In Defiance Of Transience (Tenshi Quest)

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> Do we still reek of death after all this exercise?

>You take a brief sniff, and you smell... like Cherry Blossoms. This perfume really does work wonders, you should thank Yuyuko. For only that. And no other reasons. Absolutely not.

> "I'll go ahead and see my friends, where should I head after the break is done?"

>"I'll be waiting over at the front entrance of Hakugyokurou. It's the most spacious area that's not part of The Garden."
>"Tell your friends I said 'Hello'!"

> Take a moment to appreciate our good work!

>You look back at the garden and take in your work.
>The Garden looks less cluttered, for lack of a better word. The weeds blended into the garden well but now it looks like everything in the garden was meant to be there and is well-tended to.
>The Saigyou Ayakashi looks less like a supernatural tree and more like a regular, really large Cherry Blossom tree. That is dead. The main things that point to it being unusual now is the fact that it's in the Netherworld and the Keystones surrounding the base.
>This reminds you an awful lot of that time you put a Keystone in the Hakurei Shrine. Hopefully Yukari won't suddenly appear.
>_?

[degradingwindow]

> Head back to where Shinmyoumaru and Shion are.

[Tom]

> Might want to pick up those keystones before leaving!  Recall them so as to avoid 'littering'.

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> Might want to pick up those keystones before leaving!  Recall them so as to avoid 'littering'.

>You decide to play it safe and recall those Keystones around the Saigyou Ayakashi. If Yukari happens to be watching you then she won't have any excuse to complain.

> Head back to where Shinmyoumaru and Shion are.

>You head out of the Hakugyokurou to the unbelieveably long staircase.
>You decide to make your descent more fun by making a running start and jumping!
>"The Dream Version of you was strangely mean, do you know anything about why that could be?"
>"No idea. Maybe I'm too hot-blooded? That could be mistaken for brashness."
>"Hmm, maybe."
>"Honestly, I'm just surprised we haven't seen any Shinigami yet. Except for Komachi, but she just left. Is it really okay for a Shinigami to slack off and go to a concert?"
>"It makes our job easier so I'm not complaining- Do you hear that?"
>"Hear wha-"
>You crash land and make dent in the ground, cracking the pavement.
>"Oh, it's Tenshi! Nice outfit! You look really... Hard working and reliable, for lack of better words."
>"Who gave you those clothes anyway?"
>_?

[degradingwindow]

> Yuyuko wouldn't mind if we cracked her pavement right?

> "Well, I had to do some gardening in order to earn myself a lesson with Youmu so they gave me this oddly fitting outfit. And look!"

> Stretch out our arm
> "They even gave me this perfume"

[Tom]

// Some things never change!

> Ask our friends if they know anything about seals.  If they do then suggest "Perhaps we can thank our hosts by helping get this stubborn ol' tree to bloom.  I have a hunch some kind of seal or magic is interfering with it..."

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> Yuyuko wouldn't mind if we cracked her pavement right?

>You... don't know. You sure hope she wouldn't mind.

> "Well, I had to do some gardening in order to earn myself a lesson with Youmu so they gave me this oddly fitting outfit. And look!"

> Stretch out our arm
> "They even gave me this perfume"

>Shion and Shinmyoumaru lean in and take a brief sniff of you.
>"Smells like cherry blossoms. It also covers up that stench you've had recently."
>So they could smell it! Why did they never tell you?!
>>"The outfit is weirdly fitting for you... It's like she's been watching you to make sure it fits. Or she just thought about you constantly without even knowing if you would come to Hakugyokurou
>"...I don't know if it would be more concerning if she was watching you and prepared this just when you arrived, or if she just thought about you constantly. Both seem very creepy and concerning to me."

// Some things never change!

> Ask our friends if they know anything about seals.  If they do then suggest "Perhaps we can thank our hosts by helping get this stubborn ol' tree to bloom.  I have a hunch some kind of seal or magic is interfering with it..."

>"Nope, nothing about Seals. I know a bit about luck, enchantments, and mythology. But not seals."
>"I don't really know anything about seals."
>"Huh? Then what are all of those paper slips on you?"
>"Things associated with poverty. Eviction Notices, Debt bills, things like that. They've been attached to me ever since I became a Binbougami..."
>"We could make guesses as to what kind of seal it is though. How would you seal a tree from blooming. And why?"
>_?

[Tom]

> Ask politely "Is that how you became the poverty goddess?"

> In a funny tone "As for the tree, perhaps the last head of the Netherworld thought it outgrew or overshadowed the rest of the garden and just decided to seal it than bother trimming it."
> Laugh "Let's just say it doesn't particularly enjoy haircuts..."

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> Ask politely "Is that how you became the poverty goddess?"

>"No, these appeared after I became a Poverty Goddess. How I did so was a long life of destitution..."

> In a funny tone "As for the tree, perhaps the last head of the Netherworld thought it outgrew or overshadowed the rest of the garden and just decided to seal it than bother trimming it."
> Laugh "Let's just say it doesn't particularly enjoy haircuts..."

>"Yikes. That might be true, it's a pretty permanent solution. But wouldn't sealing the tree be more troublesome than just hiring someone else to prune and trim it every so often?"
>Given that the job is entrusted to Youmu, you don't think she even gets paid.
>"But carrying on from the joke, this tree must be very dangerous to be sealed. I guess if you want to seal a tree then you would want to get at its roots. Those are where they get their nutrients, a pretty important thing. So one of the "Lodestones" of the Seal must be at least near its roots."
>"Though I do wonder why we're the ones speculating about the seal on the Tree. Wouldn't Youmu have more information about the seal, given that she's the Gardner? Or Yuyuko, given that she's the Lady of the Hakugyokurou?"
>_?

[degradingwindow]

> "On the topic of Yuyuko,  I checked the weather the spirit of Saigyou Ayakashi and it had the same weather as her."
> "Unique and special people like her normally have their own unique weather and it's even odder for her to share the weather with a tree of all things"

> Is there anybody in our surroundings that we could possibly ask about the tree's origins.

[Tom]

> Agree 'You're right, we should ask our hosts to see what they know.  I just thought perhaps they haven't figured out how to unseal it in their time here or have been too busy with the Netherworld to work on it."
> Gesture up the steps towards going and asking Yuyuko about it.

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> "On the topic of Yuyuko,  I checked the weather the spirit of Saigyou Ayakashi and it had the same weather as her."
> "Unique and special people like her normally have their own unique weather and it's even odder for her to share the weather with a tree of all things"

>"...Yeah, I don't think a Tree should have the same weather as a person. I'm not at all well-versed in whatever your sword does, but this seems unusual."
>"Hmm, usually when two entities have instrinsic similarities like these, it's because they're closely linked. Like, on a Spiritual level. Don't ask me how I know this though."

> Is there anybody in our surroundings that we could possibly ask about the tree's origins.

>The best bet would be the longest living ghost or phantom here. But due to the nature of both, that might be hard to determine.
>There are some in the area you could ask. There always are.

> Agree 'You're right, we should ask our hosts to see what they know.  I just thought perhaps they haven't figured out how to unseal it in their time here or have been too busy with the Netherworld to work on it."
> Gesture up the steps towards going and asking Yuyuko about it.

>Shinmyoumaru's face goes pale. "A-alright, I'm only going up there if I can get a ride!"
>She's already sitting in Shion's bowl.
>"I can get up there myself."
>"I do wonder, maybe there's a good reason Youmu and Yuyuko never bothered unsealing it?"
>You know for a fact that statement is wrong because you witnessed that Incident where Winter dragged on far into when Spring should have started, and you know that Yuyuko was responsible for that.
>"Uh, tried unsealing it again, I mean."
>_?

[degradingwindow]

> "I guess we'll find out once we ask the mistress herself."
> "Let's see who can reach the top first alright?"

[Branneg Xy]

>You take a brief sniff, and you smell... like Cherry Blossoms. This perfume really does work wonders, you should thank Yuyuko. For only that. And no other reasons. Absolutely not.

>You take a brief sniff, and you smell... like Cherry Blossoms. This perfume really does work wonders, you should thank Yuyuko. For only that. And no other reasons. Absolutely not.

...
>"Tell your friends I said 'Hello'!"
...

> Once everyone reaches the top-put a rather good effort in but do not exaggerate in order for your friends to also being appreciative of their own efforts tell Shinmyoumaru and Shion miss Yuyuko extend her greetings to them as well.

>You look at the bottle, the liquid inside is slightly pink but mostly clear. And the nozzle seems to made to spray a mist outwards. You sniff it, and it smells like the Cherry Blossoms from outside.
>"It's a perfume. I don't want to be rude, but... you smell. Most likely due to your perspiration. This perfume should help ward off the 'Stench of Death'."
>How ironic that a ghost, and the Lady of Hakugyokurou at that, is giving you something to help with your deathly stench.
>But did she just have this prepared for you this whole time?
>_?

> Once on the way keep talking, but  with a direct question although tempered down with the tone and look of friendshìp: since you would have not taken offense at your fridnds but rather gained an earlier awareness thanks to them,  when did they notice the"Unprecedented Death Stench" on you? Why, especially the why,   did they not reveal it to you?

...

>It is indeed suspicious that Yuyuko would help you in this circumstance considering that she should in all likeliness be on The Ministry's side. You do know that she's much more clever than she presents herself. So she likely knows something that you don't and is hiding it from you. Getting her to spill that information is probably going to be more effort than it's worth however...

> Then on more at-hand matters... keep in mind to look for and take opportunitues to find out about,  while still being amiable and grateful, a good guest and apprentice, some or more about the why Yuyuko is so helpful and wiith preparation in store for you since she should be either on the side of Ministry or Neutral...

>... moreover, she, or rather her retainer Youmu, is not on "The Iku-suggested list of specifically helpful and relatable masters"...

[Tom]

> Get ready to sprint towards the top.

> What do we know about that time spring took a while to arrive?

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> "I guess we'll find out once we ask the mistress herself."
> "Let's see who can reach the top first alright?"

>Shinmyoumaru jumps onto Shion's head immediately upon hearing that dare.
>"I am not participating!"
>Shion puffs up her chest, much more confident, smug, and foolhardy than she usually is. "Hmhm! First one to the top owes the other a bowl of Miso Soup!"

> Get ready to sprint towards the top.

> What do we know about that time spring took a while to arrive?

>Snow covered a majority of Gensokyo despite it supposedly being the middle of Spring. This was because "Spring", or the Weathers associated with it, was being taken away from Gensokyo, and occassionally its denizens. You saw yourself the stream of Spring and some Spirits heading up to the Netherworld, most likely due to the weakening of the Border of Life and Death. You know for a fact that Yuyuko was responsible for the Incident, because not many people could have the unfathomable power required for such a feat as stealing Spring.

>You look up while reminding yourself of the past Incident and see Shion getting a head-start on you.
>"Come on, you slowpoke! Do you want to lose?!"
>You immediately feel the competitve part of yourself surging. That's an intrinsic part of you at this point.
>With that, you're off to the races.

> Once on the way keep talking, but  with a direct question although tempered down with the tone and look of friendshìp: since you would have not taken offense at your fridnds but rather gained an earlier awareness thanks to them,  when did they notice the"Unprecedented Death Stench" on you? Why, especially the why,   did they not reveal it to you?

>Shion talks through laboured breaths. Unexpectedly, she's climbing up the stairs by foot, just like you. You have no idea how she's going to keep up with you, considering how malnourished she looks. "R-right, we noticed it when you arrived at the Shining Needle Castle! We thought that it was me at first, but when you left it was obviously you! We didn't t-tell you because we didn't want to be rude!"
>"We all have off days when we just can't get rid of odours. We didn't want to seem judgmental. Didn't know it was a sign of something this serious."

> Then on more at-hand matters... keep in mind to look for and take opportunitues to find out about,  while still being amiable and grateful, a good guest and apprentice, some or more about the why Yuyuko is so helpful and wiith preparation in store for you since she should be either on the side of Ministry or Neutral...

>... moreover, she, or rather her retainer Youmu, is not on "The Iku-suggested list of specifically helpful and relatable masters"...

>Right, Yuyuko is being very helpful. It's unprecedented. As much as you would really like it if she was doing it because she loves likes you, you have to keep the possibility of her being in league with the Ministry in the back of your head. You really hope she isn't...

> Once everyone reaches the top-put a rather good effort in but do not exaggerate in order for your friends to also being appreciative of their own efforts tell Shinmyoumaru and Shion miss Yuyuko extend her greetings to them as well.

>You and Shion make it to what feels like the last stretch and you both sprint. Shion leaps over the last step just before you do and cheers in celebration.
"Yeah! I did it! I get to have Miso Soup later, and I earned it by beating Tenshi as well! It's going to taste so good!"
>After her jubilation, she falls to the floor in exhaustion and you catch her.
>You then tell Shinmyoumaru and Shion and Yuyuko extends her greetings to them as well.
>"This is going to a legendary day! The Inchling Princess is going to meet with The Lady of The Hakugyokurou! A meeting between the elite for sure."
>_?

[degradingwindow]

> "Is Miso Soup really the best reward you could come up with Shion? You could have at least bet on something more lavish."

> "Don't miss behave around Yuyuko alright, I don't want her image of me to be tainted."

[Tom]

> Perhaps word that bit about misbahving a bit more politely.  (Unless they're actually known to get a little too excited when meeting someone like Yuyuko!)

> Indeed there's still the possibility our hosts may be informing the ministry.  Let's do some more digging and find out what we can about their intentions.  What do we know about how Youmu and Yuyuko became the heads of the Netherworld?

[degradingwindow]

//We also have to consider that Iku was the one who suggested Youmu to us. It's posible that she consulted Youmu and Yuyuko beforehand and that's why they have so many things set up already.

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> "Is Miso Soup really the best reward you could come up with Shion? You could have at least bet on something more lavish."

>"Yes. Yes it is the best reward I can come up with. It tastes good, it's cheap, and I can ask for it pretty much anywhere. The fact that it's cheap is the best part, really."
>"Though I could go for another Miso dish..."

> "Don't miss behave around Yuyuko alright, I don't want her image of me to be tainted."

> Perhaps word that bit about misbahving a bit more politely.  (Unless they're actually known to get a little too excited when meeting someone like Yuyuko!)

>You (politely) tell Shinmyoumaru and Shion to try to act with decorum around Yuyuko. Shion can get a bit mopey and Shinmyoumaru is excitable, it isn't a problem around you or their friends but strangers might think their behaviour is strange or annoying.
>"Why do you care about what Yuyuko thinks about you? She may be The Lady of The Hakugyokurou, but you're a Celestial. Of the Nai Clan no less. Unless..." Shinmyomaru's face becomes impish. "Do you have a crush on Yuyuko?" she says teasingly.
>Shion jerks her head towards Shinmyoumaru at that question.
"But seriously, I am The Inchling Princess. I know at least a bit about how to act around aristocracy or similar types. You don't need to worry about me. Rather... How are they going to react to Shion?"

> Indeed there's still the possibility our hosts may be informing the ministry.  Let's do some more digging and find out what we can about their intentions.  What do we know about how Youmu and Yuyuko became the heads of the Netherworld?

>You don't know much about them. You know that Yuyuko inherited the role from the past Lord, who was a poet of some sort. And you know that Youmu inherited her role from a member of her family, who was also Half-Human Half-Phantom.
>_?

[Tom]

> Try and dodge the question of whether we have a crush by reassuring "I'm certain they'd be pleased to meet the poverty goddess!"

> Do we know anything about Yuyuko's past life and how she became a ghost?

> Continue searching for our hosts.

[degradingwindow]

> If they still continue to press on about us having a "crush" on Yuyuko (pftt as if), tell Shion that we'll get her two miso soups. That'll hopefully distract her from the topic.

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> Try and dodge the question of whether we have a crush by reassuring "I'm certain they'd be pleased to meet the poverty goddess!"

>"Well, are people happy when they see Hina?"
>"Some of them that are more in the know are. Or those that don't really need to worry about misfortune. Yuyuko might actually be fine."
>"Maybe... But Tenshi, you still haven't told us why Yuyuko's opinion seems to be so important to you. Is Shinmyoumaru right?" I-is Shion glaring at you?! She's supposed to be tired, right?!

> If they still continue to press on about us having a "crush" on Yuyuko (pftt as if), tell Shion that we'll get her two miso soups. That'll hopefully distract her from the topic.

>"Two Miso Soups?!" And with that, she's not glaring at you anymore. "O-okay, later! Maybe if we see Mystia's Izakaya or the Human Village so we can go to Geidontei and-and have some beer and-." That was a close one.

> Do we know anything about Yuyuko's past life and how she became a ghost?

>Nothing. She must have been alive either before or while you were Chiko, because you never saw anyone who looked or acted like Yuyuko while looking down on Earth from Heaven in boredom. You know she must have died to become a ghost (duh) but not how she died.

> Continue searching for our hosts.

>You go inside the Ghost Shrine, Shinmyoumaru follows while Shion discusses meal options with her.
>You see Yuyuko sitting at a table having a cup of tea, graceful as always.
>"You're back soon, with your friends no less. And here I thought that going up and down those stairs would be tiring."
>"Youmu will be ready in a small moment. Anything you would like to talk about in the mean time?"
>_?

[degradingwindow]

> "Well, I think I might have gotten used to those stairs, it makes great exercise."

> Sit down at the table, gesture at Shion and Shinyoumaru to have a seat too.
> "I was wondering about what exactly the  Saigyou Ayakashi is. Spiritual trees like it normally have a story to how they attained their spirituality."

[Tom]

>  Politely add "Since it's not blooming, perhaps there's some kind of magic or seal preventing it from doing so. As the Eldest Daughter I could examine to see what it would take to get it back to blooming every season, it's the least we can offer to our hosts for the hospitality!"

[WitheringFlowerCrown]

> "Well, I think I might have gotten used to those stairs, it makes great exercise."

>"An interesting use case. Ahh, if only I still had use for things like exercise."

> Sit down at the table, gesture at Shion and Shinyoumaru to have a seat too.
> "I was wondering about what exactly the  Saigyou Ayakashi is. Spiritual trees like it normally have a story to how they attained their spirituality."

>  Politely add "Since it's not blooming, perhaps there's some kind of magic or seal preventing it from doing so. As the Eldest Daughter I could examine to see what it would take to get it back to blooming every season, it's the least we can offer to our hosts for the hospitality!"

>You sit down at the table, Shion and Shinmyoumaru join in. Shion in particular gives a strange look towards Yuyuko.
>Yuyuko's face seems contemplative. "The Saigyou Ayakashi...For as long as I've been the Lady, that Tree has been there."
>"A long time ago, a talented poet travelled around the land currently known as Gensokyo. When that poet became aware his time was running out, he chose to rest beneath the most beautiful Cherry Blossom tree he could find. After he died, others heard of the otherworldly beauty of this Tree and followed his stead. After the Tree soaked in enough blood, it became a Youkai Tree. It became able to lure people to their death on its own, and became known as the Saigyou Ayakashi. Later on, this tree would be sealed with a Human Soul."
>"I wanted to unseal the Saigyou Ayakashi, to see those legendary blossoms and to unseal that soul. The event that you might know as the "Perfect Cherry Blossom" Incident was not my first attempt. It was my most drastic, however."
>Her face droops and she looks melancholic. "No matter what I try to unseal the Saigyou Ayakashi I'm never successful and I don't know why. The Perfect Cherry Blossom Incident was the closest I got and I had to endanger the lives of thousands for that chance."

>Her face perks up to be more cheerful. "Nowadays I just enjoy the perks of being both a literal and figurative free spirit while appreciating all of the other pieces of beauty this land can show me. Like you~."
>"You can certainly try to get rid of that seal, I doubt you'll get further than I did. Not because you're unskilled, but because even I had a literal eternity to unseal the tree and had to give up eventually."
>_?

[Tom]

> Did Shion catch Yuyukos little comment about us?

> Let's take a look at the seal later and see if we can determine what's needed to get it to bloom.

> Agree "We'll look into it, if we can't figure it out is there something else we can offer to the hospitality?"