>>9010 I'll think about it. Maybe as a side-CYOA once the main story's over.
[x] Back to the mountain.
---[x] Take a walk along the river.
---
…No thanks. The last time you went along with her somewhere, you ended up getting blasted in the face and knocked out for half the day. Certainly don’t want a repeat performance of that, especially if it involves vampires. You heard they bite. Best thing you could do was just head back and wait for the situation to blow over. These types of events weren’t all that uncommon in Gensokyo, anyway, according to that old man.
You slowly drifted down towards the ground. You weren’t in a hurry to head back, either, so you might as well take a stroll along the riverside. Touching down on the soft grass beneath your feet, you began walking in the opposing direction to the river’s flow. You ignored the fairies that flew past the trees above you, with their never-ending whispering and giggling. They’re such a nuisance sometimes…but it’s their nature, so it can’t be helped.
Hopping on one of the large rocks piled up at the river bed, you spread out your arms as you balanced yourself, hopping to the next while trying not to stumble and fall off. Intensely, you concentrated your vision on your feet, rapidly calculating in your mind which rock you can jump to next without slipping off of it.
“Hey, you!”
A voice calls from somewhere nearby, but you pay in no heed. You’re far too busy focusing on important things, like trying to figure out how to jump far enough to reach the next rock.
“I’m talking to you, brat!”
Ah, damn it, you lost. You couldn’t jump far enough. Sighing with a disappointed expression on your face, you turned to face the loudmouth that was addressing you. Standing some feet away was a man with a scruffy chin, wearing a simple kimono.
“I remember you, damned kid.” The man said with an ugly look on his face. Or maybe he was just ugly. “Do you have
any idea how much trouble you caused for me back then, huh?!” Huh, so he knows you? Ah, wait…
“…Y-you’re…” you say, scrunching up your face in deep concentration. Yeah, this guy was…this guy was… “…Um, have we met before?”…someone you don’t remember. You tilt your head with a puzzled look, digging through your memories.
“…You little…” The man grinded his teeth, showing off his sharp fangs. Still not coming back to you. Maybe the guy mistook you for someone else? “You don’t remember the youkai that nearly
killed you?!”
“…Ah!” you exclaimed, pounding your hands together as if you had a sudden epiphany. “Now I remember. But that was like…ten years ago, wasn’t it, sir?”
“…Ten? What the…it’s only been three years, you dolt.”
“…Really? It feels like it’s been much longer than that,” you scratched your head, shrugging your shoulders. “Have you been well?” you decide to ask with a smile.
“…You…Don’t screw with me!” The man roared, stamping on the ground like a child. How rude, you were just being polite. “Damn it, you’re not giving a youkai proper respect! Fear me! Scream! Run away! Because I’m going to kill you!”
“Well, see, I’m not really in the mood…Can’t we please talk this out?” you said with disinterest. This only seemed to further fuel the man’s rage. He practically started foaming at the mouth, shouting incomprehensible curses at you.
“I’ll KILL YOU!” He screamed hysterically, charging at you. Calmly, you raised your hand and pointed in his general direction.
“Whoa, what’s that over there?!” You shout incredulously, eyes wide open. The youkai man stopped his charge, dropping to the ground just short of a single pace from you to look behind him. Chance. You kick off from the ground, soaring into the high branches of the trees. Behind you, you hear the youkai let out a frustrated scream.
Looking back, you see the youkai chasing after you, opting to jump from tree to tree rather than fly at you like any other youkai would. Come to think of it, he didn’t fly at you the last time he was chasing you, either. Could it be that he couldn’t fly? In that case…
Doubling back, you let out a burst of speed as you switched directions just as he leaped from a tree, shooting towards him. If he can’t fly, there was no way he could stop himself in time to dodge you. Using your flying speed, as well as the man’s momentum…
“What the fu-!“
You clothesline him right in the neck using your outstretched arm. With a sickening crack, his whole body nearly makes a loop around your arm. He goes limp, his eyes rolled up so that you could only see the whites. He dropped like a sack of potatoes into the river below with a splash. Ouch, that looked like it really hurt. He should be fine, though, since he’s a youkai. You should apologize to him the next time you see him again. Your arm feels numb from the impact, though…
Floating down to the ground, you resumed your little game of rock-hopping, until you feel a chill run down your spine. That presence…it must be that goddess from that time. She was near somewhere in the trees; you can hear the leaves rustling…Following your ears, you finally found her. She was spinning horizontally in the air, like a top, as she drifted from tree to tree, apparently on the whims of the wind.
[] Approach her.
--- [] Call out to her.
--- [] Join her in spinning.
[] Avoid her and hurry to the mountain.
