[ ] Follow the two.

[x] Follow the two.

Superior Goddess~

[X] Wait here.

Too lazy

[ℤℯ] Follow the two.

President Shinki?

Without really thinking, you twist out of your chair to follow them. Maybe it's something one of them said, or maybe it's just your curiosity getting the better of you. Whatever it is, you're out the door and after them.

But once you step outside of this small room, the similarities between your world and this end. Once you pass through the door, the room opens up. Or rather, it's safer to say that the room you were just in is little more than a trailer tucked away in the corner of a great stone palace. The same stone that seems rather commonplace in this realm. The walls and floor seem to split the light that hits them.

You look further into the room--the distance from where you stand to the far side seemingly impossibly long. Enormous columns, each one greater than the width of three persons standing side-by-side, line the walls and support a great dome overhead. The stone walls are bare, the majority battered and broken. One of the great pillars has fallen into the room where the two women stand arguing.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Yumeko?!" Says the office lady as she pulls her arm away from the maid, her voice loud enough to echo through the room.

"But Master," The maid replies meekly, "You have guests."

"I know that. Is it too much to ask that you put them somewhere safer?!" The 'Master' stomps her foot angrily on the hard stone floor. "This place is falling apart!"

"You didn't bring them here?"

"No, I didn't bring them here!" She turns around, heading back in your direction. "I don't intend to endanger their lives more than what they've already been put through, and if you won't send them elsewhere, I will."

"But, Master!" The maid tries to stop her, "Your clothes!"

"I know, I know!" She sighs exasperatedly, pausing only for a brief moment to rub her brow.

Funny, the air around her seems to be glowing..

"Hey, boss, you seein' this?"

You jump back, startled. When did Chiyuri get so close?!

"Oh, don't look now but here they come.." Chiyuri adds with a mischievous tone.

Your turn your eyes back up to the approaching women. Er--

You see the maid, but.. Who is this woman in red?

It takes you a moment to realize that the woman in front of you and the office lady from before are one and the same. How she managed to go from that outfit to this strange sort of robe could only be described as magic..

"It would seem," The woman laughs, standing almost toe-to-toe with you. "That I've made a poor first impression."

"She does that to people. A lot." Chiyuri snickers.

"Shut it, you!" You give her a whack on the head for good measure.

"Hehe, well.. It seems we stand on fairly even ground, then." The woman smiles. "I'm Shinki, the one who invited you here today."

[ ] "Funny, I thought you'd be taller."
[ ] "You don't look much like a God."
[ ] Write-in.

[X] "Funny, I thought you'd be taller."

[x] "Funny, I thought you'd be taller."

[x] "Funny, I thought you'd be in bed with me already taller."

[x] "Funny, I thought you'd be taller."

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please wait warmly while the writefag discovers why his computer refuses to boot coldly. This message has been brought to you by a computer's fleeting cooperation.

Status update: Ran a few tests, cleared a few messy bits of NVRAM, trashed the remainder of drivers that failed to uninstall properly. And who says Macs are trouble-free? Thankfully, everything seems to be working so far. Copying data to my external HDD tonight, updates maybe tomorrow or more likely Sunday.

In the meantime, check out this thread. Ask, and I shall answer. I'll probably feel like writing up a storm when all this is over. Feedback is always good~

http://www.touhou-project.com/words/res/43.html

"..The Goddess?" You point, unsure that you'd heard her properly.

"That I am." She puffs out her chest proudly.

"I-- ..Funny," You allow yourself a smirk, crossing your arms. "I thought you'd be taller.."

"If I had a penny for every time I heard that.." She laughs, "I'd have two of these palaces, I'm sure."

"You must be called short pretty often then, huh?" Chiyuri nudges you for an unknown reason, though it's clear she's speaking to Shinki.

"Not particularly," says Shinki, "Though I have been around for quite some time now. Needless to say I'm exaggerating, but I must say that this isn't the proper place to make idle conversation." She shoots the maid an awkward glare. "Come, let us move elsewhere.."

The background shifts. The enormous stone palace becomes a small living room before your very eyes. You don't believe it! Even shaking your head doesn't dispel the illusion.

"Have a seat." Shinki motions for you to sit--a chair moving up from behind swipes you off your feet. The Goddess smiles, "Comfortable?"

"Er.." You want to say 'uneasy'. You're not sure you like what you've gotten yourself into. The scenery changes yet again as a small brick fireplace pushes through the walls. But when you put all that aside, it is a rather nice chair.

"Good, I'm glad." Shinki takes a seat across from you. "I do have a tendency to talk too much, so it's good to be comfortable." A table pops up between the two of you; Shinki doesn't do so much as blink. "Care for a drink?"

"Yes, please." You reply, "Something strong, if you have anything."

"The room bothering you?" She asks as a glass rises through the table as if the both were made of vapors. Yet the table is clearly wood, the glass is certainly glass, and the drink is of a finer sort than you're used to. None of it seems real anymore.

"Where's Chiyuri?" You ask, just now beginning to notice that it's just the two of you.

"Elsewhere." Shinki smiles, taking note of your concern. "Do not fret. I guarantee she's being well cared for, and you'll be reunited once this is matter is finished."

"I still can't say I know what the matter is, to be honest." It's about time to skip out on pleasantries. "Why, exactly, am I here?"

"A number of reasons." Shinki reclines into her chair, "The most important.."

She pauses, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"A certain someone has come into your possession." She folds her hands under her nose, intensely looking at you. "And.. It would appear that she has caused you great pain. I apologize."

"Apologize for what?" You wonder, failing to see the connection between her and that 'certain someone' on board your ship.

"That girl is something of a problem child, though it seems she's gotten into far more trouble than can be handled by one of my children. She had mortally wounded you, and for that I apologize."

"Wai-- Mortally?" Aren't you still alive? Chiyuri saved your life!

"Yes. I do find it rather surprising.. That you still live after receiving such an injury." Shinki's hands fall into her lap. "But the how and why are of little concern to us. You are not dead, your health only minimally affected. And that is most important."

"I expect you're going to offer to rid me of her?" You ask, "She's become one hell of a monkey on my back, and I can't shake her off no matter what I do."

"Of course." Shinki smiles and nods, now staring off into the fire. Another drink pops up to replace the one you'd finished "I will return her to this world, though I cannot do it with the gate sealed.." She holds up a finger, halting you before you can mention how you came into this world. "There are two gates. The one you came through is similar to a service entrance. My powers cannot pass through that gate."

"So why not open the other one?" You ask, finishing your second drink. A third does not appear.

"It's been sealed as a result of a conflict with the residents of the other world. It cannot be unsealed." She pauses, frowning and sighing. You wonder exactly what the circumstances were that caused the gate to be sealed. "I'll have to send someone to your ship to retrieve her physically."

"I see." And she knows where your ship is how?

"And for the duration of the retrieval, I'd like to ask that you remain here safely my world.. I won't force you, though I highly recommend you at least have a look around town." She shifts in her seat, crossing her legs under her long flowing robe. "Which, of course, brings me to my next point. Why, I find myself wondering, is an outworlder like yourself doing in a place like Gensokyo?"

[ ] Write-in only

We should probably get Alice back with us.

It's only the mention of being mortally wounded by her that keeps me from thinking she could just as equally be talking about loli Alice.

[X] "Bird watching"

[X]"Science."

[X] "To boldly go where no man has gone before."

[x] "SCIENCE!"

[ℤℯ] SCIENCE!

[X] "To boldly go where no man has gone before."

[x] SCIENCE!

Status update! See >>96731

Oh, hey, an update. First one written on the new computer. Gotta develop a new system for this, now.

----------

You try not to laugh out loud. Aside from unintentionally finding newer and better ways of becoming grievously injured, the answer is rather unimpressive; maybe silly when you think about it.

“It’s simple, really.” You allow yourself a smile, desperately trying to choke down your own laughter. “I’m studying this world in the name of scientific observation. I want to know what makes magic work.”

“I see...” Shinki looks at you blankly, probably wondering what you find so funny. But beyond the initial reaction you see, she acts like she’d expected your answer, “What if I told you… that I could give you that power?”

She smiles and giggles as your jaw drops.

“Now, now. It’d be unwise of you to accept this without first fully understanding the offer.” She folds her hands in her lap, smiling… somewhat slyly. You detect a hint of caution in her tone. “And mind you, this is exactly that—an offer.”

Having taken the time to right yourself and overcome the initial shock of hearing such a strange and outlandish offer, you find yourself wondering… Is there a reason behind it? Is there something she hopes to achieve by this? She’s a God, and historically speaking Gods are meddlesome creatures. Perhaps it’s all for her own amusement…

“I apologize. It’s just… this seems to have come out of nowhere.” Still grasping at straws, you try to formulate a reply, “Or, any way I look at it, it did come out of nowhere, didn’t it?” You’d like to ask her if she’s making it up as she goes along, or what she hopes to achieve by this. Those questions are probably saved for later. “I hope this isn’t some kind of obscene joke.”

“It’s not, I assure you. Though I cannot in good conscience allow myself to believe that a simple apology will make up for the numerous hardships you’ve faced at the hands of my creations. I’m merely taking responsibility for a few wayward children, and hope that I may be able to offer you something for all your trouble.”

She seems sincere enough, though you can’t help but wondering…

“I can only imagine that, because you seem so careful about this, there’s some kind of catch?”

“Indeed,” She nods, “and the reason for it is rather simple. You see, by design human beings are rarely in tune with the world around them. I could go into detail about how exactly the effects this has on an individual’s ability to use magic, though it won’t change facts. You, personally, cannot wield magic, nor could you begin to understand it as you are now.”

She pauses, trying to allow the information to sink in. Though you’re able to comprehend it well enough to know what comes next.

[ ] Write-in only.

[x] "If I accept what would happen to me?"

[x] "If I accept, what would happen to me?"

Youkai-ification, most likely.

Can she do that thing that... fuck, there's a word for the process, although I think maybe it refers to doing it to animals only. It was mentioned in ADP, and I saw it again briefly, somewhere else. "Elevate"?

[0] "If I accept, what would happen to me?"

>>97353
Roboticize?

“And if I were to want to wield and understand magic, what must I do? What would happen to me?”

“I’m afraid,” Her eyes turn away in a moment of brief insecurity, “that for you to do either, you must be born with an innate ability to harness the forces of nature. Were you a youkai, this would be irrelevant, though as a human you are able to achieve this only through the process of Samsara—in layman’s terms, by passing through the ‘wheel of Karma’. You must be reborn as a being more suitable a vessel for what you refer to as ‘magic’.”

“So, what you’re saying is..” You try to grasp the meaning of her words. The concept is far from alien to you, though your mind doesn’t seem to want to accept it. “To learn even the tiniest little detail about magic, I need to die? Is that what you’re getting at? … Pardon me for completely missing the point, but--”

“That’s correct.” She nods, “Though it’s far less painful than you may expect. My power as a Goddess permits me to manipulate the spirit world…“ She pauses, contemplating her words, “Excuse me. Simply put, I have been gifted with an ability to manipulate life as a whole--souls, spirits of the living and not-so-living, and the world itself to a somewhat more limited extent. I can give and remove the physical forms that spirits manifest, and give direction to those beyond the realm of the living. Who you will become can be dictated through my guidance, though where and when you will show up after reincarnation is determined by forces beyond my control.”

“…This is really starting to sound more like a sacrifice than a reward to me. So I’m carted off to God-knows-where, never to see my family and friends again? I take it I lose all my past memories as well, if what I’ve read holds true. Are you sure I can’t just pick up a book somewhere or something?”

“You can, certainly. You may learn the language of sorcerers and wizards, though to understand the purpose of such text requires experience. I will provide a number of books for you during your stay here, if you so wish it.”

“Oh, I wish it.” You look Shinki in the eye, trying to fight back the knot in your stomach. This is far more than you had—or could ever have hoped to prepare for. “I absolutely wish it. Though I will certainly need time to study them, and..” You fumble with the empty glass in your hands, wishing and praying that it might see fit to fill itself. This merciless sort of talk requires far more alcohol than you’ve been provided with. “I really hope you don’t expect me to come to a decision right now?”

“It is no small choice. I can grant you as much time as you wish.” She smiles cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood she so brutally murdered only minutes prior. “I would also suggest you talk it over with your blonde-haired friend. She does seem to be rather attached to you..”

“Yeah, like a tick.” You laugh dryly, dreading the thought of mentioning any of this to her. Chiyuri won’t take it well.

“Oh..!” Shinki shows hints of mild surprise, perhaps a reaction to your expression. You only realize later how sour you must look.

“Yeah, she’s been good to me. Saved my life, even.” You set the glass on the table, trying to smile. “Can’t imagine leaving her alone while I go off chasing rainbows, just to give you an idea which direction I’m headed with this offer of yours’..”

“So that’s a ‘no’, then?” Shinki frowns a little, though doesn’t seem too hurt by you.

“I’ll get back to you after I see those books.”

[ ] For now, another drink!
[ ] You want to see Chiyuri.
[ ] Ask for more details on the offer.

[x] You want to see Chiyuri.

[X] For now, another drink!

[x] You want to see Chiyuri.

[ℤ] Ask for more details on the offer.
[ℯ] You want to see Chiyuri.

[x] You want to see Chiyuri.

…Which, of course, You’d like to start reading right away. After you see Chiyuri, of course. How long has it been since you’ve had a day alone with her where you weren’t hurting all over? Hell, it’s probably dark out now, but even so. Seems you’ll be cooped up in this world for some time, so why not make the most of it?

“I’d like to go back, now.” You say, leaning back and breathing a heavy sigh. “This really has been too much for one day.”

“Of course.” Shinki nods, smiling, “I sometimes forget how fragile mortal humans can be, and I apologize if I’ve caused you an undue stress.”

“It’s nothing a good night’s rest won’t fix.” You laugh, “And speaking of which..”

“I’ve already prepared a room. I hope you enjoy it.” She stands, stretching her back and arms.

“Now, this might feel a bit strange..”

“Eh--?” You’ve little to react. Before you can force yourself from your seat, it drops out from under you. A sudden rush of air as the feeling in your gut tells you that you’re falling. Before blackness overtakes you, the faint vision of the goddess standing over you—a brilliant white glow surrounds her.

…

You push yourself up, consciousness flooding back in an instant. The room is dark. Shinki isn’t present, or at least nowhere in sight. You stand, pushing your body up from the bed you were laying in. It isn’t your bed, nor is this your room. It’s far too… extravagant, though the darkness hides any of the finer details. You thought places like this only existed in movies or for the disgustingly wealthy.

The lights come on, blinding you. A half-asleep Chiyuri stumbles into the room.

“Ah, you’re back.” She says, nonchalantly. Like she’d been expecting you to return at any moment. “So how’d it go?”

“It was… Interesting.” You find yourself debating over whether or not you should explain it to her—the offer made to you. You think on it silently for a moment, and then suddenly decide to push it off and worry about it some other time. Now is not a good time for you to be breaking the news to her, especially as tired as you are. You sit back on the bed, letting yourself relax.

“So what’d I miss?” You ask, trying to divert her attention away from the… other subject.

“Nothing much. Yumeko showed me all the way back to this place, told me where to find all the important stuff, and left. That’s about it.” She pauses, “Oh, Yumeko’s that maid in red we met earlier. Don’t think she ever really introduced herself properly.”

“I’m too tired to recall..” You beckon Chiyuri over to your side, pulling her close the moment you can grab her.

“Mmmm..” She smells nice. Must’ve showered earlier. You don’t recognize the shampoo, but you like it better than her usual grease and burnt electronics. “Hey,”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Yeah, me too.” She pulls away, smiling blissfully, “But I’m too tired to do any of what you’re thinking, sorry to say.”

“Oh?” A chance to play with her a bit, “And what exactly was I thinking?”

“Er, well, you know..” She backs off, trying not to meet your gaze directly. “That.”

“That?” You lean closer, pushing her down onto the bed. “What exactly is ‘that’?”

“Have you gone nuts or somethin’?” She looks up at you, smiling uneasily, “What the Hell’d that god lady tell you?”

“Later.” You lean down, kissing her before she pushes you away. She seems to enjoy it almost as much as you do.

Satisfied for the moment, you let her up. “So let’s get to sleep, then~!” You laugh as she blushes.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

She gets up to shut off the lights, and then heads for the door.

[ ] Tell her to stay here.
[ ] Let her go.

[x] "Good night, Chiyuri."
[x] Let her go.

Not because we don't love her --and by god, we do-- but because we can't keep using her as a security blanket all the time.

Unless this is a sneaky sort of Kiss Sakuya/Don't kiss Sakuya thing.

In which case, I fucking hate you, Snake.

[x] Tell her to stay here.

no shame in wanting company to nonsexually share a bed with.

[X] Let her go.

>>99059

Isn't that what a couple does, depend on one another in tough times?

[X] Let her go.

>>99059

~

>>99220
You son of a bitch.

I knew that reply was coming.

[x] Tell her to stay here.

[X] Tell her to stay here.

Chiyuri~ Don't go~

>>99172
There is a difference between a partner and someone you use just to make yourself feel better, and we've really not done very much to develop Chiyuri's role into anything but the latter.

That's barely a relationship at all.

>>99332

Who to say the whole incident didn't put things into perspective? Change begins with a small step after all.

Votes tied 3&3. Next vote wins!

[X] Tell her to stay here.

“You’re not leaving, I hope?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She lightly pushes the door shut, turning around to face you.

“Good.” You pat the space beside you, “Come over here, then.”

She listens, taking a seat at the foot of the bed beside you. Unexpectedly, she leans over and rests her head in your lap.

“Ah,” She suddenly pushes herself up again, “That hurts, doesn’t it?”

“No, no! Not at all!” You push her back down, looking down at her and running your fingers through her hair. Still a little bit damp from when she bathed earlier.

“I could get used to this, ya know.” She smiles, purring when you play with her ear. “You should see what they got here!”

“I bet it’s really something.” Especially considering the décor just in this room. The walls seem to be made up of some kind of carved stone or hardwood, and the furniture seems tailor-made to match. No expense at all has been spared to make the place look as lavish as possible.

“First time I took a real bath in years!” She grins and laughs, “Boy, you really missed out.”

“We should have plenty of time tomorrow..” Tired, eager to get into bed, you begin undressing.

“Woah! Woah!” Chiyuri exclaims as you start unbuttoning your shirt, “Don’t you think you’re rushing this a bit?!”

“Rushing what?” You pause, trying to make sense of her.

“…I meant it as a joke, boss.” She sighs while you resume undressing, “Damn, you can be real dense sometimes..”

“Well, sorry for being dense!” You hang your shirt over the bedpost, figuring it’s probably the best place for it.

“No offense intended, by the way.” She gives you a dejected look, turning away to unceremoniously strip down.

“None taken.” You laugh, hanging your skirt and jacket over the bedpost as well. You waste no time, jumping into bed at the first chance you get. The sheets are a little cold at first. Strange, considering you got out of this very same bed not too long ago. You’d think they’d still be a little bit warm. Chiyuri spends a little extra time organizing your clothes before joining you.

“Now that I’m here, I’m wondering if this really wasn’t such a good idea..” She whispers, wrapping her arms around you. Her hands are a little cold, but the rest of her body is pleasantly warm. You pull her closer..

[ ] “Why do you say that?”
[ ] “Oh, but it is a good idea!”
[ ] “You’d rather sleep alone?”

[x] “Oh, but it is a good idea!”

I think she was a bit put off by our mood (She didn't hear what we heard as well)

[x] “Oh, but it is a good idea!”

[x] “Oh, but it is a good idea!”

[0] “Oh, but it is a good idea!”

[x] “Oh, but it is a good idea!”
Can be interpreted either of a few ways, not many of them bad.

>The sheets are a little cold at first. Strange, considering you got out of this very same bed not too long ago. You’d think they’d still be a little bit warm.
This is indeed odd.

“Oh, but it is a good idea!” You pause, smiling, “Or would you rather sleep by yourself?”

“No, no, not that,” She tries to push away, wanting some space to talk. This sort of closeness isn’t very conducive to long talks, after all. “I was talking about here,” She jabs a finger into the mattress, “in this world. Something seems wrong about it, and I don’t think it’s just me.. I just can’t put my finger on what the hell’s bothering me..”

“Well,” She does seem thoroughly spooked. By something or someone-- you’re not particularly sure what she means but she’s dead serious. “I don’t think anything bad’s going to happen, but..”

“Yeah. I’d be more convinced if you weren’t so keen on bringing the whole small-arms section of the ship’s armory along with you.”

“Better safe than sorry, I suppose.” And since when did the ship have an armory? Sure, there’s one room set aside for a small assortment of warheads and artillery pieces for the ships guns that somebody forgot to remove, but with the actual weapons to fire them having been dismantled during the ship’s last refit, one would hardly constitute it as an armory. “Especially considering the way things have been sneaking up on us lately, I’d rather not take any chances.”

“Sneaking up on you, you mean. I’m fine, not a scratch on me. Shit, maybe something in this world has it out for you.” She smiles humorlessly, a bit melancholic, “How’re you holding up for that matter?”

“Meh.”

“Meh?” She rolls over onto you, propping her weight up onto one arm, “That’s it? You’re not gonna tell me?”

“I’m better than I was.” You shrug, really having no further thoughts on the matter. “Far from perfect, but.. Yeah, better. I can’t really describe it.” You’re walking, moving around on your own power, but there’s a dull ache that still lingers.

“Good to hear, then.” Rolling back onto her side, she sighs heavily, her eyes always trying to match your gaze. “Maybe try to get some sleep, then?”

“Not if you keep blathering on like this.” You laugh. Chiyuri finds no humor in your words. She’s genuinely worried, so maybe you should try to be a little less cold to her? “We can talk in the morning, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, alright..” Her tone fits one of disappointment. She wanted to talk longer. Sadly for her, you wanted sleep.

“C’mere, you!” You grab her, pull her back into you—or try to, so much as your strength will allow for. She doesn’t fight you, and even giggles a bit. So there’s a good sign. Funny, you don’t remember acting and feeling quite so awkward around her before. Maybe Shinki’s offer has something to do with it. Maybe you don’t like keeping secrets as important as this one.

You try not to think about it, pushing the thoughts away in exchange for the more pleasant ones focused on hearing and feeling Chiyuri’s breathing. You hold her close, blowing her hair aside and kissing her lightly. You wish you could spare some more time for this sort of thing as you drift off to sleep.

[ ] Write-in dream sequence.

[X] Magical girl Chiyuri-chan

One vote and already off the front page? Well, we all know what this means. Whoops, forgot my sage~

>>101536
[X] Magical girl Chiyuri-chan
Sailor suit equals magical girl. Everyone knows that.

>>101662
I didn't vote for anything because Magical Girl Chiyuri sounded fine, and you're picking the one you like best anyway, right?

...wait, hold on.

[x] More of Yuuka & Yuuka

Because that was hot. It was also in your other story, but I don't care.

[x] Magical girl Chiyuri-chan

Yuuka & Yuuka can be involved too. IYKWIM

>[x] More of Yuuka & Yuuka

More like a continuation of right as Yuuka was plunging it in. Shit was hot.

>>101673
I enjoyed writing that one, too. But I'd need to dig it back out of the dumpster.doc. I completely forgot about it until you mentioned it.

It’s dark. A familiar sort of dark that fills you with a sense of dread. You know what comes next.

“Having fun?” Says the blond-haired monster, “I suppose you thought you could get away by leaving me behind?”

“…”

She smiles, yet stands her ground—keeping her distance from you constant no matter where you move. She seems to be floating. That, or the sound of your own heart racing is drowning them out—the sound of her footsteps.

“Oh, but it’s so lonely here, all alone.” She smiles, “Why, without you I’ve nobody to feed me… When I do get out of this infernal device of course, things may change.”

“You won’t get out.” You assure her.

“Oh, but I will!” She spins, holding her arms out wide, reveling in a victory that has yet to be achieved. “And when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

“GET DOWN!!” Suddenly, something slams down into the woman. Chiyuri’s voice follows the heavy metallic thump.

“Chiyuri?!” You yell out in amazement. How the hell did she get in here?!

“You rang, Boss?” She drops down from above, performing a quick bow and grinning.

“I—“

“She’ll be out for a while, so let’s have a talk, shall we?”

“How—“

“I’ll explain later..” She pauses, staring at a giant anchor half-buried where the woman stood mere moments ago. “..And it looks like there’s a lot of explainin’ to do. First, we gotta get you the fuck outta here!”

She looks around, smiling and glaring off into the darkness. She snaps her fingers, and the room suddenly turns white. The anchor—and the woman are both vanished.

“That’s better.” Chiyuri laughs, “But it’s no wonder you’ve been acting so pissed off lately with that woman invading your dreams and whatnot. Can’t get a wink of shut-eye, can ya?”

“Even if I do..” It certainly doesn’t feel like sleeping. “This all seems too real..”

“It ain’t. Trust me. You’re just imagining this.”

“And you..?” You touch her shoulder. She feels real enough, but..

“Oh, I’m real alright. You can thank a certain God’s meddling for this. Dunno how it all works, though.”

“Shinki did—“

“Yup. She’s the culprit. Told me that doing this outta keep you safe or something..” She furrows her brow, “Didn’t quite know what she was talkin’ about until I saw that ol’ bitch bullying ya.”

“But..”

“You’re gonna ask me how, right?” She shrugs, “No idea, but apparently I can do this so long as that Shinki’s close enough by to have some influence over us.”

“So.. As long as we’re in Makai..”

“Yep. And when we leave you’re just gonna have to deal with your nightmares the old fashioned way.”

“…”

“Oh, and.. You should probably wake up now.”

----------

“Ah?!” You find yourself lying on the floor. The fall must’ve woken you. Chiyuri’s arm hangs loosely down the side of the bed, her hand resting on your back. You push it aside, picking yourself up.

It’s still dark outside, though the skies seem to always be dark in this world. You walk out to find the bathroom to wash your face.

Was any of that real? You realize it was a dream, but she—it.. Everything was so convincing.

“Ugh..” Thinking about it right after waking up is going to make your head hurt. You walk back and sit on the bed, watching Chiyuri sleep before falling backwards and staring up at the ceiling.

“What a weird fucking dream..” And what a weird fucking world. Nothing about you feels normal all of a sudden. You doubt you’ll be able to sleep after something like that.

[ ] Get dressed, take a walk.
[ ] Try to sleep anyway.

[X] Try to sleep anyway.

[x] Take a walk, try to sleep anyway.

I'M HELPING

[X] Try to sleep anyway.

You set your doubts aside and decide to try anyway. You return to the relative comfort of your bed, clinging to Chiyuri to return the warmth to your slowly freezing body. She stirs as you wrap your arms around her but doesn’t wake.

You lay still for what feels like hours, thinking only of how good it might feel to finally catch some restful shuteye. But it never comes. You close your eyes only to feel strangely empty inside. It doesn’t make much sense, but you start to feel hungry. Even at this hour when it’s not even light outside. Perhaps you should throw some clothes on and—

“Mornin’” Chiyuri’s eyes flutter open, forcing you to second guess yourself and examine the window yet again. To your amazement, it’s still dark out.

“It isn’t even light out, Chiyuri..” You turn to lay on your back, letting her sit up.

“Yeah, I know.” She smiles down at you before pulling herself to her feet and adjusting the bottom lip of her panties as she walks off into the next room.

“Couldn’t sleep?” You hear her call out to you, her voice echoing hollowly into the room as you listen for her approach.

“Ugh..” You cover your eyes as the lights flick on.

“..Guess not.” You feel her sit back down on the bed next to you, “Should I turn the lights back off?”

“No, I’m fine.” You manage to muster the strength to pull yourself halfway out of bed to a sitting position, your eyes slowly adjusting to the light. “I did get a little sleep..”

“Good to hear.” She says, turning her attention off into the room, “Oh, hey, apparently there’s a place not too far from here. Serves pretty good breakfast from what Yumeko told me. You up for it?”

“…”

“..No?”

“Sure, why not?” You pull yourself the rest of the way out, undressing and heading off towards the shower.

“Hey, woah!” Chiyuri calls out, “That’s the front door!”

“Oh..” You curse yourself silently. Had she said nothing you’d have walked out of the room naked! What a hell of a day this is going to be.. You finally find the right door, but you hardly even get your foot in when Chiyuri slips in behind you. She lays a hand on your back as she steps around towards the shower, which by the looks of it is built to double as a bath. It’s been a while since you’ve seen one of these.

“This can be a bit tricky,” She says, reaching out for the faucet but for some reason refusing to take her other hand off of you. Carefully, she tries to move you closer to her. She pushes the shower curtain aside as you hear the water come on.

“Chiyuri..”

“Yeah?” She wheels around, but slips on the floor. She staggers back, pulling you forward and sandwiching herself between you and the wall. She falls silent as she recollects herself. Freezing cold water runs down your back, making you shiver.

“You were saying?” She grins unsteadily, eyes darting between your face and your breasts pressed against her.

[ ] Tell her you’re feeling better.
[ ] Ask about the dream.

AND..

[ ] Let her up.
[ ] Don’t move.

[x] Ask about the dream.
[x] Don’t move.

Finally.

[x] Ask about the dream.
[x] Don’t move.

[ℤ] Ask about the dream.
[ℯ] Don’t move.

[X] Ask about the dream.
[X] Don’t move.

[X] Ask about the dream.
[X] Don’t move.

“I had the strangest dream last night.” You say, avoiding the obvious absurdity of the situation though laughing inwardly at it all. The constant stream of freezing water on your back slowly begins to grow warm, or perhaps you’re just growing numb to it.

“I… see..?” Chiyuri replies, giving you a strange look. Obviously, she knows nothing of it, or perhaps is hiding something. It would seem outright that she is merely caught off-guard and confused. “So.. why don’t we finish up here and you can tell me all about it while we’re eating?”

“Oh, alright.” You agree, thinking it better that you get washed up and dressed first before trying to make sense of something so unbelievable. For now, you turn your attention to what’s in front of you.

But of course, having her cornered so easily is not an opportunity you’d like to go to waste. Why not take advantage of it? You could if you so choose interrogate her on the subject of what she did while you were tied up last night. Perhaps you could just simply tickle her to death, or go a little further with something else along those lines. She is naked, after all.

“…You gonna let me up?” She asks, forcing you to realize that while you were so busy thinking of what to do to her you had done nothing but stare.

“I’m thinking… No,” You smile, wondering if you should force your hand here or allow her to make the first move. You don’t want to pressure her into anything, but you’d rather not lose the moment either. Her expression is unreadable, showing a mix of emotions. But at least she’s smiling.

“So right here, right now, huh?” You feel her hands snaking across your back, rising toward your shoulders. Does she intend to push you away?

“That’s kind of the idea.” You reply, taking hold of her by the waist and moving in to kiss her.

“I was thinking later, actually.” She breaks away suddenly, turning her head to the side and looking off towards the door. “Kinda wanted to get out and explore the area ASAP, you know?”

“It can wait.” You turn her head back to face you; her eyes dart around before her attention settles back on yourself like you wanted.

“I’d rather it didn’t. Been kinda looking forward to it since we got here.”

[ ] Acquiesce.
[ ] The world isn’t going anywhere.

[ ] Acquiesce.

[x] Acquiesce.

It'll be better if we're not over-insisting on it.

[ℤℯ] The world isn’t going anywhere.

Enough of your bipolar crap, Chiyuri.

[X] Acquiesce

Up you go

“Ugh, fine!” You take a step back, one simple movement that seems to take far more energy than it would to simply force yourself on her. But it’s the right choice, you’d like to think. She does have a point, and that is that plenty of time remains for intimacy. You finish washing and step out of the shower without speaking hardly a word. You don’t intend to punish her with the silence, but you fear that it comes off as so.

Once dressed, you follow her lead. Beyond the front door lies a room like any other—a simple stairwell like one might find in tenement housing. Granted, the design is far more lavish, but the basic properties still remain. Outside is the same as you remember. Buildings made of a strange pearlescent material line the streets.

Though the streets themselves are what catch your attention. Morning and hardly a soul is out and about. You walk past the occasional street vendor while taking direction from Chiyuri, but beyond that..

Unlike the streets, of course, the place Chiyuri shows you to is jam-packed with all sorts of folk. Some hardly seem human, what with the horns on their heads. You take a seat at a nearby table after one of the servers asks you to seat yourself. You sit directly across from Chiyuri, seemingly unable to look her in the eye or utter one word to her. Until..

“Ah, there you are!” The maid from yesterday takes a seat between the both of you with a smile, “I was wondering if you’d show up at all..”

“We had a few.. setbacks.” Chiyuri says, hinting at but giving no indication of the nature of what took place earlier. She gives you an apologetic look, but the fact that she even thought to mention it at all is maddening.

“Major setbacks.” You add dryly, looking into the restaurant at nobody and nothing in particular. The place suddenly falls eerily quiet as everyone in the room looks to the door..

And returns to normal as quickly as everything stopped.

“I hope I’m not too late~” Another one takes a seat. “I ordered four of the usual, if that’s okay.”

“Ah! You!” You push yourself from your seat in surprise when you see her. Shinki! The proclaimed and revered goddess of this world!

..You notice that the room has fallen silent yet again, and that all eyes are now on you.

Humiliated, you silently return to your seat.

“Yes, yes.” Shinki extends a rather warm welcome along with her friendly smile, “I invited myself.”

“I’d rather you didn’t act so slovenly, Master.” Says Yumeko, looking more and more distraught with each passing minute. “The common folk are—“

“More like my children than worshippers, Yumeko.” Shinki smiles as she speaks her rebuttal, “Granted, I understand your want for me to keep up appearances, but after what happened..”

“About that,” You interject, remembering the broken buildings you’d seen coming in, “What did happen here?”

“Oh, this and that. It’s nothing you should concern yourself with.” Shinki replies. And does she ever stop smiling?

“I see.” Somehow, you get the feeling that they’re not going to tell you. Perhaps you might want to ask around later if the curiosity persists. For the time being, you concentrate on eating.

Eating, yes. Eating the food that has yet to arrive. The long wait makes you wonder if the place is just busy, or if Shinki’s ‘usual’ is something special. Nevertheless..

[ ] Write-in conversation topic

----------

There. Finally! I've been meaning to crank something out for this but for some reason never quite got around to it. The write-in vote option is pure laziness on my part, sadly. I just didn't know where to cut it off.

[X] "So I had a strange dream..."

[X] "So I had a strange dream..."

Not good with write ins.

[x] Tell Shinki that it's better to experience a nightmare than to not sleep at all. You've gotten used to the former, but you don't think you can get used to the latter.

[x] "So I had a strange dream..."

Nobody has anything better?

Unpossible! After all this time..!

Sorry about all the delays. I had a number of ideas that I'd rather not have go to waste, so I took a little time and incorporated what I came up with into the story.

----------

…This is just silly. You’re getting yourself worked up over nothing! With all of these emotions swirling around inside your head, you’ve completely lost track of your goals! You’re not here to enjoy yourself, nor are you here to get worked up over Chiyuri’s unusually fickle behavior.

You have a fleeting notion to mention the dream you had, but finding no way to slide it into the conversation without sounding awkward, you push it aside. You can interrogate the Goddess later, when her maid isn’t staring at you so viciously…

“Something on my face?” You nod to her, causing the others to notice her glare. She snaps right out of it as you’d hoped. It was making you a little more than uncomfortable.

“Ah, finally!” Chiyuri exclaims as the food arrives, and anything Yumeko had planned to say is soon forgotten. You forget that the others exist upon realizing your own hunger. Turns out that, despite all you’ve accomplished so far—entering another world, conversing with the dead—you’re still human. And humans need to eat more than once a day.

You don’t recognize what is placed in front of you, but you stuff your face with it anyway. It tastes delicious, but as hungry as you are that may just be a trick of the mind. Having lived on nothing but sandwiches and pre-packaged military-grade rations for the past few months, even dog food would taste good so long as it was hot.

“You even taste that one, boss?” Chiyuri asks, leaning back in her chair after having just cleared her own plate.

“No, you?” You smile, trying not to laugh. Seems there still exists a bit of compatibility between the both of you.

“I tried.”

“Fair enough.” You wait patiently as Shinki and Yumeko finish eating before resuming conversation. “So what else is on the agenda?”

“A number of things,” Yumeko begins, “First and foremost, recovery of the demon held captive aboard your ship is underway. Turns out it wasn’t difficult at all to find where you two live.”

“An Acheron-class frigate turned science vessel would be kinda hard to miss in feudal-age Japan, I think.” Chiyuri says, retaining her laid-back posture, “So how goes it?”

“Nothing unforeseen has been reported so far, though…” Yumeko pauses, “You two really don’t seem to mind a group of strangers rummaging through your ship. Might I ask why?”

“Not like there’s gonna be trouble with the doors locked and all. How’d they even get past security is what I’m wondering..”

“Chiyuri, if you lean back any farther you’re going to fall over..” You say, trying to get her to sit up straight.

“It’s fiiine~ So anyway, as I was saying…”

“I was told that a woman dressed as a maid let everyone inside…”

“Ah, right, that… Yeah, Ruukoto’s a kind-hearted little thing, ain’t she? Doesn’t care if you’re black or white, or… Green with horns growin’ outta yer head like that poor fucker over there.” You try not to look as Chiyuri points across the room. If you recall correctly there were five ‘people’ fitting that description when you walked in.

“In any case,” Shinki says, giving things a change in pace and actually speaking for herself, “I’m awfully curious to know if you have an answer for me yet…”

She falls silent, seemingly mid-sentence given her tone. It takes you a moment to realize she’s asking you a question, and the thoughts it brings to mind are most certainly unwanted right after you’ve started to unwind.

“Not yet.” You say, noticing the curious stare coming from Chiyuri’s side of the table. “It’s hardly been a day..”

“True, something that important takes time to decide.” Shinki smiles pleasantly, “But please, try not to keep me waiting.”

“Sure thing.” You stand, eager to remove yourself from further discussion. Chiyuri pays you no mind, but Yumeko seems fixated on you. She stares at you, much like before.

“And where are you going?” She asks.

[ ] To get some fresh air.
[ ] To the little girls’ room.
[ ] What’s it to her?

[x] To the little girls’ room.

If she needs time alone to think, this would be the best route.

[X] To the little girls’ room.

[B] To the little girls’ room.

[B] To the little girls’ room.

[x] To the little girls’ room.
hmmmmm

[x] To get some fresh little girls.

Hey Alice, come say hi to your mom.

...She's still onboard, right? Or did we let Yuuka take her? For that matter, is Yuuka still using a room on the ship?

>>112176

No.
Second one's still up in the air.
And no.

Hope people are still reading this. Here goes!

----------

“Er.. I just need to wash my face..” Her piercing stares chill you to the bone. She absolutely harbors ill will towards you, and shows no signs of trying to hide it. Shinki is either oblivious, or very good at pretending not to notice. You stand and leave the table silently, heading for the back of the restaurant.

The restrooms are in plain sight. It would seem that no matter what dimension you travel to, the layout of every man-made structure you’ve seen so far is at least analogous to buildings on Earth. You push open the door and go to wash your face; you might as well make good on your excuse to leave the table.

Looking around, nothing seems unusual. Even for Earth, this bathroom would be considered nothing more than ordinary. White tile flooring, gaudy beige wallpaper and a bone-colored sink basin all serve to make the place seem more appealing all while hiding any stains the cleaners might have missed.

A noise in one of the stalls catches your attention. It would seem you are not alone. Not something unexpected, considering this is a public restroom. But a woman’s head sticking through the stall divider reminds you how far from home you really are. A woman’s… severed…

No, there’s no blood on the walls. And it doesn’t appear to be mounted in place or anything, nor was it there a moment ago. You instinctively take a step back, feeling a surge of adrenaline and an uncontrollable urge to scream and run away. But your body won’t move. Something fascinates you about her, though you can’t quite..

She grins, “I know I’m beautiful and all, but at least say something if you’re gonna stare..”

“Ah, sorry, I..” Your mind has to play a bit of catch-up to remind you that you’re talking with a disembodied head. The rest of the woman grabs you as you try to scream.

“Okay, okay!” She says, trying to calm you as you fight her to get free, “I’ll stop! Just, no screaming, ‘kay?”

She lets go when she figures you calm enough; you take a deep breath and find yourself backing into the nearest corner somewhat unconsciously with still a half a mind to run screaming from the restaurant.

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout the scare. Can’t let your two new friends catch me hanging around.” She leans over you, perking an eyebrow and grinning ear-to-ear.

“Two..?” Wait, you recognize this woman! That was it—why you didn’t run as soon as you saw her, “Uhm, Mima, was it?”

“Ahh, you remember me! Not a whole lot of people do, these days. At least, not until I..” You don’t quite catch the rest as she falls silent. Her eyes dart across the room, looking for the door, “Bah, must be my mind playing tricks on me.” She switches gears quicker than you can react, “Listen, missy. You’re in a bad spot here. You don’t know it but you’re being set up for something. Don’t know what or why, but I can tell you it’s no good. Shinki’s not all sugar and smiles; I can vouch for that personally. Don’t do anything she says. We’ll talk more later. Your place?” She doesn’t wait for a response, “Good. Be back by dark or I’m gonna get sick of waiting and start trashing the place.”

“Uh, hey, wait!” She simply vanishes before you can speak. You have a feeling she’s still around, just not where you can see her.

[ ] Say something, see if she’ll answer.
[ ] You’ve been in the bathroom for too long now.
[ ] Get out. Grab Chiyuri and leave.

[x] You’ve been in the bathroom for too long now.

Hard to say what's going on, but I think for now we should play it cool and keep our heads open.

[x] Get out. Grab Chiyuri and leave.
Pay attention to the scary, lovely, ghost.

>>116708
While I'm keeping her words into consideration, I don't exactly trust Mima on the matter that she's something of a prankster, and she was affiliated with folks who considered Makai their enemy.

[X] You’ve been in the bathroom for too long now.

[x] You’ve been in the bathroom for too long now.

Mima, you ...there isn't really a word for what a pain she is sometimes, other than Mima. She is her own noun.

[x] You’ve been in the bathroom for too long now.

Can't really trust Shinki, but still, better to keep options open.

And also, this threads needs faster updates.

>Yumeko seems fixated on you. She stares at you, much like before.

What is the problem, our names share too many syllables for your liking or something?

[x] You’ve been in the bathroom for too long now.

Not going back to the ship until the monster is dealt with.

>>116893
...They do, don't they? Heh. Wasn't even thinking of that.

You know what the saddest thing is? Given how goddamn in the dark we usually are about other people's motivations (and hell, even the plot in general) in this story, that's just as likely an explanation for her giving us the stink-eye as anything else.

The urge to call after her is dulled by the recognition that you’ve been in the bathroom for far too long to simply be washing your face. Preferably, you should return to the table before the others grow curious and come in after you. …Not that there is anything suspicious in particular about you being in here alone.

You return to find Shinki missing, leaving Chiyuri and the sharp-eyed Yumeko behind to greet you. That maid gives you the willies even when she isn’ts staring holes in your head. You go with your first inclination.

“Where’s Shinki?” You ask, trying not to sound too curious.

“Said something about a—“

“Where she has gone is none of your concern.” The maid butts in, silencing Chiyuri in a manner you had thought impossible. But after speaking her first words, Yumeko’s gaze mellows noticeably, “I will apologize in her stead for leaving while you were away. She can be a little absent-minded at times.”

“I… see?” Absent-minded according to whose mindset, you’d like to ask.

“In any case,” she continues, “We’ve recovered the one who had given you so much trouble. The Lady has seen fit to personally handle the situation. You should be thankful.”

“I am, truly.” You ask, finally finding the opportunity to retake your seat. “Any words of gratitude I could offer would certainly understate my appreciation.”

“Indeed.” Yumeko finally seems to relax. Perhaps she was waiting for you to say something along those lines? She’s proven to be a difficult person to read thus far, and you’re not quite sure what her motivations are, but she seems very dedicated to Shinki. And if what Mima says is true, definitely not trustworthy.

“Can I just say something?” Chiyuri finally manages to assert herself into the conversation after being stuck forcefully on the sidelines a while ago. “You know, it’s been bothering me for a while now, but… Who exactly is the woman that attacked us?”

“Which one?” You ask nonchalantly, recollecting at the very least three who fit the bill.

“The one these folks are taking so much time out of their clearly busy schedules to take off our hands? I’m just wondering why she’s worth all the trouble.”

“She’s a very powerful demon,” replies Yumeko, failing to acknowledge the sarcastic tone in Chiyuri’s voice, “and very worthy of our concern. She had been sealed away once before some many ages ago, but it would seem she’s broken free.”

“And you know this how?” Chiyuri asks, leaning back in her chair and at least trying to look calm, “Considering the fact you’ve never seen her face, I’m really starting to wonder…”

“Wonder what?” Yumeko asks, naturally.

“I wonder…” Chiyuri skillessly dodges the question, maintaining her usual flippant posture.

“That is a good point my partner brings up.” You continue with Chiyur’s original train of thought, “How exactly do you know all this?”

“We have our ways.” Yumeko seems about as skillful at dodging questions as the sailor girl in the seat next to you, “Were you one of us you’d understand.”

“I see. So why not try explaining it to us in words we can understand?” You didn’t spend three years teaching at a university without learning to recognize bullshit when you see it. She’s actively trying to hide something from you, but it might simply be too much trouble to dig it out of her.

“Later, perhaps.” Yumeko stands, “I’ve some personal matters to attend to as well.”

She doesn’t bother with goodbyes, turning to leave once she’s said her peace. You…

[ ] Follow her.
[ ] Stay here.

[x] Follow her.

[x] Follow her.

We're going to sneak behind, learn too much, get discovered, and then we will be proper fucked.

...But at least, for fucking once, we'll maybe have a clue as to what's going on.

[x] Follow her.

>>117001
Agree. We have been pulled left and right without really having any control. And still we are in the dark in what the hell is going on.

Still, we should keep the main goal of obtaining magic in mind. But Shinki's offer carries to much of a price. What use is magic to us, if we lose our knowledge, memories, other who knows what, if we cant prove to those bigots in the University that we are right!

[X] Follow her.

>“She’s a very powerful demon,” replies Yumeko, failing to acknowledge the sarcastic tone in Chiyuri’s voice, “and very worthy of our concern. She had been sealed away once before some many ages ago, but it would seem she’s broken free.”

I think I remember that she's a blonde, so I'm thinking Gengetsu or Mugetsu. We saw them in relief in Yuka's old home in GiG.

>Agree. We have been pulled left and right without really having any control. And still we are in the dark in what the hell is going on.

Yeah, but that's really par for the course in this story, as well as GiG.

Still...

[X] Follow her.

…Have every intent to follow her once she leaves. You’ve been in the dark for a good long while now, and it’s time for some answers. Yumeko leaves what passes for currency in this world on the table and steps outside.

You grab Chiyuri by the wrist, not wanting to leave her behind. You just hope she won’t slow you down too much. “We’re going after her, Chiyuri.” You say, enough to declare your intent. Chiyuri doesn’t argue, and follows you outside.

You catch sight of Yumeko as she turns into a nearby alley, and you keep your distance while trying not to act too suspicious. As you’re dressed, you already stand out like a sore thumb among the locals. A few of them give you interested glances, but nothing to make you feel worried.

Yumeko pauses ahead, reaching into her pocket to… Smoke?!

“Truly, an unexpected development!” You whisper to yourself, waiting for her to get a move on. She passes a glance in your direction, but you’re well out of sight and hopefully don’t attract her attention. Your heart races as she stands still; you wonder if you’ve been discovered.

She moves ahead never the wiser, and the danger has passed. You breathe a huge sigh of relief as you misstep and trip over a cat in the road. You don’t fall, but the distraction is enough to let her slip the net…

Until Chiyuri tugs at your sleeve, spotting her heading into a small shop around the bend. You can’t read the sign posted above, no matter how badly you wish you could. Guessing as to the nature of the shop isn’t much easier. You can’t easily see through the windows at this distance, and there’s no good cover anywhere closer.

“Ugh, this isn’t good..” You grow worried as time passes. You look at your watch. It’s hardly been a minute but it feels like it’s been ten. You wipe the sweat from your brow, wishing it wasn’t so damned hot here.

“There, there. He’s a good boy!” Chiyuri mutters behind you, “Oh, wait, you’re a girl!”

“Chiyuri, will you put down that cat?!” You’re amazed at her inability to read the mood. The cat too is at fault for causing you such undue stress!

“But she’s so cuuute~! Ah, and there goes the maid.”

“Where?!” You turn to see her exit the shop, walk a few paces forward, then suddenly turn into another alley between two old stone houses. You follow her, crossing out into the open for a moment and ducking behind some sort of dumpster.

Yumeko seems to be meeting somebody. You try to get a good look at the person’s face.

Something doesn’t seem right. You recognize the other woman, but it just isn’t right! What business would Yumeko, Shinki’s right hand have meeting Mima all the way out here? And why the secrecy? Mima said nothing about this, either!

[ ] Confront them
[ ] Stay hidden

[X] Confront them

eh

[x] Stay hidden

[x] Confront them

[x] Stay hidden

We can't handle both of them. Allow one to leave, then maybe confront the one who stays behind. Mima is likely to start throwing bullshit at us, and Yumeko already hates our guts (possibly because of things Mima has told her) and might attack with a little provocation from Mima. Secondly, we can bring up Mima in front of both Shinki and Yumeko, in which case Yumeko will have her hands tied.

Whatever it is, it's probably Alice-related. It shouldn't be to difficult to show that in that case, we're more likely to look out for the child's interests than Mima, considering we'd fought Yuka over her already.

>>117268 seems to make the most sense as far as figuring Mima's role. "Shitstorm-starter" doesn't seem too unlikely for her.

[x] Stay hidden

>>117273
[x] Stay hidden

Probably, but maybe Yumeko is in the collaboration with Mima against Shinki?
Just a wild guess.

Any updates?

>>117851
Eventually. I've two more days of classes and a bit of job hunting after that. The lull in between should allow me time for some much-needed writing.

This seems suspicious, so you hide behind a nearby dumpster. Chiyuri crouches down beside you, still carrying along that damned cat! As if your stress level wasn’t high enough!

“So?” You hear Mima begin, “Why the secrecy? Your boss isn’t omnipresent, you know.”

“Yes, but we can’t be too safe,” replies Yumeko, “Especially considering the circumstances.”

“What circumstances? Something to do with those outsiders?”

Well, it seems you haven’t been spotted. Though the subject of this discussion seems to be about you and Chiyuri. It would be wise to sit tight and listen in.

“No, though they could be of some use.”

“Use how? They’ve already gone and spilled the beans on her.”

“Which was not unexpected.” Yumeko laughs, “If anything, I was hoping they would. Though at this point there’s not a lot else they can do besides hinder our progress.”

“You mean, your progress. I can’t say I’m quite as ambitious as you, though you seem to have put that part of you to good use. But I’ve gotta ask, what the hell do you plan to do now?”

“Simple, really. If we somehow stop the caravan before it arrives at the palace, we should be able to take the demon from them without them noticing.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I could very easily use my position in government to—“

“To what? Give yourself away? Tell you what, if you want it stopped, I’ve got a friend back in the home country with enough stopping power to… Well, I suppose talking about it is useless when you’ve seen it first-hand.”

“Well I suppose it’d work, though you know I can’t stand her.”

“Or, if you’d rather… We could put the outsiders to work. They’re standing right over there, after all. Ask ‘em yourself.”

[ ] You’ve been spotted, run!
[ ] Confront them head-on!

[X] Confront them head-on!

The suicidal option is the best option

[x] Confront them head-on!

Yumemi runs from no one!

[you know it] Confront them head-on!

Head-On. Apply directly to the DON'T BE A ******* COWARD.

[x] Confront them head-on!

Take the initiative, they won't see that coming!

[X] Confront them head-on!

>>118190
You're allowed to say 'fucking' on THP. We don't mind, honest.

>>118207
I was going to say this, except a lot more unpleasantly, since I don't like the kind of person whose first impulse is to self-censor in such a way.

[x] Confront them head-on!

If it doesn't involve human experimentation, magic, crosses, or strawberries, we're not interested.

>>118207
>>118210
Fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck. I actually hate censorship. I only do that so people can fill in the 'blank' with whatever expletive they desire. They do that on television occasionally. My well of creativity has been a little dry lately.

>>118271
If that is the case, I would then like to submit the word "DICKSHITTING" for use in that sentence.

>>118278
I'd give you an award for that if I could. My day's been made.

So yeah, I won't drop a story I'm working on unless I say it's been dropped. A whole lot of stuff happened fairly recently and I'd become somewhat disillusioned with my old writings. Didn't like where they were going or some bullshit. So I took some time away, had more bad shit happen, and started up the Nue story to get back into the groove. Well, it worked, though it may take some time for me to get back to all of my stories. For now, I will continue this one and Nue. GiG will have to wait for a while. And so, without further ado, to all of you people fortunate (or unfortunate) enough out there to still be reading this, I bring you some good old-fashioned UPDATES!

Fixed: Whoops forgot my pic
Fixxed: Whoops lost my formatting
Fixxxed: OH GOD WHY WON'T THIS WORK

Apparently the God of the internet doesn't want me writing any more Yumemi.

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“Oh, shit!” You curse aloud, cursing them for noticing you and cursing yourself for being so damned easy to spot. Why do you always have to wear red?!

Well, here goes nothing! You step out into the open, drawing your pistol and setting your sights on the two women ahead. You understand the possibility that a projectile weapon may have no effect on these magical beings, but you also intend to show them that you mean business.

Just to verify, you nod to your weapon and ask them, “Do you know what this is?”

They certainly seem to—a certain recognition, and maybe even fear shows in their eyes. Perhaps you’re imagining it, but you can’t let it distract you.

“Mind telling me what’s going on here now?” You state your demands, trying to level your voice—keep it from quivering. You’re damn near shaking in your boots you’re so terrified! You’re a scientist, not a mad gunslinger!

“Aaaalright, you heard the boss,” Chiyuri, on the other hand, seems far calmer, “No sudden movements, ‘kay? I see one of you so much as twitch and it’s bye bye birdy!”

“Chiyuri!” You turn to her—

“Eyes on the target, boss.”

“Oh, right,” you slap yourself mentally for allowing yourself to look away for even a moment, “You’d best tell me now, what do you want from me?!”

“Nothing at all,” Mima says calmly, “I just don’t like seeing innocents get hurt, is all.”

“And I suppose you’re gonna tell me that you think that thing I captured is innocent?!”

“She was talking about you,” Yumeko stammers, her fear of your weapon far greater than Mima’s. Good, now you know she can feel something other than cold-hearted bitch. “We want to help you!”

“Oh? Then why didn’t you say so?!” You don’t buy it. The very second you drop your gun you’re dead. “No, really, what in the name of Jesus FUCK is going on?!”

“Oh, that,” Mima plays it cool, “Pfft, yeah. So little miss maid here has a scheming little witch of a boss, and you’re her next prime target.”

“…For what?”

“Beats the hell outta me, but you’re it.”

“Look, can you please put that thing down?” Yumeko is practically begging for mercy. The question of course is whether or not you should show it.

[ ] Sure, why not?
[ ] Fuck her!

[X] Fuck her!

Yes please

[x] Sure, why not?

[X] Fuck her!

Fuck everyone! Its time to take some control of this shit.

Oh and I'm glad you are continuing this. This and Nue story.

[X] Fuck her!

[x] Fuck her!