The alarm rang in my head, and I immediately jumped out of bed. For some reason, I had a lot of energy this morning. Seikatsu was awake too, so I popped in to say hello. Good morning, Seikatsu.

Mornin', Shin! Seikatsu was singing her words, so she was certainly happier. I wonder why, though? I shrugged it off after a moment, and decided to see if Mokou was up.

My alarm woke me up at the right time: 5:30 a.m. I wanted to wake up earlier so I could see if I could help Mokou with something in the morning; you know, do my part to mend the relationship. It wouldn't be right if he did all the work.

Funnily enough, as I walk out of the room, I catch Mokou coming down the stairs with a tired look on his face and his hands over part of his face, as if he had just yawned. Before he's finished descending the stairs, I've probably found out his favorite color: red. His clothes look like they've been bought white and then had something red - whatever it is - splashed all over it. Well, I can't fault him for his poor taste in fashion, he does live alone.

"Good morning, Shin." Oh, Mokou noticed me. I return the greeting and we head our separate directions: me to the trough to wash my hands, and Mokou seemingly to the kitchen.

As I washed my hands, I realized something: Mokou's voice was oddly cheerful, but I didn't exactly think much of it. After all, we did have that talk last night.

But my day was about to get a LOT worse.

I leave the bathroom, only to come face-to-face with Keine, which shocks me. I thought she only came every other day, and I declare my shock at seeing her.

"Uh, Shin, what are you talking about? It has been two days since I last visited. Excuse me, Shin, I need to take a shower."

Keine walks past me and closes the door, but I'm stuck in place, speechless. Okay, what's going on here...

Seikatsu's giggles and rancorous laughter echo in my head, and I decide to ask her. "Seriously, Seikatsu, what's going on here?" Unfortunately for me, she continues her hysterical giggles, with the occasional snort here and there. Well, I'm not getting any answers from her any time soon.

There's really only one person I can ask now. Mokou.

---

Mokou and I were seated at our usual seats at the food table, but the food was still being prepared. I had asked him to sit down while I explained what I thought and what I thought was happening.

"Eh. I'm not sure what's going on with you, Shin. Sounds to me like you just forgot everything that happened yesterday." Mokou's eyes told me that he wanted to believe me but was unsure as to how everything was going on. I told him to give me a moment while I mulled everything over.

[ ] Ask Mokou some more questions; he's the only one that tried to help you out on the first go.
[ ] Wait for Keine to finish showering, then ask her to join you.
[ ] See if Seikatsu has stopped laughing long enough to help.

[ ] Pat, I'd like to solve the puzzle.
- [ ] Answer

[x] Ask Mokou some more questions; he's the only one that tried to help you out on the first go.

I really don't know what to choose, so I go for Mokou.

[x] Ask Mokou some more questions; he's the only one that tried to help you out on the first go.

Seikatsu probably won't cooperate for a bit longer.

[X] Wait for Keine to finish showering, then ask her to join you.

[x] Ask Mokou some more questions; he's the only one that tried to help you out on the first go.

We'll have to squirm for a bit. Then hopefully Seikatsu will stop giggling long enough to help us.

And God, Shin's view of the world is so lovably innocent.

[x] Ask Mokou some more questions; he's the only one that tried to help you out on the first go.

Goin' with the tide, just goin' with the tide… oh, who am I kidding?

[x] Ask Mokou some more questions; he's the only one that tried to help you out on the first go.

Update will be late this week; I have school applications, loan paperwork, sushi classes, and game design meetings all today, tomorrow, and Wednesday.

>>22716
>Update will be late this week

As long as it happens.

Which week did you mean?

>>22733
The previous one.

Admittedly, I missed last week's update. No excuses, I just missed it. Sorry, guys.

First things first: I want to see if Mokou has any idea as to what could have caused it. Unfortunately, it seems that Mokou doesn't know by the way she audibly thinks, and her response is just as conclusive. "I don't know, Shin, I've never heard of such a thing. You woke up, and you thought it was yesterday."

I answer in the affirmative. The experience of my realization was slightly jarring, as if I had woken up from a nauseating dream. None of it seemed to be real, and even talking to Mokou was making me feel floaty. Still, I wasn't about to man down and go back to bed. I had been doing a lot of that lately, even for my liking, so I sauntered forward - as forward as a half-deluded man could travel.

"Well, I actually may know someone who could help, Shin." Both Mokou and I turn to face Keine, who was in the kitchen trying to prevent Mokou's food from burning. Mokou's face of panic and agility added a smile to my face, the first in what felt as such a long time, even though I was positive I was smiling the day before.

Keine knows someone. I wonder what kind of person is he-

"She's the most knowledgeable person I know." Great, another female. I didn't handle talking to females very well, though you wouldn't have known it from the way I talked to Reimu and Keine. Or Seikatsu. Speaking of which...I should make an excuse to get out of the house. Seikatsu doesn't want anyone else to know of her existence, so might as well act loopy where no one can see me.

"Well, she won't be home today, she's actually on a trip. She'll be back next week, however." Well, there goes that idea, Keine. "If you'd like, I can show you the place."

Okay, let's try something else. This clearly isn't going anywhere.

"Yes, there's a lake north of here. Why do you ask?"

And now a fake reason.

"Seems alright. After we eat, Mokou can take you there. I want to clean up her house anyways, so that's a perfect time to do so."

Don't you mean 'he', Keine? Oh well.

"I want you home by supper, though. Youkai get more active then so I don't want to see you killed." Keine's final words almost force an eye-rolling from me, but I don't respond more than necessary.

And Seikatsu is still laughing.

---

I learned a few things about Mokou during our walk. I had first learned that Mokou wasn't a native of Gensokyo; he said that he had stumbled onto the barrier and had crossed with the help of some mysterious forces. Learning to adapt was simple for him, but it took time to integrate with the people.

He also said that he was learning to fly, since he was new to this area and figured that he should learn how to fly, like a lot of people did. I had stated what Keine had reiterated to me regarding humans and flight, and his response was one of disbelief. "Wait, so I've been spending time learning how to do something I can't do?" I quickly reminded him that Keine could fly and was human herself, so there was still a chance that he could learn it too.

Mokou responded with a sigh, "But she's special. She's an important person, and important people get power."

The conversation had stopped at that point, but I had learned enough about Mokou to formulate my own ideas.

---

After about two hours, we arrived at Misty Lake, a lake about half an hour north of the Field of Summer. It earned its name, Keine (via Mokou) had said, from the large mists that were semi-transparent only when they weren't bunched together as they often seemed to do. One could look from one end of the lake and face the direction of the other, and not see the end.

And yet, the mists were very calming to the touch, and on more than one occasion, humans from the village would see apparitions of a fairy with wings that seemed to glisten in the sunlight and were cool to the touch. Mokou bade me farewell and started to walk off, while I headed for one of the many docks and got into the boat there.

Mokou had instructed me that the boats were intended for solitude in the lake and for quiet, relaxing reflection (in both senses of the word). Of course, that meant I was not to damage to boats unless I plan to fix them. Having had experience with boats, I definitely didn't see any drawback to using them, as anything that didn't rip the boat to shreds I could fix with my danmaku tools.

And so here I was. The Misty Lake, a place of serene introspection. This was the perfect place to talk to Seikatsu.

[ ] Relax a little more
[ ] Drift off to sleep accidentally
[ ] Get down to business

=====

I should also mention I posted the (admittedly short) short of Cirno on the previous thread.

[x] Get down to business

Have I mentioned how much I love Shin? Because I do.

Let's [X] Get down to business

to defeat the gender confusion.

Alright, time to get down to business. "Hey, Seikatsu."

Seikatsu had been laughing until I tried to hail her attention, to which, in my mind's eye, she turned around, faced with a sullen face and said one word: "What."

"Look, can I talk to you for a moment? It's rather lonely out here, and I want to take my mind off the fact that I'm in a boat. Alone." I had to give a no-nonsense answer, I felt, it was the only way to show her I was serious.

"Well then. If you put it that way...no." Go fig.

"Can't you just talk to me normally today?" The one-word answer from Seikatsu reverberated again, and I got understandably mad.

"Fine. I guess I'll have to make you. I mean, after all, I know a little secret of yours."

"Psh. You don't know anything, do you?"

"Oh, but I do."

I reached for my formerly blank spellcard. Having seen Seikatsu enough times in my dreams, I was able to draw her as accurate as humanly possible. Seeing what I was about to do, Seikatsu quickly threw on the brakes, trying to physically prevent me by taking over my body. It didn't work as well as she'd hoped, as she was thrown back by what appeared to be my mind's barrier. "Fuck!" I quickly threw the spellcard up and called out its name in the small timeframe that Seikatsu's stunned form wouldn't move.

Human Sign 「Birthing of a God」

The spellcard, instead of dissipating, suddenly grew until it became a flaming ball of fire above me, which slowly but surely started to rise into the air. I wasn't sure what to do with it until I saw I had an arrow and bow in my hands. Quickly, before anyone took notice, I aimed and shot the arrow at the ball. The ball stopped moving upward, cracked, then opened, releasing Seikatsu, who promptly fell into the lake. My failure to wince said it all.

I had done it. I had wanted to see Seikatsu face to face for the longest time, and now I could. Except it didn't look like she was resurfacing.

---

Back on the boat, Seikatsu was ringing out her hair, facing the dock, while I was putting my underwear and shorts back on, facing the other way. I never really understood why people in dramatic situations (as Keine had told my class) kept their clothes on when they dove in. It's extra baggage, it's uncomfortable to wear afterwards, and you end up getting sick most of the time. I took the time to take off everything but my shirt before jumping in, and boy am I glad I did the right thing. I may not be able to swim well, but in emergencies I'm a lot more focused.

[ ] Wait for Seikatsu to finish drying before talking
[ ] Try starting a conversation with Seikatsu
[ ] Remain silent and wait for her to talk first

[x] Remain silent and wait for her to talk first

We do have all day.

[x] Wait for Seikatsu to finish drying before talking

I'm curious as to what she looks like; I get the feeling she isn't in a cat form now.

[X] Remain silent and wait for her to talk first

Let her fume for a bit.

[Ⓡ] Remain silent and wait for her to talk first

I sure do hope she's not a timed spellcard.

[x] Wait for Seikatsu to finish drying before talking

[x] Remain silent and wait for her to talk first

I wonder how many guys would love to be in my position right now. My back is turned, sure, but there is definitely a girl behind me changing her shirt. From what I already know from seeing her in action in my head, she's not flat-chested by any definition of the word, and those guys would enjoy the temptation that being where I am right now comes from.

But that's not me.

Seikatsu hasn't been with me long, sure, but for the time she has she's been annoying, bratty, confusing, and downright enigmatic. Perfect grounds for an older sister. I was an only child, and I've always wanted a sister, so here's one fulfillment of my wishes.

Okay, so I'm rambling. There's not much I can think about when I'm waiting for her to say something first. If I wasn't 100% sure that I'd probably annoy her by initiating the conversation (she likes to be in control), I'd have broken the vocal silence. There's actually plenty of noise around - the birds chirping in the trees, fairies nearby noisily being rebirthed, and the sound of water quickly leaving Seikatsu's wet shirt and diving into the lake. Why'd it have to be white?

"You don't have to be modest around me, Shin."

I turn around and I'm greeted with a rather weird sight: Seikatsu. With her long black hair wrapped in a wet ponytail, her shirt wringing still continuing, my button-down shirt fitting rather nicely on her, and her skirt. I'm not sure even how to describe that skirt. I'm guessing it was just a flannel skirt that was tie-dyed with red and orange, as there are way too many blotches...

"Bloodstains." Even though Seikatsu knew where I was looking at, she, throughout this entire time, had more attention on getting out each possible drop of water from that shirt than on looking at me. I don't blame her, though. She wasn't happy to be dragged out into the open like this.

I repeated her words, questioning on what had happened, but her lack of response told me that line of conversation was over. I sat in silence, getting a good look at Seikatsu while I waited. It was interesting, now that I got a proper chance to look at her, Seikatsu seems to be a good five inches taller than me. Unsurprisingly, I was just fine with that note.

The fiery woman in front of me, notably lacking all fire normally seen with her demeanor, finished her wringing, and I thought she was done. Instead, as nonchalantly as she had started, she laid the shirt on the boat floor to dry and reached for her skirt.

"Don't react" was her only warning as she unhooked her skirt and started wringing it, too. Great, at this pace, she was going to control the entire time she was available. Probably her plan from the start, too.

"Seikatsu, can you please give me an explanation-" A hand on my mouth stopped that route too.

"I don't feel like talking to you right now. You dropped me in the water, and the colors in my skirt are now mixed together. I'll tell you later, but now." Her voice, surprisingly, wasn't angry, just disappointed and annoyed.

[ ] Pass the time peaceably
[ ] Gawk at Seikatsu sneakily
[ ] Study your spellcards carefully
[ ] Write-In

---

As I mentioned in my other thread, I didn't write an update last week because I didn't have the password to my files in time (forgetfulness and all that). Sorry about that.

[x] Gawk at Seikatsu openly

You don't have to be modest around her, Shin.

On a second thought,

[X] Gawk at Seikatsu openly.

[X] Gawk at Seikatsu openly.

[X] Study your spellcards carefully

Someone needs to be the voice of reason. Not that it will stop Anon from thinking with the other head.

Update won't be happening this week, something happened out of the blue and I have to move. Packing bags in an emergency is quite annoying.

>>23009
Godspeed.

[x] Gawk at Seikatsu openly

If Seikatsu was going to be this hostile, then what's a spat of teasing going to do? I decide to stare at her. Not anywhere in particular, but just enough so that she knows that I'm staring at her. And like I thought, it got a reaction out of her. Though, it wasn't what I was expecting.

Seikatsu, in the middle of laying out her skirt to dry, responded with a few choice words. "About time. If you're a full-blooded male, the last thing a girl would want to think is that the guy in front of her is cowardly. Remember that."

Well, even teasing doesn't work. With really no other recourse than just to wait, I bided the time just by watching her go through the motions.


Eventually, she finished, and turned her back to me again. Her posture was clearly one of discomfort than one of ease, and my thoughts flip-flopped to whether my staring or my naivete was the cause.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Seikatsu, leading the pack as usual.

I recount the day's events, barring of course the travel to the lake and what happened subsequently, and share my concerns. This takes all of ten minutes due to my inability to keep things concise, and at the end of it all she looks like she's going to fall asleep.

"Well," she starts, "let's get the bad news out of the way. You slept through yesterday."

Wait, what? That was news to me. "I've been asleep for 34 hours?"

"Mentally, yes, physically, no." This was definitely confusing. Seikatsu continued, "Basically, you experienced another day with Mokou but you will have no recollection of what happened that day."

Well, that's bad. Really bad. I'm concerned about a few things. First, what happened on that day? Secondly, is this thing normal in other people? Thirdly, is there any way to fix it? But, of course, there could be other questions that come to mind, and it doesn't look like she's willing to talk that long. I guess around two or three questions would be the limit.

(Choose 3)
[ ] What happened on that day?
[ ] Is this...experience...normal in other people?
[ ] Is there any way to fix it?
[ ] Write-In

I still can't get over how nice Seikatsu looks, if you can ignore her face. Her mostly-dried black hair has a few strands of interwoven white hair, and the way it's arranged gives her the feeling of respect, maturity, and honor. And that's just her hair. But I have to stop admiring, I called her out for a reason. I take a deep breath, and begin.

---

Something short since I'm still in the middle of moving in.

[x] What happened on that day?
[x] Is this...experience...normal in other people?
[x] Is there any way to fix it?

>Her mostly-dried black hair has a few strands of interwoven white hair, and the way it's arranged gives her the feeling of respect, maturity, and honor.
Hello, Pol.

>If you're a full-blooded male
As opposed to a half-blooded one?

[X] What happened on that day?
[X] Is this... experience... normal in other people?
[X] Could it turn any harmful in the long run; and if so, is there any way to fix it?

If I could, I'd have given you some of my time, since I've loads of it, but now I may only wait until you've gotten some of your own so that you can wall me.

>[X] Could it turn any harmful in the long run; and if so, is there any way to fix it?

But that would make 4 questions.

[x] What happened on that day?
[x] Is this...experience...normal in other people?
[x] Is there any way to fix it?

[x] What happened on that day?
[x] Is this...experience...normal in other people?
[x] Is there any way to fix it?

Hey!

I'm not dead, just so you guys know.

Anyways, the place where I keep all of my files (stupidly only one place) has been out of service for almost a month now, and in addition I'm back in school, so what free time I have I'm studying.

Don't worry though, I'll be back tomorrow to post...something. Not an update, unfortunately, but I have found some time to work on all four of my stories (two on this site, two on another). I'll post my handwritten work since I literally have no time to type it up.

>>23114

Hooray!

>>23114
sounds like you have too much on your plate; please lessen your load some lest you burn out.

Here we go. Please note that this isn't an update, aka no votes. It's just proof I've been working on the story, and for The Word of One, it's a look at what might have been.

For the record, until recently, I had been doing one of these for each of the choices. It was exhausting and I appreciate the anon who said to lessen my load a bit. I will be forced to be sporadic in my updates for the next five months, minimum, until my schooling is over.

That is all. Thanks for reading.

Oh, and as a bonus, I decided to include the rough draft of an update of another story I'm doing elsewhere, Requiem of Death's Life.

You can see the poems and a small-ish outline.

Nighty, mate, if you're still there somewhere, know this: I am still waiting.

[x] What happened on that day?
[x] Is this...experience...normal in other people?
[x] Is there any way to fix it?

"Well, let's start with the general gist of things; you took Mokou out on a sort of date and got to know each other better. That's really it, though I'll spare you the particulars because I feel like it." Lovely. At least she's talking now.

"Far be it from me to say, but I think she really enjoyed it, and would enjoy another one." Alright. But I had to query. Was there anything specific that was mentioned?

"Well, I could name a few, but you probably want this one. Mokou's a girl, dumbass. She acts and looks like a guy to you because she doesn't like cultural norms, and prefers to live her own way instead of abiding by another's standards."

I sat, mouth slightly agape, trying to speak and yet, failing to catch the words to do so. So, for three whole days, I had mistaken Mokou as a male. Great, what else am I missing?

"I can imagine you already know the answer to that question, but, no, this isn't normal. Then again, neither is my living in your head, so that in and of itself is a moot point." Fair enough. I still had my mind on Mokou's femaleness.

"And before you answer, no, you can't fix it. Everybody that gets a power in this world has some sort of side effect. Your past is easily consumable." I closed and opened my mouth but Seikatsu continued. "Don't ask me what it means, that's really all I know about it."

Driving the conversation forward was one of Seikatsu's charms and qualities, and despite how often I had heard her basically stringing me along, I couldn't recall an instance I had gotten mad at her for doing so.

So, we talked for a while afterward, though rather obviously the tone was much lighter and more casual. Soon enough, though, as the sun continued its journey across the sky, Seikatsu bid her farewell and I paddled myself back to shore, awaiting the arrival of Mokou.

I wondered, though,
[ ] what did Mokou do today?
[ ] what did Keine do today?

As I waited for my ride to come, Cirno passed by me. I waved to her, and on her noticing she came by and sat down right next to me, refusing to look in my direction. I greeted her with my standard greeting, only for her to emit a small gruff and turn away.

[ ] Continue to try to engage Cirno in conversation.
[ ] Play with her ice wings.
[ ] Casually mention about a rematch.

===

Attempting to pick up where I left off.

[X] what did Keine do today?

I wonder if she did anything strange while cleaning Shin's room?

[X] Play with her ice wings.

Smitten ice fairy teasin' gaems.

[x] what did Keine do today?
[x] Continue to try to engage Cirno in conversation.

Nice to see you back at long last!

I missed this so much!

[x] what did Keine do today?
[x] Play with her ice wings.

How often has Keine pressed the reset button?

Delicious fairy popsicles, you must lick them.

[x] what did Mokou do today?
[x] Play with her ice wings.

[x] what did Keine do today?
[x] Play with her ice wings.

Who likes to fluster touhoes? Everyone likes to fluster touhoes.

I forgot my trip code, don't worry about it.
Anyways, just posting to say that this update will be late since I'm in the Philippines at the moment.

Anyways, just posting to say that this update will be late since I'm in the Philippines at the moment.

Anyways, just posting to say that this update will be late since I'm in the Philippines at the moment.

>>24011
>>24010
>>24009
Still that memory error, hu?

[x] what did Keine do today?
[x] Play with her ice wings.

Even though Mokou was going to pick me up, I couldn't help but turn my thoughts toward Keine. What was she doing now?

I shook my head. This ice fairy beside me reminded me of what Keine did back at the Hakurei shrine, and I shuddered to think at how her fits of rage had grown over time. Well, at least, it's way less frequent than before, and at least humans are more or less safe. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was at play.

I turned to my left, and there, on the log we were sitting, was Cirno. I had grown to like the fairy, despite us being on unequal status. I inched closer to her, and as soon as she noticed she started inching away at the same speed. Well, this is interesting. She either is trying to avoid me, or Keine really did wipe her memory. I bet on the latter, so I reached out and grabbed her wings and immediately started stroking them. This was so sudden to both her and me that she fell off the log we were sitting on backward, and as I reached out I lost my balance, and we sorta tumbled backward until we reached flat ground. We both turned to face each other, looked up at the sky, and started to laugh.

===

"Why are you here?" It was a simple enough question, but even though Cirno was a fairy, she was a girl, and questions like that from any girl were loaded questions.

I merely told her the truth, leaving out Seikatsu as that would complicate matters further.

"Ehh, that's boring. What's the point of coming out here just to relax? Home is a place for sleeping and comfort. If I wanna have fun, I have to go out and explore!"

Heh, she did have a point. Granted, it was childlike and sort of live-for-the-moment, but it was interesting. So, what did she do today?

"I took some messages to my friends. They weren't too happy, though." All the while, Cirno was beaming bright and smiling, so this was definitely one of her tricks.

"I crystallized some roses and then had them find it, only to break when they tried to leave with them!" She was so proud of herself, puffing out her tiny chest and supporting her waist with her hands. I don't consider myself one of those fairophiles, but this was just comforting. I complemented her on a job well done, so as not to invoke another fight.

"Of course! I'm the strongest!"

===

"I'm going to go home, now." She pointed over to the mist over the lake, which had suddenly reformed and grown thick. "I'll see you later!"

We had talked about quite a bit more, but there really wasn't a lot of time to talk, as the sky had been darkening when she had first arrived. It was getting close to night time, and yet there was no sign of Mokou. I started to stumble back up the hill I had fallen, almost blindly. When I was certain I had reached the top, I started to walk in the direction I figured was Mokou's house, all the while wondering, what was going on with M...

I looked behind me and noticed an arrow just in front of me. The whooshing sound had come from behind me, cutting off my concentration. I was about to complain when I saw it. It wasn't even inches from the tip of the arrow. A pitfall. Someone was watching out for me.

[ ] I wish Mokou was here.
[ ] An arrow, huh? It couldn't be...
[ ] Maybe I've misunderstood Keine.

[X] An arrow, huh? It couldn't be...

>I looked behind me and noticed an arrow just in front of me.
OK, this sentance confuses the hell out of me. Shouldn't it start "I looked down"? Unless Shin's got eyes in the back of his head.

[x] I wish Mokou was here.

>>24247
That's my mistake for failing to proofread well. The sentence should read:

"I looked behind me for the sound I heard, and ended up finding an arrow just in front of me."

fuck yeah updates

[x] An arrow, huh? It couldn't be...

[x] I wish Mokou was here.

[x] I wish Mokou was here.

[x] I wish Mokou was here.

[x] I wish Mokou was here.

"What the hell!" There she stood, in all her glory. A pissed-off Mokou, shouting angrily in my direction. I found it interesting, however. After all, she wasn't yelling at me, but the girl cooking behind me: Keine.

A few seconds after I noticed the arrow, I heard Mokou calling out for me. I guess I had strayed from the waiting point, so I called out to her. A youkai (although I didn't know it was a youkai then) came charging at me at that point, but before it reached me, I heard two more arrow shots, and some yelping coming from the now-visible youkai. Mokou grabbed me and immediately took off before I had a good chance to see it. Even though Mokou didn't really know how to fly yet, she tried to, and pretty much failed at it. However, I didn't know whether to laugh at it or ignore it entirely. I didn't know how Mokou would react.

She tried using amulets to propel herself off the ground, but if Reimu is any indication on the proper use of amulets, they seem to be used for fighting, not for flight. Either way, we fell as quickly as we had ascended, and as luck would have it, landed on top of Keine's house. Mokou protected me from a lot of the injuries, but the sore neck I suffered from the whiplash of landing meant I didn't land without injury.

And, right there, as we lay in the wreckage we had caused, was the owner of the house, humming cheerfully as she continued to cook. She hadn't heard us drop in, I concluded, as I (and I'm sure, Mokou behind me) lay in silence as Keine continued to cook. It was only after she turned around that she saw us.

So that's where we are now. I'm on a mattress, with a brace for my neck, while Mokou's covered with bandages on top of her clothing. I guess Mokou really is a girl, Keine wouldn't hide her injuries otherwise. It's not like I could have turned my neck away if I really wanted to, and there wasn't anywhere to dress Mokou's injuries elsewhere in the one-room house Keine owned.

As Mokou continued to yell at Keine, I turned my thoughts away from them and tried to turn my eyes toward the ceiling. The mattress was right next to the cracked floor, and I could see outside. The moon was...

[ ] Full
[ ] Half
[ ] New

It was so peaceful and serene to see a night sky that clear. It was a stark contrast to the fire that continued to rage in Mokou's words, but I was close to shutting them out entirely.

I just lay there, peaceful, without a care in the world, and easily fell asleep despite the pain in my neck.

I probably didn't care about the pain either. Too bothersome.

Yeah, it'll be gone come morning. Get some rest, Shin. It'll be a long day, tomorrow.

---

A/N: The vote here determines how the conversation between Mokou and Keine goes, and what Keine has to say to defend herself.

I'll try to keep my schedule regular, updating on Sundays starting next update, until further notice.

[X] Half

I hope this is the "not a one-sided thing" vote. I really do.

[X] Full.

Hell yeah, Ex-Keine.

[X] Half

[x] Full

Transmutation time. Has Shin seen Keine's werecow form?

>>24287
No, he hasn't.

>>24284
No matter what choice, it resolves peacefully. I'm not sure what you're asking, however.

[x] Full

Ex-Keine is awesome.

[x] Full

>>24291

I was referring to the way that a lot of verbal arguments tend to turn out rather one-sidedly. (24284 here, BTW.)

[x] Full

Keine stood in place, completely tuning Mokou out. The problem with that girl, she thought to herself, was the fact she was so hot-headed. She continued to cook, knowing that all Mokou would do would be to berate and yell at her, and Keine was completely fine with that. She just had to wait for the perfect moment.

---

"Keine, are you even listening to me?" Mokou had finally run out of things to say, and awaited a response from the motherly schoolteacher. Only when she stopped talking and looked down did she notice that Shin was finally asleep, snoring away as if she hadn't been yelling.

"Finally." Keine continued cooking, her back toward Mokou, but her voice rang strong. "Look outside Mokou, and tell me what you see."

Mokou, not in the mood for jokes, nonchalantly stated "The town", hoping for some sort of wit. Keine, however, would have none of it.

"I meant, look through the hole you created. What do you see in the sky?" And one glance told Mokou all she needed to know.

The moon was full.

"Oh." That was all Mokou could utter, and she immediately regretted her words, as she had done countless times before.

"I couldn't come pick Shin up because of that moon. You know that, and I know that. I even left you a note in your breast pocket." Whoops. Mokou had forgotten entirely about that, and reached inside her shirt and pulled out the note from the hidden pocket inside.

Dear Mokou, it read.

I have some things I have to do today, so unfortunately I have to cut this visit short. I'm glad to have this time to catch up with you, but it's that time of month again.

Please pick up Shin. I'm leaving early so you can get a jump-start. You know what can happen if a human gets left alone at night.

Sincerely,
Keine Kamishirasawa
His other Guardian

"You didn't have to make it all fancy, though." Mokou's smirk was evident. "What are you writing all like this, for?"

Keine casually took a sip of her soup, then continued to stir away. "The principal dropped by and he noticed the paper. Luckily, I don't write the 'Dear Mokou' until after it's done, but I ended up changing it because I didn't want him to think I was doing other secretive things. You know how well that went with Shin."

Mokou nodded her head sadly, well aware of the trials she also had fallen victim to when she had resided in the village.

"Well, you better go to sleep. I have remedial classes to teach tomorrow, and you'll need to be bright and early to get out of town before anyone notices."

"Then, you don't mind if I use your bed, then?" Mokou couldn't hide her mischievous grin.

"Don't use it for learning how to fly, and I'll be okay with it."

With that, Keine headed over to her cutting board, where a bunch of turnips lay, freshly peeled. Mokou, not wanting to stick around, carefully picked up Shin, and brought him over to Keine's bed, setting him down closer to the wall. Mokou then climbed in next to him, and started to doze off.

"Sweet dreams, Mokou."


I think...
[ ] I want Keine's recipe!
[ ] Marisa needs more screentime.
[ ] Shin's got a lot of work to do.
[ ] Cirno needs friends.
[ ] Mokou has to learn to control her temper.
[ ] Write-In

Just a simple vote on what you think. We'll continue with Day 6 right after.

[x] Mokou has to learn to control her temper.

Everything for bro-mokou. Or sis-mokou, whatever, just moar mokou.

[ ] Mokou has to learn to control her temper.
All that raging isn't good for your health, Brokou.

[x] Cirno needs friends.

[X] Cirno needs friends.

Keine erasing her memories wasn't cool at all.

[X] Mokou has to learn to control her temper.

Don't blaze me, bro!

[X] Mokou has to learn to control her temper.

[x] I want Keine's recipe!

I'm curious.

[x] I want Keine's recipe!
[x] Cirno needs friends.
[x] Mokou has to learn to control her temper.

Tenshi Hinanawi. She was a proud celestial, keeper of the Sword of Hisou, and-

"Gods, I'm bored." She realized the irony of the statement, but shrugged it off. "Yukari left me some sort of device, saying that I could turn it on and relieve myself, but I'm too lazy."

"Nyoho~ I'll do it, celestial. I'm bored too, so I might as well watch with you." Suika turned into mist and engulfed the entire television with it, and when the mist reformed, they could clearly see a program starring Mystia Lorelei.

"Eh," Tenshi muttered, her face deadpan, "that'll be more annoying than anything. I guess this thing changes the channel." She grabbed a device from above the television and started fiddling with it. In a short while, she managed to change the channel and saw Keine in an apron.

"Eh, might be good."

---

"Thank you for tuning in! I'm so glad you tuned in, I've always wanted to share my recipes with you all!

First things first, you might want to just look at the list of ingredients and get what you need."

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of Shallots, minced
2 Onions, diced small
1 cup of Butter
2 cups of White Cooking Wine

4 liters of Chicken Stock
2 cups of Seasoning

Some shavings of Daikon (for decoration)
1 Baguette

Optional:
Pickled Ginger, arranged into flowers

"Alright. Before we begin, I'd like to start by mentioning that you can use whatever seasoning you like. I myself prefer seasoning extracted from mushrooms because of how naturally salty it is without the excess sodium salt gives.

If you're all ready, let's begin!"

---

Tenshi turned back, and did a double take when she saw Suika with a vat, wood, a torch, and a full bag, out of which Tenshi could see a daikon. "You're going to cook?"

Suika shrugged. "You can't tell me you're bored of peaches." Tenshi nodded, as the little oni did have a point, and turned back toward the television.

---

"So, what we're going to want to do first is place the minced shallots and butter in a small pan and sweat the shallots. We don't want to burn the shallots, though, so after a minute or two, we'll toss the diced onion in. After another minute, we'll add the cooking wine."

Suika happily hummed as she dumped the immediate contents of her gourd, knowing that in a few short moments it'd be full again. White wine was great and all, but nothing beat the wine that a Wine Worm made.

"We're going to wait for that mixture to heat up and evaporate the wine, so while we're waiting, let's add Chicken Stock and Seasoning. If you're curious, I use 1/2 a cup of Mushroom Extract, a full cup of Baby Lime Juice, and 1/2 a cup of spices. Thyme, Marjoram, Italian Seasoning, and Paprika. We'll get that to a boil, and when it starts boiling, we can add the shallot mix from before.

I'll be right back with a good chicken meal, so stick around!"

---

Tenshi started changing the channels, searching around for something else to watch instead of the commercials. Since she didn't hear any complaints from Suika, she continued until she found a drama already in progress. Tenshi could clearly see a crying Cirno leaving a mansion, with Mokou running after her.

---

"I have to leave. I'm sorry." And with that, Cirno took off to the air, flying away. Mokou jumped up to try and grab Cirno, but she missed and ended up back on the ground. "Why, Cirno, why? Why can't we be together?"

Cirno stopped and turned around. "We're too different. I'm a fairy and you're a human. We're like fire and ice, there's no way we can be together."

"But that doesn't matter. I love you, Cirno!"

---

Tenshi changed the channel. This was getting sappy, and boredom was better than that. Suika, on the other hand, had just finished mixing the two together, and started to mix it together with a wooden whisk. After a while, she decided to go back to that drama, hoping that the sappy bits were over.

---

"You bastard!" Mokou's fist reached Kaguya, and sent the Lunar Princess into the wall. "What the fuck did you do!?"

Mokou started to advance slowly toward the fallen girl, Kaguya seemingly putting no resistance toward her forlorn enemy. "Why did you tell her that? We could have been lovers, friends even! What's your fucking problem?"

But before Mokou could land the decisive blow, Cirno flew in and threw her arms up as if to block the way. "You baka!" Mokou, while not phased, recognized the person in front of him.

"Stand aside!"
"No! I won't let you!"

---

A bunch of mini-Suikas delivered a gourd to Tenshi, and as she took a sip of it, she had to admit that it was much tastier than she was expecting. "Suika, you'll get bald if this keeps up."

---

"This isn't like you, Mokou!" Cirno couldn't keep her tears in again. "You'd never hurt anyone! Why are you doing this?"

Mokou, while no longer willing to fight, kept her guard up. "I can't fight you. I got so mad at Kaguya because she told you about me. I wanted so badly for something to be between us."

Cirno dropped her arms. "I'm sorry, Mokou. I can't love someone who has the gall to lie to my face."

Mokou nodded solemnly. Before she could do anything, she noticed a long, thin jewel piercing where her heart was.

"Goodbye, Mokou," said Kaguya and Cirno together in unison.

---

Tenshi turned the television off and turned toward Suika, who had just filled up a spare gourd with the soup. "How's the soup?"

Suika smiled. "It's nostalgic."

End of Day 5.

---
Author's Note:
This one was a special vote. If any option had one vote, I was gonna write about it. Anyways, this update is one day early because I need a longer break next week.

Main Routes:
- Fujiwara no Mokou (45%)
- Keine Kamishirasawa (55%)

Completed Mini-Routes:
Cirno (Happy End)

Open Mini-Routes:
- Marisa Kirisame
- Satori Komeiji

No votes wanted?

Not really, no. To be honest, I forgot to put votes, but it's not like it'll change anything.

Hey Shin, wake up! It's already noon!

My body feels like lead. I can't even feel my arms. Heck, I can't even open my eyes!

Why do I feel like shit, Seikatsu? Funnily enough, I didn't have any trouble seeing Seikatsu, so my mind was okay.

It's because you fell through the roof last night. Oh, right. Ugh, my head. So why can't I move?

You're still at Keine's house. That told me all I needed to know.

Keine Kamishirasawa was one of the better teachers at the school, and even after you graduated she still kept in touch with you. But it's not like she didn't have her own faults. For one, she's too focused on a single goal, and has trouble multi-tasking. She has a big problem with being nosy, and the other is the one I'm stuck in. She tends to overdo things when she panics. The reason I can't move, I realize, is because I'm wrapped in bandages from head to toe, almost to the point of mummification. I can open my eyes, thankfully, but it's still a big problem. I want to eat, move around, and get back to normalcy as fast as possible.

Unfortunately, you're stuck here all day. What? Seriously? That sucks. You won't heal otherwise.

"Shin, are you awake?" While I can't move, I can cause noise, and I mutter incomprehensibly. It's really all I can do.

"Good. I was worried that I tied the bandages a little too tight." You did, Keine! But it's not like I can say that. Can I?

[ ] Resign yourself to your fate. It's not like you can do anything else.
[ ] Try to resist, somehow. Make a lot of noise, call on Seikatsu, something!
[ ] Respond with a sigh. That might work, and she might get it.

[X] Respond with a sigh. That might work, and she might get it.

>She tends to overdo things when she panics.
I'll say. She could have gone "Oh, it's a full moon. Shin miraculouly didn't get hurt falling through the roof." Or maybe she wants him tied up for a different reason...

[x] Respond with a sigh. That might work, and she might get it.

[X] Respond with a sigh. That might work, and she might get it.

[x] Respond with a sigh. That might work, and she might get it.

[x] Respond with a sigh. That might work, and she might get it.

It's surprisingly easy to sigh when you can't move your mouth. The holes through where my nose is help.

"What's wrong, Shin?"

Now, I need to wriggle off the bed. She'll be forced to take off the bandages, and I'll be good again. I'll black out in the process though, but it's what I need to do.

I do so, and instantly hear a crack the moment I hit the floor. I assume I pass out, since I'm back in where Seikatsu normally is.

Huh, that sorta reminds me of the youkai I met before coming here, actually. I think her name was Wriggle, now that I think about it.

---

Wriggle wasn't as hostile as she is now. She used to like a few humans from the village. Not really romantically, but anyone who enjoyed watching fireflies at night, like about half the village did, enjoyed when she came to the edge of town. We'd sit down in a clearing at the edge of the village, enjoying the spectacle the fireflies gave us. After the fifteen-minute display, most of us would head home, while the rest would give Wriggle some food. That day, however, I came alone. Since it was going to be a festival day, most everyone was preparing or sleeping. I just wanted to see Wriggle again.

"Why don't you enjoy the night? The moon is our companion." It's what she always said to welcome us. She was a safe and friendly youkai for quite a while.

That day, I had sat down with her, alone, just minding the spectacle, when Wriggle lightly grabbed me from behind. She told me how scared she was. The festival that was being planned tomorrow was a front, I was told. Friendly youkai like here weren't bad, but were just a precursor to so much more. She even told me that Akyuu was behind all of it, and I had just nodded my head. To my recollection, Akyuu was a boy who lived in a mansion high above on a small hill, and it overlooked much of the village. I would never see him around. Whenever I did, he was always dressed in a shirt and shorts, buying fruits and the odd stacks of paper here and there.

Anyways, Wriggle didn't want to leave the village, because she enjoyed what she did for them and what they did for her. But she then let go before I could say anything. She quietly took the food I had ready to give her and departed.

In fact, the last words I heard her say was, "I won't cry. Man up, Wriggle." I hate myself for that, because I just laughed inwardly at the comment instead of taking her seriously.

Next morning, something happened. I don't know what, but Wriggle never showed her face again. I don't like festivals, so I don't participate in them, but at night I looked around and saw many dead bugs. There was so many, I was sure I could fill Akyuu's mansion with them.

Whenever I think about Wriggle, I really only have one thing I wish I could say now.

[ ] I'm sorry. I can't undo what they've done, but let me try to fix it.
[ ] Please, let go of your anger. Take it out on me, if you want. If you don't, you'll forever be angry at everyone.
[ ] Nothing in this world is forever. Move on, I'll help you make the future that you want happen.
[ ] Write-In

[X] Nothing in this world is forever. Move on, I'll help you make the future that you want happen.

[x] I'm sorry. I can't undo what they've done, but let me try to fix it.

[Z] I'm sorry. I can't undo what they've done, but let me try to fix it.

[x] I'm sorry. I can't undo what they've done, but let me try to fix it.

[X] Nothing in this world is forever. Move on, I'll help you make the future that you want happen.

Don't let regret be a stumbling block.

I can't help but to think that the village in this is VERY Xenophobic... just look what happened with Shin. For some odd reason, I feel sad.

>>24502
It's all too true, sadly. If you live in any situation, all too soon you believe that's the norm.

[ ] I'm sorry. I can't undo what they've done, but let me try to fix it.

[x] I'm sorry. I can't undo what they've done, but let me try to fix it.

"Hey Shin, who are you talking to?"

I'm back in the bed with none of those oppressive bandages covering me. Thank goodness. However, it's not Keine hovering over me, with food in a spoon. It's Mokou.

I wonder what I would have thought of her at this moment if, like before, I had believed she was a guy? I opened my mouth, and Mokou started to spoon-feed me.

"Say 'ah'!"

---

After the entire exchange, I lay there with a full stomach and an empty mind. There was so much I wanted to ask Mokou, and yet I felt so bad for having had forgotten what happened on my fourth day there. What happened on that day? What did we do? What did I say?

Mokou, probably noticing the turmoil I was in, came over and gave only my head a hug, as she knew well how bad my injuries were.

"Is it about last evening," she questioned. I shook my head.

"Or is it about last night when we fell through the house?" Again, I shook my head.

Mokou smiled at me. If I didn't know any better, I'd have said she learned that smile from Keine. "You're worried about what happened in our date."

I nodded, managing to smile back. Something about that smile was so contagious, I felt like I had to smile back.

Mokou sat down right next to me, and patted her lap. "You might want to lie down here. This could take a while." I lifted my head, and she moved into position, sliding in behind me, her legs at my side and my head on her lap.

"I'm sorry if this feels a little weird, I'm new to this sort of thing. I hope it feels alright."

I nod in response. I was so fixated on her cute nose, I almost didn't notice when she started speaking.

"Anyways, it all started that morning..." (continued)

"Hey Mokou, let's go out on a date!" Shin suddenly asked me out out of the blue. He thought I was a guy, right? I didn't say anything to the contrary? I better have not. This mouth of mine has been more of a problem for me than ever.

I fixed a glare on Shin. It was so early in the morning; this wasn't the time for a joke.

"Don't look at me like that, Mokou. I heard from Keine that people go on dates to know each other a bit more. I don't really know a lot about you, Mokou, so what's the harm in a little date?"

Oh, Keine was SO gonna get it later.

"Alright, I got it," I responded, shooing him away from the stairs with my hand. "Just let me change out of these clothes first."

I knew I wasn't ready for anything like this. As long as he didn't know what a date really was, I guess I didn't have a problem with it. Still, though, it's rather annoying how naive he is about things.

As I got into my room, I instinctively locked it. Shin may not know I'm a girl, but I do. I look down as I undress, seeing the bindings around my chest that I now wear. It's not like I have large breasts like Keine, but I don't even want to give even the slightest hint. It's also why I'm more aggressive and seeking the Phoenix.

I decide, as I put on one of my blue short-pants, that I'll put it off a bit by having breakfast with him.

---

"Thank you again for breakfast, Mokou. I can't get enough of your cooking!" Shin brought his dishes to the wash plate, then went straight to the washroom. I stopped eating. I looked over to the wash plate, then back to my plate.

What was I doing? This is just some animal I'm cultivating so I can harvest him at the end of his life. It's not like Keine is planning to do any differently, and even better, she doesn't know I know.

Just think he's an animal and I'll be fine. Just think he's an animal and I'll be fine. Just...

"Hey, Mokou? I think I'm stuck!" I sighed. "Coming, Shin."

---

"So, Shin," I asked him, "what do you want to know more about?" We had arrived at the Eastern Plains, a place he called the Field of Summer.

"You," he stated matter-of-factly. "All I know about you is what Keine's told me, and that won't do me any good. I want you to tell me about yourself." I guess so. It's been so long that I've had a man be concerned about me or lusting after his own fetishes and desires, but maybe that's just his youth and lack of knowledge talking.

Both of us were lying down on a hill, and I had been looking at the sun, dreamily, instead of at Shin. I decided to turn toward him, and he was looking down at his shoes, subtly shaking. He wasn't sure of what to say, so I gave myself a little room between me and him and waited for him to speak.

"For starters, tell me about you. Introduce yourself." Shin's voice was confident, but it was obvious from his earlier actions that he had exhausted his options and wanted to recollect his thoughts.

He's just an animal.

"Well, I used to live in the village. You know that abandoned house over in the corner of the village?" Shin nodded. "That was my house." Shin had definitely been told the rumors, as he couldn't mask his surprise at my being the former resident there. Probably was told that it was some old hag that ate children or something stupid like that.

"Like you, I was going to be kicked out of the village at one point. But Keine found out about it, and I left preemptively so as not have it publicly declared. It was still in the newspaper the next day, and after that, I resolved I wouldn't ever be back. I ended up, over the next few days, building the log cabin that I now live in. I'm no architect, but I think I did a good job."

Shin didn't say anything for a while. I wondered if that had something to do with processing what I had said. "So," he continued, "what were you kicked out for? Did you get a power of your own too?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was manipulation over fire, in addition to creating it. At first, people found me helpful and I wanted to do good with my power, but that village elder. I swear, he's in league with Akyuu or something."

"Akyuu?" Shin queried. "Isn't he that little boy in that mansion overlooking the entire village?"

The kid was spot on. "Yeah. I don't know if he's a little boy or not..."

"He's not a little girl, I know it!" Shin insisted. "He never wears a yukata at all the festivals, so he has to be a boy!"

Sure sure, whatever. "Anyways, every so often, one of the Hidea family has a child born with a special power. That child will never marry, and he or she will have a power inherited from a few generations back. When the use of that power is no longer needed, he or she will die.

"So, getting back to my power, the village elder figured that if I had a power I was a threat to his leadership and wanted me killed off. Usually that means just an exile from the village, where the youkai would kill you. That way, it was blood off their hands."

Shin shook his head in disgust. I don't blame him. He would've been youkai food if I hadn't come to his rescue. It was easy to see him being scared of Reisen that day. "So," he began again, "did you get spellcards?" He took out one with the picture of a hammer on it from his belt pocket and flashed it to me. For my part, I was surprised he knew about spellcards, but I guess people get spellcards when they get their abilities. I had mine way before I stayed in the village, so I guess I had better keep up the ruse.

I nodded in response, taking out one of mine with a fuse on it. "Do you wanna have a practice battle? It'd be another way you could get to know me."

Shin nodded, and we got up and moved to our positions.

"How many spellcards do you want to make this?"

"Six!" He sounded very confident for being a human. Normal humans could really only use two spellcards without tiring, so why did he think he was going to be able to last six of them? He readied himself rather quickly, but after a moment hesitated, and put one card back. I could see it had the picture of a harpy.

"Are you ready, Mokou?" Oh, shoot, I had been too engrossed in what he had been doing! I quickly pulled out my spellcards, and set up the duel walls. I had a few incomplete ones, so I made sure to grab only the six I needed. Luckily enough, I had six ready to go.

Meister of Infernos
Mokou of the Fujiwara Clan

vs.

Seeker of Ebullient Truth
Shin Matsuya


He quickly pulled out a spellcard.

Construction Sign 「Building of the 300-Year Wall」

My declaration is only seconds behind his.

Wish 「Mythical Blazing Bird」

"A Chinese spellcard, Shin? Let's see if a Wall can stand up to my fire!"

But it wasn't a wall that was being created. I looked carefully over Shin's head at the spellcard name, and realized he was summoning the tools used to make that wall instead. Those tools were probably so old they'd be ready to splinter!

I readied myself, since this was an immobile spellcard. I created a Phoenix made of fire, and sent it at Shin. It would leave a trail of fire behind, and once the Phoenix dissipated, they'd all explode, sending bullets flying everywhere.

But, because I couldn't move, Shin was able to dodge before throwing two of his tools at me. They were huge, and as predicted, they exploded in a danmaku shower. Thankfully they didn't do a lot of damage, but I knew I wouldn't be able to take too many of these. I sent another Phoenix his way while he was charging, and he had to dodge, preventing him from making more.

I twirled in place, and set two Phoenix trails, one for where he was and one for where he would be. As he dodged the first one, he jumped right into the trail of the next one and took a hit, ending his spellcard. The benefit of stationary spellcards was that if you won you got to keep using your spellcard instead of having it dissipate.

Shin called out his next one.

Praetor Sign 「The Many Faces of Eve」

I think I've read that book before. The different personalities that a woman has and has to live with. Multiple Personality Disorder, huh? How many can you summon? Shin creates six masks, and I frown. That's it? Then again, he is a normal human.

I continue with my Phoenix trails, but his masks seem to cut through my danmaku. Instead of leaving danmaku trails on their own, they cancel out enemy danmaku while being danmaku themselves. Pretty good. Too bad there's only six of them, though.

I could easily dodge them, but again I'm in a stationary spellcard, so that's my weakness. Sure enough, he connects enough times to finish off my spellcard.

"Hey Mokou, why is my spellcard still working?" Oh, Shin didn't know.

"It's because you have to stand still for your spellcard. To make up for the fact you can't move, you get to continue using it if you win."

My turn.

Fujiwara Clan 「Flaw of Forgiveness」

I swing to the side, dodging the first few masks while sending rebouding amulets down towards Shin's wall. Since he can't move, he'll definitely get hit, but the fact that I only hit him once every pass means I might not do enough damage before I get hit by the masks. The fact that the masks cancel danmaku might make this even harder.

After a good solid minute, I notice some of the masks are starting to crack. So they're danmaku, but they act like slaves. That makes this easier on me. His card times out before I manage to defeat him, and he falls to the ground, probably tired from controlling the masks. I knew it, two cards is your limit. My card ends as well, but I don't pull out a third card quite yet. There's no way he's done, so I decide to taunt him.

"Shin, I think you proved your point. But you're done. Tired after only two spellcards?"

I had only planned to taunt him a little while before stopping the fight, but he quickly stood up, reinvigorated. He threw his third card up in the air as I hastily grabbed mine.

Construction Sign 「Materialism」

Tsukumogami 「Soul Stealer」

He wields the same hammer I saw him throw in his first spellcard, but now he's hitting a piece of wood in front of him, sending splinters of danmaku everywhere. He's definitely from a carpenter's family.

Thankfully, these splinters don't seem to cancel my danmaku, so good thing I opted for a stationary spellcard. A beam of light connects from me to Shin, and from my back where the beam would go through, danmaku pours out of me and rebounds off the walls, accelerating like gravity would towards Shin, as if he was on the ground and I was in the air. I like this spellcard because it's the only one that makes me feel like I'm flying, even if I'm not.

But in my haste, I had grabbed the wrong one. This spellcard pulls me closer to him over time, so while I may move I'm still attached to him, and the more he moves the more the splinters come closer and closer. Damn it. I'm supposed to be good at danmaku fights!

"2-2 with three cards down, Mokou! What's next?" Shin almost seems to be taunting back, mimicking my earlier haughty self.

I grabbed the card I had intended to use.

Legend 「Xu Fu's Journey」

"Oh no you don't!"

Mortal 「Dying Soul -Evermore-」

Before I could get my slaves going, I found myself paralyzed. Shin was wielding a danmaku hammer, but as he slashed at me, I felt it going through me like a sword would.

"What was that?" I had never seen anything like this before.

Shin shouted back. "It's a counter spellcard. I can't use it on the first or last spellcards of the battle, but it's an active spellcard that cancels out your spellcard. Look around you. Isn't it beautiful?

I did as he said, noticing the shape of a lotus around me. I braced myself, knowing that the incoming danmaku would hurt.

"These would be my bomb spellcards if I decided to duel projectile-style."

I nodded. The kid had some pretty good tricks. "So, it's 3-3, four cards down?"

"Yup." Short but sweet. You know what I like, Shin.

I pulled out a weaker spellcard, expecting Shin to counter this one too.

Truth Sign 「No Honesty」

Sure enough, Shin pulled out a counter spell-card.

Justice 「Nirvana Denied」

This time, as my card rose into the air, Shin threw a screwdriver at the card, piercing it. He then pulled it out, slashed the card twice with it, then split it and sent it barreling at the destroyed card, easily canceling it.

"Let's go all out, Mokou." I nodded. "Indeed. You go first."

Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」

I pull out the only complete card in my arsenal. It's probably my strongest card because of that simple fact.

Limiting Edict 「Iwakasa's Moon Curse」

[ ] This is it; sorry, Shin.
[ ] Let's dance!
[ ] Show me what you got!

---

Author's Note
I should explain something before we get too far into the story. Almost every choice has been a choice of three major options. Of those options, one option increases points for Mokou and decreases points for Keine, one option increases points for Keine and decreases points for Mokou, and one option decreases points for both of them. This actually is due to the three endings this story has.

Mokou Ending
Keine Ending
Shin Ending

If you want to aim for an ending, this is all you have to do.

Mokou Ending - 75% or more of the points belong to Mokou.
Keine Ending - 75% or more of the points belong to Keine.
Shin Ending - Neither person has 75% or more of the points.

The percentage at the end of each day shows how many of the points they have, rounded to the nearest 5%.

[x] Let's dance!

[X] This is it; sorry, Shin.

Gunnin' for that health nut. (I hope.)

>>24555
Try thinking about the tone of the scene instead of blatant rotuefaggotry.

>>24557
I don't mind too much, as long it's not overboard. Besides, >>24555 anon voted for the wrong thing if he wanted to go for a Mokou routelock.

---

[x] Mix of the two options

I decide to go all out, firing heavily and without restraint as I move from side to side. However, it's not in my interest to see Shin get massacred. So whenever I think he can't dodge the upcoming wave, I tone it down just a tad so that he'll be able to dodge.

As for Shin, he's doing very well. He's constructed what looks to be a podium, with a weird disc-like wood piece on top of it. He attacks by bringing down a hammer on top of it, which sends what look like handcuff bullets towards the sides, ricocheting off the duel walls.

But no matter how hard I dodge and shoot, on the odd times he does get hit, it's as if it passes right through him. None of my bullets seem to affect him.

Hmm. Maybe it's got something to do with those handcuffs. It wouldn't surprise me to think of this as good vs. evil, and he can't see me as evil until I'm arrested.

So I purposely get hit by one. Instead of hitting me, though, they move around me and cuff my arms. He then throws his hammer up in the air and hits the disc again, this time firing lasers in my direction. The cuffs are suspending me mid-jump, so instead of being able to dodge what look like laser fingers, I am hit by the middle laser.

That seems to break the handcuffs, and I try shooting again. This time, the bullets seem to work when I hit him. I thank my spellcard for being complete, so it doesn't break as easily when I get hit.

Either way, now that I have him exposed, I decide I've seen enough of what he can do, and just as a handcuff gets into my way, I finish off his spellcard, seconds away from tasting another one of his laser beams.

Shin lies on the ground where he had once stood, and I realize as I run up that he's just panting hard. He hadn't collapsed and fallen unconscious as I had been expecting. Instead, he looked calm, serene, and like he had just let off a few years of steam. I know what that looks like; Keine lent me her mirror once after I torched a few youkai.

Shin looked at me, looked at his hands, looked back to me, and began to laugh.

"What? What's so funny," I questioned.

"Oh, it's nothing," Shin responded. "You looked like you were worried about me for a second, and that look on your face was priceless!" He started chuckling again.

"Oh, c'mon, Shin." I had to shake my head before continuing. "I really do care about you."

"Yeah, like how farmers care about cows before they're sent to the slaughterhouse."

Who was that? Was that the Phoenix?

---

"After that, we got to know each other a bit better, and-" Mokou trailed off, but not before showing me just the slightest hint of a blush.

Okay, now I'm curious. What really did happen after our spellcard duel?

"Shin," Mokou gently stated, "I need you to stay here for at least one more day. You may be good enough to stand and all, but the village is making a riot about me being back, and showing your face won't help any. I'm going to leave, and in two hours Keine will be back. Tomorrow, you can come back to my place; it'll be good then."


[ ] No, Mokou, I'm going with you.
[ ] Thank you for your concern.
[ ] Why is there a riot?
[ ] Did you by any chance see a girl with antennae while you were out there? {Unlocked Option}

[x] Why is there a riot?
[x] Did you by any chance see a girl with antennae while you were out there? {Unlocked Option}

when will we finally hear the rest of it?

[x] No, Mokou, I'm going with you.
-[x] Keep a look out for that antenna girl.

It's a long way to that 75%. Better get moving.

[x] No, Mokou, I'm going with you.

"No, Shin! You can't! As much as I want you to, they'll kill you in the state you're in, and I won't have you dying on me!" Mokou's insistence dissuades me from pushing myself, and I decide to question her as a way of satisfying my curiosity.

[x] Why is there a riot?

Mokou shrugs. "I don't know. All I know is that Akyuu said that there was a youkai attacking her house, and the entire village mobilized. I'm gonna flee before anything happens."

Wouldn't that make me a sitting duck?

"Keine will be back a few minutes after I leave," Mokou stated. "I don't wanna leave things to her, as you felt earlier with those bandages, but right now I need to save you from them."

She got up from behind me, and while I reached out my hand toward her retreating thighs as if to stop her, she refused to do so, almost ignoring my hands entirely. She left the bedside and headed toward the kitchen window, but I noticed she was walking awkwardly. Maybe she was still injured. Oh well.

Please keep a look out for that antenna girl, Mokou.

Mokou said nothing before jumping through the window.

---

A crash interrupted my sleep. I looked around from my prone position and I noticed the window next to the front door was smashed in by a rock, which was rolling toward me. I looked up, and realized I was face to face with Wriggle. She was completely surprised to see me, and quickly ran to where I was lying.

"Did they get you?" I shook my head no, motioning with my eyes for her to hide. Sure enough, no sooner had she swept herself under the bed than someone barged into the house. Of all people to be here, it had to be my dad. I had to speak up.

"Dad! Quick! She escaped through the window!" I motioned toward the window Mokou had escaped through, and immediately mentally slapped myself. My dad was the kind of person that wouldn't listen to me. He was the parent, and I was to be his son, obedient and willing to follow his orders. At least, to his benefit, if he ordered me to do something wrong, and I got punished for it, he'd take upon the punishment himself or find a way to get me off scot-free. He wasn't all bad, but right now I don't think he'll be calm either way.

"Shin! What the blazing hell are you doing here? You know you're forbidden from entering the village!" My dad, with his battle-axe, stood over me, imposing. He then noticed the discarded bandages that were still attached to my feet, and then relented.

"Oh, you got attacked, did you?" I nodded. "Keine helped me out, dad, so that's why I'm here. I'll be gone as soon as I get better."

My dad nods. "Good choice. Keep yourself away from youkai, Shin, if you don't want to die an early death." He turned to leave, but suddenly stopped before he reached the door.

"Mind explaining what the youkai looks like? It shouldn't be hard if you saw her leave through the window."

[ ] Describe someone you know to your dad.
- [ ] Mokou
- [ ] Wriggle
- [ ] Akyuu {Unlocked Choice}
[ ] Describe a fictitious youkai to your dad.
- [ ] Write-In
[ ] Don't describe anyone to your dad.

[x] Describe someone you know to your dad.
- [x] Akyuu {Unlocked Choice}

This should be food for thought, enough to distract his dad away from pursuing Wriggle any more.

>[x] Describe someone you know to your dad.
>- [x] Akyuu {Unlocked Choice}

As much as I'd like for Wriggle to get some Pyrrhic revenge on the village by having them string up their own chronicler, this shit will never work. Even if he's the daftest of men, he's likely to catch on right away that it's a tall tale. Furthermore, Shin hasn't really a good reason to make an enemy of Akyuu yet, seeing as we can expect her chronicles to be totally immune to his reality manipulation, just as they're immune to Keine's abilities.

[x] Describe a fictitious youkai to your dad.
-[x] Seikatsu

Because she may not really exist outside his head, and Shin knows what she looks like in detail, per >>23032.

>>24641
Who to say it won't cause his father to rethink things? There's a reason why it's an unlocked choice and this isn't like a normal story where the writer puts out an option to troll its readers.

I flipped a coin for this one since I can't do a mixed vote, so...

[02:50:04] <Reisenserv> ...[1d2: 1 | 1]

[x] Describe someone you know to your dad.
- [x] Akyuu {Unlocked Choice}

I decided to describe Akyuu to my Dad. Part of it was not wanting to be of any help, but part of it was my suspicions. With what Mokou and Keine had alluded to, and with what I found with my ability before I was kicked out of the village, I knew there was someone behind the Elder. Someone that wanted people like me out.

Mokou I can understand, sure, but why me? I stayed out of the public eye, and whenever I was there I was a help to the community. What was it about me that a person would want to get rid of?

My dad had stopped before he asked me the question, but as he continued to listen, he started to pace around, and once I was done describing Akyuu as vaguely as possible so as not to tip him off I was blatantly lying, he went to the door and I thought he was about to leave.

Instead, he quickly set up a door bar and then ran to the broken windows and started to repair them.

Wait, what was he doing? He was about to leave, wasn't he? Why was he fixing up Keine's house now?

You know, now that I think about it, I never really saw my Dad truly at work with his carpentry. Sure, I'd see him working in the same room as me, but I felt like it was never his best. What I saw at that moment, however, was astonishing. I had heard he was a major fix-it, and everything he had done was of an amazing quality. I could see that he had 'fixed' the front window with remnants of the shattered glass held together with stonewood, and I assumed he was now working on the window Mokou jumped out of.

Mokou was long gone, and I hoped Wriggle could stay quiet long enough for her to escape. It was unfortunate I couldn't do much else for her in the state I was in.

Once my dad was done, he came to where I lay, knelt by my ear, and started to whisper.

"How the blazes did you know about Akyuu? I thought I was the only one that knew?"

You don't have long before Keine gets home. I doubt you'd be able to tell him more than one thing right now.

[ ] Tell him your suspicions based on people's reactions.
[ ] Tell him about what you found with your ability before you were forced out of the village.
[ ] Tell him about what Mokou and Keine alluded to.

[x] Tell him your suspicions based on people's reactions.

Love this story.

[x] Tell him your suspicions based on people's reactions.

I'm going to delay the update by a day; there's a lot of paperwork involved when buying a house.

[x] Tell him your suspicions based on people's reactions.

As quickly as your body will let me, I spill my observations of the villagers.

How the Elder almost took my side in our conversation, then received one whisper from a cloaked man and immediately changed his tune. How Akyuu insisted on showing up in the village only during youkai raids. How Wriggle was mysteriously the target the first time the raid was ever carried out, despite doing nothing but good to a majority of the village. And what I had seen in the darkness after mom was murdered.

I could never tell what my dad thought, so as he stared at me as I told my story, I knew his mind was elsewhere. Once I finished, he nodded, then made his way to leave. But before he walked away, he looked back at me, and said the oddest thing.

"Sriracha is safe. You can trust him."

He quickly walked over to the door, undid the door jam, grabbed his battleaxe that he had left by the door, and left the house. Since he left the door open, I could hear him shout "I got the youkai! I got the youkai!"

Keine showed up a few minutes later, worried about what had happened in the house, only to find me safe and sound. But I had only one thing in mind: what about Wriggle? With almost no time between my dad leaving and Keine arriving, there was no time for Wriggle to escape.

As Keine cooked for supper, I asked her for a writing implement and some paper, and Keine obliged. With difficulty, I managed to sit up, and lean myself on the bedpost as I hastily scribbled a note for Wriggle. Taking the danmaku scissors I had made, I cut out the note and slipped it under the bed. I sighed in relief when I noticed Keine wasn't looking, then looked up and realized the pen I had just used was gone. So was the sheet I had just cut. And the danmaku scissors. But they were just here. Where'd they go?

I scanned the room and with my limited vantage point, I saw nothing. There was nothing that could've taken the paper away. It had just vanished.

I could understand if they were some special paper or something like that, but affecting my danmaku scissors too?

I mentally slapped myself as I realized where everything had gone. Wriggle. Sure enough, I could see the flicker of a few fireflies underneath the bed. I lay back down and began to roll in place. By doing so, I moved the upper bed cover over the edge enough to hide the fireflies from detection from Keine. It was all I could do; Keine would notice if I stood up.

As far I as I knew, Keine wouldn't enjoy Wriggle's presence, as she screamed every time someone showed her a bug in class. So while I don't think Keine would be a problem, her scream would bring someone in here, and Wriggle would be in danger again.

Oh, there's the paper and scissors. It's...a map? And there's an X. I see. Time to start.

I called Keine over to the bed, then faked getting mad at her for wrapping me up too tight this morning.

"I'm really sorry, Shin. Really, I am. I got too wrapped up in the bandaging because I was going to be late for a school meeting, and I ended up tying it too tight."

I decided to bring Mokou into the picture, and Keine noticeably flinched. Good. Now, one more distraction.

"Chocolate is bad for you, Shin. You know that."

And that's not enough to dissuade me. Men are natural-born insisting machines. They insist so often they get dull at it.

"I'll get some for you, but remember, no eating it until you're well."

As soon as Keine left the house, Wriggle's head popped up from underneath the bed. Her face was flushed and she panted hard, as if she had been holding her breath. After a few moments, she turned to look at me and smiled. It was a genuine smile. I had always been a fan of that smile.

"Thank you, Sriracha."

[ ] Insist she leave now. You don't want her to get caught.
[ ] Screw the consequences, you can't let her leave. She's just too cute.
[ ] Let her know before leaving she's welcome to visit you at Mokou's house. Also, leave directions.

[x] Let her know before leaving she's welcome to visit you at Mokou's house. Also, leave directions.

I don't think Mokou would mind so badly.

I wonder who Sriracha and why his dad said Shin could trust him.

[X] Let her know before leaving she's welcome to visit you at Mokou's house. Also, leave directions.

Opening up a safe place for her to talk to people could actually be long-run helpful to her, and resolving girls' problems seems to be worth doing in this story.

[x] Let her know before leaving she's welcome to visit you at Mokou's house. Also, leave directions.

As quickly as you can, you take the paper and hastily scribble a map for Wriggle. Realizing that the map can't be read, you finally slow down and write out written directions on how to get there. Once that's done, you give it to Wriggle, along with a simple goodbye, and she quickly runs outside. Wriggle is such a good youkai. I have to spend more time with her; I have to get to the bottom of this mess.

A few minutes later, Keine comes back in. I already decided to lie down on the bed, roll over away from the door, and pretend to sleep, so that it wouldn't look like I had done anything. But the waiting. Oh, the waiting. It felt like an eternity. Thankfully, after feeling Keine's presence behind me for a bit, she tucks the sheets over me before going back to cooking. Surprisingly, she had left the stove on after she had left, and while I had been wondering what kind of taste it would have after boiling for that long, it turns out I need not have bothered.

"Perfect," I can hear her exclaim. "It's almost ready."

---

After faking waking up, she and I begin eating the rice and soup mixture she made. The rice has a good earthen flavor, and the soup it accompanies seems to be a mixture of sour and spicy, but just in small amounts.

Keine was always good about being meticulous when she needed to be, and she's good at perfecting recipes. She'd practice hard until she got it down right. Mokou, on the other hand, was very instinctual. It was obvious how she liked her flavors: bold and strong, yet they'd quickly fade away after being swallowed. It was deep and very creative, and Mokou seemed like she really pushed the borders in what she could do. I doubt Keine could do much else besides sticking to the recipe.

[ ] Keine's got it right, perfection is more important than creativity.
[ ] Mokou's got it right, creativity is more important than perfection.
[ ] Neither ha-

Looks like Keine noticed me deep in thought. It's probably because I stopped eating.

"The food isn't bad, is it?"

Oh no, Keine. The food's good, really. And I'm not just saying that, it really i-

"Or are you thinking about the bug girl underneath your bed earlier?"

What? She knew? But, how? I had to ask.

"You were behaving weird. You're rarely selfish, and yet you wanted me to get you some chocolate. That, and," she points to the bedsheets, "you don't toss and turn in bed so badly as to drop your blankets, especially when awake."

Busted.

"Don't worry, Shin. I may not like her, but I won't tell. At least, if you give me a reason for hiding her from everyone."

So I told her the story. Everything. No detail was spared. I was so certain Keine would actually tell that I got scared into repeating the whole story, even word for word.

Well, almost everything. I managed to keep quiet about the Sriracha comment my dad and Wriggle left.

Keine mulls over the information, while I take advantage of the lapse in conversation from my former teacher to finish the soup and rice. My mind turns back to what I had been thinking about earlier, and I come to a decision.

[ ] Keine's got it right, perfection is more important than creativity.
[ ] Mokou's got it right, creativity is more important than perfection.
[ ] Neither has it right, what the person eating it thinks is more important.

I'm just glad I didn't mention the Sriracha comment. Seikatsu doesn't want Keine to know that I'm Sriracha. Huh.

So wait, that meant that Dad knew about Wriggle too? Sheesh!

[x] Mokou's got it right, creativity is more important than perfection.

The third option won't do us much good as we're that person. Sorry Keine, but I lean more towards instinct than sticking by the book.

[X] Neither has it right, what the person eating it thinks is more important.

I would be aiming to drive the Mokou points up to that magic percentage, under normal circumstances... but food is serious business.

[X] Neither has it right, what the person eating it thinks is more important.

I lean towards quality being more important than creativity with my food, but the way the choice was worded makes me shy away from the first option. Possibly 'perfection', as it's a bit strongly worded and unrealistic.

[x] Neither has it right, what the person eating it thinks is more important.

Seikatsu ending where~

>>24775
Seikatsu's route will always happen. What happens depends on whose route is taken: Shin's, Mokou's, or Keine's.

>"Sriracha is safe. You can trust him."

>'m just glad I didn't mention the Sriracha comment. Seikatsu doesn't want Keine to know that I'm Sriracha. Huh.

Shin is hot sauce?

No, I think Shin's father supplied him with a red herring to keep his mind occupied. After raising him, you'd think he'd develop a few techniques to misdirect his son's abilities before they could amount to real harm, whether it were mischief or unintentional.

>"Thank you, Sriracha."

Wriggle only knows that 'Sriracha' means a trustworthy person from overhearing the conversation, so she takes it to be a title. What she's essentially saying here is that she trusts Shin.

[x] Neither has it right, what the person eating it thinks is more important.

To hell with your routes. I want a Wriggle end.

[x] Neither have it right. They're both missing out.

If you don't jump around a bit you run the risk of getting stuck in local maxima. If you jump around too much you're likely never to find a maximum at all.

[x] Neither has it right, what the person eating it thinks is more important.

That night, I lay in bed, wide awake. Yes, like the previous few days, there's been a lot of things that should be stirring around in my mind. My dad. Wriggle. The riot. Akyuu. My date with Mokou. Heck, I could be thinking about how great that vegetable medley actually was. So why am I worried about this?

I turn over, and I'm met face-to-face with glory. Keine's kept care of the twins, I see.

No, wait! That's the reason I can't sleep! Her breasts are in the freaking way! I'm 5'7", but that doesn't compare to Keine's 5'11" height. So while her toes are almost off the bed, if I turn toward her, I end up catching a face full of breast. I know guys that would love the size of these, but the ones Seikatsu has are bet-

What am I thinking about!? Just because breasts are best when you can cup them in your hand doesn't-

Oh gods, Shin, shut up!

"Shin...I had no idea."

Instead of panicking, I breathed a sigh of relief. Seikatsu was here again; she could go all gung-ho on what I should be thinking about, and that'll easily kill the boner that might pop up if this continues!

Thank you, Seikatsu. Save me from myself! No response. Help me, Seikatsu!

"You...like my breasts?"

Oh man, not this. I don't need more of this, Seikatsu. Just help me!

But I know I'm doomed, because I can see with my mind's eye that Seikatsu's blushing. I can't rely on her to help me here. Someone, anyone!

"Thank you, Sriracha."

Oh, Wriggle, thank goodness. Thank you for that flashback. Thank you. Alright, calm yourself, slow down, think about what's going on. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Good.

Seikatsu's still blushing, Keine's asleep, and I'm wide awake. I'm not going to get some sleep for now. I resign myself to taking out a spellcard and just looking at it. At the top right, I can see a name inscribed. Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」. And sure enough, it's a little bit dark. So Mokou must have been telling the truth, or at least part of it: I did battle her with this card. It's not like I have reason to doubt her, but at least it's a reassurance that there are people that can tell the truth.

I start to purify the spellcard, concentrating my own energy into it. Spellcard corruption, as Mokou put it, is a way for humans to go beyond their natural magic capacity. It uses the spellcard's, and thus Gensokyo's, energy instead of the individual's.

It sounds like there're only benefits, but there is a downside, according to what I sense about it with my power, but I won't get the answer just by thinking about it. I have to find someone who knows a lot more. My benefactor mentioned a Youmu and Mima, didn't he?

"I'm sorry, Shin. I hadn't heard a line like that in a long while, and that shocked me. You don't need to use your power, I was honestly and pleasantly surprised. Really!"

Seikatsu's apologetic? Is everyone today acting weird?

"Anyways, I can help you, but I want an honest answer to 3 questions. Promise me that you'll answer them, and I'll get you to sleep with no problems."

I won't regret this, will I?

"I don't think you'll remember it to regret it. Still up for it?"

[ ] Yes.
[ ] No.

===

Shin!3y6VzrJaLE

>>24788
I think the question here is how much do I trust Seikatsu? Would she lead me astray? Could she?

Ah hell.

[x] Yes.

===

[x] Yes.

"Alright. Here's the three questions. I want you to fill in each blank."

1) The girl I love most right now is _____.
2) The girl I am closest with right now is _____.
3) The girl I want to have sex with the most right now is _____.

I read the questions in order, and filled them in easily.

1) The girl I love most right now is Keine.
2) The girl I am closest with right now is Mokou.

But as I read the third question, I become flustered at first, then angry.

Why the hell would you ask that from me, Seikatsu? Sex is a physical act of bonding, a treasure in the deep to be claimed and opened by the partners who retrieve it! What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull off here?

"Answer the question Shin. You promised."

I did promise, Seikatsu, but I never said I'd answer them all this moment. Just get me to sleep, please.

Seikatsu sighed. "How will I know when you'll give me your answer?"

Take note of the person I have sex with willingly. That's my answer. Now, put me to sleep, will ya?

Seikatsu, resigned to the answer for now, starts to glow blue, and in a few seconds, I fall into a deep sleep. Facing Keine.

---

"So, he's gotten quite a bit of help, lately. You wouldn't have had anything to do with that, Yukari?"

The Lady of Borders casually relaxed the parasol in her hand, daintily dripping the last drops of tea from the cup to her mouth. Her relaxed expression mirrored that of the woman in front of her, but their facial expressions couldn't be more different. "Who, me?" Yukari gently set the teacup down before smiling at the person in front of her. "Who was it that nearly got a bodyful of Helios' claws?"

The other woman, casually twirling her hair, also displays grace in her movements, even though the tension in the air continues to increase. "If you recall, Yukari, while it may have been me taunting her, that was your voice."

Another voice popped up. "If you continue to plot openly like that, I might not be able to ignore it any longer." Eiki Shiki, Gensokyo's Yama, took her uninvited place at the table, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea. This bold move surprised the two, and they silently watched Eiki drink her tea, British-style, all in one sitting. "I don't know what you're planning, Yukari, but both of you can forget about it. I've been alerted to the case, and I won't let either of you get in the way of what should naturally happen."

In the Netherworld, while there are many residents, it is very quiet. So quiet, in fact, that all three present at the table could hear Komachi's coins jingle at the entrance.

Eiki, upon hearing the sound, stood up, tucked her chair in, then curtsied to no one in particular. "That would be my ride. I look forward to the conclusion, ladies." And like that, she was gone.

---

[ ] I wonder if Mokou's alright.
[ ] I wonder if Dad is alright.
[ ] I wonder whether today was just a bad day.
[ ] I wonder if Wriggle's alright. {Unlocked Choice}

[x] I wonder if Wriggle's alright. {Unlocked Choice}

[x] I wonder if Wriggle's alright. {Unlocked Choice}
Wriggle Route go!

[x] I wonder if Wriggle's alright. {Unlocked Choice}

3) The girl I want to have sex with the most right now is Seikatsu!

>>21957
So, Yukari isn't allowed to harm or challenge Seikatsu because ~mystery person~ will be doing the dirty work. Is there a reason for this little trick other than shits and giggles?
I wonder if Seikatsu is Helios or merely owns his claws.
Shikieiki is a thief. Bad Shikieiki.

>>24791
>3) The girl I want to have sex with the most right now is Seikatsu!

Actually, that's not his answer, if he was forced to answer.

>So, Yukari isn't allowed to harm or challenge Seikatsu because ~mystery person~ will be doing the dirty work. Is there a reason for this little trick other than shits and giggles?

To be honest, Yukari is basically instilling a false sense of hope in Seikatsu. Yukari and ~Mystery Person~ can actually do quite a bit of damage to her. And yes, there's a point to keeping the mystery person hidden for now.

>I wonder if Seikatsu is Helios or merely owns his claws.

Seikatsu is the "Helios" Yukari's talking about.

I never really wanted to do this, but it looks like I'll have to delay the update by a week. Writing the short took a lot out of me.

[x] I wonder if Wriggle's alright. {Unlocked Choice}

The hustle and bustle of the village life seemed to meld into a routine. At least, that's what it looked like to Wriggle. The village's few trees here and there, combined with the setting sun, allowed Wriggle to hide behind the trees that once produced the food she would receive, her cloak barely hidden in the shadow of the lumbering giants. Wriggle panted, deeply but softly. She didn't want anyone to hear her. She certainly wasn't out of the clear yet. The setting sun managed to cover her for the moment, but until it was dark she had no way of getting out without being noticed.

The village was structured in a rather oblong shape. It had started small, but they had widened their borders and fences bit by bit until it became less of a shape and more of an enclosement. Keine's house was near the northern gate, and while it was the least-used exit of the three, it was the most decorated, being just minutes from the town square. Everyone saw the gate when it was time for a festival, celebration, or village meeting. Just inside the village, around this gate, were a bunch of fruit trees, newly picked for the season. It was good the fruit on them were all gone. Wriggle's hiding spot, in the shadow behind one of these trees, could easily be compromised by someone coming to the tree to take a fruit for him or her self.

From her vantage point, Wriggle could the hustle and bustle of life in the village. The square was always full of people, full of chatter, full of life. Wriggle looked on the spectacle with sadness; the xenophobia of the people in charge caused the relationship between her and the village to evaporate completely. One youkai hunter, in her traditional hunter gear, ran past the gate into the village, and Wriggle winced on seeing her. She was one of Wriggle's favorites, and would always lend an encouraging ear to her. Who knows if she would even hesitate to cut her down now, Wriggle thought.

With the sun finally beginning to disappear, Wriggle's bug scouts returned, and gave her a startling report: they were going to use the light-bombs. Light-bombs were weird objects that when a small flame was put in it, it would light up. Wriggle decided now was the time to flee, and she took off running, past the gate, and into freedom. She thanked Gensoukyou that she wasn't caught, and as she put her mind toward Takuhito and Shin, his son, she nearly shed a tear. She was going to find out what really was going on here: who had ordered her life be forfeit?

As the nightbug took off into the sky, fireflies blinking on her trail, Wriggle decided that she would trust Shin, Sriracha, whatever he was called.

[ ] I better leave early or else the village might get mad.
[ ] Keine makes a great pillow~
[ ] Mokou's not gonna be happy if I'm late.

---

Something short since I got to finally move into my new house~

[x] Mokou's not gonna be happy if I'm late.

[x] I better leave early or else the village might get mad.

[x] I better leave early or else the village might get mad.

[x] I better leave early or else the village might get mad.

It's morning. Early morning. I think it's a good thing that alarm clock is still going strong. I wake up, stretch my arms a bit, and bump them into an object.

"Mrhm..."

Oh right, Keine. Keine was sleeping with me...whoa. The situation leaps out of the branches, lands beside me, and shoot an uppercut, nearly knocking me out in my confusion. Whoa.

I'm speechless, even as I stare at my teacher's chest. She's still sleeping, I notice, but at least I can back up. I do so, carefully, and watch for any stirring. Nothing. Good.

I hop over her and check for any soreness. Seikatsu's right, I'm feeling much better today. Too bad she was wrong on what day I'd be completely well. I put on my coat and boots, but before I left, I looked over at Keine, who I could barely see in the darkness. It's not like she would ever hear it, but I silently mouthed a 'thank you' anyways before I slipped outside.

Keine's house is still a few paces away from the north gate, and I make every effort to avoid being seen. What would have normally took me a few minutes when I lived in the village took me almost until sunrise. I was not going to be caught.

---

Mokou met me at the door, smiling. "I watched your little escape from up here, Shin. You did good." One hearty slap on my back later, and things returned to normal. Sort of.

Around lunch time, Mokou called me into the kitchen, where she was cooking. I knew that something was off; she never wanted me watching her cooking. "There was a youkai hanging around here, Shin. Mind telling me what's going on here?" I didn't see why not, so I told Mokou what I had told Keine about Wriggle. Everything except the Sriracha comments. Mokou's eyes narrowed. "Your dad's name is Takuhito, right?" I nodded.

"Don't get near him. He's the right-hand man of the village elder, the guy who sent you packing. I wouldn't trust anything he says, and frankly, neither should you. Oh, and food's ready." I make sure not to show Mokou I'm still washing my hands.

Over lunch, I asked Mokou about the youkai she found, and she described Wriggle perfectly. Mokou mentioned that no altercation took place, which was a good thing, since I didn't want Mokou scaring off my source of answers. I almost asked Mokou if it was alright to talk with Wriggle, since I knew her, but I stayed silent.

---

Keine arrived later that afternoon. As today was a Tuesday, she wasn't that busy. Tuesday was the day that after-school sports were conducted, so Keine was typically free during that time. I liked to spend some time with her back then, since I wasn't that great at school. Heck, I failed a course even with her help, but somehow I managed to pass all the levels. As I was fixing a stair step that had broken, Keine tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around, surprised to see Keine staring at me with a mixture of happiness and seriousness. Intrigued, I asked her what she wanted.

"Just this, Shin. I want you to distance yourself from me for a bit. I won't visit for a few days, and don't visit the village either."

She didn't give any explanation when I asked her why. I thought nothing of it, and turned back to fixing the steps. I guess I kinda agreed with Keine, too. I couldn't think of anyone but Keine. Heck, every time I tasted Mokou's cooking, I was mentally comparing it to Keine's.

I owed Mokou. She should be the only one I should have my eyes on, at least, for the time being.

So, that night,

[ ] I decided to give Mokou a hug.
[ ] I decided to thank Mokou for all she'd done for me.
[ ] I decided to show Mokou my appreciation.

----

End of Day 6

Active Main Routes:
Keine - 37 pts.
Mokou - 38 pts.

Active Mini-Routes:
Wriggle 40% complete

Finished Mini-Routes:
Cirno Happy End

[x] I decided to thank Mokou for all she'd done for me.

How am I supposed to tank both their opinions with options like this? They're all positive.

[x] I decided to show Mokou my appreciation.

[x] I decided to thank Mokou for all she'd done for me.

Let's keep it simple.

>>24897
Everytime there are three votes, there is a Keine+ option and a Mokou+ option. The third vote is either a Keine-/Mokou-, Keine+/Mokou-, or Mokou+/Keine-.

>>24901
I know. I can't tell which is which, in this case.

[ ] I decided to thank Mokou for all she'd done for me.

[x] I decided to give Mokou a hug.

Pissing against the tide, and I want the Mokou route.

[x] I decided to thank Mokou for all she'd done for me.


A hug seems a little too much

[x] I decided to give Mokou a hug.

Pissing against the tide, and I want the Mokou route too.

[x] I decided to give Mokou a hug.

[x] I decided to thank Mokou for all she'd done for me.

Mokou turned to face me, with a stern glare on her face. Her arm was on the railing, her mind and body seemingly ready to go to sleep. But her mouth certainly wasn't. "Don't ever thank me again, Shin."

What?

Mokou must have noticed my face, because she started speaking again, this time with an obviously angry face. "Don't ever thank me again," she repeated, "because that hurts! Do you think that's what I want to hear, Shin? Thank you. You're welcome. Bullshit!" I turned my face away from her, as if I had been slapped. My cheek even hurt, too, but it was clear Mokou wasn't the one who slapped me.

Was it that arrow woman again?

"If you're thinking of living here, I don't want you acting like Keine's lapdog..." She grew quiet all of a sudden. "I despise that goddamn horn-up-her-ass bitch."

I didn't know what to say. Those two were such good friends. Why was Mokou acting like this? Is this the way she felt?

"Who knows if she even did favors to them to stay in the village, unlike the two of us? Why is it that she has spellcards like us and isn't kicked out, huh?"

Now, while I couldn't respond to most everything else she had said, that statement about Keine being a slut was too much for me. I defended Keine with as much foul language as I could, and then some, while struggling to stay coherent. It was difficult. However, as I was ranting my mouth off, I could notice Mokou cracking a small smile. After I had finished, Mokou took a few steps toward me and put her hand on my shoulder.

"That's more like it, Shin. Now," she said as she headed up the stairs, "Good fucking night!"

---

I sat up in my bed, staring at my blankets. I didn't even notice that Seikatsu had opened up the mental link.

"Shin, what's wrong? You have a big day tomorrow."

I screwed up, didn't I Seikatsu? I feel really terrible.

"Hey! Didn't I tell you to stop doing that, before? Alright, you screwed up (though I'm not sure how). Don't dwell on it; move on! What are you made of?"

Oh great, I made Seikatsu mad too...I don't care anymore. I'm going to bed. Don't wake me up.

"Hey! Shin! Shin! Sriracha! Damn it! Someone's here that's making them like this."

---

Shikieiki panted heavily, her saliva just barely escaping her mouth, trickling down her chin for just a small moment before falling down to the ground. In contrast, Komachi was already outside Mokou's door, looking none the worse for the wear.

"Can you," Shikieiki panted between breaths, "slow down," and paused again, "next time," and once more, "Komachi?" Komachi shrugged at her boss. "You just don't get enough exercise, Eiki. You're the one that insisted that we come here on foot."

Shikieiki shook her head. "Ignore me. We have to get inside, now. There's a bogey in there." Komachi nodded, but before she could open the door, it opened on its own, as if inviting her in. The river ferrywoman tried to enter, but found her progress blocked by an unseen force. "Boss? I'll need your help here." Shikieiki nodded, and invoked the use of her ability. The border between unseen and seen was dissolved, and there stood the source of the unwitting malice.

"Hello, pleased to meet you. My name is Ellen. What's yours?"

Komachi, startled by the witch's pleasantries, answered nervously. "H-hi, Ellen! My name is Komachi, and she's-"

"My name is not important." Shikieiki cut her employee short. "Tell your mistress this: the next time I see Ellen again, your control over her will be revoked."

Ellen curtsied to the two, then began to walk down towards the walkway to the side of the hill, while Komachi and Shikieiki mindlessly watched her graceful swagger. "Alright. I'll be sure to pass the message along. Thank you."

After finally being broken out of their trance, Komachi cursed under her breath, which earned her a whack to her head. "No swearing, Komachi. If only you weren't under your period..." Komachi gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

Eiki gave her an approving smile. "Yukari's a friend in this fight, but she's also a foe. She's concealing our enemy's movements, but she's also concealing ours. I just wish that stupid thing didn't guess exactly when your power wasn't usable, Komachi." The shinigami nodded. Her scythe was out of reach for this mission, but next time, they wouldn't fail.

The judge and her sidekick left the house and started to trudge down the walkway. At least, Shikieiki thought, after a good night's rest, Shin and Mokou would be less malicious to each other. The source of their hatred was gone.

---

End of Day 7

Active Main Routes:
Keine - 42 pts.
Mokou - 38 pts.

Active Mini-Routes:
Wriggle 40% complete

Finished Mini-Routes:
Cirno Happy End

Seikatsu awoke, outside of her shell, and right next to Shin. Even worse, she was still dressed in her pajamas, and she was hugging Shin. Tight. It only took a moment for the female in the room to determine the cause of her current state of affairs. She had reached out for Shin in his mind's eye, to bring him to her realm for a bit and just hold him, like a mother would. Instead, Shin turned when he unconsciously felt her touch, and pulled her to his realm instead. Seikatsu had bonked heads with Shin, and being the weaker of the two constitutionally, she fell asleep.

Now it was morning, and Seikatsu found herself with two problems. One: Shin was sleeping on her arm, and he was heavier than she was strong. Two, and most importantly: Mokou got up promptly at four in the morning. Thirty minutes. That's all she had to get out.

She pulled at her hand, and found herself pulling off Shin's shirt instead. No go. She used her body and her arm as a makeshift jack, propping her arm enough to let Shin roll off. Okay, good. Her arm was free. Now, where to hide. The room was bare, Shin hadn't fully gotten rid of the creakiness in the wood flooring, and there was only one small window that she couldn't fit through. And she couldn't just hide under the blankets because it'd show, and she can't hide in the dark because her clothes were sheet-white. Sheet-white. Seikatsu shook her head. There was no helping it, even if she was embarrassed. She'd have to undress.

---

Mokou awoke promptly at 4 in the morning, like she always did when she wanted to practice on her fire mastery. But, she felt bad about the little tirade. She wasn't sure what had come over her. Heck, she didn't even believe half the stuff she said the night before. It wasn't really in her nature, but she felt she had to apologize. But then again, because it wasn't really in her nature, she didn't want to do it to him while he was awake.

So Mokou strode on down the stairs, created a small flame at the tip of a finger, then went in.

---

Seikatsu was alarmed. Despite how well she was hidden, a light would make it very easy to be seen. At least, for the moment, Mokou was more focused on Shin that she was on potentially anyone around the room. After watching for a moment, it was clear that Mokou wasn't going to be leaving any time soon. And she needed to sneeze. This was not going to turn out well at all.

---

Mokou, satisfied with her apology, left the room. As she opened the door, she found it was unlocked. Odd. She normally locked the front door. She paid it no mind, and was about to exit when she heard a distinct sneeze from Shin's room. She rushed back in, only to find the sleeping Shin rubbing his nose. Oh, Mokou thought, it was just Shin. I've never heard him sneeze before, now that I think about it. Mokou shrugged, then left, this time to actually practice. She'd wasted a good fifteen minutes with all of this observation crap.

---

Oh man, that alarm clock. It really does wake you up, doesn't it? Oh. That's the third female I've seen now in eight days in front of me. I must be in some sort of bad comedy show.

[ ] "Good morning, whoever you are."
[ ] Explore.
[ ] Wake up first.

[x] "Good morning, whoever you are."

[x] Explore.

Who doesn't want to see Seikatsu in all her glory?

[x] "Good morning, whoever you are."

[x] Explore.

Exploring before waking up. Excellent.

[X] "Good morning, whoever you are."

Greeting people is important! How would you like it if someone didn't greet you?

[c] "Good morning, whoever you are."

This seems legit.

[x] "Good morning, whoever you are."

Hoping this is the Seacats option.

[x] "Good morning, whoever you are."

"Don't look down." Whoever she is, she doesn't want me to look down. How come? Why shouldn't I look d-ohwowIcanseethetopo-

I feel a sharp tug on my chin, and I find myself much more awake and staring straight at Seikatsu's glaring eyes. "I told you not to look down. Now get me out of here and back into my shell. I haven't hatched yet."

Somehow, I understood what she was saying. She wanted to be back in my mind. Well, that's simple. All I need is to use my spellcard...oh. Yeah, that could be a problem. The lake's too far, and I don't really know any other place that's isolated enough.

Seikatsu again took the initiative. "Look, I'll lead the way. I know a spot you can unsummon me at, just get me out of the danger zone." I quickly sighed. Looks like yesterday was just the calm before the storm.

After a few minutes, I drew up a plan. Mokou would get suspicious if I didn't attend breakfast. It was really one of the few things she was insistent about, so I placed that as a non-negotiable. So, I needed to sneak Seikatsu out while Mokou was cooking, make an excuse as to why I had come from outside, eat breakfast, mention I would be training with my spellcards today (so I had an excuse to go outside), then leave. It took a few minutes, but I heard the little bell in front of the door go off. As I heard Mokou starting up the oven, I rushed Seikatsu outside.

---

Today's breakfast is quite simple. It's a stew-like soup, with stringy rabbit meat in it. It's quite a lot more tart than I expected, and I thanked Mokou for the great taste. Surprisingly, Mokou seemed to have forgotten about the whole little tirade that occurred yesterday, as she nodded, acknowledging my appreciation.

"So, what are your plans for today," Mokou asked, as she took the dishes over to the makeshift sink. She asked it on and off, so it wasn't really any different than any other day. I mentioned I was gonna spend some time practicing with my spellcards, and Mokou seemed more than a little pleased.

"Yeah. Those counter spellcards you have are certainly different than anything I've seen before, but you can't rely on them." Mokou's back was turned, but her voice was strong.

I decided to spend a few moments helping Mokou with the dishes before leaving.

Outside, Seikatsu was off to the side, standing impatiently. While she was still dressed in her pajamas, I had given her one of my clean shirts and pants to wear on top so that she was presentable. Quickly, we made our way down the wooden stairs at the side of the hill, right next to the forest. I wasn't going to risk another encounter with another fairy, even if Cirno turned out to be rather nice after I got to know her. I mean, last time was ice. Who knows if the next time it'll be a fire fairy that could burn off Seikatsu's clothes and knock me unconscious?

We arrive at the bottom, and I find that we're still We get to the bottom, and Seikatsu points me in a different direction: towards the human village. I wonder and continue to follow her, and as we get close, she takes a detour, passing by the north edge of the village into another forest. I take out a small danmaku machete and start cutting the branches I see in front of me. Seikatsu is paying it no mind, but I can't keep up with her if these obstacles are in my way. Finally, after what seemed like 15 minutes of endless cutting, we arrive at the back of the Hakurei Shrine. It's quite an extensive backyard, with trees, fruits, and even a pond/lake hybrid of sorts. There's even a large turtle swimming in it!

"Oh hi, Genji! Been a while since I saw you last, isn't it?" Seikatsu's voice catches me off guard, but I double over in shock when I hear the sound of a gentle and kindly male voice coming from the turtle. "Yes, indeed, milady. It's been ages since I saw you last, too!"

Those two knew each other? Wait, who's this turtle?

"I faced off against Genji and Reimu once. After getting trounced, I got to know Genji after our battle, since I wasn't too happy with Reimu. I'm still not, but I won't hold petty grudges anymore."

"So, basically," I asked telepathically, "Genji is Reimu's?"

Seikatsu nodded, even while talking to Genji. "Yeah. It seems like he's a teacher of hers, or at least was, at some point in time."

"...and it's nice being in retirement. She spends most of her income on me, which is very kind of her." Genji's voice cuts in after the link ends, and I'm again shocked at how kind it sounds. It's nice to listen to. "So," Genji asks, "who's the young man you brought with you? Is he your boyfriend, Seikatsu?"

"I wish, Genji. Nah, he's a companion of mine." I didn't even react to the veiled insult. Genji's voice was so calming I felt like lying down and just relaxing. After a few more moments of their catching up, Genji motioned me over with his flipper.

"So, young man, you're looking for a clear opening, right?" I nod. "Well then," he continues, "right beyond the path over there is a clearing you can use to unsummon her." He motions over to my right, where there appears to be rings of flowers around the trees. "I made it a special place that your ritual can't be observed by prying eyes." I thanked him, and hurried over to the clearing, catching Seikatsu's arm when I passed her and half-dragged her with me. Before I could enter, Genji gave me a parting call. "Come see me once you've finished young man. There is a lot I wish to talk to you about."

---

I enter the clearing, and am amazed by how round it is. It's as if it was made like this on purpose. Seikatsu enters behind me, panting. "You could have warned me you were going to do that, Shin! I almost fell down a few times!"

Whoops. Sorry. The quick silence that follows is broken up by Seikatsu urging me to complete the ritual, so I set up. When I'm ready, I pull the spellcard and prepare to toss it into the air. Instead, I realize the duel walls are brought up, and look over to see Seikatsu holding three spellcards of her own.

"Hey Shin! I wanna try my hand at this spellcard thing. Mind obliging me while I have the chance?" I shrug and accept. This had to be part of Seikatsu's plan all along. I told Mokou a lie, and Seikatsu wants to make that lie a truth.


Choose three:
- [ ] Praetor Sign 「The Many Faces of Eve」
- [ ] Construction Sign 「Materialism」
- [ ] Praetor Sign 「Realism and Belief」
- [ ] Mortal 「Dying Soul -Evermore-」 (Counter)
- [ ] Construction Sign 「Building of the 300-Year Wall」
- [ ] Mortal Sign 「Poe's Raven」
- [ ] Justice 「Nirvana Denied」 (Counter)
- [ ] Praetor Sign 「Placebo Reality」
- [ ] Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」
- [ ] Human Sign 「Birthing of a God」

Choose perspective:
- [ ] Shin
- [ ] Seikatsu

Choose three:
- [x] Construction Sign 「Materialism」
- [x] Justice 「Nirvana Denied」 (Counter)
- [x] Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」

Choose perspective:
- [x] Shin

Choose three:
- [c] Construction Sign 「Materialism」
- [c] Construction Sign 「Building of the 300-Year Wall」
- [c] Mortal Sign 「Poe's Raven」

I don't know the significance of these spellcards, but eh.

Choose perspective:
- [c] Shin

Choose three:
- [x] Praetor Sign 「Placebo Reality」
- [x] Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」
- [x] Mortal Sign 「Poe's Raven」

Choose perspective:
- [x] Shin

We haven't seen these three spellcards yet.

>>24937
There's only two that haven't been used yet.

Praetor Sign 「Realism and Belief」
and
Praetor Sign 「Placebo Reality」

- Mortal Sign 「Poe's Raven」 was used versus Keine. See >>22303
- Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」 was used versus Mokou. See >>24541

- [x] Seikatsu

Why is everyone turning down a perspective switch? This confuses me.

- [x] Praetor Sign 「The Many Faces of Eve」
- [x] Praetor Sign 「Realism and Belief」
- [x] Praetor Sign 「Placebo Reality」
- [x] Seikatsu

I want to get inside her head.

Also, Shin being adorable to watch.

[x] The albuvista stays in Shin.

It was odd. I had noticed it when I woke up this morning, but even though Seikatsu was in front of me, I could still hear a voice in my mind. Was this my real power's voice, not just Seikatsu filtering the words? I asked Seikatsu to wait a moment while I contacted it.

"Hello Shin. It's good to finally hear you." Unlike what I was expecting or hoping for, the voice turned out to be masculine. Yes, and the same to you. Now, if I may ask, who are you?

The voice gave a hearty bellow, before responding with "Don't worry about that, young man. Finish your fight with my roommate; then we'll talk." I slapped myself on my forehead. That was Genji. The voice didn't have any alluring qualities, but it was still the same voice. Alright, I'll talk to you later.


Minor Threat of Gensokyo
Shin Matsuya

Perfector of Self
1%&#@)#6{


That was odd. My title changed, and Seikatsu's real name was hidden even among our titles. Oh well. I raised a spellcard quickly, and Seikatsu did likewise.

Praetor Sign 「Placebo Reality」

Spectre Sign 「The Last Wau」

My spellcard relied on me making small injector-like danmaku and spreading them out from my duel wall's back in an almost undodgeable manner. However, my body would act as a shield, so where I would move would be a safe spot for my opponent. I created the danmaku rather quickly, and started to stream them down, all the while moving back and forth, left and right, but never really getting closer or farther away from her. In the meantime, she was spending a lot of time charging up. I could see her own danmaku coming, but it looked to be small versions of the letter F in English. Why "F"? What does it stand for?

It shouldn't matter. Continuing my pattern, once I reached the right corner, I ran straight, heading for Seikatsu's left corner, before curving around her and then back toward my other corner. Seikatsu's spellcard was stationary, so I'm glad I used this spellcard. Sure enough, after about half a minute, I burst through her magic wall and break her spellcard. It knocks her off her feet, and she ends up on the floor. I almost run over to help her out, but remember Mokou's words about battle, and sure enough, she gets up rather quickly.

"Not bad, Shin. You're just lucky I'm not going to be using my best spellcards."

Oh please. I can control you much more than you can control me, Seikatsu. You have to be weaker than me, even though you're not human.

"I already knew you'd be overpowering me, since you have now 10 spellcards and I only have 7 at this point in time. But I know that if I go all out, you can't beat me. So, for now, I might as well let you relish your victories. Here I come!"

Purities Sign 「Mercury's Bubbles」

I laugh, then summon my own.

Mortal Sign 「Poe's Raven」

Again, I'm the first to act, creating the five-point star around me. The bullets are a bit refined now, so instead of pellet-shaped bullets like before, they're diamond-shaped. That allows me to fire more without exhausting my resources, and I take advantage by winding up and spinning in place very fast. This is a stationary spellcard, but I don't think she has anything that she can best me with right now.

Sure enough, she too is using a stationary, as far as I can see. She's got a danmaku cauldron behind her, and a bottle in front. It looks like the cauldron is just boiling water, but she's supplying the fire. Interesting. She's directing the steam towards the bottle, and...oh. That's not good. The bubbles are overflowing from the cauldron, and she's mixing the two together. I realize the ravens I'm creating from hitting the duel walls are now homing in on her position, but her danmaku bubbles are slow, but huge. Bubbles wrapped with mercury start to flood her position, and I force the ravens to focus on the bubbles to pop them. However, when they're popped, gravity does a weird thing and the drop of mercury encapsulating the bubble heads straight towards my duel wall. That's not good.

I make sure to only focus on the bubbles that aren't directly in my way, since they're affected by the wind, and sure enough, the ravens do enough damage to Seikatsu and break her spellcard as well.

I stop spinning long enough to catch myself. I feel like I'm under a dizzy spell, and Seikatsu takes advantage of the opportunity to declare first.

Myth Sign 「Hathor's Betrayal」

Who's Hathor? I raised my hand to use my spellcard, Praetorian 「Diocletian Indignation」, and found I couldn't. What was going on?

Seikatsu smiled. "Consider it a timed spellcard. Dodge everything, and you win. Otherwise, I do."

Now this was confusing. My mind clocked into overdrive. There had to be a pattern; Seikatsu was trying to tell me something. But what? What did those three spellcards have in common? I quickly made a chart in my mind and laid out her spellcards. From the numerals on the cards, I can tell she used her 2nd, 4th, and 6th cards. But before I can think any further, I see what looks to be a Holy Bird rise from Seikatsu's body, only to be pierced with a lance, then destroyed. The feathers are raining down toward me, and I dodge to the left to get out of the way. I think I have a small respite, but the Bird heading toward me has other ideas, and I have to roll out of the way of that one. I've given another moment to just rest while a shell is created around the Bird, and as I dodge the breaking shell fragments, it looks like it's reborn, only to have that lance pierce it again. Where is that lance coming from?

I look around, dodging the now-arching feathers that are bouncing off the side walls, and notice Seikatsu materializing a lance. So that's who's killing the Avian. I'd use a Counter Spellcard here, but it's her last card in this match, so I can't cut this short. I have to rely on dodging then, as I can't create danmaku very well without my spellcards.

This time, instead of ramming straight at me, the God-like Bird heads straight for Seikatsu, intent on attacking her, but the lance in her hand pierces straight through its heart. She then winds up, dashes up to me, and swings. I was not prepared to dodge a giant bird on a stick, and she easily hits me, knocking me up in the air.

As the duel walls dissipate, she runs out underneath me and holds out her arms, and she catches me before I hit the ground.

After letting me down, Seikatsu looks at me with a coy smile. "What do you think, Shin?"

That last spellcard made no sense to me. How could Seikatsu kill a God? I ask her, and she laughs it off.

"C'mon Shin, don't take it so seriously. It's just a spellcard; since when are spellcards representative of the people using them?"

I don't say anything, but deep inside me I know the answer to that question: every time. I can feel a fire start to kindle in me.

Seikatsu stretches her body, then returns back to where she had started the duel. "Whew. That worked off a bunch of stress. So Shin, ready to take me back now?" Seikatsu's smile never left.

However, her voice triggers something. I can feel anger boil up in me. I suddenly feel like she's been using me this entire time, but my mind quickly flashes back to the time we had talked on the lake, and I calm down, even if I don't really feel like doing so. As I prepare to send Seikatsu back, I can't help but feel so lost.

I wish I could talk to my benefactor one more time. There's so much more I would ask.


Vote 1: What are you going to do about Seikatsu?
[ ] Ignore everything else for now and focus on getting Seikatsu back into her shell.
- [ ] Trust her.
- [ ] Be wary of her.
[ ] Acknowledge that Seikatsu is a mystery and let her be.
- [ ] Trust her.
- [ ] Be wary of her.
[ ] Genji may not be your benefactor, but you need to talk to someone about Seikatsu.
- [ ] Trust her.
- [ ] Be wary of her.

Vote 2: How are you gonna get home?
[ ] Go down the stairs of the Hakurei Shrine. It's an open spot, so it's safe for spotting ambushes.
[ ] Return the way you came. There's gotta be marks from your machete somehow.
[ ] Ask Genji for help. He'll know what to do.

--

The update's not huge, but the vote will be. Time for the series to take a different tone for at least a little while.
Also, the Trust/Be Wary option does not affect Mokou or Keine's scores in the slightest.

[x] Acknowledge that Seikatsu is a mystery and let her be.
- [x] Trust her.
[x] Ask Genji for help. He'll know what to do.

[c] Acknowledge that Seikatsu is a mystery and let her be.
- [c] Trust her.
[c] Ask Genji for help. He'll know what to do.

Do we have an image representation for Seikatsu?

>>24943
I wish.

The only current description is at >>22972

"With her long black hair wrapped in a wet ponytail, her shirt wringing still continuing, my button-down shirt fitting rather nicely on her, and her skirt. I'm not sure even how to describe that skirt. I'm guessing it was just a flannel skirt that was tie-dyed with red and orange, as there are way too many blotches... "


On second thought, here's a better description.

She stands 5 foot 6, one inch shorter than Shin, and has jet-black hair (with a few white strands) in a ponytail, held together by a grass band. She still has Shin's off-white button-down shirt, but normally wears a white-green blend shirt. Her skirt was originally blue, but with the bloodstains on it it looks like red and orange. She wears geta on her feet, and no socks. The skirt reaches to right above her knees.

Her pajamas, which is what she's currently wearing (with Shin's shirt), is a one-piece side-zipper cloth bodysuit that has stripes where her chest is and is pretty plain elsewhere. It's mainly white, with the stripes being black and the outline of the bodysuit is brown. It's very easy to make out the square pattern indented into the cloth.

Her measurements are 37(B)-25-34, and her butt is round but shapely and small.

...makes me want to make a thread in /words/ just for things like this.

[x] Acknowledge that Seikatsu is a mystery and let her be.
- [x] Trust her.
[x] Ask Genji for help. He'll know what to do.

[x] Acknowledge that Seikatsu is a mystery and let her be.
- [x] Trust her.
[x] Ask Genji for help. He'll know what to do.

I'm not really sure what came over me. It was this wave of hatred that came out of nowhere. Where did it come from?

"Shin," Seikatsu called, "are you alright? You're clutching your heart; you look like you're in pain." As she rushed over, I decided not to refuse her help. So, as I caught my breath, I told her what I had felt and how sudden it had been.

Seikatsu's face, while cheery, was suddenly serious, and for a moment, she thought about her answer. Finally, she was ready to speak. "I'm not quite sure how to explain this to you, but that's darkness. Pure darkness. Something that needs to be gone before you can be free. Right now, my job is not only to assist you in mind, but also to combat that darkness from within."

She continued. "The power you have is greater than the average human, but it comes with a downside. Consider me as a safeguard." It was odd. This darkness...or whatever it was inside me, wanted me to not believe her, to use my power on her very statements and find out if they were true. But why should I not believe her? If she's fighting on my behalf, there's no way she's not on my side.

Even so, the darkness pointed out the hatching comment she had made not so long ago, but I tossed it aside. Why should I listen to the darkness if she's going to be fighting to get rid of it? I got up, ready to summon her back into my mind.

Human Sign 「Birthing of a God」

Instead of the orb being bright, however, it was pitch-black and dark. Seikatsu looked worried. "Looks like that darkness has got around my egg. Hurry up and get me inside, so I can start getting rid of it!" I didn't need another word. Invoking the spellcard, my thoughts raced as I watch Seikatsu turn into energy and float toward the orb, where she was drawn in. And suddenly, it was silent. The wind was no longer rustling, the birds in the trees weren't chirping. Something happened. It was then that I realized that right after I had put the spellcard back into its place in my belt that I found myself out of the clearing and in the Hakurei backyard.

Coming up to meet me was the old turtle Seikatsu and I had seen earlier. I think his name was Genji, right?

"Hello there, young man. It looks like you've done what you've come for. Please, have some tea and calm down." Before I could ask 'what tea', Reimu came walking around the side of the building with a teapot and two glasses. She spotted me, and didn't take her prying eyes off of me, even when she walked down the few steps of the back porch to get Genji's pond, where she dropped off the tea she was carrying. Instead of my eyes being drawn to the tea, they were drawn to Reimu. All she did, however, was glare at me.

In a somewhat suspicious tone, she asked, "Do I know you?" I was about to remark that she had once, five days earlier, but she cut me off. "Of course I do. You're Shin Matsuya. I won't mistreat you for trespassing since you're Genji's guest, but don't let me catch you doing that again." Without so much as a "hmph", she turned her face and walked away, dignified by her response.

I stood, watching her go, until Genji tapped my left calf. "Don't worry about her," he said as I turned around to face him, "it's her time right now." I understood, and left it at that.

"So, young man, what did you want to talk to me about?" I expressed my interest in learning more about Seikatsu, and the two of us talked for a long while. The subjects danced about, from finding a girl to relationships, to grape vines and wine-making. Finally, after a short ditty about a tentacle monster that used to terrorize youkai and humans alike, I noticed that the sun was starting to set, and I didn't have a way back. I asked Genji how I might get back home.

"Well, you have a few options, Shin. I can think of at least one person who won't be happy by what you choose, though." I wasn't sure what he meant, but asked him to carry on.

[ ] "I can take you, but I can only fly as far as the human village you came from, Shin."
[ ] "I can ask Reimu to fly you back home."
[ ] "I'll summon Seikatsu temporarily, and she can fly you back home."

"Or," Genji added,

[ ] "I can have a friend of yours pick you up." {Unlocked Option}

"So, Shin, what will it be?"

[X] "I can have a friend of yours pick you up." {Unlocked Option}

Sounds good to me.

[x] "I can have a friend of yours pick you up." {Unlocked Option}

[X] "I can have a friend of yours pick you up." {Unlocked Option}

I'll pick Unlocked Options wherever they appear, because it's rewarding to see the effects of our choices bear out across more than just the following scene.

[c] "I can have a friend of yours pick you up." {Unlocked Option}

>>24953
Indeed, I completely agree. If you want to know, protecting Wriggle from Keine, even if it wasn't necessary, in addition to not staying in bed with Keine the next morning, unlocked this option.

I've actually been debating; should I be showing the unlocked options that you've missed, or should I just show you the ones you've obtained?

>>24955
Don't tell us what we've missed.

Update will be slightly late. I should have it done at most three hours after I get home.

[x] "I can have a friend of yours pick you up." {Unlocked Option}

I responded that I would prefer the last, as I wasn't sure I even had friends now.

"Ah," Genji replied knowingly, with a smile, "you have more friends than you think, Shin. Just because you may have met them once doesn't mean they can't be your friends."

"No, it's not like that, Genji." My voice suddenly found its strength. "I thought everyone abandoned me when I was left for dead by the elders."

Genji shook his head. "Dear boy, you should talk in that voice more often. It's interesting you've kept a quiet voice until now." I shrunk at his gentle but subtle scolding. "No," Genji continued, "I don't believe you were abandoned at all. Why else would the Elder ask Mokou to find you?"

Now it was my turn to be surprised, and I asked why the Elder would do that.

"I think he knows more than I do about that simple subject. Oh, your ride's here."

I turn around, expecting to see a human being, but no, just two antennae poking out from behind a tree. After getting over the initial shock, I felt relieved that it was Wriggle, and ran towards the tree to give her a hug. I was glad she was alright, and wasn't caught, and told her so.

"I was actually looking for you, Sriracha," Wriggle stated ashamedly. "I tried to find you by myself, but I couldn't, and I had to ask the bugs for help."

I patted her on the head. I don't know why I just decided to do it, but it felt right. I encouraged her, and asked her why she was looking for me.

"I want to know more about Sriracha. I want to know more about the son of Takuhito." Wriggle's face was innocent and childish about her words, but my power told me that she was hiding something. There was another reason that she wanted me to know more about me. I paid it no mind, and told her that I'd be able to spend time with her tomorrow.

- Notice: Day 9 Changed -

"Really? I'm glad." Wriggle started to happily wander off, and realizing she was my ticket home, I stuttered out a goodbye to the chuckling Genji before stumbling my way to beside Wriggle.

[ ] Conversation between Shin and Wriggle.
[ ] Whereabouts of Keine.
[ ] Mokou's Training.

--

Sorry for the short length.

[x] Conversation between Shin and Wriggle.

[x] Conversation between Shin and Wriggle.

No contest.

[x] Conversation between Shin and Wriggle.
More Wriggle!

[x] Conversation between Shin and Wriggle

I had only turned away to catch up to Wriggle when Genji called after me. I let him talk, but didn't turn back to him.

"Goodbye, Shin," Genji called out. "I hope we'll talk again some other time."

I nodded, and raised my right hand, palm facing him. I was always taught that the palm was nicest thing one could show a person.

---

"So, Wriggle, where are we going?" I asked. My voice seemed to be fine when it was just us two. Maybe. When Wriggle pressed the question, I responded. "I haven't seen where you stay for all this time I've known you. I was curious, and thought I could come and see."

Wriggle's antennae twitched, but I wasn't sure what it meant.

"W-what are you saying? You don't ask to see where a youkai girl like me stays? B-besides, you're human, I'm youkai! A relationship like that should never happen!"

Well, now I know what that twitching means.

"Wriggle." I tried to emulate Genji's voice as I had heard it before, and she stopped and turned to face me, visibly pouting, but it was obvious she was faking it.

Oh well, time to clear up the mess.

"I never meant anything like that, Wriggle. Man, it's because I'm a human I'm interested in things like that. How was I supposed to know that was sacred for youkai?"

Wriggle finally relented, and nodded, but her bottom lip was still curled upwards. I scanned her body while I awaited her answer; was that something guys normally do to a girl?

"Alright, fine. Just remember that for next time." She turned back, and starting walking briskly. I ran to catch up to her, and then realized we were on the flat walkway in-between the two flights of stairs necessary to get to the Hakurei Shrine, and I missed the first step down. Wriggle noticed, and turned to catch me, but even with her youkai strength, the momentum pushing me forward was much greater, so the only thing she could do was jump off the steps backwards to propel the two of us away from landing on the stairs.

"I really didn't want to do this, Shin." A strange buzzing sound started to come from Wriggle, and instead of falling, she started to fly. I wish I could say I caught exactly what she had said, but I didn't. She dropped down a good few away from the Human Village, and descended, dropping me off.

"Wriggle?" I couldn't help but notice that something felt off.

"I'll drop you off here for now. I'll see you again, Shin." Her voice was calm and very soft-spoken, almost similar to my regular speech. But that wasn't going to let her trick me. She untucked her wings from under her cape, and was about to take off when I grabbed her hand, and pulled her next to me. Surprised and startled, her wings continued to flutter, tickling my sides, but I stayed focused and resisted the urge to start laughing.

"Wriggle, come see me tomorrow. I won't ask anything more of you." The words just tumbled out of me. I didn't know what I meant or what I had planned. I just knew they were the right words at this time. I gave the now quiet girl a gentle squeeze from behind, and then let her go. She wordlessly packed her wings in, and started to walk away. Even with all the calling to run to her side and tell her more, I resolved not to. Wriggle had her own problems, I could tell, even with my limited understanding of her situation. But everything had to be taken slowly. If you don't slowly advance when trying to catch a bug, it'll be startled and move away from you, forever scared of you and your kind.

There's no reason why this wouldn't be the same way.

---

As I pass the village, I notice Keine running out to me. This was different. I could see a ticket in her hand, so this had to be interesting.

"Shin! I have something for you!"

I wondered what it was, and I asked her so. Oh, my voice is back to normal.

"It's something from the Elder! I managed to convince him that you were mistreated when you were kicked out, so I got him to give you this."

I looked at it. It had a small picture of the Elder holding two fingers up. What?

"Consider it a free pass into the village. As long as you have it with you, you won't ever be refused from the village. You're still not welcome to stay here, but you can at least now come in and out as you please."

Wow. What did you do, Keine?

"Just consider your debt repaid, Shin, and we'll leave it at that." Keine gave me a wink, and ran back to the village, her weird hat at her...wait, she has her hat off? Dang it, I should have taken a closer look at the top of her head! It was a joke between us in the village that she was hiding devil horns underneath her hat, and hey, while I didn't believe it anymore, it would have been one more thing off my mind.

---

When I arrived home, I saw Mokou with an ecstatic smile. This was a day of surprises, that's for sure!

"Shin, I finally did it! I managed to fly!"

I congratulated her and asked her how she managed to do it.

"Well, you know when I tried to fly last time and we both fell through Keine's roof?" I nodded. "It's been heavy on my mind, so what I decided to use you as inspiration, Shin."

That was a surprise.

"Well, Shin, you have a spellcard that sends masks around the field, right? To be honest, I liked the fact that it was propelled from behind. I'll be honest, I never really tried that."

Really. That was it?

"Be grateful, Shin; I don't like to rely on others' help very often. It makes me feel indebted to them."

I assured her I was not like that, and insisted her to continue.

"So I decided to propel fire from the bottom of my feet. That was much better. I can now be of more use to you, Shin, now that I'm not as worried about my own training. You know, more time together besides mealtime."

You sound like you actually do care, Mokou.

"Of course I do. I just don't like the lovey-dovey way Keine insists I do it by. Everyone is unique, and we all live and love in different ways. Remember that, Shin."

Of course I'll remember. I've decided what I'm gonna do with Wriggle tomorrow.



I'm taking her on a date.

[ ] Write-In on any aspect of the date.

I will not be updating next week due to birthday plans and renovation troubles. The next update will be on March 4, 2012. Thank you very much for your understanding.

What a beautiful fucking day.

[x] Take Wriggle to Kourindou. She may be too recognizable to step foot in the Village as is, but with some work...
-[x] Traditional clothing. Yukata or kimono & geta. Something subdued.
-[x] Hat.
-[x] Thick glasses.
[x] Use your pass to get through the entrance in the evening and distract the guard, while Wriggle hops the gate.
-[x] Visit the lantern-maker and buy something ornate for Wriggle.
-[x] It could hardly compare to Mokou's, but there's bound to be a yakitori stand open.
-[x] The guards should be less suspicious of a couple on a stroll exiting the village.
[x] Real fireworks would be a bit much, but try asking the witch who runs the magic shop in the forest to put on a 'summer fireworks display'.

We've seen that Wriggle likes the Village, that she liked Village food, and that she's trying to investigate the change in Village policy, but can't walk around freely, so a disguise should help her in the future. She also is likely to appreciate bright objects, being a firefly youkai. Wriggle has the advantage that her green hair and eyes will look indistinguishable from brown under yellow lantern lighting.

Kourin is not likely to charge much for clothing that could easily be found in the village. Glasses will make Wriggle stumble around a bit in her geta on her own, so she'll have to cling tightly to Shin's arm.

Neither Shin nor Wriggle were able to take advantage of the festival, but with some work, the two can share their own. Shin knows Marisa a little already, and the suggestion to ask her to imitate fireworks appears in PMiSS. Her mini-route has been open for some time without much appearance, so this might be a helpful segue.

And happy birthday.

well I have a few suggestions

[x] Show her any special places you (Shin) found that have flowers and such.
[x] Avoid nosy places and prefer quiet ones.

I can't help but think that showing a firefly bright lights is good courting.

Tried to post earlier but got BSOD'd and lost the document. Yeah yeah, I know, save more often.

>>25022

If you insist on only writing your updates in the browser text field, I suggest getting the 'Lazarus Form Recovery' extension, which caches all text entries. It works with Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, and has saved many a long write-in from connection and system failures, even after browser closing or boot cycling.

http://lazarus.interclue.com/download

>>25023
Thank you, but it wasn't that. I was backing up my update onto my external harddrive like I always do, and I got BSOD'd while doing that. I tried to retrieve the file but it was corrupted, so I ended up deleting it.

Progress on the update is coming along, but it's quite demoralizing to lose an update that way. I'd say I'm about 40% done.

>>25063

Hooray!

One slight snag has occurred in the writing process; I have to go to the hospital tomorrow, and I don't know how long I'll be there.

I'm about 60% done, but I need to rewrite Parts 1 and 3 (out of 9) of the update. Sorry for the delay.

>>25088

So long as you're alive.

I really didn't want to do this.

I need to suspend this story for the next month or so; I'm going to be needing surgery. I do apologize for the even more lengthened wait; I hope that everything will come out alright with no complications.

>>25142

We'll be here when you're healthy.

Surgery was successful, but I relapsed just recently. I'm considering having a co-author for the time I'm unable to write right now, because I don't want to let this story die.

>>25328
Good luck? I'm not sure what to say here.

I don't want this or you to die.