Reimu Quest (Part 5)

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, whatever, let's just get this over with, okay?"
>Offer her a hand.

[日巫子]

>"Oh, whatever, let's just get this over with, okay?"
>Offer her a hand.

> Sanae reaches out to take your hand without looking up at you.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Give her a reassuring squeeze, and continue on toward Suwako's pond.

[日巫子]

>Give her a reassuring squeeze, and continue on toward Suwako's pond.

> You squeeze Sanae's hand and walk up the rest of the stairs with her.  She doesn't resist, not even when you enter the shrine grounds and head towards the back.  Only a small handful of kappa are here, and as you pass by, they stare at Sanae.  She doesn't lift her head to acknowledge them.
> At the back of the shrine, there's no one here but Suwako's hat, floating in the pond.  It floats towards the edge when you get closer.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Land near the hat.
>"Your idea worked like a charm."

[日巫子]

>Land near the hat.
>"Your idea worked like a charm."

> You land at the pond's edge.  It should be noted that Sanae was walking the entire time.
> Suwako emerges from the water, underneath the hat.
> "Of course it did."  She sees Sanae, and a wide grin spreads across her face.  "Sanae!"
> She leaps out of the water and latches onto Sanae in a full-body hug, effectively pinning her arms to her sides.  "We were worried about you, you silly girl!"
> Sanae stumbles back and just stares into space with a defeated expression.  Suwako detaches and settles for holding Sanae's hands, instead.
> "How about you go get yourself cleaned up and have some lunch?  You must be hungry, right?  Reimu, you can join us if you like."
> Suwako sounds positively ecstatic.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Early lunch sounds fine by me!"

[日巫子]

>"Early lunch sounds fine by me!"

> "Okay, let's go then."  Suwako starts for the shrine, pulling an unresponsive Sanae along with her.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow along.

[日巫子]

>Follow along.

> You follow Suwako into the shrine, and subsequently into the kitchen.  It's more well-equipped than the one you have at home, but Sanae doesn't look the least bit impressed.  She lets go of Suwako's hand and plods off towards another part of the shrine, most likely the bathroom.
> Suwako goes to the fridge to retrieve some foodstuffs, and once Sanae is out of earshot, her happy expression sobers up.
> "She feels guilty," Suwako says to you.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, yeah she does. Can't convince her that it isn't her fault."
>Make sure she isn't coming back and speak low before continuing.
>"Can't say it isn't partially her fault, either. I don't know all the details. She's having a hard time wanting to make it right again, though."

[日巫子]

>"Yeah, yeah she does. Can't convince her that it isn't her fault."
>Make sure she isn't coming back and speak low before continuing.
>"Can't say it isn't partially her fault, either. I don't know all the details. She's having a hard time wanting to make it right again, though."

> You listen for Sanae, and hear water running in some other part of the house.  She probably doesn't hear you.
> Suwako puts some vegetables and ham on the table, and returns to the cabinets.  "Gods have to compete for faith, and Sanae is very popular.  Even underground."
> A cutting board, a knife, and a loaf of wheat bread.  Suwako starts cutting slices off the loaf.  "Sanae was partly responsible for what happened to Kanako, accidentally.  She tends to feel responsible for the people she cares about, but this is the first time I've seen her so depressed.  How long has she been like that?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Pretty much since I told her about Kanako. She was in some weird stupid dream world I don't wanna talk about."
>Don't give them any ideas.
>"Had to chase her down in there and make her wake up. Then she ran off to those mountains over that way."
>Gesture in the proper direction.
>"So all morning, pretty much."

[日巫子]

>"Pretty much since I told her about Kanako. She was in some weird stupid dream world I don't wanna talk about."
>Don't give them any ideas.
>"Had to chase her down in there and make her wake up. Then she ran off to those mountains over that way."
>Gesture in the proper direction.
>"So all morning, pretty much."

> You explain the situation without going into detail about the dream.
> "Hmmm."  Suwako listens to you while moving on to chop up the vegetables.
> "I assume she hasn't talked to anyone else, then," she says.  "I could try reasoning with her, but what are you going to do?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I still have an incident to solve. And I'd like her help with it."

[日巫子]

>"I still have an incident to solve. And I'd like her help with it."

> "Alright.  Just don't push her too hard," Suwako says, waving her knife at you before returning to the tomato she's cutting up.  "I'll put a curse on you."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'll try not to."
>Check again to make Sanae isn't going to overhear.
>"But the way things are going, I have to push her pretty hard just to get her to move from one place to another."

[日巫子]

>"I'll try not to."
>Check again to make Sanae isn't going to overhear.
>"But the way things are going, I have to push her pretty hard just to get her to move from one place to another."

> The water is still running in the other room.  You're sure Sanae won't hear you.
> "If it's that bad, then I don't think she's going to be much help to you at the moment," Suwako says.  "What do you want on your sandwich?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Everything. And yeah, maybe. I'm hoping we can give her something to work toward, at least."

[日巫子]

>"Everything. And yeah, maybe. I'm hoping we can give her something to work toward, at least."

> "Okay.  I'm still going to talk with her first, though," Suwako says.  She takes a plate from a nearby cupboard and starts constructing a sandwich, taking one of everything from the pile of sliced ingredients and stacking them on top of each other.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's fine. And it's okay if you want to fill me in before I see her again."

[日巫子]

>"That's fine. And it's okay if you want to fill me in before I see her again."

> "Fine by me," Suwako says.  She holds out a plate with a sizable sandwich on it.  "Here you go."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Take dat sammich.
>"Thank you!"
>Have a seat, and start on it.

[日巫子]

>Take dat sammich.
>"Thank you!"
>Have a seat, and start on it.

> You take the sandwich and immediately start eating it.  Ham, lettuce, tomato, and is that hard-boiled egg?  Truly a nutritious and delicious lunch.
> Suwako starts putting together more sandwiches.  While she does, she gives you the side eye.
> "Is that your blood on that swimsuit?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Take a quick look. Is it? If so, where do we think it came from?

[日巫子]

>Take a quick look. Is it? If so, where do we think it came from?

> You look down at your swimsuit, and it is indeed bloodstained.  You're pretty sure that's from the scuffle you had with the fish at Alice's house.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ran into a claw fish. It didn't win."

[日巫子]

>"Ran into a claw fish. It didn't win."

> "Hmm."  Suwako seems skeptical, and starts eating one of the sandwiches she has created.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, unless you count exploding into a bunch of jewels and a bronze shard as a win."

Related to that, we really ought to keep an eye out for other weird fish.

[日巫子]

>"Well, unless you count exploding into a bunch of jewels and a bronze shard as a win."

> "That almost sounds like something from a game," Suwako says.  "The treasure hoard, that is."

> _