Lucky Lulu

"Still you, I'm afraid." Masako backed off as Reimu righted herself, adopting an only-seemingly-lazy pattern of hovering, wings relaxed at her side in a way that would allow her to use their leverage to bolt any way necessary in the event of an attack. "If you're feeling unappreciated, go take it up with someone when we've finished with you. I'm sure the Moriya shrine people or that one so-called hermit or those fairies you always have hanging around would love to help. But for now, you definitely don't get to complain." The tengu glanced to her side. After a moment's examination, a deft twirl of her yari caught one of the Saigyou Ayakashi saplings amongst the branches. A swift kick with her geta drove the tip of the spear into the sapling's trunk, as if she were trying to drive a spade into the soil. Then, before Reimu could fully respond, she pulled the razor-sharp crescent and spike sideways through the tree in a single, swift motion. "Especially not when you're using dirty tricks like these things." ACTIONS 1. Masako uses Defend as an action, halving all damage for one round. 2. Masako uses Swift Scan on Sapling A as a free action, targeting its Perks! Masako gains detailed information on whatever Perks it has, if any. 3. Masako spends 1 Pursuit token to make an attack at the very end of the round using her Tengu Yari, targeting Sapling A! The sapling takes 1.3*(4d8+12+12) damage. (ie [1.3*4d8+31.2]). PASSIVE 1. Masako spends 2 Insight and gains (12+10) = 22 temporary hit points from Pattern Prediction. 2. Teachings of the Tengu is applied to to IP and UB-65! Currently, they gain (80% damage bonus against Reimu from Perfect Profile, 30% damage bonus against the saplings from Perfect Profile, +12 to damage in general from Tarukaja).

"I see." As the danmaku stilled for a moment, and with Hikari bringing her back to her senses, Masako removed the kiseru from her mouth. The thin trail of smoke still rising from the bowl served almost to obscure part of her face as she held it before her as if to inspect it. And, for a moment, it seemed almost as though she'd lost all interest in Reimu. She merely floated, almost still, examining the reflection of the smoke in the metal. As if seeing something there, she gave an almost imperceptible nod. The smoke shifted. Masako closed her eyes. "I could, I suppose, explain exactly why this plan of yours would be doomed to failure." Masako could feel the wind picking up as it blew through her hair. She could use that. "I certainly will protest your horribly uncharitable characterization of us tengu, little as you'll listen even when we pull that thing off your face. Still, it's obvious you're taking this very seriously. So, in the interest of dealing with a situation that is quickly demonstrating itself a very real threat to my life in particular and the continued existence of Gensokyo in general..." The wind carried away the last embers. The smoke was carried into the netherworld sky. Masako's eyes opened, reflecting the shrine maiden within them. "I suggest the rest of you pay attention. Because I'll take things seriously, too." The tengu twirled her kiseru, swinging it down to her side. In a flash, the simple pipe was gone. In its place, the tengu held an elegantly-engraved spear, its long central point flanked by a pair of half-crescent blades that looked sharp enough to cut the wind. And as she gave the weapon an experimental twirl, it seemed to do just that, carving danmaku-yari from the air around her until a massive swarm of them filled the sky. For a moment, the danmaku remained suspended and still, as the tengu gripped the yari in both hands. She spread her wings wide as she brought the tip up, pointing directly at Reimu. "Now, then. UB-65, F7DXOQ29604509X, watch my movements carefully. I hate to repeat myself." With that, the wind picked up once more. And like a storm driven by a gale, Masako and her danmaku let it carry them, bringing their full force raining on the miko with a speed faster than most human eyes could follow. ACTIONS 1. Masako spends 9 Insight to use Swift Scan (Full Scan) on Reimu as a free action! Masako gains information on Reimu's weaknesses, resistances, and attributes! All of Reimu's resistances (including DR) are cut in half, and all attacks directed at Reimu count as undodgeable for the remainder of the battle. Further, Reimu is now always targetable by this and other actions. Gain 3 Insight. 2. Masako uses Wind Sign "Fierce Gale", targeting Reimu with all 3 attacks! Masako makes 3 attacks against Reimu, each dealing (1.7*1.2*(4d8+12+12)) damage! (i.e. 3 attacks, doing [2.04*4d8+48.96] each). 3. Masako spends 1 Pursuit token to use Summarize Observation on Reimu, gaining Insight for each action Reimu uses, and automatically dodging the first action Reimu directs at Masako while active. PASSIVE 1. Masako gains 12 temporary hit points from Pattern Prediction. 2. Teachings of the Tengu is applied to to IP and UB-65! Currently, they gain (70% damage bonus against Reimu from Perfect Profile, 20% weapon damage bonus from Weapon Guidance, +12 to damage in general from Tarukaja). Teachings is no longer applied to Rory.

Masako gives herself a shake, glancing at the fairy out of the corner of her eye. While Empi's yelling had managed to snap her back to her full senses, it was pretty clear that, as the fairy quieted down, she was apparently falling under the affects of the Saigyou Ayakashi herself. The detective tilted her head, considering as she shifted just enough to let one of the shadow creatures sail past her as it attempted to leap and bite. Given the way her free hand was poised, it seemed likely she was considering slapping the fairy back to sensibility. But, with a shrug, she seemed to rethink it, turning her eyes back to Reimu... and to the beasts around her. Masako's glasses glinted with reflected light as the network of danmaku spread throughout the otherworldly garden, flashing and blasting and illuminating the shadow creatures it caught in the bursts. Through it all, she continued to puff on her kiseru, watching Reimu with her odd focus while continuing to weave around. "No? Well, I think Saigyouji has snacks around, if you want those instead. It'll be a heck of a lot easier than this nonsense, anyway." Masako gains 12 temporary hit points from Pattern Prediction. Masako uses Swift Scan on Reimu as a free action, targeting her Actions! Masako gains detailed information on whatever actions Reimu has, adding it to her bestiary/casefile! Masako applies Teachings of the Tengu to Rory! Currently, gains (20% damage bonus against Reimu from Perfect Profile, +12 to damage in general from Tarukaja. Masako spends 4 Insight and uses Deduction "Shocking Insight", targeting Shadow Beast A, Shadow Beast B, and Shadow Beast C! Each takes 24 damage and is stunned for 1 turn. Masako spends a Pursuit token to use Summarize Observation on Reimu, gaining Insight for each action Reimu uses, and automatically dodging the first action Reimu directs at Masako while active.

Masako glanced to her left. Masako glanced to right. "It strikes me," Masako said, raising her kiseru to her lips. "That, barring an intensive debate on the nature of underwater boats from alternative universes and the complex status of shikigami, I am the only youkai here. One can only conclude, then, that you mean to exterminate me." "Terribly rude of you, really. And insane, though given that mask you've managed to strap to your face, perhaps that part can be forgiven." With a few quick movements of her free hand, Masako lit the pipe. The tengu drew a long pull from the tip, before exhaling in a slow, measured breath. She stared at Reimu, quiet and calculating, as the fragrant smoke rose to the Netherworld sky. All the signs were as she suspected, little as she'd thought to find the miko so soon. Not that it made the next part any easier. She'd just have to figure that out quickly. "I'm Chichimura Masako, Gensokyo's finest detective. We've met before, so I won't bother with the business cards. You don't seem like you want to retain a detective, anyway." The tengu swayed. She'd looked too long at the saplings of the Saigyou Ayakashi, and was already fighting to keep herself awake and focused. A losing battle, without assistance. But, for now, she could still keep herself upright. She could still watch. And she could still think. Hopefully someone would shock her or throw coffee on her or something so she could keep doing so. "Oh, I know," she said, continuing to puff on her kiseru. "I've still got a bit of spare change left from what Konpaku gave me. Give up, take off the mask, and tell me where you got it, and I can throw a couple coins at your shrine or something." Masako gains 24 temporary hit points from Pattern Prediction. Masako uses Swift Scan on Reimu as a free action, targeting her Perks! Masako gains detailed information on whatever Perks Reimu has, adding it to her bestiary/casefile! Additional behavioral/biographical/etc information may be provided at GM discretion. Masako uses Summarize Observation on Reimu, gaining Insight for each action Reimu uses.

"You see?" Masako said, in her lofty tone, surrounded by an aura of pure smugness. "The soup slips through the strainer, and the noodle is left behind. It really is quite simple, when you think about it. Still, I suppose it's no easier for some to grasp the principles without a solid foundation; I'll have that fixed soon enough." "In any case." Masako finally found what she was looking for, pulling out what appeared to be some sort of old pocketwatch. She glanced at it for but a moment before shrugging and stuffing it away again. "Should just be a few minutes. Let's all just head to Hakugyokurou, shall we? She should pop up around the time we get settled inside." Masako started to float after Yuyuko, then paused, considering, before floating over to the box and slapping a slip of paper with a crudely-drawn symbol atop. "Might want to deal with the artifact, too. But I've certainly saved us all a lot of trouble already, so beyond this deterrent I'll leave it to Walnut."

"Patience," said Masako, apparently indifferent to the eruption of anger around her. She was FAR more concerned with watching the approach of the ghost. "You'll see in a moment. Whether this works or not, your fairy friend will (probably) be fine. Until then, I will have to ask that you remain calm and pay careful attention."

"As I said." Masako felt the line go taut in her hands as the little fairy gave her little tugs. She waited a moment more, watching the ghost draw a little closer to her prey. Then she gave a pull, and the fairy was yanked several meters back, bouncing upon the ghostly soil. Again, as Yuyuko drew closer. And again. And again. Drawing her towards their hiding spot--and towards the box. Just a few minutes more, and then... "Fishing." Masako twisted the twine, turning and spinning, sending the fairy soaring (and, likely, screaming) through the air, until she landed with a tiny thunk in the feasting box in the clearing, just as Yuyuko was about to approach. Without a moment's hesitation, she dropped the twine, grabbing the rope connected to the box in her hand and beckoning Rory to help her. Now was the key moment; fairies were beings of almost pure life energy, a greater target for a hungry ghost--especially surrounded, as LOTUS was, by delicious street food--than most normal people. Assuming she was right--assuming Yuyuko was driven mad in the way she believed, based on what she'd seen of Marisa and what little she'd heard from Sakuya and Youmu--then it would only be a moment. Yuyuko, starving, would chase the fairy into the box. And the tengu could snap the box shut, and let ghostly (meta?)physics do the rest of the work.

"Oh, she'll be fine," said Masako, casual as ever, still holding the end of the unraveling twine as LOTUS sailed through the air. "Even if she dies, it's not as though she'll be injured by it. She is a fairy, and they always bounce back from little things like death, as healthy as ever. Physically, at any rate, but I can't be expected to gauge the possibility of emotional trauma as a result of being eaten by a ghost or crunching against a window or what-have-you for everyone I deal with. If I did that, I wouldn't get anything done." She paused, tilting her head. LOTUS had apparently reached the apex of her flight, and was starting to fall. Soon, they'd be getting to work. "Well. I'd get things done, I suppose. But it's still a bit too tedious to bother."

Masako nodded back at Youmu, then returned to her final preparations. The box was already opened in the trees, the ropes tied and the feast laid out within; a splendid repast (albeit primarily of cooling street food) that few mortals could resist, let alone a (literally) hungry ghost. The hiding places for the rest of the party were prepared nearby, little good as it would do should the mistress of this place fail to take the bait, and much as she'd refused to explain her idea to the others beyond the most basic details. Masako hardly appeared concerned about that outcome, though. Possibly because it hardly left them any worse off than not planning anything at all. Barring a few scrapes and bruises here and there for one soon-to-be unfortunate assistant. "Now, remember. Make sure you make plenty of noise; it's best if you attract the most attention, given you can't die. Two pulls if you should see a pink-haired ghost woman, just one if something else wants to eat you. Once we get both pulls, I'll ensure you get away with minimal injury." The tengu finished tying the knot around the AI-fairy's tiny waist, taking but a moment to admire her handiwork and notably refusing to clarify what she'd do if only one pull was received. Once she seemed satisfied, she nodded. "There. Assuming nothing chews through the twine, that should hold for our purposes. Now, let me think..." Masako pondered, for a moment, the fairy still in hand, and the other end of the long length of twine in the other. There was just one last thing they needed to do, now. But there was a word for it she wasn't recalling. Something that Usami girl had used, once. What was it? Oh, right. "Rory," she said, holding out the fairy to the faunus. This part she'd already explained to him, even if she'd only given LOTUS the details necessary to convince her, and the others hardly anything at all. Once he'd taken LOTUS, she gestured with her newly-empty hand towards the mansion. "It's time to yeet the fairy."

"That's quite alright," Masako said, nodding along. She wasn't terribly surprised; LOTUS hadn't demonstrated much in the way of mobility, so far. She'd probably have to fix that, depending on how long she was stuck as a fairy. "I do have an alternative, after all. We haven't the time to let the rest of you learn, so I'll have to explain it to YOU on the way. But let me see..." After a few moments fiddling around in her pockets, Masako pulled out a large ball of twine, tossing it from hand to hand. "I do hope you like fishing."

Beyond an expression of mild disappointment in the botanist, the tengu didn't react to Isobel's bewildered rage. All she did was shrug and provide a simple statement. "Ghosts and soup are roughly the same thing, metaphysically speaking. Especially in this case. If your hand can't tell you how, then I see no reason why my explaining it would help you." "In any case," Masako said, giving LOTUS a glance of acknowledgement before turning to float after their half-soup guide. "There's no need to keep her from using her abilities; quite the opposite, in fact. But I am glad you ask, LOTUS. You have a key part in the plan, after all, due to your unique abilities. So I suppose I have a question for you, before I decide what that part entails. How quickly can you move?"

Masako pulled out what appeared to be a small, watertight container. She pulled off the lid. And she promptly dumped a bowl full of udon soup into Isobel's gloved hand. The broth ran quickly and wetly, running down and dripping from the soggy noodles that still clung like particularly depressing snakes to her fingers, until only the noodles and a few stray scallions remained clutched in the girl's palm. "There," Masako said cheerfully, tossing the bowl aside. After a moment more of watching the liquid drip away, and a moment more examining the solid remains, she regarded Isobel once more with an intense stare. "Now. I trust you can explain the plan?"

If LOTUS meant to chasten Masako with her question, it didn't seem to work as intended; for all any of them knew, lacking experience with youkai, the tengu might be incapable of experiencing shame. But that isn't to say it had no effect at all. As the fairy finished, the detective's contemplative expression shifted to one of mild annoyance. Her gaze lowered, focusing on IP, on UB-65, on LOTUS all in turn. It seemed, for a moment, as if she were about to go on another somewhat-bewildering tirade. Then she sighed. Not the sigh of someone who'd finally realized the errors of her ways, though. More one of an exasperated parent, or, perhaps, of a master dealing with a particularly thickheaded student. "Very well." Her eyes turned to Isobel, fixing her with a piercing gaze. "Isobel, wasn't it? I imagine you have similar questions, and I suppose questioning means you aren't entirely hopeless, even if your perspective remains unfortunately limited. So, if you want an explanation--" She reached down, fishing for something in her bag. "--hold out your hand."

Masako blinked at IP, glanced back at Rory and the box, then shook her head. "Is it not obvious? I thought it would be perfectly clear to any sensible person. Although..." The tengu paused, tapping the corner of her lips in thought. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't expect you to match me in this regard, even if the pieces are all right in front of you. Still, the explanation may be lost on you. Particularly if you don't have any experience thinking outside the box, so to speak."

"Well, you could have had a bit more patience." Fortunately, with the return of the tengu, a potential explanation for the sinister feeling swiftly presented itself. Masako floated swiftly along after the rest of the team, a single bag dangling from one of her hands. Behind her trudged what appeared to be a large, wooden box--though presumably the legs walking it along belonged to the Rory, invisible on the opposite side of it. Despite the blind stumbling of the latter, the former had no trouble whatsoever catching up. "In any case, I assume you've made your peace with death?" Masako settled on the ground, fumbling in the bag for something or other as she walked alongside Youmu. "It may or may not be relevant soon."

"Excellent." Masako cheerfully accepted the coins, shoving them into her coat pocket, before turning and walking off towards another part of the village. "Now, I need to buy a few things... I suggest the rest of you get ready. Most of you will maybe probably die if this doesn't work, so I suggest making peace with that before I get back!" She paused a moment, then turned. "Except you." She grabbed Rory by the shoulders, rising off the ground a little as she used her wings to help drag her along. "YOU I need to carry something, so you'll have to make your peace with your transient mortality later."

"I'm entirely serious." Masako continued to hold out her hand, expression unchanged. It really looked like she was. "I have a plan, and I need the money if I'm to save your mistress. Without getting these humans killed, anyway. Though, if you're unwilling to help her, I suppose I can find a way to manage without."

"Great," said Masako. She held out her hand. "I need about ¥350."

"In other words," Masako muttered, "we'll need a careful and cunning plan if we are to succeed, especially if we can't be sure Saigyouji will adhere to the spellcard rules. Even with me here, it might not be easy. Fortunately, I do have a plan, but..." The tengu examined the half-phantom gardener. When she spoke, her voice was oddly solemn. "Youmu-san. If we are to have a hope of succeeding here, there is something I need from you. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to save your mistress?"

Masako promptly gave IP a good, hard bonk on the back of the head with her kiseru. Best thing to do, before she ended up starting a fight. And a bad one, for that matter, if her threat to ignore the spellcard rules was any indication. "Ignore her." Masako floated forward a little, then leaned upon the air as she examined the half-phantom gardener. Unlike most of the others, she didn't seem overly concerned about the girl waving her sword all over the place; she was more than content carefully brushing the tip aside with her pipe before plopping it back in her mouth. If anything, she was more concerned with examining her--with a brief glance, following Youmu's eyes, at the empty air behind her--before she gave a little nod and settled back to the ground. "I believe I can say, with some confidence, that no one here is the culprit; they are far too clueless for that." "Still! You are extremely fortunate that it was me you asked. After all-" The tengu reached into her suit, producing one of her business cards (MOST SPIRITED DETECTIVE IN GENSOKYO) and handing it to the no-doubt-increasingly-confused half-phantom. "-as Gensokyo's finest detective, there is no one more capable of helping you. Particularly given its probable connection to my current case. Although..." Masako continued to nibble on her pipe. "...It's weird that the gap hag didn't mention anything. Her and Saigyouji are pretty close, aren't they? So, if she's going crazy..." The tengu paused, then removed the pipe, using it to give Youmu a good poke on the nose. "Judging from your clothes, you were in the garden just before you were attacked. Explain everything leading up to that."

"Well, you're right to be skeptical." Masako floated on over and past IP, ignoring the unconscious human. "The man's claims of a ghost with a sword are clearly absurd. There's maybe half a ghost around here who'd do that, at the absolute best. Though, assuming that's true..." Masako paused, floating to the ground and letting herself settle stably on her oddly-unstable geta. The tengu rested her cheek against her knuckles, thinking. "Well, it both is and isn't surprising. She's definitely the sort to go a little crazy and start chasing people around with a sword, and she's also the sort to get involved in these shady things, but why she would be involved in this one..." She shook her head. Coincidence or not, it might be a little problematic. Assuming they didn't wanna just wait until everyone got tired and gave up, anyway, which the tengu couldn't be bothered to do.

"That IS how it usually goes," Masako agreed, apparently unconcerned about the imminent risk of getting thumped in the head by something or another. "Scarlet may not know what she's talking about in the slightest, but that doesn't mean she's not right. So the goal, now, is just to beat up and/or interrogate whoever or whatever is running around the human village and then go off wherever the trail leads next. It will all make perfect sense to the rest of you eventually." The tengu paused, then shrugged. "Well, I assume, anyway. One can never tell. I can use you to resolve the problem either way, once we get to the end."

"Oh, no, that's quite alright." Masako waved her hand at Sakuya. "I'm not hungry. That being said..." Masako rested her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm, adjusting her glasses for a moment before peering intently at the vampire. Given her earlier behavior, and something in her tone, the tengu doubted the vampire really knew much of anything regarding the situation. Else she'd just tell them, if only to get Masako and co. out of her hair. But, even if based on absolutely nothing, and even if completely untrustworthy, that didn't mean Remilia's suggestion was actually unworth trusting. On the contrary. Random guesswork it might've been at best, but it was exactly because it was random guesswork on the vampire's part that Masako knew it could be followed to the letter. She was a master detective, after all. And what would a master detective be if not someone who kept up on current rumors, or occasionally broke in to stopped by the Heida residence to take a quick peek at the Gensokyo Chronicle and see the most reliable information on what the locals could actually do? Even if that was a bit limited. But we digress. "Well," mused the tengu. "It's certainly a possible lead, if nothing else. It may even be worth following up on! Of course, it would be helpful if you could give us some specific assurances--say, that we will uncover evidence in the human city directly related to our investigation, and explaining the form in detail, and noting that we will also definitely acquire a good deal of additional compensation in the form of rare and valuable items and information of use to me in addition to the usual unusual findings you previously noted to make up for our recent detour to assist you, a list of possibilities for which I would be happy to provide--our work here might not be entirely done." Masako stared at her, meaningfully. She wasn't sure if this would actually work, of course--frankly, her guess would be that it wouldn't--but if it failed correctly that was interesting on its own. And if it worked, she naturally had a list of Stuff She Could Shake Out Of Remilia in mind. "I alone have dozens of questions, and it might be wise to conduct a search to ensure no other dangerous artifacts related to the investigation are located here."

"You're welcome, of course," said the tengu, as smugly as ever. With everyone fully aware of what her contribution was and the efficacy of as much. Ignoring the new arrival--another sort of boat tsukumogami, she could hazard, like that American they'd seen earlier, albeit built more compactly in such a way that she would guess she was meant to travel underwater--Masako reached over and helped herself to tea, not even bothering with subtlety as she dumped a not-inconsequential helping of both cream and sugar in her cup. She was more of a coffee person too, honestly--even if it was often trickier to get--but whatever worked. "Normally, I charge a hefty-but-entirely-fair-and-legitimate amount for the services of the finest detective in Gensokyo, but my assistants and I really are working a more important case--if you'd be willing to tell us what you know, I suppose I can waive my usual fee." She paused, then added, meaningfully. "I also suppose I can forgive the lack of snacks, if you do have useful information."

Masako completely ignored Lotus's (patently false) claims. Though she still seemed rather offended by the robomaid's question. "The tengu and humans," she said, as stuffily as a bird could manage, "are hardly comparable. It's like asking the difference between a crow and a half-shaved squirrel! Sure, we interact with them more than a lot of other youkai, but-" It sounds like a rant is building up. While no doubt interesting for scholars of youkai in general and the tengu in particular in what it could provide, someone really ought to stop her.