Neo Gensokyo Quest - Part 7

[Neovereign]

> Before we do anything: Did we recognize that voice? Rumia, perhaps?
> Does Hatate's expression suggest she's not surprised by this?

> That was most definitely not Rumia's voice. The orb forming around you though, you recall enough of being in Rumia's darkness to consider it as hers.
> Hatate seems to be confused by her suddenly darker surroundings. But otherwise, she wasn't before.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take our hand off Hatate's shoulder and wrap it around her back to grab her from her other side, pulling her in and holding her close to us. (If we can get our hand on her chest, do it, but don't contort too much to do it.)
> Out loud to seemingly no one: "Rumia, what are you doing?"

[Neovereign]

> Take our hand off Hatate's shoulder and wrap it around her back to grab her from her other side, pulling her in and holding her close to us. (If we can get our hand on her chest, do it, but don't contort too much to do it.)
> Out loud to seemingly no one: "Rumia, what are you doing?"

> You take hold of Hatate and pull her in, then call out for Rumia.
> "Rumia?" Hatate questions, looking around.
> The darkness continues forming, halfway surrounding the three of you. At least it's going slowly.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I think this is her darkness."
> Fly a bit upward (bringing Ami and Hatate with us) to see if that gets us away from the bubble.
> "Ami, if we need to, would you mind if I tried to send you down into me the way I was sending myself down into you before?"

[Neovereign]

> "I think this is her darkness."
> Fly a bit upward (bringing Ami and Hatate with us) to see if that gets us away from the bubble.
> "Ami, if we need to, would you mind if I tried to send you down into me the way I was sending myself down into you before?"

> You fly up and out of the bubble, and it doesn't try to follow you. Just continues to close slowly.
> "Don't know if I can manage, but okay." Ami agrees.
> Hatate takes a picture of the darkness with her camera.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Hmm. Might as well find out now, then. Hata, can you support yourself for a bit?"
> Let go of Hatate.
> Lift Ami up so she largely, if not entirely, above us.
> "Okay, Ami, any help you can provide will be appreciated."
> Straighten ourselves out, tilt our head back so the passage down is as vertical as we can get it, open our mouth, and pull Ami's legs in.

[Neovereign]

> "Hmm. Might as well find out now, then. Hata, can you support yourself for a bit?"
> Let go of Hatate.
> Lift Ami up so she largely, if not entirely, above us.
> "Okay, Ami, any help you can provide will be appreciated."
> Straighten ourselves out, tilt our head back so the passage down is as vertical as we can get it, open our mouth, and pull Ami's legs in.

> You release Hatate, letting her float beside you.
> Then, attempt to get Ami down.
> Her legs... make it. So to does her waist. This looks promising.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Pull her the rest of the way down, switching to pushing the top of her when it makes sense to do so.

[Neovereign]

> Pull her the rest of the way down, switching to pushing the top of her when it makes sense to do so.

> You continue, with Ami trying to wiggle her way the rest of the way.
> It... actually works, fully. You shouldn't be tall enough to, but you guess you're now big enough to after the fact. You haven't finished up though, in case Ami wanted to back out and pull herself out. But it doesn't seem like she is.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How is that bubble of darkness looking?
> Finish up completely, so that we can resume being able to speak normally.

[Neovereign]

> How is that bubble of darkness looking?
> Finish up completely, so that we can resume being able to speak normally.

> It's closed now.
> You get Ami fully down, clearing your throat a bit.
> "W...Well." Hatate comments.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Huh. Well then.
> Do we look any different?
> How does this feel?
> Do we think we could send more down with Ami, or does this feel like our limit?
> Look to Hatate. Does she seem to be reacting to us, her phone, or the bubble?
> "I didn't know your phone could talk, Hata."

[Neovereign]

> Huh. Well then.
> Do we look any different?
> How does this feel?
> Do we think we could send more down with Ami, or does this feel like our limit?
> Look to Hatate. Does she seem to be reacting to us, her phone, or the bubble?
> "I didn't know your phone could talk, Hata."

> Bigger. Well, more rotund, rather. By a lot. You're surprised it doesn't hurt.
> You feel filled, but you still feel like you could have something to eat. It's a bit of a different sensation...
> You aren't sure. Perhaps you could try?
> The former, you.
> "That was whoever was being observed... My thoughtography is getting better. And I didn't know you could do that. Is that safe?" Hatate asks.
> Your stomach feels like it drops a bit, and all the size suddenly goes away. What?
> You don't feel any hunger satisfied from it either. You hope whatever just happened was Ami's own doing.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Can we still feel Ami in there?

[Neovereign]

> Can we still feel Ami in there?

> You do not.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Look surprised, with a touch of concern.
> "...Uh, Hata? Can you check on Ami with your ability?"

[Neovereign]

> Look surprised, with a touch of concern.
> "...Uh, Hata? Can you check on Ami with your ability?"

> Hatate checks her phone.
> "Mm... It's all darkness." Hatate says.
> Does that mean you have something like what Yukari did going on? Or something else?
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we feel any different than before we took Ami into us? Like maybe we accidentally absorbed her somehow?
> "What does that mean?"
> Look down at ourselves.
> "Ami? Can you still hear me?"

[Neovereign]

> Do we feel any different than before we took Ami into us? Like maybe we accidentally absorbed her somehow?
> "What does that mean?"
> Look down at ourselves.
> "Ami? Can you still hear me?"

> You don't.
> You call for Ami...
> There's no response.
> "It means wherever she is, is too dark to see." Hatate shows her black screen of a camera. "Look-" She changes, now showing an image of Rumia.
> Though the background features her darkness orb, you can clearly see Rumia in the image. It's like Hatate took a photo of her from inside the sphere. The orb isn't completely black though, it's permeable by a bit. You can see something red behind her.
> "Rumia's orb isn't too dark. So maybe she's in there." Hatate pokes at your gut. "I could try harder though, if you think I won't make that suddenly happen again." She gestures to the bubble.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Maybe. Or, uh...would you be willing to dive in there and check it out directly, maybe? I can hold onto your ankle to make sure the same doesn't happen to you."

[Neovereign]

> "Maybe. Or, uh...would you be willing to dive in there and check it out directly, maybe? I can hold onto your ankle to make sure the same doesn't happen to you."

> "My skills are better than an eyewitness attempt, you know." Hatate crosses her arms. "If I suddenly vanish too, I won't be able to check."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I know, I know. Sorry. I'm just worried that...yeah, give your harder attempt a try. Please."

[Neovereign]

> "I know, I know. Sorry. I'm just worried that...yeah, give your harder attempt a try. Please."

> "We can try if this results in nothing. Just be careful when we do." Hatate gives it her better go, like before.
> The thing from before doesn't happen at least, but she does seem to glow a bit with her camera. So she was telling the truth.
> You can see Ami in the photo, though! She's nearby, according to the surroundings. Near that lake Nitori was in.
> Though she should've heard you call for her in that case.
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> What's her facial expression like?
> "There! ... How did she get there? Whatever, let's go to her."
> Scoop Hatate up and beeline for the location in the picture.

[Neovereign]

> What's her facial expression like?
> "There! ... How did she get there? Whatever, let's go to her."
> Scoop Hatate up and beeline for the location in the picture.

> You can't see from the angle taken.
> You head towards the location quickly before she would have a chance to move...
> But don't see Ami anywhere when you get there.
> "Weird..." Hatate comments, repeating as you come to a stop. "She's still somewhere here."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Feel for Ami's wind.
> "Can you do the thing that gets the person you're looking at to speak to you through your phone, like earlier?"

[Neovereign]

> Feel for Ami's wind.
> "Can you do the thing that gets the person you're looking at to speak to you through your phone, like earlier?"

> You try to feel for Ami's wind, but you don't feel it anywhere nearby. Just the trail that ends where you swallowed her.
> Hatate repeats, now maintaining a constant feedback rather than an image.
> Ami scratches her head within the camera, looking around.
> "I'd be frustrated if it was the other way around... but at least it wasn't." She comments. "Still, another bad thing resulting from trying... ugh."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we remember where the Yakumo house is?
> "Okay, she's at least safe somewhere. Can she hear us? Or at least hear you?"

[Neovereign]

> Do we remember where the Yakumo house is?
> "Okay, she's at least safe somewhere. Can she hear us? Or at least hear you?"

> You do remember where Yukari and her shikigami frequent, but wherever she actually stays seems elusive.
> "Not sure. Hey, Ami?" Hatate questions.
> "Could be the outside world... the wind feels different." Ami comments.
> "I guess not..."
>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Damn. Well, I guess we could try asking Yukari, if you don't want to risk diving in after her."
> Glance around.
> "I don't suppose you're already listening in, Lady Yakumo?"