Reimu Quest (Part 9)

[日巫子]

>"So. What we've found is that there's a nice hole here. So unless anyone has an observation to add, I suppose it comes down to who wants sewing lessons with Ran, and if anyone's going to try to go through there."

> A silence falls over the group.  Ran looks around at everyone else, perhaps hoping someone will speak up.  It doesn't look like she has any good observations either.
> "I could try going through again, ze," Marisa says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

It's all you, Sect.

[Sect]

Seems like a terrible idea, but no real reason to stop her from trying. We could see if we could tie something on her to pull her out or something if something goes wrong.

[Sect]

> "You sure you want to do that? We don't know if it's one way for you."

[日巫子]

> "You sure you want to do that? We don't know if it's one way for you."

> "Hmm..."  For once, Marisa seems to stop and consider your words.  "When you put it like that, you make it sound like I'm going on a suicide mission, ze."
> "It's risky enough passing through the Boundary, especially when it's like this," Ran says.  "You'd be better off sending an effigy."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do we have any of those?"
>What does the terrain below look like?

[日巫子]

>"Do we have any of those?"
>What does the terrain below look like?

> "I have this."  Marisa reaches into her apron pocket and pulls out a doll.  It looks generic, but it's clearly made by Alice.  She probably stole it.
> The terrain below is forested mountains.  They continue on even past the Boundary, but you doubt you'd be able to go to them.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Do the forests seem to be flooded?
>"Anyone got some good string we can tie to that?"

>_

[日巫子]

>Do the forests seem to be flooded?
>"Anyone got some good string we can tie to that?"

> No.
> Ran opens the lid of the sewing kit.  "I might have enough thread for that."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Is that thread strong enough, though?"

[日巫子]

>"Is that thread strong enough, though?"

> "Yes.  This is what we use to fix tears in the Boundary," says Ran.  She unwinds a short length of the white thread and gives it a strong tug, as if to prove her point.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Could have fooled us, given how fragile the thing seems to be...
>"Ah, okay. Good. The honors are yours, Marisa."

[日巫子]

>Could have fooled us, given how fragile the thing seems to be...
>"Ah, okay. Good. The honors are yours, Marisa."

> Thread just looks fragile in the first place.  You give Marisa her cue.  You all watch as she takes the thread from Ran, and ties a secure harness around the doll's waist, under her arms, and around her legs.  For the final touch, she takes a pencil out of her pocket and threads it through the spool.  It looks as if she's about to fly a kite, except one of Alice's dolls is at the end.
> "Um, Marisa, what exactly are you hoping to accomplish with this?" Youmu asks.
> "Dunno, ze!  Wanna make a hypothesis?" Marisa offers, tossing the doll up and down in her hand.
> "Um, alright...I guess that the thread is going to snap."  Youmu crosses her arms.
> Marisa frowns.  "That's bleak, ze.  Well, here we go!"
> Still holding onto the spool, she lobs the doll into the hole.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Look in the hole. Has anything happened?
>"Does it feel like it hit anything?"

[日巫子]

>Look in the hole. Has anything happened?
>"Does it feel like it hit anything?"

> You watch as the doll disappears into the abyss.  Nothing happens.
> "I just threw it, ze, hold on," Marisa says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Hold on. And stay attentive.

[日巫子]

>Hold on. And stay attentive.

> You wait.  So does everybody else.  They all crowd around Marisa and watch the thread.
> For a while, nothing happens.  You swear it's getting close to sunset.  Then, all of a sudden, the line goes taunt.
> "Huh?!"  Marisa is flabbergasted.  "I caught something, ze?!"
> Ran grabs her around the waist and flies back.  "No time to be questioning that!  Pull!"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>If it seems like the two of them aren't enough, join in the tug of war.

[日巫子]

>If it seems like the two of them aren't enough, join in the tug of war.

> Joined by Youmu and Sanae, you fly over, grab onto Marisa, and pull.  The pencil Marisa put through the spool snaps, and she scrambles to catch the spool itself.  For one heart-stopping moment you think you've lost it, but when Marisa grabs onto it the fight continues.
> The five of you inch backwards until the thread pops back like, and the doll goes flying into the air like a cork.  Marisa breaks from formation and rockets into the air to catch it, scattering the rest of you into the air.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Move back and try to avoid colliding with the others.

[日巫子]

>Move back and try to avoid colliding with the others.

> Years of flying enable you to gracefully glide out of the way.  Ran does her trademark spin backwards, while Youmu scrambles a little before regaining her balance.  Sanae isn't so lucky, and takes longer to right herself.
> As you gather your bearings, you hear Marisa swearing from above.
> "The hell is this, ze?"  Her voice quakes.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Look at this and determine what the hell it is.

[日巫子]

>Look at this and determine what the hell it is.

> You fly up to where Marisa is sitting on her broom, holding the spool in one thread and the doll in the other.
> The doll has been torn apart.  Its porcelain body is cracked, and mangled, with holes in its face and limbs missing.  Its brown hair is a tangled mess and the purple cloth of its dress has been shredded.  The thread that once protected it from being lost now strangles and contorts it.  Stuck between the threads and in its hair are white feathers tinted with blue.
> Perhaps hearing Marisa's outcry, Ran flies up to get a closer look.  When she sees the doll, her brows knit together.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Take one of the feathers and look at it.

[日巫子]

>Take one of the feathers and look at it.

> You pick up one of the feathers.  They don't seem to have been put here on purpose.
> Between your fingers, it feels silken.  "Angelic" is the word that springs into your mind looking at it.  It's different from the ruffled feathers of sparrows that eat birdseed from the shrine pathway, the sleek feathers of tengus who race through the air, or the fluffy wings Okuu keeps hidden beneath her cape.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"You know. I don't think these came from any kind of fish."

[日巫子]

>"You know. I don't think these came from any kind of fish."

> Ran takes one of the feathers and holds it up to eye level.
> "I...am at loss," she says, after some deliberation.  Down below, Youmu is helping Sanae right herself in the air; neither of the two notice what's going on.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Look the doll over for any other interesting clues.
>"You ought to get Alice to fix this one up, it did a good job."

[日巫子]

>Look the doll over for any other interesting clues.
>"You ought to get Alice to fix this one up, it did a good job."

> You take a look at the doll.  You're not sure what caused this to happen; there aren't any bite marks or claw marks...it's more like someone annihilated it with their bare hands.
> "Right that.  I'd better not run into that sentient doll on the way to the SDM, ze," Marisa says.  "I'll have to take these feathers to Patchy and see if she can identify them, too."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah. Hey, what'd she say about dealing with the salt?"
>Tuck the feather away.