Youkai Quest: 3rd Revision

[Kasu]

> Weirder things have happened, so "troublesome books" could definitely be a thing.
> Thank the woman for the info.

[Hanzo K.]

> Weirder things have happened, so "troublesome books" could definitely be a thing.
> Thank the woman for the info.

>You decide to file away this for later reference, seeing as weird seems to be the norm here in Gensokyo.
>Once you thank her for the info, she just smiles again in that same enigmatic way. "No need to thank me, you're still fresh aren't you? You don't need to say anything, I have my ways of knowing things. I'll be keeping my eye out for anything interesting you get up to, but right now I've got other business to attend to. If you'll excuse me."
>And with that, she goes into the village and vanishes amongst the general hustle and bustle. You could almost swear there was something...different about her...But what? Such a strange woman...She almost reminded you of Yukari in a way, but there's no way she was Yukari, you'd have been able to tell if she was. For one thing, you've never heard of Yukari disguising herself as a completely different person. Now, dressing like a different person, that's a whole other can of worms you don't want to open right now. It was weird times for all involved in that mess.
>That said, you suppose you should 'do as the Romans do' and head on in yourself. A quick cursory check reveals that you've still got that note that you need in order to get in, so you decide to head towards the gate where you're soon stopped by a pair of guards carrying some rather flimsy-looking spears that seem like they'd practically shatter without doing anything notable to even you, which really says something about the 'quality' craftsmanship. They probably do well enough for driving common Fairies off though. Flashing them the note, they both proceed to make an expression rather similar to that face those people on the tvbox make when dealing with that funny little guy in a top hat from that show about scythes and weapons and eating souls. You think he had the same name as some legendary sword or something...Caliburn? no, that's not it...Either way, they step aside and wave you through in a rather grudging way. Clearly they don't have a high opinion of Cats...or maybe it's Youkai they don't have a high opinion of? you can't really tell seeing as you're both a cat and a Youkai.

>That said, you're now in the Human Village! ...What now? According to the signs nearby, you're at the Western Gate, and to the south of you is a sidestreet that doesn't really seem all that interesting. though it looks like there's a spot that would be perfect for a food cart like the one Mystia has. Maybe someday she'll get to open up here...
>To the north is another sidestreet that seems quite messy, you suspect people tend to just dump their stuff there that they have no need for anymore. Who knows, maybe you might find something interesting there among the junk and refuse?
>And of course to the east lies the Town Square and Main Street, where there seems to be the highest concentration of people.

[Kasu]

> Look over the northern sidestreet a little bit to see if there's anything that's salvageable.

[Hanzo K.]

> Look over the northern sidestreet a little bit to see if there's anything that's salvageable.

>You decide to detour over to the street with all the junk to see if you can salvage anything interesting...

>Aha, looks like it's your lucky day today! Under a pile of junk and overall useless bits, it seems like someone threw out a container of some old cooking knives that look pretty busted-up, but you think Hebichi can reforge them into something more useful. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as someone once said.
>However, tucked away behind a pile of old papers and various other pieces of junk, lies a lonely-looking yet evidently well-crafted black-haired doll made of some sort of wood, sporting a rather heavily-damaged dress that seems to have lost much of what color it once had. in addition to looking like it's definitely seen rather better days. It doesn't seem to have a Presence, so you don't think it's a youkai in disguise. Having said that though, you still feel sorry for the little thing and tuck it away in Ponga's currently-unused pocket inside your cloak for safekeeping. Even from the pocket though, it radiates a sense of loneliness. You think it's a bit weaker than before though...How strange.
>Poking around further doesn't seem to reveal anything much of use except for a blank scroll. You might be able to use this for something later, but you aren't sure what. maybe a diary? You also find some old pots and pans that don't have bottoms anymore due to constant use. Hebichi might want these for her own uses, seeing as she works in a forge. and mentioned needing scrap metal over dinner last night. In addition to all this, you find a perfectly serviceable wok. Now who would be stupid and/or wasteful enough to throw something like this away? the nerve of some people. You stuff all of these other things into separate instances of your cloak's many 4D Pockets(Isn't Yukari a thoughtful one for giving you access to this?), and return to the main gate road. Seems like whatever was happening in the square is still going on, if the crowds are anything to go by. It seems that a different song has started playing since you went scavenging, though you don't know anything about this one.

~New Items!~
-Abandoned Doll-
This lonely-looking doll was found tossed aside in a pile of trash.  You felt sorry for it and picked it up. Maybe it'll have a happier home with you? You might want to get a replacement outfit for it though...
-Broken Knives-
This set of busted knives seem to be on their last legs, but you're confident that Hebichi can breathe new life into them somehow!
-Blank Scroll-
This blank scroll was found among rubbish and such in the Human Village. It doesn't have anything written in it at the moment though.
-Broken Pots&Pans-
These pots and pans are so well-used that their bottoms have worn-through. Hebichi should be able to do something with these though.
-Used Wok-
Who's the idiot who threw this away anyhow? It's still usable! Just needs a good cleaning is all, something Ran or Hebichi can easily take care of!


~Subquest Activated!~
-The Forgotten Doll-
You found an abandoned doll radiating loneliness in a garbage heap at the Human Village. Feeling sorry for it, you took the miserable little thing into your care.
you think that your next step in regards to the doll is to either find someone to make it some new clothes, or obtain already-made clothes.
Maybe someone here in the village would know something about that...

[Kasu]

> Head into the village, keeping an eye out for any tailors or toy stores.

[Hanzo K.]

> Head into the village, keeping an eye out for any tailors or toy stores.

>You elect to explore the village further, heading past the crowd in search of a tailor or toy shop. You note that the source of the crowd's attentions is a rather stone-faced and rose-haired girl dancing as masks seem to float about her.  From here you can sense that she too has a Presence, indicating her as a Youkai. You realize now that this must be what that woman meant. You stop for a bit to watch, and for a moment you could swear she looked straight at you. You wonder if you'll run into her again in the future.
>Of course, you also notice two other individuals watching with roughly about the same amount of interest as you. One has hair that reminds you of an owl, and sports a rather enveloping cape. and the other is a tall woman with hair that starts out all purplish at the top, and progresses to brown the further down you go. Whoever these two are, even you can tell there's a bit of tension between the two. Something like rivalry? Either way, it definitely feels like if they ever come to blows, you wouldn't want to be the unlucky one to get caught in the crossfire. After all, you can tell just by looking that these two are leagues above the average human...if they even are human to begin with though, seeing as you can't quite peg what they are. they could be Youkai, or they could be incredibly powerful humans that register as having a Presence. All in all, something to ask Yukari about at dinner.

>Having had your fill of the performance though, you wander off as cats are oft to do. This time you elect to look for a tailor or a toy shop. And though you locate a few, you find that none of them service doll clothes, or have any in stock at the time. One of them did mention a Puppeteer who comes to the village on occasion to set up puppet shows, and how she makes all her dolls and clothing by hand. It would seem that this Puppeteer is your next lead.
>Having done that, you suppose your next order of business would be to look into that bookstore the woman mentioned. Asking around for further info on it reveals that it's actually not too far from your current location at all, just down the street in fact.
>After a short trip, you find yourself in front of a store whose sign reads 'Suzunaan Bookstore'. It's even got an image of a little turnip on it.
>Listening closer reveals that it seems there's at least four people inside discussing something. You can't tell what exactly though, maybe they're other people who came to browse? You do recognize one of the voices as that woman from before though.


EDIT: Edited because of a lore mixup.

[Kasu]

> Head inside and browse if we aren't instantly accosted by the conversationalists.

[Hanzo K.]

> Head inside and browse if we aren't instantly accosted by the conversationalists.

>You decide to enter in search of interesting books,and see a group of what seems to be four people at the far end of the shop discussing something, though only three are obvious to you at the moment. You assume that the fourth is either hidden from view by the other three, or that she's somewhere out of sight from your current position.
>You note that the woman from earlier is indeed one of the people here, along with a blonde-haired girl in an outfit that looks a lot like the sort of thing a witch from those books you've read would wear. In addition to that peculiar sight, another brown-haired individual is present. This one is a younger individual clad in red and white clothing that calls to mind the traditional garb of shrine maidens who appears to be around the same age as the blonde girl. You think either Yukari or Ran had mentioned this one in the past, Reimu was it?
>That must mean that the blonde is Marisa then, seeing as when an Incident's afoot, they're usually both on the case according to Yukari. You wonder what Gensokyo's Top Problem Solvers would be doing here in a little shop like this?

>That said, you don't seem to have gone entirely noticed by them just yet. Or if they have, they aren't paying you any mind. so you opt to browse around the numerous shelves of tomes and scrolls for interesting books. Let's see here....'Booze and You, by Ibuki S.', 'Cat's-Cradle Made Easy(And Home-Remedies for the Common Cold and other Illnesses), by Kurodani Y.', 'Tengu, and why you'll Never be as Fast as one, by Shameimaru A.', "Spirit Photography and You, by Himekaidou H.', 'Jewelcrafting; A History, by Kirisame J.', 'It's not Stealing: it's Borrowing Until I Die, by Kirisame M.' 'Why I'm never mixing Bleach, Moonshine, and Roofing Tar again, by Yamazaki K.', 'A Tourist's Guide to the Ancient City(And tips on who to pick a fight with), by Hoshiguma Y.', 'Advanced Nuclear Physics; And How it makes my Brain all Hurty, by Reiuji U.', "How to Profit from Traffic Accidents, by Kaenbyou R.', 'On the Care and Feeding of your Raijuu, by Ibara K.', 'Food and You: A Ghost's Guide to Gensokyo's Food, by Saigyouji Y.', 'Maintaining both Your Sword and Yourself, by Konpaku Y.' ...Did Youmu write that last one? You don't think it was her...
>...Wow, most of these books were written by Youkai it seems! This must be what that woman meant these books being appealing to you!
>Further browsing not only leads you closer to the other people here, but also uncovers an intriguing book titled 'The Netherworld Cookbook, by Mr. Champloo'. Pulling it off the shelf reveals that, as the name implies, it is indeed a cookbook. The cover seems to have the image of a determined-yet-excited looking man in a outfit that looks a lot like a sushi chef's uniform, albeit in black-and-red. You assume that this must be the author. He looks like he's about ready to launch into a bombastic and over-the-top speech about cooking or something, just look at those manly-looking sideburns! If any of these books appeal to you so far, it's this one. You should remember to ask about how much it is, you bet there's loads of new recipes you haven't even heard of in it!

>...It couldn't hurt to take a peek right now, could it? Cracking open the book, you note that nothing bizarre happens, and it's apparently a perfectly ordinary cookbook. Though you do see a few recipes that might be interesting to try when it's your turn to cook. You think that you should probably buy this one, it might come in handy on your next visit to Hakugyoukurou! And maybe you can ask Youmu about that other book too.

[Kasu]

> Keep the book for now and continue looking around. Maybe inch a bit closer to the group to see what they're talking about.

[Hanzo K.]

> Keep the book for now and continue looking around. Maybe inch a bit closer to the group to see what they're talking about.

>You browse further while working your way closer to the group, though you don't find many other books of note. However, it does seem like books are the topic at hand for the others present.
>"Marisa, this is probably the stupidest thing you've done yet." The girl who you assume to be Reimu remarks in a somewhat disappointed and annoyed way. Which of course is followed by the blonde who has now been identified as Marisa sighing exaggeratedly. "Aw c'mon Reimu, I've done stupider and you know it. Remember that time I made that potion that switched us around?"
>This of course makes the girl now-identified as Reimu slump dejectedly. "Don't remind me about that mess, I still owe Yukari one for getting us back into our proper bodies....And remember how angry Alice was over that whole mess?"
>This of course makes Marisa chuckle. "Don't worry about that, I think Alice was just mad she didn't get invited to the party. Besides, I was drunk both times, so it's the alcohol's fault~!"

[Kasu]

> If nothing else catches our interest head over and wait for a gap in the conversation so we can buy the book.

[Hanzo K.]

> If nothing else catches our interest head over and wait for a gap in the conversation so we can buy the book.

>Poking around doesn't turn up much outside of an annotated copy of 'The Life & Death of Lord Tenma the XIII', which appears to be a biography of the previous leader of the Tengu. Interesting, but you don't really feel like buying it right now. maybe next time. You don't think it'll be all that useful right now anyways. Seems pretty expensive too, you'll probably need to save up for this one.
>You also find a book about something called 'Tsukumogami'. It sparks your interest, and doesn't seem to be magic, so you decide to read a little. Leafing through it reveals that it goes on at length about mundane objects coming to life and becoming Youkai themselves. How fascinating! You decide to add this one to your intended purchases too, as it might just tell you more about that doll you picked up.
>Seeing as you haven't found anything else of interest, you decide to work your way to the counter to make a purchase...providing you'll have a chance to do so of course. However, this also allows you to hear more of the conversation at hand for them.

>"But man, I didn't think the book would do that. I must be getting old or something if she was able to slip that kinda amateur-level trap past me." At this point, Marisa shrugs with a sigh. This of course gives way to a cocky grin. "I'll just copy it for myself and give her a taste of her own medicine!"
>This of course, elicits a facepalm from Reimu. "Careful now, remember the last time you got in a Prank War? The Shrine's spare house still smells like rotten pumpkins no-thanks to that."
>At this point, you hear another voice chime in, though you can't quite see the source. This voice sounds similarly young, though also different. You note that there seems to be a faint sound of jingly bells too. Maybe hair ribbons with bells attached? Those are nice, though you haven't gotten any for yourself. "She hasn't changed a bit since then, has she Reimu?"
>It looks like now's a good chance for you to interject and make your purchases!

[Kasu]

> "Ah, excuse me! I'd like to make some purchases, nyaa!"