Angry Desu !jVJAZ.LN/Q 2008/07/20 (Sun) 08:43 No. 49976 ▼ File 121656859736.jpg - (176.99KB, 720x1000 , more-china.jpg)
“Hey,” you begin, wondering how to phrase the question that's on your mind. “What... What's Gensokyo like?” You ask, “I mean, everyone keeps mentioning people and things I don't know, so I'm sort of curious about it.”
“Eh?” Meiling looks at you in surprise, “You're asking me?” She glances around the area, then looks back at you. “Me?” she repeats, “I don't know much about anything!”
You watch her panic for a second or two before raising your hands to calm her down, “That's still more than I know though,” you say, “I don't know anything at all!”
The girl stops and looks at you, then blinks in realization. “Oh!” she exclaims. “That's right! Hmmm...” She scratches her cheek thoughtfully as she, evidently, considers what to say first. “Well... Gensokyo is kinda... small.” she begins, “Flying hard I can get from one end to the other in maybe a day, but I'm not exactly as fast as some others. I guess Aya can probably cover it in a few hours without trying too hard.” Turning she heads in the direction of one of the outside benches, where you see she had put a towel and some water. “I've only done that onces though, there's not much point since once you go past the Youkai mountain it's mostly wasteland, sand and rocks and stuff I mean.”
“Youkai mountain?” you ask distractedly, wondering how big Gensokyo must be. If this 'Aya' could cover it's length in a few hours, and she was maybe around the speed of a fighter jet according to what had been mentioned last night... “That's... How is that even possible? Surely someone would notice an area that large on satellite maps or something?”
“Sa-tell-ite?” Meiling shakes her head, not knowing what you mean but evidently guessing the concept at least. “I don't know how, but Mistress Remila once told me people from the outside could practically walk over Gensokyo and not even notice it's there. It's like... uhm...”
“Bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?” You suggest, only to see Meiling grin at you and nod.
“Exactly! Hey, you're pretty smart to guess that, huh?” She says, only for you to smile in embarrassment. You weren't going to mention that you had guessed that based on old television shows you used to watch. “But yeah, It's bigger on the inside, I guess that maybe came as a surprise when the barrier came down... because then it would be big on the outside too.” She pauses and frowns. “I think. Well it's also in the middle of a bunch of mountains anyway, so I doubt anyone would really notice. Might be a few surprised birds though!” She smirks at her own joke and you smile back.
If what you're thinking is right, such a change could possibly go unnoticed by all but aircraft. Sure satellites could take pictures but, well, you knew there would be a long delay between them being taken and them showing up on a map - especially if the government was keeping it quiet. Military aircraft had probably spotted it first and taken note, passenger aircraft may have but... really, how many people knew geography well enough to tell if something was amiss at the kind of heights they flew at? Idly you wondered exactly how many, beside yourself, knew of Gensokyo's existence. Actually, worse, you wondered how long it would be before the general public found out...
No, you think, there was something much, much worse. How long before *he* found out that youkai were free in the world? Not long enough you were sure. Your father, and possibly other priests, were almost certain to cause trouble for you somehow. Especially if your family actually discovered you were LIVING with a number of youkai.
“Is something wrong?” Meiling's voice snaps you back into paying attention.
Shaking your head, you smile at her reassuringly. “No,” you say, “Nothings wrong, just thinking is all. Nothing important, please, tell me more?”
“Well, if you're sure.” The redhead sounds doubtful but continues anyway. “There's a big lake that's pretty much the middle of Gensokyo. It's got a few islands and stuff on it but, well, it's usually covered by mist or fog, so it's hard to find anything out there. That's where Cirno lives, around the lake itself. Everything else in Gensokyo pretty much borders it, there's Youkai mountain to the west - all the Kappa and Tengu live up there with a few others, I heard a new shrine, ah, started up there recently too, but I haven't been there.” She pauses and thinks for a moment. “There's the mansion I work at which is sort of to the south, and the forest of magic is just a bit to the east of that - Marisa has a house in there. To the north of the lake is the bamboo forest, no-one really knows too much about it but Sakuya-san and Lady Remilia went up there some time back when the moon was funny. They wouldn't tell me what they did - but they were kind of beaten up, so I guess there must be someone pretty strong up there, though I heard a doctor lives around there too.”
You nod, even as Meiling crouches down to draw in the dirt with her finger. After a few moments a rough map has appeared on the ground, and she points out each place as she names them. “There's also, uhm, a village around the east of the lake, between it and the Hakurei - that's Reimu's - shrine. It's pretty small - no-where near as big as the place you took us to yesterday. Miss Keine would know more though, because she lives there. But, uhm... There's a market, and some farms... uhm...” She glances at the ground and goes quiet. “You'd probably think it's stupid.” She says at last, “You have such amazing things in the outside world... and we don't. Even the mansion has nothing like what you have here...”
“Actually,” You say, “It sounds a bit like where my grandfather lives, he lives out in the countryside - he runs a little shrine in the middle of a village.”
“Eh? Your grandfather is a priest?” The redhead looks up, surprised, “I thought you felt a little funny, maybe that was it? You've got a priest as a grandfather.”
“And a father.” You interject. “and my mother was one... I think her parents were too, but I'm not so sure about that. I'm not one because of.... reasons.”
“Oh.” The chinese girl nods in understanding. “Yeah, I understand. It's impressive though! A family of priests! I wonder if Reimu knows about that?”
You frown and nod, “I think so,” you say, “Renko thought that might be why I'm doing this, maybe I'm too holy to be eaten alive by a youkai or something? Or at least, maybe that's what they figured anyway.”
You see a look in Meiling's eyes for a moment, one of distress? Upset? You're not sure as the next thing you know she's slapping you on the back and laughing happily. “Awesome! Awesome!” she declares, “Youkai-proof, awesome priest, mister Ryogi!” After a few moments she seems to calm down and instead settles for beaming at you - but, after seeing that look in her eyes earlier, you get the distinct impression her smile isn't quite as genuine as you thought. You frown at her for a moment, then your eyes widen in shock - how could you have been so goddamn stupid!"
[ ] “Miss Meiling... are you... a youkai?” (cautious question)
[ ] “You're a youkai, aren't you miss Meiling?” (direct statement)
[ ] “Miss Meiling, can I ask you about Youkai? (indirect question)
[ ] WRITE IN
Take a note of the terms in brackets, since the important thing about these choices is how govanon approaches the question (cautious, direct, indirect) rather than the question itself.
