{X} Don't look at the figure, let Okuu and Nitori keep talking.

[O] Don't look at the figure, let Okuu and Nitori keep talking.

[x] Don't look at the figure, let Okuu and Nitori keep talking.

[K] Look at the figure.

Writing now.

[x] Don't look at the figure, let Okuu and Nitori keep talking.

The figure is mostly hidden behind that pillar, but it's clearly looking around the corner, waiting for somebody to notice. You steadfastly ignore it for now, perhaps this is some kind of test.

"Pfft." Okuu shrugs. "It's not my fault you Kappa lose things."
"We're not losing things, Okuu." Nitori grows serious. "Two days ago everybody turns up to find an entire section of walkway missing."
Okuu gives Nitori a blank look for a moment. "Well, you can always get more stuff, right?"
Nitori sighs and lets her shoulders slump. "That's not the point, birdbrain."
"Hey!" Okuu frowns.
"Where's all this stuff going, huh? Are the fires swallowing it up? Is it being stolen? What's happening down there?" Nitori stomps her foot.

The figure emerges from behind the pillar, moving into plain sight. Okuu straightens up, Nitori suddenly looks skittish and you just turn to look.

It's a woman. Or at least, something that looks like a woman. She's short, with an unnaturally pink bob of hair. Her eyes are heavily lidded, almost sleepy, definitely bored and unimpressed. All her clothes are in muted pastel colours, her hands hidden deep inside her long sleeves. Despite her short stature and almost childish outfit, she gives off an overpowering aura of confidence and control.

And there's the eye.

Looping around the top half of her body, ends vanishing inside her collar, under the hem of her shirt and up the ends of her sleeves, is a complex arrangement of red tubes. They all connect to a large red orb hovering over her heart, an orb that contains a massive, unblinking eyeball.

"Miss Satori!" Okuu smiles warmly. "I thought I should-"
"I know." Satori nods, speaking slowly and quietly, blinking heavily. Okuu just nods happily.
"Nitori." Satori says. "I would prefer in future for you to bring concerns about my industrial operations directly to me."
"Y-yes Miss Satori." Nitori stammers. "O-of course."
"I can find out without being told." Satori continues, ignoring Nitori's words. "But speaking to me is more polite."
Nitori nods again, opening her mouth, but Satori cuts her off.
"We will talk about missing equipment later." She says. "You can go, Yasaka is visiting later, everything needs to be in order."
Nitori's eyes flick to you. Satori sighs.

"He is not the same human. He does not want to eat you, or any other sentient being. He gave in to an impulse and decided to make you jump." Satori says, sounding increasingly bored.
"Right." Nitori nods. "Okay. Yeah." She gulps again.
"You can go." Satori says. Nitori scurries off, giving Okuu a quick nod.

Satori doesn't say anything for nearly a minute, just stares at you. The scrutiny makes you uncomfortable, even that massive third eye is looking at you. Is she reading your mind? Is she deciding what to do with you?
"How very interesting." Satori breathes, sounding ever so slightly less bored.
"What's interesting, Satori?" Okuu says.
"I think you should go back to work, Okuu." Satori says.
"Awww, but-"
"Back to work." Satori says softly. Okuu pouts, but nods. Her footsteps, one heavy and one light, slowly recede, leaving you alone with Satori.

"How extremely interesting." Satori says.

[ ] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[ ] Stay quiet for now, look at the third eye. You can't help yourself.
[ ] "What's interesting?"
[ ] "Are you reading my mind?"
[ ] "Sorry for scaring the Kappa. I apologise."

{X} Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.

[X] Stare at the third eye, you just can't help but want to...
-[X] "I... I want to touch it! Can I touch it?"

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

Goldeneye Elevator 1.

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

[X] Stare at the third eye, you just can't help but want to...
-[X] "I... I want to touch it! Can I touch it?"

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

[O] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[O] Play elevator music in your head.

Oh yay, write-in! Writing now.

[x] Stay quiet for now. Just look back at her.
[x] Play elevator music in your head.

If only I remembered any good elevator pieces.

You just stare back at Satori. She's reading your mind, isn't she? She can probably hear all of this. It's like a bizarre one-sided conversation in which she refuses to reply to your endless babbling. You really wish she would say something, even just a nod or a sigh, but she merely stares at you, third eye rolling in its socket.

Need some way to retaliate. You try as hard as you can to clear your mind, then flood every inch of your thoughts with the most awful, annoying and catchy elevator music you can imagine. The tune bounces along silently inside your skull, but you resist the urge to tap your foot.

"Ugh." Satori shudders, putting her hand up to her eyes. "Stop that."
"Stop what?" You ask, feigning innocence.
"You know exactly what." Satori says. "Stop it." She speaks with such authority for those two words that you do in fact stop, trying to forget the elevator music. Satori eventually looks back at you again.

"You ... present me with a problem." Satori says, starting to slowly pace around you in a wide circle.
"What kind of a-" You start, but she interrupts you.
"The problem is your presence in my city. And the time of your arrival."
"Oh?"
Satori stops in front of you again, a slight frown on her face now. "You are unaware that there was another human visitor from the surface, a month ago."
"I gathered-"
"Not enough." She says. "Not nearly enough." She starts pacing again, crossing her arms and inspecting you a little too closely.

"Are you going to explain to me?" You ask.
"Mm, perhaps." Satori murmurs. "Tell me, do you know what you carry in that bag?"
"Uh," you look over your shoulder at Farley's backpack. "Can't you just-"
"No." Satori says. "Tell me."

[ ] Tell her it's your stuff.
[ ] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.
[ ] Just tell her to read your mind.
[ ] Refuse to answer, change the subject, work around it. You won't play her games.

[x] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.

The truth works best.

[O] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.

[ ] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.

[x] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.

The truth'll work.

[x] Perhaps ask details on this other human, since it might be Farley, whom the bag belongs to.

[x] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.

[x] Tell her you know no idea what any of it is for, it's not yours.

[x] Stick your finger in the weird eyeball thing's cornea.

>>555
Do ho ho.

Writing now.

[x] Stick your finger in the weird eyeball thing's cornea.

"I don't know what any of it is for." You say. "It belonged to somebody I knew. I ... think he might be dead now. I just picked it up when I found it."
"Yes." Satori murmurs. "Yes."
"Yes what?" You ask, not liking the way her lips are starting to curl. The smallest hint of a smile, but without warmth.

"You are unaware of why the Kappa reacted to you in the way she did." Satori says, raising her chin to look at you sidelong. She's not asking a question, she's making a statement.
"There was another human in my city." Satori starts pacing around you again, the tone of her voice changing, telling you that you will listen and she will speak. The force behind her quiet voice roots you to the spot.

"He came out of the wilderness of the underground." Satori continues. "Hid in the cracks of the city, living in abandoned buildings. The Oni saw him, moving in shadows, eating vermin, skin gone rubbery and white. A filthy, disgusting thing." She looks away, pausing for a moment before continuing.
"A child went missing." She says. "An Oni child, a boy, six years old. As strong as twenty fully-grown humans."
Satori suddenly rounds on you, but the expected anger does not come, just more cold, quiet words.
"The Oni don't kidnap. They don't lie, cheat, steal. They commit crimes of passion, in anger and in rage. They don't kidnap children. Only you humans do things like that. Only your species."

You stay silent, unable to think of a response. The Oni in the city were curious, but none seemed hostile. Has Satori alone developed a prejudice against humans?

"He started stalking the Kappa work parties." Satori continues pacing. "Unnoticed until he tried to attack one of them. Luckily my pets were there to intervene." She sighs.
"Do you know what we found?" She asks. "In his hovel?"
You shake your head.
"A partially eaten corpse of an Oni child." She says. "This human had twisted himself, become something ... other, down in the dark places far from civilisation and light."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" You ask, starting to lose your patience.
"He was confined in the lower levels of this Palace. We don't execute down here." Satori says. "The living rock of the earth can yield far worse punishments than death."
"He was confined?" You ask. A faint flicker of a smile crosses Satori's face.
"Was. Yes. He escaped, today. This very morning. Impossible for a human, but far too easy for something like him. I underestimated."
"So ... when I-"
"When you arrived." Satori says. "Indeed. When you arrived."
A lump forms in your throat as a question forms in your head. You already know the answer, Satori must be able to see it, but she's waiting for you to ask, making you go through the motions.
"What was his name?" You ask.
"He called himself many things when interrogated." Satori says, dragging the moment out even further. "But he had an original name, buried in depths of his subconscious."

"Farley, I believe it was." Satori says, a sadistic grin finally spreading across her face.

"Right." You say. "Well, you can read my mind. You know I have nothing to do with him. We ... we even fell down here at the same moment! How can he have been here for a whole month? Or more?"
Satori shrugs. "That is exactly why you are so problematic." She says.

"I'm going to have to have you held here for a while." She says. "Yes, I know panic is setting in. And yes, I know you want to see your karakasa friend again, but down here we do things my way."

You go tense as she speaks, vaguely aware that a number of those gaseous balls of light have started making bee-lines towards you.

[ ] Don't react. Surely this will all get straightened out.
[ ] Run.
[ ] Try to reason with Satori, you really don't want to get stuck here against your will.
[ ] Tackle Satori. You're not taking this shit.

---

Don't worry about sudden tonal shift here. I'm trying to strike a balance between plot and character interaction, letting relationships build over a long time while also advancing the plot (a plot that is really an excuse for more character interaction in interesting circumstances.) This is not going to turn into serious grim'n'dark any time soon.

>>559

[x] Use your hitbox to evade them.

[x] Use your hitbox to evade them.

Sup Gollum.

[X] Tackle Satori. You're not taking this shit.

[x] Switch your controller to port two
[x] Tackle Satori. You're not taking this shit.
[x] Run.

[x] Use your hitbox to evade them.

Don't allow her to capture us, we haven't done anything wrong.

Maybe we can challenge her to a Danmaku duel for freedom.

. . . Bizzare thought. She can read minds, is she going to go all Psycho Mantis on us and be able to read our votes through the 4th wall?

Maybe we should be careful what we post. Although we got no response to voting to poke her eye.

>>563
>>565

Dah, hivemind.

>[ ] Use your hitbox to evade them.
Putting aside how general an action this is, I don't think we've had enough practice with our hitbox for any fancy maneuvers.

Is it just me, or is this not adding up? Farley was, at least biologically, a human when we were with him last, and one doesn't become the servant of an eldrich horror overnight. Unless we really were knocked out for weeks (in which case we should have starved), it's not Farley that did the stuff Satori described.

>"Farley, I believe it was."
And I wouldn't put it past this Satori to pull that name our of our thoughts just to play on our existing fears and confuse/terrify us.

[X] Tackle Satori. You're not taking this shit.

tl;dr I don't like this Satori, and I kind of want to punch her.

[X] Tackle Satori. You're not taking this shit.

Don't think. Feel.

[x] Use your hitbox to evade them.

>Only you humans do things like that. Only your species
>This human had twisted himself, become something ... other

Interesting how quickly she contradicts herself here. She says only humans do these things and then acknowledges that Farly was no longer human.

[x] Use your hitbox to evade them.

>>565
It would have been kind of fun if she could break the 4th wall and have her know what choices Anon voted, even the ones which did not get enough votes, the discussion and whatever else went on and comment on it.

[X] Tackle Satori. You're not taking this shit.

Votes are tied.

[x] Use your hitbox to evade them.

>>575
Done. Writing now.

>>575
Fuck you.

"Close, but I wouldn't try attacking me if I were you." Satori says as you hesitate for a moment.
"Tch." You hiss through your teeth. She can read your mind, so she knows not only your every move, but also all the possible courses of action that pass through your mind.

The only way to win would be to surprise yourself.

Focus.

The weight in the centre of your chest returns once more to the core of your consciousness. You stop thinking, you stop moving and just let yourself feel. You don't know what the blobs of light are, but that doesn't matter, the objective is just to avoid them, don't let them wrap themselves around your limbs.

Clock's ticking.

"What the-" Satori mumbles as you step forward, ducking under one of the blobs, before slipping both arms above your head to avoid another pair. One tries to reach your ankle, but you side-step, twisting away.
Even a few moments of this is utterly exhausting. You don't have much reserves of whatever it was that strange voice did to you outside the city. This will work for now, but it's just a stop-gap, you'll run out of juice in mere seconds.

Satori sighs loudly as you back up against a pillar and then weave yourself away again, balls of light fizzing past your head and limbs.
"You're doing it entirely wrong." Satori calls. "We're not even playing danmaku."
"Danwhata?" You call back, trying to make your way towards the exit. You'll never get there, more blobs force you back towards Satori again.
"Also, you should have taken the advice." Satori actually smiles. "I admire your determination, but you should always switch to the second controller port when fighting a mind-reader." She lets out a small, girlish giggle, covering her mouth with her hand as sweat starts to bead on your forehead. Your breath comes out in ragged gasps, the weight in your chest somehow flickering and starting to fade.

"Oh come now." Satori says. "You're going to pass out. I'd rather not have to call Orin to carry you to a bed."
"Dammit." You gasp, trying to concentrate. "Shut up."
Satori giggles again. "Oh you are good, aren't you?" She says, boredom finally leaving her voice as you duck and weave and dance between the balls of moving light. "We absolutely must play danmaku eventually. Teach you proper form and you could be quite skilled."

The balls of light force you close to Satori again. Her amused smirk is as sweet as it is infuriating.

"Oh do stop." She half-frowns. "I didn't want to hurt you."

[ ] Don't stop.
[ ] Stop, let yourself be caught.
[ ] Hurl yourself at her, you can at least show her what you're made of.

[X] Hurl yourself at her, you can at least show her what you're made of.

lol metal gear

[x] Poke her third eye

>[ ] Hurl yourself at her, you can at least show her what you're made of.
Maybe when it would have made a difference, but now it's just being a jerk.

[X] Don't stop.
[X] "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"

Really, I'd like to hear her try to rationalize holding us against our will as anything but kidnapping.

[X] Stop.
[X] Think of the most perverted things that you could possible do to Satori.
[X] Touch her Third Eye.

[X] Hurl yourself at her, you can at least show her what you're made of.
[X] Kiss.

The ultimate take-the-opponent-by-surprise move.

[x] Use your third leg to poke her third eye.

>>583
>>586
>>587
>>588
You really aren't as witty as you think you are.

[X] Don't stop.
[X] "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"

[X] Don't stop.
[X] "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"

>>589
What makes you think we think we're witty?

[X] Don't stop.
[X] "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"

[X] Don't stop.
[X] "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"
[X] Think of the most perverted things that you could possible do to Satori.

Draw this out as long as you can, but we're really not in a winning situation. We're still tired and slightly kicked in the balls.

Also, I apologize for giving Grue ideas. Can she read 'mental blocking' spoilertagged stuff? We might need to use it to surprise ourself. :/

Alternatively:

[X] Stop thinking. Move on instinct. Surprise yourself.

[X] Don't stop.
[X] "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"

>>594
>Also, I apologize for giving Grue ideas. Can she read 'mental blocking' spoilertagged stuff? We might need to use it to surprise ourself. :/

Don't apologize. Satori can read my mind any day.

>:/

Also, don't do that.

[x] Stop, let yourself be caught.

Going against the tide sure, but I think sense goes before pride.

>>597
Riiiight, surrendering to the racist mind reader whose making logical fallacies in order to justify her forceful capture of us is "sensible" thing to do.

Don't worry guys, she will be here any minute now to help us escape in a spectacular rescue mission.

I absolutely love the write-ins this site generates! Writing now, here we go.

>>600
hooray!

>>600

HUZZAH

Don't stop, don't stop moving. Don't give her the satisfaction.

Satori sighs, raising her eyebrows at you. "You're going to hurt yourself."
You grit your teeth and ignore her. The balls of light are starting to predict your movements, making you move faster and faster, straining you to the point of collapse. She must be doing this on purpose, trying to wear you down.
"I just want to get this over with." Satori says. "You are very persistent, well done, so on and so fourth, but you really should let your elders and betters deal with things now."
"Tch." You grunt through your teeth again. "I thought only humans stooped to kidnapping people!"
"Oh don't be simple." Satori says, frowning. "I'm authority here. And you're far too proud to let me do this in a more honest matter." She sighs again.
"What?" You ask, losing track of her words.
"And no, stop thinking that." She points at you, going poker-faced suddenly, cheeks reddening slightly.
"Thinking what?" You ask, trying not to lose your concentration.
"I have never owned a swimsuit like that." Satori says, frowning quite hard now.

You burst out laughing. With your mind moving a mile a minute, you're surprised she noticed that little scrap of thought. Seems to have embarrassed her though.

"What ... " you gasp, starting to waver now. "Are you going to do ... to me?" A blob of light brushes your arm, another skims against the side of your head.
"Nothing too invasive." Satori says, that smirk coming back. "Are you ... oh, no." Satori tuts, concern and contempt fighting on her face as you manage to screw up your footing completely, slamming face-first into a pillar.
You try to keep going, to keep moving, but you stumble, the power in your chest going dull with a soft metaphysical hiss.

Your vision swims, blobs of light catch you by the wrists and ankles, and the floor comes rushing up to meet you.

---

Through the pounding pain in your head and chest, you are vaguely aware of being carried. Cradled by warm metal, wobbling underneath you, then lifted up by a strong pair of arms before being dumped clumsily upon something much softer.

"Ah-ah-ah-aaaahhh~" A voice sings tunelessly to itself, just beyond your concussed mind. You try to say something, but only nonsense comes out.

"Oooooh you're supposed to sleep! Sleeping things don't talk. Go to sleeeeeeep!" The voice stops singing and starts talking, though its methods of lulling you back to a deeper sleep leave a lot to be desired. A finger pokes you in the side.
"Sleep!" The voice makes an odd murring sound, somewhat irritated.

[ ] Sleep! You need the rest.
[ ] No, no sleeping! Wake up!
[ ] Mumble more nonsense.
[ ] Swat wildly at the source of the voice.

[ ] No, no sleeping! Wake up!

[ ] Mumble more nonsense.
[ ] Sleep! You need the rest.

At least we have a place to spend the night now.
Maybe there will even be food.
Hopefully Kogasa isn't worried about us.

[x] Sleep! You need the rest.

That's all for tonight. Very sleepy today, and I managed to hit 6 updates anyway. I would write more, but the lack of wakefulness would effect the writing.

More tomorrow.

[x] No, no sleeping! Wake up!

[X]Sleep! You need the rest.

I think common sense would dictate that we should just let the body do its thing. That and trying to talk to people while in considerable pain isn't the brightest of ideas.

[X]Mumble more nonsense.
[X]Sleep! You need the rest.

>slamming face-first into a pillar.

too SOFT

[x] No, no sleeping! Wake up!

No, we have to escape and find Kogasa

[X] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[X] Sleep! You need the rest.

Rin is cuddle fodder.

[X] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[X] Sleep! You need the rest.

[x] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[x] Sleep! You need the rest.
[x] Get COMFORTABLE.

"W-Where do you think you're poking me?!"

[x] No, no sleeping! Wake up!

[X] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[X] Sleep! You need the rest.
[X] "Mmm. Kitty. Warm."

[O] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[O] Sleep! You need the rest.

[x] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[x] Sleep! You need the rest.
[x] Get COMFORTABLE.

[X] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[X] Sleep! You need the rest.

I like this unlikable Satori. It's fun seeing her in a more negative way.

>>622 here, adding:

[x] Is that an ear? OM NOM NOM.

[X] Grasp for something. You need something to cuddle when you sleep. Like a stuffed doll, or an animal, or a cute girl...
[X] Sleep! You need the rest.
This satori is unlikeable? No, she's just been disappointed so many times by people that are scared of her. We could offer her so much more.

Calling it now. Another fantastic write-in! Don't expect an update for about 1~2 hours yet though. Have to go deal with workthings.

It's impossible to resist the call of sleep. The pain in your head and chest start to fade as you drop off once more. But before sleep claims you, the urge to huge something starts to surface. You need something to cuddle in your sleep, something to keep you warm.

Your arms move on instinct, gasping out for the nearest source of comfort. Sleep-addled and barely conscious, your mind doesn't quite make sense of the next few moments.
"Oop!" A weight falls to the bed next to you, breath on your shoulder and neck. You tighten your grip, automatically nuzzling against the huge, soft pillow you've found.
"G-gah, h-human ... I ... eh."
"Mmm." You murmur, finally falling asleep.

---

Your dreams are filled with a loud purring.

---

"Ugh." When awareness returns, hours later, your mouth is dry and sticky. Your eyes blink and close again, shutting out the light. A yawn overpowers you, and raising your hands only makes your joints click.
For a long moment you just stare at the ceiling. Where are you anyway? Glancing around the room confirms your suspicions. The walls are plain grey stone, covered with patterned hangings. There's little in here except a bed and a desk. One door is closed, a key in the lock. A second door is open, leading off to a little bathroom. A window on the far wall lets in a flickering, warm orange glow, so unlike the kind of light in the Underground City.

Oh, and there's a black cat curled up on your chest, asleep. You blink and squint at it for a minute. Nope, that's not a trick of the light. It has two tails.

[ ] Go back to sleep.
[ ] Stroke the cat.
[ ] Shove the cat off, get up.
[ ] Wake the cat up gently, then move it and get up.

[ ] Stroke the cat.

[X] Stroke the cat.

STROKE THE CAT STROKE IT!

Not often you'll find such comfy spots, may as well relax until then.

[x] Stroke the cat. Gently.
[x] Go to sleep after that; make sure you don't accidentally wake it up.

[X] Stroke the cat.

Kitty~

[X] Stroke the cat.

>the urge to huge something starts to surface
huge guts, rip and tear, etc.

>>651
>>huge

Oh, dammit. This is what happens when you edit your writing when too sleepy.

[x] Stroke the cat.

Writing now, but I'm going to go ahead and say that six updates target is unlikely today. Writefag is sleepy and a little ill, and I don't want to to effect the writing. Will return to normal speed tomorrow.

[x] Stroke the cat.

Satori will get us when she's ready. So far while kinda enigmatic, she doesn't strike me as hostile.

Hopefully we can meet up with Kogasa soon and assure her we're alright.

You reach up to pet the cat, running your fingers over its soft, silky fur. It's purring quite contentedly against your chest, and you can't bring yourself to shift it yet. Did Satori leave the cat here with you, or did it wander in here alone?
Whatever. You can't bring yourself to think too hard about this right now. Stroking the cat is very relaxing, almost enough to send you straight back to sleep again.

The pair of tails twitch slightly and the cat blinks at you sleepily, but purrs louder. That's good, right? More purring means happy. You keep stroking, letting your fingers wander higher to give it a good scratch behind the ears too.
"Mrkgnao~" The cat yawns at you.
"Hey there kitty." You murmur. "Morning already?"
The cat just settles in place again, tucking its head back down.
"Hm, I guess not." You say, taking a couple of deep breaths. Waking up is hard. "Do you even have a day-night cycle down here?" You ask out loud, starting to wonder how society in the Underground City actually works without a sun.

The cat stares back at you with sleepy eyes. You just lie still for now, enjoying the warmth on your chest and the momentary calm of having a real bed.
Then you notice the smell.
"What is that?" You mumble, sniffing the air. Burning, sulphur. Fire and brimstone, just on the edge of your senses.
Well, Kogasa did say this was a former part of Hell. You just hope she wasn't being literal when she said that.

You blink at the cat, your eyes must be playing tricks on you. Cats don't grin. There, it's just looking at you, a little more alert than before.
"Mind if I sit?" You ask, starting to lever yourself up in the bed. The cat takes the hint, standing up and stretching before letting itself flop down into your lap as you sit up.
"Hmm." You rub your eyes, content to let the cat curl up in your lap again. You could do with a drink, or some food. Or knowing exactly where you are.

[ ] Go to the bathroom, drink some water.
[ ] Get up and try the door.
[ ] Get up and look out of the window.
[ ] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

[O] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

[X] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

Water can wait. Now is time for kitty head-scratchies.

[X] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

I love cats.

[x] Go to the bathroom, drink some water.

One can pet better when hydrated.

[X] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

[X] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

Writing now, but might take a while.

[JE] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

I'm a cat person, even when I know it's up to no good.

[ ] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

>>661
You should stop apologizing so much, really. You do this when you are lazy and haven't wrote a thing for a few days and Anon gets desperate for an update.
Just take it easy, your pace is good, the updates are flowing and Anon is happy.

[X] Stay here, pet cat. Relax. Cat, mmm.

"Mmm." You lie back against the headboard, letting yourself relax. "Kitty." You mumble, petting the cat in your lap. There's not really a great deal you can do right now. You're still groggy and a little bit injured, and this opportunity to rest might not come again soon. Even if you are going to attempt an escape, you should make sure you take every chance to conserve your strength.

Sitting here in contented warm sleep-haze petting a happily purring blob of fur doesn't mean you're not going to get up soon. Nope, no sir. Not going to stay long, nuh-uh, no way.

You yawn.

Okay maybe just a little longer. The cat wakes up more, rolling onto its back and playfully swatting at your hand.
"Hm." You can't help but smile. "What's your name, kitty?" You ask.
"Mrkorw~" The cat actually replies. You snort with laugher as it bats at your hand.

You look over at the door. Is there a guard outside? There's a key in the lock, but maybe it's a trap, or a test. This room doesn't really look much like a cell. There's a window right there, you could easily get out that way, unless this room is in the upper levels of the Palace.
In fact this whole situation is rather confusing. Nobody here to interrogate you, no clear indication you're a prisoner, nothing to stop you try the door.

Chomp.

"Ow!" You jerk your hand back. The cat bit you! It just tries again with the other hand, obviously frustrated with the lack of attention while you were thinking about the room.
"Hey, kitty, stop!" You try to resume stroking the cat, but it's become firmly set on playing this game now. Claws slide into place as it swats for your hand, eyes gone wider, drawing blood from your palm.
"Ow, fuck!" You push the cat back, trying to slide it off your lap, but this only drives it to further playfulness.

It tenses its whole body, back legs ready to spring.

[ ] "If you pounce on me I swear I will be very, very angry!" Look stern.
[ ] Catch the cat mid-pounce.
[ ] Roll out of the way.
[ ] You know what? Two can play at this game.

[ ] Catch the cat mid-pounce

[x] You know what? Two can play at this game.

Wait, what?

[X] You know what? Two can play at this game.

Orin wrasslin' games.

{X} You know what? Two can play at this game.

[x] Catch the cat mid-pounce.

{X} You know what? Two can play at this game.

What can possibly go wrong.."

[X] Catch the cat mid-pounce.

Love kitties.

[X] You know what? Two can play at this game.

[ ] Catch the cat mid-pounce.

She wants to play?

Play she will

[O] Catch the cat mid-pounce.

{X} You know what? Two can play at this game.

But don't forget about Kogasa (Resist the lure of Orin)

Calling it just before the votes get tied. Writing ... within the hour.

>Vote, even if you think your vote is useless!

[x] Cat punt

[O] Catch the cat mid-pounce.

The cat pounces at you, flying straight for your face.

Time seems to slow for a moment as your thoughts speed up. Nu-uh, no way you're getting away with this, little kitty. Two can play this game.

You duck, the cat sailing over your head and bouncing off the wall. It lands with a crumpled hissing as you grab the pillow, back-pedalling to put some space between you and the cat.
"Margh!" It actually makes a sort of yowling noise at you now, hesitating and jinking from side to side as it decides when to try pouncing again.
"So." You say, partly to yourself. "Your objective here is ... scratch my face o-" You don't get to finish your sentence, the cat finally hurling itself through the air again with a hiss. You go flat on the bed, letting it land harmlessly on the floor.
"Yeah, scratch my face off." You mutter, hopping off the other side of the bed and quickly stripping the pillowcase off the pillow, abandoning the latter on the floor.

The cat hisses at you again, eyeing your ankles.
"Whereas my objective is getting you inside this pillowcase." You grin sardonically. The cat bares its teeth, making a dashing run for your tender, juicy calf muscle.
"Whoop!" You try to hop out of the way, but the cat manages to grab your trouser leg with its claws. You immediately make a little pouncing motion yourself.

The cat realises what you're doing a fraction too late, letting out another yowl of frustration as you bring the pillowcase down over its body, quickly tipping it up and holding the open end down against the floor.
"Yaarrghhmaeerr!" The cat goes crazy inside the pillowcase for a second, before finally giving up and lying still, breathing rapidly. You sit down, taking a few deep breaths yourself.
"Well." You say eventually. "Serves you right. Now," you gently stroke the cat through the pillowcase. "I'll let you out if you'll be a good k-"

Almost too fast for you to see, but just slow enough for you to understand, a huge, semitransparent skull forms in front of your eyes. The jaw chattering with a scream just on the edge of your hearing, wreathed in a corona of ectoplasmic blue fire, it hurtles through your head, leaving a horrible, bone-chilling cold behind as it vanishes.

"What," you say in a very, very small voice.

The cat purrs, sounding particularly pleased with itself.

[ ] OH GOD NO TWO CANNOT PLAY THIS GAME
[ ] "Did ... did you just do that?"
[ ] That did not just happen. It did not. Nothing happened. You were imagining it.

[X]"That's cheating and you know it."

[X] "That's cheating and you know it."

[X]"That's cheating and you know it."

[x] "That's cheating and you know it."

[X] OH GOD NO TWO CANNOT PLAY THIS GAME

[X]"That's cheating and you know it."

[x] Cat punt

[X]"That's cheating and you know it."

Haha

[X]"That's cheating and you know it."

[x] "That's cheating and you know it."

[x] "That's cheating and you know it."

Calling that. Writing shortly.

Okay, so. Not just a cat.

"That's cheating." You say, not even sure if the 'cat' can understand you. "And you know it."
"Mrgow~" It replies. Blue flames start to lick at the edges of your vision, but when you turn to look, there's nothing there. A high-pitched, maddening laugher is just at the extreme of your hearing. The hairs on the back of your neck are standing up and you keep having to resist the urge to check over your shoulder for something creeping up on you.
"I said, s-stop that." You stammer. Dammit, calm down! The cat is just ...

Actually, you have no idea what the hell it's doing, or what it can do.
"I won, alright?" You say, making it perfectly clear who is in charge here. "But I'll let you out now. Game's over."

Something huge and ghostly-blue materialises next to your head, lets out an ear-piercing scream and vanishes again.

"Arghrfuck!" You find yourself on the other side of the room, sitting against the door, probably having moved faster than ever before in your life.
The cat slowly noses its way out of the pillowcase, saunters smugly over to you and starts washing one of its forepaws.
"You are devious, and tricky." You say to the cat, trying to calm yourself down. At least there's nothing strange going on with your senses now.
"Mergow~" The cat starts rubbing itself on your legs.
"You want stroking again?" You ask. "After that?"
The cat all but bumps its head against your leg.

You notice, lying next to the foot of the bed, is Farley's bag. Your bag now, you suppose. At least Satori didn't take your possessions away, right?

[ ] Stroke the cat again.
[ ] Refuse to stroke the cat, it hath offended thee. Bad kitty.

And:

[ ] Leave the bag for now.
[ ] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[X] Stroke the cat again.
[X] "Alright. We'll call it a draw."

[x] Stroke the cat again.
[x] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[x] Stroke the cat again.
[x] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[x] Stroke the cat again.
[x] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[X] Stroke the cat again, "Alright. We'll call it a draw."
[X] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

I think he can do both without getting attacked again...

[x] Stroke the cat again, and make a mental note that you must introduce her and Kogasa.
[x] Leave the bag, for good. Regardless of whether Satori was telling the truth, it's probably a bad idea to associate yourself with Farley in any way.

[x] Stroke the cat again.
[x] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[x] Oh no.
[x] A CAT IS FINE, TOO.

>>make a mental note that you must introduce her and Kogasa.

Oh god. An umbrella that likes to scare people and a kitty that's basically a walking screamer flash. The protagonist will never have a quiet night at home ever again.

...assuming he ever gets back home, of course.

[X] Stroke the cat again.
[X] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[x] Stroke the cat again.
[x] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

[x] Stroke the cat again, and make a mental note that you must introduce her and Kogasa.
[x] Leave the bag, for good. Regardless of whether Satori was telling the truth, it's probably a bad idea to associate yourself with Farley in any way.

This, since Farley is bad news now, and I doubt he was up to much good in the first place.

That and these two would make an interesting team. Kogasa~

[x] Stroke the cat again.
[x] Check out the bag, has Satori taken anything?

Gonna call the vote, and call it a day here. Sleepy, more tomorrow.

Stealth update if I can't sleep.

>>720

My issue with this is that Satori should already by now know Farley had been nothing more than at one point an associate of the MC and that in fact said MC had nothing to do with the recent kidnap/murder.

saging as the voting has already been decided

>>My issue with this is that Satori should already by now know Farley had been nothing more than at one point an associate of the MC and that in fact said MC had nothing to do with the recent kidnap/murder.

I'm sure she does, but that's not the problem. The problem is how these two people could have been on the surface at the same time, fell underground the same time, and yet somehow have been underground for different lengths of time, to the point that one of them had changed into something barely recognizable as the person he once was.

Of course, that this creature just so happened to escape on the very day that this associate finally appears in the city only further complicates matters.

Can't really blame the lady for wanting to keep tabs on the new arrival while trying to sort all of this out. The fact that she let him keep his things, and has him in a room rather than a cell is probably a good sign that she at least doesn't consider him to be much of a threat.

>>737
> You remind me of HY.
facepalm.jpg

Better nab that key soon, too.

>>Better nab that key soon, too.

About that key, I'm guessing the door is closed, so do we know the key is in the lock because we can't see through the keyhole, or because the key is in the hole on the inside of the door?

>>743
Wouldn't surprise me.

>>771
I'd be surprised if this isn't him.

>>743
>>771
>>778
I thought that everytime HY writes under a new name we go with "don't ask, don't tell"
Grue is Grue and no one else.

>>792
Where'd you get that idea?

Workthings must be finished before update, but expect something in the next 1~2 hours, then back to speed.

>>748
The clarify, the key is in the door on this side, you can see it and grab it.


>People claiming that any fast writefag is HY

SON I AM DISAPPOINT

>>795
hooray!

You sigh, giving in to the cat's demands. At least it won't spring any more screamers on you if you're nice to it. The cat purrs happily under your touch once more, rubbing itself against your leg.
"Tch." You tut at the cat. "We'll call this a draw, okay?"
"Merkow~"
Ghostly teeth chatter and gibber at the boundary of your hearing.
"Alright, alright!" You intensify your stroking, rubbing behind the cat's ears. The hallucinations, if that's what they are, vanish again. The cat makes satisfied murring sounds.

Letting the cat follow your hand as you shift yourself closer to the foot of the bed, you reach out and grab Farley's (your?) bag, pulling it into you lap.
"Let's see." You mutter to yourself. The cat peers into the bag as you start rummaging around inside.
"Murr~"
"Yeah yeah." You say, continuing to absentmindedly stroke the cat. Looks like most of the stuff is still here. You can't find Farley's notebook, Satori must have taken that. The pocket knife is gone too, maybe she didn't want you to have access to a potential weapon, even a small one. Oddly enough the maglite is gone as well. Shit, could have used that.
"Hmm." You grunt, checking that the metal gauntlet isn't at an awkward angle. That thing still makes you nervous. You shift the jar of blue-white gas up to the top of the backpack, in case it gets damaged.

"Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr." As you do so, the cat suddenly goes stiff under your hand.
"What?" You look down.
"Yeeeerow!" The cat goes crazy. Not like before. This time it's not a game. A ball of claws and teeth and tiny sparks of blue and orange fire force you to scramble backwards, leaving the backpack behind.
"Woah, shit!"
The cat, panting with manic energy, nudges the jar out of the bag.

It glances at you, eyes wild with anger, and pokes the lid of the jar with a paw.

[ ] "Oh no you don't!" That's not yours, silly cat. You're not putting up with this any longer.
[ ] "No." Fold your arms, you're not opening the jar.
[ ] Open the jar.

[ ] "Oh no you don't!" That's not yours, silly cat. You're not putting up with this any longer.

[x] "What? I don't speak cat. Unless you can speak human and tell me what has you so upset, I'm not about to open that jar. Especially when I don't even know what that gas inside it is. It could be poison."

[x] "What? I don't speak cat. Unless you can speak human and tell me what has you so upset, I'm not about to open that jar. Especially when I don't even know what that gas inside it is. It could be poison."

[x] "What? I don't speak cat. Unless you can speak human and tell me what has you so upset, I'm not about to open that jar. Especially when I don't even know what that gas inside it is. It could be poison."

[X] "What? I don't speak cat. Unless you can speak human and tell me what has you so upset, I'm not about to open that jar. Especially when I don't even know what that gas inside it is. It could be poison."

[X] "What? I don't speak cat. Unless you can speak human and tell me what has you so upset, I'm not about to open that jar. Especially when I don't even know what that gas inside it is. It could be poison."

[X] Above writein, but open the jar anyway. We all know we're going to. Orin cannot be refused.

Oh ho ho! Anonymous has guts. Writing now.

Frowning back at the cat, you cross your arms across your chest.
"What?" You ask, fed up with this now. "I don't speak cat."
"Meeeryow~!"
"Unless you can speak human and tell me what has you bouncing around like a kitten with a bag of catnip, I'm not opening the jar for you." You say, putting as much stern strictness into your voice as you can.
The cat hisses, arching its back to make itself look big. Shapes, wreathed in ghostly blue fire, start forming at the edges of your vision.
"Nu-uh." You say, firmly closing your eyes. "I don't even know what's in that jar, it could be poison, or worse."
A horrible keening wail, like nails down a blackboard, starts somewhere in the distance.
"Stop it with the cheap tricks." You say. "I'm not going to open the ja-"

Your words catch in your throat as your breath is crammed back into your mouth. Cold, slimy fingers of ectoplasm push against your face and head, ethereal winds buffeting you. Feelers and tendrils of frozen death slide up your trouser legs, down the collar of your shirt, and start peeling back your waistband. Something sticky and horrible moves up your spine, running bony, decaying fingers through your hair.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" You collapse backwards onto the floor, screaming incoherently, flailing wildly, desperately, desperately trying to get these things off you. You open your eyes but all you can see is a vague blue haze, shifting, forming and reforming, twisting back in on itself before flowing towards you again. You blink, forming a fist to punch trough the layer of ghostly matter, but as soon as the horror began, it vanishes without a trace.

You roll onto your hands and knees, shaking, trying not to vomit with shock.
Out of the corner of your eye you can see a bare leg and foot, pale white, slipping out through the now open door. You catch a glimpse of green, but then the person is gone, bare feet pattering down the corridor outside, too fast for you to follow even if you could move right now.
"Ugh." You flop onto your back. "Fucking cat."

But the cat, and the jar, are gone.

[ ] Climb back into bed, this place is a nut-house.
[ ] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.
[ ] Check out the rest of the room first, in case that cat is hiding somewhere.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

>>Cold, slimy fingers of ectoplasm push against your face and head, ethereal winds buffeting you. Feelers and tendrils of frozen death slide up your trouser legs, down the collar of your shirt, and start peeling back your waistband. Something sticky and horrible moves up your spine, running bony, decaying fingers through your hair.

Wow. Those spirits sure are frisky.

[X] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

[ ] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

BITCH BETTER GIVE MY JAR BACK

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

Nothing much else for it.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

First step to getting back to Kogasa.

>>825
Listen to the man.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.

[x] Climb back into bed, this place is a nut-house.

[X] Check out the rest of the room first, in case that cat is hiding somewhere.

I still like that cat.

Though I would have liked it more if she'd just assumed human form and told us what was so important about the jar.

>>830
But she likes to rape us with her Plasma.

[x] Door's open! Go investigate the corridor.
[x] But try and find a container of water to carry with you. You owe that cat a surprise if you catch her again!

Writing now.

This is your chance! Whoever that was, they managed to leave the door open. It might be a test, or a trap, but screw it, this is still a chance to get out of here. You pick yourself, grab the backpack again, and head for the door.

Peeking into the corridor outside reveals a long stone passageway. The high ceiling is studded with darkened glow-globes and the walls are punctuated now and again by massive stained-glass windows. The corridor turns off at either end, but there's no sign of the person who left the door open.
"Alright." You murmur to yourself. "Let's go ... left." You head off down the corridor, wincing at the sound each of your footsteps make against the stone. Even the lightest of treads here produces an echo.
All along the corridor are more rooms. Some are furnished like yours, some are bare cells of stone. Some are shut with doors of rock.
The light coming through the stained-glass windows is oddly orange-coloured, despite the rainbow effect the glass itself is meant to produce. You can see motion, shadows and light, vague shapes behind the windows, but no detail.

As you walk, a small tremor hits. Not as much as the earthquake in the restaurant earlier, but enough to make you stop, reach out, and touch the wall for support. It passes quickly, and silence returns.

At the end of the corridor there is another junction. On the left, stairs lead straight up. To the right, stairs lead down. You ponder for a moment, straining your ears at a faint sound.

There's no mistaking it, your hearing wasn't playing tricks on you. From the stairs leading up, you can hear very faint, girlish laughter. Somebody is there, and if it's Satori then she might know you're here. To the right, the stairs leading down, there is the distant throb and hum of machinery. No voices though, and no footsteps.

[ ] Go up, towards the laughter.
[ ] Go down, towards the machinery.

[X] Go up, towards the laughter.

[X] Go up, towards the laughter.

[ ] Go up, towards the laughter.

[X] Go up, towards the laughter.

Laughter means fun, right?

[x] Go up, towards the laughter.

[X] Go up, towards the laughter.

Stopping votes there, this one is obvious I guess. Writing shortly.

>>795
>SON I AM DISAPPOINT
Sounds like how HY would respond

Preparing for the inevitable, you mount the stairs leading up. If it's Satori, maybe she will actually talk to you now, or at least consider releasing you.

You stop at the top of the stairs, gaping in awe at the room beyond. The ceiling is high, very high. You feel like you're in another massive cavern again. There's a balcony looking out over the lower portion of the room, but you don't see a way to access it from down here.
To either side of you, the walls of the room are incredible. Bright, shining white crystal, wafer thin so as to give a view outside. Hundreds, thousands, probably millions of facets reflect the light over and over, forming a beautiful, but maddening latticework across the floor. The pattern extends across your own clothes, shifting as you move your hands. The effect almost makes your eyes hurt.

The source of the light makes you shudder. All you can see beyond the crystal walls is fire.

At the far end of the room is a figure, skipping idly towards you. As she draws nearer, you can hear her humming a tune to herself.
She resembles Satori a little, but in all other aspects she is the complete opposite. Her clothes are earthy where Satori's were pastel, deep yellow, green, blue trim. Her hair is grey-white, almost as if bleached by shock, where Satori's was an unnatural but healthy pink.
She has the same bizarre series of tubes encircling her body, but they are a dead, calcified blue, and the eyeball over her heart is shut as if asleep.

The light plays over her in the same way as the rest of the room, confusing your sense of distance. Before you know it, she's stopped right in front of you.
"Hmmmmm." She clasps her hands behind her back, leaning forward and cocking her head.
"Uh, hi." You say, suddenly feeling deeply unsure of yourself. The girl grins at you, but says nothing. You swallow, feeling a cold, clammy sweat building on your palms.

She giggles.

[ ] "Who are you?"
[ ] "Are you ... related to Miss Satori?"
[ ] Try to introduce yourself properly.
[ ] "Hi there, I'm a prisoner, but I escaped. Could you show me the way out?"
[ ] "You are utterly delicious. You know that?" What are you saying?!
[ ] "Look at all that FIRE"
[ ] FIRE
[ ] WHAT
[ ] Pass out.

[JE] "Hi there, I'm a prisoner, but I escaped. Could you show me the way out?"

When in a pinch, try to be savvy; it worked for Jack Sparrow, so it might work for you too.

[X] "You are utterly delicious. You know that?" What are you saying?!
[X] Attempt snuggles.

Delicious Koishi, must snuggle.

[X] Try to introduce yourself properly.

Snuggles come later. With Parsee.

[X]"You are utterly delicious, you know that?" What are you saying?!

Pff, now I have to see where this goes.

[x]"You are utterly delicious, you know that?" What are you saying?!

[x] >>849

[x] Try to introduce yourself properly.

>>848

you misspelled Kogasa.

[x] "Look at all that FIRE"
[x] FIRE
[x] WHAT
[x] Pass out.

[x] "You are utterly delicious, you know that?" What are you saying?!

Hopping on the bandwagon. I want to see this.

[x] "You are utterly delicious, you know that?" What are you saying?!

[B] "Hi there, I'm a prisoner, but I escaped. Could you show me the way out?"

Writing now.

[X]"You are utterly delicious, you know that?"

Lack of food, got blasted once, smacked into a wall, kicked in the balls, scratched and bitten, and exposed to spectral arrgh.

Obviously the MC has developed some mental trauma.

"You are," the words escape your mouth, unbidden. "Utterly delicious. You know that?"
You clamp a hand over your mouth, eyes going wide. You didn't mean to say that, you didn't even want to say that. You haven't even taken the time to look at this girl in that way yet, let alone form the thought and choose to say it out loud.
She giggles again, grinning wider, deeply amused by you.
"I-I-I'm, er," you stammer, trying to apologise for yourself. Don't want to give this girl the wrong idea.

"I'm going to hug you now." You say, before uttering a strangled cry of frustration at your own words, blinking and stepping back from the girl. She laughs openly, biting her lip and chuckling at you.

"What the ... " You stare at the girl in confusion. She takes a moment to control her laugher, and then takes a deep breath to compose herself.
"Are you going to, then?" She asks, a mischievous half-smile on her face. You raise an eyebrow at her. This has gone right past surreal and into the realm of totally inexplicable.
"Are you ... doing that to me? Making me say things?" You ask, forming every word slowly and carefully, struggling to hold back something else trying to get out.
The girl giggles again and shakes her head. "No." She says. "Wanna hug?" She holds her arms out at you.
"Yes." The word ejects itself from your mouth before you can stop it. "I mean, no! I mean ... oh god what the hell." You look down at the floor, feeling yourself turning bright red.

"Just give in." The girl says. "Have a hug, they're free!" She sounds so happy, but you're on the verge of freaking out.
"I don't even know your name." You say, refusing to meet the girl's eyes.
"I'm Koishi." She says. "And you know you want to."
"I just want to get out of here but first I'm going to hug you for a while." You say, the sentence just flowing straight out of your mouth.

"Argh!" You cry out in frustration, holding your face in your hands, this may well be one of the most embarrassing things ever. Koishi giggles again.

"Come on! Hugging never hurt anyone."

[ ] Give in to your desires. Hug her.
[ ] Resist with all your might. You're stronger than this.
[ ] Run away!

[x] Resist with all your might. You're stronger than this.

[X] Give in to your desires. Hug her.

I love hugs, and I love Koishi.

[X]Give in to your desires. Hug her.

Girls are breaking down resistances, please wait warmly.

[x] Resist... Resist... Must resist...
[x] Ah, fuck it. Hug her.
[x] Sooo soft~

[X]Give in to your desires. Hug her.
[X] "Thanks for the hitbox!"
[X] "But YOU MURDERED FLANDRE!"

Ah, Koishi.

[x] Resist... Resist... Must resist...
[x] Ah, fuck it. Hug her.
[x] Sooo soft~

[x] Resist... Resist... Must resist...
[x] Ah, fuck it. Hug her.
[x] Sooo soft~

You guys are weak, but so am i.

[x] Resist... Resist... Must resist...
[x] Ah, fuck it. Hug her.
[x] Sooo soft~

[ ] Give in to your desires. Hug her.

In before we die horribly.

[X] Give in to your desires. Hug her.

Either resist or don't. None of this half-hearted crap.

[X] Give in to your desires. Hug her.

It's free!

Calling it now but very, very tired. Don't expect an update until tomorrow.

Reminder: Kogasa's waiting.

>>890
She betrayed us, left us to die, didn't even rescue us.
True friends never do that.

>>890
Reminder: Kogasa wanted to avoid Satori. If we just run back into the city and Satori comes and finds us with Kogasa that will be bad. If she sends someone out to get us back and Kogasa gets injured or dragged back with us that will be bad. We need to deal with shit here before we go back out there.

>>890
Technically, so is Parsee.

Valid points; since I was about to say Kogasa seems to fear Satori (it might be due to the mind reading powers)

Maybe once things blow over maybe we should introduce Kogasa to Parsee.

"I ... I really shouldn't." You manage to stammer out. "I mean, it's ... I want to just wrap my arms around you and hold you ti- gaaaah!" You manage to hold the words back this time, but it's like trying to stop yourself in mid-leap, the effect on your mind is very much like the feeling of crashing to the ground at the wrong angle.
Koishi giggles. "It's not healthy to deny your desires." She says. "Come on!" She waves you toward her, waiting to be hugged.
"I ... erk." Words catch in your throat, but she's right, isn't she? There's nothing wrong, or bad, or dirty about this. You just really want a hug. Aw, fuck it, you can't resist this.
"I won't bite, promise." Koishi says, smiling to herself.
"O ... o-okay." You stammer, still blushing with embarrassment. Barely able to meet her eyes, shuffling your feet, you move forward.
"That's it, that's it, just let go!" Koishi says.

Her arms go around your middle, your arms go around her shoulders. She rests her head against your chest, closing her eyes.
She's so soft.
"There," she says. "Isn't that nice? Isn't that what you wanted?"
You can feel yourself starting to relax into the hug. Yeah, this is exactly what you wanted. You've been woken up early with no food, dropped into the bowels of the earth, kicked in the nuts, chased by balls of light, face-planted into a pillar, scratched by an insane cat-thing and sexually molested by ghosts.

Damn, you really needed this hug.

Nearly unable to speak, you just enjoy the comfort of the moment. It probably won't last for long, but that's why it's important to indulge your desires, right? So few chances, always so fleeting.
"Mmm." Koishi murmurs, rubbing your back in little circles. "Now, what's a human doing in the deep, dark, dank depths of Chireiden?"
"Hm?" You can barely bring yourself to think about it now, this hug is too nice. "Uh ... I think I'm a prisoner, or something. I'm not quite sure really. It's sort of scary when I think about it too much."
"Mmhmm." Koishi nods. "Well, I should take you back to your room, shouldn't I?" She says, mischievous grin on her lips as she looks up at you with those huge eyes. You should be worried at that, but it's hard not to implicitly trust this girl.

[ ] You should probably do what she says. Why resist?
[ ] "I'd rather not go back. In fact, I want to get out of here."
[ ] "Can't we go to your room instead? I don't want to be found yet."
[ ] "I'm sort of trying to find a cat. That's why I wandered up here, it took something of mine."

[X] "I'm sort of trying to find a cat. That's why I wandered up here, I believe it took something from the bag I have back in my current room."

assuming it's allowed... It's better to at least have an escort, what with Orin going Fatal Frame/Silent Hill on us...

[x] "Can't we go to your room instead? I don't want to be found yet."

Oho~

[X] "I'm sort of trying to find a cat. That's why I wandered up here, I believe it took something from the bag I have back in my current room."

[x] "I'd rather not go back. In fact, I want to get out of here."

Stay on Target - get the hell out of there!

[ ] "I'm sort of trying to find a cat. That's why I wandered up here, it took something of mine."

[ ] "Can't we go to your room instead? I don't want to be found yet."

This is absolutely for the exploration factor and nothing to do with potentially getting more hugs. Yeah, that's definitely it.

>>909
[X] "I'm sort of trying to find a cat. That's why I wandered up here, it took something of mine."

[x] "I'm sort of trying to find a cat. That's why I wandered up here, it took something of mine."

I think we should get that back from Orin before she does something foolish with it.

Chasing down 'yo Orin. Just a note, that you did pick up the backpack as you left the room, you didn't leave it there, you have it on you right now.

Writing in 1~2 hours. Workthings first.

"I'm sort of trying to find a cat." You say. "That's why I wandered up here, it took something of mine."
"It did?" Koishi prompts you.
"Uh-huh. It was in my room with me, but it ran off." You say. Koishi moves a hand to your chest, tracing lines with her fingertips.
"Nice excuse." She smiles at you, trying to smother a laugh.
"What? It's not an excuse, it really is why I came up here." You say. "I just want to pull you along with me so I have a reason to spend some more time with-" You stop, taking in a sharp breath and squeezing your eyes shut.

"Aww." Koishi hugs you tight again. "You're so dishonest with yourself!"
You stay silent, worried what will happen if you try to speak again. Koishi smothers another laugh against your chest, then pulls back.
"Uh-" You feel a sudden pang as she leaves the hug, way too strong for a crazy girl you just met.
"Don't fret." She says, reaching out and taking your hand. "Let's go find that cat." She grins, coaxing you across the room with her.

"I still don't really understand what's going on." You manage to say, letting her lead you towards the shadow under the balcony.
"Your super-ego is being overcome by your id." Koishi says, sounding particularly pleased with herself.
"I ... what?" You ask. "All I know is that your hand is really soft." You grit your teeth, do these things have to keep coming out? Koishi giggles, but just leads you onwards.

The huge, crystal-walled room has a number of exits. A large central archway leads to a long stone corridor. To the left and right, staircases lead up. A small wooden door is just to the left of the central archway.
"Where do you think the cat went?" You ask. Koishi shrugs.
"Does it really matter?" She asks, smiling mischievously at you.

[ ] "I guess it doesn't. You pick a direction."
[ ] Central archway.
[ ] Little door.
[ ] Left staircase.
[ ] Right staircase.

[ ] Little door.

[x] "Let's check in your room."

[X] Right staircase.

[X] Little door.
Because it seems like it has the most Freudian implications.

>>924
[x] "Let's check in your room."

With him being so honest, the outcome will be quite hot.

[x] Little door.

[X] "Let's check in your room."

I'm giving in to my id.

[x] "Let's check in your room."

[x] "Let's check in your room."
This is so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so wrong so right.

>>920
[X] "Let's check in your room."

Viva la id!

[X] Little door.

Writing now.

Aaaaand we're in auto-sage. New thread?

>>936
Jawoll