[x] Why was she infiltrating?
[x] What were her plans?
[x] Why her? Did the higher ups assign her as Jack's keeper?
[x] Does she know anything about Makai's big plan?
[x] How large are Makai's forces?
[x] Why did Makai need so many souls?
[x] Vacation? Does the rest of Makai share this view?
Patchouli's runes don't take more than five minutes to complete, since she has her little devils helping her to cover the compartment with them. You take a seat on the side of the room opposite the demon, and next to Youmu.
As the three complete the last bit of the design on the walls, something feels different with the room. Almost as if it has become hostile in some way – very creepy. Patchouli seems to stare Luize down for a minute or two before beginning.
“Sit up,” Patchouli commands.
Luize has been lying much like one would lie on a sofa. Although she isn't quick to accept the command, and she's definitely not quick to get up due to her binding, she does so without question. It's a rather odd thing to watch. She was close to Chen in terms of speed before – now, she'd have difficulty in a race against a one-hundred year old man.
“What is your name?”
“Luize,” The demon answers, “Why do--- ow!”
For a brief moment, you see the section of rune on the wall behind Luize glow bright. Some sort of enchantment to cause pain? Either way, Luize seems a little disturbed by it.
“You will ask no questions,” Patchouli says, “You will only answer them. You will also respond to any commands.”
Also, you notice that the two koakuma are participating in this. They've taken up position in the air just a little in front and off to the right of Patchouli. The one on the right seems to be talking, although it's very quiet, to the one on the left. Then, after a moment, the one on the left answers.
“True,” It says, simply. Odd.. Maybe they have some system going in order to separate the truth from lies.
Patchouli nods, and pauses for a moment. “Are you a demon?”
Luize puts on a sarcastic grin. “No, definitely not.”
The two koakuma repeat their process, and the left one speaks again. “False.”
“Yeah, I'm just helping out,” Luize says, “I know wha--- hey!”
There's another flash. “You will
only answer the questions, and respond to commands,” Patchouli says, her emphasis making things a bit more clear. “Do you come from Makai?”
“Makai's a big place,” Luize answers, “But... yeah.”
“True.”
“And, yesterday night, you crossed over into our plane?”
“Actually,” She says, “It was in the morning. Just as the moon was setting.”
“True.”
“Were you also involved with the incident at Rokford, and the one in the city north of here involving a hellstone placed in a swamp?”
Luize nods, grinning. “And everything else your Guild has been dealing with up north. We've been preparing for this for years, you know. That's why you're going to lose.”
“False,” The koakuma says, “Not everything.”
“Fine,” Luize sighs, “Anything major.”
“She thinks it's true,” The koakuma says. So, that's how it works. You do wonder what the first koakuma is doing, but you suppose you can always just ask later.
“How many years?” Patchouli inquires.
“I don't know,” Luize says, “Ten? The ones you guys have run into were pretty simple, but there were some real nice ones on the western line.”
“True.”
Then, they've been at this for a while. Patchouli turns to you, and you nod.
“Speak,” She says.
“Why you?” You ask, “And why are you here, instead of somewhere more useful?”
She laughs. “I got picked because I wanted to. It's kind of a pain to deal with people in this plane while you're trapped in Makai, and not everyone is in to that. And, I'm here because that's where I wanted to be. I wanted to deal with you personally. You're a real pain, you know? I hate you.”
“True.”
… heh. You wonder if the koakuma is speaking for itself. “Why?”
“You ruined Rokford is why,” She says, “All those souls were ours. If you hadn't been so slow in turning them over, we'd have a whole lot more to eat. And, after you ruined everything there, you tried to ruin everything everywhere with that warning of yours.”
“True.”
“Why did you need the souls?”
“They're full of energy,” She says, “We get stronger when we eat them. So, if we all stuffed our faces before coming here, the Guild would be no problem. Not that you are one anyway.”
“True.”
You turn to Patchouli again, who had been watching you this time. That's all you can think to ask at the moment, so it might be better to let her continue her line of questioning.
“What is the flaw in the Great Barrier?” Patchouli asks.
“That thing around your main city?” Luize laughs, “Don't ask me, I don't know.”
“True.”
“What forces have crossed over?”
“Everyone,” Luize grins, “Well, everyone that's ever wanted to get out of Makai for a while. That's why you're going to lose. You think that a bunch of humans and youkai can beat Shinki? Because I don't.”
“True.”
… that is not what you wanted to hear. Not only will the two that you delt with earlier be here, but... Shiki herself? If dread could be fatal, that news may have killed you. Luize seems to know it, too, because she looks at you and laughs. “That's right. You should ju--- oww!”
The runes blink more than once this time, and a bit brighter than before.
“It will become more severe each time,” Patchouli warns. Somehow, she doesn't seem disturbed by the news. Maybe she had expected the worst all along. “How have you crossed over without the aid of a summoner?”
“Something about planetary alignments and cosmic forces,” Luize answers, “I don't get it, myself, but we could basically just do it. Everyone, but we only had a ten minute window to do it.”
“True.”
“Can you communicate back and forth between demons here and demons in makai?”
“Not at will,” She says, “We'd need to summon them here to do that.”
That, on the other hand, is good to know. Sending her back is of little consequence. Once more, Patchouli turns to you. Maybe she's doing the same thing as you when she's passing off. You nod, and begin to ask.
“Why w--- ow!”
The runes flash, and you can see what she means. Very painful, like being struck with lightning magic or something.
“Speak,” Patchouli says, “And please wait next time.”
Ah... you get it. Some of this zapping is automatic, then.
“Why were you infiltrating our group?” You ask, “What were your plans?”
Luize laughs. “I already said, didn't I? I hate you. Getting close to you was a good way to kill you. Plus, I could get some bonus information out of it.”
“True.”
Still, you aren't satisfied with that. “You were going through a lot of trouble to remain concealed. Surely you had more planned than that?”
“Well,” She says, “The first plan was to kill as many of you as I could in your sleep. Probably after you met up with that other group, though, since I don't know how to drive this thing. And the best way to do that was to hijack that guy after he left his back turned in a demonic shrine. Not the best plan, but I didn't have long to think of it. I guess that's probably why it turned out like this.”
“True.”
“Do you know anything about Makai's big plan? Why invade?”
“We're going to take over the world, starting with Gensokyo's capital,” She says, “It's not complicated.”
“True.”
“Why?”
“Because,” She says, “Makai is a boring place. It doesn't ever change. Can you imagine living in a place like that for millenia? Those of us that came up here wanted a change of pace. I mean, you guys summon us from time to time, but we're like slaves.”
She pauses for a moment, but continues. “Living here would suck though. What if we died or something? We'd end up back in Makai. So, we need to take over a place and build a gate back and forth. A permanent one, that anyone can use. And a city with an impenetrable border is the best spot for that, don't you think?”
“True.”
That would explain the vacation quip earlier, then. “Then, this is just because you're bored?”
“Pretty much,” She laughs, “What? Expecting something else? I'm having more fun than I've had in eons. It's been so long since I've seen anything new.”
“True.”
You don't bother answering. “How many of you share this view?”
“Everyone I talk to,” She answers, “Can't say I talk to some of the really strong demons, but all my friends agree.”
“True.”
“Then,” You ask, “Why did you ask to be sent back earlier?”
“So you couldn't question me,” She answers, “I know a lot of stuff, you know. And there wasn't much else I could do anymore, anyway.”
… you can't think of anything else to ask at the moment, so you look back to Patchouli.
“You will write down an account of all events that you have had a hand in,” She says, producing a long piece of parchment from somewhere, “Your overall plans, who you have influenced, and so on. You will also record any names you remember of demons who are present, any orders you were given, and anything you know of the assault itself.”
“All of that?” She whines, “That would take forever when I'm bound like this.”
Luize makes a feeble attempt to lift her arms, as if to demonstrate.
Patchouli nods, and lazily takes a seat next to you.
“You may dictate it,” She says, folding out the small table on the wall next to her, “And I will write.”
Luize begins to speak, but it's not like any language you've ever heard. Patchouli, however, doesn't seem to have any trouble with it, and the first koakuma seems to be listening intently to the other one still, saying 'true' every so often.
The whole of the answer takes maybe ten minutes. Honestly, to you, it seems to be a little short, but maybe the language is a little more... condensed than what you are used to. After all that, Patchouli asks one more question.
“Is that everything you know?”
“Yeah,” Luize says, with a grin, “Not like it'll help you, anyway.”
“True,” The koakuma says.
Patchouli now turns to you. “Do you have anything else?”
“No,” You answer, “I think that's everything.”
“Then, we are finished.”
There is a shift in the atmosphere of the room, and you feel a lot of that tension you noticed earlier simply drain away. A few seconds later and the runes themselves do the very same thing – the whole pattern dissolves before your eyes.
“We will return if we have anything else,” Patchouli says, after standing up. You do the same – you're rather curious as to what she ended up writing down.
[ ] Offer to swap out with Youmu on guard duty.
[ ] Follow Patchouli. You could use some more data to pour over.
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>>37634 Yes, well... that's why I gave you the option to skip it. Maybe I made connections on the vote prior to this one that I shouldn't have, however. My apologies. I won't force you into another one.
