---

Name:
Nitori Kawashiro

Race:
Kappa

Background:
The daughter of ace fighter pilot Yoshi Kawashiro and his mechanic Yoko Shinohara, Nitori has spent the majority of her life travelling between airbases with her parents. Due to her military upbringing, Nitori is familiar with a large variety of military hardware and understands Japanese, English, German, and Russian. A notable problem is Nitori’s apparent inability to socialize with others. She prefers to keep to herself. While Nitori can be sometimes be highly inventive, she typically lacks the motivation to do much of anything. Her parents convinced her to send in her application, so that she would hopefully find something to motivate her.

Ability:
Water Manipulation (Grade D)

Test Results:
- Social (C)
- Effort (B)
- Stability (B)
- Motivation (D)
- Intellect (A)

Approved by:
Kanako Yasaka

Reason for approval:
This kid’s pretty bright. When she can be bothered to apply herself, she makes some very impressive things. I’ve attached a list of some of the things she’s worked on in the past. It should speak for itself.

---

Hmm, Patchouli thought, another brilliant but lazy type. Properly motivated though, she could revolutionize the field of robotics.

---
Name:
Nue Houjuu

Race:
Nue

Background:
The Nue of legend, she was recently unsealed from one of the lower hells. After a thousand years with no social contact, Nue knows next to nothing about the state of the world. While she’s above average intelligence and fairly motivated, her mental stability has suffered from her time underground. Nue has developed a fear of enclosed spaces as well as a fear of being alone. As for her social skills, they seem to change day by day. Nue’s application was submitted at the personal request of Byakuren Hijiri.

Ability:
Shape shifting (Grade A)

Test Results:
- Social (?)
- Effort (?)
- Stability (C)
- Motivation (B)
- Intellect (B)

Approved by:
Byakuren Hijiri

Reason for approval:
Nue needs to actually see the world, to experience what it has to offer. Before that though, I think it would be best to have her try a safer, more contained environment to better acclimate. Here would be a nice choice. As she is now, Nue needs looking after.

---

[i]Of course Byakuren would submit Nue’s name and of course it would get approved. It is a bit of a problem that she probably stole someone else’s spot, but they can always reapply next year. One positive of accepting Nue is that Byakuren should stop focusing on her and actually do her job.[i]

---

Name:
Cirno

Race:
Fairy (Wandering subtype, Queen Class)

Background:
A wandering fairy of uncertain origin, Cirno holds the undisputed title of “Strongest Fairy”. Due to other fairies avoiding Cirno and being unwilling to fight her, she has taken to wandering Japan, challenging anyone she sees as strong. Due to this resulting in large scale property damage and serious injuries to pedestrians, Cirno has been detained by the Japanese Government. A combination of Cirno’s fairy nature and the fact that miraculously no one has died in any of these incidents prevents her from being sentenced to death. Similarly, while she is not legally a citizen of any country, she cannot be deported as no country will take her. That is why several higher-ups in the Japanese Government have requested her transfer.

As for Cirno herself, she displays a rather aggressive, driven nature for a fairy. Cirno regularly picks fights over perceived slights and actively disobeys any authority she considers “weak”. Conversely, Cirno is unflinchingly loyal to those she feels have earned her respect. While she is a slow learner, preferring to learn from her mistakes rather than be taught, Cirno’s drive to become stronger is absolute and unflinching.

Ability:
Ice Manipulation (Grade B)
Resurrective Immortality (Grade C)

Test Results:
- Social (B)
- Effort (B)
- Stability (C)
- Motivation (A)
- Intellect (C)

Approved by:
Yuka Kazami

Reason for approval:
I see a lot of potential in this child. While she’s sorely in need of discipline, none of the other applicants display such a drive to exceed their limitations. Additionally, she’s clearly powerful. The pictures that came attached depict a truly awe inspiring talent for destruction.

---

A fairy? And a convict at that. That could be a problem. On the other hand, having the Japanese indebted to us would be exceedingly useful.

---

Name:
Flandre Scarlet

Race:
Vampire

Background:
A vampire hailing from France, Flandre is the younger sister of Remilia Scarlet. Flandre has spent her life isolated due to her highly destructive, barely controllable power. Due to her isolation, Flandre is exceedingly well read but also emotionally unstable. Similarly, she has no idea how to cope with social situations. In spite of her deficiencies, Flandre is highly motivated to make her sister proud and puts the entirety of her boundless energy toward whatever she happens to be doing at the time. Flandre submitted her application specifically to follow in her sister’s footsteps.

Ability:
Absolute Destruction (Power Grade S, Control Grade C)

Test Results:
- Social (D)
- Effort (A)
- Stability (D)
- Motivation (B)
- Intellect (A)

Approved by:
Most Illustrious and Mighty Magus Mima

Reason for approval:
Look at this kid. Can we really say no to a face like that? Plus, she’s enthusiastic. Also hardworking. And she’s Remilia’s sister on top of that. I liked Remilia. She was fun.

---

Yet another year of Mima approving someone for an inane reason. How is it she picks these anyway? Her picks are unlikely but they always exceed expectations. This girl though, seems like she’ll be dangerous. On the other hand, the fact that she’s Remilia’s sister could make this interesting. If nothing else, Remilia was one of the most talented graduates we’ve ever had.

---

Name:
Hata no Kokoro

Race:
Menreiki (Tsukumogami)

Background:
Kokoro has been scarce with details from her past. All that is clear is that she has a deep dislike for religious figures, particularly Toyosatomimi no Miko, the Immortal Emperor of Japan. Kokoro was picked up in Western Canada, stumbling around looking for her masks after being hit by a car. Before that, she had been wandering, having lost her Mask of Hope.

Kokoro is reasonably social, hardworking, and intelligent. While she is without her Mask of Hope, she lacks motivation and tends toward pessimism. Generally, Kokoro is in control of her emotions. When her Mask of Hope or her past are brought up however, Kokoro tends to lash out or sink into depression. Kokoro applied with the idea that she could find someone who could help her in her search.

Ability:
Emotion Manipulation (Grade B)

Test Results:
- Social (B)
- Effort (B)
- Stability (?)
- Motivation (C)
- Intellect (B)

Approved by:
Seiga Kaku

Reason for approval:
Canada eh? Looks like Miko’s enemies are still pretty widespread. Guess she hasn’t managed to hunt them all down yet. Honestly though, this girl could use some help. It would be cruel to turn her away. She’d probably die stupidly or under mysterious circumstances if left to her own devices.

---

A political refugee? Not sure what to think about this one. Technically, the Japanese will owe us if we take the fairy, so I suppose this will work out.

Having looked over the applications, Patchouli glanced over each one more time before carefully signing each. Satisfied, though somewhat concerned for the upcoming year, she returned to her reading.


***
Select the viewpoint character. The characters not chosen will still appear alongside the viewpoint character.

[] – Nitori
[] – Nue
[] – Cirno
[] – Flandre
[] – Kokoro

***
Inspiration struck so I had to write this. It should be interesting, not to mention a bit different.

Planescape: Touhou is not cancelled and will continue to update, hopefully tomorrow.

[x] – Kokoro

Will we be stuck with the same viewpoint character for the rest of the story, or will you allow us to switch?

[X] – Nitori

Alright then.

[x]Nitori Kawashiro

This looks interesting~

[x] – Kokoro

An interesting experiment. Can you explain more about the background setting?

[X] Nue~

I had trouble deciding between her and Kokoro. But in the end Nue won because Nue.

[] – Nue

Dr. Patchouli, what's the difference between the Effort and Motivation scores?

[X] – Flandre

>Look at this kid. Can we really say no to a face like that?
I can't.

>Canada eh?
ಠ_ಠ

[X] – Flandre

>>50652
I've been debating it. I want to, but I'm somewhat worried it might turn into an incomprehensible mess.


>>50655
Most of it will be explained as we go. The big difference is that the Border Project failed before it was carried out, forcing the magical creatures of the world to do something different from retreating into their respective pocket dimensions. Desperate not to die out from lack of faith, they loudly announced their presence to the rest of the world. That was roughly 200 years before present day. At present, society has largely integrated. Magic and science are seen as equal fields and at times blend.


>>50659
These aren't tangible stats so much as a vague idea how the characters fare in each category. They work as follows:

Social - People skills

Effort - Enthusiasm toward activities and to some extent enjoyment of life

Stability - Self control and general emotional well being

Motivation - Drive to improve oneself and ambition

Intellect - Learning ability and knowledge


In other words:

Nitori is a brilliant but lazy slacker.

Nue is somewhat of a mystery who could probably do with some counseling.

Cirno is a hotheaded delinquent with a real drive for success.

Flandre is smart and tries her best but has a tenuous grasp on reality.

and Kokoro is a usually stable girl who has no idea what she wants out of life.

[x] – Kokoro

[X] – Flandre

[x] Kokoro

There is no other choice.

[x] – Kokoro

[X] – Flandre

It seems you're doing a mishmash of Pre HM Kokoro and post HM Kokoro as the latter doesn't need her mask of hope or any of them really.

[x] Kokoro

[x] Kokoro.

Calling it now for Kokoro. It looks like this will be very interesting indeed.

Isn't it sad Cirno.

>>50679

Eh, Cirno still gets to be in the story. Tell her to get over herself, she will never be an MC.

[X] – Kokoro

I’ve never been on an airplane before. Everything outside the window is so tiny.

Well, I guess I have been on one before, when I was flying back to Japan, before transferring flights. It was big and loud and a lady told people “fasten your seatbelts”. I don’t know why, they wouldn’t help if there was a crash. I think.

The flight felt long, but somehow we got to Japan earlier than we left Canada. I don’t really get it, but time tried to catch up while I waited for the flight to Gensokyo. The flight got delayed because of this one girl with colorful, pointy wings. It was something about safety or something I guess. Wings would be inconvenient to have. I couldn’t sit or lay down comfortably with them. Maybe there’s some secret technique to it. Rainbow wings safety hazard girl didn’t look like she cut herself on her wings very often.

This plane is small and loud. I’m sitting next to a strange blue hair horns girl. She said she was born in Gensokyo and came to visit her hometown. I saw she was worried about something, so I told her she would be fine. I got a weird look, but she was relieved. We haven’t talked in the hour since.

The ground is getting bigger now. I guess that means we’re landing.

Strange blue hair horns girl gets up, stretching. “Ah, good to be back on the ground!” She has a rough, not very young sounding voice, but she’s only a little taller than me, not counting the horns.

“are those horns or hair?” I find myself asking.

“Huh?” she looks at me in confusion, “Sort of both I guess. My horns are pretty ugly, so I’ve taken to styling my hair over them. But that’s kind of a rude question to ask, isn’t it?”

Maybe that was a little rude. “they look fine to me. maybe not good horns, but not bad ones either. you’re right that ugly was the third category though.”

“Now I really don’t know if I should feel insulted.”

I stand up and stretch as well. My body is stiff and heavy. It kind of hurts in places from being still for so long. I retrieve my suitcase and step off the plane, stopping to say goodbye to strange blue hair-horns girl.

Outside the airport, there’s a woman holding a sign that says “Flandre and Kokoro”. That’s who I’m supposed to go with I guess. But who is Flandre?

A brightly colored blur very nearly crashes into me. It turns at the last second, but it still scratches me across the hand. Oh, it’s rainbow wings safety hazard girl. I guess she’s Flandre then.

…

Hold on.

Am I bleeding?

I stare at my hand. The scratch didn’t break the skin, but it feels bad. It reminds me of the time I spilled hot soup on myself. It doesn’t look like a burn though. In any case, ignoring it will make it stop hurting in about an hour.

The woman here to pick us up is a fox lady in a suit. She has nine golden tails, matching eyes, and a confident, almost smug smile. Golden fox smug suit lady is talking to Flandre, who is so excited it’s practically tangible. It’s a little infectious. My masks materialize briefly, changing position to show the shift in emotion.

“And you must be Kokoro.” Golden fox smug suit lady says, extending a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“nice to meet you.” I say, shaking her hand. I’ve never understood this gesture. I heard it was an old sign to show you weren’t holding a weapon, but lots of people don’t need weapons to hurt people. And what about left handed people like me?

“I’m Ran.” Golden fox smug suit lady says, “How was the flight?”

“long and loud. i’ve never flown before.”

“Travelling to the other side of the globe tends to be like that. I imagine you’re pretty jet lagged.” She makes a point of checking her watch. “Hmm, Cirno should be here soon. We’ll leave as soon as she gets here.”

“Doesn’t that leave two unaccounted for?” Flandre says, “It’s always five isn’t it?”

“That’s correct. Nitori’s flight was delayed three hours though, and Nue arrived some time ago. You’ll get to meet them later.”

A little while later, three people who appear to be agents of the Japanese Government come along, escorting a girl in handcuffs. She’s got blue hair and eyes, crystal looking wings, and looks justifiably irate. Presumably, angry blue crystal fairy girl is Cirno.

“What’s with the cuffs?” Ran asks, raising an eyebrow.

“They seal her magic. On top of that she tried to choke one of her guards.” The man on the left makes a point of massaging his throat.

“Just like Snake!” Cirno says proudly.

Ran pretends to cough to cover her smile.

“She’s your problem now.” Cirno is pushed over toward Ran. The agents then leave as quickly as they can without looking like they’re running away.

“Alright,” Ran says, “shall we go?”

Ran’s car is one of those really long ones, the kind you see in the movies for weddings and funerals. The seats are designed with space to fit wings. It seems like it would be expensive.

“Can we stop for food?” Cirno says, “I haven’t eaten in days.”

“Certainly,” Ran replies, “what are you in the mood for?”

“Ooh! Can it be Mexican? I had a taco once and it was amazing!” Cirno’s wings angle upward in excitement.

“Kokoro, Flandre, are you hungry? We can stop elsewhere for the two of you as well.”

“Something sweet would be nice.” Flandre seems to be having trouble sitting still and is fidgeting with one of her wing crystals.

“Kokoro?”

[] – sure (Suggest a favorite food.)
[] – not hungry (Does she even need to eat?)
[] – i probably shouldn’t. i get a little carsick sometimes.

Additionally, what should I do for the next couple of hours in the car?
[] – i should get to know these people a little more. (Suggest a few topics of conversation. I’ll try to fit in as many suggestions as possible.)
[] – take in the scenery. gensokyo is supposed to be very scenic.
[] – my body feels really heavy…

***
This is probably the quickest I've ever updated after calling the vote. Inspiration struck yet again when I was trying to sleep and this was the result.

I hope you like it.

>>50682
Could do better without all those grammatical errors, though. Maybe you should try again after getting some rest?

>>50683
If you mean Kokoro's all lowercase speech, that was intentional. I can understand how it could be inconvenient to read though. If it pothers people, I'll change it.

>If it pothers people, I'll change it.
>If it pothers
>pothers

Hahaaaaaah, now you're just messing with us, right, OP?

...

Right?

>>50697
Oh goddammit

[x] – i probably shouldn’t. i get a little carsick sometimes.
-[x] – take in the scenery. gensokyo is supposed to be very scenic.

[x] – sure (pizza because i ate pizza in Canada and it was fantastic)

[x] – i should get to know these people a little more.
-[x] where are you all from? what do you do? should i change my hairstyle?

Keep the lowercase speech-pattern. I like it.

[x] – sure. my favorite food is the salty tears of my victims.
-[x] that was a joke. i'm fine with whatever.

[x] – i should get to know these people a little more.

>>50718
Yeah, using lower-case is a bit interesting. If it doesn't bother your other readers too much, keep it.

[x] – sure. my favorite food is the salty tears of my victims.
-[x] that was a joke. i'm fine with whatever.

[x] – i should get to know these people a little more.

[x] – sure. my favorite food is the salty tears of my victims.
-[x] that was a joke. i'm fine with whatever.

[x] – i should get to know these people a little more.

>>50696
It's still a bit distracting, but I can probably tolerate it.

[X] – sure. my favorite food is the salty tears of my victims.
-[X] that was a joke. i'm fine with whatever.

[X] – i should get to know these people a little more.

Called for:

[X] – sure. my favorite food is the salty tears of my victims.
-[X] that was a joke. i'm fine with whatever.

[X] – i should get to know these people a little more.

>>50718
Your suggestions shall be included. Thank you for giving a few.

[X] – sure. my favorite food is the salty tears of my victims.
-[X] that was a joke. i'm fine with whatever.

[X] – i should get to know these people a little more.


“i usually just drink the tears of my victims.”

Total silence reigns in the car. Flandre suddenly seems very interested in inspecting her fingernails. Cirno, meanwhile, appears to be taking my measure. Ran coughs awkwardly.

“that was a joke. i’m fine with anything.”

Ran sighs heavily.

“D-don’t say stuff like that with a straight face.” Cirno says, glaring at me, “It’s creepy.”

“i’m not creepy.” How mean. I thought it was clear I was joking.

“In the twenty six minutes since we got off the plane,” Flandre mumbles, “the only time you blinked was when I bumped into you. You speak in a quiet monotone and your expression doesn’t change at all.”

“Creepy.” Cirno waggles her fingers at me as if miming some sort of curse.

Ran turns back to look at us. “Just a heads up now, anyone who starts a fight in my car walks.” She smiles, “Understood?”

We all quickly reassure her we won’t fight.

“Really though,” Cirno says, “would it kill you to smile?”

My masks shift again. “i am smiling.”

“Hardly.”

“It’s the masks.” Flandre says, “They’ve changed one, two, three, four, five, six times. Six times. The masks must be how she shows emotions. Don’t know how many there are though. Or what each represents. Kind of like a doll.”

“i’m not a doll.” Another shift.

“Ooh, she’s mad now!” Cirno is staring intently at me.

“This mask is anger?” Flandre leans away from me.

“You want to figure her emotions out, try looking at her body language.”

“doesn’t everyone do that?” At least, I’d always assumed that’s how it worked.

“Don’t know.” Flandre says.

“Warriors tend to pay a lot of attention to body language.” Cirno says, “It’s an easy way to tell when someone means you harm or is about to strike. Body language is much harder to control through training that expressions, so it’s really useful to be able to read it.”

“I didn’t know you could do that Cirno.” Ran says.

“I’m just full of surprises!” Cirno puffs out her chest with pride.

“And to answer your question Kokoro, no, most of the time people only pay attention to faces.”

Faces? I never thought of reading faces before. Let’s see… Flandre is facing away from me and Cirno is still smiling while looking prideful. Ran has been smiling since I first saw her, but she’s been in a number of moods in that time. Face reading doesn’t help at all.

---

---

“Alright, here we are.” Ran says, breaking me out of my trance. “Now taking meal orders. And heads up before I open the window, we’re pretty far up the mountain now. Be sure to repressurize your ears so you don’t wind up writhing on the floor in agony. We’ve had that problem previous years.”

Mexican food is generally okay, but I often wonder if the meat is actually meat. Homemade tacos are fantastic though. I think I’ll go with a burrito this time. Less messy.

Cirno was apparently serious when she said she hadn’t eaten in days. She orders a dozen tacos and proceeds to demolish every last one. She’s very efficient about it too, though Ran does make a point of warning us not to drop any food in the car.

Flandre gets some triple chocolate ice-cream milkshake thing. It’s so sugary I can practically taste it from here. Before she starts drinking it, Flandre digs around in her bag for something. She pulls out a medium sized flask of liquid. Holding it an arm’s length away with obvious distaste, she tries to pour some into her drink.

“Is that booze?” Cirno asks, finishing off her last taco.

“Medicine. I have a lot of health problems. The taste and smell make me sick though, so I have to mix it with strong tasting things.” Flandre goes back to unsteadily trying to pour the medicine in her drink.

“do you need help?” as is, Flandre is likely to spill everything all over her shoes. Ran would get upset and considering Flandre said that the smell makes her sick…

“I can do this on my own.”

“Just a heads up,” Cirno says, “when you spill that all over yourself and wind up puking all over me, I’m punching your lights out.”

Flandre reluctantly hands me the flask and the drink. Since I’m not nervous like Flandre was, it’s easy enough for me to mix. I hand them back to her after stirring it a bit and recapping the flask.

“Thanks.”

“You know,” Cirno says as Flandre starts on her drink, “I don’t think we were properly introduced.”

“ran mentioned your names.”

“In any case, I’m Cirno, the most badass fairy in existence!”

“kokoro.”

“Flandre Scarlet.”

“where are you two from?” The usual follow-up to an introduction.

“I came all the way from France.” Flandre says. She seems to be greatly enjoying her drink.

“No idea where I was born.” Cirno says, “Spent the last twenty or so years in Japan though.”

“i’m from canada.” Maybe I wasn’t born there, but it’s where I’ve spent most of my life. My passport says I’m Canadian too, so there’s that.

“That would explain your taste in shirts.” Cirno remarks.

“what’s wrong with my shirt?”

“Nothing really wrong with it per say, it’s just distinctive.”

“Your shirt suits you.” Flandre says, “Your hair is nice too.”

“thanks.” Weird. I didn’t actually have time to brush my hair today. Normally it’s a lot straighter.

The conversation then drifts into interests and hobbies. Cirno reads the occasional manga, but she’s never really owned much beyond the clothes on her back. Flandre rarely goes out, preferring to read all manner of books. She seems to have led a privileged, if rather sheltered, lifestyle. I tell them about my love of movies.

Ran’s phone rings, startling us out of our conversation. “Ah, sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

A few minutes go by.

“Well,” she says, “it looks like Nitori’s not going to be here until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, she’ll at least be on time for the opening ceremony.”

“Are we there yet?” Cirno asks. “I really could do with a stretch.”

“Actually, we’re just coming up on the gates now.”

Ahead is a massive pair of ornate wrought iron gates. Ran leans out the window and makes a few hand gestures. As the gates open, I can feel the sharp prickling sensation of magic in the air.

As Ran drives in, Cirno exclaims “You never told me it was a castle Ran.”

“Yep. Took us two years to build, even with a little divine intervention. Finished it seventy-four years ago. Patchy designed it, though I had the idea for the lattice of bridges between the towers. You know, we could never agree on a name.” She’s obviously very proud of the building’s construction.

“Castles are hellaciously cool!” Cirno continues.

Ran parks in a small underground parking lot. “Alright you three, we’ve got a few possibilities of what to do with you for now.”

That seems like a rather ominous way to word things.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I can at least show you to your temporary rooms. I’m sure you’re all exhausted from your trips.”

“I’m full of energy!” Cirno says.

“Of course you are Cirno.” Ran pats her on the head. “They however, look practically dead on their feet.”

“what are the other options?” I ask. Sleep does sound nice right about now though.

“I could grab someone give you a tour of the grounds. The layout can be a bit disorienting at first, so it would be good to get it down early. Other than that, I could take you to meet Nue. She’s new like all of you, so I guess she’s one of your peers.”

“I’m tired.” Flandre says. Even her wings are drooping.

“I pick the tour.” Cirno says. She really is full of energy.

As for me,

[] – sleep would be good.
() – (Time skip to morning.)
() – (Perspective switch to Cirno.)
[] – a tour sounds nice.
[] – i’d like to meet this nue person.

***
This took me far too long, but it was interesting to write. Optimally, I'd like to update this and Planescape on alternating days.

Interesting Read!
Well, for me, I would recommend:
[x] Go on the orientation tour, because it is an advantage to know where you are in and what's going on.
-[x] I would like to meet this 'Nue' you speak of. Knowing more students would always be an advantage.

[x] – i’d like to meet this nue person.

because it's good to know who we'll be working with. you know?

[X] – i’d like to meet this nue person.

I must have my Nue!

[X] – i’d like to meet this nue person.

This story can fill my Nue fix, Sanaek has been slacking off over in /th/.

[X] – i’d like to meet this nue person.

Sure, why not.

[x] – a tour sounds nice.

[x] – i’d like to meet this nue person.
party time.

Calling it for Nue.

She really is decidedly under-appreciated, isn't she?

[x] – i’d like to meet this nue person.

“i think i’d like to meet this nue person.”

“Alright,” Ran says, “grab your things and follow me.”

My suitcase is easy enough to grab, but Flandre has two of them. She nearly trips repeatedly while trying to wheel them behind her.

“do you need help?”

“I can manage.” Flandre says. She fishes around in one of her suitcases and pulls out several things resembling miniature belts. She uses them to fasten the handle of each suitcase to one of her wings. “That’s better, as long as I don’t have to deal with stairs.”

“That’s pretty inventive.” Ran says, “Did you come up with that yourself?”

“I needed some way to drag my bags through the airport. It’s uncomfortable, but I can manage it for a little while.” Flandre pauses, “There aren’t going to be stairs, right?”

“No stairs.”

“That’s good. I fell down the stairs doing this once. My wings took a few days to grow back in.”

That’s disturbing.

“Follow along now, you three. The grounds are a good bit bigger than they seem from the outside and it’s easy to lose sight of people. Spacial remapping and all that.”

“isn’t that illegal?” I vaguely recall hearing something along those lines.

“In Japan it is, but Gensokyo is its own city-state. Besides, it’s only illegal because it has potential military applications. Well, that and unwittingly blundering into the field tends to be messy.”

“that isn’t very reassuring.”

“How’s this then? We already passed through the field at the gate and nothing bad happened. Out of our staff here, five of us are highly experienced magicians, all of whom will vouch for the safety and stability of the field. And considering the field goes over everything like a dome, it provides an excellent deterrent against trespassers. It’s also convenient for keeping people on the inside from sneaking over the walls for a night of drinking on the town.”

I suppose that allays my fears well enough.

“Hurry up! I want to get to the tour!” Cirno is pacing impatiently.

“Cirno,” Ran chides, “you’re being rude.”

“The later it gets, the less likely it is to find someone awake enough to give me the tour. And you can tell them all that safety and security crap another time. They aren’t awake enough to try climbing the walls anyway. I mean, I bet the view would be amazing, but not something worth getting disintegrated for.”

“Okay, okay,” Ran holds up her hands in surrender. “You’ve made your point. We can go now.”

Ran leads us up out of the small parking garage and outside. The first thing I notice is how chilly it is. Not surprising, seeing what time it is, it’s the beginning of March, and we’re on top of a mountain. The air is a good bit thinner, so that will take some getting used to. Despite being a cloudy night, it’s fairly well lit out. Lampposts line the path, beating back the darkness with their circles of light. The greatest light though is coming from one of the two central towers. It’s capped with a dome that shines with the light of the full moon. With the exception of the other towers casting massive shadows, everything is painted in a pale silvery half-light. Add in the slow chirping of crickets and the smell of freshly cut grass, and you get a veritable barrage upon the senses. I feel alive. That’s the only way I can describe it.

I can’t wait to see everything in daylight, when I can actually pick out details.

I notice maybe ten or twenty people off in the distance going about their business. I guess there’s activity at all hours here. When we reach the base of the shining tower, Ran waves someone over. The girl stands a good head and a half taller than me, though she’s wearing those weird wooden platform shoes. She seems to be having trouble keeping her balance with them. Her other prominent features are a fondness for purple and black and two enormous black feathered wings. Her hair is a windswept mess too.

“Evenin’ Ran!” Tall purple-black wings girl says. “These the new kids?”

“Sure are Hatate. How was China?”

“The usual family drama. Denial and refusal to budge.”

“Still not admitting they’re a thing eh?” Ran shakes her head.

“Nope.”

“Aside from that, are you busy with preparations at the moment?”

“Nah. I’m on break right now.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, do you mind giving Cirno here a tour? She’s really set on one.”

“Eh, why not? Cirno was it? Come on, I’ll show you around.” The girl, Hatate, begins to lead Cirno off, having a bit of trouble with her awkward shoes.

---

---
“Hmm…” Ran picks up a pebble, testing the weight. “Hey Nue!”

Hatate turns around only to have the pebble impact right between her eyes. She falls backwards, clutching her face.

“What the hell Ran?” she howls.

“Seven out of ten.” Ran states simply.

“What the hell do numbers have to do with you beaning me in the head?”

“You got the appearance just right, even the wings. You got her mannerisms down. You even got Hatate’s scent right. I hope you didn’t steal those clothes while she was in the shower or something.”

“What are you even talking about?” Hatate sputters.

“You had two big mistakes. First, the shoes. You can’t balance on them. Hatate only wears them when she needs to look tall and important anyway. Second, you answered to Nue and broke character. That’s pretty much the worst mistake you could possibly make.”

“Okay, you win.” Hatate’s body gradually melts and changes, taking the form of a different person. It’s rather unsettling. Her new form has a short mess of black hair and some rather bizarre wings. The three on her right appear to be red stone scythes. The trio on the right are noodly blue arrow-shaped things. She still has on the same clothes though, though they’re noticeably looser on her. Overall, her appearance is disorienting and unnatural seeming.

“You know,” Ran says, “if Hatate found out about this, she’d be pretty upset. In fact, most of the seconds would pummel you for imitating one of their own. Byakuren would be pretty disappointed in you as well. And you aren’t technically a resident until tomorrow’s ceremony. You can still get kicked to the curb.”

Weird wings shape shifter girl, Nue, visibly sickens with each sentence. “Please don’t banish me! I’ll tell you a secret!”

“If this isn’t Code Red information, I’ll be informing Byakuren of your behavior.”

“Moriya is taking part in the prep. Word is she’s planning something big.”

For the first time since I met her getting off the plane, Ran stops smiling. “You.” She says to Nue, “Cirno. Tour. Now.”

Nue takes off immediately, all but dragging a bewildered Cirno.

“You two,” Ran turns her attention to Flandre and me, “follow me. I’m taking you to your room. After that, I have some things to take care of.”

We go into the tower with the shining dome at the top. Ran says that despite the moonlight, it’s actually called the Sun Tower. The bottom few floors for each tower are noticeably bigger than the upper floors look to be. Ran explains that they’re where the students’ rooms are and where frequently accessed storage rooms are located. We’re the only students in this tower; most of the others live in the five outlying towers. We’re to be placed within a week, but Ran doesn’t elaborate on how.

“Here we are.” Ran says, opening a door. “Nue’s bed is the one in the middle, but the others are free. Bathroom’s the next door on the left. If you have any questions, now would be a good time to ask them. Otherwise, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Flandre has taken the bed on the far left and is preoccupied with unfastening her suitcases from her wings. I can probably think of a few questions to ask Ran.

(ask ran a question.)

As for sleeping, I wonder what my schedule should be like.

[] – stick with canadian west coast time. it’s the least stressful on my body and requires no adaptation.
[] – no point in trying for a schedule when things are liable to change from day to day. might as well wing it.
[] – rise with the sun. maximize those daylight hours.
[] – nighttime is more my speed. it’s quieter and gives me the chance to think.
[] – figure out when peak activity hours are. that’s when i’ll want to be up.

***
This took me way longer than it should've. Life is really kicking me when I'm down at the moment. Actually, I'm going to be without computer and internet access until Friday. I'm leaving on my trip almost right this minute even.

Planescape update on Friday, then this again by Sunday.

[X] "Who is this Byakuren person?
[X] "What did you mean by 'seconds'?"
[X] "Does Nue impersonate people a lot?"
[X] "What time is the Ceremony tomorrow?"

-Sleep Schedule
[X] – no point in trying for a schedule when things are liable to change from day to day. might as well wing it.

Aw, I was disappointed. I thought we'd have more Nue time. You better make up for it later!

[X] "Who is this Byakuren person?
[X] "What did you mean by 'seconds'?"
[X] "Does Nue impersonate people a lot?"
[X] "What time is the Ceremony tomorrow?"

[X] – figure out when peak activity hours are. that’s when i’ll want to be up.

I'm liking having Kokoro as the MC.

[X] "who is this byakuren person what did you mean by 'seconds' does nue impersonate people a lot what time is the ceremony tomorrow?"
Technically a question! Also nocaps.
[x] rise with the sun. maximize those daylight hours.

[X] "who is this byakuren person?"
[X] "what did you mean by 'seconds'?"
[X] "does nue impersonate people a lot?"
[X] "what time is the ceremony tomorrow?"

-Sleep Schedule
[X] – no point in trying for a schedule when things are liable to change from day to day. might as well wing it.

Placed the questions in lowercase to be more in character.

[X] "who is this byakuren person?
[X] "what did you mean by 'seconds'?"
[X] "does nue impersonate people a lot?"
[X] "what time is the ceremony tomorrow?"

[X] – figure out when peak activity hours are. that’s when i’ll want to be up.

[x] "what time is the ceremony tomorrow?"
[x] "what did you mean by 'seconds'?"

[x] – nighttime is more my speed. it’s quieter and gives me the chance to think.

Narrowing it down to those two questions because they're the more immediately pressing matters. And picking nighttime because it's dark, like my sooooooul night owls are interesting.

Called for:

[X] "who is this byakuren person?
[X] "what did you mean by 'seconds'?"
[X] "does nue impersonate people a lot?"
[X] "what time is the ceremony tomorrow?"

[X] – figure out when peak activity hours are. that’s when i’ll want to be up.

[X] "who is this byakuren person?
[X] "what did you mean by 'seconds'?"
[X] "does nue impersonate people a lot?"
[X] "what time is the ceremony tomorrow?"

[X] – figure out when peak activity hours are. that’s when i’ll want to be up.


As a matter of fact, I do have questions.

“who is this byakuren person?”

“Byakuren is one of the staff members here, a colleague of mine. She’s the head of Wood Tower and Hatate is her Second. You’ll see the other tower heads tomorrow at the ceremony.”

“seconds?”

“Each tower head chooses a Second. They tend to act as sort of lieutenants, second in command to the heads, thus the name. How they get picked differs by tower, and their exact responsibilities differ. Being a second carries a lot of prestige.”

“nue was impersonating that girl hatate earlier. does she do that a lot?”

“Worried about her trying to mimic you?” Ran’s tails swish back and forth. If I didn’t know any better, I would guess she detected weakness and was about to pounce.

“a little.”

“Shapeshifting is kind of Nue’s thing. If you make it clear to her that it makes you uncomfortable, she shouldn’t do it. I suppose I should give you a heads up anyway, just in case. Far as we can tell, Nue’s power works through skin contact. If she’s really set on mimicking you, she’ll steal your clothes, preferably after you’ve worn them in order to take on your scent. If you want to avoid that happening, don’t leave your laundry lying around and try to make friends with her.” Ran checks her watch. “I have time for one last question.”

“what time is the ceremony tomorrow?" This is important to know.

“Noon. And I suppose technically it would be today. It’s two thirty. That gives you enough time to sleep and time for Nitori to arrive. Now then, I need to attend to some things. Good night Kokoro.” With that, Ran walks out, shutting the door behind her.

I turn around to see Flandre taking the crystals off of her wings. Thinking about it, she would have to be able to take them off. Since the crystals seem to be really sharp, it would probably be completely impossible to change clothing with them there. Not to mention, they would likely shred bed sheets.

“Please don’t stare.” Flandre says, not even turning to look at me.

“sorry, i’ll leave you alone.”

I take the bed on the opposite side of the room from Flandre. That should be good as far as respecting her personal space. The fact that I’m worn out is certainly part of it as well. I probably should change and brush my teeth and stuff, but I don’t feel like getting back up.

I wonder what tomorrow, technically today will hold. I’ll probably meet a whole lot of people. I hope they’re all nice. The tour should be something to look forward to, as well as whatever the ceremony entails…

…

“Hey Kokoro, mind getting up? You have maybe an hour to get ready.”

Eh?

“I’m eating your waffles if you don’t get up.”

“i just went to sleep.” I bury my head deeper into the pillow.

“It’s a little after eleven right now. Ceremony starts in less than hour. We get the boot if we aren’t there on time.”

That gets my attention. “i’m awake now.”

Nue is the one who woke me up. Cirno and Flandre are nowhere to be seen.

“If you plan on showering or whatever, you ought to do that before eating.” she says, “I imagine your hair takes forever to dry.”

It really does. And I didn’t bring a hairdryer. And I’ve got, oh where’s a clock? THIRTY MINUTES!!! Aaaaahh, I’m going to be late!

[] – panic harder!
[] – a shower is first priority. at the very least i need to be clean.
[] – no time for a shower! just dig out something that matches and brush my hair.
[] – food is what matters. i’m going to need all the energy i can get today.

***
Ceremony update will probably be a long one.

[x] – a shower is first priority. at the very least i need to be clean.
[x] politely ask nue not to steal my clothes.
>thinking with capitals
you're slipping~

[X] Politely ask Nue to select a nice outfit and towel from among your clothes.
[X] Eat half the waffle while the water heats up
[X] Shower. in and out. 4 mins tops
[X] Eat the other half, while Nue brushes your hair.
[X] Get dressed and head out.

Ah the good ol' days of middle school, waking up 20 mins before the buss is scheduled to arrive

[X] Politely ask Nue to select a nice outfit and towel from among your clothes.
[X] Eat half the waffle while the water heats up
[X] Shower. in and out. 4 mins tops
[X] Eat the other half, while Nue brushes your hair.
[X] Get dressed and head out.

Now THIS anon knows what is up.

[X] Politely ask Nue to select a nice outfit and towel from among your clothes.
[X] Eat half the waffle while the water heats up
[X] Shower. in and out. 4 mins tops
[X] Eat the other half, while Nue brushes your hair.
[X] Get dressed and head out.

No reason why we can't do all this. In theory if we optimize our time we can still afford to walk calmly to the ceremony.

Also, were we ever told where the ceremony will be taking place? If not then,
[X] "nue, where will the ceremony be held?"

[X] Eat half the waffle while the water heats up
[X] Shower. in and out. 4 mins tops
[X] Eat the other half, while Nue brushes your hair.
[X] Get dressed and head out.

Regarding asking Nue to select some clothes out of our clothing, wouldn't that allow her to shapeshift into Kokoro?

>>52624

Yup. At the same time though, she was also the only one nice enough to wake us up after everyone else just peaced the fuck out. I say if she wants to shapeshift into us, then she has more than earned the right.

Also, she doesn't really seem like the type who would use her powers with any sort of malicious intent.

There is also the fact that brushing a girl's hair is the first step in becoming close friends. At which point a verbal request not to shapeshift into Kokoro would probably suffice. If such a thing ever really became necessary.

You know I have to wonder, it was mentioned by the writer that since youkai announced their presence to the larger world to not die out, magic and technology are both seen as sciences and have advanced, and at times blended. What is the level of technology available in this world?

Called for:

[X] Politely ask Nue to select a nice outfit and towel from among your clothes.
[X] Eat half the waffle while the water heats up
[X] Shower. in and out. 4 mins tops
[X] Eat the other half, while Nue brushes your hair.
[X] Get dressed and head out.

and

[X] "nue, where will the ceremony be held?"

>>52667
It's roughly present day and some things are pretty similar. There are some significant differences, but I'd rather show them than screw up in telling them outright.


Please publicly shame me if I haven't updated by Monday. I need to get my ass in gear.

>>53585

Shame on you.

>>53585

Please accept this heartfelt gift from all your loyal readers.

>>53585
> Please publicly shame me if I haven't updated by Monday. I need to get my ass in gear.

[x] politely ask nue to select a nice outfit and towel from among your clothes.
[x] eat half the waffle while the water heats up
[x] shower. in and out. 4 minutes tops
[x] eat the other half, while nue brushes your hair.
[x] get dressed and head out.

[x] "nue, where will the ceremony be held?"

I have to do things quickly. Multitasking is good, but help is better!

“nue, can you please grab clothes and a towel for me?”

“Sure thing.”

“thanks.”

I bolt out the door immediately. Ran said the bathroom was on the left, right? Going into the bathroom, I nearly collide with a sleepy looking Flandre. She mumbles something, probably “Good morning,” but I can’t tell since she’s in the process of brushing her teeth.

The shower will take a few minutes to heat up, so I go back to the room. Nue is currently comparing two shirts.

“Dark blue or light green?” Nue asks as I start eating my waffles.

“green fits better.” The blue one is a little oversized. Even so, it’s really comfortable and is good for cold weather and sleeping in.

“Is dark green good for the skirt then? It should be a nice contrast to your hair.”

“that sounds good, thank you.”

Flandre comes in a few minutes later, still looking pretty out of it. “Your shower’s done heating up.” she says.

My half-finished meal can wait until after my shower. I grab my clothes and a towel and head to the bathroom. Inside, the mirror is already fogged up.

The shower feels nice and helps shake off the last bits of morning drowsiness. While I want to enjoy this for a good fifteen minutes, I’m in a hurry. Shampoo, lather, rinse, repeat the process with shower gel. Turn the shower off, towel, and oh hey, Flandre left her hairdryer. Thanks Flandre.

Once my hair is dry enough to not drip and soak into my clothes, I dress and head back to the room. Flandre is currently about halfway done reattaching her wing crystals. Nue, meanwhile, is trying to brush her mess of hair. She’s having no success whatsoever getting it under control.

“hey nue, when you’re done, can you brush my hair while i eat. it takes a long time on my own.”

“No reason I can’t. I’m not going to get my hair untangled anyway. Never have.”

Having my hair brushed is soothing, though Nue is not especially good at dealing with knots. She pulls a bit too hard and it hurts. I guess I’m more soothed by the fact that I’m pretty much ready to go at this point. I just need to put on my shoes and brush my teeth.

As Nue finishes brushing my hair, Cirno finally reappears. She’s eating a bagel with one hand and carrying a couple shopping bags in the other. So that’s where she was. I guess she didn’t have any luggage, so she had to buy clothes here.

“Anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Cirno asks, tossing her bags on her bed, the one between mine and Nue’s.

“Not really.” Nue replies.

“Man, it feels great having new clothes!” Cirno’s wearing blue jeans and a red shirt with the words ‘All’s Fairy in Love and War’ emblazoned on it. Heh.

Come to think of it, I didn’t really pay much attention to what the others were wearing. I’ve been kinda out of it this morning. Panic tends to do that. I think. Maybe I’m just unaware of my surroundings. That’s a possibility too.

Flandre is dressed in a black hoodie over a simple white dress that comes to her ankles. Her wing crystals add some color to her otherwise muted clothing choice.

Nue has on a blue skirt and an oversized purple sweater that looks like it’s seen a lot of use over the years. Her wing-things aren’t there at all. I should’ve at least noticed that.

“Alright,” Nue says, “your hair’s nice and brushed. We should probably get going.”

“where is the ceremony being held anyway?”

“One floor up. There’s a big communal dining hall that’s one of the few indoor places that can fit everyone. That’s where big events tend to be announced.”

Once I finish getting ready, we all head upstairs together.
---

---
The dining hall is rather different than I expected. There are five long tables with benches running the room lengthwise and an elevated table parallel to them at the far end. Closer to us are a collection of round tables that can each probably seat about six people comfortably. The walls are lined with counters and stoves. The smell of all manner of foods cooking fills the air and the chatter of over a hundred people is overwhelming. Overall, the effect is some cross between some sort of Nordic Feast Hall and a mall food court. It’s very strange, to say the least.

I spot Ran, who beckons us over. She’s smiling again, unsurprisingly.

“Good to see you’re all up and here.” She says, “Well, most of you. Nitori is still absent.”

Ran directs us to stand off to the side and says Patchouli will begin the introduction ceremony in a few minutes. I exchange nervous glances with the others. Flandre is fidgeting and Nue is once again trying to fix her hair. Cirno is trying to act casual, but I can tell by the stiffness in her shoulders that she’s almost as nervous as the rest of us.

Soon, the lights dim and the talking dies down. A woman in an indigo dress steps forward. This must be Patchouli. With a SNAP a microphone appears in her hand. Her voice is soft, but carries a certain understated authority.

“Welcome everyone. I hope those of you who went away on Winter Break all enjoyed yourselves. Now, most of you know why you are here, but I’ll state it again for our newcomers.”

Patchouli gives a speech about how everyone has been selected because they’re special. She stresses the importance of interpersonal connections, especially once we leave. Really, the speech is very well rehearsed but not terribly interesting. I can’t really muster any enthusiasm. Despite that, I’m still pretty anxious.

After a bit more talking, Patchouli hands the mike off to Ran. “Thank you Patchouli. Now then, allow me to introduce our new students. Step forward please.”

We’re to be introduced all at once then? That’s a bit less stressful.

“First, we have Flandre Scarlet. I’m sure most of you remember Remilia, her elder sister. Please treat her well.”

There’s a lot of whispering and clapping from everyone. Flandre waves weakly in response. Is her sister someone of note? Flandre didn’t mention her.

“Next, is Nue Houjuu. Many of you have seen her around, but now she’s officially one of you.”

More whispering and clapping, both less than what Flandre got. Nue already seems to have made a less than stellar impression on a few people.

“Third, we have Kokoro.”

That’s me! With everyone looking at me, I kind of want to hide behind my masks. Suppressing that urge, I manage a small curtsy.

“And then Cirno. Treat her nicely, you hear?”

Cirno positively beams. Even her wings are faintly humming.

“Lastly, we would have Nitori Kawashiro, but it seems like she won’t make the ceremony. That is, if she even gets here at-”

“Wait! I’m here!” In runs a girl who seems to be Nitori. She’s followed by a, well, a thing. It’s metal and vaguely humanoid, with a lot of exposed wires. I guess it’s like one of those robots I’ve seen in a few movies, but only about half finished.

Nitori herself has short blue hair and is probably half a head taller than Nue and I are. She looks to be maybe eighteen or nineteen, by human standards. As for what she’s wearing, Nitori has on tan cargo pants, a jean jacket, and a bulky pair of headphones hanging around her neck.

“Sorry I’m late,” she says, “My flight got delayed a few times due to inclement weather and-”

The robot bumps into her, nearly knocking her into Nue, and falls to the ground. Naturally, the robot was carrying her bag, causing her things to spill out. It proceeds to flail around a bit on the ground, furthering the mess.

Once the robot stops flailing, Nitori just stares at the mess. It seems she’s in that state where she’s unsure whether to laugh at the absurdity of the situation or have a breakdown. She settles for grumbling a stream of curses under her breath.

In an unspoken agreement, the rest of us help her gather her things. Cirno, Flandre, and I help her carry the robot off to the side and Nue gets the bag.

“So anyway,” Ran says, attempting to continue as if nothing happened, “there are a few announcements to be made. First of all, I’m sure you’ve noticed Moriya’s conspicuous absence. She’s vacated her position as my Second. Again. Anyone interested in the position needs to get their application in by next Tuesday.”

The room positively explodes into discussion. It seems this is kind of a big deal. Let’s see, today is Monday, so that’s in eight days.

“Other than that, your Circles need to be finalized by Sunday, as do your Towers. Keep in mind that while you can change Circles if you can find someone willing to trade with you, your Towers are fixed until the next break. Oh, and the scheduled Tower introductions are at 2:00 and 6:00 today and 10:00, 2:00, and 5:00 tomorrow.”

After that, the other Tower Heads welcome us and say a few words. Well, three of them do. The green-haired woman on the far left is silent, looking like she’d rather not even be here. Additionally, one of the Tower Heads seems to have left.

We get a polite welcome from a rather intimidating blue-haired woman and a friendlier one from the lady with strange purple-brown gradient hair.

The last Tower head, a woman with long green hair, speaks up, “Yeah, welcome, congrats, and all that. Anyone wanting the tour, be there in fifteen. Or an hour. Whenever I get bored of waiting, really.” With that, she leans her chair back and phases through the wall. Wait What?!

“Well then, I suppose that concludes things.” Patchouli says, “Imaizumi, would you look after the newcomers?”

“Certainly,” the girl says. “Alright everyone, I’m sure you all want to mob the new kids like piranhas and ask them questions, but it’s not happening. Go about your business normally. You can introduce yourselves on more normal terms.”

Imaizumi is about Nitori’s height, with long, auburn hair and dark red eyes. She looks to be about twenty or so and carries herself with a cool confidence, further amplified by a long, black dress. I get the feeling she’s not human, but she has no particularly supernatural features beyond her eyes. Maybe she’s half-human.

“So then girls,” she says to us, “my name is Kagerou Imaizumi, the Second of Moon Tower. I’ll be guiding you, at least for today. I’ll give you the tour, answer your questions, maybe advise you on Towers, that kind of stuff. Right now though, I imagine you need help moving that robot to your room.”

“That would be nice,” Nitori replies, “I need to figure out what’s wrong with it. Hopefully nothing serious.”

“What was that about Tower introductions?” Cirno asks.

“Basically, it’s a tour. You get to see the tower and get an idea of what it’s like to be a member. Most of the time, if you don’t do the intro, the Tower Head won’t admit you. You lot should go to all five.”

“There’s one in like fifteen minutes, right?”

“Yeah, Mima tends to ignore the schedule. She will get in five tour times by tomorrow’s end, but expect them to be inconvenient and with minimal prior notice. You might get a more convenient time later, but it’s a crapshoot.”

(ask kagerou a question.)
[] – tour and information with kagerou
[] – inconvenient tower introduction
[] – just spend time getting to know everyone.


***
WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM FOR A BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN:
WANDERLOST IS A HUGE FAG WHO NEVER MEETS HIS UPDATE DEADLINES!!!

This might be the longest update I've ever written. It had damn well better be, considering I made everyone wait.

[X] – tour and information with kagerou

Well, she's right here and all.

[X] – tour and information with kagerou

Eh, don't beat yourself up too much about not meeting your deadline. A lot of people on here say they'll update but never do, or if they do it isn't for a while.

[X] – just spend time getting to know everyone.

Don't be so hard on yourself bro. This just means we better see some double dealing characters in the tower groups.

[x] tour and information with kagerou

Considering the number of authors who post UPDATE SOON and then just fucking vanish FOREVER, a few days isn't much of a wait.

[x] – tour and information with kagerou
(who was the tower head that was absent?)
(this moriya seems to vacate her position a lot. why?)
(i felt uneasy around the tower head with the blue hair. is that normal?)
(concisely, what can you tell me about the towers, their heads, and their seconds?)
[x] – inconvenient tower introduction, best opportunity's in 15 minutes

... the hell is a 'Circle'?

Called for:

[x] tour and information with kagerou

and the questions in:
>>54294
>>54314


To everyone telling me not to worry too much about missing deadlines, you're probably right. I tend to get overly panicked if I haven't updated in a few days. (which is pretty much always)

That said, I do need to force myself to set deadlines and actually come close to keeping them. I'd like to have this one done by the end of Monday. After that, college starts back up and life will go back to kicking the shit out of me.

You okay, man? You're not like, dead, are you?

>>55495
Dude...

>>52466

He isn't dead, just working on another story.

>>55499
Forgive me for paying more attention to the content of the story than to the identity of the writer.
I read a fair chunk of the first thread of that story some time ago, decided it wasn't for me, and skipped past it every time I saw it pop up.

[x] tour and information with kagerou.

We all agree that a tour would be nice. Cirno and Nue already know most of the grounds’ layout, but Cirno says she’d appreciate the exercise. Nue decides to come along because everyone else is going.

Before that though, we need to move Nitori’s things down to the room we’re staying in. Despite the fact that we have to go down a flight of stairs carrying the robot, it’s noticeably easier to move with Kagerou’s help. Since Nitori and Kagerou are the tallest, they’re the ones who have to back down the stairs supporting the brunt of the weight.

Once we get to the room, we set the robot over in a corner. Easier it may have been, but it was still tiring. Unlike everyone else, Flandre doesn’t seem even a little winded from the effort.

Nitori collapses into a chair, thunking her head against the table. “My life is over! I’ll never live that fuckup down!”

“Not the worst introduction we’ve had.” Kagerou says. “Most people will talk for a week or two, but it should clear up if you don’t make a big deal of it.”

The blue-haired girl snorts. “Yeah, sure it will.”

I should say something to distract her. “hey kagerou, what’s a circle? it got mentioned a few times and we all need one by sunday, right?”

“Circles are, well, it’s kind of hard to describe.” The girl replies. “They’re like circles of friends, only formalized. You do your group projects and the like with them. It’s five or so people to a circle and you’re encouraged to have some variety in what towers you’re in.”

“How do they get picked?” Flandre asks, finally speaking up.

“You choose your circle. It’s a group-submitted form every member has to sign. If you don’t get it done in time, you get sorted into a random group or stuck with the others who didn’t get it done.”

“If we can pick whoever, the five of us would be convenient, right?” Nue speaks this time.

Kagerou shrugs. “I suppose you could. There’s nothing stopping you from hanging out outside a circle, though. It would probably be a good idea to get with someone more senior than you if you can. That way you aren’t totally lost and have someone who can help you out.”

That makes sense. I don’t think we’ll get used to this place for a while.

“Anyway, we should probably get to that tour. I’m probably going to be needed later, so time is of the essence.” Kagerou stretches a bit.

“What’s the deal with the whole towers thing, anyway?” Nitori asks.

“How do you mean?”

“Like a who’s who of the important people around here. It would be nice to know in advance, before we make any bad impressions.”

Flandre says something under her breath, prompting a laugh from Nue.

“Well,” Kagerou says, “Patchouli Knowledge and Ran are the founders. Patchouli handles the technical aspects of keeping the college running and is effectively headmistress. I’m Patchouli’s second, so I help with her research and balance her workload when it gets to be too much for one person to manage. Ran serves as the college’s public face and recruiter. Her second is usually Moriya.”

“ran got concerned when nue mentioned her. does moriya cause a lot of problems or something?” She’s been made out to be some sort of incident.

“I don’t want to misrepresent her, but…” Kagerou scratches her neck. “I guess you could say she’s unpredictable. Flaky, maybe. She doesn’t apply herself very often, but she makes up for it when something catches her interest.”

“What good is talent if you aren’t going to use it?” Cirno balls her fists.

Kagerou only sighs in response, motioning for us to follow her.

Going outside, it’s overcast and looks like it might rain. Getting rained on wouldn’t be a very good start to things. Seeing the sky, Flandre preemptively tugs her hood on. We seem to be the only ones bothered by the weather.

“The heads of the outer towers are a varied lot and often don’t get along well. Byakuren Hijiri is the head of Wood Tower. She’s the caring, motherly type and she favors teaching about different religions and the like. Hatate Himekaidou is her second. If Byakuren is like a mother to a lot of the students here, then Hatate is like a sister. She’s really come out of her shell the last few years.”

Nue shifts uncomfortably.

Kagerou doesn’t seem to notice as she continues, “Water Tower is headed by Kanako Yasaka. She’s sort of intimidating at first, but isn’t really a bad person. Gods think on a different wavelength from mortals, though she’s much more scientifically minded than first impressions would indicate. She’s partial to teaching maths and sciences. Her second for the new year will be determined in about a week’s time. At the moment, it’s Kijin Seija filling out the last bit of her term. She’ll probably get it again this year, barring any unexpected upsets.”

I think I know which one was Kanako, then.

“The positions are up for grabs every year?” Cirno asks, sensing an opportunity.

“It’s different for each tower. Yasaka just likes to have a set term for it.”

“Ah!” Cirno’s strange wings flit with anticipation. She certainly has high aspirations.

“Yuka Kazami is Metal Tower’s head. She isn’t really one for talking or social graces and doesn’t tolerate fools well. She’s the one who teaches fighting and self defense skills, but she also acts as the groundskeeper. Her second, Meiling, is a lot mellower, but she’s still far from pacifistic.”

I catch Flandre fidgeting with her hoodie ties, though she remains silent. Fighting must not be for her.

“Earth is Seiga Kaku’s tower. She’s not exactly a teacher in the same way the others are, but she does give the occasional history or politics lesson. She’s ill a lot, so she doesn’t really have the same visible presence the others do. You might not have seen her yet, since she left the welcoming ceremony early. I couldn’t really tell you much about her beyond that, but she can be very blunt. Her second is Wriggle Nightbug, a quiet girl who does what Seiga is unable or unwilling to do.”

“what does she do if she doesn’t teach?”

Kagerou twines a lock of hair about her finger. “I’m not really sure. She has some sort of contract with Ran and Patchouli, just like all the heads do. I said she taught though, if not necessarily regularly.”

“i see.” Maybe I’ll understand later.

“Lastly is of course Fire Tower and Mima. She’s the best magic teacher you’ll ever learn from, if you can handle her personality. She hates schedules and anything she deems especially mundane or uninspired. She values people almost solely by how passionate they are about their interests, whatever those interests may be. Mima’s second is that demon girl with the unpronounceable name, who goes by Koa. Both she and Mima are fairly evenly divided as far as people liking or disliking them.”

At this point, we’re approaching what I assume to be the…

[] – wood tower
[] – water tower
[] – metal tower
[] – earth tower
[] – fire tower

***
So, this is a thing again. I stopped updating it when life started being a problem and then somehow didn't get back to it when I stopped being in hell. Recently, someone reminded me that there were readers still waiting on an update, so I rediscovered how much fun this story was.

On that note, it's been a while and I've probably messed something or everything up, so feel free to tell me it's shit. The update length far from equates to the hiatus, but it's a start.

[X] – metal tower

Welcome back.

[x] - fire tower

Didn't Mima say she was giving a tour right away?

[x] - fire tower

[x] – fire tower
out of fucking nowhere
kokoro quest returns

[X] Fire Tower

I've been looking forward to this. I was not disappointed.

[x] – fire tower
Yeah I'm picking Mima for the tour.

And it's good to see this returning. More authors need to be prodded now and again about their stories.

[x] – fire tower
Mima is reason enough

Also I find it interesting that Seiga is the one that submitted a potential enemy of Miko.

[x] fire

What the flying fuck, is this back?

>>58574
IIRC isn't she not really a friend of the Taoists in canon? Almost more like a mutual acquaintance of theirs'? From what I remember Miko may be trying to sorta distance herself from Seiga.

Calling it for:

[x] - fire tower