[X] Show Eirin that note with lunarian text on it

What day is it, in-game, again?

[X] Show Eirin that note with lunarian text on it

That is, IF IT STILL EXISTS!

>>9438
Late afternoon/early evening.

I'll use this post as a chance to list inventory:

Albion
Bloody note
Clothes
Gourd
Hot-glue gun
Laser Pointer
Marisa's Liquor bottle
Magic 'flying' dust
Note written in Lunarian
Ornate key
PDA (out of charge)
Some money


That should be it as far as 'inventory' is concerned. I have a feeling that I missed something, but I can't recall what. There may be other items you regularly interact with (like your teaching plans) but they're not part of your stuff.

>?Probably one or two things. The first," Eirin puts on a face that indicates the obviousness of this solution, "is to not push yourself. Relax a bit.."

RAGE

>?It's nothing. Just something about my personal beliefs." She closes off the topic.

She's really not even trying anymore.

[x] Ask why she had wanted to see you yesterday.
[x] Show Eirin that note with Lunarian text on it.
[x] Tell her the truth: You've been having hallucinations that are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate from reality.
[x] Give her back her laser pointer.
[x] Thank her for always being there to support you, not just as your physician, but as your friend.

I welcome the day when Shirou's obliviousness actually causes Eirin to facepalm.

[X] Show Eirin that note with lunarian text on it

[x] Nothing more to be gained here; Leave

[x] Use hands-on experience to determine Eirin's cup size

In all seriousness, we've been dismissed. Take a hint.

[] Nothing more to be gained here; Leave

[x] Show Eirin that note with lunarian text on it

Does nothing get a rise out of this woman?

[x] Show Eirin that note with lunarian text on it

Well, this is as good a time as any. You try to get her attention again. The best you can do is to get her to face you again, albeit still holding and looking over her charts. It's not until that you produce the note from among your belongings that she actually starts to pay a little more attention to you. You hand her the note, explaining that you found it recently.

Eirin silently eyes the note for a few moments. Her eyes move from side to side, up and down. You patiently wait as she reads the contents.

"Well, well." Eirin speaks up after finishing the note. "This is quite something."
"Really!?" You are anxious to know the contents.
"Don't get too excited now." Eirin winks at you. "It's not the content that's interesting but the origins. This is clearly lunarian. As in it almost definitely comes from the civilization currently occupying the moon. It was not written by anyone here at Eientei."
"What makes you so certain?" You feel like you should ask this obvious question.
"Well, I certainly did not write this, nor did Kaguya." Eirin smiles in a definite condescending way. "But that's not the sole reason. This is paper made from pulp. Not rice. We can only get the latter here."
"I see. And the content? What exactly does it say?"
"Ah, like I said, nothing much. It's a page from what appears to be someone's diary. There's a few details here about their day-to-day activities. Mostly interacting with friends. Nothing to get excited about at any rate. If you want, I can read a bit for you." Eirin offers.
"Sure, why not?"
"Let's see.... something interesting." Eirin skims through the text. "Right here: 'I met with her again today. We spent a lot of time in the courtyard, discussing the project. She still thinks that it's not worth the time and effort, but I'm adamant about the benefits. She should know better than to think that I would give up halfway. I slave away most of my time working. It's stressful at times but I'm happy. Hopefully one day my fellow citizens will recognize my effort.' And the rest is just tripe about this persons lunch and other nonsense." Eirin explains just what was interesting about the passage. She reminds you of a certain school teacher due to the manner she preaches. "Whoever this belonged to, it clearly shows that they were a bit obsessive. In lunarian society we respect scholars and people with visions, but to get carried away is something of a faux pas. In short, it's a bit embarrassing to act like this. Time is a commodity that is in excess, so there is no need to be so concerned about trivial matters. People would much rather spend it to achieve harmony within their lives."

And that concludes your lesson on lunarian culture.

"Anything else to note? Like this person's identity or why the entry might have been on earth?" You ask before she (inevitably) returns to her other tasks.
"No, nothing at all. I'm curious as to why something like this would be on Earth on the first place. But I'm afraid that there's nothing explaining that."

She hands the note back to you.

"As amusing as this may be to me, you can have it back. I would just eventually throw this out." Eirin does not hide the fact that another person's diary is uninteresting to her. Even if it's from the moon.

You take back the diary entry and put it away. Maybe someone else might know more about it.

You're feeling pretty tired right now. Must be a residual effect from being out for most of a day. Even if you wanted to, you don't think that you could hold and intelligible conversation for very long. You excuse yourself. Just as well, Eirin seems to occupy herself with her vials of chemicals again.

You go to your room. You lie down in bed for a while. You're so tired that you fall fast asleep. Just like that.

When you come to again, it's completely dark. Probably late at night. You wonder why you woke up at this late hour. Your body has the answer. You reluctantly get up and walk to the bathroom. Relieving your biological needs wakes you up a bit. You still let out a yawn as you wash your hands though.

You stop by in the courtyard to breathe in some fresh air. The clear night sky lets you see the slim crescent moon. It reminds you that it'll still be a fortnight or so before a full moon. The skies of Gensokyo are clear; You can clearly see a sea of stars shining brightly. This is the kind of view that's only viewable from places that are distanced from civilization.

It's slightly chilly outside so you don't linger for very long. It's a clear break from the streak of warm nights that have been occurring lately. The cold makes your body demand a little warmth. The logical solution is curling back into bed. You can't find a good position to sleep in. Eventually you end up grabbing Albion and snuggling with her. After that, sleep comes easily.

When you wake up the next day it's mid-morning. You're feeling very well rested. It looks like your body has gotten all of the sleep that it needed. You realize that you're still in time to go to your lessons. Luckily enough. You had forgotten to set your alarm. In fact, the PDA is without charge. You plug it in now. Looks like you won't be able to use it until later. Your sense of duty tells you that you should go to class posthaste. However, there are parts of you (mainly that part that's still worried about something) that tell you that it might be worthwhile to dedicate the whole day to fact-finding. Or you could leave it until later, if you choose to do so at all.

[] Go and teach class
[] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
---
>>9438
Sorry, I misread that first time around. I've purposefully stopped saying the exact date. But if you must know it's been nearly a month since you've arrived to Gensokyo. Getting more specific than that is counterproductive I think.
>>9449
Heh, that might have been an interesting choice. 'Interesting' isn't necessarily always a good attribute, mind you. Also I don't think we have the skills to accurately assess cup size with our bare hands, if you know what I mean.
>>9450
Now there's a question I'd like to answer. So badly. So much that it brings a big goofy grin to my face. But it's best if you find that out by yourselves.

[x] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[x] Stalk Eirin

[x] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[x] Stalk Eirin

And then Shirou was stalker

[x] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[x] Stalk Eirin

Time to watch her shower

[x] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[x] Stalk Eirin
Bandwagon and all that

[x] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[x] Find Alice

You do realize we're probably still being watched by whoever wanted us to get a job in the first place, and that even Alice told us to keep up our normal routine of going to work, as not only would deviating from it seem suspicious, but that we're much safer in the village. Though they probably know we know about Alice's disappearance, it might be wise to still maintain at least some appearance of things being business as usual.

Of course, there's no way that option will win, anyway. And so...

[X] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[X] DON'T stalk Eirin


>>Maybe someone else might know more about it.
A Lunarian note NOT written by anyone in Eientei, that someone else might possibly know something about it. Most likely, someone who is ALSO Lunarian.

Who could that POSSIBLY be, I wonder? I wonder?

Vote changed

[X] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[X] Check on Alice

>Though they probably know we know about Alice's disappearance

The only evidence we have that she disappeared is that she left the door open. We were clearly suffering from a profound paranoia at the time, making our observations suspect.

>Who could that POSSIBLY be, I wonder? I wonder?

I didn't even think of that. That would explain why Eirin was both amused and dismissive about it.

Maybe we ask Alice to go with her on one of her library jaunts, ask Sakuya if she recognizes either the bloody note or the other diary entry.

>>The only evidence we have that she disappeared is that she left the door open. We were clearly suffering from a profound paranoia at the time, making our observations suspect.

First of all, is Alice the type to so much as leave her door unlocked when she isn't home, never mind unlocked AND hanging wide open for anyone to just wander in?

Secondly, there is other evidence as well. Consider the fact she also left her raincoat behind, despite the fact that it was clearly going to rain that day.
There's also the fact that an old Lunarian note was in her house, despite there being no apparent reason for such a thing to be in Alice's possession.
Finally, there's the matter of the tipped-over flower vase spilling a trail of water on the floor, but with no flowers anywhere to be found.


Two items that were there that shouldn't be, and one item that wasn't there but should be. Paranoia or not, there's no way that could be seen as anything other than suspicious.

I have a few things to take care on my end before I can write. Shouldn't be more than an hour or two. I have some of the update already written. Just letting people know because I've been negligent lately, popping off without warning.

Pic unrelated. Probably.

>First of all, is Alice the type to so much as leave her door unlocked when she isn't home, never mind unlocked AND hanging wide open for anyone to just wander in?

MAYBE SHE WAS IN A HURRY? MAYBE SHE DOESN'T LOCK THE DOOR BECAUSE THEN MARISA WOULD BLOW IT OFF ITS HINGES? MAYBE MARISA BROKE IN AND LEFT THE DOOR OPEN?

>Consider the fact she also left her raincoat behind, despite the fact that it was clearly going to rain that day.

MAYBE SHE WAS IN A HURRY? MAYBE SHE FEELS SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT WEARING A RAINCOAT WHEN IT HASN'T STARTED RAINING YET? MAYBE SHE TOOK AN UMBRELLA INSTEAD?

>There's also the fact that an old Lunarian note was in her house, despite there being no apparent reason for such a thing to be in Alice's possession.

SHE GOES TO SDM REGULARLY; MAYBE SHE FOUND IT THERE?

>Finally, there's the matter of the tipped-over flower vase spilling a trail of water on the floor, but with no flowers anywhere to be found.

THE DOOR WAS OPEN; MAYBE AN ANIMAL KNOCKED IT OVER? MAYBE MARISA DID? MAYBE THE FLOWERS DIED AND SHE THREW THEM OUT WITHOUT BOTHERING TO DUMP THE WATER?

The only thing these "clues" add up to is that Shirou is in dire need of antipsychotics.

>>9484
If Alice was in so much of a hurry that she didn't care about even closing the front door, there's no way she'd be concerned enough with the weather to think to bring an umbrella with her. And as for being self-conscious, just because you have a raincoat doesn't mean you have to WEAR it right then and there. She could have just as easily carried it (or had one of her dolls do it) as easily as an umbrella.

As for Marisa, she's the type who would blow the door off the hinges even if it WASN'T locked. If she possessed enough subtlety to NOT blow it up and simply open it normally, then you would think she'd also have the sense to close it when she left, if only to make it less obvious that she had just once again robbed the place.

As for the note, even if Alice found it at the SDM, why would she bring it back to her house? If Eirin's translation is to be believed, it doesn't seem to have any particularly important information on it, and if it was at all incriminating to anyone it's highly unlikely she would give it back to us just like that.

And the vase?
>>As far as you can see there's nothing else that's been disturbed in the room.

If an animal knocks over one thing, it's bound to knock over or mess up at least a couple other things as well. Yet, there was absolutely no indication that anything else was awry in the room.

Besides that, the table the vase was sitting on is also where we found the note. If we're assuming the note was there when the vase was knocked over, then whoever knocked it over should have been able to see the note. And if that person was Marisa, do you honestly believe there's any chance at all that note would have still been there for us to find?

The note, according to Eirin, didn't seem to have anything of interest in it, but there's no way Marisa would be able to know that. She'd likely think it possibly had information on some secret Lunarian magic, and would take it without a second thought.

This is, of course, assuming one particular series of events. For all we know, Alice left her home a couple days ago, for some reason had not yet returned, and someone else opened the door, tipped over the vase, and then specifically left that note there for someone to find. Without some way to establish a timeline and order of events, there's a rather large window in which all of this could have occurred.

[x] Playing hookey is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important
[x] Stalk Eirin

>>9491
>This is, of course, assuming one particular series of events. For all we know, Alice left her home a couple days ago, for some reason had not yet returned, and someone else opened the door, tipped over the vase, and then specifically left that note there for someone to find. Without some way to establish a timeline and order of events, there's a rather large window in which all of this could have occurred.

So to be succinct, we know nothing for certain other than Alice was not in her home at the time.

Yeah.

[x] Playing hooky is fine - there's a lot you can do that's more important

You blow off classes. Sorry Keine. You'll have to come up with an excuse later.

As an official truant, your first order of business is to go to a convenience store and buy a pack of smokes. Or maybe not. You instead grab a quick bite to eat at the kitchen before going to the courtyard to think about things.

You notice that things seem a bit busy this morning. You see Reisen hurrying along while carrying a bunch of things. She's gone before you can even call out to her. A large pack of rabbits also pass by, going in a direction opposite the clinic. They also seem to be preoccupied with something. Ah, what the hell, you might as well follow them for a bit.

You have to be a bit quick on your feet to keep up with them, but it's no big deal. They move about with single-minded purpose. Their determination makes you all the more curious. You know that they have their own secret meetings but some of their behavior can be truly odd. They all duck into an open door and you stop. You take a cautious peek inside of the room.

It looks like it's just one of their regular meetings. A bunch of rabbits crowding around. In the center of it all is their leader. It's like a huge circle of white fluff with a pink spot in the middle. You're found out before you have time to decide whether to eavesdrop or not.

"Ah, come in, come in." The leader's voice tells you with a playful tone. "We were just discussing how there's been a strange lack of excitement lately. Now you show up, it's truly a lucky occurrence."

You take a quick look behind you, there's a small crowd of rabbits standing behind you. A most familiar fellow in the crowd gives you a very convincing look. It looks like you'll be joining the rabbits. You take a few steps inside and the rabbits open up a path to the center of the circle. It's like a receding tide of white. You let out a sigh and walk up to Tewi. The circle closes up again and you sit down on the floor. A couple of rabbits sit besides you, some of them even parking their soft bodies right on top of your legs.

"You're not going to throw me out as per usual?" You ask Tewi, who seems to be a bit preoccupied taking attendance.
"Nope, not at all. This isn't a secret meeting anyways. Just a friendly gathering.."

You look around and see that the rabbits seem to be in a happy mood. What's the point of all of this? You're supposed to be making good use of your time.

"Listen Tewi, I appreciate your invitation and all, but there's a lot that I should be doing right now."
"Like what?" Tewi turns to you with a bright smile. "Acting suspicious around the manor grounds and passing out in Eirin's clinic? Just accept the fact that you're here. It's certainly a lucky thing for you to have found your way here today. I'm feeling e~xtra~ generous."
"Is that a fact?" You reply sarcastically. After what she's put you through you're a bit cautious around her.
"Yeah, that's the case. My rabbits and I were going to celebrate the end of the bug that's going around but instead let's make things interesting."
"Eirin found a cure for the disease?" You ask, interrupting her.
"Yeah, yeah; Eirin, divine intervention, magic, whatever, that's not the point here." Tewi brushes your question off, excitedly continuing her own speech. "Many of these younglings can't drink, so instead we celebrate by playing games. And all of the best games are those which one places a wager. Keeps things more challenging and fun. We do it all the time, right guys?" Tewi asks for a response from the crowd.

Most of the rabbits, including the ones that are pressed against your body start to hop in place. Looks like the mob has spoken.

"See? And I'll tell you what. I'll be nice and let you choose the games. And to make it even more fair we'll make it so that you need two out of three to win." Tewi gives you a shrewd smile. "You can't say no to that, can you?"
"And what would be playing for?" You ask, hoping to at least find a chance of escape.
"I like how you think. Thinking about the prize already." Tewi stops and crosses her arms for a moment, as if thinking. "How about this? If you win you get to ask me or any of the rabbits to do anything for you ? anything? She emphasizes the last part.

That could be good. You can ask her to keep a watch on Kaguya or Eirin or even make her tell you all that you want to know. Hell, she might even know about Alice or the note.

...Wait. No need to get carried away here. You haven't won yet. Nor have you heard what happens if you lose.

"And if I were to lose?"
"Sharp, eh? Just as I would expect from you." Tewi gives you an obviously false compliment. "The reverse would be true. You would have to do whatever I or any of the rabbits told you to do. Fair is fair."
"And if I decline?"
"Your loss then. There's nothing I could do about it I guess." Tewi puts on a hurt look. "Poor little ol' me and the rabbits would have to have fun all by ourselves. I would also feel bad at making you lose such a good opportunity."

Well, there you have it. The proposition is more than clear. Despite her words you feel that you would have a hard time if you declined. The rabbits seem to be eagerly looking at you, waiting for you to make up your mind. Except for that one rabbit off in the corner that seems to be nibbling on something. Something red. It's your old friend and... he's eating raw meat!" You turn away. Some things should never been seen.

[] Take Tewi's challenge on
[] Bow out

If you choose the former, choose up to three games:

[] Three-card monte
[] Blackjack
[] Rock-paper-scissors
[] Odds and evens (Morra)
[] Craps
[] Poker
[] Write-in choice

If the latter, presumably what you would like to do after leaving the rabbits if possible:

[] Check up on Alice again
[] Observe Eirin closely for the day
[] Keep track of Kaguya's movements
[] Explore Eientei thoroughly
[] Go elsewhere
--------
Hopefully I'll be faster now. That is, assuming that I get enough votes.

[x] Take Tewi's challenge on
[x] E-Card

This was my only path.

[x] Take Tewi's challenge on
[x] E-Card

DRILL DRILL DRILL DRILL

[X] Take Tewi's challenge on
[X] Rock-paper-scissors

Do you honestly believe we have any chance of successfully observing Eirin or Kaguya on our own? The rabbits have shown themselves to be adept serving as Eientei's eyes and ears, and now we have a chance of having them working for US for a change. It's the best chance we have at successfully observing Kaguya or Eirin. The only thing we could possibly accomplish on our own is investigating Alice's place again, but even that is doubtful.

As for the game, I think now is the prime time for a good write-in. Aside from rock-paper-scissors, the other games all seem like they would be easy for Tewi to cheat in. We need something with far more even odds.

Rock-Paper-Scissors, huh?

Reminds me of this trick here : http://www.onemanga.com/Hunter_X_Hunter/131/14/

http://www.onemanga.com/Hunter_X_Hunter/132/15/

Mind, Tewi might know that trick anyway...

I listed mostly simple games because I don't want to spend too much time describing the machinations and intricacies of stuff. So mostly straightfoward stuff. All write-ins are welcome here, but bear in mind that something as that might have been as exciting as E-card might not translate very well with the current situation. The only way to do it properly would be to decribe it turn by turn and have you guys decide turn by turn which would be tedious. With stuff like rock paper scissors you have three choices or with blackjack you can simply see your total and make a quick assessment of whether to stay or not.

So yeah, preferably games that can be decided in one or two rounds. that makes it more fair to all the involved.

[x] Take Tewi's challenge on
[x] E-Card
[x] ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA

>Except for that one rabbit off in the corner that seems to be nibbling on something. Something red. It's your old friend and... he's eating raw meat!"

Vorpal rabbit? In my Eientei?

[x] Take Tewi's challenge on
[x] E-Card

>The only way to do it properly would be to describe it turn by turn and have you guys decide turn by turn which would be tedious.

You could just make it a tie until the last round, and flip a coin (or not if Tewi is using luck h4x) to see who gets Slave and who gets the Emperor. Remember that the hand will end automatically whenever someone plays an Emperor or a Slave.

Remember that the potential fudging factors here are Tewi's luck h4x, Shirou's paranoia (making him readable), and possible intercession of the Beer god.

[x] Take Tewi's challenge on
[x] Tic-tac-toe. You get X.

Jewpatterns.

[x] Take Tewi's challenge on

You decide to take Tewi's challenge. It looks like the potential benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

"I'm glad you accepted." Tewi says with a rather large grin on her face. You feel like a deer caught in headlights, unable to look away or move. "Now then, what would you like to play first?"

It takes you a few moments to say your suggestion. You have to explain to Tewi what the game is all about.

"So basically there are three types of cards? The emperor beats the citizen and the citizen beats the slave, who in turn beats the emperor. I think I understand." Tewi is quick to grasp the concept. "Well then, since we're not playing for money the game will end whenever the slave or emperor is bested. Sound good?"

That's satisfactory.

Out of nowhere Tewi produces a deck of cards. She quickly and skillfully separates eight cards. The slave is symbolized by the joker while the emperor by the king of clubs. The rest, the citizens, are normal numbered cards. Who gets the slave and who gets the emperor is determined by a simple coin toss. You end up having to use the slave.

You're a bit tense as the game begins. Tewi looks relaxed, if not a little bored. You decide to play it safe and see what she does first. If you use your slave carelessly that would mean your defeat. And since it's basically a war of attrition it's to your benefit if you wear down her cards. The first card you place is a citizen.

You're relieved to see that when the cards are flipped that she also used a citizen. Both cards are wiped out. You look at Tewi to see if there's been any change in her expression. None at all. She is looking at her hand in stoic manner. The rabbits are the only ones that are even bothering to show a little emotion. About half of them are observing the game, the rest are doing their own thing.

The next two moves are identical. Citizen on citizen. Tewi, as before, looks completely normal. You can't tell if she's genuinely bored or just has an excellent poker face. She looks away from her cards for a moment. And straight at you. She flashes a confident smile as well and places a card in front of you. It looks like you have to follow suit.

This choice isn't that easy. If she placed the emperor only the slave could defeat it. The problem is that if she thinks that you'll hold off and try to finish things with the slave she might use the citizen last, crushing your slave. Or she might think the opposite is true and might be trying to mess with you. She did smile at you, that might mean something. A bluff? Or confidence? You just know that you're lucky that you don't have a drill strapped to your ear. There's a high probability that your eardrum would get pierced.

[] Play the citizen
[] Play the slave

[x] Play the slave

Lets beat lucky Tewi with luck of our own.

And if we win, we get an H-Scene. :awesome:

[x] Play the slave

equal chances are equal. so there's no need to think about it too hard.

>>9510
also,
[x] examine your cards, see if you could tell whether they're marked or not

>>9511
It shouldn't matter since Tewi has already made her move. Theoretically you should have a 1/2 probability of making the right choice. It really should come down to anon's own luck and intuition here.

[x] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

Playing a game of chance against Tewi? Cheat like you mean it, people.

[x] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

Wow, this looks a lot better than just taking a random chance.

[x] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

[x] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

lol? Shiriou and Kaiji in one story.

[X] Play the citizen

We still have a whole day ahead of us to get through, and in case you haven't noticed that whole "tracing" bit tends to wear poor Shirou out.

Remember our time at the tavern? Save the strenuous stuff until the last possible moment.

[x] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

Trace on, motherfucker.

[x] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

[x] Play the slave

[x] Play the slave

[ ] Focus your mind and form a magic circuit. Analyze the composition of Tewi's card.

Magic time.

Maybe I'm missing or misinterpreting something, but just what good is analyzing the composition of the card going to do for us?

It's a playing card. It's made of paper and ink. All you're doing is voting to find out that it's made of PAPER AND FUCKING INK.
Oh, and likely ensuring that Shirou will collapse by the end of the day. Better hope we don't botch something crucial or miss something important as a result.

[x] ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA

You pause for a moment before making your decision. You're overcome by an urge to find out the composition of Tewi's card. However, just reaching out and touching it to analyze it is probably a big no-no. You're not stupid enough to risk creating some sort of incident by acting like an idiot and giving Tewi pretext to call you a cheater. So instead you settle for your own cards. Just from the texture that you feel in your hands you can tell that these cards are made from plastic.

Nice, flexible plastic. You wonder where exactly they were made. You don't think that the society here is advanced enough to be dealing in polymers. Chalk another mystery up on the big board of intrigue. That should make the list grow from a ton of unexplained things to a ton and a few grams. Yeah, the list is also populated by interrogatives such as ?how do they produce electricity here?" and ?who introduced all these different crops to the human village??.

You close your eyes and try to focus. Feeling the material on a structural level. Maybe seeing how the molecules bond and such will give you an advantage somehow. But before you can do so, you're interrupted. A bunny that's sitting next to you nudges you. It's telling you to hurry up. You can feel a few dozen eyes across the room telling you the same.

You make your decision. You play the slave.

"Very well then, let's see the results." Tewi says as she flips over the cards.
"..."

The slave is matched up against the emperor.

"Not bad, I guess you win." Tewi admits her defeat in a most puzzling way. She doesn't seem upset.
"Just like that?" You ask, not quite sure what to make of your victory.
"Just like that. Since you beat me, I get to choose the next game." Tewi seems to think for a moment. "I know, naughts and crosses. It's popular amongst the rabbits. In fact, your opponent will be one of them."

Tewi claps her hands and a single bunny steps forward from the crowd. She clears the cards and takes out a piece of paper and a pencil.

"It's not much but this will have to do." She says. "Since you were the winner, I'll give you the advantage of starting."

You're fine with that. You know how to win a game of tic-tac-toe. Or at least how to not lose one. You start by indicating that you wish your piece to go in the center. Tewi marks it. You opponent sniffs the piece of papers and indicates the move he wishes to make. The bunny is pretty assertive and Tewi marks the spot - one of the corners. You go for the opposite corner next. You hope that you can win this.

The bunny stops for a moment, looks like he's thinking. He looks at the crudely drawn squares and then at you. His eyes tell you everything. He picks his spot. Tewi places a mark at yet another corner. Clever bastard. You can't win this one. But neither can he. You sigh and carry out the next couple of moves with diligence. The outcome is clear. It's a tie.

"A tie, huh?" Tewi seems to ponder what to do. "I guess that since you're challenging us it counts as a loss. You weren't able to beat us."
"Now wait a minute-" You start to protest.
"Don't bother. All of the rabbits here are in agreement."

You look around and see that all the rabbits are indeed offering their support by hopping. You let out a sigh, realizing that you have no way out of this.

"Very well." You say. "But I should pick this last game. This should be the deciding one."
"Go ahead, we're willing to try out anything that you want."

There's a bit of doubt in your mind. You're not sure what might be best. A luck-based game or a more skillful game. You're not sure if your luck will hold out for much longer, but you're not entirely sure that you'll be able to outsmart your opponents either.

[] Rock-paper-scissors
[] Blackjack
[] Poker
[] Simple diceroll
-------
>>9533
No misinterpretation at all. Devil's in the details. But the lack of situational awareness on anon's part does deeply disturb me. I mean accepting a challenge of (mostly) luck and even going as far as imposing the prefered game and THEN deciding that their game is not good enough leaves my mind boggled. Still, I guess ambiguity here helped avert disaster.

Oh and writing-in something here is okay, but really I just chose the most simple things I could think of. No need to complicate things needlessly The poker varient I had in mind was plain ol' draw, but it could be stud if anon wills it.

And insomnia kicked in so I might as well write.

[x] Simple diceroll

SNAAAAAAAAAAAAKE EEEEEEEEEEEYES

[X] Rock-paper-scissors

Face it. They're craftier than we are, so tricking them is highly unlikely. Not only that, but our luck up to this point has, to be blunt, sucked hard. And, Tewi just so happens to have control over luck.

Keep things simple.

[] Poker

[X] Rock-paper-scissors

[X] Rock-paper-scissors

[x] Simple diceroll

Nothing that relies on luck, at least.

[X] Rock-paper-scissors

[X] Rock-paper-scissors

[x] Rock-paper-scissors

You choose the last game. It seems that Tewi will once again be your opponent. This is the deciding game. The rabbits seem to be more interested and almost all of them are staring at your showdown. Tewi seems to be confident, and you do your best to show that you're confident as well.

You put out rock first. A voice tells you that ?rock beats all? so you go with it. It's exciting and you can feel that your heart is beating faster.

It's a draw. Tewi puts out rock as well. She has a devious smile on her face. Did she read your move?

The second time you try with paper, trying to hide your choice until the last moment. From what you can tell from Tewi's movements, she too conceals her choice well. It's another tie. The rabbits seem to be excitedly observing the match. You bet that if you understood what they were saying they'd be whispering and placing bets on the outcome.

The third time you go it's also a tie. And the fourth. And so on. This can't be a mere coincidence. You look at Tewi. She's just silently smiling. It looks like she's toying with you somehow. It makes you feel insecure. Do you have a tell? As far as you know you don't. You've been careful and reading Tewi's movements have also yielded zilch.

It might be time to change tactics. Only by throwing Tewi off or by divine intervention you'll get out of this one. You want to win badly.

[] Pray as you make this final move
[] Attempt to distract Tewi as you play
[] Threaten to walk out if she keeps playing with you
-----
Moment of truth. This is probably better than simply choosing your move, right? Note that this is all in a matter of seconds so it's not like you can do anything very elaborate or hope to combine the choices. Well, at least the first two.

[x] TRACE ON

[x] TRACE ON
Forgot about this.

[x] bluff.

she probably won't fall for this, but try to throw her off by showing signs of attempting to use for example paper, and using either rock (if she decides to end this) or scissors (if she intends to continue)

though knowing her luck, she'll win anyway, so

[x] prepare mentally to become tewi's sex slave
[x] pray to the beer god for help, promise huge offering if you win

>>9568>>9567>>9566

I'm sorry I gave you this idea, guys. It seems Teruyo's Shirou can't determine the structure of things he isn't in direct contact with. Forget it.

[x] Pray
[x] Don't think, feel. Let this be up to chance. (If we don't decide what to play, there will be nothing for Tewi to read. I think)

[x] Pray to the booze god as you make this final move

[X] Attempt to distract Tewi as you play

If Tewi is toying with us, it's either by somehow matching her choice with ours, or influencing our choice to match hers.
I think that she wants to help us, but that we have to be able to EARN that help. As unlikely as it may be to trick the trickster, it's probably the best way to win here.

[x] Attempt to distract Tewi as you play

[X] Attempt to distract Tewi as you play

[x] Pray as you make this final move

[x] Pray as you make this final move

Finally, enough votes to break that split. Writing now. This shouldn't take that long.

[x] Pray as you make this final move

You entrust yourself to the almighty. You close your eyes and pray as hard as you can. Surely your lord and savior will deliver you in this moment of need. You're sure that he knows what it's like to be against a wall and everything riding on a single bet.

As you bring your hand down you see a vision. It's the morning after a huge party at a frat house. Almost everyone has passed out. Only a few resilient warriors stand, gazing upon the chaotic scene. The one in the center is looking right at you. He emits an aura, something akin to a magical presence. You're draped in it. You can almost taste the beer. This taste brings a tear to your eye. It's the most awesome and holy taste ever. You feel like you've been enlightened. The man standing in the middle then utters a singe phrase to you.

"Scissors."

You open your eyes. You've already set out your hand. Your middle and index finger assertively form the shape of a pair of scissors. You slowly lift up your gaze to see what your opponent has played.

...

This is it, you've won! You can't believe it, but you see Tewi's open palm and quickly look back to your own hand. Scissors! Scissors beats paper! Katta!

Tewi congratulates you with a grin on her face.

"Well, well. Looks like you beat me. Who would have thought?" She looks around at the rabbits. "Right guys?" The rabbits look around as well, seemingly concurring.
"..."You say nothing, letting her enjoy her theatrics.
"Now, fair is fair. As promised you can ask anything from me or any of the rabbits here. They'll comply. But make it good." She shows you a strange grin. It makes her look a bit deranged, to be frank. "This goes without saying, but no 'I make you my slaves'. Single command from any of us. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair at all. I'm sure if the tables were reversed you'd expect the same treatment."

Now what? You can ask whatever you want. You look around and see that most of the rabbits are staring at you. You spot that familiar rabbit. He's got various red stains around his mouth... creepy. You could even ask something of him if you wanted. It might be best if you asked something from Tewi, though. She's given you a lot of trouble and this might make up for most of it.

[] Ask Tewi to share all of her information on the residents here
[] Ask Tewi to keep watch on all of the residents here and report to you
[] Ask her to investigate something else
[] Ask that rabbit to be nice to you from now on
-------
I've kept the other *obvious* choices off the list on purpose. Since it doesn't serve a practical purpose (or at least not an immediate help to the things that seem to worry anon). I'm not against them. She did say she'd do anything. But you'll just have to write it in if you want it.

>>9570
I've tried to keep Shirou's abilities a bit toned down. It's fine as a joke but I think that we're far removed enough from FSN to warrant differences. Especially since the nature of this 'power' is oh so different. If you took the time to see the times when we used it before you'd realize it. We're not going to be projecting Caliburn anytime soon.

[] Ask Tewi to keep watch on all of the residents here and report to you

[X] Have amazing sex orgy with Tewi
[X] Afterwards, ask Tewi to keep watch on all of the residents here and report to you

Completely serious. Honestly, there's little hope of sex with anyone else but Alice...

*shudder*

[x] Ask Tewi to share all of her information on the residents here

Tewi said "A single command". I wouldn't put it past her to say "You blew it, kid." when you ask her to keep watch and report back to you.

>>Completely serious. Honestly, there's little hope of sex with anyone else but Alice...

>>*fapping*

Fixed for great justice.

>>9593
>>9589
Best of both worlds?

>>9592
Who knows what that rabbit is thinking?

[x] "Hey Tewi, what's sex?"

>>9594
I demand the rest of this.

If the illness has been cured, then are we to assume Tewi's original offer to exchange info is no longer on the table? Granted, it's not like we tried to accept it, nor have we been around Kaguya or Eirin long enough to notice anything unusual from either of them.

Still, I'm wondering why she asked us to keep an eye on them for her in the first place. Unless the shortage of healthy rabbits meant she couldn't get any of the bunnies to do it for her, I wouldn't think they would have any more trouble observing Kaguya and Eirin than we would. If anything, you would think they'd have an easier time of it. They're smaller, faster, more knowledgeable about the layout of Eientei, and probably know more than a few secrets about the place.

Anyhoo.

[X] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

If we ask her to keep watch on everyone, she'll have to keep watch on EVERYONE. Even if she employs the other bunnies for the task, the more focused their efforts are, the more effective they're bound to be. I don't think there's any need to keep Reisen under observation, and they'll be observing us whether we want them to or not. Eirin, I'm finding myself less suspicious of. We've seen her around often enough, and by all appearances it would seem she really was just busy with treating those rabbits. Not to say we shouldn't be wary of her still, though.

I'm mostly curious about Kaguya. If she's spending less and less time even in her own room, then she must be going somewhere, and I'd like to know where that is, what she does when she gets there, and whoever she might be dealing with.

[X] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

Liking what >>9597 is thinking about.

[X] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

[X] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

[X] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

Eirin's been rather evasive lately.

[x] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

>>9596
Sauce is "Dochigikuniikurusu 3 anata ga daisuki rai"
http://rapidshare.com/files/100508428/_pom__dochigikuniikurusu_3_anata_ga_daisuki_rai__touhou_marissa_tewi_doujin_.rar

I'm sort of proud of anon. You didn't go for the obvious sex scene and instead went for the rational choice. Despite how hot it might have been. I honestly expected a bit more pressure from that lobby. Best leave sex scenes with Tewi for her path. My faith in you lot has been partially restored. Anyways, I'm coming off as too preachy; Not my intention. I'll be writing now.

>>9603
>>My faith in you lot has been partially restored.

Really? I'm kind of frightened, myself. After all the times I've tried using reason only to have it seemingly fall on deaf ears, it's kind of unsettling to see them actually listening for a change. Especially since Alice's status is still unknown, and as far as I can tell they've so far passed up at least three opportunities to get more information regarding her.

The Alicefags seemed so gung-ho for her above all else, so I'm rather curious about why the sudden shift in attitude now.

Dammit, I wanted a sex scene with Tewi.

>>9604
I try not think about it too much. Gives me headaches. Keep at it with the logic maybe they'll listen more in the future. Then again, maybe not. This IS anon we're talking about.

Oh and when I said I was writing? I lied. I'm actually only just starting now.

[X] Ask Tewi to keep watch on Eirin and Kaguya and report to you

You think that you'll put Tewi's intelligence network into use.

"Tewi, do you think that you could keep an eye on Eirin and Kaguya? And report to me regularly?"
"Is that your request?" Tewi seems to be bemused.
"Yep. I figure that your network can keep a pretty solid watch on them."
"So basically instead of trading information with me, you want me to do all of the heavy lifting?"
"You could put it that way." The thought of having her do something useful for you makes you smile. "It should be fine, right? A deal's a deal."
"Oh it's fine." Tewi assures you. "I half-expected you to demand something like this." She then gets up and you can see a mischievous grin on her face. "Of course, that didn't stop me from hoping that you'd choose something more interesting. Still, a promise is a promise."

Tewi walks through the mob of rabbits and towards the door. She opens the door.

"Alright guys, party is over. Let's meet up at the next spot later.."

With her words, the rabbits begin to shuffle towards the outside. They leave in an orderly manner, leaving the room an utter mess. There's fluff and garbage everywhere. You hadn't noticed how the rabbits trashed the place. Among the last to leave is your old buddy, he left a rather large mess in a corner. Something that you would rather not describe. Needless to say, you're going to stay away from meat for a while.

When the last rabbit has left, Tewi turns to you.

"I'll be in touch later. Probably have something for you by tomorrow evening. Don't bother to look for me, I'll find you." There's a sense of urgency to her words. "I have to get going now. See ya!"

She starts to dash. A few seconds after you hear a familiar voice yell something out.

"Tewi! Get back here! I thought I told you not to use any of the rooms!" The owner of the voice runs past the open door, in hot pursuit.

Man Reisen looks pissed. But it relieves you to know that Tewi was being hasty just because she was escaping from Reisen. Still, how did she know she was coming? Talk about being perceptive. Or maybe it's just a question of luck. Either way, she's always one step ahead of the rest.

You get up yourself. You don't want Reisen to come back and associate you with this mess. You're through upsetting her. You take one glance again into the room and shake your head. You definitely hope that the rabbits never come into your own room.

This whole ordeal with the rabbits took away a whole chunk of the morning for you. You still have a lot of time left in the day, and with some of your problems solved you can focus on other tasks. A couple of ideas come into mind.

[] Check up on Alice again
[] Explore Eientei - there's a lot you don't know about this place
[] See how Mokou's doing
[] Go to school anyways, excuse yourself for not being in that morning
[] Other idea

[] Go to school anyways, excuse yourself for not being in that morning

[x] See how Mokou's doing

Seeing how Mokou is doing seems rather out-of-the-blue. Though, it could just be that it never came up before since we were always occupied with our job during the day, and hanging out at home at night, still...

As that would require going outside, we can also check up on some other things once we're done, like going back to Alice's, or stopping by the SDM to see if a certain someone might know something about that note we found. If nothing else, it might get some interesting reaction.

On the other hand, I can't help but think that scouring Eientei might be worthwhile, since we still have the day to ourselves. As unhelpful as Mr.(?) Cloak was for the most part, he might be on to something when he told us:
>>Oh and one final thing - there are many relics that might of interest to you just lying about.

My inner-kleptomaniac, nurtured and trained by many years of looting homes in RPGs and picking up seemingly random knickknacks in survival horror games is greatly intregued by this and would like to know more.

Plus, searching Eientei would mean staying inside, which in turn would mean we wouldn't be at risk of someone spotting us playing hookie from school. As long as we stay inside, we can just explain it away to Keine as us falling slightly ill due to getting caught in the rain, and needing a day to recover, which technically isn't untrue. If we go running around outside, however, just about anyone is bound to spot us, and it wouldn't be long before Keine finds out. Not only would she be likely to get mad at us shirking our responsibility, but also for setting a bad example for the students.

[X] See how Mokou's doing

I still think checking out Eientei might be the "safer" option, though we could still find ourselves in trouble should we wind up seeing something we weren't meant to, or accidentally set off the security system again. Still, there's no telling what useful stuff we could find.

...well, no. The safest option would be to go to school and do your job. Keine might be ticked, but so long as we have a good explanation and do our job well, it wouldn't last long. But that would mean less time to do other things. Still, at least we know we'll be getting some info from Tewi, so it's not like the day would be a total loss, no matter what we choose.

But I digress. I'm curious to see what Mokou has been up to since we last saw her. Our last meeting wasn't exactly under the most ideal circumstances. Assuming we can even find her, of course...

[] Check up on Alice again

[X] See how Mokou's doing

I get the feeling we're leaning towards heading out for the day. Just remember that if we manage our time well, there's no reason we can't do everything we might want or need to do while we're out.

I recommend checking up on Mokou first, and then heading over to Alice's. While we haven't seen Alice for a while, it's been even longer since we last saw Mokou, and as much experience as she's had facing Eientei's security systems as well as our dear "buddy", it would be in our best interests to keep in contact with her. Especially if our lovely NEET is going to become a threat to us in some way.

While we might not know where Mokou tends to hang out during the day, it's bound to be somewhere in the general area of the Bamboo Forest or the Human Village, both of which we would have to go through to get to the Forest of Magic. Aside from the time it might take to track the immortal down and chat with her when/if we find her, there really isn't any other down-side to seeking her out first. It wouldn't take us out of our way, and since we know the area well enough, there's minimal chance of us getting lost. Worst case scenario, we don't find her, and we're just out whatever time we spent looking for her. A minor delay, really, as we would still be well on our way to our other destination.

{?} See how Mokou's doing

[X] See how Mokou's doing

[X] See how Mokou's doing

[X] See how Mokou's doing

[X] See how Mokou's doing

Fine. But then Alice. And then to SDM to question Sakuya over both the Lunarian notes we have.

[x] See how Mokou's doing

Among those ideas, you find that the prospect of going to see Mokou is a good one. You haven't seen her in a while and, while you're not intimate friends, you still have a good time when you're around her.

There's a brief pit stop. You take your PDA with you as well wash your face. You think you smell of rabbit. Which in turn sort of smells like a pet store. Cologne would be nice. But alas, you don't have that particular luxury. As you leave Eientei, you hear Reisen still yelling at Tewi. They're still at it. If this is a usual occurrence then you pity poor Reisen.

You realize that you have a problem as you walk through the bamboo forest and towards the human village. You don't know where Mokou is. You have some idea where she might be. But that's no guarantee that you'll find her. She's an independent type, moving about at will, never staying in one place for too long. You mull over your choices as you near the edge of the forest.

The first known hangout would be Keine's house. She doesn't stay there all the time. You've seen her there only a couple of times in fact. And then from your talk with her, you think that there's two other places where she might be. One would be somewhere in the outskirts of the bamboo forest, somewhere around where you are. Or maybe deeper inside the forest. The other place would be inside the human village somewhere. You know that she has stores she frequents and probably gets food there as well. You could always ask the villagers as an added bonus.

The drawbacks to searching each of these places is self-evident. But you've got time to waste and you're determined to find her somewhere.

[] Check Keine's home
[] Look for her in your general area, going a bit deeper into the forest if necessary
[] Look around the village for her
[] On second thought, seeing her isn't that important
----
Oh hay, this update was supposed to come like 12 hours ago. But meh.

[] Look for her in your general area, going a bit deeper into the forest if necessary

There's nothing to be afraid of in this forest.

[x] Look for her in your general area, going a bit deeper into the forest if necessary

If we go to the village, we'll be caught playing hooky.

in b4 we find our Spirit Dinosaur or experience some other kind of hallucination

[x] Look for her in your general area, going a bit deeper into the forest if necessary

[X] Look for her in your general area, going a bit deeper into the forest if necessary

May the Booze Lord be our guide.

[x] Look for her in your general area, going a bit deeper into the forest if necessary

You decide to look in the general vicinity for Mokou. Right now you're almost at the human village. The bamboo thicket is less dense here and you have pretty good visibility. At the periphery of the forest, you can only see the odd villager. You take a few steps off the path and into the foliage. If Mokou's moving, there's little chance that you'll find her. But odds are that she's probably at a clearing or maybe even a cave. You figure her for the type to know secret spots in the forest.

It actually doesn't take you that long to find her. Much to your surprise.

You were moving through the bamboo, heading in deeper. You reached a clearing and stopped to rest for a moment. When you sat down for a bit to catch your breath you looked up at the sky. And then you saw it. A plume of smoke rising up in the air. Unmistakably coming from within the forest. You then got up and went towards the direction of the smoke. For some reason you assumed it was Mokou. Or at the very least a campfire or something.

You reached the source of the smoke in just a few minutes. Inside of a rather spacious clearing was a small campfire. Mokou stood to it's side, mumbling something to herself. A somehow fitting scene. You see that her wardrobe is back to normal. You could recognize those pants from a mile away. She notices your trampling of the underbrush and turns.

"Ah, it's you." Her first words shows relief.
"Expecting someone else?"
"Not really. Say, aren't you supposed to be teaching?" Her first question is quite direct. So much so that it makes you feel a bit guilty for ditching class.
"Ah, well... you see..."
"Don't bother answering that. I can tell from your attitude." Mokou grins.
"What's the grin for?"
"Well, if you must know, I'm just surprised that you would bail on Keine like that. But then again she must have been driving you mad with her teaching, right?"
"No, it's nothing like that. I just have my reasons." You say, then adding a crucial line. "You won't tell her about this, will you?"
"It's no business of mine, kid." Mokou almost proudly proclaims. "How didja find me? I was sure that no one followed me."
"Well, sorry to say, but it was kind of obvious." You point to the small campfire.
"Oh, right, smoke. When I'm around fire I forget that there's tell-tale signs."

Mokou stares at the small fire intently. Her eyes seem to sparkle as she watches the flames dance. It makes you stare at the fire as well. It is sort of captivating to see how even in such a small fire there's so much movement.

"What's the fire for?" You ask in a bit of a daze.
"It's for a project of mine that I've been thinking about for a while now."
"Project? What is it?"
"Ehh... you know. Stuff.."

She's being evasive. You press a bit more.

"Come on, tell me." You shift your gaze to her.
"...Promise not to laugh?" Mokou asks you reluctantly.
"I'll try my best."
"Okay." She lets out a big sigh. "I thought that maybe I would open a yakitori stand someday. Just a pipe dream, really."
"A yakitori stand?" Strangely suitable. "And what does this fire have to do with it?"
"I was going to see if I could manage to make some. But then I realized that I didn't have any charcoal. So I instead lit up a small fire to vent my frustration. Silly, right?"

Well, it is sort of silly. In a lovable pyromaniac sort of way. Still, Mokou cooking. It's not something you would have imagined her doing. Although something grilled like that might suit her. You're sure that she doesn't depend on Keine for all of her meals, so she should at least have some cooking ability.

Mokou lets out another sigh. She then kicks some dirt onto the fire, putting it out. She makes sure it's out. She places her hands on her suspenders, plucking them alternatively.

"So, that's that." She says. "Tell me kid, why are you here? I don't think you were randomly strolling through the forest, now were you?"
"Well, I wanted to see you." You tell her the truth. You're feeling quite envious. You wish you had suspenders too.
"See me? Got a crush on me or something? I doubt your princess would approve." She says with a grin. "Or other people for that matter." She says thoughtfully.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Nothing." She clicks her tongue. "Don't mind me. I'm just a bit pissed at my own stupidity. Don't let it get ta ya kid."
"Well, whatever." You say coming a bit closer to where the fire once burnt.

[] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit
[] Ask Mokou if she would be your body guard.
[] Tell Mokou you don't know why you came to see her
[] Ask her if she hasn't, by chance, seen Alice
[] Other write-in option goes here

[] Confess your undying love for Mokou.......
[X] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit

[X] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit

[X] Mention Keine's mood the last time you saw her, how she brushed off your inquiries about it, and ask why she might have been so down.

Hopefully it's not due to anything we did, though if it was it would certainly explain why she wouldn't tell us.

...of course, I'd worry how genuine our concern might seem considering we basically ditched the poor lady that day, and left her to teach alone today to play games with the bunnies and traipse about the forest to find Mokou. Still, it seems worthwhile to check out.

[X] Ask her if she's noticed anything at all unusual lately, be it in the forest, the village, or anywhere else.
[X] Tell her about some of the unusual things that you've been experiencing or noticing, such as Kaguya being away more and more often, about the fact that someone is apparently watching you, possibly playing some strange mind-game with you, and for some reason seems to want you to know about it.

[x] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit

[x] Confess, undying love, Mokou, etc.
[X] Mention Keine's mood the last time you saw her, how she brushed off your inquiries about it, and ask why she might have been so down.

[X] Ask her if she's noticed anything at all unusual lately, be it in the forest, the village, or anywhere else.
[X] Tell her about some of the unusual things that you've been experiencing or noticing, such as Kaguya being away more and more often, about the fact that someone is apparently watching you, possibly playing some strange mind-game with you, and for some reason seems to want you to know about it.

Just want to throw something out there for you guys.

Mokou just opened up to us about something she clearly didn't feel all that secure about sharing. Rather than just ignoring her sharing her dream with us to focus on our objectives, perhaps we should encourage her? That's what friends do, right?

>>9645
We'll do that before we leave.

In fact,
[x] Encourage Mokou to open a yakitori stand before you leave, tell her you'll be her first customer
just in case Teruyo decides to make Shirou wander off without another conversation option.

>>9646
Well, that very much depends on what you say and do. If you claim that there's a bus out of control and it can't go below 50 miles per hour or it'll explode and the two of you are the only ones that can save the people on board then you can bet your ass that things might get cut short. I'm not restricting you on combining things here, be they write-ins or not. Nor saying that you will or will not have time. But, as always, you should prioritize things. And not realistically except people to just listen for hours at a time or drop all that they're doing to pay you attention.

Well, this vote isn't really well-defined yet. I'd like to write only when there's a larger representation and full breadth of opinion. Since thus far none of the choices have been terrible. It's a question of seeing what you prefer. Or to wait for a messiah.

tl;dr You'll get a chance to talk nice with people more than once. No need to feel rushed or desperate.

>>9647
I'm just saying we should throw it out there as we're saying goodbye. Like "Oh, one last thing" or something. There shouldn't be any reason we can't, I'm just not sure there would be a vote at that time.

>>9648
And he's apparently saying that, depending on what you say, there might not be enough time FOR goodbyes.

Mokou seems the type who, under certain circumstances, might suddenly bolt off and/or cut a visit short without giving you the chance to even say "bye" let alone anything else you might have wanted to tell her.

[x] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit
[x] Encourage Mokou to open a yakitori stand before you leave, tell her you'll be her first customer

[x] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit
[x] Mention Keine's mood the last time you saw her, how she brushed off your inquiries about it, and ask why she might have been so down.
[x] Encourage Mokou to open a yakitori stand before you leave, tell her you'll be her first customer

[] Confess your undying love for Mokou.......
of only...
[X] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit
THEN
[x] Encourage Mokou to open a yakitori stand before you leave, tell her you'll be her first customer

[x] Invite Mokou to your room in Eientei for a hot threesome with Kaguya
[x] Duck and cover

I seem to be in a bit of a slump. Maybe eating a hearty meal will fix that. Until then don't expect anything. I might write up a brief summary of events and relationships if people are interested. I should be able to do at least that much.

>>9717
Go for it.

[x] Tell Mokou that you just wanted to hang out with her for a bit
[x] Mention Keine's mood the last time you saw her, how she brushed off your inquiries about it, and ask why she might have been so down.
[x] Encourage Mokou to open a yakitori stand before you leave, tell her you'll be her first customer

Our story thus far (or how a series of seemingly-random clusterfucks could evolve into a story):

Young lad, and protagonist, Shirou Emiya was one day teleported from his dingy small apartment to the magical land of Gensokyo. His hosts and benefactors in this land were none other than the reclusive and mysterious bunch at Eientei. Shirou had known Kaguya, a princess hailing from the moon, via the regular chats he had had with her on the internet. He met the main rabbit, Reisen, and the owner of the local clinic and confidant of Kaguya, Eirin, on the first day. It was not until several days later that he would meet the final main resident, the mischievous and de facto leader of the rabbits, Tewi. It is worth noting that during the second day, Shirou went to the human village with Reisen, meeting Keine (by interrupting her class). He talked to her, telling her of the outside world. After a few drinks Shirou was led to meet Keine's friend, Mokou. She escorted a still unaccustomed-to-gensokyo Shirou back to Eientei.

Initial interactions with the residents and environment established that Shirou was gifted with a higher-than-normal charisma. This seemed to be counteracted by a propensity to collapse during stressful and physically intense situations. A particularly bad incident rendered Shirou unconscious for a day or so. Eirin claimed that her medicine would cure him of all future episodes, but similar occurrences later would all but discredit that notion.

While checking out the bushes outside his window at the clinic, Shirou met Mokou. An alarm for a security system was triggered, prompting a hasty flight. Mokou led Shirou on towards an abandoned cave, all the while avoiding the rockets and traps that Eientei had as a security system. In an act of chivalry, or maybe selfish projection, Shirou shared a blanket with her as they spent the night in the cave. The next day, Shirou met a number of other people on his way back to Eientei. The black-white clothed girl hunting for mushrooms and the initially reserved doll maker.

When Shirou got back to Eientei, he found out that the residents were worried about him, particularly his long-time correspondent. A series of events over the next couple of days would see Shirou wander Gensokyo in search for Kaguya, go and get drunk at a very peculiar tavern, and begin to spend less and less time at his new home. Even though the search for Kaguya ended up with Shirou completely missing her, it let him interact more with some of the players of the land and as such perhaps help him deal with his uncertain heart.

Through a series of entanglements and estrangements, Shirou distanced himself from several characters and became more intimate with others. Notable was the night of the moon-gazing festival. The rabbits all pounded mochi and Shirou invited several of his new acquaintances. Besides a rift that would be later healed with Eirin, it was around then that he started to drift apart from the other residents and in particular from his good friend Kaguya. It would seem that with every step forward there would be another backwards, sometimes even several at a time.

Relations warmed with two of the people that were not there at the festival, the schoolteacher and her friend. So much so that until the present moment, there have been at least two 'date' incidences with Keine and several other fun and enjoyable moments. This is further complicated by the fact that a lot of amorous affection was doled out to other characters, including to the doll maker. Hints of a complicated relationship between her and her friend Marisa did certainly not help. Especially since most interactions with Marisa seemed to end with Shirou doing something stupid, like stealing books out of a rather large mansion or getting wasted.

Eventually hints of things occurring not directly tied in to Shirou's stupidity began to happen. Well, it was always there. After all Eirin needed Shirou for some purpose which has not yet made clear, going as far as training him, surreal and strange dreams hinted as much, and the way he was handled by complete strangers might have been cause for worry. But that's beside the point. Fantasy began to become blurred with reality. Sometimes certain things that felt so real were just simply dreams. A mysterious organization, alluded to by Kaguya, told him to get a job. For evaluation purposes. The lunar princess seemed impotent to prevent their will from being carried out. Inquiring into the matter via the local miko yielded nothing substantial.

Strange events like obvious hallucinations, seemingly warping to different places, and that rabbit being nice for no good reason. Also compounding the matter was a mysterious illness going around the rabbits, similar in some regards to what Shirou felt at times. It still remains to be seen what caused all of this, and were these events at all related with one another.

Eventually Shirou got a job as a teacher at the local school. The work was easy enough. Nothing very exciting happened during most of the days. Until that is that one of the girls that he had romanced warned him of disturbing information that she had come across. Things have been at best uneasy since then. Both Kaguya and Reisen have all but faded into the background. The time Shirou spends now with them is almost negligible. It doesn't help that Alice's current whereabouts are unknown, intense paranoia might strike at will, and his body seems to be suffering from intense stress as well. A lot of things seem to be changing on a daily basis, including others' disposition towards him. Building an alliance of trusted friends is difficult, and might even lead to a premature downfall of an already uneasy situation.

There you have it. A VERY glossed-over summary of the narrative. A lot of people, events, and situations have been omitted. I'll write some basic character relationships in another post. That might give some more insight into current affairs.

Kaguya is the mistress of Eientei and long-time friend of Shirou. The two started corresponding over the internet and this lead to her bringing Shirou across the border. The exact reasons why are unknown. She's a beautiful princess. Fact that is sometimes forgotten by Shirou as he unwinds with her with their common interests. In the past, she has shown to care for Shirou; Going to pray at a shrine for his health and worrying when he's out late. Just how close she is to Shirou is up to debate. Both sides have kept each other at arms length, notably during a series of 'heart-to-hearts' they've had. Despite at times acting laid-back and ditzy even, she has been the harbinger of serious news lately - telling Shirou that it's imperative to get a job and that he's under observation. She sleeps during irregular hours, and has particular eating habits. For the last few days of the chronicle, her presence has been almost completely subdued, perhaps even missing. Whether it's just a natural result of the lack of attention and estrangement brought upon by events, or something else entirely is up for debate. Lives at Eientei, usually found in her room and rarely beyond its confines.

The de facto leader of Eientei is Eirin. Lunarian sage and close friend and ally to Kaguya, Eirin tends to direct most matters. From handing out instructions to her liaison with the rabbits, to proving and income (not that it's ever been hinted that they lack a sizable treasury) Eirin is the acting steward and administrator. She runs the clinic as well, spending most of the time caught up in research and investigation. Patients seem rare; Most of the recent ones were sick rabbits. She's a calm and collected person, perhaps to the point of deviousness. She claimed to be impressed with Shirou and taught him lunarian science, in hopes to get his help on an unspecified problem. It's not easy to tell from her normal behavior, but she's a good conversationalist like Kaguya and is just as warm - if not more so when the situation calls for it. She has directly assisted Shirou many times, perhaps even saving his life on several occasions. There's an undeniable bond between her and Shirou. But whether it's an affectionate bond, one of necessity, or even one created by a devilish plot is up for speculation. She may be the only person at Eientei with whom Shirou may speak candidly. Not that it happens very often. Might as well live at the clinic, proper sleeping quarters unknown.

The supposed leader of the rabbits is Reisen. She's from the moon, like Kaguya and Eirin. She takes care of the running of Eientei and she's also an assistant at the clinic. She calls Eirin 'master' and defers to her for most matters. Her relationship with Shirou isn't very clear. For both parties. There have been... complicated situations in which she's found Shirou trespassing on her property or privacy. But she's appreciated the help that he gives her, and when Shirou has been ill she's been amongst the most worried. But it just might be personal ethics and that level-headed personality that causes her to treat people like that. It's not awkward being with her, as the picnic showed, but it's not like her and Shirou are the best of friends either. Or even potential love interests. After a debacle involving Tewi, it's not very clear what she thinks of Shirou or his proposals. Or perhaps interest in her has long been replaced by interest in other characters. Her presence has been relegated to the sidelines, seemingly due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. She lives in Eientei, in a room near Shirou's.

The true leader of the rabbits is Tewi. Being an earthborn youkai rabbit, she's been around for a long while. It's her that gives the orders to the playful bunch of rabbits. And her orders and seldom in the best interest of Reisen and the other inhabitants of Eientei. Shirou has met with her only a handful of times. She seems almost elusive and skittish. It's clear that Shirou does not trust her much. Being almost buried alive seems to have that effect on people. Still, she's offered her help to Shirou; First as part of a mutual deal, but now due to the outcome of a series of 'fair games' is doing it out of her sense of duty. Still, like lady luck, she tends to be fickle. Shirou probably does not understand what goes through her mind. Lives somewhere in Eientei, coming and going.

The relationship with Keine is another one that's ambiguous. While Shirou has generally gotten along with her, going as far as teaching her how to dance, nothing beyond friendship would be certain here. He's stayed over at her house after a couple of incidents involving alcohol. Leaving late at night and walking alone in Gensokyo doesn't seem like a good idea ever. Despite a strong interest and a series of interactions with her, lately things have seemed to cooled down. Keine would be another character that is seemingly fading into the background, be it because of other pressing matters or shifting opinions and goals. At least Shirou still works with her at the school, but perhaps that too will come to an end soon. Lives in the human village and teaches most of the week at the local school.

Things with Mokou are different. She might as well be called a friend. But truth is that Shirou has only been around her a handful of times. She's been embroiled in a bitter conflict with Eientei for a long while. But her aloof mannerisms and easygoing attitude cover that aspect of her life very well. Still, she treats Shirou naturally, and the feeling is mutual. She serves as a guide to people who need to find Eientei, despite being at odds with some of the residents. Shirou has seen firsthand what a bloody mess she can become after a particularly nasty encounter. It's something hard to reconcile with the facets that he has seen of his acquaintances. Usually found around Keine or wandering off somewhere near Eientei.

Alice is the reserved doll maker. She warmed up to Shirou when he showed his love for dolls and figures, even gifting him with Albion. She's also the only character with which Shirou has repeatedly and consistently shown his love for. This makes her, perhaps in the eyes of others, Shirou's girlfriend. There is affection there, to be sure, but how serious and thorough it is on her side isn't exactly determined. Things between the two have certainly created a dynamic and possibly a safe haven from the sinister plots and plans of third parties. Then again all of that may be moot if Shirou casts other people's help away and decides to face things on his own. She's also distinguished by being the only major presence in Shirou's life that doesn't have even indirect interaction with Eientei. Well, the fuss she's raised over Shirou might prove otherwise. Lives in the forest of magic, near Marisa. Current location unknown.

And then there's the other characters with whom Shirou has dealt with. From the flippant and happy-go-lucky Marisa, to the dirt poor Miko, to the Junk shop owner. Or the (legally 'missing') tengu reporter. They've all contributed somewhat in shaping Shirou's experiences in Eientei, and perhaps will be of help later as well. Who is to say that any of them might not have insight on one of the many mysteries that appear to be unsolvable?

There you go. Wrote summaries for the characters that I could be assed to, as well as their basic relationship with the protagonist. Don't read too much into it, I tried to mix some of Shirou's perspective with other known information.

>>For the last few days of the chronicle, her presence has been almost completely subdued, perhaps even missing.

>>Her presence has been relegated to the sidelines, seemingly due to circumstances beyond anyone's control.

>>Keine would be another character that is seemingly fading into the background, be it because of other pressing matters or shifting opinions and goals. At least Shirou still works with her at the school, but perhaps that too will come to an end soon.

I don't like this trend that's been developing.

Jesus, that's long.
no other writer goes to such lengths to provide help for his readers, expect maybe HY.

I have a plan on getting some really good advice from an unlikely source. I'll describe it when Shirou gets some free time to Himself.

Operation: AnoNEET

>>9727
It's only really helpful if we actually do something useful with it. Hopefully, we will.

For starters, it seems it would be a good idea to catch up with some of the characters we haven't been seeing so much of lately. Reimu wasn't of much help last time, but she might still know something, or at least offer a different perspective on some things. Marisa, if nothing else, is bound to know something about what Alice has been occupied with since we last saw her. And Aya, if she's still been doing her job, must surely have some juicy bit of info and/or gossip that might be of interest to us. Assuming we can keep our hands off (or rather, ON?) her long enough for her to share it.

As for the others...

Kaguya - Our lovely, lovely NEET is apparently a lost cause. As much as it pains me to say so. At least we can still try to figure out what her intentions towards us are. Even though our "nocturnal visit" seemed to indicate she was somehow working against us, the fact that we technically don't remember it means we'll have to seek out something more concrete.

Eirin - Right now, apparently the ONLY one in Eientei we can more or less seek out almost whenever we want to. She might be plotting something sinister involving us, or perhaps she might not. At least with her we can still make some effort to bond and build our relationship with her. If she's not against us, she would be an invaluable ally. If she is...well, at least she might feel a slight pang of guilt before driving the knife into our back. Maybe.

Reisen - If her suspicions about our motives for taking her out on that picnic are any indication, our past fuck-ups and actions involving her have basically destroyed her trust and opinion of us. Not enough that she wouldn't go out with us at all, but enough to question us. We might still be able to salvage something, but it will take a lot more work and NON-fucking up to rebuild things between us.

Tewi - Solid support character. We don't see her too much, but since that's been the way with her since the beginning, it's nothing to be alarmed by. Just make sure that when she does present herself, to make it count. She can help us in ways that nobody else can, so fucking things up with her is a BIG NO-NO.

Mokou - Amazingly, we haven't fucked up with her too much, though how much of that we owe to not being around her long enough to do so, I don't care to guess. Play our cards right, and she'll be a pretty solid buddy, though. Romance is out of the question at this point, but I'd still like to at least get drunk with her, have a drunken back-and-forth of slurred "I love you, man," "No, I love YOU man" lines followed by us going to set something on fire and then passing out.

Keine - Of all the people drifting away from us, I think we still have some chance of changing things with her for the better, though leaving her while she was in an obvious funk and now ditching her to play hookie probably isn't helping to that end. We've drank together, danced together, slept over numerous times, and even used her ass as a pillow. Even if you're not going to romance her, do you really want to let someone like that grow cold on you? HELL NO.
REMEMBER THE BUTT-PILLOW!

Alice - You know that whole "current location unknown" bit? Might want to look into that. Someone uncovering information crucial to your continued survival suddenly disappearing is rarely a good sign. Unless they've gone into hiding willingly. Then the danger doesn't come until we seek her out, find her, and unwittingly reveal her location to whoever wanted to silence her in the process.

>If her suspicions about our motives for taking her out on that picnic are any indication, our past fuck-ups and actions involving her have basically destroyed her trust and opinion of us.

I think her suspicions were more the result of a life of being used by Eirin and lied to by Tewi. Then again, that might mean she's even more a lost cause.

>>9747
Don't forget our own somewhat inconsistent actions around her.
We tell her we're in love with her, but it turns out getting played off as a prank with Tewi. We tell her we're taking experimental drugs in her stead out of concern for her well-being, and then shortly afterwards embarrass her in front of Eirin and then violate her privacy by going into her room and rummaging through her closet.

While her wondering if we hand an "angle" in taking her out like we did might have more to do with the way she's treated by Eirin and Tewi than us, it's hard to deny that our own behavior hasn't really helped matters.

>>9748
>We tell her we're taking experimental drugs in her stead out of concern for her well-being

And he suffered visibly for it.

If anything, Shirou's actions have demonstrated a complete lack of subtlety, discretion, and artifice that would be require to manipulate her into doing anything.

She might be turned off then by his general social incompetence, but that's something shared with all the characters.

>>9753
It means Shirou probably isn't much of a manipulator, but it could also be said that such qualities also make him easy to manipulate, himself. She did question if we were helping Tewi with a prank, so it could be that even if she thought we were up to something, that it might not have been entirely our own idea.

Regardless, she clearly has had a long history of being messed with and taken advantage of, which would make anyone doubtful or suspicious of things like sudden acts of kindness. Even if we haven't done anything to make it seem like we're some cunning mastermind, our behavior has been erratic enough to make it hard to inspire confidence in anyone, let alone someone like Reisen.

Hell, even Kaguya, who technically has known us the longest of anyone else in the story, questioned whether or not we would be able to stick to our teaching duties and not just wander off when we got bored or something.

...and here we are, playing hookie.

>>She might be turned off then by his general social incompetence, but that's something shared with all the characters.

Well, not ALL of them...

Batteries and morale recharged, or something. Writing as soon as I hydrate my self a bit.

"You don't mind if I hang out with you for a bit, do you?" You ask Mokou. The simple explanation is the best explanation.
"Hang out?" Mokou's expression is a bit clouded. "I guess... that's okay. But, don't expect anything kid. I'm a boring person."
"Heh, I don't mind. So, what's next?"
"What's next? What do you mean?"
"Well, don't you have somewhere you're going to now? Things here are done, right?" You point to the extinguished fire with a tilt of your head.
"Well, I don't really have anything to do for now. Is just staying here for a bit alright with you?"

You can't help but feel that she's being extra considerate of you. In the past she would just push on and do whatever. Maybe she's still bummed out from earlier.

She finds a more or less clear spot of ground and sits down. Apparently she doesn't care if her clothes get dirty. You follow suit and look for a clear spot to sit on as well. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. The ground isn't too dusty nor too wet. Good news for your clothes, they won't get nearly as dirty. That's a small comfort.

There's a silence in between you two. It's not really awkward, just prolonged. Mokou stares absentmindedly at the sky, seemingly lost in thought. It's hard to follow suit. So you instead take the initiative in the conversation.

"Thinking about anything interesting?"
"Not really." She plainly answers.
"You looked like you were lost in thought."
"That so?" A short, evasive answer.
"Yup. I hope I'm not boring you by being here."
"If you were, I would have told you already."
"That simple, eh?"
"Yup. I don't do things that I don't want to, kid." A self-satisfied smirk appears on her face.
"I guess that's why Keine worries about you so much."

She laughs. A hearty laugh with no reserve.

"That just might be the reason. To be honest, I don't know what she's thinking half of the time." Mokou confides amidst a fit of laughter.
"I hope that's why she was acting the way she way the other day. Being worried about a friend like you is better than any other reason." You speak your mind.
"You say that like you thought otherwise." She's still smiling a bit.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice? A couple days back, she was in a deep funk. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong. It wasn't because of you?"
"I haven't done anything recently. When was this exactly?"
"About two days ago."
"Hmm." She scratches her head a bit, her hair shakes a bit. Her charms/ribbons are made from paper, right? Seems like a brittle choice. "I've got nothing. She's looked the same to me all of these days."
"Are you sure? She looked pretty troubled last I saw her."
"I wouldn't lie about this, kid. If what you say is true, it's worrisome. But I haven't seen anything out of the normal. I've been to her home several times. She joked around with me as usual, cooked, nothing out of the ordinary."
"Maybe it was just around me?"
"Unlikely. No offense kid, but I don't think that she's the type to show that she's down while teaching."
"So I just imagined it?"
"I didn't say that. It's just... odd. That's all." She starts drawing lines in the earth with one of her fingers. She lets out a sigh. "Well, I should look into it anyways. You never know what people are capable of hiding."

?Says Ms. Regeneration here ? You think quietly to yourself. Her larger point still stands.

Things have unequivocally turned a bit gloomy. It's your fault really. But you said what needed to be said. Still, you don't think that it suits a feisty character like Mokou to be caught up moping. Sure, she might just be worried about her friend, but that doesn't make it right. Perhaps you should cheer her up.

[] Challenge her to a spontaneous wrestling match. A good adrenaline rush should be a good pick-me-up
[] Try to tell her your best joke
[] Tell her that you'll try to find out more about Keine as well
[] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea
[] Don't try; instead tell her about the strange events and possible conspiracy that's been hanging over your head
[] Part ways with her now
----
There. Hopefully I'll get back into the groove.

>?Are you sure? She looked pretty troubled last I saw her."
>?I wouldn't lie about this, kid. If what you say is true, it's worrisome. But I haven't seen anything out of the normal. I've been to her home several times. She joked around with me as usual, cooked, nothing out of the ordinary.."

Looks like it was the paranoia after all.

[x] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea. Tell her you'll be her first customer.
[x] Tell her about the strange events and possible conspiracy that's been hanging over your head.

[X] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea

Not sure how well encouragement will work if things have gone all gloomy, but it couldn't hurt. I think challenging her to wrestle could be fun, but there's no telling how well it would end for us.


Strange, isn't it? That's now two things from that one day that now seem to not be as we thought they were. First there was that note supposedly from Eirin telling us to immediately return to Eientei after work, yet we no longer have it and Eirin claims to have no knowledge of. Now, we have Keine seeming depressed that day, yet according to Mokou she's not only seemed perfectly fine, but isn't the type who would normally show she's depressed while teaching.

I don't think we should write it off as simple paranoia just yet, though. It could be that we're imaginging things, but it's also possible that we're simply meant to THINK we're imaginging things. We certainly weren't streaking around Gensokyo, imaginging we were swimming in the lake, only to suddenly wake up outside the village with a bloody note that we had a dream about suddenly in our possession. We were definitely clothed at some point, lost conscious, and had all of our belongings transported back to our room back at Eientei, all neatly folded with a lipstick stain on our collar while we were dumped bare-ass naked outside the village.

Both the note and Keine's apparent mood that day might have been attempts to divert our attention from something else, keeping us from going somewhere that someone didn't want us to go, for some reason. After all, would our Shirou just ignore a note from his mentor and "colleague" Eirin, or refuse to help his friend and co-worker, Keine?

Of the three actions we were to choose from, Alice's was the only one based on something other than an external element. In fact, going to Alice was the complete opposite of those two, as it was based purely on an internal feeling.
Though it's possible someone could be messing with our head and made it so that we felt what we did about Alice at that very second. If they could make us think that Keine was uncharacteristically gloomy that day, then surely they could also make us think that something was wrong with Alice, right?

So, once again...we know absolutely nothing, other than we can't entirely trust our observations that day, though we sort of already knew that.

[x] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea

[X] Challenge her to a spontaneous wrestling match. A good adrenaline rush should be a good pick-me-up

Are the two of us on good enough terms to be able to do something like that while sober though? LET'S FIND OUT!

[X] Challenge her to a spontaneous wrestling match. A good adrenaline rush should be a good pick-me-up.

How could I not vote for this?

>>9763

You claim it's not paranoia, yet you make a solid case for Shirou being a schizophrenic.

>>9766
>Are the two of us on good enough terms to be able to do something like that while sober though? LET'S FIND OUT!

Why chance it?

[x] Open up that bottle of liquor you got from Marisa.
[x] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea. Tell her you'll be her first customer.
[X] Challenge her to a spontaneous wrestling match; say you were getting bored with bears.

>>You claim it's not paranoia, yet you make a solid case for Shirou being a schizophrenic.

Yes, if you completely ignore the whole "someone is somehow messing with our mind" bit in there. The difference is that someone is trying to make us THINK we're crazy, and possibly even drive us to actual insanity, but we might not be there yet.

Things like our dinosaur spirit animal, and possibly even the Booze God are possible hallucinations, since we're the only ones who have experience seeing them. But things like that bloody note we somehow pulled from that vision we had couldn't be, as we had shown it to Eirin. And while Shirou doesn't actually remember the "nocturnal visit" itself, the fact that he found the smell on his clothes after his streaking episode to be familiar indicates he probably really did experience that "visit" and was simply somehow made unable to consciously remember it.

Of course, seeing and experiencing things you shouldn't be because someone is screwing with your noggin isn't much better than if it were due to simple mental illness, though it is certainly simpler to deal with.
Just find whoever is doing the screwing around, and make them stop, and we should go back to normal. ...or at least, insofar as a socially-retarded figure-obsessed recluse with the attention span of a gnat can be "normal".


You know, I'm curious. We're having hallucinations. We live with someone who has the ability to create hallucinations, though of course Shirou doesn't know that. Still, did it occur to anyone to see what that person had to say on the subject? Perhaps she could offer some sort of help?

>>9769
Holy shit, I like this idea.
Mokou loves booze, and nothing lightens the mood like a little alcohol.
We can drink a toast to her new business venture, and once we're nice and wasted we can try the wrestling idea.

[X] Open up that bottle of liquor you got from Marisa.
[X] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea. Tell her you'll be her first customer.
[X] Challenge her to a spontaneous wrestling match; say you were getting bored with bears.

[X] Open up that bottle of liquor you got from Marisa.
[X] State your enthusiasm for her yakitori stand idea. Tell her you'll be her first customer.
[X] Challenge her to a spontaneous wrestling match; say you were getting bored with bears.

As long as we wrestle I will be happy.

Wait, do we even HAVE the liquor bottle on us?
I can't imagine we've just been carrying it around all this time, especially since we've been teaching.

>>9778

We always have booze, for we are the chosen son of the Booze God. The Messiah of Moonshine, if you will.

>>9778

Teruyo uses the Bag of Infinite Holding inventory mechanic.

>The Messiah of Moonshine
I like this title.

And yeah, we always have access to our inventory. We might as well have an infinite bag of holding. But I still mention stuff like storing stuff in our room so to make it more logical.

Well, even if we do have the bottle (and ignoring how bad it would be if it was discovered on our person while we were at school) I have to wonder, do we REALLY want to trust something we received from Marisa?

For someone who was trying to "help" us by giving us that bottle and showing us that spot, she sure seemed to enjoy trying to make trouble for us by telling Alice about seeing us with Reimu.

Well, Mokou should be fine, no matter what. But us? For all we know that stuff Marisa gave us is spiked with some freaky magical laxative.
Do YOU want to leak poop? I sure don't.

Nutty as it may be, I wonder if this whole "prove ourselves by getting a job" thing really isn't someone in Eientei trying to screw with us for no good reason. When you think about it, they basically had to do something quite similar themselves.

Before the events of IN, the NEET and company were living quite peacefully in hiding, without any obligations to anyone and with no one having a clue they were there. But then that business with the moon happened, Eientei's existence became public knowledge, and suddenly everything changed. Eirin opened a clinic, she starts making drugs that Reisen takes to the village to be sold, and Kaguya...well, so long as the others are doing something, she's more or less free to loaf about, I guess. The point is, if they were to keep hidden for any length of time, they must have been able to subsist on their own, and yet as soon as everyone knows about them they suddenly have to become somewhat-productive members of society.

Officially, it has to do with their change in attitude from living on Earth for so long, but for the purposes of this story I have to wonder if there isn't something more to it.

When you think about it, it's not just Eientei. Virtually anyone who isn't a roaming youkai or fairy has some sort of occupation or niche they fill in Gensokyo. Reimu has her shrine maiden and "disaster resolution" gigs, Marisa has her magic shop and her own "disaster resolution" bit, Aya has her newspaper, Rinnosuke has his shop, Keine teaches, Mokou acts as a sometimes guide/bodyguard through the bamboo forest (plus there's her yakitori stand idea), and even the Yakumo family have to at least work to maintain the integrity of the border. In fact, the only group that doesn't seem to do anything at all is the Scarlet Devil Mansion crowd, and aside from the fact they're probably independently wealthy, they probably contribute more to Gensokyo by doing nothing at all. They don't go on rampages nor do they hunt the local humans for blood, and in exchange the youkai keep them happy and contented with whatever they need in terms of food from the outside. Oh yeah, and Suika doesn't seem to do much, either. Then again, she could tear down mountains with her bare hands if she wanted, so I doubt anyone would have the balls to tell her to do anything.

Perhaps by calling in whatever favors Kaguya had to in order to get us into Gensokyo, the whole "he has to get a job" thing was a part of the deal.

Of course, this would have seemed more plausible before all of this mind-fuckery began.

Of course, it could be someone within Eientei is fucking with us, but perhaps it's not without some reason. Take Kaguya for example. She brought us here, she's supposedly our friend, and yet it's possible she's working against us for some reason. But why?
Well, consider why she brought us here in the first place...

>>Kaguya knew him well, and had orchestrated this whole scenario so that he would come here. She knew how foolish it was, but she just wanted to bring someone that understood her and treated her as an equal. Around here she had no one she could say the same thing about. Eirin came close, but theirs was a different type of relationship. There would always be a barrier between them. With this she might get what she's been looking for.
>>Her plan to bring her best friend was finally in motion.
>>Regardless, by now, they each considered the other something like family, a bond deeper than simple brothers. It would be no exaggeration to say that they sought not to have been born on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. They merely hoped to die on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. Thus was the type of bond that the two felt existed between them.
>>When she finally grew tired, she turned off the handheld and closed her eyes. She was fighting the excitement of the promised encounter tomorrow. She had to get some rest before meeting him, lest she leave a poor impression upon him. After what seemed an eternity battling her own furiously-pounding heart, she managed to fall asleep.

Kaguya was lonely. While she was good friends with Eirin, and occasionally entertained guests, she never had anyone around like the people she knew online. So, she brings her very best friend into Gensokyo, in the hope of finally finding what she had been missing in her life. Someone to hang out with, have fun with, and enjoy all the same things together.

And look what she got. An easily-distracted, oblivious yet well-meaning dolt with a penchant for fainting at inopportune moments, a preference for cuddling with her eternal nemesis in caves rather than resting in bed while she worried about him, spends most of his time out of the house pursuing other girls, and utterly squanders the few brief moments he actually bothers to spend any time at all with her.

She brought the person she possibly felt closest to in the whole world to live with her, and all it seems to have accomplished is causing them to drift increasingly apart.

Suffice to say, Kaguya probably has ample reason to be unhappy with us, and while she may have somewhat changed from the person she was when she sent those men off to destroy themselves for those "Impossible Requests" of hers, old habits do die hard.

>>9789
Suika helps out with chores at the shrine, which is why Reimu lets her hang around there.

As for SDM...does throwing parties count?

There's one potential way to ease the tension right now. You take the small bottle that you've been keeping for all of these days and show it to Mokou.

"Would you like a drink?" You ask. Even though this bottle was given to you by Marisa to be consumed on a date with Alice, that wasn't written in stone or anything. Drinking with a friend is fine too.
"What is that?" Mokou looks puzzled at your bottle. "Were you carrying that all the time?"
"It's a bottle of liquor I got from someone. Should be good. So, would you like some?"
"No offense, but no. I make a point of not drinking before lunch. I've still got things to do today."
"Well fine then." You say pouting. "Be that way." You dejectedly start to put the bottle back amongst your stuff.
"Don't take it hard, kid. Like I said, it's nothing personal."
"No, no?, You start acting a bit spoiled, "I understand."

If you act like you're upset, then Mokou revert more to her usual self. It's true that you're feeling a bit snubbed, but this might be a good ploy too.

"And here I was going to encourage your yakitori idea." You look to the side, hiding your face by brushing some hair away with your hands. "I was going to tell you how you should go for it and how I would be your first customer. I see that my words would ring hollow now."
"I don't know if you're trying to make me guilty or are an idiot. Either way stop it. You suck."

You turn your face back to her and see that she's got a crooked grin on her face. It looks like she does enjoy a bit this sort of strange banter.

"If you insist." You say, letting out an overly dramatic sigh.
"Yeah, yeah, I do." She lifts an eyebrow. "See? Things are better like this."
"Well, I'm just going to disregard the fact that you think things are better when I'm silent." You let out a small cough, masking a bit your next words. "But you know I was being serious about the food stand. I think that you should go for it. I'd be there from day one. And I'd somehow pay for my food too. No freeloading for me. Probably."
"That's nice of you to say, kid." She shows you a gentle smile. Despite her soft complexion, you think that her eyes are instead staring off to some point far away from the present. "But it's not going to happen. I just don't have the time nor patience right now. Maybe if I had the right mindset. It's just an unreachable dream right now. People need those to live as well." She concludes.

Her words are pretty final. To argue the point any more might be counterproductive. It does look like she appreciated your comment anyways. You wait a bit before bringing up the other wild idea that you have.

"Say, how about we have ourselves a little match??You say with a bit of vigor. "You and me; wrestling."

You take a look at Mokou. She's staring at you. Her face is contorted in an expression of what seems to be disbelief, amusement, and confidence. And odd combination to be sure.

"You serious?" She asks.
"Why the hell wouldn't I be?"
"It does look like you're not joking." She laughs. Very hard. So loud that you think any person within a 100-meter radius would hear it. "You...do know that I would completely dominate you?" She says in between fits of laughter. "You don't stand a chance!"

Well, that hurts your pride. Now it's personal.

"I don't think so. If you're game, I am." You get up and stick your chest out. You're sure that you look like some sort of lanky primate now, but that doesn't matter. Your pride has been wounded.

Mokou gets up as well. She pats the seat of her pants, clearing away dirt. She looks to be much less serious than you are.

"If you don't mind getting dirty, then I'll be happy to show you why you're outclassed." She beams a confident smile.

In the midst of your bravado and testosterone filled rush, you still notice an almost tangible aura forming around Mokou. You're not going to back out of this one, though.

"Very well. Get ready." You warn her. Mokou don't adopt any special stance, instead just standing around relaxed like she usually does.
"Come at me." She declares.

You're not one to put an attack off. There's a couple of meters between you and her. If you're going to wrestle her, the logical thing would be to grapple her and then force her to the ground. Lock her joints and make her submit. Having no formal training in wrestling, you'll just have to make do with whatever natural techniques come to you.

The result is that you end up lounging at her. You hope to grab her torso and use your mass to force her down. What comes after is still a mystery to you. The world spins around you and in a few brief moments you're lying face down on the floor, with a mouthful of dirt. You can't move at all, you've been effectively neutralized.

"Give up?" You hear Mokou's voice from above you. You feel a light tugging on one of your arms, a warning of a possible dislocation.
"Ugh... yes." You reluctantly say.

Mokou releases you. Your muscles and joints relax and you make no effort to get up. Everything is sore, in particular your elbow-joint and knee-joint. Goddammit, that's going to hurt for a while. You eventually slowly get up, turning on your back and slowly flexing your knees. Mokou offers you a hand up, which you take. She looks completely fine.

"What the hell just happened?" You ask when you get back on your feet.
"Just a little something I picked up a while ago." Mokou nonchalantly answers. "How did you like not being able to use any of your limbs?"
"Not very much, I must confess." You try to wipe off the dirt from your clothes. It won't come off easily. "I didn't even see what happened. Was that even wrestling?"
"Well, I did grapple you. And I made you submit. So it might as well be, right?" She has that same damn crooked grin on her face.
"I just don't want to go through that again."
"And I was going easy on you."

Although she says that in a teasingly manner, you can feel that she really means it. You're surprised, not only at how quickly she subdued you, but also how she managed not to hurt you in the process. There's one thing that you do recall from this ordeal, the fact that you almost felt like you were burning as you attacked. What a fearsome battle aura.

"Want to try again?" Mokou asks.
"Oh heavens no." You reply from the bottom of your heart. You really don't need to be humiliatingly disabled like that again.
"Well, I have to admit that it was fun. I don't get to do close quarters stuff very often. It's a shame really."
"I bet. I feel for you." You say sarcastically.
"You're alright, right?" She asks.
"As far as I can tell.."

It's the truth, sort of.

"I hate to pin and run, but I've been out here for way too long." Mokou tells you. She begins to hastily retreat into the woods. "Uh... I hope you feel better next time we meet. I really have to go. I can't believe that I forgot! See ya!"

Just like that she disappears somewhere, not even having the common courtesy to tell you what's so important that she has to ditch you. You would give chase to demand an answer, but you think that your legs are barely working. Sure enough, almost every step that you take, you can hear your bones creaking. Dammit. Surely you could probably just walk this off. So what if you look like a zombie as you move? Things will get better eventually. It certainly doesn't help that your arms are paralyzed as well. They hand like two, mostly useless, weights on the side of your body.

You're hungry to boot. It's probably a bit past lunchtime. You'd check, but you're afraid of using your arms to look for your PDA.

[] Cut and run (or crawl?); Get your sore ass back to the comfort of your room
[] Brai-errr food. Closest place is the village for that
[] Man it up and walk to the Forest of Magic
[] Break into an uncontrollable sob. There's no shame in it; You were served pretty badly
----
>>9789
Props for you for digging up the sidestory. Maybe I should write another one that's relevant to the plot. If only I could break out of this cycle of vicious laziness.

[x] Man it up and walk to the Forest of Magic

[x] Man it up and walk to the Forest of Magic
Well, at least we lost to the manliest woman in Gensokyo.

[x] Man it up and walk to the Forest of Magic

MOKOU USES TAKEDOWN! IT IS SUPER-EFFECTIVE!

Now we check on Alice, and to SDM to ask Sakuya about those notes.

[X] Break into an uncontrollable sob. There's no shame in it; You were served pretty badly
[X] Man it up and walk to the Forest of Magic

I had forgotten that most people who aren't raging alcoholics don't tend to drink this early in the day. Still, she enjoyed herself, add that's worth the utter ass-kicking we just got handed.
After we're done crying our river of bitch-tears, we can build ourselves a little bridge and get over it. Then, we get our ass over to Alice's.

>>Well, at least we lost to the manliest woman in Gensokyo.

If we get enough play-throughs to manage it, we're totally becoming her waifu.

[x] Man it up and walk to the Forest of Magic

You don't think that you understand what Mokou is thinking half of the time. You suppress your urge to gorge yourself on the nearest food source and instead plan to go elsewhere. Your discomfort isn't enough to make you go back home either. Besides, even though you completely lost that one, that's no reason to be sad. It's you're duty as a man to lift your chin up and walk on. To victory. Or the nearest massage therapist. Chances are that in Gensokyo you'll only have a snowball's chance in hell of the former.

You set off to your destination. Although you're limping like any member of the undead (or living impaired, as they would have you call them) would, you still manage to cover quite a lot of distance. You stick to the less traveled paths, systematically avoiding any encounter with the living. After an eternity lumbering around, you feel that some of your joints are easing up. It makes walking the rest of the way easier. You'll be more wary in the future of Mokou's martial prowess.

Thick bamboo concentrations become open fields. And open terrain becomes woodland, and in less than an hour you're inside of the forest. You stop for a moment to rest. You have mostly regained use of your arms, and you use your hands to massage the spots that are still stiff in your body. You don't linger too long. You spot a familiar tendril slinking about. You certainly don't want to get even close to that thing.

You're worried about Alice, but that doesn't mean that you can't go elsewhere before. After all, what's the worst that could happen? You've already reached your monthly quota of humiliation at the hands of friends.

[] There's a chance that Marisa knows something. Rationalize away wanting to visit her
[] A quick pit stop at the junk shop is in order
[] Go out of your way to visit the Shrine beyond the woods
[] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.
----
Short update is short. And slow. But meh, at least I'm trying.

[x] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.

[x] Go out of your way to visit the Shrine beyond the woods

It's been a while since we've seen raymoo.

[] There's a chance that Marisa knows something. Rationalize away wanting to visit her

[X] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.

Let's see if Alice really has gone missing and not returned home, or if we just hit a hallucinatory hat-trick that day. Since we're in the area, we could check things out with Reimu, Marisa, and Kourin, but let's get what we came to do out of the way.

[x] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.

Anonymous, your ADD is showing.

[+] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.
getonwithit.wav

[X] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.

[X] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.

[x] Alicecock! Just head to Poppy's place right away.

Ok, guys. This aimlessness of ours is really starting to piss me off. Let's pick a route to follow and actually follow it.

Our options for girls are
? Kaguya
? Eirin
? Reisen
? Tewi
? Mokou
? Keine
? Alice

Obviously, we can't have them all. If we don't route lock before it's too late we'll end up with nothing at all. So let's pick a girl.

Discuss.

>>9862
? Alice
It's meant to be.

? Kaguya

Who else, gotta stroke and brush her silky Hair. We need to look that it stays that smooth, because i don't think she looks out good enough for it.

Has everyone forgotten about Meiling? We haven't seen her much, but she's very friendly and kind of lonely and we helped her stand up to Sakuya once. At least we might be able to hide out at her place if things get really bad. Worth keeping in mind.

? Alice

You know you want to, anon.

[x] Poppycock! Just head to Alice's place right away.

There's no reason to put off your main objective right now. You'll do what you came for first. The path is well known to you and even with your still-aching joints it doesn't take you very long. That sign which you so very often pass displays yet another message. Something about peace through power and other strange ideological babble. Best to just ignore it.

The first impression that you get of Alice's house as you near it is that everything seems to be eerily static. Even though it's nestled in a generous clearing, and is slightly elevated in comparison to the rest of the forest, the air seems to be still. There's nothing like a light breeze, the plants and flowers do not sway or rustle. A heavy silence hangs about the air. The fauna that cheerfully served as a backdrop for the forest are silent. Your dull footsteps sound like they're disturbing the scene. You find yourself taking minute, careful steps subconsciously. Even your body knows better than to cause a ruckus here.

As you edge closer to her house, even the light seems to become static. It's hard to describe, it's as if the sun's rays become diluted when they reach this clearing. Even though you had felt the warmth of the day when you were out in the open before, over here it feels like it's room temperature. Alice's curtains are all drawn. You can't see the inside of her house from any of the windows. Her door is also closed, unlike last time. You closed her door upon leaving, but you certainly didn't close her curtains. This gives you hope that she might be in. You knock on her door.

There's no reply. You press your ear to her door and try to listen for movement. There's nothing. You try opening the door. It's locked. This probably means that she was here and locked the door behind her. You don't think anyone else would have a key to this place. A rustling sound causes you to turn around. You don't see where it came from. You notice that a small piece of paper lies on the path behind you. You bend down and pick it up. It simply reads in a plain font:

"To your right."

You gaze to your right and see a key lying on the ground. How did you miss that? Or the note for that matter. You pick it up. It looks like an average metal key. It's golden-colored. Just for the heck of it you try it on the main door. The key turns and the door unlocks. So much for security.

"Hello? Anybody home? Alice, it's me."

You make sure to properly warn of your entrance. Last thing you want to do is be mistaken for a burglar. You've gotten beat up enough for a single day. It's very dark on the inside. With the curtains filtering out most of the light, you have to rely mostly on your memory of the house's layout. You stumble into the small room on the left, the room where you've sat and had tea with Alice in the past. The first thing you do is attempt to drawn back the curtains. Light seeps in. The room is as it is always. Well, last time you were here there was that note and the knocked-over vase. This time there's nothing of the sort. The vase is gone and there are no liquids spilt on the floor. Dolls still adorn most of the walls and niches.

There are no signs of Alice. Just to make sure you go quickly through all the rooms of the house. You climb the stairs and go to the rooms on the second floor as well. The storage room is clear. So is what you assume is Alice's bedroom. Besides an incredibly comfortable and soft-looking bed with a delicate quilt, there's not much else to note there. There are a bunch of plushies, or stuffed dolls, on top of the bed. You decide to respect her privacy and leave after confirming that she's not present. You go back downstairs and let out a sigh. There are absolutely no signs of Alice, but that doesn't mean that she didn't just leave earlier in the day. The closed curtains are suspicious but maybe that has a good explanation. You just don't know what it is.

As you leave the house you notice a rabbit by the edge of the clearing. He scurries away as you step through the house's threshold. Was he observing you? You close the door behind you, locking it again. You do keep the key, however, it might come in handy in the future. Come to think of it, even the taste of the air here is different. It taste a bit sweet you think. Not sweet as in cotton candy, but it's a subtle taste that you feel. It's definitely weird.

Your stomach grumbles. Fiercely. Any louder and people might start confusing the sound for an erupting volcano. You're really hungry. It might be beneficial to pack snacks in the future. You check the time. It's way past lunchtime. School should be ending soon. You wonder how Keine is dealing with your two-day absence. Hopefully well. You'll definitely have to show up tomorrow, come hell or high water. She's been helpful to you. Hell, most of Gensokyo's residents have been nice to you in one way or another. Plus, random villagers greet you as you pass. That's always a perk.

[] It's write-in time. Pick whatever you want to do or wherever you want to go to within reason and in-character.

-------
Don't disappoint me, again. Otherwise I'll be coming off as the abuse victim that keeps coming back for me.

>>9862
I laughed and then I cried. That said, I would definitely narrow down that list by a couple (read: most) names. You are pretty much route locked already. Note that that's just a story arc. Not all story arcs are synonymous with a romantic end for a character. There's only one or two 'proper' ends that you can potentially get now (besides the obvious non-ends and bad ends).

Oh and that doesn't mean that there's no benefits to becoming friends with certain characters nor it's pointless to pursue a certain love interest.

>>9862

? No one; Shirou deserves to suffer.

Well... along those lines, maybe Eirin then.

[x] That smell might mean someone is cooking something; stop by Marisa's house to ask if she's seen Alice, and hope she asks you to stay for lunch.

Head to SDM after you put something in your stomach.

>I laughed and then I cried. That said, I would definitely narrow down that list by a couple (read: most) names. You are pretty much route locked already. Note that that's just a story arc. Not all story arcs are synonymous with a romantic end for a character. There's only one or two 'proper' ends that you can potentially get now (besides the obvious non-ends and bad ends).

That's a relief in so many ways. Okay, so - Alice it is. We should have done this a month ago.

>Come to think of it, even the taste of the air here is different. It taste a bit sweet you think. Not sweet as in cotton candy, but it's a subtle taste that you feel. It's definitely weird.
That's a bounded field a la Blood Fort Andromeda, iirc. We have two choices: either we get away from this place, fast, and stay away, or we find the "anchors" of the magic and dismantle it before whoever put it up activates it. Obviously the key was left out front to lure us into this trap.

[x] Take a walk around the property, trying to find a place where the air tastes particularly sweet

>>9872
>>That's a bounded field a la Blood Fort Andromeda, iirc. We have two choices: either we get away from this place, fast, and stay away, or we find the "anchors" of the magic and dismantle it before whoever put it up activates it. Obviously the key was left out front to lure us into this trap.

Really? Because there's something else I can think of that it might be...

>>The first impression that you get of Alice's house as you near it is that everything seems to be eerily static. Even though it's nestled in a generous clearing, and is slightly elevated in comparison to the rest of the forest, the air seems to be still. There's nothing like a light breeze, the plants and flowers do not sway or rustle. A heavy silence hangs about the air. The fauna that cheerfully served as a backdrop for the forest are silent. Your dull footsteps sound like they're disturbing the scene. You find yourself taking minute, careful steps subconsciously. Even your body knows better than to cause a ruckus here.

>>As you edge closer to her house, even the light seems to become static. It's hard to describe, it's as if the sun's rays become diluted when they reach this clearing. Even though you had felt the warmth of the day when you were out in the open before, over here it feels like it's room temperature.

Of particular note is how "static" everything is. Unmoving. Unchanging. Almost as if everything was frozen, perhaps? Like an instant, stretched to eternity.

Now, what does that sound like?

>>...a spell that stops the advance of history, that denies change and knows no impurity.
>>Living things stop growing, food never spoils, fragile things don't break even if dropped, and water never passes beneath the bridge.

>>...a world with no history, it is also a world where change is eternally unknown.
>>No matter how much you may try to bring about change in such a world, it is futile in a world where time has essentially stopped.

Who could possibly have an ability like that, I wonder? I wonder?

Well, I'm not sure how helpful this trip was, for us.
Someone clearly visited the house since we first found it empty, and for some reason saw fit to close the curtains on the windows, did something about the tipped-over vase and water spill, and then locked the door before they left. Unfortunately, there's no real indication as to who it could have been, or why they did any of that.

The fact that someone would have had to use a key to lock the door would suggest it might have been Alice, since she lives alone and so is unlikely to have more than just one set for her house. The manner in which we found the key ourselves makes that seem unlikely, though. That note that directed us to the key, as well as the key itself, were obviously placed there, meaning either Alice somehow carelessly lost it and some unknown observer noticed it and was keeping tabs on it until we showed up, or (more likely) someone took it from her and THEN placed it there for us.

The matter of the vase is also rather odd, if it was Alice and not someone else. When we last visited, it was tipped over with water coming out of it, suggesting there were once flowers in it, yet there were no sign of any flowers in the house. Now, the vase is gone altogether. If, as one Anon suggested, Alice simply threw out the flowers at some point and forgot to dump the water and kept the vase out anyway, then there shouldn't be any reason for the vase to be gone like that. She might do something about the water, sure, but if she liked that vase enough to keep it out even without having flowers in it, I doubt that a lack of water in it would change that choice. Someone must have taken that vase, just as someone must have taken whatever flowers were once in that vase. WHY, I have no clue, just as I don't see why someone would close her curtains, clean up that water, bother to lock her door when they left, and then arrange for the key to be "found" when we happen to drop by.

Oh yes, and there's that strange, unnatural "static" quality around the general area of the house, and the accompanying smell.
Now that I think of it, I'm wondering if us holding onto that key is really such a good idea. Alice is missing, her house is locked, and we now have what may be the only key to it in our possession. I don't know about you, but if I knew someone who went missing, and found someone else holding onto something that only the missing person should have possession of, I would be at least a little suspicious of that person being involved in the disappearance. Shirou's fondness for going off to random places on his own and the resulting lack of a solid alibi for some pretty good lengths of time does not help matters.

Fortunately, our overall physical weakness and tendency to pass out after exertion makes it highly unlikely we'd be capable of subduing any sort of youkai, let alone one with the magic capabilities of someone like Alice. Saying "It couldn't have been me, she'd kick my ass" might not be the most dignified defense, but it's plausible. Besides, it's not like we have much dignity left in us, anyway.

Anyway, to the matter at hand:

- FOOD. Priority one. We might be able to get a bite at Marisa's (though I'd be wary of anything she would give you), but there is another person in the area we could visit who might feed us, even if we don't exactly get along too well with him.

- Find information about Alice. The best places to go for this would be to see the two people Alice is most likely to visit: Marisa at her house, and Patchouli at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Marisa would be the easiest to get to, obviously, but there are more potential benefits to stopping by the SDM to go along with the additional risks.

- Keine. She's been without our assistance at school for two days now, and considering that we did basically ditch her today, we need to either find ourselves either a damn good excuse for her, or one hell of a good way to make things up to her. I would suggest the latter, personally. It's better to admit to a wrong-doing and attempt to make amends than to basically deny you did anything "wrong" because you had a "good" reason for doing it or whatever.


[X] Go to Kourindou, see if you can beg for food or at least get some info.

>>9872
>>Of particular note is how "static" everything is. Unmoving. Unchanging. Almost as if everything was frozen, perhaps? Like an instant, stretched to eternity.

>>Who could possibly have an ability like that, I wonder? I wonder?
Took the words right out of my mouth. Bad, bad NEET.

Well, I'm going to hibernate while you folks make up your minds. The alternative - drinking vast amounts of booze - is sure to only work for a bit before setting me off on some dark road.

You guys reading this realize that all the mindfuck is the result of a wager between Kaguya and Yukari, right?

[After suddenly finding himself in his room in the Outside, Shirou sees Kaguya and Yukari standing in front of him.]
Kaguya: Happy New Moon, Shirou! [blows noisemaker]
Shirou: [stunned] Kaguya? Yukari? I don't see what you did there.
Yukari: Hello, hello! Are you excited to be back home Shirou, permanently~"
Shirou: What? Kaguya, I thought we were buddies?
Kaguya: Oh Shirou, you should be able to solve this! See, Yukari bet me that we could take an Outsider of no worth and make him a productive member of Gensokyo society, while at the same time turning him into a violently deranged, would-be killer! I didn't think we could do it. I lost.
Yukari: [smiling] Pay up, Kaguya. I won the bet~.
Kaguya: Here you go, one dollar. [hands over the bill]
Yukari: Thank you, Winthorpe.
Kaguya: [Gesturing to the gap behind the two] After you, Valentine.
Yukari: Certainly~!
Shirou: [stunned, watching the gap close behind them] ...You lost me.

>>9913
Oh Yukarin, you're so fun~

>>9913
Personally, I believe that this will all turn out to be just a dream, that we never left our room, and in fact had a sudden brain aneurysm as we were applying some hot-glue to that figure, causing us to crack our head open when we fell, suffer slight brain damage, and slip into a coma.

As a result of our NEET lifestyle, no one will come to our aid, and it is only after someone complains about the increasingly-bad smell coming from our room that someone will finally check in on us and find our dead body, pantsless and holding a figure in one hand and our cock in the other.

In that moment, it shall be known that we at least had died as we had lived: alone and masturbating.

As fun as speculating what loathesome ends Shirou will experience is, I'd rather you vote. So far there are three votes, each going in a different direction.

>>9918
Already voted, so unless you don't care about repeats, I'm afraid that speculation is all I can really do now.

I could throw out different votes and give reasons to go for them, but that might only complicate matters and make coming to a general consensus take even longer.

>>9920
That's alright. I enjoy the speculation immensely as well. Perhaps even more than a good write-in. It's just that the shift from movement to the excruciatingly slow crawl is tiresome. The fact that my zombies on IRC are mostly addicted to MMOs and far too busy to chat or contribute is also a factor. Moreover, lack of anything to do has led me to start drinking very early in the day. Sure, I wake up at twilight as well, but my liver doesn't care.

But, it's not all gripes. I've watched Generation Kill and several Anime in the downtime, as well as planned out future scenarios and even written certain crucial segments. I promise you that when we reach these segments, you'll enjoy reading them very much. Oh so very much.

Oh, and Mokou not really related, but still hot.

>>I promise you that when we reach these segments, you'll enjoy reading them very much. Oh so very much.

I have abandoned all hope of anything involving us, an array of combs and brushes, and Kaguya's and/or Mokou's deliciously silky locks. I also assume the chance of us at least getting some soaped-up werecow schoolmarm tits is also right out, at this point.

About the only thing I can hope for now is that we're in for some sort of epic battle scene as we embark on a holy crusade in the name of the Booze God who has finally descended and taken human form, the two of us riding into battle on the back of our spirit animal velociraptor while bare-ass naked and covered in the blood of our enemies and ending with all of Gensokyo engulfed in flames and everyone bowing before us followed by a drunken orgy the likes of which the world has never seen, nor will ever see again.

[+] Go check out Marisa's place.
She's the closest thing Marisa has to a friend around here, next to Shirou. I don't particularly suspect her, but she's probably the best source of information at the moment.

Speculations: I'm drawing a blank here. Alice's house looks like it's seen a lot of tampering recently. The stand-still effect could be Kaguya's doing, or it could be Sakuya's. The lack of Alice's presence (signs that she lives there, etc.) in the house could be Remilia's handiwork, or a clever mock-up, or even the result of Keine eating a history.
There's just not enough reliable information to get a solid clue here.

>>9917

Sure is Welcome to the NHK in here.

[x] Go check out Marisa's place.

>>9937
Fuck you, Welcome to the NHK was awesome.

>>9942

But no one said it sucked, so yeah!

[x] Go check out Marisa's place.

[x] Go check out Marisa's place.

I was re-reading this, and I just realized that Teruyo's the one who made us ADD in the first place.

>Hey, you only live once, meaning that it's important to act like you have ADD sometimes. Anon sometimes has to just spread his wings. Or get (hopefully) treated by the lovely Eirin.

Get back to writing Teruyo. I feel my ADD weakening already.

[x] Go check out Marisa's place.

[x] Go check out Marisa's place

>>9947
This was true for the first part which was a more unstructured ordeal. But I didn't put a gun to your heads either. There's a time and place for everything. Even for being an ADD-riddled manchild.

>>9948
You'll get your dose soon. I had to wait a while for votes so it's only fair that you wait a bit as well. Expect a new thread and maybe a wall.