Reimu Quest (Part 11)

[Hello Purvis]

>"No problem, but Orin did the real work."
>"So, who showed up?"

[日巫子]

>"No problem, but Orin did the real work."
>"So, who showed up?"

> "Oh, I see," Patchouli sighs.  "Some people from the moutain, and Yukari's shikigami."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh good, I've been wanting to talk with her."
>Head toward the crowds and see who all we can pick out. In particular, if Sanae is around.

[日巫子]

>"Oh good, I've been wanting to talk with her."
>Head toward the crowds and see who all we can pick out. In particular, if Sanae is around.

> You leave Patchouli and search the crowd.  Among the people who were here earlier, you see the newcomers Patchouli was talking about: Nitori and a handful of kappa, Ran, and Chen.  Unfortunately, you don't see Sanae here.  Suwako, however, is.  You see her approaching Ran with a sour expression on her face.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Let's approach Ran as well before things get nasty.

[日巫子]

>Let's approach Ran as well before things get nasty.

> Your incident-resolving senses tingle, and you approach Ran as well.
> Suwako stalks up to the kitsune and puts her hands on her hips.
> "What did you do with my Sanae, huh?" she demands.  Ran takes a step back and makes a shooing motion.  Chen scampers away, going over to where Orin, Mamizou, and Nue are.
> "As far as I know, Lady Yukari needs her for--"
> "I know that already," Suwako says.  "You'd think they'd be done with that by now.  I've looked all over Gensokyo and no one has seen her."
> Ran, maintaining a cool and calm expression, says, "She and Lady Yukari are technically not in Gensokyo right now."
> "Well, if she's not back by tonight, I'm suspecting foul play," Suwako says.  She is visibly frustrated.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, if there's foul play, I can attest that Ran had nothing to do it with."

[日巫子]

>"Well, if there's foul play, I can attest that Ran had nothing to do it with."

> "And how can you tell that?" Suwako asks, looking at you.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"She wasn't there when the plan was made."

[日巫子]

>"She wasn't there when the plan was made."

> Suwako sighs.  "Well...she at least has access to Yukari, doesn't she?  I just want to make sure Sanae is okay."
> "I understand completely," Ran says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Let's talk about that access to Yukari. Where is she?"

[日巫子]

>"Let's talk about that access to Yukari. Where is she?"

> "She is still in the space between Gensokyo and Sanae's world," Ran explains.  "This time she left me a means of contacting her."
> Ran reaches into her pocket and pulls out a flat, thin rectangle that seems to be made of obsidian.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Gesture for her to give it to Suwako.

[日巫子]

>Gesture for her to give it to Suwako.

> You motion for Ran to give Suwako the rectangle.  She hesitates, but complies, and Suwako takes it from her.
> "Hmm..."  Suwako taps the surface of the rectangle, and it lights up.  She continues poking at it for a few minutes, and then holds it up to her ear.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Does it work?"

[日巫子]

>"Does it work?"

> "Hold on," says Suwako, and continues to wait.
> After a moment, she starts to speak again.
> "Where's Sanae?...Yes, it is...I'm just borrowing it for a bit.  Where's Sanae?...That doesn't mean I have to stop worrying about her well-being.  Stop dodging the question...What 'business'?...Is she available to speak with?...Fine, I'll hold."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Snicker.

[日巫子]

>Snicker.

> Ehehehe.
> "Oh, would you be quiet," Suwako says to you.  At least she's not angry anymore.  She then turns her attention back to the rectangle.
> "Sanae?...Shh, shh, no one's going to be mad at you.  Are you hurt at all?...You're just overwhelmed right now.  I'll work it out with you, okay?...Yes, you do, and have a little faith in her.  She's been working really hard on this incident...You won't know until you talk to her yourself.  Like I said, we'll deal with this later.  How is everything over there?..."
> Then, Suwako frowns and her tone becomes questioning.  "Watching you?  You mean Yukari?...There couldn't be anything else out there, could there?...I understand.  If it's making you nervous, at least Yukari's there if anything happens.  If you're not too tired, come to the Scarlet Devil Mansion when you're finished...You'll see...Yeah?...Oh, no, no, you're not bothering me.  You just need a little help getting off the ground is all.  See you later?...See ya.  Ribbit."
> Suwako taps the rectangle again and gives it back to Ran.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sounded like mixed results."

[日巫子]

>"Sounded like mixed results."

> "With what they're doing?" asks Suwako as Ran puts away the rectangle.  "Neither of them said they were having any problems with that, specifically.  If you're asking about Sanae, she's not in the best mood right now."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I heard something about being watched."

[日巫子]

>"I heard something about being watched."

> "Oh."  Suwako ribbits.  "Sanae said she felt as if someone was watching her, and it was making her scared.  If Yukari felt that presence too, she's doing a good job of hiding it."
> "It's difficult to bother Lady Yukari," says Ran.  "But I'm sure she would have noticed if something was wrong."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'd hope so. And would hope she'd speak up about it, however vain that is."
>Look to Ran. "So, did you tell her about our project?"

[日巫子]

>"I'd hope so. And would hope she'd speak up about it, however vain that is."
>Look to Ran. "So, did you tell her about our project?"

> "I have not.  That was Chen's doing," says Ran, gesturing to said nekomata.  Chen is currently chasing around a ball of yarn with a suspicious black antennae on it.  "I assume Lady Yukari will be coming straight here after she's finished."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Good. In the meantime, what was your role in the raising of the original barrier?"

[日巫子]

>"Good. In the meantime, what was your role in the raising of the original barrier?"

> "I was involved in the most complex spell casting and assisting with the blood contract," says Ran.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"And how much of the original planning were you involved in?"

[日巫子]

>"And how much of the original planning were you involved in?"

> "A decent amount.  I was helpful in measuring the amount of ingredients needed and sorting people into groups.  I was present at the meeting that decided the Boundary would be put up, but I was only an observer and had no say in that conversation."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's something. I want you to look over what we've found and the work we've done. My goal isn't just to make a new barrier, but rather use what we have to replace the existing one."

[日巫子]

>"That's something. I want you to look over what we've found and the work we've done. My goal isn't just to make a new barrier, but rather use what we have to replace the existing one."

> Ran's eyes widen.  "That's very risky.  What are you going to do about the old one?  It's not just going to disappear when all is said and done, you know."

> _