So if we're to act, we need to act quickly, the question is: what exactly is it we should do? No way I'm letting Reimu continue the negotiations in this state, even if she's not terribly drunk. How come she found herself in this state? Did the strategy of softening her opponents backfire, or... No, come to think of it, all this mess might as well be my fault in the first place - Mima did mention, as Reimu, being quite unnerved, due to my presence... Could it be that the nervousness made her resort to drastic means? I'm... feeling kind of guilty now. Is it justified? That's another issue.
"Man..." the miko mutters while rubbing her face "What an ordeal. Ouch."
"No shit." I let my butt fall beside her, and sigh as well "Satori's going to be pissed."
Still, it's better than letting the fight continue, given the preliminary outcome.
"I..." Reimu starts, but hesitates to continue "I probably shouldn't ask about your... power."
"I really don't really understand it myself."
"But you're... a human, right?"
I smile in a troubled manner.
"Frankly, I don't know anyone else who would be as human as I am."
She sighs with relief and lays down on the floor, spreading her arms and legs around like a grotesque, living, knocked over scarecrow. Doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact I can clearly see some more or less naughty bits of her body through the gaps created in the process either, as she makes no effort to prevent them from appearing. Do I mind?. No. Just the opposite, actually - the debauched look adds a certain charm to her battle-weary figure. Another strange fetish of mine? God only knows.
"I guess I should thank you. But it would've been better if you'd decided to make your mind up a little... faster."
A troubled chuckle forces it's way out of my throat on it's own, I can only follow it's flow, oblivious to any sour frown from the miko.
"Haha, seriously?" my lips curve in a smirk "It's the second time you 'guess you should thank me'."
Oblivious up till now, that is, when I finally steal a glance at her face. Her expression is almost hilariously offended. If I wasn't rather distressed, I'd probably make some fun of it. Too bad the mood's not quite right for this sort of thing.
"Spare me." she groans "I'm tired of this."
"Tired of what, exactly?" I ask, carefully "Of me bailing you out of trouble?"
"Not... particularly." with visible difficulty, she lifts her torso off the ground "I'm tired of looking like a helpless damsel in distress."
She may say so, but it's undeniable - I've already helped her thrice, and there's no saying what the following days might bring - I know one thing: if there's a need, I'll be there to help her. Of course, I'm not going to say it - I've enough wits to figure out what is more and what is less applicable. So instead, I decide to tease her a little.
"You do keep on packing your butt into dangerous situations though."
As expected, she averts her gaze, something like a blush briefly appearing on her cheeks.
"I know!" she almost yells "I know... But it's the first time I've been... like this."
"Like this?"
"Distracted." she returns her eyes to me "Ever since you came, I've been incredibly distracted. Unable to collect my thoughts, to get myself together." Ah, that. That... That I guess is my fault. Not intended, but still my fault, if she puts it like that. Why does it feel so good then? It's nothing to boast of, but I'm still kinda proud of myself. But I've already gone through this, last night, haven't I? Deja vu? No, not quite. This time, I'm pretty sure the Reimu I'm dealing with is the real one. "And you're not helping at all, doing... all those things."
"All those things?" I have trouble holding back the smile, yet I manage to somehow resist the gleeful impulse "What things?"
"T-those things!" again, she loses control over the volume of her voice "Stripping me, kissing me, touching me--! How can I concentrate, knowing that some guy I've only met yesterday is--?!"
"If you didn't like it," I interrupt "You should've said so."
Like if I would stop then, still, it's a decent excuse, as I didn't hear her protest a single time. And there she goes, getting al fidgety on me, though I must admit, she's doing a great job fighting off the blush. A pity, but on the other hand, I admire her mettle - if I were in her shoes, I'd have already surrendered. Or, it's just me unconsciously wishing she would give up at last? Another question not to ever be answered.
"It's..."
"Are you angry at me?"
"Of course I am!" she ruffles her head frantically "How could I not be?! But I'm more angry at myself! Even now, I'm--!" That does it. For the sake of stealth, and for the sake of following my instincts, I should at least grab her, and shake some sense into her confused head - if she keeps on yelling like that, we'll be found in no time, not to mention the possibility of someone else eavesdropping. So I move in, and grab her slender shoulders, with both hands, pulling myself closer - dangerously close - to her. "... see?" at least she's lowered her voice "That's what I was talking about."
"Talking about what?" here's hoping my tone isn't too harsh "I don't get a thing you say."
"You're... going to do it again, aren't you?"
Going to do... Oh. I see. I understand now. Indeed, through a streak of good or bad luck, I'm getting touchy with her again, completely against - or is it against? - my will. How... strange. Curious, I swear my body moved on it's own, before I could think of the possible repercussions... Is it the same feeling that drove me to harass her so much in work again? I wonder, it may be, but it may as well not be. For some reason, I don't want to be found yet, but the cause remains unclear even for myself.
"I... don't know." I whisper, too afraid to speak louder, not knowing what my voice would sound like "Do you... want me to?"
And then she asks a question that leaves me totally dumbfounded.
"Where are the drinks?"
I blink my eyes, completely knocked off the tracks. Anything to drink..."Does she mean, alcohol?
"There should be some left in the kitchen..."
... but that's too far away to risk a trip, not to mention it would require both of us to creep out of this safe haven, as I've no intention of leaving her alone... Definitely, too risky. Unless she's hiding something inside those cupboards, but I seriously doubt it - her personality just doesn't suggest such a possibility being actually possible. Isn't she still underage - or more importantly - is Gensokyo even familiar with the concept of legal age?
"Could you go grab some for me?"
"I... don't think so." I shake my head, lightly "They'd catch me before the first turn."
"Damn. And I wanted to blame it on the account of being drunk..." she sighs "Say, when did we meet, again?"
"Yesterday morning." I state, as-a-matter-of-factly, despite being surprised by a question so well-defined so suddenly "Why?"
"That's not natural." she totally ignores my query, and substitutes it with her own "What did you do to me over the course of those 30 hours?"
"Not much." my tone remains calm "Walked in on you taking a shower, with your sarashi wrapped around my head, knocked you out with Suika, forcibly tagged along on your trip to Kourindou, zapped it's owner, which he'll probably hold grudge against me for, kicked Barton's ass to win yours and bail it out of trouble with Keine, passed out on your chest, had you walk in on me taking a bath with Mima and Suika - which wasn't really my fault," I quickly remark seeing her open her mouth to butt in "Touched you against your will, kissed you, was knocked out briefly afterwards... And then at night..."
"At night?"

"No, it's nothing." I decide not to mention the events with Mima, as I'm still not sure if I should "In the morning, I barged into this very room, undressed you, and dressed you up. I think that's all."
I take a deep breath and patiently await her response.
"... that's..." she finally says after a couple of silent seconds "A lot of things."
"Indeed." I nod, completely contradicting my previous statement saying it wasn't much. Come to think of it, it WAS much, so much a single 'much' wouldn't quite cut it. She's right in saying it isn't natural - because it really isn't. Those kinds of things are not something one does to a person whom he just met no more than thirty hours ago, it's not normal. I can't argue with that. Yet, it doesn't feel any weird, any strange. Illogical, but true - I regret nothing, and however ridiculous that sounds, I don't think Reimu minds either. Or maybe she does, only doesn't let it show, in hopes of... What? This morning she questioned herself - why does she even let me do all that? As much as I'd like to answer, I'm even less authorized to ponder about the reasons than she is. "It really is a lot."
She remains silent, driving my impatience to it's limits. An accursed, damning silence, that ends when she hastily shakes her head, as if trying to scare some malicious thought away. Her eyes land on me, full of determination.
"Look," she says "I'm really drunk now. Totally drunk."
"What?" I'm confused "But you're no--"
"I'm so drunk I won't be able to remember this tomorrow, okay?" she cuts in, disregarding my doubts "Besides, compared to other things, kissing me while I'm drunk shouldn't be so bad, right?" I don't get it. I don't get it at all. What is she trying to do - ask me to kiss her in a roundabout way? Naive, that's way too naive, Reimu! Your fallacies are beyond me, but then again, aren't women's minds pretty much incomprehensible for us - men? My tiny, manly reasoning cannot even hope to conceive her true motives. Even so, her eyes' message is awfully clear. "I won't resist, so you're going to do it, right?"
It's clear, but I can't shake the doubts off my head.
"Why? You don't possibly--"
'Try to pay me back', so I intended to say, but am quickly cut off by another line.
"Didn't you say you like me?" she asks in a tone that surprises me with it's certainty "You like me, right? So..."

[ ] "Right."
[ ] "If you're drunk," place a finger on her lips, to prevent her from speaking "Have a nap. I'll take care of the rest. You can trust me."
[ ] Put. Her. To. Sleep.
[ ] "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"

[x] "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"

Very good YAF, you are at your best.

{X} "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"

No fun if they don't resist.

[ ] Put. Her. To. Sleep.

Come on now. Really.

[x] "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"

[x] Give her the kiss of the Gods! Swift and powerful like thunder and lightning roaring down upon a tiny vessel in the midst of a great ocean! Let's rock her fucking brains out, baby!
[x] Triumphant grin "And tomorrow, you can go back to kicking my ass. Have a good rest, sweetheart".

OHHHH YEAH, I'M FEELING IT.

[x] Give her the kiss of the Gods! Swift and powerful like thunder and lightning roaring down upon a tiny vessel in the midst of a great ocean! Let's rock her fucking brains out, baby!
[x] Triumphant grin "And tomorrow, you can go back to kicking my ass. Have a good rest, sweetheart".

>[X] "How convenient, to have your pets cover you with their own bodies in time of need. You are not worthy of having such magnificent friends. I'm taking her."
>[X] The deed is done, let the anger subside. More importantly, Reimu...

Well, fuck. What happened to the write-in? You said you were gonna mix the options because they were 4/4/5. It's missing a 4. What happened to the 4, YAF?

>>21997

Taking it literally would've conflicted with the other two. Besides, you WOULDN'T want to tears Satori's third eye away. Believe me.

Giddy's Reimu GET.

[x] "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"
This is a major supposition on our part, I guess, but the world is built on major suppositions.

[x] "Right."

As we've seen from that last display, a sexually frustrated miko is a weak miko. You need to replenish her mana now, because when Okuu gets back, she is going to freak.

>>21998
>Besides, you WOULDN'T want to tears Satori's third eye away. Believe me.

No, I do. I was hoping for something along the lines of what happened when Gil killed Sakura. I want to see that love-is-over Satori and would greet the end with a final "Superb."

>>22003
>when Gil killed Sakura

Never read F/SN, never will. I'm not into VNs. So yeah, you're pretty much talking mysterious nonsense to me.

>>22004

Think of it as you would removing Rumia's ribbon.

[ ] "Right."

[x] "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"

>>22004
We all know you played Tsukihime

>>22009

Skimmed through Arc's routes, did one of Akiha's, one of Hisui's, and read a summary of Kohaku's, yeah.

[X] "Grab a hold of yourself." shake her, violently "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything! Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"

Nonsense, what on earth is this show of inconsequent resignation? What manner of intoxicating foolery is this, Reimu? It would seem that even the harshest of women apply for the rule - and I happen not to be a miraculous remedy for it's existence, thus, trying to perceive the gist of her submission with my far inferior manly reasoning cannot - and will not - yield any results. The message may be clear, yet I resist it's meaning - this simply isn't as entertaining as it would be if I really was forcing it on her - as much as my senses would like to deny it - and while it pleases me greatly to know she's making excuses, just to earn a little bit of physical contact, the rest of my mind was waiting on a different story. Even if her lips are calling out to mine, ignoring them is the best I can do.
"Grab a hold of yourself." it takes enormous amounts of effort to drawl those words out in the face of her gaze. I ought to break it. No, I MUST break it. For the sake of everything logical, her own logic must be smothered! This isn't the right sort of Reimu, simple as that! So I shake her, shake her quickly and violently, inducing a sudden urge to blink several times, subsequently, in her eyelids. That, and the urge to utter a silent, surprised 'wah' in her mouth. "Grab a hold of yourself, goddamnit!" I repeat "One loss doesn't mean you should start giving up on everything!" that's right. I might try to jest and blame it all on my own charm, but isn't the reality more cruel? She's trying to either compensate for the effort I made, to carry out her revenge, or is simply seeking comfort in my lips. Either way, I can't allow it. This simply isn't right. "What's wrong with you?" I let go of her shoulders, and give her a few seconds to grab a grip of reality. I might've shaken a bit too strongly, another mistake on my part... "I've no idea what happened between you and Satori, but to hell with it. You lost, that's how life is. One cannot win all the time." I too was ready to lose, before the gates of enlightenment set ajar before my mind. Only by a streak of luck I managed to defeat the vengeful girl... Or rather, her pet. It angers me just to recall that, so I quickly throw the image out of my mind. Futile worries. Let the miko's eyes be the hook for my conscience, is that alright? Still, I haven't quite said everything I had to say yet. Even if it's rather meaningless. "Where are your claws? Where are your fangs, Reimu?"
She stares at me in confusion, suddenly plucked out of that mood I had to break myself out of as well, perfectly understandably dumbfounded about my acts. I can only imagine how she must feel, after saying something so out of character, only to be rocked back and forth like a doll seconds after. Here's hoping I haven't summoned a divine punishment upon my head by doing it.
"Y-you..." her voice trembling, just like her body was, although against it's will "I... You don't... Urgh..." she puts a hand to her forehead, and rubs it roughly, as if trying to wipe off an invisible layer of physical astonishment "Do you even know..." at least it seems to have achieved something. Albeit still silent, she at least speaks smoothly, without falling silent after every word. "How much strain on my nerves it put... To say that?" Then I was right - she was as in rapture over the contact as I was, if not more, much, much more. Against all the odds, I begin to doubt my words all of a sudden, to the point where my throat swallows hard on it's own will. "Where are my fangs..." she looks aside and snorts "So it's that after all, isn't it? It's not fun if I don't resist, right?"
The change in attitude is astonishing, extraordinary even. Additionally, she read plus-minus the premise of my deeds. I refused to kiss her, simply because it was her who offered it. But it would take more than a dozen steamrollers to force me to say it straight to her face.
"That's not--"
She stands up, effectively cutting short my lies, simply by doing it in a manner so hostile, I swear I sensed a wave of enmity carry along with the gust of air. Snorting again, she reaches to the ribbon in her hair, a bit dirtied by the earlier fight, and swiftly unties it, releasing a wave of magnificent, black hair to fall lower, disentangle itself from whatever you call the hairdo Mima put so much work in this morning. Unable to resist the awe of the sight, I find myself simply admiring it, my jaw dropped as low as the facial bones allow. Reason makes it's comeback the moment she bends up one leg, unsteadily standing on the other. Wait, wasn't she moderately drunk a minute ago? I spring up to help her in case she tumbles over, but am stopped by her sharp glare.
"No need. I'm cheating."
"Chea--"
Bewilderment! Words get knocked out of my head as she, the wretched miko, plants a spinning kick on my shoulder. She flew, she was actually floating! That's--!
I fall to the floor, the pain slowly making it's way up my nervous system, inevitably filling my brain with the unpleasant surge of impulses - that, and thanks to the sudden shock, her kick rendered it unable to move - electric-like currents run along the surface of my skin when I try to use it to soften the impact of the fall. Only no invoke more breath-taking ache. But I'm not allowed to suffer in peace, as she quickly jumps my collapsed figure, and forces it to roll onto it's back, and sits on top of it next. The long, loose hair of hers forms a nice - in spite of all the odds - barrier between our faces and the outside world. Her lips keep a serious look as she speaks up.
"Is this more like it?"
I'm not sure what to answer. Indeed, this IS more like it, at least compared to her previous, meek behaviour, but even in my wildest dreams didn't I suspect such a change in humour. Could it be that she's taking revenge for crushing the fruits of her efforts so mercilessly? I really can't decide whether I like it or not, but I must agree, this really IS better. So, to smile would be only logical.
"Ah, indeed. The question is," I glance at the incapacitated arm of mine, and discover it to be pinned down to the floor just like the other one - only I couldn't feel it up till now. Revenge, now I'm sure. Isn't this the very same thing I'd done to her yesterday, for which I was punished severely briefly afterwards? An idea haunts my thoughts... "What next?"
"Hah," she chuckles once "I thought you'd come up with something more intelligent after being served your own pudding."
"That's a..." I mumble under my nose for a second "Rather weird metaphor for returning the favour. A bit too mundane, I'd say."
She grins and blows a wisp of unruly hair from her face.
"Your ability to jump from topic to topic is admirable, but--" Ha! Salvation! This time it's her turn to be interrupted, though not by me, but the loud knocking on the door. "What in god's name--!"
It seems whoever found our little hideout, has no intention of waiting for admittance, as the door promptly slides ajar, revealing the 'whoever' to be the girl whose presentation almost ended in my soul being sucked out. Tenshi, in all her troubled glory takes a single step inside the room...
"Kane? Ah--" And stands rooted to place a split-second after noticing the undoubtedly weird scene that's unfolding inside. "Did I interrupt something?"
I notice Reimu is glaring through the gaps between the strands of her hair, in Tenshi's general direction.

[ ] "Not at all. Now, give me a helping hand, would you?"
[ ] "See, Reimu? Playtime is over. Let's leave it for later, and tend to the more urging matters first. This time, under my watchful eye."
[ ] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

[x] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

GODDAMNIT TENSHI

[x] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

Just as planned. Now, to just channel her anger at the appropriate target. (No, not at Tenshi.)

[x] "Explain. Immediately."
[x] Whatever the problem is, point Reimu in the right direction: "Show me the woman I fell in love with."

If I have faith in one thing, it's that an angry Reimu can get the job done.

>"Show me the woman I fell in love with."

No. We're still in the fourth thread, damnit!

[ ] "Not at all. Now, give me a helping hand, would you?"

>>22016

Who says Kane won't fall in love with more than one woman? Harem of Babylon was his only path.

But this though is what she needs to hear to kick Satori and Okuu's asses utterly.

[x] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

[x] "Ooh, threesome!"

[ ] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

Five DBZ minutes.

[X] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

>>22020
lol

[x] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

[x] "Five minutes, Tenshi. All I'm asking for is five more minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."

Bad, bad, bad, how come she had to barge in in the worst moment possible? What timing, Tenshi, truly enviable - one can't help but wonder if you're naturally skilled in sensing people's make-out sessions, so you could interrupt in the most neuralgic frame? Nonsensical, but hell, it's a miracle she found us now and not, say, five minutes earlier or later. But now, I can't simply shrug her off and continue - or give up, for that matter. Not that I have anything to say in this - having my arms, one of which is still rather limp, pinned to the floor like this, by the disgruntled miko at that.
"Er..." I can sense the uneasiness in Tenshi's voice "I'm sorry, but Iku was--"
"Five minutes, Tenshi." I cut in, disregarding Reimu's angry growl "All I'm asking for is five minutes. It won't take any longer, I promise."
Clearly a boast, more than an excuse, it still seems to have the intended effect on the peachyhat, as she steps back, the troubled smile persistently present on her face - here's wondering which on of us is more embarrassed - but instead of closing the door like she should, and retreating in hurry, blushing furiously, she remains there, staring at us, frozen in place as well.
"What now." Reimu practically snarls at the girl "Hurry up."
For some reason, the image of dog ears nonchalantly sprouting from under that long hair briefly crosses my mind. Tenshi doesn't appear as amused.
"N-no, it's nothing..." her hand grabs the edge of the door "I just thought... you look cute without your ribbons, Reimu."
The addressee of the unexpected compliment doesn't even get to as much as blink before the door slams shut, leaving us - yet again - alone in this room. Really, her timing is fearsome indeed - this is the first time I've seen someone compliment the miko in such an... outright, yet sneaky way. The intent remains unbestknown, but at least we can be sure Tenshi won't interrupt again - that is, until the time runs out. She's a honest girl, not the type to tear the door down with a husqvarna when refused, as opposed to someone else I know. Fortunately, heavy duty equipment doesn't seem to be a standard payload for Gensokyo's shrine maidens. Thank god.
"Why do they always, always have to come at the worst time?" my captor lets out a surprisingly relieved sigh "What a mess..."
But there's not enough time to pay any heed to her words - the clock is ticking, and I intend on keeping the promise, no matter how rushed the process might turn out because of that. Besides, the distraction created by the sudden intrusion created quite a nice opening in Reimu's defenses. Only a fool would waste a chance like this. Now, I'm still being held down, but the flexibility of human joints is there for a reason. I twist my wrists - or at least one of them - and touch the floor with my fingertips. Not nearly enough support, but it'll have to suffice. Deep breath. Inhale, exhale. Love torpedo is...
"Tick tock."
... A go! Regardless of the pain brought forth by sudden movement of restrained limbs, my upper body launches forward - in this case upwards - and before anything can happen, my lips adhere to Reimu's neck, just below the ear. The idea of gently biting the lobe dashes past, but I suppose it would be an overkill. No kill like overkill, they say, but in this case, I better limit myself to sucking on her delicate skin alone. It tastes of dirt and sweat, but it's the best dirt and sweat I've ever had.
"A-ah?!" amazing, in spite of all the early cockiness, she still acts shocked when the sensation reaches her head. The urge to chuckle at the - another - change in mood is far too great to simply ignore it - but to cease the caress would be even sillier. "S-stop! You'll--nnn a hickey! You'll make a hickey! K-Kane!" like a flag in wind, so easily swayed. My lips let go of one spot, and quickly move on to another. A hickey? Brilliant, Reimu. You just might be a genius. I shall make at least three, then! "S-stooop!"
God, if someone was listening to us right now, he - or she - would get a whole spectrum of weird visions, I'm sure. Though there's only one person I can think of that could be eavesdropping, and she has her head full of weird visions all the time. Well, whatever - wasn't she practically trying to throw me at her shrine maiden earlier? There's no other logical reason for her deeds from the last night. Well, whatever, what counts is that apparently Reimu has lost control over her arms - my forearms are free at last. No time to lose - with my mouth still attached to her neck, I force Reimu to sit up - and follow suit myself as well. The pressure of ten fingers on my chest gets a little bit weaker when I pull away and look her in the hazy eyes. Ah, treacherous gaze - it betrays the fact she actually enjoyed it so shamelessly it's almost laughable.
"Thirty seconds." I whisper "You are slipping badly."
"T-that's because...!" she desperately tries to escape my stare "Because hickeys!"
"What's so bad about hickeys?"
"W-wha..." she blinks a few consecutive times "What do you mean 'what's so bad'? Can you imagine what everyone would say--"
She falls silent when our noses touch - undoubtedly an effect of me suddenly leaning forward. The fact that she's sitting in my lap, front-to-front is mildly distracting, but I do my best to ignore it.
"Why do you care?" Why indeed. It's no longer watch-but-don't-touch, taste-but-don't-swallow between us, and even though her shame is somehow understandable, it's not like we could keep it hidden forever - Tenshi already suspects something, unless she's as silly and forgetful as Utsuho - and I can say with full certainty she's not. 'Suspects', hah - no way she wouldn't instantly know what's going on after seeing Reimu molest a guy who she knows was allowed to live in the shrine. No, come to think of it, it's been pretty obvious for some time already. Iku knows I'm 'something more', Tenshi saw us, and Satori... Hm, Satori. Don't know nor care about her pets, but still, hiding it would be like trying to pain the sky red. "Are you, by chance afraid?" her eyes answer wordlessly. Perhaps 'embarrassed' would be a better word, but I understand full well what it is she fears. Ah, how childish. I utilize the freedom of my operational hand, and ruffle her hair a little. "Don't worry, if anyone tries to make fun of you, I'll rip them to shreds before they manage to say 'Reimu is in love with Kane'."
Aha, as expected, she pulls back and blushes furiously.
"I-I'm not in love!" Amazing, how easy she is to outwit. Hilarious, if not outright ridiculous. "We only met yesterday!"
"And yet you're comfortable with touching me." I nod at her hands, that are still laid upon my chest "How are you going to explain this?"
"Wah!" she squeals in a cute way, promptly retreating both of the unruly palms behind her back without a second thought. So she didn't realize this? Well, at least now there's no one stopping me from sliding an arm under her shoulder, and pulling her body closer. "That's because there's something about you..."
Something about me, is it? Well, there's also something about her, so we're on pretty even terms, here. Amusing, to say the least. I wouldn't go as far as saying I love her, but if she hasn't helplessly fallen in love, I don't know what's going on in her head anymore.
"Aw, that's disappointing." I feign a sad tone "Really, I'm hurt!"
She pouts at me, angrily.
"Well, excuse me for not loving an idiot."

An idiot, huh? Yeah, I might as well be an idiot. No matter how you look at it - all the things I've done those two days were nothing but incredibly stupid. Yeah, I'm an idiot. A tremendous idiot. Now, isn't it the idiots' privilege to ask the most stupid questions without holding back? It sure is.
"Then I'll just enjoy not being loved. Hm." I pause for a moment "We've got around three minutes left. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. I'm okay with anything, as long as it doesn't leave any marks. Two are enough."
Ah, right. Looking at her neck, there are two nasty hickeys my lips left there... Indeed, they do look rather... obscene. Still, I don't regret making them a slightest bit.
"Have you ever had a french kiss?"
"French?" Reimu gives me a confused look "N-no, I don't think so..."
"Well then..." I smile "Three minutes should be enough to teach you."
She glances at my arm, still wrapped around her back.
"When did we meet, again?"
"Yesterday."
"Okay, then." she sighs "Show me."


...



Of course, it couldn't last forever. After the previously estimated time had passed, Tenshi came to pay us a visit again, this time seeing something a lot more drastic than she could ever expect to see, but it would seem the duty was more important than the shock of walking in on two people kissing. Good girl - I'd pat her head if I could. It was mostly thanks to her that I was able to gather enought strength to defeat Satori - her, and her sword. Speaking of swords, Sid - miraculously - kept silent throughout the whole incident. I'm starting to suspect he might not be as impatient as I'd thought him to be. For that, I commend you, partner. As annoying as you are when you speak, you silence is admirably constant.
Back in the room where the negotiations were taking place - now with a bonus skylight in the ceiling - the atmosphere seems to be - ironically - much less densier than it was before. Satori sits silently, with all of her three eyes closed, not greeting us with a single word. Iku - probably the most mature one present - only casts us a slightly irritated glance. Tenshi, fighting off the uneasiness, sits beside her carer. Rin is nowhere to be seen, but it's only logical. Utsuho as well seems to be gone. Apparently she hasn't returned from her little trip yet.
"You certainly took your time." the deep, melodic voice sounds when both me and Reimu finally seat ourselves on the opposite side of the table "I was beginning to feel a little ignored." At least she doesn't question why exactly is Reim suddenly wearing her hair ribbon wrapped around her neck, instead of the hair. For that, I'm thankful, Iku. Finally someone who deliberately ignores the more unfavourable factors in the situation at hand. "Shall we continue?"
"Ah, yes." not waiting for my approval, Reimu brushes her hair with one hand, and smirks at the only conversant willing to talk. Strange afterglow she has, there. "Where did we stop at?"
Iku smiles lightly at the miko's enthusiasm. I swear her eyes for a moment glanced at me, but truth be told, I'd rather not ponder the meaning of that fleeting look. Instead, I pour myself a glass of whatever miserable remains might still be in the only standing bottle present around. It's not much, but it's more of a distraction than a drink. It'll have to suffice. Tenshi keeps shifting her gaze between me, Reimu, and the floor, alternatingly.
"The moment you and miss Komeji started insulting each other for no reason at all." ah, even the most mature people feel like being malicious at times, it seems. Satori flinches a bit at those words, but remains still otherwise. "But let us cut to the chase." Iku places a hand on her chest "Me and a few relatives of mine, including the distant family of my ward, Tenshi, helped in the reconstruction of the shrine after the incident caused by the aforementioned." now it's Tenshi's turn to flinch. Iku continues regardless. "But most importantly, in building and setting the hot springs in motion."
"I see." Reimu nods. I can only assume everything Iku said was right. Tenshi did mention that before, but nothing as detailed. "What of it?"
"Seeing," the hand now pats the table gently "How the whole... hassle was caused by miss Komeji's subordinates, I would like to hear her claims first." Iku turns to Satori "Would you kindly, miss Komeji?"
Satori remains still for a few more seconds, before sighing in displeasure.
"I have nothing to say."
"No claims? No demands?"
Iku pushes, but all she gets in return is a groan.
"No."
"Very well." Iku clasps her palms together "That makes things easier."
"I'm listening."
Reimu smiles, and I take a sip of the liquid. Ew, this one's a lot stronger than the one I had with Tenshi. Almost reeks of disinfectant spirit. What the...
"The fruits of one's work belong to no one but himself - so the saying goes. Therefore," I swear, Iku's gesturing is over the top, but at the same time, so refined I cannot help but follow her hands with my eyes "I would like to request a permission - a permission we deserve - to use the springs from time to time. Simple as that."
"So basically," Reimu crosses arms on her chest "You're asking me to allow a bunch of strangers to crash at my shrine from time to time and paddle in my hot springs?"
"Put bluntly, pretty much. I assure you though," and another gesture. Those really are eye-catching. "We won't butt into your everyday life. The rest of the shrine will be off limits to anyone, that I can promise."
The miko scratches her head, to everyone's impatience. That's quite courageous of Iku to ask, but I can understand she would like to use the springs from time to time - after all, she and her people put much effort into building them, or at least so she claims. Reimu turns to me, with question in her eyes.
"What do you think?"
I put the glass down.
"Me? I think..."


[ ] "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."
--[ ] "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----[ ] "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."
----[ ] "Except Satori. I won't tolerate someone of her kind around me. Rin of course stays."
--[ ] "But that's that. It's getting late, everyone should head home soon."
[ ] "... it's ridiculous. The springs belong to the shrine. If they want to use them, they should at least pay."
[ ] "... I'm not authorized to have a say in this matter. It's your shrine, Reimu."

[x] "... it's ridiculous. The springs belong to the shrine. If they want to use them, they should at least pay."

MINE MINE MINE

[ ] "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."
--[ ] "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----[ ] "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."

{X} "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."
--{X} "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----{X} "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."

[x] "... it's ridiculous. The springs belong to the shrine. If they want to use them, they should at least pay."

[x] "As long as it's mixed bathing."

[x] "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."
--[x] "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----[x] "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."
--[x] "And of course, donations would be, as always, greatly appreciated."

--[ ] "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----[ ] "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."

>>22035
[x] "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."

This part is missing.

[x] "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."
--[x] "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----[x] "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."

[x] "... we should agree. It's not like you're using the springs 24 hours a day."
--[x] "What's more, I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight."
----[x] "Especially Satori. I could use a hand in fixing the roof."

Honestly, I fail to see the problem here, not counting the bit about Satori and Reimu fighting verbally - and after that, literally - over some mysterious issue, about which I couldn't care less at the moment. If Iku's people helped building the springs free of charge, I suppose they do have a right to utilize the fruits of their work, as much - if not more than - as the 'owner' herself. Especially since it was distinctly remarked whosoever shall use them, won't be allowed to venture anywhere else in the shrine. That creates another question - how exactly will they enter the springs, if not through the shrine itself, but seeing Gensokyo's tendency to give it's inhabitants an ability to fly, the alternatives are endless. I suppose it shouldn't be too risky to trust Iku on this one. So, to express my confusion, I give everyone a shrug, and voice my thoughts.
"I think we should agree." well, it was directed more at Reimu than anyone else, but I suppose selective listening doesn't apply to anyone present, and everyone interested pays heed to my words too "It's not like you're using them twenty four hours a day."
"Hmm." the miko squints her eyes a little, in a way one might think she's not particularly pleased with my words. Her tone remains neutral though. Figures she can't be angry at someone so soon after getting so close to him. Or is simply putting up an act, I can't tell. "How bold of you, to say 'we should agree'."
"Hey," I smile in a troubled way "You asked. What's more," then click my fingers "I think we should let our guests stay for the rest of the day and overnight. It's getting late, and it would be only polite not to drive out our guests into the dusk."
"Whoa, whoa, slow down a little!" Reimu waves her hand at me "Why are you acting as if you lived here?"
Now, that was a silly question, surely you do realize that.
"Don't I?"
"Ack." she bites her lip "Yeah... Right. Er..." seeing me smile triumphantly, she quickly turns to Iku, and pats the table, a bit too strongly for an agreeing gesture. Blame that on my actions, Iku. Don't take it personally. "Well, you heard him. As long as you stay away from the rest of the shrine, feel free to paddle all you want. Your acquaintances too. Just," she adds, just as Iku was about to seize the occasion to speak up "Don't throw a party in there. Or I'm going to get angry."
Marking the end of her part of agreement, Reimu crosses arms on her chest, and sighs angrily, closing her eyes. Somehow, I'm able to sense a bit of relief beside the anger. Can't blame her - I'm not the type to enjoy official talk either, and it seems the solution I came up with was peaceful enough to satisfy both the sides. Or at least two thirds of them. Anyhow, Iku is finally let to speak, and she hastily intercepts the chance, in case someone would want to butt in again.
"Marvellous." her speaking manner reminds me of a certain someone else "My people will be delighted to hear that. Of course, if any of them breaks the rules we set, feel obliged to inform me - I shall take care of it as soon as I get the message. And as for your offer," now she turns to me, smiling reassuringly "I gladly accept, and so does Tenshi. It's an honour to be a guest of Hakurei family. As for the rooms..."
She pauses, looking questioningly at Reimu. I give the miko a light jab, to which she responds by groaning silently.
"Just take whichever you want."
"Very well." Iku stands up "Thank you for your cooperation. I shall see you later today. Tenshi." she nods at her ward "Let's go."
The two of them leisurely retreat from the room, Iku completely wordlessly - and dignifiedly as you would expect from her - Tenshi, on the other hand, cast me more than one strange look on the way out. I better not think too deep into this, lest there are bound to be weird assumptions. I fare well enough without them unneeded distractions, so let us cut the string of thoughts like a detached piece of thread.
When the door closes behind them, Reimu sighs again.
"Are we really letting them stay?" she asks, distinguishably more displeased than before "Even--"
"Yes." I nod, cutting into her sentence "Especially Satori."
"What--?!" ah, the one in question finally wakes up. With a boom. Springing up like a burned rabbit, she directs the piercing glare of two of her eyes - the grotesque third one remaining closed this time - at my face. "Are you taking pity on me?!"
Taking pity... Hah, taking pity. Indeed, Satori, if you are to stay, you will be allowed to spend a little more time with your beloved pet. Yes, call it taking pity, if you will so, I shall call it 'malicious kindness'. There's no guessing how Rin might've acted if I had driven you out like I should have.
"I could use a hand..." I pause for a moment and nod at the hole in the ceiling "In fixing the roof. This sort of thing requires two people, at least."
This time, it's Reimu's turn to jump up.
"You could always ask Suika!" she yells "We don't need that mind-screwing witch to help us!"
"How dare you--?!"
I sigh. Coaxes won't work here, I need to use more emphatic arguments to vent the atmosphere.
"First of all," hell if I'm interrupting Satori, it's not like she had anything useful to say "I haven't seen Suika anywhere today. If she was at the shrine, she would've at least said hello. Yet she didn't." Reimu backs away a little, to my glee "I've no idea where she is, neither when will she return, and we've got to fix this today."
"Even I could--"
"No." I cut in again "You're wounded, remember? Besides, I'm sure you've got other things to take care of. Hm?"
She falls silent, so does Satori. Finally, something resembling peace, at long awaited last. Reimu nods, albeit reluctantly.
"... yeah, I... guess."
"Fine." Satori seems to have calmed down a little as well "I'll go see how's Rin's wound, then. Just..." she looks up to my face, but quickly averts her gaze, seeing me smile "Find me whenever you'll want to fix the damn thing."
With that, she leaves the room, a bit more hastily than I would expect her to, in case she wanted to show how little she cares about being allowed to stay at her catgirl's side. They're always honest on the outside, aren't they? That's heartwarming, really nice, really, really nice. The memory of her crying suddenly feels a lot less pathetic. I'm being too soft, aren't I?
Reimu groans yet again, but instead of throwing a punch in my direction, she simply begins to gather the scattered bottles and glasses. Noticing me rooted to the spot, she frowns irritatingly.
"You're free. Go relax or something. I'll take care of this."


[ ] Help Reimu with the cleaning.
[ ] Go see Satori and Rin.
[ ] Go see Iku and Tenshi.
[ ] Look for Mima.

[x] Look for Mima.

Dead.

[x] Look for Mima.
[x] Talk to Sid along the way.

He's been awfully quiet. It's odd.

[x] Look for Mima.
[x] Talk to Sid along the way.

[x] Go see Iku and Tenshi.

I can has Tenshi?

{X} Look for Mima.
{X} Talk to Sid along the way.

[ ] Go see Satori and Rin.

[x] We'll do the cleaning. Reimu, get your ass in bed and rest.

YAF, I am highly disappointed in your non-detailed make-out scene. For the love of such a miko, how could you leave out mentioning the look on her face of having a tongue forced in her mouth? Shame on you.

[x] Look for Mima.
[x] Talk to Sid along the way.

[x] We'll do the cleaning. Reimu, get your ass in bed and rest.

>>22046

Oh, I was simply trying to avoid writing another wall. Do not worry, you will get to see much more miko action ... if you live to see it. We're slowly nearing the climax of carefree slice-of-life, and after that... We're in for one, wild night.

On a side note, I was going to make Kane have a chat with Sid anyway. One more update today. Stay (ugh, it pains me to use this quote) frosty.

[X] Look for Mima.

Certainly, we've driven out of the hot zone with little to no damage inflicted to ourselves, which I cannot say about a certain, perverted catgirl. Still, the natural course of things would suggest a calm after the storm, in other words - siesta time. Now, however stupid it will sound of me to claim I actually feel bad about leaving the girl with all the work so soon after showing her one of the more taboo pleasures, there's one thought that has been bugging me for quite some time now, and I'm not referring to Reimu's afterglow. The issue lies elsewhere, and I'm more than eager to utilize the distraction it creates to mask my hypocrisy. Afterglow, not able to be angry, not wanting to leave... We really are birds of a feather, aren't we - me and her? What an irony.
"Have fun, then." still, it doesn't strip me from the urge to make at least a little fun of her "I'll just go and relax or something somewhere else."
Ignoring her angry frown, I quickly exit the room, and drift calmly into the maze of corridors, more and more familiar with every incident that has me running to and fro. At this pace, I'll know the overall layout in no time at all. Convenient. Tiring, but hellishly convenient. Nothing bad that wouldn't turn out good, eh.

"Ahh." The moment we - me and Sid - take the first corner, the steely friend of mine lets out a sigh, so characteristically metallic I find myself wondering about it's source again. Wretched magic, do it's user have no better things to do than present inanimate object with human traits? Whose idea was it? If I ever get my hands on the bastard's throat... "Alone at last."
Could it be that he was afraid to speak in front of all the girls? Nonsense, this sword has cojones the size no one can possibly fathom to imagine, no way he would feel embarrassed about something as trivial as throwing a poisonously perverted comment among the female crowd. Not to mention the pleasure he would derive from seeing their hypothetical reactions. His reasoning is beyond me, seriously. So I sigh as well.
"I was beginning to think rust got your tongue." my fingers tap the small pommel, rhythmically, in synchronization with my steps "What's wrong? You've been awfully quiet."
The blade vibrates under my touch, as if it was chuckling. Most peculiar.
"Hah." accompanying that, Sid's voice chuckles as well "Did you miss me, master?"
"Not at all." I grimace to hide the lie. I did miss his remarks, they would do a great good to vent the atmosphere of the incident, that I can say for sure. Would it invoke even worse conflicts, or leave us laughing on the floor - I dare not to assume either of the possibilities. It's far too late for that, anyway. "It's just that it felt weird not to hear you speak."
"Hold up for a second, master." he says, and I indeed to hold up - in a sense that my legs stop in the middle of a step "Did I just hear what I heard?"
"What, want me to clean your guard?" I frown "Having problems with hearing?"
"Oh, master. You're such a joker." his words drip with sneer "Didn't you order me not to talk until asked the first time we met?"
I... Certainly, I did mention something like that, but truth be told, it was only due to me wanting to keep his unusual ability in secret for as long as possible. Then he deliberately revealed himself to everyone, and well... I sort of grew used to having a snarker strapped to my side. Pathetic? No, let's call it 'naturally able to adapt to new and interesting circumstances, while ignoring previous - often false - convictions, for the sake of better future'. That definitely does sound better.
"Perhaps." I rub my nose with one hand "Let's say I simply changed my mind. Still, I refuse to believe you didn't speak because you suddenly remembered that promise."
"Ha!" the blade jerks up briefly "Saw right through me, as expected of master! Frankly, I was worried."
"Worried?" I snort "What-ever on earth would trouble a sword like you?"
"Well..." he pauses for a second "It's not particularly every day you get yanked out of a terribly interesting argument over orange's superiority over apples with a beautiful woman, only to be dragged through a black void full of creepy eyes at the speed of sound, and the as suddenly as you disappeared, get plucked out of a world of nightmares, and straight into a cute girl's stomach. Even if you're a sword. You've got my assurances on this, master."
No idea about an average day in the life of a sword, but somehow, I don't doubt the truthfulness of his words - even a human would find it surprising, if not outright shocking to go through what he described, and surely, being a sword soothens only a part of the mental impact. The bit about 'black void with eyes' really did sound creepy... Though it's most probably my fault for pulling him into it... Wherever the hell it came from. Only thing I know is one second there was nothing - and the next: poof! Sid the Sword comes out of thin air. More fun than on an illusions show, and most certainly more magical. And I did all that... It will probably sound weird, but I don't feel bothered by it at all. Almost like if it was... completely natural.
"So," I pick the conversation back up "Was it really that traumatic."
"More than traumatic," Sid admits "I was surprised about it being you who plucked me out of an engaging talk."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, frankly?" he stops for a moment "I had you for a totally spineless, useless wimp, master. And then you pulled that trick off. There's bound to be some surprisal when a girl you date for several weeks one day turns out to have a wang."
When he puts it like that, it's perfectly understanda-- Wait, he WHAT?!
"O-oi..." I grab the handle and squeeze it as hard as possible "You had me for a what?"
"Completely useless, incapable coward, whose only ability is to boast and depend on luck to do the dirty job." he doesn't even falter while spewing out those insults "Well, I couldn't say it in the face of the one who pulled me out of that accursed box, now could I?"
Riiiiight. My face is on the brink of exploding, but I somehow manage to keep it straight, despite the grimace of inexplicable anger forcibly pushing it's way onto it. Yes, he's completely right. If he had told me what he thought of me the moment we met, or soon after, I would've thrown him away without any further ado. Like a piece of trash. Childish? Devilishly, but my pride is not something I will allow people - or swords - to step on. He truly has the balls, to tell me that, so bluntly, so cock-sure.
"Really." I carefully drawl my words "I take it the opinion has changed?"

"Oh, changed drastically. You have the potential, master." he adds, a bit too enthusiastically for my tastes "No man has ever pulled me out of my scabbard so strongly before. I was... excited."
"Enough." I interrupt "I've heard enough. Another question."
"Slam straight, master."
"Mima." I state more than ask "If I'm not mistaken, you've become pretty friendly with her, haven't you?"
Friendly enough to spend all the free time alongside the ghost, it would seem. Not that I'm jealous or anything, but isn't he supposed to be my sword? Yet it seems he's spent a whole eternity with her - and only a few short whiles with me. Irritating, for some bizarre reason. I need to take him along next time a disaster strikes - it's not nice to find oneself without a proper blade when bricks hit the fray, and I've got a feeling any conflict could be averted much faster through the usage of sharp, metal arguments. A mistake I will have to remember to fix.
"Ah, yes, quite friendly." my partner agrees so shamelessly it makes me want to hit him in the face... in the pommel... whatever "I taught her a few moves, if you know what I mean."
"A few fencing moves." I fix as emotionlessly as possible "Quit attempting to throw me off the tracks, it won't work."
"Aw."
"Anyway," seeing the lack of any other reaction, I resume "Do you have any idea where she might be at the moment?"
He keeps silent for a few seconds, before speaking up in a conspiratorial whisper.
"We have a secret phrase..." again, a short pause "But you'll have to promise not to tell anyone." Whatever it is, if I get to see Mima sooner without going through the trouble of looking for her, I'm game. So I nod. "Okay, cover your ears." And so I do. Idiotic, I know, but what else could I do? "[b]THERE'S A SILLY MOLE ON REIMU'S RIGHT BUTTOCK!"
Sid screams the above phrase so loudly, it effortlessly breaks through the barrier of my hands, and hits the mind with the speed of a charging rhino. She has WHAT? No, wait, more importantly, why is that their 'secret' phrase?! Why the hell did he shout it so loudly? Oh hell, if Reimu heard that, we're both as good as dead. We're so, soooo dead. But instead of spikes coming at my back, something else pops out of nowhere - a pair of arms - so nostalgically warm and soft - which of course wraps around my shoulders. As always, from behind. One of them is holding onto Sid's scabbard, but I disregard that.
"Do~" Mima whispers into my ear "You want to know~?"
"No, I DON'T." No, what I want to do, is slide Sid into the damn thing, and step away from Mima's grasp. Well, she has the bastard in her hands now, but I couldn't care less. "What the hell was that about?!"
"Aha~" Mima grins mischievously like a little kid that has just pulled a brilliant prank "High-five, partner~!" then raises the sword in the air, and quickly slaps it's guard. Can you even call that a high-five? No, I don't think so. In fact, I don't even want to think about it. "That was great~."
"I know, right!" Sid sounds as amused as Mima, if not even more "Next time, let's come up with something even sillier!"
"Yay~!" the ghost gives out a cheer to which I respond by shivering all over. No, really. I don't want to know. "But now, Kane is waiting." she circles around me once, before stopping right in front of me "What is it that you wanted of me, my dear~?"
Right, what was it that I wanted...

[ ] Write-in, I'm out of ideas.

>>22050
[x] "Given everything that's happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet to not be plotting some kind of mischief."

On the other hand, I have no clue why you guys wanted to find Mima, so I'm winging the write-in.

Just wanted to make sure she wasn't dead, really.

[x] "Given everything that's happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet to not be plotting some kind of mischief."

[x] "Given everything that's happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet to not be plotting some kind of mischief."

[x] "Given everything that's happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet to not be plotting some kind of mischief."

Now I'm all thinking dirty thoughts about Mima and Sid's pommel.

[x] "Given everything that's happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet to not be plotting some kind of mischief."
I tried to think of something else to say, but this write-in covers all the bases.

>Now I'm all thinking dirty thoughts about Mima and Sid's pommel.
Or Sid's blade. That'd make for a neat goro...
*runs from nasty goro*

>>22056

...goro?

>>22057

Guro, I'd assume. Not the four-handed ogre from Mortal Kombat.


>>22055

Aha! Mission successful! Have a heart atta--HHHHHHHNNNNNNG

[x] "Given everything that's happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet to not be plotting some kind of mischief."

Did I really want anything in particular? Not really, I was simply a bit concerned about her not showing up at all while hell's flames were raging about on the doorstep of the place she calls home. Not only that, she also considers herself the deity of this shrine, shouldn't she at least pick a little bit of interest in what's going on? If only to utilize the gathered intelligence, and transform it into another, stupid prank. Still, I haven't caught a single glimpse of a curious pair of green eyes ever since their owner told me to carry some refreshments for the participants of the meeting. Of course, there is always a possibility of her silently having watched everything from the shadows, but it's better to ask than to stick to assumptions and ignorance.
"Wanted? Nothing." I place my hands on my hips, close my eyes and sigh in a troubled manner "But given everything that has happened in the last half-hour, you've been too quiet not to be plotting some kind of mischief." one of my eye opens, and gives Sid a brief, displeased look "With someone who is supposed to be an extension of my arm nonetheless."
"Aww." Mima circles around me once more, and having stopped directly behind, places her chin on my shoulder "Are you jealous~?"
If it wasn't for the relief I had a taste of some time ago, her stare alone would have driven me completely crazy. The way she's comfortable with being so physically close to other people is disturbing, in that weird, exciting way. No wonder, I know no man capable of denying the fact her body is devilishly tempting. To think she herself gave me a chance to take a detailed look at it mingles with my reasoning. I know I shouldn't get any strange ideas, but as I said - the temptation is barely resistible. Fortunately, she seems to notice my uneasiness, and quickly retreats, leaving me to turn around and give her a moderately scowling face.
"More than jealous," I utter "I'm afraid the two of you might try to turn my life upside down." As if it haven't been turned upside down already. But I'm digressing. "More importantly, where have you been? You missed one doozy of a show, you know."
"Ah." Mima puts a finger to her lips "Well, you know how it is, being a resident god of the shrine." as if, Mima. If there's one thing I have no idea about, it's how it feels to be a ghost, let alone a deity. "I can't just show myself to anyone. This isn't how it is."
"So," I throw, crossing arms on my chest "You'd rather flash in front of them in the middle of the night, dragging rattling chains and whatnot?"
The ghost clicks her fingers.
"Yeah." her grin is almost scary "Like that." If she says so. Not that I have any right to criticize her behaviour - seeing how ghosts' etiquette is a completely alien concept for someone of my sort - but really, if she wants to screw around, she could at least try to be less... cliche. Alright, I can understand her not wanting to show herself to everyone simply like that, but rattling chains would be overkill. Tenshi would probably get a heart attack, not to mention Iku, or... Nope, Satori would probably keep her cool, though inside, she'd be scared like a kitten that just saw a Doberman jump out of a hole in the ground. What am I even on about - the idea is ridiculous, and I should probably feel bad for putting it in her head. Accursed tongue of mine, when will you cease spouting whatever you want?! Forget it, that's not important, nor is my own sword partaking in plotting my own demise. "Though," she suddenly speaks up again, derailing my train of thoughts "I did peek on you and Reimu."
"Gah." Even though I had taken such a possibility into consideration, having heard it from the perpetrator herself forces a gasp out of my mouth. So it was right after all, that strange feeling she was hiding an important detail from me. Is this how it is, Mima? You've no interest in your shrine maiden fighting fiercely for whatever purpose, but you can't restrain yourself from invading her privacy? Shame on you, capricious ghost! Shame, but understanding as well. How come I find it mildly arousing? "The whole thing?"
There she goes, wheeling around me yet again. She must really like to watch as I try to follow her with my eyes in vain.
"The whoooole~ thing. Too bad it didn't last for longer, hm?" Rhetorical question, of course it is a pity. God only knows what might've happened if Tenshi hadn't disturbed us the second time. "Ah, you tiny, little pervert, you." she says seeing me smile "What did she taste like?"
"Hah?" I blink a few times "What kind of question is that?"
"They say a maiden's first kiss tastes like lemon~."
I give her a flippant look.
"No way. Really? Frankly, it tasted more like saliva."
The two of us share a short, uneasy laugh, more to vent the uneasy atmosphere, than to express the hilarity of my response, which wasn't hilarious. At all. Having done chuckling, Mima - for the first time since I arrived here - sighs with visible worry.
"You know," her tone suddenly changes to a serious one as well "I don't mean to insult you or anything, but this concerns me a little."
"What does?"
"Your charm, young man." she points at my face "Jokes aside, it's the first time I've seen Reimu getting so close to anyone, and you've only met yesterday. Even that guy from the shop..." she pauses for a moment, lost in thought "... Rinnosuke was his name, I think. It took him two months to convince Reimu that patting her shoulder shouldn't be a punishable offense."
Ah, this again. Haven't we been through this before? Reimu herself complained about it, briefly before completely giving into the moment, to my glee, but even afterwards, after the heat had dispersed, she had no complaints. Is there anything to be worried about? Nope, and just to underline the fact, I run a hand through my hair.
"Well, Kourin is an old prick." I look at Mima, maximizing the output of self-confidence till the meter refuses to go any higher "Perhaps Reimu just hit that certain age where contact with the opposite gender becomes something natural."
"I hope it's just that." she still refuses to admit it's all the fault - or merit, rather - of my actions, rather than some mysterious happenings that made Reimu a lot softer to any kind of approach "Hm. I guess I'll just trust you for the time being."
"There we go." I smile "No need to be afraid, I won't do anything nasty to her without her approval. I enjoy it when they resist, but I would never do anything against her will."
Finally, she relaxes her shoulders, as well as face, and returns my smile. I was right in labelling her as a prodigal mother - she really does care for Reimu in that strange, paternal, but passive way. But seeing how she reacted to being able to brush her 'daughter's' hair, could it be that she's actually to shy to interfere directly? I wonder.
"Well, that's that." I flick off my palm "I've got some other things to do, so..."
"Mhm." Mima nods "Quite a lot of things to do, I'm sure. Say," she looks at Sid in her hand "Mind if I borrow him for a little longer? He's quite the companion, if I may say so."
"Quite the companion!"
Sid repeats with much greater enthusiasm than the original author of these words. Borrow him, huh..."

First choice:
[ ] "Actually, take him. The bastard suits you more than me anyway."
[ ] "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
[ ] "Sorry, but there's something I wanted to talk with him. Another time, okay?"

Second choice:
[ ] Go see how Reimu is faring.
[ ] Look for Tenshi and Iku.
[ ] Pay a visit to the fabled hot springs.
[ ] Satori and Rin, go see those two.

[x] "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."

Plus it's probably best if we pull him out of thin air like last time. Practice.

[x] Satori and Rin, go see those two.

Have to fix that roof.

[x] "Actually, take him. The bastard suits you more than me anyway."

She needs its protection more than we do.

[x] Satori and Rin, go see those two.

[x] "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
[X] Satori and Rin, go see those two.

{X} "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
{X} Satori and Rin, go see those two.

{X} "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
{X} Satori and Rin, go see those two.

{X} "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
{X} Satori and Rin, go see those two.

>>22058
Yeah, guro is what I meant. I didn't have my Grand List of Different Hentai on hand at the time.

[x] "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
[x] Look for Tenshi and Iku

Tenshi and Iku have some of the best music. I'd go find them just for that.

>>22066

But they are not playing any music! And I don't think they can!

>>22067

Oh ho, but they could always sing~

One or two more today, we're almost done setting the board.

>>22068

Will we soon be knocking over the pieces?

[X] "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
[X] Satori and Rin, go see those two.

[x] "Alright." nod "But I would appreciate to have him back before I go to sleep."
[X] Satori and Rin, go see those two.

I may have said I missed having a glossateur strapped to my side all the time, but now come to think of it, I only realized it after he had spoken after a long break. It might as well be only an illusion, and if Mima appreciates the company of someone as boastful and mendacious as him, it's her call. Silence was enjoyable as well, and for that a bit false, yet incredibly warm smile, I can make one, little sacrifice. So many have been done today, a single additional consecration won't make a difference. No doubt the oh-so-familiar feeling of being completely naked is going to haunt me for the rest of the day, but if a need arises... repeating the trick from before would make a perfect remedy, should I find myself able to recall the impulse that made it possible.
"Alright." I nod, a bit reluctantly, but my face keeps a completely straight expression. Neither of them should see my uneasiness, lest burying myself underground won't quite get rid of the shame. Hah, Kane - Seven Golden Nights can't deal with lending a sword that called him a useless wimp to someone for a few hours. Can it get any more stupid? "But, I would be grateful if you returned him before the nightfall. That is, before I go to sleep."
"Ha!" Sid thrills in Mima's hand "Won't be able to fall asleep without me singing you lullabies, eh Master?"
I shot him a murderous glance.
"Shut your mouth, junk." then run fingers through my hair "I want you to be there in case a certain three-eyed girl decides to jump me in my sleep."
It's the truth, in the biggest part - truth be told, I could do with any of my swords, but the hand gets used to the rig, and so I've grown used to Sid's handle. Here's hoping he will at least appreciate me admitting outright my need for him in my nearest vicinity. I still cling onto what I said before - whoever came up with the concept of talking swords, should be shot on sigh, preferably with high-caliber, armor-penetrating rounds. Several times, until there's nothing left but a steaming pile of moist ash. Then shot into the stratosphere, in three separate containers. Along with his creations, so that they could discuss the potential danger of such actions towards one's life.
However stupid that sounds, I've got a feeling Sid's giving me a frown.
"Why couldn't you just pull me through that house of terror again if there's a need?"
So he asks. Well, I most certainly could attempt to pull it off, as I've already remarked, but first of all, it's too risky - the possibility of failure is close to nought, but according to my studies, 'close to nought' is still higher than zero. Better to be safe and sure, than to be proud, but wounded and sorry. Besides...
"I wouldn't want to interrupt anything important." I smirk "If you know what I mean."
That does it - Mima places a palm on her cheek, and smiles in a rather troubled manner, while Sid flails wildly in my direction - or it's just the ghost waving him around, I can't quite tell which it is. Neither do I care, frankly - at least I succeeded at getting back at him, finally. Two for Sid, one for Kane. Two more to go, but that'll have to wait for a different occasion. There are more important issues than playing cat and mouse with a sword.
"Why, how lowly of you, master!" he yells. I can only assume it's because I hit just the right spot. Though I'd rather be kept in ignorance, regarding it's details. "How could you suggest that I - Sid the Sword - would engage in dirty activities--!!!"
"Oh, don't mind me." I interrupt and turn to leave "Have fun."
With his curses as the background noise, I quickly retreat from this wing of the shrine.


Whither now, whither do you go, o' author of great one-liners? - perhaps to see your miko? Not quite, my inner conversant, for I do not wish to see the landlady yet, as the duty I had been burdened with has yet to be fulfilled. Then the time is nigh to gather the party and venture forth - onward, to find the originator of the mess! Trite mannerism aside, though I have practically not a slightest idea what-ever place she may have chosen to hide her wounded pet at, finding her shouldn't be too much of a problem, for someone of my sort. Like previously, all I need is to follow my nose, or rather the strange premonitions that lurk my head, and direct my legs in the - presumably - right directions. Madness! - one would say - What magic is this! - somehow, those words sound familiar, but I've no intention of questioning the magic that allows me to move swiftly around the place without a nick.

They were right - in no time, I find myself at the sanctuary of my enemy, or to be more precise, in front of it's door. The obligation to knock before entering was as strong as my sense of politeness, but having realized she's not the one owning the place, I simply slid the door ajar, and stepped inside.
Flawlessly, I congratulate my skills in looking for people silently, while my eyes slowly scan the environment - apparently consisting of an ordinary room, a mattress laid on the floor, upon which rests a girl in black dress, whose head is adorned with two, curiously erect cat ears - of course, I'm babbling on about Rin. Fortune has it she's not the only one using up the room's oxygen - Satori glances at me making my entrance, rather displeased about being disturbed. At least she did not lie about keeping watch over Rin. The catgirl seems to be asleep at the moment, quickly erasing the plans to give a speech about becoming her new owner from my agenda.
"Sshh." even so, Satori thinks it would be best to give me a bonus warning "She's asleep."
"I see that." my lips whisper "How's the wound?"
The girl sighs, partly to my glee, and partly to worry. Can't really tell which one has the majority of emotions.
"She's not used to physical wounds." Satori returns her eyes to the sleeping victim "The only thing we use downstairs is danmaku."
"Meaning?"
"Of course," I swear there's a hint of irritation in her voice "You'd need a dozen more swords to kill her. She should be fine - but it will take at least a day of sleep to heal the damage." Ah, yes, I keep forgetting. Beside me, the only human around is Reimu, and she also possesses bizarre powers. Having spent so much time leisurely - more or less - talking with them all, one would forget he's dealing with creatures of magic origin. Rin too is not a human, I need to remember that. Still, a whole day, she said? Still sounds serious, perhaps I should feel a little more guilty too. Satori stands up, and dusts off her knees. "Which means we shouldn't disturb her. I take it you're here to harness me to work?"
"Partially." I admit "Though if we are to fix the roof, I'm going to have to ask Reimu for some tools."
"No need." she sounds almost angry about mentioning the miko "There's a shed in the back, we'll find everything we need there."
"How do you--" I try to ask, but before my sentence finishes, she rushes out of the room, leaving me behind "Hey!"

At least she was right - there was a shed 'in the back', although it resembled a magazine more than a classic shed, with a lot of various junk, related or not to the shrine's encyclopedical purpose, but also a neat set of tools - painfully visibly not touched in years - just for the occasion. Gift from the heavens, or foresight of whoever equipped the place? God knows. Either way, after collecting what we needed, and leaving everything else in perfect order - including the things that my fingers itched to touch, for example an old chainsaw that definitely was out of place among the other old-fashioned utensils - our amateur engineer duo headed back to the main building. Satori - angrily, but obediently - lifted everything, including me, onto the roof, where I could finally examine the hole from a point-blank range. It seems the roof itself is constructed of wooden planks, arranged in a mayan-pyramid-like pattern. Basically, it's made of miniature, but very wide stairs. The area around the hole is really messed up, but applying an extra layer of steps and a bit of tar should do. For any advanced operations, we better call help from the village, I'm no expert when it comes to these things.
Satori observes carefully while I measure the planks, and mark the lines along which they should be cut with a pencil she grabbed from the shed. God only knows where the thing was up till now, but I cannot resist putting it in my mouth while my hands are both preoccupied - it just makes me look a lot more professional, at least inside my thoughts. The silence couldn't last forever though.
"You know," she starts, a bit timidly "You were actually... the second human ever to have defeated me."
What's that, a sudden wave of honesty? Or is she still feeling bad? Well, she should. I snatch the pencil and mark another line.
"I didn't even touch you."
There it goes, two last planks, and we're done with the first stage. The easiest step is almost behind us. Now, where did I put that measuring tape..."
"I know when to admit defeat." too bad she doesn't know where the damn tape-- oh, here it is "It was my loss. You won."
Okay, we're done. I hand the marked planks to Satori.
"Cut them, would you kindly?" I order, not even looking at her "So what about your loss?"
Now, to clean the mess up a little... Nothing a hammer and a chisel couldn't do.
"What about-- You don't even know what that means, do you?" nope, I'm more concerned about this nail right here, to be honest "At least take responsibility for it!"
Responsibility... Well, that's what I'm going to take after this damn nail...! Comes...! OUT! There it goes! Little bastard, thought you'd be allowed to sit there forever, eh?
"Responsibility, huh..." I repeat unwittingly "What about them planks?" To my surprise, she slides a pile of neatly cut wooden pieces closer to me, all perfectly cut in all the marked places. Wait, I didn't hear her saw the things..."No matter. Now, where did that box of nails go? Ah, yes... "So what kind of responsibility?"
"Responsibility!" she almost yells "When Utsuho comes back, for example!" there goes, the first one. Now or never, we'll see if I was born to be a labourer. "If she hears you've defeated me, she'll demand a duel, I know her too well!" batter up! The nail goes straight into the wood, perfectly straight. Damn, I just might be a son of an eagle and an arm wrestler! "Whatever you do, don't agree. She's far beyond my - and your - leagues. Tell her she's not worthy, or something along the lines that would fit your style, but don't agree to fight. She's a honourable girl, she won't attack without announcing herself first."
The second one follows the first as flawlessly as her predecessor, so does the third. Satori keeps silent, but at least the silence lets me concentrate. Thank god, I would've never guessed this would be such a serious job. Fixing roofs, huh..."Now, I wouldn't like to do it for a living, but... From time to time, to earn some additional copper... Why not? Fourth, coming right up!
"Satori," I say while adjusting the fifth one "That can of tar, I'll need you to heat it up a little. A little. Go grab some wood and make a little fire, would you kindly?" Fifth follows her sisters, joining in the great art of reconstruction without a word of protest. At this rate, we'll be done in no time. Okay, three more... I'm really getting better at this. Well, now at least no one can say I'm not a useful addition to the shrine - at least I can repair a roof in case a rabid girl decides to bust through and start a brawl. Okay, almost done... "Satori?" I call the girl's name "How's the-- oh." I fall silent when the opened can is almost shoved into my face "Oh. Thanks. The brush?" The brush too. I poke the can with my fingers to see if it's really been heated up, or if she's only making a fool of me. Nope, it's warm. "That was quick. What did you use?"
"My hands."
"Hmm." I whistle silently "Then I must say you're one, hot--"
"Don't," she cuts in "Even try. Is that all you need me for?"
I dip the brush in the tar, and start painting the edges of the newly-made cover in beautiful black.
"I think."
"Well then."
Without any further ado, she stands up, and heads for the edge of the roof. Then unceremoniously jumps down to the ground. Hm, how nice, to be able to jump off such heighs, without worrying about breaking your... Wait a moment, she's gone, how the hell am I supposed to carry all of this junk back to the shed by myself?! No, more importantly, how am I even going to get it off the roof?!
"Satori?" I wait a few seconds "Satori?!"
No response. Looks like the capricious girl really did leave on her own. Insolent witch. It's up to me to finish this, I guess... Sigh.



Turns out despite the blazing vengeance, all I had the strength to do after dropping everything off the roof and jumping off myself - not without a minimal, but still present detriment on my health - and dragging all the stuff back to it's righteous place, was taking a short, undisturbed shower, and drag my tired body to my room. Truth be told, I could use a fresh change of clothes, but frankly, being so tired and sleepy, I couldn't care less, really. Besides, it was already getting late, so I'm not wasting any time - I'm going to sleep.

...


Funny, how the smallest of events can lead to giant repercussions - the butterfly effect in action, only to a less than geographical extent. If a butterfly can cause a hurricane, would it be appropriate to say that a bacteria should be able to raise or demolish humans' relationships? Perhaps not, if we don't want to get too philosophical about it. Buns, on the other hand can, and did.
Ever since the day I made myself Reimu's partner in crime, I've been coming to the shrine every day, at first only to visit and parasite off the miko and her husband, but gradually, the goal of my trips there changed, evolved into an awkward friendship between me and their aforementioned daughter. I really did become an 'uncle' for her, to the point where she actually started calling me so, to her father's mild displeasure. The Hakurei seemed to be extremely conservative about family bonds. Too bad the little Reimu didn't give two damns about the whole 'he's not your real uncle' ordeal. No, the monk wasn't exactly hostile towards me - just the opposite, we would occasionally converse and argue with each other, sometimes he would even go as far as agree to bend his oath and go out to drink with his daughter's 'uncle'. For the first time in my life, and for the first time in Gensokyo, I'd grown used to being in one place, to being... with other people. I'd grown attached to them. It couldn't end well, and I was aware that some day, it would have to come to an end. It wasn't what I agreed to do, it wasn't... Something that my plans, my mother's plans were about.

The happy days in the Hakurei shrine went out like a badly manufactured light bulb - all of a sudden, with a loud bang.


The night was one of the darkest in many days, the firmament showed no sign of stars, nowhere would they come out to greet a lone man that'd decided it would be nice to take a stroll in the garden, instead of sleeping in the room he was allowed to stay in for the night, due to his 'niece' insisting on him doing so. Reluctant at first, her parents finally allowed to let the guy stay, under an excuse of it 'being too late to wander the forest'. Which was an outright lie, seeing how the man in question proved his strength numerous times, in most... spectacular ways. Still, there was no way for them that this decision would change their lives, and their daughter... probably forever.
Sick of the gloomy darkness, I returned into the corridors, full of negative thoughts. I was... impatient. It might've appeared accidental at first, but I'd already figured out by then, that the chance encounter in the village wasn't actually random. It all matched what she said, that one day. What she... demanded. Yet, even after fulfilling the conditions she'd stated, she was nowhere to be seen. Impatience was a natural thing to feel, under those circumstances.

The first sign of something being out of the ordinary was a scream. High-pitched, definitely female. Pained. Shocked. Surprised. I didn't need to use my powers to determine it's source, nor the reason for it's presence. It begun, and all I could do was to rush, dash, practically, towards where it came from.
It was Reimu's parents' bedroom.

...


I wake up with a start, from another strange dream, suddenly interrupted by a noise loud enough to pluck my brain of theta waves' frequency, and painfully, but successfully, return back to beta. Groaning, I lift myself from the mattress, and rub my eyes, trying to look around at the same time. It's dark already, I've probably been asleep for several hours already, and now...

Rattle, rattle...

Something shuffles around in the corridor just outside my room. No, it's actually getting farther, but undoubtedly, it was what woke me up. Feeling around, I find Sid's handle, and pick him up.
"Nnn... Uh, eh? Master?"
Was he asleep? Inconceivable. No matter, it's of no concern now.
"Sid," I whisper "Did Mima mention anything about scaring the guests at night?"

Rattle, rattle...

"No idea," my partner answers "She doesn't tell me about the jokes she pulls without my help."
I see... Nice to see that she still keeps secrets from someone else than me. Or I'm simply being fooled.

[ ] Check it out. Never enough caution.
[ ] Disregard it. Let Mima do whatever she wants. Go back to sleep.

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.

Oh, dear.

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.

This'll be good.

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.
[x] Slam through the door with Sid unsheathed.
[x] "Vile pestilence! How dare you taint this shrine! Prepare for battle!"

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.

We gon get attacked.

[x] Check it out. Never enough caution.

It doesn't matter one way or the other - even if it's merely a joke, I couldn't stand an unfolding where it turns out my assumptions about the intruder being Mima were wrong, and everyone wound up dead for some bizarre reason. Oh no, I may have just awakened, but my consciousness is already maltreating all of it's imaginary gears, trying to process the situation at hand into something more or less comprehensible. Utterly useless, for whatever obstreperously lurks - or rather, shambles - the dark corridors, has already caught enough the attention of the my more ardent part. Not counting Sid, I'm the only man present, and it should lie within my duties to look after the well-being of everyone else, including checking out peculiar noises in the middle of the night. How cliche.
Nevertheless, no matter how trivial or silly the aforementioned 'duty' might sound, I acknowledge it's call, and holding back the displeased groans that push their way out of my throat, stand up. Just like sound can't quite keep up to light in a storm, the bodies can't keep up to thoughts - mine not being an exception to this principle. It takes a few good seconds to catch balance, but when I finally do catch it, I catch it for good. It's pleasantly chilling to be faced with a dilemma like this.
No use in wasting time, the time of hunting is at hand, so is the one high for me to silently slip out of my lair.

Against the expectations, nothing appears to have changed - the environment still looks the same, only a lot... darker, but otherwise perfectly familiar. A cold breeze can be felt rushing past, from somewhere to the right, adding to the mystery of nightly noises. Guess no matter how unrealistic movies and books may be about such events, the reality will always find a way to parody it's false counterparts in the most vicious manner possible.
Rattle, rattle...
The intruder seems to follow the tracks of the wind, echoing along the walls from the left. Whatever his goal, I shan't allow him to reach it - my feet, having woken up completely, carry along, careful not to make any unwanted noises. The rest follows swiftly, obediently, shivering with anticipation and perhaps a little bit of fear.
First turn. My ears guide me flawlessly.
The shadowy figure flashes briefly on the opposite side of the corridor I have just entered, quickly disappearing behind another corner. I speed up my pace.
Second turn.
He's not exactly in rush, is he? Not really paying attention either - though the features are barely distinguishable, I manage to sneak up on him, and firmly grab his shoulder. Wait, what's this? Long hair--"
"Don't mo--"
"Hard right!"
My words get cut off by a warning from my partner, a warning that my arm follows without a delay. Something hard impacts with the railed edge of the scabbard, preventing my skull from being cracked open, but sending me flying sideways nonetheless. Air is knocked out of my lungs when I crash into the wall. The something - something that apparently possesses a metal arm, leaps to pin me up to it. It's face is shrouded in darkness, until a hint of light appears in the dark space, inches before my face. It quickly grows stronger, illuminating the shadows... On the tip of a long, prism-like thing, attached to a slender arm... That looks to be attached to someone who looks awfully similar to a girl I know named Utsuho. Her face expresses sheer confusion.
"Boring boy." she mutters, retracting the strange arm, and putting out the light. Another one appears a second after, only to reveal her standing before me. "What are you doing here? Man, you startled me."
Startled or not, she still managed to get me on the floor. What exactly is that arm? I swear she'd had normal arms up until the moment she left to 'play'... No, perhaps I should be more concerned about the fact her clothes are all torn up, revealing bits of naughty - and cut in several places - skin underneath. Upon a closer inspection, her arms and legs too are covered in cuts. The worst wound gapes on the inner side of her thigh, barely visible through a slit in her skirt.
"Where..." I can barely speak "Where exactly have you been all this time?"
She gives me a troubled shrug.
"What do you mean, where?" she cocks her head to the side "I was out playing."
"Yeah, I... I know." damn, my back hurts "But where?"
"Ahh!" great, the hint seems to have broken through her thick skull at last "In that big, red house, near the lake. Not far from here. Why?" Big, red... Scarlet Devil Mansion? That would sort of explain all the wounds... But not the fact she appears to be perfectly fine with all them there, especially that big one on her thigh... A normal human wouldn't even be able to walk properly. She certainly took her time, I must say. "Oh, right. I was looking for miss Satori. She's somewhere around here, right?"
I put a hand on my head, only to see if it's bleeding anywhere. Nope, it isn't.
"Yeah... I think." thank god "How do you know?"
She points to her nose, a stupid smile plastered all over her lips.
"I could smell miss Satori from the opposite side of Gensokyo."
Somehow, I get a feeling it would be better to nod eagerly, rather than question the abilities of her nose.

[ ] "More importantly, what the hell's up with all those cuts? Come on, let's take care of that."
[ ] Just point her to Satori's room, and go back to sleep.

[ ] "More importantly, what the hell's up with all those cuts? Come on, let's take care of that."

{X} "More importantly, what the hell's up with all those cuts? Come on, let's take care of that."

Unsightly~

[x] "More importantly, what the hell's up with all those cuts? Come on, let's take care of that."
[x] "And we can't do that with these clothes in the way. What an eyesore" remove them for her.

Damnit, everyone out partying while I'm stuck at home. And I wanted to update at least thrice today ;-;

[ ] "More importantly, what the hell's up with all those cuts? Come on, let's take care of that."

Oh man, I've been wanting to write this.

==

[X] "More importantly, what the hell's up with all those cuts? Come on, let's take care of that."

Why? Because I might be dealing with a petard whose idea of 'fun' involves getting cut all over in a house full of homicidal vampires and even worse maids, then returning at late night, scaring the living crap out of the would-be landlord before attempting to crack his sorry head open. Certainly, not my bag of beans, if I had to put myself in one. Ah, how ironic - that I who did so many stupid things can't tolerate a girl who enjoys getting herself cut up... Whatever floats her boat, really, but if I may have a say in this matter, being a girl, she should pay more heed to how she looks. Those cuts certainly spoil the sight, if not outright ruin the whole impression. Still, to be punished with such outcome, why couldn't I run into someone more sane? Sod this card, why can't I be given a reshuffle, miss Fortune?!
"You may jest," I groan while nodding eagerly "But more importantly, what in the devil is up with all those cuts?" she follows my fingers that point to her battered legs "Did miss vampire send out wild lions on you or what?"
Utsuho, being the airhead she is, blinks a few times before giving a disarmingly charming grin.
"If it had been tigers," she says "I would have taught them a few lessons!" For whatever reason, a strange vision pops out from the sea of other thoughts, but for the sake of seriousness of the situation at hand, I shall let it remain undescribed. It was kind of adorable how the rhetorical question went right over her head - or should I rather say: straight through it - though, so despite it now answering my real query, I let out a sigh. One cannot be angry at this girl, no matter the effort. "I'd catch them by their napes, and then spin," she waves her arms "And spin, and spin, and they'd fly like miss Satori when Rin crashed into her with her wheelbarrow!"
No doubt this story I would also like to skip on. So instead of encouraging any further derailment, I force my aching body to raise from the cold floor, and bring itself to a relative order. Which pretty much means dusting off the pants, really. One of the many advantages of wearing near to zilch at all - the clothes don't get dirty. Come to think of it she wasn't wearing anything the first time we met... Scrap that, back to the current dilemma.
"Anyhow," I resume when she finally ceases to flail her arms like morningstars "Doesn't that hurt?"
"Humm." give me a smack, but it looks incredibly cute when she puts a finger to her mouth like that "A bit, maybe."
"Alright, then." I beckon "Come on, let's take care of that."
If memory serves me right, there was a mirrored cabinet in the changing room at the bath, and if life has taught me anything useful, it's the knowledge that within mirrored cabinets, one can usually find utilities to raise his health points to a more comfortable level. Or spray some of them on his skin, hoping to reduce the relentless influence of time, I rarely did either. While it sounds amusing - and tempting - to suggest carrying her, she appears to be oblivious enough not to restrain herself from following me energetically, completely ignoring the state of her body. Ignorance? No, stupidity, rather.


Indeed there was - accordingly to my guesswork, there really was a cabinet in the changing room, and what's more - it's contents also suited the image of cabinets stuck in my head. Most importantly - it seems to contain products impossible to manufacture inside the border - medicaments, a few cosmetics in plastic bottles, and what counts now - disinfectants. Surprising, I would have never expected Reimu to possess such a broad stock of products from the outside. Benefits of being the Hakurei shrine maiden, probably. Well, I can only appreciate there being one, in a time of crisis. Okay, what else will I need... A bowl. And a towel, the wound needs some cleaning before plastering it. There's some gauze and bandage as well, this should do nicely as the dressing.
"Okay." I say whilst grabbing the plastic basin from under one of the shelves "Give me a second." It really does take seconds for me to fill the thing, and return to my patient on one leg. The towel I have prepared beforehand lands quickly in the warm water. "Sit." I throw, and miraculously, Utsuho sits like an obedient puppy "Er..." I give her a fleeting glance "You could also take your skirt off, that would help." No dirty intentions here, I'm really doing this for the good of her. She literally rips the piece of clothing off her waist, causing me to jerk up involuntarily. That was... somehow hot. The fact her underwear is completely exposed doesn't make it any less arousing. I kneel in front of her, and try not to stare too hard. "Er... spread your legs."
She does, sending another warm shiver down my aching back. Without any shame whatsoever, like an animal. Why do I find that attractive? God only knows, and thank him the wound looks disgusting enough to ward off the unnecessary thoughts. It's almost like if someone ran a spike through her thigh, then pulled it out, ripping the flesh apart. Really nasty, but my worries are probably nonsensical - if it takes Rin a day to regenerate from being impaled on a sword, it should take Utsuho only a little more to lick herself out of something like this. At least it doesn't seem to be bleeding, so placing the bowl directly beneath the injury, I wring the wet towel over it. Utsuho lets out a silent hiss.
"Ha." I snicker gloomily "So it does hurt after all, eh Utsuho?"
"Call me Okuu." she changes the topic without a stutter "Utsuho sounds weird."
"Okuu?" I ask and repeat the process, forcing another hiss from my patient "That's a weird name."
She smiles weakly.
"But everyone calls me Okuu anyway." I can only believe, and however silly 'Okuu' might sound, there's no denying that 'Utsuho' is kind of harsh on the tongue. So... Okuu, right? Okuu. Okuu's leg quivers lightly when I wringle the towel over it for the third time. "Ouch."
That should do, now, instead of idly waiting for it to get dry, perhaps I should busy myself with disinfecting all the other, smaller cuts. Wadding, wadding... Where was it again? Ah, yes, there it is. Hydrogen peroxide, or however it was named too. Now, I wonder how this one will feel... Poor Okuu, this is going to be a nightmare.
"Don't tell me you didn't feel this?" yet I take pleasure in seeing her wriggle around nervously "Come on, you're a big girl."
"I... tend to get..." now she closes one of her eyes out of pain. My god, this truly is one mindblowing sight, let alone the perspective itself - I am sitting between her legs. "Distracted... Is this really--ow! Necessary?"
"Hmm." Who knows, I'm not even sure myself. Youkai physiology wasn't covered on my studies, and I doubt it is in any other academy - but I'm quite sure the standard principles about infections still apply. If only to have a decent excuse for torturing her like this. "Okuu, hands." she reluctantly, but obediently reaches out both of arms, and looks away. "What a mess..."

"It wasn't my fault." now she's practically whispering "It wasn't my fault, so don't blame me, okay? That little vampire crawled out the hole I made, and hell broke loose. By my hand, mostly, but still, they started it!"
Not really, seeing how you said you made a 'hole' in the mansion, but if you say so, so shall it be. Not Okuu's fault, it was the bad vampires that started the fight. Maybe some day, we'll go there to take care of the ugly, now let us pay attention, not to accidentally pass any cuts. Her hissing gets more intensive with every passing second. Well, that's enough, the only ones remaining are on her stomach, but I limit myself to only those that are visible through the slits in her shirt. Back to the main bastard, it is. Gauze? Present. Bandage? Right-o. Dressing? Prepared beforehand, and ready to roll.
"Raise your legs." I urge, but what I get instead is a girl placing her legs on my shoulders. This is quickly getting out of hand. "... this much should do." She observes carefully while I skillfully wrap the bandage around the wound, and sighs with relief when the deed is done. "There." But her calves remain in place, and while I would rather retreat as quickly as possible before it gets even worse, my eyes find themselves staring right into hers. That is, before I'm brutally thrown out of oneirism, and land face-first on her bosom, her not-so-smooth-anymore legs locked around my neck. "Okuu--?!"
My gasps are drowned out by her giggle.
"You know what," she says "You're really nice." I'm grateful, but for the love of everything holy, your skin smells so nice I'm soon going to lose it-- no, wait, that's not it! I try to pull myself out of that devilish grasp, but to no avail. Her legs feel to be made of immovable steel. "I like you." That's really nice, and I mean it, but... Hell, I like her too. Not only because I'm literally inches away from her crotch, but also because, well... She's simply likeable. A bit silly, maybe, but still incredibly likeable. Like a child enclosed in a bit too mature body, yet aware of it's abilities and charms. An explosive mixture of the best traits of both seasons of life. Plus, she has the physical and magical prowess of a youkai... Whoever came up with this sort of combination, ought to join the inventor of talking swords. Too dangerous, way too dangerous. A sweet-looking firecracker, that can explode in your hand at any second. "It would have been fun if you had went with me."
Give up, it's no use trying to break free. Sigh. Let that fright be vented. She might be a bomb, but you're not the activation code. Not until she learns what you did to Rin, at least. Kane, you bastard.
"Yeah..." I mutter "Probably." Though I would have missed that precious time with Reimu then... But on the other hand, if I hadn't been there, maybe the miko would have acted more maturely, thus preventing all the mess from happening? Who knows, I know I don't. "I like you too."
She giggles silently again.
"Too bad miss Satori will want to go home tomorrow, huh?" she sighs. Okuu sighs. It's the first time I've heard her sigh. "And it's already so late..."
"Yeah..." I nod, although only mentally "So late..."

[ ] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."
[ ] "Sleep with me."
[ ] Keep still, say no more.

==

The last deal before we're done setting the board.

[ ] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

[ ] "Sleep with me."

Collect as many touhoes as possible to use Gates of Gensokyo.

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

>had went
Why is it I notice things like this when it's too late? Well, to hell with me.

Reimu unrelated.

[x] Keep still, say no more.

>"You know what," she says "You're really nice." I'm grateful, but for the love of everything holy, your skin smells so nice I'm soon going to lose it-- no, wait, that's not it! I try to pull myself out of that devilish grasp, but to no avail. Her legs feel to be made of immovable steel. "I like you."

Weird. I read this and did a double take and kept thinking that Okuu was going to lose it and note Kane.

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."
And tomorrow she explains why she has no skirt.

Why do you must guys spoil all the fun?

>Why do you must guys spoil all the fun?

Because we're joykilling faggots whose fear of turnabout outstretches our ability to stay in character.

[x] "Sleep with me."

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

Its been a while since there's been a Reimu route, and switching targets now would be just plain retarded.

Heh. Knowing YAF, we'd probably end up in another three-way relationship. He'd find a way to make it work.

>>22104

Lol, no. If the readers avoid that path it won't happen.

y'know, we've never had a harem ending before.

now is as good a time as any.

[x] "Come on, I'll show you where Satori is sleeping, we can talk on the way there."

It really is pretty late, actually - despite getting at least a few hours of sleep, my body's still being defiant - the excitement of following an intruder from earlier has completely dispersed, and now that I'm laying on Okuu's bosom, the drowsiness begins to recall itself into my consciousness. No one could possibly imagine a better pillow, not even in a thousand years, when they invent artificial bellies with heating. What for, when we can have the real thing at the cost of a little effort, is beyond me. Too bad there's bound to be someone who'll just have to jump out with an idea like that. For the time being though, I can close my eyes, and enjoy the sensation...
"... damn." Not. As nice as it feels, we can't linger here much longer - first of all, both of us probably need sleep, and a changing room isn't exactly the place where one can find decent conditions to lay down and give in to the exhaustion. I may have a nice pillow, but Okuu does not, and truth be told, the floor is rather cold, in comparison to her body. To top it off, if we were to be found in this state, there might be some unpleasant consequences, for the both of ends. I can only imagine what Reimu would do if she saw this, and the prospect is unappealing at best. Drat, this might be one of the most relaxing moments of my stay at the shrine, and yet I'm thinking of the miko. Silly, stupid me. Come to think of it, I may not be so qualified to call Okuu an airhead. Darn it. "... ehh."
All I can do is sigh with resignation, because the situation is simply hopeless. No, perhaps it wouldn't be if the perpetrator wasn't so happy about it all, maybe I could relax then as well.
"You know," speaking of the devil, she gives me another warm smile, followed by her hand ruffling my hair, a bit too harshly for such a cute gesture "Miss Satori would just tell me to sleep if I talked to her about those cuts." yeah, I can see that. Seeing how her remedy for Rin's injury was to put her to sleep, Okuu would probably receive the same 'treatment'... Now I'm a bit happier about making her go through this, even if in the end it was useless. Always willing to shove some practical wisdom into someone's head, am I? Maybe. "Your way was more fun. And..." she pauses for a moment, the smile disappearing for the duration of her pensiveness "It felt nice."
Nice, huh..."I... wonder. Wonder which part exactly felt nice to her. Nevertheless, only a fool wouldn't be happy for being told a thing like this, in spite of all the possible negative repercussions. Okuu's just too cheerful about it all. I'm ready to bet whoever comes and says she isn't just adorable for five hundred thousand dollar that he wouldn't be able to withstand her charm. But, here we are, lost in thought, while the time is slowly seeping away through our fingers. Happy moments can never last for ever.
"Come on." with a troubled sigh, I pat her thigh near my imprisoned head "I'll show you where Satori's room is. We can fight the break of dawn a little on the way there, if you want." I may be exaggerating, but the look on her face carries a hint of disappointment when her legs finally unlock their grip on my poor neck, and let me sit up... Still staying on my shoulders though, which while pleasant, adds to the pain. Why exactly is she doing this - I don't know, neither do I want to crack my head over it. Sorry, Okuu, but we really need to get going, so excuse me while I gently shove those calves off. "Shall we?" At least she seems to understand I do not wish to remain here any longer, and obediently collects her torn skirt, then watches for a few seconds as I return the tools of healing back to their righteous place. Having done that, I dust my hands off, and turning off the lights, head back into the corridors. Okuu follows without a word.


She... kinda smelled like smoked meat...


...


As stupid as it will make me look, I actually took care to take a little detour, rather than leading her straight to Satori's room. She just seemed so happy, walking along my side, with hands clasped on her back, flashing joyful smiles every time I glance at her.
"And then," she continues speaking enthusiastically about one of her misadventures "I brought it home, but miss Koishi threw it out. Rin almost cried back then, that silly cat!" a soft laugh escapes her lips "But the best story is about when I found a god on a trip to hell's caves."
Wait, there's something off. I may have not paid much attention, but unfitting details somehow caught my senses. I shift my eyes to her, calling another smile onto her face.
"A god?" she nods, but I still don't quite grasp the meaning of this "One of those divine creatures with power over a certain part of the world?"
"Yep!" Okuu gives me a grin, inducing even more confusion in my already stirred thoughts "His name was Yataga... ra..." she pauses for a moment, frowning hard "... su, I think."
"Yatagarasu." I repeat "Can't say I heard of him."
"Oh." she waves her hand at me "He was no one important. Someone told me I could eat him, so I stalked him a bit until he fell asleep... And then boom!" her arms spread in some sort of exaggerated gesture "I grabbed him by the tail and swallowed him whole!"
Nope, no matter how hard I try, I cannot quite imagine anyone swallowing a god whole. Come to think of it, I don't even know what a god looks like. They often take up forms of humans, don't they? Could she swallow a human whole? A chilling thought...
"So..." I rub my nose "That thing in your chest is... that god?"
"Mhm!" Okuu nods eagerly and taps on the transparent orb "That's Yata... ga..."
"Yatagarasu." I prompt "And that thing on your arm?"
"Oh, this?" she looks at the strange prism-shaped object that caught nearly crushed my skull merely half an hour ago "Some stupid kappa ventured too deep into the Underworld. Fire spirits got him. But they're stupid." Okuu knocks her own head "They kill without thinking, and don't even loot the body. Wasteful dummies." That explains a thing or two, though I'm still not quite sure what exactly does the thing do, and it's origins don't hint at much either. No matter, it was only a curious thought, it's not like I'm keen on understanding something that probably works powered by magic - those should be left to professionals, and I'm not one. The fight with Satori was... An accident. Favourable, but still an effect of unexpected circumstances. It was only luck that I went through it in one piece. That and... those weird premonitions, telling me what to do, no matter if it's fooling around with the miko, searching for ghosts, or launching swords at girls from thin air. "Ah." Utsuho breaks my reverie by taking a deep breath "It's here, right?"
I look around, and discover we've already reached the room where Satori is sleeping. Accursed daydreaming, and my body acting against my will. Oh, well... It couldn't last forever anyway, this place had to loom in front of us sooner or later. Misfortune had it the former option was chosen, to my disappointment. I sigh.
"Yeah." then look at Okuu "Till tomorrow, then."
She smiles yet again.
"Tomorrow, boring boy."

...



The stench of blood was horrible, or maybe it was just my oversensitive senses that made it out worse than it really was, I don't know. Enough said, that after reaching the site, the soles of my shoes were already stained. The floor, the walls, everything around was painted in a sickening, yet strangely attractive shade of red. Red of blood and bloodstained pieces of papers, protective runes only barely recognizable now, scattered all over. Signs of battle, and judging by everything else, a battle that the charms' owners had no chance of winning.
Another scream, followed by something long hurling out of the nearest open door. With loud splatter, it hit against the wall, but before it was allowed to fall to the ground, darkness, in it's purest form, consumed the thing that I could only describe as a human arm. That ensured my suspicions.
Calm, hands in my pockets, I peered into the room.
There, a figure I hadn't seen in a long time greet me, the pile of flesh in front of her slowly dissolving into blackness.
"Took your time."
"You, on the other hand, were a bit too early." she replied, completely unaffected by the bloody spectacle around "Had any fun while I was gone?"
"A lot." I answered, then sighed "I would've never suspected you of being the messy type."
"Don't joke around." she frowned at my rather malicious remark "I couldn't risk sending them alive anywhere, even if it was the Hell itself. They're Hakurei."
"Right. Still, this is one hell of a mess you made." I glanced at all the blood spilled on the floor "Who's gonna clean up all this?"
"I will." she said, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world "Where's the little one?"
"Sleeping. Or so I ho--"
"Uncle?"
That was the moment when my body acted before any feelings I might've had for the said girl. It moved, on a sudden impulse, behind the one that'd just popped out from behind the door frame, grabbing her neck and face, pinning her to the bloodstained floor. It's shameful, but I couldn't help but enjoy treating her like that. I'd wished to do something like that to her for so long I forgot about it until the last moment.
"Don't look." My words sounded unfittingly gentle, faced with my act. I raised my gaze to the author of the play. "Guess this complicates things a little, eh?"
To my surprise, she only smiled.
"Not at all. Human memories are easy to tamper with." I frowned., but she didn't stop at that. "Her blood may be strong, but she's still only a human, and I wouldn't like her remembering my face if I'm to act as her mother for some time."
"Insolence." I snorted "You're pretty full of yourself, Yukari. I know her, she won't need your protection."
Her shark-toothed grin was something to behold. The little body under my hands and boots started to shake in rhythmical spasms. I didn't care. Neither did I about her silent whimpering. Right then, it was just a mere annoyance.
"Even the most adult people need someone's shoulder to cry their sorrows on." Yukari resumed after a second "Besides," her eyes squinted a little, as if meant to carry some sort of grudge, maybe an insult "I've always wanted a daughter."
"If you say so." I sighed angrily "Wouldn't this be a perfect moment to set the plan in motion though?"
She shook her head, quite energetically.
"No, not yet. She's still too young. Plus..." her words brought annoyance, but also a tangible mystery, that I was more than eager to discover "You'll find out when the time comes. For the time being... Lay low, and don't interfere."
All I could do was nod obediently.

Indeed, it wasn't the time yet.


...



Awakening - the most detested part of daily life one could ever imagine. Of course, the process of waking up itself can vary from circumstances to circumstances, from a gentle, delicate call of morning's sun, to being splashed by wet, dirty water from a car speeding by after spending a night under a bridge. Needless to say, all this bitching is simply an effect of me being plucked from my dreams by motion so violent and harsh, it would wake up even a long dead man. Whatever it is shaking my shoulders, I swear it's determined to rip my arms off. Stop... freaking... shaking...!
"Wake the hell up!" Great, now it speaks, and speaks with voice that I know too well to mistake it for anyone else's. Was it under different conditions, I'd probably appreciate being woken up by it, but now, all I can do is despair at the pain. "Finally!" she says when I raise my sticky eyelids "I was beginning to feel a little ignored!"
Yeah, I... wait, screw apologizing. What time is it? It's definitely past the time that could be described as 'early morning', seeing how the lazy miko is already up - and how I had to wake her up myself yesterday, but... Damn, surely an aftereffect of playing with Utsuho last night. Curses.
"I'm awake..." I mutter "God, Reimu. Have some pity for a tired man."
She gives me an angry scowl.
"Tired my ass! Do you have any idea how late it is? Come on, get up!" my arms are being pulled at, and soon I find myself standing up, despite the haze covering almost whole of my consciousness "You went to sleep really early yesterday, so stop complaining. Hey, don't fall asleep!" now there's something slapping my face, albeit gently "Go wash your face, we're almost done with breakfast."
With that, she hurriedly leaves the room, leaving me to sway back and forth for a minute longer, before the meaning of her words finally breaks through the clouded reality. Right, I should probably go and smarten myself up a bit.




When I finally arrive in the dining room, my nose is invaded by a spectrum of smells that should be considered at least intoxicating for a human brain. The table is set with various bowls and plates, full of food, looking more or less edible, depending on one's idea of 'edibility'. Among them stands a couple of bottles - leftovers from yesterday, I'd assume. Tenshi and Iku - both dressed in identical nightshirts Reimu had on herself yesterday morning - give me a mute greeting, too busy with their eating utensils to say anything. I respond in kind. Suika and Mima are nowhere to be seen, neither is Satori's party. Well, I'm sure Okuu feels similar to me, and Rin still has a few more hours to go, but Satori... Hm, a fellow lazybones? We might have more in common than we had ever fathomed, Satori. Anyhow, can't be bothered by that right now, skipping breakfast is their loss, and I should be grateful for having been woken up by the miko... Speaking of whom, seeing me arrive, she quickly stands up, and approaches me. The ribbon is still wrapped around her neck, her hair still let loose. It seems that even when the only person unaware of our yesterday's excess - but with enough hints to make accurate assumptions - is present, the hickeys are still too much of an embarrassing thing to show. Can't blame her, now can I?
"You look like seven nightmares." gee, thanks for that unintended compliment, Reimu. I feel like that as well. "Come on, there's much work to be done today, so eat quickly. We need to clean the rooms, carry some stuff to the springs, check the machinery..."
She continues to spout out a list of tasks, while I fight off the urge to grab my head and scream in irritation.

[ ] "Mhm. Yeah. Right.", mumble and shut her up with a kiss.
[ ] "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"
[ ] Ignore her, sit at the table and begin eating. Maybe strike up a conversation with the other two too.
[ ] Do it. Scream.

[x] Ignore her, sit at the table and begin eating. Maybe strike up a conversation with the other two too.

Haven't interacted with Iku much.

{X} "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"

brb getting my slave

[ ] Ignore her, sit at the table and begin eating. Maybe strike up a conversation with the other two too

Yukari gets more unlikable with every iteration doesn't she?

[x] "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"

>>22116

Don't jump to conclusions, my dear. They might lead to your demise~

>>22116
YAF hates Yukari she either always is evil, gets killed or raped all the time in his stories.

But what can you expect, she is always a plot device to get the story starting.
And maybe that's exactly what she is. A Youkai who thinks humans and the rest are nothing and playthings.

[x] "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"

[ ] "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"

[x] "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"

[x] "Alright, alright." interrupt "I'll go and wake Satori up first, okay?"

I'm not stupid enough to let myself do that though, and even if the list of things to do is ridiculously long, this is kinda what you get for agreeing to live with the lazy miko, is it not? Only natural I would 'inextortedly' help her with this and that - no way she would do all the work herself, letting me fondle the fondlable parts of her body afterwards. Sigh, again, is all I can do. Still, there are better things to do than listening to her reciting all the chores like in some sort of a bizarre play.
"Alright, alright!" I cut in, a bit too nervously than intended "I get it, geez!" Reimu backs away a little, faced with this sudden reaction, but retains enough confidence not to look any surprised. This needs fixing, so I quickly place a hand on her head, and ruffle her hair a little. "Relax, it's still morning."
Reluctantly, but she shoves the hand of mine off her head. Aw, can't really hide your own feelings, now can you, Reimu? That's adorable.
"I'm just trying to tell you," she says, only a bit irritated "That there's a bunch of things to do, and you shouldn't play around."
Yeah, I know, I know, still it's still pretty early, I don't get all the fuss around this all. First of all, if it really had been that important, she should've woken me up sooner. Can't really treat your seriously here, Reimu. Sorry, in the current state, I don't really give half a damn. Maybe when I wake up completely, and imagine the prize for going through excessive exertion... Yeah, maybe then. For the time being...
"I get it." my shoulders give out a shrug "Can I go and wake Satori up first? I'd rather her not slip away on her own."
The answer is irrelevant, frankly, I don't really care about what Reimu thinks. She doesn't even get to protest before I dash out of the room.

...

It's incredibly quiet around the room I pointed to Okuu last night, which while perfectly normal, fills me with an unexplainable worry. It may be only a premonition, but having discovered Okuu covered in cuts last night, I can't help but think I should change my attitude to towards those girls. Nonetheless, there's no saying if my worries are justified - Satori put up enough of a fight to prove herself capable, and truth be told - what could possibly go wrong in the Hakurei shrine? Aside from it's inhabitants, that is.
Well, guess what - turns out I wasn't worrying for nothing! As happy as that makes me, the sight of an empty room where there should be at least three girls sleeping peacefully isn't exactly heartening. On an impulse, I jump inside, and hastily look around. No, they're not here, I'm not hallucinating.
"What--..." Could it be that they have already left? No, it's nonsensical, if Satori could carry her wounded pet on her own, she would have escaped yesterday, and she had not only one, but two--... Wait. No, I'm missing something here, I'm missing something terribly important. Miss Satori would just put you to sleep, is that right, Okuu..."But I have already... "Damn it!"
I should have seen this coming! Curse you, Satori! What an insolent nuisance you are, running off with MY Rin like this...! Hell, I should have never touched Okuu in the first place - if I hadn't, there would be one more nail keeping her grounded here! Why, why, why, why, why---?! It's nonsensical, but I'd rather hold onto hope than cast it away without a second thought. They may still be...
My legs are already in move, carrying me as fast as possible, into the front yard.

...

They're not here either. All that remains to mock the lack of their presence is the sun, mercilessly making fun of my failure. Not even the beautiful weather can make up for the effects of my mistakes. They really did run off! Reimu wouldn't let them use either the springs or the bath, so the possibility of them being there is practically inexistant, and they weren't in the dining room. I was being too soft, WAY too soft! I should have beaten Satori to a bloody pulp to keep her here! Vain wishes now - wise Kane after the harm, to paraphrase the saying. They're gone. Took my Rin away. How could it possibly have happened?!
Stomping the ground will do no good. Neither will snorting angrily every two seconds. I need to calm down. Stop thinking about it. Calm the hell down.
"Haah..." my breathing slowly returns to normal "Haah... Haa-- ha?" Yet it would seem lady Fortune has more surprises for me in her bottomless sleeves. This time, instead of someone running off, someone appears to be heading towards the shrine, from the direction of the horrendous set of stairs I was forced to brave two days ago. "Ha..."
I let out a last, deeper exhale, and focus on the newcomer. A man. Firmly, confidently placing his feet, paying no attention to an infuriated guy in front of him. His getup is most peculiar - a brown coat over navy blue outfit isn't exactly the combination you'd see in Paris' alleys. He looks considerably older than me, yet the smile on his face carries that strange kind of immaturity, despite the facial hair. I turn to the intruder and steel myself.
"Who are you?" He doesn't answer, totally ignoring my query. His pace remains the same, in a few seconds, he's going to literally walk into me. That smile of his is incredibly annoying, for some reason. "Who are you?!" I repeat, reaching to my belt. But Sid isn't here, I left him alone again in my room, fearing he would do his best to disturb the calamity of the morning. The stranger is merely steps away from me. Damn, I need to use that thing again... Concentrate... How can I concentrate with him walking straight at me, with no regard for the fact that I'm standing here whatsoever?! Still, I need to reach, I need to...! "Stop where you are--!"
But when I look back at where he was - now with a blade drawn and raised in the air in my hand - he's not there. Vanished, disappeared out of my sight. Just where--"
"Well!" the voice comes from directly behind me, and needless to say, when I turn there, the stranger is standing with his arms thrown up just in front of the entrance. Wha-- How did he get there?! "The outside looks even shabbier than I remembered! Let's see if it's the same inside--"
"HEY!" Finally, his arms drop, and he turns to me, the irritant in form of a smirk still present on his face. He stares at me in amusement, despite the blade pointed in his direction. If I wanted, I could probably repeat the trick from before, there's enough distance between us to... If he gives me even a slightest excuse... "Listen to me when I'm talking!"
"Hey, kid!" he leans towards me, placing hands on his hips "I thought you were a scarecrow! What's wrong with that getup? Reimu ate your shirt?"
I can't believe it - I'm the one armed here, yet he's the one doing the mocking and laughing. Insolent piece of... Who the hell are you, even?!

[ ] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.
[ ] "You may jest..." calm down, brush my hair leisurely "But as long as I'm standing, you do NOT demand answers from me. Now, state your business!"
[ ] "Let's put it like that: you tell me who the hell you are, and I don't make you into swiss cheese. How about it?"

[x] "Let's put it like that: you tell me who the hell you are, and I don't make you into swiss cheese. How about it?"

Satori broke spellcard rules, is Reimu gonna have to hunt her down now?

[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.

Haha! Didn't expect me to hit you without doing any pre-fighting speeches, now did you?!

[x] "FFFFFFFFFFFFF-"
[x] Smack him over the head with your sword.
[x] "Listen to me, mister Rogers. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I sure as hell won't tolerate someone ignoring me. You wanna fight?"

[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.

>>22128

You're not really helping, ya know.

>>22130
Mission fucking accomplished.

[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.

[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.

Go to hell, Nanaya.

[x] "Hmph. Well if I'm not looking my best, it's because it's odd to find a worthy opponent here in a land of women and--"
[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.
[x] "--children. Do you see my point?"

[x] "Hmph. Well if I'm not looking my best, it's because it's odd to find a worthy opponent here in a land of women and--"
[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.
[x] "--children. Do you see my point?"

I know this won't win, but I'm voting for this anyway because it's awesome.

[ ] "Let's put it like that: you tell me who the hell you are, and I don't make you into swiss cheese. How about it?"

Now that I think about it, any of these options are probably going to end badly for us.

[x] Nail him. Here and now. Whoever the fuck he is.

I do not care who exactly he is, nor what he wants to achieve by utterly ignoring me at first, then insulting me out of the blue, calling me a 'kid', wearing that mocking smile on his lips, making fun of me with his very presence. Honestly? I don't give half a damn about this mongrel's intentions, he may as well erase himself from existence for all I care. He should, but he won't. Another hindrance to be taken care of by my hand. What an unbelievably nauseating bother, to be forced into such events as the first thing in the morning. Only one way to fix this wretched fortune.
I close my eyes and concentrate, trying to recall that delicate, fleeting sensation, which allowed me to reign superior over the girl whom I fought yesterday. Back then, it was merely a reflex, a deeply ingrained instinctive reaction I had never been forced to resort to before. The search for a certain, bizarre back-door of my mind ends, when it unexpectedly opens by itself, letting the enlightening breeze roam free inside my head yet again. I can feel the air, the sheer surface of reality bend behind my back, and from that surreal hole in the world...
"Heh."
I smirk. It was almost too easy. I'm either getting a hang of this really fast, or am simply a natural. Either way - I am delighted to see a dozen of swords, the ones I had stored in the case, formerly Sid's prison, appear and hover in stillness over my shoulders. The one they're aimed at - the mockingly cocky intruder, clicks his tongue, but retains the smile.
"You got a trick up your sleeve."
"SILENCE!" Insolent, impudent, overconfident, impertinent, brazen piece of shit! Shut your mouth! Scream in pain! Disappear! Be gone! "EVADE THIS!"
Then, as before, following the untrained command, my blades, my weapons all hurl forward at once, at a speed that surpasses human recognition, not intent on missing, all aimed straight at his torso. I have already won, for he doesn't move an inch before all of them, simultaneously, go right through his body.

Right through.

They all go through his torso, which doesn't even flinch.

All, but one, plunge into the weak walls of the shrine behind his back, tearing through wood like through butter, while he stands there, seemingly untouched. There's not a single trace of any damage on his clothes, not a single trace of blood, even though I saw several pieces of steel drive through it a second ago. All, but one, because of some accursed streak of misfortune, the aforementioned one somehow found it's way into his hand.
"You know, back in my times," he leisurely tosses the sword in the air, then catches it effortlessly, as if it was a weightless stick. Impossible. I don't understand what just happened. "When the enemy was unarmed, we offered them a weapon." his eyes turn to me, and I step back, shocked by their hostility "Too bad this one is a bit..." the blade screeches horribly when he sticks it into the paved path, like if it was made of nothing at all. Unbelievable, this can't be happening! "UNHANDY!"
I can only watch in awe as he mercilessly kicks the pommel, sending the blade flying, spinning like a rotor, in my direction. Only thanks to a sudden impulse from Sid, I manage to step aside and move out of it's trajectory. Birds scream in horror when the deadly boomerang rends through the thicket behind. Inconceivable, this is simply ridiculous! How can he, without a stutter, take a dozen or more swords through his body, then leisurely kick one of them back with such force?! This guy isn't human, I'm sure now. He's not human at all! No, I'm missing something. If they really went through his body, there'd be a trace, at least a hole in his sickeningly undamaged clothes. Madness. What magic... What accursed sorcery is this?!
"You..." I step back yet again "What are you..."
"I am, if you will," the face unchanged, the tone even joyful than before, he gives me a brief, shallow bow "Just a spider, webbing in the darkness."
A loony, in other words. Ridiculously overpowered madman, who doesn't flinch in the face of a dozen of blades aimed at his throat. Crazed, insane mongrel whose only goal in life is to mock me. Disregarding my attack simply like that... He's obviously looking to have his hand get bitten off. Only one solution - if it's a fight he seeks, it's a fight he gets, and if I have to rain him with steel for all eternity--!
"Kane?" Curses! Why, at a time like this, does she have to come out?! Reimu rushes out of the shrine, gracing my swords with only a single, surprised glance, then stops on the steps, rooted to the spot, apparently shocked about there being another man standing right there. "Eh?"
The said casts me a grin before turning to the miko.
"Well, well!" he chirps, in a voice so sweet it makes me want to vomit "Who do we have here?"
Reimu's face undergoes a rapid evolution, from genuinely surprised, to angry, then again to shocked, confused and dumbfounded, only to make the eyelids blink and the mouth open a second after, as she tries - I think - to recognize the person so boastfully emitting his cocky aura on her holy grounds. Somehow, this enrages me even more.
"A..." she pauses for a moment, words stuck in her throat "... uncle?"

[ ] That's it, he's distracted. Treacherously drive my sword through him!
[ ] "Uncle?" snort "What sort of a joke is this? I demand explanations!"
[ ] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

{X} That's it, he's distracted. Treacherously drive my sword through him!

[x] That's it, he's distracted. Treacherously drive my sword through him!

Fucker needs to learn his lesson

[x] That's it, he's distracted. Treacherously drive my sword through him!

YAF, what in the good blazes of fuck? Is this a paradox? DID YOU DIVIDE BY ZERO? DID YOU?!

[ ] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

Miko in distress!

[x] That's it, he's distracted. Treacherously drive my sword through him!

Voting for treachery.

[X] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

>>22101
>Its been a while since there's been a Reimu route, and switching targets now would be just plain retarded.

You mean, it's been a while since the only route ever done? For fuck's sake, Reimu is the first /shrine/ end ever achieved!

And NO! Retarded was to let slip a chance for a Okuu H-scene without bad consequences. Changing targets? After YAF himself said there are no /underground/ routes? Fuck you, just fuck you.

Sigh, I could go on and on ranting about that option winning. But fuck, it would never end.

>>22150

Gee, thanks for negating all the effort I put into making other characters interesting, and ruining all the work I had put into CoMN. Way to go. First I get told I can only write one protagonist (Naya = Fuku = Kane), now I can only write one character... No other thing to do than to go on an indefinite hiatus, then. Thanks, man.

>>22152

lol sike

>>22152
No, come back. I didn't mean it like that. I really want you to write, come write faggot.
I love you YAF.

Did I miss something? Whatever comment irked Yaf is now gone. Yaf, don't let one person's opinion bother you. There is nothing on this earth that has ever been made that pleased everyone. So far the response to this story has been rather good, and I've been checking it more often than any other story due to the copious amounts of kickass and awsome.

It's been nice seeing a decent Reimu route again.

>>22157
Indeed, i worded it wrong. I just wanted to say that you can write Reimu better than the other characters. Nothing bad about this, it is something good. And i wasn't even talking about COMN.

great, more YAF faggotry.

you wanna be a prissy little drama queen and not write any more? then don't. despite what the posts above say, the majority of people here, in fact, don't give a shit. in fact, they don't even give enough of a shit to post anything at all.

do remember, though: a writefag that doesn't write *sunglasses* is just a fag.

>I've been checking it more often than any other story due to the copious amounts of kickass and awsome.
Translation: "I've been checking it more often than any other story due to the copious amounts of updates made every day".

Sugar-coating never tasted so awful.

YAF wil come back... ehh, sometime. When he's done jerking off in a Superman comic-book or whatever.

Gee, you're all overreacting. I resorted to irony, because it just seemed like a conspiracy to drive me mad - first I'm getting told I can write only one protagonist, then - I can write only one character. What the hell was I supposed to think? The whole world was turned upside down, Reimu is Naya, who also suddenly became Fuku in Kane's body, that now resembles Renji, who acts like Mima. Total mish-mash.

So yeah, that was irony, I forgot it doesn't transfer well over the internet. There's no hiatus, I'll update as soon as one of the options hits 5 votes.

>>22160
>Sugar-coating never tasted so awful.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

Have a Reimu to cool off. Or just the opposite.

>>22162

I wasn't sugar coating. I meant it. I've been hoping for a new TS run for a while, and so far you have delivered quite nicely.

[ ] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

>>22162
They say that the only short-comings a man has are the ones he creates himself.

Well, actually it was 'worries', but the message is still clear. You brought this shit upon yourself. Now you deal with it.

>>22165

Well, give me a winning option, and I will. By updating. For the time being, I'll just sip on my tea and listen to SHODAN's sexy voice.

[x] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

Gate of Babylon works better in narrow corridors.

[ ] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

Voting against evil option.

YAF really did change in the last time. He stopped fagging around in other threads and just concentrated on his story. Despite it feeling like doing a choir to him.

AFter this is over i would really like another round of COMN

[x] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

[x] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

[X] She's in danger. Grave danger. Knock her off her feet, and retreat into the shrine.

Whoever in the devil he is, by some unexplainable streak of coincidence, seems to be familiar with Reimu, to the point where she called him... Uncle? Uncle?! Absurd! Slander! Nonsense! This here miko is the only remaining member of the Hakurei family as far as my knowledge goes - and it goes far beyond just that - so this has to be one giant misunderstanding. Whichever relative of Reimu he resembles, in the end, he is no more but a miscreant vagabond who not only was impertinent enough to insult the one who's spread his wings over the shrine as it's guardian, but even went as far as attack him... With his own weapon.
The insolent bastard spreads his arm in a welcoming gesture. How stubborn. How impertinent.
"In my own splendid person!" his venomous tongue utters at my miko "Come, give me a hug!"
Oh, you'll never see the day, bastard! How dare you use her confusion to urge such actions? Mongrel! If you plan to raise a hand against my Reimu...!
With a quick, swift wave of a hand, I pull all the swords back into the nothingness of my mind, where they came from. Obediently, they vanish into thin air, without a notice from anyone. None is needed. Everything I require now are fast legs - to dash past the intruder, and ignoring his mocking smirk, as gently as possible, but forcibly, sweep Reimu off her feet. She doesn't even get to squeal a single time before landing in my embrace. But it is no time to get touchy, oh, no time.
"What's the hurry--?"
The stranger remains in place, only opening his mouth to spit out another nonsensical question I have no intention of answering either way. His voice falls silent when I slam the front door of the shrine, driven by anger and shame. Come to think of it, I may as well be overreacting, but there's no retreating now. No going back and apologizing can there be, when he had almost mowed my neck off with my own sword. No, whoever he was, it is not safe for either of us to face him. For now, we need to retreat--
"Kane!" ah, yes, of course. My beautiful damsel in distress couldn't keep quiet forever. "What the hell are you doing?! That was my--!"
"Ssh." I hiss at her "I don't care. Whosoever survives being pierced by a dozen of swords, and starts kicking them back at the owner, can't be trusted."
Her eyes widen.
"You... What did you do to him?!"
What did I do to him? Isn't that a stupid question, Reimu, my dear? First of all, your behaviour is unclear - why didn't you answer his call with a burst of spikes in the stomach? Why didn't you drive him away? And most of all, why did it look like you were about to really give him a welcoming hug?! No, I can forgive him being a cocky rotter, but that is simply beyond the grace of... Hold up for a second. Am I... being jealous? There is this... weird surge of adrenaline driving my thoughts insane, but what for, and why..."No. It's useless. I may wonder, but all it does is strip me off precious time. Time I should be spending on finding a safe place to drop Reimu at. Why am I so... afraid of that guy? Almost like if I knew... like if I met him somewhere before. But it's impossible, the only time I've heard his voice was...
I shake my head.
This is all but confusion brought forth by fear. Yes, fear. Not the kind you feel when Reimu pulls the ribbons out of her hair, not the one you feel when Okuu places her legs on your shoulders. No, this one smells of sweat and blood. He reeked of sweat and blood. Only now do I realize what it was that made me feel constant hostility emanating from his sheer existence, but it makes sense. He smelled of sweat and blood. It can never foretell anything good.
"It was just a premonition." my lips whisper, more to themselves than to the one in my arms "But you're mine. If you want to hug another guy, well..."
I don't even need to look down to see her blush. It's almost palpable, so are her arms suddenly trying to push away.
"I'm not--!"
Whatever it was she meant to say, it gets cut off by my body springing into crazy dash. Onward, to the only safe place in this shrine.


"What took you so long?" ... and stop behind the nearest corner. "Important matters held ya back?"
Inconceivable... Why... Why is he here, leaning against the wall, carefully examining his fingernails? Why is he here, of all places, when I have just locked him out?! There is another entrance, but to my knowledge, it would require circling around the shrine, then returning here through the corridors... How..."His coat flutters gaily when he turns to us, throwing it's sides apart with his arms. What a showoff. Yet, it strikes me with fear. Gather yourself! Hold yourself together, Kane! Remember about the swords...! Even if they do nothing!
"You..." I grit my teeth "Who the hell are you...?"
Sighing, he puts two fingers to his forehead.
"I told you, didn't I?" his tone is a bit impatient, but still full of that mocking glee "I'm a spider, webbing in the darkness. They call me... Seven." Seven..."How come... "And you," one of his hands points at me "Are 'Koganeiro Nanatsuyoru'. Hah." he snickers "You know kid, this time, we might have a lot more in common."
His words are meaningless. Cryptic. Enigmatic. He speaks in riddles, while he should speak sense. I should have already killed him, when he was looking away, yet now here I am, hands occupied, him standing merely meters away...
"Speak--"
"Sense?" he cuts in. I flinch. "I've already told you enough. Though, if you insist..." again, he throws aside the tails of his coat, then raises a hand in the air. Out of nowhere, a small, rectangular, checkered piece of metal lands flat on his palm. "Then how about a game of chess?"
It's a board. Wherever it came from, it's clearly a chess board. What sort of a joke...
"... the stakes?"
He grins at my question.
"You win, I'll answer anything. And act nice. But if I win..." he sends me a wink "You'll do whatever I ask for. How does that sound?"

[ ] "... very well."
[ ] "... you're out of your mind. Be gone."
[ ] Run. RUN!

==

>>22169

I'm already working on it.

[ ] "... very well."

i have a feeling atleast one anon here is good at chess

>>22173
Of course.

[x] "... very well."

[x] On one condition.
[x] You and him. On the ceiling. No shirts. Flexing every step of the way.

Why is Sakuya and The World...

>"Ahh!" great, the hint seems to have broken through her thick skull at last "In that big, red house, near the lake. Not far from here. Why?"

Oh, right.

[x] "Hell no! You'll answer everything and act nice because I told you to!"
[x] "...And let's not forget that I'm holding your niece hostage."

Screw the rules, I have villainy.

And in a moment we're going to interrupted by Sakuya and Okuu anyway.

>I'm already working on it.

very good

[ ] "... very well."

[x] "... very well."

I feel as though we're too novice to beat him with our inexperienced sword-danmaku. Chess is nice.

>[x] You and him. On the ceiling. No shirts. Flexing every step of the way.
inb4me. We have so much in common, Naya! Kareoke later?

[x] Smirk "Fine. Though I shant be the one playing".
[x] Take a deep breath and shout "THERE'S A SILLY MOLE ON REIMU'S RIGHT BUTTOCK!! AKA MIMA GET THE HELL OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!!"
[x] Take this chance to run the hell away.

[ ] "... very well."

I just had an idea, insects. Are you afraid? What is it you fear? The bad ends that you have already avoided once? Do not worry, the fear is justified, for you will not like to embrace the fate that awaits The Seven Golden Nights after Death...

... I AM YAF.


And so on. Would update now, but it's 8AM, and I need to revise this part, perhaps throw in some more exposition as well. Oh, and download some freeware chess games to experiment a little with various moves.

>>22184

In case you were wondering, it's illegal to move your king into check. I don't know what the hell the Geass guys were thinking. I know someone's gonna Lelouche stare at me now.

[x] "... very well."

Sounds unengagingly ridiculous, to put it in placid words. It has to be a joke, there is no possibility anyone in their sanity would propose something as absurd as this. Yet, despite my mind doing it's best to erase him from existence, the stranger - Seven, was it? - remains there, baring his teeth at me, frivolously tapping the metal board on his shoulder. Reimu, fortunately, keeps quiet, perhaps taken aback by the sheer preposperity of the scene. Where the hell did he come from? And more importantly, why does merely looking at him fill me with this unexplainable fear? Insanity, something is going on, and I've no way of seeing any logical explanations, any ways out of this troublesome situation.
Except the one he proposed.
It is indeed a way, and while I do not consider myself a good chess player, somehow he doesn't look anything like your generic, glassy nerd that can give you a mate in four moves. This could be a trap, and the stakes aren't exactly fair, but then again, beside the obvious kicking him out of the shrine, there's nothing else I would want from him. But he said 'answer everything'... There might be a way to exploit that promise, should I win the match.
"... very well." He sniggers when I finally answer, nodding my head lightly, not to accidentally lose the sight of him. Following my mute prompt, Reimu slips away from my arms, and stands aside, giving both of us equally confused glances. My knowledge may be limited compared to hers, but there's no way I'd allow someone who stinks of sweat and blood anywhere near her. Oh no, I haven't conquered her for naught. Sincerest apologies, 'Seven', but if you want to touch Reimu, you'll have to walk over my dead body first. Speaking of which... Forcefully, I pull her closer, and whisper into her ear. "Warn Iku and Tenshi. Have them hide. You too."
She goggles at me, as if my request was completely ridiculous. Well, it probably does sound so to her.
"What's gotten into you?!" she asks, albeit quietly "That guy is my--!"
"Can't you feel it?" I cut in, making her attempt to step back. In vain. "You can't..." it's the only logical explanation. She can't feel what I can feel. Why? We're both humans, so our noses should be... No, I'm forgetting that this very nose that continues to sniff on the infested air as we speak, allowed me to find things that I shouldn't have been able to find in the past. So she doesn't feel him. "No matter." I let go of her arm "Just go."

Good girl. It's nice to see that despite the request being blatantly retarded, she still quickly retreats in the direction of the kitchen, only once glancing back at the two of us. Me, and Seven. What the devil is up with that name? Oh well, I may as well keep the questions for later, when he admits defeat. If not... We'll see. One thing is for sure - his intentions aren't friendly. You don't kick godforsaken swords at the one you're visiting. The thought alone makes me shiver.
"Isn't that nice." the bastard chuckles yet again "Why the glare? Worried about your pretty little friend?"
"Well," I run a hand through my hair "Why don't you whip out your pretty little board and find out?"
We share a pair of equally cocky grins, but he's the one to move on first. By which, I mean throwing his coat's sides apart yet again... And sitting on the floor. The metal board clatters on the wooden panels, and before my eyes manage to catch the swing of his arm, he's already there, looking at me from over a fully prepared set of pawns. A frown creeps onto my face.
"Here? Of all places?"
Seven answers with an eager nod.
"Here is as good as anywhere else. Shall we?"
Sighing, I seat my ass on the opposite side of the board, and quickly scan it, looking for any hints of inconsistencies. But there's nothing. It's just an ordinary set of magnetic chess, with small figures of classic shape. There's no bonus queens, kings or anything like that, neither are there any differences between our forces. Why am I trying to catch him cheat with such fervour? Certainly, an effect of the fear. Why am I scared? I don't know...
Wait.
"... you want to start?" he interrupts, seeing me open my mouth to ask about the black pawns on my side "Just say a word."
Either it's a trap, or he's being genuinely polite, the latter option being rather implausible. I assume the former and shake my head.
"... no. Let's begin."
"Very well." he smiles "Let's enjoy a great showdown. One."
His fingers swiftly move a pawn from in front of his King, two squares ahead. Having nothing better in mind, I copy the move, and wait for him to continue. Almost immediately, one of his bishops moves out of the line, venturing deep into the still rather empty battlefield. Is he planning something? No, from this position, there aren't many possibilities... Unless it's exactly what I'm supposed to be thinking. I can't tell. I can't tell at all...!
"Two." he looks up at me "So tell me, how far have you gotten with Reimu?"
What..."What is this, an attempt to unnerve me? How foolish.
I allow myself a wry grin.
"Not far enough. Though when you're out of here, I'll be sure," a short pause "To double the efforts."
Not that I didn't mean to already. Given what we had done yesterday, and her attitude towards the whole incident afterwards - and during - I was actually hoping to take it even farther after Tenshi and Iku leave. As much as it pains me to let them go so soon, they might tamper with my plans... And there's also the thing of them having their own homes. Satori treacherously left on her own, but truth be told, I regret losing her pets more than I regret losing Satori herself. But it's as I said - the less nuisances, the better - not counting Sid and Mima. Those two may have been watching back then, but as long as they keep quiet, I'm not going to complain. Just the opposite, actually - the danger of getting, and being seen is somehow exciting. Right now, maybe not so, but as soon as I'm done with this Seven rascal, there will be a show to watch.
Speaking of whom, he gives me a frivolous glance.
"Don't get distracted, kid. Reimu likes decisive men, but..." his eyes land on the table, above which my fingers hesitate to do anything but hover in stillness "This I wouldn't call 'decisive'. Make your mind up already, would you kindly?"
He's right, I should have already done the move, and let the game roll on, but... What kind of move should it be?

[ ] Just move whatever, it doesn't matter yet.
[ ] Move... (insert specific move)

N-F6. lol scholar's mate.

doing this pretty much gives away the advantage of being white.

...say, we're not gonna spend the next 20 updates playing chess, are we?

>>22190

Nope, it's all I needed.

==

[X] N-F6

I refuse to believe he's not trying to pull any sort of trick on me, let alone even play fair. Somehow, my guts tell me this - watch your back, at all times. Don't let yourself be distracted. Pay heed, but don't hesitate, and never, absolutely NEVER lose a chance. Yes, just like that one you lost outside. Now what, look at yourself! Playing chess with a guy who nearly murdered you! 'Slipping badly', Kane, wouldn't quite cut it. Ironically, for all the other things have begun to get interesting, and the circumstances - favourable. But he just had to come at such a time... How curious, that sounded almost as if I had expected him from the very beginning. Had I? It doesn't matter, everything important is concentrated on the board, and on the board I should focus.
And there it is - an obvious, upon a closer inspection, stratagem, which I would have never noticed otherwise. Time is nigh to saddle yon horse, sir Knight! Canter via the lowly pawns, and obstruct the way of demise! My fingers deftly unadhere the little, plastic courses from the board, and firmly place it on another square, to the muffled snicker from my opponent. Amused, is he? Have I made a mistake after all? No, this was probably the best possible move I could pull. Nevertheless, Seven gives me a playful glance.
"Perceptive. I like it."
"Never," he totally ignores my own smirk, but I continue regardless "Never underestimate your enemy."
Not the one to talk, am I? Having looked down on him myself, it would appear that the very exception confirming the undoing that comes with the violation of said principle now sits a mere meter ahead. Somehow, this is irritating, even worse since I had been the one to break the rule myself, before realizing it myself. Fortunately, the evident contradiction between the words and their author seems to fly right over his head. Good riddance, one word, and I swear I would launch another barrage of swords RIGHT into that grinning face. Yet, he stays concentrated on the game.
"Hm..." his mouth utters a thoughtful mutter "Indian defense? Gave me one tough nut to crack there, kid."
The 'kid' aside, he bets his ass I did. Had he really thought I would fall for such a simple gimmick before he made that move? Impossible, I may be dealing with an idiot here. Sharp-tongued, but an idiot nonetheless. Or, it's simply another attempt to throw me off the tracks. Either way, I won't be letting myself be swayed, not by such an idiotic strategy, not by him, not by anyone else. This, my dear opponent, is a battle for knowledge, or for survival. Which one it will be in the end, is a thing to be decided by wits and tactical thinking, and I swear by everything valuable in the world, I am not going to go easy on you. This adventure, the one I had sacrificed my previous life for, cannot end yet! And it shall not!
"Well, then!" Seven seems to have stolen a bit of my enthusiasm, but it makes things even more interesting. The real game begins now. "Let's try this!"
His fingers move out another pawn.

...


Ultimately, our showdown ends in a stalemate - a shameful, yet acceptable outcome, that neither of us can actually accept. The only ones left standing are a pair of King and his Queen on both the sides, obstinately trying to fight out a single, destructive mistake in their opponent's maneuvers. Vainly, for just as neither can accept their defeat, neither can simply announce the stalemate that's been ruling over the board for at least fifteen minutes now. Childish? Much so, but hell consume me if I'm going to be the first to admit it. No, for as long as it takes, I'll chase back and forth, until he surrenders. And if I get old doing the same moves all over and over again, then so be it!
"Damn!" Seven throws his arms up in a gesture of frustration "What a disappointing catch!"
There goes the heat of persistent, repetitive battle. Heat that wasn't there to begin with, but I guess it was the hint that he's grown too bored of it, and it is high time to finish the match. Disappointing indeed! If you wanted to lose, why couldn't you just put your King under my Queen's foot? Ah, right, that would be a legitimate loss, wouldn't it? Still, I cannot do much by agree, and sigh angrily myself.
"Tell me about it." For some reason, I feel no elation, no sense of victory. Of course, there's no victory to speak of in the first place, but I did quite nicely against an opponent that didn't lose any occasion to boast about many of the matches he had played before, if I may say so myself. Chess - another one of Kane's hidden talents. Soon I'll need to start taking notes. What's there already? Let's see... Passing out, molesting shrine maidens, kicking girls' asses, acting on rash decisions... Doesn't this say a lot, huh. As ironic as that sounds, somehow this little game calmed me down a little, but not enough to forget who I'm dealing with. Steel yourself, me. It is not yet time to celebrate. I cross arms on my chest, and look Seven in the eye. "Ready to submit your will?"
He leans back, and despite all the odds, gives me a playful wink.
"No way." he laughs briefly "We didn't set any rules for this sort of outcome." That I cannot argue with. No matter how annoying it is, neither of us saw such a result coming. Bah, we were probably so sure of our triumphs, we forgot there's a possibility of the game ending in a tie. "But tell ya what. I'll tell you anyway."
"Is that so?" I glower at him in the most intimidating manner possible - he, of course, shrugs it off without a flinch "Go on, then."
"Alright." Before I can react, he sweeps the board clean of figures, leaving only a single, black Queen on one end, and a white royal pair on the other. His expression suddenly turns much more serious. "Take a look at this. Let's say that the black Queen is a King and a Queen in one, and it needs to protect herself, while taking out her white counterparts."
"Go on," I nod "This doesn't make any sense, but sod it."
Funnily, he appears a bit amused by the comment.
"Even without the addition of a King," Seven points to the blank square where the black King would have been, if the Queen hadn't taken up it's function "There's no way for either of the sides to win. But..." he whips out something, and puts it on the board. To my surprise - it turns out to be another - ANOTHER - white Queen. What in the hell? Still, I remain silent, only impatiently tapping fingers on my forearm. "Now that there are two white Queens, they should be able not only to protect their King... But also to take out the enemy Queen." Indeed, with two Queens, it should be much easier, even if one of them will have to sacrifice herself in order to end the match. Perfectly understandable analogy, but I have no idea what exactly it is he's referring to. "Yes, you guessed right." it seems I made my perplexed look a bit too obvious "One of them might end up sacrificing herself, but... In the end, it'll be whites' win."
Still, it's all too cryptic. Perhaps I should be thankful for explaining - in quotation marks - this to me, but honestly, if I am to understand, he should make it a bit less enigmatic. Hello? I'm not in your head, moron! Can't read what you're plotting inside there, honestly! Why am I even dealing with this?
"I see." though I really don't "What of it?"
In accompaniment of creaking bones, Seven stands up, and dusts his coat off, summoning a couple of brown-grey clouds to slowly dissolve in the air as he restores order to his idiotic getup.
"What I'm trying to say," he speaks up when all the dust is gone "That our intentions may not be as diverse as you think them to be."
With that, he begins to stroll off in the direction of the kitchen. Wait, what in the...?!
"Hey!" I quickly spring up, kicking the left-over board aside "What the hell was that supposed to mean?! Where are you going?!"
All he does is give me a short wave, without as much as looking back.
"You'll come to learn the meaning soon enough. Now would be a good time to check up on your miko." again, a short, irritating snicker "She must be getting all lonely in her room. I'm off to rummage in the fridge. Ciao, kid!"
One of my swords cuts through the air where his head was a moment ago, but by whatever misfortune guides my shots today, he disappears behind a swerve before it reaches the target. Clicking my tongue, I pull it back, leaving a nasty hole in the wall. Insolent dog...

[ ] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.
[ ] No way. Someone needs to hold his leash.

{X} Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.

[x] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.

"Real Kane" "Dream Kane" my ass. God, I feel I need to facepalm myself.

[ ] No way. Someone needs to hold his leash.

[x] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.

[x] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.

Ideally we need to do both, but Reimu comes first.

>>22199
>Ideally we need to do both, but Reimu comes first.

Pffffffft. I SEE what you DID THERE!

[x] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.

>>22201

A bit too late. I'm off to sleep.

[x] No way. Someone needs to hold his leash.

[x] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.

[X] Yet he's right. Reimu, I need to explain things to Reimu.


... how dare he claim to know better what should be done and what should not? It is only due to my continued forbearance that he's even still alive, and yet, that high and mighty aura doesn't leave him for a single step. What does he think gives him the right to act all familiar and at home in this place? This is MY shrine. MY ghost deity. MY oni, that still seems to be missing. MY swords, MY clothes, MY corridors, MY shed, MY goddamn roof and MY miko. It is also MY kitchen, but rejoice, rascal, for you are right. For once, there's no way but to admit you spoke sense. Go ahead, usurp yourself the right to rummage in MY fridge, if you will! Fight with the sword and die by the sword, but if it's a psychological war, there won't be any submission from my side. In the meantime, while you satiate your hunger upon the leftovers from the breakfast - the breakfast that I didn't have, by the way - I'll be plotting your demise along with the woman towards whom you act so blatantly cavalier. Wasting any jealousy on you would be a waste, because there is no way Reimu would look at anyone else now. Hear me, dog? She's mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine and no one else's! Whatever crazy knight tries to break into our lives, I'll be the one to dispose of him. Tear into pieces their outburst, and swallow them whole, after nailing them with blades.
"Hah!" I snort. This really is a waste of time and energy. Look at me, still lingering here while there are things to be done, puffing my cheeks like an offended girl. Pointless, to say the least. If not outright idiotic. "Alright, then."
Encouraging myself with an unwitty, yet somehow energetic phrase, I begin following my nose yet again as it runs down one of the corridors, following the faint scent of a distressed miko. Really, now. Who's the dog here? But if Reimu was to be my owner, I think it would be almost acceptable. Almost, a great and extremely important keyword.


There we have it, the door with a bunch of protective - and completely useless - charms stuck all over it - an undeniable proof of my search's fruits. Well, truth be told, even if she had removed all of them, I would have still recognized the place. Too happy memories accompany it's coordinates on my mind-map to forget it so easily. Shock for masses! - Kane really may be Reimu's dog! As if, for as far as I know, the one pulling the strings in our relationship is me, and as long as I'm in charge, it's not going to change. Why would it change though?
Knock knock.
I knock lightly on the rustly surface, and step back.
"Come in." Ah-ha. I'll knock but won't come in, my girl. For some reason, there's this strange urge to play around a bit within me. Venting the anger? Anyone asked anything? If yes, for what? All that matters is that if I want to sneak up on her, I will. Am I talking to myself too much? At least it makes sense, for once. "Oh what the hell..." ah, a mind's resonance. Silent noise can be heard on the other side, followed by a couple of hurried, annoyed steps. Come, Reimu, everything is ready! "Stop fooling aro-- wah?!" She lets out a squeal when I move in, and gently tackle-hug her unprepared figure, closing my arms around it like a grotesque, love-powered robot. Many-coloured thoughts, bodies move, intentions trot, hello? Yes, greetings, floor! There's a miko, come on, catch, and let me pin her down! Soften the fall, buddy, use my forearms - here, here, here and done, Reimu's on her scapulars. Great job, partner, selling me a piece of heaven!
Prolong the moment, for the stare of her reddish eyes is satisfying indeed! Oh, how I wish it would last for ages! Since the very morning on a full throttle, I have already managed to forget how it feels to stop for a moment with her bodily warmth to join mine in a relaxed minute of pleasant siesta. Ah, clone me, so I could hunt down rascals and do this simultaneously! Lunacy, hassle, chaos called a hurricane, but finally, I can have a breather. My unwilling - really unwilling? - victim seems to think differently. "What now?"
I smile at her displeasure. So fake, so forced. Who would have thought the very first advice Mima graced me with would turn out to be true? Determined like McGrady in a game to push me away. No use in such weak gestures, Reimu! This is one of the repercussions for not staying true to your wishes!
"Greetings," I utter through a grin "From my hug zone."
Ah, Reimu, Reimu. No use making a wry grimace! Your hands have already given up, what's the point in resisting?
"Mice party 'round when there's no cat around, huh?" she sighs "Why don't I find that annoying? Hey." her eyes land back at me after rolling around sarcastically "How long are you going to wait?"
Wait? I'd wait an eternity in this position, despite the ultimate goal, but it would seem she has something else on her mind. What exactly? How long am I going to wait... Could it be - the same thing as yesterday? Oh, how bold of you, Reimu!
I smirk.
Indeed, I've yet to ensure the survival of the tradition set on the first day. I've yet to kiss her today. Someone sniggers? That it's ridiculous? Since when is it ridiculous to act according to my and her whims? No medicine, if I go stupid around her, and she does around me, then what choice is there but to give in? At this pace, the days of sanity can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Let's turn the siliness into a march of delight!
The corners of her lips curve up a little when I brush the hair off my forehead, and slowly descend, towards her naturally pink lips.


...


I don't know the secret that wrapped itself around the back room of Reimu's ambitions. Not once were there clashes between our ambitions, between my and her selfishness. Us, versus invisible. Invisible circumstances, hindrances, nuisances. Was it the world that went mad? Or me? I wish to forget it all. Another set of memories, another time, cruel fate will not take away from me. After I'm done with the two Queens, it'll be all over. I won't let them erase it. We may be the same, but I am different. I have the knowledge. A thousand realities' experience. A thousand missed opportunities, a thousand of learnt practical wisdoms.

All that remains is to convince him.

...


I believe in the untold alliance between my and her body, my and her conscience. We may have only admitted liking each other, but is there really need to speak of such things? Her tongue speaks without words, directly to mine. Everyone indigant, but neither of us gives a damn. Mima, Tenshi, and everyone else can think what they want. For us, there is only this fleeting contact, before an inevitable parting. For my fingers, there is only the smooth skin of her back. For hers - my shoulders. For our eyes, there is only darkness, impenetrable gust of alternative images, that neither of us needs. All that counts, is the kiss. Ah, how I want full access to everything else! We truly won each other in a lottery. Do I love her? Perhaps, but does it matter when her spine arches up under my touch? Who would care about the hassle of such abstract things as love when there's something so much more tangible to enjoy?
Ah, there's not much left to breathe with... Not much to breathe with...
Regret, grief and woe, but as beautiful as it would be to die in her embrace, to live in it seems much more appealing. Seeing her flushed face, wide open mouth, and her chest, raising and falling in a quickened pace almost compensates for breaking the kiss so suddenly. Amazing. Two days ago, we were perfect strangers, and now... Look at her hazy stare, thanking me mutely for this marvellous feast. Who would've thought such a fate would lurk, waiting for me here? But even after the goal has been reached, there's nothing to feel bad about.
"Last time..." she gasps out, still intoxicated with the contact "... was way longer..."
Indeed it was, but what can I say. This was only an appetizer.
"It was, but..." against all the forces of nature and her charm, I manage to push myself away, and sit cross-legged on the floor. "Business beckons."
Reimu follows suit, trying her best to look as unaffected as possible. Which, needless to say, goes in vain. At least she noticed the dribble of saliva on her chin, and hastily wiped it away with a sleeve. Gross, but also cute, in a twisted way.
"Right, maybe you'll listen to me at last." her voice is full of faked annoyance "How about it?"
I smile.
"I'm all ears." And she answers with a pleased half-sigh. Well, I admit it was a bit foolish to neglect her explanations before, but then again, I wasn't exactly in the mood to listen back then. Just recalling the smell makes me anxious. Sweat and blood... "So you appear to know that guy."
Reimu nods.
"Yes. He's... Well, he was..." she tries to find proper words for a few seconds "He used to be my 'uncle'."
"I thought your family was gone?"
"Yeah, he isn't my real uncle, nothing like that..." another sigh "He used to come over and play with me all the time. Dad liked him too, so... He was kinda like a good uncle to me."
This raises some questions.
"Then how come he wasn't here when I arrived?"
She shrugs.
"Honestly? I don't know. He disappeared the same night my parents did. I thought he was dead, and... Well, soon after that, I met Yukari, so I quickly forgot about him..." her lips curve in a weak smile "I'm not the type to get attached to people."
Isn't that simply great? A long-lost 'uncle' makes his return after years of absence. Too convenient. It smells. Smells of fish, sweat and blood. In other words, extremely suspicious.
"So," I prompt "To summarize, your 'uncle' had returned after ages, sowed chaos everywhere around, then took off to pillage the kitchen." short pause for a sarcastic snort "Good going, old fart."
Reimu gives me a brief, troubled laugh.
"Yeah, that's so like hi--... Wait a moment. What did you say?"
Now what? Why the sudden serious face, Reimu? What did I say? Well, I said...
"He had returned after ages," I count on my fingers "Sowed chaos around, then took off to pillage the kitche--"
"DAMN IT!" Reimu cuts my sentence short by springing onto her legs like a burned rabbit "For fuck's sake, not the kitchen again!" I can't even mutter a word of question before she reaches the door, and opening it, throws a quick "Tenshi and Iku are leaving so say goodbye to them from me!" and runs away.
... okay, that was strange. For some reason, she seems to be convinced that Seven and kitchens don't mix too well.

[ ] Sod those two. Go after Reimu.
[ ] The least I can do is fulfill her request. Say goodbye to Tenshi and Iku, that is.

[ ] The least I can do is fulfill her request. Say goodbye to Tenshi and Iku, that is.

[x] Sod those two. Go after Reimu.

Who in their right mind abandons their miko?

{X} The least I can do is fulfill her request. Say goodbye to Tenshi and Iku, that is.

[x] The least I can do is fulfill her request. Say goodbye to Tenshi and Iku, that is.

[x] The least I can do is fulfill her request. Say goodbye to Tenshi and Iku, that is.

[x] The least I can do is fulfill her request. Say goodbye to Tenshi and Iku, that is.

[x] Sod those two. Go after Reimu.

in during Mima gets her point stabbed