3281/Touhou Kakudai Intermission - Of Curiosity and Cats

Touhou Kakudai Intermission - Of Curiosity and Cats
Date of Scene:	27 October 2015
Location:	The Realm of Gensokyo
Synopsis:	Konoe investigates the movements of Makai's devils on her own and winds up biting off a bit more than she can chew.
Cast of Characters:	847, 882
Tinyplot:	Touhou Kakudai

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Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Ever since the incident at Kaibaland, Konoe had been on edge. Those devils had shown up yet again. It was beyond suspicious now. And now that Alice was allegedly involved, it only grew even more so.

     And so Konoe decided to investigate.

     Her first thought was to check Alice's house, but her dolls kept turning her away. Marisa was busy being Marisa off at gods know where, leaving her left to her own devices. Figuring that there would be nothing for it with things like that, she decided to strike out on her own. Asking around, surveying various locales, and so on.

     Frustratingly, she got little to work with. The only clue seemed to be that those devils had supposedly come from Makai. ...But how does one get to Makai? Konoe felt like she should have known, but her memory remained cloudy.

     Eventually, as a last resort, Konoe thought that perhaps she should pay this 'Hakurei Shrine' a visit, and ask there. ...She didn't want to go there. At all. But she was fast running out of ideas.

     And so here the cat miko was, flying through the skies of Gensokyo at a leisurely pace, as if avoiding her impending destination. Her expression was a pensive one, not looking forward to this in the least.

     "...This has become such a troublesome thing." Konoe muttered to herself as she flew.

Shinki (882) has posed:
    With the actual Miko out and about, the Shrine's "loving" guardian is not there, the portal to Makai buzzing with energy as two figures come out. "Mm, that Academy could have gone better, Yuki." the white robed girl mutters, shaking her head some as she takes flight into the sky above the Hakurei Shrine. "And Marisa was there too. Hot headed as ever. I think she may come after Makai soon." the black robed girl scoffs...

    "Let her, we'll show her for intruding on us. It's been ten years, I'm sure we can take her." Yuki smirks a bit, "We'll expand Makai into Gensokyo and beyond. Besides, didn't you send Louise off to meet that guy? I dont' care much for this peaceful way of negotiating, I'd rather take it. Like Sara." Yuki takes a look towards the sky, "It's actually a nice day out here, so why are we in Gensokyo again?"

    "We have to pick up something from Alice's house. She's buried herself into Wonderland for the past week. I wonder if she forgot something there. Haven't opened the list she gave me." with this, both start off in the direction towards Alice's house, flying above the road to the Shrine.

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     As Konoe's trip gradually drew to a close, with the Hakurei Shrine getting closer, she noticed something odd. "...?" Two figures flying out of the shrine grounds and...they looked familiar. After a second or two, Konoe's eyes widened. "It's /them/!" She exclaimed to herself, having not forgotten Yuki and Mai's appearances.

     With a pair of live clues right in front of her, the miko kicked her flight speed into high gear and blasted off. Not quite at the speed of a certain crow tengu, but it was admirable nonetheless. "Hey! You two! Stop right there!" Konoe yelled through the sky as she blew past the two girls, putting on the brakes and coming to a stationary float in front of them(with a safe distance between).

     She turned around and pointed. "Yuki-san! And...." Her confidence dampened a bit as she stared at Mai. "...and...um...Ma..Mao-san?"

     Wrong.

     "Whatever! What are you two doing here in Gensokyo? And where's Alice-san? Tell me!"

Shinki (882) has posed:
    With Yuki and Mai talking to themselves about various things relating to the Multiverse and Gensokyo in of itself that the presence of someone else gets ignored. That is, until they're spoken to. Both of them halt in the air and turn to look at the bakeneko miko. "Hakurei?" they mutter together, "Can't be, that one has ears of a youkai." "You're right... hey, cat, what's with the miko getup? Trying to play pretend?"

    Yuki floats slightly closer, "Ah, so you know of me. Ooooh, you're that cat from that place with all the machines! Got tired of playing with the koakuma, didn't you?" she smirks a bit, "And you wanted to play with us then? Or, did you want to change your ways and come join us?" Mai, however, looks at Konoe like a child would look at something cute. "Aaaah, she mewed at me! She's so adorable!"

    Yuki shakes her head and sighs, "You want to know where Alice is? I'm afraid you won't be able to reach her. She'll show herself when she's ready again. But she did refer to you by name, I think. Dirty cat, if I remember what she said right." Mai stares at Yuki, what was she trying to do, "We're just getting things for Alice, so you can go play with the smaller youkai now, ok?"

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     "Eh?"

     Konoe blinked.

     "......Eh?"

     Konoe blinked again.

     These two...barely even remembered her! Was she that inconsequential!? Comically, she hung her head for a moment after the fact. But then she recovered, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "Why would I join you? And I don't have any ways to change!" She raised her arm, pointing at Yuki a she said that. Then she grew flustered, cheeks turning a bit red.

     "N-No! I didn't mew! I don't mew!" Konoe hotly denied, glaring at Mai next. Ugh! These two were a headache! She was all prepared to interrogate them, but they were so silly, she lost all of her serious determination!

     The miko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "And my name isn't 'Dirty Cat'! It's Konoe Kanno!" A pause followed. "And no, I'm not Hakurei! AND I'm NOT playing pretend!" As if to prove a point, she produced several ofuda, which lit up in purifying flame soon after. "So no; I'm not going to play with the 'smaller youkai'. Instead, you two are going to tell me why you and your koakuma have been showing up all over the multiverse! If not, then..."

     She raised the hand holding the ofuda back, as if prepared to throw them. "...I'll force the answer out of you two."

     Two on one. Very smart idea, cat.

Shinki (882) has posed:
    Yuki laughs, "Oh, maybe it was MIMIC CAT." Yuki lets those two words drip with whatever Makai-laced venom it had. "I figured you'd want to join, get rid of that stupid miko get up and come join something with a real promise. But I guess you're clinging to the getup like a cat clings to yarn." she shakes her head as Mai floats closer towards Konoe, "Konoe Kanno, it's a cute name." Mai starts "Tell you what, why do you want to know what we and the koakuma are up to?"

    "Mai, she probably won't speak to you about it, you know that. She'll be just like Hakurei and shoot first if you get too close." Yuki warns a bit chidingly, "You know how those Miko are, exterminate first, ask questions when they're not being lazy and curled up in the sun purring." Mai, however, gives a bit of a chuckle, "But that's what makes this one so cute. She even mewed at my name. I'd take it home but Shinki won't be happy with me I know."

    The two look at the ofuda, Yuki shakes her head, "You might be getting into more than you can handle, cat. We'll let you off if you tell us why you want to know? Do you have something against the Dollmaker?"

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Mimic Cat.

     /Mimic Cat/.

     Konoe trembled with barely contained anger. These two, THESE TWO! Konoe mentally repeated a mantra in her head of 'Stay calm', and remained on guard as she eventually spoke. "Keep pushing it and I'll cling to /you/. With my claws." Konoe /didn't/ use her claws actually, if one thought back. Wonder why.

     She looked between the two girls, remaining irritated and poised to strike. "I'm /not/ Hakurei! Stop saying that!" At first, it didn't bother her, but after hearing it over and over and over, it had long started to get to the bakeneko. She grit her teeth, repeating that mantra in her hea even faster now. "You have no idea what I can handle, demon." Konoe spat back in reply.

     A moment of silence followed, and then she spoke. "...Alice-san..." She trailed off, unable to form a response immediately. ...What DID she think of Alice really? Sure, they fought. A lot. But they occasionally got along. The Dollmaker let Konoe sleep and eat at her place, and they helped each other out now and then. ...Perhaps grudgingly.

     Were they friends?

     "....I don't know."

     After all that thought, that's the only answer she could come up with.

Shinki (882) has posed:
    The answer causes both Yuki and Mai to look between each other then back at Konoe, "You... don't know, and yet you stand before us wanting to know where she is. What are you, her pet miko cat? I didn't think she'd be that bold to adopt someone like you. Maybe she's expanding her horizons, like She is." Yuki shakes her head and stares at Konoe, "Or maybe you're just a lost little cat so I ask you again, why are you seeking Alice?"

    Mai floats closer towards Konoe, almost too close as she reaches out her hand to ruffle the miko-cat's ears, if she can even GET that close. "What, did she take away your fish or cat nip you or something?" she questions, "You just need to realize that she's okay and she'll be back." Mai smiles, "Now, we need to go to Alice's house to pick up a few things. Are you going to let us go in peace or are you wanting to play Danmaku with us?"

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     "........"

     With that, Konoe lowered her arm, fuda losing their flame and dissipating. Why WAS she so concerned about Alice? ...She couldn't find an answer. So lost in thought she was, that she didn't even notice how close Mai had gotten. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her ears that she snapped back to life and floated backwards quickly, putting distance between them again.

     "D-Don't touch me!" Konoe said quickly, returning to reality and glaring at the two before her. Sure, she didn't have a concrete reason to stop Yuki and Mai, but...she couldn't just let them go. It was probably a dumb idea, but nonetheless, she was going to stop them anyway.

     "You're not going anywhere as long as I'm still here." The miko stated after finally coming to a descision. She raised her held fuda once more, flames reigniting. "If you want to get by, then you'll have to go through me!"

Shinki (882) has posed:
    As Konoe snaps to, Mai pulls back and Yuki smiles, "No reason at all, it looks like. Well, I'm afraid we'll be going now and I don't think you want to stop us." the ofuda come out and Yuki just laughs, "Little Miko, tail so frizzy, are you trying to keep us busy?" Mai returns towards Yuki before the two spread out, "Mai?" "Yuki?" Both give a nod and without warning, danmaku starts flying towards Konoe.

    Thick blue and yellow lasers trailing in arcs to meet up with Konoe's current position start flying from the two, blue coming from Mai and yellow from Yuki before more small homing bullets are let out from Yuki and a dispersal pattern for Mai's own regular bullets start filling the air over the Hakurei Shrine's main road, "I wasn't planning on using danmaku but if you want to threaten us with those ofuda, you're nothing more than the Miko we need to get past!"

    Mai continues her assault and throws out six regular lasers in a spokes pattern, letting them spin around before they activate while Yuki throws out fireballs in a conal spread towards Konoe. "Dodge the danmaku from Makai, cat! We're going past!"

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Konoe frowned as the lightshow started. Two against one wasn't the smartest idea she's ever had, but she didn't care about that now. She just wanted to stop them, no matter what. More than it just being about Alice, she was simply a miko and they were youkai up to no good. ...And on top of that, she /didn't/ like them one bit right now.

     Not to be done in by the initial volley, Konoe veered back, avoiding the twin lasers narrowly. From there, she worked on keeping busy moving, weaving through Mai's bullet pattern while Yuki's bullets chased after her, keeping her from staying still for a moment. "Kh...!" She couldn't just dodge forever though. Two on one was harder than it seemed. Especially if those attacking were actually skilled.

     Determined not to be a sitting duck, Konoe countered, throwing out several sets of flaming ofuda, which broke off into a flurry of bullets that split into two groups and homed in on both Yuki and Mai. Following that up, the miko produced a set of needles in her other hand, throwing them straight at Yuki, whose homing bullet spray was deemed the more irritating of the two patterns.

     Right then however, she slipped up, running headfirst into Mai's bullets, impacting with her front torso and blowing her back a bit. "Gah!" And like a chain reaction, several of Yuki's struck her from behind, blowing her forward. "Ah...!"

Shinki (882) has posed:
    Yuki and Mai's danmaku spread continues it's relentless advance, the two flying closer towards Konoe, backing off a bit as flaming ofuda bullets strike the two, well, if homing was homing, then... the bullet patterns get denser, the needles strike into Yuki and send her reeling back a bit more. "These are just like Hakurei." Mai chimes in, kicking up the lasers a notch as they go into eight spinning spokes then activation after spin.

    Yuki just keeps up her bullet spread, the homing bullets getting denser and faster before both fire off another set of homing lasers, three thick, ball like lasers homing in on the mikokitty. "Shall we stop playing and use Makai rules, Yuki?" Yuki grins a bit and nods, diamond shaped, red shards start flying every direction, this time, the danmaku is sharper than normal.

    "Welcome to Makai rules, I'm not going to play around, kitty." Yuki smirks a bit, "Too bad I don't have any koakuma with me to help but you seem to have trouble in a two on one, that's fine with me! Mai, pin her down!" Mai's bullet spreads pick up in intensity and density, aiming just to keep Konoe in one position so the sharper danmaku can actually do something.

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Makai rules?

     Konoe soon realized what that meant when the bullet spread started getting denser and harder to dodge. "...!" This was getting ridiculous! Unable to find the time to complain, all she could do in the moment was dodge, rapidly weaving about in all directions to avoid the bullet spray. "Don't....get so..."

     Gritting her teeth as several bullets tore into her from multiple directions. "...COCKY!" The miko pulled out a spellcard, raising it high.

     SPIRIT SIGN - PROMINENCE SEAL

     The card burst into flame and burned up into nothing. What followed was a burning orange essence that formed, turning to several large orbs that radiated throughout the duel radius, clearing out bullets and homing in on Yuki and Mai. ...It actually looked kind of familiar, probably. Except the orbs were fire, not rainbow.

     Following that however, Konoe looked like she didn't have much more to work with. She was panting, her clothes were torn up from the sharp danmaku, and she may have been bleeding in multiple places. "I...won't...let you....pass..."

Shinki (882) has posed:
    The bullet spread keeps up its pace but as the spellcard comes into play, the 'bomb' clears out the entire danmaku spread and the orbs crash into Yuki and Mai, sending them back quite a way, "Nngh, tha.. that's familiar.. but I see why Alice called you a Mimic." Mai whispered, Yuki gives a strained look at Konoe "She's done for. Come, let's go. No sense in wasting more energy on a miko that can't keep up."

    Yuki and Mai take higher into the sky and slowly, if tauntingly, pass over Konoe, Yuki looking down towards Konoe, "You're right, you aren't Hakurei. You're doing those clothes a disservice to the Miko..." the two continue at a leisurely pace, definately able to be followed by Konoe if she so chooses, "Maybe you should grab a fairies outfit instead and mimic them... you'll do just about the same." both Yuki and Mai let out a soft laugh and watch the miko-cat if she follows, the two heading towards the Dollmaker's house.

Konoe Kanno (847) has posed:
     Konoe didn't follow.

     She tried, but she found she didn't have the energy to keep in the air. And try as she might, her altitude got lower and lower until she descended past the treeline and collapsed. Smack dab in the Forest of Magic. ...Somewhere.

     (Could Hakurei have handled this...?)

     (Is the difference in our skills really so wide?)

     (...Am I really so weak?)

     She grit her teeth as her vision blurred.

     (It's not fair...)

     And then they closed.