[] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

[X] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

[] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

[x] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."
[x] "And sometimes I get carried away and eat his children."

[x] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."
[x] "And sometimes I get carried away and eat his children."

[] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."


The second part needs better rewording, to be honest. Also, provoking Axe Man while SIMULTANEOUSLY telling everyone that you ate the guy's kid isn't going to end well.

>>15025

No, it implies that Phobe is cognizant enough to know when she's over the line. It also goes toward a reckoning with the Father, since you've at least admitted that you committed an injury against him.

If the man cries out that you murdered his son without you saying anything, they're going to think you're not the kind of youkai that should be allowed to travel in the town freely.

It's the difference between being hunted down like a rabid animal and being brought to justice for murder. A rabid dog is a danger to everyone's child. Phobe is just a danger to children whose parents have failed to educate them in showing due respect.

[] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

Changed vote.

[x] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

>>15028
It's not far from the truth to say that the boy attacked her the moment she woke up. She's a newborn, after all. It was just self-defense. She didn't know any better.

>>15033
>She's a newborn, after all. It was just self-defense. She didn't know any better.

Which is exactly why youkai like her are considered the most dangerous. The kind they exterminate, much less let inside the village.

[x] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

>>15028
>Phobe is just a danger to children whose parents have failed to educate them in showing due respect.
>showing due respect
Man, do you work for the NRA or something?
In before shitstorm over gun rights, which we are not going to have.

>>15039

People leave offerings so that youkai don't go after their livestock. Akyu instructs that a human should always give due deference to a youkai should they come across one. Canon.

The normal response to an 'attack' is to declare a spellcard. Not to hit it with a stick. That's just plain fucking stupid.

Face it: The boy was simply too dumb to live. If it wasn't a youkai, it would've been a bear or a wolf or a cliffside.

[X] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

[X] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

Bartender: "You know the rules."
Angry man: "And so do I."
BT: "A full commitments what I'm thinking of. You wouldn't get this from any other guy."
AM: "I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling. Gotta make you understand."
Phobe: "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down."
AM: "Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry."
PH: "Never gonna say goodbye."
Suika: "Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you."
AM: "We've know each other for so long."
PH: "Your hearts been aching. But you're too shy to say it."
AM: "Inside we both know what's been going on."
PH&AM: "We know the game and were gonna play it."

Update tomorrow. Going back to a normal person's sleep schedule has left me pretty dead.

[x] "He's my play-friend. Sometimes he gets carried away and chops my arm off."

"he's my play-friend," You say, watching the bartender do his thing. "We play youkai-and-human every day. Well, so far."

"Who's the hunter?" She asks, curious. You're glad she understands the game, since you just made up that name.

"He is. And the humans he brings with him." You say, "he's good, too. He chopped my arm off once."

"Eh," Suika says, shrugging, "He doesn't look that tough. Why do you play, though?"

"Hmm?"

it's a little hard to think back that far. There was the boy, the woman, and the guy. And he didn't want the boy. And the woman didn't want him. And you were doing that thing that you're not doing right now. And, and? and?

"I was playing with someone else. And he joined in."

That's what happened.

Suika looks a little disappointed with the answer, but as the bartender delivers the sake stuff, she lets out a cheer. You wonder what's so great about it? "Here, here," She says, sliding the bottle to you. "I'll let you go first."

it's a pretty big bottle. You wonder if she wants you to?

[ ] ...no, that's silly. Is there a cup?
[ ] You can drink it right out of here, right?

[ ] You can drink it right out of here, right?

[x] ...no, that's silly. Is there a cup?

Phobe, civilized moe-bag.

[x] You can drink it right out of here, right?

[x] You can drink it right out of here, right?

[X] ...no, that's silly. Is there a cup?

[x] You can drink it right out of here, right?

Indirect kiss~

>>15091
No.

[x] You can drink it right out of here, right?

[X] no

[X] You can drink it right out of here, right?

>>15092

What are you so upset about? Everyone is gay in Gensokyo.

[x] You can drink it right out of here, right?

Though, really, I can't see how either of these two options could end any differently.

>>15108
Terribly, you mean.

>>15109

No, I meant what I said.
I get the feeling these last couple choices are simply the result of a busy and/or creatively-blocked writefag attempting to buy time while keeping a regular update schedule.

Not that there's anything wrong with that once in a while. It's sure as hell better than nothing.

>>15113
That's probably true. I've been getting less sleep lately, which usually leads to deadened creativity.

Thanks for pointing it out, though. It's hard for me to tell if the quality of my writing is actually dropping, or if I'm just being too hard on myself. If someone else points it out, I know it's not just me. And I can (try to, at least) do something about it.
==================================================
[x] You can drink it right out of here, right?

? drink it, right out of this? You look back to her, and she motions again to the bottle. Right. That's it. You grab the bottle with both hands, bring it to your lips, and tip it just enough so that a little bit goes into your mouth.

Your face quickly scrunches up. What is this nasty stuff? Bad, bad, bad! But, you can't spit it out. No one else is spitting on the floor. So you let it go back into the bottle.

"Bleh!"

The taste is still in your mouth. You look over to Suika, who's grinning. "Bleh? Not like that. You gotta chug it. Here," She says, getting a firm handle on the bottle herself. "I'll help!"

She grips the bottle firmly, raising it towards your face. You feel a hand around the back of your head, too. A small one, Suika's free hand. How is she going to---

"Hey, Suika!"

The female voice is pretty harsh, and kind of angry. And familiar. Where did you?"

Oh. it's Reimu. She looks at you for a second, then looks back to Suika. You're still in a headlock, but it doesn't look like she's moving the bottle closer.

"Let's go. I need you to carry something for me."

"But---"

Suika stops her protest immediately, and looking back, you can see why. Reimu? well, you're glad she's not a youkai or something. Even Yuuka isn't this scary. Slowly, Suika lets you out of her hand, getting out of her chair to head towards the red-white.

"Hey," She says, walking backwards with the bottle in her hand and a gourd in the other, "come by the shrine some time. We're always having fun!"

Reimu gives Suika a quick smack to the back of the head, with her hand open. You can here it, even from over her.

"W-what was that for?"

"Stop inviting strange youkai to the shrine."

She just grins, giving you a big wave while heading on out the door. Huh. Well, you can't say that wasn't interesting, at least. Since you don't know anyone else here, you look around for more interesting characters.

"none. Your play-mate is gone, though. You wonder where he could have gone off to.

[ ] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.
[ ] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.
[ ] Go explore somewhere else (write-in).
[ ] Do something else (write-in).

[X] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[x] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.

Uncle bartender~ He'll look after us if we're ever in trouble, won't he? Who can ignore this cute little girl?

[ ] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[x] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.

[x] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.

[x] Say goodbye to the bartender.
[x] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[x] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

time to move on, this place is all out of touhous

[~] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.
[z] Say goodbye to the bartender.
[e] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

>>15120
>Even Yuuka isn't this scary
Even newly born youkai automatically fear Reimu. She's one tough cookie.

[x] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.

[ ] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[x] Talk to the bartender. You want to know more about this place.

Well, it doesn't matter. You wonder what rules made him go away? There's only one person to ask, so you give a wave to the bartender. He comes over, rubbing a cloth on the inside of a glass.

"Need something?" he asks, neither smiling nor frowning.

"What is this place?"

"The Benevolent Spirit Inn," He says, not really looking at you. Looks like he's watching something else. "Most people just call it the spirit."

"Inn?"

He nods. "it's a bar, but there's rooms for rent on the second floor. Excuse me."

You watch him put the cup under the counter, walk over to someone else who's standing at the bar, and then get them a cup. You wonder if the stuff he's pouring in is as bad as that stuff Suika gave you? Well, you're not going to ask for any. You still don't know why putting something on a tab (whatever that is) lets you get these weird drinks.

"Did you have any other questions?" The bartender asks, returning with another glass in hand. "The rules are behind me, and I think they explain themselves."

Right. That square full of squiggles that you can't read.

"I don't know what it says," You say, frowning a bit. "Can you help?"

"Basically," He says, giving you a quick smile before looking over you again, "It says that there is no fighting allowed here, between anyone. Or anything. No exceptions."

"Oh," You say, thinking that over for a second. That's kind of interesting, you guess. "So, what's a tab?"

The man laughs a little. "Something like imaginary money. I get paid, but not until later. Most pay right away."

So, these people are paying for drinks. Payment for this guy giving them a drink of this stuff, which he got somewhere. Maybe he paid for it as well? You don't know what they're paying with, but maybe they're doing stuff like what you did for Rinnosuke.

"Excuse me."

Again, he heads off to another human who's standing near the counter. This time, you're going to pay attention. Watch?

it's something tiny, and round. That's what she's giving him. And then she gets a drink.

"Was that all you needed?" The bartender asks, returning to you. This time, he's got an empty bottle that he had just poured stuff out of. Tossing it into a basket behind the counter, he gives you a look. Like he wants an answer.

[ ] Ask another question or two. (write-in).
[ ] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.
[ ] Go explore somewhere else (write-in).
[ ] Do something else (write-in).

{X} Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[X] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[X] Big smile.
[X] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

Phobe is adorable.

[X] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[X] Big smile.
[X] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.
[X] Take the bottle of stuff with you. Maybe Yuuka would like it?

[X] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[X] Big smile.
[X] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

>>15142
Suika took the bottle.

[X] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[X] Big smile.
[X] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[x] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[x] Warm smile.
[x] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

>[x] Big smile.
No teeth-showing.

[x] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[x] Warm smile.
[x] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[~] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[z] Warm smile.
[e] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[B] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[B] Big smile.
[B] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

[x] "That's all! Thanks, mister!"
[x] Warm smile.
[x] Go explore more of the town, while it's bright out.

"Nope, that's all." You say, smiling back to him. "Thanks, mister!"

He nods, heading over to the other side of the counter to deal with someone else. Sitting inside here all day, watching people, would be boring. So you decide to head outside into the sunlight. Getting off of the chair, you do that. Walk out past the few staring humans, and back into the street.

Now, where should you go? All the buildings from before are still there, but what's in the other direction? Only one way to find out. You start walking.

Hard ground. At least it doesn't have a lot of rocks in it. You wonder why they would make the ground like this? Oh, that place looks kind of nice. There's a lot of flowers in the window. And that one kind of scary, since there's a big man hitting glowy metal with other metal. And this one looks pretty cool, too. Like a---

Wham! You walk right into something, and fall over because that something is also falling on you.

"Wah!"

You weren't expecting that. The blue wall knocks you right over, though you catch yourself with your butt and your hands.

"Sorry!" You hear, and see a hand reaching out to grab yours. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Are you hurt?"

Looking up, you can't really see much of the person. The sun's behind her, and it's pretty bright. Her hair is really long, though.

[ ] "Nope."
[ ] "A tough youkai wouldn't be hurt by that."
[ ] Don't say anything, but let her help you up.
[ ] She should watch where she's going!
[ ] Write-in.

[X] "Nope.."
[X] Get up and look embarrassed for not looking at where you're going.

>>15161

[x] "No, I'm fine."

[X] "Nope."
[X] Let her help you up. She's nice!

[X] "Nope."
[x] Try to get up yourself, but slip.
[X] Let her help you up. She's nice!

For maximum moe-ness. Help little Phobe, Keine-sensei.

Wait...

Phobe. Possibly pronounced "fO-bE".

As in phobia, "fO-bE-uh", the Greek word for fear.

Her name means "fear".

How did I not notice this earlier?

Unless I'm a slowpoke and it's been mentioned before. Or I'm pronouncing it wrong. Or I'm just paranoid.

>>15167
Not only has it been mentioned before, her name was picked by Anon for that exact reason.

[X] "Nope."
[x] Try to get up yourself, but slip.

[X] "Nope."
[x] Try to get up yourself, but slip.
[X] Let her help you up. She's nice!

[X] "Nope."
[x] Try to get up yourself, but slip.
[X] Let her help you up. She's nice!

[ ] She should watch where she's going!

[x] Cry

Moe overdrive.

[ ] "A tough youkai wouldn't be hurt by that.."

Phobe survived Yuka on her first few days of existence, a mere fall is nothing to her.

[X] "Nope."

[x] "Nope."

You reach up and grab her hand.

"Nope~," You say, letting this new person tug you up by your hand, "Not hurt."

"Oh, that's good," The woman says, letting out a little sigh. "I was in such a rush, I didn't even see you."

it's easier to make her out at this angle. She looks pretty human, you think; except that her hair is white, while most of the humans have black hair. There's a few of them with strange colors, though, so you think it might be normal. Looking down, there's a box-like thing on the ground. This new woman picks it up, and puts it on her head. It? doesn't really look like a hat.

"Hmm? I don't think I've met you before," She says, her voice sounding really nice. Like she's a really nice person. She puts her hands on her knees, bringing her face down closer to yours while smiling. "I'm Keine Kamishirasawa, the guardian of this village."

She looks at you, like she's? oh, right. You know what to do now.

"I'm Phobe," You say, before she asks. You think you're getting it, now. If you didn't have a name, this thing everyone thinks is normal would be really hard.

"Well then, Phobe. Where do you come from?"

You point, but there're buildings in the way. "The trees."

She nods, and stands back up straight. "Well, I need to be off. Don't get into too much trouble, Phobe."

"I won't," You say, smiling. Trouble is bad, and you don't want any of that.

Keine gives you one last smile, and begins to head in the direction you were coming from.

[ ] Continue wandering the village.
[ ] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.
[ ] Enter a building (One of the ones mentioned so far.)
[ ] Go exploring somewhere else (write-in).
[ ] Something else (write-in).

[x] Continue wandering the village.

[ ] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

[x] Continue wandering the village.

[X] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

[x] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

I want to see Keine teach Phobe how to be a good girl.

[X] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

It's feeding time~!

[X] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

One night Phobe will see Keine transform into EX-Keine, Defender of Humanity, and she will be inspired to become a Hero of Justice.

[X] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

[~] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

[X] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

>>15189
Eh.

[x] Follow Keine. If she's the guardian of the village, it might be interesting.

You decide to follow her. Buildings are interesting, but living things are even better. And if she's the guardian thing of this village, she might be really interesting. It doesn't take long before she notices you.

"Oh, you're going to tag along?" She asks, after she does. She gives a quick glance over her shoulder.

You nod. "You're doing something cool, right?"

She laughs, turning her head back around to face forward. "No, not at all. Just giving someone a message."

"A cool message?"

"A ?the council will let you use their hunters? message," She says, her voice not sounding as friendly anymore. "The man?" She sighs. "he's had a lot of bad luck lately, and he wants to use them to make sure that the bad luck doesn't happen to anyone else. You said you came from the forest?"

You nod. "Yep."

"What part?"

You think about this for a moment. Do the parts have names, like people? How do you describe it?

"By the big tree, with the funny bark and the rock shaped like this," You say, causing her to look back at you again. You draw it in the air with your hand. "it's that way from the wet squishy part, that way from Kourindou, and that way from the stream." You point during all this to help her out, but she still looks confused. At the end, she chuckles.

"Oh, so you're a youkai, then?"

"Yep," You say, nodding. "Not right now, though."

"Not right now?"

"Nope. If I was a youkai right now, people would be scared. Or mean. So I'm just a person right now."

"I? see." She says, turning to face forward again. "Did you play with a human boy recently? One about this tall?"

She gives you a longer description. By now, you can see that the buildings are getting farther apart, and not as big. There's things in front of them, too. Animals, humans of all kinds (but the kids leave when they see Keine)? lots of stuff.

You think about the question for a moment. You don't really remember what the boy you played with looked like. That wasn't the important part. It could have been, but... gah. it's hard to remember something like that. Scratching your head to think better doesn't help at all, either. You're really not sure.

[ ] It was. That's the one you played with, right?
[ ] It wasn't. He was a little taller, and his eyes were a little different?
================================================
No wrong answer here, I'm just letting you vote whether that information has fallen out of Phobe's head yet or not. Feel free to add things after choosing one of these, too, since this conversation is going to continue for at least one more update.

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

[ ] It was. That's the one you played with, right?
The only choice that gets Phobe somewhere.

{X} It was. That's the one you played with, right?

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

Does anon want a horrible outcome?

[x] You don't remember. You've been attacked by a lot of humans.

[X] It wasn't. He was a little taller, and his eyes were a little different?

>>15202
Read the last part of Klaymen's post.

This vote will only determine wether Phobe realizes the boy Keine mentioned is the one she ate or not.

[X] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

[x] It was. That's the one who played with you, right?
[x] He wasn't a very good sport; did he tell her bad things about you? Ask.

>Feel free to add things after choosing one of these, too, since this conversation is going to continue for at least one more update.

Phobe knows what it is she's done, but does she really grasp the concept of death?

The boy lost an arm, like you did. But your arm came back, so shouldn't his? And if not, why would humans want to play such dangerous games?

That he wanted to play with you is beyond doubt. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come into your space, swinging a stick at you. Similarly, those bigger humans in the forest seemed to be looking to play with you, and the big man in the building just now definitely did, though the other man told him it was against the rules. But why would they make rules against playing?

[X] It was. That's the one who played with you, right?
[X] He wasn't a very good sport; did he tell her bad things about you? Ask.

[K] It was. That's the one who played with you, right?
[O] He wasn't a very good sport; did he tell her bad things about you? Ask.

>[X] He wasn't a very good sport; did he tell her bad things about you? Ask.

But Phobe knows that she killed him. And I think she also knows that humans don't grow arms back.

[X] It was. That's the one who played with you, right?

And I'm totally voting for telling Keine what happened. Things will get fun~

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

Teach us right from wrong, Keine-sensei~

>But Phobe knows that she killed him. And I think she also knows that humans don't grow arms back.

Oh, she understands killing. No doubt about that. She's even made choices--[]Kill/[]Don't Kill. The question is over whether or not she knows the would not spontaneously reincarnate in the same form, as she and other youkai and fairies do.

By referring to big and little humans in the same manner, and her perplexity at the female human's reaction, she obviously doesn't understand the concept of childbirth, rearing, and family.

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?
[x] "He was sort of mean and acted weird, but I'd like to play with him again as long as he was nice. Is he from here? I could say hi to him. Do you know where he is?"

So innocent.

[X] It was. That's the one who played with you, right?

[x] It was. That's the one you played with, right?

But? maybe. It sounds more like him than not like him, so it's probably it, right? Yeah.

"I think he was like that," You say, "We didn't play very long though."

"Why not?"

"I won," You say, remembering the look on his face when you beat him. Back then, it was really fun. But the bigger ones are more fun to play with, you think.

She stops walking. You almost run into her again, but this time you were watching, so you stop in time.

?" are you sure?"

You nod. "Yep. Why?"

She doesn't answer for a while. You wonder why? You can't see what her face looks like, so it's hard to tell. Maybe if you go around?

? nope. Still hard to tell. She gives you a look, but it doesn't really help. She's not angry, or sad, or scared, or anything that you can see. Her smile is kind of strange, though. There's something wrong with it, like she drank something bad. You might look like that if you tried to smile after drinking that sake stuff.

"What's the matter?" You ask. She keeps looking at you, right into your eyes. There's something wrong. They aren't happy eyes, but you can't tell what?

"Phobe," She says, leaning on her knees like she did before. "What happens when a human is killed?"

"They stop moving," You say, after thinking about it for a second. That's right. You smile at yourself.

"And then?"

This one is a little harder. You could just give up, but she wants an answer, you think. What happens? Nothing special. They just stop moving. And then?

? and then?

You shrug. Thinking won't let you know things you don't know. That's silly. "I don't know."

She takes her hands off of her knees, straightening back up. Her smile is even worse now. "They don't get back up. Ever."

"Ever?" That seems really weird. Why don't they just grow back their red stuff and walk away? Just lying there seems really stupid. And, that little human moved, didn't he? He wasn't there when you went back the next day. But, she doesn't seem like she's lying, either?

"-well, no. Sometimes they come back," She says, "This one will."

Now you're confused. They don't come back, ever. But they do come back, so that's not true. She looks at your face, and then quickly starts talking again.

"Humans don't like it when you kill other humans. So, if you do it, other humans will kill you. it's really painful," She says, now walking again, "And boring. Or so I hear. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

You shake your head. No, painful is? painful. But you can handle that. You're tough. Boring, though, is boring. Tough doesn't help with that.

"Now, you probably don't want to follow me anymore, right?" She says, pointing to a boxy house down the road. "I'm just going over there. It'll be really boring, listening to us talk."

[ ] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[ ] She's probably right. Go back into town and (write-in).
[ ] She's probably right. Go exploring around (write-in).
[ ] She's probably right. You're getting kind of tired, anyway.

[X] Ask Keine to teach you more about humans some other time.
[X] She's probably right. Go exploring around the lake.
[X] Where's the sun's position in the sky?

In stark contrast to the way this story has gone so far, this last update made me sad...

Feels good, man.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Ask why it would be boring.

Coming next update: The death of innocence.

[x] Ask Keine to teach you more about humans some other time.
[x] She's right. Go back into town and look at all the neat things.
[x] Later, we can tell Mystia and the others about our day in the village!

[X] Ask Keine to teach you more about humans some other time.
[X] She's probably right. Go exploring around the lake.
[X] Where's the sun's position in the sky?

>?Ever?" That seems really weird. Why don't they just grow back their red stuff and walk away? Just lying there seems really stupid. And, that little human moved, didn't he? He wasn't there when you went back the next day. But, she doesn't seem like she's lying, either?
>??well, no. Sometimes they come back," She says, "This one will."
>Now you're confused. They don't come back, ever. But they do come back, so that's not true. She looks at your face, and then quickly starts talking again.

She's on the cusp of something. She needs but press only a little bit further.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

The title of this story is I, Youkai. It takes its name from a favorite work of historical fiction, I, Claudius. I, Claudius is fictionalized autobiography of the Roman emperor Claudius, starting from the time he was a child to the point at which he was elevated as emperor.

Claudius was an unlikely protagonist. He was disfigured from birth, limping and stammering, and so he was kept out of public view and generally thought of as a dolt. One of his teachers, however, realized he that in his mind he held a capacity for greatness, for enlightened rule, and so Claudius was told by his teacher to exaggerate his lameness and stupidity, for, as he would witness through countless assassinations, seeming ability in so extremely competitive an environment as the imperial families is selected against. The intelligent, the ruthless, the charismatic--Claudius would outlive them all. When Caligula was assassinated, it had reached a point where there was simply no one else left for the Praetorian Guard to install as the new emperor.

And so Claudius the Lame, Claudius the Fool, became Claudius the God.

His rule was one of marked sensibility and prosperity between that of the corrupt, wantonly violent, and hopelessly inept leadership under Caligula and later Nero. When the time came for his own assassination came, he knew exactly who his assassins were, when and how it would occur. He, in fact, allowed it to occur; it was a conscious decision. He knew he could never restore the Roman Republic as long as the populace was willing to put their faith in demagogues, and there was simply no one left in his life worth a damn. So he stopped.

The point I guess I'm trying to get at here is: I don't want Phobe to be hunted down and killed like a rabid animal, and I don't want her to be taken out behind the the shed like a lame dog, unaware of culpability and error. If and when it comes, it should not just be a 'painful, boring thing'. As to whether this ends in exoneration, retribution, punishment, or mercy, maybe or maybe not with later reincarnation, it would be far too much a tragedy if it did not at least come with an understanding.

>>15240

Cool story, bro.

... No, really, that was pretty fucking cool. You've convinced me.
Changing vote:

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

Either Keine was choosing to lie for some reason, or there is some crazy stuff going down. How can the boy come back? People die when they are killed!

>>15250

Strange things happen during full moons...

>>15250
>Either Keine was choosing to lie for some reason, or there is some crazy stuff going down. How can the boy come back? People die when they are killed!

No, she's probably going to write him back into history. Keine's abilities are a matter of public record, even if she does not show herself in public when transformed. She had likely already been petitioned to reverse the event. However, because of the nature of her ability, and how it could easily be abused, there is likely a lot of red tape that has to be dealt with, as well as a personal decision by Keine, who has to think about the survival of the entire village.

Likely the council deliberated on it and said no, since without additional information, it would be impossible to determine that it simply would not happen again (meaning, the child would be expected to die again in a similar manner), but they are however are authorizing the extermination mission, either to allay the family's grief or because they've determined the youkai is a probable danger to others. If the child were to be brought back as a matter of course, the father would not be nearly so bitter.

However, as a result of our interaction here, Keine seems to have changed her mind, since she can be certain now that it was not the boy's fault--we were just too young and stupid to understand what we were doing.

But now that we've vindicated the boy, and likely have saved his life (even as we were responsible for his death in the first place), we must vindicate Phobe herself. She must prove that she is capable of learning, and that this will not happen again with another person's child.

There is reason to hopeful for this. Phobe in comparison to some other newborn youkai (e.g., Medicine) is, in spite of her initial encounter with the boy and his father, quite open to new ideas, curious, and humble. She has potential, not as a youkai so much as a citizen of Gensokyo.

[z] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[e] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

[x] She's really interesting, though. How could it be boring?
[x] Tell her there's lots you don't understand, but that does not mean it's boring or unimportant.

"Why is it boring?" You ask, frowning a little.

"Haha?" She looks a little uneasy when you say this. You can tell, because you went around front to check this time. "I was hoping that would work, too. Oh well."

"Hmm?" You're confused again. Hoping what would work? She's not talking about the same thing anymore, and?

"I was hoping you'd just believe me." She says, "There was a man who played with you, after you won against the boy. Right?"

You nod. "We play all the time. it's more fun, "cause he's not as easy as that small human was."

"He lives in that house." She says, looking up again. "So? you can't come. It would cause too much trouble."

"Why?"

She almost laughs at this, but something holds her back. "He wants to kill you, and his neighbors want to kill you. There would be a fight."

"it's ok," You say, "I'm not being a youkai now. So they don't need to fight me."

"No, but they will."

A fight? You think, if there was only him, you would win. You only lost your arm the first time you played because you weren't paying attention. But? that house is kind of small. It would be really hard to play in a thing like that. For you. But, if he lives there, not for him.

"Do you get it now?"

"No." You say, frowning a little. "That's only trouble for me. And it's not too much. Is it?"

?In the village, it is. People don't like fights, either."

Keine is really confusing. You wonder if all village guardians are like this? The conversation is kind of fun, though. it's like a puzzle.

"But if they don't like fights, why do they want to fight?"

"The other humans don't," She says, "Only a few. We have a code of laws here, which---"

Her eyes are looking at something distant, something down the road that isn't you. "I'll explain it to you another day. Could you stop following me now?"

Her voice doesn't sound harsh, like Yuuka's did when she asked you to leave. it's a nice ?could you stop following me now?. Still?

[ ] That's fine.
[ ] You want to listen to what they're talking about, so you want to stay.
[ ] You want to listen to what they're talking about. You can do it while hiding, though. Then you're not following her.

If leaving:
[ ] Say something (write-in).
[ ] Go back into town and (write-in).
[ ] Go exploring around (write-in).
[ ] Go get some sleep, so it can turn into night.

[ ] That's fine.

[X] That's fine.

[x] That's fine.
[x] Go back into town and explore more.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

I think that, given time, Keine would like Phobe quite a lot.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

Sounds good.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.


>>15252

We're not nearly as bad as Medicine, considering we've interacted with plenty of humans without hostility.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

[x] You want to listen to what they're talking about. You can do it while hiding, though. Then you're not following her.
[x] ...But don't fight, because Keine said that people don't like it when you fight in the village. You want people to like you.

Because who cares if we get caught? He's not expecting us, so he won't have his hunting party with him. Worst case scenario: we fly away.

I'm not giving up on >>15240 that easily.

[X] That's fine.
[X] "Okay, Miss Grauniad. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[X] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

It isn't fine. We're curious. But Miss Keine is a nice person, so we shouldn't get her in trouble.

[x] You want to listen to what they're talking about. You can do it while hiding, though. Then you're not following her.
[x] ...But don't fight, because Keine said that people don't like it when you fight in the village. You want people to like you.

in b4 an off-hand remark by Yuka completely dashes any effect of this conversation on the development of Phobe's character

>>15284
>>in b4 an off-hand remark by Yuka completely dashes any effect of this conversation on the development of Phobe's character

Maybe, but I think it's more like:
>>in b4 the opportunity to go hang with Yuka completely takes priority over the opportunity for character development in Anon's eyes.

[x] That's fine.
[x] "Okay, Miss Guardian. I think I learned a lot with you, so can I come back and see you again?"
[x] Go back into town and look for Yuuka again.

? no. You don't care that much. If she wants you to go, you can go. She's nice, so you can do something nice back.

"Ok, Miss Guardian," You say, nodding your head. "I think I learned a lot, so can I come back and see you again later? Then I can learn more."

"Two days," She says, "You can come back then. Thank you. And, please try to remember what I said."

You nod, and turn around to head back into the city, feeling really good. You decide to hum that little song that the human guy taught you.

Soon, you can't see the forest anymore. The buildings are really close again, and you think you're back where you were. Now, what could you do? You don't feel like leaving yet. Maybe you'll just wander? no. Maybe you'll look for Yuuka. It might be fun to try and find her in a place like this.

She went this way, right? Yeah, this way?

? ? ? oh!

You walked down that direction once, paying attention to all the buildings on one side. Once you got to the end, you came back? and saw her. At the place with all those flowers. She's just standing inside talking. To them? To someone behind them? You can't tell, since the thing you can see through to see the inside isn't very big.

[ ] Go over and ask what she's doing.
[ ] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[ ] Well, that was fun. Now you think you'll (write-in).
[ ] Yaaawwwn? tired.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[X] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[X] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.
[X] Watch the flowers' reactions.

[ ] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.

[ ] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.

[x] Hungry, tired.
[x] Rub the sleep from your eyes and go find a snack~

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[X] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[X] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.
[X] Watch the flowers' reactions.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[X] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.
[X] Watch the flowers' reactions.

[X] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[X] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.
[X] Watch the flowers' reactions.

I assume our youkai switch rests firmly in the -OFF- position?

[x] Go over and see what she's doing, but don't say anything.
[x] Don't sneak up on her or anything, though. Just stand next to her and watch.
[x] Watch the flowers' reactions.

The only way to find out is to go inside; and, since the door is open, it's easy. You walk right in.

This place? it's really cool. it's almost like being in the forest. The top of the building is high, and there's little trees and all kinds of flowers growing in pots. The flowers are making the whole place smell nice, too.

You wave to the person off to the side who's waving at you, and walk over to Yuuka. She doesn't look at you or anything, so maybe she's busy. You'll just watch for now.

Although her mouth is moving, no words are coming out. There's parts of words, sometimes, but mostly it's quiet. Like the forest in a gentle breeze, without so many animals. You think the flowers like it, too. You can't really tell, but you get that feeling.

After watching for a little bit, you think she's going to be here for a while. She's walking really slow, moving down the row while she fake talks. And, there's a few rows on either side of this one. If she has to go through all those?

[ ] Ask her if she's going to.
[ ] Ask her (write-in).
[ ] Go do something else (write-in).
[ ] Sleep option.

[ ] Ask her if she's going to, when she stops 'fake talking'.

[X] Ask her if she's going to.

[ ] Sleep option.

The flower shop must be pretty relaxing.

[X] Sleep option.

Youkai moe / Sleeping moe = OH SHI-

[ ] Sleep option.

[x] Sleep option.

I want to see whether she'll wake us up when she's done. Also, we should probably sleep more.

[B] Sleep option.

[ze] Sleep option.

Just don't sleep on the plants.

[x] Explore the town more.
[x] See what food the town has. Is it like Mystia's?

[x] Sleep option.

She's singing so the plants grow faster.

I wonder if we'll grow faster too?

[ ] Silently follow her
[ ] When she finishes, give her a big smile

[x] Sleep option.
[x] Fall asleep standing up, next to that potted sunflower that's as tall as you are.

No update until... uh, sunday. I'm going out of town today to a place with no internet, so really, there's not much I can do.

[x] Sleep option.

? well, it's going to take a while. And you think you've seen enough of the city for today. You're kind of tired, too, so maybe you'll go take a nap now. You wave to Yuuka (who doesn't wave back) and the person behind the counter (who does) on your way out.

You get the feeling that sleeping in the village might not be a good idea. No one else is, so it's not something that people do. So, you start running. Heading down streets to get back to where you can sleep, in the forest. The houses get farther and father apart, until eventually there are only a few that you can see. Then, there's nothing for a little bit, and then the forest starts.

Yeah. The city is nice, you decide, but the forest is better. The ground is better on your feet, the smell is better on your nose? and the sun doesn't get all the way to the ground, which is nice. It was kind of hot otherwise. It wasn't that bad, though. It was really interesting to meet with the humans there, and pretend to be one. You wonder if most of them could tell the difference? Either way, you can finally go back to being a youkai.

On your way back to the root den, you find something a little better, maybe. A big branch. it's still green, so if you go under it and break off a few of the smaller branches, it'll be like a little cave. So, you do. The ground is pretty soft here, too, and the ground is a little sunken underneath. It doesn't take long to fall asleep.

?
?

? dark. it's night again. A little cold, too; you think the root den might be better than this spot. Night again. Now what?

[ ] Go try to find some food. Everyone liked it when you brought some last time.
[ ] Go to Mystia's stand, since that's what you do every night.
[ ] Go do something else (write-in)

[ ] Go try to find some food. Everyone liked it when you brought some last time.

[X] Go to Mystia's stand, since that's what you do every night. If you spot some food on the way, hunt it down and bring it along, everyone liked it when you brought some last time.

[ ] Go try to find some food. Everyone liked it when you brought some last time.

[ ] Try to take over the world, since that's what you do every night.
[X] Go try to find some food. Everyone liked it when you brought some last time.

[x] Go try to find some food. Everyone liked it when you brought some last time.

Damn, I thought we were going to take a nap in the flower shop.

[x] Go to Mystia's stand, since that's what you do every night.

[x] Go to Mystia's stand, since that's what you do every night.

Maybe we'll come across Mokou's stand, by accident.

...I wonder what Phobe would think of the Bamboo forest.

[x] Go try to find some food. Everyone liked it when you brought some last time.

Well? maybe you could go hunting again? Everyone liked it when you brought stuff to eat last time. Yeah, you'll do that. Then you all can go play a game of some kind.

You crawl out from under your branch, and find it pretty dark. And noisy. And warmer than the last few days. It feels like you're breathing a cloud, or something. The ground is kind of wet, too. You wonder why? Well, you can find out later.

? oh, you're kind of wet, too. Well, that's fine. It'll dry. You kind of wish the sun was out, but it doesn't matter. You're going to find something with four feet to eat. Just like before.

It doesn't take long. You find something big enough without looking too hard. it's a round furry thing, this time, with really short legs. It put up a better fight than that thing the other day, but it still didn't really hurt you at all. Either way, you've got a lot of meat right now.

[ ] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.
[ ] it's better if you eat it while it's warm. Dig in.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

Civilized yet deadly.

[X] It's better if it's cooked, don't eat any yet.

{X} it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

Micro-updates. Let's see more of them.

>it's a round furry thing, this time, with really short legs.
We just killed Totoro.

[X] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[ze] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[ ] it's better if you eat it while it's warm. Dig in.

[ ] it's better if you eat it while it's warm. Dig in.

Delicious Totoro. You must eat him now!

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[X] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

[x] it's better if it's cooked. Don't eat any yet.

Mystia's food tastes really good when cooked, so you decide not to eat this yet. She can cook it, and then you can eat a lot of it when it's all warm and filled with flavor. Right. You throw the animal over your back and get moving in the right direction.

Soon, though, you get wet again. A bit of water comes from somewhere and lands on your shoulder. Then another. Then another. More and more keep falling, but you can't tell from where. You think it's from above the leaves, though, since it sounds like they're getting hit, too.

"Oh, there she is," Wriggle says, as soon as you get into the clear part of the forest near Mystia's stand. "And she's brought us dinner!"

In the light, you can see all the little tiny pieces of water falling. Way too many to count, like stars or leaves.

"Boar?" Mystia asks, looking at you. "Are you giving this to me?"

You nod. "I liked it when you cooked that other stuff."

She nods, smiling. "Ah, back for seconds, then. Set it out back, and I'll get to work."

"We should just call you the big game hunter, huh?" Wriggle asks, laughing. "Go nab a bear next time. I hear they taste really good."
"Bear?"

"Yeah, you know," Wriggle says, getting off of her seat to raise her hand into the air. "About this tall, furry, goes ?groaaar!??"

You've never seen a bear, but you nod anyway. You can try to get one of those some other night.

"Don't worry, you'll know when you see one."

You take the seat that you usually do, and find that it's not wet under there. Looking up, you can see that the thing Mystia folds in and out actually does something; it stops rain.

"You're soaked," Wriggle says, "Crappy weather, huh?"

"-it's nice," You say, correcting her. It sounds really cool, and it's different than just plain air. You get wet, but that's fine. "What is it?"

"Rain," She says, "You'll be right at home if you like it. it's about time for it to do this more often."

"Phobe~"

Without warning, a wet thing wraps around your neck lightly. Rumia, you see, after turning around. Then, just as suddenly, she leaves to go behind the stand.

"Pig~"

"So," Wriggle says, "Got any good stories?" She laughs ?Did you go back and show Yuuka who's boss?"

[ ] Tell her about everything.
[ ] Tell her about the Benevolent Spirit.
[ ] Tell her about Yuuka.
[ ] Tell her about Keine.
[ ] Tell her about humans.
[ ] Tell her about Suika.

{X} Tell her about Suika.

[ ] Tell her about everything.

Pig~

[ ] Tell her about everything.

[x] Tell her about everything.

[X] Tell her about Yuuka.

[] Tell her about everything.

[X] Tell her about everything.

Did we ever meet a benevolent spirit? I can't remember...

[x] Tell her about everything.

[ze] Tell her everything!

I hnnnngh'd at the Rumiahug, and then almost choked with laughter at her going for the boar.

>>15406
It was the name of the inn/pub/thing.

[x] Tell her about everything.

>>15409
I, on the other hand, giggled at her hug, and hnnngh'd when she saw the boar.

[x] Tell her about everything.

[x] Tell her about everything.

You nod, smiling. "First, I got this hat for my reward. See? it's really cool."

"Oh, so that?s what it is! I knew something was off." She says. "Isn't it kind of big?"

You shake your head. "Nope. It fits just right. Then, I went to go see Yuuka. We talked, then I followed her to that human village place."

Wriggle nods, laughing a little bit. "I went there once, and saw a bunch of little humans squishing insects. They won't let me in anymore."

"Oh. Did you kill one?" You ask. "Keine says that that makes the other humans mad at you."

Wriggle frowns a little. "She's still around? Watch out for her. She's beat me down a few times for no reason at all."

Huh? strange. You don't think that she'd do that. Wriggle must have made her mad, or something. But, then again, you don't really know. Maybe she was in a good mood today.

"So, I found a bar or something when I was there, and? Suika? Yeah. She tried to get me to drink some bad stuff?"

You tell her about the entire day, though she doesn't really say much during it. She looks kind of? depressed. Like she doesn't really like the rain. It doesn't take long for you to tell the tale, though.

"What did you do?" You ask, curious.

"I just got up a little bit ago," She says, shrugging, "So not much."

About then, Mystia comes into the kitchen from the back with a bunch of red stuff on a flat thing. She's not wet at all, so there must be a covering back there, too. She looks like she's thinking. "Now, what kind of sauce should I put on this?"

[ ] No sauce, it's tasty without any.
[ ] That sauce she used on that other thing she cooked. It was really good.
[ ] Don't say anything. She's not asking you.

[X] That sauce she used on that other thing she cooked. It was really good.

Just plain cooked pork is sorta icky.
Or maybe that's just from having it for years and years.

[X] That sauce she used on that other thing she cooked. It was really good.

[ ] No sauce, it's tasty without any.

Because it's true.

[x] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

Sounds like we made her feel left out, talking about the village and Keine when she's hated by both. Try to get her mind off it.

[X] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

I like this. Surely even Wriggle will feel a little happier if Moe Moe Phobe tries to cheer her up.

[x] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

Changing vote.

[x] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

wagon'ing the band

[X] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.
If you know what I mean.

[ze] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

Worth a shot.

[X] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

[x] What kind of sauces are there?

Create an assortment.

[x] Ask Wriggle what sauce she likes.

[x] Let Mystia decide for herself. She'd know best, after all.

Wriggle would suggest something weird. And likely sweet. I don't like sweet meat.

Silly bugs and their simple sugars.