[x] Some other way to pass the time
- [x] Talk with Tewi. Maybe she has some stories about Yukari.
You give her a nod. “It was no trouble.”
“I shall be going,” Patchouli says, looking to you. “Unless there is a reason for me to stay?”
“Nah,” You say, shaking your head, “I just wanted you to keep my viewpoints straight. Thanks.”
“That must be so odd,” Youmu wonders, as Patchouli makes her way out of this car, “Having many different personalities and views.”
“Eh,” You say, shrugging, “Not really. I've always been like this, so I don't know anything else. It would be more odd if I suddenly couldn't.”
“Ah,” Youmu says, “Yes. It would be difficult to train an ability like that if it didn't already exist. There aren't very many like you in the Guild, are there?”
“Two others, I think,” You say, “Unless we've picked up some new ones recently. I guess schizists tend to play society more than they play with magic. It's certainly easier.” A pause. “As long as we're on the topic, what do you do? Besides swordplay, I mean.”
“I specialize in cutting that which normally cannot be cut,” She says, “Ghosts, demons, strong youkai... those sorts of things. I also have a few personal 'enchantments', to use Guild terminology.”
You laugh. “Pardon me if I'm being rude, but that's pretty impressive for someone so young.”
She smiles. “I'm much older than you, I imagine. Since there is no need to hide it around you, I will say that I am only half-human.”
“And half-dead,” Tewi chimes in, “Guess you can't see her ghost half, though, can you Jack?”
“Half-ghost?” You ask, to which she nods. You've heard rumors that old Youki was only half human, too – but half
ghost? That's a new one. “How does that even work?”
“One self,” She says, “Two bodies. It's not complicated.”
You laugh. “Well, when you put it like that. How about you, Tewi?”
“How about me what?” She asks.
“Abilities and the like. I'm curious.”
“That's like asking my age,” She scoffs, “It's something for me to know, and for you to guess at.”
“How about a story, then?” You ask, “I hear the best way to get to know a person is through their actions.”
“Well,” She says, “I've got one or two I could tell ya'. What kind do you want?”
“Something with some Yukari, if you could,” You say, “Maybe I can take care of two things at once.
By now, Chen seems to be watching all of you again, although... no, you shake that feeling off.
“Eh... let me think which one was better,” Tewi says, “I've got a few that fit that bill.”
“What about The Three Tribes?” Chen asks, “That was a good time, wasn't it? And a good lesson for my little Jack.”
You can't help but stare at Chen after an outburst like that. The speech was absolutely clear, and the smile she's wearing now... it's nothing like the one she usually has on. But, quickly, it returns to normal, and Chen just seems confused by your confusion.
“What?” Chen asks.
Tewi just laughs, of course. “Sure, if you say so. That was a good time.”
“Wait,” You say, “Was that...?”
“After all that name dropping, I'm surprised she didn't show up in person.” Tewi says, “Must be busy. So, anyway, the The Three Tribes story. Have you heard of it? Probably not, but I wonder if the humans have their own side of the tale.”
You shake your head. “Never.”
“Well, this one was before Gensokyo existed, really. Back when it was a few random warring human tribes, and youkai ran all over the place. How much history do you know?”
“Not much,” you admit, “Just about the founding and why the Empress is important.”
“What's the human version?” Tewi asks.
“This was a lawless land, full of barbarians and monsters,” You say, “Some group of adventures decided to lay claim to it, after having been chased out of their own country. The great barrier was set up by the royal line, and they founded Aegis as their base of operations. Eventually, they united most of the tribes and fought back enough youkai that civilization could begin.”
“Really?” Tewi laughs, “That's so twisted. Let's just say it was before the barrier was thrown up, then. Those adventurers you're talking about hadn't even shown up yet.”
You nod. “So, everyone was still running around in loincloths and using bows?”
“Pretty much,” Tewi says, “So, one day I was passing through the area where Aegis is now. I don't end up that far south very often, so I decided to stop by Yukari's shack to see what she was up to. Back then, normal humans came to visit her sometimes. I guess they don't really do that anymore.”
“She lived around the capital, then?”
“Lives,” Tewi says, “Up on that mountain to the south. Hell of a place to reach, though. You can't search for it. Either you know the path, or you wander around blindly until she decides to show it to you.”
“Ah... the cursed one?”
Although the area around the capital is mostly flat, the city itself lies nestled up against and around an old mountain. It's somewhat legendary for killing everyone who attempts to climb it. Not that that's true, of course – many people make it to the top yearly – but you've never heard reports of anything like a thousand year youkai living on it.
“It's not actually... well, hmm. It might be by now,” Tewi says, thinking about it for a minute, “Anyway...”
She continues with the set and setting bit. Apparently there's a few buildings tucked away under her spell, set up along a cliff facing north.
Tewi happened to visit on the same day as one of the local humans, although he had been wandering the mountain for a few days before Yukari allowed him to find his way up. A sort of 'test of will', she said; if someone is willing to search for days, they'll usually have an interesting problem.
The visitor was a younger male, not older than twenty.
“So, he shows up asking for the witch on the mountain,” Tewi laughs, “And when Yukari says that he's found the right place, he collapses. This was before she had the whole crew together, so she asked me to help keep the poor guy alive. I owed her a favor, so it wasn't a big deal. So, the next day, he finally recovers enough to talk. First thing he does is thank us both for saving him, then lays out his problem.”
Two tribes that lived near the base of the mountain had been feuding for months now, and his tribe happened to be on the losing side. They were in danger of being wiped out completely. The man himself was the son of the chief, and he was sent up by his father to beg the witch to help his tribe.
“Yukari just kind of gives the guy this look,” Tewi says, “Like she was looking past him, into his whole tribe. Maybe the whole country. Then, she says 'I can help. What will you give me in return?'”
The man came with a bag of trinkets and such, and offered them all. But, Yukari refused all but one. She said he would need to perform action. He would need to sing her praises. Bring the whole tribe together. She came up with a three night ritual for him to perform, and said that they would be able to fight back after they had done so.
“He didn't question it one bit,” Tewi says, “And, after giving him some food to make it back, he left. So, I looked to Yukari, and called her bluff. 'What's your angle?' I asked, 'I can't see how that ritual helps you at all'. She turns to me, smiles, and says, 'I only wanted this idol. Isn't it cute? Besides, it wouldn't be right to demand anything if I'm not going to help him.'”
“So, she took his thing and sent him away, after lying to him,” You say, “How nice.”
Tewi laughs. “That's what I thought. She invited me to stay, though, and said we'd be able to get a good view of the battle since they usually fought within view of the place. So, four days later, a few hundred men from each side show up. They end up charging down into a low spot big enough to fit both armies, when they both suddenly stop.”
“What happened?” Youmu asks, after Tewi hangs for dramatic pause. “Why did they stop?”
“Because a third tribe, from the south, had decided to expand,” Tewi says, “And these two were right in their path. They were surrounded by a huge army, somewhere close to a thousand if I had to guess. The third tribe demanded they both surrender.”
She pauses again, so you prompt her for more. “And...?”
“What, the suspense getting to you?” Tewi laughs, “Alright, alright. So, they both surrender. Both their tribes get conquered, and sucked into the third one. Peacefully. So, I ask her what that was all about. Joked with her on how she'd broken her promise to that poor guy, even after he offered his tribe's fortune to her.”
“Can I tell this part?” Not-Chen asks, startling you a bit. Doesn't this Yukari woman have anything better to do than creep you out? “This is where it gets good.”
Tewi rolls her eyes. “No way. If you want to tell the ending, you gotta tell the story. Do you know how hard it was to remember all that?”
[ ] Ask Chenkari for her ending.
[ ] Wait for Tewi continue.
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>>36296 The man was investing entirely in business. Tewi could have stripped his fortune pretty quickly, but that would have affected a lot of unrelated people as well.
