Loading User Commands:
[X] "Gate"

---

Gate - a point where entry or exit is controlled. When closed, it prevents passage. While open, it allows the flow. This is the essence of Boolean logic. Absolute truth or absolute falsehood - only one can exist at any single point in time or space. There is nothing in-between.

At that moment, it came upon him like the sea crashing upon the rocks. A high wave that comes once every hundred years. In an instant, he understood.

Grimn?r looks back at Marisa. Then, he smiles.

"Heh, that's a good face," she remarks. "You are actually starting to look like a magician for once."

She raises her arm and points at him cheerfully.

"Prepare yourself, apprentice," she says. "As your Master, I'll punish you kindly!"

He only gives her a small nod. He can't act too confident just yet. Even if the concept is solid, he still needs to test certain things. And even if it works, his chance of victory is still quite small. If he makes even one mistake, it's all over.

"If this hits, it's really going to hurt!" she cries.

The witch raises her mini-hakkero at him. From this distance, he can easily dodge a linear attack. However, he relents. This is the perfect chance to test his theory. If it fails here, then there isn't any point in trying anything else. Even if it will risk his life, he will stand his ground.

"Love Sign, "Master Spark?!"

He holds out his hand and forms a barrier wide enough to block the attack. From this distance, it won't look any different from an ordinary barrier. Normally, he wouldn't have enough power to block against her full strength. Logically, this attempt would be suicide. But this time is a little different.

Soon, the blast completely engulfs the barrier, and by the time her attack ends, the forest behind him is reduced to fire and ashes. For a moment, Marisa's eyes widen in horror. But in the next -

"Ah!"

She barely dodges his laser attack. Not much larger than the width of his wrist, the beam barely misses her. The witch turns to see the wizard hovering unharmed to her right. He doesn't have a scratch on him.

"Wow! I didn't think you could block that completely!"

Grimn?r only smiles back at the girl. Looks like it works.

At this point she still didn't realize what he did. He most definitely didn't block her spark attack. That would be impossible for a magician of his level. The destroyed bamboo stalks behind him were proof that he didn't block the flow of her beam. Instead, he took the concept of "Gate" and applied it to his barrier magic. What followed was a simple but powerful ability.

A Temporary Barrier

The barrier need not block an attack completely. He only has to maintain it's strength for a split-second so he can avoid the attack. Then, once out of harms way, he can release his focus on the barrier and let the attack flow through harmlessly. This way, he can defend against attacks that are several times more powerful than his own capacity. And since he only has to keep the barrier up for a moment, he saves his own magical energy as well. If he only raises barriers in this way, then he can use his power to form even larger shields or even multiple shields at different points.

Rising from inside, he could feel it - the urge to go on and risk his life on this gamble. Even if it is only a small chance, the possibility of winning exists! He only needs to prepare a scenario that even she can't escape. Yes! As long as he uses his wits, he can defeat this witch even with his inferior power. A spell card duel isn't a battle of raw strength, but one of the mind, after all. With this, he can -

"Ara? So this is were you two have been playing~"

"M-Marisa! What the heck are you thinking!"

But their epic battle will have to be postponed for now. Seems like two newcomers have come to end this beautiful starry night.

...

Back at his room, Grimn?r finally realizes how tired he is. The futon looks so comfortable.

[ ] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.
[ ] Pass out. Let's forget that this ever happened.
[ ] Custom

[x] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

[X] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

So much potential, too much to just throw away carelessly.

[x] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

The quantum magical model allows for energy displacements previously held to be impossible under more classical models.

[x] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

[x] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

[X] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

[x] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

Someone mind explaining how the hell this works, again?

It sounds like he just puts up a strong but short-lived shield, takes a few steps to the side, and waits for the shit to pass.

Tell me it's cooler than that. Please.

>>15588
It's basically a non-spellcard version of Calculated Risk.

>>15588
Damn, i had to read that part again. At first i thought he set up a barrier to absorb the damage and return the shot in a more concentrated version of her master spark.
But then i remembered there was a mirror option, but instead we chose the gate.

but if you look at it, grim just blocked a spot-on master spark, FUCK YEAH! I bet it can get pretty awesome later on.

And just speculating, if it's at all possible with the information at hand, it would be badass if Grim can 'close' someone's or something's power, like sakuya's timestop or yukari's gap making with the power of the Gate.

>Gate

You know you want to Anon.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Pass out. Let's continue this tomorrow.

---

Grimn?r looks out of the window as he rubs his eyes. Seems like it is already late in the morning. He wonders idly if he missed breakfast.

"Another day, I guess.."

He gets up, his mind still on yesterday's "Extra Lesson". While dangerous, he definitely feels that he learned something invaluable. And he was able to test it, too. To be able to defend against Marisa's "Master Spark" while saving his own power is no simple feat. For sure, he needs to develop this skill even further. Perhaps he can even find other uses for the concept "Gate".

His ability involves controlling the passage of energy and matter through a fixed point in space. As he washes his faces, Grimn?r wonders idly if there are any ways to use this concept to prepare an offensive. Perhaps he should start experimenting with -

"Huh?"

He blinks stupidly as he stares at his reflection in the mirror. Is he seeing things? If this isn't dream, then there is most certainly another person standing directly behind him.

"W-what the!"

He quickly turns around. In front of him stands an unfamiliar face. A silver-haired maid with her hair tied in braids. She seems to be holding a pocket watch in her hand. The stranger smiles at his confusion.

"Good morning, Grey Wizard."

"Eh? Who the heck are you?"

"That isn't important," she says. "I've come to make a simple request."

Without warning, a couple dozen knives materialize in the short space between them. Each of the weapons hangs dangerously in the air, as if frozen in time. For some reason, he feels like these can easily impale him at any second.

"Won't you accompany me for a short while?"

[ ] Cooperate
[ ] Refuse
[ ] Custom

[x]Refuse.

Man, how rude.

[X] Custom

While breathing hard:

"(ha)Unless yo(hoo)u don't mind the (ho)odor of morning breath(thee), bed and sweat, give me at least five minutes to freshen up; then we can talk soon after."

I don't expect this to actually win, but cmon intruding like that...

For those that want a serious answer:

"Unless if you don't mind the smell of morning breath, bed and sweat, give me at least five minutes to freshen up; then we can talk soon after."

>>15598
>>Man, how rude.

Sure, why not?

[x] Act calm.
[x] "Huh... How rude."
[x] "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
[x] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

ICE.

Besides, it's too early for this shit. I think Grim should be able to pull this off thanks to a healthy dose of morning cynicism.

{X} Act calm.
{X} "Huh... How rude."
{X} "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
{X} After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

{X} Act calm.
{X} "Huh... How rude."
{X} "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
{X} After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

Can't possibly go wrong~!

[Q] Act calm.
[Q] "Huh... How rude."
[Q] "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
[Q] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

Sure, why not. We're getting awesome now.

[x] Act calm.
[x] "Huh... How rude."
[x] "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
[x] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

[x] Act calm.
[x] "Huh... How rude."
[x] "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
[x] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

[X] Act calm.
[X] "Huh... How rude."
[X] "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
[X] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

[x] Act calm.
[x] "Huh... How rude."
[x] "One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"
[x] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

I'm guessing Remilia requires his presence at the moment; what with that deal they made a while back and all...

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

Each of her knives hangs dangerously in the air, as if frozen in time. The silver-haired maid smiles casually at him.

"Won't you accompany me for a short while?" she says cheerfully.

This is most certainly unexpected, but he can't afford to panic. Grimn?r forces himself to calm down. There is only one thing to do in a situation like this. He closes his eyes and rubs his forehead.

"Er... that is..." he mumbles, buying himself some time.

Think. An unexpected intruder who knows his identity... a girl in a french maid outfit... a threat of bodily harm if he doesn't cooperate. There isn't enough data to come up with a conclusion just yet. He looks into the girl's eyes. He can't read her expression, but she looks like she is expecting him to give in. But if that is the case, then..

Grimn?r looks up and stares the girl in the eye.

"Huh... How rude."

"E-eh?" she says, taken aback.

"One generally introduces herself before asking a stranger to accompany her. Or maybe you're just the forward type?"

The girl stares blankly for a moment. Then she covers her mouth to stifle a giggle. While she is laughing, he takes this chance to take a better look at her. He notices something interesting.

"My, how clueless. You don't even realize that your life is on the line here, do you?"

Grimn?r pauses and takes a good look around the room. He notices another little detail. He is sure now. Slowly, he smiles.

"Are you sure about that?" he says carefully. "From what I understand, my life is perfectly safe as it is."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have absolutely no intention of harming me, much less killing me."

"W-what?" she cries. "How can you be so sure?"

"If you wanted to kill me, then you would have done so while I was asleep. And if you only needed me alive, then you would have easily knocked me unconscious or broken my arms and legs so you could drag me out of here unseen. Therefore, that only leaves one possibility."

Grimn?r smiles at her with confidence.

"You need me alive and intact."

"Ugh..."

"In fact, you were waiting patiently until I woke up, weren't you?"

The maid takes a step backward, suddenly cautious. Her eyes narrow at him. The knives suddenly vanish. She makes a strange motion with her hands. The pocketwatch disappears, and in its place is a single knife. The girl bites her lip before she speaks.

"How?" she whispers. "How did you know that I was waiting for you?"

Grimn?r chuckles slightly.

"There was still the possibility that you just entered now. That would mean that you may still be willing to hurt me if I didn't cooperate with your request. However, you got careless, miss maid."

"Careless?"

The girl frowns at him.

"The first clue was your watch," he explains. "You were probably checking the time before I entered the bathroom. Perhaps you were feeling a little impatient?"

"..."

"But of course, it could have been a coincidence. It was the second clue that made me sure that you were already here, waiting for me."

"Second clue?"

Grimn?r's smile widens. It really was a careless mistake. Slowly, he points his hand toward the western style toilet to the left. He hasn't taken his morning piss yet, but...

"The seat is down," he says.

"... what?"

"The guest rooms of Eientei each have their own bathrooms, so I left it up last night because I was too sleepy. You must have been here for a pretty long while if you had to take a bathroom break on the job, miss maid."

The girl turns white as he speaks. She opens her mouth, as if to argue. But then, she can't find any words to say. Slowly, her face turns beet red. She lowers her head, completely embarrassed and beaten.

For a moment, he almost feels sorry for the girl. Her plan failed completely, and now she has no way of forcing him to cooperate.

The tables have turned.
[ ] Force her to tell the whole truth. Use blackmail if you have to.
[ ] Force her to tell the whole truth. Use force if you have to.
[ ] Offer to forgive her if she tells you the truth.
[ ] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.
[ ] Leave her alone and prepare to leave.
[ ] Custom

[ ] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

Well that was unexpected..

[Q] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

[X] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

Sakuya sloppy..? No way..!

>>15658
[X] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

Maid teasing is fun, but only for so long. Sakuya in these stories has put up with a lot; time to cut her some slack.

[X] Continue washing up
[X] "You still didn't introduce yourself."

>>[x] After being shown some courtesy, cooperate.

Stickin' to the plan.

[x] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

Sakuya just got owned.

[x] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

Nice deductions you got there, Grim.

[X] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

[x] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

[~] Continue washing up
[z] "You still didn't introduce yourself."
[e] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

GATTAI DA

Loading User Commands:
[X] Offer to assist her if she tells you the truth.

---

After washing his face, Grimn?r turns around. The maid is still standing listlessly behind him.

"Excuse me, Miss Maid.."

The girl slowly looks up at him.

"I need to use the bathroom."

"Ah! E-excuse me!"

She gives him a formal bow before leaving. Her face is still bright red. Grimn?r sighs as he considers what to do next.

~~~

With his morning rituals complete, Grimn?r steps back into his room.

"Uhm..."

The silver-haired maid is still here. Her face looks much better now, as if she has regained some of her confidence. Seems like she isn't going to quit so easily. He sighs as he walks toward his sack in the corner.

"You still haven't introduced yourself," he reminds her. "It might be better to start over."

"Ah! Of course!" says the maid. "My name is Sakuya Izayoi. I am the chief maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and first servant to Lady Remilia Scarlet."

Slowly, he turns toward the girl, looking at her carefully. Then, he sighs.

"I see," he says. "So the vampire must have sent you then?"

"..."

Sakuya maintains a neutral expression.

"That was faster than I thought, and quite less than convenient. But a deal is a deal. Give me a few minutes to collect my things. I'll head to the mansion and talk to your Mistress after breakfast.."

"Y-you can't," she whispers.

".. she has some impossible task for me, I suppose? As long as she doesn't ask something completely unreasonable, then maybe -"

"You can't!" cries Sakuya.

Grimn?r stops talking and turns to her in surprise. She looks quite nervous, for some reason. After muttering an apology for her outburst, she lowers her head.

"You can't tell Lady Remilia that I came here," she whispers.

The maid looks desperate. Somehow, that troubled expression on her face is quite cute. He looks away casually to think.

"I see," he says. "Why don't you explain your circumstances? If it is something I can do, then maybe I can help."

~~~

"I understand," he says. "You can't tell me anything else?"

Sakuya shakes her head sadly.

"So please," she whispers. "Can you help me find the trident-wielder of the forest?"

Grimn?r pauses to think. This girl has been searching the forest for that person for weeks, but she has never seen him. Every time she mentions that person, she has a strangely pained look upon her face. Yesterday, she heard about him from the mansion's butler, Grey. So she came to him this morning to force him to help.

"I never thought that my plan would backfire so easily," she adds.

He smiles at the girl. A little encouragement wouldn't hurt.

"Don't mind it," he says. "You were only a little unlucky this morning."

Also, he was in a particularly bad mood earlier.

"But I'm afraid I can't really help you. I have no idea where that guy lives. We just bump into each other every once in a while."

Sakuya nods in agreement.

"That's why I want you to come with me," she says. "Even if it's only a small chance, I need to meet to that person. I need to... conclude something."

Grimn?r pauses to think. This sounds like it could get complicated.

[ ] Agree to help her. Leave immediately.
[ ] Agree to help her. But only after breakfast.
[ ] Refuse to help her. You don't want to get involved.
[ ] Refuse to help her. She isn't telling you everything.
[ ] Custom

[x] Agree to help her. But only after breakfast.

Ah~ Sakuya is cute. But she belongs to (Earl)Grey.

Let's wait this after breakfast, we don't want everyone to get worried if we just disappear.

[X] Custom - Agree to help her but only after breakfast. Discuss about any other meetings that have occurred besides the trident wielder; such as that Wriggle(???) look-a-like with Grim.

Won't do much good if ill-prepared, understanding of possible random encounters would immensely help both of them if they truly intend to find the trident wielder...
- - -
Hey what became of Wriggle... God damn it not again...

[x] Agree to help her. But only after breakfast.
[x] Also, check on Wriggle and Mystia before you go.

[X] Agree to help her. But only after breakfast.

[X] Custom - Agree to help her but only after breakfast. Discuss about any other meetings that have occurred besides the trident wielder; such as that Wriggle(???) look-a-like with Grim.

[X] Custom - Agree to help her but only after breakfast. Discuss about any other meetings that have occurred besides the trident wielder; such as that Wriggle(???) look-a-like with Grim.

[x] Custom - Agree to help her but only after breakfast. Discuss about any other meetings that have occurred besides the trident wielder; such as that Wriggle(???) look-a-like with Grim.

[x] Custom - Agree to help her but only after breakfast. Discuss about any other meetings that have occurred besides the trident wielder; such as that Wriggle(???) look-a-like with Grim.

Maybe during Sakuya's earlier attempts in finding the trident wielder, she faced some other rather monstrous beings similar to the dopple-wriggle.."

>>15682
I --and probably the other readers-- would greatly appreciate it if you actually put forth some effort into forming coherent sentences.

All I see is thoughts wedged incomprehensibly together, sparse/missing/outright misused punctuation, and bad grammar.

>>15702

This can happen a lot when one is posting from work; However it's nice to see most anon seemingly capable of understanding such posts.

No update today. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Agree to help her. But only after breakfast.
[X] Custom

---

Sounds like this could get complicated. But still...

"..."

Grimn?r looks up at Sakuya, observing her closely. The maid slowly turns away, blushing faintly. He sighs heavily.

"Alright, I'll help you," he says. "But only after breakfast. I haven't eaten a thing, yet."

The girl's eyes widen, and for a moment, he thought that he saw her smile. But in the next moment, she has a perfectly neutral expression on her face. The maid gives him a formal bow.

"Understood," she says. "I will wait until you finish eating. Thank you."

"Just one last question."

"Go ahead."

"Have you encountered any other strange persons in the Forest?"

The maid pauses to think. After a moment, she shakes her head.

"Nothing comes to mind. Just the usual forest youkai and fairies. They know better than to play tricks on me, though."

"Ah, I see."

"I shall take my leave."

Then, Sakuya vanishes from sight. He isn't surprised. Perhaps his mind is getting more flexible. After all, if one continues thinking in terms of "reality" and "common sense", he would most certainly go mad in this wonderland called Gensokyo.

~~~

"H..h..hey, can I have a moment?"

"Mmm?"

"How is the taste? It isn't strange, is it?"

Grimn?r turns toward Alice. He smiles gently at her.

"The pancakes are quite good," he says. "The forest berries add a pleasant aroma, and the texture is smooth. You must be very experienced."

Alice turns away, blushing.

"N-not really," she whispers. "I just know a little of this and that -"

"Hmph, as expected of Alice ~ze," says another voice. "But is it as awesome as mine, I wonder?"

He turns toward Marisa, who has a big wide grin on her face.

"The mushroom omelette is also well-made," he says. "Though I wonder... you didn't use any poisonous mushrooms to make it tasty, did you?"

The black-white smiles widely and gives him a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, apprentice" she says. "I only used 'ordinary' mushrooms for that one. I don't think you are ready to taste my true strength in cooking yet!"

She laughs loudly after her declaration, as if winning a battle.

"Did you sleep well?"

Slowly, he turns toward the third person. She calmly takes a sip of her tea before looking up at him enigmatically.

"It was peaceful," he says. "Didn't even have any dreams this time."

She smiles a little bit, but says nothing. He takes a moment to drink from his cup.

"This tea really is a good blend, Yukari."

"I'm glad you like it~"

~~~

Breakfast ended without incident. Too bad Reisen and Dr. Yagokoro were already finished when he arrived. He wanted to ask them a few questions. Apparently, Mystia had recovered completely last night. She and Wriggle left early this morning. Forest youkai seem to be a restless bunch.

"Such a peaceful morning," he says carelessly.

Grimn?r turns towards the others. For some reason, all three of them seem to be staring at him. They are all smiling expectantly. Somehow, he gets a bad feeling about this.

"E-er, is something wrong? What is it?"

A moment of silence.

"Such a clueless apprentice, ~ze."

"Geez, he really doesn't get it..."

"Can't say I'm surprised, though it is kinda cute~"

Grimn?r somehow feels hurt at each of their statements, though he still doesn't understand why.

"Sorry for being clueless," he says. "If you have something to say, then say it. I can't read minds, you know."

Alice frowns at him. Then, she turns away, irritated.

"S-stupid idiot," she whispers.

Yukari just nods patiently.

"For a person of your intelligence, you can be really dumb sometimes~"

Marisa just smiles wider.

"Ahahaha!" she says. "I guess I'll have to spell it out for my clueless apprentice after all. We want to know who you want to have morning lessons with, ~ze!"

"..eh?"

The black-white cheerfully steps closer.

"We all made a bet," she whispers. "The other two will take care of the mansion repairs. No half-assed answers like 'I want to learn with everyone', alright?"

[ ] Morning lessons with Alice
[ ] Morning lessons with Marisa
[ ] Morning lessons with Yukari
[ ] I have something else I need to do...
[ ] Custom

>>15759
>>Alice, Marisa, and Yukari, all serving breakfast to Grim, eager to please.

I... I think I might cry.

>>We want to know who you want to have morning lessons with
>>No half-assed answers like 'I want to learn with everyone'

What?! NO! I refuse to give this up!

[x] Custom
--[x] Sigh. "I guess I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "Well, I have a previous engagement this morning, so the lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Come to think of it, the repairs should probably take precedence over my lessons. After all, we're guests here, and I can train any time."
--[x] "Besides, I'd rather not have to explain to Eirin why some of us are taking it easy instead of working. We can do it together after I return."

Suave time buyan' gaems.
We seem to be on a roll this morning, so why not?
On a side-note, I think Sakuya's request is urgent enough to postpone the repair work temporarily, whereas our lessons are not.

[X] Morning lessons with Yukari

Yukari can probably just gap fixed parts onto Eientei. That's far, far too boring.

I also don't care very much for rude maids.

[ ] Morning lessons with Alice

PIERCE THE TSUN WITH DERE

[X] Morning lessons with Alice

[?] Custom.
--[?] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[?] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[?] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[?] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

Grim did agree to help Remila in exchange for some of her blood, which was used to bring Marisa back from the brink. Best not anger the vampiress, yes?

Also, the Tsun aspect of Alice needs to be broken alright. It's almost enough to make me stop trying to make Grim go down the Yukari route just to shatter the tsun.

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

If that won't fly, I vote Alice.

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

If the write in won't fly then:

[x] Morning lessons with Yukari

She's the only one we haven't worked with yet anyhow.

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

Way to stall the girls you indecisive mook :V

Seriously though if that doesn't work.

[x] Morning lessons with Yukari

I'm really want to train with Yukarin but we must finish this thing.

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

>>[ ] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."

Wait, does the request come from Remilia, or is it a personal request from Sakuya?
I'd guess the latter, considering that Sakuya doesn't want Remilia to know that she asked us.

>>15783

Would the three lovely ladies allow Grim to go out on a stroll into the forest with Sakuya instead of continuing his training with one of them; especially after making something extra special about his meal..?

I think not considering there's some reconstruction needing to be done and perhaps the original writer of that custom suggestion intended for Grim to aid Sakuya.

Or I could be wrong.

>>15783

You're tromping off with Sakuya; it's just the easiest way to explain why to the others.

>>15778

Pfft, indecicive nothing. I want a sucessful Yukari route.

>>15783
A few threads back, Grim had to make a deal with Remilia in order to aquire some vampire blood to cure Marisa.
Remilia herself said that humans were usually only useful one or two times, and until the time where she decides Grim would be needed for something she's doing, he was free to live as he normally would.

Sakuya is Remilia's personal maid, and I'd bet money that Remilia sent her to go fetch Grim because she wants his help with something.

And as such, the write-in is perfectly honest. Grim owes a favor, he's simply going off to do it.

>>15788

Hey I threw in my vote for Yukarin ;_;

But as for >>15783

I believe he was questioning whether Sakuya's attempts to force Grim to have him follow her were under Remilia's orders or Sakuya acting on her own volition; which according to a couple of posts seems to be the case as she had told Grim

>"...You can't tell Lady Remilia that I came here..."

>"...You can't tell Lady Remilia that I came here..."

UH GUIS WE NEED TO FIX VOTED CUSTOM OPTION ASAP

>>15790

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor." (LIE)
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

There ya go.

>>15791

True to tradition, Grimn?r should be breaking his oaths left, right and center. As well as tricking people for his own amusement and benefit.

All this in addition to being totally badass, of course.

[x] Custom.
--[x] Sigh. "I should have known breakfast was too good to be true."
--[x] "However, I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."
--[x] "Before any of you object, I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to save Marisa, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."
--[x] "Once I have held up my end of the bargain, I will be more than happy to train with one of you."

OR

[x] Morning lessons with Yukari

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"No half-assed answers like 'I want to learn with everyone', alright?"

Grimn?r smiles awkwardly as he looks at them. Seated farthest is Yukari Yakumo, the Master of Boundaries. She stares at him silently, taking an occasional sip from her teacup. He can't make out the expression on her face, though if he were to guess, it's probably a cross between curiosity and cheerfulness. A little bit closer and to his right is the Seven-Colored Puppeteer, Alice Margatroid. When he glances at her, she turns away with a "Hmph!". She seems irritated for some reason. And the one right beside him, her face dangerously close to his, is none other than Marisa Kirisame, self-styled "ordinary magician". She doesn't bother hiding her excitement as she wait eagerly for his answer.

"Err...", he mutters.

He takes a sip of tea to buy himself a few more seconds. For some reason, each option seems equally attractive at this point. Yukari seems to have no malicious intentions (at least toward him). In addition, she might able to shine some light on many of his questions. Alice, on the other hand, has been reliable and consistent with his training. For the most part, she has been using an organized and balanced method. Marisa is definitely the most enthusiastic of the three. Despite her reckless and dangerous tactics, he finds it hard to say no to her eager smile.

Then, he remembers something else. A promise he made before breakfast. He sighs heavily before speaking.

"I should have known that breakfast was too good to be true," he says.

At those words, Marisa's smile starts to fade.

"Ah! Does your stomach hurt?" she cries suddenly. "But I know that I didn't use any 'special' ingredients this time, so -"

"Not that. It's just that I have a previous engagement this morning, so lessons will have to wait either way."

"E-eh?" say the three of them, in perfect unison.

Grimn?r slowly turns to the side, unable to look any of them in the eye. He could hear their disappointment so clearly in those words. If he were to look at them now, he will surely lose his resolve.

"It's sort of a promise," he says. "So I really don't want to go back on my word."

"What promise?" says Alice quickly. "And with who?"

Grimn?r sighs as he decides on the best way out of this.

"I had to make a deal in order to get the materials required to manufacture Marisa's cure, and it looks like my benefactor has decided to call in for that favor."

"A deal? What deal was that?" says Marisa, suddenly worried.

"I see," says Yukari. "So that's why that maid arrived this morning..."

"Huh? S-Sakuya is here?" asks Alice.

The gap youkai sighs heavily. Then, she turns toward Grimn?r.

"Don't do anything too reckless," she whispers.

~~~

A few minutes later, he and Sakuya left for the Forest of Magic. For some reason, the chief maid kept silent the whole time. She seemed very focused on the task on hand. Or so he first thought. When she finally spoke, he realized that the girl was actually very much distracted.

"H..Hey you," she says. "Why did you lie to them?"

Grimn?r slowly turns toward her.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play games with me," says the maid. "You know that I'm not acting on Lady Remilia's orders. You are far too observant to make a mistake like that."

This girl must have been listening in on them earlier.

"I did agree to help you, so isn't that really beyond your concern?"

"..."

Sakuya doesn't say anything, but she starts frowning slightly. He just shrugs at her.

"If you must know, I had a few good reasons. Honestly, I didn't expect them to try to corner an answer out of me like that. Especially after a somewhat peaceful morning. Maybe I really couldn't choose properly in that sort of situation."

"Sounds like someone else I know..."

"But it isn't just that," he continues. "I also have my own reasons to meet the trident-wielder. Everyone seems to say that he is some sort of madman, but by the way he acts and speaks, it can't be as simple as that."

"..."

At those words, Sakuya suddenly looks more attentive.

"I just have this strange feeling that he and I are in similar circumstances. That guy seems to know something about 'curses' and 'abilities'. And he just doesn't have the proper feel that a 'villain' would have."

"..."

The chief maid doesn't say anything else, and she stays strangely quiet during the rest of the trip. Soon, they clear the Bamboo Forest. Grimn?r looks down to see several familiar places. They can probably pass by somewhere before starting their search.

Somehow, he gets the feeling that we won't get this chance once they enter the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Pass by Mystia's red-lantern stand.
[ ] Pass by Alice's cottage.
[ ] Pass by Marisa's house.
[ ] Pass by Kourindou.
[ ] Head straight for the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Custom

>>Mystia's red-lantern stand

P-please stop calling it that...

[X] Custom
--[X] Pass by Mystia's red- erm... food stand.
-Ask about how's she doing as well as Wriggle's status.
-Ask about any peculiarities with Wriggles' behavior recently after leaving Eintei. {Had the Wriggle(???) Grim had fought against been just a "shadow" of sorts or something more sinister?}
-Ask about any recent sightings of the "Mad" Trident Wielder or strong disturbances in or out of the Forest of Magic since her return trip.
--[X] Pass by Kourindou.
-Ask if he knows anything about the trident itself and any info on the bracelet Grim himself is equiped; considering its last display of "enhancement" to Grim.
-Ask about any recent sightings of the "Mad" Trident Wielder or strong disturbances in or out of the Forest of Magic.
-Optional: Gather any supplies/obtain any thing possibly needed from the shop. (Couldn't hurt right?)

Not too much is it.."

[X] Head straight for the Forest of Magic.

Keeping it simple.

if you're in a search, you would want to search immediately. If we want to have time to dilly-dally before-hand, we might miss the chance to find him.

Of course, flowing time doesn't really pertain to sakuya, so you can always have her search other areas within a few brief moments while you head for the forest.

>>15860

You know, I'd normally agree with you, but...

>>15853
>>Somehow, he gets the feeling that we won't get this chance once they enter the Forest of Magic.

Sometimes, you just have to go with the obvious meta-hint.

[x] >>15859

[X] Pass by Mystia's red-lantern stand.

Why does this story always get the gigantic write-ins?

>>15870

Some readers did not like "long incoherent ramblings" so now I'm trying to improve my skills by being focused.

>>15871
You are doing a fine job.

>>15871
If you're the Anon I'm thinking of, it was probably that they didn't like having to pick apart a large, disconnected thought stream.

>>15878

That'd be me alright and it's fair to want quality control as well as cohesiveness lest the boards go the way of say... gamefaq threads on Goku vs Superman. I'm sure there are worse things but that's the only thing I can think of atm.

saging my post as it shouldn't be the focus.

I'm sure there are other better ideas than the one I proposed earlier.

[x] >>15859

Sounds like a plan.

[x] >>15859

>"Sounds like someone else I know..."

Poor Sakuya, you're going to have to be a bit more assertive if you want to get through Grey's thick skull.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Night bird, night song~ Ah! It's done!"

Mystia Lorelei smiles as she places a dish in front of him. A plate with a generous helping of grilled lamprey. Grimn?r looks back at the sparrow girl, puzzled.

"I haven't ordered anything yet," he says.

He also doesn't have any money with him. Or any other type of currency whatsoever. While this would be no problem at Kourindou (the owner prefers to trade in goods), he most certainly can't afford to get into trouble with those who expect payment. For this simple reason, he prudently left the food untouched and waited for her response.

"Don't worry about it," says Mystia. "Here is one more~"

She places another serving in front of Sakuya. The silver-haired maid says nothing. A moment of silence passes. Then, Mystia starts busying herself with the dishes once more. She seems strangely happy.

But that isn't the strangest part. Grimn?r looks around carefully, yet he still has difficulty believing it. This street stand was completely trashed yesterday, wasn't it? How the heck was it restored so quickly? It looks exactly the same as when he passed by with Alice. Even the cooking utensils look unchanged.

He glances to the left, then to the right. The road and the trees nearby, in both directions, are completely undamaged. There is no trace of the battle yesterday at all. As if it never happened.

"Mystia," he says. "How are you feeling?"

"Eh? Ah, I feel great!" she says, smiling. "She was even able to reattach my wing! Eientei's medicine really is the best, though that doctor can be really creepy. She kept asking weird questions, too."

The sparrow girl stretches both her wings and flaps them happily. She stares at him for a minute, as if confused. Then, she gives him a little wink.

"Don't worry about payment," she says. "These are on the house. It's the least I can do after you saved Wriggle and I~"

She turns to Sakuya.

"Your gateguard was a great help as well," she adds. "I'll make her something too when she visits next time."

"Eh? Gateguard?"

"She's a regular customer of mine~"

Sakuya simply nods and smiles. For some reason, he feels a slightly dangerous aura around the maid. It quickly vanishes when she starts eating, thankfully. He doesn't know why, but something must have irritated her. Grimn?r turns to Mystia quickly.

"Speaking of Wriggle," he continues. "I don't see her around. Didn't she leave with you this morning?"

Mystia nods lightly.

"She accompanied me all the way back," she says.

"But she isn't here?"

"Wriggle said that she had something important to do, so she left right after she saw that everything was alright."

Mystia sighs, a rare display of melancholy.

"She is so busy and serious nowadays. I'm starting to think that she might be getting into something dangerous. I can't help but feel a little worried about her."

"I see," he says.

Mystia serves them some tea to go with the food.

"Has Wriggle been acting strangely?"

"Hmm," says the sparrow girl.

She turns to him, her eyes glinting with something he can't place.

"Not really," she says with a smile. "Wriggle will always be Wriggle, after all. It doesn't really matter where or when. She'll always be a sister to me~"

For some reason, he feels like the sparrow girl is hiding something.

"Seen anything odd or out-of-place?"

Mystia shakes her head.

"Then how did your street stand get restored so quickly?"

The sparrow girl pauses at those words. She immediately puts down what she is doing. Mystia turns to him, smiling brightly.

"It's a secret~ S-E-C-R-E-T, alright?"

She winks again before turning back to her work.

"But in any case," she whispers. "I'd like to thank you for taking care of Wriggle. Please continue to do so, Mr. Wizard~"

"Welcome back," says a voice. "You arrived just in time. Grimn?r, was it? Just give me a moment, here."

The owner says it all without lifting his head. After a minute, he finishes inspecting an old cannon shell. He looks up and smiles politely at his visitors. This strange golden-eyed person is the owner of Kourindou, Rinnosuke Morichika.

"Ah! Sakuya as well," he says. "Good to see you again."

The silver-haired maid gives him a slight nod, but says nothing.

"Sorry to trouble you," says Grimn?r. "We just passed by to see if you have some -"

"Answers," whispers Rinnosuke.

The shopkeeper smiles enigmatically.

"Follow me to the back office. We can talk more in there."

~~~

Rinnosuke takes a tiny pouch from inside his bag.

"Here."

The shop owner slowly opens it and empties its contents onto the table. Grimn?r's eyes widen in shock. Three cut diamonds, each the size of his thumbnail! In the outside, such things would amount to a fortune unimaginable by ordinary people. How the heck did Rinnosuke acquire this? Wasn't he just some oddball who ran a junkstore than no one visits?

He takes a glance at Sakuya. From the expression on her face, she too is surprised. But it isn't just that. For some reason, she looks a little frightened.

"You may take one of them now. After you deliver the goods, I'll pay the rest."

"The goods?"

"You want answers about the trident-wielder in the Forest of Magic," he says. "As Marisa's friend, you would like to make sure that she won't suffer like that again, don't you?"

"Err... I suppose."

Grimn?r doesn't even look at the shopkeeper's face, still dazzled by the precious gems. With something like this, he could probably buy a mansion. He wouldn't have to worry about money again. Nor would he have to freeload on Alice or Marisa.

"So do I," whispers Rinnosuke. "That is why we are going to finalize the transaction in this contract."

He brings out a sheet of paper. It seems to be a trade contract, though Grimn?r recognizes some magical runes on it as well. Perhaps those are safeguards to prevent people from breaching the terms?

Grimn?r looks back at the shopkeeper and almost jumps when he sees it. Rinnosuke stares at the diamonds, a dull expression upon his face. As if they were old toys that he had grown bored of. At this moment, Grimn?r suddenly felt that he wasn't looking at a human being anymore.

"I want you to bring me the trident," says Rinnosuke. "Do whatever it takes."

This person... is dangerous.

[ ] Accept the offer.
[ ] Refuse the offer.
[ ] Custom

[X] Refuse the offer.

What a bad idea.

[X] Refuse the offer.

[X] Refuse the offer.

[ODIN] Check the fine print of the contract.
[ODIN] If it specifies only that the physical Trident itself should be brought to Rinnosuke, then accept the offer.
[ODIN] Otherwise refuse, unless the terms of the contract can be negotiated.

I want Grimn?r to channel some Bolverkr and trick the Trident guy into following him to Kourindou thus fulfulling the terms of the contract, as we then have brought the trident to Rinnosuke. Then we demand our payment and sit back and laugh as all hell breaks loose.

Afte all it should be a dangerous thing to enter into a contract with the Hooded One.

[x] Check the fine print of the contract.
[x] If it specifies only that the physical Trident itself should be brought to Rinnosuke, then accept the offer.
[x] Otherwise refuse, unless the terms of the contract can be negotiated.

Custom

[x] Check the fine print of the contract.
[x] If it specifies only that the physical Trident itself should be brought to Rinnosuke, then accept the offer.
[x] Otherwise refuse, unless the terms of the contract can be negotiated.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Attempt to scam Rinnosuke
[X] Custom

---

"Well? It's a generous offer, is it not?"

Grimn?r pauses. This person is dangerous. He is sure of it now. But still... these are diamonds we are talking about here.

Diamonds!

He slowly takes the contract and reads through each clause. Most of it looks legitimate with the exception of a few strange lines. The runes themselves seem to be written beside key terms and conditions. Seems like the contract is iron-clad - hardly anything can be used as a loophole. In the end, however, this is only if he signs the contract...

"It is tempting," he replies. "But is there really any need to put this in such formal writing? I'm sure that a handshake will be enough."

Rinnosuke smiles grimly.

"I've dealt with magicians often enough to know that drafting a contract is generally a good idea. Don't take it personally, of course. I'm sure that your intentions are quite honest. This is just good business."

"That is understandable," says Grimn?r. "But I find the terms of this contract quite one-sided. Why don't we talk about some other options?"

The shopkeeper considers him carefully. Without warning, he takes the contract from his hands. Then, he collects the diamonds back into his pouch and returns it to the bag tied at his front.

"It is unfortunate that we can't come into agreement," he says with a sigh. "My offer was quite generous."

"Eh? B-but I -"

Rinnosuke smiles darkly at him.

"Thank you for visiting," says the shopkeeper. "I have some work to finish, so if you'll excuse me..."

Before they realize it, Grimn?r and Sakuya find themselves escorted out of shop.

~~~

After they left Kourindou, they headed deep into the Forest of Magic. The two spent an hour searching, but to no avail. Grimn?r couldn't find any traces of the battlefields where he had met the trident-wielder. It was as if someone restored everything back to its original state. Aside from the occasional wild fairy, they didn't meet anyone at all.

"The Forest of Magic is really big after all. I guess that the chance of finding him is next to none. We don't even know if he is still here."

Sakuya turns around and frowns at him.

"We need to keep searching," she says. "I know that he is still alive. I need to finish our business, once and for all."

"Do you know who he is?" asks Grimn?r. "I mean, you keep talking of him as if you know him."

"..."

The maid pauses for a moment, then she turns away. She doesn't answer his question. Instead, she says something else. Something strange.

"That deal Rinnosuke offered," she whispers. "It was good that you didn't accept it."

"Eh?"

"There is no way that you are getting your hands on that weapon. Absolutely none."

"How can you be so sure?"

She turns to him and smiles confidently.

"Because I am taking that back to where it belongs, and I won't let anyone stop me."

[ ] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Head back to Eientei.
[ ] Custom

Sheesh Grimn?r, you're the worst scammer ever.


[ODIN] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.

Nothing to do now but aimless wandering, I suppose.

>>15981

More like Rinnosuke been trick/forced out of a few valuables by a certain black & white and learned real hard real fast...

[X] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.

>>"Because I am taking that back to where it belongs, and I won't let anyone stop me."

Guys, you're seriously gonna let this go?

[x] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

[x] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

>>15988
I don't personally care.

[X] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.

[X] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.

[X] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.

>>15988

I thought about this earlier and had 3 possible outcomes all written up ready to wall, and yet rather than post it, I'd rather wait to see if we actually get it away from its current owner to begin with; Let alone fully understand the damnable weapon if Grim ever actually touches it.

[x] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

[x] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

[x] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

[x] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

>It was as if someone restored everything back to its original state.
Keine'd?

[B] Ask for an explanation. You are helping her, after all.

[X] Custom
- Demand to know what are her intentions exactly with the damned weapon before continuing to provide her assistance.
- If she refuses to provide any explanation or just "hedges around the subject", threaten to leave her be on her own.

If Sakuya's smart, she wouldn't dare to harm Grim lest she wishes the wrath of three close associates of his to come upon her.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Continue searching the Forest of Magic.
[X] Custom

---

"Oh," says Sakuya carelessly. "My bad. It's just that naughty ice fairy again."

"L-L-Lemme go! Lemme go!"

Grimn?r lands beside the chief maid and stares at her catch curiously. At first glance, it looks like a small young girl with bright blue eyes and hair. However, her odd icicle-shaped wings confirm that this person isn't human. Dressed in a simple blue dress and a large blue ribbon upon her head, the little fairy waves her hands angrily at them. With a half-dozen knives holding her in place, she is hanging helplessly against a large tree.

"Ice fairy?" he repeats.

Ignoring the girl's angry cries, Sakuya nods at him calmly.

"This one bothers travellers by the lake sometimes, though I haven't seen her near the mansion grounds lately. Look like she started bothering travellers in the Forest, instead."

The little ice fairy folds her arms and pouts at them.

"W-what the heck is that? I'm not bothering anyone!"

"Really? Then why is that tree over there frozen solid?"

Grimn?r takes a glance to where Sakuya is pointing. Indeed, one of the larger trees has been frozen completely within a large block of ice. In fact, it was this strange sight that had drawn them to come down here.

"Of course I had a good reason for that!" cries the little fairy. "I'm definitely not doing it because someone cute asked me to, or because I was bored waiting for someone, or because that giant frog chased me again."

"Wait... what?" says Grimn?r.

Sakuya sighs loudly. In the next moment, the knives holding the fairy in place suddenly vanish. The little girl squeals in surprise as she lands on her behind.

"Just get lost before I change my mind," says the chief maid. "And stop bothering people with your stupid pranks. They are very irritating."

"This isn't a prank!" cries the girl. "And stop calling me 'that ice fairy'! I have a name you know!"

"Ah, is that right?" says Sakuya. "Now what was it again, I wonder.."

The little fairy stands herself up and complains angrily at them.

"Cirno!" she cries out. "It's Cirno, y-you stupid meanie-head!"

For some reason, Sakuya seems mildly amused at the little fairy. Is she teasing Cirno? He almost feels sorry for the little girl.

"I think that's enough, Sakuya," he says. "You shouldn't pick on her like that."

"Yeah! Why the heck do I always get -"

Suddenly, Cirno stops speaking when he notices him. Her eyes widen, as if recognizing him for the first time. Grimn?r frowns slightly. He's been standing here for a while now. This girl must be really out of it. She just keeps staring at him blankly.

"..."

A minute passes in awkward silence. He clears his throat before speaking.

"Err... so Cirno," he manages. "Why are you freezing trees in the Forest?"

"Eh? Ah, I'm not freezing trees," she says. "I'm freezing only that tree."

"But why?"

Cirno frowns hard at him, as if he said something strange.

"Are you stupid or something, Grim?" she says.

"Huh?"

The ice fairy grins smugly.

"Well, I suppose that I can tell you, being the strongest and all..."

Sakuya covers her face with her palm, but says nothing. Cirno ignores her (or doesn't notice), and suddenly raises her finger at him dramatically.

"Cirno is going to save the world!"

"Stop thinking about it."

"Eh?"

Sakuya looks at him seriously.

"Forget about what that girl said and focus on the search."

"Ah, but don't you think that what happened back there was pretty weird?"

The chief maid sighs loudly.

"Nothing good can come from taking that girl seriously," she says. "That ice fairy is probably preparing for some stupid prank again or such nonsense. She can't possibly be doing anything important."

"I see..."

For some reason, he feels like there was something he missed during that random encounter. But without any evidence to back it up, he decides to shrug it off. Like Sakuya said, it probably isn't anything important.

~~~

After searching for another hour, the two of them take a break underneath one of the larger trees. The chief maid simply leans against a tree and folds her arms. Grimnr takes a seat on the grass and tries to collect his thoughts. After a few minutes of silence, he decides to ask her a question.

"Hey Sakuya," he says. "Why are you looking for the trident-wielder?"

"..."

"I know that it's probably something you don't want to talk about, but I am helping you out here."

"..."

"At the very least, I'd like to know if I'm walking into something dangerous. It seems only fair."

"..."

Another minute passes without a reply. He sighs loudly and starts staring at the clouds instead. But to his surprise, as soon as he turns away, the chief maid speaks.

"To protect her," she whispers.

"Eh?"

He turns to the chief maid. She has a slightly pained look upon her face as she continues.

"If Lady Remilia finds out that he is still alive, then she is sure to do something reckless again."

Grimnr has no idea what this girl is talking about, but he gives her an encouraging nod all the same.

"I have to find him first and conclude our business," she says. "And then, I have to take that weapon back to the mansion."

"The weapon? You mean the trident?"

She nods quietly.

"It belongs to the family Scarlet."

~~~

After the break, they start searching again. Grimnr quietly notes how fruitless this task seems.

[ ] Keep searching the Forest of Magic.
[ ] This is useless. Head back to Eientei.
[ ] Custom

[x] This is useless. Head back to Eientei.
Let's ignore the side stories and get back to the main plot.

[x] "Wait, he stole... Gungnir?
- [x] How exactly? relevant, seeing as it might have something to do with why he cannot be easily found.
- [x] Why? And why attack random people with it? Wouldn't a thief want to stay on the move and keep a low profile? Unless he wants to be caught...

My best guess, he has some deal with the forest fairies, and they're hiding him.

Declaring hiatus for an indeterminate period of time. Apologies.

>>16201
Shit happens. Hope you're all right.

[x] "Wait, he stole... Gungnir?
- [x] How exactly? relevant, seeing as it might have something to do with why he cannot be easily found.
- [x] Why? And why attack random people with it? Wouldn't a thief want to stay on the move and keep a low profile? Unless he wants to be caught...

[0] "Wait, he stole... Gungnir?
-[1] How exactly? relevant, seeing as it might have something to do with why he cannot be easily found.
-[2] Why? And why attack random people with it? Wouldn't a thief want to stay on the move and keep a low profile? Unless he wants to be caught...

[0] "Wait, he stole... Gungnir?
-[1] How exactly? relevant, seeing as it might have something to do with why he cannot be easily found.
-[2] Why? And why attack random people with it? Wouldn't a thief want to stay on the move and keep a low profile? Unless he wants to be caught...

In another place, someone steps out of a strange purple door. She takes a moment to dust off her clothes and hair. After straightening her cape and antennae, Wriggle Nightbug starts walking down a small path. As she goes deeper into the forest, the plant growth gets thicker and wilder. The firefly girl does not pause as she steps into the darkness. Soon, only a faint glimmer of light shines from above. Then, she stops.

"I've come to collect your report," she says.

Something glints in the shadows. It is a strange grin in the darkness. As she turns to face it, it begins to grow wider. She immediately notes that there is nothing good-natured about this grin. Without a doubt, this grin is full of malice and deceit, and its owner even more so.

"We have waited warmly. We have much news for your Master..."

A pair of white gloves clap excitedly from the darkness.

"But where shall we begin? Oh, such a difficult choice~"

Wriggle shakes her head.

"I have no time for games. How is the operation at Youkai Mountain?"

The clapping stops.

"Youkai Mountain is in chaos. Oh, wonderful chaos! The tengu and kappa have all but taken arms against the Hakurei maiden, and the negotiations with the Moriya folk are progressing smoothly."

"And Hakugyokurou?"

"The hellcat has almost completed the ritual. I must say that the preliminary results have been extremely entertaining. We should hear from her success this evening."

"Noted. And how about the Scarlet front?"

The grin grows wider.

"There were some complications over the past few days, but nothing too difficult. Our agent has successfully infiltrated the Scarlet Devil's home during the confusion."

"Eientei?"

"They are still incapacitated, as we predicted. Without the moon princess, they will be only a minor inconvenience."

Wriggle pauses to think.

"This report is acceptable. I shall return with Master's next orders."

"Always a pleasure~"

She turns around and prepares to leave. However, the voice from the darkness calls out once more.

"Forgive our indiscretion, but there is one more thing that we must mention."

"... speak."

The grin chuckles softly to itself before speaking.

"We have noticed a certain ice fairy moving about..."

"Master already explained that the idiot is nothing to worry about."

"And that is exactly what puzzles us," it whispers darkly. "You see, we have discovered that the ice fairy's meddling has already hindered our operations at least twice in the past week. Her movements are very much suspect, and we believe that she may prove to be a threat."

Wriggle shakes her head.

"Like Master said before, we only need to focus on the operation. There is no reason to waste time and resources on that idiot. Do you understand?"

"Of course. Forgive our indiscretion."

The firefly girl returns the way she came. She closes the purple door behind her, and it soon vanishes from the path. The grin in the darkness chuckles softly to itself.

"Now I wonder," it says. "Were the orders to ignore the ice fairy from the Master, or yourself?"

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

Two figures soar across the Forest of Magic: a silver-haired girl in a maid uniform and a young man with gray robes and a walking stick. Their search remains fruitless. The man turns to the girl with a frown.

"This isn't working," says Grimn?r.

The girl sighs heavily. She gives him a sad smile.

"Let's take another break," says Sakuya.

The two land under the shade of a great tree. The sun shines brightly above. It is nearly noon. Grimn?r leans with his back against the tree to think. There is something strange about what she had said.

"This weapon that you mentioned," he says. "Would it happen to be the legendary spear Gungnir?"

"Why would you say that?" she says carefully.

"No reason in particular."

"..."

Sakuya stares at him carefully. There is something very cold about her eyes. He turns away and clears his throat.

"W-well, if you don't want to tell me, then that's fine too. Let's just forget I asked."

She shakes her head and sighs once more.

"It isn't the Gungir," she explains. "The Scarlet family owns several strange and wonderful artifacts. In fact, the trident he carries isn't very special at all. Not to ordinary humans and youkai, anyway."

"Then why do you need it back?"

"..."

The chief maid turns away and says nothing, ending the conversation. Grimn?r shrugs as he seats himself on the ground. Flying is more draining than he expected. Might as well have a good rest before wandering around the Forest again. He takes a glance at the sun once more.

"I'm gonna miss lunch," he says idly.

"That would be disappointing~"

"..."

He slowly turns toward the voice, which seems to be coming from the front of his robe. Grimn?r stares blankly, unable to react. Her pink and purple dress and long blonde blonde hair are unmistakable. The head of a tiny girl pokes out from his front pocket. Of course, the front pocket was certainly not there before. She gives him a wink as she motions for him to stay quiet.

"W-wha-what the hell?" he whispers angrily.

"Just enjoying the ride~"

He looks up to see that Sakuya is still distracted with her own thoughts. She hasn't noticed mini-Yukari yet.

[ ] Throw Yukari into the woods. This is no time for games!
[ ] Toss Yukari into your sack. You can't let Sakuya find her.
[ ] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.
[ ] Let Yukari sit on your shoulder. She can pretend to be a doll.
[ ] Have Yukari sit on your head. Act like she isn't there.
[ ] Tell her to fly beside you. No need to hide anything.
[ ] Custom

[x] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.

[x] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.

Good to see you back keine_sensei.

Poor cirno, she's actually doing something important and it's just like the boy who cried wolf.

[X] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.

[X] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.

> "Cirno is going to save the world!"

> For some reason, he feels like there was something he missed during that random encounter. But without any evidence to back it up, he decides to shrug it off. Like Sakuya said, it probably isn't anything important.

> "You see, we have discovered that the ice fairy's meddling has already hindered our operations at least twice in the past week. Her movements are very much suspect, and we believe that she may prove to be a threat."

Cirno might be the only one who has a clue of whatevers going on in Gensokyo.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

[x] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.
[x] Go back for Cirno.

[x] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.
[x] Go back for Cirno.

Sure this isn't kinda meta? But it sounds good otherwise.

[x] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.
[x] Go back for Cirno.

>>18907
I'd agree it sounding meta, however I don't recall Grim/Sakuya asking Cirno if she had seen the trident wielder. We could use that as an excuse for finding more clues. If it's too meta for the author then we may end up bumping into her again eventually if she's actually meddling around things.

the keystone that holds Gensokyo together.

[X] Status
Alice - B
Yukari - B
Marisa - B
Wriggle - C

[X] Inventory
A neatly handwritten note. Alice wrote it.
A short pamphlet. "A Draft of Spell Card Rules"
A small sack. It can hold a lot of items.
A long walking stick. It looks sturdy.
A hooded cloak. It can cover your head from the rain.
A set of gray robes. It has many pockets.
A small pouch full of mushrooms. Maybe Marisa knows what they are used for?
A beginner's magic book. "Basic Magical Theory and Simple Applications"
An ornate silver bracelet. Engraved on it is a serpent biting its own tail.
A spell card. "Logos Sign ?Calculated Risk?"
(5) Several blank spell cards. You can inscribe spells on them.
A small calling card. The name "Yukari Yakumo" is written on one side.
A large syringe from Dr. Yagokoro. It is filled with a luminescent blue substance.
A small unmarked envelope. Yukari was in it.
An empty syringe. Dr. Yagokoro said that its tip made from lunarian silver.
A mysterious spell book. "Theoretical Boundary Binding and Intervention"
A strange untitled book. Patchouli lent it to you.

[X] Option
A miniature version of Yukari Yakumo. She is hiding in your 'front pocket'.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Hide Yukari in your pocket. Tell her to stay quiet.

---

"Just enjoying the ride~"

Grimn?r scowls at the miniature gap youkai.

"A-are you nuts? What are we going to do if she sees you?"

"Ara? Now that is a problem. What are we going to do, I wonder~"

Grimn?r covers his head with his palm as he stares at the tiny girl. She pulls out a tiny fan to cover her mouth. Surely, she is enjoying this.

"I have half the mind to -"

"Oh, she's looking this way~"

"W-what the -"

He looks up to see Sakuya still staring at the forest with her back against them. Yukari giggles quietly at his reaction. He frowns hard at her.

"That isn't funny..."

"O-of course it isn't, fu fu fu~"

Grimn?r sighs to himself as he plants his palm upon his face.

"Nevermind, I won't ask. Just stay hidden in my pocket, alright?"

"Our little secret?"

"Yeah, whatever."

She winks at him before disappearing into his front pocket. The pocket vanishes from sight as well, though he can tell that she is still with him. Well, she might come in handy later on, but he can't get used to carrying her around like this. She isn't some kind of item, after all.

"Hey, Wizard."

Sakuya turns around and walks closer to him.

"Have you noticed anything weird?"

He shakes his head quickly.

"It's peaceful, isn't it? Besides that ice fairy, we haven't encountered anything strange or dangerous in the Forest of Magic."

The chief maid nods grimly.

"Exactly. The Forest of Magic is never this peaceful. It's as if all the fairies and youkai have left or gone into hiding."

"... sorry, I don't get it."

"If my guess is right, we must be getting closer."

"Closer to what?"

She stares at him for several seconds, as if appraising his ability.

"Say, can you defend yourself?"

[ ] "Yes, but I'd rather not."
[ ] "Yes, I know how to fight."
[ ] "Yes, I can crush my enemies."
[ ] "No, I'm just an ordinary human."
[ ] "No, my magic is still weak."
[ ] "No, I dislike violence."
[ ] Custom

[ ] "Yes, I know how to fight."

[X] "Yes, I know how to fight."

[X] "Yes, I know how to fight."

> [X] Option
> A miniature version of Yukari Yakumo. She is hiding in your 'front pocket'.

I'd rather Shanghai.

[X] "Yes, I know how to fight."

[X] "Yes, I know how to fight."

Loading User Commands:
[X] "Yes, I know how to fight."

---

Sakuya stares at him thoughtfully.

"Say, can you defend yourself?"

Grimn?r pauses to think. After surviving Alice's training and Marisa's extra lessons, he can safely say that he can hold his own against the dangers of Gensokyo. At the very least, he should be able to defend himself until he can flee to safety.

"Yes, I know how to fight."

She smiles at him cheerfully.

"It's been a while since I've met an Outsider with such confidence."

Without warning she vanishes. He blinks in surprise. Three knives are floating in mid-air in front of him. He quickly chants the spell commands for a barrier. As soon as he has it up, the knives fly straight at him, smashing themselves hard against the spell shield.

"Damn it! What the hell?"

"Interesting."

He turns toward the chief maid's voice. She seems to be flying several feet above him. A dozen knives materialize beside her, each aimed toward the ground. Grimn?r curses as he strengthens his shield. As expected, the sky immediately drizzles blades and steel. He closes his eyes to maintain focus on the barrier until the attack is over.

"Ugh..."

He looks up at Sakuya. She nods at him with a smile.

"You are not bad with defensive spells. However, you will need more than a barrier if you want to survive."

Grimn?r frowns hard at her.

"I offer to help you, and you try to kill me? What the hell, Sakuya?"

She pauses for a moment, biting her lip. Then, she slowly descends, landing a few feet away from him.

"I need to gauge your ability," she says. "The man with the trident is dangerous. If you are unsure of yourself, then you better head back."

"That doesn't make me feel much better."

Sakuya sighs sadly. A few knives materialize in her left hand.

"Thank you very much for bringing me this far, but I won't risk taking you if this is your limit. This is my problem, and I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of me."

She starts walking closer.

[ ] Use barrier. [Defense/Earth]
[ ] Use laser. [Heat/Light]
[ ] Use gate. [Defense/Unknown]
[ ] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]
[ ] Use an item. (Specify)
[ ] Flee from the battle.
[ ] Custom

[ ] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]
Let's use our 'Shanghai'

[x] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]

Too bad we never did go back to talk with Cirno more...

[x] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]

>>[ ] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]

So Yukari is a shot type now?

[X] Throw Yukari at Sakuya.

[x] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]

I just want to see what this does.

Also, way to overreact, Sakuya.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Use 'Option' (Type: Yukari). [Unknown]

---

"This is my problem, and I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of me."

"Wait, what?"

"Wounds from my weapons can heal. Don't worry. I'm not planning to kill you."

"So you're going to attack me because you don't want to hurt me?"

Sakuya shakes her head as she walks closer. Grimn?r quickly prepares himself. He doesn't understand her motives, but he isn't going to stand around and let her transform him into a human pincushion.

"There are some things that a trip to Eientei can't cure," she whispers.

This isn't the first time something like this happened to him. He remembers other similar encounters. When he first met Yukari, she tried to kill him in his dreams. Alice seems to have a violent side as well, as he had observed first hand during their training. And Marisa? The scary part is that the black-white doesn't seem to have any sense of caution at all, whether it be for herself or any other person. This doesn't even include the encounters with Wriggle (?) and those crazy fairies.

What the heck is wrong with the girls in Gensokyo?

"What the hell," he mumbles once more.

The chief maid stops walking. A dozen knives materialize around her.

"Could use a little help this time, Yukari," he whispers to himself.

No answer. Oh wow. He curses as he creates another spell shield. Several of the knives smash hard against the barrier. However, he doesn't feel twelve impacts. Perhaps only seven or eight of them hit his shield. Then, his eyes widen in horror as he realizes that the other knives are bouncing chaotically against the ground and the trees. They are moving too fast! He gasps as he turns his head. One of the knives is flying straight for his -

"..."

Grimn?r slowly opens his eyes. Eh? The knife is gone. In fact, all of the knives are gone. He looks around, confused. Sakuya also seems surprised. Then, without warning, several tiny holes form around the chief maid. In the next moment, knives shoot out of the gaps toward her.

"Ugh!"

Sakuya barely dodges the projectiles. One of the knives gets too close for comfort. A few of the hairs from her bangs are sliced neatly off.

"What was that?" she cries out. "How did you -"

"Use your laser now!"

Suddenly, he finds his arm already stretched toward at the chief maid. A small beam of light and heat shoots out from his palm. Sakuya leaps backward to dodge the attack. Her eyes narrow angrily at him. Then, he realizes what he just did.

"W-wait, I didn't -"

Another gap opens up to the right of the chief maid. A familiar beam of light shoots out of it, heading straight for the chief maid. Sakuya barely avoids it. The attack grazes the side of her skirt, burning off a small portion of fabric.

"You," whispers the chief maid darkly.

"Oh, did we miss again? How careless~"

Grimn?r jumps in surprise. Hovering beside him is a small and familiar figure. The tiny Yukari smirks confidently as she covers her mouth with her fan.

"Yukari? Aren't you supposed to be at Youkai Mountain. Why are you with him?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

She lands on his shoulder and takes a seat.

"This human is my friend."

Grimn?r raises an eyebrow at the gap youkai. Yukari just glances at him and winks. Then, she turns back toward Sakuya. She closes her fan and points it at the chief maid.

"This form might be weaker, but I won't let you hurt this Wizard."

Sakuya grits her teeth. In the next moment, both of her hands are holding knives.

"What are you plotting this time? Is this another one of your schemes?"

"Not at all. I'm just looking out for my friends. Is there something strange about that?"

The gap youkai smiles at her.

"But then, why are you here?" she asks. "Remilia never mentioned anything about the trident wielder. Did she send you out on a secret errand, I wonder~"

"..."

Sakuya's expression turns cold.

"Stay out of it. This has nothing to do with you."

Without another world, the chief maid vanishes. Grimn?r waits a few seconds, but she doesn't reappear. He sighs loudly. That didn't really go as planned.

"Hmm..."

He turns to the tiny girl sitting on his shoulder. She smiles gently at him, but she doesn't say anything.

[ ] Return to Eientei.
[ ] Pass by Alice's cottage.
[ ] Pass by Marisa's house.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly.
[ ] Custom

Optional:
[ ] Talk to Yukari about something. (Specify)
[ ] Use an item. (Specify)

[X] Wander around aimlessly.
[X] Talk to Yukari about something.
-[X] Teamwork
-[X] Sakuya's reaction

[X] Go back to Cirno.
[X] Talk to Yukari about something.
-[X] Teamwork
-[X] Sakuya's reaction

[X] Go back to Cirno, even if she isn't the smartest girl, she might notice something we missed.
[X] Talk to Yukari about something.
-[X] Teamwork
-[X] Sakuya's reaction

[X] Pass by Marisa's house.
[X] Talk to Yukari about something.
-[X] Teamwork
-[X] Sakuya's reaction

I doubt we'd find Cirno this time if she's been moving around a lot lately.

[X] Go back to Cirno.
[X] Talk to Yukari about something.
-[X] Teamwork
-[X] Sakuya's reaction

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"Flying is faster you know. Already tired?"

"Not really. I just think that we should be a little more cautious."

The apprentice wizard walks along a worn path in the Forest of Magic. The sun shines brightly over him as it approaches noon. Upon his shoulder is a tiny girl that could fit on his palm. She slowly opens her parasol to shade herself from the sunlight.

"Say Yukari, why did you reveal yourself back there?"

"Hmm?"

"Wasn't that a little dangerous?"

"I suppose it was, but I thought it would be fun~"

"Fun?"

"Don't think about it too hard. Just think of me as your partner."

"Partner," he repeats. "Why does that make me feel even more uneasy?"

"Because you aren't stupid."

He stops in his tracks and frowns hard at Yukari. She giggles a bit before shaking her head.

"That is a normal reaction to me, unless you don't think I'm dangerous?"

"You are definitely dangerous, Yukari. I have no doubts about that."

She covers her mouth with her fan mysteriously.

"That makes us a good match, then. You are quite dangerous yourself, Grey Wizard."

A few minutes pass in silence as he collects his thoughts. He couldn't deny what Yukari said. His power seems to be exceedingly dangerous, and his affinity for magic is far greater than any normal human. Perhaps that is the reason why magicians and other powerful beings seem interested in him. Waking up with a knife at your throat isn't exactly normal, after all.

"She said her name was Sakuya."

"Hmm?"

"Why did she react like that? She fled as soon as she realized that you were with me."

"Oh, who knows? The folk of the Scarlet Devil Mansion tend to keep to themselves. Quite a secretive group, even among the other inhabitants of Gensokyo."

She smiles wider before continuing.

"I wouldn't worry too much about her. The elemental magician informed us that they can keep their zone stable now. Besides, they recruited some new talent recently."

"That butler fellow?"

Yukari nods.

"We should worry about our own trouble."

~~~

Grimn?r carefully walks around a large tree. It looks little different from the others, aside from the fact that has been frozed solid within a large block of ice. Then, he looks around the area.

"She isn't here," he says.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Sakuya and I met someone here earlier. Some ice fairy named Cirno, I think. She said something strange, though I don't really remember now."

"If it's that Cirno, then she probably went around freezing things randomly again."

"Sakuya said the same thing earlier."

"Besides, why would anyone want to freeze a Youkai tree?"

[ ] Return to Eientei.
[ ] Pass by the Human Village.
[ ] Wander around in the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Custom

[X] Wander around in the Forest of Magic.

[X] Wander around in the Forest of Magic.

[x] Wander around in the Forest of Magic.

There might be more than one such tree, and we'd find her sooner or later.

[X] Wander around in the Forest of Magic.

let's all ignore blatantly obvious hints lol

>"Of course I had a good reason for that!" cries the little fairy.

>"Eh? Ah, I'm not freezing trees," she says. "I'm freezing only that tree."
>"But why?"
>"Cirno is going to save the world!"

>"Besides, why would anyone want to freeze a Youkai tree?"

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

>>19056

Oh...

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

Exdeath is that you?

[x] Investigate the tree more closely. Ask Yukari if she can tell if anything's strange about it.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"A Youkai tree?" repeats Grimn?r.

Yukari shakes her head.

"The Forest of Magic is full of Youkai. Why are you acting so surprised?"

"Well, I guess Marisa mentioned something like that..."

"This place is among the worst places for Outsiders to visit. Most of them end up eaten by the forest beasts or man-eating plants. Others get killed by wild fairies or simply starve to death trying to find a way out. The deepest parts contain even more dangerous creatures."

"Err... really?"

The tiny girl on his shoulders smiles at his reaction.

"Did you really think that a normal human could walk around here and survive on his own?"

"I never really thought about it that way."

"Well, you shouldn't worry about it. You aren't exactly an ordinary person, Grey Wizard."

"..."

Grimn?r flies closer to the tree. The ice fairy said something very strange. She wasn't just freezing trees. She was freezing only this tree. If she wasn't lying, then it wasn't just some random prank. She must have a reason to do something so strange.

"Hey Yukari, do you notice anything odd about this tree?"

"Huh? It's a Youkai tree. Why would that be unusual in this place?"

Suddenly, something shoots out from the tree and grabs her. He blinks in surprise as a long green tendril wraps around the little Yukari.

"W-what the.. iyaaaah!"

Then, before either of them could react, the tendril swings itself hard toward the sky, throwing the gap youkai high into the air. He can hear her tiny scream as she disappears from sight. Cursing loudly, he turns toward the tree.

"Damn it! You'll pay for -mmph!"

Another tendril shoots out and wraps around his mouth. His eyes widen in horror. He can't utter any spell commands like this! He tries to pull the plant away, but his effort his futile. It has effectively prevented him from casting spells.

"Mmph!"

Several more tendrils shoot out, binding his arms and legs. His sack and staff fall to the ground. Then, the tree starts pulling him closer to itself. He struggles with all his might, but it only succeeds in angering the tree even more. The tree starts to tighten its grip, suffocating him slowly.

"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"

He can feel his strength draining. His vision starts to blur and darken. He knows that he is going to lose consciousness soon. He was too careless this time...

"Stupid tree! I'll kill you for sure, this time!"

That voice. It sounds vaguely familiar.

"Taste the strongest blade - Icicle Sword!"

Who was it?

".. awright?"

"Ugh..."

"Hey! Ya still alive, Grim?"

"Yeah, barely. It hurts everywhere."

Grimn?r slowly opens his eyes. Someone is standing over him, staring curiously. It takes him a few moments to realize that it is the ice fairy. The air around him becomes chilly as she leans closer. He jumps up quickly and backs away. There are many dangerous beings in the Forest of Magic, and instinctively, he knows that this one is one of them. She falls on her back in surprise.

"Uwaaaah!"

"W-what do you want?" he cries.

The ice fairy slowly gets up, dusting off her skirt.

"Geez, don't surprise me like that, Grim!"

"Grim? You know my name?"

She frowns hard at him.

"A-are you stupid or something? Of course I remember you! Anyway, why didn'cha just blast that bad tree away like you always do?"

".. what?"

He notices a strange sight behind the ice fairy. The great Youkai tree has been reduced to frozen splinters of wood and broken branches. Could this fairy really do that much damage? Why did she help him? And why was she speaking as if they had met before?

"Your name was Cirno, right?"

She nods quickly and smiles.

"The strongest! Too bad about poor Dai-chan. She got killed pretty quickly, ahahaha!"

"K-killed?"

"Nothing new. Even if she stays in the back row, she always ends up dead. Gotta wait on her respawn again, I guess."

"Wait, what?"

She turns toward him. Then, her eyes widen in surprise.

"Hey! Yer hurt, aren'cha?"

He stares at her disbelievingly. Did she notice that only now?

"Well, I got something good for ya!"

Cirno pulls out something from her dress. It looks like a small pouch. She takes something small from it and holds it out to him. It looks like some kind of candy.

"This'll pick ya up!"

[ ] Thank her for the candy and eat it.
[ ] Take the candy, but don't eat it.
[ ] Refuse the candy.
[ ] Custom

[X] Thank her for the candy and eat it.
Cirno saves the day once more!

[x] Thank her for the candy and eat it.

[X] Thank her for the candy and eat it.

Can't possibly go wrong.

I wonder if mini-yukari escaped/gapped out or not.

[x] Thank her for the candy and eat it.

I'm sure Mini-Yukarin managed to escape and such. (Though I thought she was launched into the air)

[x] Thank her for the candy and eat it.

[x] Thank her for the candy and eat it.

Cirno hands you an object. She does not explicitly state it is candy. And you want to eat it right away?
Caution would be wise even if she did say it was candy.

[x] Take the candy, but don't eat it.

[x] Take the candy, but don't eat it.

>>19139

It might be something from Eientei, and Cirno in this story isn't THAT stupid.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Thank her for the candy and eat it.

---

"Well, I got something good for ya!"

Cirno pulls out a small pouch from her dress. She takes something small from it and holds it out to him. Wrapped in a pink and blue wrapper, it looks no different from an ordinary piece of candy.

"This'll pick ya up!"

"Oh? Ah, thanks."

Grimn?r takes the little gift and stares at it curiously. It seems harmless enough. After all, he doesn't ever remember being told not to take candy from strange fairies. Besides, for some reason, he can't refuse this girl's eager smile. Slowly, he unwraps the candy and pops it into his mouth.

"Hmm... not bad!"

Cirno smiles wider.

"Feel any better?"

"Huh? Not really, what? wait.."

A gentle warmth begins to flow into his body. The feeling is strange, but not uncomfortable. His eyes widen in surprise as he realizes that he has begun to glow. But in the next moment, the glow fades. He blinks for a few moments.

"Eh?"

Grimn?r quickly stands himself up. The pain is gone, and his wounds seem to be completely healed. Even his headache has cleared.

"Ya look much better now, Grim!"

Cirno nods to herself and smiles with confidence. Then, before he can react, she does a little hop and starts hovering in the air. She gives him a wide smile and a peace sign.

"I'll see ya later! I'm kinda busy right now! Let's play again some time!"

Grimn?r hesitates for a moment. Looks like she is going to leave if he doesn't say or do something.

[ ] Try to talk to her. (Custom)
[ ] Don't let her escape. Grab her quickly!
[ ] Don't let her escape. Block her with your body.
[ ] Don't let her escape. Enclose her in a spell barrier.
[ ] Just let her leave. Follow closely behind her.
[ ] Just let her leave. Follow some distance behind her.
[ ] Just let her leave. Wait here for Yukari.
[ ] Custom

> Inventory updated. Bug fix E-IM09332962 implemented.

[X] Inventory
A neatly handwritten note. Alice wrote it.
A short pamphlet. "A Draft of Spell Card Rules"
A small sack. It can hold a lot of items.
A long walking stick. It looks sturdy.
A hooded cloak. It can cover your head from the rain.
A set of gray robes. It has many pockets.
A small pouch full of mushrooms. Maybe Marisa knows what they are used for?
A beginner's magic book. "Basic Magical Theory and Simple Applications"
An ornate silver bracelet. Engraved on it is a serpent biting its own tail.
A spell card. "Logos Sign ?Calculated Risk?"
(5) Several blank spell cards. You can inscribe spells on them.
A small calling card. The name "Yukari Yakumo" is written on one side.
A large syringe from Dr. Yagokoro. It is filled with a luminescent blue substance.
A small unmarked envelope. Yukari was in it.
An empty syringe. Dr. Yagokoro said that its tip made from lunarian silver.
A mysterious spell book. "Theoretical Boundary Binding and Intervention"
A strange untitled book. Patchouli lent it to you.
A length of rope. You feel a faint energy from it. It was used to bind Wriggle.
A small candy wrapper. It has a design of bright pink and blue stripes.

[X] Option
None.

[ ] Try to talk to her.
-[x]Hey Cirno, did you see anything else weird like that tree you just destroyed? Anything like some stranger with a trident maybe wandering around?
[X]Wait for mini-Yukari, perhaps investigate the shattered, frozen remains of the tree.

There could be some extra clue left behind by the now "dead" tree, maybe a core that caused it to attack or something.

[X] Try to talk to her.
-[x]Hey Cirno, did you see anything else weird like that tree you just destroyed? Anything like some stranger with a trident maybe wandering around?
[X]Wait for mini-Yukari, perhaps investigate the shattered, frozen remains of the tree.

[x] Try to talk to her.
-[x]Hey Cirno, did you see anything else weird like that tree you just destroyed? Anything like some stranger with a trident maybe wandering around?
[X]Wait for mini-Yukari, perhaps investigate the shattered, frozen remains of the tree.

[X] Try to talk to her.
-[x]Hey Cirno, did you see anything else weird like that tree you just destroyed? Anything like some stranger with a trident maybe wandering around?
[X]Wait for mini-Yukari, perhaps investigate the shattered, frozen remains of the tree.

She is going to fly off without telling us anything useful. I just know it! Well, fuck that!

[x] Don't let her escape. Grab her quickly!
[x] Tie her up with the rope.
[x] ??"
[x] PROFIT

[X] Try to talk to her.
-[x]Hey Cirno, did you see anything else weird like that tree you just destroyed? Anything like some stranger with a trident maybe wandering around?
[X]Wait for mini-Yukari, perhaps investigate the shattered, frozen remains of the tree.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Try to talk to her.
[X] Custom

---

"Hey, wait!" cries Grimn?r.

"Wha?"

Cirno stares back, puzzled. He can almost see a question mark out pop above her head. Wait, that can't be right. In any case, he needs to ask her something.

"Did you see any other weird things around here?"

"Weird things? Whatcha talking about?"

"You know, like that tree you just destroyed?"

"Tree? Whatcha talking about?"

Grimn?r stares at her in disbelief. Very slowly, he points toward the broken remains of the Youkai tree behind her. She turns to look at it for a moment before smiling.

"Oh that? That's nothing! Weird stuffs been happening all over the place!"

"Weird stuff?"

"Yep! That's why Dai and I decided to help out! I'm the strongest, after all."

Cirno puffs out her modest chest proudly. Oh wow. Not knowing how to react, he just asks another question.

"Say, have you seen someone with a trident wandering around here?"

At the word 'trident', the ice fairy suddenly perks up.

"Ah, you mean the red man?"

"Red man?"

"He said that he was kinda busy, so he didn't play with us today."

"Play with you?"

"That's right! It's rude to bug busy people, ya know?"

"Wait, could you -"

"Anyway, I'm kinda busy right now! I'll play with ya later, Grim!"

Grimn?r takes a moment to consider what she just said. This is getting even more confusing. The fact that she doesn't seem to be lying (is she even capable?) only disturbs him more.

"Ah! Hey, Cirno!"

He blinks stupidly. The ice fairy is already gone. He curses to himself quietly. For a moment, he considers going after her, but in the end he decides to stay put. Yukari might worry if he just disappears.

"..."

After a couple of minutes, Grimn?r starts walking closer to the shattered remains of the Youkai tree. Cirno's destructive power is surprisingly thorough, but perhaps he can find some clues. He carefully examines the broken branches and leaves for clues. As he searches the tree stump, he notices something odd. He carefully picks up the item.

It looks like a tiny piece of broken clockwork.

"Ugh!"

Pain. His head is throbbing like crazy. He knows this. This type of mechanical design is exactly like -

"Argh!"

His vision is starting to fail. Crumpling down on the ground, he falls unconscious. But not without one last thought. He has seen this before. He is sure of it.

But where?

~~~

"..."

He opens his eyes. Darkness, all around him. There is nothing in this place.

[Welcome back.]

He frowns hard at the red eyes.

[Been a while, hasn't it?]

He shakes his head. He isn't interested in this.

[Not interested? Well, isn't that cute...]

"I'm going back," he says. "The others will be worried."

[You missed it.]

"What?"

[You almost figured it out, but you let the most important clue slip through your fingers.]

"What are you talking about?"

[Too bad. Now, you won't be able to stop them in time.]

"Stop who? What's going to happen?"

[...]

"Hey! Answer me!"

[Well, not everything goes according to plan.]

"Plan? What plan?"

[Let's see if you really are the one. Let's see if you have it.]

"Have what?"

[A king's luck.]

~~~

Grimn?r groans. Something is shaking him awake.

[ ] A noisy girl.
[ ] A tiny person.
[ ] A strange doll.

[x] A tiny person.

[x] A strange doll.

[x] A tiny person.

[x] A strange doll.

Mini-Yukari can fly, and she's Yukari. On the other hand, we haven't been spending much time with the lovely puppeteer lately.

[x] A tiny person.

[x] A tiny person.

[X] A strange doll.

[X] A strange doll.

[0] A tiny person.

[x] A strangely tiny noisy doll.

[x] A tiny person.

[x] A tiny person.

[x] A noisy girl.

I like this Marisa.

[x] A tiny person.

Loading User Commands:
[X] A tiny person.

---

"Ugh... my head..."

He groans. Something seems to be shaking him awake. It feels small and soft. Grimn?r slowly opens his eyes. Someone smiles at him. It's a familiar tiny person. Oh wow, it's her again. He blinks a few times to make sure that he isn't seeing things.Then, he turns to the other side and closes his eyes once more.

"H-hey, that's rude! Is that how you thank me?"

He sighs loudly before sitting up. His head still aches a little, but other than that, he seems unhurt. He takes a quick glance around him. Seems like he is back in his room at Eientei.

"What happened?"

"Hmph!" Yukari pouts at him. "Maybe you were kidnapped by fairies? Perhaps you got attacked by man-eating plants? Who knows?"

He stares at the irritated youkai girl. The fact that she could fit in his hand right now only made her angry face look cuter. He couldn't help but smile a little. For a moment, he feels tempted to ruffle her hair, but his wiser side reminded him of several reasons why that would be a bad idea.

"Sorry about that. Still feeling disoriented. Can't remember much after I passed out."

She turns to him, still frowning a little.

"Do you want Eirin to check for injuries?" she says.

He shakes his head.

"I'm fine, I think. I guess you brought me back here after you found me unconscious?"

"Hmph!"

She still looks irritated.

"Er, sorry about the reaction earlier. I thought that you might have been planning something again."

"Plotting and scheming... is that how you all really think?"

He stares back incredulously. She has an almost pitiable expression upon her face. Unsure of how to react, he decides to just change the subject.

"A-anyway, it's good to be back," Grimn?r says. "Any trip you can walk away from is a good one."

"..."

"How are the repairs? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Something glitters in Yukari's eyes. She pulls out her fan and covers her mouth.

"The repairs? Who knows? Who knows~"

"..."

"Anyway, I'll be tagging along for a while~"

The tiny girl hops into his 'front pocket' once more. Before vanishing completely, she pokes out her head and winks at him.

"Don't tell the others that I'm here."

Then, she vanishes into his robe. He plants his palm on his face for a moment, wondering what she did this time.

"..."

After grabbing his staff and sack, he heads out into the hallway. Eientei is pretty large, but the damaged portion shouldn't be too hard to find. Alice and/or Marisa might still be working on it. He could also talk to the lunarians first. Then suddenly, his stomach grumbles.

[ ] Look for Alice.
[ ] Look for Marisa.
[ ] Look for Reisen.
[ ] Look for Dr. Yagokoro.
[ ] Look for Steak, er, Food.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly.
[ ] Custom

[x] Look for Marisa.
[x] Then look for food.

I can't help but to want a pocket Yukarin of my own.

[X] Look for Marisa.
[X] Then look for food.

Works for me just fine~!

[X] Look for Reisen.

If there is anything that Teruyo's taught us, it's that every girl has a route. Even if it doesn't really make sense or follow the continuity of events. Let's comfort the lonely rabbit. Must be hard for her without Tewi around.

[X] Look for Marisa.
[X] Then look for food.

>>19227

Perhaps so but if no one settles on at the very least a small cluster of targets, it'll end just like DoLF1 and no one wants that.

And I'm sure if the writer does an /eientei/ strory it'd be Reisen's moment to shine.

>>19229
I would be amazed if the writer does decide to go for an Eientei perspective, or even the rest of the boards to a degree, however as of now I have doubts of the writefag doing that unless his plot expands to proportions beyond what I could comprehend; and it turns out all awesome.

[x] Look for Alice.
[x] Then look for food.

>>19227
Am I the only one who remembers that we were aiming for Alice in this story?

>>19233
>..We were aiming for Yukari in this story.

fixed that for ya.

[X] Look for Alice.
[X] Then look for food.

>>19233

To be fair, I bet a good number of people who used to read this have left. People who have just jumped on the train aren't always going to vote for the old target.

[x] Look for Alice.
[x] Then look for food.

>>19235
In that case, here's a refresher on our relationship with Alice:
http://pastebin.ca/1662495

If you're new to the story, read that before you go breaking her heart.

[X] Look for Alice.
[X] Then look for food.

[x] Look for Steak Andablowjob, er, Food.

[X] Look for Alice.
[X] Then look for food.

Alice~

[X] Look for Marisa.
[X] Then look for food.

Have we forgotten about our time spent with pre-coma Marisa?

Loading User Commands:
[X] Look for Alice.
[X] Custom

---

After wandering around Eientei for a few minutes, Grimn?r notices someone familiar. Her short blonde hair and distinct blue and pink dress are unmistakable. He smiles as he walks closer. He hasn't really had the chance to talk to Alice today. Their encounter during breakfast this morning could have gone better.

"Hey Alice," he says.

She doesn't reply. As he approaches the puppeteer magician, he realizes the reason. She seems to have fallen asleep while sitting on one of the chairs, a large black book in her lap. Her face is serene and peaceful. Shanghai sits silently beside her. He can't help but smile as he steps closer.

"... eh?"

Lying scattered on a table beside her are several sewing implements: pieces of colored cloth, ribbons, spools of thread, a pincushion full of needles, and a few other odds and ends. Nearby are several woodworking tools, but no wood. He also spots several other strange reagents and materials that he doesn't recognize. There are sheets of paper as well, full of designs and high-level runes. At a glance, it looks like she was working on one of her projects.

"Hmm."

It isn't like her to work out in the open like this. Why didn't she return back to her workshop at her cottage? Curious, Grimn?r glances closer at her schematics. Most of it is written in a language that he doesn't understand, but one word catches his eye.

> Valkyrie

He blinks and rubs his eyes. When he stares at the plans again, he doesn't understand a thing. Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

"Ah!"

Something interrupts his thoughts. A refreshing aroma wafts into his nostrils. The kitchen is only a short distance away. Perhaps someone has started cooking lunch? He turns to Alice. She seems to be sleeping soundly.

[ ] Leave quietly. Head to the kitchen.
[ ] Carefully wake Alice. Offer to walk with her.
[ ] Examine her work closely. What is she making?
[ ] Custom

[X] Carefully wake Alice. Offer to walk with her.

[X] Examine her work closely. What is she making?

[X] Examine her work closely. What is she making?

[X] Carefully wake Alice. Offer to walk with her.

I get the feeling she wouldn't mind being woken up for company and such.

[X] Carefully wake Alice. Offer to walk with her.

Works for me~!

[x] Carefully wake Alice. Offer to walk with her.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Carefully wake Alice. Offer to walk with her.

---

After a moment of thought, Grimn?r gently pats the dollmaker's shoulders. He whispers her name a few times until she groans irritably.

"Ugh, I can find that book later, lemme 'lone..."

"Alice?"

Without warning, she raises her hand and slams it hard on the armrest with a bang. She opens her eyes sleepily and frowns at him.

"Dammit Marisa!" she cries. "I told you to wait till I -"

Alice stops speaking and stares blankly at him. He smiles at her nervously. She blinks again. An awkward silence passes between them.

"A-ah! Grim? I-I didn't know, I'm sorry, I just -"

"Don't mention it. My fault for waking you."

She nervously starts brushing at her hair with her hands, as if to make it neater. Honestly, he thinks that her golden hair is already quite lovely as it is, but he takes the prudent step not to say that out loud.

"Well, I thought that I'd offer to take a walk with you, but it seems that you're a bit busy right now."

"Busy? What do you mean?"

He nods at the materials and designs scattered beside her. Alice takes a glance at the table, then back at him. Suddenly, her eyes widen in horror. Her face turns white and her lips start quivering.

"Iyaaaah!"

"Huh?

"Shanghai, go!"

"What the, MMPH!"

Grimn?r gasps in surprise as the doll hops up and hugs his face. The tiny doll's grip tightens as he cries, 'Mmph' a few more times. Shanghai seems intent on blocking his vision, and he can feel no intimacy from her hug. Well, maybe he can feel a little. Despite her grip, the doll seems to be taking extreme care not to injure him. From the side of his eye, he can see a worried expression upon her face. After a moment, he calms down and stops struggling. There doesn't seem to be any immediate danger.

"Hurry! Take that one too!"

He perks up his ears to listen. From the sounds nearby, several things are being quickly moved away. Then, a couple of minutes later, he hears Alice sigh in relief.

"Ah, s-sorry about that," she says. "It was just so messy that I had to clean up and -"

She pauses for moment.

"Shanghai! Didn't I say you could let him go?"

The doll reluctantly pulls away from him. Then, Shanghai does something surprising. She gives him a little wink. Then, she turns around and bows obediently to Alice. The doll floats to her side with a seemingly solemn expression.

"That's better!" she says. "Sorry, I don't know what got into her right now."

Grimn?r looks around curiously. All traces of her work have vanished from the area. He frowns for a moment. What would she be hiding?

"What's wrong, Grim? Looking for something?"

He turns to Alice. She smiles nervously as she waits for him to respond.

[ ] "Not really. I must be seeing things."
[ ] "Not really, since I already found you."
[ ] "Not really. But did anything happen earlier?"
[ ] "Yes. I am in search of food."
[ ] "Yes. Where is Marisa?"
[ ] "Yes. What are you hiding?"
[ ] Custom

[x] "I was looking for you and happened to smell food, so I figured I'd see if you would like some as well"

[x] "I was looking for you and happened to smell food, so I figured I'd see if you would like some as well"

Food's more enjoyable with good company

[X] "I was looking for you and happened to smell food, so I figured I'd see if you would like some as well"

[x] "I was looking for Shanghai. I was hoping that she could join me for lunch."
[x] Motion for the doll to sit on your shoulder. Ruffle her hair.
[x] "Come to think of it, won't you join us, Alice?"

[x] "I was looking for you and happened to smell food, so I figured I'd see if you would like some as well"

[B] "I was looking for you and happened to smell food, so I figured I'd see if you would like some as well"

[x] "I was looking for Shanghai. I was hoping that she could join me for lunch."
[x] Motion for the doll to sit on your shoulder. Ruffle her hair.
[x] "Come to think of it, won't you join us, Alice?"
SOVIET RUSSIA

Loading User Commands:
[X] Custom

---

"What's wrong? Looking for something?"

Grimn?r shakes his head. No point in being too nosy. Curiosity could kill, after all.

"I was looking for you," he explains. "I happened to smell food, so I figured I'd see if you would like some as well."

"Food?" repeats Alice. "Well, I don't really need to eat, and I'd like to finish that quickly so..."

"I see. Sorry to bother you, then."

He shrugs as he turns toward the kitchen. Suddenly, Alice grabs him by the shoulder.

"W-wait!" she cries. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Eh? But I thought that -"

"Hush! I never said that I wouldn't go with you!"

To his surprise, Alice starts walking ahead of him, straight toward the kitchen. Shanghai floats beside her expressionlessly. He scratches his head, confused. She turns around, her cheeks a bit flushed.

"What is it? I thought that you were hungry?"

"Huh? I don't even -"

The dollmaker folds her arms and frowns at him. Shanghai mirrors her movement, doubling the effect.

"Or perhaps you'd rather have someone else prepare a meal for you?"

A chill runs down his spine. He shakes his head and laughs nervously.

"E-er, of course not!" he manages. "I'd be honored to taste something that Master Alice prepared for me."

Her smile widens at those words.

"Very good. The apprentice understands his place perfectly."

Alice leads the way as they walk along the halls of Eientei. She doesn't turn back even once, maintaining her confident demeanor. However, Shanghai floats near him almost immediately after. The doll circles him a few times before finally landing on his shoulder.

"Well, at least you're a little easier to understand," he whispers to the doll.

Shanghai looks up at him, giggling silently. Unsure of what she means, he shrugs and follows after Alice.

~~~

"Hey Grim," says the dollmaker. "What sort of food would you like to eat?"

He jumps a bit in surprise. Her sudden question interrupted his thoughts. Alice turns around and stares at him for a few moments. Then, she shakes her head.

"W-well, it's not like I'm saying that I'd go out of the way to make something like that. It would just be more convenient if I could make sure that you would eat what I could prepare. I don't really know that many recipes, and it would be difficult if you forced yourself to eat something you hate...."

Grimn?r blinks a few times as a response. He doesn't get it.

"Huh?"

Alice blushes bright red at this. She turns around quickly with an irritated expression on her face. As she pushes open the door to the kitchen, she glances at him.

"N-never you mind," she adds. "I'll just cook something quick and easy! Don't blame me if -"

The dollmaker stops in her tracks. Something seems to have gotten her attention. Grimn?r leans forward to examine the room. The kitchen is large, but for the most part it is empty. That is, empty aside from one other person.

"Hey, isn't that..."

[ ] Marisa
[ ] Reisen
[ ] Dr. Yagokoro
[ ] ______

test

[x] Marisa

>>19392

wat.

[x] Reisen

She's usually Eientei's cook.

Eirin's too busy with her work, and anyone that knows Marisa usually keeps her away from a Kitchen. (Do you LOVE mushrooms that much?)

[X] Marisa

When did it become popular to hate mushrooms.."

What about:
Almond Mushroom P?t?
Egg and Mushroom Soup
Grilled Cajun Mushrooms
Mushroom and Avocado Salad
Mushroom and Bacon Bread Tartlets
Mushroom Casserole
Mushroom Fondue
Mushroom Quiche
Mushroom Sauce
Mushroom Stuffing
Oat Mushroom Patties
Quail Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms
Sesame Mushrooms
Tuna and Mushroom Casserole
What about them.."

I actually acquired a taste for mushrooms way back when I tried a slice of mushroom pizza for the first time.

[X] Marisa

[X]...Reimu?
SUDDENLY ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.

[x] Reisen

Haven't seen much of her in this story. Did we ever thank her for helping us get the reading from trident guy?

[X]Reisen

Tied again. It's not like this choice is that important.

:>

Will leave voting open a bit longer.

[x] Reisen

[X] Marisa

Because I haven't votred here yet.

Hmmm....

[x] Mareisan

[0] Reisen

[x] Reisen

>>19454
If this is an option I vote it a billion times.

>>19462
Holy shit. Me too!

Loading User Commands:
[X] Reisen

---

"Hey, isn't that.. Reisen?"

The rabbit girl stands toward the back of the large kitchen, busying herself in front of one of the stoves, it seems. The sizzling sound of the pan echoes loudly across the room. She stays completely silent as she transfers the cooked food to a few large plates. Then, she takes a moment to stare at her work.

At this point, Grimn?r hardly notices anything unusual. In fact, the lunch looks quite appetizing, even from here. There is some kind of meat and vegetable dish, and a generous serving of pasta for each person. A large pot of soup lies beside it, with some salad on the side. In fact, there is only one thing that looks unusual.

Standing out from the rest of the food is a plate full of fried eggs. Reisen stares at it intently, and he can't make out the expression on her face.

"I made them anyway," she whispers. "I didn't even realize it. It's..."

Her eyes widen in horror. Her face turns white.

"I-It's.. happening again!" It's the same! It's all the same..."

Suddenly, her eyes start tearing up. Then, she starts sobbing loudly, clearly unaware that anyone else has stepped inside. Alice looks at Grimn?r suspiciously. He quickly shakes her head, mouthing that he doesn't have anything to do with this.

"You sure about that?" whispers the dollmaker. "You didn't do anything insensitive or perverted?"

"O-of course not!" he whispers back.

The dollmaker just shrugs at him and starts walking toward Reisen. The rabbit girl continues sobbing, still oblivious of their presence.

"..."

Something lands on his shoulder. He turns to see Shanghai staring up at him. She looks worried.

[ ] Approach Reisen together with Alice.
[ ] Stay here with Shanghai and observe.
[ ] Carefully sneak out of the kitchen.
[ ] Use item. (Specify)
[ ] Custom

[X] Stay here with Shanghai and observe.

Probably better than to crowd her in surprise. Probably would be better if Alice tries to ask privately anyways as well.

[X] Approach Reisen together with Alice.

[x] Approach Reisen together with Alice.

[X] Approach Reisen together with Alice.

[X] Approach Reisen together with Alice.

[x] Approach Reisen together with Alice and Shanghai.

We all love you so we all care.

[x] Approach Reisen together with Alice and Shanghai.
[x] Let Alice take the lead, though.

Don't want to overwhelm the poor girl, but we should do more than just observe.

Server reconnected at: >>19524

Curiously did something happen to the update or did it not post correctly.."