>>139864 I like this goal.
[X] "You're right. I should be focusing more on getting out of here."
Yeah, investigating’s kind of your thing. And yeah, there’s a murderer (who’s not actually you!) out on the loose. And while finding out who it is is always nice, it’s a bit tempered by the fact that you’re still in some world full of dames with bullshit powers.
Why can’t I have some bullshit powers? “Yeah. I suppose you’re right. Getting out of here is important.”
“Good.”
You start absently flicking the cylinder out of your revolver, and flicking it back in. “So what’s the plan?”
“You haven’t got one?”
“I’ve got one, but it’s not a pretty one, and I don’t know most of the people here. All I’ve got is Aya’s notebook, and that’s just full of gossip for the most part. Sure, it’ll help when I’m trying to blackmail someone, but…”
Sakuya sits down on the desk, looking at you. “So let’s hear it.”
You flick a meaningful glance at the sleeping Suika, splayed out across your couch.
“Ah. Good point.”
You stand up, stub out the last bits of the cigarette out on your desk, and leave the now-empty beer on your desk. Motioning to Sakuya, you open up the door in the back to the room that you had intended to use for… “investigation sessions.” It’s got two bare-bones chairs, a table, and a creaky, badly-attached light that you can swing back and forth from the ceiling, with a shade that shapes the light that comes out, into a cone.
You light another cigarette, and lean against the wall.
“My plan is simple: Find Yukari, ask her to help me leave. Alternately, I could ask for help from Reimu, but from what I gather, that’s not a really reliable option.” You look at Sakuya for confirmation on that point. She nods.
“And if they won’t help you?”
“Well, they can either make it easy, or they can make it hard.”
“I wouldn’t recommend outright threatening Yukari or Reimu. Reimu is Gensokyo’s premier ‘troubleshooter.’
“When trouble happens, she shoots it?”
“More or less. You really, really don’t want to be the ‘trouble’. It helps that she’s not too bright though, so she might not catch on anyways. But if she does… well, you’re pretty well boned.”
“Eh. Well, it’s good that I hadn’t really planned to threaten her if she tries and fails. Can’t blame her if it’s not her fault. If she doesn’t try to help, then… well, that’s a different matter. And why shouldn’t I be threatening Yukari?”
“Because Yukari’s got the power of the ‘Manipulation of Boundaries.’”
“And that is…?”
“Complete horseshit. Like adjusting the boundary between Knowledge and Ignorance, or the boundary between Here and There, or really any two ideas, or places or things.”
You pause for a moment to take another drag on your cigarette. “That is horseshit. So what you’re telling me is that she could know who the killers are?”
“Not really ‘could’. More like ‘does’.”
“Goddamnit.”
Well that’s not good. But she hasn’t outed you. Which is odd. “So if she knows, and probably has known this whole time, why hasn’t she done anything about it?”
Sakuya shrugs. “Could be any number of reasons. She could have been the one murdering Akyu. She could just not give a damn. She might think it’s ‘funny’ or ‘entertaining’.”
Or she could be trying to protect someone involved. “I’ve got a question for you, Mr. Investigator. Do either Aya or Kotohime know you’re not from Gensokyo?”
“I’m certain Aya knows, she’s not that dense. Red might be that dense. Probably is, now that I think about it.”
“You think you could get them to help you dealing with Reimu and Yukari?”
“Oh, yeah. Red will follow me anywhere. Creepy, really. But you know what? I’ve gotten used to her. And she could be useful, you know? Aya… well, all I’d have to do is promise that it’ll be interesting to help me out. Which it will. She’s not going to be as easily manipulated as Red, so… that might be a problem down the line. But I’ll drive off that bridge when I come to it.”
Sakuya thinks a bit. “I think that’s everything, then. Ran stopped by when you were out, and left a message on your desk; I put it into the drawers after she left. You might want to look at it.”
“You were watching my place?”
She fixes you with those deep blue eyes. “Of course. I watch you a lot as well. Trust but verify, right?”
Man that’s creepy and stalkerish. “And you probably read the letter as well.”
“Of course I did.”
Great. Leaving Sakuya behind, you rummage around in your desk, and pull out the envelope. It says:
“Please stop by at your earliest convenience. I have important information for your investigation.
-Yukari Yakumo”
This is why I have an office, goddamnit! You stop by here! God, I hate dames. I hate self-important uppity dames even more. And stop by where?! Well, you’re going to have to take someone with you to show you how to get there. Can’t really get Sakuya to take you, considering she’s “missing, possibly dead.”
As you’re thinking about this, Suika begins to wake up. She yawns, stretches, takes a drink from her gourd, and finally realizes she’s in unfamiliar surroundings. She sees you, and squints at you, as though she was trying to remember who you were.
God I hope she doesn’t remember who I am. She apparently can’t remember who you are, so she shrugs and saunters up to the desk. “So… uh… how did I end up at your place last night? I can’t really remember, and I’m kind of hoping I didn’t do anything… um… you know.”
You look at her, fighting down laughter.
The laughter wins.
“Hey! It’s not funny! I’m a beautiful maiden, and I’m in an unfamiliar place! I have to shield my honor from brutes and men like you!”
Considering she bodily threw you across a room, this strikes you as exceedingly funny, contrary to her assertions.
--
Well, now you have a few choices of action available to you.
[ ] Go see Yukari.
[ ] Go see Reimu.
[ ] Write-in.
And take with you: (any combination)
[ ] Kotohime
[ ] Aya
[ ] Suika
