Reimu Quest (Part 4)

[Hello Purvis]

>Put the wisp away, and examine the area around the broom, just to make sure there's been no foul play. No one would leave a perfectly good broom out where the faeries could steal it!

[日巫子]

>Put the wisp away, and examine the area around the broom, just to make sure there's been no foul play. No one would leave a perfectly good broom out where the faeries could steal it!

> You dismiss the will-o-wisp for now and look at the area around the broom.
> There doesn't seem to be anything wrong here, but you're surprised no faeries have stolen this broom.  It's practically child-sized.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Listen. Can we hear anything?

[日巫子]

>Listen. Can we hear anything?

> You stay quiet and listen.
> The cicadas are the loudest things here, but you think you hear something to your right.  It's the echoing of voices that are far away enough for you to not know what they're saying.  It's pure sound, but you can tell someone's making it.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Fly toward the voices!

[日巫子]

>Fly toward the voices!

> You leave the path and go into the forest, and you fly.
> Following the voices, you find yourself in a forest clearing, with tall grass going up to your knees.  The sky is overcast here, now that the sun has set enough for fireflies to blink in and out of your field of vision every few seconds.  At the upper left edge of the clearing you see the ground slope off.  The sound of rushing water comes from that direction, guaranteeing a stream.  The grass towards the center of the field rustles a bit.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Can we still hear the voices? If so, can we make out who they are?

[日巫子]

>Can we still hear the voices? If so, can we make out who they are?

> No, and--
> "Look!  It's a snake!" you hear a girl cry out.  This is followed by a loud gasp.  Something--or someone?--bursts out of the grass, and all of the sudden you feel something sharp poke you in the stomach.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Back away!
>Try to figure out what poked us, and if there's any more to come.

[Sect]

I assumed the orchid was more metaphorical than physical by this point.

Your face is metaphorical. Also, I swore Sanae had said there were fringed orchids here, but I can't remember.

[日巫子]

>Back away!
>Try to figure out what poked us, and if there's any more to come.

> You back away, and see a small girl with long black hair go tumbling to the ground.  Her horn almost lodges itself into the ground, but she manages to catch herself.  Pushing herself into a kneeling position, she brushes the grass off her robes and shakes her head.  Farther away, another girl with short pink hair and a bucket cap emerges from the grass.  There's a light green snake wrapped around her wrist and smudges of dirt on her hands.  You'd guess she's around Suika's height, maybe a little taller.  Unlike the horned girl, who is wearing traditional shrine maiden's garb, she is wearing a simple green skirt and blouse.
> "Are you oka--"  She stops short when she sees you.
> The girl who bumped into you looks up and freezes as well.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Uh, hey."
>"You kids haven't seen a green-haired wind priestess around here, have you? Goes by Sanae?"

[O4rfish]

>WTF, are these young versions of Kasen and Konngara?

[日巫子]

>"Uh, hey."
>"You kids haven't seen a green-haired wind priestess around here, have you? Goes by Sanae?"

> The black-haired girl looks over her shoulder with a slightly distressed expression.
> "Uh...I haven't," the pink-haired girl says.

>WTF, are these young versions of Kasen and Konngara?

> They're...they're...
> You think they are.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Shit, how do you deal with kids?
>"Don't worry, I'm not up to anything, I'm just looking for my friend."

[Sect]

> Help up mini Konngara.

[O4rfish]

>"Are you Kasen and Konngara?"

[O4rfish]

>Wonder if there's young versions of Yuugi and ... well a normal version of Suika.

[日巫子]

>Shit, how do you deal with kids?
>"Don't worry, I'm not up to anything, I'm just looking for my friend."

> This is not something you are knowledgeable in.  You've not even spent that much time around Koishi or Flandre.
> "Oh, um."  The pink-haired girl--Kasen?-- steps forward, still holding the snake.  "Okay.  Who are you?"

> Help up mini Konngara.

> You take Konngara's hands and help her off the ground.  Her fingers brush against the feathers on your hand, earning you a curious look.  At full height, she's probably a little shorter than Suika.

>Wonder if there's young versions of Yuugi and ... well a normal version of Suika.

> For some reason, you are reminded of Yuugi and Suika.  If anything, you're sure there would be nothing different about Suika if you saw her here.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm Reimu."

[Sect]

> Do NOT say their names until they introduce themselves: we don't wanna freak 'em out.

[日巫子]

>"I'm Reimu."

> "I'm Kasen."  Kasen releases the snake into the grass and tromps on over to you.
> Konngara doesn't say anything and keeps looking at your hand.

> Do NOT say their names until they introduce themselves: we don't wanna freak 'em out.

> You make a note not to call them by their names, at least not until they've said them themselves.  You know them, but they don't seem to recognize you.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, you two live back there?"
>Nod toward the shrine.

[Sect]

> Betcha Mini Konngara was the one who left that broom lying around. We'll need to give her a good talking to.

[日巫子]

>"So, you two live back there?"
>Nod toward the shrine.

> Konngara nods.
> "I don't," Kasen says.  "I live in town."

> Betcha Mini Konngara was the one who left that broom lying around. We'll need to give her a good talking to.

> She probably did.  Slacker.
> Konngara tugs on your sleeve.

> _

[Sect]

> "Yeah? What is it?"
> When was the last time we've seen Konngara? Er, big Konngara, not baby Konngara.

[日巫子]

> "Yeah? What is it?"
> When was the last time we've seen Konngara? Er, big Konngara, not baby Konngara.

> "...Sanae's here?" she asks.
> You think back to the last time you saw Konngara.  You think you passed by her two or three weeks ago in the Ancient City.  Or maybe it was a longer ago than that.

> _

[Sect]

> Mock surprise. "Oh, so she does speak!"
> "Dunno. I was talking to her on the mountain earlier, but I lost track of time and can't find her."

[日巫子]

> Mock surprise. "Oh, so she does speak!"
> "Dunno. I was talking to her on the mountain earlier, but I lost track of time and can't find her."

> Konngara grumbles and lets go of your sleeve.
> "Then you're lost?" Kasen asks.

> _

[Sect]

> Pat the li'l oni on the head with a smirk.
> "I know exactly where I am. Sorta. It's just that Sanae isn't where she outta be: somewhere I can find her. Is... Kikuri around? I heard she was with Sanae."