Thread 1: >>38346
Thread 2: >>38909

[x] Kokoro is learning about this sort of thing too, right? Maybe talking to her might help!

Before I can come up with an answer to that, Medicine surprises me. She slowly and awkwardly puts her arms around me and hugs me back.

...umm, what's that smell? It's kind of... sweet? And it's coming from Medicine's hair...

"You smell like flowers," I say.

"It's su-san's smell," Medicine mumbles.

"Er... aren't suzuraan poisonous?" I'm not going to get sick from hugging her am I?

"Only if you eat them."

Oh. That's okay, I guess?

I let go, and a moment later so does Medicine. Her expression hasn't changed, but her eyes are definitely a little watery. She rubs at them tiredly.

"Feel like taking another nap?" I ask.

Medicine shakes her head. "I'm not sleepy anymore."

"You sure? You can stay here as long as you want, you know?"

Medicine shakes her head again. "I have to stay in the village. It's my punishment after all."

I reach up... and flick her in the forehead.

"Ouch!" Medicine flinches, which is the most reaction she's shown to anything so far. "What was that for!?"

"This is the village, silly," I say. "If Yuuka sent you here to make friends, that means she wants you to stay with someone else!"

"But I hate humans!" Medicine says.

"So?" I ask, smiling. "I'm not human, am I?"

Medicine huffs and looks away.

"Like I said, you can stay here as long as you want." I gently rub Medicine's forehead where I flicked it, and she slumps again. "That's what friends do."

"But I don't need your help," Medicine mumbles.

"That's the point," I say, sighing. "Friends help each other even when they don't have to. That's what makes them friends."

Medicine says nothing, staring at the floor in a sulk.

"Well, if you don't like humans and you don't like me, then let's go visit some of the other youkai living here," I suggest, putting as much cheer into my voice as possible.

"...why are there youkai in the Human Village?" Medicine asks, finally looking at me again.

"Why not?" I reply, shrugging. "Not all youkai are on the same side."

"But youkai eat humans," Medicine points out.

"I don't. Do you?"

Medicine shakes her head again. "Humans taste bad."

That's... huh. That's actually pretty unusual, even for a tsukumogami.

...wait, that's it!

"Let's go visit Kokoro!" I say suddenly.

Medicine tilts her head to one side. "Who's Kokoro?"

"She's a tsukumogami, like us. I've been living with humans since forever, so I kind of take these things for granted, but Kokoro's only just learning, like you! I bet she'd be able to explain it all a lot better than me!"

Medicine doesn't look convinced.

"...let's just go talk to her, and then you can decide, okay?"

Medicine doesn't offer any more objections, so we close up and head out right away.

...and then I realize I don't actually know where Kokoro lives. If Futo's looking after her, that probably means she's living in Senkai, but... I don't know how to get there either.

I do know someone who does, though!

Medicine stops short when we come to the village gate.

"Yuuka said I'm not allowed to leave," she says.

"It's only for a little bit, okay?" I reply. "I, um... I don't actually know the way to Kokoro's place, so I need to go ask someone who does."

Medicine looks at the gates, then back at me.

"...you can wait here if you want, but..." I gesture behind her.

Medicine turns around.

The crowd behind us instantly starts to disperse. Everyone who had been following us or pointing and murmuring in suspicion suddenly tries to act innocent. Except for the guards, who start to shake even more.

Medicine scowls, an expression of pure contempt and loathing. She passes through the gate without another word.

We walk the rest of the way in silence.

"GOOD AFTERN- huh!?" Kyouko booms, then jumps back in alarm. "M-Miss Melancholy?"

"U-um, Medi?" I say. "The humans are gone now, you can stop-"

"Don't call me Medi," Medicine growls.

"Miss Medicine, then. Just... take a deep breath and calm down, okay?"

Medicine surprises me again, by doing exactly as I ask.

"...sorry," she mumbles, looking downcast again.

"It's okay. They were being pretty rude, after all."

"...is everything okay?" Kyouko asks.

"Yep! Well, more or less," I reply. "Good afternoon! We, uh, we were looking for Yoshika. She is around, right?"

Kyouko grins. "Do fish swim? Is the sun shining? Yeah, she's hanging around the graveyard as usual. More importantly, are you okay?"

"Huh? Me? Sure, why wouldn't I be?" I ask.

"Weeeell, a little birdie told me Reimu forced you into a miko outfit and made you help gather donations this morning," Kyouko says. "But I guess she must've made that up after all."

Urk. "Uh, no, I really did do that..."

Kyouko's grin vanishes. "Wait, seriously? What happened?"

"...it's kind of a long story," I reply, grinning sheepishly. "A long, dumb story."

"...ah. Well, I won't pry... unless you wanna talk about it?"

"...maybe later," I reply, glancing at Medicine, who looks up at me curiously.

Kyouko grins again. "Okay! Look after yourselves!"

Kyouko goes back to her endless sweeping as Medicine and I enter the temple grounds. By now all trace of the storm is gone, but of course it rained again last night so everything is still a bit damp, particularly in the shady spots.

I avoid the buildings and head directly for the graveyard. It's as gloomy and silent as ever, but there's no sign of any lurking youkai. Nue's good at hiding, but her power always has an ominous feeling, like you're being watched. Mamizou hangs out here too sometimes, but... well, I don't mean to brag, but I've spotted her transformations more times than not.

After methodically combing though almost all of it, I finally spot Yoshika. She's lying on a low wall, still as a... well, I guess she really is a corpse, isn't she?

...I guess sometimes the absence of something can be creepy too.

"Umm, Yoshika?" I say, poking at her. "Are you awake? Err, do you even actually sleep? Hey, Yoshika! Wake up!"

"I think she's dead," Medicine says. "She's not breathing."

"Well, yeah," I reply. "She's a jiang-shi, so she only breathes when she HYIPE!?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

"H-hey! Cut it out!" I squeak, trying and failing to pry Yoshika's cold, clammy hand off my leg.

"Don't raise your voice in the graveyard, you might wake the deabluraghpfl!? Heeey, that's not faaaair!"

Yoshika releases me in order to wipe the slobber from my umbrella's tongue off her face.

"Grooosss!"

"That's what you get for tying to pull the same trick twice!" I say, sticking my other tongue out.

"I wasn't trying to scare yoooou. You should have played aloooong!"

"Medicine is a youkai, like me!"

Yoshika turns her head to look at Medicine, neck popping loudly. Medicine stares back, looking more bored than scared.

"...oh. Well there goes my entire script."

Yoshika gives up on the spooky voice and lurches to her feet. The sound of her joints cracking like a minature avalanche makes me wince, as usual.

"Ssssooooo," she begins, inhaling rather than exhaling, before apparently remembering that's not how talking is supposed to work. "If you're not here to scare people, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually."

"Me? Whatever for?"

"Well, um... do you know Kokoro?"

Yoshika freezes in thought for a moment, rolling her eyes around independantly, which is really, really creepy!

"You mean Miss Hata? Yes, I know her. She's staying with the Crown Prince."

"Aha! Err, we wanted to talk to her."

Yoshika sighs. "What has she done this time?"

"Nothing! We just wanted to talk to her! About, umm... tsukumogami stuff, I guess."

"Oh. Well, she said she was going to rehearse today, so she's probably still at home."

"That's, umm... we don't know how to get there..." I explain.

Yoshika does the thing with her eyes again.

"You can get there from anywhere, you know?"

"But I don't know how!"

Yoshika sighs exaggeratedly, a smirk on her face, and turns as if to walk away. But then she jerks to a stop, and I nearly crash into her.

"Wah!?"

Yoshika awkwardly rummages around in her pocket, and pulls out a piece of paper.

"I need to wear this," she explains "or Seiga will get angry." She sticks the paper to her forehead and stretches her arms out straight in front of her.

And then she starts hopping.

...umm.

"So, err, do we need to do anything special to whoa!?"

Now it's my turn to stop suddenly, and Medicine's turn to bump into me.

We're not in the graveyard anymore. We're standing in front of a huge, fancy building, in a style I haven't seen in a long, long time. But it looks new and pristine, as if it was finished yesterday. Even the paving stones we're standing on are perfectly smooth, clean and white.

"Wooooow," I say at last.

"Is this a big house?" Medicine asks, peering around me curiously.

"It sure is!" I say.

"Yoshiiikaaa~" a voice calls.

"Seeeeiga?" Yoshika slurrs.

Suddenly, someone pops out of the ground! Someone with blue hair, done up in a fancy loop with an ornate hairpin holding it in place, and wearing a fancy dress made from the finest, lightest material I've ever seen. She looks like a rich noblewoman from a thousand years ago, and somewhere far away.

"You're late, Yoshika," 'Seeeeiga' says, lifting Yoshika's chin with a stroke of a long, white finger. "And you were followed again!"

"I was?" Yoshika asks vacantly.

"You were!" 'Seeeeiga' replies, draping herself over Yoshika's outstretched arm and tapping her on the nose. "You're supposed to keep the youkai riff-raff out, not lead them right here!"

"Wha- riff-raff!?" I exclaim. 'Seeeeiga' ignores me.

"So why don't you make up for it and drive them off for me, hmmm~?"

KER-CRACK

I blinding flash and a deafening boom blast me off my feet and onto the ground - or rather, onto Medicine. I quickly roll off her and look around, trying to figure out what just happened.

Yet another newcomer, a woman in a green dress, calmly takes a bite out of an apple. She lifts the paving stone 'Seeeeiga' emerged from with her free hand and flips it back into place.

"Sorry about that," she says, and takes another bite of her apple.

...wait a minute, where are her legs?

"Ooooooow," Yoshika groans, levering herself up off the ground. "You could have waited until she let go of me."

No-legs shrugs, still munching on her apple as she floats over Yoshika and approaches me and Medicine.

"Welcome to Senkai. I'm Tojiko," she says, offering a hand to help me up. "I presume you have business here, since Seiga was trying to get rid of you."

"I, well, uh," I begin, staring at her in confusion. Aside from the lack of legs and the swirly mass of mist blowing her skirt around in their place, her skin is way too white, her eyes are way too blue, and her pupils...

...are white, and shaped like lightning bolts. Um.

"...what just happened?" I ask lamely.

"Seiga happened." Tojiko takes another bite of her apple, chews and swallows. "And then she unhappened."

"Are you a ghost?" Medicine asks. She's sitting up as well, and staring at Tojiko curiously.

"Uh-huh. You gonna get up or just sit there all day?"

I realize her hand is still outstretched and quickly scramble to my feet.

...she's even colder than Yoshika.

"So, what brings you to the Divine Spirit Mausoleum? No offence, but you don't look the type to become hermits."

"Err, we were looking for Kokoro..."

"Rear courtyard," Tojiko says, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "Follow the flute."

It takes me a moment to realize that's all she has to say.

"Oh! Umm, thank you?"

"You're welcome. Just don't make a mess or anything."

Feeling a little bit awkward and more than a little bit confused, I head toward the big mansion. Er, mausoleum. That... seems like a strange thing to call the place. I mean, isn't a mausoleum for dead p...

...oh. Oooooh! I get it now!

"Really now, that was uncalled for," I hear Seiga's weak voice say behind us as we enter.

"Sorry, I missed," Tojiko replies. She doesn't sound sorry at all.

...what was it she said? Follow the flute? I stop for a moment and listen. Sure enough, I hear music. It's faint, but the rest of the place is so eerily silent it's easy to follow. We don't see a single sign of life, or even a sign that there ever was life, save for the plants, until we reach the rear courtyard. And then we stop short.

Futo is playing a flute. A very ornate flute, made of something pure white with a dragon painted on it. And the song she's playing is even more beautiful still; I tune I've never heard before, with a quick, festive rhythm to it, that also somehow sounds graceful and traditional. She dives, soars and flutters between notes with the sort of skill that only comes from decades of practice.

And in the middle of the courtyard is Kokoro. She has a folding fan in each hand, and she's... dancing is the only word that comes to mind, but it isn't enough. I can see obvious traditional elements in her routine, but there are also things no dancer I've ever seen before would have attempted. Partly because none of them could fly. Or had even half of Kokoro's dexterity.

Seriously, wow.

And then, with one final flourish, Futo's song comes to an end, and Kokoro's performance finishes, right on cue, in a theatrical bow.

I find myself clapping. To my surprise, Medicine is too.

Kokoro rises mechanically, and the mask on her face flies off, circling her head and coming to a stop on the side as usual... wait, it's a different mask now!

Then she strike a dramatic pose.

"How long have you been there!? How much did you see!?" she asks. Her completely blank face ruins the effect completely.

"Umm, not long? We only saw a little, but it was really good!"

"Thine artistry dost draw an audience wherever thou art performing!" Futo agrees, grinning widely.

"Um, your music was really good too!" I add.

Futo brushes off the praise. "'Tis no skill so grand. Merely a hobby of mine from some years past."

"Then get serious at it, so you can help me with my plays!" Kokoro says, raising both fists above her head.

"Ah, but my calling is not upon yon stage! It is here, in the service of the Crown Prince!"

"But Taishi told you to look after me! So do it properly!" Kokoro whines.

"Thou needest not a babysitter, as thou hast said thyself," Futo replies, leaning away from Kokoro. "Or dost thou recant on the wearing of the bib?"

"This and that are two different things!" Kokoro puffs out her cheeks.

Futo ruffles her hair.

I try not to laugh. Kokoro is a full head taller than Futo, so the gesture looks downright silly.

"You're making fun of me again," Kokoro complains.

"Your pardon; 'tis a weakness of mine old age," Futo replies, but her smirk doesn't go away. "Alas! This old lady shall withdraw for now, for she can see her presence is but a burden!"

Before anyone can stop her, Futo swoops out the door.

"She's strange," Medicine concludes.

Kokoro stares after Futo for about a second, before her mask changes again and she jumps into her 'surprised' pose again.

"Who is this strange person!?"

"This is Medicine Melancholy!" I say, stepping out from between the two of them. "She's a doll tsukumogami who lives on Nameless Hill."

"Ah! A fellow tsukumogami!?" Kokoro flicks her fans open and performs the most elaborate bow I've ever seen "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"...hello?" Medicine says uncertainly. "Haven't we already met?"

"...we have?" Kokoro asks, straigtening up.

"Two days ago, in the village. Futo beat me up."

"Oh! Yes! We have!" Kokoro says, striking another overly-dramatic pose. "...I didn't get your name though."

"I still don't know yours," Medicine points out.

"What!?" Kokoro says, posing yet again. "Have you not heard of me!? I am none other than Hata no Kokoro, the Expressive Poker Face!" Wait what where did the cherry blossoms come from!?

"...this is that Kokoro person you were talking about?" Medicine asks me.

"Yep!"

"...is she always like this?"

"Pretty much!"

Medicine looks at Kokoro.

Then she turns around and walks back the way we came.

"Total rejection!?"

"Ah! Hey! Wait!" I hurry after Medicine and put myself in front of her. "Don't just walk out! She's actually really nice!"

"I don't wanna learn to be like her!"

"I never said you should!"

"Then why did you bring me here!?"

"Because she's just like you! She's still learn-"

"She is NOT. She's a weirdo! A whackjob! I'm nothing like her!"

"Wha- how can you say that about someone you've only known for five minutes!? You should apologise for that, right now!"

"No! I'm leaving! This is stupid! And so are you!"

Medicine shoves me hard in the stomach, almost sending me flying. I try to grab her arm and stop her, but I snatch my hand away immediately. A searing pain shoots across my palm, followed by an angry red burn. I stumble back and clutch my wrist as the pain continues to grow, and the burn bubbles, peels and starts bleeding profusely. What is that!?

"My, it sure is noisy today."

Soft fabric swishes over my shoulders. A hand gently lifts my arm. Cool water pours over the wound. I yelp at the sharp sting, but then the coolness washes all the pain away.

I look down at my hand to find it wet but uninjured.

I look up into the face of someone who looks like she just got out of bed.

"Um, sorry? Did we wake you?"

"No, but I needed to get up anyway," the woman says, with a smile.

...huh?

"I think your friend needs cheering up."

I look where the woman is indicating, and see Kokoro on all fours.

"But-"

"Don't worry, there's no-one here she can hurt."

I look around in confusion. Whoever it was has disappeared.

I get up and approach Kokoro.

"...are you okay?"

"Weirdo... whackjob..." she whispers.

"Er, Medicine is a bit... she's not having a good time right now," I say awkwardly. "I, um, I thought you might be able to help her out but... I'm sorry she took it out on you."

Kokoro says nothing, still staring at the ground.

"...that really hurt you, huh?"

Kokoro says nothing, but I hear her take a long, ragged breath. Is she crying?

...I think she is.

I kneel beside her and hug her as best I can in such an awkward position.

"I don't think you're weird."

Silence.

"You're a bit intense, but that's not a bad thing."

Silence.

"You helped me get my umbrella back, and you didn't ask for anything in return."

Silence.

"Well, a lot of things happened, but you were trying, and it worked out in the end, right? That's what really matters."

Silence.

"So, um, thank you, is what I'm trying to say. I never did get to say that, did I?"

"...I failed..."

"Huh?"

"...I'm still... no good..."

"What are you talking about? You haven't failed at anything!"

Kokoro jerks upward suddenly, knocking the wind out of me. I quickly let go, and let her sit up. Her face is still blank, and her mask has vanished completely.

"I'm hard to understand, aren't I?" she asks.

"Err-"

"You can't tell what I'm thinking at all, can you?"

"Well, ob-"

"I want to know the truth. How do you think I feel right now?"

"Ummm..." I lean backwards as Kokoro puts her face right in front of mine. "You're... angry? Because I said something dumb?"

Kokoro blinks.

"You're sad, because Medicine said something really mean?"

Kokoro blinks again.

"...you're mad at yourself, because you drove Medicine away?"

"All wrong," Kokoro says. She stands up suddenly.

"Then what are you feeling!?" I ask, jumping up as well.

"I'm... frustrated," Kokoro says. "I can control the emotions of others, but not my own."

She picks up her two fans from where they were lying on the ground, and tucks them into hidden pockets in her bizzare skirt.

"It was a trivial thing, what Miss Melancholy said. I shouldn't let one person's criticism get to me like that."

"So you are upset!"

"No. I was upset. I'm no longer upset, thanks to you."

All at once, Kokoro hugs me.

"You are a good friend. Miss Melancholy is lucky to have you."

"U-um, thanks?"

"Will you be my friend as well?"

"H-huh? Of course!"

Kokoro lets go as abruptly as she started. "Then please tell me when my behaviour is bothering you."

"It's not bothering me! I'm just, um, not used to it..."

"That's what I mean," Kokoro says, staring at me blankly.

"Bu-"

"We should look for Medicine. I think I owe her an apology."

"Wha-!?"

I give up on trying to follow Kokoro's logic and let her drag me thorough the Mausoleum's gardens. It's very different to anywhere else I've been. It seems to be laid out like it's indoors, with hallways and rooms and so on, but there's no roof. There's white stone paths, red wooden bridges, and plenty of neatly-trimmed greenery, even in places you wouldn't ordinarily have plants.

And all totally silent. Even the water features have been carefully designed to make no sound. It's surreal, almost dream-like.

After zig-zagging around seemingly at random, never slowing down, Kokoro suddenly stops.

Medicine is sitting in front of a garden bed, hugging her knees to her chest.

Kokoro pokes me in the back, prodding me forward. Seeing no reason to do otherwise, I quietly walk closer.

"Medicine?" I say quietly.

"Go away," Medicine mumbles.

"...if you really want me to, I will." When Medicine doesn't reply, I continue "but I want to help. Even if it's just by listening."

Medicine buries her face against her knees. "I wanna go home."

I sit down next to her, put my arm around her, and lean my head against hers.

Eventually, Medicine speaks up again.

"Why are you doing this?" she mumbles.

"You know that already. I want to be your friend, remember?"

"...but why?"

"Why not? I don't need a reason to help people."

"...I don't need your help."

"We've been over that too."

"...would you really go away if I asked you to?"

"Yes."

"...good."

I wait for the next two words, but they don't come.

Quiet footsteps approach from beside us.

"Miss Melancholy?"

Medicine stirs, and looks up at Kokoro. Kokoro bows low.

"I wish to apologize for my earlier behaviour. It seems I have offended you without meaning to."

"...why," Medicine croaks, and then clears her throat, "why were you acting all weird?"

"I'm a menreiki. A mask youkai. I can't change my face, so I perform instead."

Kokoro mimes a series of actions. She steps back, bringing her arms up in front of her face. She drops one hand and straightens the other into an accusatory finger. She curls it into a fist and raises it, looking up. She stands up straight, raising both arms above her head. And finally, she covers her face with her hands and hangs her head.

"...but even though my ability is causing emotions, I'm not good at reading them," Kokoro finishes. "If it bothers you, I won't do it."

Medicine stays quiet for a while.

"...you can control emotions?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Can you make someone who's sad not be sad anymore?"

"Easily. But it wouldn't fix whatever they're sad about."

Medicine pauses again.

"...why'd Kogasa want me to talk to you?"

Kokoro simply looks at me.

"Err, because she's learning the same things Yuuka wants you to," I say. "Making friends, getting along with humans-"

"I don't want to get along with humans."

"...well, okay, maybe just learning more about them? It can't hurt, right?"

"..."

"Taishi once told me, 'keep your friends close, and your enemies in your pocket,'" Kokoro offers. "It's important to learn more about everyone, whether you like them or not."

"I get it already," Medicine grumbles, resting her chin on her knees and staring at the flowers again.

"...you know, we could plant some suzuraan in the village, if you like," I suggest.

"I'm sure Taishi would let you take some flowers to plant elsewhere," Kokoro adds.

Medicine abruptly shrugs off my arm and gets to her feet. She rubs her eyes again and looks around.

"...I should go back to the village," Medicine says. "If the flowers tell Yuuka she'll beat me up again."

"W-well if it comes to that just tell her it was my idea, okay?"

Medicine slowly turns to stare at me.

"...you're nuts," she says finally.

"H-hey, I'm trying to help you!"

Medicine looks away.

"...thanks," she says quietly.

Before I can respond, she starts off along the path... and then comes to a halt at the first intersection.

"Umm, how do we get out of here?" I ask.

Kokoro takes the lead. She leads us on an oddly winding course toward...

...a path we just walked along.

"We've gone round in circles," Medicine helpfully points out.

Kokoro huffs and drags us on a series of increasingly convoluted paths, walking in circles in different directions and crossing through areas only to loop around immediately after. And each time we end up in front of the same pathway.

After the third time back at our starting point Kokorostomps on the ground and throws up her arms.

"Taishi! Stop fooling around!" she shouts.

"Ahahahaha, my bad, my bad!"

The messy-haired woman from earlier suddenly appears behind us.

"I'm impressed, though. You remembered every route I showed you perfectly, even from the times I thought you weren't paying attention."

"But they don't work anymore, so I wasted my time!" Kokoro fumes.

"Oh? It looks like they worked fine to me!"

Taishi gestures at the path in front of us - or where it was, anyway. We're now standing in front of the gate leading out of the garden.

"You're making fun of me again," Kokoro complains.

Taishi ruffles her hair. She's taller than Futo, but not by much, so it still looks ridiculous.

Kokoro puffs her cheeks out, without otherwise reacting.

"Sorry, sorry, you're just too cute, you know?" Taishi says, still smiling. "Now, this is for you."

She offers a flower pot she wasn't holding a second ago to Medicine.

"You'll have to take good care of it every day if you want it to thrive. The right amount of water, the right amount of sun; if you have any questions, I'm sure Futo will be thrilled enough to talk your ears right off your head."

She chuckles as Medicine takes the potted suzuraan.

"I'd offer you something as well, but it seems you have matters well in hand," Taishi says to me. Does she ever stop smiling? "Don't hesistate to ask if that changes, though! After all, one must always be grateful for divine intervention, hmm?"

"Bwuh?" What does that even mean!?

"Taishiii, you're saying weird things again," Kokoro drones.

"I guess I am, aren't I?" Taishi laughs again. "My bad, my bad. How about this one instead: there is a long trip in your near future!"

Kokoro pulls a colorful hammer from somewhere and bops Taishi on the head with it. It makes a squeaky noise.

"No good, huh? Ah, well. Maybe I'll have better luck in tonight's battle!"

"Never!" Kokoro says.

"I'm not giving up until I've won at least once!" Taishi replies.

Medicine tugs on my shirt, pulling me away from the weirdness.

"Yes, yes, don't let me keep you," Taishi says.

"Um..." Medicine begins, not looking at her.

"Hmm?"

"...thanks for the flowers," Medicine finishes.

"Why, thank you. Take good care of them for me, will you?"

Medicine nods.

Kokoro drags Taishi away, and Medicine and I walk down the short flight of steps at the Mausoleum's entrance.

May the humans of Gensoukyou be safe in the coming times.

I whip around at the sound of Taishi's voice, but she's nowhere to be seen.

...am I hearing things?

"What's wrong?" Medicine asks.

"...nothing," I reply, turning back. "I just thought I heard something."

"Like what?"

"Just someone saying something. Probably wasn't even to me. Umm, how do we get out of here?"

"Where are you bound?"

I spin around again, and this time spot Futo standing not far behind us, hands clasped inside her loose sleeves. She definitely wasn't there a moment ago!

"Umm, back to the village," I reply.

"Then you need but look over yonder," Futo says, pointing.

I turn, and find myself staring at a shopfront.

Sekibanki's shopfront.

Medicine and I are standing in the middle of the village, with people all around us.

"...that was weird," I say.

[ ] I think that's enough excitement for one day.
[ ] I hope Sekibanki's doing okay. I haven't seen her since this morning.
[ ] That villager looks suspicious...
[ ] Write-in.

---

I can't pace for shit.