Hatate Quest Kolme

[Hello Purvis]

>Obtain picture.
>"...See, she was gonna be fine."
>"So who's you buddy, Celes?"

[Oldmansour]

>Obtain picture.
>"...See, she was gonna be fine."
>"So who's you buddy, Celes?"

>You take a quick shot. Seeing this, your counterpart follows suit and does the same.
>"You weren't kiddin'."

>The human gives you a wave. "I call her Yoshi. As you can see, she and I came to an accomodation."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I can see that. Didn't think your whole thing extended to being carried. So looks like things went pretty well for you."
>"Oh, I'm your Hatate, let's make this easy on you."
>Loosen our tie visibly.

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, I'm your Hatate, let's make this easy on you."
>Loosen our tie visibly.

>"Thank you for that."

>"Yeah, I can see that. Didn't think your whole thing extended to being carried. So looks like things went pretty well for you."

>"The oni was quite talented in the art of danmaku dueling. But not as much as I." she says with a vaguely triumphant grin.
>"Is... this what you meant when you called her a 'rider'?" your twin asks you as she takes another photograph of the grinning Celes.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, looks like she's a bit better at it than I thought. Anyways, this is my friend, Celes. And Celes, umm..."
>Put an arm around our twin's shoulder and give her a companionable hug, "This is my sister! You can call her Sis!"
>How does the oni seem to be taking this?

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, looks like she's a bit better at it than I thought. Anyways, this is my friend, Celes. And Celes, umm..."
>Put an arm around our twin's shoulder and give her a companionable hug, "This is my sister! You can call her Sis!"
>How does the oni seem to be taking this?

>Celes smiles at the sight of a mirrored Hata-hug.  Bet that's never been used in a story before. "A pleasure to meet you, 'Sis.'"
>"Urh, likewise." your counterpart replies, seeming just a touch on the nervous side.

>The oni seems... sort of out of it, really. She has a rather distant look about her face and eyes, like someone who hasn't slept in too long.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You okay, Sis? And what did you do to that oni? She looks like a zombie."

[Oldmansour]

>"You okay, Sis? And what did you do to that oni? She looks like a zombie."

>"Uh, yeah, fine, it's uh... It's nothing, really." she says, making a game effort at sounding confidant.

>"What do you mean?" Celes inquires.
>"Well, just look at her." your twin answers her.
>"Ah, yes, my apologies, I had forgotten you hadn't seen me mount something that wasn't also my companion." Celes says with a tip of her cap. "Well, as I said, Hatate, I am a Rider. I become the master of whatever I mount. Or anyone."
>"You-"
>Celes gives your counterpart a bemused smile. "I assure you both, you can't possibly make a joke I haven't heard before."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not even the taxidermist one?
>Gesture toward the oni.
>"So, uh, is she alright?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Not even the taxidermist one?
>Gesture toward the oni.
>"So, uh, is she alright?"

>Celes considers that for a second. "You might actually have me there. I have spent the past century sealed in sleep. It's possible for a few new jokes to have been conceived of in that time." Then she sighs. "Though I cannot help but doubt they are any better."
>"Perfectly." she assures you. "My ability causes no harm. It merely produces a pacifying effect on the more wild of creatures I mount." She gives the oni a poke in the back of her head. "This is more evident in some than others."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What's she going to do when you hop off, then? And did you find out anything? Oh, and are you done with whatever, or are you just popping in to let us know you're okay before going to find those pegasi?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What's she going to do when you hop off, then?"

>"That's up to her. Once I'm done with her, I certainly have no strong desire to keep her around me. If she wants to go home, that's up to her. Unless." she adds, looking at your counterpart. "Do the tengu enforce a peace on this mountain?"
>Hatatwin again looks a touch on the nervous side under Celes' direct scrutiny. "Sort of, yeah, if we need to. It's not official, or anything."
>"Ah, then the goddess Kanako holds official power?"
>"Sort of. There's kind of a communal thing between the tengu the Moriya the Gods and the Kappa and the Humans. It sort of depends on who's involved."
>"And no one speaks for the Oni of the mountain?" Celes is answered with a shake of the head. "Then I'll turn her loose after I have made my request of you."

>"And did you find out anything? Oh, and are you done with whatever, or are you just popping in to let us know you're okay before going to find those pegasi?"

>"Mostly the latter.  I wanted to inform you and Momiji that I had triumphed over my foe." She gives a nod to the beaming kappa standing apart from the other spectators. "And made at least one person's day a bit brighter in the doing. Where is Momiji, she is not with you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, we split up for a bit. I wanted some time to speak with Sis here. We left her over that way."
>Vague gesture in the proper direction.

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, we split up for a bit. I wanted some time to speak with Sis here. We left her over that way."
>Vague gesture in the proper direction.

>"What's this 'request'?" your counterpart asks Celes.
>The Keep's Steward nods. "I would like you to write about this story."
>"What, you mean you fighting Yoshi here?"
>"To be more specific, I want you to tell people about this bully of an oni, who respects the spellcard rules but not the people who fight by them. Who picks on those she thinks are weak just for the fun of it." There is a great deal of passion in the woman's voice and face. "This oni enjoys humiliating people whenever she gets the chance. I want her to know that this has consequences, and not always in the form of a Hakurei miko. People won't be so afraid of her once they hear about how a mere human rode her around Youkai mountain like a rented mule." She pauses for a moment, then gives your counterpart a polite smile. "Once you are free, of course. I didn't mean to interrupt you both."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh no, that's okay. It's good you let us know you're alright and stuff. Now, give us a smile!"
>Get a good picture of her this time.

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh no, that's okay. It's good you let us know you're alright and stuff. Now, give us a smile!"
>Get a good picture of her this time.

>"You heard the ladies, Yoshi." Celes says to her 'mount', and both she and her rider oblige you by smiling, an image you dutifully record. You may not run a story about it in and of itself when you get home, but that's definately one for scrapbook.
>Hatatwin also takes a measured shot, taking a few wingbeats backwards to do so. "You think she'd mind talking to a reporter about it?" she asks Celes.
>"I rather doubt it. But, I'm sure my young friend here can give you some further information." she replies, gesturing politely to the small kappa with the big smile. Who, as your counterpart turns her head to look at her, immediately starts fidgeting under the stranger's gaze. Typical Kappa shyness, there.
>To you, Celes asks, "Well, if you are not otherwise engaged, Hatate, have you discovered any new information on our situation?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"About our overall situation? Not much. A lot about what happened here, but it's not really that important to us getting home. I mean, it's really important, but not for that."

[Oldmansour]

>"About our overall situation? Not much. A lot about what happened here, but it's not really that important to us getting home. I mean, it's really important, but not for that."

>"I would agree. There is a strong possibility that we could be stuck here for some time."
>"And she's been telling me about what things are like where you come from." your twin adds.
>"I imagined so." Celes answers with a polite smile. "From what we had heard, I doubted your curiousty was any the less compared to your own 'Sis', as it were." For the first time, your counterpart smiles at the Keep Steward. "Well, if you'll both excuse me, then, I shall pay a call on Momiji."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Okay. We'll meet up at the Moriya in...I dunno, awhile? Couple hours maybe? However long it'll take you to wrangle up those pegasi?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Okay. We'll meet up at the Moriya in...I dunno, awhile? Couple hours maybe? However long it'll take you to wrangle up those pegasi?"

>"You're really looking for a pegasus?" your counterpart asks her.
>Celes nods. "I am a Rider, but here, I am separated from the companions who bear me. If I am going to be in this world for some time, I would feel better having a mount." She gives Yoshi a slight nudge with her bootheel. "That isn't an oni." she adds dryly.
>Hatatwin points towards the northeast. "Head east till you hit the border, then east for a couple miles more then turn north. There's a group of pegasi that roost in a craggy stretch of the mountain in that area. But be careful if you're going, they get a bit edgy when strangers come around."
>The Steward gives her a respectful bow. "Thank you for the information." Then she gives you both a tip of her cap, then turns to the kappa behind her. "Coming, Hanayo?"
>The little kappa starts, then her smile returns. "Uh, yes!"
>With a gentle smile, Celes gives you and your counterpart a polite nod, then kicks her heels into her 'mounts' ribs. "Hi-ho, Yoshi! Away!" The pacified oni starts off at a run, Hanayo the kappa flying behind them.

[Hello Purvis]

>Head back inside.
>"Well, she made some friends."

[Oldmansour]

>Head back inside.
>"Well, she made some friends."

>With Celes gone, you and your counterpart retreat back indoors through the skylight once more. "No kidding. But I gotta tell ya, I kinda wish I'd seen that before I knew where she called home. If she's smart, she'll keep that under her hat as long as she's here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, she's probably smart."
>Head back inside, reclaim out position on the couch.

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, she's probably smart."
>Head back inside, reclaim out position on the couch.

>"She ever tell you how she got into a place like that?" Hatatwin asks as you restake your couch.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ugh, I can't remember. There's so many of them. She's their Steward, though."
>Flip through our notes, did we get Celes' story?

[Oldmansour]

>"Ugh, I can't remember. There's so many of them. She's their Steward, though."
>Flip through our notes, did we get Celes' story?

>Not in its complete form. She mentioned that she has been with the Cobalt Countess for a very long time, and that she's at least two centuries old, claiming to be older than Patchouli. But she didn't mention how she came to serve the Countess or her life before that.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, she mentioned she had been around for about two centuries. But that's about all I got."

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, she mentioned she had been around for about two centuries. But that's about all I got."

>"Didn't run a background search yet?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I only just met her a couple hours ago. And maybe I was kinda distracted by a wind elemental who had nothing nice to say about Tengu."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I only just met her a couple hours ago. And maybe I was kinda distracted by a wind elemental who had nothing nice to say about Tengu."

>"Plenty of time to thoughtograph up a little info." your twin then adds with a nod, "But I understand, we get sidetracked. And you don't have to worry about that now. Even Ranka doesn't complain about- Oh, that's who you meant, right?"