>It would be. Get up at a leisurely pace, unwrinkling my clothes a little and blinking out any remaining fuzzies
>Oh, I have rivals? Go over information of rivals
> Most of Gensokyo can't be more than a minor inconvenience as antagonists, but what is our opinion of the Komeiji family?
>Or the mountain gods?
>You stand up, feeling quite awake at the moment.
>You have quite a few people you feel the need to keep an eye on. Rival is more a term of convenience than a term of fact:
>If there is any faction that you do not trust, it is the Lunarians, Eirin Yagokoro in particular. They have tried change the nature of Gensokyo before to suit their purposes, to the detriment of all youkai, and you suspect it is only a matter of time until they try again. As well, you do not trust any Lunarian envoys to keep the interest of anyone but themselves at heart. This said, you do have a soft spot for Reisen, after she helped manage Gensokyo's interests over those of her old home. You want to think well of Kaguya, as well, as she seems to have left a lot of ideology of her people behind, but it is difficult to credit this as a long-term change of heart rather than just a current phase.
>The Moriya Shrine has recently drawn your ire, with their little tricks in regard to trying to write Gensokyo's history to suit their needs. While you confess that they actually did a reasonably good job of it, you are rather incensed that their solution to the youkai issue was to make youkai into humans. Not to mention all the work of yours that the act rendered moot. Thankfully, it was not too difficult to clean it up; you have to acknowledge that Keine did a very good job in undoing their actions. It was bad enough that they infused Utsuho with the spirit of Yatagarasu, but that particular incident has led you consider taking personal and decisive action against them.
>Keine and Mokou are a deep concern of yours. You know Keine has altered the past on at least one occasion, and this bothers you deeply. Time and history are largely outside of your grasp, and you really don't trust anyone who can manipulate it. While they are reasonably harmless right now, they are an earthquake waiting to happen, sooner or later Mokou's immortality and Keine's mortality are going to cause one or the other to do something stupid. Unfortunately, it is also highly problematic to try to nip this problem in the bud, given how obsessed Mokou can be with revenge; you really would rather not have her dogging your steps for the rest of your days.
>The Komeiji family is largely no concern of yours. Koishi, however, demands some special attention for her role in the events of Genoskyo being forced into the outside world. However, you can sympathize with her, the life of a satori is a hard one. Honestly, while the reasons of the Moriya deities were rather petty, you can understand why she would embrace humanity and spread it to the rest of her people. You try to keep half an eye on her, but you aren't really irate with her like you are with many of these people.
>You also keep half an eye on Utsuho, her destructive potential cannot be ignored. However, she herself seems to be mostly harmless. You aren't too worried about her anymore.
>Toyosatomimi's entourage bears some attention; you don't need them trying to whip up old-world ideas about youkai. So far, though, they have behaved themselves.
>Yuka Kazami is as close as you have to a real rival. Her destructive potential, while a great deal more focused than Utsuho's, is also quite considerable. Moreover, she considers you as her rival. It is not a particularly heated rivalry at the moment, which is preferable, but you're well aware she considers your current status something of a chafe against her pride. You don't think the two of you will ever be compatible, she doesn't really have much class, and you don't really mirror her ideals on etiquette.
>Slap Kilgamayan.
>Remind ourselves of what we do in order to maintain the border, and how much of our duties are delegated to Ran.
>You don't slap Kilgamayan, he can't help it.>Your major duties are to make certain that incoming things do not poke holes into the barrier. Small objects appear all the time. Most of these aren't a great deal of concern, but over time their passing can create clutter in the border. This is magnified when the object in question isn't compatible with Gensokyo. It's one thing for a dropped yen from the outside world to appear, it's another thing if it is something akin to a Geiger counter, and another thing entirely if it is some bit sorcerous material from Avalon. Large objects also sometimes appear, and their passage can need to be treated quickly, even if they are compatible with Gensokyo. Ran generally keeps a log of things that she finds while you are asleep, which helps you identify problems when you've awakened. Compatibility and size are the keys to just how bad it is when a thing enters Gensokyo on their own.
>Another thing that you do is help the border remain intact as Gensokyo grows; letting out its clothing, so to speak. This is something you tend to allow to pile up a little; it's easier and more efficient to do this every so often rather than a little bit at a time.
>The particularly hard part is that you can't fully isolate Gensokyo, it needs to have some connections to other worlds for the dead to use to get to Higan, and it needs to have some physical connections to be a part of the universe. Maintaining a proper balance between having these and not being overwhelmed by them requires some work.
>What do we know of Maribel's relationship with Renko?
>What about Reimu interests us?
>What do we know about Reimu's interest in others?
>As for Maribel, what do I know of the Yuugi/Parsee/Utsuho situation, if anything, and if I am aware of it, how acceptable would such a solution be to me should I successfully court her?
>Maribel and Renko are in love and in a deeply committed relationship. This really doesn't bother your, your desire isn't to break them up, but rather to have Maribel when some time opens up that you both can mutually agree on. You are vaguely aware of the relationship between Yuugi, Parsee, and Utsuho, and you'd be fine with that kind of solution. You don't mind if Renko has primacy, you just want to borrow Maribel for yourself every so often.
>Reimu interests you for a number of reasons. The Hakurei line has been of interest to you since you learned of its existence, centuries ago. Their inherited ability to place barriers makes them a natural antithesis to your own nature as a being on the threshold. This makes them particularly interesting to you. You've had attractions to a few members of the lineage, to be honest, they tend to be strong people, and that is interesting as well. Reimu in particular interests, you however, because youkai have never had a better friend, and you are certain neither side realizes it.
>As far as interests go, Reimu is pretty decidedly not interested in anyone as far as you can tell. You've certainly tried to inflame her interests from time to time, but it's never really worked that you can see. Within the past couple years, she has also picked up a faerie companion who is quite madly in love with her, that Reimu has largely managed to deflect. You would have to have a good laugh, though, if that faerie actually managed to open her heart in some manner.
>Abilities.
>By nature, you exist at the edge of this world and the other. The nature of this 'other' is nebulous and ill defined, as the other always is. You are able to go to places where people cannot go, and return from them. You can find the small gaps between things and concepts, and exploit them. You can open the gaps, you can minimize them, you can shift them around to varying degrees. With the aid of the right tools, you can do quite a number of things with these abilities. By clever use, you can achieve quite a world of effects; though you tend to refrain from those without class.
>When is our next scheduled Old Maids Alliance club meeting?
>What a cruel way to think of Yuyuko! Though she'd likely laugh if you caught her in the correct mood.
>Have we really been around that long?
>When's the last time we saw Mima?
>Do our powers extend to divination, duplication, increased strength, shapeshifting, telekinesis, telepathy, time stopping, time travel, and breaking the fourth wall?
>We are aware of all residents of Gensokyo, right? Which residents' powers can't we imitate?
>Recall intersections of organized sports and Gensokyo. Tennis, pro wrestling, soccer?
>Relationship with Ran.
>Relationship with Chen.
>You have been around for quite awhile.
>You have not seen Mima in years, who knows where that screechy spirit got off to? Or perhaps she was exorcised finally?
>You can use your abilities for a few things, if you can work out a way to do it. As far as divination goes, it's easy to peer through or listen through a gap, assuming you can open one where you need it. Sometimes you can be more creative than that. Increasing strength and changing shape would be difficult, it is very hard to manipulate gaps within living beings without harming them. You wouldn't need to do this anyways, you are already quite strong. You can achieve some effects similar to telekinesis, you suppose, with clever manipulation of gaps, but you would rather just ask someone to bring what you need. You can't really do telepathy, but you could open a tiny gap in someone's ear and speak through it. Time is outside of your purview entirely, which has sometimes been a source of frustration, but probably for the best. You may not have always been at your best in regards to such things.
>Why would you imitate anyone's power? You have your own.
>There are no Gensokyo-wide organized sports, However, various communities do have their local games. The oni, for instance, maintain several different fighting leagues. The human village has a few amateur sports teams, but these are more of a hobby for after work than anything professional. Every so often, a new game will sweep over Gensokyo; you recall that dominos was popular a couple years ago.
>Ran is your dearest and closest companion. While youkai do not engage in marriage (well, at least not until recently, you suppose), you practically consider her your spouse. She helps bring methods to your madness, so to speak, in the centuries that the two of you have been together. While you have had your many dalliances, she is and will remain the brightest star in your sky and the one that all others revolve around. You love her as no other.
>Chen, you suppose, is rather like a niece to you. She is quite close to Ran, and their love is quite akin to parent and child. But despite your closeness to Ran, you and Chen just don't have that kind of bond. You regard her well, and you know that she respects you greatly, But she just isn't as close to you as she is to Ran, and you're alright with that. So you dote on her like a niece, while letting Ran handle the more important duties.
>Oh yeah, difference between Hakurei Barrier and Barrier of Common Sense.
>At first glance, some think they are one and the same. Nothing could be further from the truth; the concept called common sense often allows for quite a bit of fantasy and magical thinking. It's quite nebulous!
> Relationships
> Do we have any favorite objects, like our parasol?
>Outside of the above, there is Yuyuko, who is a former lover of yours, and one of your most constant friends. By extension, you know Youmu, although she doesn't care for you and you aren't especially impressed by her.
>You are well acquainted with Marisa Kirisame and Sakuya Izayoi, though neither of them are especially happy with the fact.
>You are acquainted with the inhabitants of Scarlet Devil Mansion, but you aren't particularly welcome there. You aren't especially unwelcome, either. You think well of Patchouli, though, and feel that it is mutual.
>You regard the inhabitants of the Myouren Temple, and their allies, reasonably well, but you tend not to visit very often, Buddhism doesn't appeal to you very much. You hold great respect for Byakuren Hijiri. If Reimu is the best friend that youkai have known, Byakuren is just behind her.
>You consider Rinnosuke Morichika an interesting and dangerous friend. You've been aware for a long time that there is more to him than meets the eye, and have worked with him to both of your benefits. You were not especially surprised when he finally made his move, nor did you feel the need to move and stop him; it is proper for Gensokyoans to decide their fate. However, you have not seen him more than briefly since the Myouren Shrine have taken him in and started to try to treat his madness.
>You find yourself curiously well-disposed toward Iku, she has impressed you in the past with her compassion toward youkai and her willingness to assist them. You consider her a distant friend.
>By extension, you hold The Dragon in great respact and consider it to be an associate of yours. The two of you worked together to establish Gensokyo, and it is probably the only deity that you truly like. You are aware that it holds some regard for you as well. You could, if you wanted to, easily go visit the Dragon Palace and expect to be granted an audience instantly. However, you would never do that on a whim, you respect The Dragon too much to bother it for anything other than the most important of reasons. And you know it would see you without precondition because you would never come and request an audience without a very good reason.
>_
