound. You look down, and then to your left and right, and chuckle. The path which you have been following has vanished, fallen leaves and needles blanket the ground in every direction. True, it is dark now, but if this fog persists with any longevity during the day, then it would take very little for a human to become lost.
"Aya … can you hear that?" You frown at her, then cock your head and brush your hair away from your ears. You hear … a soft piping, coming from – somewhere.
"Interesting. So what do you think of this place so far?" You look at Hatate, dismissing the music for now.
"It's …." She looks around, breathes deeply. "It's … peaceful? Like … you're in your room, or your office, and no one's bothering you, but if you wanted, you could go see other people." You smile as you look away, making sure it doesn't grow into a laugh. It's not as wild and violent, but tengu forests would sometimes be like this. Not so passive, and it required tengu patrols and magicians, but … she's right. This is peaceful, in a youkai way. You resume walking, continuing to smile as you make notes for an article, and Hatate starts humming – along with the piping music, you think. Then the forest to your right rustles suspiciously, and you look left just as a small figure steps from behind a tree and shoots at you with a blowgun.
Notebook and pen go in one hand as you draw your fan with your other, but you don't need that to jerk the wind in front of you violently, hopelessly tumbling whatever projectile it launched at you. Dim orange lights in a shadowed face flare momentarily, and the nimble creature darts back behind the tree. You spin, ready for the second humanoid, and your fan lashes out three times. The creature wears no cloak, but it wails piteously when its hat flies away, and vanishes nearly as precipitously. You're already turning back to where you … are pretty sure the other creature came from, but as the seconds pass it seems that it isn't coming back. "... Did you see it?" Hatate opens her mouth twice, frowning, then shakes her head.
"I … I don't know, Aya. I was listening to the music, and then they attacked, and …." She cocks her head, listening. "The music's gone, now." You listen briefly, then shrug.
"Maybe they were using it as a lure. Or it might have just been another group that was making music, but since these two were beaten so easily, they all fled. Or it might be unrelated to us and these two." You look around and sigh. "I'm going to bet that the locals call this place something along the lines of 'Forest of the Lost," you say, and Hatate snorts. Right, she wasn't born quite yesterday …. You point yourself back in what you think is the right direction and resume walking.
***
You frown and look around. The temptation to simply fly up and see where you are in relation to the entrance is strong, but that's admitting defeat perhaps a bit too early. Besides, you aren't lost yet – and now you can hear the music, too. "It's not the same as the piping earlier, is it? It's … more energetic." She nods.
"But more relaxing, too. Not as haunting."
"Not as youkai-like?" You smile as she frowns back at you, then cock your head. "If we're heading toward the music's origin, then … maybe fifteen minutes?" Hatate shrugs, but since you can hear it clearly, she lets you pass in front of her to lead the way. The fog is slightly thinner now, and you've mostly run out of notes to take, but you keep your notebook and pen out anyway – but the fan is back at your belt. The minutes pass, the music grows louder, and, a little later than you guessed, you meet the musician.
"Oh? Grown-ups?" A girl dressed all in green is sitting on a stump, with a small winged ball of pale blue light floating by her head. She frowns worriedly at you, then looks around. "Ohh … it's so late, you're probably lost. That means …." She shivers and starts edging off the stump.
"Hello! Are you affiliated with the little fellows in green and red who live around here? And what happens if we get lost?" You smile good-naturedly, and the little girl freezes.
"Um … you mean the Skull Kids? They would have attacked you …." She looks more closely at you and Hatate, and her blue eyes widen. "You – you aren't Hylians! Then … maybe …." You look over your shoulder at your wing, then shrug and spread both wings. Your pen scratches across the page, taking notes and making a brief sketch of the girl.
"What, exactly, does that change?" The girl squeaks, then shakes her head and looks at you hopefully.
"Hylians who get lost in these woods become Stalfos. But if you're not Hylians … I'm not sure if that'll happen to you. But everything's been getting strange since -!" The girl gasps and her expression is back to one of fear. And she's edging away again ….
What do you do?
[ ] Catch the girl and make her explain things properly.
- Any particular questions?
[ ] Let her run off and sneak after her.
[ ] Keep exploring the forest on your own.
[ ] Other?
- Location
- Internet
[X] Let her run off and sneak after her.
[X] Offer a song of your own to show you come in peace. Share details about the nature/origin of the song if asked.
I don't think catching or tailing her is the best way to improve her first impression of us.
On the other hand, we have seen her playing music, so this could be a way to show we have something in common and allay her worries.
Hopefully it'll show her we aren't just a mindless monster of darkness like I think she's starting to conclude we are, and then we'll have time to explain things better.
And though I haven't seen Aya sing before, I'd say it's possible, given both her bird ties and the artistic traditions of the Tengu.
And meta-wise, I think this has a good chance of working, since music seems to be a common value of all the key civilized races in Hyrule. All of the temples have portal systems for playing ocarina melodies, for instance, and they're found everywhere from Death Mountain to Zora's Domain. I'd also offer the Goron and Zora music from Majora's mask as another example, but that's another world.
I don't think catching or tailing her is the best way to improve her first impression of us.
On the other hand, we have seen her playing music, so this could be a way to show we have something in common and allay her worries.
Hopefully it'll show her we aren't just a mindless monster of darkness like I think she's starting to conclude we are, and then we'll have time to explain things better.
And though I haven't seen Aya sing before, I'd say it's possible, given both her bird ties and the artistic traditions of the Tengu.
And meta-wise, I think this has a good chance of working, since music seems to be a common value of all the key civilized races in Hyrule. All of the temples have portal systems for playing ocarina melodies, for instance, and they're found everywhere from Death Mountain to Zora's Domain. I'd also offer the Goron and Zora music from Majora's mask as another example, but that's another world.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Hmm ...
(Apparently I need more words here to keep from posting what might be considered spam.)
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Let her run off and sneak after her.
![Green[734]](/data/avatar/1534730845/25394-m.jpg){kind=avatar}
- Location
- USA
[X] Keep exploring the forest on your own.
Ah, oops, I forgot Aya sings like a crow (which isn't a compliment).
Still, it's the thought that counts. Even if the Kokiri girl just laughs at our off-key singing, it'll at least help lower her tension with us. And if Hayate's a decent singer, maybe she'll balance out our bad singing.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Now that this has support, it sounds fun.
[X] Offer a song of your own to show you come in peace. Share details about the nature/origin of the song if asked.
[X] Offer a song of your own to show you come in peace. Share details about the nature/origin of the song if asked.
[X] Let her run off and sneak after her.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are not locked.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are locked.