[X] Ask Yuugi to tell a joke.

[x] Aya’s been awfully quiet.

We should check on her, since she isn't the quiet type.

[x] Aya’s been awfully quiet.

[x] Aya’s been awfully quiet.

[x] Aya’s been awfully quiet.

[X] Ask Yuugi to tell a joke.

[ℤℯ] Aya’s been awfully quiet.

Decent sort of person Parsee is a decent sort of person.

[0] Aya’s been awfully quiet.

..But I’m going nowhere with this. I think Parsee realizes this too, else she wouldn’t sound so miffed by my asking all of these questions. Judging by what I’ve seen of her, she’s awfully quiet. Maybe she’d rather we all just leave her alone.

I turn to Aya, wondering why she’s been so quie—

She’s gone?!

“Hey, did anybody see where Aya ran off to?” I didn’t even hear her leave! And she was practically right next to me all this time!

“Helping the others, probably.” Suwako shrugs, showing that she really doesn’t care either way. “Wanna go take a look?”

“Yeah, sure..” Already standing since first discovering that she’d gone missing, I make my way back to the other vehicle.

“Hoh boy..” Sure is bright over here. Shielding my eyes doesn’t do me much good when I’m facing towards Utsuho’s miniature sun—at least that’s what she calls it. Looking at it, it seems identical to our actual sun, so nothing pointing to the contrary. I turn around, walking backwards towards it, trying to do all I can not to look at the beach ball-sized ball of white-hot light in her hands.

“Looking for something?” She asks, the light causing shadows to shift slightly behind me as she walks closer. I can feel the heat on my back growing hotter..

“Seen Aya in the last few minutes?” I ask, eager to get the hell away from this heat.

“Oh, yeah, she’s out taking a leak or something. If you just wait for her by the car..”

“Alright.” Aya probably didn’t want Utsuho to tell anybody that.. I move forward, leaving Utsuho standing and probably staring off into space behind me. The group seems to have mostly pieced the vehicle back together in the meantime—only a few small parts still lay strewn around. Most of them appear to be spares or scrap taken from the other car, so there’s really no telling..

“Ah,” The first to notice me is Joy, “We’re almost finished, so if you’d tell the others to wait just a bit longer..”

“They could probably sit around all night and never complain..” I reply, eager to keep the label of ‘errand boy’ off of my resume. “I’m actually looking for Aya..”

“Over here!” I hear Aya’s voice calling from inside the vehicle.

And sure enough, she’s sitting in the back, working on some wiring by the looks of things.

“Lonely?” She asks, looking up and smiling.

“Worried, more like.” I lean into the hatch, “Everything okay? I didn’t hear you run off.”

“Sorry ‘bout that.” She stretches her arms high over her head, “Just couldn’t take their blathering on about booze and food any longer. Mind giving me a hand?”

“Yeah, sure.” I jump inside, taking a seat beside her. “You guys find the problem?”

“Yeah.” Milly pops her head in from the driver’s seat. “Looks like muscle lady yanked some fluid lines loose when she pulled the gun out earlier.” She scratches her head in frustration, “Really, how the hell did she manage that one? Not to mention taking a direct hit from a mini-nuke and living through it. Goddamn! None ‘a you are human!”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” I shrug and laugh, having dealt with the sorts of youkai-related antics for far longer than any of these other women. “Just wait until they start drinking—Oof!”

Aya nudges my side unexpectedly, causing me to accidentally drop what I was messing with.

“You’ll get used to it. …Well, most of it anyway.” Aya laughs, slapping me hard on the back. “Just take a look at this big guy here! He knows what to expect!”

“Yeah.” Trouble and more trouble. But it’s better that trouble is on our side than with whatever just tried to kill us.

The lighting suddenly comes on inside the vehicle.

“We got power!” I hear Tessa yell from outside. “Start ‘er up!”

“Hi-oh!” Milly grins ear to ear, turning back around. I hear the engine cranking.

And cranking. And sputtering.

But nothing else.

“Fuck!” Milly pounds on the dash.

More sputtering. And suddenly, like magic! The engine roars to life!

“Only thought shit like that worked in bad movies..” Aya snickers, stowing the entire mass of loose wires into a small side compartment. The rest of the team piles in, and the folks from Gensokyo soon follow.

It’s really cramped in the back, so I try to—

[ ] Push to the front.
[ ] Sit on the roof.
[ ] Ask to drive.
[ ] Fuck it, just deal.

[ ] Sit on the roof.

Highway surfing.

[X] Push to the front.

[x] Fuck it, just deal.

[x] Sit on the roof.

Why not?

[x] Sit on the roof.

[X] Fuck it, just deal.

If it's really that bad, why not have Aya sit on your lap?
Or you could sit on hers.

I squeeze my way towards the hatch. Maybe feeling the wind in my hair might take my mind off of this growing anxiety. Maybe.. Or at least I’ll be able to get some fresh air and have a place to shoot from in case something else bad does happen.

I’m sure the others would be glad to have one less body crowding up the transport, at the very least. I swing the hatch back and stand up. Actually sitting on the roof might prove to be dangerous, now that I think about it, and road rash is not something I’d like to experience after that narrow escape earlier.

I first notice how dark it is. Without Utsuho’s little hand-held sun to keep the place lit, and with the lack of background lighting from cities, all the stars are visible. It reminds me a bit of Bastogne, minus the artillery fire. Thank God for that.

“Mind some company?” Aya pushes through the second hatch, yelling over the gale of wind pushing past us. It really spoils the mood..

But then it stops. Just.. All of a sudden. I don’t get it until Aya says,

“Ahh, much better!”

She smiles, feeling accomplished after such a mundane abuse of her ability. And all the while I’m thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could share a meal right about now..?’

Yeah, as if a dinner atop a speeding vehicle while the others below listen to our every word might be somehow romantic. At least the idea is still safe locked away in my head. I praise God yet again, thanking him for allowing me to have this moment of idiocy without Satori or her sister present.

“If you really wanted to talk, we could just sit back down.” I say, “Besides, doesn’t using your powers like this tire you out?”

I point ahead, feeling the wind blowing down my arm but not hearing it. The sensation is made much stranger when the whistling and roaring I’d expect the wind to make are not present. The quiet puts me on edge.

“Not really, no.” Aya shrugs, her smile growing wider. “So long as I get a decent meal and eight hours of sleep or more I’m as fit as a fiddle!”

“That’s a pretty old figure of speech,” I say for the purpose of nothing more than idle conversation. Keep her talking, keep me listening. Keep my mind off of this eerie quiet.

“For you, maybe,” She gestures at me, “But you really should try to consider how old I am in comparison to you.”

“Yeah, as if I could possibly wrap my brain around a number like that,” I lean back, breathing deep, “I still find it hard to believe you’re over a thousand..”

“One thousand, seven hundred and sixty two,” She corrects me, crossing her arms in front of her with a haughty grin, “..If my memory serves me correctly.”

“..You don’t remember?”

“Nope.” She laughs.

“Then… What was that number just now?”

“A rough estimate.”

“A rough estimate of..” I really can’t believe she was joking with me just now.. I’ve lived with her for a year and still this sort of shit pops up at least once a week. “That seemed pretty damned accurate to me.”

“Give or take a few hundred.”

“A few—“ I stand with my mouth agape, in complete disbelief.

“Hehe~” She pops back into the cabin for a moment. I hear a number of annoyed grunts and groans before she squeezes her way into the same hatch as me. “I’m just playing around! Take it easy, will you?”

“Yeah, yeah. I—“ I feel her wrap her arms around me, suddenly pushing me back. I throw my arms out to keep me from falling out of the vehicle. “Hey!”

“Hey~” Hoo boy, she’s up to something now. The moment she starts grabbing onto me and batting her eyelashes.. “Whaddaya say we do it right here?”

“Bad idea.” I say, regaining my bearings.. And balance.

“You think?” She asks jokingly.

“I know.”

“Hey Aya!” I hear somebody call from inside. I think Yuugi, “We can see up your skirt!”

“I’m not wearing a skirt!” Aya yells down to them, not even bothering to look. Of course, she sees me as I instinctively look in her stead, trying to catch an eyeful.

…

“It looks good on you, that catsuit.” I say meekly, staring at the disgusted face she’s making. I’m sure it’s a joke. Absolutely sure.

“It’s called ‘tactical apparel’.” She grins, “But of course you of all people would get turned on by it.”

“Well, it’s just so…” I look her over again and again, the best view of course being straight down my chest—at her breasts pressing against me. “..Tight. Isn’t it hard to move in?”

“Not really, no.”

Suddenly, Parsee pushes herself up through the second hatch.

“I’d rather not butt into your awkwardly-timed romantic moment here, but it would appear we’ve nearly reached our destination.”

“Really?” Aya turns around, letting me go with all but one hand holding me by the waist. “Already?” Damn, this thing must be faster than it looks..” She looks behind and ahead of the vehicle before turning back to Parsee. “Are you sure they didn’t tell you that to get me away from him?”

“Or maybe I made it all up myself.” Parsee grins wickedly, “Perhaps I grew too jealous of your little.. rendezvous… and decided to break it up on my own accord?”

“…” Aya pauses, studying Parsee, “I somehow doubt that. How close are we?”

“Five miles!” One of the girls shouts from within, eliciting from Parsee an incredulous grimace.

“I was going to tell them, Goddammit!” She yells back, stomping her foot.

“Ow!”

The emotion suddenly drains from Parsee’s face, “..Sorry Yuugi!”

Aya stifles a laugh as I say, “Alright, we’ll be down in a moment.”

“…Then hurry it up, will you?”

Parsee ducks back down, leaving the two of us to our lonesome for a moment longer.

“You know, it always seems to end like this.” Aya adds before sliding back down as well. I stay leaning against the open hatch wall for the remainder of the trip, staring at the stars or scanning the horizon.

Eventually, the vehicle pulls up into a blown apart parking lot. I hear the gears shift and the engine cut off, and the women in the front begin piling out. The back gate rolls down a moment later and I feel the shuffling of people at my ankles.

“..You getting out?” Tenshi asks, resting her head in her arms on the side of the vehicle.

I clear out, apparently the last to set foot outside of the vehicle. Aya and the others are all waiting around as the group tries to organize itself. The women with the rifles take positions around the rest of us, though for some reason Yuugi keeps trying to push ahead. Must be impatient.

Another set of heavy blast doors blocks yet another entrance to what I’m sure is only another concrete bunker. This all seems incredibly familiar, at least until the doors begin to open from the inside out.

On the other side is a familiar face. Sanae, though far more energetic than when I last saw her. Her smile is beaming, and she seems genuinely glad to see us all.

“Welcome, everyone!” She says cheerfully, “Glad to see a few more familiar faces.”

She waves everybody inside with a smile plastered onto her face, grabbing Aya as she walks by. I stay close as they walk off away from the others.

“We were expecting you back yesterday!” Sanae whispers, making no attempt to hide her frustration. “Do you have any idea how worried sick I’ve been?!”

“We ran into a couple of… snags along the way.” Aya replies, cool-headed. “More of those machines shot up our ride, and we ended up spending a night in that bombed-out city.”

“Well..” Sanae sighs heavily, rubbing her eyes, “At least you’re safe. I’ll let Kanako know you’re back. You and the others should get some rest.”

Aya nods and walks off, headed back in my direction. I quickly rejoin the others before I’m spotted.

“What was that all about?” I ask, following Aya deeper into the building. It seems to be some sort of military complex, though I don’t recognize any of the insignias. The sheer number of stars and flags tell me it’s government property at the very least.

“It’s nothing.” Aya sighs, “Don’t worry about it. Here, I’ll show you where my room is.”

[ ] Actually, you kind of want to look around.
[ ] Isn’t there any food in this dump?
[ ] Fair enough. Follow her.

[X] Fair enough. Follow her.

[x] Fair enough. Follow her.

Time with Aya is never bad. Especially time with Aya in an nice outfit.

[X] Fair enough. Follow her.

[x] Fair enough. Follow her.

This update was good, Snake. Keep writing them like this.

Also need more descriptions of Aya's ass in the outfit. Detailed descriptions.

[x] Fair enough. Follow her.

This update was good, Snake. Keep writing them like this.

Also need more descriptions of Aya's ass in the outfit. Detailed descriptions.

[x] Fair enough. Follow her.

>>101727
>>101728
Was that an accidental double-post, or did >>101728 just get that lazy with copy-pasting?

[+] Fair enough. Follow her.

>>101753
Both posts have a timestamp of 07:04, so likely the former.

[x] Fair enough. Follow her.

[x] Fair enough. Follow her.

This makes sense. We can explore later.

>>101727
Yeah, I too feel that this one turned out better than the others. I guess how well I write depends on my mood. Said mood generally being tired and grumpy, so it's not certain that I'll write like this all the time.

Sounds like a plan to me. I follow her through a number of rooms of varying sizes. Some small, some the size of a small hangar—all of them made up of unpainted concrete and sheet metal. The dull greys really scream ‘military’. No other organization would be so well accommodated to the utilitarian design. The lights overhead are just bright enough to allow me to see, but only just.

Yet another series of dimly lit corridors, and we arrive at the barracks. I place it somewhere on the East side of the complex, but I always did get a little turned around inside these big government sorts of facilities.

“Well, here we are,” She says with a smile, guiding me into one of the many rooms. “My home away from home!”

“It…” I pause, startled by the sheer number of pictures and loose notes strewn about. Most lay piled onto an old and worn wooden desk, but a number are taped to the walls. A light on the ceiling stands out, making me wonder if she uses the place as a makeshift dark room during the off hours. “..It suits you.”

“Doesn’t it though?” She jumps onto the bed—a couple of cots stacked onto one another in a poor attempt at what the military might call a bunk bed. She sits up immediately, patting the space beside her, “Here, have a seat.”

I do just that. I’m tired of standing. I’m a little tired of sitting, too. Really, I’m just tired, period. I’d really like to go to sleep, but first..

I lean over, kissing Aya softly on the cheek. It’s a small start, but I know how long she’s been waiting. I really just want to make her feel good. Her pleasure alone makes me happy. But that’s just the poor romantic sap I am talking. I didn’t used to be like this.

She gives me a light shove, giggling as she tries to hold me off, “Hey bud, not so fast!”

I laugh, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her forward. I touch the back of her neck, gently guiding her as I kiss her again.

“Mmm.. Ah, mmmm, mmmh!” She pushes me backwards, forcing me to break away, “Ahh.. Now’s kind of a bad time..”

“Really?” I’m a little bewildered. She wants it, she doesn’t want it.. What’s a man to do? She doesn’t seem to be playing some sort of game with me. Unless she’s just so out of practice that she’s lost her touch. “I thought—“

“Yeah, I thought so too.” She shrugs, smiling meekly, “But I’m a little sore right now. You know, that?”

“That..?” I pause, thinking quietly for a second. “Oh, oh!”

Okay, I get it. She must mean that. As in, that time of the month.

“..You have some pretty shitty luck, don’t you?” I ask, laughing.

“Tell me about it.” She throws her hands up, frustrated but trying to pass it off as jokingly as possible, “Figure I’ve waited five weeks already, what’s a few more days gonna do?”

“..We could always just keep making out.” I pose a suggestion, smiling inwardly at my not-so-genius idea.

“We could..” Ahe contemplates this for a moment, “Or maybe not. I’d rather not get caught up in things, if you don’t mind.”

“Well, I do mind, but I’ll get over it. …I think.” Damn, I hope this means we won’t have to sleep in separate beds.. Just then, something comes to mind, “Hold on, weren’t you all rearin’ to go yesterday?”

“Yesterday was yesterday. It kinda snuck up on me this morning, right before we left.” She stands suddenly, walking towards the door, “And now that you mention it, I’ll be in the little girls’ room. You just wait right here.”

The door slams shut, with her on the other side. It’s awfully quiet in here when I’m alone. The humming of the air conditioner and the fluttering of some papers posted near the air vent keep my ears occupied for a moment, but I quickly grow bored of it. I stand up, looking around the room, examining any of the numerous photos in here that catch my eye.

I notice a few right off the bat, particularly a few group shots of Kanako and the others next to a framed picture of me. None of them seem particularly thrilled to be posing for the photograph, save Sanae. But from what I’ve seen of her, that girl could smile her way through the end of the world. Even her worst faked smile seems genuine.

I rifle through a couple of the desk drawers, looking for nothing in particular. My curiosity easily gets the better of me. Most strikingly, I find a number of photographs of machines similar to the ones that we had fought earlier today. A few almost identical, but many of them much larger.

The door swings open.

“And what exactly are you doing?” Aya asks, smiling inquisitively.

“Searching for evidence telling me of your deepest and darkest secrets,” I reply, smiling and handing her the photo of those machines, “Any idea what they are?”

“Not really, no.” She places the photo back in the drawer, probably having seen it herself a thousand times already, “All I know about them is that they shoot at me when I get too close, and they’re generally found guarding old buildings.”

“Old buildings?” I return to my seat at the foot of the bed, “Why old buildings? What the hell for?”

“No idea. Figure tomorrow we’ll backtrack and see if we can’t find what those ones that attacked us today were doing there. Pending Kanako’s approval, of course.”

“..So Kanako’s dubbed herself the leader of this operation, I take it?”

“You’d better believe it, bub.” Aya smirks, as if Kanako taking charge is also the most Kanako-like action she could possibly have taken. Really, it suits her.

“..I get top bunk, by the way.” Aya adds, only waiting a few seconds pause before staking her claim.

“Aww..” I’m a little disappointed. I was hoping we’d spend the night together, even if these cots are hardly big enough even for one. Or at least that I’d get top bunk, dammit!”

“You snooze, you lose.” She laughs maniacally, jumping straight up onto the bed. Her clothes are flung down a few seconds later.

“You could at least fold ‘em, you know.” I sigh, following her lead. It’s a little ironic that I’m also too lazy to fold my own clothes before climbing into bed. The overhead lighting is dim enough that I don’t mind having it left on as I drift off to sleep.

----------

I’m forcefully awoken the following morning by Aya grabbing and shaking me by the shoulders.

“Get up, will you?!” She yells into my ear, deafening me and producing an irritating ringing sound that’s sure to last at least another half hour.

“I’m up, I’m up..” I roll over away from her.

“…” But she pulls me back with her immense strength. I feel that she could pull me out of bed by my throat if she really wanted.

My eyes still closed, I faintly feel her breath on my face.

“Get up now and we can shower together~”

I spring right out of bed, easily swayed by such a low blow of a bribe. Even if she is feeling poorly, there’s nothing preventing me from looking. It’s not like I haven’t seen her nude before, but every eyeful I can get is one more I can add to the already extensive collection saved in my memory. It’s only a damn shame that those memories aren’t photographic.

[ ] Shower. Now.
[ ] Have a look around first.
[ ] Maybe get something to eat?

[x] Shower. Now.

Well if things went so well, it'd be too easy, Snake.

[x] Shower. Now.

[X] Shower. Now.

Hopeless pervert.

[X] Shower. Now.

[x] Shower. Now.

[x] Shower. Now.

Lovely tengu is lovely.

…It’d definitely be nice to sneak a camera or two in, now that I think about it. Consider it payback for all of those shots of me Aya took over the course of a year. Really, there seems to be no limit to her playfulness.

“..I take it you’d like that?” She asks; hand on her hip and smiling.

I nod vigorously, perhaps more eager than I should be to get on with things. I guess I have a weakness for a good old striptease.

She leads me onward into the halls. The showers are conveniently located right at the end of the hall—men’s room on one side and the women’s on the other.

“Here,” she says, opening the door to the men’s showers, “In here.”

“…”

“Oh, don’t give me that look! It’s not like there’s any other men in the building besides you.”

That’s a relief. I step inside far less wary than I was standing on the other side of the door. The lights slowly come on, a few flicker off and on. One simply explodes, showering shards of glass onto the tiled floor. The showers themselves look like they haven’t been used in years. Much of the exposed plumbing is either corroded or rusted through—even Aya seems a little disgusted by it.

“Well, I can’t let you into the women’s room, so…” She walks from stall to stall, inspecting each and every one, “For now, let’s find one that isn’t quite so… fucked up.”

“Good luck,” I say, looking at the ones on the other side of the room. The first few I walk past have no showerheads—whatever is left of them have rusted off the pipes and have fallen onto the floor. One looks usable, though the handles are torn off.

“Well doesn’t this just beat all..” Aya sighs, lightly kicking one of the barrier walls. It practically crumbles into rubble upon impact, leaving her coughing and hacking as dust kicks up into her face.

“Nothing seems to be going your way today, huh?” I give her a pat on the back, leading her away from the mess.

“Nope. First that, and now this.. It’s like somebody’s trying to keep us apart.”

“You gonna try and pin this one on God?” I laugh.

“Ah! That’s right!” She turns to me, eyes wide, “Kanako needed to see me for something!”

“It can wait.” I turn a handle on one of the stalls, just to see if water has even been routed here. A brownish sort of muck comes spewing out of the showerhead and one of the pipes before turning clear. “Question is,” I smile, “With it get hot?”

“Takes a while for the other showers,” Aya stares at the floor as the brown sludge is slowly washed away, “Eugh, nasty..”

“Just the rust from the pipes,” I say, feeling the water beginning to grow warmer, “But who would’ve though a simple shower could prove to be so difficult.”

“Better than nothing, I guess..” Aya hesitates as I start to undress. She points to the floor when I finally get my shirt off, “I’m not stepping in that shit, just F.Y.I.”

“It won’t kill you.” I say, taking a step under the water just to prove it to her. The feeling is unpleasant at best, though I dare not say something to illustrate the fact to her.

“At least hang your clothes up..”

“Technically, they’re not really mine.”

“Well, all the same.” Finally undressed, she slips in beside me. I push her up against the wall, eager to get my hands on her. I kiss her. Forcefully, but without hurting her. Perhaps the suddenness of it all makes her push me away.

“Easy there, bub,” She says, smiling lasciviously, “You remember what I did to that other wall.” She points to the pile of concrete dusts where the wall she kicked used to be.

“You saying I’m next?” I ask, pulling her towards me.

“If you wanna be, sure.” She reaches around my neck, pulling me into another kiss. My mind seems to go blank with the sensation—all I can think about is how badly I want her.

“This is gonna end badly, you know.” I try to fight my urges, but as long as I’m this close to her it’s a losing battle.

“You calling it quits here?” She cocks her head awkwardly, “And here I thought it was just getting good..”

“Well, we could always try.. You know, washing ourselves?”

“We could..” She pauses, dragging a finger down my chest, “Or I could always try to ignore the cramping..”

“You’d definitely regret that.” It would seem that she’s thinking the same thing that I am—to simply ignore her current condition and try having sex regardless. Luckily, I seem to have gotten a hold of myself.

“I would, wouldn’t I?” She seems… disappointed. “Well, guess it can’t be helped,” She grabs a bar of soap from a nearby dish mounted on the wall, “I wash your back, you wash mine?”

“..Any idea how old that is?” I ask, pointing to the soap in her hand. It doesn’t help that it’s colored green.

“I brought it in with me.” She answers matter-of-factly. “You didn’t think I’d come unprepared, did you?”

“Err…” I give up. She’s too much for me. I’m fine with whatever she wants, so long as it doesn’t end with one or both of us in untold amounts of pain. That rules out the possibility of intercourse, sadly.

“Excellent!” She smiles, taking to washing me as enthusiastically as I’ve ever seen her. I’m glad she enjoys it. Somehow, I seem to be getting a little into it myself, but I always manage to maintain my self control.

When it comes time for her turn, I try to wash her up quickly. It’ll be a lot less difficult for her if I can keep her from feeling it any more than necessary.

“Go slower!” She says, “This isn’t sexy at all!”

I try to oblige as best I can, but it’s best if I simply ignore her and get on with it. Unsurprisingly, I spend so much time thinking about how I can accommodate her situation as best as possible that I don’t stop and enjoy the feeling of her skin on my hands.

“You just had to rush it, didn’t you?” She scowls as I rinse out her hair, “What a disappointment! Do it over!”

“Huh?” I pause, getting to my feet just in time for her to push me into a wall.

“You heard me!” She grins, “Why, I’ll make you do it over and over again until you get it right!”

[ ] Okay, sure.
[ ] Wasn’t she supposed to meet with Kanako?

[X] SIR, YES SIR!

[X] Okay, sure.

[X] Okay, sure.

Sanaek, you are a cruel god (also refering to your /underground/ story)

[x] Okay, sure.

[X] Okay, sure.

[X] SIR, YES SIR!

hahaha

[X] SIR, YES SIR!

[X] SIR, YES SIR!

[X] SIR, YES SIR!

Stand and salute

>That rules out the possibility of intercourse, sadly.
Hey, as a comedian once said, they don't close down the amusement park just because the Ferris wheel broke down.

[+] SIR, YES SIR!

>>103090

True there's more than one way to tame a snake, and a girl like Aya has about 2-3 other ways.

Well, if the good lady so demands it…

“Sir, yes sir!” I stand and salute. No reason in particular for it beyond showing my resolve. At this very moment, there’s nothing I’d like more in the world than another reason to shamelessly cop a feel. I think Aya is brutally aware of it, too. I hear her giggling before she blasts me in the face with water.

“Heh, alright, then!” She tries desperately to pull me down to where she’s seated, laughing all the way as her soap-covered hands slide down my forearms, “Screw up again and I’ll have you do it a third time! …With your tongue.”

…I’m sorely tempted. Sorely, deeply, extremely tempted to go for it. But remembering all the facts, I’d best save that idea for later. I take it and file it away deep in the recesses of my brain under the folder ‘Lewd things to do to Aya before the world explodes’. I will remember this thought and so long as I live I will never forget it until the deed is finally done. Fair enough, I expect.

“Ooh,” She purrs as I run my hands down her thigh. I move slowly, deliberately, making her shiver with delight at my every touch. I want her to feel it in the very core of her body, but gain as little sexual pleasure as possible. It’s damn near impossible not to get her going by doing this, but I can try all I damn well please.

She places her hand over mine, guiding me up her leg. “You’re pretty good at this.” Now at her hip, my hand glides over her navel. She pushes me downwards, but I move in the opposite direction. I draw a line with my fingertips up to her chest, over her breasts, and cup my hands around them, feeling their weight and the smoothness of her skin.

“Ahh~” I feel her nipples growing harder, but choose to concentrate my efforts elsewhere.

“It makes it easier,” I pull my hand away, moving it to her back, avoiding the places where she’s most sensitive, “When you’re as turned on as you are now.”

“Touché.” She reaches for me, leaning back as if trying to kiss me. Her fingertips caress my neck as she pulls me downward. I give her a slap on the ass for her troubles, and watch her nearly fall over backwards. I stand ready to catch her, but she manages to correct herself.

“Hey!!” She rubs her bottom, glaring up at me.

I laugh uncontrollably. I hadn’t quite expected such an overblown reaction from such a little love tap. I find it hard to tell if she’s trying to draw me into another trap or if she’s actually genuinely angry.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun,” I say, helping her to her feet and rinsing her off as she continues to glare at me. The combination of soap and water force her eyes shut, but the pouty look on her face sticks. I brush the hair from her face, give her another quick slap on the butt, and toss a towel over her head.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” She says, grabbing at the towel and pulling it from her eyes before breaking into a fit of endless laughter..

But as endless as it seems to be, she falls silent rather abruptly. I catch her glaring and pouting again as I begin drying myself.

“Better,” She says, “But still too short to be anything but disappointing.”

“…You’re not angry, are you?” I reply with caution, unable to tell if she’s serious or not.

“No really, no. But..” She approaches me, throwing her towel around my shoulders and pulling me to eye level, “..I’d really like it if you try taking your time tonight before bed..”

So she plans on doing this every single time we bathe until she recovers? I’m not exactly against it, but don’t I have a say in the matter?

“You do have to meet somebody, though. Right?” I refer of course to our good friend Kanako. Granted, I only know of this little detail from the conversation I overheard last night, but I don’t think Aya would particularly mind. Hell, she probably already knows about it anyway.

“Eh?” She finally sees fit to let me go, “Ah, that’s right, I do, don’t I?”

“You forgot?”

“Hehe~ Yep.” She smiles innocently, putting a leg through her panties, hopping as her big toe gets caught inside. The mere act of putting on her undergarments suddenly requires her every ounce of concentration as she tries not to slip on the floor.

“Figures..” I say, sighing as I seek out my own set of clothing. Once I finally do find where she’s put them, I find my military-grade slacks and shirt far easier to put on than her and that armored body suit.

The purpose of the suit aside, I find that it really accentuates the curves of her body. Especially around the hips, and with the way she walks in them it’s incredibly--

“You’re staring again.” She smiles at me, throwing on a pair of what looks to be winter-patterned camouflage pants that completely spoils the purpose of the suit’s tightness.

“You should lose the pants.” I say, speaking from the heart. There is nary a more honest word I have ever spoken, of this I am sure.

“Why?” She asks, taking pause to consider my motives, “..You just want to stare at my ass, is that it?”

“Personally I’d prefer it if you just ran around naked all the time.” Again, from the bottom of my heart.

“Right back at ya, big shot.” She smiles, shutting the door behind her which comically falls from its hinges shortly thereafter.

“Oh, sonnova--!!” Frustrated, she kicks the frame, forcing some dust loose from the ceiling.

“Careful,” I say, “You might bring the whole wall down.”

“Yeah, with my luck.” She shrugs, leading me into the halls.

“I think it’s this way..” She says, stopping where two halls intersect. She begins heading down one way only to turn around abruptly, “No, it’s this way!”

“…” I hope she isn’t lost. Granted, I could easily see myself getting lost inside a compound as enormous as this one, but considering the time she’s been living here it’s a little ridiculous. Still, it’s just like her. It isn’t hard to expect that someone like Aya doesn’t take well to a place like this.

On our way, and seemingly out of nowhere, the two of us run into Tenshi. We wave to her, offer some simple greetings and a ‘how are you this fine morning,’ and go our separate ways.

Then, I look back to see her following us with a rather angry look about her.

[ ] ?

[x] Whisper to Aya.
-[x] "Walk faster."

[x] "It's too early to be angry. Aren't you celestials supposed to be laid back individuals?
[x] Ask Tenshi where she is staying.

Eh, I couldn't really think of anything worthwhile to ask.

[x] Whisper to Aya.
-[x] "Walk faster."

ffffuck

[x] Whisper to Aya.
-[x] "Walk faster."
RUN SNAKE RUN.

“Don’t look now,” I whisper to Aya, “But we’re being followed.” I quicken my pace, but Tenshi doesn’t seem too keep on keeping up. I hear her sigh loudly as she stops dead in her tracks.

“So much for that,” Aya snickers. But I’m a little concerned.. Not concerned enough to stop and walk all the way back, but enough to notice that there’s something weighing hard on Tenshi’s mind. I suppose the same could be said for the rest of us. It isn’t hard to imagine that one thrown forcefully from their home world against their will would want to return before long. Even I, who has hardly been living in Gensokyo long enough to settle down, want to return to that life of peace I was beginning to like. Well, them’s the breaks. I sigh and press on, constantly advancing forward as I always have.

A few rooms down I overhear a rather loud conversation between Parsee and Yuugi. I’m ushered out of the room far too quickly to get the general gist of it, but it’s made abundantly clear that Parsee is angry at Yuugi. It isn’t hard to guess why—and on that note, it would seem that Yuugi’s been given one of those bodysuits as well. And boy, does she ever know how to strut her stuff. I wonder if I’ll get one.

I’m led deeper and deeper into the complex. Through not only miles of hallways, but a number of floors as well, to be a little more precise. Last I counted, the floor I’m on now is the third basement, and there are another five or so floors beneath this one, or so Aya tells me. Eventually, she leads me through a small office complex seemingly out of place underneath all of this concrete. Kanako sits idly at a desk in one of the cubicles reading something from a stack of papers.

“Oh, hey Aya,” She waves nonchalantly, shuffling through a number of papers with her other free hand, “So you finally found him, huh?”

“Yep!” Aya replies proudly, pushing me through into the small office space, “Here he is~!”

“He-here I am~” I say meekly, not exactly sure how to take the way Kanako looks me over.

“Well,” Kanako’s features brighten as she stands, and she vigorously shakes my hand. “Glad to finally have you aboard! The lovers reunited~!! Aya really wouldn’t shut up about you. Kept talking about how she knew you’d return and how you’re both destined to be together...or something of the sort—I can’t quite remember the exact wording.” I notice Aya trying to cover her furiously blushing face in the midst of all this, “And worst of all? Thanks to you, now I’m out ten barrels of liquor! But I digress, what the hell kept ya?”

“This and that,” I shrug, a little unsure myself, “Seems I got held up in traffic.” I’m not sure if I should even bother mentioning Tenshi, since I’m sure it’s abundantly clear that the two of us showed up at the exact same time. And speak of the devil, here comes the blue-headed brat now!

“You wanted to see me?” Tenshi asks Kanako directly, dispensing with all formalities as seems to be normal for her when speaking to those she considers ‘beneath’ her. Or maybe she’s just like that to everybody, I can’t be sure.

“Indeed, I did.” Kanako smiles widely, taking everything in stride. She dons a pair of glasses, retaking her seat and looking over the stack of papers for a second time. I wonder what’s written on them that makes her direct so much attention to it.. “I’d like to ask you two a few questions.. about where you came into this world to be particular.”

“Well,” Tenshi starts, “It was dark and stuffy, and I walked for—“

“We walked,” I interrupt, “I was there too, Tenshi.”

“Sure, whatever.” She simply waves me off, adding quietly as she looks away, “Ape..”

“I think it was some kind of research complex, judging by the equipment in the rooms there.” I continue, maybe hoping to throw Tenshi for a loop. Make her feel uncomfortable with the fact that I’m taking over. “Then again, I can’t say I’m familiar with any technology past the late fourties, so..”

“Nobody’s blaming you for that. We all know your story.” Kanako sets the papers down as she turns towards me, “Go on.”

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but I flipped a few switches and the emergency lighting came on. …Then, something attacked me.”

“Attacked you?” Kanako sits forward, eyes widening.

“Some kind of lizard thing. I don’t think it was an actual animal so much as a machine, but..”

“It said something!” Tenshi practically yells over me, “Tell her what it said!”

“I think.. It thanked me.. For releasing it, I guess.” I pause, trying to recall the events in greater detail, “Tenshi was the one pressing the buttons, though.”

“Hey!!”

“..But that isn’t really important, considering. Thanks to whatever it was, we managed to get out. Haven’t seen a damn sign of it since.”

“Well, let’s just hope it was friendly and not another something out to destroy us, no?” Kanako sits back, crossing her legs and allowing herself to relax as she turns to Aya. “Now, on the issue of the machines that attacked you yesterday..”

The two converse, Aya explaining the events of yesterday and Kanako trying to make sense of it all. Most of the information exchanged I already know, and what I don’t already know deals mostly with day-to-day life inside this bunker. The discussion ends rather abruptly on the note of the men’s showers being a total mess.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Kanako says in regards to that, “But right now, I need a scouting party to go find out what those machines were guarding. I’ll see if I can’t organize an investigation of the underground complex in the meantime.”

“Can do,” Aya replies, “Just lemme get my squad ready and—“

“No humans, Aya. This could be dangerous, and I can’t afford to lose a single pair of hands.” Kanako sighs, “Take Yuugi, she should prove to be most helpful. Keep it small—no more than four or five total, okay?”

“…Okay, but I’m not sure how I’m gonna break it to Joy and the others..”

“They’ll get over it. So long as they know I gave the order.”

Silently, Aya leaves the room. Tenshi, maybe fed up with the poorly circulated air in the room, follows her without saying so much as ‘goodbye’.

“Hold it,” Kanako stops me as I try to go after them, “I need your help on this one. I can’t plan a goddamn thing if I have no idea where the place is or how to get to it.”

[ ] Okay, help Kanako.
[ ] It’s better if I stay with Aya.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.
[x] Then get to Aya afterwards.

This hopefully shouldn't be too long.

And business style Kanako? Sounds hot and not frumpy.

[X] Okay, help Kanako.

Better do what she says. After all, she's DA BOSS.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.

[B] Okay, help Kanako.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.

>>103680
>picture
I am hard as a rock.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.

I'M STILL IN A DREAM~

SNAKE EAAAAAATEEER~

[x] Okay, help Kanako.
[x]Sing 'Snake Eater'

[x] Okay, help Kanako.
[x] Sing 'Snake Eater'

[x] Okay, help Kanako.
[x] Sing 'Snake Eater'

I don't care if snake eater hasn't even come out where we're from.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.

>>104141
It may not have come out in his time, but Snake has played MGS3 WA~AY back in Hakugyokurou.

[x] Okay, help Kanako.
[x] Sing 'Snake Eater'

SOMEDAY YOU GO THROUGH THE RAIN

AND SOMEDAY YOU FEED ON A TREE FROG

I hate to leave Aya alone, but Kanako clearly needs my help. And out of two people who can help her, I’m the only one who is truly capable of giving strategic advice. Or, at the very least I’m not quite as argumentative as the other. Speaking of which, Tenshi hadn’t said a word when she stormed out earlier… Maybe she has something important to take care of, as unlikely as that seems.

“Alright,” I say, finally putting my thoughts into words, “Got a map somewhere?”

“I have an old road map.” Kanako replies, digging into her desk. “Sadly, it doesn’t do much good when most of the roads are torn up beyond recognition.”

She lays it out in front of me, clearing her desk as best she can to unfold it completely. I was hoping that I might be able to decipher where in the world I am by looking at the shape of the land masses, but much to my disappointment none of it is even remotely familiar. The publishing date of the map is dated 2194, but Kanako said this one was rather old. Judging by the wear around the edges and creases, this one has to be ancient. Or at least poorly cared for. Still, no clear grasp on the exact date, and no idea where the Hell I am.

“Alright, I think this..” I draw a line down the map, following a number of roadways before finding one similar to the highway traversed yesterday, “..This might be the road we came through yesterday..”

I trace it back both ways with my eyes. Indeed, there’s a military establishment at one end, and it leads dangerously close to a city before running off the page.

“Here’s the city I sent Aya to investigate,” Kanako lays a finger right where I’m looking. It’s listed as being nearly fifty miles from this base! Did Aya and them walk all the way out there? Kanako doesn’t mention the subject at all, continuing with, “So it’s safe to assume where you came from is in the area.”

“To the North, I think.” I pause, translating what I remember into directions on paper. “I’d know better if I can see it for myself.”

“We’ll just have to go by that, then.” Kanako sighs, putting the map away when it’s clear we’ve hit a dead end. “I’ll have you lead a group out there when Aya gets back.” She looks at me apologetically, as if to say she’s sorry I couldn’t go with her on this scouting run.

“First,” she switches gears, heading for the door, “I need to get you some gear.”

“Do I get my own catsuit?” I ask, laughing inwardly.

“If you want.” Kanako doesn’t look back, calling for me to follow her, “They seem to guard against a number of things.. Though I think Suwako would do better at explaining it.”

“Really?” The image of when I last saw her comes to mind, bringing up a number of questions. I choose to keep silent for now, considering the majority of them to be either prying or unrelated to the current issues. Instead, I ask, “Why her?”

“She seems to have a better grasp on the technical aspects of things here than I do.” Kanako falls silent, leading me through a door into what appears to be a sort of armory. A rather extensive one at that.

“Woah..” I catch myself staring down wall upon rack upon wall of firearms—none of them even remotely recognizable.

“Finally.” I hear Suwako’s voice call from the back, “And here I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna wine and dine him first.”

Kanako shakes her head, “Just ignore her. She’s in a bit of a bad mood.”

“And it only gets worse from there,” Suwako says, walking out from behind the armorer’s counter. “So what’ll it be this time?” She looks directly at me, seemingly trying to ignore Kanako on purpose. “I’ll have you know ammo for these things is pretty damn hard to come by with the mess we’re in.”

“I think we should start with a radio..” Kanako sighs, rubbing her eyes exasperatedly.

“Alright, then. Wait right here!” Suwako smiles awkwardly before walking back behind the counter.

I turn to Kanako,

[ ] “What’s her problem?”
[ ] “So when do I get a catsuit?”
[ ] “Any idea when Aya’s due back?”

[X] “What’s her problem?”

He asks, knowing full well she can probably hear.

[X] “What’s her problem?”

[X] “What’s her problem?”

[ℤℯ] “What’s her problem?”

[+] “What’s her problem?”

[X] “What’s her problem?”

[x] “So when do I get a catsuit?”

[X] “What’s her problem?”

“What’s her problem?” I mutter just out of earshot, keeping my eyes trained on Suwako for any signs of her having heard me.

“This and that.” Kanako replies as normal, showing no intent of keeping her voice down. “Honestly, I think it has more to do with her reliance on me for survival more than anything. She’s.. how should I put this..”

“You were going to say resentful?” Suwako, clearly having heard everything walks, back over and plops a bag full of something heavy onto a nearby table. “I’m grateful for it, really.” Still, she seems so utterly depressed that I can’t help but wonder.

“You are?” Kanako quirks her eyebrow, showing a confused expression I never thought possible for her. “I thought..”

“You think a lot of things, you do. Without you here I’m probably as good as dead, and I’m honestly grateful for what you’ve done.” She rifles through a number of odds and ends, showing more interest in the task at hand than with anything taking place around her. Including Kanako. She starts throwing things into my hands without pause, stating that I’ll “need this,” or that “this’ll be useful,” all while proceeding with her discussion with Kanako.

“No, when I stop to think about it,” Suwako says, “This is the first time in my life where I’ve been unable to control the fate of my own existence. And that is what really bothers me.”

“Well, then why don’t you do something about it?” Kanako replies strongly, though I’m shoved forcefully from the room before she gets underway. The door shuts behind me with a heavy metallic thud, and I find myself forced to figure out what to do with all of this equipment that’s been forced into my hands throughout the ordeal.

“Well, shit.” I wonder if the two of them may have forgotten that I know nothing of this so-called ‘modern’ technology. Present-day gadgets aside, how the hell am I going to know what to do with anything two-hundred years into the future?!

“I see they’re arguing again.” A strangely soothing voice calls from just outside the room.

“Pretty tame for an argument, I think.” I reply as Sanae steps inside to greet me.

“They can hardly afford to start throwing punches in a situation like this. ..I wonder if I should be thankful. ” She smiles, “Need a hand?”

[ ] It really is awfully heavy.
[ ] I’m sure I can manage myself.

----------

Finally, progress! I apologize for being less than timely this go round. Bit of a rough week I suppose.

[x] It really is awfully heavy.

Help isn't a bad idea.

[x] It really is awfully heavy.
[x] "I don't suppose you have any idea what even half of this crap is, do you?"

[x] It really is awfully heavy.
[x] "I don't suppose you have any idea what even half of this crap is, do you?"

[X] It really is awfully heavy.

[X] I’m sure I can manage myself.
[X] Some explanation of this stuff would be helpful, though. Particularly what it does, how it's used, and whether or not I have to worry about any of it breaking or exploding.

Manly pride aside, if you can't handle holding the weight of all that stuff now, how well will you be able to handle it out in the field when you're running for your life from another mini-nuke bombardment, or worse?

>>105893

I figure he could handle, but he wasn't going to turn down help if it's offered, such chances are rare.

“Yeah, thanks.” I hand her a few of the lighter items on the top, which she graciously accepts probably knowing full well that I’m not taking full advantage of her offer.

While we walk, I ask, “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know what any of this does, would you?”

“Only what of it I’ve used myself. The others might know better, but I doubt you’ll need all of this.” She smiles, finding a table to set everything down.

The room I’m in appears to be a mess hall. Pretty standard fare—long tables, long benches, open kitchen at the far end, and the smell of some military-issue meat dish coming from it. It isn’t a bad smell, considering how much I’ve eaten in the past few days. It makes my mouth water, and focusing on the task at hand is made twice as difficult as it should be.

Sanae tries to explain what much of this does—most of it being communications-related. Never heard of a gee-pee-ess before, and the radio box is small enough to fit into my pocket. Most of it is fairly sensible—body armor, dark pants and a top more fitting for night operations, sadly no form-fitting jumpsuit, and a number of items made specifically for seeing at night.

“What’s this?” I ask, picking up what looks to be a grooming kit, but having come from the armory..

“That’s for shaving.” Sanae says, “Have you seen yourself lately?”

“Err..” I get the message, loud and clear. Honestly I’d rather have heard nor said nothing at all.

“With what Kanako has in store, it would probably be best to lose the Santa Claus look.”

“S-Santa?!” Granted, shaving razors are somewhat hard to come by in Gensokyo, but to take it to that extent is..

“And I’m not sure what sort of effect those nuclear rounds have on youkai,” She brutally changes the subject. Probably best for us both, I think, “But this is supposed to counteract the effects of the radiation in humans..”

She hands me a small box covered in text which I just can’t help but read aloud, “Stops burning at the source and penetrates deep to.. Wait, what?”

“Sunburn ointment,” Sanae explains, “I was a little confused when I first saw it too, but..”

“Does it actually work?” I open the box, look over the ingredients. Of course, any effort to understand why and how it does what it does is absolutely futile on my part.

“I’ve seen no evidence that it does personally, but the people who’ve used it and come out of fights without having their faces melted off seem to swear by it. A good a reason as any, I suppose.”

“I see..” Truth be told I’m skeptical, but I’d rather not dwell on it for too long. Of it works, it works.

Sorting through the rest of the gear takes hardly any time at all. Maybe a total of ten minutes time. Sanae gets a little stuck trying to explain the rifle I’d been given, but having used one previously I can safely tell her that explaining it is unnecessary. After all is said and done, she decides to hang around for a while longer.

People start pouring into the room with hardly any warning at all until the place is packed. I see a few familiar faces, namely Utsuho and Parsee, and the squad I was with yesterday. Aya must still be out with Yuugi.

Everybody lines up by the far counter, and I see people walking off with food. I wait around and grab a bite to eat before heading back out. But by the time I head back to where I’d left my gear, Sanae has already left.

“Right behind you.” Or not. She takes a seat across from me, eating quickly and taking some time to point out to me who in the room does what and where. It’s all rather useless information, but I try to pay attention anyway. And as people begin to file out as suddenly as they came in, I figure it might be a good idea to draw this to a close.

Saying nuts to that thought, I’d rather--

[ ] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.
[ ] Stay and chat with Sanae.

[X] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.

I can't see Snake with a combat beard.

>>106855

That Sanae is hot.

[ ] Stay and chat with Sanae.

[x] Bit Sanae farewell, thanking her for the information.
[x] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.

Sounds like Snake's too scruffy, even for Snake.

[x] Bid Sanae farewell, thanking her for the information.
[x] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.

>>106855
>“What’s this?” I ask, picking up what looks to be a grooming kit, but having come from the armory..
>“That’s for shaving.” Sanae says, “Have you seen yourself lately?”
>“Err..” I get the message, loud and clear.
Couldn't think of anything but that bit from Austin Powers:
"Let me guess: The floss is garrote wire, the toothpaste is plastic explosive, and the toothbrush has a detonator in the handle!"
"...Actually... no. You see, there have been great advancements made in the field of dentistry since the 60s."
"Oh."

>>106881
Makes sense. I was thinking of that bit when I wrote it.

[x] Bit Sanae farewell, thanking her for the information.
[x] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.

[+] Bit Sanae farewell, thanking her for the information.
[+] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.
-[+] Trim and neaten the beard, but don't get rid of it entirely. I mean, come on. Seriously.

[x] Bid Sanae farewell, thanking her for the information.
[x] Go back to the room, get cleaned up.

At least she didn't call you the Colonel.

I’d rather go take some good advice to heart and clean my scruffy ass up. Though she does exaggerate with her ‘Santa Claus’ comment, Sanae does make a very valid point. And my face is so very, very itchy—something I’d expect maybe first thing in the morning or after a hard day’s work, but not in the middle of the day when I should still be feeling relatively clean. I bid my farewells to Sanae and wonder as I walk down the hall with all this crap in my hands if Aya would recognize me at all if I lose the beard entirely.

I find myself headed back towards the run-down old bathroom across the way from the room I’m staying in. Thankfully, the room is on the way so I’ll have the opportunity of dropping some of this needless weight. And thankfully yet again, the bathroom has a mirror. It’s broken, nearly shattered completely, but I can at least see what I’m doing. I end up using the water from the one working shower to shave.

And feeling refreshed, I head back into the room. I quickly get changed and almost immediately start messing around with some of the equipment. First on the list is a small headset radio. I’d normally have difficulty believing the device could be anything similar to a radio, seeing as the receiver can fit in the palm of my hand, but somewhere between now and a year ago I’d been forcibly stripped of any manner of sense I once had. I place the earpiece over my head, and upon switching it on I hear a number of familiar voices..

“Oh hell,” I can hear Aya groan, “You just had to kick the door open, didn’t you? Alert the whole damn army, why dontcha?”

“Yeah, fuck your shit! From now on we’re doin’ this my way!” Is that Yuugi? Has to be!

“Hey, uhh..” I say into the mouthpiece, “Can anybody hear this?”

“Wha-?!”

“Izzat you snakey-pants?” Yuugi asks, “Say, question for ya. How exactly do you get the Tengu to keep quiet?”

“What!? You’re the one kicking doors down!” Aya sounds absolutely pissed! I couldn’t imagine what Yuugi could’ve done to bring out this side of her.

“For starters,” I say, “Maybe try not kicking doors down?”

“Aww… Well is there anything else I could do?”

“No.” Aya answers for me.

“This isn’t the time or place for this, people. Try focusing on what’s in front of you for a change?” Kanako what?! “Oh, and you” I can tell she’s talking to me. “Get off this channel. I didn’t give you a radio so you could chat it up with your girlfriend.”

“Ugh..”

I take off the headset before I hear any more. Looks like with Aya in charge the whole operation has gone to hell in a handbasket, and Kanako gets stuck babysitting the lot of ‘em. Figures this’d be the only outcome when the people in charge are youkai and gods who’ve done nothing but drink themselves into oblivion for years prior to this..

[ ] I should see what I can do to help.
[ ] They already have one babysitter.

[x] They already have one babysitter.
-[x] But leave the radio on just in case they need help.

[x] I should see what I can do to help.

[X] I should see what I can do to help.

"I'M HELPING! I'M HELPING! I'M HELPING YOU!"

[X] They already have one babysitter.

[x] I should see what I can do to help.

[x] I should see what I can do to help.

[x] I should see what I can do to help.

[x] I should see what I can do to help.

Let's find us a cardboard box.

I probably should’ve opted to go with them earlier. They could use the expertise. With Yuugi making as much noise as possible and Aya acting more stubborn than usual, it’s safe to say the current operation is FUBAR. I’ll at least see them safely through it, but whatever reconnaissance work that was supposed to be done surely isn’t going to be with every enemy within earshot closing in on them. I keep quiet as per Kanako’s orders, but she didn’t say anything specific about me not listening in.

Though, as I somewhat expected, all I hear is bickering and arguing, and Kanako’s weakening attempts at keeping things under control. From what I’m hearing, at least the two are on their way back. I think to myself, why not go wait for them by the front door. Greet them as they come home. Maybe greet any unwanted followers as well.

…

I’d better bring this gun. Just in case. What little body armor I’ve been given looks like it’s far too thin to stop anything beyond some wayward shrapnel. Probably useless, but I’d rather have it and not need it. I grab what little I deem necessary and make for the front gate.

The weather outside is still fairly cool. Judging by the color of the trees, I’d say the season’s around mid-autumn. And..

Huh. Guess they didn’t take the car back with ‘em. But it looks like somebody’s moved it.

… And fixed it up a bit. Helluva maintenance crew they must have here. Hardly even a dent left in it. I suppose bullet holes do buff out. I make ready in the gunner’s seat beside the stump of what was once a .50 cal. At least, I think it was a .50. Could be some future-gun like this two-pound slug shooter slung over my shoulder. Safe to say it looked quite a bit like one at the very least.

I catch my mind as it wanders, trying to focus on the task at hand. It doesn’t feel like it’s been long at all, but without a proper watch there’s really no way I can tell for certain. In the meantime, I entertain myself with the radio chatter…

“I told you! It doesn’t work that way!” That would be Aya. No less angry than before.

“Aw, c’mon! It’ll be easier this way…” And it would seem Yuugi is still catching the brunt of it..

“No means no! You’re not going to break a second one!”

“The other one was rusted! How the hell was I supposed to know?!”

“Look over in that one there. See if you find some wires I can use.”

“I’m tellin’ ya! My way is easier!”

“Just do it!”

“…”

Silence, save a bit of obnoxious banging. Like somebody hitting an empty refrigerator with a lead pipe. I’m a little relieved to not hear gunfire in the background at the very least, but I’m beginning to wish they’d stop with the god awful banging. I’m forced to take off the headset before it really starts getting to me.

“You certainly seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Huh?” I hear a voice, but as I look around I see nobody. Instinctively, I look over my head as well. Nobody flying up there either..

“No, no! Down here!”

I look down inside the car. Still, nobody. Where the hell is that coming from?

“Hehe~ Getting closer~”

[ ] Give up
[ ] Ignore it
[ ] Keep looking

----------

Kinda rushed. Haven't done much in a while. I'll probably be more active after another week or so when I have some more time on my hands.

[x] Give up

[x] Keep looking

[x] Keep looking

It might be an invisible kappa.

[X] Keep looking

[x] Keep looking

This is too weird… Is the car talking to me? I tighten my grip on my rifle and climb into the driver’s seat. Oh? There’s somebody looking into the windshield…

“Boo!” she yells, smiling and laughing like a young child as she walks over to and leans into the side window, “Scare ya?”

“Not really, no..” If that was her intention, wouldn’t it be better to simply not announce her presence beforehand? But her close proximity to the vehicle does lead me to some interesting conclusions.. “Say, were you the one that fixed this car up?”

“Err.. yeah, sure, kinda…” she says, “But you’re really not scared?”

“No, not one bit,” I smile, wondering why this girl seems so familiar to me. Have I met her before? More radio chatter distracts me for a brief moment, and when I look back the girl is gone.

“Boo!” Or so I thought… I’m hardly shocked when she jumps up from behind the door. She looks at me with great expectation.

“Nope, not scared.” Maybe it’s her whole demeanor, or maybe I’m just used to things popping up out of nowhere and either trying to shoot me or eat me alive. She, in particular, seems to be the type to want to do neither. She groans in dismay as I try to think of a way to keep this from growing more awkward than it already has become. “So, do you work here?” I nod to the large building where Kanako and all them have taken up residence.

“Yeah, but not right now. I’m on break!” She smiles innocently, “Well, sorta..”

“’Sorta’?”

“Not much else to do here, ‘sides shoot stuff. Can’t say I’m very good at that, so I, err… What exactly do I do here again?”

“…You’re not asking me, I hope.” The look on her face shows that she most likely is. “I’m a little new here myself.”

“Ah, that would explain why I haven’t seen you around lately! Oh, anyways, time for me to get back to work! See you around!”

And with that, she runs back inside. For a brief moment, I wonder what an absent-minded girl like her could do that would be useful, but the more I think about it the more I find myself not wanting to think about it. Best just to stop and get back to what I was doing previously.

Oh, and I don’t think I ever caught her name… Oh well, seems I might be seeing more of her around these parts so I’ll just ask for it the next time I see her.

[ ] Stay out here, wait for Aya to return.
[ ] There’s gotta be a shooting gallery in this place.
[ ] Have a look around, meet people.
[ ] Mess around with the car.

----------

Hooray! Took me long enough. Been replaying Half-Life 2 busy these past few weeks. Haven't really been in a proper writing mood for a while. Figure putting a few fresh updates out there might help me fix that.

[x] There’s gotta be a shooting gallery in this place.

Shootan games

>>110596
[x] There’s gotta be a shooting gallery in this place. Find a manual for the slug thrower while you're at it. Names, numbers. Get some information.

Familiarize yourself with your weapon soldier.

[x] Stay out here, wait for Aya to return.

This doesn't sound like a bad idea.

[x] Have a look around, meet people.
It's been too long. Sexing up Aya in Gensokyo finally returns?

[ℤℯ] Mess around with the car.

Where the fuck is the rear defrost?

[X] Mess around with the car.

There seems to be no benefit to picking this option. That means we'll probably get something awesome for choosing it.

>>110672
In before we back the car into a god damn kitchen or something.

[x] Have a look around, meet people.

[B] There’s gotta be a shooting gallery in this place. Find a manual for the slug thrower while you're at it. Names, numbers. Get some information.

[x] There’s gotta be a shooting gallery in this place. Find a manual for the slug thrower while you're at it. Names, numbers. Get some information.

Apologies for the lack of timeliness on my part. I'm somewhat back on track after a slew of blizzards and power outages, though far less on track than I'd like to be seeing as AVP comes out in a few days. A small obsession of mine I must say. In any case, Gunman and SOW will resume shortly. My other story in /underground/ is effectively dropped due to the lack of no interest whatsoever.

So long story short, allow me a few days hours to sort shit out, and we'll be rolling again. Pic very related in the event of further lulls in writing.

I spend a couple more minutes lazing around inside the vehicle until boredom overcomes me. I suddenly feel the need to shoot something, maybe give my trigger finger a good workout. It’ll be a good experience and I’ll be able to run this firearm through a few basic tests in the meantime. A soldier who doesn’t know his weapon usually winds up dead—combat is the last place I want to be asking where to find the safety switch. I step out of the vehicle, walk around for a bit, and then head back inside. The weather’s nice outside, but the urge is quickly becoming unbearable.

Thankfully, the entire complex seems to be not only utilitarian in nature, but user-friendly as well. Seems somebody thought it would be a good idea to post up a schematic of the building’s layout right past the front door. Hell, I don’t even need to ask for directions! I just find the right location on the map and I go there! Future technology really is something marvelous.

After a while, I only need to follow my ears. I begin to hear gunfire as I draw nearer to my destination. Not a lot of gunfire, but enough to be coming from two or three weapons of same or similar type. The room I’m looking for is clearly marked ‘FIRING RANGE’ in big red letters, and a cabinet full of ear and eye protection is mounted right outside the door. I bet I’ll look like a fool, but it won’t hurt to wear both at—

“Oh hey! Check out the new guy!” A voice chock-full of bravado calls out, “The freaks’re on the other side of the complex, chief.”

A man of about 20 years of age rests an arm on my shoulder, grinning like a psychopath. “Hey, so how’s about I give you a little friendly advice.” He pauses, long enough for me to grab his arm and put him on the floor if I wanted, but not long enough for me to say ‘go on.’ As it stands, I neither speak nor do I make a move against him. “You won’t need those with that gun.” He points to the cabinet of safety gear and sneers at my rifle. “If you want, you can trade that sissy thing in at the armory for something better.”

“What’s wrong with this gun?” I ask.

“Plenty,” he replies, taking a step back. “First and foremost, you won’t see anyone but the freaks down in block A using ‘em. Second, you run into one of the big ones, and you have one of those things?” He guffaws, “Pfft, yeah. Better hope you packed lots of lube.”

He steps around me, walking me into the range as he speaks. Three men dressed in what appear to be military uniforms are already firing downrange. The man raises his voice to compensate, “So tell you what. We’ve got a surplus of badassery here, and you look like enough of a badass to me to want something with a little extra kick to it.” He grabs the rifle from my hands, “So I’ll trade you this here thing for one of these!”

He tosses the rifle aside, reaching around to grab a different gun from the wall. He pushes in into my arms, saying, “Huh, surprise I didn’t break the damn thing,” as he looks back to the rifle thrown onto the floor. “Here, give it a shot. Pick any lane you want. Safety’s on your left, and don’t forget to be rough with it on reloads.” He pushes me ahead, “Have at it, I’ll be outside.”

“Huh.” At first glance, there would appear to be some truth to what the man said. The rifle he handed me possesses a certain weight that the other was lacking—makes it feel a bit sturdier. I pull out the magazine, inspecting the ammunition to find that the bullets lack a powder cartridge. I replace the magazine and head over to the range between some burly shirtless guy and a soldier with glasses. I take aim, flick the safety off and fire at a target preplaced downrange. The weapon produces surprisingly little kick and noise, and I’m able to keep firing until I’ve drained it of bullets—about fifty rounds by my count. I bring back the target.

“Seems my aim is a bit off..” I muse aloud at a four-inch spread staring me in the face. I must be getting rusty. That, or my relative unfamiliarity with the weapon has caused a bit of uncertainty in my subconscious. Better fire off a few more…

…Everybody else has left by the time I call it quits. I’m willing to bet the man who bugged me earlier has left as well. But after I pack up and step into the hall I know I was dead wrong.

“Having fun?” He asks, tossing a cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. “Pretty cool, yeah?”

“One question though.” I ask, amused by his persistence. “How exactly does it fire without a powder charge?” That one seems to throw him off. I half expect him to ask me how long I’ve been living under a rock, or something to that effect, but the response I get is a little surprising but no less than keeping in tune with his regular demeanor.

“Pretty damn well, I’d say. Saves time on the cleanup.” He tosses something behind him, “Hey, got a light? Mine just died.”

I reach into my pocket, digging out my old Zippo from my pocket. I wasn’t surprised to have carried it with me all this time, but I’m surprised that it still works at all. I toss it over to him as he follows me down the hall. I try to listen in on the radio chatter again, but all communication has ceased. Dead silence, and a good thing too…

“Woah, man! This thing’s fucking ancient! Where the hell’d you get it?!” This guy’s about all the noise I can handle…

[ ] February, on leave after the siege of Bastogne.
[ ] I bought it.
[ ] Back when your ancestors were still in diapers.

[X] Back when your ancestors were still in diapers.

[x] Back when your ancestors were still in diapers.

[x] February, on leave after the siege of Bastogne.

Boy, I sure can't wait for the next update. It's going to be a long month.

Seriously, though, it's good to see you writing again.

[B] February, on leave after the siege of Bastogne.

[x] February, on leave after the siege of Bastogne.

>>106855
I like this picture. Don't know how I missed it.

[x] February, on leave after the siege of Bastogne.

Perfect.

Updates on the way. For now, enjoy a quick something I wrote in five minutes while bored at work that completely contradicts what was stated in >>112129.

>>/underground/4605

>>112748

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

>>112748
I take back everything I said. tl;dr life is a bitch. With brass knuckles and a heavy lead pipe. Expect nothing for the next few weeks, then something all of a sudden without any manner of announcement shortly thereafter as is usual for me.

Apologies folks. Two months and nothing but problems. Computer failure followed by the lack of funding needed for repairs. I never want to go without a computer for another two months ever again. Raise your hands if you thought I was dead.

Writing might be a bit slow and wording may be a bit awkward as I work myself back into my old groove. Please bear with me. Call me names if you want but please be patient for this old writefag.

----------

Might as well keep him talking. He might scare some of the others away. “On leave after Bastogne.”

“Huh,” he grunts, flipping open the top and rolling it around in his hand once or twice before handing it back. He looks at me strangely as I continue forward, “So that makes you one of two things--you’re either one of them… or one hell of a liar.”

“Both, maybe.” I shrug, though I hadn’t quite expected this one to be so perceptive. I guess he is a soldier, after all. “You don’t seem too surprised.”

“I take things in stride, ya know? Be it some robo-nightmare or immortal or whatever, I like to be prepared.” He laughs loudly, the sound of his voice echoing sharply through the halls. I suppose I should envy him. People who can keep calm in the most bizarre of circumstances are very rare indeed. I’ve only grown accustomed to the weirdness over a period of time, though it doesn’t seem to bother him in the least.

“Ah!” And then, he walks headfirst into an open door. “You okay?” I lean over as he clutches at his face, screaming and gurgling and flailing about.

“He’ll be fine, I’m sure. Come with me.” Parsee glares at me coldly, having just opened the offending door. She pays not even the slightest but of attention to the man who is now just getting back to his feet, and doesn’t even bother to look as she slams the door into him again.

“Ahh…” I think she’s doing it on purpose. No, she’s definitely doing it on purpose. I pity the poor guy, if only for having somehow got his name on Parsee’s shit list.

[ ] I should help him up.
[ ] Follow Parsee.

[魚]I should help him up.
Parsee's shit list is everyone.

Good to see you back, sir, and I never thought you were dead.

[c] I should help him up.

[X] I should help him up.
What's got her knickers in a twist?

[x] Follow Parsee.

I'd do what the lady says.
She's in a "mood".

[X] I should help him up.

Welcome back.

[x] I should help him up.
[x] Quickly-like.

Welcome back!

Holy mother of god you're back.

[ ] Follow Parsee.

[x] I should help him up.

We might need his help later on... and Parsee's always in a foul mood.

[x] Follow Parsee.
Welcome back, it would be a shame to lose you

[x] Follow Parsee.

When Parsee yells 'jump' you ask 'how high' private.

>>116689
Does she really out rank Snake though?

>>116693
I never really brought it up. Let's just suppose shall we that since Snake is a male he by default exists as a sort of side character like Rinnosuke in the Touhou world.

>>116695
I wasn't exactly talking power, but in the little Military unit that seems to have been set up. I've gathered that Kanako's the general with Aya as a high ranker.

>>116697
Sort of. It's more like a gang hierarchy the way I've put it together. Kanako is the boss, with a number of sub-bosses (mostly Moriya folk) controlling an arm of this or that, and then there's a bunch of lackeys and hired guns at the bottom doing all the heavy lifting. Aya is somewhere between sub-boss and lackey. Snake is basically a hired gun with experience. Also, updates soon.

I give the guy a hand up.

“That was really unnecessary,” I say to Parsee without acknowledging her presence by body language or eye contact. I may as well be talking to myself considering my actions, but I know she’s there and listening. And that’s plenty.

“Yeah, man. No shit!” The dazed soldier groans, one hand checking to see if his nose isn’t bleeding. “The hell is wrong with you?!”

“…” Parsee remains silent; I’m sure glaring daggers into both our backs. I don’t bother to look at her until everyone is back on their feet and confirmed uninjured. No broken noses, no bleeding, a minor bruise maybe. The worst injury this man has is to his masculine pride.

“You’ll be fine, walk it off.” I say, turning to follow Parsee down the hall, “Maybe we won’t be so rudely interrupted next time.”

“Yeah, cool,” He waves as he walks back towards the range, “See ya around, bro.”

“…” I follow Parsee silently, trying to make sense of what she’s muttering to herself under her breath. I hear the word ‘jealous’ a few times, but that’s only par for the course. At least her motives are more transparent than her emotions.

“This way,” She says abruptly, turning into a stairwell which only leads down. I begin to grow a little curious, considering we’re headed away from everybody.

“So, where are we going?” I ask.

“You’ll see soon enough.” Parsee replies, giving me no detail whatsoever. I had hoped she might at the very worst slip up a bit, but..

“We’re here.” She says, stopping dead in her tracks and staring down a dimly lit hallway.

Or, to be more precise, the hallway grows pitch black after only a few feet in. I rifle through my stuff for a pair of night vision goggles. “Hm, handy.” I chuckle, putting them on.

Now that I can see clearer, the hallway continues quite a ways in a straight line before the goggles’ range hits the limit.

“Hey, how come he gets a pair and I don’t?!” Someone yells from behind.

“Seems we were followed.” I nod to Parsee as we both turn to face a still angry-as-usual Tenshi.

“I told her to meet me here. It’s fine.”

“So?” Tenshi grumbles, “Somebody going to bother telling me why I’m here?”

“Yeah,” I have to agree, this time turning to confront Parsee with an ally, “I’m not too big on the cloak and dagger shit myself. Why did you lead us all the way down here?”

“Kanako may not have told the two of you,” Parsee finally gets to the explanation she owes us, “but from what she said to me, if any of it were true we’d be dead by now.”

“Oh? And why’s that?” Tenshi crosses her arms, groaning with displeasure.

“Apparently, what had kept the air circulating throughout this building no longer works, and she had told me that some manner of toxic gas had begun to build up in the lower floors of the complex. This is the lowest level.”

“You brought us down here knowing that?! What if it was true?!” Tenshi becomes enraged, the shrill of her voice echoing deep into the hall beyond. One hand is placed firmly at the sword tucked in her dress.

“Well, as you can plainly see,” Parsee remains deadly calm, “that is not the case. I came down here this morning while everybody was busy preparing for some sort of something and scouted around a bit. Don’t ask me why, I just did.”

And here I was about to ask her just that. ..I wonder if she can read minds, too. “So, is it really all that important to call us down here? There really might be a dangerous area or two that hasn’t been found yet.”

“Well, if you’ll let me finish..” Parsee seems to be getting irritated, but then again this is her. It may just be my imagination. “Kanako also stated that a few people had died down here due to the gasses. I’ve found no bodies, but there’s a locked door at the end of this hall that has my attention. I can’t trust Yuugi to keep a secret from anyone if questioned, so you two will help me open it.”

She doesn’t seem aware that Yuugi isn’t even here to begin with..

[ ] So let’s see the door, then.
[ ] This doesn’t seem very safe.

[X] So let’s see the door, then.

[x] >>116702

Emphasis on 'see.'

[x] So let’s see the door, then.

[x] So let’s see the door, then.

[X] So let’s see the door, then.

What is Kanako hiding?

[X] So let’s see the door, then.

[x] So let’s see the door, then.

“Alright, lead the way.” I see no harm in following Parsee around, or now. I just hope she doesn’t get it in her head the notion that I’m easily led on. I get the feeling that she’s up to something, but the nature of her character makes it difficult to find solid ground to make that assumption.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the hall is Tenshi. Eager to have a look inside, is she? Not even trying to hide it, is she? Perhaps she’s only occupied herself with the thought that there is some huge stack of treasure on the other side, or behind the door is a vault filled with candy, but she absolutely fails to notice the hulking barricade blocking her passage. Still, seeing her so giddy is refreshing considering her usual attitude.

“Hey, hey! Let’s open it!” She says joyously, eagerly anticipating the moment when she finds a lever or something to turn that removes this heavy metal obstruction. Her smile is similar to what would happen if you were to give a five-year-old two dollars and point him at the nearest candy shop but forget to tell him the place doesn’t open for another two hours. The door is locked, the way is shut. All hopes of instant gratification are dashed, but the anticipation of finally seeing the other side is what keeps the kid smiling.

Of course, we won’t be seeing the other side of this door any time soon; certainly not within the next two hours. Maybe not within the next day or two unless we acquire some heavy machinery. The door is enormous! And boy, is it heavy! It reminds me vaguely of the thick blast doors guarding the underground bunker, but with more locks and bars than any normal door should ever need. Not to mention it’s probably thick enough to make a steel mill go out of business. Obviously, whoever built it wanted to keep somebody out big time. Or in, when I look at the design. Better if I don’t think too hard on that last thought. Anything that could break apart these doors would be better matched with a platoon of Panzers than soft and squishy targets like the two young ladies accompanying me. And myself. At first glance, there seems to be no way to open it. At least, nothing a human could generally manipulate readily.

“So where’s the key?” I ask dryly, hoping and praying Parsee won’t task us with breaking this thing down. I will absolutely return to my quarters and write the whole escapade off as a bad dream or paranoid delusion if she so much as thinks of asking me to break through this wall of solid, impenetrable fuck-you.

Interestingly enough, she starts digging around in her shirt for something. I watch on, eagerly awaiting the key she will most surely produce from between those magical breasts. I’m speechless, but when she turns to me and growls, “What are you looking at?!” I turn away. No key, safe to assume. And it’s a safe bet that I’ve been branded as a lecher in her mind from this day forward. Fair dues, I should say. I’ve no reason to ask why she was digging so deeply into her cleavage, though the sight alone was plenty enough to keep my mind occupied.

“It won’t budge!” Tenshi grunts at the other end where my attention has yet to focus, leaning and pushing against the door with all her might. Frustrated, she proceeds to pound on it and yell, “Hey! Heeeyy!! Open up!” But with tits still fresh in my mind, I seem to have lost sight of the objective.

“…” Parsee says nothing, either waiting for one of us to come up with something or just laughing internally at this awkward display of frustration with Tenshi as the main actress. Maybe this is the calm before the storm and she’s about to boil over. Maybe she’s jealous that I’m thinking of breasts right now and she isn’t. No wait, I’d rather not run that last one by her. But while I’m thinking she notices me staring. Rather than have an outburst she simply points forward in Tenshi’s direction.

To my amazement, the door has come open. Er.. Come apart, more like. As in, the center of it has melted almost completely away. Tenshi runs right through with a “Hooray!!” and bursting with gleeful excitement while I look around for what could’ve blown the door apart without making so much as a whisper of a sound. This sort of development is convenient at the very least, very surprising and wholly unexpected, but not unwelcome.

“Hmph,” Parsee snorts as she steps over the slowly cooling metal after Tenshi, “Won’t even show her face, will she?”

“Who?” I ask, naturally curious. As far as I’ve been aware, it’s only the five—er, three of us. Not counting Parsee’s wonderfully shaped—I think I may need therapy to get this one out of my head. It’s getting to be far too obstructive. Damn you Parsee!

“Her.” She points back into the hall, but when I turn to look nobody’s there. “Up,” directs Parsee.

“Aww~ You’re spoiling my fun!” comes a voice from above as a woman in a plaid skirt I’d recognize anywhere drops down from the ceiling. Considering the huge melted hole in the door and this woman’s penchant for the dramatic, I can’t say I’m surprised to be meeting Kazami Yuuka here.

“You’re late,” Parsee chides, “And no more flashy entrances.”

“Jealous much?” replies Yuuka, smiling her usual deceptively friendly smile and choosing to cling to my arm rather than listen to Parsee’s rebuttal. “Shall we?”

[ ] “Yes, let’s.”
[ ] I think I’ll stick with Parsee.

[X] “Yes, let’s.”

Yuka has BAD ENDED us once, I'm sure she's nice now.

[X] “Yes, let’s.”

>>116904
Of course, finding her old house and gate guard probably helped.

[X] “Yes, let’s.”

Being close to her makes it that much easier to get behind her and out of her line of fire, assuming you're not the one she's shooting at.

[X] “Yes, let’s.”

[x] I think I’ll stick with Parsee.

Shouldn't whatever Yuuka did to melt the Vault door have been just a tiny bit more noticeable and/or audible?

[X] “Yes, let’s.”

I forgot Yuka had OctoCamo

“Yes, let’s.” I am a gentlemen. I let ladies go through first. The fact that this lady is a powerhouse that could easily decimate an army or two is beside the point.

She smiles, leading the way through the melted door into whatever dangers might lie ahead. Humming, I might add. A tune I don’t recognize but nevertheless a fact that brings courage into my heart. Nothing fazes this woman. Nothing.

Parsee, on the other hand, remains dangerously quiet. I can hardly make out her expression in the darkness, but I’m sure it’s not a look to show to small children or the elderly. I’m generally a good judge of character, but Parsee is a mystery to me. Still, I can tell when she’s angry.

“Ah, I think it’s a left up here,” Yuuka says out of the blue, “…Or was it to the right..?”

She stops as the lights come on.

“Heeeey~!” Tenshi’s voice echoes from ahead, “I found the lights!!”

“No kidding,” I laugh at her wondrous ability to state the obvious and move on ahead with the others. We catch up to her quickly, stopping to help as she tangles herself up in some loose wires while trying to exit the breaker room. I skim over the labels, finding that most of them are either completely normal… Or just worn off entirely.

We press ahead, heading downwards to another level that supposedly should not exist. I begin to wonder how much farther we’ll have to travel before we hit the bottom floor or simply die inhaling noxious fumes that surprisingly do exist down here.

“Hey, uh.. Guys? Ladies?” I stop, noticing my head starting to feel light. “I’ve been thinking…”

“I noticed,” Yuuka replies, “It gets better up ahead.”

“And I’ve been wondering this for a while, but how the hell do you know all of this?”

“That’s obvious,” says Yuuka while looking at me like I’m utterly clueless, “I’ve been here before.”

“I figured that much,” I grumble, finding that—as Yuuka so plainly said—it does in fact get easier to breathe once we follow the next stairwell up. Not to imply that the stairs might lead in any direction but up, but.. “What bothers me is that you have been here before, not that you know where to go.”

“Ah, I see.” She finally realizes my suspicion, and I begin to wonder if she’s the airheaded one instead of me. But rather than answer my question directly, she points me in another direction, saying, “You might want to keep that girl from pressing anything..”

..As Tenshi begins putting her hands all over a very important-looking console.

[ ] Nothing good can come of this.
[ ] This could be interesting.

[X] Nothing good can come of this.

Tenshi, Tenshi, Tenshi. Don't you remember what happened last time? Of course not.

[x] Nothing good can come of this.
>>117251
We landed in Hell.

[X] Nothing good can come of this.
ADD attack?

[X] Nothing good can come of this.

[x] Nothing good can come of this.

stop right there celestial scum

[x] Nothing good can come of this.

[x] Nothing good can come of this.
-[x] Get her to stop in a way that doesn't get "FUCK YOU I'LL DO WHAT I PLEASE" or "Now I'll do it harder than before just to spite you" type responses.

So I'm guessing this is an entrance to Makai?

>>116919
>OctoCamo
...Hidden by octopi? Hidden by the number 8? What the hell are you talking about?

>>117272
Uh, I think it was a item Snake used in MGS4, allowed him to blend in any enviroment.

>>117285
But wouldn't it be KappaCamo here?

“Uh oh.” I wasn’t paying attention. I rush ahead to stop her, and I almost fall short until she notices me screaming at her to stop.

“What?! What is it?!” She demands, crossing her arms angrily. I would expect nobody likes to be yelled at, but this sort of reaction is a bit strong considering she could have very well killed herself or us. …I don’t think she realizes that possibility, though.

“Remember last time? How about trying not to press any more buttons?” The last time she was near a button, something bad happened. That would of course be an understatement, but I can’t rightly understand what exactly it was that took place. I would expect this time would be no different were I to simply let her do as she pleases.

“I wasn’t going to press it,” She grumbles, glaring at me uneasily. “I was just-“

Parsee pushes her aside, taking an aggressive stance for a change, “Now let’s have a look here…” She and I study the console carefully. It’s a shame I can’t read any of the labels, but the shapes of a few of the buttons and the proximity to certain lights and dials give clues as to what they might do.

“Hmm..” I notice Yuuka leaning over my shoulder, which would explain why Tenshi hadn’t caused a ruckus after that little shove I gave her. Yuuka’s presence is certainly significant, if a little unexpected all the way out here. Until now the only people I had come across had been directly involved in Kanako’s party on the mountaintop, but as for explaining why she’s here and how she’s involved… I’m at a loss.

“Why not try the big green one?” Parsee points, standing to my side opposite to Tenshi. “It would appear that we can’t go any further without doing something here.” She directs my attention to a second set of doors, no different than the set Yuuka blasted to smithereens previously.

“I’ll just put this out there, then… Can anybody actually read any of this?” I ask, trying to get a grip on the situation. I’d like to exhaust my alternatives before proceeding with the random pressing of buttons. Worst case scenario: the green button causes something to kill us. Best case scenario: it doesn’t. I can’t see a lot of in between, here.

The answer I receive is a unanimous ‘no,’ and I find myself in yet another decision-making position. I wonder, why is it that I always decide what we do.."

[ ] Press the green button.
[ ] Don’t press the green button.
[ ] Let Tenshi press a button instead.
[ ] Have Yuuka blast the door.

[X] Press the green button.

Sun goes down.

[x] Press the green button.

[X] Press the green button.
[X] Don't press the green button.

Oooooooooooooohhhhhhh

[x] Press the green button.

Prese le buton

[ ] Don’t press the green button.

Have we degraded into Tenshi's level?

[X] Press the green button.

>>117478
Tenshi's level was "push buttons at random". We are going to do this methodically. We press just one button and figure out what it did.

[x] Press the green button.

[x] Let Tenshi press the green button

Snake used baton pass!

Not my best work, but for the sake of moving things forward here goes!

----------

After the careful weighing of my options, I decide to go ahead with the button pressing. The others seem to want me to press it and I’d rather not disappoint this particular crowd. Some of them seem the type to have a tendency towards violence when things don’t go their way. (I’m looking at you, Yuuka.)

I lay down my finger… and press the button. I hear a clanking of gears as the door ahead begins to split open. Tenshi shrieks with glee as a part of some impossible to understand mental disorder or something lurking deep within the recesses of her mind and subsequently runs headlong through the barely-wide enough-to-accommodate-a-human-body gap between the opening doors ahead.

“That’ll be the death of her, someday,” I mutter, shaking my head. If there exists a single person in this world that I’ll never understand, it would be Tenshi. I’m beginning to think she throws herself into unknown and possibly dangerous situations for the sheer joy of it.

The others remain unsurprisingly calm… Or they would be, I’m sure, if they were still at my side. They must’ve gone ahead without my noticing, as I can hear several distinct sets of footsteps ahead through the door. Guess I’d better catch up…

The halls seem to grow darker as I make my way deeper into the building. I catch up with Tenshi soon enough, but the others seem to be further ahead. I can hear them talking, but it’s too dark to see.

“Say,” Tenshi says suddenly, “Where do you suppose this leads?”

“That way,” I point ahead, trying to make a witty-sounding remark, “Hell if I know, but judging by the security…” And that’s when I spot it—some manner of automated machine gun mounted on the ceiling.

“Shit... Well, thankfully the power’s out.” I think aloud, breathing a huge sigh of relief, “If it was working…” I’m a little loathe to imagine myself as looking like something come straight out of a meat grinder, so I just keep walking. I don’t want to be staring down the business end of it when Tenshi finds the button to turn the power back on.

Then, I begin to notice how quiet it is down here. With Tenshi and the others having fallen silent, I can almost hear the sound of my own blood pumping. Every sound I make echoes far ahead, and the passageway seems to just continue straight ahead for miles.

The sound of footsteps ahead stops suddenly. I continue forward to catch up, but nobody’s there. Oh dear, now why hadn’t I been expecting this? It’s like I’ve fallen into a role in some bad horror film.

“Hey, uh, guys,” I say, “Funny joke, but now really isn’t the time.” I’m sure they’re just flying above us or something, and they’ll drop down when I start to show signs of fear.

“Just what are you going on about?” says Tenshi, her voice sounding more gruff than usual.

“Ha ha, you too now?” I reach over to her, but she’s gone as well. Well, I suppose that answers my question. Though I wouldn’t exactly expect something of this sort all the way out here, in Gensokyo it was somewhat of a normal thing—people disappearing at random, that is. ‘Terrified’ isn’t a word I’d use to describe myself even at this point.

“Come on then, no slacking! You’ve got one more door to go!”

“Huh?” So it is all just a prank. I clearly heard Yuuka’s voice just now. Or, at least, I think it was Yuuka.

[ ] Press onward!
[ ] Turn back!

[X] Press onward!

Might as well

[x] Press onward!

[30 inches] Press onward!

Why turn back now?

[X] Press onward!

Forward!

>says Tenshi, her voice sounding more gruff than usual.

>I clearly heard Yuuka’s voice just now. Or, at least, I think it was Yuuka.

[x] You're not Yuuka.
[x] And you're not Tenshi.
[x] Who the fuck are you?

[X] "Wait, 'you', not 'we'?"
[X] "What the hell is going on?"

[x] Press onward!

[X] Turn back!

[x] You're not Yuuka.
[x] And you're not Tenshi.
[x] Who the fuck are you?