“You care for her don’t you?” Yukari asks suddenly. You didn’t really notice back then, but future accounts from Yukari had you staring dumbly for a time while your mouth flapped uselessly; going through the motions of saying things, without actually saying them.

“Not in that way, she was a close friend…but we weren’t in any kind of relationship” You reply, a hastily. “I’d say she was closer to Maribel, though they did trick us into going on a date once. It was around a week before she vanished, I think; we ended up watching a movie for a bit…and…well…”

Yukari listens placidly, nodding every now and then. Taking in your senseless babble with a grave sobriety, never looking tired; and you’re grateful for that. And she is right; you do feel better after getting your grievances off your chest. Outside Gensokyo, you really only have four close friends after all, and losing one of them had been hard; and suddenly finding that one alive and well… was a strange feeling to say the least, and when you do finally run out of things to say, Yukari smile warmly and pats you on the shoulder.

“And, it’s alright to be angry, dear,” She states calmly.

“Alright? I shouldn’t be.” You protest. “What was I thinking? Shouting like that through a party.” Remorse at the very least for Sanae.

“It’s what makes you human, dear, and you have a legitimate reason after all, though at the expense of Sanae; but she will take it in her stride, it’s the consequences of her choices from two years ago after all-don’t look at me like that; it’s not my place to tell you about that. Perhaps Sanae will tell you, if she’s calmed a little.” Yukari assuages, pausing briefly to take a breath” Though…do try to keep it down next time.” She suggests, in a joking manner.

“Was I really that bad?” You ask, unable to picture the prior scenes clearly.

“You scared off Mystia,” she states, gracing you with a wink. “That’s it, smile, smile again. You’re nicer when you smile.”

“Thanks,” you reply dryly.

Despite feeling better, you can’t deny that you’re tired after the day’s excitement.

“Yukari, I think I’ll go get some rest now,” you state unabashedly.

”Hmm…need me to get you to Mayohiga?” She asks, polishing off her cup of sake.

“Nah…I feel like walking…clear my head a little. Don’t worry I know all the safe paths.” You answer.

“Well, if you’re sure, “Yukari answers. “You’re an adult now I guess; as much as I would like too…big sis can’t mother you forever, can she?” she states wistfully.

“Ran’s trying her best to, though.” You reply, with a laugh.

Anger at Sanae, no matter how justified; isn’t worth it is it? Besides, to be fair, you haven’t heard her half of the story yet.

[] Straight to Mayohiga. Sleep your troubles away.
[] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.

----------------------------------
Yukarin~ Interlude II

“Really, such a cute kid…” you say, refilling Yuyu’s glass.

“Oh, really?” she nods, shuffling the mahjong tiles across the table. “Ah…reminds me of when Youki was young. So…intense!”

“…Wrong choice of words I think, Yuyu,” you comment slyly. “Sounds like you want to jump him. But then again, you were always interested in younger men.”

“Do I really seem this way, Yukarin? Alas…my reputation of maidenly virtue is about to be besmirched; my best of friends no less!” she cries theatrically, grinning incorrigibly all the way. The atmosphere is a good one.

Tokiko, your new acquaintance had withdrawn gracefully from the table, a budging sack of spoils at her side, a pleased expression on her face. Yuyuko has seen fit to take her place, and has proved no less of an opponent, much to Ran’s dismay; sitting upright, tails whipping agitatedly as she guesses (wrongly) the full value of Yuyu’s stack of tiles, discarding Yuyu’s needed tile and grimacing as Yuyu picks it and shows her winning hand. Reluctantly, she pushes her stake towards the happily grinning Yuyu; she’s literally bouncing in her seat with almost sadistic glee.

“I’m out…” Reimu concedes, handing over her stake. “I would prefer to have some power left over if some incident occurs.” She looks towards you speculatively and moves aside, allowing you to seat yourself. “Come on, Alice, you’re the banker.” You announce. Alice, nods and beings to count out her stack; she apparently hasn’t done as badly as the others.

“Alright! Let’s get this started!” But as you reach forward to shuffle the tiles, someone calls out, “Lady, Yukari, might I have a moment?” politely, in a manner of fact way. You turn; it’s Sanae; and it’s evident that she’s recovered somewhat.

“Mmmm?” You mumbles something incomprehensibly, feeling a slight stab of irritation at the green haired miko. You were about to get into a good game, damn it!

“I’m sorry for interrupting you, but I’ve thought it over and…and well…” she falters at the last minute. Poor girl.

“Relax, no need to get so flustered.” You encourage, feeling a little sympathetic. You really didn’t have anything against her anyway; Sanae’s more polite that that Kanako; less meddlesome and bothersome too. You resist snorting at the Goddess’s inane projects.

“…would you tell…er, would you please tell…him, that if he wants to talk…he’s welcome up at the shrine anytime? I think…I can answer him now.” Sanae finishes, a hint of resolution in her eyes now.

“Hmm, no problem,” you reply, grinning broadly. “So long as you tell be about that date of yours.”

Sanae goes beet red and shies away. “You knew?” she accuses.

Dare you? It’s too tempting not to try isn’t it? Your face goes somber, eyes narrowed, lips thin and allowing your fringe to frame your eyes with contrasting light and shadow. “Sanae, don’t you know? I can see anything~. Everything~.” Careful now, don’t lose that serious tone...

The effect is beautiful; she goes all bug eyed and breathy though, your ploy would have been perfect, had you not been surrounded by people who’ve seen this trick before. Reimu laughs and takes Sanae’s hand, leading her off and explaining what’s going on; still all in good humor though.

And while the subject on your “little brother” is still fresh…

”-and so he went off, Alone??” Ran splutters, dropping her tiles, one of which Yuyu gleefully picks up, forming yet another winning hand.

“Ran,” you say, summoning all your patience. “Every safe path there is, he knows; he’s even picked up the knack of shortening the space to Mayohiga. He’ll be perfectly fine. Youkai can’t find those roads without permission-part of the safeguards the first Ruling Lord put over his lands. Even I can’t unless he specifically asks me along.”

Ran looks unconvinced, eyebrows arching.

“Oh all right…I’ll send someone along, he’s probably only at the bottom of the hill by now.” You concede, and almost at once, Ran looks much happier.

Hmmm…choices, choices…

[] Ran, you go. Vindictive aren’t we?
[] Chen should probably go home and get some rest.
[] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.
[] Other (write in logically from the pool of available heroines you have at hand.) They’re just lounging about the shrine anyway. Except Marisa. Sending her alone into the forest with her self proclaimed rival (and you suspect; possible crush) would be an incident waiting to happen. Interpret that as you will.
--------------------------------------------

Ah well...pardon me for blogging.

Writing the protagonist fully angry is much different from writing him grumpy; and I hope I pulled it off right.

And its hard to motivate yourself sometimes too...so much to do, so little time.

[x] Straight to Mayohiga. Sleep your troubles away.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

Anybody else would be boring or troublesome.

Oh, there are some tempting choices, and I'd dearly love to have Iku or Tokiko sent after us, but...

[X] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[X] Ask Yuyuko if she would like to go after him. She seemed interested, and she might have some fun with him. Besides, those two really need to meet.

We meet someone interesting, who can flip between aggravation and calming influence at will. Also, apparently, she might want to jump us.

[] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[] Oh Reimu~? I have a favor to ask you!

[x] Straight to Mayohiga. Sleep your troubles away.
[x] Sanae

I want that backstory. There's still ways...

[X] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

>Ah, well... it's too be expected with an open choice story, but you've just ruined a nice back story about Sanae and the protagonist I've got stuck in my head.Though, dating for a week would be unrealistic at best, wouldn't it? I've always thought that the yamato nadeshiko type of people would be the ones the protagonist would be attracted to.

Well... that doesn't actually mean they didn't like each other, I think.

And I get the impression there's more to that date then our hero is letting on. (And even if I'm wrong, I could become right if I present it in an interesting enough way...)

Personally, I could see the date going awkwardly at first, then really nicely, followed by Sanae crying and running away. (Reason for the last one should be obvious to the reader, if not the hero at the time.) Which can prompt a later joke when we meet (and calm down) again that "And here I was thinking you left because I was that bad of a date"

>>15634>>15638>>15639
Where's the fun in that? The whole point is to set Landlordanaon up with someone and tease him about it later.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x]Oh Reimu~? I have a favor to ask you!

we do owe her a present.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x]Oh Reimu~? I have a favor to ask you!

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Chen should probably go home and get some rest.

Any chance I'll get, I will try my best to spend time with sister Chen.
Come on, seriously. Big sister Chen.

[X] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

[X] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

Yukarin~

[X] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[X] Ask Yuyuko if she would like to go after him. She seemed interested, and she might have some fun with him. Besides, those two really need to meet.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x]Oh Reimu~? I have a favor to ask you!

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Ask Yuyuko if she would like to go after him. She seemed interested, and she might have some fun with him. Besides, those two really need to meet.

>Reimu
Yeah, nothing better than the grouchy miko getting blackmailed out of her own party to babysit us. She'll be in an awesome mood.

>>15661
That's the point.

>>15654

>always thought that the yamato nadeshiko type of people would be the ones the protagonist would be attracted to

While Haruka is fine, I still prefer a Atsuko.

[!/] Straight to Mayohiga. Sleep your troubles away.
[!/] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

Sleepan' games.

[+] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[+] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Ask Yuyuko if she would like to go after him. She seemed interested, and she might have some fun with him. Besides, those two really need to meet.

[ze] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

[] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[] Chen should probably go home and get some rest.

Landanon can be moody and grumpy around any of the mature heroines. Sending Chen almost forces him to cheer up a little and not dwell. And Landanon needs some cheering up.

[x] Detour, a longer walk would do wonders to clear your mind.
[x] Chen should probably go home and get some rest.

Ah my bad. I forgot to say that Yuyuko was not available for VIP escort detail as well. She's busy winning at mahjong. Though, I would also like to say that she doesn't want to jump us...that was a joke on Yukari's part.

Romance isn't that easy; People have a good impression of the protagonist, but love isn't so simple is it?

---------------------------------
[] Actually why don’t you go yourself? Yuyu’s on a winning streak and your power reserves have been slim lately.

The hill the Hakurei shrine is situated is a fairly large one; overgrown with foliage and generally not well trimmed or maintained in any way, but if anything, it’s still a tranquil peaceful place; (at least till the next major incident comes around.) the perfect setting to do a bit of soul searching- to clear your mind a little. Your encounter with a long lost friend had been hard on the nerves if anything else. Sanae…

What would you tell Maribel and Renko?

What would you do with Sanae?”

What was that familiar sensation of something being displaced?

“Mind some company?” someone says.

“Yukari?” you turn; and sure enough, she’s there, seated atop one of her gaps, perhaps at your shoulder level. “Didn’t you go to play mahjong?”

“Ah?” she sniffs elegantly. “That Tokiko friend of yours is a real terror, I’ll say. She stripped all of my best opponents before I could even start to play. And Yuyu…that’s another story isn’t it?” she answers, smiling in an amused manner. “She’s quite a talent at this you know, hmm…years of practice~. So, shall I accompany you, or shall I go back to the shrine and get obscenely drunk?”

“Er, either way is fine, I guess…” you mutter. You really didn’t mind some company, you supposed, and besides, you had your little security issue to deal with after all. “Yukari,” you say, “would you mind taking a look at this?”

“Mmm?” she hums, swooping down to your side. “What is it?”

“You do remember that gap you lent me to get in and out of Gensokyo?” you ask, scrabbling down the stairs towards the narrow fissure in the rocks where it lay.

“Hmmm…did I lend you a gap?” Yukari asks, placing a hand to her temple. Her brows furrow for a moment as she concentrates. “No, no…I don’t feel any gaps out of my possession.” She murmurs, opening one eye to look at you inquisitively.

“Oh come on, think logically!” You admonish. “How do you think I’ve been getting in and out of this place?”

“Did I?” she mumbles. “Hmm… I did, didn’t I? Well, never mind that, please continue.”

“Well…if you remember, you told me to keep it a secret, didn’t you.” You state. “Someone else has been using it; without my knowledge.”

Well, that’s odd, dear. Every gap I have, I can feel; and if anyone uses them, I’ll know it.” Yukari contemplates, hopping off her seat and onto the ground beside you. It closes itself with a hiss of some unworldly noise; perhaps it would be unnerving, had you not been accustomed to it at this point. “Let’s take a look at it…”

You nod, and reach into the crack of the rock.

“!!...”

No answer. She’s silent, but obviously intrigued. You don’t interrupt, but watch as she studies the slivery surface of the gap. Reaching forward, she very nearly touches it, stopping just short; her slender fingertips just off the mirror like plane.

“What is this?” she murmurs. You’re about to answer, but you realize that Yukari isn’t talking to you. You watch somewhat bemusedly as she leans in close to the mirror like gap. “A lost child? No?”

“Yukari?”

No reply. She’s almost face to face (not literally) with the gap now.

Yukari?” you repeat, reaching forward.

You touch her shoulder.

“Ahh!” Yukari exclaims abruptly, causing you to jump back.

“I see it now!” she laughs. “Interesting! I haven’t seen something like this happen before!”

‘Something like what?” you say, as steadily as you could manage at that time.

“Oh, it’ll take too long to explain.” She brushes you off. “Regardless…it’s probably better not to open one of my own gaps now; at least till I figure out how this happened.”

“Is it?” you wonder. “I’ll stick in back?”

“No no, just take it, you take it. We’ll bring it back home,” Yukari replies. “I suppose it can’t really be considered my gap anymore… look at it! I’ve no idea why though, maybe it doesn’t regard me as its master now?” She speculates. “You seem to have a connection to it though.”

“You’re implying that I can use gaps?” you ask, concerned.

“Dear” Yukari snorts. “Anyone can use gaps. You’ve been using them for years now haven’t you? Summoning them; manipulating the boundaries of “here and there”, however, is a different story isn’t it? You simply don’t have the magic to do that.” She reaches to the mirror’s surface, stopping her finger perhaps a centimeter off it. “Anyway, please do bring it along.”

“Right,” you reply somewhat reluctantly, approaching the gap; hesitating before laying your hand on the shimmering mirror’s plane. This particular gap had been there for a long time; year after year sitting in its sheath of rock patiently, always waiting your return. To remove it from its resting place after so long-it seemed somewhat regretful.

“And if you’re correct,” Yukari adds, perhaps noting your hesitation, “its better to remove it before someone gets lost in the human realm isn’t it?”

“You’re one to talk; you forget to close your gaps all the time.” You counter half heartedly.

“Mmm, that’s why I rely on you isn’t it?” Yukari replies sincerely, with a wink. “You always do your best when someone drops out into the human realm. You really have a knack for finding and rescuing them, don’t you?”

Flattery? Perhaps, but it does make you feel good about yourself doesn’t it?

“Anyway, if it’s too big to hold comfortably, just fold it till you can.” She adds helpfully, smiling knowingly ll the while.

“What?” you say, looking at her dubiously. Still there’s no real reason why you shouldn’t try is there? Shrugging, you approach, fingertips making contact with the gap. Being careful not to touch the edges, you fold the shimmering object; there’s no resistance, even easier than folding a piece of paper, the entity seemingly compliant to your will as it lessens in size. You stare somewhat awestruck, holding the halved gap in your hands; the edge is no thicker than before, a testament to the small cut you received from brushing its edge.

Makes sense doesn’t it? An infinitely thin edge would still be infinitely thin; despite how many times you folded it wouldn’t it? (Not literally of course, the edge would have to be of some thickness, albeit a value so small that conventional measurement couldn’t read it. Else it wouldn’t be able to cut you. It had substance enough to cut after all.)

Yukari claps as the gap reaches, perhaps the size of a business card; small enough to fit comfortably into your wallet; so long as you put in carefully, it’s a perfectly good, if a little worn, wallet after all. “How fitting; A Gap wallet.” You mutter dryly, noting the faded brand label. “Let’s go then” you invite, pushing the wallet back into the recesses of your backpack.

“Mmm…parties are nice, but its good to have some family time isn’t it?” Yukari sighs happily, flanking you.

“We see each other every other week, “you remind her, recalling all her visits, and strange problems.

“Hmm?” Yukari hums, “but we don’t really talk do we?”

“No…not really,” you say hoarsely. Its true isn’t it? “But I suppose mundane human subjects would be boring for you wouldn’t it, Yukari? You exist in a magical world of faith and gods and youkai; well…my world isn’t as interesting as all that is it?” you ask, walking steadily.

Yukari shakes her head gently, as you step up your pace towards a section of road with two flanking iwakura; large boulders along side the paths with thick rope strung around their girth, shide streaming gently in the breeze.

“You think so?” she says finally. “What if I told you that to some of us; I don’t claim to speak for all youkai; the human realm is something…exotic…a place of adventure; and a dangerous, exciting place. What if I told you that your science is as magical to us, as our magic is magical to you?”

You shrug, stepping over the threshold of the iwakura. You don’t know how to answer that, really. Instead, you offer a hand to Yukari; which she accepts; an invitation into one of the safe roads your supposed ancestor laid down, so long ago.

“Not so fast!!!” A challenge rings out from behind you.

“Oh?” Yukari murmurs, releasing your hand. “Get in! She orders.

You comply, stepping into the boundary and obscuring your form in the shadows of the trees, Yukari remaining outside. She turns to face her challenger, blond hair swept back over her shoulder with one elegant hand.

“Oh? I didn’t expect it to be you.” She states casually to someone you can’t see.

“Yukari Onee-san! Accept my gift!!!” The very same voice that rang out earlier squeals suddenly.

What? You nearly lose your balance.

Yukari to her credit does appear unfazed. “Ah, so you’re the one who let it out, I was wondering who took the lid off the box.” She says in a casual tone; as if commenting about the weather. “Return it, if you would be so kind; I meant it as a present for someone, and you’ve ruined it for me.”

“What? No!” the voice exclaims. “It’s for you! Why should I return it?” it’s a surprisingly childish voice; most probably that of a young girl (big surprise, this is after all, Gensokyo) and if you had to describe it, “spoilt” would be the first thing that comes to mind. Not too bright too, you would have to add.

“So,” Yukari continues, in that awful casual tone she uses when she’s feeling a little put off by someone. “Unrepentant till the last, I see.”

“Ahhh! I’ve had it! I take the effort to get this and you act like that! Don’t look down on me!” comes the reply; a tantrum by the sounds of it.

“I feel it would be unwise for you; the Hakurei shrine is nearby after all.” Yukari warns.

“ Urr…gah! Forget the gift! Accept my challenge Yukari!!!!!” A horrible crashing sound arises though you don’t see it. Yukari burrs into action almost immediately, sinking into the ground almost casually, her pale form swallowed up by a gap as you watch from beyond the boundary. It’s a short and sharp fight; not a danmaku duel per say, but something rather off the rules; something a little more feral and physical. Till one final, horrible clash of metal against metal, and someone’s; not Yukari’s thankfully, yell of pain.

A figure bursts from the foliage near the iwakura, too dark to be identified.

Swearing in a most unladylike manner, she abandons flight and makes mad dash for the safe road; bearing something in her arms. Yukari is still nowhere in sight, but you’re safe. She’ll bounce right off the boundary right? You wonder, except, she doesn’t; passing straight through the iwakura without much fuss. So much for that.

“Ha!!! Try and catch me now!” she taunts over her shoulder. “Stupid hag! To think I got you a present!!! Nyyyaaaa!!!” She sticks out her tongue.

[] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. Stay hidden.
[] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.
[] Dash to the boundary and let Yukari in.

Feel free to write in sensibly.
---------------------
Pardon the blogging.

Do you have any tips on maintaining a good site/blog? Any tips on how to get started?

Either way, I hope I'm not trying to juggle too many characters and writing them all badly.

[!/] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.

Walked.Into my fist.

[x]Trip her accidentally as she runs past

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.

Interesting.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.
Hahhah.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.

[X] Dash to the boundary and let Yukari in.

This, I think, has the best chance of success.

Plus I'm sure then we'll figure out who this girl is and how she can enter our boundary!

[X] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you trip her with your foot.

I was considering a clothsline, but sticking your foot out and getting her to faceplant is suitable enough. Plays off like an accident and getting knocked out by a simple fall bumps her down a peg or so.

Regarding blog/website, I've seen Wordpress bandied about with great success. I don't know if the download handles hosting, but setting something up looks simple enough.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you trip her with your foot.

Hooray!

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.
[x] Pin her hand on the ground with one of your feet. If she struggles, slowly put all your weight into it.
[x] Smile gently at her as you do all this.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you trip her with your foot.
[x] Pin her hand on the ground with one of your feet. If she struggles, slowly put all your weight into it.
[x] Smile gently at her as you do all this.

Thanks >>15824

I've had a day or two off. Its back to study again...
-------------------------------------
[] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You imagine you could floor her with a haymaker as she goes past.

With a grunt of exertion, you step out from your hiding place, swinging your arm with the best force you can muster, twisting and adding every bit of momentum you can to your ambush. Managing to time it to a nicety; the impact jolts a shock of force through your body as you follow through with your improvised haymaker, catching the fleeing girl across the chest with some considerable force; almost literally flipping her as her legs kick out from beneath the width of your arm and her head goes under; skirt splaying out in a bloom of fabric as she hits the road, hard.

There’s no yell of pain or surprise, rather, only an almost pathetic, highly audible “oouuff!!” as the breath is knocked out of her lungs, in one final tumble across the stones, sending her hat rolling across safe road. And then she’s still; if only for one precious moment. Golden eyes flicker open.

“You hit me!” she exclaims somewhat weakly, blowing her nose to clear the blood from your inflicted nosebleed, managing to sound indigent, despite her seemingly disadvantageous position. Then you notice two things. A hissing creature that darts off into the undergrowth before you could take a good look at it, and that the girl is armed (and disarmed); there’s a sword some chromatic metal lying just of reach from her hand. Her eyes flicker towards yours, meeting for a moment, following the line of your vision to the hilt of the sword. Eyes widen.

As if on some intangible signal, the both of you make a dive for the weapon. Her’s is a rabid scrabble across the ancient paving stones of the safe road, arms outstretched, teeth clenched, crimson blood dripping from her nostrils as she reaches for her sword with all her being.

“Not a chance!” you yell; but there’s no doubt you were desperate; leaping forward in some parody of martial arts, both arms outstretched, but you’re too late; her small hand wraps its fingers around the sword’s hilt just moments before your hands close around hers. Literally body to body the two of you struggle, feet scraping across the flagstones, breath heavy and endurance dwindling (for you at least).

“Getoff!” she cries, elbowing you in the ribs, “how dare you touch me!” With surprising strength, she shoves you off her person, sending you rolling off her body and onto the earth at the road side, though somehow, you do manage to maintain your grasp of her sword arm and to some extent her sword. “Let go!” she exclaims furiously, kicking out wildly with her booted feet. One strikes you across the face, sending glasses flying, but regardless you hang on grimly.

She’s not human, how could you have been so stupid! You chastise furiously; she went toe to toe with Yukari!!! Hadn’t that been enough reason not to get killed? Good Lord…and you’ve though you learnt your lesson after the window incident. You reach forward with your other arm desperately, trying to catch her wild kicks. Pain floods your hand as the heel of her boot mashed down on your hand, hard; hard enough to draw tears at any rate. With a yell, you lash out with your wounded hand, driving your knuckles into soft flesh, which evidently failed to do anything, though as your hand withdraws, your fingers feel hard leather. Resolutely you clutch hard, as tightly as possible.

”Got you!” you crow triumphantly, pulling hard and twisting.

“Gyah!! Get your hand out of my skirt! Ow!” she yells, twisting along with you, still trying to shake your grip from her sword hand. That’s it…a reaction at last; grimly you twist harder, ignoring the sharp points of her fingernails breaking the skin of your hand. “Hands off!” she yells once more, struggling, her voice agitated; kicking more forcefully now. In response you twist her foot harder, exerting the force you can muster, till, suddenly all resistance within the foot in your hand vanishes; the foot falls limp in your hand.

You hadn’t broken her foot though; merely having pulled the boot off her leg, revealing a strangely patterned sock.

At this, the girl yells triumphantly, using your momentary cessation in your efforts to restrain her sword arm to shake herself free of your grip. Grinning in manner that did not bode well for your future prospects, she swung the weapon once in mid air. No doubt you would be wondering why she didn’t decide to stab you with it at the point, but at that time, you were more worried about the sudden wave of earth rising up and throwing you off her, loosing your grip on her entirely and finding yourself lying in a pile of faintly damp earth perhaps a meter way.

Although, it seems that it hasn’t gone exactly as planned for her as well; she’s staring at her blade in a confused manner. She waves the blade in the air again, this time, perhaps more forceful than the last, and yet another fountain of earth spurts from beneath the flagstones, showing and caking you with dirt. Which is odd; you’d have expected something more impressive…ahh… You forgot about the safe road! The ancient paths laid down to protect travelers through the lands. Perhaps its defenses are reducing the effects of her magic?

Either way there is no time to speculate. It’s only a matter of time till she decides to use the sword in a more practical way; namely by application of its sharp edge on you. It’s time to act. Bellowing in rage and desperation, you make a suicidal (in hindsight) charge towards a superiorly armed, physically stronger opponent; with surprise only on your side, tackling at her. She swings her blade in response; there’s a thud, and a ripping sound and a sharp stab of pain in your lower right back; something wet and warm drips down your side. But it doesn’t stop you.

“Eeee!” she screeches as you grab her collar, attempting a clumsy grapple; she grasps at your shirt as well, poking, jabbing and scratching at any opportunity. Till finally, a terribly magnificent music rings out, out of tune, and disjointed, echoing hollowly. She leaps back in shock as you tumble backwards, her eyes wide, looking warily in every other direction, till she decides, the source is coming from you. Little more than a few moments of confusion, but it’s time enough for you to recover your wits somewhat.

You spare a quick look over your shoulder, past the Iwakura; the boundary of the safe path. Yukari’s there, banging her hands on the invisible barrier. Lamely, you wonder why she wasn’t able to cross… but there’s no time for that is there?

“Yukari! Come in!” you yell desperately, over the noise emanating somewhere from your person.

Conditions fulfilled, Yukari steps lightly across the boundary, looking murderous indeed, brandishing her parasol like a sword. With a cry of fright, your assailant flees, moral broken, taking to the sky; and abandoning her boot, which to your surprise, is still clutched tightly in your hand. You hadn’t noticed. Briefly you pat yourself down, discovering something vibrating in your side pockets. It’s your hand phone, the source of the noise and music.

Having been wrecked by an errant blow, maybe a fall, but valiant till the last. It’s still playing its ring tone vigorously. Jam project if you heard things right. You could just make out an off tune “skillllllll my hhhaa…” before it finally fell silent.

Saved by rock and roll. You contemplate, as a slap catches you full on the face.

“You idiot!!! You bloody, bloody idiot!” Yukari chastises angrily, finally catching you by the shoulder and shaking you. “What were you thinking? Why do you seem to run out of common sense when you need it the most? Is there someone in your head telling you to do these foolish stunts?”

“Thanks…sorry” you mumble staring up at her. Her face is covered in uncomfortable looking rashes, prominent due to her pale complexion. “What happened to you?” you ask.

“There’s nothing wrong with me! “She retorts dismissively, shaking her head. “We’re talking about you! Do you have any idea how close you were to seeing the Yama?”

“Fairly close I guess…” you admit, even now, you legs feel a little weak. “But I think she only cut me once, here…on my right…shallow I think.” Wait a second; your assailant was wielding the sword right handed wasn’t she? And you never saw her swinging to your right…

Yukari nods grimly.

Hastily, you throw off your backpack. The sword’s run through it; elaborately enameled hilt sticking out at and angle from its upper right (your left) and point and about five centimeters of edged metal poking out to where your lower right back would have been. Hence your shallow wound. Thankfully, your assailant was seemingly a poor swords-woman; else such as wasteful, irrational maneuver would have never taken place.

Now you do feel more than a little weak.

“We’ll go back now; you and I have things to discuss.” Yukari states, in a matter of fact manner. You couldn’t really argue, could you?

The rest of the night passes in a daze for you. You’re sure that Yukari spends the entire trip back lecturing you soundly and that you could hardy wait for Ran’s turn to do so, the rest of the Yakumo family, having returned. Either way, Mayohiga is silent that night; Ran having stitched up your cut brusquely, ignoring your yells of protest, then having joined Yukari and leaving for the Hakurei shrine for an emergency meeting. Chen, has deigned to stay however, and isn’t above reminding you that you’re almost as dumb as Cirno- sometimes.

“Chen, here, for you…” you call, placing your ruined backpack on the table. Alongside it, two packages both spoilt. Both had been neatly skewered on the girl’s sword. Chen’s thankfully, survived relativity intact. Looks, like Reimu and Ran would have to wait till next time then.

The nekomata sits up from her place, curled up near a gas heater and looks at you crossly. “Can’t bribe Chen.” She announces. “Onee-sama is still very unhappy with you,” though her ears perk up a little. She proceeds to stretch out beside the heater with a great deal of nonchalance.

“Right, I’ll leave this here then.” You say, placing the package on the table: an addition to her gundam collection. Sitting back, you look about the place. Arranged on the table are the ruined presents along with your backpack, cut up beyond use. Your hand phone was unfortunately unsalvageable as well, along with several of your shirts.

Over on the wall, the mini gap has been restored to its original size; leaning against the wall playing the part of a large mirror. Its surface dull and and lusterless, apparently having been disconnected from the human realm by Yukari. Next to it, the girl’s sword, a magnificent piece of workmanship you had to admit; its blade a pale golden the glow of the gas heater and the fire pit. Not really gold, you expected; too soft and heavy for weaponry; though the sword is much also heavier than its size would indicate. Its hilt appears to be ivory (a layman’ guess) with gems set in the enamel. And that boot…why did you bring it along again?

And for some reason, none of the Yakumo family would lay a finger on it, Ran even insisting that you be the one to put it against the wall. And neither will you anymore; you’ve done enough idiocy for one night, you think. Deciding that, you lean against the shutters of the window.

Outside is relatively quiet, as an abandoned town should be, it’s too early for the cicadas to be out yet; all there is, is the slight huffing “yu” noises of pests bothering Ran’s watermelon patches. There’s a hiss and a few alarmed “yu”s and then silence. At least till a gap opens and Ran, followed by Yukari, steps out.

“Tomorrow, we’re going off with Reimu to resolve this incident.” Yukari announces, turning to you. “I trust you’ll stay out of trouble?” she asks, staring levelly at you.

You nod.

“Good. Then, I can drop you somewhere if you want, so long as you don’t endanger yourself. Chen can follow too.” She continues. “The village is nice around now I think; the spring festivities are still ongoing.” Ran nods in agreement, before adding her piece. “Also, I spoke to Mr Morichika earlier, and he had a proposal for you. Perhaps you would see him? The voile Library is open to the public tomorrow as well…apparently Miss Knowledge feels well enough tonight.”

“Hmm, oh yes, Sanae wanted to talk. She has a shrine up the Youkai Mountain.” Yukari finishes.

[] Stay in Mayohiga tomorrow; you’re exhausted.
[] The village would be good I guess. Keine sensei is still there isn’t she?
[] Kourin? He wants something with me?
[] I suppose, a Library would be nice and safe…
[] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.

[] With Chen
[] Without Chen

Feel free to write in sensibly, if you have a reason for going to a place, please state it if you want to.
--------------------------------------

I do hope I managed to provide a plausible means for the protagonist to emerge relatively unscathed from a supernatural encounter.Also, what did you think of the fight scene? I haven't really written those before and I hope some feedback would be appropriate.

Also, re-reading my previous story post, I've been wondering, did, you get the misinterpretation that the protagonist could manipulate boundaries?
The safe road is really a public road in which Youkai can't enter, or perceive, bordered by iwakura, unless invited by a human traveling the road.

Room for improvement i guess.

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X] With Chen

[] I suppose, a Library would be nice and safe…
[] Without Chen

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X]Without Chen

Adult talk, Chen can't know it.

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X] With Chen
Eh, resolve sanae, and bring chen for minor addition of security, Tenshi may decide to pop in for a visit.

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X] With Chen

Resolve drama with Sanae first. Maybe we can invite her to join us in visiting the Human Village and Kourindou later on? How much time are we spending in Gensokyo, anyways?

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X]Without Chen
I'm sure we'll be fine without Chen

{X} I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
{X} Without Chen

[x] I suppose, a Library would be nice and safe…
[x] Without Chen

>>15927
Chen can play with Suwako when we're having a grown-up talk with Sanae.

Or maybe I just want to believe Chen will realise the situation and try and unsubtly try and set a romantic mood.

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X] With Chen

[+] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[+] With Chen

Hm, think we should mention Suwako's proposal to Yukari (or have we off-camera)?

>>15942

Actually, considering it's Yukari we're talking about, telling her would be probably unwise. Especially if she wants to meddle.

{X} I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
{X} Without Chen

> Is there someone in your head telling you to do these foolish stunts?
Haha, again.

[x] I suppose, a Library would be nice and safe…
[x] Without Chen

[x] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[x] With Chen

[x] I suppose, a Library would be nice and safe…
[x] Without Chen

patchy option is patchy

New Story over in /shrine/

http://www.touhouproject.com/shrine/res/22938.html

[X] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off.
[X] Without Chen.

No point putting it off. Let's go.

Its the weekend...

Sanae's a sensible choice;
--------------------
[] I’d better resolve this issue with Sanae. No point putting it off
[] Without Chen

Daybreak in Mayohiga is generally an affair that happens in several stages.

The first one up is almost certainly Ran, always sitting upright with a sudden jerk; seeming to be some mechanical reflex cultivated throughout centuries of doing the same thing. You’re generally the next one up and about; being a fairly light sleeper, and although you’ve out grown your childish need to sleep with Ran, (much preferable to sleeping with Yukari actually; Ran doesn’t kick or roll about or snort the lyrics of obscenely dirty folk songs in her sleep) you’ve always seemed to instinctively know when the matronly woman would wake; rousing yourself from slumber a scarce few minutes later.

The early risers would then proceed to have a quiet leisurely breakfast of whatever was at hand at the moment; most of the time, the local tea, sometimes, coffee, from instant satchels that Yukari would bring in and forget about. More sustaining food would usually be in the form of the traditional congee, plain for Ran, yours with a dash shoyu and pickles; or in times of desperation or haste, Yukari’s impressive cache of instant ramen…some dating back to 1989.

A time later, quite probably inversely proportional to how cold the weather is, Chen would wake, stretching and yawning loudly, ears drooping and eyes rheumy; followed by Yukari herself; that is if she felt like getting up at all.

Though, today, Yukari beats Chen in the race to consciousness; the wooden panels of her room slide open with a bang and crash and out stumbles the lady of the house, wild eyed and haggard looking; her hair in absolute disarray. Moaning, Yukari somehow makes it to Ran’s table without bumping into anything too valuable or irreplaceable and sinks into a chair darkly.

“Vikings!” she gasps. “Was killed by a bleedy Viking! Again!! He had an axe and a beard and he stank of fish and alcohol, and you know what else?” she pauses, looking expectantly at you. You humor her, placing your mug down on the table.

”No,”

“Marisa and Alice…hanging on him like…like…a harem!” she divulges in a computational tone, eye flicking about suspiciously. “Both in cheerleader uniforms and bloomers and they were cheering the bleedy Viking on…cheerleaders…think about it…” she exclaims, banging her fist on the table, just as Ran emerges from the kitchen.

“If you would stop crossing the boundaries between the NHK broadcasting signal and your dreams, then maybe you wouldn’t have this problem then, Yukari-sama,” Ran states levelly, setting down a steaming mug before her mistress. “You watch too much telev in your sleep.”

But Yukari doesn’t hear, or pretends not to, staring at the mug with tired eyes. “…smells funny…is this coffee?”

“Yes, one of your leftover satchels…it expired in 1998 but it should be safe enough for you.” Ran replies apathetically, removing your empty bowl and setting down a plate of eggs.

“1889? Ah, it’s probably still fine then.” Yukari answers, looking somewhat disorientated as she stared at her mug, apparently not having heard Ran properly; before bringing the cup to her lips and downing most of the sickly smelling stuff in a single gulp. “Amazing! There’s still some coffee flavor left!” she announces, before turning to you. “Want some?” she offers.

“No thank you, I’m having tea.” You decline, Yukari’s eyes looking dully into your own. “Mmm…suit yourself.” She shrugs, raising the mug to her lips once more. “Chen’s up yet?”

“See for yourself,” you mutter darkly, leaning back and shifting your chair backwards a little, exposing the underside of the table.

“Aww…but didn’t Chen outgrow the rug already? She should have adopted more human sleeping habits by now;” Yukari shrugs, reaching down with both hands and dragging the still slumbering girl out. “Ah well…put her back to bed for me will you?” Yukari requests; stretching Chen along the floor.

“Er, sure.” You assent, filling your mouth with the remaining egg and getting off the chair.

“Better get ready while you’re at it, I’ll probably be getting ready as well.” She warns, leaning forward and resting her head and arms onto the table. “We’ll want to leave early…mmmhhnghh…”

She went back to sleep.

Nothing particularly surprising, Yukari was the last person you would consider a morning person, or even an afternoons person. Ran would wake her eventually, no doubt in just in time to get washed and changed before we left. Stooping, you grab Chen around the torso and stand; she’s light enough that you’re not really exerting yourself much; (a bit like carrying a large affectionate cat, actually) and march out, down the corridor to her room. A pleasant surprise, your present is on her table, already partially assembled and soon to be ready to join its valiant wing mates along a wooden shelf. Onee-san’s still unhappy, huh?

Either way, when Chen’s like this, she won’t wake till noon at least. At the very least Sanae and you will have some privacy when you do talk. Gently, you set her down on her futon and leave her to sleep in peace, tucking her in and shutting the sliding door quietly, before retracing your steps to Ran and Yukari.

Rounding the corner, you note that Ran is in the process of forcing clothes onto Yukari’s body. “Grab her hands,” she orders brusquely, buttoning up Yukari’s blouse. You do so, raising the limp arms so that Ran could lace up the corselet snugly, perhaps too snugly, as Yukari’s eyes pop open, slightly glazed over. “There, all done.” Ran says in a satisfied manner, dusting off her hands. “Too…tight…” Yukari wheezes in protest.

“I know.” Ran replies smoothly. “That was just to get you awake.”

It’s still early when the three of you finally do set off, Yukari yawning steadily under the grey sky as she summons a gap, and then traversing the non existence of the Gap, you appear suddenly in a very different place; the familiar dilapidated buildings of Mayohiga and Ran’s vegetable gardens are gone, and now you’re in a barren patch of land on the mountainside, a road leading onwards further up the mountain, with a battered wooden signpost embedded on the hard dirt of the ground. It’s cloudy, almost dark in fact, and you can’t tell how high up the mountain you are; shrugging you make your way to the building shape in the distance.

But this isn’t a shrine…it’s a boulder!

“Wait!” you call loudly, turning to the rapidly closing gap in the air. “You’ve sent me to the wrong place! Wait! Damn it!!! Don’t gap people when’re you’re still half awake!!!” But the only thing that listens to you is the wind; the gap snaps shut and Yukari is already far away.

The sign is of little help; the archaic Japanese characters proving incomprehensible to the modern speaker. Still, you make out the characters “天狗の要塞”on the arrow pointing towards the ascending road and a character for“町”, on the arrow pointing towards the descending road.”

Not much comfort though, you still have little idea how high up you are.

[] Upwards all the way; when you break the cloud cover, you should have an idea how far up you’ve gone.
[] Down the mountain, get your bearings on a safer road.
[] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

Please feel free to write in sensibly.
-----------------------------------------

I'm in a state of artist's block; I always wonder, my artwork always seem so inconsistent for me, as well as my writing. I can't seem to have a base standard of quality for some reason...more practice is probably the answer, though I've seen Pygmlion's works and Gen-draw's stuff, and they're inspirational.
I do hope they would post in the draw thread more often; but ultimately its their decision.

I can't use the chat, but It's really good talking(in this sense) to you guys.

[x] Down the mountain, get your bearings on a safer road.

[] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

Hina~

So the signs seem to be (rushing through a web translation, I know) the Tengu Fortress and City.

Heading up through the clouds toward any sort of fortress seems like it may not be the brightest of options, even if it theoretically could lead to encountering Aya or Iku. Heading down to a town doesn't seem the brightest course either, in that it runs contrary to our actual goal of reaching the shrine.

God damn it, Yukari.

I'll be going with the "mystery helper" option, then:

[X] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

{X} “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

[] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

[X] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

A Hina is fine too!

Also, references to other stories are nice.

[x] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

[X] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

Deus ex machina much?

>>16080
Yes, and it won't happen again. It's bad writing, and I should have done better. Everything must have reason.
----------------------------------
[] “Good morning, Sir, you look to be in some distress. May I be of assistance? This dark road is unsafe for those who travel alone.”

You wheel, turning to face your addressor, only to hear a click and a snap, followed by a flash of unexpected light, point blank into your eyes; which sends you stumbling back, half blinded and quite agitated, eventually finding yourself in a heap upon a small patch of mountain grass; with a rather odd looking woman looking down upon your sprawled form; her eyes brimming with concern.

Green hair…Sanae? Your first thoughts immediately jump into this conclusion but on further study…Sanae hasn’t really gone for the gothic Lolita fashion style has she? And that ribbon atop her head...who on earth designed that monstrosity of ribbon and lace? Stooping, she bends, squatting in front of your stunned body.

“Ah…I’m really, really, sorry, Sir.” She says apologetically. “I didn’t expect it to give out a flash like that!” Gingerly, she extends a hand to you.

She can’t really pull you to your feet, but at least you have some support as you try to disentangle yourself from the stringy grass; looking at you rather meekly as you finally get up and study her over. She’s really into this gothic Lolita style, you decide, the dress is of crimson and browns, an autumn theme you supposed, covered in tasteful spiral motifs and is exceedingly frilly; even by your standards; having been effectively exposed to Yukari’s similarly tastes in clothes for a long part of your life. This would be something you’d have expected to see on a porcelain doll, but it somehow fits does it?

She steps back smoothly, once you’re up, keeping a healthy distance between you and her, luscious green hair tied with ribbons into a braid which tumbles down the front of her chest, between…well, you get the idea anyway. A camera swings hands about her neck; an old model, of polished wood and burnished steel, do doubt which was used to fell you not a few minutes before.

She notices the object of your attention almost immediately; raising her arms across her chest crossly; getting it wrong, the camera being just so continently placed after all.

“You’re a tengu?” you rasp finally, still intent on the outdated, if still magnificent device.

“Ah?” she gasps, looking genuinely surprised, and perhaps a little embarrassed in a pleased manner, quite in despite of her earlier wary actions. “You mean this?” she asks, holding out the camera for you to see. “It’s a tengu camera, but I’m not one of the Tengu; I borrowed it off one of my friends- oh I really apologize for being rude! I’m Kagiyama Hina, it’s a real pleasure to meet you, Sir, and I do hope no misfortune befalls you on this day…well,” she pauses nervously. “Well…some misfortune already,” she admits, “but, hopefully, not more than you’ve already suffered.”

”Misfortune?” you had repeated, looking at her somewhat oddly. She’s not one of those luck obsessed people, is she? You’ve met people like that in the human realm, obsessed with feng-sui, and always buying useless trinkets to improve their fortune when they should have been working hard instead. It did turn out, on hindsight, that she had been no such person.

You did get around to asking for directions eventually, in which she had explained that this “dark road” of hers was a portion of the mountain where the stream dropped underground and flowed right under where the two of you were standing( she was floating actually) right now. The townsmen from the mountain town and the tengu usually threw dolls and effigies into the cave mouth, into the descending subterranean stream, in the hopes of washing misfortune away.

Claiming there would be a way up at the Tengu’s fortress (more specifically, the road lead to waterfall gate.) Hina, as she had insisted on you addressing her informally at such, decided to accompany you at least as far as the gate for your safety, lead you on the ascending trail, occasionally, giving you highly obvious furtive glances over her shoulder. She wants something with you, that much is quite obvious.

“Was I that obvious?” she asks, oblivious to your cynicism. “Well…If you would, Sir…please give me an interview?” she asks politely.

“What?”

“It’s my first time!” she announces, hands folded, and eyes wide. Innuendo completely unintentional, you supposed.

“At least tell me the reason!” you demand, feeling odder and odder by the minute. “You sure you’re not one of the tengu?” Perhaps this poor tengu lass slipped and hit her head hard or something.

“Quite,” she says, form bobbing in mid air ahead of you. But she doesn’t quite look offended, rather a little nervous. “Well…I exude misfortune, “she states in a matter of fact manner. “and there’s this man, living down in the mountain town…well…he brought in a whole lot of books from the outside…and he claimed that misfortune and accidents occur around me because “I try too hard,” or so he says.”

Oh really?

“So I’ve got to distract myself…try something new…broaden my horizons…widen my world view…” Hina goes on, distracted for a bit.

“I see,” you mumble blandly, not really knowing what to make of this…er unique character.

“…try my hands at a skill…and so I picked up journalism. “She announces brightly. “Ah…I did try my hand at baking before this, but, Sir, the most important thing is that at least no one got hurt in the fire, isn’t it?”

“…and you want and interview, from me?” you ask dubiously, picking up your pace towards waterfall gate. Maybe Momiji would be easier to deal with? “We’ve just met, so you know.” You explain reluctantly, a last ditch effort no doubt.

“Ah, Sir! But it would be a fresh spin for the first edition for the Hina-bun, won’t it?” She supports, pumping her fist and revealing a blue notebook, kanji for her newspaper’s titalular name emblazoned on it.

“…Well…if you get me to the shrine, I suppose an interview wouldn’t be too much trouble…” you concede, eyeing her suspiciously; wondering that at the fiery fate of the previous “Hina Buns”, how would this one fare any better? You had to give credit to her optimism though.

“Really?” she almost squeals. “Sir, you really, really have my gratitude!” Reaching into a side pocket, she pulls forth a slip of yellowed paper which she looks intently at it.

“Ah…, first things first; here’s an easy question for you.” She nods once, still reading with great concentration. “Hmm…Most people agree that the Moriya Shrine’s priestess is prime bridal material. What do you think of that?”

“…what?” You expect me to answer that?

“Yes? Please do”

Thankfully, your destination is closer than you had expected, coming into you view as you top the rise, Hina’s invasive questions chattering on as she hovers serenely at your side.

It’s a magnificent sight…no, perhaps magnificent would be doing it injustice; the great waterfall, white froth and mist swirling forth at its base, clear water cascading down from the unimaginable height above. Best of all, there are no tourists to ruin it; and as a bonus, its mighty roar even downs out most of Hina’s chatter. You walk on, a fine mist lays lightly upon you- its cold, and delightfully refreshing; trudging uphill has always been hard work after all.

You smile benignly you notice a group of small fairies playing in the shallows, skirts hiked up above tiny knees, hats discarded at the side, splashing water with clear abandon; pristine voices squealing with delight; the very embodiment of childish fun.

“Eek! Human!” one calls, and points, staring, rather bug eyed at you.

“Human!! Run!!” The warning spreads and the faeries flee the scene, rising into the air on gossamer wings, dripping water and scattering in all directions; leaving a multitude of small hats on the bank. No matter of course, they’ll be back for them, once you’ve left the area.

Hina of course, had been standing in the shallows, skirt hiked up revealing something white and lacey, camera in hand and ready, absolutely bubbling with enthusiasm. Dejectedly, wades to the bank, feet immersed in water as the targets for the impromptu photo shoot flee the scene; and settling for a consolation prize, snaps a shot of the hats instead.

”HINA!!” someone yells, a hint of desperation in her voice. It’s a bit deeper than most usual girls, but it’s a girl’s voice nonetheless. And you do recognize it, from yesterday’s party, no less.

“Mmm?” Hina looks up, eyes scanning the area in relaxed surprise.

“HINA!!!” the voice yells, again, followed by a scrabbling of something wooden against wet rock. “Camera!! The Camera!!! Stay out of the water!!!”

“Momiji,” you acknowledge politely.

“Oh, it’s you! Greetings today.” The wolf-girl spares you a moment, before dashing past you and taking a truly impressive leap into the air, finishing in a hover, perhaps half a meter off the surface of the running water, right beside your distracted guide. “Hina! What did I say about bringing the Camera to the waterfall!” she admonishes, snatching the antiquated device from the other girl’s pale hands, tail arched and ears upright in agitation.

“Oh, sorry, Momiji…” Hina apologizes gracefully. “I guess I got carried away again,”

Momiji, having risen out of the crystal flow and landing on the bank along side you, grunts in reply noncommittally, inspecting the camera closely, eyes squinted as she checks thoroughly for any sign of damage.

“But guess what!” Hina continues, wading to the bank and stepping out of the water, and letting down her skirt, damp from the mist thrown up by the waterfall.

“What?” Momiji snaps, fingernail scratching at a fleck of discoloration at the edge of the camera’s steel frame.

“I found someone willing to have an interview with me!” Hina exclaims.

“Ah…you?” she asks, directing a look at you.

“Yes…it was er…interesting…” you mumble.

“And I’m not half done yet!” Hina smiles happily, pulling out her notebook once more.

Momiji fixes you with a sympathetic look, ears drooping. She knows, alright…she knows; a sense of connections bonds you two now. Hina remains oblivious.

“Here…come with me,” Momiji offers, turning and leading the way; a twisting narrow path amongst the wet rocks, Hina bobbing resolutely, airborne just behind her. “Up here! Stay close!” she calls, as you follow the wolf girl, her tail wagging, uncomfortably close and horridly damp in a way only sodden fur can be; lashing the front your body and leaving wet streaks across your shirt.

“Sorry,” she admits, when you protest, grinning sheepishly, a hint of redness on her face.

Momiji’s guard post turns out to be a stone guardhouse, built into the rock face of the mountain itself, along side a small iron studded gate, cut into the flat rock. Its in an open space; hollowed out throughout the unnumbered years of erosion the waterfall had subjected it to. Lit by the light passing through the waterfall itself, the place had a soft aquamarine glow to it; beautiful no doubt, but giving both Mimiji and Hina, a strange blue hint of a complexion.

“So, you’re heading to Kochiya’s place?” Momiji asks, swinging open the iron barred door into the dry interior of the guard house. You nod once, taking a look about. Candle lit, the place had a homely, if somewhat austere glow to it, Momiji’s few personal touches evident, from the shelving with a few sparse books to a rack with a katana and shield on it. Without fuss, the wolf girl, went over to the rock wall, where an iron pipe was embedded in the surface.

“Gatehouse, gatehouse, can you hear me?” she yells into the pipe.

Someone replies, muffled and gabled, but Momiji can hear it perfectly well, ears pressed against the pipe.

“Could you contact Moriya gate and ask them to drop a bucket down? Someone wants to go up!” Momiji yells once more, before pressing her ear to the pipe. “What? But you know the fort the locked down till the Celestial incident is resolved!” she yells back, a hint of irritation in her voice. “This will take a while ...bureaucracy...pah…” she mutters under her breath.

Hina, however, has seated herself comfortably on one of the chairs, “Shall we continue, Sir?” she asks.

You nod reluctantly; it’s hard to refuse the overly optimistic girl after all. Once again, she pulls out the yellowed list and reading from it.

“Er…are you seeing anyone now?” she asks hesitantly. “In a romantic sense? I suppose this would be interesting?”

“What? Let me see that!” you crow, making a grab for the list and notebook, but due to the enclosed nature of the space, you bump into Momiji with a yell, knocking her into the shelves, which promptly tip over , sending the few books Momiji has tumbling to the floor. What’s this…romance? Eternal Lovers? Moonlit Lovers? The titles glare gaudily at you. Theses are from the human realm!

“Ahem.” Momiji states dangerously, as Hina picks up the books and straightens the shelves.

“Ah…” perhaps commenting on her choice of literature isn’t the best course of action now.

“They want you to go back to the mountain village and take the main road up.” Momiji states brusquely. “But I convinced them that the Moriya Priestess herself requested that you get up as fast as possible; it’ll take a while for them to get the bucket out and set up the chain, it hasn’t been used often since the main road to the Moriya shrine was paved. Maybe about an hour or so,” she comments, seating herself and rubbing her head.

“Can’t you fly me up?” you joke.

“You’re too heavy.” She states dryly. “You think flying is so easy?”

“She’s right you know,” Hina adds. “For some reason, flying with a passenger is almost impossible, for most people.”

“Ah…” the finer points of Gensokyo’s modes of transportation eluding you.

--------------
Hina-Bun interview part 1.

-Hmm…Most people agree that the Moriya Shrine’s priestess is prime bridal material. What do you think of that?
- Er…are you seeing anyone now, in a romantic sense?
[] Feel free to write in, or don’t answer at all. They are, after all rather invasive questions.
-----------------------------
[] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
If so,
[] Read Momiji’s literature. Laugh, or not…
[] Hina-bun interview. Answer truthfully, or see how far you can take Hina’s apparent gullibility.
[] Talk to Momiji. Get to know the person Aya described tearfully (at that time) as her little sister.

[] Retrace your path to the main highway. A superior choice to sitting around and doing nothing.
-------------------------------
I don't write particularly well...and rereading my previous bits...I've regressed i think...practice is needed then.

I'd "Hina Buns", if you know what I mean.

>- Er…are you seeing anyone now, in a romantic sense?

[!/] He lives in a dark and dank forest, collector of many affects. Ah, what a charming man of men....

[!/] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[!/] Try to get Hina to interview Momiji as well.

>Eternal Lovers? Moonlit Lovers?

Momi is a Galaxy Angel fan? Who would have thought...

[X] Hina-bun interview part 1:
---[X] Sanae as a bride? Well, you can see that - you did date her once, after all, and you can't deny you had fun, even if it wasn't arranged with your consent...
---[X] Still, after the way she vanished from the Outside, you...
---[X] Alright, be honest. Hina's question is a little too invasive, and you should tell her. You're probably not qualified to talk on this particular subject anyway, at least not right now; you're still a little too emotional about Sanae.

[X] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

Mmm~, delicious Hina buns...

[X] Hina-bun interview part 1:
---[X] Sanae as a bride? Well, you can see that - you did date her once, after all, and you can't deny you had fun, even if it wasn't arranged with your consent...
---[X] Still, after the way she vanished from the Outside, you...
---[X] Alright, be honest. Hina's question is a little too invasive, and you should tell her. You're probably not qualified to talk on this particular subject anyway, at least not right now; you're still a little too emotional about Sanae.

[X] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

>rereading my previous bits...I've regressed i think
I sincerely doubt that. Writing, in my (admittedly limited) experience, is hard to actually get worse at if you're doing it regularly, and you are updating daily. More likely is that you're comparing your latest stuff, which you produced in 24 hours, to your earliest stuff, which I'll wager you kicked around in your head for a lot longer before deciding to write.

[X] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
>bucket
Pic related. We can only hope.

[X] Politely, but steadfastly, refuse to answer Hina's questions about personal subjects.
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

[x] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[x] Talk to Momiji. Get to know the person Aya described tearfully (at that time) as her little sister.
--[x] Overly romanticize the answers to Hina's previous two questions.

Hoho~

[x] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[x] Talk to Momiji. Get to know the person Aya described tearfully (at that time) as her little sister.
--[x] Overly romanticize the answers to Hina's previous two questions.

[X] Hina-bun interview part 1:
---[X] Sanae as a bride? Well, you can see that - you did date her once, after all, and you can't deny you had fun, even if it wasn't arranged with your consent...
---[X] Still, after the way she vanished from the Outside, you...
---[X] Alright, be honest. Hina's question is a little too invasive, and you should tell her. You're probably not qualified to talk on this particular subject anyway, at least not right now; you're still a little too emotional about Sanae.

[X] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

[X] Hina-bun interview part 1:
---[X] Sanae as a bride? Well, you can see that - you did date her once, after all, and you can't deny you had fun, even if it wasn't arranged with your consent...
---[X] Still, after the way she vanished from the Outside, you...
---[X] Alright, be honest. Hina's question is a little too invasive, and you should tell her. You're probably not qualified to talk on this particular subject anyway, at least not right now; you're still a little too emotional about Sanae.

[X] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

[X] Hina-bun interview part 1:
---[X] Sanae as a bride? Well, you can see that - you did date her once, after all, and you can't deny you had fun, even if it wasn't arranged with your consent...
---[X] Still, after the way she vanished from the Outside, you...
---[X] Alright, be honest. Hina's question is a little too invasive, and you should tell her. You're probably not qualified to talk on this particular subject anyway, at least not right now; you're still a little too emotional about Sanae.

[X] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

[~] Hina-bun interview part 1:
---[d] Sanae as a bride? Well, you can see that - you did date her once, after all, and you can't deny you had fun, even if it wasn't arranged with your consent...
---[a] Still, after the way she vanished from the Outside, you...
---[☆] Alright, be honest. Hina's question is a little too invasive, and you should tell her. You're probably not qualified to talk on this particular subject anyway, at least not right now; you're still a little too emotional about Sanae.

[z] Wait for the Tengu bucket.
[e] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.

>>16207
New!
From the makers of Darry Buns, it's Hina Buns!

Someone should make a shop of this, a la Cirn-Os.

>>16232
Hina-bun refers to 雛ー文. Literally, Hina's news (taken in context )
Not buns; as in edible food.

Please pardon this substandard piece.
-----------------------------
[X] Continue the Hina-bun interview. Give her some advice, and try to steer her away from such overtly invasive questions - if she's serious about journalism, you might as well try to help her do it well.
-

At the wake of your revelation, the guardhouse falls silent. You’re aware of two very awkward looks boring into your form; making you feel exceedingly self-conscious and bashful. Was it, you ask yourself, that good an idea to divulge the extent of your presence on the dating scene? Hina was very…persuasive to say the least, having managed to pry some information of your history of relationships from your lips, succeeding where even Yukari had failed. No doubt a credit to all tengu journalists everywhere (barring the fact that she was not, in fact, one of the tengu)

Only two people, aside from Sanae herself knew that the two of you had been in a relationship (only in the loosest definition of the term) for a time; the two being the perpetrators of the date fiasco in the first place. Sanae had sportingly played along then; just as friends. Perhaps the two of your would have been something more with time, but after her disappearance…you’d rather not talk about it actually. The fact that you’ve went out with Sanae once is just about as much as you would like to reveal now; especially to an up and coming nosy journalist.

“...well,” Momiji begins, in a small voice. “I’m sure Miss Kochiya and yourself make a nice couple…”

“We weren’t exactly a couple,” you correct, meaning to rectify the situation before someone got the wrong idea. “We were more or less…”

“Bed-friends?” Hina chips in most unhelpfully, scribbling in her notebook all the while.

“What? No!” You cry, leaping to your feet. “Where did you get that idea from?”

“Here,” she replies; there’s a list here, its right at the top and circled.”

“Let me see that!” You demand, making a grab for the list, but Hina, having the advantage of flight, evades you once more. “Who gave you that piece of nonsense?”

“Oh, wait,” Momiji interrupts, raising a palm as you wheel to face her. “Bed-friends huh…I remember that list; Aya wrote it some years back. I didn’t know it was still around. “

“Ah,” you reply. “You know what, Momiji,” you continue, “I really can imagine Aya writing that. It fits her style perfectly; the lack of tact, and the lack of regard for personal privacy.”

“Mmmm” Momiji agrees, nodding; turning her gaze to her dizzy friend; who had returned her attention to her notebook, scribbling furiously. “Bah…Aya was the one who was so enthusiastic about giving a Hina a hand with journalism; so she lent her my camera. She has three spares, you know; and instead of lending one of them, she lends my camera out to someone. My camera.” She repeats, looking sourly at the antiquated device. “I’ll lend her skirt to Morichika-san and see how she likes it.”

“He’s still doing that?”

“Mmm…” Momiji gives a noncommittal grunt, watching as Hina puts down her pen, and pulls out the slip of paper once more. “Brace yourself,”” she murmurs. “The next question on the list is quite…well, you’ll see.” She finishes, ears drooping as Hina looks up brightly. “I hope you don’t mind answering this Sir, it’s been underlined, so…”

You nod darkly. You’ve promise her an interview and…

“Recent investigations in the village say that there’s an increasing trend towards a sister fetish. So, which are you? An aneki type or an imouto type?”

You don’t answer, but turn to Momiji instead. “Is she serious?”

She nods.

You sigh, looking towards Hina. She;s so enthusiastic, and polite; it’s hard to refuse but…”Listen, Hina,” you sigh heavily. “You can’t be so…erm…wel..intrusive with these things.”

“…I’ll talk to her.” Momiji Interrupts. “Hina,” she addresses, “mind if we chat for minute?” Hina, inclines her head politely, before standing and following. Sighing you fall back into your seat; the ancient wood creaking dangerously. Momiji’s guardhouse is austere at best, with little else to offer for comfort aside from chairs and shelves. Idly, you pick up one of Momiji’s light novels; Moonlit Lovers huh…it even still had the Kinokunia price tag still attached. You replace it in its original place; sappy, true love stories being not really a subject you’d want to dwell about now.

It’s been about an hour since Momiji made the call, but with the waterfall’s muted roar in the background and with only Hina to disrupt the serenity, you’re really in no hurry to leave; at least till a muted splash assails the very edges of your sense. Lazily, you peer out of the arrow slit; noticing that something’s fallen into the water. Standing, you heft open the iron barred door, and step into the cooling spray of the waterfall.

What in the world! Did they expect you to go up in that thing?

It wasn’t even a bucket per say, but rather, a large barrel; large enough to fit a man; but even then, that man would have to cling precariously to the chain. And the chain, a great rusty red length of it, a line reaching far into the sky. With some reservation, you step out of the shade of the hidden gate, and look up, following the length of the chain; it’s other end no doubt anchored somewhere up the mountain; how high, you’d rather not speculate.

I should have walked… you mumble. Why did I leave the human realm again?

“Well, I hope you don’t mind getting wet. You’ll get caught in part of the waterfall at some point.” Momiji’s voice comes from behind you. You could imagine a grin on that face of her’s. Loyal little Momiji; the best sister figure a tengu could have. So lovable, so gentle, so sadistic. If you had an impression that Aya’s judgment of character was lacking, this would be verifying it.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” you snap.

“I’d have thought it would have been obvious.” Momiji states; wading into the shallows, skirts tied around her thighs. Stooping, the yanks up a length of rusty red chain. “Come on, get it. They’ll start drawing you up soon, Mr VIP.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Sir, I’ll be following you up. I promised to lead you to the Moriya shrine didn’t I?” Hina assures, probably noticing your rapidly paling completion. “I came prepared for this.” She states confidently, brandishing a wax paper umbrella. “This way, I won’t get wet.” Great, now you sure do feel safe don’t you? You step into the bucket cautiously, watching as Momiji inspects the chain.

”Seems sound enough,” she comments, scratching at a knot of rust off with a long fingernail. The thing comes apart in a shower of red flakes; but there’s no turning back now; with a sudden jerk the bucket is airborne, and you’re hanging on for dear life. With Hina, and more reassuringly, Momiji at your back.

“Not so bad is it?” Momija asks finally, her silver-grey hair thrown into disarray by the wind. “Careful now, try not to shake the bucket.”
“Thanks,” you mumble, fighting the urge to cry for Yukari.

There’s a flash of light, and a snap; nearly distracting you for a second.

“Now isn’t the time Hina!” you yell, bordering on hysteria now.

“I didn’t do anything, Sir!” Hina’s voice calls. “I left the camera back at the guardhouse!”

“Then what was…?”

There’s another flash of light, and the snapping sound grows more pronounced. Lightning!

With a final creak; the snapping sound intensifies, as a burnt trunk dislodges itself from the sheer rock face.

“Gah! That was close!” you yell, watching as the unfortunate tree sails down…and down and down…till there’s a terrible splash far down below. Far away, a great bell sounds, someone pounding it with a hammer as hard as possible; loud clangs echoing throughout the mountain.

“The fort is under attack!’ Momiji speaks, looking pale. “It’s probably that celestial girl again!”

“What timing…” you mutter, just as the bucket swing to an abrupt halt, knocking the breath from you.

“Don’t worry; my first obligation is your safety, for now.” Momiji reassures. “Hina.” Said girl nods grimly, face turning serious. “Don’t worry, Sir, your misfortune will not come to pass, not today at least.” There’s a mighty rumble, the very mountain shakes; you would yell, but you’ve no voice left- as the bucket drops ten or so meters, before jerking to a halt, swinging steadily half way off a cliff face.

“Grrr…this is making things hard, “ Momiji growls, hand clasp tightly about the chain, scratches appearing where the rust bit into her hands.

‘There’s a cave, there!” Hina calls, swooping down to an opening in the cliff face. “I think you can make it!”

Eyes wild, you peer over the side, trying to ignore the sheer amount of empty air between you and the water below. Hina is right, there’s an opening, another three meters down, and perhaps another two horizontally. Can you make it? Neither of the two can support you if you fall, but with both their help, you could make it that far.

Should you? Should you? The mountain shakes once more; the bucket swings wildly, dislodging Momji for a moment as you cling on for dear life.

And if things could get worse…

It surely will.

“Spring?” a small voice announces.

Hina-bun Interview part 2

[] Imouto
[] Aneki
[] A more motherly figure.
[] Enough is enough.

And for the more pressing issue….

[] No time, rally Momiji and Hina and jump.
[] Try to swing the bucket down into the opening.
[] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?
---------------------------------
Not doing too well now; writing doesn't come out right, art work doesn't seem to look right. It happens I guess...

[] Imouto
[] Aneki
[] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

Both Chen and Ran

[] A more motherly figure.
[] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

[] Aneki
[] Try to swing the bucket down into the opening.

What, no Sanae flashback? I'm disappointed! I'm sorely disappointed!

[X] A more motherly figure.
[X] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

Isn't there a choice for that first question that goes along the lines of "someone with a normal personality that isn't entirely defined by some fetish?"

>>16350

Hmm, the arms look a bit better.

[X]Aneki
[X] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

[x] Enough is enough.
[x] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

[x] A more motherly figure.
[x] No time, rally Momiji and Hina and jump.

wait, who the hell is Shiroko? is that a pun on Lily "White"?

[x] Enough is enough.
[x] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

>>16378

Only one way to know

[X]Aneki
[X] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

>>16352
Aneki =/= Ran


Imouto = Chen
Aneki = Yukari
A more motherly figure = Ran

[X] A more motherly figure.
[X] Er… Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

[X] Aneki
[X] Er… Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

>>16387

Oh, I see.

[] Aneki
[] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

Yukarin~

>>16387

Right.... I keep forgetting how that works out.

[X] Aneki
[X] Er… Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

[z]Aneki
[e] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

>>16330
Did you hear a whooshing sound?

That was the joke, going over your head.

[] Aneki complex
[] Er…Hi, Shiroko. Long time no see… Mind giving me a hand for a moment?

“This is a bad time Shiroko!” you yell, trembling as yet another tremor shakes the mountain, dislodging a shower of earth and leaves from some place far, far above you. Dangling halfway up a sheer cliff face isn’t the best of situations, even on a nice calm day, let alone today; and most certainly not a particularly good time for a meeting with one of the Lily sisters, even with Momiji and Hina for back up.

“Spring’s here?” she asks in that deceptively innocent voice of her’s, one pale hand raised to keep the strong winds from blowing her conical cap off her head as she looks around curiously. “Springs here!” She asserts finally, pumping her fists, her eyes narrowing. You hear a sharp intake of breath as the elder of the Lily sisters tenses. You know what’s coming next.

“Spring’s here!! OOOOOOhhhhhhhhrrrrryeeeaaaaaahhhhh-“

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!!!!!!” A resonating chorus of cries and protests erupts from Hina, Momiji and yourself, interrupting the spring fairy and halting whatever it was that she wanted to do. Thankfully, just in time; just before said fairy could get over enthusiastic at the prospect of an audience and do something stupid and generally harmful to your continued well being.

Lily White (or Shiroko to close friends) dips in the air; some semblance of bow performed as best as one could in mid air. “Hi~ya!” she greets happily, quite oblivious to the perilous situation you’re in, sleeves flapping wildly in the wind. “Springs here.”

“We’ve noticed,” you mumble darkly, paling as the bucket drops another meter or so. Good grief…why did you agree to climb into this bloody bucket in the first place? But there’s really no time for such idle thoughts; a fact driven home by the cackle of lightning so far above.

“We’ll talk later, Shiro!” You call hastily, eyeing the opening in the cliff face; it’s large enough to fit a larger person than yourself…and it’s within reach now, but only if all three of your companions help you, that is. You’re no athlete but a two meter jump would usually be nothing for you…hanging half a kilometer off sea level however; its a quite a different story.

“It’s now or never!” Momiji orders. “Hina!”

“Ready!” her resolute voice calls from over your shoulder, though you don’t dare turn your head in this position. Someone’s reassuring grip tightens around your arm.

“Shiro-er Lily! Grab his arm!”

“Ah? Okay?” comes her answer; innocent compliance, coupled with a natural desire to help; if sometimes not in a manner one would expect.

“We’re going to drop him there!” Momiji takes charge once more, pointing towards the natural fissure. Strange how it seems so far away now that you’re going to make the jump…and is it getting smaller by the second?

“Please don’t drop me…” you mumble.

Momiji just ignores you.

It could have gone terribly (and in hindsight, comically) wrong; the thought yourself hurtling towards the ground far below spouting obscenities and the odd prayer comes cross as a funny one. Perhaps you hit your head in the incident? Nonetheless, for a brief terrifying moment, nothing is between you and the earth below except the valor of three friends? Yes, you supposed they were; holding you and supporting you; and in concert, overcoming the strain of carrying an additional person in flight; almost impossible for even a powerfully magically person acting alone.

“Yuuuuukkkkkaaaarrrriiiiiii!!!!” someone wails.

“I didn’t scream did I?” You ask finally, voice hoarse and lips dry, fingers scrabbling in the dirt almost desperately as you catch your breath. You made it…just made it, lying flat on the earth of some abandoned tunnel; where moments before, your feet had kicked at empty air.

“You were heavier than I had expected,” Momiji states stoically, evading the question; though she’s obviously drained as well, leaning against the wall, face flushed and hair blown about by the wind till it’s standing, a bit like an afro actually. She doesn’t appear to have noticed though. “Everyone here?” she asks wearily, “…ooh, I needn’t have asked…all of us can fly except for this dolt.” She makes a half hearted swing at you, catching you on the shoulder.

”I’m here, “ Hina groans, sitting up, her face bruised- an angry red mark on her cheek. “I’m afraid that I’ve lost my notebook though…it’s really a misfortune…though, I’m glad to see you made it, Sir. I so was sure I let go of you earlier.” She admits guiltily. “Is Miss Lily about? I’m sure she didn’t really mean it, but she started shooting danmaku halfway through.” She finishes, as she rubbed the painful mark on her cheek.

“I didn’t mean it! I got excited!” Shiroko shouts, struggling furtively, pinned under your arm. “And get off! You’re heavy!” She accuses, silken hair entangled in your arms and amongst the stones. “Right,” you mumble, rolling over onto your back, allowing the petite girl (or tall fairy, depending on the perspective) to pick herself up, and give her angelic wings a good, thorough shake, cascading a shower of loose earth onto your torso, rousing yourself; the disrupting ‘clang clang” still echoing mournfully through the air.

Momiji looks about leadenly, before suddenly springing to her feet, eyes wide and ears erect; her tail wagging so agitatedly that it’s almost a blur. With a cry, she slaps her cheeks, “The fort is under attack! What in the world am I doing lying around! Everyone, up up!!! Follow me!!”

“You know where we are, Miss Momiji?” Hina asks, looking distinctly displeased at the notion of getting up, but make a valiant effort anyway; sighing as she tries to slip the loose locks of her emerald hair back into their ribbons, and failing.

“Roughly…we made the fort too big and complicated for our own good, but I should know where to go.” She assures, placing a hand to her nose and smiling knowingly. Ah, yes. She’s a white wolf tengu isn’t she? “Let’s go! We’ll head to the central castle” she states in a no nonsense manner, and takes off down into the tunnels. “Try to keep up!” she calls, voice echoing hollowly throughout the expanse of darkness.

Straight, left right, down left, left, down, up, right, and straight again. Following as Momiji leads the irregular party through the dark interior of the Tengu fort. An utterly misleading name, by the way. You had envisioned something along the lines of a well defended stockade nestled in the defensive upper reaches of the mountain, but; its soon apparent that the Tengu fort extends throughout most of the mountain itself, stretching from the very base at the main gate leading to the human settlements, the (not so) hidden waterfall gate, and all the way up; how high, you really couldn’t tell, fumbling your way through the dark.

Momiji, you conceived, could see well in the dark, something Hina and yourself couldn’t do as well, the elegantly garbed girl already abandoned flight in the favor of jogging arduously along side you, panting heavily, grounded after three collisions with overhanging stalactites, rock ledges and a nest of surly bats. Flying has it disadvantages after all, huh. The elder Lily sister, though, is small enough to fly with relative freedom; laughing gaily at both yours and Hina’s strained expressions. If there’s a reason to start jogging regularly back in the human real once more, this would be it.

“Right!” Momiji announces quite abruptly, still quite hale despite her speed. “It’s up all the way from here!”

“Aren’t you tired, Momiji?” Hina pants out finally, bursting from the tunnels into a stairwell. She’s quite a sight actually, her elaborate bows lop sided and her face covered in the sweat of her exertions. “Oooh…how do humans live like this…”

“They endure, I guess, “ Momiji shrugs. “Up we go, no slowing down now!”

The agony; the climb, to say the least, is agonizing. It’s not particularly bad for Momiji, who’s at the peak of her physical fitness, unexposed to the luxuries that high social status has brought to Aya, or Shiroko, who can fly in these narrow conditions; that little bastard fairy with her cheerful smirk and…bah…”But for, you, your thighs burn like never before, being abused throughout the entire climb, up, up all the way. Hina, you suspect, has it worse, though you’re too miserable to spare much sympathy for the poor girl. She probably hasn’t run any significant distance for a good while, let alone this endless climb into no discernable destination; probably having flown everywhere. Like a wilting violet, panting and groaning almost indecently into your ear; eyes wild, mouth partially open, gasping for breath and hair flowing all over the place. Almost like a scene from some AV…but you’re not that sort of person are you?

Gradually, the atmosphere changes; though you didn’t notice when the transition occurred. There are people now; tengu of all sorts, running purposefully here and there, the clangs of the alarm still sounding resolutely throughout the fort. Forward a bit more, and you’ve emerged into a large central hall; a great noise and clamor ringing out as armed tengu warriors rush to and fro, some bearing large katana, similar to Momiji’s own; some with long bows, others with spears an the occasional naginata. A great number of them rushing forward and separating you and Hina, Momiji and Shiroko.

Truly an atmosphere of chaos. The warriors pay you no heed as the mountain shakes again, a vast deep rumbling as showers of earth is dislodged from the ceiling. Till one of them, clad in fine silk, steps up to address the assembled warriors.

”Sortie!! Sortie!!! Lord Tenma commands you to engage the enemy!!!” The herald cries, his voice loud and clear, even over the disarray.

”All together now!”

“Show them the might of the Tengu!!!”

“Stay together!” Momiji cries desperately, eyes scanning the crowd for you and Hina wildly, though her own voice is drowned out. “Stay toget-“

“LET’s GO!!! SORYAA!!!”

“URAA!!!”

“Tenma, Tenma, TENMA!!!”

The assembled warriors chant, smashing their weapons onto their shields, or onto the ground, if they lacked a shield .And all other sorts of nonsense; all very heartening and moral boosting no doubt but people would understand if you pleaded that you were largely too exhausted to appreciate the great deeds in the making. And with that, the gate swings open with a crash and the hoards of tengu warriors charged out into the sun; sweeping you along with them. An irresistible tide of crow and wolf, of male and female; pressing on furiously to some unknown attacker.

And then a single great roar; overwhelming the war cries of the tengu.

“WHERE”S MY LITTLE GIRL,???? FIND HER!!!!!” So powerful that it seemed to emanate from the heart of the shuddering mountain itself.

The clash of steel and the static roar of danmaku flying every other way fills your senses. It numbs you, overwhelming your exhausted mind; not a particularly good thing when you’re stumbling about, trying not to be conspicuous and being selected as the recipient of a decapitating slash or a barrage of chromatic orbs of cackling energy. There’s Momiji, you note studiedly, jerking to the side abruptly to avoid a flash of steel. She’s left her katana down at the guardhouse, but she’s making up for it with the sheer amount of danmaku shot. Shiroko’s along side her, an equally impressive display of danamku emanating from her; wings ablaze in radiance- indiscriminately shooting everything in sight. “Spring’s here!!!! Cry some more!!!” You could have sworn you heard that…but perhaps you were hearing things. Exhaustion and all that.

Perhaps, more worryingly, Hina is no where in sight as well. No sign of her elaborate spirals of ribbons that would have stood about amongst the helmeted tengu. There! You turn; but the crimson frills that caught your eye weren’t that of Hina’s garb, but instead, of someone’s familiar shawl, flicking this way and that, violent arcs of electricity running through it. And there’s Aya too, with her long orange scarf trailing in the air as she speeds in a blur around their opponent; a vaguely familiar blue haired girl who’s missing a boot. The three locked in a furious melee, so intense that the surrounding battle between the tengu and their assailants gives them a wide berth.

Yes, the tengu were fighting someone. It wouldn’t be a fight if there weren’t someone to fight, would it? There had to be assailants somewhere. And there are; a large armored being, with an otherworldly light to him, floats down almost causally from the sky; sweeping a unfortunate tengu from his path with utmost ease. More come, though hindered by the tengu’s dogged resistance; both wolf and crow tengu loosing vast clouds of arrows and a considerable amount of danmaku into the air. But still, they come, large, and armored in gear reminiscent of the old Chinese Sangokushi films you watched in your youth. Their great war banner flapping in the wind; the heavenly army, if you read the Chinese characters right.

“There she is!” an otherworldly voice calls, “get these tengu out of the way!” One of the heavenly soldiers orders; pointing towards the Miss One Boot, still wildly striking at both her assailants. “And arrest her!!!” He adds, with an ominous note of finality to it. As he strides forwards purposefully (straight in your direction, much to your discomfort) , at least till there’s a massive crash from above, as something, large, red and purple hurtles from the sky, smashing and bowling into the heavenly soldiers, sending the armored troop scattering, and you, falling onto your rear as the earth shakes once again.

“Gah!” their leader gasps, as a log, yes a log, a large one, something from a full grown tree, wrapped with thick rope and with ceremonial shide fluttering in the wind; swings out of the confusion of the battleground and sends him flying, crashing onto the ground meters away where he is promptly (and literally) dog piled under by a troop of wolf tengu. Another soldier rushes up, but succumbs when thick vines spring up from nowhere and he flees as his armor crumbles to rust. Naked. “Gya ha ha ha ha! Nice show!!” the formidable figure laughs, as you regain some sense of coherence. It’s a woman; brandishing a log, literally clubbing the heavenly soldiers about with it, as she breaks their ranks.

But as that part of their ranks crumble, more push forwards, from either flank. Where you are now, is not a good place to be indeed; with soldiers advancing, brandishing their weapons as you look about desperately for a route of escape.

Only a few paths seem viable; the rest more or less already deadly melees (for you, not the tengu or the invaders.)

[] Forward, press on! It sounds suicidal, but that log wielding woman is actually clearing a path. You could just make it.
[] Both sides seem to be giving Aya and Iku (and the girl whose boot you took) a wide berth. If you run, you could get there before you’re surrounded.
[] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.
[] Crawl and hide at the sidelines and hope they ignore you.
Feel free to write in sensibly.
--------------------------
I usually don't update this early, but...there's nothing to it if you're confined to bed again...ANd i really was influenced by The Three Kingdoms; if you haven't watched it yet; go watch Red Cliff and Red Cliffs 2.(aka Chi Bi 赤壁). And in conjunction with Sangokushi 11...and voile...instant inspiration.
My tablet broke though.

[X] Forward, press on! It sounds suicidal, but that log wielding woman is actually clearing a path. You could just make it.

Landlordnonymous may not recognize her, but I have faith in the Goddess Yasaka.

[x] Both sides seem to be giving Aya and Iku (and the girl whose boot you took) a wide berth. If you run, you could get there before you’re surrounded.

[x] Sneak to a nearby building/tree/large thing, pull out your personal gap and (temporarily) GTFO. Be sure to fold up the gap behind you.

Update /shrine/

>>16466
We left it at the house.

>>16451
[X] Forward, press on! It sounds suicidal, but that log wielding woman is actually clearing a path. You could just make it.

Suicide options are our MO.

[+] Both sides seem to be giving Aya and Iku (and the girl whose boot you took) a wide berth. If you run, you could get there before you’re surrounded.

Tonight, the part of Yasaka Kanako will be played by Sun Wukong.

[x] Forward, press on! It sounds suicidal, but that log wielding woman is actually clearing a path. You could just make it.

Voices, head, etc.

Wow...anon seems to have suicidal impulses- and a fetish for Yukari's scoldings.

[] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

[!/] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

[X] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

[X] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

[x] Forward, press on! It sounds suicidal, but that log wielding woman is actually clearing a path. You could just make it.

Fuck YES Kanako!

[X] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

>>16493

I just have a fetish for Yukari.

[ze] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

[X] Forward, press on! It sounds suicidal, but that log wielding woman is actually clearing a path. You could just make it.

>>16563
Yukari fetish is the best kind of fetish.

With Kanako smashing shit up we better be ready for some QTEs.

>QTEs? I apoloize, but I'm unfamiliar with this term.
-------------
[] Back! To the gate while there’s still time! The tengu are rallying there, and besides; someone needs to tell Shiroko not to shoot the people on our side. It’s amazing that the tengu haven’t restrained her yet.

Most valiantly, you turned tail and ran; understandable for one in your situation. With heavenly soldiers pressing in from nearly all directions, your instinct for self preservation drove you to turn aside. In retrospect, most interesting…after your window incident, and your poor attempt at wrestling yesterday, you were beginning to suspect that your own self preservation instinct was faulty- if not completely absent.

A mad dash back to the tengu’s own reforming lines; a mass of shield and spears arrayed in front of their gate; the very ramparts behind them bristling with archers and other irregulars; shooting both arrow and danmaku with an almost wild abandon, a great slithering arc of wooden shafts and spheres of light that sail high over your head. You, however, do not have the luxury, or the inclination to turn back and see the damage they’ve caused; there’s no time at all. Speeding on, you ignore the grunts and yelps of the incapacitated you’ve trodden on, and approach to gate with all the hate you can muster.

Then; the missile fire stops most abruptly.

A tall figure steps up, raising his tessen with a sweeping motion and as if on some unseen signal; the entire hoard of tengu springs forward in a massed charge, in a great clamor of war cries and noise, with the tessen wielding tengu warrior leading at the very spearhead of the vanguard. An in response, an equally great yell comes form behind you; obviously the heavenly army’s countercharge. With you right between them.

Not as planned at all, you mutter as danmaku begins raining down on your position. Gentle, trigger-happy little Shiroko no doubt…most other people had the good sense to stop shooting when the general melee started. And true enough, there she is, flying happily far above, aloof from the chaotic struggle below shooting in every other direction.

As you begin to look for an unconscious body to hide under, one of the tengu leaps forward, ahead of their charging mass; the tessen wielder, landing with a terrible crash right in the midst of Aya and Iku’s continuing duel with their opponent; but he isn’t the only one. A large rock, an iwakara bound with shide, crashes down as well, shaking the mountains once more, splitting the timbers of the platform and sending the three duelists tumbling like mere toys; another warrior atop it.

Drawing an oddly unadorned sword- a Chinese saber if you’re correct, the man slashes downwards with a mighty blow. Being larger, and taller, you would have expected the tengu warrior to be in rather bad shape, but the tessen in the warriors hand springs up instinctively, and with a terrible crash of steel on steel, halts the blade almost effortlessly. Sword against fan, the two stand stock still for a brief moment, face to face, eye to eye; both exerting great strength to keep each other locked in a stalemate as you watch Aya and Iku pick themselves up, clothes and hair in disarray.

“MY DAUGHTER!!! HANDS OFF!!!” The taller man bellows, headgear lopsided.

“MY MOUNTAIN!!! GET OUT!!!!” the tengu warrior counters furiously; both of them shouting so loudly that it even drowns out the noise of the savage battle rolling bout around them. And speaking of the battle, you find yourself cowering behind an abandoned shield; at least till a hand grabs your wrist and pulls you up.

“Momiji!” you exclaim, “Thank-“

“No time! No time!” she interrupts, dragging you along. “Follow me!” Lily!! LILLLYY!!! Stop shooting and get here!!!” Ducking between a two confused looking soldiers, she flinches as a clumsy swing parts the hair on her tail, jerking you along, as she jumps in fright. “Up! Up!” She calls weakly, leading you to some wooden stairs to one of the raised earthworks. Shiroko, perhaps drawn to Momiji’s shouts, descends, in a dazzling strafing run of danmaku.

“Them! Them! Shoot them!!!! Not us!!!!” you yell angrily, fending off the weak shots with your arm and getting slightly singed for your troubles. You don’t know if she’s heard you or not, but the overly enthusiastic fairy’s rain of danmaku begins falling somewhere else; you didn’t really care where at that moment, just so long as it were far away from your general vicinity. You slump over against the raised earthworks, letting the makeshift defenses shield you from view, just as Momiji throws herself beside you, panting loudly, her ears drooping once more.

“…First Reimu and that idiot witch barge up the mountain; then that brat comes and plays with her earthquakes and now this!!!!” Momiji complains, hands around her knees. “I don’t get paid enough for this…Aya has it so easy…”

“Ah, sorry for being a burden then, “you gasp out, leaning back against the spring chilled earth.

“What?” Momiji stares at you questioningly. “I didn’t mean that!” she defends. “I-you’re, er…not-“

But she’s interrupted. “YOU”RE IN BIG TROUBLE, YOUND LADY!!!!” the celestial warrior’s yell of rage rings out over the air. “DON’T YOU RUN AWAY!!! YOU”VE CAUSED ENOUGH TROUBLE ALREA- DON”T YOU DARE!!!!! STOP NOW!!!” A chorus of yells and cries ringing out in response as both Momiji and yourself peek out over the earthen barricade.

“IKU!!! Get that idiot girl!!!!”

“Y-Yes Sir!!!” Iku responds hastily. Running off after the fleeing figure.

“SHE ATTACKED MY PEOPLE!!! IT’S MY RIGHT TO PASS JUDMENT!!!” the other duelist roars in reply. “NOT YOU!!!”

“SHAMEIMARU!!!! Get that criminal!!!!!!”

“Alright!! Alright!! Here I go!!” Aya assents, jogging off after Iku. The object of their pursuit taking to the air in a show of reluctant defeat; though still taking the time to pull off a rather rude gesture to both her opponents before leaping into the air. Not that it goes well for her though, your last’s night mystery assailant being intercepted by none other than the log wielding madwoman; apparently having being sated of bashing the heavenly soldiers into submission; all of whom are lying on the ground and groaning in absolute discomfort.

Wielding now, not one, but four of the monstrous weapons in a manner reminiscent of the very gundam model you gave Chen last night, she’s truly a sight to behold; swirls of red and yellow leaves forming around her in a strange and terrible display of power. With a terrified yell, the poor girl changes direction at once, diving back towards the rocky ground below, where she dashes away on foot, Aya and Iku in close pursuit; not that you could fault her for that lapse of courage. You would be running away too, if you were in her place.

But despite her dire straights, leaping over the unconscious and pieces of debris; you watch is apt fascination as the girl turns her head, even as she draws near to where Momiji and yourself are hidden, to, of all things, to deliver insults to all three of her pursuers.

“Ugly Hag!! All breasts and no brains!!!!!! Nyaaa~~~!!!!” she taunts, over her shoulder, sticking her small pink tongue out, both her booted and un-booted feet scrabbling across the rocky soil, paying little heed to the vicious fighting going on around her. “You’re a thousand years too old and wrinkly to catch me~~!!!”

This seems familiar, doesn’t it?

[] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. Both Momiji and yourself are exhausted. Stay hidden.
[] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.
[] Throw debris at her.
[] Step out calmly; Momiji at your side. “You have nowhere to go now, Miss…?”
[] Call out to Shiroko. Put her enthusiasm for shooting anything that moves to good use.

[] You have at hand; one Momiji, several pieces of debris, a snapped staff and banner, half a shield, a ring of defensive earthworks and a hat with peaches on it. Think of something to do with them. (Sensibly of course)

Please do feel free to write in sensibly. If possible, within the material limitation above.
-----------------------------------
I really really don't know how to do Origin Characters; and I hope my portrayal of of two dueling idiots is within the means and setting of Gensokyo as a whole.
It's easier to do your own take on established characters, than to make your own, apparently. I don't know how Yaf does it.

>“YOU”RE IN BIG TROUBLE, YOUND LADY!!!!” the celestial warrior’s yell of rage rings out over the air. “DON’T YOU RUN AWAY!!! YOU”VE CAUSED ENOUGH TROUBLE ALREA- DON”T YOU DARE!!!!! STOP NOW!!!”

You...you just held down shift all the way through, didn't you?

Also, quit it with the multiple exclamation marks, or at the very least remain constant when you do use them. Seriously. The last couple of lines look like something from fanfiction.net.

Well, except for the fact that it's grammatically correct.

Also, you may not want to TYPE THE WHOLE THING IN CAPS FOR SHOUTING, AND INSTEAD write it like normal speech, only with an exclamation point at the end! Or a predetermined number, like I mentioned above!! But I'm split on this, so I'll wait for the opinion of another fellow who enjoys grammar just as much as me.

>>16716

Thanks for telling me.

I had little idea on how to show that two people are shouting at one another in more than your usual raised voices- supernaturally loudly.

But, I seem to have gone over the top with the capital letters. Thanks.

[x] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.

[x] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.
[X] Prepare a haymaker of your own, just in case.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.

[~] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.
[z] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.
[e] Prepare a haymaker of your own, just in case.

>>16716
This.

Most of all, kill those damn multiple exclamation points.

You only need one.

>QTEs? I apoloize, but I'm unfamiliar with this term.

Quick Time Events. Parts of a game where a sequence of buttons are flashed on screen and must be pressed immediately for something to happen ( ie dodging boulders, or in this case, logs).

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.
[x] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.
[x] Prepare a haymaker of your own, just in case.

Tenma, Kanako and Tenko's dad (whose name I forget) all duking it out. Fucking awesome. All that needs to happen now is for Hakurei to show up and start busting some heads just to get back in his groove. Still completly naked.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.
[x] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.
[x] Prepare a haymaker of your own, just in case.

>>16731
Which I believe would mark the first time that Lord Tenma has ever been seen, let alone seen doing something.

The only thing of significance I can think of is that we either have to move out of the way or stop Tenshi from advancing, else we risk being trampled upon by the others as they pass.

>>16734

Tenma showed up in FoM, and he was awesome. Had a drinking contest with Mikio and decided to allow the boy into the clan.

>>16718

A single exclamation point generally will do for shouting. If you really want to emphasize that it's even louder than normal shouting, I would use bold.

[X] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.
[X] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.
[X] Stall, stall, stall until Aya and Iku catch up - it shouldn't be long with Aya's speed.

>>16734>>16735
He was also in Tetrominon's story, but only for a minute.

>>16766
>Tetrominon's story

;_;

>>16734>>16766>>16769
Rather than speculating about Tenma. this is probably the first we've seen of Tenshi's old man.
I'm imagining some horny celestial who's spoilt his daughter silly.

[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do. That haymaker.
[x] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.

> [] You have at hand; one Momiji, several pieces of debris, a snapped staff and banner, half a shield, a ring of defensive earthworks and a hat with peaches on it. Think of something to do with them. (Sensibly of course)

[x] Put on the hat with peaches on it. Might distract the girl.

>Tetrominon's story

Srsly, fuck him for taking his ball and leaving.

I really don't know what to say here...
--------------------------------
[x] Give Momiji a piece of debris and instruct her to clock the girl in the back of the head as she passes by your location, hopefully knocking her out.
[x] She hasn’t noticed you yet, and the way she’s going she’ll run past you. You know what to do.

You reach for a piece of debris; the first thing within your grasp, a terracotta brick, probably discarded construction material then, but it doesn’t matter does it? Picking it up requires much more effort than you would have expected, but you’re tired; approaching exhaustion, in fact. Your little rest with Momiji has allowed settled your blood so to say. It’s really hard to move actually.

Even so, you pass the brick into to Momiji’s hand, finding that you’re moving a little more leadenly than usual. Momiji asks no questions; merely nods and springs into action immediately.

“Wait!” You cry in surprise, jerking up suddenly as the white wolf tengu, springs from her repose with a sudden ferocity. You reach forward to grab at her collar, but to little avail; she’s just out of reach; your plan to clock her around the head as she passes going out the window; its too soon, just too soon! Sluggishly you pull yourself up. Just enough to look over the earthworks, as Momiji strikes.

With a wind up that would have given any of the hanshin tigers pause, Momiji unleashes her earthenware missile with a flourish; body arched forward and spinning with the momentum, before overbalancing and falling back down onto you. Wiping her tail from your field of vision, you watch in half amusement, and half abject horror, as the improvised missile catches the fleeing girl in the face with a sickeningly wet thud and halting her in her tracks as she stands dazed, but still upright, staggering in a small circle for a moment, before it peels off and drops like a brick (what else?) - Straight onto her bootless foot; cracking in half. She keels over almost immediately; lying not seven meters away from you right now, an unhealthy amount of blood streaming out her nose.

And, probably for the first time today; all falls silent; as the focus of a thousand eyes falls upon you and your companion, all except a small whimper- like one of a crying child. Iku, and Aya just behind her, grinds to a sudden halt; running to the blooded girl and cradling her head in her arms, blood dripping down her otherwise clean clothing; a stream of dirty red on her white shawl and blouse, as Aya approaches warily.

Momiji takes your hand, and steps out unsteadily from the seeming protection of the earthworks; leading you along with her- and you went along without any argument.

“Shhh,shhh…don’t cry, don’t cry,” Iku whispers softly, cradling the girl, as Momiji leads you closer, allowing you to take a closer look at the girl who attacked Yukari and yourself the very last night. She’s really much smaller than you’ve expected isn’t she? You wonder, gazing at the sobbing girl; shuddering and sniffing in Iku’s arms. No tantrum this time, only this…

“What a brat…so much fuss over a nosebleed…” Aya shrugs, though there’s not a hint of ire in her tone, looking rather glum in fact. “You two…it’s good to see you; the mountain hasn’t been attacked for two years, and never on this scale.” She sighs, pulling out a twisted piece of metal and splintered wood. “I really wanted take some photos, but I’ll settle for you two being okay…” she smile wryly, as you give her a confused look.

“You were going to the Moriya Shrine? Well, she-“ Aya points towards the blubbering girl, “decided to pay old Yasaka; ah? She’s the one with the logs over there, back for the punishment she got from her yesterday- by diverting a landslide into the shrine. The whole thing pretty much slid right off the mountain, though I heard that Sanae got out more or less fine.” She adds quickly, predicting the reason for your worry. “But we’re really going to have an incident now…its really gone quiet hasn’t it?

She’s right, actually, as the imposing form of the Lady Yasaka approaches, her face impassive as she studied the scene.

“Lord Hinanawi! Call your army off!!” She commands, her very form radiating authority. “This land is under my-and his” she points towards the tengu lord who bows slightly, “rightful protection; how dare you overstep the bounds of your realm?”

“What? I am apprehending a criminal who has viola-“the Celestial replied angrily, interrupted and cut off by the tengu aside him.

“Silence, celestial. Your previous actions speak for themselves. Do not think that I am unaware of who that criminal is; even if you hadn’t been adverting it around, it would still be obvious. Still, I will offer you these terms; pull back your soldiers, and I will allow you to go to your daughter.” The tengu lord cut in, folding the notched tessen calmly. “Or else, we continue.” The tessen in his hand unfolds with a shriek of abused metal.

“I don’t answer to you! I…” Lord Hinanawi says, as he passed his gaze between the tengu lord before him and the crying form of his daughter. “I…stop fighting!!!” as he looked about indecisively. “Pull back to Bhava-agra!”

You watch, transfixed, the heavenly army withdraws, picking up those too battered to move on their own in their wake. They leave surprisingly quickly, vanishing from sight as they rise into the air seemingly effortlessly as the amassed tengu jeer at their retreating backs.

“A wise choice, Lord Hinanawi” the tengu aggress, a thin smile appearing on his face. “Go. Take your daughter and leave, and make she gets an appropriate punishment this time, or else I will see to it myself.”

Hinanawi turns angrily, his face contorted with rage, though he does show considerable restraint, all things considering. Still, you can’t help but feel exceedingly small and insignificant as he passes you without a word and motions Iku aside.

“..Uuuuu, Papa,” a small voice mumbles, still choking back sobs and tears.

Wordlessly, the celestial lord picks up his daughter and stands, towering over everyone. And turns to leave. “Iku,” he says, over his back. “You were right after all; we do spoil her too much.”

“Sir?” Iku splutters, red faced. “You’re not going to?”

“I will ask for leniency, but her punishment will be decided by the yama now. I’m not a very good father, am I?” He asks wearily. “I lost my head the moment someone told me that she’s fighting with the tengu and acted foolishly. Not a good thing for one in a place of power. Don’t follow me, stay with your friends for now.” He adds, never turning, as Iku sits numbly on the ground, white cloth now bloodstained and looking regretfully at the Celestial’s Lord’s back.

“Yes sir…” Iku murmurs.

You watch wearily, as Iku leans back onto Aya, as the Celestial Lord passes you. He stops.

“Boy; you an outsider?” he asks gravely.

“I am,” you reply, looking up at his towering frame. You’re averagely tall, by normal standards but…height comparisons aren’t really the most pressing issue now, is it?

“I see…I may have to ask favor for you, in time.” He nods, before walking off and taking to the air.

“In time,” you find yourself amongst the tengu once more, seated at a table in a small restaurant embedded in a rock face of granite.

“Here, you go!” Aya cheers, pouring you some sake. “And one for Iku too! Here’s to the gloomy people!”

The acrid fumes sting your nose as you bring the cup to your lips, before deciding against it. “I don’t drink, you mumble finally.

“Che- you’ve survived a grand battle and you’re still no fun!” Aya fumes. “Iku will just have to drink your share then.”

“Fine…” Iku mumbles.

“What’s that I hear?” Aya laughs, a good show of mirth.

Iku doesn’t bother answering, instead, seizing your cup and downing it, along with hers. She looks depressed.

“Well…that was unexpected...” Aya admits, watching as the usually reserved woman down yet another cup. “Hey-hey…Iku, watch it, tengu sake is strong stuff…even I don’t drink that fast…”

You snort with amusement as Aya wrestles for her share of the sake, turning to make sure that Shiroko and Hina (you had found her later, hiding under a wooden box), are still propped up nicely; both unconscious and as drunk as lords. The tengu sake really was strong stuff; especially for Shiroko…if it was strong for tengu and humans…the tall fairy really stood no chance; leaning lightly against Hina’s chest, wings drooping and a trail of saliva running down the side of her pretty face. “Spring’s…here…mmm”

Looking at them really wants to make you go to sleep yourself…

“Sake? I’ll have some,” someone says,” as you peek open one eye. The stench of fish assails your nostrils as you sit up with a jerk. “Yukari,” you mumble, “turn up when everything is done huh?”

Your sister figure sits along side the dozing pair of Iku and Aya, Iku having wrapped Aya into an unconscious arm lock; a makeshift bolster by the looks of it. “Where were you?” you ask.

“On a fishing trawler just off the northern coast of Hokkaido.” She states sheepishly. “I gapped there half asleep and it took us three hours to get our bearings right and gap back here. It’s hard navigating in the sea you know…here, I got you this a present, seeing that the celestial girl took your pet.” She hands you something vaguely sodden and furry.

“What’s this, an ushanka?” you grasp the sodden thing in your hand. “Thanks…”

“You’re welcome. Though, asides from my wonderful present, there are some things for you to deal with now,” Yukari answers, drawing you close. “You’re tired, I know…we’ll go back home once the incident is over….”

[] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”
[] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”
[] “Let’s just take a walk, not many people come to the tengu fort. It’s more of a city, actually”
-------------------------------
pardon this; but I've never written a conclusive battle as of yet. I hope that both Lords have reasonable reason for ending the conflict. Lord Hinanawai could have won, though with Kanako along with Tenma, it would be difficult, and his pressing concern as to catch his daughter before she dug her own grave, so to speak with her antics.

Getting use to the bamboo.

[x] “Let’s just take a walk, not many people come to the tengu fort. It’s more of a city, actually”

[!/] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

Sorry Sanae. Bros before hoes.

This makes it two times we've had a hand in humiliating Tenshi.

[+] Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

[X] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

She nearly got caught in a landslide. She deserves a visit.

[X] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

[X] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”
Yes, Sanae. Good.

[] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

We're too tired to properly talk to Sanae right now.

[x] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

would you leave a drunken Lily to sleep on the cold ground?

[x] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

>Now’s a good time
Fuck no it isn't.

[x] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

So... All we get is a shitty hat?

Thanks a lot Yukari.

>>16865

>shitty hat.

You clearly do not understand Yukari~n's subtleness.

[X] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

[X] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

[x] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

The wording for the first choice seems odd to me. Instead of "Now's a good time", maybe replace it with "Check on her". (We can be all tsundere and stuff.) Wait until later, in private to have discussions and possibly yellings.

[x] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

I think getting the girls to bed is a good idea, and we can check on Sanae after she rests for a while. Even for a former goddess, she wouldn't want to deal with possible drama so soon after a traumatic event.

[] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

>>16847
>Sorry Sanae. Bros before hoes.

Sanae is no hoe.

>>16953

Chill

Is Bros before Wenches more politically correct for you?

You know what? Just do both; Installing your drunken friends into an inn (Aya especially, since it's implied that she's a noble) won't take too long will it?

Then, just head off to your lovely lady.

>>16960

Brethren before wenches, my friend.

[x] “Maybe we’ll help Mss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

>>16964

Too ye olde for us modern day folk.

[ze] “Maybe we’ll help Miss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

[X] “Miss Kochiya’s at the tengu’s healing ward. Now’s a good time.”

>diverting a landslide into the shrine. The whole thing pretty much slid right off the mountain, though I heard that Sanae got out more or less fine.”

;_;

Well.... a little shorter than normal, but...
-------------------------------
[] “Maybe we’ll help Miss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

Momiji, by nature of her duties as a guard, is surprisingly a light sleeper, completely banishing the stereotype of the lazy guard snoring at his or her post; snapping into consciousness with little fuss or outcry at the mere mention of her name, instead, looking at you blearily, doggedly trying to keep her eyelids open. Doubtless, an immense effort on her part.

At the mention of dragging your companions to bed, she nods dumbly, placing all her efforts to picking herself up, rather than answering vocally. Hands unsteady, she reaches into a pocket and pulls forth a leather pouch.

“There’s a barracks of sorts, up the passage, ‘Yukari supplies, helpfully.

“That’s…that’s a hotel…” Momiji corrects, voice still a little weak. “well…it was a barracks until the tengu who owned the land dug into a hot springs vent…”

“Mmm….sounds nice,” Yukari admits, a dream of a smile on her face. With a causal sweep of an arm, a gap slides open, right there and then, the multitude of eyes blinking at you, in the manner of a greeting, you suppose.

“Right, I’ll take care of the bill this time, then, and your restaurant bill too-my treat.” Yukari offers. She pulls out her own wallet; a modern design of handsome leather. “Just bring them through and dump them on their beds or something.” She orders, rummaging through the leather in a shower of bank notes of various currencies and Toto slips.

Momiji looks vaguely confused; though she doesn’t answer, instead, lifting Aya piggy-back and stumbling into the gap without a word.

“I think Aya has an estate her somewhere…” you say, giving Yukari an odd look. “You really didn’t need to pay for lodgings.

“Oh, I know that,” Yukari smiles, while pulling out several tarnished copper coins from the wallet. “But I don’t think I’m up to finding her place in this rats nest. Whoever designed it…did a good job; the layout confuses even me!” She admits. “Hmm…think the tengu would accept Ming Dynasty coins?” she adds, fiddling with the coinage in her hand.

“Probably,” you answer.

“Hmm…we’ll see.” She saunters out front, leaving you more or less alone. You turn back, just as Momiji reemerges from the gap, looking somewhat disorientated. “Are you going to help?” she asks, staggering out, and stopping to get her bearings straight.

“Yeah…” you reply, looking between Hina and Iku. “Try to hold your breath when you enter a gap. It should help a bit. You’ll take Hina or Iku?”

“Hina.” She replies shortly. “You can take Iku.”

Nodding, you step towards the reclining figure; her dress still soiled from the day’s intense battles. The splendid nose bleed the errant celestial had, now hardened to fine rust brown; streaks of the stuff running down her blouse and shawls. “Come on,” you encourage as you throw her arms around your neck and strain as you rise, supporting her full weight.

“…izza…get…away…” an unconscious moan comes from over your shoulder. Probably senseless babble.

“Yeah right…lets get you abed then…” you comment, noting that Momiji has gotten Hina as well, and from the looks of things, is having an easier time than you are. “Ladies first?” you ask, withholding a brief, a really brief smile. Momiji gives you an odd look, her ears lopsided as she eyes you quizzically; then a blink later, she nods, managing a slight bow, as if she’s come to some conclusion about you.

“Here I go then-“her voice cutting off abruptly as she enters the gap to nowhere.

“Heh, here I go then,” you echo, following in the white wolf tengu’s wake.

You find yourself in a rather pleasant space, right in front of a well lit structure, partially carved into the rock, partially constricted of wood and bricks; all in all well lit and welcoming, with a good proximity to the main gates of the upper reaches of the fort. The tengu fort is really more of a city actually, with many thousands of their people living out their lives in the sheer natural protection the mountain offers- a metropolis by Genosokyo standards.

Momiji is already waiting, standing before the entrance of the lodgings with a somewhat impatient air about her. Hina, you assume, has already been seen to; as Momiji is unaccompanied, her tail wagging agitatedly; but- you realize with some surprise; the white wolf tengu isn’t looking at you.

A rather handsome (you supposed) tengu walks off to some indeterminate location, passing the two of you without a glance. So, Momiji isn’t as stoic as one would like to believe, is it? You wonder, thinking back to her choice of two light novels in the guardhouse, so far below. Still, looking at good looking members of the opposite sex is a natural thing, isn’t it?

Well, whoever Momiji-or anyone else in Gensokyo for that matter; decides to ogle at is none of your business, is it? Still, the white wolf tengu looks at you apprehensively as you pass her into the warm interior of the lodgings; though, you refrain from saying anything that would indicate anything is amiss. A sigh; the release, emits from the girl as you pass.

“Ah…Miss Shamerimaru’s party, I assume? Three futon, one night. Left door over there,” the innkeeper states helpfully, pointing the way. You nod in acknowledgement and enter, though you quickly note that only one of the beds is occupied; Hina, having managed to twist herself into some form of abstract spiral with her blankets, halfway sprawled over the floor. The other futon appears used, though no one is on it.

No matter then; after all that drinking, perhaps someone had to relieve herself.

Still, as you emerge, Momiji is gone- for Shiroko, you assume; and in her place, along the road; in that shrine maiden’s get up.

It’s Sanae, her arm in a sling and with bandages on her face, keeping a medicinal pad pressed to her pale cheeks. A boy walks along besides her, perhaps a little younger than you are. They’re talking, and though you can’t hear them, his love struck look says everything.

[] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Wave anyway, just to acknowledge her presence.
[] Follow them, ducking into side passages and behind signboards to avoid detection.
[] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Sit and wait for Yukari to catch up.
[] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Go through the gap and give Momiji a hand. The spring fairy has a habit of shooting danmaku in her sleep when manhandled.
[] You feel the need to go, to leave the scene really quickly. Too much tea, you supposed. That’s it…
-----------------------------------
I hope that wasn't to random. My intent was to show that people have other interactions with other people besides the protagonist.
Also, been studying the anatomy of a hand for a while, though its probably still too early to see any discernible improvements.

>“…izza…get…away…”

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

[z] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Go through the gap and give Momiji a hand. The spring fairy has a habit of shooting danmaku in her sleep when manhandled.

>I hope that wasn't to random. My intent was to show that people have other interactions with other people besides the protagonist.
It's somewhat refreshing actually.

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

I like this write-in.

The stalker option is there for a reason. Just think! Just who else might be following Sanae and her little friend around...

[x] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Sit and wait for Yukari to catch up.

[x] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Sit and wait for Yukari to catch up.

Let her be. She has her own life now.

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

Hey, I'm genuinely concerned. She nearly got caught in landslide.

>>17222

Then why didn't you vote for it?

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

What the fuck people, why are you avoiding Sanae? This is the reason we went throught all that shit.

[+] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Go through the gap and give Momiji a hand. The spring fairy has a habit of shooting danmaku in her sleep when manhandled.

>[] “Maybe we’ll help Miss Inubashiri get these dolts to bed before we leave, hmm?”

???? I have to question why did this option win.

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

[x] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Go through the gap and give Momiji a hand. The spring fairy has a habit of shooting danmaku in her sleep when manhandled.

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

[x] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Sit and wait for Yukari to catch up.

[!/] What she does with her social life is no concern of yours. Go through the gap and give Momiji a hand. The spring fairy has a habit of shooting danmaku in her sleep when manhandled.

STOP. Dramatime.

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

[X] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

[x] Go to her. Ask her if she's okay. If conversation flows from there, follow it. If it doesn't, go to give Momiji a hand.

They all look so good!

I'm jonesing for a update.

>>17504
>>>/shrine/23323
???? declared 7 minutes on his stuff due to impending exams. Should have said something here too.

Updates?

>>17919
http://www.touhouproject.com/shrine/res/22938.html#23360

The week. It is over.