[-] Keep looking for the other guy. Maybe you can get clues about where he's at by listening in. (He can see 'our' location now, and was able to see where the ship thing was)

>>60042

He's also too talkative. Pull some kind of stunt in an area with limited viewing area, if he mentions it, possible locations are narrowed down.

[x] Keep looking for the other guy. Maybe you can get clues about where he's at by listening in. (He can see 'our' location now, and was able to see where the ship thing was)

Unimaginative people. We now have a captive audience in front of a troupe of the most powerful youkai in Gensokyo, not to mention two of its human warheads. I say we put the fear of death in him with an exhibition.

[X] "Since we're all out here, why not kill some time with a little danmaku?"
[X] While that is going on, continue to search the area for the enemy in ghost-mode.

Snake is a faget

PS. Gex is superior

[X] "Since we're all out here, why not kill some time with a little danmaku?"
[X] While that is going on, continue to search the area for the enemy in ghost-mode.
[X] Radio Nitori. Ask if she has any ideas on defeating optical camouflage.

Good plan.

>>60069

Wearing everyone out before a potential fight is a good idea?

>>60076
Putting on enough of a show to keep the enemy distracted while we continue to search out the enemy isn't going to tire anyone out that much.

Besides, if we turn up the heat on him enough, he might even betray his location somehow. He's already apparently been told to stay there and observe us, and now that he's been told to not engage under ANY circumstance, it wouldn't take too many near-misses for him to radio back home to either request permission to engage/retreat or to tell them take their orders and shove them up their ass.

It's already clear that they can't send their drones in due to the cold, and the only support his HQ was willing to send is already destroyed. Now is the perfect time to capture him and try to get whatever information we can out of him. Even if basic interrogation only gets us his name, rank, and serial number, keep in mind that we DO have Satori here.

>>60080

Didn't you hear the woman on the radio? Proper reinforcements won't be available for days.

>>60081
All the more reason why we don't have to worry about tiring anyone out by putting on a little show of force.

>>60082

Sorry that was meant to be directed at >>60076

[+] Suggest that Elly and Reimu solve their issues with a danmaku fight, like always.

Distraction.

[x] Keep looking for the other guy. Maybe you can get clues about where he's at by listening in. (He can see 'our' location now, and was able to see where the ship thing was)

UPDATE

"You can't honestly expect me to remember everybody I've ever fought, can you?" Reimu seems completely unenthusiastic by the whole thing, though the glances she keeps giving Elly make you question what she's really thinking..
"I'll make you remember, then!" Elly throws out her weapon as she jumps onto the twisted wreckage she'd helped bring in only a moment earlier. The two smile at each other, and continue to exchange threats for a while longer.
You, on the other and, are far more interested in the man observing the group at this very moment. At least he doesn't pose a threat anymore, else you'd have probably organized a second search by now. You turn back to the fight ahead. While you were spacing out staring off into the woods, Elly and Reimu had taken to the skies.
"Hey." You tap Aya on the shoulder. "Think we should stop 'em?"
"Naah." She giggles, looking up at the two as they throw volley after volley of brightly shining bullets at each other.
"This kinda thing's ordinary 'round here." Mima looks at you and smiles. "Best get used to it."
"Yeah, sure.." You wonder if it's really all that dangerous. Unlike the battles you'd witnessed before, the bullets this time seem less concentrated, at least coming from Reimu's side. The ones that hit the ground don't explode like before, either. Rather, they hit the top layer of snow, hiss like a hot pan under cold water, and die out.
You watch as one hits your square in the chest. It has the same effect, fizzling out and evaporating without so much as leaving a scratch on your clothes. Wierd.. Are they--
You finally get it! They must be trying to draw him out! You're honestly impressed. You tell them next to nothing about what they're searching for, and they come up with a trick like this in almost no time at all!
"Heh, heh." Behind you, laughter emerges. You recognize the voice as belonging to Utsuho. "Child's play. I'll show 'em the real way to do things!"
The sounds of a minor struggle, followed by, "That would be unwise." It's that one woman, the mind-reader. You still don't know her name.
"Aww, c'mon!" Utsuho seems disappointed. "I never get to use it!"
"There's a time and place for everything." You hear her step forward, closer to you. You feel a cold hand on your shoulder. "Pardon me, but.." You whip your head around, the girl's pinkish-red eyes fill your vision.
She's way too close! You have to take a step back. She doesn't seem to notice or mind.
"Will you be willing to take this child with you?" She pulls Utsuho forward, standing her just ahead of you. "She's been most eager to use her newfound powers recently, but.. I fear there's really no reason for her to do so. You have something that needs destroying, after all.."
"I'll.. give it some thought." You're still trying to concentrate on the battle above, though it seems to be coming to an end. Reimu and Elly set foot across from each other, almost where they stood before.
"Remember now?" Elly asks, nearly out of breath.
"That was fun." Reimu, on the other hand, hardly broke a sweat. She turns to Aya and Momiji, standing quietly beside you. "Anything?"
So you were right! She'd been playing around with Elly the entire time, relying on the others to look for activity from the woods.
"Nope." Aya pats Momiji on the head, smiling her usual smile.
"I see.." Disappointed, Reimu turns to the rest of the group. "Unfortunately, I don't have the room to spare for this many people. If you have no intention to help, I kindly ask that you leave before dark."
A few murmurs from the group behind you, followed by another cold hand over your shoulder. It's that woman, again.
"Satori." She smiles. "You may refer to me as that." She goes silent as she looks to Utsuho. She probably wants an answer..

>You'd almost forgotten Elly can't fly on her own.
>Elly and Reimu had taken to the skies.

Something's wrong here.

[x] What we saw earlier won't be a pushover. Let her join the party.

>>60316

[x] "Fine, I guess another tag along won't be that bad in our merry band of monsters, mikos, and mindreaders."

ALLITERATIONS

[X] Why not? We'll need all the help and firepower we can get.

I say when we get Durandal back, we find some way of strapping Utsuho to it.

>>60322

We'll connect her to the reactor so Durandal can go into O-OVERDRIVE!

☢ Nuclear Launch Detected ☢

[X] Why not? We'll need all the help and firepower we can get.
[X] "Hey Satori since you can mind read do you mind trying to read our spy's mind and figuring out his position?"

>>60323
And if we can get a railgun attached, we can load her in it and use her as a projectile.
Like Yuka!

In fact, we could probably shoot Yuka out of it, too.

[X] Why not? We'll need all the help and firepower we can get.

>>60333

I am now imagining 30 Touhoes attached in a chain like minigun rounds to be shot out of the railgun.

>>60318

So it would seem. This is what happens when I'm tired and try to write something. Excuses, etc.

[x] Why not? We'll need all the help and firepower we can get. But she can only use it in small blasts.
[x] "Hey Satori since you can mind read do you mind trying to read our spy's mind and figuring out his position?"

We shall now henceforth refer to Utsuho as "Little Buster." (Singular, not plural.)

[X] Why not? We'll need all the help and firepower we can get.
[X] "Hey Satori since you can mind read do you mind trying to read our spy's mind and figuring out his position?"

Phrased better, of course.

"Alright, she can tag along if she wants." You'll need all the firepower you can get. She must be pretty powerful, judging from Reimu's apprehension to let her do any shooting.
Utsuho nods her head with excitement. "I do, I do!"
"Then it's decided." Satori smiles, seemingly satisfied with your answer. She exchanges a few poignant glances with Utsuho.
"Hey, I had a quick question.." You look to Satori. If she's a mind-reader like the others say, could she possibly locate the enemy with her powers?
She scowls, before you even ask the question. "I know what you're going to say. Sorry, my powers don't work that way." She walks off a second later, leaving you feeling a little awkward. Jeez, she's almost as weird as Yuka..
Speaking of which, Yuka seems preoccupied with that strange craft she'd brought in earlier. Elly, now exhausted and fed up with Reimu, has joined her. If anything, you're more curious to find out how she suddenly learned to fly. Well, it won't hurt to ask..
You have to work your way through the crowd to get to her. As you get closer, she seems to notice your approach.
"Something wrong?" She asks, her tone leading you to believe she's feeling guilty about something. That's just the way she is though, so you let it go.
"I wanted to know how you managed to fly like that." You're sure she couldn't do it before, so why now? It's almost like some screwed-up act of a lazy God. You wait for her answer.
"Ehe~" She smiles, scratching the back of her head in confusion. "I dunno."
"Really?" Not quite the answer you were looking for, but.. "Can you do it again?"
"I could try." She seems awfully enthusiastic. You watch as she strains her face for a second, and then jumps into the air. Like a normal human, she comes back down, stumbling as her feet touch the ground.
"Huh." You shrug, choosing to look off into the group rather than question her further. The lot of them are being awfully noisy, talking about this and that. Mostly about things you've never heard about before. You note a few questions directed to Reimu about the coming of some festival, and your eyes settle on the Demon realm group. They've been pretty quiet this whole time. Well, by comparison, at least. Alice and Sara seems to be fighting over something pointless again, while Shinki tries desperately to calm the two. Best to leave them alone, you think.
"Heya!" Aya taps you gently on the shoulder. As you turn to acknowledge her, she grabs for your hand, pulling you off away from the mess of people. She lets go just before reaching the trees, now moving to stare you in the eyes.
"Something wrong?" She seems to be expecting something from you.
"No, nothing." She smiles playfully. "What do you think?"
"About what?"
"The you-know-what in the you-know-where."
"Do you mean.." Is she talking about the scout hiding in the forest?
"Yeah, that!" She nods in affirmation. "I wanted to ask you more about it."
She's trying awfully hard not to mention any specific details. You might as well play along. It might serve to draw him out.
"Oh, right! That!" You laugh. "I'd tell you, but.." You look off into the forest. "I get the feeling I'm being watched.."
"Really?" She turns her head, mimicking your over-exaggerated movement. "I don't see anything."
"Probably just a rat." You turn back to her. "I bet it'll be there a while longer."
"That's a little.." Her expression grows devious. "Troublesome.. Maybe I should blow it away."
You haven't heard any transmissions after that last directive. You're getting the feeling her idea's just not working..
"That's a bit much, for a rat." You might as well call it quits. If he makes mention of it in any later transmissions, you have a good idea where to start looking. "Maybe we should just go back inside."
"Yeah, sure. Fine by me." She takes one more look off into the forest as you lead her back to the shrine. As you get back to the group, you run into Youmu, waiting for you diligently as usual.
"Snake, I think it's about time we head out." She seems nervous. "If what you say is true, and we're really being watched.. I suggest we leave as soon as possible."
"Then, what would you recommend?" You see where she's coming from. Sitting around in a cluster-fuck like this with the enemy watching your every move is placing everybody in danger. Especially if they decide to move that flying fortress of theirs.
"I think we should split up the group." Youmu seems set on this.
"Okay.." Sure, it's not a bad idea, but..

[ ] Split up into 2 teams
[ ] Split up into 3 teams
[ ] Split up into 4 teams
[ ] Don't split up

Divide amongst the teams:

[ ] Snake
[ ] Aya
[ ] Youmu
[ ] Yuka
[ ] Elly
[ ] Reimu
[ ] Marisa (?)
[ ] Alice
[ ] Shinki
[ ] Sara
[ ] Satori
[ ] Utsuho
[ ] Mima
[ ] Momiji
[ ] Sakuya
[ ] Cirno

[ ] Action (Specify)

[X] Split up into 3 teams

Assuming Marisa is on-board, that's two teams of five and one team of six. If not, that's still three teams of five. Two teams of eight seems too large and impractical, but four teams of four seems a little too small and risks spreading our forces too thinly too soon. Besides, we can always split groups up further later. Getting them back together, on the other hand, could be tricky.

Team 1:
Snake
Aya
Youmu
Momiji
Utsuho
Satori

Team 2:
Reimu
Mima
Yuka
Elly
Sakuya

Team 3:
Shinki
Alice
Sara
Marisa
Cirno

This way, each team has at least one heavy-hitter, and at least one person who should be capable of keeping the others (especially the more troublesome members) in line. This is especially critical if the heavy-hitter IS the troublesome one.

[x] >>60398

What he said.

[x] that

I'd like to have Cirno in Snake party but this will work too.

Don't forget an action, guys.

[X] Gather everyone back inside for a quick briefing on the situation, what is known about the enemy, the drones (especially the cloaking and weakness to cold), and see if anyone has any other information they can offer that would be useful.

Seeing as we were interrupted, it wouldn't hurt to make sure everyone is on the same page before sending them all off.

I didn't even realize Sakuya was here.

[x] Split up into 2 teams

Infiltration team:
[x] Snake
[x] Youmu
[x] Satori
[x] Sakuya
[x] Momiji
[x] Aya
[x] Elly

Assault team:
[x] Marisa
[x] Yuka
[x] Reimu
[x] Utsuho
[x] Mima
[x] Cirno
[x] Sara
[x] Shinki
[x] Alice
[x] Aya

[x] The goal is to locate and infiltrate the enemy base. Infiltration team will stay on stand-by on the mountain. Assault team will begin patrolling the area in a large aerial formation. If and when they encounter the enemy ship, they are to engage the enemy and keep its forces occupied. Once she has confirmed the location of the ship, Aya will leave the assault team to join the infiltration team, to which they will proceed--hopefully expedited by one of Yukari's gaps.

>>60394
She reads hearts, not minds.

[x] >>60398
[x] >>60403
And let's smoke that fucking scout out already, jesus.

[x] >>60398
[x] >>60403

>>60406
We all know this, but the guy in the story is ignorant to everything he hasn't been told already.

>>60406
Yeah, and the enemy probably has a heart. It's a metaphor/superstition/whatever anyway.

>>60404
[+] This, except just leave Aya on the Infiltration team - less chances of a screwup.

The other one seems a bit too tricky, and might not concentrate our firepower enough where needed. This way allows two teams to each have enough firepower for the task at hand, and enough chance to succeed at their respective mission (Assault group - attack and distraction, Infiltration group - sneaking in, finding information, and then blowing shit up).

Whatever you do, I would suggest you keep in mind just who you have partnered up, as some individuals aren't exactly "compatible" with each other.

For example, considering what went down not too long ago between them, putting Yuka on the same team as Shinki and Alice probably isn't a wise move.

Then again, the same could be said of putting Yuka on the same team as just about anyone. Except for Elly, of course.

>For example, considering what went down not too long ago between them, putting Yuka on the same team as Shinki and Alice probably isn't a wise move.

It's only a wise move when Reimu is the squad leader, who won't hesitate to use force to snuff out any internal squabbling. Stick all the loose canons under her command where they can do what they do best: Make a scene and blow shit up.

If you do plan on going into the ship, you'd do better to go with the less excitable youkai. Elly is somewhat of a special case, since she can't fly reliably, making her more fit for infiltration even though it separates her from Yuka.

>>60449
In that case, Yuka should probably go in the same group that Snake does.

Sara should return to the gate of Makai. Makai is not being considered a point of interest in searches, yet, so it should remain guarded to ensure the problem doesn't spill over into it.

Group 1: Snake, Aya, Yuka, Satori, Utsuho, Cirno. If Elly is coming with one of the groups, it should be this one for sake of personal comfort; otherwise, she stays behind at the shrine, or goes back to the field of flowers. Utsuho may or may not be coming with us, her choice. Cirno is accompanying us because: (a) group two is already too powerful and group three is supposed to be subtle.

Group 2: Shinki, Alice, Reimu, Marisa(?), Mima.
Hitherto known as the "PC-98" group. Extensive knowledge and experience of each other's strengths and weaknesses. And then there's the matter of their power levels ...

Group 3: Youmu, Momiji, Sakuya.
Our scout group. Fast; good eyes; time stop; pointy weapons.

Updates?

It's a bit sudden, if anything else. When posed with the question, you consider your options carefully. Indeed, three teams would probably be best. You'll cover more ground that way, as well as avoid any more unwanted cluster-fucks like this one. Though you're unsure of who may be willing to help, you divide the teams up accordingly. Your group with be the usual three, with Momiji, Utsuho, and Satori added.
Hopefully, Yuka's mild insanity can be kept in check by Elly and Reimu. Mima's been chatting it up with them the whole time, so why not stick her in there as well, along with the maid who'd you almost overlooked. She hasn't said a word the entire time. The last team will consist of everybody else, mostly people from the Demon realm. You wonder how Alice and Marisa will fare together, considering how antagonistic they've been towards each other.
All that's left is to inform the others. You break up the group, divide them into teams, and offer a set of basic instructions to each. Most of them comply, a few unwillingly. Marisa in particular seems less than motivated, though she begrudgingly accepts after a couple of complaints. Momiji and Sara downright refuse, Momiji due to her duties on the mountain, and Sara for similar reasons. Mima tells you she's unable to leave the shrine, due to having been bound to it by powerful magic. You get the feeling she's lying, and just doesn't want to go. You're eventually able to talk her into it though, with a small sacrifice on your part. She accepts two of your spell cards as 'payment for her services'. Yuka seems thrilled to help, even more so than Elly. Something's very wrong there, but you can't put your finger on it.. Shinki and Reimu seem to have already taken up command of their respective mobs. At this point, you'd be hard-pressed to call them anything else. They're powerful, sure, but far from the level of organization you'd expect from trained soldiers. Well, it can't be helped, huh? They're mercenary-level at best. Maybe it'll pan out eventually. For starters, you should try to plan things out.
"Now what?" Reimu snaps at you as you drag her aside. She's obviously annoyed, though you can't see the reason why she should be.
"I'm still curious.." Shinki looks off into the forest. "The conversation you overheard.."
"From what I know, they're interested in us, and for whatever reason they have a man out there watching us."
"Right now? Still?" Reimu seems intrigued all of a sudden. She mutters something to herself about a barrier before going silent.
"Apparently." You shrug. There's really no telling if he's still out there. You could've missed your chance to capture him, though your gut tells you he's still out there, watching your every move.
"If that's so, I'll have 'my' group deal with him. The rest of you can all go buzz off." She waves her arm dismissively. From the smile on her face, you can tell she's half-joking. "He's on my property, first of all. He also seems to have used powerful detection and stealth magics as well."
You expect these folks you're up against haven't even heard of magic. At least, not the manner that seems to be widely known and used in this world. "From what I can tell, they seem apprehensive to launch an attack in the cold. Their machines don't react well to it."
You don't think you've gone over the details, yet. You spend the next several minutes going over what you already know. Shinki, believing her team has the best weapon against them, offers to scout out the location where you last saw the 'mothership', as she sees fit to call it. With the two of them covering the more pressing jobs, that leaves you with your options open. For now, you should talk it over with your own group. You leave Reimu and Shinki to coordinate with theirs as well.
As you return, you're first greeted by Satori's less than thrilled stares.
"For your information, I wasn't planning on accompanying you."
"I bet it'll be fun!" Utsuho seems all too willing to launch an all-out attack on something--anything.
"I suppose." That was quick. Satori resigned herself to this almost immediately. Was it Utsuho's enthusiasm that did it? You have your doubts..
"I have my own reasons." She turns back to you, her gaze pierces through you. "I'm.. curious, you could say. I don't have much reason to visit the surface world anymore."
"A vacation, then?" Robot hunting in the middle of a snowstorm? It's hardly what you'd call a vacation.. But, wouldn't that mean..
"Yes, I live underground."
"Me too!" Utsuho smiles cheerfully. "You saw our house back then, didn't you?"
"I did?" Was it that big, dark open space with the weird stained-glass tiles? What about that huge temple you saw? Neither seem to match your idea of 'home, sweet home'.
"Did he?" Satori turns to Utsuho, rather than trying to read your mind again. There's got to be some sort of way to keep her out of there..
"Yeah! I told you, didn't I?" Utsuho draws out shapes in the air, flailing her arms around dramatically as if retelling a story. "The guy who escaped from Hell, who couldn't fly?"
"I see.." Satori glances back towards you, just in time for Aya and Youmu to cut in.
Did they go somewhere? You don't remember seeing them leave..
"So, what's next?" Aya takes her place at your side. Youmu looks over the two newcomers silently while you watch the corners of Satori's lips curl up into an amused smirk as she looks to Aya. What's so funny?
"I recommend we attempt to recover Durandal." Youmu finally speaks, and you couldn't have thought of a better suggestion. Satori and Utsuho divert their attention away from you and Aya. Of course, they've never heard of or seen Durandal, so some explanation may be necessary. You inform them, but they seem awfully apprehensive. Why not? It's not every day you stumble upon a three-story tall humanoid weapon like that..
"You don't seem to be lying.." Satori narrows her eyes, studying your expression--or more--with extreme care.
"A giant robot?" Utsuho is enthusiastic as ever, though.. You feel it's for all the wrong reasons..

[X] Take your group to recover Durandal

Chicks dig giant robots

[X] Contact Yukari, ask if she can tell you the situation around Durandal's known location.
[X] Take your group to recover Durandal

If Durandal is programmed to remain hidden until contacted or the danger has passed, then it might be a good idea to get some intel on the area before walking into another ambush, even if it's just enough to let you know you're walking into an ambush.

On another note, have I mentioned I really like Utsuho? Because I do. I really do. Oh, we're going to have so much fun with the adorably enthusiastic nuclear crow when the shit hits the fan.

We won't even need to give her any actual orders. Just point her in a general direction, and then admire the smoldering crater that used to be the enemy.

[X] Contact Yukari, ask if she can tell you the situation around Durandal's known location.
[X] Take your group to recover Durandal

>>60611
>Chicks dig giant robots
That show and its theme song were both awesome.

You sigh. Her motives aside, she seems genuinely interested. As long as she doesn't try to blow it up, she's free to ask all she wants.
"Yes, a giant robot. We are going to get it back."
"Get it back?" Utsuho seems stuck on that part now. "Did.. Somebody steal it?"
"It's at the bottom of the lake." Aya cuts in, her own talkative nature getting the better of her. "You know the one." She now turns back to you, with this inquisitive look on her face. "But.. I have an idea."
"Go for it." If she's got some kind of diving suit or submarine hidden up her sleeves, you'd be more than pleased. Sadly, reality isn't always so convenient, and taking back what's yours isn't going to be easy.
"What about Yukari? Can't she just pull it through a gap or something?" Her eyes narrow. Something like that sure seems possible, though can it really be that simple? And here you were beginning to think you might have to dive to the bottom and--
*Nope, no can do.*
"You were listening.." It doesn't come as that great of a surprise. She seems to enjoy meddling in the affairs of others to no end, so why wouldn't she be listening?
*Yes~*
"So? Why not?"
*Because it's not fun that way.*
"I wouldn't consider this 'fun' at all." You hope she's got a better reason. "Can you do it, or can't you?"
*Not~ Telling~*
Oh, for the love of-- Could she possibly get any worse? Somebody get this thing out of your ear! If she's not gonna help, than what's the point of talking to her? Of course, you'd be more than willing to give her a piece of your mind--or your boot, but at this point it won't do any good. Besides, Aya's standing right here, but.. Why's she so close?
"No good?" You feel her forehead press against yours.
"How'd you figure that?" You can't stand to stay angry, not with her smiling at you like that.
"Heh, you looked like you wanted to kill somebody just now."
"Did I?" You'd gotten so caught up in things, you hadn't noticed. You're feeling calmer already.
"The others have already left. We should be going as well." Youmu, as single-minded as always. You wonder if she ever takes the time to consider the facts, or if she just acts on impulse all the time.
"I don't think we'll be getting much help from the gap demon." You back away from Aya, taking to the air as the rest follow. You let Aya take the lead as you head away from the shrine. The lake can't be too far from here.
"I expected as much." Youmu shrugs, as if she'd known all along. "Yukari has the power to help, just.. I'd have to say there's no reason on her part to help."
"Even though Gensokyo could be in danger?" Aya asks, floating next to you.
"If things get bad enough, she'll make a move. At this point, it's more prudent for her to watch us and wait out the storm."
"Why do you say that?" You're not convinced 'prudent' is the proper word choice..
"Collateral damage." You hear Youmu snicker quietly. "I've only seen her fight seriously once before, and it wasn't pretty."
"So.." You're not sure you get it. You're only asking for one favor. You're not trying to start an all-out war..
"Large gaps in unstable spaces can cause unnecessary problems, to say the least." Youmu catches up, now hovering by your side. "Open one underwater, and it's likely the entire lake will drain through. Contrary to what she wants us to believe, her powers are quite limited."
"Considering all the facts..." Satori finally speaks up. She knows something you don't. Her expression tells you that much. "I don't believe her help will be necessary at all."
"That so?" Hopefully, she won't try to keep it secret like that useless gapper.
"Yes." She replies quickly, allowing you time to speak instead of just responding to your thoughts. "I know of a series of tunnels that pass below the lake."
"Those?" Utsuho turns around instantly upon hearing about them. Her wings shudder slightly as she does, and Satori's eyes go wide.
"Don't tell me.. You didn't.. destroy them, did you?"
She moves forward, bopping Utsuho sharply on the head without even so much as waiting for a reply. Talk about merciless.. Judging from that reaction, you know what to expect next..

>>60892
If she shot down our idea of reading the guy watching us on the grounds that her powers "don't work that way" why would we have any more luck asking her to read a machine?

It might be a good idea to ask the lady just what her powers are and how they DO work, lest we irritate her by continually asking if she could do things we obviously had no way of knowing she couldn't do.

As for the conditions to get Durandal to come out of the lake, we could just as easily ask the people who built it, if we hadn't already been told what the conditions were by Nitori already. Durandal is programmed to remain hidden until contacted by either Snake or Nitori, or whatever threat Durandal detected and is hiding from is gone.

>>60893

Well, I got nothing then.

[x] Head to the lake; we'll do this the hard way.

Hey at least you won't need to hold your breath underwater when in your spirit form.

I think, first of all, we need to find out just what it is that Durandal is hiding from. Since Yukari doesn't seem to be in much of a helpful mood, our options seem to be either to perform some recon on the area ourselves, or to get information from anyone who would have some knowledge of that particular area. Perhaps a fairy, or even someone in the SDM?

As for how to go about actually getting Durandal out of the lake, we probably need to either take out whatever is there (which might not be a good idea, if we don't even know what it is we're dealing with just yet) or attempt to get it out via some other method.

Unfortunately, short of having Utsuho either vaporize the lake or blast it enough that Durandal is forced to escape and find a new hiding spot (assuming it's not simply destroyed in the process, of course) the only other thing I can think of is to have Snake attempt to possess it.

If you think of a body as a sort of machine, just with parts made of meat and water and so on instead of metals and alloys, then fundamentally there shouldn't be much of a difference between possessing and controlling a corpse and doing the same with a robot.

>>60911


>>If you think of a body as a sort of machine, just with parts made of meat and water and so on instead of metals and alloys, then fundamentally there shouldn't be much of a difference between possessing and controlling a corpse and doing the same with a robot.

>>60911
We have only been assuming that the Durandal is "hiding." The Durandal is currently missing its cockpit, which I think may be good enough of a reason to seclude itself if that loss is not bad enough to disable/blind it outright.

If Suika were here, we could ask her to do some fishing ...

Assuming we're unable to interact with it altogether, it's underwater and missing a large chunk, so it probably has some minor internal flooding. We have Cirno and ice floats. I'm trying to manipulate the physics so this somehow works.

>>60964

oh god i lol'd

[x] do something

I'M HELPING

[X] Head to the lake

One vote, bumping anyway.

----------

"Did.. Something happen?" Aya asks meekly, continuing to hover beside you.
Satori turns around, eyes filled with anger. "My pet here seems to have destroyed them."
"Oh." Yeah, sure. No surprise there, after witnessing her reaction. You turn to Aya, noticing first a sort of bewilderment in her expression. Youmu seems to want no part in it, and Utsuho is too busy nursing a new bump on her head to offer anything in her defense.
"Looks like we'll just have to find another way to do it." You really don't have much choice, at this point. It's beginning to look like your only option left is to go for a dive..
"How can you be so nonchalant about this?!" Satori asks, turning her malicious gaze to you.
"I dunno." You shrug. Of course, you've been weighing your chances of success since first hearing about the situation. It doesn't look too good, but you'll have to give it a go no matter what.
"I see." She replies, seemingly calmer than previously. "Well, carry on, then."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Aya moves forward, pointing towards Utsuho. "I can't simply overlook this."
"Is it any of your business?" Satori turns away, possibly in an attempt to break conversation. She seems to want no part of what's going on in Aya's head right about now.
"If I see it, it's my business." Aya twists around the lavender-haired woman. "I won't tolerate animal abuse!"
"Hey, what?!" Utsuho jumps in, angered suddenly by Aya's comment. "Animal?! I'll have you know I'm more God than animal, woman!"
"Wha-" Aya stutters, stunned speechless.
Utsuho grins victoriously, standing tall before her new opponent. "You heard right! I'm not some silly bird youkai like you!"
"That's Tengu!"
The two match vehement gazes, growling at each other like, well, animals.
"That's enough of that, you two." You move forward, grabbing Aya and pulling her back. Satori knocks Utsuho on the head a second time. The two stand down, both mumbling and cursing to themselves. They have to be pretty much dragged the rest of the way to the lake.
Minutes later, once you've reached the water's edge, you set Aya back down. She looks to you, as if pleading for permission to take Utsuho down. You shake your head, watching as her expression drops. You can't just leave her looking like that. A hand on her shoulder seems to help her regain some of that energy of hers.
"Keep it together, alright."
Nod, nod.
"'Atta girl." You wrap your hand around her shoulders as you look off into the distance. Funny, you remember the lake being larger than this.. Maybe it's a trick the snow's playing on your eyes..
"This certainly seems to be the place.." Unlike you, Satori leaves Utsuho to her own devices. "You said it was in the lake, after all."
"Something's not right." Aya, now completely recovered, takes a look around herself. "This is a lake, but.."
"This is the wrong lake." Youmu breaks her silence, making the announcement at full volume. "We've gone too far. I apologize for not seeing this sooner."
"Wrong lake?" Furthermore, it's not really Youmu's fault. The group as a whole did get a bit.. sidetracked. "I thought there was just the one?"
"I've never come up this way before." Youmu takes a second, and a third look around. "As it seems, we're closer to Moriya shrine than we should be. I recommend we leave at once."
"Yeah. Good idea." That 'mothership' as Shinki called it landed somewhere in the mountains, as you recall. You'd rather not be too close to it at this point.
"Yes, yes. You should all leave." From Utsuho's direction, a voice. And it's not hers.
"Who--" You turn back around, staring at not Utsuho, but a blonde-haired girl. Large, bat-like wings as tall and long as a man extend from her shoulders. "Who the hell are you?!" With no weapons to use, you simply hold your open palm to her.
"Who the hell are you?!" The girl repeats.
"A stranger?" Utsuho, hidden behind the girl's wings, peeks her head out. As her eyes widen she calls out, with more zeal, "A target!!"
The stranger girl whips around, coming face-to-face with a ball of energy as black as the night sky, with a corona as bright as the sun. Your eyes burn with the intense heat as you stare into it.

[X] "HOLD IT!"
[X] Order Utsuho to hold her fire and not to attack unless attacked first.
[X] Start over from the top, identify yourself, then ask her who she is.

I love her enthusiasm, but I think we're going to have to introduce dear Utsuho to the concept of "rules of engagement".

[X] "HOLD YOUR FIRE!"
[X] Start over from the top, identify yourself, then ask her who she is.

[X] "HOLD IT!"
[X] Order Utsuho to hold her fire and not to attack unless attacked first.
[X] Start over from the top, identify yourself, then ask her who she is.

>>"rules of engagement"
Antagonistic flirting, references to tea, then danmaku.

[X] "HOLD IT!"
[X] Order Utsuho to hold her fire and not to attack unless attacked first.
[X] Start over from the top, identify yourself, then ask her who she is.

She's going to kill her! Something like that can't be anything less than deadly! You have to stop it! You try to yell over the roaring din of that blackened fireball. Utsuho responds, but you can't hear her voice. All that's left to do now is run for cover!
As you grab for Aya's hand, Satori tackles Utsuho to the ground. The ball of intense heat flies out over the lake, simply hanging there silently as everyone struggles to understand just what the hell happened. Though, just as you're about standing, the ball explodes in a brilliant flash of light. Even with your eyes closed, you still see the light. You're thrown off your feet by an unknown force, tossed and thrown back mercilessly by the blinding onslaught.
Moments later, as the explosion diffuses and the dust settles, you push yourself once more to your feet. You look around in a daze, searching for the others. Aya stands beside you, having never once let go of your hand. She's squeezing so hard it hurts, but you can't bring yourself to let go.
Looking around, you find yourself in the tall grasses surrounding the lake. It.. really pushed you back this far? What was it, and.. What happened to the lake?
Oh, sure, it's still there, but the dust in the air seems to have given it a reddish, almost blood-colored and surreal hue.
You can hear the others nearby. Especially Satori's shrill and enraged voice. As you come up on them, you see Youmu off to the side, speaking with the strange girl. Utsuho lay in a heap face-down on the ground, probably due to more of Satori's bruisers.
"I don't believe this!" Satori, paying no mind to Utsuho's possibly unconscious state, continues yelling. "Have you no brain?!"
You permit the two to go uninterrupted, instead concerning yourself with the more than terrified stranger and the equally bewildered Youmu.
"Wh-wha--" The girl can't even form a proper sentence, though it's no surprise. After all, she could've easily been on the receiving end of that blazing ball of death.
"It would seem we've a loose cannon aboard." Youmu, though confused, still manages to understate the situation.
"I'll say.." You can't think of a proper comeback, not after that.. You can still smell the burning earth.
"Wh-why would you-" The girl seems to be on the verge of tears. "M-My lake.."
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." You offer her a hand up, which she seems willing to accept. "Didn't think she'd go off on you like that."
"M-m-monster!" She yells, terrified even at the sight of Utsuho, who seems to have regained her composure.
"She's no more a monster than the rest of us." You still can't seem to get a firm grip on what just happened.. At this rate, you don't think you ever will. This girl, however, seems open to discussion. Maybe if you started with an introduction, you could get things back on track. "Can we start over? I'm Snake."
"I don't care! Just go!" The girl pushes you--and Aya away from her. "Get away from me!!" Guess that didn't work.. What else is there you can do.."
A tapping on your shoulder alerts you. Aya leans her head over your shoulder, whispering into your ear like many times before. "I think we should give her some time alone."
A moment later, you find yourself backing away. Now that the dust has settled, you should try to figure out what that blast was. You're sure it was caused by Utsuho's monstrous bullet, but..
Even though the sky's clear, the lake stays red. Why, even though it looked normal before, is it now such a weird color? Did the blast do it?
"I've never seen a place like this.." Aya seems just as bewildered by it as you.
"Neither have I." Youmu comes up behind you, along with Satori who's practically dragging Utsuho by the ear. The stranger looks on helplessly from behind a tree, her wings flapping anxiously as you regroup.
"Tell them." Satori pushes her 'pet' to the front. She instantly averts her eyes, shamefully. Whatever Satori said, it seems to have worked.. Maybe a little []too[/i] well..
"..." You see her lips move, but nothing comes out.
"So they can hear you." Satori urges, causing Utsuho to become immediately combative.
"Dammit, I'm not gonna do it!" She wheels around, facing away from you. "I already said I couldn't stop it!"
Pow! "Then why did you use it?!"
Another slap to the side of her head, and Utsuho goes silent.
"I thought so." Satori's expression softens as she turns to you, bowing deeply as she speaks. "I apologize for her sudden outburst. I know it'll do no good, and I only ask that you forgive her."
'No good' is right! You almost got blown to smithereens just now, and an apology is all she can give?! You know it's all she can do, but you just can't stay calm after that!
"Tell that to her" You point to the girl, still cowering behind her tree. You just want them away so you can clear your head. Getting angry at an ally won't do you any good at a time like this. As Satori drags the struggling Utsuho away, you feel yourself growing slowly calmer. After all that, you just want to sit down. Even the dirt is acceptable at this point, providing only a little comfort from the radiant heat left behind by the blast. Damn, why'd you have to go and lose those cigars..

[X] Rest just long enough to get your bearings and figure out which way you need to go, gather everyone, and then get your asses out of there. The sooner, the better.

That blast probably won't go unnoticed, especially so close to where the "mothership" was last spotted. Someone/thing is bound to come to investigate, and we don't want to be there when they do.

>>61214

Works for me.

[X] Rest just long enough to get your bearings and figure out which way you need to go, gather everyone, and then get your asses out of there. The sooner, the better.

[X] Rest just long enough to get your bearings and figure out which way you need to go, gather everyone, and then get your asses out of there. The sooner, the better.

It's been several minutes since you sent the two away. Of course, that girl didn't seem to want anything to do with them, either. After being shooed away twice, the two took up to walking around the lake. Aya, who's taken to sitting beside you, follows them with her eyes as they have a look around.
"Suppose they'll find anything?" Aya asks, looking past your shoulder with a strange expression.
"Who knows.."
Her eyes turn to you as she reroutes the conversation, "Feeling better?"
"A little." Your eyes turn to the other girl, and to Youmu. She seems to have started a conversation with the girl somehow. What the hell sort of magic did she use, you wonder?
Satori and Utsuho stand on the other side of the lake, though they appear to have stopped moving. Have they found something, or are they having one of their usual talks on what Utsuho should and shouldn't fire at people? Feelings of apathy and curiosity conflict within, and the former eventually wins. Sitting here is just too comfortable to give up.
Aya brings up a point you've thought on for a while now, "Think they saw us?"
You take a quick look around. The mountains around you are tall enough that they could've hidden the blast. You appear to be in the middle of a deep valley, barren, save for patches of tall grass and a dead tree here and there. The blast has kicked up much of the snow initially covering the area, and the previously frozen lake had been thawed in an instant. This place must look like Hell when the ground is free of snow.. You wonder how that girl could--or would want to--live in a place like this.
"I think we're safe for now." Truth be told, you'd like to gather everybody up and leave as quickly as possible. There's the slightest chance that you've been spotted, though nothing has been said over the enemy frequency. As Utsuho and Satori resume their walk around the lake, you get to your feet. The initial shock you'd felt has worn it's way from your mind, leaving only an uneasy feeling, like you're being watched..
"Snaaaaaaaaake!!" Utsuho yells, waving her arms high in the air as she flies forward. Her approach is hasty, and she's over you in a matter of seconds.
"Something wrong?" She seems worried, for some reason. What exactly did she see--or hear--on the other side of the lake?
"There's this- I saw a-" A few false starts, due to her overwhelming excitement. You allow her time to speak, as Satori calmly walks over beside her.
"There appears to be a building just beyond the lake. If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to have a look."
"I really think we should concentrate on finding Durandal." Searching through other people's houses has brought you nothing but grief the past few times. You're reluctant to agree to it immediately.
"Hey, I wanna check it out, too!" Aya beams with a curious anticipation. At this rate, it'll be impossible to talk them out of it.
Utsuho, who suddenly fell quiet, has taken to watching Youmu's attempts to converse with the strange bat-winged girl. "What's going on there?"
"I'm not sure." You're curious to hear what they're talking about, yet equally eager to get the hell out of here. Aya seems intent on investigating the strange house spotted by Utsuho, and Satori seems open to suggestion. Looks like it's up to you to make all the decisions again..

[x] Ask the winged girl whose house that is, or at least get Youmu to ask for you.

[X] Ask the girl about the house, or have someone else ask for you.

When in doubt, ask the locals. No sense agitating her even more by unwittingly barging into someplace we're not welcome.

...although, we kinda did that already.

[X] Ask the girl about the house, or have someone else ask for you.

"I'm not sure," You repeat, "But I'm going to find out." Maybe, that girl knows something about that house as well. You can't see it from here, but you have no reason to believe they're lying about it. You approach Youmu first, looking to the girl cautiously as she scowls, apparently disapproving of your intrusion.
"What do you want?" The girl asks, her impertinent tone setting off sparks of anger deep within you.
Willpower prevails, and you keep your calm. "I'm curious about this place. I'd like to ask a few questions."
"This is my lake. I want you away from it. There, happy?" Her tongue is sharp, her voice just as piercing. Again, you begin to feel the anger welling up inside you. You fight it off, blaming it on your earlier shake-up. Normally such small things wouldn't so much as bother you.
"It would appear.." Youmu interjects, sensing your growing frustration. "That this place has been attacked before. Apparently, it happened quite some time ago, though I've been trying to explain that we share no such intentions."
"I don't buy it." The girl cuts her off. "Youkai don't fly around in groups like you weirdoes! What other plans could you possibly have?!"
"For starters," You wonder if it's a good idea you should mention it, but it seems it may be your only remaining option. "We're looking for an army of machines. They're hiding around here somewhere, and it seems my lackey over there just got a little confused."
"Her confusion could have killed me!" She seems to believe you, but it only serves to agitate her further. "What was that?!"
"Beats me." You've never seen anything explode quite like what Utsuho had thrown.
"I don't believe any of us have witnessed such a power, either." Youmu asserts the same fact, sharing your lack of knowledge. "Though at that range, I doubt we would be uninjured."
"Tell me this, then." The girl's tone and expression soften, seemingly more open to discussion than before. "If you're not here to attack me, then why are you here to begin with?"
"Oh, just got a little lost." You think not to tell her that it was due to Satori and the explosive Utsuho's constant bickering. That won't serve to help you at all.
"Lost?"
"We have our reasons." Youmu, realizing your intentions, responds in your stead. "I feel it would be best not to discuss such matters, though.." She turns back to you, noticing something hidden in your expression. "Something on your mind, Snake?"
"You could say that." You point off into the distance, over the lake and to where the hidden house may or may not be. "The mad bomber and her boss tell me there's a house over across the lake. I'd like to know a little more about it."
"A house?" The girl seems surprised at it's mention, though you're certain from her expression that she knows something about it. "Nobody lives there, now. It's been abandoned for quite some time, why?"
"Curiosity, really. The others want to know as well as I, but I'd rather not spend the time to check it out. Any idea who used to live there?"
"Some youkai." The girl shrugs. "Powerful, but a recluse. I'd never seen him, not even once."
"Really?" You find your own curiosity growing, as well. What kind of youkai lived there, what kind of powers did he have, and why did he disappear all of a sudden? There's plenty of questions you'd like to ask, but this girl doesn't seem to be in the mood to answer them. Her expression varies between one of distrust, to a soured look of mild disgust, to one betraying a mixture of suppressed emotions. You'd be confused too, were the people who just tried to blow you up to suddenly start asking questions like the ones you're asking now.
*Major, how's it looking on your end?* The device in your ear springs to life. It's that icy-voiced woman from before.
*We're sorry, he can't come to the phone right now.* Wait, Mima?! They must've caught the guy! *If you leave your name and number, and a message, we'll blow you up as soon as possible.*
*Wha--?*
*Ma'am!* Another voice, unfamiliar, though it sounds like that of a young boy. *Trouble!*
*I'll say!* The woman responds, audibly aggravated.
*Hehe~* Mima continues to berate her through the radio. *We're coming for yoooouu~♪*
*What have you done with the Major?!* Her voice betrays a range of emotions. Worry, anger, fear. You can discern them all.
*Nothing yet, but if you want to see 'im alive again, you'll do exactly as I say.* You cold, calculating bitch, Mima! Truthfully, you couldn't be happier. With this, you have the upper hand, even if it is a bit.. Underhanded.
*You bitch!*
*Ma'am! Trouble!* The third voice repeats itself with more urgency.
*Can't you see I'm busy?!*
*B-But, the XMD prototype has-*
*WHAT?!* The woman seems utterly overcome by emotion. Funny, she didn't seem the type earlier.. *What happened to it?!*
*I-It's gone off on a sortie without orders, Ma'am. It seems to have picked up a radiation spike off in the Northwest quadrant, and has gone out to investigate.*
*Dammit! At a time like this..*
*Ooo~~~~~~y! You people listening?* Mima continues as you try to come up with a way to force your own way in over the frequency. Something about this radiation spike sets off a red flag in the recesses of your mind.. What could it be? *We wouldn't want the old man to get hurt now, would we?*
*Put him on the line, woman, or I'll have your head!*
*Oooooo~~~~h~♪ Scaaaary~* Mima laughs, cackling like a wicked witch. *Oh, what the hey! Here, talk to lover girl, old man.* The com goes silent.
A second later, *Commander!* As Mima promised, it's the voice of the man who'd been watching you back at the shrine. *Don't worry about me, complete the--*
*Ahh~!* Mima's voice returns, though you now detect a hint of frustration. *Men are such single-minded creatures, huh? Always mission this, or duty that! It's kinda annoying.*
*You.. Don't think for a second that I'll let you get away with this!*
*You sound like some corny midboss, old hag. I've had enough of your stock dialogue. Bye-bee~♪* You hear an audible click, and Mima's voice doesn't return. Ahead of you, the winged girl looks to you in utter confusion as Youmu quietly attempts to explain the device in your ear, and what you're after. Though, you're still concerned about that radiation spike.. What does it have to do with--
*Hangar to control deck. Requesting orders to retrieve the prototype.*
*Negative. Let it finish it's run. We've more problems to worry about here. Dammit, get communications on the secure line!* The device goes silent.
"Hey, Youmu." Your curiosity getting the better of you, you decide to ask. "Know anything about a nuclear radiation spike?"
"A nuclear--" Obviously not.
"Nuclear?!" Utsuho jumps over at the mere sound of the word. "You said nuclear just now, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did." What's with the sudden enthusiasm? It's scaring the bat girl! Tone it down a bit, why don't you?
"Ohhh! You wanna see it again, don't ya?" Her smile twists into a grin as she lifts her hand into the-
"NO!" You yell, joined by Youmu, and the bat-winged girl beside you. The last thing you need is another one of those cluttering up the landscape!
"Aww~" Utsuho, saddened by your adamant refusal, returns to Satori's side. She doesn't go far, though. Satori, as well as Aya, have both come to stand behind you.
"Is there something you wish to know about Utsuho's power?" Satori asks with an honest smile.

"No, I'm more worried about a radiation spike mentioned over the radio.."
"One in the same. Utsuho's power is that which fuses atoms together."
"Wait, you don't mean.."
Oh, so that's what's been bothering you! You don't have time to revel in the glory of your discovery, as your guts lurch into your throat. 'Sinking feeling' doesn't even begin to describe the sensation you're feeling now. Shit, that means they're after you!!
"Snake, we're leaving." Youmu grabs the bat-winged girl, instantaneously slinging the struggling girl onto her back before sprinting forward on foot.
"Utsuho!" Satori calls for the winged girl, who responds by lifting her off the ground and following after Youmu at a matched speed. You take off with Aya afer them, quickly moving to the front of the group. As you head over the lake, you call out to Aya.
"Looks like we'll be visiting that house after all!"
"WHAT?!" She calls back, not hearing your words.
You'd respond, but as soon as you open your mouth, you're already standing by the gates. Before you looms a decrepit stone-and-mortar castle, leaning precariously down the mountainside on which it was built. Several of the towers have collapsed inward, and many of the surrounding stone structures have become worn down with time. At least you don't have to live here..
"We're taking shelter inside!" You call out as Youmu and Utsuho struggle to catch up.
Aya beats the doors open, and you run inside with her.
"Were we spotted?" You scan the skies overhead, looking for anything vaguely resembling an aircraft. Not even so much as a bird in the sky.
"Looks clear to me.." Aya replies, not so much as breathing heavily. You can't say the same for Utsuho, and doubly so for Youmu. The two are visibly exhausted after what must've been a good two miles of distance. Satori doesn't seem any different than usual, and that strange girl is at a loss for words.
By the looks of things, you may have to wait this one out, or take your chances with this 'XMD prototype'.

[ ] Take cover inside the castle
[ ] Attempt to track down and destroy the prototype

If 2, take two allies with you:

[ ] Aya
[ ] Youmu
[ ] Satori
[ ] Utsuho
[ ] Bat-winged girl

[x] Take cover inside the castle

I'd rather not lose our "companions".

[X] Take cover inside the castle

Better to remain as a group and take cover, rather than split up and attempt to tackle an enemy of unknown strength.

Of course, even inside and all together we might be at a disadvantage. Utusuho shouldn't use her full power indoors, lest she wind up bringing the whole building down on top of you. Although, that might not stop her from trying. Aya and Youmu probably won't be able to go all-out inside, either, so all around we'll be trading firepower for cover.

Still, even that might be preferable over taking on whatever this XMD is three-on-one. Without knowing how big or fast it is, whether it can render itself invisible like those drones, or what kind of firepower it's carrying, it's too risky to confront it.

Besides, when has there ever been some sort of enemy "prototype" unit that hasn't ended up being some super-powered death machine that's a royal pain in the ass to fight?

[X] Attempt to track down and destroy the prototype

[X] Youmu
[X] Utsuho

Better to get rid of it now while it's acting on autopilot than having to fight it when someone with skill is controlling it.

>>Better to get rid of it now while it's acting on autopilot than having to fight it when someone with skill is controlling it.

What if it's not exactly on "autopilot" though? Pay attention to what they said it did:
>>*I-It's gone off on a sortie without orders, Ma'am. It seems to have picked up a radiation spike off in the Northwest quadrant, and has gone out to investigate.*

If it's something that even NEEDS a pilot, I would think they would be more alarmed by the fact that it went off without one, rather than simply being alarmed about it going off without being ordered to.

If it possesses such a level of autonomy that it just needs to be told what to do without anyone directly controlling it, I think it's safe to assume it's going to be more than capable of protecting itself and is likely well-armed.

You don't give a weapon the ability to decide to deploy itself unless you're certain it can come back from any situation it would find itself in. This would include being able to withstand damage, knowing when to call in for reinforcements, and even knowing when to retreat, and the greater its ability to do the former one the more likely it is to do the latter two. It should go without saying the neither of those would be good for us.

>>61428

This thing is only a prototype. I think it would be better to blow it to pieces now, while it's still full of flaws, than to wait until they get the bugs out. We can't avoid fighting it forever, eventually it is going to have to be destroyed.

>>61432
True, it will need to be taken out, and we can't hide from it forever, but that doesn't mean we should just rush out to face it right away, especially not with only three people.

If we're going to take it on, we need to be absolutely certain we destroy it before it has a chance to react and call back to HQ, but without even knowing what it is or what it's capable of there's no way we can be certain if that's even possible.

Then again, hiding might not help us that much, either. The enemy clearly has means of detecting us other than plain-old eyesight, if that guy that was spying on us was any indication, and if this prototype could detect a radiation spike then there's no telling what other sorts of scanners and sensors it might have at its disposal. Unless there's something about where we're taking cover that might shield us, perhaps covering up our heat signatures for example, it's possible the thing could spot us all gathered in there and take out the whole place in one shot.

I guess there's not really any "safe" option here. We can hide and take the chance that it won't spot us right away and either attack or call in reinforcements, or we can try to tackle it head-on and hope we have enough firepower to either cripple or completely destroy it in one blow. For that, Utusuho is pretty much the one we HAVE to have along. If it can't be stopped by a full-power blast from our nuclear crow, I doubt anything else we have will.

[x] Take cover inside the castle

[x] Take cover inside the castle

UPDATE

UPDATE

[x] Throw the castle at the prototype

You decide to wait it out. Hopefully, it won't notice you in here. Chances are you'll see it again, but preparedness is key. You know nothing of it's capabilities, nor it's appearance.
Still, this place looks awfully familiar. You can't shake the feeling that it reminds you of someplace.. Someplace--
"Damn it, what the hell are you people doing!" The bat-winged girl yells, wrenching herself free of Youmu's grip.
Youmu apologizes, offering a simple explanation that she did it solely on impulse. It doesn't serve to calm the girl, but it doesn't seem to aggravate her further. Satori and Utsuho stand away from the group, and Aya has already taken to searching the place. You do your best to quiet them down. It works, for a little while. Just long enough for you to hear a roaring overhead. It's not just your mind playing ticks on you, you're sure. The others hear it, too. The steady and constant, yet unearthly sound continues overhead in a straight line.
"You guys hear that?" You point up, hoping they may know more about it than you. This is their world, after all. You're just the new guy.
"I hear it.." Aya whispers, looking to the ceiling as if trying to stare through it. "I've never heard anything like it."
"It's certainly no animal." Satori adds.
"I bet it's that thing out looking for little miss fusion here." You thumb at Utsuho, thinking that all of this could've been avoided if she'd simply held her fire. "Let's just hope it doesn't find us."
"Thing? What thing?" The others seem entirely stupefied.
Oh, that's right! You never did bother to mention it, did you. As the sound begins to circle back, you explain to them what you heard over the radio. Another thought lingers in the back of your mind as you speak. How did Youmu know when to run for cover? Why did she react the way she did? You can't leave it alone, and you call her over to ask.
"Simple." She replies, removing the band from her hair. "This." She holds it out, offering it to you. Immediately after taking it in your hands, you notice it's weight. It's heavier than it looks, by far! What matters to you, though, is a small earpiece sticking out from one end of it. You inquire as to where she got it and for how long she's had it, though she doesn't seem too confident in her answer.
"I've had it for a short while now. I received it shortly after the group separated, and thought to use it only recently. I apologize for my silence on the matter."
"No, it's fine." You hand it back, still full of suspicion. Something seems wrong. Maybe it's the look in her eyes, or the tone of her voice, but you can't place a finger on it. It's probably nothing. You're just worried, that's all.
Turning your attention to that eerie noise overhead, you notice it's grown softer, as if heading away. Only one pass of the area, and it's already leaving? It's hardly what you consider thorough. What is thorough, however, is Aya's search of the place. For a while now, she's been gathering these useless trinkets and devices, and has been piling them in the center of the room. What the hell is she thinking?
"Hey, Aya?" A hand over her shoulder stops any forward progression.
"Yes?" She turns to you with a curious smile on her face.
"Uhh, what's all this?"
"A pile of junk." Her reply is almost.. too sincere.
"I can see that." You take a quick look at it. A rusted radio, broken bits of dinnerware, and some sort of candelabra sit at the top. "What are you going to do with it?"
"I dunno yet. I'm just having a look around. Maybe some of it's enchanted!" She's entirely too enthusiastic.. "Wanna have a look around?"

[ ] Yes.
[ ] No.
[ ] You can still catch that prototype if you hurry!

>Still, this place looks awfully familiar. You can't shake the feeling that it reminds you of someplace.. Someplace--

[x] Yes.
[x] "Does this place remind you guys any of Yuka's mansion?"

Hopefully Kurumi will hear and recognize Yuka's name.

[X] Yes.

We'll get another chance at that thing, I'm sure. Especially if all it takes to get it to come searching is having Utsuho throw out one of her little blasts.

Also, I suppose this means we're going to have to start keeping an eye on Youmu now. Though it was helpful for her to know what was going on just now, I have to wonder what else she knows that she hasn't told us...

[X] You can still catch that prototype if you hurry!

Now that everyone knows about it and it seemingly gave up it's search; it's time for a surprise attack.

For some reason I thought of Youmu as Vamp, I can't understand why.

[x] Yes.
[x] "Does this place remind you guys any of Yuka's mansion?"

Diving ever more deeply in Yuka's backstory. Will we encounter Mugetu and Gengetu here?

"Sure, why not?" You're immediately reminded of the familiarity of this place. Sure, it bears a certain resemblance to Yuka's mansion in the underground, but the rooms are all wrong.
You search the place with Aya, though your investigation turns up nothing more than a few hidden passageways, and an awful lot of cobwebs. Stone corridors twist and turn throughout the building, leading from abandoned room to abandoned room. A room in one of the larger towers shows signs of some ancient battle within, though it seems like nobody's lived here in years.It doesn't come as a surprise. Who in their right mind would want to live in a gloomy place like this? Of course, Yuka's not in her right mind, but that's beside the point. You return to the main hall empty-handed.
"I take it you found nothing?" Youmu asks immediately upon your return.
"Just some more useless junk." Useless junk which Aya has since added to the pile, you see.
"Whaat?!" She groans, smiling uneasily as if accused of some heinous crime. You only now realize you've been staring at her the whole time.
"No, it's nothing." What the hell is she going to do with all that junk? None of it seems particularly special.. or very useful, given the current situation.
"Well, I didn't find anything, if you must know." Why the indignant tone, Aya?
"I can see that, but what're you after, exactly?"
"Something! Anything!" Finally, a smile. "You understand, right?"
"Yeah, sure." You understand what she's trying to do, but you can't figure out the intent behind it. All you see is a pile of junk, and the proudly smiling girl who gathered it all together. "Think we could make something of it?"
"Uhh.." Aya seems stumped. You'd offer your own suggestions, were it not for another set of eyes transfixed on the pile. From the corner of your eye, you catch sight of Utsuho, glaring intently at the pile.
"What about you?" She jumps slightly, caught unaware.
"Simple!" She rushes forward with her usual enthusiasm, rolling up her already short sleeves in preparation for some sort of work. "Step aside!"
You take Aya by the hand, leaving Utsuho to do as she wishes with the mess. If anything, you hope she'll clean it up.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Aya asks as you lead her away. "You know, considering what she did earlier."
"As long as she doesn't blow us all up, I don't see a problem." The one who does see such issues, however, is standing behind a stone pillar with her wings folded up behind her.
"Make her stop!" The girl cries out.
"Uhh..." What to say, what to say..
"Impossible." Satori steps into the fray. "Once she gets like this, even I can't stop her."
"I don't wanna die!" The girl yells louder, teary-eyed.
"You won't." Satori attempts to console the poor girl. "She won't make the same mistake twice."
"I sure hope you're right.." An eerie greenish-yellow glow coming from her direction tells you otherwise. "What the hell is she doing?"
"Fusion." A swift, abrupt reply from Satori.
"Huh." Well, that explains nothing.
"It appears she's just about finished, though." Satori lets out a quiet giggle, somehow finding humor in the situation.
But wait, where's all the junk? The glow around Utsuho's body dissipates, and she turns back around to face you. Hopefully, she has the answers. She approaches swiftly, carrying something carefully in her hands. A small ball of grey metal.
"Hey, what's that you got there?" Aya is the first to ask, though you expect the same question is on the forefront of all but Satori's minds.
"Uranium!" Utsuho laughs maniacally. "Wanna touch it?"

>"No, it's nothing." What the hell is she going to do with all that junk? None of it seems particularly special.. or very useful, given the current situation.

Oh my. Is Aya nesting?

>"Uranium!" Utsuho laughs maniacally. "Wanna touch it?"
[x] "...I did tell you that there's a berserk robot hunting down all sources of radiation, right?"

>>61821

>>Does pre-WWII-Snake know about uranium and radiation?

I meant pre-Hiroshima-bombing-Snake in WWII.

>Does pre-WWII-Snake know about uranium and radiation?

Read the thread to find out.

>>61824

About Utsuho's powers and the basics of it, yes, but about the properties of uranium specificly?
I am honestly asking, since I do not know, whether non-scientists 64-65 years ago commonly knew about those things.

>>61826

Yes. If you know what "radiation" is, you at least know what generates it. In the 1930s radioactive substances were used extensively in patent medicines until they were banned by law. I think it's likely he has an idea of what uranium is, being the most commonly known radioactive substance.

[X] "What do you plan on doing with that?"

>>61829

Alright, that answers it, post deleted, new vote later.

>>61818
Awesome. She's just made the nuclear equivalent of chaff/flares.

Trick prototype, receive info.

[x] "I take it this is the bait we're using to go robot-fishing?"

[X] "I take it this is the bait we're using to go robot-fishing?"

It seems to be getting harder to decide on what to vote for in this story.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, people.
You're thinking is too short-sighted.

We now have in our possession a potent source of energy. Whenever we actually get around to it, we will have a likely very-much damaged Durandal back in our possession as well.

Considering we'd have to go back to Nitori's for repairs, and the likelihood that she might have learned some new things from analysis of the enemy's technology, and I'd say it's high time we got ol' Durandal an upgrade.

A short one this time. Had a bit of a tough time writing it. For a little while, I'll provide a series of set options, though write-ins will still be accepted. This is just to smooth the flow of things.

----------

"No, not really." You know enough about it to understand it's not good for you to touch it. "What're you gonna do with it?"
"I dunno. I kinda felt like making it." An honest smile, though the situation doesn't bode well. That thing, whatever it was, could detect radiation. Though, this lump of heavy metal in her hands could serve as a decoy. On the other hand, it could be used to draw it into a trap. It's all so sudden, and you can't quite figure out what you want to do with it at the moment.
"Is it poisonous?" You ask. You've seen glass-wares made with it that are safe to the touch. Who's to say this isn't the same? Utsuho seems to pay it no mind.
"I dunno." She shrugs, still managing to not drop the thing on her own feet. "Is it?"
"I was asking you.." A nuclear-powered youkai with not even a speck of knowledge about such things, huh? The idea is humorous, though a little bit unsettling.
"So nobody knows anything about it, then." Aya leans over your shoulder, staring at the lump intently. "So why should we keep it?"
"Maybe we could leave it outside, where that machine can find it.." Satori adds, bringing up a point you'd already pondered. "If it senses radiation, it's surely to return, is it not?"
"I haven't heard anything over the radio, yet." But that isn't to say they're not still talking. They could've switched frequencies after Mima butted in back then. "Still, I think it'd be safer if we got the Hell out of here."
"Agreed." Aya nods, crossing her arms as she stands beside you.
"Any other thoughts, before we go?" Surely, Youmu has something?
Alas, such is not the case. She looks just about as confused as the others. A shake of the head helps to clarify her intent. Then, what about..
She's gone! The other girl seems to have disappeared between the time you'd helped Aya search the mansion and now. Where could she have gone..
Never mind that, you need to cover your own escape! That thing could already be on it's way back, even if you can't hear it in the skies. Luckily, you're still gathered by the door, and your exit is swift. Utsuho reluctantly places the uranium by the front stoop. Poor thing, she looks like she really wanted to keep it. From here, your next move should be..

[ ] Set up an ambush, wait for the enemy to return. (Specify: Attack or Observe)
[ ] Leave, now. You'd rather not fight something you're not familiar with.
[ ] Grab the uranium and make a run for it! You can't afford to lose such an asset.
[ ] Have Utsuho blast the castle into dust. Draw it into a fight!

[X] Grab the uranium, have Utsuho blast the castle into dust, then get the hell out of Dodge.

At the risk of rendering Snake and possibly some of the other party members permanently sterile, we probably don't want to lose the uranium just yet. But, if we're carrying it with us there's a chance that thing could track us by the radiation it was giving off.
The solution? A smokescreen! Mask your own radiation with an even BIGGER amount of radiation! Have Utsuho blast the castle into dust and leave the area so irradiated it fucking GLOWS.

>>63024
I'm rather surprised that Utsuho doesn't just light up like a Christmas tree on our opponent's Geiger counter naturally. With that in mind though ...
>>[ ] Grab the uranium and make a run for it! You can't afford to lose such an asset.
... we let Utsuho carry it with her.

First, Youmu is suspicious.

Now she is missing.

...

I'm sure it's okay not to dwell on that.

>>63037

Youmu's still around. Bat girl's the one who's gone missing. My wording may have been a bit vague on that point.

[X] Grab the uranium and make a run for it! You can't afford to lose such an asset.

I hope this means Utsuho grabs it.

Why has it become so hard to decide what to do in this story?

[x] Grab the uranium and make a run for it! You can't afford to lose such an asset.

Of course, you can't afford to let it go to waste like that! Prototype aircraft, armies of robots, bring 'em all on! You're confident you have enough firepower amongst this group to wipe out half a city. You motion for Utsuho to grab it, which she does with an utter delight.
The next moment, you're flying away as fast as you can, careful to stay below the clouds so you don't get lost again. Surely, you came from this direction..
The scenery looks familiar enough, so it's probably right on. If you use the mountain with Moriya shrine at the top as a beacon, you'll be out of her in no time. Seconds later, Aya shoots to the front of the pack, leading you straight towards the mountain. Where in God's name does she think she's going?! With the wind in your ears, you won't be able to hear her reply, nor would you expect her to hear your question. You'll just have to trust her on this.
It doesn't take long before she starts to slow down. You pass over a familiar section of land on the mountain, and Aya turns to head straight down it. Wasn't this the path you took earlier, when you were coming out of the caves for the first time? Surely..
Surprisingly, Utsuho stops Aya just before you reach the base of the mountain.
"Here's good." She declares, stern-faced.
"Where's 'here'?" Aya replies with mild annoyance.
"There's a way into the caves around here. Didn't you guys want to get away from that thing?"
"I'm sure we can outrun it just fine." Aya seems confident in her words.
"Are you sure?" Youmu steps in. "We don't know it's capabilities. It could be far faster than we might think."
"Could be, probably isn't." With the odds stacked against her, Aya grows increasingly defensive. In the end, she turns to you for help. "What do you wanna do, Snake?"

[ ] Utsuho's right. Hiding is better for now.
[ ] Aya's right. You're confident it can be outrun.
[ ] Walk the rest of the way. It's probably not chasing you anymore.
[ ] Head up to the shrine. Kanako and them might help.
[ ] Drop the uranium here. Fly low to the ground.

[X] Aya's right. You're confident it can be outrun.

[x] Aya's right. You're confident it can be outrun.

It's Aya. The fastest in Gensokyo.

[x] Aya's right. You're confident it can be outrun.

[ ] Utsuho's right. Hiding is better for now.
[ ] "Remember Aya, YOU may be the fastest in Gensokyo but the rest of us are not."

[x] Aya's right. You're confident it can be outrun...
[x] ...if she can still do so while carrying Utsuho and the uranium.

You're always the decision maker in the end, huh? Well, it's not like you mind it, but in a situation like this you honestly wonder what should be done.
You know nothing about this prototype, you don't know if it can be outrun, you don't know if it'll be able to find you underground.. The only thing you can do is trust the one closest to you..
"Alright, we'll have to outrun it." You look to the sky, searching for any signs of the object. You're not even sure if you're looking for a machine, though the transmissions and sound it makes both lead you to believe it is one..
Utsuho's posture droops in disappointment, though there's little you can do about that now. You've complete confidence in your own speed, in Aya's speed, and in Youmu's speed, but as for Satori and Utsuho, you know little to nothing.
"Will you be able to keep up?" You ask, not as a challenge or insult, but as an honest question.
"Absolutely!" Utsuho springs back to life. "I'll have to carry Satori, though. She's kinda slow."
THWACK!
Without so much as a word, Satori lays a fist into Utsuho's head. The sound is.. painful to say the least. Utsuho hardly even flinches.
"I'm not joking around here!" Utsuho yells in her own defense.
"What you're saying and what you're thinking are different." Satori gives her a look of mild disgust. "I'll ask that you keep those thoughts in check."
"Ehh~" Utsuho sighs, her smile full of guilt as she grabs her master in her arms. "Well, let's go then!"
You watch as Utsuho launches herself forward, shooting past you like a bullet. Aya and Youmu follow after her, and with one last look to the sky, you do as well.
The view of the ground below blurs to a mix of greens, browns, and grays as you speed onward to the head of the group. At these speeds you find it difficult to turn, though far from impossible. With two extra pairs of wings than the others, and three more than Youmu, you seem to be the most agile of the bunch. You keep your eye glued to the sky as you continue forward over forests, hills, valleys, and mountains. Your goal is the lake, and Durandal. Losing sight of that goal would be disastrous for the whole of you.
Below you, something shines off in the distance ahead. As you close in on it, you're able to make out a shape. It's flying, quickly but not as fast as you. It's shape is similar to an aircraft, though the short, stubby wings are set too far back for it to be airworthy. But it's definitely flying. Within a second or two, it's even able to match your speed, and it slowly begins to rise up below you.
Could this be the prototype?

[ ] Have Utsuho drop the uranium on it.
[ ] Try to destroy it with your own power.
[ ] You don't know if it's friendly. Wait.
[ ] Try to speed up. Get away!

[x] You don't know if it's friendly. Wait.
What are we going to do? try to possess it in mid-flight?

[ ] You don't know if it's friendly. Wait.

[X] Have Utsuho drop the uranium on it.

This could be interesting.

[x] You don't know if it's friendly. Wait.

Whatever.

[ ] You don't know if it's friendly. Wait.

Bumping so this won't be forgotten.

>>67716

I haven't forgotten, though I have been turning up blanks for ideas on where to go from this point. Safe to say I've worked most of it out, and I'll have some manner of text wall ready in a number of hours.

You want to say it is, but you just don't know. Is it some kind of youkai, or is it a machine? You decide to wait until you can see it better.
Aya tugs at your shirt, pointing to the object with an uneasy look on her face. You can tell she's afraid, but all you can do to ease her stress is to pat her on the head.
"Oh, hey!" Utsuho blares, pointing her right hand at the object.
But there's something wrong. In place of her hand and most of her forearm is what appears to be a beam of solid metal, the end furthest from her glowing white-hot like it had just been pulled from a forge. The heat is overwhelming, and you just want to shut your eyes and back away. Utsuho smiles with what you could only describe as fury in her eyes.
"Don't you dare!" Satori snaps, slapping Utsuho on the head yet again. The beam of metal vanishes in an instant as Utsuho's concentration is broken.
"Wha- Why?!" She yells back, rubbing the latest in a long series of welts.
"We wait." Satori replies, looking directly at you. You'd almost forgotten she could--
It's close! How it managed to cover so much distance so quickly is beyond you. That had to have been at least a mile!! You notice it's wings have changed shape from a delta-type configuration to something more spread out. It looks, well, like a bird. Its wings open fully as it slows itself gradually as it flies directly ahead of you.
Moments later it pulls up, stopping itself immediately as you struggle to slow you speed. It's wings flap in the breeze, like a bird's. As you get closer, you notice it has feathers as well. Black feathers, as dark as Aya's, cover each wing.
All six of them.
"I'd have been awfully mad had you shot me, Snake." A voice calls out to you from the object. The tone and the figure before you are immediately recognizable as belonging to Mima. A heavy weight removes itself from your chest as she brings herself closer. "Good thing ya didn't, huh?"
"Yeah, but.." What is she doing out here? You want to ask, but you can't seem to think on a proper way to word the question.
"Where are the others?" Youmu speaks in your stead.
"Guard duty." She smiles, showing her teeth in a combination of grin and grimace. "We caught the poor bastard hanging out around the shrine."
"We know." You reply, feeling eager to see the guy for yourself. "Heard you on the radio."
"You did?" Mima smiles, burying her face in her palms. "How embarrassing! You weren't supposed to hear that!" And a split second later, she returns to normal, "You wanna see 'im?"

[ ] You could learn something from him.
[ ] You have more important things to do.
[ ] You should try to find the prototype.
[ ] You're more curious about Aya's behavior.
[ ] ?

As of now and probably for the remainder of the story, the write-in option is going to be set as an extra option for every choice. As usual, I highly recommend it's use.

[x] You could learn something from him.


Snake... being responsible for the torture scene? I don't know what I'm reading anymore.

[x] You could learn something from him.

[ ] You could learn something from him.

I don't doubt that we'll be a bit more humane in our interrogation techniques that most of the rest of the group.

[X] You could learn something from him.

[X] You could learn something from him.

"I do." You swiftly reply. "He might know something I don't already." But the question stands, how're you going to get it out of him?
"I still think we should just nuke it.." Utsuho interjects, pouting as she 'sits' cross-legged in mid-air. You expect Satori to give her another one, but it never happens..
"Wait." That's it! Satori! She could do it easily! You have to ask for her help on this one.
"Hmm.." But she's already standing beside you! When did she-- "I suppose that could work.. I'd prefer this 'interrogation,' as you call it.." She stares directly at you. "..be bloodless. I'm willing to lend my aid provided you can control yourself."
"Simple enough." This way, you don't have to get yours--or anybody else's hands dirty. You turn back to Mima, who simply stares and smiles. "Lead the way."
"Yeah, yeah." She groans, grinning as she turns an about-face. "This way, folks."
Without further hesitation, she floats forward. She gradually picks up speed, and unlike Aya, she seems to be a little more apt to take her time. You follow her for several minutes in silence..
And then, all of a sudden, she perks up as if she'd come to a sudden realization. Her head bobs up, and she rockets forward. You follow, barely able to keep up. Did she see something? You scan the clouds, finding nothing unusual. Then, she drops, pulling an almost ninety-degree turn and heading straight down. As soon as you touch down, you immediately realize something.
This isn't the shrine! In fact, it's nowhere hear it. Ahead lies a small cobblestone shack, overgrown with vines and appearing much similar to the place where you first found Yuka. Aside from the fact that it's roof is still intact, the only nitable difference is that it's covered in a thin layer of snow. Mima, without hesitation, rushes inside. You follow her, pushing past the faded and cold wooden door and coming face-to-face with several familiar faces.
Yuka, Elly, and Reimu all stand before you, each acting normally. Elly is, as usual, perpetually worried about something or another. Yuka grins deviously for no reason in particular, and Reimu sits in the corner without a care in the world. In the middle of all this is a chair, and tied in that chair with a bag over his head is a man.
Aya and the other storm through the door behind you, all but Utsuho seem unfazed by the cold.
"Damn, let's get a fire going or something!" She moans, complaining. "It's fucking cold!"
THWAP
"Watch your language." Satori slaps her, though you'd expect it's more for her constant complaining and that what she said was only an excuse.
"Got plenty of firewood tied up in this chair.." Yuka's smile grows as she begins circling around the man in the chair like a vulture following an animal on the verge of death. "Would you like to burn it?"
"Would I!!" Utsuho recovers from the blow almost immediately, smiling with anticipation though you get the feeling she's only messing around.
"Hey, hey!" Mima cuts in, "Don't burn the bastard 'til he talks!"
The man in the chair flinches.

[ ] Follow Satori's guidance.
[ ] Let Yuka have a field day.
[ ] Take the bag off his head.
[ ] Let Utsuho choose.
[ ] ?

>>67889

[x] Start a fire or something; Take bag off his head, make everyone calm down, ask his name.

[X] Follow Satori's guidance.

It's almost a shame that Satori will make it easier to get more than just his name, rank, and serial number. It might have been fun to try a little of the old "Good Cop, Bad Cop" routine, especially when almost everybody in the room is the "Bad Cop".

[X] Follow Satori's guidance.

[x] Follow Satori's guidance.

Damn, I was so looking forward to Snake being the torturer instead of the torturee that I forgot we had an instant I WIN button.

[ ] Follow Satori's guidance.

[X] Follow Satori's guidance.
[x] Ask the man questions but don't reveal that Satori is a mind reader.

Update.

[X] Follow Satori's guidance.
[x] Ask the man questions but don't reveal that Satori is a mind reader.

I think I already voted for this. Hell, I think that WAS my vote.

"Fear, anger, despair." Satori whispers, though you can hardly hear her even when she stands beside you. She's already started reading his mind, hasn't she? That ability to force her way into another being's mind truly is a sight to behold, and no less than frightening. Her lips curl into a smile.
"What is your name?" She asks, choosing her words carefully.
The only sound that escapes from under that dark hood over his head is muffled, almost indiscernible from the background noise. Is the man gagged, you wonder?
"I see.." Satori turns to you, her eyes scanning the room as the others remain silent.
They were a rowdy bunch up until a moment ago, when Satori began to speak. Her smile grows and shrinks as she passes over each one in the room, focusing on you last.
"This man is.. Interesting." She smiles keenly. "I'd like for you to hit him. Once is enough, but make it strong."
"You want me to hit him?" You ask, making it very clear that you haven't misheard her.
She nods, choosing only to speak after you take a moment to think about it.
"You may be right.." She nods once or twice more, turning into the room and calling over the one best suited for these types of intimidation tactics--Yuka.
"Having trouble~?" She asks, leaning slightly forward as her eyes look straight to you.
"This one is.. Stubborn, I should say." Satori repeats herself, no longer smiling. "His mind is clouded with anger."
Yuka's eyes sparkle, the thin smile across her lips widening into a full-fledged grin.
"I'll try my best~"
You watch with a mix of anticipation and dread as Yuka turns tail, heading over to the man tied down in the chair. She leans down, placing a hand gently over the man's heart as she whispers something into his ear.
A moment later, the man lies on the floor, bits and pieces of the now shattered chair still taped to his extremities. You didn't have time to blink, but you still didn't catch what happened. There was a chair, and now there isn't. What's going on?
"Interesting.." Satori rubs her chin with a single small hand, stepping close to the man on the floor. "I'll ask you only once more, what is your name?"
"Geh, what a mess.." Aya grunts, her arms swinging around your neck from behind you. She looks over your shoulder with curiosity, but clearly wary enough to stand no closer.
"Why are you here?" Satori's words grow more demanding, and she kicks the man in the chest as he lays there. His body doesn't seem to react to the blow, as if he were paralyzed.
"She really seems to be taking it seriously, huh?" Utsuho, now standing beside you, rests an elbow on your shoulder. She's smiling--rather playfully--and clearly not feeling the mood.

[ ] Talk to Utsuho
[ ] Try to help the man up.
[ ] Tell Yuka to give him another one.
[ ] ?

[X] Talk to Utsuho

Surely we've seen a few interrogations in our time. This is strictly business.

[X] Talk to Utsuho

[X] Talk to Utsuho

>[ ] Tell Yuka to give him another one.

And I'm reminded of how Ocelot "accidentally" tortured DARPA Chief Donald Anderson to death.

The prospect of Yuka biting his ear off, followed by Utsuho lighting him on ablaze while Aya dances to "Stuck in the Middle with You" is amusing though.

[x] Try to help the man up.

>good cop / bad cop

"Seems like it." You answer, unable to take your eyes off the man as he receives another kick from Satori. "Is she always like this?"
"I.." Utsuho looks away, the smile on her face growing uneasy for a split second before returning to normal. "I probably shouldn't answer that, and.. For that matter," She adds, "don't ask me any more questions like that. You know," She pauses, nodding to Satori before continuing, "and all."
"Right, mind reader. Got it." You shrug her off, noticing the man has stopped moving altogether. Satori seems to have lost interest, and is now walking your way.
"Lost consciousness." She tells you, showing hardly a hint of emotion. "But I've learned enough about-"
She goes silent, a little red in the face as her eyes settle on Utsuho. Her lips curl into a smile, and she turns her attention back to you.
"Ehem, well.." She coughs into her hand, eyes set firmly on your own. "He appears to be a part of some sort of military group. I had difficulty understanding much of his thoughts, though it's very clear that they're all very organized."
"I could've guessed as much." You shrug, pushing Utsuho off your shoulder. "So, anything on what they're after?"
"Nothing, strangely." Her eyes shoot back to the man on the floor. "Perhaps he was nothing more than a pawn who merely followed his master's orders.."
"So, we're fucked." Utsuho adds in, all smiles.
Satori doesn't seem to be even the slightest bit amused, throwing an arm forward and wrapping it around the woman's neck.
"You, outside." She barks, dragging Utsuho--screaming and kicking--through the door. A wave of cold enters the room, causing you to shiver.
"That won't end well." Aya watches the door slam shut, her eyes shut tightly as the sound reaches her ears.
"That was a monumental waste of time." Reimu, who'd been ever so quiet before finally decides to speak. "So, now what? It's not like I'm just going to allow this."
"Doesn't look like his buddies're gonna leave any time soon, either." Mima adds, following her words with an elaborate shrug as if to say, 'I give up'.
"What I'm curious about is," Aya leans her body over you, resting her chest on the top of your head. "How did something so big get through the Border unnoticed?"

[ ] Make a suggestion. (Specify)
[ ] Go check on Utsuho and Satori.
[ ] Let them talk it through.
[ ] ?

[X] Let them talk it through.

[x] Let them talk it through.

[x] Let them talk it through.

Can't think of anything good.

Wait, what the fuck?

Why in the hell did we have a mind-reader do a physical interrogation?! That's fucking stupid, and I can't tell if it was Snake's way of avoiding giving us information, or if we were just picking stupid things.

Someone --probably Reimu and Snake-- should have been asking him questions, while Yuka intimidated him when necessary, while Satori just sat back in the corner and listened to his thoughts. Then after a while, they'd stop the interrogation without telling him why, and Satori would go off in a corner with Reimu and Snake and tell the others what she'd picked up.

But, uh. Instead, we had the psychic mind-reader beating the crap out of him for strange and inexplicable reasons. And what do we have to show for it?
Dick all.

What the fuck is going on here?!

[X] Let them talk it through.

>>71781
You don't trust the mind-reader to know best how to get her subject to think the thoughts she's trying to read? It's hardly her fault if the guy didn't actually know anything useful to us, or was stubborn enough to actually resist until he passed out.

It could be he really doesn't know anything, or perhaps he had some sort of conditioning or other form of protection against just this sort of thing. Those two guys in MGS had neural implants to protect their minds from psychics, so perhaps this group has something similar. As organized as they are, it would be only natural if they were prepared for this sort of thing.

>>71786
>It could be he really doesn't know anything, or perhaps he had some sort of conditioning or other form of protection against just this sort of thing.

He plugged his controller into port 2.

"You're asking that like one of us should know something." Reimu snaps back, an aggravated expression on her face as she storms over to the door. Her focus seems to change as soon as she takes her first steps, "What the hell is that damned cat-lady doing?!"
"Erm, not so sure you wanna do that," Aya grumbles, though she does nothing to impede Reimu as she slams the door open.
You feel a rush of cold air, and you turn around only to see Reimu slam the door back shut with the strangest of looks on her face.
"What." is all she says as she staggers back to the other side of the room, taking a seat next to Mima.
"Told ya so," Aya chuckles, picking at a strand of your hair between her fingers. "Right?" She asks, pulling the hair out almost painlessly. Almost.
"Huh? Oh," You take a moment to collect your thoughts. You'd been hearing the conversation, but your attention had been directed towards the door, and whatever could be happening outside it. "I figured I'd leave this one up to the folks in the know."
And seeing how little you understand about this world, it should be the right decision. You've been told time and time again by Youmu of a number of things regarding the locations and basic spiritual elements of things here, but understanding them is.. difficult. For one thing, you're having a good deal of trouble understanding so much as what you are.
"So, I'm all for idle conversation, but.." Mima speaks up, looking down at the floor--and the unconscious man laying on it. "Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable talking with that laying there?"
"Funny that a dead woman should say that." Yuka responds derisively, still all smiles as usual.
"Well, this is getting nowhere fast." You mutter to yourself, making damn sure your voice isn't heard by anybody other than Aya.
"Tell me about it." She replies, pressing down on the back of your head as she breathes a heavy sigh. "It'd probably go a lot quicker if I went out there alone."

[ ] Convince her not to, it's a bad idea.
[ ] Let her go. Maybe she'll figure something out.
[ ] Offer to go with her. (Bring Youmu: Y/N)
[ ] Listen in a little longer.
[ ] ?

[X] Offer to go with her. (Don't bring Youmu)

>>How did something so big get through the Border unnoticed?
That's a really good question. Someone before - wasn't it Youmu? - said something about opening large gaps in such an environment, that it would cause instability. Perhaps we can find their point of entry using that and Reimu; on the other hand, that also sounds like a convenient cover for it being Yukari's fault.

Just saying.

[x] Tie the soldier to a new chair, then ask Reimu if there's any way they could detect the enemy's point of origin into Gensokyo
[x] Misc orders for the others (something something)
[x] Offer to go with [Aya]. (Bring Youmu: N)

[X] Offer to go with her. (Bring Youmu: N)

We should be sure to take notes, Satori might have some useful techniques for future parents to keep in mind when disciplining their children.

[ ] Offer to go with her. (Bring Youmu: Y)

[X] Offer to go with her. (Bring Youmu: N)

[x] Tie the soldier to a new chair, then ask Reimu if there's any way they could detect the enemy's point of origin into Gensokyo
[x] Misc orders for the others (something something)
[x] Offer to go with [Aya]. (Bring Youmu: N)

[x] Tie the soldier to a new chair, then ask Reimu if there's any way they could detect the enemy's point of origin into Gensokyo
[x] Misc orders for the others (something something)
[x] Offer to go with [Aya]. (Bring Youmu: N)

Updates?

>>[x] Misc orders for the others (something something)
I was hoping someone would come up with something for this eventually ...

Spot of bad news, folks. As it stands, I have no idea where I'm going with this. Though I've been trying to keep at it, I've hit a major impasse. A roadblock of monumentally epically huge proportions, if you will. Part of it may stem from the fact that I feel like I'd gotten a bit carried away earlier in the story, and, well, I guess I just don't know what to do with it anymore. Leaving it stopped dead in the middle is, for me, not an option though. I liked the premise when I started, and I still do. But I feel like some serious changes need to be made in order for me to get anywhere with it.

So, to make matters simple, I allow you, the readers to decide where I am to go with this. As it stands, I've come up with two options that'll allow me a lot of breathing room to write, though possibly at the cost of some aspects of the story.

One is, easily enough, to continue with the current story. On that note, I'd be continuing it from a point further down the timeline, after the battle has ended and things have returned to normal. A few retcons would be in order, but nothing that wouldn't be explained by clever (or not so clever) writing.

The other method is a bit more drastic. I'd be restarting the story from day one. Planes, parachutes, and everything. Well, maybe not everything, but enough that it'd still be basically the same story, told from the point of view from the same character.

So that leaves only business to attend to. And if anybody has anything they feel like saying (either constructive, helpful, or otherwise) please speak up. I'm still open to suggestion.

[ ] CONTINUE?
[ ] ＲＥＰＥＡＴ　ＡＧＡＩＮ

>>74946
[~] CONTINUE!

I, for one, would like to know what's to come. Just so long as we find out who the villain was and all that jazz.

[X] ＲＥＰＥＡＴ　ＡＧＡＩＮ

Perhaps now I'll make an effort to follow this story.

[x] CONTINUE

[X] CONTINUE?
If not, at least make a closing with Snake and Aya living happily together. Kids... Wouldn't hurt either.

[x] CONTINUE

[x] CONTINUE

Tengu babies

Well, it seems like continue is the way to go. I'll write up a brief (or not so brief) introduction and put it in a new thread. There's a number of stylistic changes I'll be making, so I'll count this as more of a GiG sequel rather than part of the same CYOA.