Reimu Quest (Part 8)

[日巫子]

>"Yeah, but it's gotta be a pain to sleep in. Or have your stuff in."

> "Not really.  We're semi-aquatic," says the purple-haired kappa.

> _

[O4rfish]

>Have we ever heard the idiom about a kappa being carried away by the currents?

[日巫子]

>Have we ever heard the idiom about a kappa being carried away by the currents?

> Yes.  It means that even experts screw up sometimes.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Huh, how do you keep your stuff from getting knocked everywhere? That current was real bad, is it always like that?"

[日巫子]

>"Huh, how do you keep your stuff from getting knocked everywhere? That current was real bad, is it always like that?"

> "We have our ways," says one of the kappa.  "The current's only this bad 'cause of all the rain and extra water and stuff."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's about what I thought. It seems like it's mostly calm everywhere else, from what I've seen."
>"Speaking of seen, have you seen any weird fish, like one with arms?"

[日巫子]

>"That's about what I thought. It seems like it's mostly calm everywhere else, from what I've seen."
>"Speaking of seen, have you seen any weird fish, like one with arms?"

> The kappa give each other looks.
> "Nope."
> "Haven't seen any."
> "What kind of fish has arms?"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"The kind that tried to beat me up a couple days ago."

[日巫子]

>"The kind that tried to beat me up a couple days ago."

> "There are fish that dangerous?" Hatate blurts out.
> "Maybe we should warn the others," says the teal-haired kappa to her brethren.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"I only saw the one. But what I did see a bunch of these things that looked like desserts with silky tendrils in a lake. And when you touch them, they sting the crap out of you."

[日巫子]

>"I only saw the one. But what I did see a bunch of these things that looked like desserts with silky tendrils in a lake. And when you touch them, they sting the crap out of you."

> "We haven't seen any of those," says one of the kappa.
> "Maybe we really should tell the others about this," says the first kappa.
> "What lake?" Hatate asks.  "I want to take pictures of them."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's way out that way."
>Gesture in the proper direction.
>"Up in the mountains, in what was probably a crater."
>"Have any of you seen any of those cute fish that squeak and spit water?"

[日巫子]

>"It's way out that way."
>Gesture in the proper direction.
>"Up in the mountains, in what was probably a crater."
>"Have any of you seen any of those cute fish that squeak and spit water?"

> "Nice."  Hatate hovers off the raft.  "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"
> You ask about the squeaky fish, like Mako.  The kappa nod.
> "I've seen one," says a kappa.  "They're all rubbery-looking, so no one has tried eating them."
> "When I'm feeling too lazy to swim, I grab onto one and let it pull me along," says another.  Her companions giggle.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"They're pretty friendly, yeah. Where did you find them at?"

[日巫子]

>"They're pretty friendly, yeah. Where did you find them at?"

> "Out in the open," the kappa says, pointing to the water farther out.  "They come and go."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Where do they come and go from, do you know?"

[日巫子]

>"Where do they come and go from, do you know?"

> The kappa all shrug. 
> "Dunno," they say.  "We don't bother following them."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Fair enough. Any of you know what Nitori has been up to?"

[日巫子]

>"Fair enough. Any of you know what Nitori has been up to?"

> The kappa turn to each other and murmur, mostly things along the lines of "who's that" and "I can't remember who that is".  Hatate's wings fluff up.
> "She was with the black-white, last time I saw," Hatate says.  "They were talking to some tanuki and tengu."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"When was that?"

[日巫子]

>"When was that?"

> "Earlier today," Hatate says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"So before this whole festival started up or what?"

[日巫子]

>"So before this whole festival started up or what?"

> "While we on our way to the village, yeah," Hatate says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, have people here been behaving themselves?"

[日巫子]

>"So, have people here been behaving themselves?"

> "Yeah, yeah, everything's okay," Hatate says.  "We'll like, leave on our own eventually."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Okay, just wanted to be sure my people were being good guests."
>"You didn't happen to see where Marisa or Nitori got off to, did you?"

[日巫子]

>"Okay, just wanted to be sure my people were being good guests."
>"You didn't happen to see where Marisa or Nitori got off to, did you?"

> "Oh.  Well, I was kind of in a hurry to get here so I didn't see where they went off to.  Maybe one of the tanuki would know something," Hatate suggests.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I think I'll go do that. You guys enjoy yourselves!"
>Let them say what they want, then leave the raft and head toward bulk of the people on land.

[日巫子]

>"Yeah, I think I'll go do that. You guys enjoy yourselves!"
>Let them say what they want, then leave the raft and head toward bulk of the people on land.

> "Bye!" Hatate calls out to you as you leave the raft.
> You fly over the water, onto dry land, and then make your way towards the settlement.  Most of the youkai present avoid you, but other than that, no one pays you any mind.
> It seems that many of the humans here have retired to their tents for the night; the ones that are drawn shut with the lights off are the ones you guess would have children in them.  Villagers are sitting calmly, eating meals together or chatting.  Some of the youkai running amok have joined some of these little circles.  All the tanuki here seem to have gathered at the far end of the settlement; you can tell because they're making a lot of noise and carrying on.  If there's one thing you know about tanuki it's that they like a good party.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Approach those tanuki, and see what they're up to.