Once again, I TERRIBLY apologise for the whole mess. I genuinely did not anticipate something like this happening, but I honestly had my hands full with the flood business.
I'm not making this up either. See the pic? It's somebody's back-yard, and (what used to be) one of my favourite spots for off-road biking. That on the right is the top of a tree. 'Normal' river bank used to be beyond that group of trees to the far left. Shit sucks.

Now the rain has subsided, I'm off my neighbour helping duty (my house is untouched, being on a hill), I called my editor I didn't want to make any more reports about this bloody flood, and I'm still free for two weeks before I leave for my courses.

Word of explanation on the story: I have decided to skip the wholy introduction and throw you right into the thick of things.

One more time, I'm sorry. I did not read the last thread, so if you have questions, feel encouraged to ask them again. Thank you for your patience.
-YAF

[x] Drop your junk off at the barracks first and see to your own guest.

Let's see what's going on... but at least this doesn't look like complete shit.

WAHAHAHA!
No.

[x] Well, you're Keine's puppy, aren't you? She may require a little bit of assistance.

>I did not read the last thread

then what the hell are you doing

[ ] Drop your junk off at the barracks first and see to your own guest.

[x] Drop your junk off at the barracks first and see to your own guest.
we wouldn't want to be rude

[X] Drop your junk off at the barracks first and see to your own guest.

[x] Drop your junk off at the barracks first and see to your own guest.
We should wait until Keine has finished her... 'meeting' with the red white. It's not like she can't handle her anyway.

[x] Drop your junk off at the barracks first and see to your own guest.

>>30526
Not giving a shit? Would be about right...

Also, calling it. Got some catching up to do (HDH invits, only watched the finals, fucking IdrA ragequitting 3 games in a row, I hadn't laughed so hard in eons), so expect me in the evening, some 5-6 hours from now, if all goes well.

>I have decided to skip the wholy introduction and throw you right into the thick of things.

THIS. This is how you should do it. Right. Good. LEARNAN'

>>30535
Who just flipped the board? You just flipped the board!

Was seriously getting tired of mc-whiny-pants.

>>30536
More like STOPPING BEING SUCH A DAVID EDDINGS FANBOY AND GETTING MY SENSES BACK... -AN.
>>30537
You don't see me giving shit too much these days.

Now for an OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

I am now completely in love with TheLittleOne. Honestly, that kid NEVER fails to amaze me. G2 against LiquidNazgul? Pure, molten gold, with a pinch of nuclear fission for extra spiciness. Doesn't help I imagine him as sort of a these cases... Either way, no good is going to come out of standing here, time to shift.

Your residence, the so-called 'barracks' lay just a bit off the main bulk of the village, but still within the perimeter, offering shelter to the less fortunate of its inhabitants. Wanderers, outsiders, laborers... these sorts of people. It's not too bad either, once you forget they barely know the meaning of the word 'privacy'... Either way, it could always have been worse.

You reach the block where you live and go inside.


Surprisingly enough, not many people around, even at this time. Only two blokes sitting in one corner, whispering to themselves. Looking rather terrified, for some reason.

That reason, needless to say, is your guest, now sprawled across your very own bed, playing absently with her hair, trying to look innocent, like a predator posing as a house pet. That's what she is - a predator posing as a house pet. No wonder she's scaring the ever-loving shit out of those two.

She notices your arrival and gives you an impish grin.
"Well, well, well," she says. "Would you look at our big game hunter. Finally found a little bit of time for the little, ol' me in your tight schedule, I hope?"
"... depends," you say, dropping your load to the floor.
"Oh, how lovely of you."

Fujiwara Mokou, one of the few beings in this hell-hole with the common courtesy to talk with you in your own damned language. Sure, it wouldn't matter much if she spoke Moon or something, but thanks to that, you're not forced to cope with that terrible lips-movement mismatch, and... well, let's just say there's something very pleasant about the way she speaks her 'oh's and 'n's that makes them sound hot and steamy, very hot and steamy, almost offensive. That, and also an attitude that could melt a man's pants at twenty paces, and over a century of experience to boot, just in case that wasn't quite enough.

"Haven't seen you lately," you say, wrestling to unzip your vest. "What mischiefs have you been up to?"
"I could ask the same," she says, sitting up. "Need help with that?"
"I'll manage."
"Your call," and then she lies down again. "I'm here if you change your mind."

You finally peel the thing off your back and walk to your locker to stash it away, only to find Mokou playing clumsily with your rifle when you return. When did she..."Regardless, we can't have that now, can we?

"Put that away," you order. "It's not a toy."
"Hm..."Mokou ignores the command and takes a quick look through the scope - with the flap still on the lens. Cute as it is, you can't help but notice how she's aiming it right at the two unlucky fellows in the corner. "I've seen one before, but never held one. So this is what you guys use, hm? I can't see crap."
"Mokou."
"Oh, fine, steal all my fun..."she surrenders and lets you take the gun. "So? How did it go?"
"Mokou, look," you try to explain. "I'm knackered. There's only two things I'm dreaming of right now. One, get out of these bloody rags, and two?"
"Ssh, that's enough!" she hushes, putting a finger to her lips. "I'll see what I can do. Just let me find a nice stack of hay, or..."
She's teasing.
"I'll pass," you take care not to look her straight at her while saying that. "I'm really not in the mood for games."
She rolls around onto her stomach and looks up at you.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I came all this way..."

[ ] "You may as well cut straight to the chase. You're here, that means you want something, yes?"
[ ] "Don't know. Sorry, I'm all giddy to see you and all, but I've got to go and see Keine, so..."
[ ] "Know what's Reimu's problem this time? I heard she was on to Keine again."

[x] You may as well cut straight to the chase. "You're here, that means you want something, yes??

[x] "Know what's Reimu's problem this time? I heard she was on to Keine again."
I think that the second option might lead to trouble so...

[x] "Oh, fine." Unzip your pants slowly. "But I'm on top this time." Smile and zip them back up. "But really..."
[x] "You may as well cut straight to the chase. You're here, that means you want something, yes?"

[x] "Know what's Reimu's problem this time? I heard she was on to Keine again."

[x] "Know what's Reimu's problem this time? I heard she was on to Keine again."

> An attitude that could melt a man's pants at twenty paces

So men in Gensokyo wear plastic? durr hurr

[X] "You may as well cut straight to the chase. You're here, that means you want something, yes?"

This is the best way to get into Mokou's pants. Or her in ours.

[x] "You may as well cut straight to the chase. You're here, that means you want something, yes??

[?] "You may as well cut straight to the chase. You're here, that means you want something, yes?"

Poor Keine.

I had originally planned on doing two updates yesterday, but I ended up overworking myself. As per recuperation, I might do two tonight instead. You know the drill.

==

[X] "You may as well cut straight to the chase. You're here, that means you want something, yes?"

"You may as well skip all that ribbing and cut straight to the chase," you say, holding your sides. "You're here, that means there's something you want, yes?"
Mokou lets out a sigh.
"All businesslike, eh," she mutters, sitting up. "Sometimes I'm worried about the state of your libido, mister Killjoy. There's definitely something wrong down there," she quickly stretches her back. "Right, I've a favour and a question to ask."
"Ask then."
"Okay," she reaches to her breast pocket and whips out a folded piece of paper. "What can you make of this?"
"This?" you take the paper and flap it around a few times. "I could make a pterodactyl, or a boat, or a plane, or?"
"Very funny. Open it, you dolt. It's not a love letter, you needn't jitter so much."
Oh,well, that's one more unsuccessful jab down the drain.

You unfold the paper and run an eye over it. There's a note scribbled on one side, directions of sorts, far as you can understand; but more importantly, there is a signature with a note at the bottom, with a small drawing of a little, angry face just below.

__
Use only in case of emergency.
Don't, under any circumstances, read this to Mokou, or else I'll find you and make delicious pudding out of you~
"Love, Keine
__

"Mokou..."you wave the note back her way. "I'm going to get in trouble for this, you know?"
"I figured as much, tiger," Mokou says, grinning the same catty way as before. "Nobody else would read this out to me, so I came to you instead."

That's right. In all her linguistic mastery, Fujiwara Mokou cannot actually read. Not that Keine hasn't attempted to teach her, but the wild bird promptly refused all offers of help. Maybe it's a thing of upbringing, who knows. All that it means for you, is that you were, and still are, often asked these little requests: read me this, read me that. One would think this girl finds some infantile pleasure in having people read things out loud to her.

"You know," you say, "this could all be avoided if you just learned how to read."
"Yeah, well," Mokou says, laying back down. "I've got a bad case of sophophobia."
"You learned that word only for the sake of having an excuse, didn't you."
"Yeah, so what?"
"Nothing," you sigh. "Why am I even thinking of reading this out to you when I know you're just going to blow something up if I do?"
"Maybe my blowing things up is just that hot, what do you think?"
"Well, I?"

CRASH!

You jump up, startled by the sudden noise.
"What the hell was that?!"

It came from the outside and sounded remotely like somebody slamming a door close, but much, much louder, with a pinch of cracking stone to it, and a metallic reverb, maybe... What in the blazes..."

"That was fast," Mokou notes, standing up, strangely unshaken. "Reimu must be really pissed..."
"Wait, so that was Reimu?" you ask. "How do you know?"
"Oh, just a hunch. She loves those dramatic exits."
"Keine tolerates that sort of behaviour?"
"Apparently she 'grows on you', or something. Like a... like a, uh...."
"... a tumour?" you offer.
Mokou turns to you, only a shade of a smile on her face.
"I like the way you think, tiger, I really do. Just don't say that when Keine is around. She has some very strong feelings about that pesky shrine maiden. Now, however..."she taps the note in your hand. "Before you die a gruesome death, would you kindly read this thing out to me?"

[ ] "What? I'm going to die, now? No! Just what the hell did you do, Mokou?!"
[ ] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!"
[ ] "Wait, so I'm about to die..."That's the second time today, bugger... Sigh, I guess I can honour one last request. Just don't get mad if I die half-way through, all right??

>>30563
FUCKING TRIPCODES, HOW DO THEY WORK?!

Disregard that name field, I don't know what happened, and I forgot to enter a password.

Oh, and don't mind me while I show off this gorgeous Fukuzai of mine. Pays off to know how to suck up to drawfags, eh?

[ ] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!?

[x] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!."

yakety_sax.wav

[?] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!?

"Before you die a gruesome death, would you kindly read this thing out to me?"
So, if we somehow escape form the Red & White Cyclone, we'll be up against Caving Inferno in a grindhouse feature uh? Sounds legit.

[x] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!?

[x] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!"
I have a bad feeling we're going to be on fire soon.

[x] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!?

[x] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here! Sorry, Mokou!"

Pic somewhat related.

I couldn't have hoped for a better development.

Same deal today, as it's raining hard again. Amaze me.

==

[X] "Wait, does that mean Reimu was here to get me? Bloody hell... I've got to get out of here!

"Wait just a moment," you say. ?'Die a gruesome death'? Does that mean... Reimu is out here looking for me?"
Mokou makes a sour face.
"Oh, please!" she throws her arms up. "Don't tell me you're afraid of that little wench."
"Mokou!"
"Oh, yes, of course. She's the strongest of us all, isn't she." She lets out a sigh. "Yeah, far as I know she has some sort of a problem with you. What of it?"
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
"You never asked."
"Bloody hell!..."
No time to lose. If Reimu is on to your arse, you'd better get the hell out of here, and as soon as possible. Preferably right about now.

You leap for your locker and jack the vest back out, then rush through the door, into the cold evening.

"Hey!"

Mokou shouts after you, but it's the least of your concerns now. Somewhere above, falling from that darkening sky, is a red-white bullet, burning down, keen on making your life a misery, however little of it you have left. Move it! Quick!
You dive-roll behind one of the other buildings, and just in the nick of time - for as soon as you do?WHAM!?that speeding, red-white blur plunges through the roof of your rudimentary home, sending planks, splinters, and nails flying all about.

A fragment of a crest beam falls on the ground just beside you, nearly crushing your leg. Talk about danger fucking close! Reimu does NOT care for it, the crazy girl...
Wait, but what about those two other blokes? Are they even still alive?

You peer around a corner just to see them speeding away from the Ground Zero of Reimu's crash-landing. Lucky buggers, they seem to be a-okay, good grief. Last thing you needed were innocent victims. Now to worry about yourself...

CRASH!

Suddenly, Reimu comes flying out of one of the windows, tumbles to the ground, then rolls away a good couple of yards before coming to a stop. Mokou follows, albeit in a much calmer manner, and just bounds off the windowsill with both hands in her pockets.

Reimu gathers herself up and wipes her face with a sleeve. She's furious. Her face and forearms are marked with several, bleeding glass-cuts and scrapes, but she seems oblivious of the fact. Her eyes are ablaze with blind rage.

"What the fuck is YOUR malfunction, Fujiwara?!" she yells.
"My malfunction?" Mokou shoots her a shark-toothed smile. That's it, the pet fa?ade is all but gone, and the predator inside, the TRUE Mokou is in complete control now. That is what she really is - a grinning, fiery menace; a ticking hydrogen bomb, looking to explode in the face of whoever pisses her off. "My malfunction?" she repeats after a short chuckle. "Says the one who crashed into me in the first place! Looking for trouble, are we, Hakurei?"
"Out of my way!" Reimu snarls, seething with anger. You think, somewhat unwillingly, that should somebody spill a bucket of cold water on her head, it'd all evaporate in an instant.
"Oh, I don' think so, not yet," Mokou replies. "I've been looking to vent some stress another way, but circumstances presenting..."she holds out an open palm, a flame appearing in the air over it. "... I might as well choose the option at hand. What do you say we dance a little bit?"
"Get out of my way or I'll rip your fucking head off!"
"Don't get so cocky, Hakurei."
"I'll get all the cocky I want!" screams Reimu. "Where is he, Fujiwara?!"
"Where is who?"
"Don't play me dumb, Fujiwara! This is between me and him, don't you fucking dare to ass in!"
"Oh, of course, between you and him..."Mokou makes a disgusted face. "... I could let you go, I suppose, but..."she then pulls out her other hand and summons another flame. "... I think I'll cut you down a couple of notches first, just in case."

Reimu conjures numerous long, red-tinted needles up from a strap on her thigh, and holds them out in front of her face.

"You'll regret this..."she threats.
Mokou's grin widens then, as she goes into a steadier position. The tension, the sheer conflict sizzling in the air is enough to make your stomach clench, and you feel it's only going to get worse from now on.
"We, my little, angry friend," announces the white-haired phoenix, "are going to have a jolly high time."


[ ] There's no need for them to get any more violent. Come out, stop the bloodshed before even more people are drawn in.
[ ] Retreat! Run, before the sky begins to fall! Your strength is not enough here!

[x] Retreat! Run, before the sky begins to fall! Your strength is not enough here!

Put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye!

[X] Go get Keine, she'll know how to deal with this.

Holy hell, what did we do to piss off Reimu so much? Did we destroy her donation box or something?

[x] Retreat! Run, before the sky begins to fall! Your strength is not enough here!

[X] Go get Keine, she'll know how to deal with this.
-[x] Make a silent prayer for Mokou's bravery and promise to make a donation if she wins... to the Moriya Shrine, that is.

[X] Go get Keine, she'll know how to deal with this.
time to run away with our tail between our legs.
Lets just hope Keine will protect her 'puppy'

[X] Go get Keine, she'll know how to deal with this.

Angry miko is fucking angry.

Thanks to that write-in, you've effectively skipped one junction in the story and saved me a little bit of work. Thanks! Keep it up!

==

[X] Go get Keine, she'll know how to deal with this.

Shit. That's the most appropriate word that comes to mind. Shit. This is not the best moment for contemplating the depth of it, however. It's time to move to a safer location, find somebody who can pacify those two... find Keine... Yes, she should be able to do it. Has to be.

Swift movement. You leave the courtyard of the barracks just as the girls take off into the sky and let fly the first projectiles. Wayward orbs of fire begin to randomly explode on the ground. They shouldn't prove too much a problem if you move fast enough, but will you be able to"...


You enter the main section of the village with stray missiles pounding at your heels. People have already started fleeing to the cover of their houses, yet still, it's almost impossible to effectively move around. Everybody's way too panicked, having a hail of fire raining on their heads, and you are the most panicked of them all.

You hear a call from the crowd, and turn in its direction.
"Are you all right?!" It's Keine, and she's running to join at your side. Following her is another person - a young girl you recognise as Hieda Akyu - one of Keine's pupils. "I sent for you," says the teacher. "Why didn't you come?"
"I, uh..."you stagger.
"Never mind!" Keine cuts short your desperate search for an excuse. "We have to stop them before people get hurt. Do you have that gun on you? You don't," she notices. "Where is it?!"
"It was under my bed, but why??"
"Let's go, then! Quick!"
The teacher touches off down through the crowd, and you tail her obediently.
"But why...?" you pant out, barely able to keep up. "Can't you just fly up to them, and?"

Keine comes to a halt all of a sudden.

"What...?" she mutters, blinking as though in a shock.
"I said, can't you fly up to them, and?"
"But I? no, never mind! We'll talk about this later!"

Without a moment's notice, she resumes her chase, leaving you behind with Akyu. There's no way you can keep up in this state...

"Uh, oh..."Akyu notes, strangely unshaken by the whole mess. "Now you did it."
"What did I do, now?"
A ball of flame explodes a couple of meters to Akyu's side.
"You'll see, I think." she says, smiling, and gives a little bow. "It's nice to meet you, by the way."
Why is she so calm?
"Pleasure is mine," you reply, "but shouldn't we be following her?"
"Yes, indeed," says Akyu. "Let's."


You arrive back at the Ground Zero only to see Keine scuffling out of the ruined building with nothing other than your precious rifle in her hands.

"Keine, that's?!"
"Be quiet, young man!" she cuts into your words like a hot knife. Before you can do a thing, she pulls the bolt, loads a round and chambers it in a single, fluid move. "I swear to heavens..."she grumbles as she scopes into the swirling mass of flames above.

Then shoots.

Blam!

Abruptly, the fight that's been raging on with no regard for the rest of the world for the last five minutes dies out in an instant, all the wayward spells vanish, Reimu dashes away from Mokou, who spits something out of her mouth before looking down.
Sweet mother of... that couldn't have been..."

"Keine!" she yells. "What the hell?!"
"I'll tell you 'what the hell' as soon as you come down here and explain yourself!" Keine then looks shifts to the shrine maiden. "You too, Reimu!"
"Why do I have to?!?"
"Now!"
A miracle happens. Without another word, Reimu descends to land at Keine's side, boring her fiery-red eyes into you. All the warning sirens go off inside your head, but you manage to stay your legs from sallying somewhere far, far away.

Mokou tarries.
"Mokou," Keine exclaims, leaving no space for imagination in her tone.
"Fine, fine," the girl surrenders finally. "Keep your panties on, sheesh."


Half an hour later, Keine gathers the three of you in the school-yard.
"I can't BELIEVE what I saw!" she yells when you have formed an orderly line in front of her. "Are you out of your minds?! Who started this?!"
"I did," Mokou admits defiantly.
"How many times did I tell you NOT to start fights this close to the village?! You're lucky nobody got hurt!"
Mokou gives a snort.
"There's way too many rules in this house... Damn it. All right, I'm sorry. Satisfied?"
"Don't think I'm done with you yet, miss!" Keine then turns to Reimu. "Mokou may have started, but you didn't have to oblige her. You owe us a big, big apology, especially our friend here..."she sighs, "But considering the circumstances, I won't ask you to make one... I'm still mad, though. Understood?"
Reimu gives her a diffident nod.
"... yes."

[ ] "What?! I nearly died back there, the least I deserve is an apology!"
[ ] Say nothing, wait your turn.
[ ] "Hey, no hard feelings, but I'd appreciate a forewarning next time."

Completely by the way, >>30577 I seem to vaguely recall your name, but I can't put a finger on it, and it's been bothering me. Do I know you? Or maybe 'did' I know you?

Oh, and I know I'm tempting fate saying this, but thanks for keeping the thread clean, guys! Keep up the good work!

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.

Um...what?

> Thanks for keeping the thread clean, guys! Keep up the good work!

Your welcome. I think it was the work of a few idiots who didn't know when to let go.

>>30585

More like they know he's leaving in a month or two anyway, so there's not much point in bitching.

Also, I've been wondering about that kedama guy as well. I thought he followed you here or something, YAF.

>>30586
>I thought he followed you here or something

Good lord, please stop that! I'm paranoid enough about people stalking me, I don't need any more fuel in this flame! I had enough of it when some bugger from THP kept following me EVERYWHERE after I'd left. Don't know what he was going by, maybe my e-mail address, but still, bloody hell.

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

[x] This is a sneaking mission.
[x] Try to sneak away while she's busy reprimanding the other two.

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember the basics of CQC whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

>Thanks to that write-in, you've effectively skipped one junction in the story and saved me a little bit of work.
>Keep it up!
You got it:
[x] Declare your undying love for Mokou.
-[x] Declare your eternal love for Reimu.
--[x] Declare your horny love for Keine.

[x] This is a sneaking mission.
[x] Try to sneak away while she's busy reprimanding the other two.

[x] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.
[x] Declare your undying love for Mokou.
-[x] Declare your eternal love for Reimu.
--[x] Declare your horny love for Keine.

>>30595
I wish to change my vote to:

[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.
[x] Declare your undying love for Mokou.
-[x] Declare your eternal love for Reimu.
--[x] Declare your horny love for Keine.

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

... interesting! I don't know the intentions behind these votes, but I will do my best to deliver, whatever option ends up coming out on top.

That said, I think I'll wait for Kedama to post before updating. I'm sort of curious.

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

>>30602
>>30603
>>30604
Mmmmhhh

Gay

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly

>>30610
Stop being such a YAF.

>>30601
To some extent, you too.

Bother Kedama, here's a cake. What's the new char limit, by the way?

==

[X] Say nothing, wait your turn.
-[x] Try to remember whatever you did that could have pissed off Reimu that badly.

"Good, I'm glad you do," Keine continues. "Still, I'm worried about you, Reimu. I know this will all probably put you in a great deal of stress, but you didn't have to start fretting prematurely."
"... maybe," mutters the shrine maiden.
"Don't underestimate us, Reimu. We may not have special powers running in our blood, but we're not completely defenceless."
"... yes, Keine," says Reimu and burns her stare into the tips of her shoes. "I know."

You notice she's nervously playing with her fingers behind her back. Oh, please, now she's trying to look all docile? After that display of blind bloody fury? This is almost comedic. What set her off, anyway? Just what in the blazes did you do to piss her off so much"...


? you can't remember. In the first place, you haven't even been seeing her that often since the day she plucked you out of that forest and gave you shelter in her shrine. Of course, then she had to brutally kick you out once you had recovered and hand you over to Keine and Brennan, but nevertheless, to say you started off on a wrong foot would be a misstatement...

? after that, you saw her only sporadically. Most of the time it was when she was coming to visit Keine every third day or so, or flying high over when you were on a job out of the village, but in all fairness, you haven't had the chance to talk with her for a long time. You were always busy. It couldn't have been anything you said, then...

? but other than that, there's this hunting business. It's Reimu's job to hunt for monsters that have gotten brash enough to approach the human settlement, and you essentially invaded that field along with Brennan earlier today, but... It couldn't be that, could it? It only took a decent chunk of work off her shoulders, why would she obsess so much over it? It was Brennan's idea, too. Why would you have to take the heat for the old man? How does Reimu even know about this? Nobody else was supposed to...

"...?us? Are you listening?"
Keine's voice draws you out of thought and back into the ever-colder evening, and you find her staring right at you. Mokou seems to be gone, too... Blast, that's what you get for day-dreaming.
"Uh, er..."you stammer. "... yeah?"
"What did I just say, then?"
"Um... you asked if I were listening"..."
Keine scratches her head and sighs in a troubled way. Very troubled. Damn it! Doesn't she know you can rip a man's heart out with a sigh? You find yourself silently wishing you had a tail to tuck down between your legs and ears long enough to lay down...
"Never mind," she says, giving up. "We're all tired, I guess. I've sent Akyu home, but she still wanted to hear your story, so you'll have to find her tomorrow. Do you know where Brennan's gone off to?"
"No," you shake your head. "Sorry..."
"Darn..."
"He's over at the east fence," Reimu states all of a sudden. "Getting shit-faced with the rest of them. You'd better go get him before he's totally out of it if you want any work done today."
"Yes," Keine agrees. "You too, you should go home?"
"No," Reimu says, jabbing a thumb your way. "I've still got to talk with this idiot."
Keine looks like she's about to nod, but hesitates.
"Are you sure?" she asks the girl. "Have you calmed down enough?"
"I'm not a child, Keine," Reimu replies. "I can control myself."
"If you say so," the teacher submits. "Don't hurt him."

Then, she takes off down the street, holding her hat on as she runs, and you observe her carefully until she disappears behind a corner... There she goes.

All right, now. It's time to get this straight at last.
"Reimu," you turn to the shrine maiden. "Befo?gah?!"

Right. Before you can plead her to wait until after you've finished making excuses, the red-white menace lifts you off the up by the collar, stealing precious ground from below your feet at the speed of a rising mortar round. Air whistles in your ears so loud you can't hear your own screaming as Reimu rises higher and higher into the darkening sky...

? and then, as fast as she rose, she shifts the trajectory, and dives straight into the sea of green below, way beyond the protective perimeter of the village, crashing mercilessly through the leafy roof of tree tops, down into the undergrowth. For a moment, you are set free, free to slide several meters back and slam your rear end abruptly into a tree-trunk...

"What the?!?"
? but earlier than you can put up any resistance, Reimu leaps up to you, like a wild cat after a prey, and pins you to the wooden wall with both arms. She's smiling.
"Now, puppy," she says with the crimson spark dancing in her eyes. "We talk on my terms."

[ ] "Keine is going to hear of this..."
[ ] "A puppy... is a dog... that hasn't grown up! I am a man! I have a NAME!"
[ ] "Finally. I've been dying for a little t?te-"-t?te with you, you know."
[ ] "That works both ways, you realise? Don't mind me as I demonstrate."

[x] "That works both ways, you realise? Don't mind me as I demonstrate."

[x] "Finally. I've been dying for a little t?te-"-t?te with you, you know."

[x] "Finally. I've been dying for a little t?te-"-t?te with you, you know.."
>>30583
Sorry, I've been distracted by Doctor Who.
No, you don't know me, in the time since you've been gone I showed up, wrote a crappy story in /others, and gave up on it.

[X] "That works both ways, you realize? Don't mind me as I demonstrate."

Either Reimu is really pissed off, or she has plans that involve 'the vertical tango'

[x] "That works both ways, you realise? Don't mind me as I demonstrate."

[x] "Finally. I've been dying for a little t?te-"-t?te with you, you know."

People should stop playing safe and go crazy.

I miss the days when we went in through the windows like a fucking ninja, jesus christ. YAF was never a good writer but he made up with it with pure craziness that made it very entertaining and funny.

[x] "A puppy... is a dog... that hasn't grown up! I am a man! I have a NAME!."

An uppercase word! Can't be wrong with this one.

>>30627
>so randum XDD

>>30629
Get the fuck out. Go on. Out.

>?Now, puppy," she says with the crimson spark dancing in her eyes. "We talk on my terms."

The only thing I can think of to say to that is YIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIP

[x] "That works both ways, you realize? Don't mind me as I demonstrate.."
[x] Bite her.

I figure as awesome the protagonist's come back is, it can't be made any less awesome by also biting her.

>>30627
Yeah, trainwrecks are great.

All rightey, I was supposed to carry a replica over to a friend's for repairing in the evening, but I got that out of the way earlier.
Update in approximately 2-3 hours, I need to eat. Also, two updates possible again, I've got this part figured out.

Have a Reimu for a change. Yeah, I know. Reimu? In /shrine/? Inconceivable. Cheers.

>Reimu? In /shrine/?

Surely you jest.

[x] "That works both ways, you realise? Don't mind me as I demonstrate."

Excellent going. All that running away, and where does it conclude? In Reimu's vices, that's where. This is how trying to be a good puppy ends.

Right, no more mister bloody nice guy.
"Those terms of yours," you say. "They work both ways, you realise?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Allow me to demonstrate."

Screw the rules. Those months of sweating your guts out for the sake of the village weren't for naught. In a smooth, learned move, you jab at Reimu's wrists from below, knocking them off your collar. Next, in a carefully designed sequence, you dive under an agitated, surprised strike she tries to throw at your head, and still in motion, turn - slip beneath her now-extended arm, brush by her sides and stop at her back.

"Mind the tree."

Then push her ever-so-gently into a kiss with the trunk she was so brashly holding you up to. Face-plant! She hits the hard bark with the whole surface of her face and chest, then slithers down to her knees, clutching at her features. There's something she has that you don't. Working air-bags.

Distance. You back up a couple of steps and dust off your hands.

"Is this what you had in mind?" you ask.
"... yes..."comes a mutter from the shrine maiden. "... yes, indeed, this is much better..."
"Then perhaps we could let it rest at that and talk like normal people?"
Reimu comes to a stance, with her back still turned against you.
"... this is the first reasonable thing... I've heard from you... in ages..."

There's blood dripping from her palms and fingers. Slowly, slowly, unsteadily. Right, there's also something you have that she doesn't. Full protective clothing. That garb of hers barely even covers anything.

"You'll want that patched up," you note, forgetting the new 'no-nice-guy' policy. "I've got something in my pockets, so if you'll just let me"..."
"... no," she silences you. "... it doesn't hurt."
"But?"
"... I can't feel any pain because I'm WAY TOO PISSED OFF!"

Close up front! Reimu reels on her heels and lunges at you with the speed and force of a high-calibre round.

You barely escape the first strike by instinctively side-stepping off the trajectory of her leap, but that isn't the end. The red-white tornado defies the laws of gravity, bounds off the nearest tree, and comes burning through the air back at you. This time, however, you're prepared. As prepared as you can be for something of this magnitude.

Her fist misses your body, and you catch a hold of her forearm, and mustering all the remaining strength, stop her in place. The blood on her skin is slippery.

"You put on some muscle," she draws through blood-stained teeth as she tries to yank herself free, "and you presume you own the place all of a sudden?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE THIS DAY!"
"Were you watching? When me and Brennan were hunting?"
"I heard the gunshots." she says. "I'd have to be DEAF not to hear. You got the attention of every single god-damn monster in the area with all that noise! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?"
"Reimu..."
"Somebody is going to have to deal with them!" Reimu shrieks. "And do you know whose job that's going to be?!"
"I could help?"
"No, you couldn't! All you do is fuck things up wherever you go!"
"Reimu, calm down! Why are you so worked up about this?! It wasn't even MY idea!"
"Why am I so worked up?!" she lashes out. "WHY?! I'm responsible for you, you halfwit! I let you live here!"
"No," you say. "That was Keine. You turned all of me over to her when you brought me here. That included your responsibility."
"AND WE SEE HOW THAT'S WORKING OUT!" Reimu cries as she launches towards you with the other arm drawn for a blow.

The two of you collide and come tumbling to the ground, Reimu trying to beat the ever-loving crap out of you while you desperately try to defend yourself. Blast it, this isn't the time for this!

You force this stupid rolling to end by pinning Reimu down, holding both of her hands nailed to the ground, thwarting her kicking with the soles of your boots.

"Stop that," you say. "I don't want to hurt you any more."
Reimu laughs in your face.
"Hurt me? You destroyed what I've been working for the last few years!"
"Reimu, let me help, and I promise?"
"No!" she shrieks. "I've had enough of your promises! You promised you wouldn't be too much trouble! You promised you wouldn't get in my way! You promised you would?!" she chokes on her own words. "I'm not listening to you!"

Before you can react, Reimu?and by extension your own body?soar through the roof of the forest, high into the sky, and there...

"Die and see if I care!"

? begins your fall. Not even able to scream, you come crashing down, into the cold embrace of the trees below. This time, however, there's nobody to guide you through, nobody to cushion your landing with her own body. Just the hard, relentless womb of mother Earth.


Oblivion couldn't come fast enough.

Haha.

[x] Go back one choice.

***

There was screaming. Blood, pain, death, sinking into nothingness...

...and then, he was summoned.

Exhausted, confounded, aching. Plucked from the land of the dead, thrown into the cold of the night.

Alive. Born anew.

He rose abruptly from his grassy grave, gasping for air. Wheeze, wheeze, pant... Images of horror slide-showed in his mind. Pictures so gruesome and terrifying, memories so bloodstained they caused his stomach to clench.

He felt a chilling breeze sweep by him. The ground was freezing enough, but the air felt even colder, even more so than ice.

He distrusted his eyes. Clouded, misted, they showed a scene unfamiliar, foreign, resemblant of nothing he had seen before, a shadowy realm, a black forest, with darkened hollows observing him quietly from all around.

On a sudden impulse, he tried to breathe. A sharp sensation sew him through, a sting of remembrance. He looked at his body, trying to see what was causing him such unease.

He could hardly believe the sight. There, right between his ribs, a silver gleam was fighting the black of his clothes, a burnished blade jutting out of his flesh. But there was no pain. No, only a sense of highly-trained habit that refused to die. He tried grasping at the knife, but that, too, was merely a memoir of a torment long past...

***

You wake up in a peculiar state. Upright, yet not quite, in a world composed of only dark, and a single person, with her arm outstretched, as if holding your disembodied head on her palm.

"Alas, poor Cyrus. I knew him well."
"I'm not Cyrus," you chide. "Must you do this every time, Yukari?"

Yukari gives an amused laugh.

"Oh, but this is so much fun! Did you know your eyebrows twitch when you're angry?"
"I want my head back. This isn't funny."
"Oh, I beg to differ!" giggles the blonde beauty. "This is more fun than you can possibly imagine! However, I felt you were getting just a little bit ahead of yourself, so I thought..."
"So you thought you needed to remind me? Again? Pseudo-mysterious dreams stopped being chic a century ago, Yukari."
"Oh, you know I've never been the one to keep up with the latest trends. Or haven't you noticed?" she sticks her chest out as if to show off just how out of date her clothes are. Or how out of date her bosom is, whichever it might be. Each is probably as old as the other. "So?" she says. "How did you like my little Fujiwara side-adventure?"
"So that was your doing? I should have known..."
"Isn't it always? Yes, you probably should have."
"People could get hurt, Yukari."
"They would have, if you had read that note out to her. But what is a story without a conflict? We'll make this a beautiful tale yet, pet. Just you watch."
"I'd much rather just live a normal life, thank you," you grimace.
"In Keine's lap, with her stroking you behind the ears, perhaps?"
"It's preferable to a painful death at the hands of your crazy shrine maiden."
"Don't presume her so reckless, pet," Yukari touches the tip of your nose with a fingernail. "Reimu wouldn't let you die so easily. There is much less to her than she's trying to make you believe."
"What does that mean?"
"Oh, you'll see. At least I hope you will," she gives a little cough. "That is why I'm here. Tomorrow, the two of us will begin another chapter of this story. With you, my handsome pet, as the main character. It is my hope that you perform aptly."

So it's that after all. Yukari Yakumo, bearer of misadventures, comes to disturb your rest, just to announce your life is about to get even worse than it already was. Top shelf. This is no better than the nightmare you were having just earlier.

[ ] "Any hints, then? Directions? I don't enjoy surprises too much."
[ ] "Very well. In exchange, tell me how things are faring outside. I haven't heard of it in quite a long time. Am I even still alive?"
[ ] "Excellent. Now before I wake up, could we make this meeting more... hm, worthwhile?"
[ ] "What if I refuse? I tire of your game, Yukari. It's very quickly becoming inadequate."

[x] "Very well. In exchange, tell me how things are faring outside. I haven't heard of it in quite a long time. Am I even still alive??

[x] "Excellent. Now before I wake up, could we make this meeting more... hm, worthwhile??

[x] "Excellent. Now before I wake up, could we make this meeting more... hm, worthwhile??

[x] "Excellent. Now before I wake up, could we make this meeting more... hm, worthwhile??

Oh wow. Yukari ex machina. How original.

I'm feeling lucky.

[X] "What if I refuse? I tire of your game, Yukari. It's very quickly becoming inadequate."

When has Anon ever got the chance to say 'NO' to Yukari's plans?

>>30645
I know, right? It's always Yukari! Bloody gap youkai, stop meddling in my stories!

[x] "Excellent. Now before I wake up, could we make this meeting more... hm, worthwhile?"

I wonder what Reimu meant by that remark about ruining what she was trying to build, perhaps a reference to the spell card rules, since people going around and shooting Youkai might ruin the balance.

yaf why don't you go to irc

>>30651
If I did, large amounts of drama would most likely follow, and I honestly don't want any more drama concerning my person.

If you need something of me, I'm online on Rizon in the evenings as Reav.

Riiight. Nearly forgot. Today was a tiring day.

==

[X] "Excellent. Now before I wake up, could we make this meeting more... hm, worthwhile?"

Well, isn't that just rad? But there isn't much point in bickering, is there? In all honesty, you could no more stop Yukari from fiddling with your life than you could stop your own heart from beating - and being a skank about it wouldn't change much.

"You'll forgive me," you say, "if I don't just naively leap head-first into whatever adventure you've devised for me."
"Of course," Yukari gives a knowing smile. "It's our story, after all. I wouldn't dare impose too much... unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Excellent. Now, before I wake up, could we..."
"Could we...?"
"... make this meeting more..."
"More...?"
"... more worthwhile, you know?"
"Worthwhile?" Yukari tilts her head playfully. "What-ever might you mean by that, pet?"
"Oh, please. Let's drop the innocent posturing, shall we? You know what I mean."
"So vulgar," she smiles a sneaky one. "But didn't it cross your mind it may be a little hard with only your noggin here?"
"I head?I mean, I heard it's been done before... Surely you've got some sort of a trick up your sleeve for this sort of an occasion?"
"I'm skilled, pet, but I'm not that skilled." Yukari runs a hand through her hair. "Besides, they would notice if I just nicked all off your body at once."
"You lie like a mattress, Yukari," you sigh.
"Do I?" she gives you a wink. "Sorry, pet. Somebody else will have to get jiggly with you, I'm just not in the mood for farandoles right now."
"Blast, does that mean no extra service for me? No story without conflict, eh..."
"Yes, even if it is just a conflict of interests between you and me. It'd be rather anticlimactic if I'd just handed over the main prize at no charge, don't you think?" she gives another sly grin. "Our time is running short, pet, so before we part, I'll have you remember this: 'a story untold is as good as a story forgotten'. Do give me the pleasure of seeing this one to the end, would you kindly?"
"So long as you make it enjoyable."
"Thank you, pet. That I will."

Yukari falls quiet, and you follow suit. After what seems an eternity of silence, she ushers gently:

"Rise and shine, Shooter."
"What?" you ask, startled.
"Rise and shine."
"Yukari?" you say, but Yukari's eyes are blank, staring off into space, as if in a trance, unresponding. "What in the hell??"


"Rise and shine, jackass!."

You sally up, woken by a brutal sound of a fist slamming against wood way too close to your ears. You find yourself back in the familiar interior of the barracks, yet the sight is slightly different from what you would usually see.

Above you hovers the harsh face of one of your inmates, staring down with mild annoyance.

"Wha?" you stagger. "Where... what's going on?"
"Yer beauty sleep time's over, Shooter. Giddy up," he flicks a thumb over his shoulder. "It's almost past noon. Brennan's been asking for you, so you'd better go report aye-sap. Red-White's gone home, too," he adds. "Yer out of luck, old boy."

He then saunters out into the courtyard and leaves you alone with your confusion. What did he just call you? No, more than that, where is this? This is definitely not your barrack, no matter how to look at it. Sure enough, your belongings are all stacked in a neat pile by the bed you were laying on, but this still isn't your bed, not your?
"Hold up. All your belongings, except for one, it seems. Your rifle. Curses! Where has it gone off to? It's nowhere to be seen...

"Bollocks!..."

You're still in the very clothes you thought you had died in yesterday, too, and the blood?Reimu's blood?is still staining the thick fabric. It wasn't merely a bad dream, then, it happened for real... but if so, how in the blazes are your bones not all in little splinters?

Never mind. Your head aches. You need air, fresh air. Outside air. Time to emerge.

He wasn't kidding, that rude bugger - it's late all right, and the courtyard looks like an all-you-can-eat buffet during rush hours, with people bustling about like ants under a magnifying glass, stately burdened with materials, tools and other hotchpotch, often crashing into each other and then shouting their throats hoarse with curses. No wonder. Remember those flying planks and logs from yesterday? Apparently homes around these parts weren't made with this sort of abuse in mind. Quite obviously so.

Bloody hell. Just how much kinetic force does a diving shrine maiden have?

[ ] Duties first. Find the old sod and see what he wants.
[ ] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.

[x] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.

[x] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.
I can imagine how this will go.
'Sup, Big K? So... I'm kinda sure I died'

[ ] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.

[x] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.

[x] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.

I'm feeling much better today, and it's not raining any more. Let's kick this show up a notch.

==

[X] Keine. She will humour a soul in search for answers.

If anybody is to know, Keine is the one. At this time of day, the lovely teacher is most likely to be giving classes at the school, and although hoping for a private natter with thirty-so students on her head isn't the most clever idea, it seems the right option to take. Given the amount of work to do present at hand, Brennan's blood is probably half-wine by now, and whatever he might have for you can wait until a more appropriate time.

Defiance is one of the things the undead should be allowed every now and again, after alll; though for an undead man, you're feeling admittedly alive. Sure, there are little aching spots here and there, and a vague sensation of wanting to lay down for the rest of the day, but other than that, you appear rather extraordinarily well-preserved for a corpse. Un-death does have its merits, it seems.

Silent movement. Slipping out of the courtyard largely unnoticed shouldn't prove too much a challenge for your skill.



Everything went better than expected. Most villagers have already left for the fields and workshops, and so the streets were far from crowded on the way to the school-grounds - one merit of rising in the noon as opposed to a dead morning. You cross the chain-link fence to the school-grounds through the squeaky, old gate, and go for the front door of the small, church-like edifice beyond.

"Cracking morning," you announce as you step inside.

Half the class shifts to meet your entry, and so does the teacher, turning away from a blackboard filled with unknown dates. Among the young horde, you notice a spot of warm, flowery pink - the smiling face of the mysteriously placid girl from yesterday - the daughter of the Hieda family, Akyu. Only now do you suddenly recall that very girl had apparently wished to talk with you before the whole tidal wave of Reimu's incident swept her plans clean off-shore. Undead or not, your memory is still as bad as ever.

"Ah, finally," Keine speaks from her lectern. "I was wondering when you'd show up. If you'd be so kind to wait for me in the back-room, I will be right over."

[ ] "Actually, I'm here for Hieda. You won't mind if I steal her for a tick, will you?"
[ ] "Yes. Yes, of course."

[x] "Yes. Yes, of course."
-[x] But if possible, try to talk to Hidea afterwards

[x] "Yes. Yes, of course."
Like a good little boy waiting for his candy.

[x] "Actually, I'm here for Hieda. You won't mind if I steal her for a tick, will you??

[x] "Yes. Yes, of course.."
-[x] But if possible, try to talk to Hidea afterwards
this works

[x] "Yes. Yes, of course.."
-[x] But if possible, try to talk to Hieda afterwards

[X] "Yes. Yes, of course."
-[X] But if possible, try to talk to Hidea after wards.

> If you'd be so kind to wait for me in the back-room...

I think Red-White might be back there...

[x] "Yes. Yes, of course."

This is a different world. In this one, we're Keine's fuck-toy.

>>30680

I fail to see any problems with that, good sir.

[X] "Yes. Yes, of course."
-[X] But if possible, try to talk to Hidea after wards.

hmm

[x] "Yes. Yes, of course."

We've had enough Akyu.

>>30682
Wasn't saying there were any.

This shit is stupid.

>>30686
>We've had enough Akyu.

Oh? Here I was, thinking about resuming AAA, but if such is your will...

Either way.

==

[X] "Yes. Yes, of course."

"Yes," you nod obediently. "Yes, of course."

If there were any students left with their attention not gracefully on you, there are none now - the entire class observes keenly as you stroll across the hall, wagging your imaginary tail all over the place. Silence, complete and utter silence. What are they all thinking, you wonder?

Keine gives you a somewhat of an arch smile.
"Do hurry up, I've got a class to finish."
"Uh?yes!" you exclaim. ??Right, of course!"

A couple of muffled giggles sweep through the class, and you quicken your pace to retreat to the safety behind the door Keine kindly pointed out. Close call.


Therein finally, you let yourself relax, and take a cursory scan of your surroundings. Your heart skips a beat when a hint of red-and-white flickers on the edge of your vision, but no - it's just an old flag-rack one would see in any school back-room in the world.

On the side, there's a short flight of stairs, leading to another area on the first floor. You remember now - this building is not only a school for the young, but also the home for their beautiful teacher. Poor Keine, living in a place such as this. Just how well is she faring here? Shouldn't it be your duty to check and see for yourself..."

"No, I can't..."you shake the idea off. "That'd be too much..."

No choice other than to wait, then.

...

Before long, sounds of the young horde shuffling out of their seats and out the building can be heard, and merely a moment after they have all subsided, Keine appears through the door, closing it meticulously behind herself.

"Ah..."she sighs in a tired manner. "Alone at last."
"I?" you spring up from the chair you were sitting on as if it suddenly sprung a hundred razor-tipped spikes, try to speak, but your throat resists. "I, uh..."
"Take it easy," says Keine, a calming smile on her lips. "I'm not going to scold you or anything. Are you all right? Reimu wouldn't let me near you last night, so I couldn't make sure..."
"Reimu?" Ah, no, yes, of course, I'm perfectly all right!"
"Thank goodness!."

Her words are like silver petals in the air, and through that storm of lovely colour, she hurls herself to embrace you. You stand there, perplexed, with twitching hands, unsure what to do.

"Keine??"
"I was so worried...."she whispers, and you can feel her breath clearly on your neck. "I didn't get the chance to say this yesterday, but I'm so, so very..."
"Sorry to intrude."

All of a sudden, the door to the room opens, and Akyu strolls in, smiling way too politely for the situation. Keine jumps up, startled, and tears herself away from you with an almost audible sound of crumbling hopes and dreams.

"Akyu!" she nearly squeals. "What's this?! I mean?! Classes are over, why didn't you go home?! This is a private?!"
"Keep it down, Keine," Akyu shoots the teacher a chiding look. "I've received permission to eavesdrop on this conversation. Don't mind me. I won't be too much trouble."

Keine opens and closes her mouth a couple of times like a fished taken out of the water, but then apparently decides the matter is beyond her control. Wait, isn't she the teacher here?

"G?gosh," she moans, pretending to fix her shirt. "Why must you always wear this thing? It's so rough..."
It's your vest she's talking about, it seems.
"I?It's, um..."you stutter. "It's to keep things... you know?" Out... out of my chest...?"
"Like cupid arrows?" Akyu queries, making a motion with her hands as if firing an invisible bow.
"N?no... I'm thinking more, um... you know - sharp, metal things... I?It's just a pet peeve of mine, really."

Akyu grins at you defiantly.

"I've got this feeling there might be a little more to it than that. Have you heard that a story untold is as good as forgotten? You could tell me about it one day. I'm curious, you know. So very curious..."
"Anyway!" the teacher cuts in. "We're getting a bit side-tracked here! You! Give me your hands!."

She moves in like a young tiger, seizing a hold of both your palms, locking her eyes with yours, her body merely a finger's length away, nearly touching you with all its length. Her face is flushed, but not nearly as much as yours.

"Keine...?" you mutter, with your chest on the verge of imploding.
"Look into my eyes," she orders. "Look into my eyes and listen. You hit your head pretty hard yesterday, so it may be a little bit hazy, but listen to me. There was never a hunt."
"That's a very rude thing you're trying to do, Keine," Akyu comments from the side.

However, it is much too late. Your whole self is drowning in those magnetic, aqua-blue eyes, sinking into a sea of warm, soft fluff, pulled down by the single most gorgeous thing humanity has ever given birth to. Your hands are burning, but it's a good pain.

"Listen," Keine continues. "You never went out to hunt with Brennan. You stayed at the village to help with some work, but then, a horde of monsters came rushing over the fence.?.
"... I did...?" you hear your own voice saying.
"Yes. You did. Fortunately, Reimu was in the area, and the two of you, together, fought off the wave. Is that correct?"

So warm... so sugary-sweet... All you wish for is to give in, dive into her arms. Why is she so short? It must be the weather. They're all so short. So cute. Not getting enough rain, maybe... No, good lord, you're just not thinking straight!

"I..."you swallow. "...I suppose we did..."
"You both fought well, but at the very end, a lone monster attacked from behind, and pushed you off the roof you were standing on," Keine suggests. "Reimu made sure it didn't hurt you too much, but she couldn't stop you from falling. You hit the ground, broke your rifle and blacked out. That's why you can't remember what happened, right?"
"... right..."

It's unbearable. Even just trying to keep track of what you should be remembering is night impossible. Out front - Keine's intent stare. In the back - this peculiar tingling in the rear of your brain. The worst kind of torture.

"Now, I will ask of you a favour." Keine smiles, and the smile strikes you with the force of a thousand suns. "You will find Mokou and bring her here to me. You're the only one she will listen to. I need to see her, do you understand? I haven't seen her for a long time, and I've got something very, very important to tell her. I need you to bring her here. Will you do it for me?"

[ ] "... yes, of course. I will gladly handle whatever you heave my way, Keine."
[ ] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you??

>>30693

>Oh? Here I was, thinking about resuming AAA, but if such is your will...

Ignore him, AAA calls you, do it do it do it.

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you??

[X] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you??

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you??

[x] "... yes, of course. I will gladly handle whatever you heave my way, Keine."

Maybe it's for the best we left things be, certainly beats another dangerous encounter with Reimu. That and it might be in Gensokyo's best interest as well.

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you??

[x] "... yes, of course. I will gladly handle whatever you heave my way, Keine.."
[x] ask for a reward.

>[] "... yes, of course. I will gladly handle whatever you heave my way, Keine.."

Maybe we'll get a collar and leash too...

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you?"

If there was indeed history hax involved, we probably wouldn't have remembered. Keine might have some 'splaining to do.

>>30686
Not true, though watchout for those folks who'd scream Pedo!

>>30694
That or the other stories you left hanging; prove yourself better than HY (in this regard), and finish those those ends!

>>30708
>prove yourself better than HY
Whatever things he says and does now, he supported and wrote for the site a long time.

He is a good guy.

>>30708
Prove myself better than HY? Mate, I don't like games that offer no challenges to overcome, honestly. What you are trying to bait me with is rather poor a motivation.
Yes, I'm joking, no need to get too aroused, sheesh. Anything I say will set you guys off, won't it.
What stories aside from AAA are you talking about, anyhow? I lost nearly all of my archives when moving to the new rig, and my memory's not exactly serving me well in regard of THP.

>>30711
Not the same anon, but I'd like it if you restarted the one in /others/ about the movie actor protagonist.

Also, did we ever reach an ending in CoMN? A good ending? It's been so long I don't even remember.

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you?"

>AAA

>>30711
Well well well. Aren't you the cool guy here with showing how much better he is than this place once again.
We already got it the first dozen times.

>AAA
wat

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you?"
Fight the (Teacher's) power!

>>30718
And it looks like you fail at reading properly.


[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you??

> looks at thread
> blog with a hint of plot
> pretentious bullshit
Welcome back, YAF.

>>30711
finishing the third Beautiful killing chamber, if just to finish it.

>>30710
I said that purely in the regards of all the unfinished stories left rotting around. Angry Desu is both better and worse. Better in that he intends on finishing a chunk of them and worse in that he has more stories lying around than HY does.

And from what I've seen, you're not as bad as rumored, YAF.

>>30723

>And from what I've seen, you're not as bad as rumored, YAF.

The guy has built up a lot of resentment. Didn't help with his attitude during his "Grand Return."

He's acting a lot better in this thread, though. Doesn't stop the flaming, but I doubt much will.

> And from what I've seen, you're not as bad as rumored, YAF.
Correct. He is much worse. Bastard should put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger. Do the world a big favor.

>>30725

GTFO

Seriously, let it go.

>>30724
People are rarely forgiven around here, no matter how much they try to improve.

>>30711
I though you only had three weeks, which would be more like two now to write. Did you change your mind?

>>30725
You first.

>And from what I've seen, you're not as bad as rumored, YAF.
You have already fallen into his trap.

[x] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you?"

GET OUT OF MY HEAD, KEINE.

Also, slowpoke is slow.

>>30728
It might come off as a sort of shocking news, but I care little for forgiveness, much less for your forgiveness.
My ONLY quarrel with you right now is that you're making the thread less enjoyable for my readers -- YOUR FELLOW USERS, which, in my opinion, is a rather hypocritical thing to do, so drop it and let it go. I don't care for the haters, nobody does, and neither should you.

As for the question: yes, my courses did get postponed until a later date, and I am considering sticking around for longer. THP is a good outlet and a decent way of keeping in touch with my creativity as I work. However, it is still all decided around the 14th, so time will show.

>>30729
Ah, but so have you!

>>30741
Did you mean >>30725>>30724?

>>30743
It doesn't matter. I was addressing all of you offtoping knob-sacks, not just that one bloke.
Now let it rest. I'll have an update done by the evening (it being 14:05 right now), and I hope you have enough self-control NOT to make any new unrelated posts until then. Do not disappoint me.

I can't believe I'm about to tell people to stop shitting up a YAF thread.

So stop. If you take offense at one thread, then you need to take a nap. If he starts shitting over everything else, though, that's when it becomes a problem. It becomes a problem when anyone does that though. I know there's been problems with him in the past, but beyond a few comments on shit he's already getting, I don't see any of that again.

Thank you, Mode.

As for the stories you guys counted out, I'll scan through my archives, see if there's anything that I could salvage. No guarantees, though, as I've already noted. If I disappear on the 14th, take that as a big 'well, bollocks, tough luck, mates'.

Now for the update.
==

[X] "... but Mokou... I talked with her yesterday, here, in the village... You saw her too, Akyu, didn't you?"

Will you"... Of course you will, how could you not"... If it's Keine asking, you would do anything...
Yet... there is something wrong with what she's saying, as reasonable as it may sound. Haven't seen Mokou"...

You battle to tear your thoughts away from Keine, even as she begins to squeeze your palms harder, urging you to give in completely. Only now do you notice there's a small, jewelled cross peeking out from between her breasts in a very un-religious way. Good god, it's like you're swimming in her smell, and she smells so beautifully edible it's not even funny!...

"Come on," she urges while you struggle with a hard-on of the sort that would take the entire army of a small country to disarm. "Do it for me."

However... still... this isn't...

"-but... Mokou..."you manage to hack out. "... I talked with her... yesterday, here..."
"Mokou wasn't here yesterday," Keine cuts in, but her voice, too, is trembling. "Nor the day before. Nor in the last few weeks. That's why I need you to find her."
"... but Mokou... Akyu saw her too..."
"You do not remember that!"
"... but..."

Both of you, you and she, continue to stare in each other's eyes, in this silent clash of wills. Mother of... that smell... the way her face keeps accruing more and more of the dark-pink shade with each passing second...

"That's enough."


It all vanishes in an instant, just as it appeared, like an unfulfilled dream. Your fingers disconnect from hers, and you fall on to a chair somebody graciously towed there just for you.

Akyu conjures up a purple handkerchief and begins to fan your seething-hot face. Keine meanwhile is trying desperately to hide her own.

"Look what you did!" Akyu chides. "You broke the poor kid! Was that really necessary?"
"I"... It"... It didn't work from afar, so I thought..."
You can't even move when the handkerchief lands flat on your face.
"So you thought you'd make his brains explode instead?"
"I?I didn't know?!"
"Oh, let's do be honest with ourselves here!" exclaims Akyu. "Boys' hearts are frail, little things, Keine! So is yours, it seems! Look at yourself, you're blushing a very unwomanly pink right now, you know!"
"That's not true!"
"You're as embarrassed as he is!"
"I'm not"..."you hear Keine sigh. "... but why didn't it work? I've never had this much trouble doing it..."
"Ah, finally to the point. I reckon it might have to do with him being from the outside. That would be the most logical explanation..."Akyu circles around you, then stops at your side, and whispers in your ear: "... right, pet?"
"... wa... waight..."you mutter. No point in arguing... This is way beyond your control...

? good lord, those blue eyes... you can see them even now...

"See," Akyu resumes. "There wasn't much point to that, was there?"
"But the village?"
"It's not the village you're concerned about, Keine." So strong.... How come a girl so young is able to make her voice sound so... wilful"... ?It's your own self you're switching like a frog on a hot rock about."
"But I?"
"Don't try to hide it, we both know better."

Enough of that. Being young and cute is one thing, and what an admirable thing that is; but berating Keine in your presence is completely another. Time to re-emerge, both from this sea of warm, fluffy feelings and from under this blasted hankey, before your brain hits the mental ejector seat switch.

"... I'll be damned..."you groan as you yank the thing off your face and turn to Akyu. "... you're a special, little flower, aren't you"..."
Akyu gives you a catty grin.
"You've noticed," she says. "I'm flattered."
"I don't know if I care for your tone, though..."
"That is quite all right. I don't care too much for it either."
"Who..."you look into those shrilly confident eyes. ?What are you"..."
Akyu's smile widens.
"How very kind of you to ask, dear." She moves her arm as if to introduce a guest star - herself. "I am Akyu of the Hieda family - the chronicler of this place. As such, I'm granted a certain amount of freedom... as well as special protection... but make no mistake - I'm no writer. That is somebody else's job - all I do is put what's already taken place on paper. Now, as for our beloved Keine here," she turns to the teacher, "what she was trying to do was?"

Keine shoots from her seat like a startled rabbit.
"Quiet, young miss!" she yells. "Say no more! It's my job to set this straight!?"

Red as she still is, at least she seems to have regained some of her former authority.

"Are you sure?" Akyu asks. "You do tend to rant an awful lot, if you'll excuse the expression."
"So what? It's none of your?"
"I think I'll explain it better... and faster. After all, we?excuse me?you still need to find the Fujiwara girl, don't you?"
"Don't forget yourself, Hieda," Keine threats. "I am still your teacher."
"Oh, that you are, aren't you?" Akyu does a little dance putting a hand to her mouth. "It keeps slipping my mind, I'm so very sorry!"


[ ] Listen to Akyu. If the situation is indeed dire, time may be of the essence.
[ ] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.
[ ] "I'd love to stay and chat... but I've duties to attend to. Come find me when you're done arguing. I've no time for this."

[x] Listen to Akyu. If the situation is indeed dire, time may be of the essence.

[x] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.
>If I disappear on the 14th, take that as a big 'well, bollocks, tough luck, mates'.
If you just can't continue go with a nice "Sorry guys, that is it for me, have a good life" instead of nothing.

[x] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.

need Keine

>Akyu does a little dance putting a hand to her mouth. "It keeps slipping my mind, I'm so very sorry!"
I'm waiting for the noblewoman laugh. OHOHOHOHO~

[x] "I'd love to stay and chat... but I've urgent duties to attend to. Please get in touch with me when you have your stories straight."
-[x] "Also... I need fresh air." Turn to Keine coyly "I-I don't think I can contain myself around you much longer right now, miss Keine. I couldn't live with myself if I did anything to harm you."

No more mind-control today. Man up, soldier.

[x] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.

We should show that we haven't entirely lost faith in her if at all.

[x] "I'd love to stay and chat... except that I wouldn't. Come find me when you're done arguing. I've no time for this."

[ ] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.

[x] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.

We're her dog, but we're not her lapdog.

Spent most of today on the go, but I managed to find a moment to look through my old archives. I'll give a sitrep on the stories you guys mentioned some time after this update.

A rather long update, but hopefully all the exposition will make up for it. Enjoy.

==

[X] Listen to Keine. You deserve to hear the explanation from her lips.

Correct or not, Akyu is out of the line all the same. 'Protection,' she said. 'Chronicler'. 'Freedom'? 'Pet'? Where have you heard that before? Just what in the blazes is going on in this girl's head"...

"Don't think you're completely inviolable, Hieda,.? Keine counters again. "It's the easiest path to get hurt."

Akyu chirps a short, broken laugh.
"Oh, I may not be completely inviolable, but I'm very close, believe me. Very close. I know things you've never even dreamt about, Keine," her eyes narrow. "Don't presume yourself superior just because of my fragile looks."
"Don't test my patience?"

That's your cue - any longer, and you'd have a bloody cat-fight on your hands. We wouldn't like that to happen, now would we?

"That's enough," you cut in and endure annoyed looks from the both of them. "Keine, I would... I mean, if you'd be so kind to explain, that would be very kind of you."

Keine gives you a nod, whilst Akyu huffs an offended, little sigh.
"Where should I start, then," mutters the teacher. "Do you know what history is?"
"It's an account of events that happened in the past."
"Precisely," Keine smiles at your sober definition. "It's a subjective account, however. Essentially, history is what the ones documenting it makes it to be. We believe our historians, but that's all there is to it - we have no certain way of making sure these events have indeed happened the way they were described."

"What are you trying to say?"
"History is not infallible," Keine explains. "Say, a historian is the only witness of a certain event that he later decides to put on paper for later generations. But be it deliberately or by an accident, he totally mixes up the names, places, all the information that history needs to compromise. What happens then?"

"If he's the only witness, then... I suppose his readers will believe his version of the story."
"And adapt it as the true way the event went," Keine sums up. "Same happens if all the witnesses are coerced into believing what they have seen has in fact happened another way."
"I still don't understand what it is you're trying to say."

Akyu steps in with a knock on your aching head.

"What she's trying to say is that she's a sly, little cheat who imposes her own views of events on others to achieve her own ends."
"That's not?" Keine tries to protest, but Akyu cuts in again.
"Have you ever seen our brave, young teacher flying, dear?"
"What?" you ask. "No, why??"
"Then why did you suggest she flew over to the shrine maiden and the Fujiwara girl when they were fighting yesterday?"
"That's..."you choke out, but then fall speechless.

You have said that, haven't you? It's impossible to tell now if your memory is functioning all right, but if it is, then Akyu is right... But then, why would you suggest something outrageous like that?

"Are you sure you sure you never saw her flying, pet? Try to remember."

Remember...

Yes, that skewering-hot afternoon, just a few weeks ago... in the forest, collecting firewood... strayed far from the village... and then, Keine descents like an angel from heavens above, offering a helping hand, a way back home. But why...

? why did you not remember that all up until now..."

"Ah, I see you've recalled," Akyu says in a most pleased tone. "See, Keine. Your ability is not perfect. All it takes is a bit of willpower... and a little chunk of love."

You look to the now-pale teacher.
"Keine...?"
"I?I had to!" she yelps. "I swear! I had no other choice!"
"Why?"
"It's?I can't?" the teacher stutters a few times before finally sinking back to her chair and burying her face in her hands. "It's complicated," her voice states weakly. "You've only been here for a couple of months, so may have not noticed, but people here... they're very choosy... about the origins of... of..."

"They're prejudiced," Akyu supplies, angry. "They're a bunch of narrow-minded racists who can't stand the idea of somebody's wife having teeth a little bit sharper or armpits a little more furry than their own. We'd had quite a situation with a certain half-breed a year or two before you arrived, pet, and Keine had to change everybody's memories regarding her powers afterwards. Ever since then, the notion of maybe, just maybe trying to co-exist with things that aren't one-hundred-percent pure human has been a foreign concept to them."

"I've never heard of that?"
"Rinnosuke Morichika," Keine says all of a sudden. "Alice Margatroid. Marisa Kirisame. Moriya people. They were driven out. Reimu, too... They hate her, but they tolerate her, because she protects them from the monsters... Sometimes, I..."a short pause while she wipes her face clean with a sleeve. "Sometimes I have to, when Reimu isn't around, and then..."
"And then you have to change everybody's memories to have them think it was Reimu."

Keine nods.
"Yes. I don't know what would happen if somebody were to find out..."
"I don't understand!" you exclaim. "You're their teacher, aren't you? You protect them! Why would they?"
"They seem not to notice that, pet," Akyu interrupts. "It doesn't matter to them what she does, it matters who?what?she is."
"How do you know? Has anything happened that I still don't know about?"

Silence. Utter, crushing silence. Keine turns away to avoid eye-contact, even Akyu averts her eyes. Something has happened, there's no mistaking it. Something has happened to make Keine so desperate in hiding her true self.

"That's why we need the Fujiwara girl, pet," Akyu breaks the quiet. "Her memories can be changed, and have been in the past, but she slipped out of our reach too quickly yesterday. If she tells the wrong person what really happened, the situation..."
"Could get out of control," you finish. "Fine, I see now why you need her so badly. Any idea where could be found?"

Keine stands up.
"Usually she goes to sleep at Kourin's place after we've had a fight," she says. "I'm pretty sure she's there, actually, but I can't go myself, I..."
"No worries," you assure, also uprising from your seat. "I'll bring her back. You can count on me."
"Be swift, pet," Akyu says. "It's late already, there's no saying where she might go if you miss her."
"Mokou is a bear of a slugabed, don't worry," you say. "That much I know."
"I won't ask how you came to possess such knowledge, pet, but I believe you. Now go. Time is running short."
"Yes."

You start for the door, but Keine's voice stops you.
"I'm sorry," she says, still trying to escape your eyes. "I shouldn't have treated you like everyone else, I should have... I should have trusted you..."
"It's all right."
"No, it's not," she shakes her head. "It's not all right at all! I feel so stupid... If there's any way I can have you forgive me, I'd like to... I'd want to..."
"Not right now there isn't," you shoot her a grin. "But I'll see if I can come up with something."

Then, you rush outside, into the light.


?


Yet however much you think about it, something just doesn't quite click in the whole farrago of things, something you can't put a finger on, something just beyond your mind's reach. Your own memories of the previous day were enough of a mess, and now, with Keine's suggestion still lingering in there, mixing up already fuzzy facts, it has only worsened. What is true, and what is not? What really happened?

"... blast..."

Sun is shining brightly high above the trees, making it a pain to travel with all the protective equipment on your person, but it's the only way to be safe. The only way to avoid repeating that same mistake from months ago...

You stop at an intersection and look around. One way, a trodden path of dirt, leads to Rinnosuke's establishment. You've never been there, but you know enough of this area's geography to know it. Other - a much better-built, gravel trail, slithers off to the side, towards Reimu's shrine.

"Reimu..."

It comes to cross your mind then, Reimu might be the one to have definite answers. Keine never mentioned tampering with the shrine maiden's memories, after all, and if all the wounds from yesterday are still there, on her body...

[ ] Pay Reimu a brief visit. No need for talking, you just need to see her.
[ ] No time for that. Mokou isn't too likely to be up, but better to avoid the risk.

[x] No time for that. Mokou isn't too likely to be up, but better to avoid the risk.

[x] Pay Reimu a brief visit. No need for talking, you just need to see her.

[x] Pay Reimu a brief visit. No need for talking, you just need to see her.
Fuck the risk. He should just see her.

[x] No time for that. Mokou isn't too likely to be up, but better to avoid the risk.

Too busy for Reimu in /shrine/.

[x] Pay Reimu a brief visit. No need for talking, you just need to see her.

>I should have... I should have trusted you...

No. No, you really shouldn't have.

[x] Pay Reimu a brief visit. No need for talking, you just need to see her.

Hey the village leader has gone insane with power, is spreading around the worst lies about you to cover her own ass and the asses of a few privileged friends that she's been brainwashing, and, you know this part, she's a half-monster. Now that in and of itself is very interesting, except that she would be openly shunned by the community she so carefully mircro-managed if this fact were brought to light. This in part is the result of... yes, you guessed right, more brainwashing because she needed a strong mooring of intolerance to steady the teetering spire of deceit and academic fraud.

So yeah. I was just in the area. Thought you should know~

>>30794
You forgot to mention Keine being the real BBEG!

Anyhow, here's a sitrep on those stories. Bloggery bits spoilered for your reading convenience, you know I can't help myself when it comes to those, and I know you don't give two shits.

BKC - don't have it, don't remember what it's about. Sorry.
BLAIR - shortly after I'd initially left THP, I started converting this to a stand-alone story, which wasn't too much of a challenge, since it had little to do with Touhou to begin with. Some time afterwards, I slipped a bit of it in the direction of an artist I knew, and he liked it so much he wanted to make a mini-VN out of it with me. I refused. In hindsight, I didn't like the characters, and the plot was extremely clich?. Not much interest in this one.
CoMN - tough one. I'd said once I wished to make this into a real story, for the sake of Fukuzai, whom I still love, and so I did... sort of. In fact, I had about 75% of the manuscript done before I cracked my bloody eye open while chopping up firewood somewhere around Dec last year and went completely emo for two-three months while it healed. It's been stalled since then. As such, I've no real interest in CYOA CoMN, that is, unless Giddy expresses his. He's the one person I'm willing to make an exception for.
AAA - the hardest one. YAF could still feel the moe. Reav does not. In all honesty I felt sick just reading through some of its bits, and I severely doubt my ability to continue it in the same manner. It would be in your best interest to seek somebody with... looser moral constraints to deliver your daily dose of diabetes. Unless you want a spoiled, jagged, deadpan-snarking Akyu. That I can arrange all right.

Update, as always, will be up in the evening. Good hunting until then, folks, one and all.

Here it is.

==

[X] Pay Reimu a brief visit. No need for talking, you just need to see her.

? yes, this might just work. Even if you do not find her in a forthcoming mood, all you really need is to see her. Even if your version of yesterday is the true one, and Reimu is still holding a grudge, just sneaking a peek at her skin shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem.

Rejuvenated by the thought, you shift your steps towards the shrine. Seems like you'll have to climb those horrible stairs once more, in spite of what you'd have thought. It's been a long while since the first time... the last time...


...


Up there, at the top of the hill, you come to a stop, gasping for air, drowning in your sweat. Reimu's shrine, small and run-down as always, greets you with locked doors and empty windows, and no sight of the resident watchdog. Fancy that! One might think a shrine maiden would sit her arse on the veranda and siphon tea from a giant pot all day long.

"Crap. Reimu?"

You call out, but no answer comes through. Bollocks, did you waste all that time hiking up the blasted slope only to have it slap you across the face like this?

"Reeeimuuu?!"

Nothing, nothing all the same. Son of a... Of course she's out! It's already after noon, and she's got her own duties to attend to - and actually taking care of them, as opposed to somebody else you know. What were you thinking?

"Shite!..."

Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality, they say. Well, you've hoarded up enough courage - where's the bloody magic now? Come on, isn't this enough?! Where's the sign you deserve?!

Clang

THERE'S your sign! Some sort of a noise from behind the shrine, as if two hard, metal pieces of machinery joined together under heavy pressure, an unusual kind of a noise, but a noise regardless. This isn't the moment to infer what it was, however.

Repositioning. You circle to the back of the shrine, where a small lean-to with a water-tank on top adheres to the building. It definitely came from there, there's no room for doubt. There doesn't seem to be another entrance but a thick-looking door on one of the walls, so you shift quietly to it, your senses standing at attention like taut ropes on a ship. There's a handle, so you grab a firm hold of it. It's warm, too warm even for this weather.

It's the moment of truth, now. No backing away. Three, two, one...

You wrench it open!


Yet not even all the readiness you mustered could prepare you for what's inside. There, in clouds of steam, wringing water out of strands of long, black hair, wearing nothing but a look of startled surprise, stands Reimu, in all her glorious neglige.

Despite all the direness of the situation, you can't help but slide your eyes along her contours, curves and features. It's sort of natural in this situation, isn't it? Smooth, cream-toned shoulders. Average-sized, yet charming and perky breasts. Healthy, robust thighs, formed no doubt by hours upon hours of kicking innocent wanderers out of her home every few weeks. Slender, well-fit calves. Slightly tanned, glistening-wet, electrifyingly alluring skin...

? but most of all.. completely uninjured. Scrape-less. Pristine.


"Would you close the fucking door already?" Reimu asks, glaring. "You're letting cold air in."

Faster than you can tear your thoughts from her visage and engage them in comprehending her words instead, your muscles act up on their own, and follow the command with immediate effects.

You slam the door close, and lean against it with your heart pounding so hard you can almost feel your arteries ripping under the pressure of the beat. Good lord of all that lives, did you just do what you just did? What in the blazes did you just do?!

There's no way you're getting away with this, no, no bloody way. You could run, yeah, but... that would only make the misunderstanding worse, wouldn't it? Give her an excuse to chase you in rage to the very ends of this land, and then beyond, until she catches you and takes you slowly, painfully, out of your hide, using nothing but her own teeth and fingernails. Holy sentient sack of bollocks, you've just leapt head-first into a VERY deep pile of poo, good sir!

The handle turns under your hand, and you jump away from the door, changing to a m?l?e-ready position, hunched forward, hands clenched in front of the throat, steady as a stone pillar ready for a beating of the century. Reimu steps out of the annex, now wearing the bottom part of her habit, and a towel hung about her shoulders, acting as a makeshift shirt.

She gives you a chiding stare.
"What're you being so jittery about?"
You look at her from behind your fists.
"Aren't you going to hit me?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Well, I did just sort of walk in on you, and er... saw you naked"..."
"So what?"
?So what?? you repeat. "Aren't you angry? Mad? Looking for a good candidate for today's braining?"
"Very funny," she makes a wry smile. "What's so special about it?"
"Wait, so you don't mind... being seen naked?"

Reimu gives you the biggest shrug you've ever seen - the kind that has the shoulders, the chest, and the entire body move slightly upwards in a gesture of infinite indifference. Her towel almost slips off while she does it, too. Watch it!...

"What's the big idea? I see myself naked every day and you don't see me freaking out about it."
"You've got a peculiar sense of shame, Reimu..."
"Perhaps the same could be said of your sense of humour."

The two of you continue staring in each other's eyes for a good dozen of seconds until Reimu at last lets out a give-up sigh, then - as unexpectedly as suddenly - assumes an awkward sort of an expression, reeling slightly on her heels, looking aside.

"So, er..."she says, fidgeting. "... since you're already here, could I... you know, offer you some tea, maybe? I mean?" she lifts both hands as if to shield herself from instant refusal. ??if you can't, that's all right, but I thought, er... you know, that we could talk, like... like civilised people, for once... you know? We haven't really... had a chance to talk..."her voice trails off to a whisper. "... alone... with... each other... man, what am I saying"...?


[ ] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."
[ ] "I'll have to pass. Sorry, I really can't. It's good to see you're all right, though. Be careful today, Reimu. Something is in the air."

[?] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill.."
What the hell happened to her?
We should start looking for Mokou soon though...

[X] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill.."

How very odd.

A hint of Reimu route. YAF do it do it do it.

[ ] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."

>>30802
My thoughts exactly.

[x] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."

[x] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."

Should've just gotten in there with her.

[x] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."

Even if this isn't her real personality.

[x] "I'll have to pass. Sorry, I really can't. It's good to see you're all right, though. Be careful today, Reimu. Something is in the air."

A vain attempt at maintaining some loyality, since who to say something won't happen to cause us to drop Reimu?

[ ] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."

>>30809
Make your bets:
-Reimu's real, it's a trick
-Reimu's real, it's a dream come true
-Mima
-Nue
-ALL A DREAM
-Eintei's new shady drug wait, wrong option.

Maybe Reimu's a closet Yandere?

>>30817
Mima.

>>30817
She's had years of experience about keeping her composure while drunk.

Suika's severely intoxicated her and it won't show until we're safe inside the shrine.

[x] "I'll have to pass. Sorry, I really can't. It's good to see you're all right, though. Be careful today, Reimu. Something is in the air."

[X] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."

>>30804
Oh, come on, who do you think this story was devised for in the first place? I do admit, I had to change a lot of initial plans to accommodate the form, shove a couple of girls back to secondary roles as the plot took precedence over regular character interaction, but... hey, one can dream, right?

==

[X] "Um, sure, I... I suppose I do have some time to kill."


Whatever she's looking for, it's not there, and so her eyes continue to wander. What's gotten into her? This is not your usual Reimu... although 'your' Reimu does consist mainly of getting kicked around by her, and that's admittedly not too much to go by...

Curiosity begets pain, true, but what price is pain in face of answers?

"Sure," you say. "I, er... I suppose I've got a little bit of time to?"
"I?It's all right!?" Reimu blurts out, still mentally elsewhere. "If you can't, it's all right, I won't"... Eh"..."she gasps weakly as her eyes snap back to you. "... what... what did you say?"
"That I'll gladly take you up on the offer," you reiterate. "Should I repeat it one more time?"
"What? No?no?no," the shrine maiden shakes her head vigorously. Little drops of water go sprinkling around from her hair as she does. "I heard you, I did... Sheesh, I almost had a... I'm not cut out for this..."
"Reimu?" you ask as she puts a palm against her chest and breathes a few deep ones.
"It's nothing, I'm just, er... Not used to, you know... Never mind. Let's go inside, shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer, she touches off past you, in quick nervous steps, carrying the smell of soap and shampoo behind her. Needless to say, you follow.

One thing must be said - walking behind a nigh-naked girl has some very interesting assets to it, so long as the girl takes decent care of her rear shapes. Reimu, from the looks of it quite obviously, does care for them a great deal.

Yet why does it feel she's leading you straight into a teeth-spiked maw of death?


?


For a lion's cave, however, the place looks very much so like just a messy home of a female too busy to bother with such menial tasks as cleaning up. You find yourself seated at a traditional, eastern calf-high table, in the most spacious room of the shrine - a miniature temple of sorts, with a small kitchen annex jammed into one corner.

Reimu is busying herself with the tea-making rituals at the stove, time and time again giving you slips and peeks of various of her striking features, but charming as it is, your attention is captivated by something else instead - a sculpture chiselled out of something that may have once been white marble, now dark-grey, severely damaged by the passing time, a figure of a kneeling human, with his hands clasped on the floor in front of him. Not too strange a prop for a shrine, but at least it keeps you from the faux-pas of staring at Reimu's bum non-stop.

"So, this is your god?" you decide to ask.
"Goddess," Reimu corrects. "Yes, it is, far as I know."
"Far as you know? That's not too kind of you to say... You don't get along?"
The shrine maiden gives a short, stressed giggle.
"Oh, we do get along all right. I don't get in her way, and she lets me do my job. It's a fair trade, I think."
"What's her name?"

Reimu stops for a moment, but doesn't answer. Just when you thought you'd pulled the wrong string, however, she turns to join you at the table, a tray with a pot and two cups in her hands. She sits down opposite of you and pours the tea.

"Reimu," she says, placing a now-full cup in front of you. You nod a quiet thanks, and continue to listen. "Her name is Reimu. Apparently, my parents thought it would please her if they christened their daughter the same. They stole the very ground of my own identity from under my feet before I was even born. Can you believe it?"
"So you don't like your name?"
"No, I... At first I didn't. Then I grew up, and I realised it wasn't really her name. Well, not any more, at least."
"What do you mean?"
"It used to be her name, but now it's mine," she says with a faint smile. "Right now I'm using it, so she can have it back only after I've closed my eyes for good. Not that she needs it so much, anyway. Nowadays rarely anybody remembers a goddess named Reimu..."

You observe as Reimu takes a long, strong draught from her cup.
"Ow," she yelps and begins to fan her tongue with one hand. "Hot, hot, hot..."she gives another sad snicker. "Funny. To be honest I never thought I'd get the chance to tell you."
"You wanted to tell me that?"
"... maybe. I don't know, we don't get along too well, do we? Remember the first thing you said to me?"
?'You've a cute face, but an ugly mouth'," you recite out of memory. ?'What gives?' Yeah, I remember, though it's been a while."
"Not the best way to start off, is it?"
"Well, in my defence you had just told me to get the fuck out of your shrine shortly before that, so..."


"Yes, that I did, didn't I..."Reimu slides a finger along her cup's edge. "Keine says I suck at expressing myself, that I can't do it without breaking things and hurting people. That's why I... when I just want to... say something... like now, say something I've been meaning to say... I can't... I just can't..."
She lets her gaze drop to the tabletop.
"... Reimu"..."

"Look!" she shouts all of a sudden. "I can't even find the right words without going angry! I can't even say what I want to say properly! Is this what I have to do every time?! Punch somebody in the face and then cry myself to sleep afterwards?!... No, don't listen to me," she sighs and assumes a resigned look. "Since you came to visit, I suppose you've got something to ask, right? I rarely get guests unless it's about... damn it, never mind me. Just ask what you have to, and let's be done with it. I'm on the verge of exploding, here."


[ ] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen."
[ ] "Easy, I'm not looking for a fight. Look, if you didn't want me here, you should have said so. I've got to find Mokou, anyhow. If you think it'll help, could you lend me a hand?"
[ ] "Yes. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me... just what exactly happened yesterday? Do you know anything about Keine's... you know what I'm talking about, don't you??

[ ] "Yes. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me... just what exactly happened yesterday? Do you know anything about Keine's... you know what I'm talking about, don't you??

>>30827

[x] "Yes. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me... just what exactly happened yesterday? Do you know anything about Keine's... you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Although I appreciate what Keine has done to make Reimu moe-moe I'd like it more when she isn't under some cow's spell.

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen.."

Goddamn YAF, even if you are a hateful faggot i fucking missed your Reimu.
Some people claim that you can only write a Reimu route. All choices lead to Reimu, and i am fine with this.

[x] "Yes. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me... just what exactly happened yesterday? Do you know anything about Keine's... you know what I'm talking about, don't you??

>>30830

Wrong target.

[x] "Yes. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me... just what exactly happened yesterday? Do you know anything about Keine's... you know what I'm talking about, don't you??

>?Look!" she shouts all of a sudden. "I can't even find the right words without going angry! I can't even say what I want to say properly! Is this what I have to do every time?! Punch somebody in the face and then cry myself to sleep afterwards?!... No, don't listen to me," she sighs and assumes a resigned look.

After a girl tells you this, even if you don't like her, don't you think it's a bit callous to start iterating the mistakes she made just yesterday?

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen."

You have to find out as much as possible in the current world without causing anyone in it to explode. You need them to know the truth, yes, but you also need to have everyone else on your side for when you have your intervention with your unlucky antagonist, Keine. If you trigger anyone to go off and wreck havoc or confront Keine prematurely (like Reimu), then Keine will simply change history again, invalidating all the progress you made and everything you have learned.

In the current world you have two advantages in that 1) Keine let you into her circle, and 2) Reimu is not immediately hostile. If Keine suspects that revealing this to you causes trouble, then she won't do it again. From the look of things, even in this timeline, the relations between the main character and Reimu have been strained at best. Don't waste these advantages. You must create new memories with the others affected by Keine's powers, so that they won't see your friendship with them as only lies, even if everything else is.

You're in no rush, yet. When something explodes, that is when you need to do your rushing.

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen."

This is far more neutral; and it's not a good idea to prematurely brand people villians (coughASSMcough)

But here's my question: If you all have a problem with Keine's way of keeping order; what's the alternative? From the sounds of things, people are paranoid about anything non-human and basically Keine covering Reimu's laziness (She often gave Reimu credit for things she did herself)

For all we know, YAF might want to avoid such cliches, yet anon's forcing him to do them again.

I think the MC's strained relationship with Reimu is due to the whole "Hunting Youkai with Guns idea", basically an attempt to make Shrine Maidens and such obsolete if not also ruining what the spell card rules were made to prevent.

We should go after Mokou soon if anything to do some damage control, since having Mokou run loose and running her mouth would cause far more chaos than it is worth. I say this is important for everyone, pro-Keine, Neutral, or anti-Keine.

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen."

[x] "What, if I say, I'm here just to see you?"

>This is far more neutral; and it's not a good idea to prematurely brand people villians (coughASSMcough)

The negative resolution of ASSM was because Anon wasn't willing to label Remilia as a villain, even after both Nathaniel and Sakuya (for the latter, disingenuously) explained at length that she was.

>But here's my question: If you all have a problem with Keine's way of keeping order; what's the alternative?

The alternative is for her to stop dicking with causality so capriciously and explain how this vicious circle started so we can fix it. As it is now, any time there is a problem, or the possibility of a problem, she writes it out of existence. Instead of solving things, it's loading an even greater burden on her, such that if something bad really did happen, the village and the principals might not be able to count on her. Obviously it's not working very well if she has to recruit both Akyu and the main character to cover her ass.

>From the sounds of things, people are paranoid about anything non-human

For all we know she could purposefully be selecting for realities where the humans are intolerant of change and the presence of non-humans because it increases her control. We have little reason to believe that the non-human paranoia is anything other than an artifact of her mucking, and that's because she's simply not telling us everything. Not even Akyu in PMiSS reports things as bad as the way Keine explains them.

>and basically Keine covering Reimu's laziness (She often gave Reimu credit for things she did herself)

You misread that bit if you think giving Reimu 'the credit' was an act of generosity.

>?Rinnosuke Morichika," Keine says all of a sudden. "Alice Margatroid. Marisa Kirisame. Moriya people. They were driven out. Reimu, too... They hate her, but they tolerate her, because she protects them from the monsters... Sometimes, I..."a short pause while she wipes her face clean with a sleeve. "Sometimes I have to, when Reimu isn't around, and then..."
>?And then you have to change everybody's memories to have them think it was Reimu.."

She has to pin it on someone else because otherwise people will fear her. This only makes the people of the Village fear Reimu more.

>Keine nods.
>?Yes. I don't know what would happen if somebody were to find out..."
>?I don't understand!" you exclaim. "You're their teacher, aren't you? You protect them! Why would they?"
>?They seem not to notice that, pet," Akyu interrupts. "It doesn't matter to them what she does, it matters who?what?she is.."
>?How do you know? Has anything happened that I still don't know about?"
>Silence. Utter, crushing silence. Keine turns away to avoid eye-contact, even Akyu averts her eyes. Something has happened, there's no mistaking it. Something has happened to make Keine so desperate in hiding her true self.

If this isn't enough an indicator of duplicity, then I don't know what to tell you. I like Keine, and her silly hat, but in this story she's as close to an antagonist as we've yet seen, at least until we can force the truth out of her. We're not able to do that as we are now.

>For all we know, YAF might want to avoid such cliches, yet anon's forcing him to do them again.

It'd be nice to know what cliches you're talking about, so we can avoid them.

>I think the MC's strained relationship with Reimu is due to the whole "Hunting Youkai with Guns idea", basically an attempt to make Shrine Maidens and such obsolete if not also ruining what the spell card rules were made to prevent.

Once upon a time, the humans of Gensokyo regularly engaged in youkai extermination, and had the power to do so. Now they a huddle against each other in this shelter Keine has created, and anyone with strange powers is vilified. There's no reason to think villagers participate, or even can participate, in spell card duels anymore. Reimu may see this as a final rejection of herself from the villagers (at least before at least they needed her, if they didn't like her), or...

>?Hurt me? You destroyed what I've been working for the last few years!"

Maybe she'd made some kind of non-belligerence agreement with the youkai? I don't think she's talking about her reputation here.

Anyway, the antagonism runs more deeply than that. In this history, she's pretty mellow about it:
>"... maybe. I don't know, we don't get along too well, do we? Remember the first thing you said to me?"
>?'You've a cute face, but an ugly mouth'," you recite out of memory. ?'What gives?' Yeah, I remember, though it's been a while."
>?Not the best way to start off, is it?"
>?Well, in my defence you had just told me to get the fuck out of your shrine shortly before that, so..."

>We should go after Mokou soon if anything to do some damage control, since having Mokou run loose and running her mouth would cause far more chaos than it is worth. I say this is important for everyone, pro-Keine, Neutral, or anti-Keine.

Well, I think we're here to cause damage, or at least upset the status quo, but in a way that doesn't get us ret-conned. Toward this, I agree that finding Mokou is important. In the last history Reimu was just as much of a loose cannon as Mokou, since she's the one that started the destruction in the last history. Getting Mokou to not explode and attempt to tackle the problem all on her own will probably be difficult, and I'm sure there have been histories in which she's done so.

Shit still sucks. Not trolling btw.

Is that so~?

>>30842
A problem with ASSM was that Anon considered Nathaniel a villain for a good while when he was supposed to be a key ally. That's the point I was trying to make.

Also the way Keine's controlling things is such that when her control is removed, all hell will break loose, much like a certain mid-eastern country that was 'liberated' in this decade. That's why I stressed finding an alternative, because if hell breaks loose, it'll take something EX Keine/Yukari grade to fix it.

>Maybe she'd made some kind of non-belligerence agreement with the youkai? I don't think she's talking about her reputation here.

The Spell Card rules are such an agreement, since at the end both parties get to walk away unharmed. And if Humans go about using lethal force, the Youkai would do likewise.

>It'd be nice to know what cliches you're talking about, so we can avoid them.

"Oh it's a YAF story, so it's Reimu route no matter what"

>Well, I think we're here to cause damage, or at least upset the status quo, but in a way that doesn't get us ret-conned. Toward this, I agree that finding Mokou is important. In the last history Reimu was just as much of a loose cannon as Mokou, since she's the one that started the destruction in the last history. Getting Mokou to not explode and attempt to tackle the problem all on her own will probably be difficult, and I'm sure there have been histories in which she's done so.

Yes, since if we fail in finding Mokou, chances are what we do know will get ret-conned.

But I'm not Pro-Keine, just preferring to try to find out more about the big picture before labeling anyone a villain. I get the overwhelming feeling we're still not seeing everything. For all we know there's a bigger evil that Keine's acting against.

What I do know is that if we are to try to go against Keine, we'll need Mokou and Reimu's help while not tipping Keine off to what we're doing.

>For all we know she could purposefully be selecting for realities where the humans are intolerant of change and the presence of non-humans because it increases her control. We have little reason to believe that the non-human paranoia is anything other than an artifact of her mucking, and that's because she's simply not telling us everything. Not even Akyu in PMiSS reports things as bad as the way Keine explains them.

You forget this might not be canon Gensokyo we're dealing with, but a fanon one. If that's the case all bets are off regarding canon information.

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen.."

Shrine is alive again!

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen."

Reimoe~

[x] "Calm down. If you need to take your time, then take it. I'll listen."

YAF! YAF! Where are you?

>>30854
probably gone.

>>30856
Ye of little faith, begone!

>>30857
More like "Ye of futile wishes."

>>30856

Probably attempting to draw somethingart.

>>30859
I quit drawing six months ago, you tit.

Other than that, people missing me? What a turn. Anyhow, it looks like miss fortune decided to screw me over once again, which means I'll have a little bit more free and a lot less money in this coming month, which in turn means I'll be able to continue this story. Yay. Somehow I'm not elated.

Anyway, since the thread is nearing its limit, what should we call this thing? Reimu."
"-plus, I really shouldn't be talking about this, it doesn't?it shouldn't concern you, it's?"
"Oh, for the love of?!" you rise and slam a fist on the tabletop. Reimu stares at you startled, protests dying away in her half-open mouth. Satisfied, you settle back down. "I've really picked the wrong week to quit yelling, it seems! Now it's your fault, too!"
"I'm, er... sorry"..."
"Oh, spare me the false apologies, will you! Now, what I propose is that I drink my tea while you collect your thoughts. Or do I have to hold your hand so you don't feel too scared and run away?"
"No, that won't be..."
"As I suspected. Now, take your time."

Reimu averts her eyes, concealing them behind the veil of her black hair, but just before she does, you catch a tiny glimpse of a sheepish, little smile on her lips, quickly hidden along with the rest of her face. Would you look at that. What a dishonest girl this red-white shrine maiden is.
Funny how the strategy Mokou usually utilises on you has worked so flawlessly well against somebody of her own gender... a genuine double-edged sword, if you've ever seen one, and a brilliantly useful one at that. What a discovery you have made. Excellent.

To top it off, this tea is truly top-notch.

"You know..."Reimu speaks up. "... I'm not good at talking, I'm really not. I rarely get guests, and if I do, it's usually..."
"About business," you fill in. "Isn't it sort of to be expected? You are, after all?"
"Their protector?" Reimu asks bitterly. "Maybe, but I... I never wished for it. I never had a choice, nobody asked me if I want to do it... I know it's necessary, I do, but still... sometimes I just want to forget about it. I... why am I talking about this?... I read a lot of books, you know."
"You do? Now that's surprising."
"Just because I don't spend all days with my nose between the pages doesn't mean I can't read." Reimu makes a sour face. "My parents left those books behind, but they never let me read while they were still... you know, around. Either way, I read those books, and I can't help, but feel... jealous. They're all about people so unlike myself - so normal. Living ordinary lives, having fun, arguing sometimes... I'm jealous of that. It's so simple, but it sounds so fun."
"..."

"I, on the other hand, what do I do? I put my neck on the line, risk my god-damn life every god-damn day for a bunch of self-righteous shit-for-brains bastards with no sense of respect, and I'm sick and tired of it!" Reimu rises a fist as if to strike it down on the table, but changes her mind at the last second. "... but then I realise it's all I have, you know? It's all I know. I'm not smart, I'm not beautiful, I'm not even liked by the people I'm supposed to protect! 'She's a freak! Hakurei is a devil, I tell you!'. If it wasn't for Keine, they'd have long?"
"Keine?" you ask.

"Yes," Reimu nods. "Keine is... the closest I've ever had to a mother, I guess. Ever since mine passed away, she's been taking care of me. Keine taught me how to read. Taught me how to write, how to cook, how to live, as a woman, not just a shrine maiden. She gives me groceries, too, you know... as a payment; although the villagers don't approve of it... Apparently they believe I can live off the rocks up here, or something, I don't know, and now... looks like they're trying to rid of me for good."

"What do you mean?"
"Monster 'extermination' is all I'm good for in their eyes, you know. Now, they... you are trying to do that without my help, with all those guns, and traps, and... I should be happy, you know? I can finally lay down and relax, right? But if I lose this job... I'll betray my obligations. Keine won't be able to support me any more. Not without making it hard on herself. I don't want that..."

"Blast..."you groan. "Don't you have any friends? Some that could help?"
"I do..."Reimu bites her lip. "... well, I used to. Not any more, though. Marisa used to visit every now and again, but ever since that incident a year ago, she hasn't been around - she's become completely infatuated with magic. It's impossible to tear her away from Alice now, you know. Sanae has her own troubles in her village. Remilia... Remilia is too busy with the Flandre situation, and then the..."she pauses. "... the monsters, the ones smart enough not to attack me on sight, I don't... I don't get along with, you know? It's kind of in my job description... I?I do have a certain agreement with them, but that's about it. I don't know if they would even consider helping..."

You fall back and close your eyes. Who would have thought this girl would have so many problems on her shoulders? Now you see the core of it - no wonder she's such a yarn-ball of strained nerves with so many issues driving sleep off her eyes every night...

"What a cock-up..."you sigh. "There really isn't much you can do..."
"I sort of deduced that on my own, thank you."
"Save for one thing," you correct. "Have you thought about marriage?"

"Ma... marriage?" Reimu gives you a jumpy look. "I?I never really?I mean, I haven't"... Where did that come from"..."
"Well, that's what girls your age tend to do when cornered by circumstances," you explain. "I've even heard rumours Akyu was in fact about to marry a guy not long ago, and she's only 16 or so, and has the tongue of an old lady to boot. If she could find a husband, then surely you'd have an even easier time. We're not all as dumb and prejudiced as you might think. There has to be at least one bloke in the village that would suit you. Is there? I'm sure there is."

Reimu gives a nervous smile and fingers her cup timidly.
"I don't know..."
"Come on!" you encourage. "Spill it!"
"There, er... may... maybe there is one, but I really don't"..."
"Excellent!" you clap your hands. "One is enough. Have you tried talking to him?"
"Er, no, not... only a few times, and it never went too smoothly..."
"Bugger. Well, maybe not all is lost. What is he like?"
"He's, er..."Reimu gives you a flustered glance, scratching her cheek. "... he's pretty young, but a little older than me, and, um... not one of the people that work in the workshops or in the fields, and... I don't know him too well... I'm not sure if?" she shakes her head. "I?I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like me..."
"Nonsense, I wager he's just being a big dolt about it."
"Um, yeah, he..."another glance. ?.. he may be a little thick..."
"Never fear!" you stand up. "If you put some effort into it, he'll be yours in no time, that much I can guarantee?"


RAAAARGH!


Regardless of how certain you were of it, however, a sudden howl from outside the shrine shatters all of your confidence in an instant. Not a human howl - a primal wail of a beast calling for the rest of the horde - a blood-chilling cry of a savage predator that has spotted a prey that has nowhere to run. What in the hell??!

"God damn it, not now!..."Reimu springs to her legs and darts for the blouse that's been hanging on the wall just beside the table. "Not now, not now, not now!..."
Having pulled it on quicker than you could look, Reimu seizes a hold on your hand.
"Reimu, what is??!"
"Hold your breath!"
"But?"
Before you can finish, a noise of breaking tiles and rafters reaches your ears, but even as you try to find the source, a cloud of heavy, black smoke explodes at Reimu's feet and shrouds your vision.


Sooner than you can react, the shrine maiden shoots through the front door?literally through it?with you in tow, and stops at the very end of the yard, at the top of the stone stairs.

"Gah?!"
Coughing, you drop to your knees and attempt to comprehend the situation. There's smoke slowly seeping out of the shrine's doors, windows, and the hole in the roof that definitely wasn't there when you looked at it before. What in the blazes?"

Ngnaargh!

Once again, an enraged scream shears the air, this time from within the shrine, and numerous answers come echoing from the woods around. Countless shrieks of rage, more distant, yet no doubt soon to be much, much closer, rushing even now to aid the caller.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!..."Reimu curses repeatedly. "Why now?! Why fucking now, of all times?! Just when I"... This is exactly what I told you about!" she turns to face you. "I knew this would happen! They've found out, and now they're?!"
"-Hold up for a second! Who 'they'?!"
"The monsters!" she yells. "The monsters, you halfwit, who else?! God damn it, this isn't the time!... You! You have to get out of here! Now!"
"What? But?!"

Her eyes are dead-serious, but you can feel her clutching tightly at your palm.
"Don't 'but' me!" she chides. "Get the hell out of here! Do you want to get hurt so much?!"
"But I can help?"
"No, you can't, for fuck's sake! Listen to me for once! I'll be fine, I've done this before!" Squeeze. "This is not your fight! Don't go on trying to impress me, you idiot! Think of yourself!"


[ ] "Maybe I should... but I don't want to. I've got your back, whether you like it or not."
[ ] "I'm not trying to impress you. I'm doing this because I think it's right."
[ ] "You're right... but I'll be back. Soon. We've still got those marriage plans to talk about.."
[ ] "Very well, if that's the way you want it. Good luck. Stay safe."

[x] "You're right... but I'll be back. Soon. We've still got those marriage plans to talk about.."

No gun and no Nanayanon killing skills. I don't think we would do too hot here.

[x] "You're right... but I'll be back. Soon. We've still got those marriage plans to talk about."
-[x] Find Mokou, and mention loosely about such a thing.

Just what is Keine doing anyways, since it seems that she has her fingers in everything.

[x] "Maybe I should... but I don't want to. I've got your back, whether you like it or not."

Discordance of Memory? How's that for a title?

>?Um, yeah, he..."another glance. ?.. he may be a little thick..."
Lol'd. You still got it, YAF.
[x] "You're right... but I'll be back. Soon. We've still got those marriage plans to talk about.."
She's right so no reason to play hero... I just hope she'll be okay.

>>30863
As if we don't have any back-up weapons or something Reimu could give us to use. If it's even just pushing her out of the way from an attack coming in from behind her, even if it's just grabbing her and running away when it gets too ugly, or finding the direction in which these things decided to drag her broken body, we're help enough.

Since when has anyone ever held all the cards? Sometimes you just have to stay and fight for what's right.

>>30871
If not for that errand to get Mokou, I'd have chosen to stay. We need to at least make it look like we're going along with Keine's plans lest she goes about mind wiping things YET AGAIN.

And with luck we might convince Mokou to help out if it's actually too much for Reimu (not likely)

I also realized the possibility of all of Reimu's friends growing distant might be a result of Keine's muckery. As far as Yukari goes, I think she's having too much fun seeing how this plays out.

The more I think about it, the more insidious Keine's plan seems, acting like she's befriending Reimu while plotting to make her give up her profession. I think even Keine's interest in us may just be a form of a backstab to Reimu, that and how she was encouraging using guns on Youkais (which goes against Reimu's efforts).

I wonder about her ultimate goal of her actions, is it to see the outside world? After all, if Reimu stops being a shrine maiden, what'll keep the border going? Is it to totally tip the balance in favor of Humans or is it a sort of twisted revenge scheme against those that discriminated against her due to her partially Youkai background or even the Hakureis themselves?

The more and more I think about this, the less and less neutral I become. There's still her EX Form which can actually alter it whole sale as opposed to removing the memory of it from people's minds. Considering how she has Akyu in on her scheme basically means the only limiter on her power is under her control.

Sure we're basically backstabbing Keine, but from the way of things that are looking, I'd say she did the backstabbing first.

>Keine is... the closest I've ever had to a mother, I guess. Ever since mine passed away, she's been taking care of me. Keine taught me how to read. Taught me how to write, how to cook, how to live, as a woman, not just a shrine maiden. She gives me groceries, too, you know... as a payment; although the villagers don't approve of it... Apparently they believe I can live off the rocks up here, or something, I don't know, and now...

Uh huh.

>... he's pretty young, but a little older than me, and, um... not one of the people that work in the workshops or in the fields, and... I don't know him too well... I'm not sure if?" she shakes her head. "I?I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like me...

I can almost hear the Reimu within screaming.

It's hard to reconcile the utterly shameless Reimu we met out of her bath this morning with this stuttering child.

Here's my theory: She's not stuttering because she is anxious at seeing the boy she has crush one (after all she had no problem talking to him when she was naked). Rather she's stuttering because she is in fact quaking with outrage at being forced to say these things.

[x] "Maybe I should... but I don't want to. I've got your back, whether you like it or not."

Fighting against fate, doing the impossible, seeing the et cetera is all very well and good, except when it gets you murdered immediately afterward.

Besides I'm interested in what changes Keine had in store for Mima and Suika, or if she simply wrote them out of existence.

>>30863
>no Nanayanon killing skills.

Bullshit.

>In a smooth, learned move, you jab at Reimu's wrists from below, knocking them off your collar. Next, in a carefully designed sequence, you dive under an agitated, surprised strike she tries to throw at your head, and still in motion, turn - slip beneath her now-extended arm, brush by her sides and stop at her back.
>Then push her ever-so-gently into a kiss with the trunk she was so brashly holding you up to. Face-plant! She hits the hard bark with the whole surface of her face and chest, then slithers down to her knees, clutching at her features.
>Distance. You back up a couple of steps and dust off your hands.
>Close up front! Reimu reels on her heels and lunges at you with the speed and force of a high-calibre round.
>You barely escape the first strike by instinctively side-stepping off the trajectory of her leap, but that isn't the end. The red-white tornado defies the laws of gravity, bounds off the nearest tree, and comes burning through the air back at you. This time, however, you're prepared. As prepared as you can be for something of this magnitude.
>Her fist misses your body, and you catch a hold of her forearm, and mustering all the remaining strength, stop her in place. The blood on her skin is slippery.

>>30873
I do think she has a crush on him, but not in the stuttering way, but more "He pisses me off but can't get him out of my mind" there has to be something there for her not to send him flying down the steps. It's hard to say if whatever happened was a favor or not. For we'd have to wonder why Keine 'conditioned' her that way. Her actions could be seen as helping Reimu or Hindering her, my money on the latter seeing how Keine's trying to do way with certain people.

And on that matter this line comes to mind:
>?Reimu wouldn't let you die so easily. There is much less to her than she's trying to make you believe."

For all we know we might have things reversed as in the timidiness under the fury and not the other way around. Her manner may be more explained by her emotions being by far her weaker point than her nudity.



Reimu is the center of Keine's chessboard, since I'm sure most of her plotting is with her in mind. Mokou's just a ever chronic loose thread that needs to be watched over. We might be the second most important piece for whatever reason. Our power to resist the mind wipes to a degree may become key in the future.

An interesting point is the timeline where this story takes place, the lack of any mention of Yukari, Suika or Mima is very suspicious.There was no mention of Yuyuko or anyone from Eientei. For all we know this might be right after EoSD. The only hint we got was "After the latest incident Marisa became particularly obbessed with Magic" (Or more likely Keine tweaked things so Marisa gravitates towards Alice more than Reimu)

I also believe Reimu's memories of Keine are without a doubt faked.

>I also believe Reimu's memories of Keine are without a doubt faked.

Agreed. If they were, Keine wouldn't be spending all her time ostracizing Reimu from the village. Some mother figure.

[x] "Maybe I should... but I don't want to. I've got your back, whether you like it or not."

This thread is bullshit.

Oh the sixth Day YAF created Reimu. He saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

After a second thought and >>30873 comment, I've decided that standing for the girl is the right thing to do. And, yeah, I want to impress her.
If she knows that then why she doesn't think as of why would he want to do that?

[x] "Maybe I should... but I don't want to. I've got your back, whether you like it or not."

>Keine is... the closest I've ever had to a mother, I guess. Ever since mine passed away, she's been taking care of me. Keine taught me how to read. Taught me how to write, how to cook, how to live, as a woman, not just a shrine maiden. She gives me groceries, too, you know... as a payment; although the villagers don't approve of it... Apparently they believe I can live off the rocks up here, or something, I don't know, and now...
GODDAMNIT KEINE