Meira Quest (Part 4)

[日巫子]

> Ask around, see if they've seen a girl with a black dress and goes arms outstretched all the time. She might be riding a sheep.

> You start asking around again.
> Again, no one seems to know, but eventually you do find a few people who say they have seem someone like that heading off towards the forest, sans sheep.

> _

[nolrai2]

"Well..Koyoshi..lets go into the forest!"
Do so!

[日巫子]

"Well..Koyoshi..lets go into the forest!"
Do so!

> Kouyoshi nods wordlessly, and the two of you proceed to head across the field and into the forest.
> The forest is just as fresh and clear as you remember it, but it's suspiciously dark compared to last time you were in it.

> _

[Sect]

> "Heeeey, Rumiaaaa! Where are youuuu?"
> Keep looking for Rumia.

[日巫子]

> "Heeeey, Rumiaaaa! Where are youuuu?"
> Keep looking for Rumia.

> You call out for Rumia.  The wind blows, and you hear some birds chirp in the distance.  All is quiet, and then you hear a voice in the distance.
> "Helloooooo?"

> _

[Sect]

> Run towards that voice. "Hey, Rumia! I gotta question for you!"

[日巫子]

> Run towards that voice. "Hey, Rumia! I gotta question for you!"

> You run in the direction you think you heard the voice coming from, and in turn, you hear footsteps crashing through the foliage.
> "What is iiiiit?"

> _

[Sect]

> "Could we borrow a cup of miko? Have you seen any shrine maidens around here?"
> Where the heck is she?

[日巫子]

> "Could we borrow a cup of miko? Have you seen any shrine maidens around here?"
> Where the heck is she?

> "What the heck kind of measurement is that?!"
> "Uhhhhhhhh..."
> More crashing sounds from the bushes, and Rumia stumbles out into the open, leaves in her hair and a goofy grin on her face.  Her dress is stained with mud again.
> "That sounds kinda familiar," she says.

> _

[Sect]

> "Really? We're trying to find a miko on a hill! Or, uh, she was on a hill."

[nolrai2]

"Have you been doing something fun?"

[日巫子]

> "Really? We're trying to find a miko on a hill! Or, uh, she was on a hill."

> "...The hill?  That place on the hill?"

"Have you been doing something fun?"

> Rumia's grin is still there.  "I was taking a walk."

> _

[nolrai2]

"did you find any thing cool?"

[日巫子]

"did you find any thing cool?"

> "No...but I remember once, when I went to a shrine, there was a lady there.  That feels like a looong time ago, though..."

> _

[nolrai2]

"Really! Your the first one to remember anything about her!"

[日巫子]

"Really! Your the first one to remember anything about her!"

> "Really?"  Rumia looks a bit deflated.  "I guess shrine maidens are easy to forget about 'cause there aren't any around."

> _

[nolrai2]

"I need one though..think we can find one?"

[日巫子]

"I need one though..think we can find one?"

> "There has to be one somewhere," Rumia says.  She giggles to herself.  "I can feel it in my bones."

> _

[nolrai2]

"Well, lets get looking then!"

[日巫子]

"Well, lets get looking then!"

> "We're going to the shrine?" Rumia asks.  She sounds a bit hopeful.

> _

[Sect]

> "Uh... sure! Maybe you can find something we missed! Right, Kouyoshi?"

[日巫子]

> "Uh... sure! Maybe you can find something we missed! Right, Kouyoshi?"

> Kouyoshi looks over and nods.  "Yeah, we weren't in the shrine itself for that long, were we?"
> "Yesss!"  Rumia throws her arms in the air.  "I bet there's food you just didn't find!"

> _

[Sect]

> "Uh, I'm pretty sure the food is all icky and rotted..."
> Back to the shrine!

[日巫子]

> "Uh, I'm pretty sure the food is all icky and rotted..."
> Back to the shrine!

> "Aw..."  Rumia's face falls.
> The three of you start off towards the shrine again.  The trek past the Human Village and into the forest takes longer than you thought, and by the time you've reached the stone stairs again, the sun is starting to set.  Last time you were here, you were certain it was fairly abandoned, but as you ascend the stairs you see that there are many faeries here: flitting around the steps, and sitting on the torii.  You hear more chattering beyond that.
> Rumia keeps herself covered with a roof of what can only be described as pure black, but as the sun dips further down into the sky, it slowly dissolves.  Both Rumia and Kouyoshi look rather happy to be here, somehow.

> _

[Sect]

> "What're you guys so happy for?" Wave at the fairies.

[日巫子]

> "What're you guys so happy for?" Wave at the fairies.

> "The sunset!" calls out a yellow-winged faerie.  A few others near her wave back to you.  Still more are giggling at you, and you hear the words "sunset, sunset" being repeated over and over again.

> _

[Sect]

> "Oh, wait, all you guys are more active at night, right?" Keep walking up the stairs. "Hey, fairies! Have you seen mikos around?"

[日巫子]

> "Oh, wait, all you guys are more active at night, right?" Keep walking up the stairs. "Hey, fairies! Have you seen mikos around?"

> You get a few shouts in reply: "yes, yes, we do!"
> You continue up the stairs, asking anyone in the vincity if they've seen a shrine maiden lately.
> "We've seen shrine maiden clothes," says a faerie.
> "Maybe yes maybe no, I can't remember!"
> "Shrine maidens don't exist!"
> "Bluh bluh yes they do!"

> _

[Sect]

> Oh, great. We forgot they're fairies. Continue up the stairs to the shrine. "Hey, Rumia, can you think of anything now?"

[日巫子]

> Oh, great. We forgot they're fairies. Continue up the stairs to the shrine. "Hey, Rumia, can you think of anything now?"

> Faeries aren't exactly the brightest candles on the wall, you think.
> The three of you continue on up to the shrine.  There are faeries here, too: in the grass, on the room, pattering around the donation box.  You think you hear a commotion going on inside.
> "Uhhhh..."
> Rumia stands there, mouth slightly agape.
> "...Uh...uh...houses have...basements, I think, maybe there's preserved food down there," she guesses.
> Kouyoshi just kind of wanders ahead and looks around the edge of the shrine.  "I wonder if the kitsune's still around here."

> _