Neo Gensokyo Quest - Part 8

[Kilgamayan]

> "Trying harder, I guess?"
> Try manifesting a second Youmu, one that we have control over.

[Neovereign]

> "Trying harder, I guess?"
> Try manifesting a second Youmu, one that we have control over.

> You try to make a second Youmu... nothing comes of it though. You don't even get that bit of sensation from earlier. Maybe you're desensitized to it already? After one time, though...
> "I mean, thinking something like "my sword should be the size of a tower" doesn't do anything but make me feel silly." Youmu says. "I don't see anything happening to the space around us or such. And if we try physical stuff, we might suddenly disappear and go somewhere else."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How's the figure of the soft fluffy bunny we're cuddling at the moment, anyway?

> "Maybe if we all tried to will the same thing into existence, together?"

[Neovereign]

> How's the figure of the soft fluffy bunny we're cuddling at the moment, anyway?

> "Maybe if we all tried to will the same thing into existence, together?"

> She's mostly slim, but a little pudgy, as if she doesn't decline snacks / dessert but tries to stay shapely, as far as you can guess. It could be entirely different reasons, you have no clue.

> "Like...?" Youmu considers.
> "Am alarm clock?" Reisen suggests.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give Rei'sen a gentle squeeze, wherever our hands are on her now.

> "Sure, that might work. Though, now that I think about it, even if we're pretty confident about what is happening, we don't really know why, do we? Youmu floated the question earlier, but then Sanae diverted us to focusing on waking it up. I think it might be worth revisiting the 'why' before we try to end it."

[Neovereign]

> Give Rei'sen a gentle squeeze, wherever our hands are on her now.

> "Sure, that might work. Though, now that I think about it, even if we're pretty confident about what is happening, we don't really know why, do we? Youmu floated the question earlier, but then Sanae diverted us to focusing on waking it up. I think it might be worth revisiting the 'why' before we try to end it."

> You squeeze the bun lightly, seemingly enough to not bother her as much as your existence has previously. Maybe she's warming up to you? Or afraid of provoking you given how you've handled her before... though she's stopped sounding tearful from that failed jump earlier, too, at least.

> "It's a dream, right?" Rei'sen questions. "If we wake up, we can escape it."
> "And after that, we just need to figure out what Doremy's up to." Reisen adds. "If anyone knows what's going on with dreams, it's her."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "...Why is it twice now that someone floating the question of why this is happening has led to someone else immediately try to send the conversation in a different direction?"

[Neovereign]

> Frown.
> "...Why is it twice now that someone floating the question of why this is happening has led to someone else immediately try to send the conversation in a different direction?"

> "Well, I'm expecting the why to be answered by Doremy if we can find her." Reisen shrugs. "I don't think I'm as good at sniffing out clues regarding the dream world, honestly. Unless you're saying you have some good guesses as to why that would be better to pursue than Doremy?"
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I don't, not immediately. It's simply something I found suspicious."
> Gently squeeze Rei'sen again.
> "Like, if one accepts the premise that this setting is Gensokyo itself dreaming, that doesn't also require accepting the premise that all of us here are who we claim we are, in regards to being representations of our 'real' selves. Any one or more of us could be plants trying to steer any of us that are truthful about who we are away from some unknown truth of this dream."
> Gently squeeze again.
> "I obviously can't say that's definitely or even probably the case, but once is an accident, twice is a trend, you know?"

[Neovereign]

> "I don't, not immediately. It's simply something I found suspicious."
> Gently squeeze Rei'sen again.
> "Like, if one accepts the premise that this setting is Gensokyo itself dreaming, that doesn't also require accepting the premise that all of us here are who we claim we are, in regards to being representations of our 'real' selves. Any one or more of us could be plants trying to steer any of us that are truthful about who we are away from some unknown truth of this dream."
> Gently squeeze again.
> "I obviously can't say that's definitely or even probably the case, but once is an accident, twice is a trend, you know?"

> "C-Could you let me go now? I'm not some doll or toy..." Rei'sen requests.
> "Right... that does make some incongruencies more evident. Like my phantom half, and your and Rumia's appearances." Youmu states, looking over.
> "If that's your train of thought, why bother finding out why this is happening if we aren't ourselves? I planned on getting some rest, and this is just interrupting it." Rumia complains. "I don't want to go about wracking my head and swapping ideas around."
> "Yea..." Rei'sen agrees. "Some sleep would've been nice."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "What do you mean, 'why bother finding out' something? Finding things out is my entire reason for being."
> "Regardless, it does seem like sleeping might get you out of this. I'm pretty sure that's what Kogasa tried, and she was the first to vanish."
> Give Rei'sen one last hug-squeeze (rather than a hand squeeze), and then let her go.

[Neovereign]

> Frown.
> "What do you mean, 'why bother finding out' something? Finding things out is my entire reason for being."
> "Regardless, it does seem like sleeping might get you out of this. I'm pretty sure that's what Kogasa tried, and she was the first to vanish."
> Give Rei'sen one last hug-squeeze (rather than a hand squeeze), and then let her go.

> "What if she actually woke up?" Youmu questions. "And that's why Sanae went mid-sentence?"
> "Where did that blue hair girl normally sleep to have been able to wake her that fast, then? That seemed like too soon to be possible. Unless they were both knocked unconscious and fell asleep beside one another." Rei'sen theorizes, getting a bit of distance and sitting down.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "They were probably sleeping together, despite their attempts to claim otherwise when they first showed up."

[Neovereign]

> "They were probably sleeping together, despite their attempts to claim otherwise when they first showed up."

> "Then sleeping is the most likely solution." Youmu says. "And we could just go back to sleep if we want to try figuring out why this happened."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Sigh with exasperation.
> "I swear, none of you have any sense of adventure."

[Neovereign]

> Sigh with exasperation.
> "I swear, none of you have any sense of adventure."

> "Well, I take it most of us go to sleep to wind down..." Youmu speaks.
> "Yeah..." Reisen agrees. "Especially when we have a bunch of duties the next days."
> "A good point, but what if you do wake up? Do you think however long you've been asleep is a good amount of sleep?" Rumia questions.
> "..." both Reisen and Youmu seem to have been hit with such realization.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

Chibi-Aya:

> Has the view changed at all?

Aya:

> "There is that too."
> Slowly start grinning.
> "Though, if you really do wish to wake up from this dream, there's also one other tried-and-true method that I'd be very happy to help you with."
> Make pinching motions at Reisen and Youmu with our fingers.

[Neovereign]

Chibi-Aya:

> Has the view changed at all?

Aya:

> "There is that too."
> Slowly start grinning.
> "Though, if you really do wish to wake up from this dream, there's also one other tried-and-true method that I'd be very happy to help you with."
> Make pinching motions at Reisen and Youmu with our fingers.

> You're watching out for the moment Youmu tries to sit down like Rei'sen has. She hasn't, yet. And you haven't suddenly vanished yet, either.
> "...Alright. We can just get back to sleep if we need, anyways. Besides, I am worried about my phantom half..." Youmu admits.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

Aya:

> Pout.
> "You two are no fun. Oh well, I know where you both live anyway~"

Chibi-Aya:

> Glom ourselves onto Youmu's backside and full-body-hug it.

Aya:

> Demanifest Chibi-Aya if Youmu goes to feel or inspect what just happened to her.

[Neovereign]

Aya:

> Pout.
> "You two are no fun. Oh well, I know where you both live anyway~"

Chibi-Aya:

> Glom ourselves onto Youmu's backside and full-body-hug it.

Aya:

> Demanifest Chibi-Aya if Youmu goes to feel or inspect what just happened to her.

> "Don't go spooking us out of our sleep... but do check up if you think somethings, wrong, I gu-"
> "Unn!?" Youmu jumps a bit as you jump her butt, attempting to take your leave before her hand gets to you to Inspect.
>"What?" Reisen questions.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give Youmu a curious look.
> "Hmm?"

> Is Rei'sen still here? If so, adopt a look of sudden realization, and then grab on to her hand. (Not too hard, we don't want to hurt her!)

[Neovereign]

> Give Youmu a curious look.
> "Hmm?"

> Is Rei'sen still here? If so, adopt a look of sudden realization, and then grab on to her hand. (Not too hard, we don't want to hurt her!)

> "N-Nothing." Youmu responds.

> Rei'sen is still sitting down here, yes.
> You grab onto Rei'sen's hand from behind.
> "Look, it's fair to assume someone else will-" You hear a different, more familiar voice, as you come to realize you've got Reimu's hand... in hand, now. It seems she was in the middle of flicking you off her hand, but stopped partway.
> "...And another swap." Reimu sighs.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Quick check: Are our half-ghost or either of our bunnies still present?

> Light up with a smile.
> "Well, isn't this fortuitous! And here I was going to my newest precious fluffy bunny to try to find you for me."

[Neovereign]

> Quick check: Are our half-ghost or either of our bunnies still present?

> Light up with a smile.
> "Well, isn't this fortuitous! And here I was going to my newest precious fluffy bunny to try to find you for me."

> They are not. Rather than any of them moving, you seemed to have moved to the familiar Hakurei Shrine.
> "Don't tell me you're also here to ask how I'll solve this... It's just a dream. It'll probably solve itself." Reimu says tiredly.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh, no, it wasn't going to be anything like that. I just wanted to see your pretty face~"
> Take gentle hold of Reimu's waist with our non-hand-holding hand.

[Neovereign]

> "Oh, no, it wasn't going to be anything like that. I just wanted to see your pretty face~"
> Take gentle hold of Reimu's waist with our non-hand-holding hand.

> "Well I didn't want to see anyone's faces yet. I just wanted some rest." Reimu responds, not in much of a position to try and shake you of, seemingly.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Of course. And I should apologize to you for last night, because Miss Ibaraki was trying to get your attention one last time on my behalf. Not for any incident or responsibility, but just to see if you wanted some social company to help you wind down."

[Neovereign]

> "Of course. And I should apologize to you for last night, because Miss Ibaraki was trying to get your attention one last time on my behalf. Not for any incident or responsibility, but just to see if you wanted some social company to help you wind down."

> "That wouldn't have been too bad. But I'd rather just rest alone in preparation for the more stuff I'm stuck having to do later. Or I should've, if only thus dream stuff didn't start."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, at the very least, we're all still physically resting, even if we're here mentally. It does seem possible to get out of it, too, given Sanae and Kogasa managed to get themselves to disappear in a different way than the landscape just shifting."
> Grin a bit.
> "Which means we can have a little fun with each other here, if we want~"

[Neovereign]

> "Well, at the very least, we're all still physically resting, even if we're here mentally. It does seem possible to get out of it, too, given Sanae and Kogasa managed to get themselves to disappear in a different way than the landscape just shifting."
> Grin a bit.
> "Which means we can have a little fun with each other here, if we want~"

> "I want to mentally rest too. And how did they get out?" Reimu questions.
>_