Sukima !g/OFHYXEWQ 2010/03/01 (Mon) 14:36 No. 14173 ▼ File 126745419612.jpg - (227.89KB, 500x700 , 305a8f571aac70d827a918fb46e46393.jpg)
>Go meet Keine
"Well alright then," starting off as you look at Momizi, "let's go see Keine, then. I could probably use her advice in a time like this anyways." Momizi looks back a bit curiously at you.
"Keine?"
"Yeah, she's my old teacher. She's rather protective of the village. Though I hope we didn't miss her at the fire that started."
"Well, perhaps we didn't. Let's go check!" You nod at Momizi and the two of you are then off to the school house. The building itself is rather modest. But it's certainly enough for the village given it's size. You definitely feel nostalgic being here but you get that feeling every time you come by, this is where you practically grew up after all.
"Well, this would be the school. It looks empty though." Momizi walks over and just plainly opens the door, however.
"It's open, Master Satoshi."
"Uh, yeah, I can see that. But is that really a good idea...?" Momizi goes inside after you point that out.
"It's a public school, I don't think anyone minds." Well, you suppose that if it really was empty, it would be locked. You go ahead and follow her in anyways.
Inside, the school proves itself to still be strong, many notes, cute drawings and various other things litter the many bullitin boards on the walls. There's not too many classrooms but enough to fit the needs of the village. You still remember Keine's class too.
"Keine! Are you in? Sorry for the intru-"
"Satoshi!!" You're quite taken off guard by the teacher suddenly running up to you as you enter her room, she looks worried sick. "You didn't get yourself hurt did you? What were you thinking going in like that?" You have to take a moment to get your bearings back together, your mind fumbles around for the proper responce.
"Ah, I uh, wha...I mean, w-wait, how do you know?" Keine crosses her arms, looking at you in a scolding way. Oh boy.
"You of all people should know how fast news travels here, Satoshi. I would have came to help but I was about to finish up class so when the news came, I was kept busy trying to settle down the children." She sighs, closing her eyes. "Seriously, Satoshi. You still think you're some sort of super person who can do anything..." You're actually quite hurt by this statement. Being reminded of it so often when not only did it prevent you from saving a life you could've helped but it's also your primary obstacle between you and, well, her. Extending your lifespan is normally a selfish goal, but for you, it's to stay along side another person longer, so they won't be alone anymore. But motives don't change the process...
"Yeah...can we not talk about that...?" Keine looks at you a bit curiously before setting her eyes on Momizi, who happens to be somewhat shyly hiding behind you, peeking out from beside you.
"Who's this, Satoshi?" You look beside yourself, Momizi doesn't look totally embarrassed, but you think that much like you, she was kind of taken by surprise of Keine's sudden approaching too.
"Oh, this is Momizi. A friend's uhh...junior, I guess. She's staying with me until they get things fixed up." When you finish saying this, you look back at Keine only to recieve quite the unimpressed glare.
"Another girl, Satoshi...?"
It's not like you had a choice! Although when she says it like that, you practically feel as if you've turned to stone by the remark. And the glare.
"It...it's not like that. I told you this." Keine sighs a bit again, dropping her arms. You're somewhat thankful, if she pronounced her chest any further then that, you're afraid her eyes might become nonexistant to you.
"Really, Satoshi. I'm sure you're aware of all the rumors floating about..." Guh, you can't take much more of this. The palm of your hand is already draped over your face in the most embarrassing manner. You should've expected to get quite the lecture from Keine after all that's happened.
"Ugh, yes, I know, I know. You don't need to remind me."
"I never got to see the previous one face to face like the others did, but when I heard you were actually living together with another girl, I was very shocked." Great, this again. You've heard it about a million times. "And now you stand before me telling me you're living with another so soon..."
"I told you...it's not like that! I'm just giving them a home because they have nowhere else to go! Do you want me to throw them out into the cold or something?" Momizi looks up at you at this point.
"But Master Satoshi, it is spring, an intolerably cold day during such a season would be rare."
"Wh...why are you speaking up...?"
Keine just ignores most of this and heads back to her desk, sitting back down.
"Alright, if you say so. It's just very odd that these coincidences would start happening like this." You go ahead and walk over to the desk, Momizi in tow, who, thankfully, decided to stop hiding behind you.
"Come on, Keine, do you really think I would chase skirts around that much?" Keine then looks down.
"No, I don't in fact. You were very self reserved the two years I taught you here, Satoshi. I think that's what makes it so surprising." You breathe out a bit. You can't really blame her. She didn't get to watch you become more social thanks to Alice and Marisa. Although, she brings up a good point, reminding you of something Alice told you a while back. There are no coincidences in this world...perhaps Momizi's visit has a much deeper meaning then. Although it's definitely too early to tell what it is.
"So, umm..." In middle of thinking about it, Momizi went ahead and broke the short silence between you and Keine. "You taught Master Satoshi for two years then?"
"Hm? Yes, I did. About a year after he graduated he went to live out on his own in the magic forest. I was very worried but by that time, he was an adult, so there wasn't much I could do."
"Ahaha, yeah, you really liked taking care of me while I was still a student, huh? I still remember the days where I'd call you 'Miss Keine' and such~" Despite the happy reminiscing, you realize you're on the business end of that familiar unimpressed glare again.
"Which brings me to another subject...'Master,' is it?" Keine was never one to let up. She was so highly persistant. In a way, that's what you loved about her. But sometimes it can make things a lot more difficult then they really have to be.
"I...I told you it's not like that."
"Yes! Master Aya simply wished for me to treat Master Satoshi as my superior until my quarters have been reinstated, so I intend on fulfilling those duties until the day I leave!...uh, Miss." Keine giggles a bit.
"Oh, please, you can just call me Keine. No need for formalities. Me and Satoshi have already dropped them ourselves, as you can see." You cross your arms, something's been somewhat bugging you since Keine asked who Momizi was.
"You know, from what I've seen, Momizi is actually kind of well known around the village. I'm surprised neither of you have head of each other." Momizi then looks down.
"Well, the school district was frankly never any of my business so I've never been around to know."
"Hm, well I can't say I've really been around enough to see her myself," Keine adds. "But she seems very polite and nice so I can see why the village would warm up to her." Momizi looks down further, presumably to attempt hiding the blush on her face.
"Th-Thank you." Keine then looks over to you, changing the subject slightly.
"So Satoshi, how long has she been staying with you?"
"Oh, this is the first day, actually." When you finish saying that, Keine is giving you this awkward, pitiful look, it's almost as if she wants to say there's something bad in all this but doesn't quite have the heart to tell you. "Wha...what're you looking at me like that for...?" Keine has to look away, she can't do it.
"Ah...nothing. Nothing at all..." This really bugs you, but Keine continues on and tries pushing it out of the way. "Do you know how long she's going to stay with you?" You blink a bit. Then you look up, putting your hand on your chin. Hmm, you never really gave that much thought.
"Huh, I actually don't think I know..." You and Keine then look over at Momizi, who takes a few moments to realize that she's being stared at, expected an answer.
"Oh! Uhm, well, judging from the amount of damage done, I would say I would be staying with Master Satoshi anywhere between one to two weeks." Keine then looks back at you, but she seems worried now.
"And I'm to assume you're not allowed to know exactly what happened that caused this." You blink a bit, kind of confused, but you answer anyways.
"Uhh...yeah. It's 'classified' I guess." Keine sighs after hearing this, not too thrilled.
"I see...how troublesome..."
"Is...there a problem?" You're not too thrilled either, Keine getting worried usually is more serious then it sounds.
"Well, most likely, I would say." Keine then stands up, and looks at Momizi up and down. She looks a bit uncomfortable being stared at by someone as imposing as Keine but she attempts standing her ground. That's when Keine asks a certain question. "Judging from your clothes, you're a tengu, aren't you?"
"Ah, y-yes, I am." Keine looks back at you again, more worry on her face.
"Satoshi, are you aware of how the tengu work?" This came out of nowhere. You're pretty curious as to what the tengu has to really do with any of this.
"Uhh...well, I got a bit of a crash course when Momizi told me something about the tengu ranks or something like that." Keine closes her eyes, turning away a bit and walking past you.
"The tengu are a very tight group, Satoshi. Not only are they very strict, but they are extremely protective. They're a socialist group, but a very dangerous one, Satoshi. They may seem easy to warm up to at first, but ever dare cross them, your death could be both swift and inevitable." You probably should've expected this, given the massive importance the structure of their community is to the tengu. You suddenly look at Momizi, who's looking down in the most guilt-ridden way. It looks like she wanted to tell you this herself, but couldn't find the time or place to. Or the heart to, for that matter. It must be difficult on her.
"Keine..." You look back at your former teacher. "What should I do then? I have to take care of Momizi, don't I? If I don't..."
"It could mean your life." Keine stands in front of the window peering outside. "On top of all this, they're a very mischeivious and manipulative group. They'll stop at nothing to get what they want. The more involved you get with them, Satoshi, the more they'll try to take advantage of you, and the more you resist, the more you end up risking your life."
"Is it really that bad?" Keine turns and looks at you with a serious look on her face.
"Satoshi, the tengu are among the most notorious youkai in Gensokyo, do not underestimate them for even a second." She then looks down as she crosses her arms, leaning against the wall behind her. "If I had to compare them to another similar group, I'd say they're very much like the Yakuza..."
"The...Yakuza?" Keine looks back at you.
"Yes, they're a group of organized criminals in a book I recently got from the outside world. If you want, I can lend it to you so you can take in more of this subject."
"Uhh, sure, I guess, but..." You look over at Momizi, before putting your attention back to Keine. The poor puppy doesn't look so good after having her very heritage talked about that way. The worst part about it is that she's not denying it. "Can we talk about something else?" Keine puts her arms back down and stands back up.
"Sure thing. What was it you needed?"
>"How have you been?"
>"So uh...anything good about the tengu?"
>"Did you want to come shopping with us, actually?"
>"On second though, I should get going..."
>"...did you grow yet another cup size?"
Action? >_
