Kirin !BX9zGDO0G. 2011/05/02 (Mon) 05:10 No. 140461 ▼ File 130431303615.jpg - (153.22KB, 1000x1086 , 2fe799ebbbc09294db4aad765de1940e.jpg)
"War is all about information and deception."
You know how important this phrase is. After all, you have been waging wars all your life. From the day you were born, you struggle to gain upper hands from the others. You kill. You bribe. You lie. You decieve. You climb over the pile of dead bodies to get this high. Experience tells you how important information, and misinformation, are. Getting accurate data can make or break decisions in a crucial times. When you are right here at the heart of the enemy, why don't take this chance to see how she really is?
Reimu of the Hakurei. Descendant of that loathesome Hakurei shrine maiden.
"So, Rumia." You ask her. "What do you know about Hakurei Reimu?"
"Not much." She scratches her head, irritated. "Except that she's ridiculously strong and ridiculously poor."
"Strong, you say?"
"She took down all the big shots around here. Yukari, Yuyuko, Remilia, blah blah blah. Et cetera. You name someone strong, there's a 99-percent chance that she already whooped their asses."
"I heard that she acts as Gensokyo's Youkai exterminator and problem solver. Is that true?"
"If you count 'break into their turf and shoot them down' as a problem solving method, then yes. She's a problem solver." Rumia grunts. "She even beat me silly when I was in kid's form."
"Hoh? That means you are already a handful even when you're small. As a troublemaker you should be proud."
You ruffle her hair, though she pushes your hand off while turning red.
"The hell are you doing? Get your filthy hands off me."
An embarrassed dark queen is fine, too.
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The night is young and the moon is pale, giving only just enough light to barely see things around you. As you approach the Hakurei shrine cautiously, you think back to your preparations[what you have prepared] before coming here. First, you suppress your power. If there is a slight chance that the Hakurei Miko can detect spiritual or magical power from the air, your recon attempt will be ruined. Second, you clear yourself of any blood trace in the nearby river. The Hakurei miko or her companions might have keen smelling sense. And last, you change your current outfit to blend your silhouette with the night sky. It also makes you feel more evil, which is always a plus.
You avoid the road and navigate through the thick woods, floating a bit over the ground to avoid the obligatory 'step on the dry branch' trope. Before long you find the shrine's ground. Someone is there, so you lie in wait along with Rumia and observe.
There's a girl dressed in a rather weird-looking shrine maiden outfit. She's currently drinking tea, enjoying the tranquil night.
"That's Reimu." says Rumia. Her gaze is filled with loathing.
She looks childish and small to you. Shoulder length brown hair with a red-white ribbon, an armpit-exposing outfit, and a long red skirt. You have to say it's not the shrine maiden outfit you remembered. But time has passed, and fashion progresses. Maybe this is 'trendy' nowadays.
And the most important thing is that she has the box hanging around her neck.
Your grip tightens. A Portion of your sealed power lies dangling before your very eyes. With minimal effort, you could jump out there, break this careless miko's neck, and claim the box for your own. But then again, mind over emotion. Careful planning will yield better results. You calm yourself down and decide to observe more, intending not to let any chance slip by.
"Yaaaaaaaawn.... So bored." The miko rolls around. As far as you can tell, she's pretty lazy. "Suika. Can you do something interesting? Fireworks, maybe."
"Don't wanna~" replies a little Oni who is currently hanging upside-down from the roof. "Busy drinking~"
That's Suika. An oni who is unrivaled when it comes to pure physical strength. However her reputation may seems, she looks so weak with that petite body. But then again, you can't judge a book by its cover. You remember one Oni being total nuisance to your army's advance in the last war. You don't know if she's the same one, but you had better not underestimate her.
"Why don't you do me any favor, for a change? I let you crash here without paying anything. At least try to be useful."
"Ehhhhhhhh~"
Suika flops down from the roof and lands near Reimu. She's rather wobbly from all the alcohol.
"You want me to help? How 'bout you let me be 'one day miko'? that's gotta be fun~"
"Pfft. I don't want to imagine how many destruction you would cause." Reimu rolls around again. "I've got too many problems to fix as it is."
"So why are you hangin' that box around your neck, Reimu? Whazzat?"
"Oh? This? It's nothing important. Family heirloom, sorta. I feel that something's going to happen to it if I leave it alone, so it's best to keep it close. Call it Miko's inituition."
"Miko's hunch, huh? Wonder if it's accurate."
Now there's another addition to the crew. A ghost in mage outfit, decorated with pointy hat and everything. She also sports long green hair and a mischievious smile.
You remember her.
This is Mima, Marisa's mentor. She was there when you struggled to rise to power, and she sided with you. A powerful magic user and a good pawn. But for some reason, when you waged war against Gensokyo's inhabitants back then, she joined the other side. You personally defeated her, but this sly bitch got away before you could pass judgement of betrayal on her. Most of the time, you can't figure out what she's thinking. Because of that, you used her as disposable pawn rather than let her partake in any of your secret plans. Too much risk involved.
As you continue to observe the Miko, you feel Mima's sharp gaze upon your location. Your cautiousness rises by several degrees.
"A hunch, yeah." Reimu throws a piece of rice cracker at Mima, who catches it beautifully with her mouth. "Nothing wrong with staying on the safe side."
"*munchmunch* So you mean something bad *munch* would happen if it's stolen?"
Reimu seems to be thinking whether to tell Mima about it, but in the end she just reply halfheartedly.
"It's always bad when things got stolen. And don't talk while eating, you stupid ghost."
Reimu gets up and carry the tea set inside. Suika follows along.
"It's getting cold so I'm going back inside. Rice crackers are in the kitchen."
"Yeah, whatever."
A while after Reimu and Suika's out of sight, Mima speaks up.
"Hm~ I wonder if I should steal that box from her~?"
You know that she's not speaking to herself, as she's looking at where you are hiding. Alarmed, Rumia extends her claws. You press her shoulder, stopping her from recklessly jumping out.
You decide to let her speak what she wants.
"It's not like I don't know what's in the box. After all, I was there. Thinking about it... would this be a perfect tribute to 'him'"... Oh, he's such a nice fellow. A bit scary sometimes. If I give him this, MAYBE he would let me stay on his good side again?"
Mima floats over to your hiding place. She really does know where you are.
"After tasting peace, I find it rather boring. If anyone could stir things up and make it more chaotic, it would be him. Ahhhh.... if only he could forgive me and let me in again. Ahhhh.... I'd sell anything, including Reimu, for a second chance." She grins. "Just one word from him. Just one word. And everything will change. Forever."
You tense up. She's offering her servitude. For free? This is too good. Too easy. As if it's a trap. But if this is really a trap, isn't it too obvious? Whether you decide to speak up or stay hidden, Mima already know of your existence. The secrecy you've maintained will be lost forever. You have to silence her, one way or another. Having all Gensokyo hunting for your sorry ass while you're not ready will be the outcome if you fail to shut Mima up. There's not much choice between accepting her service once more or erasing her existence completely. Though second choice is more tempting since she has betrayed you once already, doing so in Hakurei miko's turf is not a smart choice at all.
Mima's still loitering around, waiting for 'a whisper in the wind' with a grin like one who holds the upper hand.
[ ] Accept her offer and let her join you.
[ ] Accept her offer, but leave Reimu for now. Too much risk.
[ ] Accept her offer, but when she finishes the job, destroy her.
[ ] Destroy her right now. Traitors get no second chance.
[ ] Pretend to accept her offer, but lure her somewhere else.
[ ] Counter-proposal <specify>