Keine Quest: The Broken and the Lost

[DracoOmega]

>"Let's focus on the disappearing. What happened to make everyone vanish like that?"

>"Um... I dunno! They were there, and you made me go away, and when I came back way later, everyone was gone."

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown.
>"Hmmm. Anything else happen since you were made to go away?"

[DracoOmega]

>Frown.
>"Hmmm. Anything else happen since you were made to go away?"

>"Hmmm...." She considers this for a moment. "Well, it stopped being cold!"

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "Do you know who else is around still?"

[DracoOmega]

> "Do you know who else is around still?"

>"Well, the green-haired lady lives here. Rumia doesn't really like her. Feels kinda creepy being near her. Hmmm... Rumia also saw a human walking around the other night. But she couldn't see Rumia. I was invisible!" She pauses for a moment, and hastily adds "I didn't eat her! I didn't even nibble!" You can almost hear her cringing.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Hmm, Green-haired creepy lady is probably Yuuka.

> "Can you tell me what the human looked like?"

[DracoOmega]

> Hmm, Green-haired creepy lady is probably Yuuka.

>Well, she certainly is green-haired and potentially creepy. You've never met her, but her reputation precedes her. You don't know how true the stories are, but a being with that much power could be quite frightening if she really were a loose cannon. Fortunately, she usually stayed to herself, far away from your own life. You wonder what could have brought her here...

> "Can you tell me what the human looked like?"

>"Hmmm.... well, she had brown hair and looked kinda lonely."

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Only one we know that has brown hair and human is Reimu......and maybe Byakuren.

>"Do you know where she lives?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you know where she lives?"

>"Nope! Just saw her walking around up where the farms were, and watching the moon. Oh, and picking flowers!"

> Only one we know that has brown hair and human is Reimu......and maybe Byakuren.

>You contemplate who this mystery human could be. Frankly, brown hair's not a lot of description to go on, and anyone would be lonely living in this ghost town.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "What was the person with brown hair wearing? Was is red and white?"
> "You mentioned that you remember me making you go away, and then it stopped being cold, then the village was like this. How long was it cold for? The same amount every year, or for longer?"

[DracoOmega]

> "What was the person with brown hair wearing? Was is red and white?"

>"Nope! It was blue. Or was it brown? Purple? Rumia doesn't really remember... But it wasn't red and white. Red and white hurts...."

> "You mentioned that you remember me making you go away, and then it stopped being cold, then the village was like this. How long was it cold for? The same amount every year, or for longer?"

>"It was a lot longer! It was thiiiiiiis long!" You can imagine her making a gesture with her hands, but you're still in the middle of the blackness, so you can't see anything. "Everyone was all upset. Hmmm.... everyone says Rumia's memory is bad, but even I remember that. Did you forget? Ooo... or is this a game?" She claps her hands excitedly. "Ask me another one! Do I get a prize if I get them all right?"

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "Uh, maybe, so what did you do that made me be mean to you? And uh...how did I respond?"

[DracoOmega]

> "Uh, maybe, so what did you do that made me be mean to you? And uh...how did I respond?"

>Her response sounds rather panicked again "Rumia was just hungry! Being hungry's not Rumia fault!" She seems to catch herself, and after a pause, continues somewhat tentatively. "Oh, is this part of the game, too? Well, you won't trick Rumia. I can get these right, too! Rumia tried to eat someone. You said no. Rumia tried to eat someone anyway. You said no, again. Rumia kept trying to eat people. You shoot looooots of danmaku at Rumia. You said that if you ever saw me again, you'd stop being nice. Rumia doesn't like being dead...."
>"How'd I do?" she asks excitedly.

[Doll.S CUBE]

> That is how you'd respond but Rumia stopped trying to eat people sometime ago, didn't she?

> "Uh....you did great" Smile

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "You did do good Rumia" If we can tell where she is pretty well, give her a pat on the head.
> "Was the creepy lady with the green hair holding anything?"
> A very long winter? Could she be refering to the incident prior to the fake moon incident?

(Side note, what would be the term for PCB anyway? IN was Fake Moon/Eternal Night, SA was Underground, EoSD was Scarlet Mist, ect.)

[DracoOmega]

> That is how you'd respond but Rumia stopped trying to eat people sometime ago, didn't she?

>Well, she'd never caused much trouble you were personally aware of. Certainly youkai have historically preyed on humans, and Rumia has never been that far removed from her simpler instincts. If history had unfolded differently here, it doesn't sound outside the realm of possibility, no matter how unpleasant the thought might be.

> "Uh....you did great" Smile

> "You did do good Rumia" If we can tell where she is pretty well, give her a pat on the head.

>You give Rumia a small congratulations and reach out to give her a pat on the head. You think you catch the side of her face instead, but find her head soon enough. She giggles.

> "Was the creepy lady with the green hair holding anything?"

>"Um... don't think so! And don't I get my prize now?"

> A very long winter? Could she be refering to the incident prior to the fake moon incident?

(Side note, what would be the term for PCB anyway? IN was Fake Moon/Eternal Night, SA was Underground, EoSD was Scarlet Mist, ect.)

>It does seem possible.
>Akyuu's chronicles referred to this event as the Spring Snow Incident

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Do we have anything to give her that she would like as a prize?

[DracoOmega]

> Do we have anything to give her that she would like as a prize?

>You don't know that you're carrying anything particularly suitable, but Rumia always seemed easily amused

>Inventory:

>Blue dress (currently worn)
>Pagoda Hat (currently worn)
>Origin Sign "Ephemerality 137"
>Land Sign "Three Sacred Treasures - Mirror"
>Future "The Next History of Phantasm"
>Scroll case (containing a message from yourself)

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Give her the Pagoda Hat

> Also ask about Reimu

[DracoOmega]

> Give her the Pagoda Hat

>With some reluctance, you take your hat off and give it to her. After all, if you can figure out how to fix... whatever it was that happened here, there's a good chance you'll find yourself spontaneously hatted once more
>You discover that handing someone an object in the absolute darkness is kind of difficult. Eventually you settle for dumping it in what you think is her lap

>"Ooo... what's this? Feels kinda funny." You can hear her poking it. "Ooo... the top is all pooky. Thanks! This is a great prize!" Evidently she's satisfied with a mystery object that even she cannot currently identify. Does it never occur to her to drop the whole darkness thing for a moment?

> Also ask about Reimu

>You inquire about Reimu.
>"Reimu? Oh, you mean the red white? Hmmm... Rumia hasn't seen her in a long time, now that I think about it... Good riddance! She was a meanie."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "What about Mokou? The girl with really long *insert proper color here* hair, says kinda mean things at times."

[DracoOmega]

> "What about Mokou? The girl with really long *insert proper color here* hair, says kinda mean things at times."

>"Doesn't ring a bell."

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Ask her to take the darkness field down, It's kinda getting annoying talking into the darkness.

> Ask her about Marisa. If she doesn't know ask her about people you think she'd know about, like Cirno and Wriggle.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Do you remember anyone who lived in the Bamboo Forest? What about a lady with long dark hair and pretty clothes?"
> "Rumia, do you want to come with me while I try to find some people. I'm not happy about what happened here, I'm sorry about having been mean to you, and I don't want to be alone right now."

[DracoOmega]

> Ask her to take the darkness field down, It's kinda getting annoying talking into the darkness.

>You ask her to take drop the darkness sphere.
>"It's cozy in here... but ok, since you gave me this pooky mystery box."
>The darkness vanishes. Well, it's actually still fairly dark, being an overcast night, but you can at least see again.

> Ask her about Marisa. If she doesn't know ask her about people you think she'd know about, like Cirno and Wriggle.

>You inquire about the status of various other people
>"Marisa? Hmmm... who's that?"
>"Cirno's Cirno." She says, as though she expects this answers your question.
>"Rumia doesn't see Wriggle too often. She lives over there." She sweeps her finger over an area that covers half of eastern Gensokyo.

> "Do you remember anyone who lived in the Bamboo Forest? What about a lady with long dark hair and pretty clothes?"

>"Rumia doesn't go there. Getting lost is fun. Getting unlost... not so fun."

> "Rumia, do you want to come with me while I try to find some people. I'm not happy about what happened here, I'm sorry about having been mean to you, and I don't want to be alone right now."

>"Hmmm...." She seems to be giving this a great deal of thought. Or whatever passes for thought for her. "Rumia forgives you," she declares at last. "Not sure she can help you find people, though... Rumia's sense of direction... is kinda bad."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Could you come with me at least, with the village all empty, it's kinda lonely. I don't like lonely."

[DracoOmega]

> "Could you come with me at least, with the village all empty, it's kinda lonely. I don't like lonely."

>Rumia frowns. "Are you sad...? Rumia doesn't like being sad, either." She stands up and raises one hand in a dramatic gesture. "Rumia will help you be not sad!"

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "Thank you"

> Take Rumia's hand and head to Akyu's place.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Thanks Rumia. I don't like being sad, or others being sad." Give Rumia a kind smile.

[DracoOmega]

> "Thanks Rumia. I don't like being sad, or others being sad." Give Rumia a kind smile.

> "Thank you"

>You thank Rumia for offering to tag along. She smiles back at you.

> Take Rumia's hand and head to Akyu's place.

>You take Rumia's hand and start heading back towards the village and the Heida household.
>Rumia looks somewhat curiously at the hat she's holding in her other hand, before eventually deciding that it should go on her head. The effect is rather... incongruous to say the least.

>After a short time, you reach your destination. The Heida are a family with a long and distinguished lineage, and their home is one of the largest dwellings in the village. You never knew the rest of the family very well, but were good friends with Akyuu and have been here many times. It's also in fairly good shape, considering. No obvious signs of damage, although it could use a little maintenance, like nearly everything else around here.