This filename is so true it hurts.

Old thread: >>104301

[x] Ostrich defense


Well uh... damn.

>>106283
>It's kinda hard to keep our heroine safe when we don't have any idea of what each option would lead to.

An elephant never forgets.
An ostrich buries its head in the sand.

(Both are old wives' tales, but that's hopefully beside the point.)

[X] Elephant memory

She doesn't care what you do or don't do, but she's gonna torture you anyway, regardless. Not to get information. It's amusing, to her, to torture a youkai. You can say anything you want cause she's heard it all before. All you can do is pray for a quick death.

...which you ain't gonna get.

[X] Elephant memory

>>106285

I mean in the last couple choice sets before this.

It seems almost like once our cover was blown there was no avoiding this.

And it was painful reading this update.

[X] Elephant memory

I wonder if there's a real point to this choice set or not. Since I don't see how either one would do much good.

>bottle text
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne. Runs about $40 a bottle. Just in case anyone was wondering.

Or in case anyone wants some trivial details to distract themselves with after reading the rest of the update.

Because I do.

[X] Elephant memory
Trying to block it out won't do us any good. Or maybe it will. I don't know anymore.

[X] Elephant memory

I can't believe you've done this ;__;

[X] Elephant memory

>>106290
It may cost $40 in our world, but how much does it cost in gensokyo?

[x] Elephant memory

Remember every detail, so you can repay it in triplicate.

>Moet & Chandon
She's a killer queen~

[+] Elephant memory
KOGASA DOES NOT FORGIVE
KOGASA DOES NOT FORGET
etc.

>>106299

> KOGASA DOES NOT FORGIVE
> KOGASA DOES NOT FORGET

FOR KOGASA IS ANONYMOUS, AND WE ARE LEGION!!!

[X] Elephant memory

[X] Elephant memory
Fuck you Sanae

[X] Elephant memory

[X] Elephant memory
Because I know Sanae being truely sadistic is burned into my mind...
I hope someone mounts a rescue for her.

>>106336

I can only hope so, and that our choice won't result in Kogasa being traumatized so bad it's a bad end.

>>106339

I only hope what we have now isn't a dead end.

[x] Elephant memory

[X] Elephant memory

[x] Elephant memory

Sanae just has difficulty properly expressing her love for Kogasa.

>>106379
Really? Because it looks like she's had a pretty easy time of it so far.

Bitch is crazy.

>>106379
Just like Yuuno from Mirai Nikki.

>>106336
>>106395
Stop posting and get the fuck out.

[Ｅ] Elephant memory

and pain is inflicted on me over and over again and again and again and again and I am aching and bleeding from all over and I am swollen black and blue and blood runs down my body in little trickles and rivers

I hurt

I hurt everywhere

Again.

It's like reliving a painful memory, except real, because it's happening and the pain is very there and it's different every time.

I endure.

Crying, bleeding, sobbing, broken, and hurting, I endure.

And I remember.

I recall.

I don't stand back, away from myself. I don't go away. I live it.

I need to remember everything.

Before, I suffered this abuse.

Now, this time, it will be different, even if it's only in my head.

I will remember everything.

I will not forget it until the favor is repaid.

I remember being stabbed with the broken bottle, seventeen times.

I remember having burning-- not melted, burning-- wax dripped on my face, on my breasts, on my stomach.

I remember crying for hours.

I remember nighttime.

I remember not falling asleep.

I remember the morning, listening to the birds chirping outside the light vent that grew brighter and brighter.

I remember being splashed down with ice water, fresh from the lake, and the false winds that blew over me.

I remember the green girl punching me, poking me, kicking me, over and over.

I remember losing consciousness.

I remember waking up the the feel of the boning knife slicing into me, and the scream I let out.

I remember looking down at "youkai" being carved into my chest. "unworthy" was cut into my right leg, and "useless" was sliced into my left.

I remember the knife being stabbed into my collarbone and left to sit there while she went to eat lunch.

I remember passing out from blood loss while I sobbed, tears rolling down my cheek and dripping into the wounds, every drop stinging.

I remember waking up to pain yet again, as the green girl filled me full of pins like an incompetent acupuncturist, singing in that perfect voice of hears along with the songs I could not hear.

I remember falling asleep like that, pierced full of metal.

_________________________________________________________________

Arms holding me gently from behind.

The dream-voice speaks again, softly, in my ear:

"You need to remember."

Remember what?

"From before."

That's not much help.

"For that and more, I am truly sorry."

Huh?

"Last night."

...the pale green ball and the grey tr--

"..."

No words, but I can feel the smile on the voice's lips.

What's so special about them?

"..."

Silence. Nothing, this time.

Are you being deliberately vague and indirect because that's what weird voices in dreams do?

A long pause, then:

"......No."

Then why? Cut through the bullshit and tell me.

"I want to, so very badly."

...You can't?

A grim silence that fills with sadness.

But if I remember--

"Pray that you do."

...Thank you. I think. I don't know for what. Maybe I'm not. What the hell is going on?

"I'm sorry."

________________________________________________

I wake up, screaming.

Dim, hazy grey light barely illuminates the room.

What woke me up?

The pain is returning, growing faster and faster with every moment that passes.

Nobody's in here.

Nothing is making any noise.

As expected, my clothes are back on, despite her never having put them back on me, let alone unfastening me. They're ragged, laying open and unbuttoned, stained, and rumpled, but they're back on me. I can see my friend in the corner.

Facing away from me, as usual... but there.

I sit there, perplexed at my inexplicable waking and hurting, for another few moments until I hear footsteps coming down the hall.

...How odd.

The door opens, and the green girl skips in, bouncing happily along.

"It's time, it's time, it's time for you to go~"

She comes to a stop by my table. I look up at her, but she's too giddy right now to even notice and smile back at me.

I'm lucky for that.

With a click of the foot switch out of my range of vision, the table rotates back to a flat, horizontal position. She sings an inane little ditty to herself as she plucks out the long, sharp, needles.

One day I
saw a little guy (oh, oh)
walkin' by and by
carryin' forty pie'
And I say:
"Hey-- (oh, oh)
You there, Mr. Guy
Whatcha doin' with them pie'?"
And he say:
"Hey (oh, oh)
Baby doncha cry--
I bought me these pie
I'm gooona stack'em high
Ain't tellin' you no lie~"

The green girl finishes that verse as she pulls out the last needle, and kisses me on the forehead. "Let's go, let's go~!"

She reaches over me and begins undoing the straps one by one with the speed and proficiency of one well-accustomed to the task. This is exactly the case. I want to reach out and grab her, choke her, rip off her jaw with my own bare teeth. I lack the energy to do so, completely and utterly. It's almost an effort simply to breathe.

The last strap is undone, and she grabs me by the hair and pulls hard, yanking me off the table, and slamming my head against the thick timbers, causing me to see stars from the pain and

and

wait

the dream.

There was something in the dream.

I think?

[ ] Thy dreams shall be prophets
[ ] Dreams will get you nowhere

________________________________________________________________________________

Stone Ocean is definitely better than Golden Wind, hands fucking down.

>>106396
You know, he's not pissing me off nearly as much as >>106303 , who reminds me of that ultrafaggot Shintaro over in /at/, and whatever faggot wrote >>/gensokyo/2792 .

Fucking retarded children.

But yes, Nova... please try to keep the talking to a minimum. It isn't doing you any good, trust me.
And for god's sake, don't post with your name.
We really fucking hate that here (The exception being Plusfag. He has a signed note allowing him to do so.)

[x] Thy dreams shall be prophets

Trust in the dream, for it shall help us.

[x] Thy dreams shall be prophets

[x] Thy dreams shall be prophets

>"unworthy" was cut into my right leg, and "useless" was sliced into my left.
"unworthy" of what? "useless" to who? Just psychological torture on top of the physical, or should we be trying to read something into Sanae's psyche based on how she torments Kogasa?

[X] Thy dreams shall be prophets
I still have no idea who the voice in our dreams could be, or how to interpret green balls and grey triangles.

>>106407

I suspect that Sanae's taking out her inadequacies out on Kogasa. Since when often compared with the 3 veteran human incident resolvers, the "living god" comes out the weakest. And so as to keep a flimsy grip on things, she seeks out the least malicious weak and loner Youkai and torments her.

This is why Kogasa can't keep on doing things alone, since her loner tendencies is why Sanae singled her out. If she hung around with friends and have them stand by her side, She'd think twice about doing that.

[x] Thy dreams shall be prophets.

Hopefully the Prismrivers are starting to wonder where she went, and hopefully atleast Lyrica has some idea as to what might have happened, since she is the one we've told what's been going on.

[x] Thy dreams shall be prophets

>>106408

I haven't played much UFO yet (STILL trying to beat SA on normal. Damn you to hell Orin), but I thought the consensus was that Sanae was retardedly good, or at least that's what I heard.

>>106412

More like retardedly gung-ho about exterminating youkai. The very creatures that bestow faith to the shrine.

>>106412
The current score record for UFO is a SanaeB run, but MarisaA is winning the popularity poll on Gensokyo.org by a wide margin (in lieu of any sort of reputable statistics).

But relying on the games for power level estimates is wrong in a wide variety of ways, so it's a moot point either way.

>>106412

How Sanae is post UFO is up to fan interpretation. This takes the whole "Sanae bullying Kogasa" angle to a particular extent.

>>106413
And it's more about incident resolving than not (Spell card duels have no fatalities), but the fact remains that Sanae is lagging behind those three in skill, experience, and power perhaps.

Still it's been hinted that her time in Gensokyo regardless has slightly unhinged her, not like in this story, but Reisen has a higher sanity rating than her.

Yet we can't tell too much about this Sanae because of the lack of info we have. What we do know is this: she enjoys chasing down Kogasa, dragging her back and torturing her, then starting the game all over again.

And we do not know what exactly happened to A) Have Reimu force Kogasa off, and B) The source of terribly bad blood between Kogasa and Sakuya. (she's number two on the list of people Kogasa wants dead, right after Sanae)

[X] Thy dreams shall be prophets

And thy nights shall be dark and stormy...

>>106413
Keep in mind, the majority of the Moriya Shrine's youkai followers are based on or around the mountain, and I doubt Sanae would dare do anything against the Tengu or Kappa.
Outcasts like anyone who had been sealed underground, or "strays" like Kogasa, however, are probably considered fair game.

Trolling anonymous is a favorite passtime

[X] Thy dreams shall be prophets

It works in every other media

>And for god's sake, don't post with your name.
>We really fucking hate that here (The exception being Plusfag. He has a signed note allowing him to do so.)
Aww, that gave me a big case of the warm-and-fuzzies.

...or maybe it's heartburn. I dunno. Either way, thanks~

[+] Thy dreams shall be prophets.

>>106423
>And thy nights shall be dark and stormy...
I see you see what I did there. Good on ya.

[X] Thy dreams shall be prophets.

>>106423

And I think the reason why she wouldn't try to pick on say team 9 is that unlike Kogasa, they WILL fight back to the fullest if they feel they are threatened. Not to mention the possibility of it being 2-4 on one, since they might not be loners at all (especially Wriggle with her masses of bugs). Sure Reimu, Marisa or Sakuya could deal with such a thing, but not so much Sanae.

She wouldn't try to take on the formerly sealed or underground youkai just due to some of the trouble it'd make. (Byakuren's temple is a faction on to itself now and in the underground, it's basically allied with the Moriya shrine in addition to the oni running around down there)

but a mostly harmless wandering loner Youkai like Kogasa? Easy target; no one'd care if she went missing, she wouldn't put up much of a real fight. And Kogasa's continued insistence on struggling alone makes it easy for Sanae to continue.

In contrast should Kogasa decide to rely on her new found friends, the whole thing would be difficult for various reasons, for one it'd attract attention from certain overseers (Keine, Byakuren) who would be in a position to do something about this.

I can only presume that the Yama has yet to pay a visit to Sanae (Despite whatever justification Sanae might use, it'd come up as 'guilty' to the Yama)

>In contrast should Kogasa decide to rely on her new found friends, the whole thing would be difficult for various reasons, for one it'd attract attention from certain overseers (Keine, Byakuren) who would be in a position to do something about this.
That might be a good thing.

While Keine's quite likely to oppose anyone targeting a human for any reason (unless I miss my estimation), Byakuren is the more investigative type, and has been known to show favor to youkai in the past. She'd probably be pretty hostile to Sanae's sadistic acts.

>>106434
It would be very beneficial if Kogasa could find the yama, but perhaps Shikieiki would say it is out of her jurisdiction, Sanae not being DEAD and all.

>>106444

Keine's shown to be one of the few folks that are friendly to Kogasa (that and Rinnosuke), and if such a thing were to occur, she'd look into it herself. Her duty is to the humans in the village, not so much shrine maidens (especially since Shrine maidens as of late mainly seem concerned with donations or faith gathering, and as a result neglect on occasionally take out particularly unruly wild youkai. Something which might have fallen to Keine herself as a result) Keine would respect Reimu more just due to the Hakureis' role in things. (Gensokyo needs them)

Byakuren might end up upset, since she most likely had the notion of humans and youkai being friendly, finding out about a human torturing an otherwise harmless youkai for no good reason. That'd no doubt strike a raw nerve for her. And in such a case, she'd have the fellow temple dwellers to assist in investigating and resolving this matter. This would no doubt create bad blood between the two factions. (Also consider how the Temple is a popular place with both human and Youkai, If Byakuren comdemns Sanae and her shrine. This would result in a PR nightmare for the Moriya Shrine, and even if the Goddesses do something about it, the damage would have been done.)

In short the moment Kogasa decides to stop doing things alone, the moment things will start to turn around. (One antelope would be easy prey for a Lion, 4-6 antelopes on the other hand, would not)

Perhaps the dream was talking about her instincts, particularly those of a predator. Since nothing knows a predator like another. (And Sanae is definitely a predator of a sort, and perhaps Kogasa is failing to realize this basic fact)

>>106446

It's not so much the matter of expecting her to do something or even Kogasa finding her, since The Yama does see all through that mirror. And if this keeps up, she will pay Sanae a visit to inform her just how much she's sinned. And I think she'd make her lecture extra harsh just because she's a shrine maiden.

>>106451
And then Sanae will beat her up, like everybody else does in PoFV.

Seriously, though, I don't know if the yama would approve of killing, regardless of the crime, and I don't think just getting Sanae arrested would be satisfactory for anyone at this point.

[ ] Thy dreams shall be prophets

>>106455

It's hard to say who actually beat her in PoFV, but even then people took the warnings to heart, at least in canon, not so sure in this.

But if the Yama's giving you a lecture, chances are you'd be spooked or stunned by it.

The main point is getting Sanae to stop, and trying for some glorious revenge more often than not, ends up backfiring. And there's often worse things than death, as this story's Kogasa could attest. A life of shame and disgrace would be far worse than any death.

[x] Thy dreams shall be prophets

Hay guys?

There's been absolutely no evidence in any canon source about Sanae's power in comparison with the other humans. Try not to use phrases like "the fact remains" when making statements. A fact implies evidence. Evidence that does not yet exist.

In the future, please make it clear that it is, like, just your opinion, man?

>I want to reach out and grab her, choke her, rip off her jaw with my own bare teeth.

This phrase strikes me as important, somehow.

Fuck thinking, fuck conspiracy. Fuck all that shit.

I have one thing to say:
Keep Sanae the hell away from Orange. Don't decide to go see her, don't tell anyone else about her, hell, forget about her entirely for the moment.

Because you know Sanae'd use her to hurt Kogasa if she found out about her, and also Orange is so far the only loophole we've found in the curse Kogasa is under - don't want to let Sanae know there's a chink in kogasa's chains now.

>>106477

Opinion? Well let's see in MoF she was a pathetically easy stage 5 boss (to the point where Aya the stage 4 boss had more of a challenge)

in 12.3, she's on the rather underwhelming side.

And I wonder how she'd manage in UFO without the two god's power.

And if she was actually even or better than those 3, she wouldn't be so nutty torturing Kogasa.

>>106485
But it's that line of thinking that perpetulates Sanae's little game. Though you do have a point about trying not to get Orange involved. She's something of a loner as well. Still one might want to make a fuss when getting free, actually accepting actual help from the people she's met (Like the Prismrivers and co.)

>>106493
Ah, but the difference between Orange and other possible allies is that there is an attraction between the two - which makes her a viable victim to get at Kogasa (unlike the prismrivers, who Sanae *thinks* you didn't tell the truth to). The real vital thing, though, is the loophole in the curse - we really don't want to risk that until we can find out if that's a possible way to crack the curse open or not.

If Sanae thought Orange was key to you spilling the beans to Reimu? I don't hold much for her chances. Especially since she's a relative unknown who wouldn't be terribly missed from Gensokyo at large if she went 'missing'. Even if Sanae thought the prismrivers knew the truth they're simply too high profile for her to do anything to without drawing attention.

Yes Kogasa has been pushing help away for fear of getting them caught up in shit, and she does need to abandon that thinking. However she shouldn't stop being careful for others entirely - especially when it comes to people who actually are vulnerable.

>>106513
Loophole? What loophole?

>>106513

That's my point, she should try going to the sisters and staying clear or Orange until things are resolved.

And I suspect Sanae did a bit of lying to Reimu about Kogasa (hence perhaps her particularly terrible reception at the shrine)

>>106448
The entire first paragraph here is confusing.

>>106515
Orange has been called "Orange."

>>106522
Whose reception at what shrine?

>>106459
>A life of shame and disgrace would be far worse than any death.

Fuck that shit, she's a psycho. Killing her is the easiest way to make sure this doesn't happen again.

>not pissing me off[...]

He's just being ironic. It's a satire of the faggots that actually do that, because if it weren't, I'd be tasting metal and seeing spots.

>>/gensokyo/2792

Oh good god why did you link that?

This is why we needs the mods to ban people, it's damn near impossible to get anonymous faggots to leave.

>>106523

The point is Both Keine and Byakuren would look into things if something came to their attention, Byakuren more so.

Kogasa's reception at the shrine (earlier on she passed by it remarking on what happened the last time she was there, basically being driven out)

>>106527
I don't recall any such event. Could you find the post in question that you're referring to? All 5 threads are still on /th/ (and there's a link to and from between each of them, so you don't have to trawl through the list of past threads).

>>106523
>Orange has been called "Orange."

That could easily have been Kogasa giving her a nickname like everybody else, not knowing it was her real name.

>>106493

1) Stage numbers and difficulties mean next to nothing in Touhou. Characters are easier or harder depending on the game. Yukari goes from being uber-hax phantasm boss to being (still pretty awesome, but not hax) normal player that has to team up with Reimu in order to resolve an incident.

As for MOF, Aya is supposed to be a pretty strong character, if you'll recall. Its the kinda situation that happened with stage 4 in IN. Reisen isn't weak, per se, her danmaku just isn't nearly as overwhelming as Reimu's or Marisa's. Aya is a tengu, and pretty old at that. It only makes perfect sense she might be a bit more overwhelming than a teenage girl from the outside who JUST moved in.

Heck, a decent example is Kogasa herself. She's stage 2 AND EX mid in the same friggin game. Touhou games are not known for their consistency. You can try to use that as "evidence" all you want, but even if you were right, TH12 takes place some time after TH10, so its not even relevant anymore, so it comes down to your opinion on how that information should be interpreted. For all we know, Sanae attained ultra speed by training, and training, and training, all while wearing 100-ton boxers.

2) As for 12.3, that's definitely more of an opinion. Fighting game tiers are even MORE unreliable as an indicator than danmaku games, because it all breaks down to how you use the character. One character might be considered absolute shit for a long time (sometimes even years) until someone discovers a new way to use them. There's a reason why tiers change in fighting games even if the game itself hasn't changed in years. Its because its the people themselves determine the tiers through their utilization of characters, and the prevalence of certain strategies and play styles.

3) Reimu apparently gets some of her power from the Hakurei orbs and one could possibly make the argument that she gets some from the god of the shrine itself. This is all rather vauge though.

It is definitely canon that Marisa gets the power for some of her spells from an outside source (she turns magic mushrooms into magic fuel). Not to mention she uses a tool for her most powerful spells.

As for Sakuya, no one knows how her time stopping abilities work, though several sources imply that she does have some sort of pocketwatch (the Luna Dial, which is directly shown as a spellcard in 12.3). Whether the watch grants her abilities, acts as a focus, or is just a pretty watch is completely up for debate.

And to top it all off we're not even sure how much Sanae relies on her god's powers in the first place. Heck, in the Sanae vs Suwako fight, she can summon Suwako to fight herself. What this means is anyone's guess. For all we know, Sanae doesn't actually rely on her god's powers much at all.

4) You know this story isn't canon right? And that Sanae isn't actually insane. Right? If so, then I am really wondering why you even included that point as "evidence" of her being weaker. You don't use fan-works as "fact". Ever.

All in all, I do agree with your opinion that Sanae is the new kid on the block and likely weaker than the others. And yes, an inferiority complex is a likely cause of her cruelty in this story. However, it is still only your (our?) personal opinion on how things in the games should be interpreted, which was all my original point was.

I only mention this because when you state things as fact, it perpetuates misinformation. This is part of the reason for some of the more poorly represented characters on this site (ie: Reimu = bitch).

Self sage for pointless rant no one is going to care about anyway.

>>106529
Kogasa actually wondered if it was a loophole at the time when she found Orange's name (after already naming her Orange herself - which seems to imply that she can't use someones name only if they introduce themselves as that to her, anything she calls them before they do so is fine even if the two match up).

Either way, do you really think this Sanae would like the mere thought that her curse has any kind of chink - serious or not?

It is worth considering what would happen if we actually went to Reimu - assuming the curse-induced pain doesn't actually kill us directly.

(On a side note, Hina. Curses might fall within her purview enough for her to do something about it. Probably not remove or destroy since it's not her expertise but weaken it perhaps. Though I admit I see it far too likely that she'll have bought in on whatever stories Sanae has been telling about Kogasa.)

>>106556

That was my point that her weakness compared to the others is the cause.

And I'm aware of this just being ONE story only.

I was just explaining the basis for some of Sanae in this story.

>>106586
With regard to the nature of Kogasa's affliction, remember that the pain radiates out from her back, and whatever is causing it is clearly visible there and recognizable as Sanae's handiwork, based on Lyrica's reaction when she showed her, so while it is a 'curse' of sorts, the spell itself is probably divine in nature, written on an ofuda or something and slapped on there, which means it probably falls outside Hina's purview. Of course, this is all unfounded speculation, but I think we'll need miko power to get it off. Maybe Kogasa can get someone to knock her out and take her to Reimu while she's unconscious.

>>106556
Thank you. That post (and all the others by the same grammar-challenged user) were annoying me, too.

>Maybe Kogasa can get someone to knock her out and take her to Reimu while she's unconscious.

Reimu's in on this as well if I remember correctly.

Just hearing her name or even thinking it makes Kogasa break into seizures.

>>106591

That or an angle Sanae covered in various ways. (She'd know that Reimu might be a threat to her being the far stronger Miko)

And it seems hearing anyone's given name has that sort of reaction. (Except for Orange's because as far as Kogasa knows, it's just a nickname)

>>106590
Ah, i forgot about that aspect of it. My bad. Still, depending on it's formation Hina could have some effect on it if it's holy - same with the Aki sisters, since all three are goddesses (and thus, unlike a youkai, probably able to touch the thing without trouble).

Though if Sanae made it I doubt any of them individually would have the power to break it. And of course I can't see any of them choosing to help. Ran or Yukari could maybe help - but they're too close to Reimu, the pain would go off something fierce at that plan. Flan's power of destruction... would that work on something as abstract as this? Not that we'd be able to find out.

The only other person I can think of who would likely be friendly and could be of major use... Would be Yuugi. 'Control of the supernatural' has to be *the* single most broadly vague power any resident has - so it could work maybe.
The problem with her, however, would be if she knows of the whole 'imitating an oni' thing and her views on it. Of course if Suika is around her, her relation to Reimu would probably set us off in agony too.

Beyond that we have Byakuren... but i'm not going to be so silly as to assume Sanae wouldn't have covered that angle already.

God, we should just write a note in our own blood and stick it to her back. It would be like a "kick me" sign, except incredibly creepy.

Something like "Hi, I kidnap and torture youkai". Maybe rip off a finger and stick it on there so it gets taken seriously.

>>106594

Not sure if Yukari, Ran or Suika would trigger a reaction, they're nonhuman/youkai like she is.

The thing is the matter of those three caring enough to.

>>106590
From Lyrica's reaction it might have been a curse blot as well (Suwako is famed for subduing curse creatures)

But something tells me Sanae didn't consider all angles. (otherwise Keine wouldn't have been nice to her.)

And Byakuren is something who puts Youkai first, so I doubt she'd buy whatever Sanae was saying. If anything this would set off a few alarms. And Sanae assumes Kogasa would be a loner, not wanting any other youkai to get involved.

Need to get up retardedly early, and this is only 3/5 done.
Update will be ready by late tomorrow morning or afternoon, Pacific Time.

In the mean time, go read Ace Combat in Gensokyo over in /shrine/, if you haven't done so already.

I think only Reimu herself triggers a reaction. I think we'd be perfectly find going to, say, Marisa or something. Or at least I haven't seen anything in the story that makes me think otherwise.

>>106597

You think Yukari wouldn't care about a psychotic human going around torturing Youkai and disrupting the peaceful balance of gensokyo? Honestly, since Yukari is considered the the youkai sage, I'm surprised Kogasa hasn't thought about going to her yet.

That is, if she can find her. Yukari seriously needs to get a hotline or something.

>>106605

the possible reaction to Reimu might have been to a forceful removal, we don't have enough information to be sure WHAT's causing it exactly.

And it's just one minor Youkai only, nothing wide spread. This might be another possibility if Kogasa makes enough of a ruckus, that it'd attract Yukari's attention. While she isn't in the habit of bailing out weaker youkai, she would like to get back at Kanako somehow.

Considering how in SA, Kanako's stunt of feeding Okuu a sun god almost got Gensokyo into massive trouble, as well as trying to push forth technology too quickly. These things most likely has Kanako on Yukari's shitlist.

And what better way to get back at a god than by doing something to her priestess?

Since for all we know Yukari might have been the cause of Reimu's more lenient attitude towards Youkai.

If Yukari notices, she'd do torturing of her own, perhaps marked by a possible remarks of "What happened to the last few priests that were overly zealous in hunting youkai"

Point stands Kogasa can't continue to go about it alone, she needs to make noise, get allies, get balls rolling. Staying alone would just have the cycle continue, just as Sanae planned.

>>106611

>Point stands Kogasa can't continue to go about it alone, she needs to make noise, get allies, get balls rolling.

Well she would but...

>"The question is: 'Why haven't you told anyone else about what's happening?' "

>A pause.

>blink

>and then a little bit of power from the rush~

>Little Red slams her fist on the table, causing the bowl to clink as it jumps a bit.

>"Son of a bitch! how-- what the -- No, even a fucking six year-old would ask that! Goddammit, why didn't--"

>She freezes, and then looks up at me with awe or fear, and maybe respect. She shakes her head, and the disbelieving smile of a beaten opponent who realizes she's lost forms on her lips. Not intended for me, but for the handiwork of the green girl.

>"...The name thing isn't the only curse she's stuck you with, is it? She's done something that makes people just... avoid talking about it, then. Ha... Wow. That sneaky fucking woman."

This kind of hinders things.

>>106611

>While she isn't in the habit of bailing out weaker youkai

What exactly is your source on what Yukari's habits are and are not?

In fact, your entire post seems like you're drawing very wild conclusions and sticking to them as if they are fact. Are you sure you're not basing this off a bizarre dream you had or something? Or perhaps you played one of the games whilst high.

>>106612

Well, it was actually pretty damn easy telling her now wasn't it? I honestly don't even see what the problem is.

Also, judging by Kogasa's thoughts about "publicity" right before we got caught, it implies that perhaps at least Kogasa thinks that she can show people what Sanae has been doing. If we actually plan something out to "catch her in the act" so to speak, we might do better.

>>106612

She has other ways of showing them, perhaps not talking about it. Lyrica knows and she can easily spread the word (there's a chance that she might be doing just that), since she managed to figure things out despite these rules.

>>106613

Her general nature is very lazy, I doubt she'd want to leave the comfort of her bed to go about saving random weak youkai. That's Byakuren's job anyways.

Never in any game or official material has Yukari gone about rescuing a weak youkai out of the blue.

>>106616

>Never in any game or official material has Yukari gone about rescuing a weak youkai out of the blue.

Of course she hasn't! There's never been a situation like that in Touhou! So of course she hasn't saved any youkai because there haven't been any youkai to save.

You kids and your self-fulfilling logic. I swear to god.

Remember kids:
Lack of a relevant event does not evidence make.

>>106614
You're entirely correct, of course, but I don't think we could simply stroll into the village and play charades until everyone knows about Sanae for the same reasons that we couldn't have just snapped her neck her a few updates ago, while she still thought we were an oni.

Were this any other story, I would call author shenanigans for deliberately making those reasons vague and unclear, but A) vague and unclear are what made me start reading this story, and B) I have a great deal of faith that Fell will make everything make sense in the end, and am prepared to tolerate a few perceived inconsistencies while we still don't know the whole story. Just don't make me interpret dreams. Green balls and grey triangles and oh fuck it, just keep stabbing, Sanae.

Hoo boy. This has me on the edge of my seat, wanting to see how it resolves.

>>106619

Well what about the various times in past Gensokyo where Youkai extermination actually resulted in said youkai being killed?

It was the matter of killed or be killed. Youkai wouldn't want to get stronger/smarter/etc if they could just count on Yukari bailing them out.

And you forget that unless the greater good of Gensokyo (Not just a stray youkai) is involved, Yukari's generally considered chaotic neutral when she does decide to do anything.


You keep on overlooking the part of how it's just one Youkai and it being done in a way to hide the fact from most possible overseers. In short, it's not a threat to the big picture that is Gensokyo, and most likely to someone like Yukari, Sanae's life time would be but a foot note.

If Yukari went about saving every single youkai from every single hunter, she wouldn't have time to even boss Ran around.

Yukari is ultimately a creature of her whims, so for Kogasa, it's a matter of luck if Yukari decides to butt in once she finds out. Yukari is not some youkai saving super hero, or even a particularly nice person at times.

>>106623
Good point since our control is limited over Kogasa's actions, especially with how vague the choices are. It's hard to make a good decision when you don't know what the hell those choices would really entail.

For all we know going denial might have spared Kogasa this latest round.

Hey.

Person who wrote >>106611 and >>106616 ?

You need to actually read what >>106613 said, and not just keep steamrolling along like he didn't say anything.

I'm going to repost it here because I think you didn't read it or at least, don't want to acknowledge it:
>In fact, your entire post seems like you're drawing very wild conclusions and sticking to them as if they are fact.

It's not okay to ignore somebody calling you out on your behavior. Maybe you get away with that crap in other threads, but I won't have it in mine.

still have told you to cut out what you're doing.

>>106623
Your faith in me makes me want to hug you.

real dreams. Like having to build a go-kart with your ex-landlord.

And now I'm going back to bed.

[x] Dreams will get you nowhere. Except for maybe some of those cheesy tarts. I remember, this one time in band camp I was dreaming about eating delicious salty cheesy tarts, all chewy and shit, and when I woke up I felt delightfully full, like I had been eating cheesy tarts all day.

>>106638
A suggestion: Don't get involved in your thread's arguments, at all. Keeps a certain writer mystique.

>>106675
>A suggestion: Don't get involved in your thread's arguments, at all. Keeps a certain writer mystique.

Yeah, that worked out real well for me, didn't it.

[X] Thy dreams shall be prophets

[夢] Thy dreams shall be prophets

Yes.

I remember... needing to remember.

What the hell did I need to remember?

My body falls to the ground in a crumpled heap, but the green girl picks me up by the hair again, and drags me out of the room.

My sandals drag on the floor with a light scraping sound. My head hurts from having my hair pulled . My eyes focus on nothing much in particular.

My mind is trying to ignore everything and focus on something that seems very, very important for reasons I can't think of.

I just know that I need to.

We leave via a side door, and go along a small path on the side of the building. It takes us around through a small garden, and onto another path. This one leads us out onto the grand, fancy, stone-paved path. Pillars line it on either side, dark fingers of the earth against the dim morning sky.

It's cold.

From past experience, I know that it's going to get even colder, soon enough.

Remember what?

At long last, we reach the edge of the stairs.

It's a beautiful view from up here. You can see lots of Gensokyo from up here. I'd probably appreciate the site more if I didn't have a pounding headache and didn't associate it with what's coming shortly.

The green girl drops me unceremoniously to the ground. My head bounces off my left hand, which luckily happened to be in the way.

Remember what?

She looks over the scenic panorama of the land of Gensokyo and inhales slowly, letting it back out in a calm, relaxed way.

She opens her eyes, and nods to herself, smiling quietly.

Turning back to me, the green girl takes out her gohei Different than the one the other one uses looks like it belongs in a kitchen and leans over me, a kind smile on her lips.

tap

The feel of the paper is light upon my bruised forehead.

Remember what?

As much as I hate this next part, I look forward to it because it means I am out of this innocently pleasant hell, at last.

For a while.

Closing her eyes again, she spins around and around, then comes to a stop, pointing somewhere off in the distance.

The wind begins to pick up.

Wind that wasn't there a moment ago.

It terrified me the first time I was here. To be fair, though, everything terrified me, back then.

Well. It still does, even today, but... that day was the first time it happened. It left a much, much stronger impression.

Remember what?

I begin to float, my limp body hanging suspended in the air about two feet off the ground.

A big, happy grin forms on the green girl's face. Without opening her eyes, she leans over to where I am and

taps

me on the forehead again.

And all at once, I am rocketing through the air.

There we go. Much colder.

Remember what?

Up and up and up becomes far and far and far away and below me in very short order.

I hurtle through the air, body numb from pain and the cold, wondering slightly, as I always do at this point, why I don't pass out. I think it's the adrenaline, but who knows? I don't know any doctors to ask. The questions would probably get tricky after a while and then I'd have to escape from there and there would probably be Problems.

I continue to streak ever higher and farther away.

Through the clouds, which are not fluffy at all, but colder than a very very, very cold thing. I should sue.

Into the land of white puffy ground. Hello sun. Hello mountaintops, way off.

I can see something shining oddly, a loooooooog ways off. I think it's the Upper Netherworld I was at before. Not headed in that direction, though.

Higher and higher... but the arc is flattening out, now. I'm almost at the peak.

A brief feeling of weightlessness as I continue to fly along this path, and then I can slowly see I'm beginning to descend.

...Hold on.

Remember what?!

Remember THAT.

And all of a sudden, that dream from the night I spent in Mizukan flashes into my head, clear as day.

The ball. The path it took.

So unpleasantly familiar. I remember why, now.

Yes, I remember.

Somebody--

somebody

--Somebody wants to help me.

Somebody knows what is happening.

That thought alone is enough to make me laugh ecstatically.

It comes out as a weak, choking laugh that I break off after a few seconds, because even that simple action hurts my ribs.

All right, then.

Let's see where this goes.

Right.

about...

now.

I spend a lot.

The effects are immediate and forceful: My body turns sharply in the air, and the angle of descent twists---

Down I go.

Speeding through the air at who knows how many whatevers per something is a singularly unique experience for most humans.

I say unique, because unless they're one of the few that know how to fly, they only get to experience it one time.

Youkai, on the other hand... most of us are set.

I spend a little to help start healing my bones and body. I'm going to need every bit of wholeness I can, because when I land, it's not going to be pleasant.

One last ugly joke of the green girl's, I suppose.

Now, I should be looking for some mountains. Mountains in a circle, or something vaguely shaped like that.

I see something matching that description, more or less.

Something seems to strike me as a potential problem.

I think about that for a while, as my path grows more and more downward.

Back through the white puffy ground and into the middle lands of the normal world I go.

I seem to have just passed over the main town. Some things start adding up.

No answer quite yet. I spread myself out a bit, slowing my speed down from hellacious to merely breakneck.

Think think think.

There's a long path I'm passing over, now. How high up am I? Still several hundred feet.

Spread out a bit more.

A long, long set of stairs.

Wait a minute.

FUCK.

step step step and red sticks and bars and I know what it is and no I don't no no no no I do not look at the scenery look at the mountains where are you going not going to that place shooting overhead way too over head look at the sky yes yes just look at the sky and okay I think I passed over the other one's place. I sneak a brief look.

Shit.

Well, I found my mountains all right. I'm supposed to land somewhere in the middle? What the hell could possibly be behind... there?

I smile grimly to myself. At the very least, it's a damn fine spot to hang out for a while before I have to move on again. The green girl would never think to look for me here because I couldn't come anywhere near here normally.

Somewhat lower to the ground, now. Still a few hundred feet up. Speed is down from breakneck to lightning.

I angle my body down slightly, gliding on the air currents, trying to put a bit of flight into it. I can only manage a little, though. still too weak.

About a hundred feet away from the treeline.

I shoot over some cliff and end up over a valley between the mountains, lush and green. There's even a big lake back there. I think I know who lives there, if I'm where I think I am.

There's a long, thin, winding path through the valley, and I try to aim for that, or at least keep my line of flight more or less along it. It's tricky doing this crippled, after all.

Speed is down from lightning to a bullet.

Full on into the air, now.

This is a really nice place, actually. Big and wide, and it doesn't seem too inhabited.

Then again, I'm sort of passing this place on the Youkai Cannon Express, so... I suppose my estimation of it is probably not too in-depth.

From bullet to eyeblink.

I try for a little more flight magic.

Okay, got a tiny bit more, but still maybe not enough.

I'm aiming for my state on landing to be something like "broken and bleeding," because it's vastly more preferable than "red smear." Every little bit of control and slowing-down-ness...Slowage? Whatever. Anything I can manage helps.

From eyeblink to cannon shot.

Flatten that trajectory out.

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm actually going to make it when I notice someone on the path, way ahead of me. However, given my current speed, "way ahead of me" is quickly becoming smaller and smaller.

I'm almost on top of them before my tired, agonized, and somewhat nervous brain registers the fact that I know this person I know exactly who this is and Gosh will my face sure be red when I slam into the ground like some kind of youkai meteor several hundred feet in front of--

"...Orange?"

Well.

Good thing I remembered.

In sort of a daze, brain high on adrenaline and thrill, I wave at her as I pass overhead, and shout out a greeting from thirty feet above her

"Boo!"

I didn't think people could jump that high.

And the rush hits me and it feels good, good, somehow better than even from humans but unfortunately that's not the only thing that hits me as several seconds later the ground does too and there is a blur of brown earth and green gas and and a crunching and intense, sudden pain and I can't breathe but

but

butbutbuuuut

I got to see her again~

Then blackness.

Time passes

to Space

Space takes the shot, and scores.

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooal.

I awaken without pain and with only a third of myself felt to actually be here. But that's okay because I'm like lawyers and I can be just me and represent all of them at once because that's how it works. Or maybe it doesn't. I'm only me anyway. We all decided on that a while ago.

Looking around, I see a field of flowers.

Oh. I'm here sooner than I wanted to be.

I don't feel very very here, though. Kind of tenuous, like the breath of possibility is being held. Maybe that makes sense to somebody.

The Silver Dog must make it choke all the time. Oh, the irony.

Well, it'll be ironic if I ever see her again.

Still, I should look around. I planned on coming here before the green girl humaned me away so now it's like a free sample or something.

Care for some afterlife?

Why yes, thank you.

I appear to be on a riverbank, next to a few purple cherry blossoms.

It's a strange but beautiful sight.

The river itself seems to glow dimly, which sounds impossible and probably is, but I think this place has long since told physics and common sense to go fuck itself. Themselves.

I walk along the bank for a few moments. The lapping waters make no sound at all, further proof of their insolent attitude towards nature.

There should be someone ferrying souls across. Should is the important word, here, but "ferrying" and "across" are pretty big, too, so I won't discount them so lightly.

After a few minutes of searching, I find a woman who's sitting in a small rowboat. It seems she's got some kind of padded seat built into it. She's making very good use of it.

Drawing closer, I can see that she's built to rather ample proportions. Her hair is a deep red and tied off one two on either side. Her clothes are a deep blue and for some reason she's wearing money.

She's also asleep, even though her eyes are open.

I tried to learn that trick, but it hurt my eyes too much to keep doing.

I poke Snoozy-Blue.

"Hey. I need to bum a ride off you." I figure honesty is the best policy here.

"...I'm not sleeping, Boss." Her voice sounds awake, but with a slightly slurred edge to the words.

Wow. She's good at this.

"I'm pretty sure you are."

Hmmm. I'm going to need something strong to wake her up.

Something something somethiiiiing.

...Hmmm. That's just evil and uncouth enough to work, yes.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain why you aren't wearing underwear while on duty."

"Of course I'm awake, Ei...ki... huh...?"

Her brow wrinkles into a frown, and her speech trails off. Eyelids flutter and blink a few times, and she has to rub them a few times before what was said really sinks in.

Snoozy-Blue's head jerks up, and she looks around, panicked and worried. Panic gives way to confusion.

"Wha... I... th' hell's going on here?"

She seems to notice me for the first time, and looks me up and down. She's still waking up, though.

"...I do too wear panties. Usually. Most of the time. And why should-- hold on. Who are you?"

"I'm wanting to cross."

"...Yeah, but... you're not dead."

"I know."

"Can't take you, anyway." Snoozy-Blue smirks at me, and settles back down onto her padded seat, closing her eyes this time.

"Awww... Why not?"

Without opening her eyes, she points at me. No, behind me.

"You've got prior engagements, hon."

"Wha-"

I turn, and am greeted with the sight of the biggest goddamn dragon I have ever seen Well, the only dragon I've ever seen hurtling towards me. It shines bright white, tinged with blue on the edges, all long, twisting, serpentine, scaly, and luminous. I don't even have time to finish my words as the thing slams into me.

There is no feeling of impact, but everything goes white and my body shoved under a waterfall.

Then nothing.

Thus ends Part 1, "Hiding."

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The quiet, precise mechanical sound of some ancient clock is the first thing I hear on waking up.

blink

I look around.

I'm in somebody's house.

I look down.

I'm in somebody's bed.

Footsteps echo in the hall outside.

Greetings and gratitude shall likely soon be in order, I suspect.

[ ] Cool
[ ] Spicy

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the last installment of the Part 1 of The Game, "Hiding."

>3 updates
>85 posts
...damn.

I'm sorry if I butchered the laws of air resistance, physics, and flight. I was writing this on the bus and was internetless and I want to get this goddamn thing posted. We'll fix the physics in post-production.

>>106493
>And if she was actually even or better than those 3, she wouldn't be so nutty
So, the more powerful you are, the more sane you are?
...Do you actually read what you write?

>>106556
For what it's worth, I cared about it.

>>106675
There's getting involved, and then there's "Hey jackoff, you don't get to keep pulling the same crap here that you do in other stories." That's just mediation, or refereeing, or something.

And yes, Taisa's non-involvement is exactly what was on the forefront of my mind as I wrote that, last night. In fact, the first several versions of that post that I typed up had "Let's have some standards when we post, dammit. This is not a Gensokyo High thread." I was worried Taisa might think that was an insult, so I took it out at the last minute.
Having seen that he had similar thoughts, though, I think he knows I'm talking about a large number of his readers, and not him or his story. Those are just fine.

Those underscores in the filename for the first of these updates should actually have been ellipses.

Yet another retarded auto-renaming feature, it seems.

[x] Cool

I presume this means mellow.

[x] Cool

[x] Spicy

>>106737
I wish I could hug you over the internet. You're just that damn awesome.

>>106738
I'm curious, why do you switch between tripfag and anon?

[x] Spicy

[x] Cool

We don't have all Kogasa's bones together for spicy

[x] Cool

[x] Cool & Spicy

>>106738
>Those underscores in the filename for the first of these updates should actually have been ellipses.
Don't worry; I still read it in William Shatner's voice even without them.

[X] Cool
Let's not strain ourselves too soon after our meteoric descent.

> I turn, and am greeted with the sight of the biggest goddamn dragon I have ever seen

So we now have Gensokyo's greatest god involved. How is still unknown.

[X] Cool & Spicy

>>106734
>green gas
*grass

Damn.

>>106737
>This is the last installment of the Part 1 of The Game, "Hiding."
That shouldn't still be in there. Dammit again.

>>106742
>I'm curious, why do you switch between tripfag and anon?
Because the tripcode persists, and I have to post somewhere else without it to make it go away, since I vote as Anon. If I'm just making a brief note after an update, like here, I don't want to have to go find somewhere else to post just to get rid of it, especially since I usually do all my reading for the day in one go (and don't have anything else left to vote in).

There's probably a simple and easy way around it that hasn't occurred to me yet, for whatever reason.

[x] Sweet & Sour

[X] Cool

[x] Cool, Efficient

[X] Cool

[x] sugoi~

This thread does not belong below the first page.

[X] Cool

[x] sugoi~

[X] Cool

Also, since orange seemed to recognize us, does this mean she say through our disguise earlier?

[x] Spicy
Pussies, all of you.

[☃] Cool

It's a very nice room.

I can't quite see properly, though. Everything's slightly fuzzy.

I scoot up a bit in an attempt to sit up and fuck fuck oh god ow

pause

It... doesn't hurt as much as it usually does. There's still pain, but no, it's not as bad as it generally is when I wake up after these landings. And my landings are a little better than this one was, on average.

How... weird.

Footstep-source-person, maybe you can help?

tmp

tmp

tmp

tmp

tmp

The door opens.

In walks a blond girl with long hair and large, dark wings.

Bat wings?

I have a hunch, I do, but I don't know and I'd need to know more but right now I know no more but at least it's better than knowing nomore

Which I guess I did, for a bit. Or might still be.

...It dawns on me that she's been standing there, silently, expressionless.

Just kind of... watching me.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

"Are you done being dead?" she asks, all of a sudden. Spoken normally, like people asking normal questions. Not clearly impatient. No lack-of-any-inflection. No dead, dull tone. Just... asking.

I pinch myself.

Ow.

Okay...

I bite the tip of my little finger sharply.

This one is dual-purpose.

Yep. I'm bleeding.

I hold it up to show her, and nod. "I guess I am."

No change in expression, but those golden eyes lock onto my bleeding digit, staring intently at it before looking away, back at me.

"That is fine. You should go then."

...Well, that was unexpectedly cold.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask.

A long pause.

"You are here. You could be off somewhere being a better person in other places. Instead, you are here. And being here."

She doesn't sound angry or bitter or spiteful or cynical or unpleasant. She's simply speaking.

"Oh... I'm sorry, then. Am I bothering you?"

"Most things do. It is not very difficult."

"Well, um... I'll try and be gone as soon as I can."

She goes back out into the hall for a moment, and comes back in bearing a large, shiny silver dome on an even larger plate.

"I have brought you some food that I cooked." Saying this, she pulls up a small night table to the bedside and sets the plate down upon it. She picks up the dome by the handle on top of it and pulls it off, revealing a bowl of miso, a small bowl of fried rice, another of white rice, some barbecue pork, and dumplings.

It smells heavenly, and it brings a smile to my face. Not only from it smelling so good, but because it smells very ...familiar.

I turn to Bigwings with a slight smirk. "You didn't cook this at all, did you?"

She just looks back at me. "I apologize for nothing. Eat already so you can be gone faster."

I can get behind the first part of this plan, at least, and immediately begin to follow it.

Delicious plan is quite delicious.

"Do not strain yourself or eat too fast. Your body is in no condition for either one."

She pauses to step closer to me, and helps me sit up properly. Much better.

She walks across the room to the other corner, and sits in a chair over there, and continues to watch me.

"Unnecessary strain can do terrible things to you. I once saw a man vomit with such force that he injured another man who was in the way."

...Well.

That slowed me down a little.

I eat at a reasonable pace.

I know absolutely nothing except that I am not dead and that my citrus princess has made a meal for me.

[ ] Who?
[ ] What?
[ ] Where?
[ ] When?
[ ] Why?

________________________________________________________________________________

Remember how I said "sometimes the choices are for what happens, not necessarily what the character does"? Last time was one of those.

I will try to write Kurumi while I am drunk, next time. It may or may not achieve the effect I was hoping to pull off with her.

>>106758
Awesome. It worked perfectly, then.

>>106760
Actually, no.

>>106837
You know, I'll bet nobody understood her full nickname until Melty Blood came out. Or Melty Blood Re-Act, or whichever one she debuted in.

[x] Who?

[x] When?

[x] How?

[x] Did you really see someone injure someone else with his vomit?

As a sort of 'i had something sensible in mind but that's not what came out' question.

Otherwise:
[x] Where
Where is good. Where gives us an estimate of how far away from Sanae we are and thus reassurance or fear based on how easily she can hunt us down.

[X] Did you really see someone injure someone else with his vomit?

We already have a rough idea of where we are, our present company doesn't seem too interested in entertaining questions about herself, she probably isn't the one responsible for revising our flight plans and therefore can't answer "Why?", and "When?" is just plain boring.

[X] wat

[+] Huh?

[x] How

[X] Why?
OPTIONAL: [X] Did you really see someone injure someone else with his vomit?

I guess I really should have said that multi-voting was okay this time.

[x] Where?
[x] When?
[x] Why?

In that order please.

[x] Where?
[x] When?
[x] Why?

[X]What?
[X]Where?
[X]Why?

[x] Where?
[x] When?
[x] Why?

[X] Did you really see someone injure someone else with his vomit?
[X] Who?
[X] What?
[X] Where?
[X] When?
[X] Why?

Wall me.

[X] Did you really see someone injure someone else with his vomit?

Good to know Orange likes Kogasa well enough to reveal her Final Form, snatching her from what she thought was the jaws of death.

Unless that scene was crazy symbolic.

Orange is Meiling's sister in this story, right? Taking the 'dragon' kanji as literal
is my favorite interpretation of her character.

I'm aware I'm late on this, but:

>>106282
Oh you.

[ש] Where?
[Ɯ] When?
[ω] Why?

It is time to know more, then.

Chewing thoughtfully on a piece of barbecue pork, I look at at Bigwings.

"Where am I?"

"In my house, taking up my bed. I have been forced to use one of the guest bedrooms, so for the last three days, I lie awake late in the morning, wondering if there might be a way to kill you and make it look like an accident." Her wings rustle slightly as she speaks. "I can't think of a good method that would neither take too long nor contaminate your blood, though, so I gave up."

The plain, level tone she uses to say this sort of thing is more than a little unsettling. I refuse to let myself be daunted by her attitude; I've faced and heard much worse, and not long ago, to boot. I quietly eat up the fried rice, then ask the obvious next question.

"Why'd you help me, then?"

I suddenly realize she hasn't blinked in several minutes. For some reason, this is more disturbing than everything else so far.

"I did not help you."

"You didn't?"

"I'm not repeating myself. Someone brought you here. You were found closer to my house than theirs, and they could not carry you all the way to theirs, so they saddled me with your broken, boring ass. I don't know what you did to end up in such a state, and I will pitch this chair at you if you even try telling me about it."

I've never met someone so civil and yet hostile in all my life, I think.

I nod and finish my food.

Once I am done, Bigwings takes the plate and dome and everything else. I notice that she carefully and neatly avoids ever stepping into the sun-lit portions of the room.

She is about to leave when I ask her, on a sudden impulse, "Did you really see someone injure someone else purely from puking on them?"

She looks back at me, staring for a few moments, before replying.

"One cannot argue with an eyewitness account."

The door is closed behind her, and I sit back in bed, wondering just what the hell is happening.

Outside, the slowly setting afternoon sun gets dimmer and dimmer, and I doze off once again.

------------------------------------------------------

I awaken in a dark room, and scream for a moment before a cold hand clamps down on my mouth, muffling my cries. They stop after a moment, but now I have a reason to scream again.

Golden eyes shine in the darkness at roughly about where the hand's owner's head ought to be, and I realize I am in a bed. The same bed as before.

I calm down a little, but only a little.

"Your noising is annoying and painful. Shut up."

I don't calm down much more, but I nod.

The hand is removed, and the eyes flick towards where I vaguely recall the door being, then back to me, again.

"She is here and wants to check on you."

Even as Bigwings speaks, I can see a bobbing bit of brightness coming down the hall. Much like someone carrying a candle-- no, too bright for a candle. Probably a lamp.

[ ] I'm ready for my close-up.
[ ] I can't go out looking like this!

________________________________________________________________________________

>>106929
~

>[ ] I'm ready for my close-up.
In this case, the pun is probably a bit too literal.

[+] I can't go out looking like this!

Forgot to mention: I can write again tonight if there's enough votage.

>>106985
What pun?

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[X] I'm ready for my close-up.
Just us and the wonderful person out there in the dark~

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[B] I'm ready for my close-up.

[X]I'm ready for my close-up.

[X] I'm ready for my close-up.

It's not Green Girl, it's too early.

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[X] I'm ready for my close-up.

[X] I'm ready for my close-up.

[x] I'm ready for my close-up.

[Þ] I'm ready for my close-up.

I look back at golden glowing eyes, and nod.

"I'm good."

"Bullshit. People who are good don't crash."

Wha?

"Huh?"

"You can't be good at flying."

A sigh from the hall outside, from the source of the approaching lamp.

"Kurumi, are you being a gloomy asshole again? Don't upset the poor girl."

Bigwings looks up, unperturbed. "No. Just a regular asshole."

Ah.

Aaaahahaha~

That's the voice I've been waiting for~

In walks Orange, carrying a little oil lamp. She smiles at me.

Damn, I've missed that face and that voice so much.

And it's only been... what, a few days? More, I guess, counting the time I was out or held captive, but... damn.

I think I'm getting soft.

"Are you all right, miss?"

"Eh?"

I jerk my head up slightly in surprise, startling Orange, who had just touched my forehead.

The flame of the lamp flickers, and she pats me gently on the head.

"Don't worry, miss. You're all right, now... mostly."

...Does she not recognize me?

There's the sound of someone stepping out into the hall. Bigwings, I guess.

"There are things to be done and this is doing none of them. Get her out of here tonight."

Orange turns and nods to Bigwings.

"We'll see about that, Kurumi. Thank you for helping me out. Well, the both of us, actually."

The almost-certainly-a-vampire says nothing as she leaves the room.

Turning back to me, the other girl's expression is a reassuring one. "How are you feeling, miss?"

No. No, I don't think she does.

The thought makes me sad for a few moments, before the possibility of using this to my own (somewhat selfish) advantage occurs to me, and then I have to force myself not to giggle.

"Sort of all right. I still hurt a little when I move. I saw you when I... when I crashed. Did you ta--"

Abruptly, she stands up.

"Do you think you can walk?"

"What? ...Um... I... maybe a bit. I don't know, though. How much walking are we talking about?"

Orange frowns a little, and then sighs.

"I was hoping not to do this, but I guess I was kind of expecting it."

She takes a deep breath, and then faces me head-on, looking apologetic.

"This is going to feel very weird. And then you are probably going to be hurting. A lot."

"Wait, w--"

She reaches up and taps my head, right between the eyes. There is a bright blue-white spark in my vision, and then everything grows slowly dim.

What

did - you

just - - do

to - - - - - - m - - e

"I'm sorry."

I can still hear her faintly. She sounds like she wants me to know:

"It'll be okay soon. But... not just yet."

something

I think it's her hand

bursts into white-blue flame

and slams into my chest.

I hurt.

No.

I was hurting before, but it wasn't happening to me.

Like opening the door out onto a noisy city street, the pain that was always should always have been there returns, and it hurts hurts hurts but it's going a ways and I think that's why she did what she did first

and

I can't see anymore

hear much anymore

I feel lips press to my forehead, and her warm hands touching me gently, picking me up, and then

again

blackness.

[ ] Midnight visitation
[ ] DO NOT DISTURB

________________________________________________________________________________

This mark is the "Latin Capital Letter Thorn." Does anybody know when and how there was a letter called "thorn," or just what the fuck that actually is or means?
Fallout Writefag, you know everything. Please tell me. Well, assuming you still read this story.

>>106985
I still don't know what pun you're talking about.

>>106121
...and I still really want to know how and why you came to this conclusion.

[x] Midnight visitation

We're not in disguise anymore so it's normal that Orange doesn't recognize us.

I guess this is a matter of if someone talks to her in or out of a dream.

>>107019
Thorn, as I recall, made a "th" sound in Old and Middle English. No idea where it came from or what happened to it, but I'm sure Wikipedia knows. Sorry I'm not Fallout Writefag.

[X] Midnight visitation

[x] Midnight visitation

[X] Midnight visitation

She really didn't recognize our voice or smell?

>>107021

The symbol Thorn originally comes from Runes.
Eth, the other "th" sound, is just a modified D (ð)

Also,
[x] Midnight visitation

>>107019
>I still don't know what pun you're talking about.
Sorry, that was a slip-up - "can't go out like this" was the one thought to be a witticism, what with Kogasa unable to leave the bed and all. "Pun" was also the wrong word.

[+] Midnight visitation
Wondering what this means, at least.

[+] Midnight visitation

[x] DO NOT DISTURB
Sleepy Sleepy sleep.

>...and I still really want to know how and why you came to this conclusion.

By staying up far too late and ignoring all contradicting evidence.

The train of thought went something similar to "Wait isn't a running joke that Suwako's hat is sentient? If it's not Kogasa, then couldn't it be her? Holy shit, we hide in the hat, not the umbrella! It's her graze! We're Suwako, and that's why it's Sanae!"

I don't even know.

[x] Midnight visitation

[x] Midnight visitation

[⑫] Midnight visitation

Again, the familiar mostly-darkness.

I don't seem to be hurting. At all, even.

Equally familiar arms wrap around me in a comforting embrace.

There is a long silence for a while.

I'm almost about to take the initiative and say something, but then she begins to speak.

"...Are you well?"

I nod.

"I'm not sure who you are," I tell her. "But... thank you. Thank you for helping me."

One of her hands gently strokes my hair.

"I did nothing," she says in reply. "It was all you."

"But... you showed me th--"

"I showed you nothing."

I fall silent, confused again.

She speaks up again, eventually, a wry note in her voice. "If you happened to gain some inspiration from some simple, idle doodles, then you've only yourself to thank, don't you?"

Once again, I have the impression that there is something more going on here.

Nevertheless, I nod, and hug the unseen woman back.

"I guess so," I tell her.

She pats me lightly on the head.

"Rest."

The rest of the night is dreamless and quiet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wake up to a screamless morning.

My finger's still clench the bedsheets Bedsheets? as my eyes open, used to the initial burst of panic.

My gaze darts around the room.

Different room than before. Feels much more home-y. Lived-in.

A few bureaus on the wall. A closet. Door leading to a bathroom. Looks Western, but I can't tell from here.

There are posters on the wall of people and animals performing stunts and impossible feats.

On the nightstand beside this bed, there's a picture-- a very old one; grainy black-and-white --of two girls with long, medium-dark hair, roughly the same shade. Red hair, almost certainly, since one of the girls is Orange. The other looks much like her, although taller. This would be the sister that she mentioned, then?

In the photo, they're both outside on some grassy lawn, practicing what looks like tai chi. Or kung fu. Or interpretive dance. It's sort of hard to tell without seeing it in motion.

I try sitting up a little, and there's only the slightest bit of pain as I do. Not as much as at Bigwings' place, and not as much as when... whatever Orange did what she did.

...And didn't seem too eager to talk about just then, either.

Huh.

Well, I seem to be at Orange's house, so...

I look down.

...this is her bed?

What is it with me and other people lending me their bed? I don't feel that crippled and infirm. I guess I shouldn't complain, though.

I try making my way out of bed, and manage to do so with relative success.

I'm a little surprised as I look at myself in the tall mirror on one wall: I'm wearing my own clothes again, and they seem to be perfectly whole and new. Clean, even. They should be rumpled and wrinkled from being slept in, but as I look over them again... no. They really look brand-new.

This is odd.

not as odd as you

wha-- where are you?

over by the bed, with your bag

I rush over, and pick my friend up, hugging him close.

i missed your miserable, complaining ass

i love you, too

are my other things back, as well?

only the knife; the large bag the poltergeists gave you hasn't been around long enough to come along

that's a shame

well, seeing as how you ended up at your, um, lady friend's house, i'd call that an acceptable trade-off

mmm, true~

I locate my knife after patting my pockets, and then strap the bag onto my belt. Taking my friend in hand, I step out the bedroom door into a long hallway that turns left at the end. The light of morning shines through a skylight at the end of the hall, illuminating the floorboards.

Across from the bedroom I just exited is another door, and a few feet beyond that is yet another. All three-- this bedroom included --are Western-style doors, but along this side of the hall, much further down, are a pair of proper sliding doors.

Across the hall from the sliding doors are an open walkway into something, though I can't really see too much from back here.

I hear sounds of activity from the direction of the open room.

[ ] Search for lifeforms
[ ] Explore planetary surface

________________________________________________________________________________

>>107021
>>107039
\\LEARNING/
Thanks, folks. For some reason, Firefox's spellcheck still recognizes it as a valid letter or something, since it gives it the little red dotted underline. Weirder still, it suggests the letters e, s, i, a, and n as possible alternatives to this 'misspelling.'

>>107049
I think I'm still lost, or maybe not. Screw it. You tried; thank you.

>>107092
...Interesting.

And here is a map.

[x] Search for lifeforms

Let's see what the noise is, and to show we've recovered.

[X] Explore planetary surface

Whoever's over there isn't going anywhere; let's get rid of some of that pesky fog of war.

[ ] Explore planetary surface

[x] Search for lifeforms

[x] Search for lifeforms

[x] Explore planetary surface

I don't think we have to worry about running into Sanae while looking for the bathroom. Just yet, anyway.

Also, a goddamn dragon. We can't use Sanae's gods as excuses for not wanting to rock the boat now.

does complicate taking the lungs of the Silver Dog.

[x] Search for lifeforms

[+] Explore planetary surface

[-] Explore planetary surface

I started this story yesterday, and despite finals, found myself reading it every chance I got.

Good fucking show, sir.

This thread especially, though for obvious reasons I found it quite difficult to read.

I so wished to cry, yet I didn't. My hands do seem to have stopped shaking though.

In other words, you elicited an emotional response from me. For a character who, before now, I had filed under bland and uninteresting, at best good for a laugh back in grue's story.

Again, good fucking show.

If I have found any flaw in this story (occasional grammatical error aside) it is that I find myself unable to mentally associate Green Girl and Sanae. They certainly look very much the same in my head, but no matter how I try the two names bring to mind two different individuals. Currently they stand side-by-side looking rather confusedly at one another... but that's just rambling, and the whole point is likely moot since it probably has more to do with my pre-existing image of the character than anything. So I'll end it here.

Thank you for writing.

[x] Search for lifeforms

Perhaps Orange would be surprised if we walked in on her, perhaps in a compromising situation? This is too delicious a possibility for me to pass up. Though, that fog of war is very tempting.

>>107135

Truly, you are a master of the craft. Perhaps you can fall back on the art of map making if writing fails you.

{X}

[x] Explore planetary surface

get rid of that fog of war first. Bonus to doing that is that we have more options to surprise people, since we would know whats where and all that. Like hiding spots, objects we can manipulate, whatever.

Calling it for [x] Explore planetary surface.

>>107206
...I will be having words with you.

>>107186
Seconding this.

[x] Assistation

[∯] Explore planetary surface

Well, whoever it is can wait. It's probably Orange, and I do so want to see her again, but... let's have a look around, first~

First stop: across the hall! And through strange doors, even things may lie.

Like what?

...Not all that much, it seems. Light from a window allows me to see it's another bedroom, and by comparing it and the one I just left, I'd say that this new one is probably the guest bedroom. It's nowheres near as decorated, definitely doesn't have that same lived-in feel to it, and there are boxes all along one wall, as though somebody were using this room as storage space. I guess she doesn't get many visitors..."

That makes me a bit unhappy. But hopefully, I can change that.

I suppose I already have, just by being here though, right?

Right.

All going according to plan, then.

i don't think you have a plan; enjoy your lack of organization

says you

yes, because i already know you're making it up as you go

come on, when have i ever made a bad decision?

you do not want me to answer that

damn right i don't, so shush

The rest of the room is sparsely furnished. A bed, a night table, one small dresser... Not much more. The room looks unused, except for the fact that the bed has been used recently, as the sheets are untidy and thrown back.

I close the door quietly and walk back out into the hall. As I pad softly down the hall, I realize that I've unconsciously worn some indoor slippers made available to me at some point. I don't think I slept in them, so they were probably by the bed, and I put them on without thinking. It's just as well; I wouldn't want to be walking barefoot down the smooth wood that makes up all the flooring I've seen so far. The mornings are getting colder as we draw closer to autumn, and the floors are accordingly nippy in these early hours.

I open the door next to the guest bedroom, cringing slightly at the faint, brief creak. This was supposed to be a sneaking mission, dammit. I pause, listening.

...Nope. Activity down the hall continues uninterrupted. I can hear cooking-ish sounds, and realize that I'm beginning to smell something strange, yet interesting, being made as well. I pick up the pace a little, and peer inside.

Nothing special, again. It's another bathroom; smaller than the one in Orange's room, but a little longer. It still has the usual fixtures: toilet, sink, mirror, shower. Same ol'. Still, good to know where it is.

...I hope she won't get unhappy with this impromptu journey of discovery and orientation. I mean, I'm not doing anything wrong, am I? I hope not. Still, she might not like me to go poking around, but I haven't seen any sign of anything worth hiding. And even if there was, it'd be locked, right?

One can hope. Hopeity hopeity hippity hoppity over the floor and to the large sliding double doors. I open one of them and poke my head in.

The room behind these doors is definitely some kind of dojo. The flooring, the light decorations, the placard above the door... Light shines in through several small high windows on the far side of the room. On the left wall, almost in the corner, is another sliding door, though one less showy than these two. I thought a dojo was generally separate from the rest of the house, but perhaps she was trying to keep costs down and go in for effectiveness instead? I can't criticize that kind of thinking.

Shutting the door again, I turn around, looking over at the other side of the hallway, where the open entrance into what looks pretty much like a normal living room lies. There seems to be another open entryway from the living room into what is likely a kitchen, as I can hear the sounds (and smell the aromas) from before much more clearly, now.

Saving that for last, I go down a bit further to the end of the hall, where it takes a left. Peering around that corner, I see that it ends in the house's front door, since the floor drops off near the end into a space to remove shows and hang coats and the like.

I head back, and enter the living room. It's clean and orderly. A kotatsu lies in the center of the room, and a large, comfortable-looking deep blue couch sits against one wall. On the wall opposite is a cabinet of sorts holding a "television." That's what Extra Bird had called some very similar-looking things I'd seen in the kappa's equipment rooms. There are also a few pieces of electronic equipment hooked up to it in the space below. One of them displays blinking foreign numbers, for some unknown reason, over and over.

１２：００ blink －－：－－ blink １２：００ blink －－：－－ blink １２：００ blink －－：－－ blink

And so on.

On a tall bookcase by the television and the equipment are many, many, boxes and cases that hold movie-bearing ribbon boxes and rainbow circles. A majority of them also have foreign names and words on them, though I see a few Chinese ones, and even some proper Japanese ones. One whole shelf on there is devoted to a series of such movie containers all looking slightly different, but all bearing the same words somewhere on them: "Ｃｉｒｑｕｅ ｄｕ Ｓｏｌｅｉｌ." Like the posters, these, too have people doing impossible feats and tricks and whatnot. However, these seem much, much more modern.

Noises from the kitchen-- yes, it's definitely a kitchen --bring my attention back to my whereabouts. It might be nice Not to mention thoughtful to go greet her and help her with what is presumably breakfast... or at the very least, watch her work. There's nothing too wrong with waiting patiently, either.

[ ] Assistation
[ ] Observise
[ ] Couchify

________________________________________________________________________________

>>107186
Thank you very, very much.
This is the kind of post that makes me feel really good about what I'm doing, and lets me know I'm not fucking up.

I would highly recommend Fallout in Gensokyo to you, as well. If anything at all on this site is worth missing studying for finals, it's that, and Retrospective and Astronomical Narration.

[X] Assistation
Duh.

>> 107260
> 23:41
> Voted before the update was up

>> 107261
> 23:41
> The update itself

How is that even possible?!"

[X] Assistation

>>107266
Obviously a quick delete/edit/repost deal. I think. I hope I'm not wrong, because that'd be embarrassing.

[x] Assistation

>>107266
I'm guessing the author noticed a spelling error or something and deleted and reposted the update, forgetting that some people F5 this thread every five minutes or so.

[X] Assistation

[x] Couchify

Couchify. v. To engage in the process of couchifaction.

[x] Assistation

Forgot the updated map.
A stupid pun like this should not have worked so perfectly.

am thinking of including a Billiards Room anyway, though. I like pool.

>>107268
Yep.

>>107269
...Seriously?

>>107279
Different anon here, if I didn't have finals I'd be one of the ones F5-ing every few minutes.

As tempting as 'Couchify' is, I'm going to have to go with the tear-jerking reuinon. Maybe.

[X] Assistation

>>107281
She didn't seem to recognize us earlier when we were out of disguise, so I doubt there will be much of a reunion, unless we come right out and tell Orange that it was us(provided she believes that).

[x] Couchify

>>107284
I figure we could maybe heft our friend around like a club and use our Oni speech. Or prove we're Kabuki by retelling any of the other moments we shared together and hopefully not come across as a stalker. Crossing my fingers that the protagonist will try to convince her in some way; I personally doubt Orange would be skeptical enough to completely rule out the possibility, seeing how nice she has been to us as a complete stranger so far.

Truthfully, I'm just really scared of the idea of Orange blushing and telling Kogasa during idle chitchat about her time with Kabuki and how much she misses her, while Kogasa listens and does her best to keep quiet about it, later thanking her for the hospitality and leaving to go die alone rather than get such an innocent soul involved in her troubles. On the way out, she'll look back and say, "You know, I think Kabuki would be really happy if she got to see you again, too."

This catches Orange's attention, and she looks up from cleaning the table, but the doorway is empty...

But hey, if the dream is any indication things should be different than that, right? Right? ;_;

[-] Assistation

>>107261
Your recommendations do not fall on deaf ears, as I already downloaded Fallout from the archives, based on your recommendation in an earlier thread. RaAN I read back at its inception... I indeed cried manly tears when I realized blankfag was not coming back.

>>107291
I see what you mean, that's just too depressing..

I pray that it doesn't happen that way.

>>107300
>>107291
Same here, and its a bit too overused in stories anyways. Good, but not in a situation where we don't know where in hell we are are. Plus we need to find out what happened to the phantoms...

[X] Assistation

One does not simply program the VCR clock

This is my favorite active story. One of the few things I anticipate here. There might be some better ones, but this story provides the most enjoyment per week, or something.

[x]Assistation

>The thought makes me sad for a few moments, before the possibility of using this to my own (somewhat selfish) advantage occurs to me, and then I have to force myself not to giggle.

I think Kogasa has plans of her own for the reunion.

[˖] Assistation

Full of thoughts I am and the thoughts are full as well with thoughtfulness. I am a trifecta of caring.

I suspect my motives may not be the most pure, however: I'm hungry. But this morning, the village comes to the youkai.

Somewhere along the line I lost track of what I was thinking, and because of this, I have decided to wander into the kitchen and see if I can help out, at all. It would not do to just be catered to. Though I'd kind of like that.

Thoughts of lying in Orange's lap and being fed grapes require a brief pause while I stop giggling happily.

Crossing the living room leads me to an entryway through which I can see a truly impressive kitchen. It is large, incredibly well-stocked and completely furnished.

Shiny steel is in abundance here.

It seems more like the kind of kitchen used to prepare huge amounts of food for a great many people.

Part of the kitchen carries on around a corner, way over on the left, but I spot my citrus princess over by the sink --or at least one of the sinks-- humming something bouncy and catchy.

Bouncy and catchy are the operative words here. Eye-catchingly catchy.

She's not wearing her usual clothes. Instead, she's wearing a loose shirt, and some kind of skirt. And as she quietly sings the song, her rear sashays from the left... to the right... to the left... and to the right again...

And the skirt swish-- swish-- swish-- swishes along with each movement of her hips.

I pause a while, simply to enjoy the sight.

And it is indeed an enjoyable sight. One well worth being enjoyed.

After a good minute or so, I pull myself out of this pleasant daze, and resume my original quest of helpfulnessity.

A worthy quest, no? If only that was a real word.

We can't have everything we want.

But, such is life.

Onward!

I creep up behind my citrus princess, veeeery quietly, listening to her song, and very

very-very

briefly considering something lewd

but I dismiss such a thought And tell it to come back later because now is not a good time

and instead come closer as I take another

step

And I keep on walking.

But not far because I am here and after all wherever you go there you are.

Unless you can clone yourself, but then it'd still be true. Maybe.

When I am rich and famous and prosperous, I will hire a philosopher to stay near me and keep me un-confusitated.

And in an ideal world, it would be a housecat. I would only have to pay it in room, board, and catnip.

I file away my glorious plans for the future as I come up just behind Orange and tap her on the back of the neck.

"Ca--" I start to ask.

It is a very short and aborted start, because her reaction is immediate.

She lets out a shriek and nearly jumps out of her skin at the touch, dropping a ladle into a pot of something thick, white and liquidy, smelling of rice as she turns around. It splashes slightly, getting globs of it here and there.

Her other hand was holding a bowl of some sort, and it g o e s f l y i n g . . .

Fuuuuuck---

I lunge to the side, watching it turn in the air as if in dramatic slow motion. Everything is really happening normally but for some reason you can think a lot more or maybe faster or I don't know how it works but if it works then work it, baby, work it---

I crash to the floor---

Ow

---and fling out my other arm, and---

---it occurs to me that the rush back there was a little better than it is with most youkai, for some reason---

---and I notice that she's also wearing long, dark stockings, and goddamn they look good on her---

---and tile floors have nothign to do with tying things and somebody needs to change this---

---and landing on my shoulder really kind of hurts---

---and I catch the bowl right in the palm of my outstretched hand.

go back to that part about her legs; that was my favorite

fuuuuuuuck you

here? really?

you're already poking me, why not finish the deed

well, you are on top of me

there are times when i want you to carry on the joke for me, and times when i do not

fine, fine, loud and clear

glad to hear it

so can you talk more about her legs later, at least?

sometimes i want to throw you into a hole

then please get off of me, already?

I rise, wincing at the pain in my shoulder --which is not as bad as it felt like, a moment ago, and that is its own brand of odd-- and stand up. I help my friend up as well, and mutter a reluctant apology to him.

The bowl I caught is a small ceramic bowl, and it appears to have had nothing in it before it went flying, which is something to be thankful for.

"Um..."

I look up, and Orange is there, blushing red, probably embarrassed as hell about freaking out and being caught off-guard like that.

...Something is wrong about that.

Nevertheless, I have a duty to perform.

[ ] Advice Dog
not subbed in Romanian) and that made everything way the fuck better, if weirder. [spoiler]Paprika herself reminded me of Phobe way too many times, especially in the opening credits. That was an okay thing, though.[spoiler]

>>107292
So did I. ;_;

And if you've read those, then... hmm.
I'd suggest 'Contemplation Under the Moon and Stars' (amusing and strange; on hold GODDAMMIT HARKER), 'Shadow Over Gensokyo' (dystopian, good even despite the occasionally slipshod spelling; complete), 'Palingenesia' (bleak, long; current and very ongoing), 'A Scarlet-Stained Memoir' (long, decent, guaranteed to make you FFFFFF a few times; complete), ... There are many, many more, but those ought to hold you all for a while.

Also WUiG and MiG if you haven't read them already for some insane reason.

>>107236
>>107327
Thank you all. Hearing this makes it that much more satisfying to write.

[x] Courage Wolf

>A Scarlet-Stained Memoir' (long, decent, guaranteed to make you FFFFFF a few times; complete)

Oh yes, i loved to read it every day when Owen was updaing daily. The discussion was always first class. If you go read it, you need to make absolutely sure to read the comments and discussion too. It will be even better that way.

[x] Courage Wolf

Also, ZZ Top.

[x] Courage Wolf

[x] Courage Wolf

>And in an ideal world, it would be a housecat.
While we're on the topic, an alternative suggestion.

[X] Courage Wolf

[X] Courage Wolf

Is there any other option?

Well, one that doesn't make you look like an idiot of course.

>[ ] Advice Dog

Would this involve us just suddenly hiding after helping her up? Because that seems rather dickish.

If it means something else, count this as a vote for it, otherwise,
[x] Courage Wolf

>>107397
Why ZZ Top?

[x] Courage Wolf

[x]Philosophy Cat

Moar mappan.

>>107422
Needs more conservatory.

[x]Philosophy Cat

[x] Courage Wolf

[x] Courage Wolf
INVOKE HER NAME
BECOME INVINCIBLE

[x] Courage Wolf

There is really only one option.

[x] Socially awkward penguin.

[x] Bachelor Frog

[x] Philosophy Cat

If Kurumi is Orange's friend, I don't see why Ellen couldn't be either.

[x] Courage Wolf

>>107493
For more lovely Ellen, go read Lion's "Border House" in /others/.
The first thread, unlike the second, is untitled and he was still writing it as Anon at that point, so here's the link to it: >>/others/22621

[狼] Courage Wolf

I look at her.

She looks at me.

And I'm on my way. No, I can't turn back.

Rising to my feet, I offer her the bowl.

"Wow, damn. I'm... really sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you so bad."

It's true.

Orange laughs it off, and accepts the bowl.

"Ah, well... eh-heh, don't worry about it." She looks me over briefly before turning back to her cooking. "I guess I wasn't expecting you to be up so early... or be up at all, yet. Thank you for catching that, though. Are you doing all right, at least?"

She sounds just a tad nervous.

"Feeling pretty good, actually." I look over the counter at a number of other serving bowls filled with dumplings, eggs, what appears to be pickled asparagus, miniature spring rolls...

It occurs to me that I am very hungry, despite last night's dinner. If that was last night.

I'm a little spaced on the whole time issue.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Orange looks up, a little surprised. Her face breaks into a smile a moment later.

"Well, that's rather nice of you to offer, if a bit unusual for somebody who's taken...a nasty fall. I'm actually almost done here, though. You could help me bring it out to the table, though."

She half-turns towards me and winks, pointing a finger towards me. "And if you're really still up for it, you can help me with dinner, this evening."

She turns back to the food, and begins putting the bowls filled with food onto a tray. After it's full, she points to it. "That one's ready. I'll be along with the other two in-- mm, actually, I should just take one, shouldn't I..." Her voice trails off.

...Wait, dinner?

Evening?

So... she's planning on having me over for at least another day?

I am not at all opposed to this.

I re-enter the living room, and set the tray down on the little table there. Heading back into the kitchen, I almost bump into Orange, who's on her way out with the second.

I come back with the third, and the two of us begin to eat.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I finish the last of the sludgy rice stuff ("congee," she calls it) which was actually better than I had expected, and nibble on a few spring rolls.

The two of us sit there quietly for a little while.

These are pretty good. Then again, she made them, so it's really to be expected.

I decide to go first. She's doing all this for me; it's only right that I clear up some questions she has.

Even the ones she's not asking.

"Thank you very much for breakfast. It was absolutely wonderful," I say, bowing slightly from my seat.

"You're quite welcome. I don't have visitors too often, and I enjoy cooking, especially when it's for more than just myself. I should be thanking you."

Awww.

"Well, I suppose you're also welcome, but I'm still in your debt for saving me. That was you I passed on... my way down, wasn't it?"

She shivers at the mention of my accelerated landfall. "It was. You scared me half to death and back again..."

A slight chuckle. "...You seem to do that a lot, don't you?"

"I'm no stranger to it. But these weren't planned, I assure you. What exactly happened? I wasn't..." I gesture at myself. "...exactly awake for it, in a way."

Orange gives a short, rueful little laugh, nodding to herself. "That's truer than you think. You were pretty ...dead. Just about all the way, too. If I ha-- well, I'll tell you about that later. I took you to Kurumi's place-- she's the one whose house you were at. She's kind of a vampire--"

Knew it.

"--but she's really not all that bad." Orange pauses and frowns slightly. "...Or... okay, she's kind of a jerk, sometimes, but she's ... I guess she could be a lot worse, and she's somewhat dependable, at least. The point is, she isn't a bloodthirsty ravenous monster. Or at least not ravenous."

She's trying very hard to be nice about it, but I don't fully blame her.

"Anyway... Kurumi lived a short ways aways from there, so I brought you there. I came back here and made dinner for you for when you woke up. Kurumi doesn't exactly stock normal food."

I nod.

"And everything after that you probably already know."

Another nod.

Her smile is a little too forced. She seems...

not all there.

This is not all of the story.

[ ] Something is missing.
- ( ) Item by item
- ( ) Blunt
[ ] If you ignore something hard enough, it goes away!

________________________________________________________________________________

I am very lucky that this update even got written. Today was not a good day for me to have done anything, including write. It is probably evident in this update. I am very sorry about that. Tomorrow will be better, I hope.

If this update is bad, please say something and I will rewrite it tomorrow.

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Item by item

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Item by item

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Blunt

Tactless is the best tactic.
>If this update is bad, please say something and I will rewrite it tomorrow.

Re-write it once you finish the story; I don't want this slowing down in the slightest.

[-] Something is missing.
(-) Blunt

>If this update is bad, please say something and I will rewrite it tomorrow.
Her train of thought took a sharp turn towards coherent and focused compared to the last update. This does not bother me enough to support the idea of a rewrite. downloaded Fallout; I'll be lucky to finish thread 1 before the weekend's over. Other anons may be trained to read the serial number off bullets mid-flight, but I for one have to pace myself in my reading. That said I'll queue up Shadow and Palingenesia for when I reach Fallout's non-end.

It makes me smile to see you recommend CUtMaS. As it is indeed a favorite of mine, with what I believe to be the best non-Touhou MC this site has seen.

As for ASSM... Owen's writing was excellent, but I hold mixed feelings towards that story. I've often felt it was components of high quality forced into an awkwardly mismatched whole. The dungeon sequence was undeniably powerful, but it had no business being in the story he had been writing up until that point. It only got worse towards the end as he kept changing his mind about the characters, which I felt (despite what he claims) forced the players into a no-win scenario. The unnecessarily melancholy epilogue didn't help matters either. Now don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it right to the end. I'm just happy I read it after the fact, as I would have felt quite cheated had I been a voter.

/end long and unnecessary critique of an author not related to this thread...

...so how 'bout that Kogasa?

>>107524

Blame the last bits on Higurashi, or particularly the first arc that lead to the last bits of the story.

But it was a case of poorly cluing Anon in combined with their refusal to consider other facts. (When Anon goes one way and the writer another, nothing good happens)

CUtMaS has only one flaw that I can see: The writer updates slower than Glasnost.

But back on topic, I look forward to what Kogasa will point out.

That and I wonder if the sisters are out looking for her as we speak. (Lyrica for sure knows what must have happened to her)

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Blunt

Let's not ignore the elephant in the room, people.

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Item by item

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Item by item

[ ] If you ignore something hard enough, it goes away!

>>107186
>Good fucking show, sir.
>This thread especially, though for obvious reasons I found it quite difficult to read.
>I so wished to cry, yet I didn't. My hands do seem to have stopped shaking though.
>In other words, you elicited an emotional response from me.

I have to agree with this guy. He pretty much said everthing that is on my mind.
Oh yes, and two more things.
After reading this Thread i hate you with a passion and i would like to punch you in the face. I had to read it 3 times so that my hate and rage for her will never go away.
Congratulation, you are the first person to make me feel so much while reading a story on here. Haven't felt this utter shit with loads of despair and depression while playing Clannad. That made me feel shit for a week.
So excuse me while i head over to /underground/ and read Grue's story a few dozen times.

Damn you, just damn you. I will never be able to like Sanae anymore. Don't even know if i have the will to read on anymore.

[x] Something is missing.
- (x) Item by item

Glad to see this story is getting the popularity it deserves

[ℂ] Something is missing.
- (ℱ) Item by item

"Well," I tell her. "You've gone above and beyond the call of duty for someone who happened to be on the scene. For this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart." So true it hurts. Which reminds me...

As I bow in respectful thanks to her, Orange becomes flustered, and a tinge of red creeps onto her cheeks. "Oh, no, I'd do this for anybody in need! Really, it's nothing big; you don't have to... Well, I mean, thank you, and it's nice of you to say as much--"

"...But."

She pauses as I look up, wearing a curious and thoughtful expression.

"...But?" she prompts.

"...But there are a few things that have been somewhat strange. And a few more that you're leaving out. No, don't worry," I add, seeing her starting to get a bit panicky. "I'm not angry. Far from it... probably. Near as I can tell, you've been doing absolutely everything in your power to help me regain my health and strength and for that, as I said, I thank you deeply. I am finding some holes, however."

I begin to tick off on my fingers.

"You're a youkai, but I'm noticing you're not nearly as up to snuff as you ought to be. Someone who trains like you should have been able to carry my broken carcass all the way here without disturbing your dear neighbor with whom you don't have the best relationship.

"Not only that, but you should have heard me coming earlier in the kitchen. Your hearing has to be sharper than that, I would guess. Neither were you as quick as you should have been. Something has happened to your reflexes.

"I'm feeling much, much, much better than I should at this point in the healing process. I know, from experience.

"Lastly, you did something to me at the vampire's house. I don't know what, but it hurt like hell."

She has been looking more and more agitated with each one, but she's been staying quiet. At the last one, though, she looks very upset, and a little surprised.

"Oh. You... you still remember that, then?" She laughs, a little nervously, and mutters to herself. "I kind of thought I'd got it down pat. Good thing my sister isn't around to hear this..."

She looks up, then, mustering determination and resolve from somewhere. "I can answer all of that, but...!"

"Hmm?"

My citrus princess looks a little crafty, and points across the table at me. "...It's an awfully big secret. You're the first person to benefit from it, though, so I'll tell you, on one condition."

fuck

what?

i should have caught that before you said it

what?

and it sounded so good when you were lining them up, too

what?!

i'm sure she's about to tell you

Feeling some grave misgivings, I nod to her. "And that would be?"

"That you tell me exactly who you are." Her voice seems rather more serious than it did a moment ago. "You seem to know who I am and what I do, and I don't recall having ever met anyone like you, and I know I'm not so famous as to be known on sight. I have done much for you. I think it only fair that I deserve the truth, as well."

She takes a sip of tea, and then looks at me, much more composed.

"Don't you agree?"

that?

yeah, that

fffffffffuck

[ ] Fire a warning shot across their bow.
[ ] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!
[ ] Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.

________________________________________________________________________________

Short update (And laaaaaaate), but the next one's going to be a longer one, that's for very damn sure. Also in a new thread.

>>107524
bleak."

>>107548
Wow.
...Thank you, and I'm sorry.
I am really, really sorry.

I wonder which choice relates to which corse of action, I think warning shot is going into it some, full speed is moderate and the last one is laying on the truth or waiting until the last moment.

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Phew; thought today's update had succumbed to the final exam-related delays that seem to be going around lately.

>>107611
I suspect 'warning shot' is trying to preface the truth, 'full speed' is just telling her flat-out, and 'don't fire' is either not telling her or lying.

[X] Fire a warning shot across their bow.

Nobody deserves to have Kogasa's little slice of hell foisted off on them in narrative form without a little warning first.

[X] Fire a warning shot across their bow.

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[X] Fire a warning shot across their bow.

Mainly because Kogasa seems to prefer the more roundabout method at times. I always enjoy it, too.

[x] Fire a warning shot.
Telling her flat out may cause her to stop sleeping. Forever.

{X} Fire a warning shot across their bow.

I though the truth was the fact that Kogasa was in disguise when she got to know Orange, though I can see how the reason for the disguise come into play.

>>107621
She probably also wants to know the circumstances behind our crash landing, which would more or less necessitate telling the whole story.

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[-] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Almost went for option 2, but after thinking about it, I don't believe it's in the same spirit >>107613 suggested. A warning shot is typically an action taken to get the other party to back down, in this case I take it to mean a choice for trying to deter Orange from asking questions.

Option 3 seems to be a more passive/evasive route: giving her the truth, but only exactly what she asks for. Which will leave plenty of holes in the story due to the nature of the curses.

Given Kogasa's current state of mind, even with option 1 I doubt she'll jump straight into the truth without prefacing the gravity of the situation first. After all, she's spent a lot of time thinking about how exposing herself may endanger others, and while those inhibitions may have lessened over the past few days, they certainly haven't disappeared entirely.

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[x] Fire a warning shot across their bow.

>Wow.
>...Thank you, and I'm sorry.
>I am really, really sorry.

No need to be sorry. I am sorry for being an asshole.
Of course i will continue to read on because i really like this story. This deserves to be read. This needs to be read. You just can't miss this one out.
Everything was meant for a reason and it is time to pursue a good or happy end.

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[o] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!
Go for broke!

Fuck.. Big reveal. I think going all in a torrent of WORDS will be a bit much for her so:

[x] Fire a warning shot across their bow.

Give her some time to take the basics in, then go into detail if she wants more.

[x] MAN the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

[x] Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Still writing. It'll be a while yet, but it should be along tonight, in a new thread.

New thread: >>107749