Hatate Quest Kaksi

[Hello Purvis]

>"We'll find out, I suppose."

[Oldmansour]

>"We'll find out, I suppose."

>"I am slightly curious, though, I must admit." Celes says to you. "I had thought you might try to, if you'll pardon the phrase, pry some more information about this world from that lady."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It would have caused problems, since they thought were were someone else. Momiji seemed fine with letting them think that, so I figured I'd let her have her moment. What I am hoping to do is get more information from the Hakurei Maiden."

[Oldmansour]

>"It would have caused problems, since they thought were were someone else. Momiji seemed fine with letting them think that, so I figured I'd let her have her moment. What I am hoping to do is get more information from the Hakurei Maiden."

>"I wasn't 'fine with it'." Momiji protests. "I just..." With a slight wince, she carries on, "Well, she was just a kid, what was I supposed to do?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I understand. But you didn't protest, so I saw no need to."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, I understand. But you didn't protest, so I saw no need to."

>"I might have done the same in your place." Celes adds. Your combined sentiment seems to mollify the white wolf, who merely nods appreciatively and falls silent.

>No more tengu flag you down on the remainder of your journey to the Hakurei shrine, and you make good time. Contrary to both Alice's and the Yamabushi woman's warnings, the air around the shrine is not filled with danmaku, nor the sounds of conflict. In fact, the only sounds coming from the temple grounds are a few voices chatting idly and the breeze though the cherry trees surrounding the shrine. The path leading to the shrine appears more well-traveled than you're used to, but at the moment it is untrodden upon.
>The shrine itself appears to be in better repair than you remember. When you were last here some years ago, it had a sort of 'run down' feel about it, likely due to Reimu's lack of funds to keep it properly maintained. That atmosphere is no longer present. If anything, it feels almost homey now, welcoming and open.
>A purple-haired woman in a red and white kimono is at work sweeping the fallen cherry blossoms from the stone walkways leading to the shrine, and with two brooms. One broom in her hands, the other about four feet behind her being manipulated by a length of chain extending from her wrist. Sitting on the veranda in front of the temple are a horned figure you recognize as Suika Ibuki. Reclining next to her is Komachi the ferryman. And sitting between them, currently pouring Komachi a drink, appears to be the Scarlet Devil's head maid, Sakuya.

[Hello Purvis]

>Any sign of a shrine maiden among them?
>Approach.

[Oldmansour]

>Any sign of a shrine maiden among them?
>Approach.

>The purple-haired woman's clothes are the right color, but not the right style. She probably doesn't qualify.
>Which group/individual?

[Hello Purvis]

>Just enter the shrine grounds in general and let people react.  If no one does, approach sweepy.

[Oldmansour]

>Just enter the shrine grounds in general and let people react.  If no one does, approach sweepy.

>You come in closer to ground level to make you presence known.
>"The impression I had been given led me to believe the Hakurei Shrine was not in this good a condition." Celes remarks.
>"Maybe this Reimu's done better for herself over the years." Momiji speculates, her tail swishing as she drinks in the cherry blossom scented air.

>Neither the sweeping woman nor the drinkers on the veranda react immediately to the arrival of you and your group, so you flutter over towards the woman with the chain and brooms. When you approach her, she looks up from her task and greets you with a friendly smile and nod. "Good day, ladies."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey. Looking for Reimu, she around?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Hey. Looking for Reimu, she around?"

>"Yes. She's just inside, taking a delivery from Marisa."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh good! Can we head inside, then?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh good! Can we head inside, then?"

>The young woman glances back towards the shrine entrance. "I think so. They probably won't be trying things on yet, not until Marisa and Remilia are done rattling each others' sabers."
>"You say that like it happens a lot." Momiji remarks.
>The woman nods. "Seems like every time Marisa comes here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh my. Better pull 'em away before they get too busy, then."
>Head inside!

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh my. Better pull 'em away before they get too busy, then."
>Head inside!

>The woman chuckles quietly. "Good luck." You leave her and her chained broom to their sweeping and head towards the Hakurei shrine itself.

>Suika waves enthusiastically as she spots your group approaching the door. "Lali-ho!" she exclaims, her tone that of a friendly greeting but the term unfamiliar to you. She thrusts her gourd forward, "Siddown a spell, 'ave a drink!"
>"Perhaps later." Celes answers diplomatically. "At the moment, we have some business to discuss with the Hakurei Shrine Maiden."
>"Aren't we formal." Komachi says, folding her arms behind her head. "We'll save you a drop or two for when you're done."
>"We shall at least try." Sakuya mutters, drawing a pair of guffaws from the drinking pair. You feel it best to leave them to their amusements for the moment, and enter into the Shrine itself.

>You find Reimu sitting in her living room, which is better furnished than you were expecting. The shrine maiden herself is seated at a finely crafted cherrywood desk, writing with quill and ink. "If that's you, Byakuren, gimme a minute to finish here." she calls out without looking up.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Nope, just a couple of tengu and a magician."

[Oldmansour]

>"Nope, just a couple of tengu and a magician."

>Reimu spares a glance your way, pulling a lock of her thick brown hair out of her eye. "Oh, it's you. Wasn't expecting you."

[Hello Purvis]

>"We're not even who you're expecting now. It's kind of a long story, but...well, uh, we're not from this world."

[Oldmansour]

>"We're not even who you're expecting now. It's kind of a long story, but...well, uh, we're not from this world."

>Unlike Alice, Reimu doesn't flinch at this idea. At least, not visibly. "You on the level with me here, or just fishing for a reaction shot?" she asks, her tone no more than simply curious.

[Hello Purvis]

>Turn up hands.
>"Do I have a camera?"
>"Anyways, we're, um, from another world. Another Gensokyo, anyways. And, possibly from the past, we're not too sure about that one. What is the date, anyways?"

[Oldmansour]

>Turn up hands.
>"Do I have a camera?"
>"Anyways, we're, um, from another world. Another Gensokyo, anyways. And, possibly from the past, we're not too sure about that one. What is the date, anyways?"

>"You're Hatate, you always have a camera."
>Reimu tilts her head back in thought. "April the seventeen- Oh, you mean the year, right?"

[O4rfish]

>What was the date we entered Marisa's house?

[Oldmansour]

>What was the date we entered Marisa's house?

>November the second, 2012.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do I have it ready, then? And yeah, the year."

[Oldmansour]

>"Do I have it ready, then? And yeah, the year."

>"Generally, yes. You're almost as fast on the draw as Aya. And it's 2028. 29. No, '28." Reimu finally settles on.

[Hello Purvis]

>Good thing we were prepared for that!
>"Okay, wow. That's just 16 years ahead of where we're supposed to be. Wait, no, fifteen and a half if it's April now."
>Sigh.
>"So. What happened was that some evil spirit sort of thing got into Marisa's house and sealed it off; some kind of a incarnation of the concept of greed, right? So, Momiji, Celes, and I; that's Celes by the way; worked together with some others to break the seal. When we got in, we found this weird book, that Celes says was definitely something this guy stole. But he put a trap on it of some kind, and the three of us ended up here."
>"Anyways, the reason why I'm pretty convinced this is a different world altogether is that Momiji and I didn't go missing for fifteen years, and Celes here is from Cobalt Keep, which isn't nearly as rough of a place where we're from as it seems to be here."

[Oldmansour]

>Good thing we were prepared for that!
>"Okay, wow. That's just 16 years ahead of where we're supposed to be. Wait, no, fifteen and a half if it's April now."
>Sigh.

>Illadin would be proud.
>"That explains that young girl at Alice's age." Momiji says quietly. "She looked about that age."
>"Would explain your hair, too." Reimu says to Momiji. "Was a fair bit longer, the last time I saw you, and a bit greyer. The other you. Whatever."
>"Greyer?" Momiji exclaims, looking mildly horrified at the idea.
>"If it's only been about 16 years, would would have happened that would turn a youkai's hair in that span of time?" Celes asks.
>Reimu considers that question for a moment. "You really AREN'T from here, are you?"

>"So. What happened was that some evil spirit sort of thing got into Marisa's house and sealed it off; some kind of a incarnation of the concept of greed, right? So, Momiji, Celes, and I; that's Celes by the way; worked together with some others to break the seal. When we got in, we found this weird book, that Celes says was definitely something this guy stole. But he put a trap on it of some kind, and the three of us ended up here."
>"Anyways, the reason why I'm pretty convinced this is a different world altogether is that Momiji and I didn't go missing for fifteen years, and Celes here is from Cobalt Keep, which isn't nearly as rough of a place where we're from as it seems to be here."

>"You sound like that half-baked barber down in the human town." Reimu says with a slow shake of her head. "And that psycho Sakuya too, now that I think about it." The Hakurei maiden lets out a soft sigh. "Wonderful. Please tell me you lot aren't psycho, too. I've got a festival here in a week's time, and I don't want my shrine getting messed up by a fight."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't think we are... But okay, I kinda want to find myself around here and see if I can take her? But that's it, I don't feel like wrecking any festivals or anything like that. But, since this is kinda an incident, we were told we ought to let you know about it."
>"Also, did I hear wrong, or is Marisa around here?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't think we are... But okay, I kinda want to find myself around here and see if I can take her? But that's it, I don't feel like wrecking any festivals or anything like that. But, since this is kinda an incident, we were told we ought to let you know about it."

>"And that goes for you, too?" Reimu inquires of Momiji and Celes.
>"Of course!" Momiji protests. "All I want is for us get back to our home." The Cobalt steward merely nods quietly.
>Reimu gives you and your group the eye for a moment more before nodding. "All right then."

>"Also, did I hear wrong, or is Marisa around here?"

>"Oh, she is. She's back there." Reimu points down the hallway to the north. "Flan dragged her off before she and Remi could get started."