Hatate Quest Kaksi

[Oldmansour]

>"Quite. I'm gonna want to ask myself about that, too."

>"Uh, you might have a chance sooner than that." Momiji says, her gaze aimed at the forest behind you. "I think we're being followed."
>"By whom?" Celes asks.
>"If I'm right, by that young Yamabushi from before, and her mother. They're flying through the forest, and seem to be following our flight path. Roughly, at least."

[Hello Purvis]

>Glance back.

[Oldmansour]

>Glance back.

>The forest behind you conceals the sight of your reported pursuers from your eyes.
>"I see no one." Celes adds, also looking back.
>"Trust me, they're back there. But they're not that fast. We'll leave them behind unless we slow down."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mmm. Well, if they're trying to catch up, might as well hear what they have to say. I doubt any mom is going to drag her kid along if she's going to start something."

[Oldmansour]

>"Mmm. Well, if they're trying to catch up, might as well hear what they have to say. I doubt any mom is going to drag her kid along if she's going to start something."

>"By the look of it, it's the other way around." Momiji says with a smile. "The girl's in the lead. And still not quite sure of her wings, too."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Heehee."
>Slow down a bit. How close are we to the Hakurei Shrine; at least by our own reckoning.

[Oldmansour]

>"Heehee."
>Slow down a bit. How close are we to the Hakurei Shrine; at least by our own reckoning.

>Reducing your speed, you take a look around to gauge your ETA to the Hakurei Shrine. Without her mount, Celes doesn't fly as fast as she could prior, so you haven't been making as good time as you had before. Nevertheless, it shouldn't take you more than ten minutes to reach the Hakurei shrine, barring any unforeseen delays.

[Hello Purvis]

>Continue onward at a leisurely pace; let the pursuers catch up.

[Oldmansour]

>Continue onward at a leisurely pace; let the pursuers catch up.

>Slowing from a clip to a casual glide, you slow down to allow the youth and her apparant parent to close the distance. It doesn't take long for the pair to emerge from the forest, the little one leading just as Momiji said. Now that you can see them, it's not hard to see why Momiji reported the taller Yamabushi to be the mother. Both have the same curly pink hair, and as you see when they draw closer, the same deep purple eyes. Pink is an odd color for a Yamabushi's hair, but it's not completely unheard of. Their wings, however, are the standard Yamabushi white. The smaller of the two does waggle and dip a bit as she makes the closest she can get to a beeline towards your group, but she has a big smile on her face.
>"Good day!" Momiji calls back to them as they approach.
>"And to you!" the elder returns.
>The youth's smile grows even broader. "See, mama? Told you she'd see us!"
>"So you did, dear."

[Hello Purvis]

>Smile at the child.
>"You can't fool Momiji, I can tell you that! So, what do you want, small fry?"

[Oldmansour]

>Smile at the child.
>"You can't fool Momiji, I can tell you that! So, what do you want, small fry?"

>The youth's eyes blink. "What's a small fry?" she inquires.
>"It is a- friendly nickname." Momiji says quickly. "Hatate uses them almost as much as names sometimes."
>The elder white-wings giggles a refined laugh, hiding her mouth behind her lacy gloved hand. "Even after these years, it still makes me smile to hear that." Her ensemble is a bit odd for a Yamabushi, as well. She wears a rather traditional green and white robe, but she accentuates it with a blue western style jacket and bonnet. Her daughter wears a broadly similar collection of clothes, though light purple where her mother's is blue. "Oh, my. And a good day to you as well, Himekaidou-san." she greets you with polite inclination of the head.

[O4rfish]

>Do we know their names?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know their names?

>You don't recognize either of them.

[O4rfish]

>"And you as well Madam. Unfortunately for us, today has been and will continue to be somewhat strange."

[Oldmansour]

>"And you as well Madam. Unfortunately for us, today has been and will continue to be somewhat strange."

>While you and the big one exchange pleasantries, the little one flutters on her little wings towards Momiji. "I saw you earlier today." Momiji says to her. "At Maragtroid-san's place. You looked like you were having fun."
>"I like it at Alice's place." the youth explains, still smiling broadly. "And that's why I wanted to talk to you, if I could."
>"Oh? What about?"
>The little Yamabushi does not answer right away. At least, not with words. The girl gives her wings a burst of effort and lunges forward, wrapping her little arms around Momiji's tummy. Over Momiji's stammered vocalization, the little girl says "To thank you, Momiji-san."
>"Ara ara~" her mother mutters, covering her smiling face once more.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, you need to tell her what you're thanking her for, sweetie."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, you need to tell her what you're thanking her for, sweetie."

>"You helped make it so I could go down to Alice's." the youth replies, not actually addressing you but still answering your question. "Down off the mountain. And mama taught me it's important to thank people that do good things for you."
>The white wolf tengu, her arms still stuck out to her sides in surprise, takes a small breath, and relaxes herself. "Well, that's nice of you." she says quietly, smiling a little as she relaxes her arms. "But you don't need to thank me, little one. If you're happy, if having the chance to make friends with outsiders makes you happy, then that's thanks enough for me."

[Hello Purvis]

>So either this kid is heavily steeped in history, or this revolution happened only a little bit ago...
>"So how'd you end up going to Alice's place, anyways?"

[Oldmansour]

>So either this kid is heavily steeped in history, or this revolution happened only a little bit ago...
>"So how'd you end up going to Alice's place, anyways?"

>Her mother answers as the youth releases Momiji's torso, "I read about the sewing circle Alice started in your paper, Himekaidou-san. And Manatsu said she was curious when I told her about, so I brought her with me."
>"I wanted to see the dolls!" the youth states.

[Hello Purvis]

>Chuckle.
>"Well, I'm glad to hear your folks are having a good time. Alice isn't a bad sort."
>Well maybe that's stretching the truth, but let's be polite.

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle.
>"Well, I'm glad to hear your folks are having a good time. Alice isn't a bad sort."
>Well maybe that's stretching the truth, but let's be polite.

>"I should thank you for that, Himekaidou-san." the elder Yamabushi says with a polite nod. "It was your article, after all, that brought Alice's business to our attention."
>"Yeah! Thanks." Manatsu adds.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, you're welcome."
>Give a glance to Momiji, how is she taking this?

[Oldmansour]

>Give a glance to Momiji, how is she taking this?

>At first, Momiji seemed almost stunned by Manatsu's gesture of affection. Now, however, she seems rather comfortable. The smile on her face is genuine. Perhaps she has a soft spot for children?

>"Well, you're welcome."

>"Are you working on a new story now?" the mother asks. "We wouldn't want to interrupt you. Well," she adds, smiling at her offspring. "Not anymore than we had to."
>Manatsu giggles.

[Hello Purvis]

>"A bit of an investigation, yeah."

[Oldmansour]

>"A bit of an investigation, yeah."

>"Are you helping?" the youth inquires of Momiji.
>"Indeed I am. We're actually on our way to the Hakurei Shrine right now."
>Manatsu smiles, but her mother frowns a little, concernedly. "You should probably be on your way, then. Things tend to get rather boisterous there whenever Marisa visits for any length of time." With a chuckle, she adds, "Though of course, I hardly need to tell you that, of all tengu, do I?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't think you would need to warn too many people at all. You both have a nice day, now!"

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't think you would need to warn too many people at all. You both have a nice day, now!"

>"Thank you. You, too."
>"Bye bye!" Manatsu says with a big wave before she turns and follows her mother back towards the Forest of Magic.

>"I wonder if that'll happen every time a young tengu spies us." Celes remarks dryly.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well it ought to happen, at least."
>Resume course.

[Branneg Xy]

>Glance to Momiji and Celes:"I wonder how Reimu and companies will turn out to be in this book world?".

[Oldmansour]

>"Well it ought to happen, at least."
>Resume course.

>"You were pretty quiet during that whole time." Momiji retorts to Celes just a bit shortly, like the steward's remark embarrassed her slightly.
>"It was clear they wished to speak with their celebrities." Celes answers with aplomb as the three of you get back underway.

>Glance to Momiji and Celes:"I wonder how Reimu and companies will turn out to be in this book world?".

>"I'd guess much like our own." Momiji says. "If Reimu was a different sort of person, Alice would probably have warned us about it."
>"Not necessarily." Celes disagrees. "Though I hope you are right."