[x] Wait and see.

It's not over yet.

[X] Mokou is more important.

Damage control, once Keine finds out, she can alter it to change the reason.

I know what you're thinking, but we have to play along so we don't get our memories mucked with again.

[x] Wait and see.

[ ] Wait and see.

Torn.

[x] Wait and see.

[x] Scream out the door for Mokou. It's important, but Kourin has something for you?

New gun?

[X] Mokou is more important.

Can't let Mokou spread this more.

[ ] Wait and see.

[x] Wait and see.

I'd really like you to write the other option... but that would be kind of dickish and I'm the only one who feels that way so...
[x] Wait and see

[X] Wait and see.

Nevertheless, a man should live if only to sate his curiosity - even if it begets trouble in the end. Just a few more mikes shouldn't be too great a delay, and if your hunch should prove to turn out correct... This might be end up more beneficial than blind following of orders.

'Kourin' returns before long hauling an oblong case painted in classic woodland pattern, and places it delicately down on the counter.
"There we go," he says. "This is what I was ordained to show you."
"Is this...?" you draw closer.
"Yes, you should know what it's for."

Your heart nearly skips a beat when he unzips the case open, revealing several smooth, jet-black gun-parts arranged in fitting slots, all marked and prepared for quick assembly. You slide a finger along the cast polymer of the grip; sending a cool, almost erotic sensation down the nerves of your arm, like an electric current running through a coil of brass wire.

"Can I...?" you force a hoarse question.

'Kourin' gives a somewhat smug nod, and without further ado, you pull the first two elements out of the case and begin putting them together. Both parts of the receiver assembly click flawlessly into place, so neatly you fail to hold back a dreamy sigh.

"It's one of the newer models, as far as my knowledge goes," speaks the clerk as you resume piecing the rifle together. "The exact indication is lost on me, but it's indubitably a modern invention, perhaps designed in the past two or so years."
"It must be quite a bomb to cost," you say, snapping in the stock. "With my sort of income, I wouldn't dream of owning one."

"It's already been paid for."

"It has?" you stop and look at Rinnosuke.
"It has indeed," nods the clerk. "It's all yours.."

The sheer shock of that statement sends you into a mental standby.

"Wha"... who paid for it"..."
"In fact I had hoped you would be able to tell me who he was," 'Kourin' fixes his glasses again. "Maybe a week ago, I was visited by a peculiar man, who claimed in about seven days' time somebody named 'Shooter' would come looking for somebody in my store. He gave your exact portrayal, paid for this piece, then departed without a good-bye. I had the vaguest feeling I'd seen him somewhere before, but other than that, well.."
"What did he look like?"

"Nothing like anybody I had ever seen. Tall, black-haired, blue-eyed, wore a cloak despite the hot weather and grinned constantly. He had the most unpleasant stare you could imagine. Like an animal, almost. If I had to make an estimation, I'd say he was from Moriya - the place gets all kinds of odd guests these days... oh!" he gasps all of a sudden. "There's ammunition, too, I nearly forgot!"

He hurries back to where he conjured the case up from, and returns soon with several fully-loaded magazines. By then you're essentially finished with putting the rifle together. It's a little longer and heavier than the bolt-action you lost, but nobody would disagree it looks much slicker.

You pull the cocking handle and cast a glance inside the chamber. Clean and pristine like a baby's butt. Perfect.

"Now I know for sure you're the right man," laughs Rinnosuke. "There's only one other person I can think of who would do that."
"And who would that be?" you ask, stashing the mags in your vest's pockets.
"You may have heard of her," says 'Kourin'. ?She's quite famous around these parts."
"What's her name?"

"Kamishirasawa Keine. Do you know her?"

Somehow, you're not at all surprised.
"Yeah," you say. "Though I'm slowly beginning to doubt it."


?


Back outside, rearmed, your new best friend flung over the shoulder, you recollect your bearings on the situation. Mokou has run off, but the trade was rather worth it, so long as you don't lose this bad girl somewhere as well. Easy as it was to find this one, however, Mokou could well be on the other side of the world by now.

You're starting to think, distressed, that it may have been a mistake to stay after all.


That is, until something swoops down on you from behind and sweeps you off the ground.
"...gah??!"
"I'm so disappointed, tiger. Why didn't you go after me?"

Before you know it, you're turned mid-air and pressed against the soft, warm pillow of Mokou's chest, her sly grin breathing hot air at your lips. Baffled by this sudden contact, you wrestle to gather your thoughts from the scramble she's sent them into. Meanwhile the trees below continue to rapidly drift away.

"I, er?" you stutter. ??It's a bit complicated?I was?I mean?"
"If you're hoping for a shut-up kiss," Mokou whispers threateningly, "I'm way too narked to give you one right now; so quit fretting, you silly mug, or I'll break your new toy. Understood?"
"Er, okay"..."
"Excellent. Now..."she sniffs loudly. "... good god! You reek of bloody shrine maidens! Just where have you been straying today, you naughty cat?"
"It's an, er... long story."
"We've a lot of time, don't we?" Mokou says. "How about you tell me about it in extreme detail somewhere quiet and lone, hm? You look like you could use the break."


[ ] "... yeah, let's go wherever. I have to think, and I want to talk."
[ ] "There's something I need to take care of first. Would you be so kind to fly me over back to the village?"
[ ] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou??

[x] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou?"

Bitch in one arm, gun in the other, saving the day.

[x] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou?"

Strange man in black? The man behind the cow-woman?

[x] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou??

[ ] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou??

TERRORISTS HAVE KIDNAPPED MY MIKO. ARE YOU A BAD ENOUGH IMMORTAL TO SAVE HER?

[x] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou??

Damn, how many pictures do I have to post to get some purely pro-Mokou votage going?

Oh, well.

==

[X] "There's no time. Listen, Mokou, I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, and I do mean dire. Please, Mokou?"

Could you? Bloody well right you could, given all the bull today has dished you up so far, but this isn't exactly the best time to snuggle up with Mokou and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. What a load of sixes and sevens, bloody hell.

"Sorry, Mokou," you say, "but there's no time for that right now."
"I don't see you doing anything else."
"I know. I know, blast it. Listen, Mokou, and please, listen to the end before you let me plummet to my death, okay? I know how you feel about Reimu, but she may be in dire need of help right now, do you understand? And I do mean dire?"
"Argh, now you're really taking the piss!" Mokou grimaces, but holds on to you still. "You've been to her place today, haven't you! Her stench is all over your clothes! What did she do to have you run all the way out here? Forgot to put on her cologne?"

"Mokou," you desperately try to put up some defences. "This is not what you think, I?"
"Of course, of course," Mokou rolls her eyes. "No wonder you're upset, she's such a lovely little thing after all, isn't she! Oh, poor, poor Reimu! So lonely and weak! Woe is her! What a crock of bollocks!"
"Mokou, please, calm down?"
"Oh, slag off, you nonce!" she snaps. "Tell you what - I'll drop you down, and you'll run back to that skank and drool on her shoes like her little dog you are! I swear to heavens, if I get my hands on that daughter of a?!"
"God fucking damn it, Mokou!"

You never wanted to resort to this, but... no, let's do be honest here, you somewhat wished you'd have to resort to this, it's just that you feared whether it would work or dig you an even deeper grave.
Either way, your options at the moment are limited, and there's little to do but to wriggle your arms free, seize a hold of Mokou's head, and force her into the shut-up kiss she denied you so cattily earlier. Needless to say, it performs exactly as intended. Shuts her up all good, and she still hasn't let you turn into a red splatter on the ground below.

It would be only polite to close your eyes, you feel, and so you do - for a moment, the world is just the warm, wet sensation of her lips. For a moment, the world seems a much better place.


"... where did you learn that?" Mokou asks after you have pulled away.
"Just had a hunch," you say, trying to look in another direction. Better not to mention who gave you the idea it could actually work... ?It was just an one-off, though, I'm not doing it again. My nerves are strained enough as they are."
"Okay. Sure. Yeah." Mokou blurts out. Is it you, or does her voice sound a bit weird? "But, just so you know, if you do want to touch me down there, I'd be totally all right with that."
"Really?"
"No. Well, yes," she says, "but not right now. It'd be sort of awkward, wouldn't it?"

"Sort of," you agree. "Listen, I hate to ruin the mood, but Reimu is in really deep muck right now. I know how much you two don't get along, but you're the only person I can turn to." And how. "I?she needs our help..."
"So this has nothing to do with you being her little puppy?"
"Mokou, please."
"Fine," she gives up. "It stinks, but what the hell do I know."

Mokou gives a sigh, then lets her grip slacken and places an arm under your shoulders for a more comfortable position. You feel a sting of regret at breaking the embrace, but decide to leave it unvoiced.

Air begins to buzz in your ears as Mokou gains speed. Reimu's shrine is not too far, but the distance is still considerable.
"Hey, tiger?" she asks all of a sudden over the breeze. "You ever seen a woman naked?"
"What? Er, once or twice, maybe?"
"Interesting. Hold on, there's turbulences ahead."


?


Before long, you arrive in the air-space over the shrine, and the situation doesn't appear nearly as mild as you'd silently hoped it would be. The howling could be heard even from afar, but only now you can clearly see just how grave the situation is. Wave after wave, the monsters try to overpower the shrine maiden, and while she valiantly fights each off, more keep coming out of the brush. Countless carcasses already litter the yard, but there seems to be no end to the horde.

"You weren't kidding," Mokou notes as the two of you descend. "It's like Moriya on a Friday night."

Grotesque, black-furred parodies of people; rat-faced demons that couldn't be called human even by a large stretch. All with their glowing, crimson eyes set on the red-white flame dancing in the middle of the shrine grounds. They're the same kind as the flock you and Brennan wiped out on the hunt yesterday, there's no doubt about it, yet if so... why are they attacking the shrine, of all places, and not the village?

"What do we do, tiger?" asks Mokou. "It's a little bit hot here. I'd rather not stay long."

[ ] "Stabilise. Give me a steady shot. I've got this."
[ ] "We're not leaving without her. Let's grab her and leg it before she blows our faces off."

[x] "Stabilise. Give me a steady shot. I've got this."

Damn it, Keine!

[x] "Stabilise. Give me a steady shot. I've got this.."
-[x] They're attacking the Shrine because they deem it to be the biggest threat. Let her know this as soon as the party dies down.
It's actually 'her' rather than 'they' but whatever.
>Damn, how many pictures do I have to post to get some purely pro-Mokou votage going?
This update sufficed. Now I'm torn.

[x] "Drop me on the roof of the shrine. It'll give me a good vantage point. I'm going to help wipe these things out."
[x] "I'd like it if you stayed, but it's up to you."

I find it hard to be torn when Mokou's doing a half-informed notion of romance. Reimu's showing of rarely seen sides (both outside and within) is making more progress to me.

But I wonder now if Yukari's not doing Chessmastering of her own from the shadows.

[x] "We're not leaving without her. Let's grab her and leg it before she blows our faces off."
>>30919
She looks so hot in her pants.

[x] "Drop me on the roof of the shrine. It'll give me a good vantage point. I'm going to help wipe these things out."
[x] "I'd like it if you stayed, but it's up to you."

Carrying around this bulky thing--gotta use it on something.

[x] "Stabilise. Give me a steady shot. I've got this."

[X] Going in hot.

"They haven't spotted us yes," you note. "Let's circle around. Fly me to the roof, we'll use it to cover our approach."
"You want me to go around the back?"
"Yeah, and try to keep a low profile. I'd like an element of surprise. Do you think you'd be able to tear through the brush?"
Mokou regards the idea for a moment.
"Should be," she says. "Hold on."

She clears off the immediate air-space of the shrine, and retreats back to the stairs, where she dives into the tree-tops, carefully picking her way through the thicket.

"Go from the left, ten to eleven o'clock," you suggest. "Three-four's where the monsters are coming from."

Leaves and branches brush past, catching the fabric of your clothes, then snapping away. Time to time Mokou stops to kick off a trunk or to catch one to support her flight. Sounds of battle carry on at the same volume on the right flank, never stopping, howls of anguish cutting the air again and again, grating on your nerves. Reimu...

Mokou approaches and lands on the rear-side of the shrine's slanted roof, perfectly out of the sight of the shrine maiden and the monsters.
"I'd like if you stayed," you say, unstrapping the rifle, "but I'm not going to force you. If you want to leg it, do it now."
Mokou grins.
"And leave you alone with the crazy? Over my carcass, tiger. Besides, I wouldn't want to miss your performance."
"Excellent," you return the smile. "I love you, Mokou."
"I know," she says ?I saw the rise in your pants. Should I get down?"
"Probably."

Time to heat up the atmosphere. You slam a magazine into the slot and chamber a round. Only now do you notice the rifle didn't come with a scope, but no matter - it's not like you need it at this distance.

Mokou goes prone next to you as you crawl up the slope of the roof and put out the sights over the edge. It's a giant bodge all right - taking precise aim is out of the question, bugger. All the black hash just keeps running around while Reimu simply dances in one spot, countering all incoming attacks.

Still, it's nothing you couldn't handle.

"Mokou," you whisper. "Give me a weapons free."
"What?"
"Give me a weapons free," you repeat. "Say: 'weapons free', or: 'go loud'."
"Why don't you just start shooting?"
"It's the rules. I've got to receive a permission."
"Surely you can't be serious."
"I am serious - and don't call me Shirley."
"All right," she sighs. "Weapons free."

You smile to yourself.

"Goodnight."

BANG!

Mokou cowers a little when the shot is let fly, braining one of the assaulting monsters, sending bone fragments, blood and flesh spraying about in a beautiful fountain of red. Hot brass comes rolling off the roof along your side, jingling happily on the tiles.

Reimu freezes in place, while the rest of the horde gives a terrified yelp and begins retreating to the cover of the woods. They're running. Shite, they weren't supposed to...

"You??!" the shrine maiden pinpoints your position with astounding precision. Not as planned. "What are you?" she looks in the direction of your kill. Her eyes widen in horror. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Not good, her voice is quivering. Mokou decides there is no further need to hide, and also peers over the summit of the roof.
"Saving your virgin ass, I think," she says. "Where's your manners, Hakurei?"
Reimu doesn't take it well.
"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, FUJIWARA!" she screams, her hands shaking with anger. "What did I tell you about getting involved?! You have no idea what you've done?!..."

Reimu continues to yell, but you're not listening. There's movement among the dead, a moving corpse disrupting the dust. You place your sights at it, and wait for your eyes to make sure.

"Bloody hell..."

It's moving. It's certainly moving, but it's not the only one. All of them are moving. Save the one you brained, all the corpses are moving slightly, their chests and bellies moving up and down in a steady motion. They're breathing. But why are they..."Are they... asleep?

"Holy..."

They are. They weren't killed, they were merely put to?

Nyaaaargghhh!

All three of you jump at the cry, and turn in the direction it came from - the direction in which the monsters had disappeared. There's commotion in the brush.

"What in the..."

Then it comes. A swarm of black bodies pours into the shrine grounds, dozens of blood-thirsty rat-things, all of their infuriated eyes locked, for a change, on their righteous enemy - you.

"Shit, shit, shit! Mokou! Shift back, SHIFT BACK!"

You're yanked off into the air just as the horde begins climbing the shrine's walls. They howl at you from the roof, sweeping their claws through the air above them helplessly. They can't fly, of course, but it's not nearly enough for them to give up their revenge.

"Mokou, stabilise!" you order. "Give me a clear shot, and I'll?"

Yet even the air is not completely safe - your words are stolen by a red-white blur shooting past, missing you only thanks to Mokou's lucky dodge. It stops and swerves back for another attack run.

"Tiger?!"

Mokou spins away from the path of Reimu's furious charge again, saving you from a blow that could send your innards flying all the way to the village.

"Blast it?!"

Before you know it, your arms automatically lift the rifle and aim it at the one assaulting you. On a learned reflex, you place the shrine maiden in your sights, put a finger on the trigger, ready to fire at the slightest suggestion of another attack. Fuck.
Reimu stops, knowing full well what could become of her should she make a wrong move, but her self-reliant expression doesn't change. No, just the opposite - those are your hands that are shaking.

"You wouldn't dare..."she drawls out. "... you wouldn't..."
"Tiger..."even Mokou sounds worried. "Don't do anything stupid..."

Howl, howl, howl... the incessant shrieking from below is starting the get on your nerves. How can you concentrate in all this noise? Bloody monsters, fucking gun, and those fucking reflexes! Fuck it all! This isn't what you wanted! How can you back away from this?!

"Quiet," you force your voice to stay cool. "I know what I'm doing."

It's a lie, it's a blatant and obvious lie, and they both know it. All the world knows it. Howl, howl, howl. Reimu clenches and unclenches her hands repeatedly. Her gaze spells death.

"I told you not to get involved..."she utters. "... I told you... and you said you wouldn't get in the way..."

Incredible. This is just incredible. What a load of bullshit. Could this get any worse? Not likely. What a fucking cock-up.

"What was I supposed to do?!" you yell. "Sit idly while you were fighting?! I couldn't?"
"Put that thing down."
"No!"
"Put it down..."
"Bollocks, no!" you shake your head. "Listen to me! I didn't come here to fight you! I wanted to help! You opened up to me, and I?!"
"If that was true," Reimu's eyes narrow. "you'd have put that thing down."
Howl, howl, howl.
"Yes!" you swallow. "But I know what's going to happen if I do, and I'm more than scared!"
"Rightly so."

Howl.

"Reimu?"
Suddenly, you feel something closing around your leg.
Pain. Sound of tearing fabric, sensation of ripping flesh, red alert going off in your head, numbing all other senses. Your hands drop the rifle, reaching for the source of the suffering, but all they meet is thick, furred skin of a monster's head. They can jump this high??!

Another dark blur shoots past you, hitting Mokou square in the face.

"Ah??!"

Like in slow-motion, you can feel her grip on you loosen.

Straps of your vest are no longer strained with your bodily weight.

Air around is no longer stale.


You - are falling.


With the monster still gnawing at your calf, blood spurting from between its canines.



Plummeting down to the ground, into death's embrace.



You cast a desperate look at the shrine maiden...



... but she doesn't move from the spot...



? not going to save you this time...




? and the last thing you see...






? are her cold, indifferent eyes.






THE END

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I guess the thing we got 'very wrong' is that Reimu was acting weird because of Keine's history mucking. Rather, she was acting weird because it was, in fact, an act.

FAGGOT END

[x] "We're not leaving without her. Let's grab her and leg it before she blows our faces off."

Damn it. We need grenades for this mission.

Also, let's try and see if we can't get a scope from Kourin.

I'll be the first to admit that, at least I, deserved this.

Oh well, live and learn.

Silly YAF, when you set up Keine as some kind of chessmaster, things like this WILL happen, just as basically giving Anon one shot at a group of people will results in shitstorms.

Good news: /shrine/ wasn't damaged for once.

Whe do we get a rerun YAF?

Not enough Reimu

daetsni ukuF emos etirw ot detnaw I esuaceb ffo yrots siht llik t'ndid I raews I... Do you seek knowledge of time-travel?

==

One consolation of being in deep shit is that there is only one way from there - and that is out. Once you've hit rock-bottom, there is little to do but to flail your arms wildly in hopes of reaching the surface before the stench suffocates you completely. Or, you could always try on digging deeper...

Not at this time, though. From a dream of death, you awaken into an equally cold reality, gasping for air, throwing the silky-white covers off of your apparently once again un-dead body. Funny, how history adores repeating itself so much. One more time and the novelty will slowly begin to wear off.
"... sigh..."
You sit up and scan your surroundings.

What greets your eyes is a narrow, cramped room, cluttered with books, geometrical apparatus, notebooks, loose pages covered in red ink, and other farrago of items that leave little space for speculation or doubt. Just in case that wasn't quite enough, however, the smell confirms it all, sending your heart into an instant overdrive.

"Keine...?"

This is her place, without a question. Bloody hell, you'd recognise her smell in a fish processing plant, or five hundred feet underwater, and that pales in comparison with how overwhelming her scent is here, in what seems to be her personal bedroom - and you, my death-escaping friend, are laying in her bed, wearing her clothes. Dreams come true? In those circumstances - hardly.
With a certain degree of relief, you notice Mokou sitting slumped against the side of the bedframe, slumbering soundly despite the uncomfortable position, unaware of your awakening. It sends a smile onto your dry, thirsty lips. Whatever happened, it's good to see old Mokou is still by your side. Encouraged, you shuffle yourself to the edge of the bed and put your feet on the floorboards, but when you do, a sting of shrilling pain sews your senses through.

"Ack!..."

It comes from your right calf, but when you roll up the leg of the pants?not your pants?it appears to be in pristine condition. You're positive - there's no scrapes, no cuts, no wounds, not even a menacing scar to justify the aching. It's perfectly fine, yet your brain seems convinced the bones inside have been crushed, minced, and mixed with a bucket of liquid lead, making it nearly impossible to walk without wincing from pain.

Through the shroud of confusion, your ears catch voices coming from behind the only door in the room - a steady stream of words of a conversation of at least two personae. One of them is Keine, and the other... you are not quite sure. It could be anybody.
Mokou continues napping serenely as you test the resilience of your may-be-damaged leg. You can move it around all right - you discover - although it takes a large amount of effort not to moan with every step. Whatever your brain is thinking, it seems to be healthy enough to at least support your weight. Barely. Anything other than slowly lumbering around would probably not end well.


[ ] Wake up Mokou.
[ ] Join the conversation downstairs.
[ ] Wait it out, maybe watch Mokou's sleeping face in the meantime.

[ ] Wait it out, maybe watch Mokou's sleeping face in the meantime.

[x] Wake up Mokou.
Wake up and smell the ashes.

[x] Wait it out, maybe wMatch Mokou's sleeping face in the meantime
Moko-moko~

[x] Wait it out, maybe watch Mokou's sleeping face in the meantime

[x] Wait it out, maybe watch Mokou's sleeping face in the meantime.
-[x] Closely. Closely. So very closely.
-[x] So close you can smell her hair, feel the breath from her lips.
-[x] Her lips... They seem to be missing something.
-[x] Your own, pressed against them. Kiss her.

And then in walks Keine and her friend, just as Mokou wakes up, followed by her pushing us on the bed and mounting us as the others watch on in shock.

[X] Wake up Mokou.

[x] Join the conversation downstairs.

>>30955
You are not supposed to vote in your own story YAF.

[x] Join the conversation downstairs.

>>30955
Forgot your trip, mate. It's #Margatroid - capital 'M', otherwise it cocks up, I think.

==

[ ] Wait it out, maybe watch Mokou's sleeping face in the meantime.

Waiting it is, then. Not the most interesting, but certainly a diligent option - definitely better than braving the stairs with this barely functioning leg of yours. Dying twice in a span of two days is quite enough in your humble opinion. Maybe even a bit too much, but it's not like you have any considerable experience with dying to speak of. Yet. At this pace, you'll be dying like a professional in less than a month.

You shamble back to the bed and seat yourself on the edge, near where Mokou is resting her head; and run a hand through her hair absently. That catastrophe back there wasn't quite the performance she had wished to see, you feel. Bugger, and you even went out of your way to come up with some really fancy lines. What a shame. Mokou shifts in her slip a bit, as if to cuddle against the palm of your hand.

Meanwhile your attention switches to the conversation coming from below.
"-it doesn't matter," says a male voice in slightly accented, but otherwise perfect English. "Our goals are not the same as yours, no matter what goes on in that pretty head of yours."

Keine gives a flustered answer in a language you can't understand. That's right - it's a yet another flaw of the stupid translation system. Whatever is said to you, you will hear in your native tongue, so long as either of the two conditions is fulfilled. One, the distance between you and the speaker must be less than approximately three-to-four meters. Two, you and the speaker must remain within each other's eye-sight. Needless to say, neither of those is in play right now.

"No, I never said that," corrects the unknown voice. "What I'm trying to say is: it's your responsibility. This is the last time we're?" Another yelp from Keine. The bloke's clearly trying to get on your bad side, bullying your beautiful benefactor like this. ??no. As I said, it's none of my business." Another short answer from Keine. "No, I'm not going to stop you - but I'm not going to help you any more either. We may have been conspirators once, but that ended when my marriage with Hieda"..."the voice trails off. "... ah, indiscretion. It appears he's already up. Would you be so kind to accompany me, Keine? Ladies first. There's a certain charm in following a girl walking up the stairs. You too, lazybones. Pecker up."

They're coming, and the creaking of the stairs confirms that much. You remain perfectly still, unsure what to expect from Keine's mysterious conversant, or how to react to him at all. For a second, silence ensues on the other side of the door, before Keine comes in following a short knock.

"Hello," she speaks legibly now. "Um, how are you feeling? Is everything?"

Somebody pushes at her back from behind, shoving her out of the way.

"Shooter! How's yer walkers? Not too bad, I hope? T'was a nasty bite you took, I tell you!" You can't hold back baffled blinking. Brennan walks into the room, beaming as always with his boyish attitude, completely ignorant of your confusion. Wait... No way. That wasn't his voice you heard! He isn't even supposed to speak English in the first place! What is going on"... ?Oh, excuse me," he says, noticing Mokou still sleeping with your hand on her head. Brennan leans towards you and whispers, winking: ?If you want to wake her up with a kiss, boy, now would be the time! Go for it!"
"I heard that." Mokou notes a bit tartly all of a sudden.
"Run to the hills, the dragon has awoken!" Brennan gives a booming laugh. "You let my boy get his share of rest, I hope? Wounds need time to heal, even if our beloved Keine gave her best to close them up."
"Is it still your hobby to know what others are doing in their bedrooms, Brennan?" Mokou says, rising to her feet. "Why don't you get your own bloody girl instead of harassing all your mates about theirs?"

Again, the giant man bends over with hearty laughter.
"This is exactly what he likes about you, young lady! Keep it up!" he says. "But let's be serious now. I see you've received my gift, Shooter?"

He flicks a thumb at your rifle leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. Hold up, it wasn't there before, was there? Your mind must be playing tricks on you.

"Er, yeah, I guess I did," you scratch your head. "So it was your doing? The nickname too?"
"It suits you, doesn't it?" Brennan shoots you a grin. "Whatever they say, you're an excellent shot with a proper weapon. But we're straying," he assumes a little more serious look. "It was a miracle you survived that fall," he says. "I understand magic has its limitations, and that Keine did what she could, but it still hurts, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Quite a lot."
"As I feared," Brennan scratches his beard. "Keine won't let me take you back to the barracks until you're fully healed, you see, and that puts me in a difficult position. We need you, Shooter."
"I'm not that crucial," you say. "There's plenty of muscle to go around in the barracks. If you need somebody to hunt, you can take Little, or Hunkers, or?"
"No, they won't do," says Brennan. "Our dear Keine confiscated your bolter, remember? We can't let just anybody have it, and I'm not leaving you without this new girl," he points again to the new rifle.
"Brennan," cuts in Keine. "You're saying too much?"
"Nonsense!" Brennan shouts down her protest, but you can see the teacher snapping her fingers nervously. "Shooter will do what he has to do, he can make his own decisions. You see, Shooter, what I thought we could do, is send you to the clinic in the bamboo forest. Keine has little skills with healing magic, but the people in the clinic should be able to put you back on your feet in no time. That way, you'll be able to return to your duties faster than you can say 'I sure do love me some hot butt'?"

"No, Brennan," says Keine. "That's not a good idea and you know it. I don't trust those people."
"Keine," Mokou joins in. "What are you talking about? Eirin may be a little uneven under the ceiling, but she's a great doctor. You know that."
"Still?" frets the teacher.
"I can go with him and make sure nothing happens."
"No, Mokou," Keine declines. "I'll need you here. Besides, magically healed flesh isn't nearly as tough as it should be. He needs time."
"What do you propose, then?"
"Well, I thought Reimu could take him in for a couple of weeks..."

"What?!" you turn to the person you haven't seen before. Reimu is standing by the door, up till now out of your sight. Her face appears quite shocked at Keine's suggestion. "You can't be serious, Keine! There's no way I'm letting him live at my shrine! Over my dead body!"
"Mine too!" Mokou adds. "I'd rather die than let him live with this crazy skank!"
"Who are you calling a skank you slut?!" Reimu steps forward.
"Shut your gob, cave-woman!" Mokou assumes a battle stance. "Or I'll shut it myself!"
"Ladies, ladies, ladies," Brennan steps in sending mollifying gestures all around. "There's no need for violence. As I said, I trust Shooter enough to let him make his own decisions. Well then, boy?"

All the eyes in the room concentrate on you, drilling even more holes in your already-aching head.
Excellent. Wake a man from his grave and make him decide in which way he wants to die next. Bloody excellent. No questions.

[ ] If the clinic has doctors as good as they're making them out to be...
[ ] Perhaps going with Keine's suggestion will let you make up for all your cock-ups with Reimu...
[ ] They should bugger off, damn it. Give you some time before you decide. Until the evening, maybe.

[x] If the clinic has doctors as good as they're making them out to be...

And I think we won't get too mixed up. But whatever the case is there's indeed a guy related to the Hideas manipulating things.

[x] "I'll go with the lesser chance of a painful and horrifying death and try the clinic, thank you."

[x] "I'll go with the lesser chance of a painful and horrifying death and try the clinic, thank you."
-[x] "Why are you so bent in letting Reimu do a hat trick on my ass anyway?"

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice, fuck you in the ass sideways with a poleaxe.

[ ] If the clinic has doctors as good as they're making them out to be...

>>30969
It's hard to tell what was going on seeing how A) Keine history/mind fuckery and B) YAF being himself (Let's see intending on killing the story, possible railroading, etc)

But the point still stands, it'd be nice to stay at a place not wrapped up in this cluster fuck.

Inb4 some other shit happens there

[x] They should bugger off, damn it. Give you some time before you decide. Until the evening, maybe.

Getting out of town doesn't in any way help us. If anything it's just a way for Keine to buy time until she rewrites history on the next full moon.

[x] "I'll go with the lesser chance of a painful and horrifying death and try the clinic, thank you."

>>30975
Quicker recovery and the conversation that we heard has a implication of Keine going again That Man's wishes. But I woudln't count out whatever moves made before then still working.

>>30973
This is just a side note, but railroading should be the right of every writefag.

[x] If the clinic has doctors as good as they're making them out to be...

>>30979
That is not a good thing, and YAF's reputation for Reimu route railroading is spoken of unkindly. I might understand if anon was being particularly unruly about things, but this isn't the case here. We're too busy being mindfucked to really set a target.

Thank God it was Brennan who got us the gun. I was expecting another Nanaya insert.

>>30985
I get an odd feeling either Brennan is just a cover for That Man, or an unwitting body-sharing experience.

>>30973
>YAF being himself (Let's see intending on killing the story, possible railroading, etc)
Don't know just how much You're willing to believe me, but there isn't a per mill of railroading in this story, as far as choices go. Every way is a viable option, and not every choice leads to ???????? ing Reimu in the shower. Not that any of them have so far, but... You get the point. I'm not too bent on forcing love on the poor shrine maiden.
Oh, and about killing the story... that was a momentary madness. It's gone now. Writing this story - as well as reading and building upon Your reactions - has been fun enough to sustain my willingness to continue. Let's keep it up - and avoid any more arguments - shall we?

>>30990
for a moment i thought that was an i instead of an e.

>>30990

I never said you were railroading Reimu. Lines like:
>Damn, how many pictures do I have to post to get some purely pro-Mokou votage going?

Imply a bit of possible Mokou railroading. A writer revealing bias for one of the characters isn't exactly a promising sign.

But my ultimate point of that post was "Don't Judge Reimu so soon" for those reasons. That Fit of insanity has most likely damaged your Reimu's standing in reader's eyes.

>>30994
Let me phrase it like this: if I was indeed willing to let my own bias play a part in the story, you would have already been getting it on with the Touhoe of my choice. Evidently, that is not the case.
Still, your input is appreciated. Sorry if I misread your message, I'm a rather inattentive reader.
Anyhow, here's your today's update.

==

[X] Where's a bloody quack when you want one?!

There's just no rest for the sick, wicked or dead, is there? Seems in this world, it's the decisions you make when you haven't the mind to decide that adjudicate the dubious future of your crippled arse. Bloody ace, hands down.

You slide a palm over your face to escape the shrilling stares of everyone gathered.
"A little uneven under the ceiling, eh"..."you sigh to yourself. "Why does everywhere I'm about to go sound like a blasted death trap? Fine," you face the listeners, taking utmost care not to look straight at Reimu. "I'll go with the lesser chance of a painful and horrifying death and try the clinic, thank you."

Quite obviously, the shrine maiden doesn't take kindly to your sarcasm, and cancels your efforts by leaping at your collar with a look of deeply profound offence in her blazing-red eyes.

?Lesser chance?!" she screams, jerking you back and forth. "I saved your fucking life twice, you ungrateful dipshit! Lesser chance?! I'll teach you to take the lesser chance, you son of a?!"

Her words are killed off when Brennan drags her away from you forcefully by the shirt. Even her rage has nothing on the giant man's sheer muscle power. If she had ears, she would have probably been laying them down obediently right now.

"Be happy," says Brennan, grinning at the shrine maiden. "He likes you enough to bully you. Usually girls are glad about this sort of thing, you know."
"Don't?" Reimu gives a startled gasp.
"Don't worry, spanking good girls isn't my idea of having a jolly good time. Young lady," he addresses Mokou. "I gather you are familiar with the doctor of the clinic? Would you be so kind as to take our friend there by air? Walking would be too much an effort for him at the moment, I reckon."
"Yeah," nods Mokou. "That's what I wanted to suggest, actually."
"Excellent," Brennan makes a satisfied smile. "We will learn to get along yet, I feel. Now, however, I would like a word with Shooter - privately, of course. Men's talk, you understand."

Reimu prepares to lash out with another objection, but Keine quickly silences her with a firm arm on the shoulder. Mokou gives you a reassuring look, then leaves the room along with the teacher and the silently raging shrine maiden. When the door closes behind them, Brennan lets out a tired sigh.

"What a troublesome bunch they are."
"... I suppose," you agree. "What was it that you wanted to talk about?"
As if on cue, the smile returns to the old man's face.
"No, boy," he says mysteriously. "The correct question would be: 'what was it that you wanted to talk about?'?
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play me a fool, Shooter," the threatens roguishly. "We both know there's been a lot going on around you. Surely you would love to hear some clear, unbiased answers, am I mistaken?"
No, he's not, yet still...
"... how the hell do you know about that?" you squint your aching eyes at the man. "Weren't you pissed half-conscious the most of yesterday and the day before?"
"Maybe."
"Then how do you know what I've been up to? Are you... are you even the Brennan I know?"
"It hurts my feelings to hear this, boy," he makes a wounded face. "There is only one of me, you know. Or have you by chance seen me sharing a drink with myself in the tavern at some late night time? Perhaps you should remember who took you under his wings when?" he breaks off abruptly when the door slams open. ?Miss Hieda," he turns to greet the newcomer. "What happened to your manners? Knocking hasn't gone out of fashion yet, far as I know."
Akyu walks in and gives the giant man an ice-cold glance.
"I've received a permission to interrupt on this conversation," she says, skidding right past him. "Keep your tricks for yourself."

Ignoring all the potential violations of savoir-vivre, the girl marches right up to you, seizes a hold of your cheeks, and pulls you into a sudden kiss. Well, an almost-kiss at most, as she stops at the last moment, but it still blows all of your thoughts away in an instant. Her hair is tickling your skin, and you can feel her quickened, shallow breath on your lips.

"Listen to me, pet," she whispers in an urgent tone. "No matter what you think of Keine, do not believe a word this man says. He is not worth your trust. Do not listen to him. Do you understand?"
"I heard that," notes Brennan.
"You were supposed to," Akyu rebuts and draws away from you to face the giant man. "Does it hurt to see not everybody is your obedient underling, Brenn? You may have wrapped Keine around your little finger, but you will not find me such an easy prey."
"Still jagged as ever!" laughs the giant man. "You haven't changed a single bit, dear. Tell me, do you intend on standing there until I leave? This isn't a very polite thing to do, you know."
Akyu gives a defiant stomp.
"Bite me."


For a prolonged moment, tense silence ensues in the room, the two of your guests staring each other down - a towering hunk of a man, and a skinny, frail-looking girl, locked in a quiet battle of wills. A battle that ends ultimately with the larger of them giving a last, amused laugh, then evacuating out of the room and down the stairs without another word.

Akyu sighs and shrinks almost visibly, clutching at her chest where her heart should be.
"I never thought I'd have to do this again..." she mumbles. "This isn't what I was made for, I swear... Hm? What are you goggling at, pet?" she chides, noticing your baffled stare. "Don't be giving me that look, I'm all right. Stand up. Get dressed. Gather your things. Keine put them in that drawer there," she points to a cupboard. "Don't take anything that's not yours. She'll notice. Understood?"
"Er... yeah..."you give a half-witting confirmation.
"Don't worry about us, pet. We'll be fine.
Give Yagokoro my regards. Take care of yourself."

With that, she departs as well.


?


Five minutes later, Mokou comes knocking into the room. That much time was surprisingly more than enough for you to gear up and run a couple of obligatory test runs on your equipment. Nothing got damaged in your battle with the monsters at Reimu's shrine, fortunately - it would have been a shame if your newly acquired gun had broken in its very first engagement..
You tighten the last strap on your tac vest and turn to Mokou.

"Ready, tiger?" she asks. "Wind is great. We can go any time."


[ ] "I'm always ready. Let's go."
[ ] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know."
[ ] "One moment. Let me say goodbye to Keine."

[x] "I'm always ready. Let's go."

[x] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know."

[X] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know.."

So did she actually save us? Oh so many questions.

[X] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know.."
-[X] "Reimu, according to my memories, unless Keine is still fucking them up, you where the one who killed me. You seemed to enjoy it, actually"
Not technically true, but I want to cast suspicion on Keine and, thus, cast suspicion on whoever (if anyone) is controlling her.

[x] >>31002

I'm becoming very suspicious of Brenn and how chummy he is with Akyu and Keine, with the former being upset by it.

[X] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know."
-[X] "Reimu, according to my memories, unless Keine is still fucking them up, you where the one who killed me. You seemed to enjoy it, actually"

[x] "I'm always ready. Let's go."
-[x] "Be gentle, okay?" Blush.

[x] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know."

[X] "Not yet. Is Reimu still here? I would like a last word with her. There's something I need to know."

"Not yet," you say. "Say, is Reimu still around?"
Mokou makes a sour face.
"She is. Why?"
"Could you, er... call her up here for a moment? There is something I need to know."
"Is it really necessary?" Mokou asks.
"It is," you nod. "Very. So please..."
"Fine, sheesh," she groans. "I'll go get the pig, but this is the last time."

As are all. Mokou leaves the room hurriedly, not even caring to hide her blatant irritation. At least this time you managed to make do without resorting to the more drastic methods, good grief. Last you needed was another fit of volatile contumacy from your only ride out of the confines of this place and all the insanity that surrounds it.

Now, for a less threatening effect, you seat yourself slowly back down on the bed. Who knows, it might be the last chance to see Keine's covers from this up close; and besides, you have a feeling Reimu wouldn't appreciate being stared down at by a man in military liveries and a rifle on his back at the moment. Better not to fuel her rage any more, if you are to carry this plan through and get some first-hand answers from your could-be killer.
Or could-be saviour, for all you know - the question remains. Time will show.

...

Mokou returns with the shrine maiden in toll a minute after, and pre-emptively assumes the position between you and her, as if to shield you from any attacks that the Red-White might decide to throw. You stop her with a quelling gesture.
"No, I want to have a word with her alone."
"But?" Mokou tries to oppose.
"If anything happens, I'll just scream like a little girl," you tell her. "You can barge in and save the day then, all right?"

Resigned, but not fully convinced, Mokou shuffles out of the room, closing the door behind her.
On that cue, Reimu burns her still-angry stare into your eyes.

"What is it?" she barks. "I've no time for more mockery."
You give her a placid look.
"Come here," you reach out an arm. "Give me your hand."
"What? You have got to be kidding?"
"Do I look like I am? Come here, and give me that hand. The quicker you do, the quicker it'll be over."

Mumbling to herself, Reimu extends a hand in an unexpectedly lady-like fashion, which you take a hold of ever so gently. Her fingers quiver once under your touch, but her expression remains unchanged. You smile mentally to yourself.
Long moments pass in silence as you watch the change in her pulse. From fast, furious throbbing, to stimulated, but much calmer, rhythmical beating. Only now do you notice this is probably the first time you're holding her hand without the intent to slam her into a tree or defend yourself from her blows. It's surprising, how thin and weak her skin feels compared to her punches, kicks and throws...
Thump. Thump. Thump. ? goes the shrine maiden's heart.
One might be fooled to think her averting of her gaze is a sign of nervousness, and not simply something meant to show just how little she cares for your shenanigans.

"So?" she says finally. "What now?"


[ ] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me."
[ ] "Nothing. I'll let this be a lesson to you. Mokou! We're Oscar Mike, let's go!"
[ ] "Now, you will tell me what happened yesterday. I have reasons to believe my memory may be playing jokes on me."

[X] "Now, you will tell me what happened yesterday. I have reasons to believe my memory may be playing jokes on me."

[x] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me.."
tsundere

[X] "Now, you will tell me what really happened yesterday. I have reasons to believe my memory may be playing jokes on me."

[~] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me.."

Nyaha~ I don't see why you can't have a little fun in prodding the poor shrine maiden.

Well, that, and I don't think the latter choice would actually get a satisfactory answer.

[X] "Now, you will tell me what happened yesterday. I have reasons to believe my memory may be playing jokes on me."

[x] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me."

Leaving this open, I've decided not to update at night any more, since my writing gets worse the later it is. That means you've got a lot of time to decide. See you tomorrow~

[x] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me."
Finally, an answer. I hope.

[x] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me."

This is conflict of the good kind.

[X] "Now look in my eyes, and tell me you really hate me."

What now? What now, indeed. Good question... it would be, if you hadn't already planned everything out, that is. This might be a bit unpleasant, but what lengths wouldn't you go for the sake of your own well-being? Yes, the fun part aside, it's all for your own good.

"Now, Reimu," you tell the stubborn shrine maiden, "I would like you to look in my eyes, and say you hate me."
Her heart goes racing at the notion, the indiscreet, silly thing.
"What"..."her eyelashes flutter in confusion as she asks. "Why would you want me to say that"..."
"Simple," you explain. "You told me yesterday you weren't cut out for talking, but I'm not too good at listening myself, you see. Of the few times we've talked, I can't recall ever hearing a genuine account on your feelings. Before I go, I would like to hear it. Tell me you hate me."
"Is this a joke"..."
"You needn't hide it," you smile as she finally looks at you, astonished. Now to hold those wandering eyes of hers for a few more seconds... ?Hatred is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as it's honest. Hate me, Reimu, but do it honestly. Can you to that? Please?"

Thump, thump, thump, say the veins in her palm. Quicker now, speeding up even as she hides her stare behind a veil of jet-black fringe-hair. Thump, thump, thump, they go, faster and faster, oblivious of your watchful fingertips... or just the opposite: aware and frightened.

"... I don't want to..."she drawls out at last. "I don't want to, but you... you're making it hard on me..."
"..."
"... I just want to do my duties, but you..."
"All I do is fuck things up wherever I go," you fill in. "This is what you said two days ago, when we were fighting outside the village, isn't it?" You observe as Reimu gives a silent nod. "Are you all right with that?" Shake, shake. Obviously not. Nobody would be. "Then it's enough of a motive to hate me, isn't it?"
"That's not it!..."she protests.
"Of course it is!" you say, standing up. "Come on! Where is the furious Reimu from yesterday? Do go on! Call me a moron! Sell me a kick in the groin! Punch me in the face! That's what you want to do, right?! Hate me! Didn't I give you enough reasons already?!"
"Give me a break!" Reimu shouts, revealing her once again blazing eyes. "How is this any fair?! How do you expect me to give a straight answer when you're holding my hand like this?! Stop smiling at me! Stop looking at me! Let me go!"
"Answer me! Is that enough reasons or not?!"
"No! It isn't! Now let go of me?!"
"Oh, so you need some more, then?! Very well! I'll give you more! I lied! I'm an excellent listener, actually! I remember your every word - and you know what?!" you pause to take a breath. "I may not be as thick as you think!"

Before she is able to come up with a proper response, you charge her down, cutting the defiant words at their very source.

What happens next doesn't require a thousand colourful words, or a laudatory serenade for three voices; only a mention of how strikingly acute her smell is up close, how her hair is tickling your ears, how her body goes limp after the initial shock and a muffled 'mmh!', how you have to slip an arm around her waist and pull her closer not to let her steal away just yet, how her other hand, the one you're still holding, is tightly wrapped around yours.
Ah, what kind of an expression is she wearing right now, you wonder? You would love to know, but alas, courtesy comes before curiosity, and you keep your eyes tightly shut. Ignorance is power.
Then, after a long while, comes the moaning. Silent at first, but taking in volume as it goes - and that's the sign, you realise, the hint to stop - to wait for the obligatory follow-up that will come any second now. Any second now. Any second now...

Slap.

There it goes. Reimu recoils away, covering her mouth with one hand, turning the other direction; while you intuitively touch your now sharply aching cheek. Ack, does it hurt like a bitch. However ready you were, it came off as a sort of a shock all the same. Nevertheless, you allow yourself a venomous, self-reliant grin. Mission accomplished, and with what results.
The shrine maiden remains rooted to the spot, still clutching at her face, too confused to take action. If there is anything left to do here, it's to retreat before she regains her senses.

"Mokou!" you shout at the door. "We're done here! Let's move out!"
Mokou waltzes into the room and gives the two of you a wry look, stopping for a longer moment at Reimu.
"What is her problem?"
"Don't know," you say. Looks like good, old Mokou is above pesky eavesdropping. May her heart be blessed. "Maybe she's not feeling too well, with all that pressure from Keine and Brennan and what not."
"Huh," says Mokou, opening up a skylight in the slanted ceiling. "It's none of my business, I guess."
"We're going out through here?"
"Keine's class has already started downstairs," she explains. "It'd be best not to disturb it, tiger. Don't you think?"
"True enough."

Mokou lets you latch on to her shoulders and find a comfortable position for the upcoming flight.
"Tiger, why is your cheek so red?" she asks all of a sudden.
"It is? Must be some sort of an allergy."
"To crazy shrine maidens, I bet," she plants a kiss on the aching spot. It doesn't take a genius to know it wasn't meant just for your personal pleasure. "Let's leg it. Ready to take off?"
"Roger. Steady as she goes."


Without further ado, the two of you fly through the window, out into the air-space above the woods behind Keine's school. Up there, in the cool, afternoon wind, Mokou gradually begins to gain speed, and soon after the village disappears behind horizon.

It's over now, you think. Whatever tantrum Reimu may throw after your stunt, it's in Keine's interest to attend to it. It feels oddly satisfying to have that immunity, even if it puts more burden on your beloved teacher's shoulders. Oh, well, no use crying over spilt milk, is there?

"Tiger?" Mokou yells over the breeze. "Tell me, but don't lie! What did you do to silence that skank?"
No use in inventing any exuberant tales, you deduce.
"Just don't get mad, okay?" you shout. "Remember what I did to you yesterday? It works on Reimu, too."
"You kissed the pig?!" Mokou turns to scowl at you. "Surely you can't be serious!"
"Yes, I am serious!" and don't?!"
"You've made that joke once already!" she chides. "You're lucky to be a live, you know! What possessed you to even try it?! Bollocks!" she curses. "If you feel like getting the taste out of your mouth - just ask!"
"Let's wait with that until after we've landed, okay?" you propose, then remember something else. "Oh, that's right! Mokou? Can I ask something?"
"Yes, tiger?"
"Do you still want that note?"
"What?" she blinks. "What note?"
"No..."you say. "It's nothing. Never mind."

There isn't enough strength left in you to feel even slightly surprised. Or rather, you had anticipated she would answer in this manner in the first place. Bugger. Little as it tells you, it's a hint all the same. Keine had enough time to do her magic, it seems. It would have been strange if she'd let all the chances go to the devil after all. Still, it's better than nothing.


?


Before long, the scenery below changes drastically, from a dense sea of deciduous trees and brush, to a compact thicket of tall, menacingly sharp-looking bamboo spears jutting straight out of the ground.
There, amidst the hurst of giant spikes, looms a clean-cut block of concrete - a tall, at least five-storey building made of artificial materials; painted in bleak, heartless white, as if to tell all the visitors: well, tough luck, mate! If you've found yourself all the way out here, that means your chances weren't too high to begin with! Very encouraging.

Mokou assumes a landing vector and touches down gently at the entrance.
"Welcome, to the Bamboo Forest Clinic, tiger," she tells you. "Home of the sick, crippled and insane."
Bloody hell. Turns out you may have just been right about the heartless part.


Inside, however, the soulless spell recedes to yield its place to much warmer shades of yellow, green and brown, giving off a rather welcoming vibe for a hospital. In all honesty, it hardly looks like a hospital at all - more like a hospital turned hotel. There's even soft, fluffy carpets laid out on the floor in the corridor.

"Blasted rabbits!" Mokou swears, finding the reception desk empty. "Where in the blazes are they?! Wait here," she points you to the nearest row of chairs. "I'll go get Eirin to come up here, or something. Seriously, what the hell..."

With that, she disappears down the narrow staircase on the opposite side of the hall, leaving you alone with the ticking of an on-wall clock. It's o'dark lonely, it says, waving its crooked hands at you mockingly. Cheeky bastard.


[ ] Wait like you were told to, maybe somebody will come to entertain you in the meantime.
[ ] Explore the ground floor, shamble around a bit.

[x] Explore the ground floor, shamble around a bit.

Bah, who sits and waits like a good protagonist anymore? Filler updates.

[x] Explore the ground floor, shamble around a bit.
what a bad boy

[x] Wait like you were told to, maybe somebody will come to entertain you in the meantime.

[X] Wait like you were told to, maybe somebody will come to entertain you in the meantime.

No need to strain.

[x] Wait like you were told to, maybe somebody will come to entertain you in the meantime.

>>31049
>That pic
what

[x] Explore the sky floor, shamble around a bit.

>>31058
http://www.wordle.net/

Also, not even a word of disapproval from Reimu haters? I am slightly disappointed...

>Reimu haters

They exist?

>>31063
Testing

>>31066

Sure they do, they just hide from the Flandre and Patchy camps just over that hill over there, and try not to provoke their wrath.

[x] Explore the ground floor, shamble around a bit.

>>31063
The site has progressed since you left, to the point of where Reimu hate isn't so rampant.

>>31069
Reimu haters have nothing to do with that war.

[x] Explore the ground floor, shamble around a bit.

This is turning out exactly to my liking, I must say.

==

[X] Explore the ground floor, shamble around a bit.

"Oh, do piss off," you snap half-arsedly. "... bloody tat..."

Lonely, yes? If that's all there is, the problem could be easily remedied. This here hospital place is a brand-new place after all, and what do brand-new places call for if not a little bit of armed reconnaissance?

Well, maybe except the 'armed' part - shoving a barrel up some unsuspecting doctor's face wouldn't exactly lay you out to a good start with the staff. Either way, scouting it is, and you're Oscar Mike - lumber up to a wall, and using it as support, slowly shuffle down the carpeted corridor.


Smiling faces of beautiful women and men alike beam at you from numerous ad-posters hung along the hall at even intervals. Headaches, kidney stones, prostate malfunctions, broken hearts - whatever ails you, these models are offering a pill or an elixir to instantaneously mend it, low price, no risk. Free samples at the pharmacy near the exit! One per patient/client, however. No hoarding up the miraculous drugs free of charge. Blasted capitalists.

As you near the end of the corridor, subtle noises begin to surface over the constant buzzing of fluorescent lamps lighting the place. Finally, you pinpoint the source - a half-open door marked 'Staff Lounge' at the very finish of the hall. Curious, you try peering inside through the gap...

? but alas, your leg isn't quite willing to go with the notion of silent approach, and sends you tumbling forward, nearly making your nose experience a third-degree encounter with the marble tiles of the floor.

"Ah! Oh, dear!" a soft voice reaches your ears, and when you look up to meet its owner, it turns out to be a female bosom, rather tightly packaged in a veil of thin, pink fabric. Talking tits. Now you've seen everything. "Are you all right? Here, let me help you up."

No, of course it's not the knockers that were talking, that would have been silly. Who helps you regain a steady footing is a young woman, a nurse - judging from her clothes - bearing a worried look on her face, putting ugly wrinkles on the otherwise perfectly fair, almost milk-white skin of her forehead... and you've just interrupted her coffee break. Excellent going, soldier.

"Er, sorry," you mumble. "I'm, uh..."
"Are you a patient?" the girl backs away a step, giving you an ample view of her strained uniform top. "Sorry, I should have been at the desk, but we don't usually get visitors at this time, so I thought... No, never mind me, I'm blabbering. How may I be of assistance?"

You gather your wits and give the nurse a thorough head-to-heels scan. There is a name-plate clipped to one of the mountain-slopes on her chest, with a series of illegible characters scribbled on in blue ink. 'Reisen U. Inaba', it says right below in more human writing. Long, cream-shaded tights are covering her legs all the way up to the rim of an incredibly short skirt, designed for either quick running, or for giving the sick something to hook their eyes on during their stay in the clinic. What captivates your attention the most, however, are the two, fluffy, rabbit-like ears coming out of her outrageously coloured hair, quivering excitedly as she awaits your response.

"Um, those," you point to the things. "Are you...?"
"Oh!" the nurse gives a gasp of sudden realisation. "You must be from the Human Settlement!" she accentuates it as if it were some sort of an official name. "I should have known sooner, I'm sorry. No, I'm not a monster," she says with a certainly un-monsterly warm smile. "I'm a Lunarian. You may have heard of us."
"Lunarian? As in, from the, uh... the Moon? The Moon?"
"Yes!" the ears wag back and forth as she nods eagerly. "We're from the Moon! Is this the first time you've seen one of us? I'm so excited! Usually people know who we are, but..."

? but you're not listening. From the Moon. Yeah. Right. Just what in the blazes is this place?
The revelation sends your head into a dizzy state. First time out of the village, and who do you run into? A bloody moon-bunny, of all things and peoples. Not even noticing, you shift your weight to the dangerous side, and almost fall into a kiss with the ground again. Fortunately the nurse - Reisen? U? Inaba?" saves you from the inevitable pain of collecting your teeth from the floor.

"Sir, are you all right?" she asks. "Do your legs hurt? Are you wounded? May I have a look? I'm a qualified physician, you know."


[ ] "No, I was... I was supposed to see doctor... Eirin, I believe. I'd better get back to the lobby."
[ ] "Uh, sure, that would be, er... delightful."

[x] "Uh, sure, that would be, er... delightful."

Note to self: start writing earlier if you're planning to do a double update. Oh well, at least I finally got to show off a nurse Reisen. In /shrine/, nonetheless. This story is going places, isn't it. By the way, how are You liking our trip so far? Not asking for feedback, just tell me if there's anything rubbing You the wrong way about the story that You would have me change. It belongs to You as much as it does to me, after all, and I want both sides to be satisfied.

-Cheers,
Reav

PS: What's that Patchy-Flandre-Reimu 'war' about, anyhow? Do I want to know? Or is it dangerous to ask?

>>31086

Well, nothing is really rubbing me the wrong way just yet. I like it.

...Also, that 'war' is really just probably one of the most enormous amounts of faggotry to have ever occurred on this site. I honestly don't even know how it got so damn bad.

Basically, someone began a story, it got very popular, and...Well, do you remember the shitstorm that happened during that whole take Mimas offer/do not take Mimas offer thing back in SDMLA? Think that, but instead it's routefaggotry, lasting for many, many threads. The way I saw it was that a few very vocal idiots started slinging insults, then the trolls joined in, then the rest of THP joined in as they are unable to ignore even the most obvious of trolls, and it really spun down from there. It ended in pretty much killing the author's motivation to write, and dropping both his stories (though he has said he hasn't dropped them, it's been a while since either have been updated). Shame, too, as I really liked the Touhouvania thing he was writing.

Anyway, tl;dr, THP decided to be faggots and ruined it for us all. Though, I'm not sure what the whole Reimu war thing is about. Probably happened during my sabbatical from THP. Or I just wasn't paying attention, I don't know.

[x] "No, I was... I was supposed to see doctor... Eirin, I believe. I'd better get back to the lobby."

>>31086
Reimu wasn't even a factor in said war. Now if you said Rumia and Sakuya, different story.

Reimu hate on the other hand was more of general thing in a few other stories with her, mainly due to some cases being Uberbitch fanon Reimu. But the procession of nicer yet able to kick ass renditions of Reimu have reversed the trend some.

I don't think anything like that'll happen yet, mainly due to all the mindfuckery going on... but depending on how things go, Reisen may be a candidate.

So far nothing wrong other than that fit insanity you had.

[x] "Uh, sure, that would be, er... delightful."

Nurse Reisen~ Also I get the feeling her bedside manner is better than Eirin's.

[x] "Uh, sure, that would be, er... delightful."

>>31087

And by 'many, many threads' he means each thread got to the point where we had up to maybe three updates if we were lucky, a couple of votes, and the rest was a bunch of 'I'm right and everyone who doesn't agree with me is wrong' idiocy.

The story in question was called 'Gensokyo High' or 'GH' for short.

>>31086
I'm not a native speaker, not even a decent one, but, is it me or your story has a thick British accent? Is it intentional? What's your motive? Not really complaining though.

And I asked about GH a while ago, too. Check the threads about it at /words/. I'm not that impressed.

[x] "No, I was... I was supposed to see doctor... Eirin, I believe. I'd better get back to the lobby.."
GH was my favorite story and it god killed by faggots. I'll never forgive THP for this.

Your story? I like it. Then again, I've always liked them. This one seems to be just as good (maybe a little better, nostalgia googles are hard to take off)

>>31087 >>31094
Ah, I've heard of that one. It's like I'm watching Teruyo's threads all over again. Good ol' THP hasn't changed all too much, I see, heh.
>>31096
Mm, no, it's largely an unwitting habit of mine, so to speak, meaning I think this way when processing thoughts in English. Yes, I do call out for male genitalia when I'm narked, laugh all you want.
In a lesser part, it's a running theme of my stories where there are two protagonists (usually a male and a female) - the primary one speaks British English, while the other uses a less accented, non-regional version of the language, sometimes with American or French accretions for a more distinct flavour. (for a quick instance, Benjamin and Fukuzai of the New CoMN).
Obviously, thanks to Gensokyo's mechanics (translation system), that can't be the case here in this story, and besides, it's not like there's a single main girl to speak of.
I wasn't aware it was so acutely apparent, however. Should I perhaps try to tone it down a tad?
>>31098
You wouldn't believe how sick I feel re-reading some of the earlier THP pieces of mine. AAA and TS, THOSE FUCKING H-SCENES, argh...

Anyhow, leaving the vote open for three-to-four more hours. Until then, folks, until then.

It's Reisen toime, mayts!

==

[X] "Uh, sure, that would be, er... delightful."


Are you all right? No, not quite all right, not at all actually, thank you. Now, the question that remains is whether to allow this girl to have a go at your lower half, or leave her blue-balled in favour of some shady persona called 'Yagokoro'?
Hardly a difficult dilemma.

"Uh, yeah, sure," you murmur. "That would be, er... delightful, miss, um..."
"It's Reisen," says the nurse, removing her assets from the immediate vicinity of your face. "Call me Reisen, everybody here does. Not that we get a lot of patients these days, but the if it's around the staff, everyone just calls me Reisen, and even the Princess, when she comes sometimes for her medication, or... Oh dear, I'm straying again," she mutters to herself. "A?Anyway, please, take off your clothes, you can hang them there," she points out a coat-rack by the door. "When you're done, please sit on that coach."

Hold up. Here? In the lounge, just like that, where anybody could enter and see you stripping in front of a very cute and also slightly air-headed nurse? Boy, doesn't this feel wrong, but what else are you supposed to do? There's little choice to be made here, and so you slip out of the shell of your vest and acu, all the way down to the undershirt and knickers, then sit down obediently down on the coach Reisen indicated. Why is this even here? It's so wide it could easily accommodate two or even more people at once...

"So, tell me. What happened?" asks Reisen, bending over your now-naked knees, examining them with her cool finger-tips. "What do you think is wrong?"


You give Reisen a short account of the events of the previous day, omitting of course the terrible cock-up with Reimu and a couple of less important details, battling at the same time the urge to stare straight down the enormous cleavage of her uniform. Ineffectively, for the most part.


"... then I found myself here," you finish the story.
"So, you hunt monsters for a living?" asks Reisen, casting a brief glance up at you. Wait, are your eyes playing tricks on you again, or did she just give you a teasing smile? "That explains the gun, but... Isn't it a bit dangerous?"
"One of the hazards of living here, I suppose," you answer. "We're very well trained, though, so..."
"No, I mean..."Reisen mutters, pressuring gently at your bones with both hands. "I studied this place a bit when I was still stationed back on the Moon," she explains. "It was originally created as a safe-haven for the monsters, you know? Humans came and settled in much, much later, not long before us, and we've only been here for a short period of time."
"I never knew that."
"Not many sources remained after the war, but..."Reisen gives a thoughtful hum. "... if you looked around carefully, you could probably find a history book or something. I just thought it would be kind of unfair if Humans started killing off the monsters indiscriminately..."short pause. "... but never mind me. So, you're saying this was healed magically by that Keine person?"

"Yes," you confirm. "Or, at least as far as I know it was her."
"She didn't do too good a job, then," Reisen hums. "Hm, Master Eirin wouldn't approve, but if magic was involved in the first place..."her eyes change their shade for a second, and she slides her palms along your skin again. "... mhm, as I thought. No offence, but that Keine of yours is one sloppy spellcaster."
"Sloppy?"
"There's all sorts of residue left behind," she explains. "Little bits of magic energy, chunks of mana, that kind of stuff, you know. Nn, I can't even tell if everything is all right with all the mess in there..."she gives a sigh. "... I could try to remove it, but if Master Eirin hears about it, she may get mad I resorted to spells with a patient. Looks like we'll have to give you an x-ray to find out..."

?'Master Eirin'?" you repeat. "I've heard the name before, but er... is she your superior, or...?"
"My teacher," corrects the nurse, running a scan over your calf once again. Her touch suddenly feels much more electrifying. "This clinic belongs to her, but she's dreadfully old-fashioned, and practically married to her views. We have a hands-free on how we deal with the patients, as long as we stick to her methods," she giggles softly. "Man, if she heard me saying this?"


At that very moment, the door to the room bursts open, revealing a flushed, heavily-breathing Mokou storming in. Both you and Reisen freeze instantly at the intrusion, while another person follows her, a black-haired figure dressed in a long, wrinkled, pink robe, wearing an intrigued, somewhat catty expression under her way too long fringe.

"Here he is!" Mokou says. "We've been looking for you all over the bloody place, you silly knob! Just what were you?" she notices the nurse still bent over your legs, fondling your naked calves. "Tiger?" she drawls, crossing arms on her chest. "Are you absolutely, positively sure you have to jump at every piece of tit you see? Even the nurses?"
"Er, Mokou," you blurt out. "This is not what you think?"
"So," the black-haired girl waltzes past Mokou, giving you and Reisen a playful sort of look. "This is your newest boyfriend, is it? Hot stuff. Where'd you find him?"

"Kaguya," Mokou chides. "Shut your mouth."
"Should have put him on a shorter leash though, I think," 'Kaguya' ignores the threatening tone of Mokou's voice. "Look, he's flirted up Reisen already, that stud. Come here to dump him like the others, have you?"
"Kaguya. Gob. Shut."
"Well, if you're dumping him anyway, can I have him for a couple of days first? It's been a while since the last time I?"
?Kaguya," Mokou bares her fangs like a poisonous snake. "One more word and you're sipping your dinner through a straw tonight, got it?" She ignores the shrug from her friend and promptly returns her angry glare to you. "Tiger. Chin up, Eirin will see you now. Let's not keep her waiting."


[ ] "Yes, Mokou... um, thanks, Reisen. I will, er... see you next time."
[ ] "That's very nice of her and all, but Reisen is already examining me, see??

[x] "Yes, Mokou... um, thanks, Reisen. I will, er... see you next time."

[x] "That's very nice of her and all, but Reisen is already examining me, see?"

"Already on a first name basis, hmm~?" Oh, hilarity.

>>31118
I like the way he speaks. Keep it.

>New CoMN
What? Where?

[x] "Yes, Mokou... um, thanks, Reisen. I will, er... see you next time."
-[x] "It was nice meeting you, Reisen. I think it's better I do this. I'd rather not end up in intensive care if I could help it, and You'd rather not get in trouble, right?"

Reisen may be among the few sane girls found so far.

[x] "Yes, Mokou... um, thanks, Reisen. I will, er... see you next time.."
-[x] "By the way, Moko, since when do you lose your cool this easily? You're a Fukiwara, act like one"

I think Mokou could use some positive reinforcement. She has done a lot for us, after all.

>>31146
RAAAAAAAGE

>>31125
Sorry, It's classified security level P for Private at the moment. Note. I'm setting a best-of-seven rule for the votes. That's first-to-four in other words. Is there even a seven of you out there? I think so...
For now, standing by.
EDIT: crap, I thought I was the only one browsing the boards at this time of day. >>31148 is raging at me, apparently.

>>31150
Fuku... ;_;

[x] "Yes, Mokou... um, thanks, Reisen. I will, er... see you next time."
-[x] "By the way, Moko, since when do you lose your cool this easily? You're a Fukiwara, act like one"

[X] "Yes, Mokou... um, thanks, Reisen. I will, er... see you next time."


"Er, right," you try to keep the note of disappointment out of your voice. No, not a note - a whole symphony, rather. "Yes, Mokou," you add quickly. "Just let me..."

Mokou moves in, and Reisen tactfully backs out of her way, letting your steaming 'girlfriend' lend you a helping arm to latch on. It's not just a metaphor either - her skin is hot to touch as well, even more so without anything to shield your naked limbs.

"Mokou, my clothes?"
"We'll get them later, tiger," she snaps, dragging you slowly to the door. "There's no time."
"What's wrong with you?" you protest. "Since when do you lose your cool this easily?"
"Oh, don't mind her," 'Kaguya' chimes in. "She's just scared of bumping into one of her old partners. Don't worry, Moko. It's way too late for that. They're all long?"
"Kaguya, what did I tell you about shutting your face?"
"See, tiger?" grins the black-haired girl. "That's what's on her mind. By the way, Reisen," she addresses the nurse. "Shouldn't you be at the front desk?"
"Ah! Oh dear!" Reisen gasps, startled. "I'm sorry?I'll get back there immediately, Princess!"

Wait, you think. That's right - you still haven't thanked her for trying to take care of you so benevolently.
"Reisen?" you say, forcing Mokou to a stop. "I, er?thanks for everything. I didn't mean to say you weren't?that is, it's not that I distrust you, but, er... we'd rather you didn't get in trouble, yes?"
"Ah, no!" she shakes her head. "Of course! No offence taken!" She smiles. "I'll see you again."
"Definitely," you barely manage to return it before Mokou forcibly pulls you out into the hall.


?


Before long, the three of you arrive in front of an operating hall door in the basement - a name plate signing it as belonging to somebody called either with a bunch of undecipherable characters, or 'Yagokoro Eirin', as it says below. Bets are on. So, this is the witch's lair, isn't it? Deep underground, behind steel gates. How bleeding appropriate.
Mokou knocks on the massive slab a few times, and soon the locks click open, revealing a way inside.

"Come in," says a rough, but unmistakeably feminine voice.

Inside, however, looks nothing like you had expected - clean, white tiles cover the floor, the ceiling is sparkling with dozens of powerful fluorescent lamps, and there isn't a single stain of blood on the strange-looking chair in the centre of the room. Even the doctor looks thirty, thirty-five tops; as opposed to the three-hundred, three-hundred-fifty you had anticipated. Should this be considered a let-down, or..."

"This is the patient?" says the doctor - Eirin - regarding you coldly with a neutral face - a face so unnaturally smooth it doesn't seem bear a single wrinkle, or even a smallest laugh-line. "Let him sit there."

Mokou leads you up to the dentist-like chair, and helps you climb the thing. It's strangely comfy, for something designed to aid in violating the physical integrity of people's bodily tissues.

"Thanks."
"Now leave," orders the doctor. "Wait outside. We'll be done soon."

Mokou and Kaguya silently sweep out of the room, the door sealing behind them with an ominous clang. Locks snap back into place, locking them out, and you - in.

"Er, you must be 'Master Eirin', yes?" you address the only remaining woman, who is now meddling with a switch panel on one of the walls. "I'm, er... they call me 'Shooter'. My leg?"
"There's no need for explanations. I already know everything."

Suddenly, a mechanical snap is heard, and before you know it, your wrists, neck and ankles are trapped in metal loops that have sprung out of the chair's rests. What in the??!

"What the fur??!"
"It's necessary," doctor Eirin explains, approaching you steadily, a syringe in her hand. "One too many cases breaking equipment because of a little bit of pain makes you very scrupulous."
"This is bollocks?!" you throw around to break free - to no avail. "Let me go! This instant! Or I'll scream!"
"Save your breath for later," Eirin advises calmly, wiping your knee with a cotton swab. "This isn't going to hurt too much. You'll feel a little prick."
"Don't you dare?!"

Yes, she will. Indeed, you feel a small sting when she leads the needle into your joint. Very slowly, almost as if to limit the pain as much as possible, she begins to press down on the pump, letting the transparent liquid be slowly sucked into... well, wherever it's going.

"See?" You swear there's a hint of a satisfaction in her voice. "It wasn't that bad, now was it?"
"N?no..."you admit. "Not that ba?"

At that moment, hell opens up under your skin. All the nerves in your body fire up simultaneously, going white-hot with pure, distilled agony. Your eyes become flooded with red, and before you are able to as much as yelp for forgiveness, your consciousness gives up being.


?


You wake up seconds later, purple stains on your vision, drool dripping down your chin, your whole body shivering uncontrollably from the brief memory of indescribable pain that managed to sneak into your brain before it shut down.

"Hm, no reaction to neuro-neutralisers at normal douse..."mutters the doctor, scribbling in her notebook. "Cause may not be natural... Does it still hurt?" she asks you, not even looking. All you can manage is a shade of a nod. Eirin puts on something that was probably meant to look like a soothing smile. It isn't soothing in the slightest. "Then we will try something else."

Unable to speak, you can only observe as she fills another syringe from a strangely labelled vial of blue-ish substance. Without much ado, she returns to you, still smiling.
"Once again, you may feel a little prick."


This one goes straight into the very core of your tortured limb.


World comes to an end in an explosion of vivid colours.


?



"Ssh, now, now," Mokou hushes, gently stroking your hair. "It's okay, tiger. It's okay..."

No, it's not okay! Bloody hell, it's not okay at?fucking?all! You may have survived the torture session, but for the love of everything holy, that was not something you would ever, ever want to repeat!

Even now, back out in the cold of the basement corridors, in Mokou's loving embrace, you can't stop the cruel shaking.
"Mo'mokou!" you cry, burying your face deeper in her chest. "T?that Eirin, she's?she's like a giant?a giant professional wrestler?! With needles! Needles for fists! Needles, Mokou! Giant needles! For her fists! Mokoooou!"
"It's all right," Mokou squeezes you harder. "It's over, now. Come on, calm down. I'm here. Sssh..."

Suddenly, the torture chamber door opens, sending you jumping up in Mokou's arms. Eirin comes out, waving a small board with what you concede must be a report of your painful session.
Mokou takes the board and scans it briefly, still holding you tightly to her bosom.

"Is this for sure?" she asks. "Eirin, this doesn't make sense."
"I'm never wrong," says the doctor. "What is written there is scientifically proven information. There was never anything wrong with your leg, young man," she addresses your weeping self. "It was the magic present in your body that was causing the pain."
"M'magic...?"
"Somebody must have not taken kindly to your words or actions," she glances briefly at Mokou. "It was a classic, simple, almost crude crude. Not that magic can be anything but crude, but this one was especially primitive."
"So you removed it?" questions Mokou. "Without casting a spell of your own?"
"Yes."
"You can do that?"
"Everything has an antidote, Fujiwara. Even the strongest poison," she gives a fake smile. "Either way, I would like to keep him around for observation for some time."
"How long?"
"Four?five days at most. It's not the first time I've done this kind of a treatment, but I would like to avoid him lapsing into any complications, you understand."

You un-adhere yourself from Mokou's chest and wipe your face with a hand.
"Does that mean I'll get a room and a fancy hospital gown?"
"Fancy?"
"The sort that leaves your butt open?" Mokou supplies.
"No," Eirin cuts your enthusiasm short. "This is a clinic, not a hospital. You bring your own clothes."
"Aw," both you and Mokou moan at the same time. "Bugger!"

Kaguya palms her face on the side, but you can see she's just trying to hide a disappointed look of her own.


?


Later still, you find yourself in your temporary residence at the top floor of the clinic. Eirin wasn't kidding - it hardly looks like a hospital clique, and even for clinic standards, it's absolutely top-notch. There's a queen-sized bed, a private bathroom, a gargantuan TV set, even a collection of video game consoles to boot, just in case hundreds of multi-language TV channels weren't enough to satisfy your boredom. Why didn't you get a monster to mince your leg to shreds earlier? This place is a heaven to live in! Being on a pass has never felt so great!

That aside, however, you probably ought to get at least a pair of slacks on - your legs are starting to get cold. Somebody has politely brought all of your gear from the lounge and put it neatly in the supplied cupboard. You rise from the soft mattress of the bed and go on to dig out something to wear.

Mokou had said she would like to have a word with Eirin before she escorted you here, probably something you wouldn't like to know about right now. She noted, however, that she was going to come talk to you as soon as she was done and got changed. There was an urgent suggestion in her voice, but she didn't elucidate on what was stressing her out. Girls and their secrets, hmph...

"Hm?"

Your thoughts are broken when you discover a scrap of paper in one of your backpack's pockets. There's a note scribbled haphazardly in black ink on one side, but the only part you can make out is the number ? 223 ? among the thicket of bizarre characters. Not even the signature looks like anything remotely legible.

"Bloody hell..."


[ ] Wait for Mokou, she may need you.
[ ] Go down to the reception desk, see if Reisen is still there.
[ ] Try to find the mysterious '223'.

[x] Go down to the reception desk, see if Reisen is still there.
-[x] Ask her about 223

[x] Wait for Mokou, she may need you.

I'd rather not aggravate her again so soon; well have time to flirt with the bunny some other time.

The note? An interesting point for later days.

>>31157
I'm thinking the note may be Kaguya.

She wants to talk to us alone. Get to know us better. Wink wink nudge nudge.

[x] Wait for Mokou, she may need you.

[x] Wait for Mokou, she may need you.
Crude magic? More like Keine magic, right? Read the other updates

Unless, of course, that's what they want us to believe

[x] Wait for Mokou, she may need you.

Winning vote; Moar updates. Sorry YAF.

[x] Try to find the mysterious '223'.

>>31163
Mind fucks ahoy... and yet Koishi is nowhere in sight!

>>31166

Unless she is and is using her powers to make herself 'invisible'

>>31164
Apologies, all these summer social events aren't doing my soberness good, and I seriously doubt any of you would like to see my drunk writing. There will be at least one update today though, I guarantee it.
Side note. I came to a conclusion writing for a limited audience as opposed to an indefinite number of Anonymous readers feels somehow much more satisfying, personal, up-close and in yer face, pal never mind the last bit. Just felt like getting it off my chest. Love you guys, let's keep this show on the road.
If, by chance, the Anon who kept supporting me during the days of TS5 is still around, cheers, mate. Would love to hear from you.

For now, standing by. Oh, and have another Fuku.
-Reav

Random question? Since this is a YAF thread.

Does anyone know where the last thread of COMN has gone? The link provided at the index site doesn't work, and searching /shrine/ page by page turns up nothing at all.

[X] Wait for Mokou, she may need you.


Pass, you've only the faintest idea what the '223' thing might be, and this isn't the best of times for testing the theory. Whoever thought you would appreciate being reminded of your impoverished linguistic skills, must have taken into consideration the possibility of the joke flying straight over your head.

Just as the note flies straight back to the 'pack, where it will wait for better times. Curiosity or not, there are more pressing matters at hand, some of which may well burn you alive should you pull the wrong thread out of their underwear. Jolly times.


?


Sure enough, not long after you've given up trying to figure out the instructional booklet of one of the consoles, Mokou comes knocking into your chamber, carrying a choked look beneath a crestfallen smile. She walks in and locks the door behind her.

"How are you feeling, tiger?" she says.
"Been worse," you tell her. "Why the long face?"

Mokou skives off answering and throws herself onto the bed by your side. Her clothes have come back to normal too, you notice, meaning she must have had an extra set stashed somewhere in the clinic...
Shite!... You were completely unaware of it back then, but now it's becomes painfully apparent just whose shirt was it that you were rubbing your bloody face on in front of Eirin's cave. Kourin's shirt - a man's shirt! Nothing will ever wash the sensation off your skin now! Bollocks!...

Much as you would love to mend your mistakes right here, right now, however; you limit yourself to just absently petting Mokou's head while she gathers her thoughts. From time to time, you hear a soft purr escape her lips, but other than that, she stays eerily quiet.

"Hey, tiger?" she says after a while. "What do you think of all this?"
"All this?" you ask.
"What Eirin said about your injuries," Mokou explains. "If she was correct, then nothing makes sense any more. Keine couldn't have done it, and not even Reimu would go as far as doing something as subtle - if she wanted, she would have just stomped on your legs until they were broken. I'm baffled. I've no idea who could have cast that spell, and it's keeping me on the edge."
"Keine couldn't have done it, eh..."you sigh. "Why do I get the feeling we might all be terribly wrong about this"..."

Mokou shifts on to her back, leaving your hand hovering above her chest, not quite sure where to lay down; or at least not so willing to go with the first notion that comes to mind.

"Tiger," Mokou says just a bit suddenly. "What do you think of Keine?"
"Keine?" you blurt out without as much as a second thought. "I love her."
"Love her? Really?"
"Uh, yeah, I..."you pause, seeing Mokou's somewhat shocked stare. "I do love her, yes." There's no hiding it. You're in love with Keine, always have been, for as long as you can remember. Ever since your arrival on this side of the world. "I?It's more of a mother-son sort of love though, nothing too serious, I swear..."Yes, only that son just so happens to be a massive Oedipus Complex nut-case. "... b?but it's not like she would ever consider going to bed with me, or?"
"Going to bed with you, eh?" Oh, snap. "Maybe you're right..."Mokou makes a venomous smile. "No, you're definitely right. Keine would never sleep with you." She snickers, seeing your heartbroken expression. "Tell me, tiger, did you get cramps in that hand, or are you just looking for a chance to fondle my breasts?"

"Ah, no, I, er..."you retract the wayward limb and hide it safely behind your back. "Why... Why are you asking me this, anyhow? You didn't want to talk about Keine, did you?"
"No, not at all."
"So, what is it?"
"I wonder, tiger," Mokou rolls around again like a restless cat. "Tell me. Do you know about my secret?"
"Know the basic gist of it, yes.."
"Have I told you?"
"Yes, but we were both pissed half-dead, so it may have slipped your memory."

Indeed. You were both drunk back then, having a good time in the tavern in the village, enjoying yourselves out of the sight of Keine's watchful eyes, paying little attention to which of the intoxicated suggestions and wishes found reflection in reality, let alone which of the hazy thoughts found release in outspoken words.

"Did we shag afterwards?"
"Er, no..."you mumble. "... I don't think so."
"Bugger," groans Mokou. More shifting. "We should have. That would have made things much easier. Now I'm not even sure what to do..."she sighs. "Tiger, tell me, what am I to you?"
"What? Haven't I told you already?"
"Have you?" she asks
"Have I?" you repeat.
"Don't know. Have you?"
"I may have," you say.
"But have you?" Mokou demands.
"I have."
"You have?"
"No idea. Have I?"
"Want to lose that tongue?" she glares. "Because I might jolly well rip it out if you don't stop it at this moment."
"I love you too, Mokou," you grin. "Haven't I told you already?"
"Oh, slag off!" she snaps, turning away, facing the wall. "You're just pissing me off more!"



[ ] "Very well. Let us go to our previous topic, then. What do you remember happened yesterday?"
[ ] "All right. Changing the topic, say, I've got this note right here, but all it reads is gibberish. Know what it could be?"
[ ] "What if I do this?" Pin her to the bed. "Does this piss you off?"
[ ] "Oh, do be civil, now! Is it about what Kaguya said? Mokou, I knew you were used goods. I would have felt alarmed if you weren't. Now quit sodding around and confess what's biting you."

>>31170
He probably deleted it, like the other story in /others/ when he got mad that he had so few readers and hated everything and left saying what a horrible site this is and his talent was wasted here. And no, i am not making this up. This is what happened.
But whatever, it's good that he is back.

[x] "Oh, do be civil, now! Is it about what Kaguya said? Mokou, I knew you were used goods. I would have felt alarmed if you weren't. Now quit sodding around and confess what's biting you."

[x] "All right. Changing the topic, say, I've got this note right here, but all it reads is gibberish. Know what it could be?"
Well... all seems to indicate Keine as the culprit but it's still too soon to tell. Maybe the 'maybe we're all wrong' is actually directed to us and there's someone else. That kid is a suspect too (pet my ass) and we don't know shit about that third party so...

[x] "Oh, do be civil, now! Is it about what Kaguya said? Mokou, I knew you were used goods. I would have felt alarmed if you weren't. Now quit sodding around and confess what's biting you."

>>31175
>Mokou can't read.
Is that so?
>>31155
>Mokou takes the board and scans it briefly, still holding you tightly to her bosom.
>"Is this for sure?" she asks. "Eirin, this doesn't make sense."

>>31176
Then more plot device. It has been 2 rollbacks since then, I don't know. Maybe if there's a chance we'll point to it later. Or maybe now; Changing vote.
>>30563
>That's right. In all her linguistic mastery, Fujiwara Mokou cannot actually read.

[x] "All right. Changing the topic, say, I've got this note right here, but all it reads is gibberish. Know what it could be?"
- [x] "Wait, since when you can read?"
If meta is allowed.

>>31172
In all honesty I don't recall, but hey, I used to be a huge raging faggot, didn't I? I'm hardly afraid of admitting it. Anyhow, here's a txt of CoMN: http://www.mediafire.com/?tzmkjczmmk5
Unfortunately I don't have The Ordinary Day anywhere (which was a sort of a happy ending to CoMN), so if anybody else has it, feel obliged to share.

>>31179
Before you left you were mostly depressed and angry and whatever else i do not know.
I am really glad that you grew up and changed your ways.
Fewer readers and less comments and discussion is a thing that some writers are angry and sad about, like Teruyo, but it is really great that you stopped thinking like that and are happy about any kind of voters and everything comment you get.
But anyway, i would really like it if you restarted BluLieabaInnoRelie. Some, or most, people did not like it and said you wrote something horrible but i still enjoyed it. It had a good atmosphere without getting serious or too lighthearted.

>>31172
>>31179

Right-o. Downloading; thank you!

>>31178

We know she can't read, though. She crashed Shooter's house asking him to read a note for her, the one with the Angry Keine Face on it.

[x] "All right. Changing the topic, say, I've got this note right here, but all it reads is gibberish. Know what it could be??

>>31182
Still doesn't explain >>31176

>>31184

Yeah. Just saying it isn't meta. Best I can come up with is either Keinehax or she doesn't want to lose face in front of Kaguya.

[x] "What if I do this?" Pin her to the bed. "Does this piss you off?"

Hooray bed-top sports! Tiger and the Phoenix ~ this is going to be wild.

>>31170
I don't think you missed much, really.

From what I can remember of the last thread, there was a re-do of the leg-shaving (Ren did it for her) and almost-sex, pictures of crows, and the whole thing restarting.

Kind of a mixed gender-bender, with Fuku stripping a female Eirin, and wandering off into the forest, where YAF then decided every possible choice of continuing the story would lead to a gruesome bad end. This marked the start of the massive tard-rage.

>>31186
Last straight man in the thread, I swear.
Anyhow, calling it now, writing in fourty. Would have started earlier, but I felt the need to catch some sun and buy some drinks first. Stay frosty.

>>31188
Like a pastry? Or like a windowpane on a cold winter's day?

[X] "All right. Changing the topic, say, I've got this note right here, but all it reads is gibberish. Know what it could be?"

That's quite enough teasing for now, you suppose. It's been a long enough time since you've last seen Mokou act so sullen about your relationship, and honestly, what she may be needing is a simple break ? after all, she has been hauling your sorry arse around for the last two days or so out of pure kindness. Nobody is more deserving of a breather than her.
Not counting your own tired self, maybe.

"All right, darling, let's change the topic." You give her a last jab in the side and stand up to retrieve the cryptic letter from the cupboard. "Say, I was looking through my gear earlier, and I found a strange note in one of my pockets..."

Mokou lifts herself from the sheets to give you a curious look.
"A note?"
"Yes, but all it reads is gibberish," you say as you find the thing. "It's one of those fancy-bushy sorts of notes some people around here seem to love. I know you can't read, but?"
"Give me that," Mokou yanks the scrap out of your hands. "I knew it," she hisses. "That blasted shut-in..."
"So you can read it?"

Mokou cusses a few times before letting out a resigned sigh.
"It's not as much reading as it is figuring out what the characters mean," she explains and invites you to sit by her side. "See, your language's writing is a pain to learn - you have to understand every character and put them all together before you get a single word out of it. It's just too much hassle. Now here," she jabs a nail at one of the shrubbery-like signs. "You just look at it and try to imagine what it could be."
"It sort of looks like a tree with Alzheimer's to me."

Mokou gives you an affectionate knock on the head and shuffles closer.
"Not at all, you silly mug," she chides. "Here, let me tell you what it says." You feel her arm slithering slowly across your back. ?'Dear Tiger...' That's you. 'Let it be known that I care for you a great deal, even if all you do is make jokes of it and flirt with other girls when I'm not looking, or even when I am, like that bleeding shrine maiden, Hakurei Reimu. What do you see in her? I honestly can't suss this one out.'... What an honest letter, isn't it?" You can't see her expression, you can clearly feel her hand wandering dangerously close to your Fourth Point of Contact. ?'So,? she goes on. ?Not to get drawn out too much, if you would be so kind as not to bed any other woman before I'm done collecting my clothes from Kourin and kicking Kaguya's sorry arse around, I may consider the possibility of attending to our worst oversight so far tonight. Love, Mokou.'?

Before you can construct a proper come-back, Mokou tears herself away from you and bolts for the exit, stopping once with a hand on the knob, and gives you a business-like look.
"I'm serious, by the way. Don't disappoint me, tiger."

Then, she storms out into the hall, almost colliding with another person standing there behind the door. Her quickened steps end with a noise of a rapidly opening window.

"Um, excuse me...?" Reisen peeks inside, confused. "May I come in? I've got your medication, but..."
"Sure, yeah, you can come in," you say, blinking. "As soon as I'm done slitting my wrists for being such a bloody idiot."


?


"So what's all this, then?" you ask.
Reisen puts a tray of colourful pills and a glass of water at the night-table beside the bed, then takes a seat in the only chair in the room.
"Vitamins, calcium, magnesium, other things," she says. "Master Eirin's methods aren't too gentle, you've probably noticed."
"Sort of. What of them?"
"They act like a thorough detoxification for the organism," explains the nurse. "Only they force the body to transform basically everything that isn't flesh, blood and bone into magical energy that is then forcefully flushed out. Not very healthy."
"And it comes out as pain, suffering and agony, eh?"
"No," Reisen gives a gentle smile. "It's mostly random, but more often than not it's light and sound, sometimes smell."
"So you're trying to tell me I became a glowing, smelly Christmas Tree for a couple of minutes back there?"

Bloody hell. Now you've got much more respect for the sadistic doctor. It must take massive amounts of self-control to retain a straight expression in the face of a sparkling, smoking patient wallowing in pain right on your eyes and drooling on your beautiful, clean floor.

Reisen giggles at your suggestion.
"We've been trying to develop a substance with a less... spectacular effect, but so far the results have been, um... not all that pleasing. Sometimes?"
Her voice trails off when the door to your room opens once more, a young-looking, black-haired, bunny-eared head peering inside.
"Halo~! Master Eirin sent me~! I've got your?oh? Reisen? You're here?"
"Tewi," Reisen addresses her associate. "Yes, but please, come in, put it down there."
"Wonderful~? the cheerful nurse comes dancing in and places her own tray beside the one Reisen brought. You notice, somewhat out of a reflex, that her uniform doesn't look nearly as splendidly strained as that of her more gifted colleague. Bugger. On the other hand, her lively aura more than makes up for the lack of enticing assets. Just watching her move feels like an invitation to tango. "I'll be off, then~ Don't tire him out too much, Reisen~? she chirps.
"Tewi, please..."
"Goodbye and best of luck to you, sir~"
'Tewi' prances out through the door, swaying her hips in a way that could probably repopulate the Highlands within less than a month's time. Reisen stands up, sighing, and snatches the pills off Tewi's tray into her top's pockets.

"What are you doing?"
"Master Eirin tends to overextend on medication," she says. "It is an old habit of hers, I think, from back when we still operated mostly on Lunarians. Human bodies can't take as much abuse as ours can, you see. It wouldn't be wise to overdo what could as well kill you."
"I see... Reisen? Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," she smiles, sitting back down. "What is it?"


[ ] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
[ ] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"
[ ] "Reisen, do you have somebody you like?"
[ ] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory?"
[ ] "So... other than my drugs, was there something else you wanted to do here?"

==

>>31189
Frosty like Reimu on a freezing, December day. Because she can't afford the heating, you know. Think you can manage?

[x] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell??

[x] "Reisen, do you have somebody you like?"
[x] "So... other than my drugs, was there something else you wanted to do here??

[X] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"

Asking about the magic or memory modification is tempting but I'm not too sure that we would learn much.

[x] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell??

[x] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory??

[x] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
I'm frankly surprised that no one really tried this one. We know that only Keine or that mysterious stranger (maybe) can manipulate memories.
As for the one of the note, I'm pretty sure it's Kaguya.

[x] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
[x] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"
[x] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory?"
[x] "So... other than my drugs, was there something else you wanted to do here?"

KNOWLEDGE

[x] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
[x] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"
[x] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory?"
[x] "So... other than my drugs, was there something else you wanted to do here?"

Go for the wall!

[X] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
[X] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"
[X] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory?"
[X] "So... other than my drugs, was there something else you wanted to do here?"

Anonymous has requested a wall. Will you comply?

[x] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
[x] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"
[x] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory?"
[x] "So... other than my drugs, was there something else you wanted to do here?"
[x] "Reisen, do you have somebody you like??

>>31201
>Go for the wall!
Going for the brush!

All right, I'll give you a wall. Still, abandoning character interaction in favour of exposition? Where did we go so wrong? into consideration.

[X] "Is there a way of identifying the person who botched my leg for certain? I mean, you felt the magic when you examined me earlier, yes? Could you tell me something about it?"
[X] "You seem knowledgeable. What can you tell me about manipulating one's memory?"
[X] "I had received a note, but my hotheaded friend stole it away. Does '223' ring a bell?"
[X] "Reisen, do you have somebody you like?"

"There's several, actually," you correct yourself. "Much has been going on lately for me, and truth be told I'm sort of confused about a load of issues. Do you have a spare quarter or so? I don't mean to impose on your job."
"No, it's all right," says Reisen. "I had somebody take over my duty at the reception."

Then she has taken precautions to make sure the two of you would have enough time to have a longer chat, is that it? Wishful thinking? No, you can't let yourself read too deep into this, you need to focus - and not on her alluringly opened cleavage, either.

"Thanks," you try to keep the off note out of your voice. "You're the first person to agree to talk with me honestly in a long time. Everybody just seems to want to keep me in the dark, not telling me anything, sending me off to places..."
"You're a very coveted person, aren't you?" Reisen gives a sincere grin. "Shouldn't you be happy?"
"It's not really the sort of attention I would want..."you make a wry face.
"You would rather they cuddled you like a teddy bear all day long, wouldn't you?"
"Hey! Don't make fun of me!"
"Sorry," Reisen fights back a giggle. "I heard from Princess Kaguya about the aftermath of Master Eirin's session. I wish I could have been there, that must have been so cute."
"You too, Reisen...?"
"Oh dear," she fakes a gasp. "I'm blabbering again, aren't I? Excuse me, I'm easily side-tracked when talking with patients. Anyway, what was it that you wanted to know?"

Finally, you think. Maybe now you'll get some answers... but first you'll have to take those eyes off Reisen's chest. Never an easy way, is there?

"Yes, let's cut to the chase," you cough. "Reisen, earlier, when you were examining me, you felt the magic inside my body, yes?"
"Yup."
"Have you seen doctor Eirin's report?"
"Yes, I have."
"Then you understand the cause of my curiosity. I don't fully understand how magic works, but... is there a way to identify the person who cast the spell on me? Maybe not by a name," you add on a second thought, "but, er... I don't know how to say it..."
"No, I know what you mean," says Reisen. "There isn't a certain way to tell the caster of the spell, but I can tell you what it looked like."
?'What it looked like'?"
"Yes," she nods. "Of course, it's more about the sensation than the actual looks, since I couldn't really see inside your body, but..."her eyes close, as if trying to summon a picture to her mind. "... there was a lot of blue. Yes, small, blue orbs, swirling around like bubbles in a bath. Something like that, I think..."she looks at you again. "Does that help?"
"Yes, somewhat." No, it doesn't, but you would hate to hurt her feelings. "Tell me, does all magic have shape?"
"No," she shakes her head. "Actually, it only does when you're deliberately trying to give it a visible form. If you don't, it remains largely transparent and shape-less, even to a magically enhanced eye. That's why Master Eirin's?our'medicine gives off light when it's working - otherwise we wouldn't know if the treatment was successful."
"... only when you're trying to..."you stop for a moment and scratch your chin. "... hold up. I don't understand. You couldn't see the spell in my leg, but you say it looked like blue orbs..."
"Yes, like I said, somebody must have purposefully given it that form."
"... and wittingly left a trail behind..."Do you think...?"

Reisen gives a helpless shrug. Obviously, she doesn't know. It's silly to even ask out loud. Still, why would anybody intentionally give the spell such a distinct form..."Blast it, the more answers you hear, the more questions they beget. Why can't anything be as simple as you would have liked it to be? Bloody magic, pissing you in the eye and having a jolly good laugh about it. What a cock.

"Damn it," you sigh. "All right, that's enough about this. Everything just just keeps getting better and better..."
"So what's next?" Reisen asks, genuinely interested.
"Modifying one's memory," you say. "Is it possible?"

Reisen takes a moment to consider the question, giving you an ample window to observe the movement of her clothes as she breathes in and out, absorbed in thoughts.

"It's possible, yes," she says after a while. "We've done it before, mainly on patients who have experienced heavy post-accidental trauma, or who were suffering severe phobias."
"Like murder attempt victims?" you ask.
"Yes, or people who have escaped fires. We don't do it magically, but through proper conditioning, it's very much possible to coerce them into thinking their past wasn't quite how they remember."

"Hypnosis."
"No, suggestion and auto-suggestion, sequently," Reisen rectifies. "First we forge sources claiming on the version of events we want them to believe, then talk them into considering their own may not be completely right, and next, let them sleep on the idea. Most of the time the brain will adjust its host's views to accommodate the change and eliminate the conflict."
"It does half the job for you, no effort given," you conclude. "What about magically modifying somebody's recollections of the past? Can it be done?"
"Hm," another pause for thinking. "Magic is flexible, but the complexity of it lays in the complexity of the mind that puts it to use. Quite obviously, it can't do something that can't be imagined by the mind that focuses it."

"Which means?"
"Which means the person attempting a memory change would first be required to possess complete knowledge of the memories he or she is trying to change. Otherwise, chances are the change will produce a discord in the mind of the target person, just like it's the case with our methods. However..."
"However?"
"... our suggestions aren't invasive in nature," Reisen sighs. "We leave it for the patient's brain to sort it all out or not, we never do it by force. Magic is a tenacious power - it invades reality and foists it against itself, and that may lead to serious repercussions."

"Like?"
"Well, in the case of modifying one's memory - mental trauma, or psychological disorders. In a severe case, the victim may even stop perceiving his surroundings as they are, and instead begin to see them as the spellbinding oppressor would have him see. That, or break down completely and become delirious as his brain is killing itself, torn between two conflicting sources of information."
"Hallucinations, in other words. Or outright insanity."
"I'm afraid so," Reisen confirms with a concerned nod.

This is bullshit. Just thinking about it makes your head ache. Why did you even ask? What's even worse, Keine has been knowingly doing it for the whole past year, and who's to tell she'd never done it prior to the accident that forced her to conceal her true identity? Such risk... and for what cause? Is it even worth the unsure results? What a crock of bollocks...

"... I see. You've been helpful, Reisen. Thank you."
"Think nothing of it." She bows slightly. "I won't inquire about your reasons for asking, but if it's as serious as your face is making it look, then I'll do what's in my strength to?"
"No," you cut in. "You've done enough. More than enough. You're the first one to be honest with me on this. You're a real friend. I like you, Reisen."
"Ah, that's not..."the nurse blushes slightly. "I?I mean, thank you, I'm doing my best..."

"Now," you shove the grim contemplations out of your head and force on a smile. "On a lighter note, I had received a message from somebody, but my hotheaded friend stole it away before I could make sense of it. There was a number on it, though. Does '223' ring a bell?"
?223...?" Reisen repeats. "... it sounds like a room number, but, hm..."she hums. "I'm afraid there's no room '223'," she shrugs. "We only have around a hundred numbered facilities, including guest rooms and living quarters. Unless..."

"Unless"..."
"Unless you mean 'Z23'... which is an old operating theater for public procedures and social study, but... we haven't used it for years. I'm not even sure if anybody still has the key to?" she jerks up, startled by a sudden beeping noise. "Oh dear! I'm sorry, it's my pager..."she pulls out a small, rectangular device from one of her pockets. "... they're calling for me. I'm sorry, but I have to go now. If there's anything else you'd like to talk about, I can come visit in the evening, when I'm off-duty, is that all right?"
"Oh," you manage that much. "... okay." Reisen prepares to leave the room, but you stop her at the door-step. "Reisen, one more quick question."
"Yes?"
"Is there somebody you like, you know, like ? like?"
She puts on a troubled smile.
"I'm sorry," she says, and probably meaning it. "There is."
"Oh." you mutter, unable to come up with anything else. "Oh..."
"I'm really sorry," the polite nurse gives a bow. "I'll see you in the evening, yes?"
"Er... yeah, I'll be, er... waiting..."

Then, she leaves you to stare out the window at the bright, blue sky, wondering if maybe somebody on another planet is looking back down at you, laughing his arse off at your misfortune. Bloody luck, never on your side!

"Fuck me!" you curse, throwing yourself onto the bed. "Fuck me! And fuck my life! And fuck this shit!"


No matter how loud you scream, however, nobody comes to fulfil your wish.


?


Having nothing better to do, you decide to set off to find 'Z23', and sure enough, in one of the top-floor corridors, you discover a massive, double-winged door bearing a faded plate with the desired number printed on in red font. Indifferent to what may be crouching in wait behind, you wrench the door open and slip inside.

Of course, the room is pitch-black dark, and of course, the door snaps shut behind you as soon as you enter. Why on earth wouldn't it? Hardly anything would surprise you now.
Feeling around for a light switch gives birth to nothing but nearly losing all of your teeth on a low-hanging shelf of sorts. You prepare to curse Lady Luck once again, but all of a sudden then, a single strobe of light flares up ahead, illuminating a lone figure standing in a dramatic pose in the centre of the theater, holding up a remote control concealed poorly behind a human skull.

"Behold! He cometh at last!" iterates the wanna-be actor, Kaguya, dancing around in an overblown manner. "It was my supposition you had ignored my letter, lost in the sweet pleasures of Mokou's body and mind," she lets the skull's empty eye-sockets stare at you accusingly. "Alas, it would seem she hath left your company. Did the two of you engage in a quarrel, perchance? Tell me all, traveller, and tell it true."

Kaguya steps back, presses a button on the remote, and another lamp is switched on right above you, casting a ring of light around your feet. Is she expecting you to follow the stupid play, or what?


[ ] "What the fuck."
[ ] Fine, indulge her.

==

Sorry for the delay, LotR: Conquest is too good a fun.

[X] "What the fuck."
- [X] "You know, it would have helped if I could actually understand what was written"

So Kaguya wrote the note. What does she want with us?

> Your paranoia sense has withered since the times of SDMLA, it seems. I will be taking that... into consideration.

uhoh.jrpg

>Your paranoia sense has withered since the times of SDMLA, it seems. I will be taking that... into consideration.
[x] "What the fuck."

[x] "Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down!"

[x] Fine, indulge her.

>Your paranoia sense has withered since the times of SDMLA, it seems. I will be taking that... into consideration.

That wasn't exactly a good thing you know, and your last fit of insanity done enough damage to it.

>>31210>>31211>>31213
In all honesty I was joking. Or was I?

Poor guy.

[x] Fine, indulge her.
Why not? Also, cut our writefag some slack. He's trying to change. No, he IS change. Change we can believe in!

[x] Fine, indulge her.

>>31216

True. Anyone can change.

[x] Fine, indulge her.

>>31209

In a YAF story...anything goes.

[X] Fine, indulge her.


Theatrics. In an operating theatre. How very clever of her. Shame the only sort of play you know how to perform in is the not-so-theatrical fore-play brand of play. Bloody hell, drag a man into an inconceivably stupefying situation and flood him with a load of faux-archaic words. This girl has one strange notion of having a high time, that she does... but then again, don't we all?

"Ahoy, ahem!" you clear your throat. That was way too high. One more time. ?AHOY THAR!? you bellow at the top of your lungs, feeling as if a cheese grater just slid down your throat. "It be a pleasure indeed to see ye again at last, ever so concerned!" you laugh hoarsely. "Yet you can cast yer worries abaft, me trusty heartie, for me lass hath changed her inclination none! Only gone athwart the wood-sea to recoup 'er duffle from the port is all. Bet she'll be back a'fore ya could utter 'shiver me timbers, me futtock shrouds be blazin' fire!' Savvy that, matey? Arrr!"

Kaguya stands there motionlessly for a couple of seconds, wide-mouthed.

"A?ah, true, that is most soothing to hear, indeed," she responds finally. "Most soothing, yes..."
"Avast, there be somethin' else I wants to ask thee," you press on, not giving her time to compose another sentence. "Tell me, heartie, what be a buxom beauty of thine sort doin' down in a bilge-hole such as this? This be no place for a lass of fortune such as theeself! Even the scurviest powder monkeys wouldn't dwell here if their lives were hangin' on the hempen jig! Indeed, they wouldn't! Yarrr!" you add for a better effect.

Once again, Kaguya is left standing frozen in her ring of spotlight, staring at you wide-eyed, evidently thrown off the tracks she must have put a lot of effort into putting out. Finally, she bends over and exhales a shocked gasp.

"Gosh?! How? How did you do that?"
"Been around, done this and that," you say back in your usual voice. It would take more than thirty years of humid ocean breeze to make it sound like that normally. Loads of rum, too, probably. "... did you like it?"
"That was amazing!" Kaguya is still out of breath. "God! There's no way I can keep up with that! No way in hell! My goodness!..."

Lights go out, and you hear a clatter of bone being placed on a tabletop, then a series of hurried steps circling around to your back. They stop at your six, and then the lights come back on again. Without turning, you know Kaguya is standing there, still hyperventilating over your dubious victory.

"I'm completely at a loss," she says. "This is the first time I've ever even heard somebody say 'scurvy'! Good heavens!..."
"An it please thee," you suggest, "mine vocabulary hath drained away with that little speech back 'ere. I's be no drivelswigger, I swear to thee. Yarrr."
"Oh, you catty bastard!"

Your vision blinks out to black one more time, and before you can move, Kaguya's arms climb over your shoulders, as she presses her chest against your back. Her unsteady breath brushes past your ear, carrying a strong smell of jellies and potato chips.
Never turn your back on the enemy, they said. Then again, they also said to always show off your best side when meeting strangers for the first or second time. Oh well, it's not like you're going to cry about it now anyhow, is that right? Quite so, that would have been out of character.

"Well, I've got you now, I'm afraid," Kaguya whispers as the lamps flare up above. Must she play with these so much? Her hands, you notice somewhat warily, are both resting on your belt, heedlessly fiddling around with the metal buckle while still holding on to the remote. "You may have out-talked me at range," the Princess continues, "but in m?l?e... your ass is mine, hearty."

True enough, there is little your arse can do at the moment to escape the touch of her thighs, very little. Shouldn't she be sort of a tad too short for this type of a manoeuvre? Unless she's mastered the art of standing on her tip-toes to near-perfection, that is. Have to say, if that is what she's doing, she's bloody well good at it.

"So," you smile to yourself. "What now?"
"Now, the interrogation session begins.."
"Interrogation??"

Click go the lights, black goes the sight. In the darkness, the sensation of her body being pressed to yours is reinforced at least fourfold, and her scent begins to have a dangerously acute effect on your thoughts. Whatever it is she's trying to do, she appears to be very confident in her skills. Not without a reason, either. Are those her breasts you're feeling? Bloody hell, just how soft are they?! Isn't this illegal in some places"...

"Speak to me," she ushers, squeezing stronger against your back. "Name. Age. Profession. Relationship with Mokou. Hobbies. Interests. Tell me all, tiger. I'm dying to hear it."


[ ] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on?"
[ ] "Ah, I see now. How sweet of you, Kaguya, to be worried about your friend so much. Never fear, if she so much as thought me to be incompatible, she would have burned me on the spot ?
[ ] "How about you get your hands off my crotch first? Is this how you approach your friends' lovers?"
[ ] "I'll tell you as soon as you're done undoing that buckle, and then... I'll make you scream it."
[ ] "Enough. Playtime is over, 'Princess'. Let me go."


==


>>31216
I. AM. CHANGE! Man, that sounds sort of bad-ass, you know? Imagine an epic conflict between Yukari and the humans of the village, where the latter have expressed their wish to advance their technology from the primitive state it has hitherto been in, trying to acquire some newer inventions from sources other than Yukari. Then Yukari comes around, all pissy because she doesn't want Gensokyo to progress, going all 'Change? You want change? I AM CHANGE!' and... er, getting a bit side-tracked here, aren't I. Another time, eh?

[x] "I'll tell you as soon as you're done undoing that buckle, and then... I'll make you scream it.."
Sexual implications. Ravish her.

[x] "I'll tell you as soon as you're done undoing that buckle, and then... I'll make you scream it."

I am so fucking hard for this right now.

[x] "Ah, I see now. How sweet of you, Kaguya, to be worried about your friend so much. Never fear, if she so much as thought me to be incompatible, she would have burned me on the spot ?

Eyes on the prize.

This update brings Pirates of Gensokyo to mind. And then I found a closet to cry in.

>Eyes on the prize.
>In the darkness, the sensation of her body being pressed to yours is reinforced at least fourfold, and her scent begins to have a dangerously acute effect on your thoughts.

But they are. Just play along and see how far she will go.
>?Now, the interrogation session begins.."
Just wait until it is our turn for interrogation.

> YAF's comment at the end.

FUND IT.

[x] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on?"

Good neutral comment that doesn't assume A) she really wants us B) She's really looking out for Mokou. If we assume the wrong thing, it'd end disastrously.

YAF is dying to write some smut. Why deny him?

[x] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on?"

The enemy of our "girlfriend" is acting flirty. Gee, I wonder whatever could be happening?

[x] "I'll tell you as soon as you're done undoing that buckle, and then... I'll make you scream it.."

Fuck it, lets go for it.

>>31227

Context, dude. Kaguya, enemy/vitriolic friend of Mokou is getting all up on us while knowing Mokou is already all agitated. I haven't smelled anything this fishy since I left the coast.

[x] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on??

Didn't Mokou just ask us to not go off and fuck someone not even 15 minutes ago? Because I'm pretty sure she did.

>>31232
Yes she did, and to be honest it's hard to tell if this Kaguya sees Mokou as bitter enemy or a friend, hence the neutral answer.

And I think Eirin, Reisen, and Kaguya are the only girls other than Keine and Akyu that haven't been affected by any mind-fuckery. We could use Kaguya's assistance in dealing with this.

But I wonder what happened to cause YAF to take such a strong Eientei bent.

> Your paranoia sense has withered since the times of SDMLA, it seems. I will be taking that... into consideration.

> Something that looks like an H-scene on the surface, but...

>>31230
Sometimes, free pussy is just free pussy.

>>31235

Wow, really? Are you trolling, or are you just that dense? Besides, to be completely honest? I'm kind of sick of random sex scenes. I'd just like to progress with the story please.

And besides, do you really find a character that betrays a friend's trust like that likable in the least?

[x] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on?"

Can't believe I forgot to vote earlier. Busy day.

Calling it. Update coming later in the evening (it being about 2PM now), I nearly boiled my brains out under the sun retrieving my exam results. Need a rest.
Until then.
Cheers,
R

>>31235
9/10 would rage again.
You got me there.

[x] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on??

This shit is garbage.

>>31239
This is YAF. Either you love it or hate it.

>>31232
And 15 minutes before that we kissed Reimu and told her we knew how she felt about us.

I find it funny how several women are after our heart, there's no route set, yet we're sticking to a half-assed promise by only one that nobody is quite sure about. What happens if/when we're set on a different route than Mokou? Are we still going to keep that promise? Are we going to deny all romantic tension until we're absolutely sure we're 100% chastely in love with that character?

That doesn't happen. When it does, the target ends up leaving us. But it's all well and good, because I know you're all going to forget about this little promise by tomorrow- nay, 15 more minutes from now, and let your dicks take you where the wind blows. When there's another scene with zero chance of there being any consequences.

Because deep inside, you know that false sense of morality you carry is the only thing that's keeping you from accepting you're on a site dedicated to bedding magical girls.

Toodles~

>>31241
As a wise yukkuri said: 'take it easy' You wasted quite a lot of time on something really simple.
The way I see it, he wants a Mokou or Reimu or any character that is not Kaguya route. You, on the other hand, don't care about routes so far, or are naive enough to believe in the possibility of a harem route or something like that. Maybe you just want a h-scene and ignore the fact that there's a board for that. See? Simple.

By the way, I don't really like this VN way of thinking, as I've said before, but I guess you can't just swim against the current and expect everyone to follow you.

>>31242
I just don't want a fire-slinging immortal or a powerful lunarian princess pissed off at us, that's why I voted against "easy H" scene.

And I don't really see a harem route happening; too many of the girls would be opposed or selfish. That and all the mindfucking going around.

[x] "Name: Shooter. Age: old enough. Profession: ex-operative. Currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement. Relationship with Mokou: ? questionable. Should I go on?"

Excellent, just like you may be dying if you let your libido take the lead with all the thoughts your mind doesn't want to hear. Kaguya... she's out of this world, isn't she? No - in all fairness, it's you who is, but at least you give your best to play the part proper, unlike some you could name. Bloody hell.

Sorry, Kaguya, you think. It's not like there's no charm in rubbing your assets on a male's back, it's just that this one is simply too worried about the well-being of his arse to submit to it.

"Codename: Shooter," you say. Nobody cares about your real name anyhow. "Profession: ex-operative, currently assigned as a Monster Hunter for the Human Settlement, third day on the post. Relationship with Mokou..."you make a short pause. "... questionable. Do I go on, or is this enough to satisfy your curiosity?"
"Ex-operative?" Kaguya takes interest in the least important part, surprisingly. Her hands quit meddling with your belt for a moment. "What kind of operations are we talking about?"
"Military."
"Elaborate?"
"Point Insertion Tactical Support," you recite out of memory. "Sharpshooter position. Team commander. Second lieutenant. Nothing of great importance."
"You were in the army?" she puts her chin on your shoulder. "That is amazing! Which unit?"
"Is it going to tell you anything?"
"No, but I want to hear the name!" she demands, strangely excited. "Come on! Which unit?"
"One-Seven-One, Her Majesty's Special Task Forces."

"Oh man, that's so cool!" Kaguya squeals with delight. "Are you for real? Why 'ex'?"
"They sacked me out of the army," you admit. "Stripped me of my rank and kicked me out."
"Ouch! What for?"
"Insubordination," you sigh. "Listen, do we really have to?"
"That's awesome!."

Lights flare up once more, nearly blinding your unprepared pupils while the princess slips off of your back and prances up to your front, beaming like a child who has just discovered his uncle has stashed his collection of Playboy Trading Cards in an old shoe-box in the garage.

"Awesome!" she chirps. "You're awesome! Man, I was so wrong about you! No, I was terribly wrong!" she gives you a brotherly?sisterly??jab in the side. "Man, I wish I'd found you first! You're super-cool! You deserve Mokou more than anyone! You have my blessings!"

Her blessings? So this all was just a show to determine whether you were deserving of being Mokou's partner? Scrap the strange notion of having a good time - first of all, this girl has an eccentric outlook of life itself to begin with.
What a tease.

"Er... thanks, I suppose..."you mutter. "... it's great to know my work is... appreciated..."Shame not the way you'd have liked it to be. You grind the heel of your left foot into the toes of your right to drive the bad thoughts away. No bedding the princess, Shooter. Or at least not at this moment. "... so, is that all? If it is, I'm, er..."

Kaguya taps her shoes on the floor feverishly.
"No, we're not done yet!" she yells. "Do you have a call-sign? Shooter is your call-sign, isn't it?" she takes a hold of your hands, baring her teeth in a childish grin. "Call me your Baseplate, Shooter!"
"Excuse me?"
"Call me your Baseplate!" Bloody hell, she is authentically shaking! "Come on, imagine you're on the radio, in the field, under enemy fire! Tell me you're changing position to a safer one! Say 'Oscar Mike'!"
"Er... all right... ahem... Baseplate, this Sierra?Zero?One,? you say in your best radio voice. ?We are Oscar Mike, shifting positions under heavy enemy fire, sector Charlie?Alpha?Niner, code white. Please advise, over...?

'Like this?' ? you want to ask, but Kaguya moves first, bounding away from you, clutching at her face, blushing one the most genuinely pink blushes you've seen in your entire life, chivvying around so nervously you begin to wonder whether you have just confessed your undying love to her on an accident.

"Eek! Oh man, oh man, oh man!..."she squeals to herself. "What should I do, what should I do"... I know!" she puts her palms together. "I know! I know what I'll do! Moko has bigger breasts, but she doesn't stand a chance when it comes down to pure sex-appeal! Hehe, I'll invite him to my room, and"..."
"Er, Princess"..."you try to cut in. "... Kaguya? I can hear all that, you know?"

Suddenly, the entrance door to the theater flies open, and somebody - nobody other than Master Eirin - storms inside, bearing an alarmed looked on her face and a long, plastic syringe in her hand.

"Princess?" she gasps, stopping a yard or so away from the two of you. "Princess, is everything all right?"
"Oh, Eirin!" Kaguya leaps up to the distressed doctor, still beaming like a little girl. "Yes, I'm all right, don't worry! We were wrong about him - about Shooter, you know? He's not a bad person - he's actually a really awesome person!"

Eirin gives you a regarding stare.
"... if Princess thinks so," she admits somewhat dubiously. "Does that mean my intervention is not required?"
"No, good heavens, no!" Now it's Kaguya that's gasping. "I was actually considering inviting him to my room! God, Eirin, put that thing away, you're scaring him!"
"Are you positive this is a good idea, Princess?" Eirin asks. "It is not my intention to intrude on your private affairs, but this man is still a patient of the clinic. Princesses shouldn't be mingling with the sick, it doesn't suit their royal status."

"Wait," you step in. "Does that mean you were going to jab a needle up my arse if I let her..."
Of course, they both completely ignore your greedy, egoistic concerns of self-preservation. Typical.

"It's all right, Eirin," Kaguya says. "Mokou told me he was a good man, and I see now that she was correct. There's no reason not to trust him! Come on, look how honest his face is!"
"Er, hello..."you fake a smile at Eirin.
"Honest..."drones the doctor. "Still, a man in Princess' room..."
"It's all right!" Kaguya huffs in irritation. "Geez, Eirin, you're so old-fashioned! Don't worry about me, I'll be okay! Oh, and if you'd be so kind to get somebody to bring us some tea, that would be lovely. Don't poison it! Oh, and also, and make sure they don't rush it too much. Rushed tea tastes worse than tap water."

"... if such is your wish," Eirin gives up grudgingly. "I will attend to the task immediately."
"Super, I love you, Eirin!" the Princess kisses the doctor on the cheek. "You're the best! Shooter, let's go!" she waves at you to follow. "We have so much to discuss! Oh man, I can't wait!..."


[ ] "Very well. Lead on."
[ ] "With all due respect, Princess, I must decline."
--[ ] "My equipment needs oiling, you see. Of course, you are welcome to come and watch, if you would like."
--[ ] "Master Eirin, it is good that you are here. There is something we ought to talk about, I believe."
[ ] Princess's wish or not, you're getting the hell out of here, ASAP.


==


Slightly edited. Still, like I said, I may have fried a wire in my noggin somewhere, so if the quality is off, let me know, so I can work on it.
Cheers,
The Yian Kut-Ku Fag

[x] "With all due respect, Princess, I must decline."
--[x] "Master Eirin, it is good that you are here. There is something we ought to talk about, I believe.."
I don't like that Kaguya.

[x] "Very well. Lead on."

Told you it was a trap. "Oh no it's just free pussy you're a moralfag EMBRACE WHAT YOU TRULY ARE!" Idiot.

>>31246

I think she's pretty cute, myself.

[x] "Very well. Lead on."

>>31242
A harem in this story would be like putting a chicken in a den of starving foxes.

No, I'm "naive" enough to believe one has every right to sleep around when he's not in a relationship. Mokou says not to? Too bad, she's not our girlfriend. We haven't chosen yet, so fuck her. Why should we be careful not to hurt her feelings? They'll get hurt anyway if we're in love with someone else. That's life. No amount of fireballs or snazzy magical pants is going to guarantee your happiness when it comes to relationships.

But you're right. I've never really cared about easy-modo routes that were a single vote away from lock. May as well make it a fuck-fest and get on with the actually interesting parts of the story.

>>31248
You should know better than to let the outcome of the update affect your ego from winning an argument. If you base all you decisions on suspicion, you'll end up hurting yourself come the day you're wrong.

>>31245
>The Yian Kut-Ku Fag
I killed you last night. I killed you over, and over, and over again. I cut you apart into little pieces, then I mounted your head on a stick and smacked your brother with it.

It felt good.

>>31246
Eh who knows... she's not that bad so far.

>>31248
It's nice to see this paying off nicely.

[x] "Very well. Lead on."

Hey we could use an ally like Kaguya.

[x] "Very well. Lead on."

Good show.

Its not that it was our suspicion being "lucky" this time. It was just such and incredibly, blindingly obvious trap that I still can't believe people were about to fall for it.

That said, I like this Kaguya. But I'm not going to be voting for any "routes" for quite a while. Free sex scenes are just plain distracting, man.

[x] "Very well. Lead on."

>>31250

How about actually being able to read the mood instead of thinking with my dick? A woman with what we mainly saw as an antagonistic relationship with a woman we are close to was grinding against us after only knowing her a very short time. Come on.

I'm not advocating staying chaste for a single woman who isn't even our girlfriend, I'm advocating looking at the situation before charging dick first at any female that shows the slightest bit of interest.

>>31254
I read the mood quite well.

Kaguya still had an effect on Mokou, yes. At that point what I saw was the girls restraining themselves from clawing at each other for our sake, and because this is a clinic. The moment Mokou left I expected Kaguya to drop the act and try to "steal" us away from her. Lo and behold, a note, a secret meeting in a dark room, and a nice back rub. A trap indeed, but for what was a surprise.

But why care? Why not think with our dick if she was just trying to lure us away? That's how it usually goes with those two. Really, were that the case, they'd have just fought it out like they do everything else. It wouldn't have ended in our doom, but it at least would have made the routes a bit more challenging.

Now I know they're friends, and this portrayal of Kaguya is actually pretty nice. But we're still not Mokou's property, so... DICKWARD, HO!

>>31250
Well, 1 for 3. At least I was right...somewhat

>>31253
We were lucky... to win the vote. The trap was somewhat obvious, yes, but it wasn't such an important choice.

[x]"That's a 10-10 officer, we have a code 6 suspect and I need 10-35 ASAP"
I can't military.

>>31256

The risk really didn't look worth the reward in all of this mess. Had Kaguya been the bitchy prom queen type there was the possibility of porn, yes, but we'd also alienate a good friend of ours that's also close to the one responsible for all of this. Like you said, if we go for someone else Mokou will be hurt and likely angry. However, and I know this sounds crazy, there are better ways of saying "I'm just not that into you" than trying to bone Kaguya.

Also, this is YAF we're talking about. A little caution tends to help in his post TS stories.

>>31258

What do you mean "Post TS"?

Do you remember some of the bad ends we got in TS? We got bad ended for going in directions for gods sake. With no warning in the least, at that.

>>31259
YAF was definitely one to make things a bad end minefield, a sure fire sign of railroading and lack of skill. I doubt he'd do that now.

>>31258
Without knowing what was on Kaguya's mind, trying to 'go for the gold' could have had nasty fallout one way or another.

If Kaguya wanted to screw Mokou over- Sure we'd have gotten laid, but we'd end up with a sad or mad Mokou for starters.

If Kaguyas was looking out for Mokou (the actual case)- Well... we'd first have to deal with an angry princess then Mokou.

But you're right, if we decide on a girl that's not Mokou, there's far better ways of breaking it than fucking her arch-nemesis.

Feeling better today, my head no longer hurts, and things have stopped all smelling like cognac-flavoured ice-cream. That's a good sign, I suppose. Still, I've a couple of things to do first today; so as always, update will be coming later in the evening. Hopefully I won't have as much difficulty constructing sentences as I did yesterday, with the previous update. Honestly, the words just kept slipping out of my head and refused to stick together. Then again, nobody is complaining, so I reckon it wasn't as bad as I'd thought.

My eight words on the topic of railroading: no railroading in this story. Already I have said every choice is a viable option, and Your progress depends solely on the paths You take, not on some arbitrary vision of mine as to how the story ought to unfold.

History is written by Keine the readers.

Cheers,
For-Every-Kut-Ku-That-Falls-Ten-More-Shall-Take-His-Place Fag

>>31262
'Your version of this story is out of date. Please log in to www.touhou-project.com for an ******'

>>31262

You know, because of your constant Kut-ku references, I now have this image in my head of Guile from Street Fighter throwing a sonic boom at a Kut-Ku.

[X] "Very well. Lead on."


Can't wait, yes? Neither can you, in fact; although in interest of your own integrity, you forsake the notion of giving the fact a voice. Keine's distrust towards Master Eirin and her way-ward Princess seems somewhat more profoundly engraved now, somehow.

Keine. What is she doing now, you wonder? It feels like days since you last had the chance to see her face or feel the touch of her hands, smell the scent of her hair or hear her voice, happily uttering your name... Where is she now? Is she thinking of you? What would she say of your mindless falling into Kaguya's trap?

No, that's beside the point. Sure, her fear of Eirin is understandable, but regarding the Princess, you're willing to take the risk in order to form an opinion of your own.

"Very well," you say, "but before that... Master Eirin," you shift your eyes to the doctor. "It slipped my mind to say this earlier, so before I forget again, Hieda sends her regards..."
"Hieda?" Eirin asks flatly. "Which of them?"
"Akyu, their daughter. Apparently she holds you in high respect."

Or at least higher than her beloved teacher, that is.
Eirin inclines her head in acknowledgement of the message.
"I see," she says. "Be sure to return the favour when you get back to the Settlement."
"Of course," you give a nod. "Also, my own?"
"Oh, cut the chatter!"

Kaguya chimes in and marches up to you in a quick step. She seizes a hold of one of your ears and forcefully drags you out into the hell, past the stoic Eirin, who only clocks the act with cool disinterest.
"There'll be plenty of time for kissing up to others later!" she chides as she begins to descend the stairs with you in toll. "If you want to kiss up to Eirin, you've got to kiss up to me first! Understand?"
"Yes, blast it, yes," you groan. "Of course, ouch, if such is your will?"
"Good boy!" Kaguya sets your ear free and gives you a smile before going on ahead and hurrying down the flight.

Obviously, with the threat of the witch-doctor still at your six, you have no choice but to follow closely the Princess' swaying hips, even if the sight is not that great to behold. While the nurses were obviously outfitted to attract the male eye, Eirin took excellent care to make sure nobody would as much as think of desecrating her precious, little Princess.
Bugger. What was that about tailing a girl who cares for her countours being a pleasure in itself?


?


In below fifty shakes of a royal butt, you find yourself in Kaguya's moodily-lit room, narrow and cluttered, its walls papered with imagery of?oh, horror?handsome, well-equipped army-men, tensing their trigger-fingers, biceps and war-faces at the poor on-lookers, evidently undisturbed by all the gun-firing, building-burning and tank-exploding going on behind their backs.

Much as you would love to admire the great art-work, however, you're not given any time before Kaguya shoves you onto her bed, and immediately pins you to the mattress with almost cat-like agility. Taken by surprise, you can only watch as the Princess combs a wisp of unruly hair behind her ear, baring her teeth at you in a rather un-aristocratic, but certainly royally satisfied grin. Talk about cutting straight to the chase, bloody hell. Whatever happened to foreplay?

"So, now that we're alone..."she utters. "... you can tell me all about yourself. I want to hear it all, Shooter. Tell me everything."
"Everything?" you repeat. "What is this, a shrift?"
"Precisely. A shrift. That's a good word."
"Why am I being shrived, again?"
Kaguya gives a short giggle.
"As Mokou's best friend, it's my obligation to know everything about her boyfriend. More than she does herself, even. That's what friends are for, isn't it?"

How exactly does that relate to what she was mumbling to herself back in the operating theater? Moments after you two had nearly started making out? Or for that matter, to her holding you down on own bleeding bed at this very moment? Either the Princess is bullshitting, or you're bullshitting yourself into thinking she's bullshitting you. Which is it, damn it?

Of course, you don't ask any of those questions. No, that would have been an asinine thing to do.
"What do you want to know?" you ask instead.
Kaguya leans forward to breathe hot air at your neck.
"For starters," she whispers, "how about you tell me of your adventures in the army? Why did you enroll?"
Yes, because the most important thing to know about your best friend's partner is why he chose professional murder as his field of work. You can sort of see where she's coming from.
"No reason," you tell her. "It just seemed like something I might be able to do well."
"Not war? Not vengeance? You took up a gun because it seemed like a good job?"
"More or less."

Kaguya continues to hover over you for a few more seconds, then slowly slithers off your body, and takes a seat cross-legged at your side, looking somewhat disappointed.
"... man, what a let-down," she remarks. "I kind of hoped you'd turn out to be a crazy, gun-toting assassin, or a religious maniac going on a holy crusade across the land. How boring."
"Wait a moment," you say, sitting up yourself. "You would have a crazy, gun-toting assassin smooching your best friend? That's not too kind of you, Princess."
"Oh, please," Kaguya gives a sarcastic snort. "Mokou is a crazy, gun-toting assassin herself, only she doesn't need guns to do people in. Surely you've noticed that already, if you really are her boyfriend. Have you? I'm sure you have. However, we're not here to talk about her, are we?" Her voice takes on a seductive note once again as she draws closer on all-fours. "We're here to talk about you... and me, maybe. Would you like to talk about me, tiger? I'm sure there are many questions you'd love me to answer. Come on, don't be shy. Ask to your heart's?" Her words are cut short by a sudden tune coming out of the TV set by one of the poster-filled walls. "... damn it, just when we were getting to the best part. Sorry, I've got to get that."

Kaguya rolls off the bed and crawls to the collection of video game consoles on the floor. She turns the TV on, and the screen flares up, revealing a menu with an icon of a ringing phone pulsating furiously in the corner. The Princess conjures up a headset from the mess of wires and picks up the call.

"Yeah, I'm here," she says, and you can hear a tart response coming from the other side. "Yeah, sorry about that, I'm having an, er... a guest, yeah." Another reply, this time in a more mocking tone. "No, you idiot, he's not"... no, I can play. Give me a minute." She turns to you. "Sorry tiger, I forgot I had a match coming up today. I'd let you play, but it's the quarter-finals, so..."
"No, it's all right," you say. "I'm not that hot on video games anyhow."
"You can still watch. Oh, and see those chips over there?" she nods sideways at the snack-filled table. "If you'd be so kind to take a couple and put them in my mouth from time to time, that'd be awesome."

There's a muffled laugh coming from her headphones.
"So I've been degraded to a manservant now?" you ask.
"Not degraded," she corrects. "Elevated. All right, sorry, guys. I'm ready now. Shooter, could you put the lights off? Thanks."

Sighing, you go tap the light switch at the door, then return to Kaguya's bed. In all honesty, what better is there to do? Mokou is out terrorising people, Reisen is busy with her nursery work, and Eirin... well, Eirin is Eirin, enough said. Might as well watch the game.

Soon enough, the match starts, and quite obviously, the screen shows a scene so dreadfully familiar you begin to wonder why you haven't thought of it earlier.

As Kaguya and her mates begin settling their differences with the other team through a heated, unpardoning shoot-out, you lean your back against the wall and let your eyes rest.


Lulled by the darkness, sounds of suppressed gunshots, as well as Kaguya's own voice barking commands and reports every few seconds, you can feel yourself gradually drifting away into daddy Morpheus' warm embrace. Slowly, the fatigue of the day overtakes your senses.


Sleep comes sooner than the Princess can curse her first in-game death.

***

It's this dream again.

Sea. Azure-blue, crystal-clear body of water, as far as the eye can see. Pristine beach, composed of golden sand, glistening in the sunlight, spotted with green rocks and pink mussel-shells. Steady humming of waves climbing up the coast, croaking of mews overhead, a song of aquatic nature, sound of a childhood long forgotten...

? and among it all...

"Keine..."

? the beautiful teacher, paddling happily in the shallows at the shore like a child, attired in but a skimpy?yet tasteful?blue swimsuit that reveals her beautiful, fair skin for the world to admire. Entranced by her features, you can only gaze dreamily as she lets the waves sweep by her long, slender legs, making her giggle with every time, as if just that was a wish come true.

??!" she calls your name, laughing. ??! Come, play with me!"

Of course, I'm coming! you would say, but no words come out. You stands up and joins at Keine's side, but you are left behind, unable to move, chained to the spot. You gives a pat on the back, and the two walk deeper into the sea, to splash the water at each other's faces. So happy... They look so happy, but you know better than to believe the fa?ade of joy.

"Keine...!"

Then it happens, as always. At some moment in the play, You, still smiling boyishly, grasps Keine by the shoulders. Shocked, the teacher can only stare at his face, unsure what to do, blushing inadequately to her age, like a high-school student on a date.

Sky goes darker, shrouded by a sudden inflow of dark-grey clouds.

"Keine!..."
?Keine...?"

You can't move, fettered, caught in invisible vices, sharp pain sewing your chest through again and again, making it hard to breathe. Keine shuts her eyes as You leans closer, pretending he wants to kiss her...

"Keine!..."
?Keine again...?

Suddenly, with a force so brutal the teacher can't resist, You forces Keine's body underwater, grasping tightly at her neck and shoulders, grinning and laughing devilishly. Keine struggles, but her strength is nothing compared to his, and she can only flail her arms in panic as bubbles of air come rushing to the water's surface, slowly draining her empty of life-giving oxygen...

"Keine! KEINE!..."

? and you, completely helpless, can only watch her drown...


? and curse, curse from the bottom of your heart the kid watching it all from the nearby cliff...


? watching, watching...


? jotting down a note...


? watching...


? smiling...



? as Kamishirasawa Keine dies.



***

??Keine!"

You come awake with a start, stifled by your own scream, gasping for precious air as if you were the one that was about to drown moments ago, coughing up sea-water that's not there, thrashing your arms in vain effort of swimming up to the surface that doesn't exist.
Kaguya observes you carefully, merely an arm's reach away, sitting upon your outstretched legs, squeezing your knees together with her own.

"Just whose boyfriend are you?" she asks, smiling insincerely.
"Princess?" you heave. "Keine?"
"Now, now," she hushes. "It's over now. Princess Kaguya is here. Do you want a hug to calm you down?"
"Where? Where is Keine?"
"Keine is in the village, I believe, far away from here," she says. "What's with your obsession with her? I couldn't play because you kept calling out her name."

Couldn't play... yes, now that you look around, you're still in her room, and it's still dark, with only the dimmed TV screen casting bleak light at the Princess's features.
Were you really talking in your sleep again? Wasn't it supposed to have passed weeks ago? Why, for the love of... This is exactly what earned you that stupid nickname in the barracks. Why again..."
"Blast it..."you groan, rubbing your fingers against your eyelids.
They're wet. Of course, why not go all the way and cry in your sleep? Bloody dreams...

"I don't mean to be rude," Kaguya says, "but it doesn't suit a soldier to tear up because of a nightmare. Man, if Mokou heard of this, she would have a field day?"
"Shut up," you snap.
"Oh, come on. Don't be timid now?"
"Shut up!" you yell. Startled, Kaguya abides by your order, frozen in place. "What time is it?"
"About..."the Princess casts a scan around, looking for a clock. "... about seven in the evening," she says. "So, what was that nightmare? Do you often?"
"SHUT UP."
"Ah?" she chokes. "Y?yes, I'm sorry... They're, um... they're meting out supper down in the canteen right now, so if you're hungry, we can go, and... grab... some..."her voice trails off.

Excellent, now not only did you wake up in a foul mood, but also scared the Princess into one through your selfish yelling. Good going, boffin. Good fucking going. What now, you're going to shove her off and rush to throw yourself off the roof? Wishful fucking thinking. What the hell is wrong with you?

"What the hell is wrong with me"..."you mutter, pressing at your temples. "Damn it, damn it, damn it... Kaguya, I'm sorry," you throw a glance at the Princess. "I didn't mean to"... I mean... blast, I'm sorry."
Kaguya gives you a mixed look.
"... no, don't mind it," she says. "I should have known better than to mock you after you've woken up from a nightmare. Mokou nearly killed me once when I did it to her. You two are so alike in some aspects."
"Are we?" you force a weak smile. "Do you flirt with her so much as you've been with me?"
Kaguya gives you a smile.
"No, not as much. Not any more," she lets the statement hang, then sighs after a moment. "... so, say, how about we go grab some grub and cool off a little? We were losing the match anyway, and I'm not really in the right frame of mind to play, to be honest..."


[ ] No, stay here with Kaguya.
--[ ] Talk with her about Keine. Is she aware of the situation in the village?
--[ ] Talk with her about Mokou. That seems to be a good subject. How the two of you met, for instance.
[ ] Yes, that may be a good idea...
--[ ] ? but you're going to your room. Mokou will be back any time now, if she isn't already.
--[ ] ? supper sounds nice as well. Maybe Reisen will be there, too.

==

Thus ends my short hiatus. Sorry for no heads-up, but I wasn't even sure myself if I would be writing or not.
Hopefully the next couple of updates will make up for the wait.

Caw~ I mean cheers,
The Yian Kut-Ku Fag

[x] No, stay here with Kaguya.
--[x] Talk with her about Keine. Is she aware of the situation in the village?

> ? and you, completely helpless, can only watch her drown...
> ? and curse, curse from the bottom of your heart the kid watching it all from the nearby cliff...
> ? watching, watching...
> ? jotting down a note...
> ? watching...
> ? smiling...
> ? as Kamishirasawa Keine dies.

Just as planned?

>>31282
I hadn't planned on that.

[x] No, stay here with Kaguya.
--[x] Talk with her about Keine. Is she aware of the situation in the village?
--[x] Talk with her about Mokou. That seems to be a good subject. How the two of you met, for instance.

Mutli voting.

[x] No, stay here with Kaguya.
--[x] Talk with her about Keine. Is she aware of the situation in the village?

It's like some kind of heretical blend of NEET Kaguya and ditz Kaguya. I think I would have to call the Inquisitor if it wasn't so damn right.

>>31285
So wait, is there a problem?

Anyhow, as we still haven't broken the fourth vote, I'm letting this rest until tomorrow. In the meantime, you may want to check out the Fukuzai short I posted in http://www.touhou-project.com/others/res/28505.html that I wrote out of boredom.

Cheers,
That One Guy

>So wait, is there a problem?

no

Apparently everyone on THP goes camping on the fourth of July.

You are still here? What happened to that three weeks limit?

>>31288
I meant with my Kaguya.
>>31289
Me sucking hard at career macromanagement. Tycoons have never been my forte. If you want me to GTFO, just say so.

>>31292

>I meant with my Kaguya.

I just haven't seen them put together like that is all. Good work, chap.

>If you want me to GTFO, just say so.

No. Fuck that guy.

Still waiting for people to stop letting off illegal explosions in the backyards.

>>31292
So far I see no major problems, she's rather NEETy, but has some niceness. Still has a ways to go before she matches up to Serial ATA's Kaguya though.

What caused your massive Eientei kick though? You were best known for being a massive /shrine/ writer; just curious.

>>31294
Kick? No, it's not a kick, really, not at all; I hardly even like the Eientei crew. It was Your decision to take the turn that led us here, and what I'm doing is keeping the story and character interaction entertaining for both me and You. That's all there is to it, honestly.

This story is here in /shrine/ only because of the whole 'lol YAF thread sage sage troll get out shit writer troll troll lol' bullshit, and because I'm sick and tired of it, not because I wanted a Reimu 'route' or anything - I'm way past the 'NO REIMU = NO WRITE' stage, and the original concept involving the Red-White wasn't all that interesting anyhow.

>>31298
>capitalizing "you" for the fifteen-hundredth time
It may just be me, but this is really starting to get fucking annoying.

>31299
No offense, but I'm pretty sure it's just you.
[x] Yes, that may be a good idea...
--[x] ? supper sounds nice as well. Maybe Mokou

will be there, too.

[x] Yes, that may be a good idea...
--[x] ? supper sounds nice as well. Maybe Mokou will be there, too.
Write-in ahoy!

[x] No, stay here with Kaguya.
--[x] Talk with her about Keine. Is she aware of the situation in the village?


Between washing the bitter after-taste from your mouth with shoddy hospital rations or letting the Princess's bodily warmth fill the null void in your mood, the choice doesn't seem all too difficult, admittedly. Is there even any choice to be made?
Do svidaniya, overcooked frankfurters with stale bread and weeks-old ketchup. Welcome, fresh and crisp skin of royal thighs. How could you even consider for a second exchanging them for something else?

"No, I'm..."you sigh moonily. "I'm not hungry, not really. What about you?"
"Nope, me neither," Kaguya shifts a bit on your lap. "So how about we talk for a little while? I can see it in your eyes you've got something on your mind."
"Yes, that's what I was thinking." Among other things, you add inwardly. "Also, I'm, er... Sorry for yelling at you. It's just that dream, I've had it so many times, but it still?"
"Don't mind it." Kaguya leans forward and folds her arms around your shoulders, smirking just a bit warily. "Princess Kaguya forgives. Now, pour yourself on me. What's biting you?"

Not her, that's for sure, although you're fairly certain she's not that far from it. Thankfully Mokou has hardened your resistance to this sort of flirting, somewhat. Otherwise, you'd probably have been royally screwed by now.

"If I may ask first," you hold back a snicker of your own. "Is it simply me being a special case, or is it a custom in Princess's house to tend to her visitors in such... personal manner?"

Kaguya gives an honest laugh, at the same time sliding closer along your legs. Very close?so close any closer would probably balance on the verge of just being kinky.

"Other than your cool background and awesome accent?" she asks, still giggling.
"Don't forget the handsome looks."
"Oh yes, there's also that, isn't there?" she awards you with a feel of her front, flashing her snow-white teeth in a catty grin. "Maybe, tiger, maybe it's that. Maybe it's just thinking that you've touched my Moko in dirty ways that drives me round the twist. What do you think?"
"I think Your Highness is flattering me."

Laughing again, Kaguya kisses you on the cheek.

"Well observed, Shooter. You really are one of a kind."
"And you aren't really acting like a Princess."
"I'll let the insult slip," smiles Kaguya. "Now, do you think you could muster enough courage to tell me why you were calling for Keine in your sleep, and not for Mokou? It makes me very curious."
"That's actually exactly what I wanted to talk about," you assume a more urgent tone. "This is serious, Princess. Or at least I'm very serious about it."
"I'm listening," she says. "Spill it all on me."

So you do.


?



"Oh, that back-biting cow!" Kaguya huffs after you've finished summarising to her the events of the past few days. "She hasn't changed a single bit, has she! Oh, this makes me so angry!"
It does you as well, but you suppose the Princess already more than knows about it.
"Has anything like this happened before?" you ask.
"Oh, what do you think? Of course it has! That cowardly udder-rack! If only Eirin knew about this!..."
"Wait, hold up," you chime in. "So what was it that made you all so nervy about Keine?"
"Nobody told you either?" Kaguya blinks at you. "I can't believe it! Oh, if that cow was here, I'd strangle her with my own bear hands!..."
"Uh, I wouldn't like that, I feel..."Definitely not. "... but I still don't know what's going on."
"Did you think you were the first one to fall for her, tiger?" the Princess snorts. "Hardly! Keine is a sneaky weasel. If you see her one day walking out of her bedroom in underwear that happens to be the same grey as the cloud passing overhead, you can be sure either she or the cloud is up to something, or more likely they're in cahoots to ruin somebody's day!" she grinds her teeth so hard you can almost hear the ugly screeching. "What a load of...! Even if it still hasn't been a year after the last time!..."
"I keep hearing about one year ago," you say. "What in the blazes happened back then to have everybody mention it so often?"

Kaguya lets out a half-sigh, half-snigger.
"Sorry to break your heart, tiger," she confesses, her eyes closed, "but exactly one year ago, our beautiful Keine fell in love for the first time. Gave us all a hell of a time because of it, too."

It would be a lie to say your chest didn't throb painfully at the revelation.
"... a hell of a time?" you drawl out. "... and how"... how exactly?"
"One were-cow was troublesome enough," says the Princess, "but Keine gave us another one to cope with, you see, that sentimental baby-girl. Then we all had to clean up after her."
"Were-cow?"

Kaguya stares at you, her mouth suddenly agape.
"Don't tell me... she hasn't told you about that, either?"
"N?no..."It looks like there's even more things you don't know than you'd have guessed. "Should she?"
"Oh no, of course not, it's not like it's any important!" Kaguya's voice drips sarcasm. "Oh hey, we both know we're attracted to each other, but I don't think you need to know I'm not actually the pretty teacher you think me to be, but in fact a shape-shifting, mind-screwing half-monster!" she lifts her hands from your shoulders to ruffle her hair in frustration. "Argh! Why hasn't Mokou told me about this?!"

Maybe because Mokou has had her memories tampered with as well, and may well be absolutely unaware of what's going on with you and Keine. Not that anybody is - not even you, even though you're supposed to be playing a central part in this perverted play. Keine has had a lover before, turns out, and something went horribly wrong, according to what Akyu and Kaguya say, that much you can understand. Mokou has never uttered a word regarding this, for obvious reasons, and while Kaguya may have been too far away for Keine to access... why does Akyu still possess memories of it..."

No, more importantly, why did it seem as if she wasn't quite willing to go with Keine's version of history, despite apparently cooperating with her? Why was Brennan talking as if he was aware of Keine's true abilities, while people of the Village were supposed to abhor anything that's even partly non-human? Why did Akyu seem so hostile towards the old man? Who was talking with Keine downstairs this morning? If it was Brennan, why did he sound so different? Where does Reimu fit in all this?

What sort of a sick game is this, where everybody fights to manipulate the same pawn?
If this is all an elaborate conspiracy, why does it look like the snake is secretly trying to swallow its own tail?

Unfortunately, before you're able to come up with a satisfying answer, or even a less satisfying excuse, Kaguya swathes herself around you again, stealing your thoughts away.

"P?Princess?"
"I've got an idea," she says. "If Keine and that... Brennan both think it's imperative to keep you in check, we'll make it harder for them. I'll let you and Mokou stay here for some time, until things boil down a bit, then we'll see what happens. Let nobody say Princess Kaguya doesn't care for her friends."
"What about Master Eirin?" you ask. "What if she doesn't agree?"

Kaguya giggles into your ear.

"Eirin won't get in our way, tiger, don't you worry about that. She hardly knows about half the things going on here, and I like to keep it that way. I'm the princess here, not she."
"Half the things..."you repeat. "... such as what it is that you do to your guests in your bedroom, I presume?"
"Precisely," Kaguya agrees, climbing up to meet you at eye-level. "So if you feel the need to assay just how safe it is, now would be an excellent?"


Time.


Time seems to stop when the door to Kaguya's room flies open, nearly breaking off of its hinges, and a furiously flushing Mokou strides in, crushing spent snack bags and discarded wrappers under her feet.

?KA?GU?YA...!? she howls, flames flickering in and out around her. ?WHAT'dO?YOU?THINK?YOU'RE'dOING?!?

Immediately, you throw your arms up in a surrendering gesture. 'My hands are here!' you want to yelp, but your throat denies you the dubious privilege. That's it - you're going to die here, Shooter. This is the end of your short career. Bother Keine, bother Akyu - right now you may as well stick a grenade in your knickers and hope for it to be enough to off you on the spot.

Kaguya rips away from you, angrily clicking her tongue.
"Oh, come on. Not again! What is it with you people, always?oh? Moko, is that...?"

With the same sort of swift movement she trapped you with earlier, Kaguya leaps off the bed, and embraces her madly blushing friend from behind, before she can put up any defences.

"Ah?!"
"Moko~? the Princess chirps happily. "This is so sweet~! Where did you find it~? Oh, I just want to eat you right now~!"
"Hands off, you?!" Mokou struggles with Kaguya, shooting you a flustered, but nonetheless sharp-edged glance. "Tiger! Cover your eyes! Now!"

On a reflex, you abide by Mokou's command, and slap a palm against your face. Too late, however - way too late not to notice the drastic change in her attire. In place of the usual boyish slacks, there was a pair of smooth, slender legs, covered by only a pair of cute, white socks on the bottom, and a short-cut, barely knee-long, blood-red skirt on the top. It would take a session with Keine to remove the image from your mind, you feel. No, more like a dozen of them. Bloody hell, since when did Mokou have such fetching legs"...

? and the Princess's hands were last seen skimming along them, slowly nearing the forbidden area hidden under the crimson fabric...

"Kaguya!" Mokou's voice threatens. "Touch me down there, and you're dead meat!"
"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Moko~? twitters the Princess. "Aren't you here to join our fun~? Come on, let's do get along, now~"
"I'm not here to join your bloody 'fun'!" yells Mokou. "Tiger! Get up! Back to your room! This instant! Kaguya! One more inch, and I'm burning your face off! Tiger! What are you waiting for?! Giddy up! Come on?ah?!" she squeals abruptly.


[ ] "... but I like it here..."
[ ] "... yes, mum..."

==

Booooooored.

[x] "... but I like it here..."

Bored? Well, I'm anything but. That was some update you wrote there. Some plot plus information for the clueless MC plus a mini skirt. Frikkin' LEGS man.

[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.

[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.

[x] "... But I like it here ..."

[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.
Suicidal? Yes. So?

>Royally screwed
Heh

[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.

I don't care if this kills us. It has to be done.

[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.

We are not whipped. Yet.

>>31310
I figured this would break the flow of the conservation and allow us to reestablish control.

Who knows, it might get us some Mokou points at that.

>>31307
'Bored' as in 'bored of waiting, screw best-of-seven, I'm writing an update'. Thanks for the quick voting on this one, by the way, but I really can't write again today - way too tired. Uh, what else... oh, yes, >>31313 is right. It's rather helpful if an intention is stated along with a write-in.
Might make a new thread with the next piece, been wanting a new OP pic. Hope nobody finds it in any way offensive.

You suck ass, YAF. Go die in a fire already.

>>31316


[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.

>>31316

Just give it up already. He's changed for the better. If you can't accept that, then go jump in the lake.

>>31316
He seemed to have changed for the better. Give him a chance.

>>31319

Speaking of which, where did he go?

>If you want me to GTFO, just say so.

Well, I would like for you to GTFO.

>>31318
>>31319
>>31320

When I remember all the past shit YAF has attemped before, I do have to doubt of your...existance as individuals. YAF has samefag'ed a lot before to 'defend' himself and pretend to have supporters, why wouldn't he do it now?

>>31322
No, sir. YOU are the YAF.

Self-depreciating bastard. Or maybe not. Maybe you're a self-important bastard who wants to see just how many people will come to defend your sorry ass.

>>31318
You're the YAF!
>>31319
And you're the YAF!
>>31320
And you're the YAF!

AND I'M THE YAF! AND THEY'RE ALL YAFS!

BUT WE'VE GOT THE BIGGEST YAFS OF THEM ALL!

>>31315
And you! You're not the YAF. You're just a sad little Kut-Ku. Go /wing and cry wyvern tears while listening to Linkin Park!

>>31322

As someone who is most certainly NOT YAF, I can say that you're just being a faggot. His writing, while certainly not good, in my opinion, is nowhere near the level of sheer terribad as wiseman, and is solid enough so that there really isn't a reason to tell him to get the fuck out. Much more importantly, however, he's not shitting up other writers threads.

By all means, if he steps out of line again, run him off of the god damned site. But he hasn't stepped out of line. Leave it be until he does.

Meanwhile at /shrine/

Let me reiterate.

I requested several times that you do NOT respond to shitty trolls in the thread, and I even told you why I found that undesirable. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good troll as much as the other bloke, but 'HURR XXX SUX GTFO' is not, by any means, good -it's not even decent. It's shit.

Hear that, >>31316 >>31322 >>31324? Put some effort into it, and I will even support you then, if you manage to come up with something entertaining. 'While certainly not good' is subtle, but rather stale and overused; 'existance' is plain out of line, somewhere in the 'your/you're' league; 'why wouldn't he do it now' is just clutching at straws and being blatantly stupid on purpose; and I'm not even going to comment on 'you suck ass'. No, sir, YOU suck arse at trolling, that's what's going on here. Get out and come back when you've learned not to look like a total nonce when trying to piss people off.
Take a tip from HY. His troll-fu is blooming heavenly-grade.

Peace out,
Ca-ca-ca-ca-caw KRRRRAdamn it I need to stop doing this...

Oh, and before you ask - yes, I mad. Furiously mad, because back in my day, trolling MEANT something.
Which means that if you're purposefully making those trolls shitty, unholy fucker of mothers, good game. Good fucking game. Fucking A, I swear.

>>31328
I don't think that >>31324 is a troll tough.
Then again, I don't think I'm yourself either. So that makes you all even.

UPDATES WHERE

>>31328

31324 here, I wasn't trolling. I don't think you're a good writer, but I also don't think you're BAD, really. Thus, my opinion on your writing is that it isn't good. If I was saying you sucked shit at what you do and I wanted you to get the fuck out, believe me, I would just tell you. I really don't bother with trolling when it comes to that sort of thing.

...Also, HY is not a good troll by any standard. Trolling THP is not an accomplishment, it's easier than /v/.

>>31331
Good work. Spoken like a true troll.

Everyone, just shut up and wait for the updates.

[x]What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of your legs.

[x] "Sorry, can't move. I'm stuck under the weight of my erection."