Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Mystia's Stored Games => Topic started by: 日巫子 on August 23, 2011, 09:54:53 PM
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> You are Sonozaki Meira, currently eight years old. You were born in the village of Mayohiga in the year 102, and have lived here for the entirety of your short life without ever leaving. The year is currently 110.
> Mayohiga is a small village within the secluded mountains of Gensokyo, parallel to Youkai Mountain, legendary for being filled with youkai. There are youkai in the forests surrounding Mayohiga, too, of course. It's the Sonozaki clan's duty to defend Mayohiga against youkai, which sometimes come into the village to spirit away or eat humans. Your mother has deemed you too young to take up the katana just yet.
> Mayohiga itself is a nice place; despite the danger of youkai the forests are beautiful, even if the climate is a little bit cold. Mayohiga is higher up on the mountain, after all. The population is small, with the main public buildings consisting of a schoolhouse, market, blacksmith, clinic, the shrine, the well, and a small series of barns where the livestock is kept. Acting as a buffer zone between the village and the forests are large fields where crops are grown, with more wells dotted here and there. Your house is located on the outskirts of town, while a few more houses are closer to the center of the village.
> Your family consists of your mother and father, your grandmother on your mother's side, your aunt on your father's side, and her three children, your cousins: Sayane (thirteen), Daichi (eleven), and Hino (nine). Your parents, grandmother, and aunt are all very adamant about keeping the village safe from youkai, but you and your cousins are much less concerned, even though Sayane and Daichi have already stared learning how to fight.
> Out of the four of you, you're the shiest, a bit lacking in self confidence, and dependent on others. On the other hand, no one can match your curiosity, which often takes over when you should be experiencing cowardice instead. You have a one-track mind and the ability to be extremely stubborn, which has frustrated your parents to no end in years past. While you are afraid of youkai, you are extremely curious about them at the same time. This has caused conflict on whether or not you want to go into exterminating them, but no matter what you think you're really looking forward to learning how to use a katana. This makes you extremely jealous of Sayane, who has already gone on to using a real one, not the bamboo rod Daichi has been practicing with.
> Still, there are other important things to be worrying about. It's the first day of summer vacation, which means no school. That's also when the forest gets really exciting to be in: all the frogs and insects come out at this time, and if you're really lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of a youkai in broad daylight. Summer vacation also means you all have to help with the harvest--you've been reminded that the reason there's even a vacation is because of the that--but you and probably every other kid in the village just wants to enjoy the weather while it lasts.
> You have been doing just that, and during a trip in the forest yesterday you've found a strange conical hat; for some reason you feel compelled to keep it a secret from the rest of your family, but it's been hard. It is by no means a small hat, after all.
> It's currently 4:30pm. Your mother, grandmother, and Sayane should be at home right now. You're standing in your room at your house, which you share with Hino. Both of your futons have been folded up and set away in the corner. On the walls are scrolls with calligraphy, most of which have you have had to make in school. To your left is a sliding door leading to the wraparound deck, giving a nice view of the fields and the forest. To your right is another sliding door, which leads to the rest of your house and closer to the village; next to this one is another one leading to the closet, where all your clothes are kept. The weather outside is overcast. If you want to go to the forest, you'll have to hurry up before it rains, or it gets dark and the youkai come out.
> _
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> Skills
> Relationships
> Have we ever met youkai?
> Where did we find the hat, and where are we keeping it?
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>Quests
>Inventory
>Hunger Status
>Mental Health
>Physical Health
Welcome back.
Wonder what happened to the last try at this?
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>Did the moon go weird a few months back?
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> Skills
> Relationships
> Have we ever met youkai?
> Where did we find the hat, and where are we keeping it?
> Skills:
> You have no combat skills whatsoever, but you're very small and can crawl into small spaces and hide. You can also run very fast, although you tire out easily.
> Relationships:
> Sonozaki Akemi
> Your mother. She's very warm and friendly to you, but she's noticeably much more formal and reserved around strangers. She's also kind of protective of you, and wants you and Hino to wait longer before you start learning how to use the katana. She goes out to patrol the borders of the village every night, usually shortly after bedtime.
> Sonozaki Hayato
> Your father. He's kind of strict but he's really cool because he's really good at fighting, and he's always helping the other villagers. He's definitely the good guy, although sometimes he argues with Mother because he thinks it's better that you and Hino pick up the sword earlier. You kind of agree with him but at the same time you hate seeing your parents fight.
> Sonozaki Keiko
> Your aunt. She always makes up these stories about battles against youkai and how she saved people from being spirited away by demons. You sometimes wonder how many of these are true. She also drinks a lot of stuff that smells funny, but she said she's not allowed to share any of it with you.
> Sonozaki Akira
> Your grandmother, who is currently bedridden and sick. In her younger days she was a well-known youkai exterminator, but she has since retired. She'll sometimes tell you about youkai she encountered. She's someone you really look up to because of her life experience.
> Sonozaki Sayane
> Your cousin. Since she's the oldest kid in the house, she's the most responsible and sort of like the leader. You envy her to no end because she can use a real sword, but at the same time you are in awe of her. Mother says she's a slacker, though, but you don't think that's much of a fault.
> Sonozaki Daichi
> Your cousin, who is the farthest from you in personality: he's like a fireball of energy. He's almost never home because he always goes out to play for hours on end with the other village boys. The two of you get along, and he always tries to be chivalrous and stuff. He's also kind of a troublemaker, something you think is going to rub off on you some day.
> Sonozaki Hino
> Your cousin. She's only one year your senior, but she always tries to take charge of things whenever the two of you are together. Despite these small power struggles, the two of you are still close friends and would never lie to each other...except Hino still doesn't know about the hat, and you feel kind of guilty about that.
> You've caught glimpses of youkai, but you've never approached any or talked to them. It feels like they're from a completely different world than you, the way they appear and disappear in the blink of an eye.
> You found the hat at the base of the huge oak tree in the forest, which is pretty close to the creek you like to catch frogs in. It was sitting over what you think might have been a badger hole, actually. You're keeping it in the closet right now with all of your clothes.
>Quests
>Inventory
>Hunger Status
>Mental Health
>Physical Health
> Quests:
> No quests currently.
> Inventory:
> Red and white robes (equipped)
> A white kosode with a red pattern on the hems of the sleeves, with a hakama with the same design. Footwear is geta with tabi.
> Red haori (unequipped)
> A red haori you wear if it's colder out.
> ?15
> An accumulation of allowance money from the past three weeks.
> Status:
> Hunger: You're not very hungry right now, but you think you'll be in an hour or so.
> Mental: You're all right in the head, as far as you're concerned.
> Physical: You currently have no ailments to speak of.
>Did the moon go weird a few months back?
> No, aside from the moon phases, nothing every really happens to it.
> _
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>MOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! >=[
>Examine our room and possessions, it may be time for a good session of frog-hunting!
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>MOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! >=[
>Examine our room and possessions, it may be time for a good session of frog-hunting!
> The moon's pretty...pretty boring!
> You take a look around your room for your possessions, which ultimately leads you to the closet. You have a small box with an impressive collection of bird feathers, bird nests, and snail shells you've found in the creek, as well as your faithful net and basket, which you use to capture insects and other tiny, squirmy things. Unfortunately, you have no grasshoppers or crawfish or anything like that because you have to let them go at the end of the day. There's also the box in the corner of the closet where you and Hino keep your toys, as well as your sketchbook and crayons. On top of the chest where you keep your clothes is the conical straw hat, sitting there like some holy artifact. Your spine tingles just looking at it...what kind of feeling is this, anyway?
> Yours and Hino's room is big enough for both of you to have plenty of wiggle room; there are also a few potted plants here and there, added by Hino's request. It's nicely well kept, as Mother is always telling all of you that it's important to have a clean room, so you'll know where everything is.
> _
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>Equip hat.
For some reason, I wanna take the sketchbook.
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>Equip hat.
> You can't resist anymore, and put the hat on your head.
> Equipped: Conical hat
> You found this in the forest yesterday and haven't told anyone about it. It's just an straw hat, but somehow you can feel a strange energy coming from it. What's stranger is that there are two slits on the side.
> You somehow feel lighter when you put it on. It's a bit big on you, though.
> _
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> This hat... is so cool~
> Do we have a mirror? Take a look in it!
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>Do we have any bags or purses?
>If so, grab one, grab the crayons, sketchbook, net and basket and put them in there.
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> This hat... is so cool~
> Do we have a mirror? Take a look in it!
> This hat is awesome!
> There's a mirror inside the closet, so you take a look at your reflection in it. Not bad, not bad. Maybe you should wear this hat more often.
>Do we have any bags or purses?
>If so, grab one, grab the crayons, sketchbook, net and basket and put them in there.
> You have your school satchel.
> You empty the books out of your satchel and stuff your crayons, sketchbook, net, and basket into them. It feels a little heavy, but it should work.
> Obtained: x1 sketchbook, x1 pack of crayons, x1 net, x1 basket
> _
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>Admire our headgear a bit more, and head out.
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> Where's a good place to draw and catch crawlies?
> More importantly, where's a good way where we can sneak out without anyone noticing? Can't let them find out about the hat...
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>Admire our headgear a bit more, and head out.
> Where's a good place to draw and catch crawlies?
> More importantly, where's a good way where we can sneak out without anyone noticing? Can't let them find out about the hat...
> You take a moment to admire your new hat.
> The best place to catch all the creepy crawlies is the creek. It's very close to where you found the hat, actually.
> You think the best place to sneak out would be through the back door leading to the wraparound deck, and from there you can just dart across the fields and into the forest. With that thought in mind, you head out that way.
> Standing on the deck, you take note that there's no sign of Sayane anywhere in this part of the house. Grandmother, of course, is still in bed, which leaves...
> "Meira?"
> ...Mother. You hear her calling out to you from inside the house.
> _
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> Take off the hat and hide it under the deck!
> "Yes, mother?"
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> Take off the hat and hide it under the deck!
> "Yes, mother?"
> In the spur of the moment, you take off the hat and hide it under the deck. You then respond to your mother's call. The door slides open. You see Mother, a woman with long black hair parted down the middle and a purple yukata, peek around the doorframe. She gives you a small smile.
> "I was wondering, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
> _
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> What's our favourite food?
> If it isn't dinner related, suggest curry.
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> What's our favourite food?
> If it isn't dinner related, suggest curry.
> You love anything with eel in it, so you suggest just that.
> "I'll see what I can do." Mother starts to retreat behind the door, but pauses.
> "Are you going out into the forest again? Be careful, okay sweetie?"
> _
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>"Okay, mother, I will!"
>Wait for her to depart, then salvage our hat.
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>"Okay, mother, I will!"
>Wait for her to depart, then salvage our hat.
> Mother waves to you and disappears behind the door.
> The second she does so, you retrieve and reequip your hat from under the deck. Looks like she didn't find out about it...
> _
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>To the creek!
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>To the creek!
> On that note, you dart off across the fields, running until you reach the forest. there, you slow down and start walking deeper into the trees as you catch your breath. The trees here are very close together, with a carpet of foliage underfoot and bushes here and there. It's easy to lose one's way, but you know the forest well enough to be able to get to the creek and back. As it's summer, everything is bright and green, and the cries of cicadas echo all around, the bugs themselves out of sight. The ground gently slopes and becomes a bit rockier, and then evens out again as you hear the faint sound of rushing water. You eventually make it to the creek, a thin strip of rushing water that goes up to your ankles, winding in and out of the trees. It's a little clearing with ferns growing here and there. It is also next to the creek where you see the huge oak tree and badger hole where you found the hat.
> _
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> Take off our tabi and geta, and patter around the creek looking for frogs.
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> Take off our tabi and geta, and patter around the creek looking for frogs.
> You take off your footwear, set it off to the side, and head into the creek. The water is almost icy when you first step into it, but you quickly get adjusted to it and start looking around for frogs. For a good while, you see nothing in the water, but downstream you swear you see something moving in the rocks.
> _
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> Let's check that out! Put our pack next to our footwear, get the net, and go over!
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> Let's check that out! Put our pack next to our footwear, get the net, and go over!
> You hurriedly put your satchel with your footwear, grab the net, and rush over to where you saw the movement.
> Over at the rocks downstream, you see nothing at first, but then you hear a small splashing sound to your left.
> _
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> Ready the net and find the source of the splashing.
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> Ready the net and find the source of the splashing.
> You ready your net and look in the direction the splashing sound came from.
> You see a small frog, swimming upstream towards another rock.
> _
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> Sneaky feet, splashy feet, catch the frog in a beat!
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> Sneaky feet, splashy feet, catch the frog in a beat!
> As quickly and with as much stealth as you can muster, you dart forward and swipe at the frog with your net. The frog immediately springs into the air and flails around before smacking into a rock and wriggling back into the water.
> _
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>Bring that net down on him!
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>Bring that net down on him!
> Before the frog can get away, you bring the net down on it...
> ...You caught it! It's trapped beneath the net, already struggling.
> _
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> Yay~
> Carefully keep him trapped in the net, and hurry to our basket!
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> Yay~
> Carefully keep him trapped in the net, and hurry to our basket!
> You caught him~!
> You hold the net closed to keep the frog from escaping as you rush back to your basket. The frog squirms incessantly.
> _
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> Place him in the basket and ensure he can't get out.
> Get back to hunting!
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> Place him in the basket and ensure he can't get out.
> Get back to hunting!
> You place the frog in the basket, closing the lid to prevent his escape. You then return to the creek. There are the rocks you were at before, reeds lining the sides of the bank, or the open water that you can check.
> _
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> Check the open water this time.
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> Check the open water this time.
> You wade out into the middle of the stream and look around for anything moving around. You see nothing against the smooth pebbles, only a few tiny fish here and there, and you have nothing to put those in.
> _
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> Go check out the reeds now.
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> Go check out the reeds now.
> Finding nothing in the open water, you head over to the sides and check the reeds. A grasshopper jumps out of the way as you part the grass. In fact, it looks like there were two of them. One is standing very still, for some strange reason.
> _
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> Look around for the thing that made the grasshoppers still. If unable to find,
> Approach Grasshoppers.
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> Look around for the thing that made the grasshoppers still. If unable to find,
> Approach Grasshoppers.
> You look around to see if there's anything making the grasshopper stand still. You don't see anything and decide to approach it, but it suddenly disappears.
> Huh? Where did it go?
> _
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> Maybe it hopped away? Take a closer look in the grass.
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> Make sure to do so quietly, we don't want to scare it away again.
Also, what happened to the old Meira quest?
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>Ready your net. Thing. Whatever.
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> Maybe it hopped away? Take a closer look in the grass.
> Make sure to do so quietly, we don't want to scare it away again.
>Ready your net. Thing. Whatever.
> Wondering what happened to the grasshopper, you quietly ready your net and take a closer look at the grass.
> You see a fat toad sitting there with a grasshopper leg twitching, sticking out of its mouth.
> _
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A fat toad. You already have a frog. Why would you want a bigger one to eat the smaller frog :<.
>Look around the fat toad, any other things nearby?
>Although you're looking at the surroundings, keep the toad in sight.
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>Look around the fat toad, any other things nearby?
>Although you're looking at the surroundings, keep the toad in sight.
> You look around, but there's only the fat toad.
> During this pause, the toad croaks and jumps away into the grass on the other side of the creek.
> _
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I NEVER LIKED THAT TOAD ANYWAY.
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> We don't want the toad to eat the froggy, so let's go back to the rocks.
> If we can't find anything there, let's go back to our stuff.
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> While searching at the rocks, remember to flip them over. Flip them back when done.
>Ready net in case.
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> We don't want the toad to eat the froggy, so let's go back to the rocks.
> If we can't find anything there, let's go back to our stuff.
> While searching at the rocks, remember to flip them over. Flip them back when done.
>Ready net in case.
> You decide to leave the toad be, since it would just eat the frog anyway.
> You return to the rocks with your net to see if you can find anything else. Flipping over the rocks, you disappointingly find nothing of interest and decide to return to where you left your things. Everything is right where you left it.
> You hear a rustling somewhere nearby.
> _
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> Look around. Does it sound like a cricket or something?
> Put on our tabi and geta, just in case.
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> Look around. Does it sound like a cricket or something?
> Put on our tabi and geta, just in case.
> You slip on your tabi and geta and take a look around. It doesn't sound like any insect; in fact, it sounds like something much bigger moving through the bushes.
> _
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>Pause.
>Watch the bushes curiously.
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> Get ready to grab our stuff just in case it's something bad...
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>Pause.
>Watch the bushes curiously.
> You stop moving and look towards the bushes.
> The bushes are quivering, as if something is moving through them.
> You then hear a girl's giggle.
> Get ready to grab our stuff just in case it's something bad...
> You keep close to your stuff, in case you need to grab it and run.
> _
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>Do we know that laugh?
>If not: "Hi there! Wanna catch things with me?"
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>Do we know that laugh?
>If not: "Hi there! Wanna catch things with me?"
> Yeah, it sounds kind of like Sayane...
> _
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>"Hey! Don't follow me, Sayane!"
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>"Hey! Don't follow me, Sayane!"
> The bushes rustle some more, and Sayane pops out of them. Her hair is out of its usual braid and instead hangs down to her waist. Strangely enough, she has her katana with her and is wearing more layers than usual.
> "Heh heh, sorry~~"
> _
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> Ah, it's Sayane, she's fine. "Hey, wanna catch frogs and crickets? I caught a frog just now!"
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> Ah, it's Sayane, she's fine. "Hey, wanna catch frogs and crickets? I caught a frog just now!"
> You relax a bit. Sayane's someone you can trust, after all.
> Sayane steps out of the bushes and walks over to you. "Sures! Can I see the frog?"
> _
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>"What've you got all the stuff for? Lessons?"
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>"What've you got all the stuff for? Lessons?"
> Sayane smiles and nods. "Yup."
> _
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>"Ha ha, you snuck away didn't you?"
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> Lead her to the basket and show her our frog.
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>"Ha ha, you snuck away didn't you?"
> "Looks like you've found me out." Sayane puts a finger to her lips and makes a shushing sound while trying not to giggle wildly. "Don't tell Auntie Akemi, 'kay?"
> Lead her to the basket and show her our frog.
> Sayane's eyes light up when you show her the frog. "Wooow...It's so cute! Where was it?"
> _
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> "In the rocks over there! I'll show you!"
> Take off our footwear again, and splash to the rocks.
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> "In the rocks over there! I'll show you!"
> Take off our footwear again, and splash to the rocks.
> You kick off your footwear and splash over to where you found the frog. Sayane slips off her sandals and follows suit, lifting the hems of her robes as she wades out into the water.
> There's nothing at the rocks when you reach them, but Sayane looks rather curious.
> "Are there any more around here?"
> _
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> Frown. "Um... maybe? There was a big toad over there." Point at the reeds. "It ate a grasshopper I was trying to catch."
> Look around for more frogs. Reach down and shuffle some rocks if necessary.
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> Frown. "Um... maybe? There was a big toad over there." Point at the reeds. "It ate a grasshopper I was trying to catch."
> Look around for more frogs. Reach down and shuffle some rocks if necessary.
> "Aw." Sayane moves towards the reeds.
> You look around for more frogs, shuffling the rocks around, but you don't find anything. That's odd, there are usually more around here.
> _
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>"Wonder where they all went?"
>Head a little further downstream.
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>"Wonder where they all went?"
>Head a little further downstream.
> "Beats me..."
> You wander further downstream, but there still isn't anything.
> "Ah!" You hear a loud splashing sound, followed by harried footsteps as Sayane rushes out of the stream and starts running further into the trees. "There it is!"
> _
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>Follow her!
>"There what is?"
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>Follow her!
>"There what is?"
> You follow Sayane out of the stream, but she doesn't respond and just keeps running deeper into the forest.
> _
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>Keep up!
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>Keep up!
> You keep up as best as you can, but even as fast as you can run Sayane is soon out of sight, and you wind up following the sound of her footsteps. The ground slopes again; seeing as you are currently barefoot, you have a bit of trouble running down the hill without getting scrapes on your feet.
> Eventually, you find yourself among trees tall enough to block out the sky; it's dark here, and there is no sound but the cries of the cicadas.
> _
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>"Sayane, where are you! When'd you get so fast anyways!"
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>"Sayane, where are you! When'd you get so fast anyways!"
> You call out for Sayane, but she doesn't answer.
> _
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> This doesn't look good... Clutch the nice hat, and look around for any signs of Sayane...
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> This doesn't look good... Clutch the nice hat, and look around for any signs of Sayane...
> You couldn't have gotten lost, could you...?
> You clutch onto your hat and start looking around for anywhere Sayane could have gone. The trees are so clustered it's hard to distinguish which path leads where...
> _
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> W-we're not scared! We're a future defender of Mayohiga, after all! Let's go down the path directly in front of us, that must be where Sayane is!
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> W-we're not scared! We're a future defender of Mayohiga, after all! Let's go down the path directly in front of us, that must be where Sayane is!
> You're not scared, you're not scared, darn it! You'll be protecting Mayohiga one day!
> You choose the path directly in front of you, trying to ignore the pain in your feet as you walk on. It gets progressively darker the further you go, and the cicadas just get louder and louder. The path seems to be leading somewhere, at least.
> _
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>"Sayane! I'm telling that you skipped practice!"
>Keep going.
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>"Sayane! I'm telling that you skipped practice!"
>Keep going.
> Even when you threaten to tell on Sayane, she doesn't answer.
> You keep going, and eventually you do see that there's a clearing at the end of the path.
> _
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>Head for it.
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>Head for it.
> You continue on to the clearing.
> The grass is nice and soft here, and it feels good under your feet in spite of the trees looming overhead. The cicadas continue to shriek without pause.
> Sayane is standing at the center of the clearing.
> It's definitely Sayane, but something feels...off.
> _
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>"Hey! Why didn't you answer me you big dummy!"
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>"Hey! Why didn't you answer me you big dummy!"
> Sayane glances over at you.
> "Oh, you actually followed me all the way out here? What happened to your shoes?"
> _
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>"I left them at the creek! What are you doing out here, anyways?"
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>"I left them at the creek! What are you doing out here, anyways?"
> "Oh. Well...I wanted to catch you alone, actually. That's why I decided to meet up with you out here."
> _
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>"But...we were already alone, Sayane. Why are you being so weird all of a sudden?"
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>"But...we were already alone, Sayane. Why are you being so weird all of a sudden?"
> Sayane chuckles a little. "You still don't realize it yet?"
> _
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>Blink.
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> Take hold of our hat. "R-realize what?"
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>Blink.
> Take hold of our hat. "R-realize what?"
> Whatever it is, you haven't realized it yet.
> "That I'm not Sayane."
> _
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>Stare in confusion.
>Tilt your head to the right.
>"T-Then, who are you?"
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>Stare in confusion.
>Tilt your head to the right.
>"T-Then, who are you?"
> ...Huh?
> 'Sayane' scratches the side of her head, unfazed by your confusion. "Kouyoshi, I guess..."
> _
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>"Who's that?"
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>"Who's that?"
> "Me, of course," she says matter-of-factly. "But enough of this, I didn't appear just to talk to you. Give me my hat."
> _
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>Blink.
>Take it in hand.
>"This is yours?"
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>Blink.
>Take it in hand.
>"This is yours?"
> You take the hat off your head and hold it in your hands.
> "Yeah. If it weren't mine, it wouldn't have those slits in the sides," Kouyoshi says.
> _
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> Look at the slits, then look at Kouyoshi. "... Um..."
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> Look at the slits, then look at Kouyoshi. "... Um..."
> You look to the slits, and then to Kouyoshi. She blinks and smiles a little, looking confused.
> "Hm? What?"
> _
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> "Why do they have slits in them?"
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> "Why do they have slits in them?"
> Kouyoshi blinks. "For my ears."
> _
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> Are the slits too far up for normal ears?
> If so: "But the slits are too high for them."
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> Are the slits too far up for normal ears?
> If so: "But the slits are too high for them."
> Yes, there's no way human ears would reach them.
> "Really? They work for me."
> _
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> "But your ears are the same as mine."
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> "But your ears are the same as mine."
> Kouyoshi reaches up with both hands and feels the top of her head. "Sure, whatever you say. It's still my hat."
> _
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> Do we see anything odd on Kouyoshi's head?
-
> Do we see anything odd on Kouyoshi's head?
> No. She looks exactly like a normal human, albeit one that resembles Sayane.
> _
-
> Tilt our head.
> "O-okay...?"
-
> Tilt our head.
> "O-okay...?"
> That's...kind of weird...
> Kouyoshi's smile strains a little, and she holds out her hand.
> _
-
>Well, hand it back to her then, what's the worst that could happen? At the very least, we've made a new friend right?
-
>Well, hand it back to her then, what's the worst that could happen? At the very least, we've made a new friend right?
> Giving her hat back can't be that bad, can it? Maybe you could be friends.
> You return the hat to Kouyoshi. Her face briefly lights up, and she immediately puts it back on her head. She adjusts it, turning her head every which way as if to make sure it has a good fit.
> "This hat is my most prized possession. For that, I thank you." She starts moving back towards the trees. "I'll repay you for this someday."
> _
-
>"Um...can you tell me where the creek is?"
-
> Move your arms up and down slightly so she can take notice of you.
Like Konata
-
>"Um...can you tell me where the creek is?"
> Move your arms up and down slightly so she can take notice of you. Like Konata
> You wave your arms to get Kouyoshi's attention, and ask her where the creek is.
> "Just go back down the path you went before and keep going straight." Kouyoshi ducks back into the trees, her fingers lightly touching the hem of her hat.
> _
-
>"Thank you!"
>Head back to the creek.
>Check time. (If possible.)
-
>"Thank you!"
>Head back to the creek.
>Check time. (If possible.)
> Even though Kouyoshi is not there anymore, you thank her and start back the way you came.
> Going back to the creek feels like forever, and it's hard to see through the gloom, but you do eventually make it back. Everything you left at the creek is still here, and you note that the frog is struggling to get out of the basket.
> You have no way of checking the time, but it looks like it's getting dark. You can't have been out that long, could you?
> _
-
> Welp, gather the basket and head back to the village. Don't want to make people worry.
-
>Is the frog injured in anyway?
-
> Welp, gather the basket and head back to the village. Don't want to make people worry.
> You put your tabi and geta back on, gather your things, and start walking back. Everyone will get worried if you're out here too long, after all. Plus, there's probably going to be dinner waiting for you when you get home, hopefully something with eel in it...
>Is the frog injured in anyway?
> As far as you can tell it's perfectly healthy; it just doesn't seem to enjoy being in there.
> _
-
> Hurry back home!
-
> Hurry back home!
> As it's getting dark, you rush back through the trees, not slowing down until you've broken through the trees and made it to the fields. The sun has already started to sink in the sky, painting a beautiful array of colors across the sky around it. It's still overcast, but the clouds don't get in the way of the sun. You continue on through the fields, quickening your pace once more.
> ...Is that smoke you smell?
> _
-
> IDENTIFY SURROUNDINGS!
-
> Where's the smoke coming from?
-
> IDENTIFY SURROUNDINGS!
> You scan your surroundings. There's the dark forest behind you, the fields you're standing in right now, and the village a little ways in the distance, with a warm glow coming from it.
> Where's the smoke coming from?
> It's coming from the village.
> _
-
> Run home! They gotta know about the village being on fire!
-
> Run home! They gotta know about the village being on fire!
> A feeling of dread starts to set in as you break into a run towards the village. There's no way they couldn't notice this! They'd have to have started passing water from the wells by now...
> By the time you've cleared the fields, you're completely winded, but as you stop to catch your breath, you are able to get a good look at the village in front of you.
> Where the village is, there's a towering blaze, becoming brighter and brighter as the sun lower and lower in the sky. Some parts of the village you can barely see anymore, others you see collapsing under the force of the fire. You think you see some faint silhouettes here and there, but they don't seem humanlike at all. The heat blows against you, feeling suffocating despite the evening cool. There are already some flames spreading out to the fields, trickling out into the grass like water.
> Your house already looks like it's starting to collapse. You don't see anyone in the streets as far as you can tell. In fact, you don't see anyone anywhere.
> Above it all, through the huge plume of smoke being let off by the fire, you see five pairs of eyes staring down at you before they disappear in a flash of lightening, and then the only sound is the roar of the fire as the sun finally disappears beyond the horizon.
> The frog starts ribbiting loudly.
> _
-
> Drop everything and run to our house!
> "Mother! Father!"
-
> Ohnoohnoohnohno
> Look around for ANYTHING resembling people we know!
-
> Drop everything and run to our house!
> "Mother! Father!"
> You drop everything you're holding and run to the house, yelling out to Mother and Father, but you hear no one yell back. Everything's already burning...
> Ohnoohnoohnohno
> Look around for ANYTHING resembling people we know!
> No, no, no...
> You frantically look this way and that, searching for anything that looks human, but you see nothing like that.
> _
-
> Is... where's the kitchen? That's where mother was at, right?
-
>Get something to move any rubble if there is any.
-
> Is... where's the kitchen? That's where mother was at, right?
> It's on the first floor of the house, farther away from your room. Mother was going to be making dinner, she asked you what you wanted to eat before you left.
>Get something to move any rubble if there is any.
> You grab a nearby stick to clear the rubble, only to drop it just as quickly, your hands searing from the heat.
> _
-
> Let's try to get to the kitchen! "Mother!"
-
> Let's try to get to the kitchen! "Mother!"
> Shaking off the pain in your hands, you try getting to the kitchen while calling out to Mother between coughs. The smoke here makes your throat dry and scratchy. The floorboards beneath you creak and snap under your weight, and the sliding paper door leading to the kitchen withers away the second you touch it.
> You are greeted by a blast of heat, as the kitchen more or less resembles a furnace than a proper room at this point. You can see broken dishes on the floor, but you can't even see the oven. A plank falls from the ceiling, hitting the kitchen floor with a loud crash over the sound of the flames. You don't see Mother here.
> _
-
>Obvious exits.
>Hope everybody escaped.
-
>Obvious exits.
>Hope everybody escaped.
> You passed the front door on the way to the kitchen; it was completely gone and not blocked.
> If they're not here, then they had to have escaped, right?
> _
-
>Get out of the house. Try to cover our mouth with a sleeve.
-
>Get out of the house. Try to cover our mouth with a sleeve.
> You turn away from the kitchen and make for the front door, covering your mouth with your sleeve as you go. By the time you're out in the street you're choking out raspy coughs from the combination of the smoke and so much running...it doesn't help that it's so hot everywhere.
> _
-
> This isn't good... We should get out of the village, or at the very least find some fresh air.
-
> This isn't good... We should get out of the village, or at the very least find some fresh air.
> Staying here doesn't seem like a good idea anymore.
> _
-
> Wait... Grandmother is bedridden...
> Start running to find someone to help! There's got to be someone!
-
> Wait... Grandmother is bedridden...
> Start running to find someone to help! There's got to be someone!
> Oh, no...Grandmother is still in the house...
> Getting to your feet, you start running through the village, looking in all directions for someone, anyone who can help. You see no one: everything is burning or already burned.
> When you near the well towards the center of the village, you think you hear something above the din.
> _
-
> Run that way!
-
> Run that way!
> You run towards where you hear the sound, and find yourself standing right at the well. You think you see something crouched on the other side.
> That's when you hear the sound a little better. It sounds like...whispering?
> _
-
> "Hey! Help me! Grandmother's still in the house!"
> Run around to the other side of the well.
-
> "Hey! Help me! Grandmother's still in the house!"
> Run around to the other side of the well.
> The whispering grows louder, but you see no one.
> You run around to the other side of the well.
> It's...what is that? It looks like some sort of bat thing, but it's too big to be a bat...its wings are folded around itself, and you hear crunching noises coming from it as it fidgets this way and that. What is it doing?
> _
-
>Gawk!
-
>Gawk!
> You stare. You can't help it.
> The bat thing keeps under its wings, making those crunching noises until it pauses and turns to you, staring with beady eyes. Its ears, wide and sharp, perk up in what feels like a horrible imitation of a dog or cat.
> There is something dangling from its maw, but its wings are in the way and you can't see it properly...
> _
-
>"Can you help me?"
>This is what we'd like to say, but, then there are terror stutters because we know, in our little single digit year old heart, it's not gonna happen.
-
>"Can you help me?"
>This is what we'd like to say, but, then there are terror stutters because we know, in our little single digit year old heart, it's not gonna happen.
> You try asking the bat thing for help, but it comes out as a terrified squeak.
> The bat thing takes one look at you, opens its jaw, and screeches at you, dropping whatever was in its mouth. Flecks of blood hit your face.
> This thing isn't going to help you.
> _
-
>Run. It doesn't matter where. Just run.
>And maybe shriek a bit.
-
>Run. It doesn't matter where. Just run.
>And maybe shriek a bit.
> You turn and book it in the opposite direction, somehow managing a shriek as you go. You somehow end up running back towards the outskirts of the village, eventually reaching the grass. You feel too worn out to run anymore at this point.
> _
-
>Inventory
>Surroundings
>Could we rest somewhere near here?
-
>Inventory
>Surroundings
>Could we rest somewhere near here?
> Inventory:
> Red and white robes (equipped)
> A white kosode with a red pattern on the hems of the sleeves, with a hakama with the same design. Footwear is geta with tabi.
> Red haori (unequipped)
> A red haori you wear if it's colder out.
> ?15
> An accumulation of allowance money from the past three weeks.
> Satchel
> Your school bag. You keep your items in here.
> x1 Pack of Crayons
> Contains red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, grey, and white.
> x1 Sketchbook
> Your sketchbook. There are already some drawings in here.
> x1 Net
> A net used to catch bugs, frogs, and the like.
> x1 Basket
> Used for storing said bugs and frogs. There's currently a frog in it.
> You take one more look at your surroundings. It's currently night. There's the village, which is on fire, and the fields, and then the forest surrounding that. You're not sure where you can rest around here, if there even is anywhere.
> _
-
I can really only think of one thing at this point.
> "KOUYOSHIIIII!"
> Maybe she can help somehow...?
-
>Wave your arms up and down vigorously, like
Konata, while calling out for Kouyoshi.
>Look at the direction of the forest.
-
>Look back at the village, to see what the bat-like thing did while we were running.
-
>Look at the village before looking at the forest.
-
> "KOUYOSHIIIII!"
> Maybe she can help somehow...?
>Wave your arms up and down vigorously, like Konata, while calling out for Kouyoshi.
>Look at the direction of the forest.
> You wave your arms up and down, calling out for Kouyoshi. She said she'd repay you for returning her hat, right?
>Look back at the village, to see what the bat-like thing did while we were running.
>Look at the village before looking at the forest.
> You look back in the direction of the village, but you don't see the bat thing anymore. It was near the center, anyway.
> You then look in the direction of the forest. It reminds you a bit of a black hole, with how dark it is.
> _
-
> M-maybe she can't hear us... go inside the forest. "Kouyoshi! Kouyoshiiii!"
-
> M-maybe she can't hear us... go inside the forest. "Kouyoshi! Kouyoshiiii!"
> She probably can't hear you...You run back to the forest calling out for her.
> You've never been in the forest at night, and therefore have no idea how to navigate through the darkness like this. You can barely see your hands in front of you, but you keep calling out for Kouyoshi.
> You hear the wind moving through the trees, and a rustling in the bushes, but you don't see her.
> _
-
> Don't cry don't cry...
> "Kouyoshi! Help! Th-the village is burning and my grandmother and my mother and... hic..."
-
> Don't cry don't cry...
> "Kouyoshi! Help! Th-the village is burning and my grandmother and my mother and... hic..."
> You call out for Kouyoshi again, starting to find it hard not to cry. You're not going to cry, you're not going to cry...
> She still isn't showing up...
> _
-
> Keep shouting for her. And Sayane and Daichi and father and someone! Keep shouting until we can't shout any more.
-
> Keep shouting for her. And Sayane and Daichi and father and someone! Keep shouting until we can't shout any more.
> You keep shouting for Kouyoshi, your family, someone, anyone, until your voice finally gives out.
> You find yourself surrounded by silence for what feels like forever.
> Eventually, you finally hear footsteps.
> "You know...if you stay out here, some youkai may come and eat you, or spirit you away. I'm not going to do that, though."
> It's Kouyoshi's voice, but strangely, it sounds more adult-like. She doesn't sound as happy as she did when you first met her earlier today, either.
> _
-
> "Kouyoshi! T-the village is burning! I can't find any of my family! It's... it's...!"
-
> "Kouyoshi! T-the village is burning! I can't find any of my family! It's... it's...!"
> There's silence for a moment, and then Kouyoshi sighs.
> "I didn't think they'd actually do it."
> _
-
> "W-what? Do w-what?"
-
> "W-what? Do w-what?"
> You hear Kouyoshi mutter something to herself, and then she speaks aloud.
> "Take back Mayohiga, is what I mean."
> _
-
> "Take it b-back? What d-do you m-mean?"
-
> "Take it b-back? What d-do you m-mean?"
> "Well, before you humans settled there, Mayohiga was sort of like a promised land for youkai. Your ancestors chased them out, and this is the youkai's retaliation," Kouyoshi explains. "Of course, they didn't consider it until last year, when some high-ranking youkai showed up and talked them into it."
> _
-
>Do we know anything about the town's history that would suggest this is true? Or anything about that at all?
>"But...why burn it? And...and...?"
-
>Do we know anything about the town's history that would suggest this is true? Or anything about that at all?
>"But...why burn it? And...and...?"
> No, you've never heard of this before.
> "That should be kind of obvious, shouldn't it?"
> _
-
> "E-everyone's okay r-right?"
-
> "E-everyone's okay r-right?"
> Kouyoshi doesn't say anything.
> _
-
>"Ko...Kouyoshi... they... they have to.... they can't..."
>Grab hold of Kouyoshi; tug on her.
-
>"Ko...Kouyoshi... they... they have to.... they can't..."
>Grab hold of Kouyoshi; tug on her.
> No, no...
> Kouyoshi doesn't say anything even when you tug on her robes.
> She then says, "Did you see a single human back there?"
> _
-
>"N-no..."
-
>"N-no..."
> Kouyoshi goes quiet.
> _
-
> "N-n... why won't you s-say..."
-
> "N-n... why won't you s-say..."
> "...If they weren't there, then they probably aren't around anymore."
> _
-
>B-But t-they...
-
>B-But t-they...
> No way...they couldn't have just...
> _
-
>"T-They... No...They must h-have escaped... I-It's possible, right? Right!?"
>Shiver a little.
>"I-I saw a bat... Thing... There..."
-
>"T-They... No...They must h-have escaped... I-It's possible, right? Right!?"
>Shiver a little.
>"I-I saw a bat... Thing... There..."
> "I didn't see anyone escaping through the forest." Kouyoshi kneels down to your level. Through the gloom you can see the outline of her hat, as well as something swishing back and forth behind her.
> You shiver, remembering the bat.
> _
-
> Stare behind her. "Th-there's something behind you..."
-
> Stare behind her. "Th-there's something behind you..."
> "It's just my tail."
> _
-
> "T-tail..."
> Wait... so that means she's...
> "Youkai..."
-
> "T-tail..."
> Wait... so that means she's...
> "Youkai..."
> She has a tail. She's...a youkai?
> "Yeah."
> _
-
>"T-The Village... Did you...?"
-
>"T-The Village... Did you...?"
> "No. I'm not on the same level as them."
> _
-
> "O-oh..." That's a relief. But our family...
> Wait, hold on... "Kouyoshi... d-do you know my sister? Why do you look like her?"
-
> "O-oh..." That's a relief. But our family...
> Wait, hold on... "Kouyoshi... d-do you know my sister? Why do you look like her?"
> For a moment you thought you were really in trouble, but your family still might be...
> "Uh-huh. Replicating her form is really easy for me."
> _
-
> Hope! "Then do you know where she is?!"
-
> Hope! "Then do you know where she is?!"
> "No. I've only seen her in the village today."
> _
-
> "O-oh..." No...
> "Can you help me look for them? Please? I-it's scary and... and..."
-
> "O-oh..." No...
> "Can you help me look for them? Please? I-it's scary and... and..."
> Oh, no...
> "Okay. I owe you a favor for returning my hat, after all." Kouyoshi stands up and beckons for you to follow her.
> _
-
> Follow.
-
> Follow.
> You follow Kouyoshi as she walks back through the forest, and soon the two of you reemerge in the fields. The village is still very much on fire.
> "You said you saw a bat thing there, right?"
> _
-
> Shudder.
> "Y-yeah..."
-
> Shudder.
> "Y-yeah..."
> "'Kay..." Kouyoshi starts walking through the fields towards the village.
> _
-
>Follow her in after a moment. It's better than being left alone...
-
>Follow her in after a moment. It's better than being left alone...
> After a moment, you follow Kouyoshi towards the village. As you get closer to the fire, you're able to see better, and realize that while Kouyoshi still resembles Sayane, she's taller now, and indeed does have a long, bushy tail. You also see that a pair of ears poke out of her hat.
> When you reach the village, you pass by the things you left behind when you ran into the forest. Your house has already started to collapse at this point. Kouyoshi, however, is barely fazed as she walks straight into the road.
> _
-
>Nervously glance around. Try to keep up with Kouyoshi.
-
>Nervously glance around. Try to keep up with Kouyoshi.
> You glance this way and that while trying to keep up with Kouyoshi. As you look around, you see that a lot more of the buildings have already collapsed or are starting to. At this point, Kouyoshi is starting to overturn rubble with her katana, looking through windows and peeking through doors. She actually does go into the houses that are still stable enough to be entered, but she returns every time empty-handed and shaking her head. This leads the two of you through through most of the village, until you're nearing your house at the outskirts again. Kouyoshi steps towards it and hesitates, surveying how damaged it is.
> _
-
> Hesitantly walk towards our house again. Does it look like anything could survive?
-
> Hesitantly walk towards our house again. Does it look like anything could survive?
> You hesitantly follow Kouyoshi to the front of the house. There's no way anyone would be able to stay in there...
> _
-
> Look at Kouyoshi pleadingly.
-
> Look at Kouyoshi pleadingly.
> You look to Kouyoshi, who stares back at you from under the brim of her hat.
> "If I go in there, you're going to have to wait out here..."
> _
-
> "Why...?"
-
>"You will come out... Right? Right?"
-
> "Why...?"
> "Because I don't want to have to drag you out of there if the place falls down on our heads."
>"You will come out... Right? Right?"
> Kouyoshi nods. "Of course I will."
> _
-
>"Then...you better get everyone out of there!"
-
>"Then...you better get everyone out of there!"
> "Got it." Kouyoshi turns and climbs into the house through one of the windows.
> _
-
> Start pacing and fretting. And wish we were an adult and cool like Kouyoshi.
-
> Start pacing and fretting. And wish we were an adult and cool like Kouyoshi.
> Panicked, you start pacing around waiting for Kouyoshi to come back. You can't wait to grow up, so you can become a cool adult like her.
> A few minutes pass, and she still doesn't come out. Of course she wouldn't come back so fast...
> _
-
> Wait a little longer... she'll come out just fine with everyone, right?
-
>Fiddle with your thumbs and wait silently.
-
> Wait a little longer... she'll come out just fine with everyone, right?
>Fiddle with your thumbs and wait silently.
> You fidget and keep waiting, watching for her to return with your family.
> After what feels like forever, when the house finally starts to collapse, you see Kouyoshi climbing out of a window on the other side of the house, clutching her hat to her head. She is alone.
> _
-
>"W-Where are the others...?"
>Stop fiddling with your thumbs.
-
>"W-Where are the others...?"
>Stop fiddling with your thumbs.
> Kouyoshi brushes soot out of her tail and then walks over.
> When you ask her where the others are, she shakes her head.
> "Everything in there is burned."
> _
-
>"D-did you see...anyone? Even burned?"
-
>"D-did you see...anyone? Even burned?"
> "Yeah...some burned bodies in there, although I couldn't really identify them." Kouyoshi shakes her head.
> _
-
>Well there went that dashed hope.
>Collapse into a puddle of wracking sobs.
-
>Well there went that dashed hope.
>Collapse into a puddle of wracking sobs.
> ...oh.
> You break down, and find yourself unable to stop crying. Tears smudge your surroundings into a bright, firey blur, shuddering with every sob that wracks your body. You just want the stupid fire to disappear so your family and your home and your life will come back, but now you know it's never going to happen, and it's all because of the fire and the youkai that probably started it in the first place. In the back of your mind you register Kouyoshi putting a hand on your back and saying something, but you don't hear any of it.
> _
-
>Look up toward her. Maybe she found something?
-
>Look up toward her. Maybe she found something?
> You look up at Kouyoshi, who looks back from under the brim of her hat. She just looks tired, and a bit sooty. With one of her sleeves she reaches over to brush a lock of hair away from your face.
> "Where was the bat? I need you to tell me."
> _
-
>Shakily point where we saw it.
-
>Shakily point where we saw it.
> With some difficulty, you point towards the center of town, the well. Kouyoshi looks in that direction, and then makes a beckoning motion.
> "C'mere, you can ride on my back," she says. "It'll be faster."
> _
-
>Nod dully and climb on. Man, this would have been awesome like an hour ago...
-
>Nod dully and climb on. Man, this would have been awesome like an hour ago...
> You nod and climb onto Kouyoshi's back, but it doesn't feel as fun as it would have been earlier today.
> Kouyoshi stands up and starts sprinting down the street, towards the center of the village where the well was. Around you you can see the collapsing houses and buildings, completely desolate. Kouyoshi doesn't slow down, instead running past them and jumping over rubble in the streets.
> As the two of you near the center of the village, you notice for the first time that the shrine's torii is still standing.
> _
-
> Keep holding on.
-
> Keep holding on.
> You keep a grip on Kouyoshi's shoulders as she walks into the center of town, towards the well. As the two of you near it, you think you hear the whispering again.
> Kouyoshi's ears perk up, and she stops walking to look around for the source of the sound. She takes a few steps forward, and you can see the bat thing again. It's sitting up against the well with a small puddle of blood around it, but there's no doubt that it's not the bat's blood. You see its ears twitching occassionally as it shifts its wings into a more comfortable position, the horrible thing.
> When it takes notice of Kouyoshi, it lets out a harsh cackling sound.
> You can't see Kouyoshi's face from where you are, but you can't imagine she'd be happy right now.
> "Looks like you were right about the bat," she says to you. Her next choice of words is directed at the bat itself, and in a demanding voice.
> "Well? How much more of your ilk is here?"
> _
-
> Grip tightly to Kouyoshi's shoulders, and try to not tremble at the sight of the bat. Listen to its response.
-
> Grip tightly to Kouyoshi's shoulders, and try to not tremble at the sight of the bat. Listen to its response.
> You tighten your grip on Kouyoshi's shoulders as you listen to the bat's response, trying not to quiver at the meer sight.
> "Many of us are here." Its voice is gravely and raspy, and slightly choppy, as if it is having a great deal of trouble speaking. "Four to each human in this village."
> "And what did you do with them? Eat them?" Kouyoshi's tail swishes back and forth. "If you wanted Mayohiga back, the mere sight of you would've been enough to scare them off," she adds with a bitter chuckle.
> The bat's laugh is joined by a chorus of animalistic shrieks from the sidelines, but there is nothing to be seen.
> "One must not waste valuable resources...or potential tribe members."
> "We're not hoodlums!" Kouyoshi stamps her foot on the ground and snarls. "Surely you could've had a better approach than starting a fire in the middle of the forest! How do we know the next time it's going to rain?!"
> _
-
>Try and shrink behind Kouyoshi as much as we can. We don't need these guys seeing us. And we don't want to see them...
-
>Try and shrink behind Kouyoshi as much as we can. We don't need these guys seeing us. And we don't want to see them...
> Using the conversation as a distraction, you shrink behind Kouyoshi and pray that the bat doesn't see you.
> "More importantly, who was it that goaded you into this?"
> At this question, there is a wave of uproarious laughter. When it calms down, you hear the bat answer:
> "A nine-tailed fox."
> Kouyoshi is dead silent. Even her tail has gone still.
> "...Yeah, right. A kitsune isn't going to get involved in someone else's territorial disputes," she finally hisses.
> "Neither would your kind!" a thousand voices call out. You hear many flapping sounds and scraping against stone. The sound of the fire is overridden by screeching.
> _
-
> A thousand of those things?! Shrink into Kouyoshi more.
> What do we know of kitsune?
-
> A thousand of those things?! Shrink into Kouyoshi more.
> What do we know of kitsune?
> You cling to Kouyoshi even tighter. There can't possibly be a thousand of those?!
> You've heard all sorts of stories about them: they're tricksters, both malicious and benevolent, servants of the god Inari, the lone woman you see at dusk, ancient and wise, shapeshifters, able to possess people, and extremely powerful on the youkai ladder, right up there with the likes of oni. They're also known to be very, very rare: you don't think you've even seen a normal fox, let alone a youkai version of one. To you, they're like some imaginary creature that could only really exist in your head.
> _
-
>Does Kouyoshi seem to be afraid at all?
-
>Does Kouyoshi seem to be afraid at all?
> It's hard to tell, especially since you can't see her face.
> _
-
>Does she sound afraid, or feel tense?
-
>Does she sound afraid, or feel tense?
> Yes, to both.
> _
-
>Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry...
-
>Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry...
> You're not going to cry, you're not going to cry you're not going to cry...
> Still carrying you on her back, Kouyoshi turns and starts to walk back the way both of you came.
> _
-
> Carefully look back at the bat thing. Hope it doesn't come after us...
-
> Carefully look back at the bat thing. Hope it doesn't come after us...
> You steal a glance back at the well, and immediately regret it when you see all the youkai--not just bats--that have gathered. Wolf-like youkai, monkey-like youkai, but just from a glance you can see they are not like those animals at all. None of them are coming after you, however.
> _
-
> Bury our face into Kouyoshi's back! Scary...
-
> Bury our face into Kouyoshi's back! Scary...
> Not wanting to look at the spectacle, you bury your face into Kouyoshi's back.
> Kouyoshi keeps walking until you can't feel the heat on your back anymore. Instead, there's a cool wind.
> _
-
> Look around warily.
-
> Look around warily.
> You take a look at your surroundings to find that you're back in the fields outside the village. The fire seems to already be spreading out past the village itself.
> Kouyoshi sets you down on the grass and turns back to face the village.
> _
-
>"Wha-?"
>Don't cry...
-
>"Wha-?"
>Don't cry...
> Don't cry don't cry don't cry...
> Kouyoshi claps her hands together, and sparks emit from between her fingers. The sparks intensify as she rubs her hands together, but then she hesitates, and lets the lights die out. Kouyoshi heaves a sigh and looks back at you.
> "What are we going to do with this one, now?" she muses.
> _
-
> "W-what are you...?"
-
> "W-what are you...?"
> Kouyoshi blinks. "A tanuki."
> _
-
> "No! I mean... what's... what am I going to do? Mother and father might be dead, my cousins..."
> Stop those tears!
-
> "No! I mean... what's... what am I going to do? Mother and father might be dead, my cousins..."
> Stop those tears!
> "Wha--" Kouyoshi's ears twitch, taken aback. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that was your question, I'm trying to think of what I can do..."
> Stop crying, stop crying...you don't think you can stop.
> _
-
> Cover our eyes with our sleeves, we can't let Kouyoshi see us cry.
> "Wh-where can I-I-I go? Th-those youkai k-k-ki..."
-
> Cover our eyes with our sleeves, we can't let Kouyoshi see us cry.
> "Wh-where can I-I-I go? Th-those youkai k-k-ki..."
> You cover up your tears with your sleeves, not wanting Kouyoshi to see you cry. Where are you supposed to go?
> There's a brief silence, and then you feel Kouyoshi's hand on your head.
> "We'll figure that out. Gensokyo's pretty big; there's got to be somewhere you can go."
> _
-
>What do we know about Gensokyo? Even places from Legends.
-
> "Where?! Th-those youkai will just burn there, too!"
> What did our family ever do to them? We just lived there and protected the village, and they...
-
>What do we know about Gensokyo? Even places from Legends.
> Aside from Mayohiga, you know of Youkai Mountain, a place crawling with youkai like tengu and kappa. There's also the Forest of Magic, which is rumored to be popular amongst witches, even if there are youkai there, too. Those are both places you know exist.
> As for more fairytale-like places, you've heard that the Sanzu River runs straight through Gensokyo, but it'd just take you straight to the afterlife.
> "Where?! Th-those youkai will just burn there, too!"
> What did our family ever do to them? We just lived there and protected the village, and they...
> What did your family ever do to them, anyway? You were all just living peacefully and defending yourselves...
> "I'm not sure, but not all youkai are uncivilized like them. A lot of us really do have humanlike forms, you know." Kouyoshi ruffles your hair a little.
> _
-
> This is no time to be ruffling our head like we're some sort of naughty kid!
> "You mean like nine tailed foxes?" Say that sharply: if those bat things were telling the truth...
-
>"Where... Should we go?"
>Hold in your anger(?) and let her ruffle your hair.
-
> This is no time to be ruffling our head like we're some sort of naughty kid!
> "You mean like nine tailed foxes?" Say that sharply: if those bat things were telling the truth...
>"Where... Should we go?"
>Hold in your anger(?) and let her ruffle your hair.
> You're starting to get frustrated...but you let her ruffle your hair anyway.
> "Yeah, they get human forms after 100 years." Kouyoshi takes her hand off your head. "And let me think...I'm trying to think of someone who'd know where there would be any humans, okay?"
> _
-
> Still those tears for now... we have to think...
> Does our family have some sort of special sword or something? Where would it be? If this nine tailed fox is responsible, then we have to get ready...
-
> Still those tears for now... we have to think...
> Does our family have some sort of special sword or something? Where would it be? If this nine tailed fox is responsible, then we have to get ready...
> You stop your tears long enough to think back to any special weapons your family had.
> They had multiple katanas in their possession, although you don't know if they would survive a fire or not. They were all kept in a room at the center of the house.
> Either way, you want to be prepared if a kitsune really is responsible.
> _
-
> Are there any special tricks that we know of, some cool magic stuff? Maybe Sayane told us something!
-
>"Kouyoshi... Is there anyway you can check for any swords back in the village? My house, to be exact... If the Youkai arn't there..."
>INVENTOREEEH
>Think about more details about The Forest of Magic.
-
> Are there any special tricks that we know of, some cool magic stuff? Maybe Sayane told us something!
> You've tried your hand at basic danmaku, but you were never able to get the hang of it.
>"Kouyoshi... Is there anyway you can check for any swords back in the village? My house, to be exact... If the Youkai arn't there..."
>INVENTOREEEH
>Think about more details about The Forest of Magic.
> "Uh, sure...why?"
> You spot your stuff nearby and go take stock.
> Inventory
> Red and white robes (equipped)
> A white kosode with a red pattern on the hems of the sleeves, with a hakama with the same design. Footwear is geta with tabi.
> Red haori (unequipped)
> A red haori you wear if it's colder out.
> ?15
> An accumulation of allowance money from the past three weeks.
> Satchel
> Your school bag. You keep your items in here.
> x1 Pack of Crayons
> Contains red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, grey, and white.
> x1 Sketchbook
> Your sketchbook. There are already some drawings in here.
> x1 Net
> A net used to catch bugs, frogs, and the like.
> x1 Basket
> Used for storing said bugs and frogs. There is currently one frog inside that looks like it's going to die soon from dehydration.
> You think back to what you know about the Forest of Magic. You know that there are witches there, and lots of different plants...but you feel like you're forgetting something important.
> _
-
> "Because how else am I suppossed to beat that kitsune and, uh..." what did those stories say? "... revenge my family without the family sword?"
-
>"My family had a few swords at home. Maybe one of them could help us... Especially the one that could cursive the fire..."
>Oh No! Froggy! Are there any bodies of water near where we are to release the Frog?
-
> "Because how else am I suppossed to beat that kitsune and, uh..." what did those stories say? "... revenge my family without the family sword?"
> Isn't the answer obvious?
> "Oh, that's right..." Kouyoshi's tail sways back and forth.
>"My family had a few swords at home. Maybe one of them could help us... Especially the one that could cursive the fire..."
>Oh No! Froggy! Are there any bodies of water near where we are to release the Frog?
> "That kind of sword? Okay." Kouyoshi turns and starts sprinting back to the village.
> That is when you see the little frog dehydrating in the basket.
> Oh, no, you have to do something about the frog...! The creek is the nearest body of water you know; you're going to have to go back into the forest if you want to release the frog there.
> _
-
> Let's wait for Kouyoshi to get back, first. Those evil youkai and that kitsune are still out there...
-
> Let's wait for Kouyoshi to get back, first. Those evil youkai and that kitsune are still out there...
> You can't go out there, it's dangerous...
> You wait for Kouyoshi to return, but she's taking a while.
> The frog is now twitching weakly.
> _
-
Last resort!
>Pick the frog up and hold it in your hands. Cry. Let all your held back emotions loose.
>"Sorry Froggy... I'm sorry..."
-
>Pick the frog up and hold it in your hands. Cry. Let all your held back emotions loose.
>"Sorry Froggy... I'm sorry..."
> You take the frog in your hands and, upon seeing its barely moving form, start crying. This time there's no one around but you and the frog, so your cries go uninterrupted.
> As you choke out an apology to the frog, its movements have reduce to almost nothing.
> _
-
> ;_;
> Continue sobbing. If it wasn't for those youkai, we could've put the frog somewhere wet and cool...
> If it wasn't for those youkai, the village wouldn't be burning...
> If it wasn't for those youkai, our family wouldn't be...
> ... We hate youkai.
-
>But don't let yourself fall into the darkness. Kouyoshi is a key example of a good Youkai.
>Poor Frog... If only You had... *Sniffle* Cry even more.
-
> ;_;
> Continue sobbing. If it wasn't for those youkai, we could've put the frog somewhere wet and cool...
> If it wasn't for those youkai, the village wouldn't be burning...
> If it wasn't for those youkai, our family wouldn't be...
> ... We hate youkai.
> You keep sobbing without pause, as the frog stops moving.
> It's all because of the youkai.
> You could have saved the frog.
> The village wouldn't be burning.
> Your family would still be alive.
> You would've already had dinner and would be in bed right now, but now you're sitting in the middle of a field with a dead frog in your hands.
> You hate them.
> So much.
>But don't let yourself fall into the darkness. Kouyoshi is a key example of a good Youkai.
>Poor Frog... If only You had... *Sniffle* Cry even more.
> No, Kouyoshi helped you...but what did she do? She couldn't even save any of your family. No...you can't hate all of them, but what did your family think of them? You don't think you even found out.
> You keep crying, probably more than you ever have, as you look back down at the frog.
> _
-
>Fall to your knees.
>Check if the frog is completely dead. If yes,
>Dig a hole in the ground and bury it, with a makeshift tombstone. Swear to remember it for the rest of your life.
>Let all of your emotions pour away to the ground.
-
Okay, you're getting a bit silly there, YJ.
> Ignore the previous commands.
> Just keep crying. If we hear someone approach, wipe our tears with our sleeve and stand up, hiding the frog.
-
Wahaha. But it's a frrrrrooooogggg. Saddest revelation ever.
-
> Ignore the previous commands.
> Just keep crying. If we hear someone approach, wipe our tears with our sleeve and stand up, hiding the frog.
> You keep crying, but it's starting to wear you out.
> After a while, you hear uneven footsteps and Kouyoshi's ragged breathing. You quickly wipe away your tears and stand up, hiding the frog behind your back.
> _
-
>"A-Are you alright?"
>Try not to sniffle.
-
I still think we should have burried the frog >-> Just saying.
-
>"A-Are you alright?"
>Try not to sniffle.
> "They all...came after me at once," Kouyoshi says between breaths. "I'm fine."
> Now that you look at her, though, she doesn't seem very fine. She's sooty, her robes are a tattered and burnt, and she's walking with a limp. A fine trickle of blood runs down between her eyes, and her hat has a few pieces of straw poking out of it. In her right hand she holds an unsheathed katana stained with blood, and in the other is a thoroughly soot-covered and sheathed katana that you recognize as one of your family's.
> Kouyoshi throws the sooty katana on the ground in front of you and sheathes her own. She stares at you from under the brim of her hat, but says nothing about your tear-stained face.
> _
-
>"You're... not fine... We need to rest somewhere... For you to get healed..."
>Take sooty katana and hold it in your right, your left still hiding the frog.
-
>"You're... not fine... We need to rest somewhere... For you to get healed..."
>Take sooty katana and hold it in your right, your left still hiding the frog.
> "Uh-huh." Kouyoshi wipes the blood off her face as you pick up the sooty katana.
> Obtained: x1 katana
> "Just...gimme a sec..."
> _
-
>Wait for Kouyoshi to do what she needs to do.
>What can we do with the frog? Can we bury it? I'm serious.
-
>Wait for Kouyoshi to do what she needs to do.
>What can we do with the frog? Can we bury it? I'm serious.
> You wait as Kouyoshi dusts the soot off her clothing, ears, tail, and hat.
> You want to make a grave for the frog...
> _
-
>Froggy braved the elements, and he's the only one we can bury. So let's do that...
-
>And indeed we shall. Make a small hole in the ground and put Froggy there. Cover it up with sane and put a rock above it.
-
>Froggy braved the elements, and he's the only one we can bury. So let's do that...
>And indeed we shall. Make a small hole in the ground and put Froggy there. Cover it up with sane and put a rock above it.
> You give Froggy the grave he deserves. You dig a small hole in the ground and bury him there, putting a rock above it to serve as a little tombstone.
> _
-
*YJ Huggies Himiko. DIS IS TRUELY THE BEST TEXT ADVENTURE. EVER.*
>"Kouyoshi, are you ready now? We need to find somewhere safe to rest..."
>If she isn't done cleaning soot off herself, clean the soot off the Katana.
-
> Look at the katana. How can we carry it? Can we put it in our kimono sash?
> Look at Kouyoshi. "Did those youkai attack you...?"
-
>"Kouyoshi, are you ready now? We need to find somewhere safe to rest..."
>If she isn't done cleaning soot off herself, clean the soot off the Katana.
> "Yeah."
> You dust the soot off the katana. It looks a bit better now.
> Look at the katana. How can we carry it? Can we put it in our kimono sash?
> Look at Kouyoshi. "Did those youkai attack you...?"
> Come to think of it, how are you going to carry this? It's pretty tall. You could try carrying it in your sash, but it might drag along the ground...
> Kouyoshi looks back at you and nods. "Like I said, they all charged at me at once."
> _
-
> Look at the katana. How can we carry it? Can we put it in our kimono sash?
> Look at Kouyoshi. "Did those youkai attack you...?"
>Ignore second command. She already told us.
-
> Just shoulder our pack of stuff, and carry the katana in our arms.
> "Okay... I'm ready." Look at her wounds and wince. "S-sorry..."
-
> Just shoulder our pack of stuff, and carry the katana in our arms.
> "Okay... I'm ready." Look at her wounds and wince. "S-sorry..."
> You compromise by carrying your satchel on your shoulder, and the katana in your arms. It's kind of awkward to carry, but it should work.
> You look at Kouyoshi's wounds and wince. Looks painful...
> "'S fine, let's go." Kouyoshi beckons to you and starts moving towards the forest, ignoring her limp.
> _
-
>Where's the nearest safe spot?
>How far is our current location from The Forest Of Magic?
>"You really need to rest..." Mumble it.
>Look back for just a moment, before continuing your journey.
---
Bye bye Froggy! Rest in Peace.
-
>Soldier on. Even when the tears and sobs come when we think about someone, soldier on.
-
>
Rou Rou Fight da Pawah. Rou Rou Fight da Pawah. Where are we heading?
-
>Where's the nearest safe spot?
>How far is our current location from The Forest Of Magic?
>"You really need to rest..." Mumble it.
>Look back for just a moment, before continuing your journey.
> You're not sure.
> You don't know exactly how far the Forest of Magic is from your current location, but it's between you and Youkai Mountain so it can't be that far.
> Kouyoshi gives no indication that she heard you.
> You look back at the village and Froggy's grave one more time before following Kouyoshi into the forest.
>Soldier on. Even when the tears and sobs come when we think about someone, soldier on.
>Rou Rou Fight da Pawah. Rou Rou Fight da Pawah. Where are we heading?
> You continue to march on, even when you remember someone and the tears return.
> You're not sure where you're headed, but Kouyoshi seems to have a pretty good idea of where you two are going as she steers through the forest. Your eyes have already adjusted to the dark, so there's not much trouble in following her.
> Speaking of the forest, it's strangely quiet.
> _
-
> "Is... is the forest always this quiet?"
-
> "Is... is the forest always this quiet?"
> "No. Everyone's probably being drawn by the fire so we're probably not going to be intercepted."
> _
-
> Nod quietly, and keep following, trying to not trip over our own sword.
-
> Nod quietly, and keep following, trying to not trip over our own sword.
> Well, all the better for you.
> You continue following Kouyoshi while trying not to trip over the sword.
> After a while, the two of you reach a hole at the base of a huge tree, covered with what appears to be a tub lid.
> _
-
> Is this the same oak tree we found the hat?
> "What is this? Is... is this your home?"
-
> Is this the same oak tree we found the hat?
> "What is this? Is... is this your home?"
> No, it's deeper in the forest than that.
> "Yeah. It's the safest place for me," Kouyoshi says, and taps the lid with her katana.
> _
-
> Wait. Maybe she's using tanuki magic to make it fly up or something!
-
> Wait. Maybe she's using tanuki magic to make it fly up or something!
> Could she be using magic?!
> Kouyoshi just pushes the lid aside with her katana. So much for that.
> "You kind of have to be careful going in," Kouyoshi explains as she takes off her hat and tosses it in through the opening. She then goes in feet first after it, although this takes a while, as she's still limping.
> _
-
> Peer down the hole.
> "Is it safe?"
-
> Peer down the hole.
> "Is it safe?"
> You take a peek to see if it's safe. It's almost too dark to see anything, but your voice doesn't echo, so you assume it's not too far of a climb. It doesn't seem to go straight down, either.
> "Of course it is."
> _
-
> Try to climb down while carrying our katana and our satchel.
-
> Try to climb down while carrying our katana and our satchel.
> You try climbing down, finding the tunnel lined with thick grass. This makes the descension somewhat more bearable as you slowly inch down in the dark. As you reach the bottom, you find yourself near the mouth of a medium-sized hole. You hear Kouyoshi fumbling around in the area beyond that, but you can't see through the gloom.
> "Give me a sec."
> _
-
> Shrink against the wall, just in case something pops out.
-
> Shrink against the wall, just in case something pops out.
> You shrink against the wall, bracing yourself...
> ...But instead of something popping out, the room beyond the wall fills with a dull light.
> _
-
> Peer into the room carefully.
-
> Peer into the room carefully.
> You cautiously take a look around the corner to see the room.
> It's a bit small, with a low ceiling, but it's enough space for Kouyoshi to stand in without having to bend her back. At the far end of the room, where the ceiling is even lower, there's a small pit filled with leaves and covered with a tarp. On the side of the wall closest to where you are there's a tattered and barely-together patterned carpet with images on it that you would probably see on caves. Sitting on this is a large clay pot with cloth stuffed into it, presumably clothing with some shoes scattered nearby. At the right wall there's another small pit covered with a metal grate; you then notice directly above it is another hole, presumably leading to the surface. Another clay put sits to the side near this. On yet another tarp in the corner sits a few more clay pots sealed up tightly with lids. The ground here is grassy, with more tarps here and there to cover it up. Off to one wall there are a few more holes covered with tarp, and there are roots hanging from the ceiling.
> Kouyoshi is standing at one of the lanterns sitting off to the side on the floor. She snaps her fingers, and a small spark floats down into the little cage-like thing, filling it with light. There's so much dust on them, however, that the effect is somewhat ruined.
> _
-
> Carefully scoot into the room, keeping our back to the wall, watching everything with curiousity and wariness.
-
> Carefully scoot into the room, keeping our back to the wall, watching everything with curiousity and wariness.
> As you carefully move past all the clutter, you keep your back to the wall and look around at everything in the room.
> Kouyoshi is moving things aside, checking the metal grate and dusting off a pan. "This should be fine for tonight."
> _
-
> "What are you doing...?"
-
> "What are you doing...?"
> "Cleaning up a bit. This place gets messy real easily..." Kouyoshi sets aside the pan and moves to wipe away a new trail of blood that has started to run down her face again.
> _
-
> "You're... um, you're bleeding..."
> Look around for bandages or something.
-
> "You're... um, you're bleeding..."
> Look around for bandages or something.
> "I know." Kouyoshi moves towards the pot filled with clothing.
> You look around for bandages, but she doesn't seem to have any here.
> _
-
> "Do, um, do you have any bandages?"
> If she says no, hesitate, then start trying to cut off our sleeve with our katana.
-
> "Do, um, do you have any bandages?"
> If she says no, hesitate, then start trying to cut off our sleeve with our katana.
> "Sort of...?" Kouyoshi starts digging past the cloth in the pot as though looking for something.
> Looks like you won't have to cut off your sleeve, after all.
> _
-
>Is the place still very dusty?
>If yes, help clean it.
-
>Is the place still very dusty?
>If yes, help clean it.
> Yes.
> You decide to help Kouyoshi clean the place, but how will you go about doing that?
> _
-
>Wiping dust away!
>"Do you have anything to wipe all this dirt?"
-
>Wiping dust away!
>"Do you have anything to wipe all this dirt?"
> Hold off on that. First, shouldn't we find out what we're going to be doing before we start cleaning?
> Second, the walls, ceiling, and floor IS dirt, we're going to be cleaning for a long while.
-
>Wiping dust away!
>"Do you have anything to wipe all this dirt?"
> Hold off on that. First, shouldn't we find out what we're going to be doing before we start cleaning?
> Second, the walls, ceiling, and floor IS dirt, we're going to be cleaning for a long while.
> Of course, you needn't remind yourself.
> Before you start asking for cleaning supplies, however, you realize you should probably figure out what you should be cleaning in the first place.
> The walls, floor, and even ceiling are made of dirt, after all. If you clean all of that it's going to take forever.
> "Oh, here it is." You hear some ripping sounds, and then Kouyoshi is wrapping a strip of cloth around her forehead.
> _
-
> Do we have any cooking or cleaning skills? We know that we can hide in small places like a cat and that we're a top notch critter catcher, but...
> How hungry/tired are we? Today's been pretty rough, so...
-
> Do we have any cooking or cleaning skills? We know that we can hide in small places like a cat and that we're a top notch critter catcher, but...
> How hungry/tired are we? Today's been pretty rough, so...
> You're somewhat decent at cleaning, but you have no idea how to cook at all.
> You're exhausted and starving. Today's really taken a toll on you.
> _
-
> "Um... Kouyoshi? I'm hungry..."
-
> "Um... Kouyoshi? I'm hungry..."
> "Eh? What do you want to eat, then?"
> _
-
> "Dunno... uh... sukiyaki?"
-
> "Dunno... uh... sukiyaki?"
> Kouyoshi's mouth waters a little, and she limps over to the sealed pots in the corner. "Sure...lemme see if I have the right stuff..."
> _
-
> Put our satchel down, but keep our katana, and follow her to look as well.
-
> Put our satchel down, but keep our katana, and follow her to look as well.
> You set down your satchel and, keeping your katana on hand, walk over to where Kouyoshi is unsealing pots. It looks like she's put some ofuda on some of them, even: when she opens one, a cool mist comes out.
> "Beef, carrots, mushrooms, fish..." Kouyoshi looks through the sealed pots. "No broth, and only a little bit of tofu." She blinks. "I thought something was weird last time I checked stock: there's no fruit."
> _
-
> "So... no sukiyaki, then?"
-
> "So... no sukiyaki, then?"
> "Well...even if there can't be sukiyaki, we could always try boiling it anyway or grilling it."
> _
-
> "Well, sukiyaki's boiled, right? Let's do that."
> Watch Kouyoshi cook, maybe we'll learn something.
-
> "Well, sukiyaki's boiled, right? Let's do that."
> Watch Kouyoshi cook, maybe we'll learn something.
> "Sounds good to me."
> Kouyoshi sets her katana aside and starts getting the ingredients ready, choosing beef, mushrooms, and tofu to boil. She lifts the metal grate, snapping her fingers and letting a small spark lose to ignite the coals. She closes the grid again, setting the pot over the grate. As she waits for the water to boil, she somehow finds a knife in all the clutter and sets to chopping everything up sans the tofu. As the water starts to boil, she dumps everything in. It's satisfyingly mundane to watch, and it looks simple enough to do...
> _
-
> Snap our fingers to create a spark like she did.
-
> Snap our fingers to create a spark like she did.
> You snap your fingers, but nothing happens.
> _
-
> Pout.
> "Um... how long will it take?"
-
> Pout.
> "Um... how long will it take?"
> ...Is it done yet?
> "Around twenty minutes."
> _
-
> "Oh..."
> Fidget awkwardly.
> "Um... does it hurt?"
-
> "Oh..."
> Fidget awkwardly.
> "Um... does it hurt?"
> Twenty minutes...
> You fidget a little, and ask Kouyoshi if she's in pain.
> Kouyoshi glances over at you. "Yeah."
> _
-
> "Sorry... um... do you need help...?"
> Fidget fidget.
-
> "Sorry... um... do you need help...?"
> Fidget fidget.
> "With what?"
> You continue to fidget.
> _
-
> Blink at her. Isn't it obvious?
-
> Blink at her. Isn't it obvious?
> Kouyoshi stares back at you.
> "...I'm fine."
> _
-
>"Don't be like that... If you need help, just say so..."
>Fiddle with your thumbs.
-
>"Don't be like that... If you need help, just say so..."
>Fiddle with your thumbs.
> "No, I'm fine." Kouyoshi looks back at the pot as you keep fidgeting.
> _
-
>"No, you're hurt! If you don't do something about it you'll...you'll be just like everyone else today!"
-
>"No, you're hurt! If you don't do something about it you'll...you'll be just like everyone else today!"
> "I stemmed the bleeding on my head, didn't I...? So, I'll be fine."
> _
-
> "Oh..."
> Fidget. After a while, start picking up stray clothes or trash or whatever and putting them off to the side.
-
> "Oh..."
> Fidget. After a while, start picking up stray clothes or trash or whatever and putting them off to the side.
> After even more fidgeting, you stand up and start moving stray clothes and other clutter off to the sides. Kouyoshi watches curiously, her tail swishing from side to side.
> "Oh, was the clutter bothering you?"
> _
-
> "Mother said that we had to keep our room clean, and, um, I can clean but not cook, so..."
-
> "Mother said that we had to keep our room clean, and, um, I can clean but not cook, so..."
> "'Kay." Kouyoshi turns back to the pot. "This should be ready soon," she notes, moving over to the side to fish through the utensils.
> _
-
> Hover around the pot and look at the... uh, stew? Does it look tasty?
-
> Hover around the pot and look at the... uh, stew? Does it look tasty?
> You head over to the pot to see what's cooking. It definitely ended up as some sort of stew; you're not sure what to call it, but it looks good.
> _
-
> Sniff the stew. Does it smell good?
> Wait eagerly for the food to be served.
-
> Sniff the stew. Does it smell good?
> Wait eagerly for the food to be served.
> You take a whiff to see if it smells good; to your relief, it does.
> You watch eagerly as Kouyoshi dips a ladle into the stew and spoons it into two separate bowls. After sticking a pair of mismatched chopsticks into each, she hands you a bowl. As soon as both of her hands are free, she immediately starts shoveling her own share into her mouth.
> _
-
> Start shoveling it in as well!
> ... Then remember the table manners Mother instilled in us.
-
> Start shoveling it in as well!
> ... Then remember the table manners Mother instilled in us.
> Being as hungry as you are, you're quick to start shoving as much food as you can fit in your mouth...
> ...until you remember your table manners. Mother taught you them, after all.
> Between bites, Kouyoshi asks, "How is it?"
> _
-
> "Delicious..." But, it's not as tasty as something Mother makes...
-
>At least there's something to be happy about...
-
> "Delicious..." But, it's not as tasty as something Mother makes...
>At least there's something to be happy about...
> "Oh, good."
> You like it, but Mother's cooking was better...at least you have something to eat, though.
> _
-
> Continue eating until we can't eat anymore.
-
>Smile and be grateful that you survived thanks to Kouyoshi.
>"Om nom nom..."
-
> Continue eating until we can't eat anymore.
>Smile and be grateful that you survived thanks to Kouyoshi.
>"Om nom nom..."
> You keep eating until you feel like you're going to burst, feeling grateful that you survived.
> Kouyoshi finishes before you and sets her bowl off to the side, stretching contently.
> _
-
> "Thank you for the meal." Bow, and take our dish to... um...
> "Where do you put dirty dishes?"
-
> "Thank you for the meal." Bow, and take our dish to... um...
> "Where do you put dirty dishes?"
> Continuing to employ your table manners, you thank Kouyoshi for the meal, and...where do you take your dish, again?
> "Just set it off to the side," Kouyoshi says as she shovels the rest of her food into her mouth. "I usually just get some water from the creek and wash it all later or something."
> _
-
> "Creek? Do you catch crickets or crayfish or fr... or other things?"
> Put the bowl and chopsticks off to the side and investigate the place. What's with that grate...?
-
> "Creek? Do you catch crickets or crayfish or fr... or other things?"
> Put the bowl and chopsticks off to the side and investigate the place. What's with that grate...?
> "Uh-huh. If I go deeper into the river I sometimes find fish."
> You set the bowl and chopsticks off to the side and set to exploring the place. You first take a look at the grate. It's covering a small, shallow pit with a little fire and coals at the bottom. Looks like this is used in lieu of an oven or stove.
> _
-
> Look at that wall with the holes and the tarps covering it.
> "When did you meet Sayane? She never said anything about meeting a youkai."
-
> Look at that wall with the holes and the tarps covering it.
> "When did you meet Sayane? She never said anything about meeting a youkai."
> You look at the covered wall. You imagine it'd lead to a bath or something.
> "I never really met her in my true form. I'd sometimes see her in or around the forest with that katana of hers, and I picked up her form pretty easily."
> _
-
> "Oh. But you met her, right?"
> Yawn.
-
> "Oh. But you met her, right?"
> Yawn.
> "Yeah, I picked up a lot of forms from the village, and I ended up running into her a lot."
> You yawn, starting to feel the long day catching up with you.
> _
-
> "So you made friends with her...?"
> Eye Kouyoshi's tail. Does it look fluffy?
-
> "So you made friends with her...?"
> Eye Kouyoshi's tail. Does it look fluffy?
> "Sort of...? She just kept thinking I was a member of her family or someone who lived in the village."
> You size up Kouyoshi's tail. It looks very fluffy.
> _
-
> "Ah... well you look like my cousin..."
> wrap our arms around Kouyoshi's tail and use it as a pillow.
-
> "Ah... well you look like my cousin..."
> wrap our arms around Kouyoshi's tail and use it as a pillow.
> "Yeah."
> You cuddle up against Kouyoshi's tail. It's so sooooft, you could fall asleep right here if you wanted to.
> Kouyoshi jumps a little when you first touch her tail, perhaps out of surprise, but then she relaxes and holds her hands out over the grate, as if catching the heat.
> _
-
> Bury our face into her tail and slip off into a nap.
> Don't cry in our sleep.
-
> Bury our face into her tail and slip off into a nap.
> Don't cry in our sleep.
> You let yourself nod off, you are not going to cry in your sleep you are not going to cry in your sleep...
> Your dreams are very fragmented. You first dream that when you came home, the village wasn't burning after all, and you instead had dinner with your family and went to bed after going back to release the frog into the creek. As you're going to your room to go to bed, however, everything suddenlygoesupinflamestakingyouwithit....l....t...l.....s......ry....i........n..a....wait...come back...
> ...
> You awaken to the sound of water hitting metal. There is very little light, and you can hear the faint sound of rainfall coming from outside. You're still curled up against Kouyoshi's tail; you think the tanuki herself is lying on her side.
> _
-
> Wipe our eyes. We didn't cry, no we didn't.
> Let go of Kouyoshi's tail and feel around for our katana. Where did we leave it...?
-
> Wipe our eyes. We didn't cry, no we didn't.
> Let go of Kouyoshi's tail and feel around for our katana. Where did we leave it...?
> You did not cry, you did not cry even though you're wiping your eyes right now.
> You release Kouyoshi's tail and sit up, feeling around for your katana. You feel the handle of it a few inches away from you.
> Now that you're sitting up, you can see a small bit of light coming from the hole in the ceiling, and water dripping down into a metal pan which is sitting on top of the grate.
> _
-
> Carefully crawl to the entrance of the cave without waking Kouyoshi and poke our head out.
-
> Carefully crawl to the entrance of the cave without waking Kouyoshi and poke our head out.
> Moving silently so as not to wake up Kouyoshi, you crawl up through the tunnel leading above ground and move the lid out of the way.
> It's gloomy and overcast outside, and raining. The forest seems to look more lush this way. There's a gentle rumbling of thunder somewhere in the distance.
> _
-
> Make sure we have our katana, and climb out of the hole so we can look around.
-
> Make sure we have our katana, and climb out of the hole so we can look around.
> Katana in hand, you climb out of the hole beneath the tree. Water immediately starts soaking through your hair and clothes, but you have a look around anyway. In this part of the forest, the trees are even taller and closer together than they were near the village. There's an uprooted tree stump a few feet away with fungus growing on it, roots bare and all.
> _
-
> Look up into the raining sky. With this much rain, maybe the fire in the village is gone...
> Can we remember how to get back to the village from here?
-
> Look up into the raining sky. With this much rain, maybe the fire in the village is gone...
> Can we remember how to get back to the village from here?
> You look up at the sky, blinking away the water as it hits your face. The fire at the village has to be gone at this point...
> You don't know how to return to the village from here.
> _
-
> Climb back into the hole and close it behind us.
> Crawl over to Kouyoshi and pat her. "Kouyoshi, Kouyoshi, it's morning."
-
> Climb back into the hole and close it behind us.
> Crawl over to Kouyoshi and pat her. "Kouyoshi, Kouyoshi, it's morning."
> You retreat back into the hole, covering it with the lid as you go.
> You then crawl back to where Kouyoshi is sleeping and try waking her up. She grumbles a little and curls up tighter.
> _
-
> Pout, and move around to her front. Shake her a little. "Kou-yo-shi. Morn-ing."
-
> Pout, and move around to her front. Shake her a little. "Kou-yo-shi. Morn-ing."
> Why doesn't she wake up...?
> You move in front of her and keep shaking. She half-heartedly tries to wave you away before letting her arm flop back down, and her eyes open a crack.
> "Ugh...wha...?" She squints up at you blearily.
> _
-
> "Kouyoshi, it's morning. Wake up, wake up!"
> Get ready to nudge her awake again if she goes back to sleep, we got work to do, like finding that other human village, finding people who survived the youkai attack, finding out who that kitsune is so we can revenge our family, and learn how to use our family sword so we can do revenging!
-
> "Kouyoshi, it's morning. Wake up, wake up!"
> Get ready to nudge her awake again if she goes back to sleep, we got work to do, like finding that other human village, finding people who survived the youkai attack, finding out who that kitsune is so we can revenge our family, and learn how to use our family sword so we can do revenging!
> You keep shaking Kouyoshi until she finally sits up and pushes you away.
> There's so much to do today, you have to find out if there are more humans out there, and people who survived the fire, and getting revenge on the kitsune and figuring out how to use the sword. How are you going to fit that all in one day?!
> "I'm up, I'm up..." Kouyoshi yawns loudly.
> _
-
> "What are we going to do today? We have a lot of stuff to do!"
-
> "What are we going to do today? We have a lot of stuff to do!"
> Kouyoshi adjusts her hat and stretches her arms. "Hm...oh, yeah, we were going to see if there was another human settlement around, or at least somewhere for you to go...We never really set anything in stone last night."
> _
-
> Nod. "But it has to be somewhere with strong people, like youkai hunters or magicians so I can learn how to fight that kitsune and the rest of its youkai friends."
-
> Nod. "But it has to be somewhere with strong people, like youkai hunters or magicians so I can learn how to fight that kitsune and the rest of its youkai friends."
> Wherever you go, it can't be with a bunch of weaklings!
> "Got it. We're looking for strong people." Kouyoshi stands up and straightens out her robes. "But first, breakfast."
> _
-
> Oh, yeah, breakfast would be good.
> Scamper over to where those jars are and peek inside one of them.
-
>"Yay Breakfast!"
>Wave your arms up and down with a smile on your face.
-
>"Yay Breakfast!"
>Wave your arms up and down with a smile on your face.
> You express your excitement over food, and Kouyoshi smirks a little.
> Oh, yeah, breakfast would be good.
> Scamper over to where those jars are and peek inside one of them.
> Of course, humans need to eat.
> You head over to the sealed jars and peek inside the nearest one. Almost at once you feel a cool mist hit your face. When you look at the contents, you see frozen fish.
> _
-
> "Wow... how did you freeze the fish?"
> Pull one out and look at it.
-
> "Wow... how did you freeze the fish?"
> Pull one out and look at it.
> "I picked up some freezing charms from random youkai in the forest," Kouyoshi says. "As in, I badgered them into giving it to me since it looked like they had some spares. That was about a hundred years ago and they're still good."
> You pull out a fish. It's completely in tact, beady eyes and all. Looks like any other normal salmon.
> _
-
Don't believe her lies! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot_refrigerator)
-
> "Ew, this is a hundred years old?" Grimace at the salmon and drop it back in. "So what'll you make?"
-
> "Ew, this is a hundred years old?" Grimace at the salmon and drop it back in. "So what'll you make?"
> Kouyoshi raises an eyebrow. "Not the fish, otherwise I wouldn't be keeping it here." She then looks up at the hole in the ceiling. "Of course, it's still raining so if I try to light a fire under the grate it'll just fizzle out...hm..."
> _
-
> "Oh yeah, it's raining." Flap soaked kimono arms. "It's very wet."
-
>Actually do we know how to make a zeer pot? Or at least know of them?
>"Maybe we could get a better door? Or..."
>What do we know of irrigation? In particular, moving water around with ditches.
-
> "Oh yeah, it's raining." Flap soaked kimono arms. "It's very wet."
> You flap your arms, sending water flying.
> "You're wet, too." Kouyoshi raises her arms to shield herself from the water.
>Actually do we know how to make a zeer pot? Or at least know of them?
>"Maybe we could get a better door? Or..."
>What do we know of irrigation? In particular, moving water around with ditches.
> You have no idea.
> "A better door?"
> You don't know very much about that, either.
> _
-
>"Something that closes better than that tub lid..."
-
>"Something that closes better than that tub lid..."
> "...Good point. It's the best I have, to be honest, but I'll try looking for something better while we're out there."
> _
-
> Nod nod. "So, what will you make then?"
-
> Nod nod. "So, what will you make then?"
> "The fish."
> _
-
> "But... they're frozen... oh, you have magic that can turn it into not frozen fish?" Woooow...
-
> "But... they're frozen... oh, you have magic that can turn it into not frozen fish?" Woooow...
> "No, I just light a fire outside and thaw out the fish, and then cook them." Kouyoshi grins.
> There goes that dream...
> _
-
> "Aw..."
> Sneeze.
-
> "Aw..."
> Sneeze.
> Aw, man...
> You suddenly sneeze.
> "You cold? Want a jacket or something?"
> _
-
> "Mmm..." Suddenly, going out in the rain wasn't a good idea...
-
> "Mmm..." Suddenly, going out in the rain wasn't a good idea...
> You shouldn't have gone outside in the middle of a downpour.
> Kouyoshi heads over to the barrel where all that cloth was and, after a bit of digging around, returns holding blue-black jacket. She then pauses.
> "On second thought, it's too big," she muses as she draws her katana and starts cutting at it.
> _
-
> Watch her cut the jacket. Wring out our kimono while we're waiting.
-
> Watch her cut the jacket. Wring out our kimono while we're waiting.
> You watch, wait, and wring out your clothes as you wait for Kouyoshi to finish hacking away at the jacket. After she's cut away a good bit of it, she hands it over to you.
> _
-
> Put it on over our wet clothes. "Thank you..."
-
> Put it on over our wet clothes. "Thank you..."
> You put on the jacket over your wet clothes; it feels it a bit better now.
> Obtained: x1 modified jacket
> "You're welcome." Kouyoshi heads over to where the fish are. "You can head on up if you want."
> _
-
> "'Kay." Scamper on up outside and wait for Kouyoshi.
-
> "'Kay." Scamper on up outside and wait for Kouyoshi.
> You head on up through the tunnel again, taking shelter under the tub lid until Kouyoshi appears through the tunnel entrance, carrying some of the frozen fish in a pot. She takes one look at you and says,
> "Keep holding that up, will you?"
> _
-
> "All right. Um... Do you want under...?"
> Follow Kouyoshi, staying under the tub.
-
> "All right. Um... Do you want under...?"
> Follow Kouyoshi, staying under the tub.
> Kouyoshi pokes her hat. "I'm wearing this. I'll be fine."
> You follow Kouyoshi out away from the tree, where she sets the pot down under the lid you're holding up. She starts rubbing her hands together until a few small sparks come from between her fingers, and then she puts her hands on the pot. You can practically feel the heat radiating off her hands.
> _
-
> Get closer, and balance the tub on our head while we warm our hands. "Wow... I wanna learn how to do that!"
-
> Get closer, and balance the tub on our head while we warm our hands. "Wow... I wanna learn how to do that!"
> You get closer and watch as the ice surrounding the fish starts to melt.
> "It's kind of like intent," Kouyoshi says. "How easy or hard it is to tap into it depends on the person, I think."
> _
-
> Frown, and wave our hands at the fish. Concentrate on making them cook!
-
> Frown, and wave our hands at the fish. Concentrate on making them cook!
> Mustering up all your concentration, you wave your hands at the fish, as if willing them to cook.
> Nothing happens.
> _
-
> Squint our eyes and wave wildly! Melt! Meeeelt!
-
> Squint our eyes and wave wildly! Melt! Meeeelt!
> You squint and wave at it, willing it to melt with all the willpower you have.
> It eventually does melt, but that's because Kouyoshi's hands are still on the pot. Looks like you have some work to do...
> _
-
> Grumble grumble, and hold onto our tub hat again.. "So what next?"
-
> Grumble grumble, and hold onto our tub hat again.. "So what next?"
> You'll get it someday!
> "I keep it boiling until it's cooked. You can hold that up for a little longer, right?"
> _
-
> "Fish stew?" Keep holding up the tub lid.
-
> "Fish stew?" Keep holding up the tub lid.
> "Nope. After this finishes boiling I'm gonna drain out the water and then we can go back inside to eat it."
> _
-
>"Will it taste good?"
>Imagine Mother's cooking.
-
>"Will it taste good?"
>Imagine Mother's cooking.
> "Of course it will."
> You remember Mother's cooking...well, nothing could compare to that.
> _
-
>...Oh crap, here the tears come again.
-
> Those aren't tears, that's just rain!
> "H-how long...?"
-
>...Oh crap, here the tears come again.
> Those aren't tears, that's just rain!
> "H-how long...?"
> Oh, no, you're crying again...no, it's just rain, it's just rain.
> "About seven minutes or so."
> _
-
> Wipe the rain away from our eyes. "O-okay."
> Look around at the forest again.
-
> Wipe the rain away from our eyes. "O-okay."
> Look around at the forest again.
> You wipe the tears rain from your eyes and look around the forest again.
> It looks like the rain's letting up a bit, but it doesn't look like it's going to stop. Everything is very green here, and if you look closely you can even see a mushroom here and there.
> _
-
> Scamper over to the mushroom and pick it. "Is this tasty?"
-
> Scamper over to the mushroom and pick it. "Is this tasty?"
> You abandon the lid and run over to the nearest mushroom.
> "Don't eat that, it doesn't look edible," Kouyoshi warns you as she continues to heat the fish.
> _
-
>Put that mushroom down.
>Try to find more nice-looking mushrooms and ask Kouyoshi if they can be eaten.
>Wonder if they can be turned into friendly Mushroom Youkai.
-
>Wonder if they can be turned into friendly Mushroom Youkai.
> Remember that youkai are evil, and cannot be friendly. Except for Kouyoshi.
-
> Remember that youkai are evil, and cannot be friendly. Except for Kouyoshi.
>The keyword is Friendly. Even like people, if everyone was evil, there would be no evil at all, because without good, there is no evil, and without evil, there is no good. Hence, Friendly Mushroom Youkai. Like that old Text-Adventure where the author made Walfas stuffs, eventually leading to the main character being a Mushroom Youkai.
-
Like that old Text-Adventure where the author made Walfas stuffs, eventually leading to the main character being a Mushroom Youkai.
Sup.
> Ask which mushrooms are edible. Not out of any specific ones in front of you, just in general.
-
Sup.
I missed your ol' Walfas. Wahahaha. *Huggie*
>Do not pluck ones that are obviously poisonous. Like blue ones. Or maybe pick all the colorful ones in hopes of making some potion or something.
-
>Put that mushroom down.
>Try to find more nice-looking mushrooms and ask Kouyoshi if they can be eaten.
>Wonder if they can be turned into friendly Mushroom Youkai.
> You put down the mushroom and start looking around for ones that could be eaten. With all these mushrooms, it can't be that hard finding at least one edible one, can it?
> As you're looking around, you wonder if any of them could become a nice Mushroom Youkai.
> Remember that youkai are evil, and cannot be friendly. Except for Kouyoshi.
> You immediately cringe at the thought, remembering that the only nice youkai is Kouyoshi.
>The keyword is Friendly. Even like people, if everyone was evil, there would be no evil at all, because without good, there is no evil, and without evil, there is no good. Hence, Friendly Mushroom Youkai. Like that old Text-Adventure where the author made Walfas stuffs, eventually leading to the main character being a Mushroom Youkai.
> You try to convince yourself that more youkai than just Kouyoshi can be friendly, although you're not entirely sure how that would work. And what's all this "walfas" stuff, anyway? Some kind of waffle?
> Ask which mushrooms are edible. Not out of any specific ones in front of you, just in general.
> You ask Kouyoshi which mushrooms specifically are edible.
> "Look for the brown ones with the gills, convex caps--that means they're nice and round, kind of like umbrellas--and nothing on the stalks. Oh, and they grow out of trees, look for that."
>Do not pluck ones that are obviously poisonous. Like blue ones. Or maybe pick all the colorful ones in hopes of making some potion or something.
> You make sure to avoid the very bright ones that could be obviously poisonous, but at the same time, you think they'd make for a pretty nice potion if you got a hold of one.
> _
-
>Find the mushrooms that Kouyoshi said were edible.
>If you find a really unique-looking mushroom, take note of it's location and ask Kouyoshi to come see it.
-
>Find the mushrooms that Kouyoshi said were edible.
>If you find a really unique-looking mushroom, take note of it's location and ask Kouyoshi to come see it.
> You start looking around for the mushrooms, but you don't immediately find any. You don't find any particularly special-looking mushrooms, either.
> _
-
> Oh well. Scamper back to the tub and get underneath it. "Is it ready yet?"
-
> Oh well. Scamper back to the tub and get underneath it. "Is it ready yet?"
> Well, you can always try again some other time.
> You hurry back under the shelter of the lid to see if the fish is ready.
> "Yeah, just about." Kouyoshi takes her hands off the pot and tips it, letting the water spill out onto the grass.
> _
-
> Stay out of the way of the tipping water. "Will we have rice or carrots to go with the fish?"
-
> Stay out of the way of the tipping water. "Will we have rice or carrots to go with the fish?"
> You stay out of the way as you watch the water hiss in the grass.
> "Yeah, we have carrots."
> _
-
> "Kay." Watch her finish the fish.
-
> "Kay." Watch her finish the fish.
> You watch as Kouyoshi finishes draining the water. After poking at the fish for a bit, she stands up.
> "It's ready. Let's go back inside."
> _
-
> Follow her, and cover the entrance with the tub when we climb in.
> Squeeze the water out of our hair before entering the main room. Do we still feel cold?
-
> Follow her, and cover the entrance with the tub when we climb in.
> Squeeze the water out of our hair before entering the main room. Do we still feel cold?
> You follow Kouyoshi back under the tree, putting the lid back in its rightful place as you go. As Kouyoshi heads over to where the utensils are piled again, you pause and take a moment to squeeze the water out of your hair. You still feel a little cold, but that's more from the overall damp feeling of your clothes aside from the jacket than anything else.
> As you enter the main room, you see Kouyoshi cutting the fish in halves, and then scooping out the eyeballs with the knife.
> _
-
> "Um... do you need help?"
-
> "Um... do you need help?"
> "It's fine." Kouyoshi sets a fork on each plate--oh, she has forks?--and holds one out to you. "Here."
> _
-
> Take the plate and... well, stab at the fish with our fork and try to eat it.
-
> Take the plate and... well, stab at the fish with our fork and try to eat it.
> You take the plate and try stabbing at the fish with your fork. Even though you're not used to holding it, you have no trouble eating with it.
> _
-
> Eat the fish until we're full.
> "Mmm... thank you, Kouyoshi... Um, so now what?"
-
> Eat the fish until we're full.
> "Mmm... thank you, Kouyoshi... Um, so now what?"
> You eat the rest of the fish.
> Once you and Kouyoshi have eaten, you ask what happens now.
> "Eh?" Kouyoshi stops picking at her teeth. "We were going to find somewhere for you to go, but you wanted there to be strong people so you could get revenge...or something along those lines."
> _
-
> "Right!"
> Get our backpack and our katana! "Okay, I'm ready!"
-
> "Right!"
> Get our backpack and our katana! "Okay, I'm ready!"
> With this thought refreshed in your mind, you hurry and grab your things. As you're doing this, Kouyoshi stands up and adjusts her hat once more.
> "Likewise," she says, and starts for the tunnel.
> _
-
> Follow.
> "So, do you think we can find some sort of super swordsman?"
-
> Follow.
> "So, do you think we can find some sort of super swordsman?"
> You follow Kouyoshi out of the tunnel and back into the forest. It looks like the rain has let up a little, now. It certainly doesn't seem as heavy as it did this morning.
> "I don't know anyone like that," Kouyoshi says as she looks around the clearing. After a few moments, she heads for an opening in the trees, presumably leading to a path. "But if they're not out there, I'll eat my hat." Beat. "Well, not really, but you know."
> _
-
> "Ahhh, why would you eat your hat?! It's, it's... it's so cool~...!"
> Flap our arms for emphasis!
-
> "Ahhh, why would you eat your hat?! It's, it's... it's so cool~...!"
> Flap our arms for emphasis!
> How could she ever think of that?!
> Kouyoshi chuckles. "It was just a figure of speech."
> _
-
> Puff out our cheeks. "Well if you don't want your hat I'll take it."
> Follow and follow.
-
> Puff out our cheeks. "Well if you don't want your hat I'll take it."
> Follow and follow.
> Kouyoshi smirks. "You already had your chance to wear it, didn't you?"
> You follow Kouyoshi into the trees. The walk, for the most part, is uneventful: the trees catch most of the rain before it can reach you and Kouyoshi here, and there aren't many mushrooms here to look at or salvage. The longer you walk, the more the ground slopes, and eventually it gives way to flat ground again. For a while, the forest scenery stays relatively the same.
> Eventually the rain stops entirely, perhaps because the canopy above has become so dense that it even blocks out the sunlight. You hear a bird screeching somewhere.
> "Looks like the outskirts of the Forest of Magic to me." Kouyoshi surveys her surroundings, not even slowing her pace.
> _
-
> Stay closer to Kouyoshi. "What's in the Forest of Magic?"
-
> Stay closer to Kouyoshi. "What's in the Forest of Magic?"
> "Witches, youkai, travelling youkai, run-of-the-mill animals, the occassional ghost..." Kouyoshi counts these things off on her fingers as she walks. "Oh, and mushrooms. This is like the mushroom capital of Gensokyo."
> _
-
> "Ohhh, mushrooms... Are there humans here, too?"
> Wait, youkai and travelling youkai! That's a lot of bad stuff!
-
> "Ohhh, mushrooms... Are there humans here, too?"
> Wait, youkai and travelling youkai! That's a lot of bad stuff!
> "Probably not."
> Ah, that's bad if there are youkai here...you really don't want to run into anything like that.
> _
-
> "Then what are we doing here? Are we going to ask a witch or a ghost where humans are?"
-
> "Then what are we doing here? Are we going to ask a witch or a ghost where humans are?"
> "Exactly. If I knew if there were any humans out here I'd take you straight to them, not into this forest. Let's see if we can find anyone~" Kouyoshi breaks into a run, beckoning for you to follow.
> _
-
>"Ah!" We'd better keep up!
-
>"Ah!" We'd better keep up!
> You run after her, not wanting to be left behind.
> As the two of you head deeper into the forest, Kouyoshi eventually slows down a little, allowing you to catch your breath. She was right: there are so many mushrooms out here.
> You still hear the bird's squawking louder than ever, while Kouyoshi eyes a beaten path off to the left.
> "Not a lot of people up at this hour," you hear her murmuring.
> _
-
> Pant pant pant. We can take this, it's training!
> "What's... hah... what's done there...?"
-
> Pant pant pant. We can take this, it's training!
> "What's... hah... what's done there...?"
> You pause to catch your breath. Training sure is tough, but you can do it!
> "No idea. Wanna take a look?"
> _
-
>"Sure."
>Take the path and look.
-
>"Sure."
>Take the path and look.
> You decide to take the path, and you and Kouyoshi start walking down it. As you walk, you notice that the rain is making its way through the branches again, making the path muddy and slippery-looking. Kouyoshi has already moved off the path itself and is walking beside it, rather than step in the mud.
> _
-
> Follow directly behind Kouyoshi.
-
> Follow directly behind Kouyoshi.
> You follow directly behind Kouyoshi, narrowly avoiding slipping in the mud. As you walk, you notice that it's strangely dark up ahead. Is there a tunnel there?
> _
-
> Get closer to Kouyoshi as we go through the dark area. Clutch our katana tightly.
-
> Get closer to Kouyoshi as we go through the dark area. Clutch our katana tightly.
> You tighten your grip on your katana and walk closer to Kouyoshi as you near the dark area. Upon entering it, you find yourself unable to see even an inch in front of you.
> _
-
>Does this darkness seem natural?
-
> Reach out to grab Kouyoshi's coat or tail or something.
-
>Does this darkness seem natural?
> No, something feels off.
> Reach out to grab Kouyoshi's coat or tail or something.
> You reach out and, after a few moments of fumbling around in the dark, grab onto Kouyoshi's coat.
> "Kinda weird, isn't it?" She doesn't sound bothered at all.
> _
-
>Oh god it's a youkai we're in trouble...
>Whimper.
-
>Oh god it's a youkai we're in trouble...
>Whimper.
> There's no way this can be normal it has to be a youkai...this isn't good.
> You whimper, and Kouyoshi slows down a little.
> "You okay?"
> _
-
>"This darkness is weird...i-it's a youkai..."
-
>"This darkness is weird...i-it's a youkai..."
> "Good call..." You can't see her, but you imagine Kouyoshi is looking around. "Hello~?"
> _
-
> Grip tightly to her coat.
-
> Grip tightly to her coat.
> You tighten your grip on Kouyoshi's coat as she calls out.
> As you're listening, you hear another voice somewhere in the distance, echoing the call.
> "Heeeeeeellooooo?"
> _
-
>"Heeeeelllllllloooooooo?"
-
>"Heeeeelllllllloooooooo?"
> You hear the voice again, a little closer this time.
> "Marco!"
> _
-
>"Polo...?"
>"Who are you?"
-
>"Polo...?"
>"Who are you?"
> "Marco!"
> You ask who the voice belongs to.
> "Me, of course!" the voice calls out again.
> _
-
> "Um, Polo! Where are you?"
-
> "Um, Polo! Where are you?"
> "Marco! I don't know!" The voice has definitely gotten closer. "It's too dark."
> _
-
>"Polo! What's your name?"
-
>"Polo! What's your name?"
> "Marco! Um, it's not Marco, it's Rumia."
> You can hear footsteps shuffling towards you, but they're interrupted by a thudding sound. "Gyahh!"
> _
-
> Look at Kouyoshi with a quizzical look, then realize that we can't see her. "Polo?"
-
> Look at Kouyoshi with a quizzical look, then realize that we can't see her. "Polo?"
> You look to Kouyoshi, even though you can't see her.
> "Marco..." As Rumia whimpers, you start to see the outline of your arm and Kouyoshi's tail.
> "Did she fall?" you hear Kouyoshi murmur to herself.
> _
-
> "Um... are you okay? Polo."
-
> "Um... are you okay? Polo."
> "I'm okay," you hear Rumia say. The gloom is starting to lift now; you can see someone a few meters away, getting up from the ground.
> _
-
>Whisper to Kouyoshi "I-Is she a youkai?"
>Look at the figure. EXAMINATION.
-
>Whisper to Kouyoshi "I-Is she a youkai?"
>Look at the figure. EXAMINATION.
> "Looks like it," Kouyoshi answers.
> As the darkness lifts, you look closely at the figure, which turns out to be that of a young girl. Her dress, shoes, and stockings are all completely black, except for the red ribbon tied into her blonde, shoulder-length hair. Her eyes are red, and when she opens her mouth, you see two rows of perfectly sharp teeth. You note that she looks soaked to the skin, and a bit muddy.
> You then get a good look at your surroundings, and see that the path you and Kouyoshi were taking leads around a rather large lake, surrounded by even more forest. It's chilly here, especially with the drizzle still going on.
> _
-
>"A-A-Are you ok?"
>Tremble at the thought that she is hostile and will devour your very existence.
>Think about pulling that ribbon. WILL THERE BE AN EX-RUMIA?
-
>"A-A-Are you ok?"
>Tremble at the thought that she is hostile and will devour your very existence.
>Think about pulling that ribbon. WILL THERE BE AN EX-RUMIA?
> Rumia blinks. "Yes. Do you have any food?"
> Just looking at her makes you quiver; she could eat you at any second and there's nothing you could do about it...
> You then wonder what would happen if you pulled the ribbon out of her hair. That's kind of a strange thing to think about, isn't it?
> _
-
>"N...No..."
>Tug on Kouyoshi a bit.
-
>"N...No..."
>Tug on Kouyoshi a bit.
> Kouyoshi looks to you, then to Rumia.
> "Sorry, we don't have any."
> "Aw, man...I'm starving," Rumia says in dismay. "I wanna eat pumpkin soup, and sweet potatoes with cinnamon and hot chocolate."
> Kouyoshi raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that something you'd eat in the autumn?"
> _
-
> "Y-yeah, you're supposed to eat cold buckwheat noodles in soy sauce!"
-
> "Y-yeah, you're supposed to eat cold buckwheat noodles in soy sauce!"
> "But isn't that what they eat on New Year's?" Rumia asks, drooling a bit. "The wheat is harvested in summer and autumn. I think."
> _
-
> "Huh, wait? Is that so?" Turn to Kouyoshi. "Is she right?"
-
> "Huh, wait? Is that so?" Turn to Kouyoshi. "Is she right?"
> Kouyoshi nods. "Depending on when you plant the wheat, you can harvest it in July, August, or September. Even a little earlier sometimes. You can plant it in any season, if I recall correctly," she says as if reciting it from memory. "So it goes."
> _
-
"Meira the
Barbarian Swordswoman" has just turned into "Harvest Imperishable Moon".
> "Ohhhh..." Kouyoshi's smart!
> Back to Mar- Rumia. "Um, sorry, we don't have pumpkins. There's some mushrooms over there..." Point vaguely in the direction we came from.
-
> "Ohhhh..." Kouyoshi's smart!
> Back to Mar- Rumia. "Um, sorry, we don't have pumpkins. There's some mushrooms over there..." Point vaguely in the direction we came from.
> Wow, Kouyoshi really does know a lot about this.
> Marco Rumia takes one look in the direction you indicated and wrinkles her nose. "Ew. Their harvest is better than some smelly old mushrooms." With that, she starts skipping off with her arms outstretched.
> "Who's 'they'?" Kouyoshi calls after her.
> _
-
> "The people that grow wheat and pumpkins, maybe?"
> Beat.
> "Waaaaaiit!!!"
-
> "The people that grow wheat and pumpkins, maybe?"
> Beat.
> "Waaaaaiit!!!"
> "Yeah, probably..."
> Wait.
> ...Oh!
> You call out for Rumia to wait. She skids to a halt, splattering more mud on her dress, and turns back to face you.
> "I said I didn't want any smelly mushrooms!"
> _
-
> "No, not that! Do you know where some humans are?"
-
> "No, not that! Do you know where some humans are?"
> "Huh?" Rumia stares at you, jaw slightly agap. "Yeah! They live in a village with lots of fields and bamboo nearby. Every year there's a big harvest, and they invite the ladies with grapes and leaves on their heads. It's the same people every year, or at least the people from the same families who help out the most with the fields. They make a big spectacle of it and sometimes, if there's a surplus, they give me a share. Yesterday I saw a girl from there in the forest. She's going to miss out on all the fun." The last sentence is said wistfully.
> _
-
> Smile happily at Kouyoshi. "See! There's one!"
> Turn back to Rumia. "Hey, can you take us there?"
-
> Smile happily at Kouyoshi. "See! There's one!"
> Turn back to Rumia. "Hey, can you take us there?"
> You can't help but smile. There were more humans after all!
> Kouyoshi smiles back.
> Rumia nods. "That's where I was going. They're probably harvesting the wheat and I'm missing it."
> _
-
> "Oh, youkai help harvest wheat too?"
> Let go of Kouyoshi's coat and walk closer to Rumia. Keep our katana close at hand, though: those teeth look sharp...
-
> "Oh, youkai help harvest wheat too?"
> Let go of Kouyoshi's coat and walk closer to Rumia. Keep our katana close at hand, though: those teeth look sharp...
> "Nope. They used to chase me away a lot."
> You leave Kouyoshi's side to move closer to Rumia. Those are some sharp teeth...
> Kouyoshi follows, looking out at the lake. "Forgot there was a lake here..."
> _
-
> "Oh... do you think they have big critters in there like..."
> Follow Rumia.
-
> "Oh... do you think they have big critters in there like..."
> Follow Rumia.
> "Lots of fish, I bet," Kouyoshi says as the two of you start following Rumia. She certainly seems to know where she's going, running along the path leading around the lake and into the trees beyond.
> "This way!" she shouts.
> _
-
> Why all the running...? ;_;
> Scramble after her.
-
> Why all the running...? ;_;
> Scramble after her.
> Youkai sure like to run, don't they?
> You scramble after her, slipping in the mud as you go. Eventually, all three of you clear the lake, and are now running through the trees. They don't seem as dense here, and after a few minutes, Rumia slows down.
> "They're thinning out," she says.
> _
-
> "Hah... are they?" Catch our breath. "Is... is it bad?"
-
> "Hah... are they?" Catch our breath. "Is... is it bad?"
> You stop to catch your breath again.
> "It means we're close," Rumia says. She walks backwards only to bump into a tree. "Ohh."
> "Looking kind of out of breath, there," Kouyoshi says to you.
> _
-
> Stand up tall. "I'm fine! It's just training!"
> March after Rumia.
-
> Stand up tall. "I'm fine! It's just training!"
> March after Rumia.
> You regain your composure. This is training!
> "If you say so."
> The three of you march on through the trees, and eventually you emerge in a huge, expansive field. Beyond the grass, a lot of it looks like farmland. Through the drizzle, you can see people in the fields. There are even some sheep off in the distance. In the middle of it all you can see some buildings, and behind that, a huge spread of bamboo growing taller than you can look over. A forest of bamboo?
> Rumia keeps moving, skirting around the fields as she does so. Kouyoshi hesitates for a moment before following her; you then notice that she has shapeshifted her tail and ears away.
> _
-
> A human village! "Hey, hey, Rumia, does the village have a guardian or a youkai hunter or a magician?"
-
> A human village! "Hey, hey, Rumia, does the village have a guardian or a youkai hunter or a magician?"
> There was another human village after all!
> "Yeah, there's this lady who wears a pagoda for a hat."
> _
-
> "A... pagoda...?" Imagine that.
> "... That's just silly. So who's the real tough guy around here?"
-
> "A... pagoda...?" Imagine that.
> "... That's just silly. So who's the real tough guy around here?"
> You try imagining a woman with a pagoda for a hat. How would that even work?
> Yeah, right, that can't be it.
> "I'm not lying!" Rumia cries in indignation. "She exists!"
> _
-
> Frown. "It's too silly to be true! You're just making things up!"
-
> Frown. "It's too silly to be true! You're just making things up!"
> "Then why don't you go ahead and prove me wrong?" Rumia sticks her tongue out at you.
> _
-
> Stick our tongue back at her! "Fine! I will!"
> Head to the village!
-
> Stick our tongue back at her! "Fine! I will!"
> Head to the village!
> You decide that you will indeed prove Rumia wrong, and head for the village. While Rumia practically races to keep up with you, Kouyoshi walks behind at a much more leisurely pace. A few heads turn at the scene, but no one approaches you.
> As you reach the outskirts of the village, you see a woman sprawled out on the grass with a piece of wheat sticking out of her mouth. You think you see someone else among the sheep nearby.
> _
-
> Race Rumia to the wheat eater! "Heyyyyy! Where's the village's guardian!? Or magician!?"
-
> Race Rumia to the wheat eater! "Heyyyyy! Where's the village's guardian!? Or magician!?"
> You race over to the wheat-eater, an albino woman wearing a burned-looking shirt and red pants with pieces of paper stuck here and there. Grinding the wheat between her teeth she glances over at you and Rumia, and then over to Kouyoshi, who is slowly catching up. She doesn't really say anything for a moment.
> "The pagoda lady!" Rumia blurts.
> The woman furrows her brow a little. "Keine?"
> _
-
> Wait, there really is a pagoda lady?
> ... No, this woman's in on it with Rumia! We'll call her bluff! "Yeah! Keine!"
-
> Wait, there really is a pagoda lady?
> ... No, this woman's in on it with Rumia! We'll call her bluff! "Yeah! Keine!"
> Rumia was right? No, they're all just playing along!
> The woman heave a sigh and pushes herself off the ground. "Stay put." She then turns and, with her hands in her pockets, saunters off into the village.
> Meanwhile Kouyoshi has wandered over to the sheep, and is reaching out to pet one.
> _
-
> Have we ever seen a sheep before?
> Wander over there and watch Kouyoshi pet it. Does it look fluffy?
-
> Have we ever seen a sheep before?
> Wander over there and watch Kouyoshi pet it. Does it look fluffy?
> You've never been this close to one, let alone touch it.
> You watch the sheep bleet at Kouyoshi as she gingerly pats its wool. It looks very, very fluffy.
> _
-
> Carefully approach, holding out a hand to touch it. *_*
-
> Carefully approach, holding out a hand to touch it. *_*
> You approach the sheep with caution, holding out your hand. It looks over at you lazily. Baaaa.
> Rumia, in the meantime, walks right up to one of the sheep and climbs on its back. She promptly loses her balance and disappears among the sheep, and you hear a thudding sound.
> _
-
>Wait until Sayane hears-
>...oh.
-
>Wait until Sayane hears-
>...oh.
> You can't wait to tell Sayane about--
> ...oh.
> You hear Rumia's voice trail up from inside the flock of sheep. "I landed on something soft~"
> _
-
> "H-how nice." Sniff, and wipe our eyes while petting a sheep.
-
> "H-how nice." Sniff, and wipe our eyes while petting a sheep.
> You sniff and wipe the tears rain from your eyes as you continue petting the sheep. It's so soft~
> _
-
>Think about how soft and fluffy a sheep is.
>Huggies the Sheep.
-
>Think about how soft and fluffy a sheep is.
>Huggies the Sheep.
> The sheep is so soft; its wool would definitely make the warmest blanket. With that thought in mind, you hug the sheep. It's so soooft...
> The rain is letting up. Kouyoshi lifts the brim of her hat, looking up into the sky.
> As the rain stops, you think you hear the albino woman's voice again from a distance.
> _
-
>Huggies the sheep once more and squeeze it, before letting go and turning to Kouyoshi.
>Look in the direction where you heard the voice.
-
>Huggies the sheep once more and squeeze it, before letting go and turning to Kouyoshi.
>Look in the direction where you heard the voice.
> You give the sheep one final squeeze before turning back to where Kouyoshi is absentmindedly petting the sheep.
> Upon looking in the direction of the voice, you see the albino woman walking back towards you. Following her is another woman with white-blue hair, wearing a dark blue dress and...
> ...What kind of hat is that?!
> _
-
> Aaaaaaaa Rumia wasn't lying?!
> Stare.
-
> Aaaaaaaa Rumia wasn't lying?!
> Stare.
> She was telling the truth all this time, wasn't she?
> You stare unabashedly at the woman's hat. It does look like a pagoda, but it could also be a little house, or even a bento box.
> When both women reach the three of you, Rumia sits up. The woman in the strange hat looks over at her, and then at Kouyoshi--who averts her eyes--and finally at you. She furrows her brow, looking a bit confused.
> "I don't believe I've ever seen the two of you around here before," the woman says at last.
> _
-
>A bento box... But who...
>"...puts lunch on their head?"
-
>A bento box... But who...
>"...puts lunch on their head?"
> The woman raises an eyebrow. "Huh?"
> "I want lunch!" Rumia calls out.
> _
-
>Blush in embarrassment a little.
>"Erm... we were... looking for the village..."
-
>Blush in embarrassment a little.
>"Erm... we were... looking for the village..."
> Maybe you shouldn't have said that...
> "So you're not from here?" The woman crouches down to your level. "Hm...you don't seem like a youkai...where did you come from?"
> _
-
> "M-Mayohiga... I'm Sonozaki Meira..." Remember our manners, and bow. "And this is my friend Kouyoshi. And that's Rumia."
-
> "M-Mayohiga... I'm Sonozaki Meira..." Remember our manners, and bow. "And this is my friend Kouyoshi. And that's Rumia."
> You introduce yourself, Kouyoshi, and Rumia, bowing politely.
> "I'm Kamishirasawa Keine, and that is my friend Mokou. Nice to meet you," the woman says, gesturing to the albino woman. Her smile soon fades, however. "Mayohiga, huh...huh...."
> Keine closes her eyes as if concentrating. "Mayohiga--ah! Mokou, when's the next full moon?" She turns to look Mokou, who is wandering a little ways off from the flock of sheep.
> "Two days."
> Keine turns back to the three of you. "You all must have travelled far to get here."
> _
-
> "Y-yeah..." Clutch our sword. "U-um... Rumia said you were the village protector, Kameshi... Kamiji... Kamishiwaja..."
-
> Explain what happened.
> Don't cry.
> Omit specifics about Kouyoshi.
-
> "Y-yeah..." Clutch our sword. "U-um... Rumia said you were the village protector, Kameshi... Kamiji... Kamishiwaja..."
> "Kamishirasawa."
> That's still too long.
> Explain what happened.
> Don't cry.
> Omit specifics about Kouyoshi.
> You do not cry and proceed to explain to Keine what happened at the village last night. Going out and coming home to see the fire, the youkai, the kitsune, everything.
> You don't tell her any details about Kouyoshi, though.
> There is a heavy silence during which Keine pinches the bridge of her nose.
> "A kitsune...god..."
> _
-
> "So... that's why I need to be trained so I can revenge my family!"
-
> "So... that's why I need to be trained so I can revenge my family!"
> Mokou snorts, earning a dirty look from Keine.
> "We're not exactly fighters, here...Mokou is the only one I know who could match up to a kitsune," Keine says. "But not with a sword."
> _
-
> "N-not a sword...? Well, if you can fight a kitsune, then teach me how to! I don't care how!"
-
>"I just... I just want to... do this for them! It's all I ask..."
>Sniff~
-
> "N-not a sword...? Well, if you can fight a kitsune, then teach me how to! I don't care how!"
>"I just... I just want to... do this for them! It's all I ask..."
>Sniff~
> You don't care if it's a sword or not, you just want to fight the kitsune and get revenge!
> Keine looks at Mokou..
> "Dunno how long you'd survive against a kitsune," Mokou says, putting her hands in her pockets. "But if you really want to learn how to fight..."
> _
-
> Perk up. "Y-you mean you'll...?"
-
> Perk up. "Y-you mean you'll...?"
> "Sure, fine."
> Keine looks like she doesn't know what to think.
> "Well, then..." She stands up. "Now that that's settled, all three of you are filthy."
> At this, Kouyoshi looks down at herself in dismay.
> _
-
> Look down at ourself, then back up at Keine. "... I wash my hands before I eat!"
> Remember that we didn't wash our hands both times Kouyoshi fed us. "... Sometimes."
-
> Look down at ourself, then back up at Keine. "... I wash my hands before I eat!"
> Remember that we didn't wash our hands both times Kouyoshi fed us. "... Sometimes."
> You're clean...mostly. You're pretty sure you didn't take a bath yesterday. Keine gives you a disapproving look.
> "The three of you can take a bath at the schoolhouse. Honestly..." She turns and starts walking back into the village and waves back to the three of you. "Come on, you can have something to eat while you're at it."
> Rumia leaps up and starts running after her.
> _
-
> Start to follow, then look back at Kouyoshi. "Um... are you going to come...?"
-
> Start to follow, then look back at Kouyoshi. "Um... are you going to come...?"
> Kouyoshi blinks. "Should I?"
> _
-
> Sniff Kouyoshi.
> If she smells, scrunch our nose. "Yes."
-
> Sniff Kouyoshi.
> If she smells, scrunch our nose. "Yes."
> "Wha--"
> She needs a bath.
> "Okay, okay." Kouyoshi pulls the brim of her hat down and starts walking after Keine.
> _
-
> "Ha ha..." Follow!
-
> "Ha ha..." Follow!
> Heh.
> You join the train following Keine into the village. This place, while bigger than Mayohiga, is still a little small. You see people in the streets here and there. Some are carrying baskets. Others have bundles of wheat with them.
> Keine makes a beeline down the streets, straight for a wooden building slightly bigger than the rest. It's a building with two floors, with a gate surrounding it. You then notice a clock towards the top of the building; looks like it's already past noon.
> _
-
> "Noon already?!"
> Follow follow follow!
-
> "Noon already?!"
> Follow follow follow!
> "We must have slept in," Kouyoshi says.
> You, Kouyoshi, and Rumia follow Keine as she passes through the gates. Off to the side you see a small playground and some flowers, and to the other side, more trees.
> Keine heads for the front door and takes some ring of keys out of her pocket, fishing through them for a bit before sticking a silver one into the keyhole. Pushing open the door, she gestures for you to follow her in.
> _
-
> Peek at the playground before going in. We'll have to test it later.
> Look around inside. How does it compare to our old schoolhouse?
-
> Peek at the playground before going in. We'll have to test it later.
> Look around inside. How does it compare to our old schoolhouse?
> You take a quick look at the playground. There are some swings, a slide, monkey bars, a lot of room to run around. You're going to have to take a look at this later.
> You follow Keine into the schoolhouse. There's a single hallway running horizontally to you; to the left there are some doors leading to what you presume are classrooms. To the right there are more doors, with one leading to a staircase. It's bigger than your old schoolhouse, but the layout is familiar enough.
> _
-
> Keep following Keine, but race Rumia to... where ever we're going!
-
> Keep following Keine, but race Rumia to... where ever we're going!
> Keine closes the door and heads for the staircase. You and Rumia naturally make a race out of this. As you're nearing the stairs, however, you hear Keine call out to you.
> "Please no running indoors."
> Rumia slows down. "Aw, man..."
> _
-
> Slow down too, but stick our tongue at Rumia before going up the stairs.
> Continue following Keine.
-
> Slow down too, but stick our tongue at Rumia before going up the stairs.
> Continue following Keine.
> Rumia pouts, but doesn't retaliate beyond that.
> The three of you follow Keine up the stairs, reaching a smaller hallway at the top.
> Keine then turns to the three of you and smiles warmly. "The bath should fit one or two people at a time, I think. It'll be a little big on you all, but you can borrow some of my clothes until yours are all clean. I'll run back and grab Mokou after that, and then we can get ourselves on the same level. How does that sound?"
> _
-
> "Kaaay. Come on!"
> Drag Rumia into the bathing room.
-
> "Kaaay. Come on!"
> Drag Rumia into the bathing room.
> "I'll leave some clothes for you to change into outside the door," Keine says as you drag Rumia to the bathing room. "Second door on the left."
> The bathing room is rather nice and clean, with the towels folded and neatly stacked on top of each other in one corner, a basket sitting in another, some soaps sitting on a shelf on the wall, and a tiny window near the ceiling, presumably to let the steam out.
> Rumia looks around in awe. "I've never been in here before."
> _
-
> "I haven't either!" Proceed to bathtimes, washing up and heating up in the bath.
-
> "I haven't either!" Proceed to bathtimes, washing up and heating up in the bath.
> "Is that so?"
> You waste no time in filling the bathtub with water, leaving your dirty clothes in the basket in the corner as you wait for the water to heat up. Rumia proves to be absolutely filthy underneath her dress, perhaps owing to the fact that she was running around in the mud earlier, but strangely enough she leaves her ribbon on. As the two of you are washing up, the water gets warmer, causing a cloud of steam to billow out.
> _
-
> Scrub scrub scrub!
> "Hey you should wash your hair too!"
> Test the water, and try to open that window to let steam out.
-
>Feel like tugging that ribbon.
-
Oh don't you even start >:<
-
MUST HAVE EX-RUMIA. WRRRRRRRRRRY.
-
> Scrub scrub scrub!
> "Hey you should wash your hair too!"
> Test the water, and try to open that window to let steam out.
> Washing up feels rather nice, seeing as you missed the opportunity to do so last night.
> You suggest that Rumia was her hair. She takes a lock of it between her fingers and inspects it the best she can.
> "Hm...okay!" Rumia puts some shampoo on her head and lathers it in, squeezing her eyes shut as the soap trickles down her face.
> You test the water. It's a little hot, but it doesn't burn to touch.
> You then open the window, letting the steam out and clearing up the air a bit.
>Feel like tugging that ribbon.
> Come to think of it, Rumia hasn't taken out her ribbon even though she's washing her hair now...maybe you should do it for her?
> _
-
> Make sure there's no more water going into the bath, and hop in!
> "Mmmm it's nice and warm... hey, are you done yet?"
-
>"Rumia... Why are you still wearing that ribbon?"
-
> Make sure there's no more water going into the bath, and hop in!
> "Mmmm it's nice and warm... hey, are you done yet?"
> You turn off the faucet and hop into the bath. It feels so nice...
> "Almost." Rumia rubs the shampoo out of her eyes and enters the bath. She submerges herself up to her chin and sighs contentedly. "Ahhh...it's like we're vegetables in a pot."
>"Rumia... Why are you still wearing that ribbon?"
> "Hm?" Rumia looks at you curiously. "'Cause I can't take it out. It hurts if I try."
> _
-
>"I... Could help if you want."
>Point to the ribbon.
MUST. HAVE. EX RUMIA.
-
Oh cripes. Listen, there's a reason Marisa's dead in Himiko's Quest games.
-
>_> Boo. B-But... EX Rumia is like...
-
>"I... Could help if you want."
>Point to the ribbon.
> Rumia shakes her head. "No, it's fine. It looks cute this way, anyway."
> _
-
> Shrug. "Eh, suit youself."
> Enjoy being boiled like a potato.
-
> Shrug. "Eh, suit youself."
> Enjoy being boiled like a potato.
> The both of you sit back and enjoy the hot water. After a while, when you're starting to feel a little pruney, you hear a knock on the door and Keine's voice.
> "I've just left some clothes out here for when you're done."
> _
-
> "Kaaaay."
> Climb out and dry off. Can we find a brush or a comb?
-
> "Kaaaay."
> Climb out and dry off. Can we find a brush or a comb?
> You climb out of the tub and grab a towel to dry off. There's a comb sitting on the shelf with the soaps that you can use.
> _
-
>Comb our nice hair~
-
>Comb our nice hair~
> You comb your hair out until there are no tangles in it. As you're doing this, Rumia gets out of the bath and wraps herself in a towel.
> _
-
> Hand the comb over. "Here you go!"
> Find those clothes and put them on.
-
> Hand the comb over. "Here you go!"
> Find those clothes and put them on.
> "Thanks~" Rumia takes the comb and starts running it through her hair.
> You open the door just enough to grab the clothes Keine left for the two of you. They're both long-sleeved blouses, but they're so big--or perhaps you're so small--that it's like a nightgown to you.
> _
-
>Put them on.
>Spin around and wave your arms, enjoy your new clothes.
-
>Put them on.
>Spin around and wave your arms, enjoy your new clothes.
> You get dressed, and then spin around while waving your arms experimentally. It feels so nice~
> Seeing you enjoying the clothes provided for you, Rumia takes the clothes that are left and puts them on, holding out her arms and admiring the sleeves.
> _
-
> "Okay, Kouyoshi's turn!"
> Run downstairs! "Kouyoshi! The bath's ready!"
-
> "Okay, Kouyoshi's turn!"
> Run downstairs! "Kouyoshi! The bath's ready!"
> You and Rumia leave the bath and run downstairs to find Kouyoshi. She's loitering around at the foot of the stairs when you find her.
> "Oh, okay." She walks past you and Rumia up the stairs, disappearing into the bathing room. You see Keine drop some clothes for Kouyoshi outside the door, and then run past you and Rumia down the stairs.
> "I'll be right back," Keine says. "Stay in the schoolhouse, okay?"
> Rumia salutes. "Got iiiit."
> _
-
> "Kay."
> Find our backpack and katana, and pull out our sketchbook and crayons.
-
> "Kay."
> Find our backpack and katana, and pull out our sketchbook and crayons.
> You head back upstairs with Rumia following close behind. You retrieve your backpack and katana from the hallway, and from your backpack you get your sketchbook and crayons. Rumia has run past you and is now opening one of the doors.
> _
-
> "What's in there?"
> Find a table or a cushion or something to draw at.
-
> "What's in there?"
> Find a table or a cushion or something to draw at.
> "Not food," Rumia says.
> You look around for somewhere to draw, your search leading you to the door Rumia opened. There's a small coffee table sitting at the center of the tatami mat here, with a few cushions sitting around that. A few potted plants sit here and there, and even a few paintings on the walls.
> _
-
> Pull up a cushion and sit at the coffee table.
> Open up the sketchbook. What have we drawn in here?
-
> Pull up a cushion and sit at the coffee table.
> Open up the sketchbook. What have we drawn in here?
> You take a seat at the coffee table and crack open the sketchbook. You've drawn a lot in here so far: pictures of bugs and frogs you've found, pictures of your family, different flowers you've seen, and so forth.
> Rumia is running around the room, inspecting everything on the walls and looking at the plants, as if she expects to find something here.
> _
-
> Find a fresh page and start drawing whatever comes to mind. Kouyoshi, Mr. Frog, Mayohiga on fire, the evil youkai, the eviller kitsune, Kouyoshi's house, Rumia...
-
>Draw Froggy!
>Don't cry when you think of the past. ROU ROU FIGHT DA PAWAH. ROU ROU FIGHT DA PAWAH.
-
> Find a fresh page and start drawing whatever comes to mind. Kouyoshi, Mr. Frog, Mayohiga on fire, the evil youkai, the eviller kitsune, Kouyoshi's house, Rumia...
>Draw Froggy!
>Don't cry when you think of the past. ROU ROU FIGHT DA PAWAH. ROU ROU FIGHT DA PAWAH.
> You flip to the newest page and start drawing everything you've seen yesterday and today. You draw Mr. Frog, fighting back tears as you do so; Kouyoshi, with her ears and tail; Mayohiga, when it was on fire; the youkai you saw, surrounded by flames; the kitsune, although you use your imagination for this one and draw a fox with nine tails instead; Kouyoshi's house, opting to scribble where there was a lot of clutter; Rumia, coloring her ribbon in with a red crayon.
> As you draw, Rumia eventually gets bored of running around and crawls under the table, lying on her back. A few minutes after this, Kouyoshi enters the room carrying her hat in her hands and wearing a dark blue nightgown that you assume belongs to Keine. Her ears and tail have returned, now. She sits down on one of the cushions and rests her head on her arms, her tail waving back and forth as she sighs.
> "That was a nice bath."
> _
-
> "You're not ... transformed?"
-
> "Yeah..."
> Draw our cunning strategy to defeat the evil kitsune. Be sure to add explosions and awesome sword slicing.> "You're not ... transformed?"
?
-
> "You're not ... transformed?"
> "Wha? I'm still sort of mimicking Sayane's appearance..."
> "Yeah..."
> Draw our cunning strategy to defeat the evil kitsune. Be sure to add explosions and awesome sword slicing.
> You turn back to your sketchbook, drawing out your plants to defeat the kitsune. You soon have a drawing of you going at the kitsune with your sword with lots of explosions in the background. Nice.
> _
-
> Show the picture to Kouyoshi. "Hey, hey, look!"
-
> You turn back to your sketchbook, drawing out your plants to defeat the kitsune. You soon have a drawing of you going at the kitsune with your sword with lots of explosions in the background. Nice.
You turn back to your sketchbook, drawing out your plants to defeat the kitsune.
drawing out your plants to defeat the kitsune
drawing out your plants
out your plants
your plants
plants
PLANTS
---
>Realise you have actually drawn one of the many plants you have seen on one page.
>Flip the page to reveal your PLANS
-
> Show the picture to Kouyoshi. "Hey, hey, look!"
>Realise you have actually drawn one of the many plants you have seen on one page.
>Flip the page to reveal your PLANS
> You flip to the page where you have drawn your plans to defeat the kitsune.
> Kouyoshi looks up and cracks a smile. "Ha, not bad, not bad."
> _
-
> "If that white haired lady can train me then I can do that to the kitsune!"
> Flip to the picture of Kouyoshi. "What do you think?"
-
> "If that white haired lady can train me then I can do that to the kitsune!"
> Flip to the picture of Kouyoshi. "What do you think?"
> "Ohh."
> You show Kouyoshi the picture you drew of her. She grins, and her tail swishes back and forth.
> "No one's ever drawn me before, that's nice~"
> _
-
>Smile.
>"I'm glad you liked it."
>Then give her a hug.
-
>Smile.
>"I'm glad you liked it."
>Then give her a hug.
> Yay, she liked it~!
> You give Kouyoshi a hug. She seems caught off guard for a moment, but returns the hug.
> _
-
> Mmmm... she's huggable.
-
> Mmmm... she's huggable.
> Kouyoshi is definitely one of those people who are fun to hug.
> As you're hugging Kouyoshi, you see Rumia get out from under the table and tackle Kouyoshi's tail.
> _
-
>Ooh! A game; a game!
>Poke Kouyoshi's side; see if she's ticklish.
-
>Ooh! A game; a game!
>Poke Kouyoshi's side; see if she's ticklish.
> You just got a good idea..
> You poke Kouyoshi's side. Is she ticklish?
> Kouyoshi squirms a little and stiffles a giggle, but other than that she doesn't react much.
> _
-
> Hm... maybe... here? Or here?
-
> Hm... maybe... here? Or here?
> You continue to poke Kouyoshi until she's visibly holding back laughter.
> "Pfft...s-stop, haha..."
> _
-
>Think about stopping...
>Then tickle some more; motion to Rumia to do the same.
>When she finally starts laughing, laugh with her; this is so much fun!
-
>Think about stopping...
>Then tickle some more; motion to Rumia to do the same.
>When she finally starts laughing, laugh with her; this is so much fun!
> You think about stopping...but you don't.
> You keep tickling, motioning for Rumia to join in; the two of you tickling Kouyoshi at once proves to be too much for her, and she ends up collapsing into laughter. You and Rumia end up laughing right along with her, as though you were tickled as well.
> As the three of you are laughing, you hear the door open.
> _
-
> Look up at the door opening.
-
> Look up at the door opening.
> You look up at the door to see Keine there, with disgruntled-looking Mokou standing behind her.
> "I'm going to be going back out for a few minutes, but Mokou will be here," Keine says, gently nudging Mokou into the room.
> _
-
> "Kaaay."
> Look at Kouyoshi again. Does she still have her ears and tail out?
-
> "Kaaay."
> Look at Kouyoshi again. Does she still have her ears and tail out?
> You look back at Kouyoshi to see if...huh? Her ears and tail really are gone. Rumia's laying on the ground with a confused look on her face; she was using Kouyoshi's tail as a pillow, after all.
> "Well, on that note..." Keine closes the door, and you hear her walk back down the hall.
> Mokou walks over to the coffee table and proceeds to lay down, using the nearest cushion as a pillow.
> _
-
>Pout a little; we like her fluffy tail. =(
>Wander over to Mokou; try and get her attention.
>Be a little cautious though; but still smile.
>"Excuse me... Mokou?"
-
>Pout a little; we like her fluffy tail. =(
>Wander over to Mokou; try and get her attention.
>Be a little cautious though; but still smile.
>"Excuse me... Mokou?"
> Aw, man, why'd she have to go hide it?
> You turn your attention to Mokou, who is staring at the ceiling. You're a bit cautious but you approach her with a smile anyway.
> When you call out to her, she looks over in your direction...actually, it looks a little like a glare.
> "Haa?"
> _
-
> "Eep!"
> Run around the table and hide behind Kouyoshi.
-
> "Eep!"
> Run around the table and hide behind Kouyoshi.
> Startled, you run back around the table and take shelter behind Kouyoshi. Kouyoshi looks a bit confused, but Rumia sits up with a curious twinkle in her eye.
> "Eh? What was that?" Rumia asks. She leans across the table and stares at Mokou, wide-eyed. Mokou just ignores her and closes her eyes.
> _
-
> Peek around Kouyoshi. "So, um... you're gonna teach me, right? How to fight kitsune and youkai and stuff?"
-
> Peek around Kouyoshi. "So, um... you're gonna teach me, right? How to fight kitsune and youkai and stuff?"
> Mokou exhales through her nose. "Yeah."
> _
-
>Wave arms in excitement.
-
> "So, are you going to teach me awesome sword skills or magic?!"
-
>Wave arms in excitement.
> You wave your arms excitedly. Rumia follows suit.
> Mokou opens her mouth as if to say something, but then stops herself.
> "So, are you going to teach me awesome sword skills or magic?!"
> "Magic. I'll go into detail once Keine's returned."
> _
-
> "Ohhhhh! You mean...!"
> Woooooow...
-
> "Ohhhhh! You mean...!"
> Woooooow...
> Could it be...?!
> "Yeah."
> This is going to be so awesome.
> _
-
> Come out from behind Kouyoshi. "Well, why do you gotta wait until Keine-san gets back?"
-
> Come out from behind Kouyoshi. "Well, why do you gotta wait until Keine-san gets back?"
> "Because she'll probably want to hear about it, too."
> Rumia crawls onto the table and watches Mokou from above. "Is that when we get food?"
> "Yeah."
> _
-
>"But... can't you show us a bit now?"
>Pout if she says no.
-
>"But... can't you show us a bit now?"
>Pout if she says no.
> "No."
> At this, you pout.
> While you're pouting, you hear footsteps in the hallway again. Mokou sits up, causing Rumia to scramble back next to Kouyoshi.
> "Here she comes."
> _
-
> Wait patiently for Keine to enter.
> The moment she does enter, ask Mokou, "So will you show me now?!"
-
> Wait patiently for Keine to enter.
> The moment she does enter, ask Mokou, "So will you show me now?!"
> The door opens, and Keine enters carrying a bag; you see some vegetables poking out of it.
> "I'm back, I'm going to be making some food--" Keine is interrupted by you asking Mokou to show off her ability.
> "I'll show you when we're outside, okay?" Mokou says, attempting a compromise.
> Keine clears her throat.
> _
-
> "It's a promise?" If she agrees, then nod, and look at Keine. "What's for lunch, Keine-san?"
-
> "It's a promise?" If she agrees, then nod, and look at Keine. "What's for lunch, Keine-san?"
> "Yeah.."
> Once you've gotten an answer out of Mokou, you turn back to Keine.
> "We're having grilled meat with vegetables...and you can call me Kamishirasawa-sensei or Keine-sensei," Keine says. When she turns from the door, Rumia leaps up and hurries after her into the hallway.
> _
-
>Wave arms in excitement of the food~
-
>Wave arms in excitement of the food~
> You wave your arms excitedly. Lunchtime, lunchtime~
> "You sure wave your arms around a lot..." Kouyoshi says, tilting her head to one side.
> _
-
>Tilt head to the right.
>"It's fun!~"
>Continue waving arms.
>"Try it!"
-
>Tilt head to the right.
>"It's fun!~"
>Continue waving arms.
>"Try it!"
> You tilt your head and continue waving your arms; this makes Kouyoshi laugh for some reason.
> "Haha, no thanks."
> _
-
>Follow Rumia~!
-
>Follow Rumia~!
> You decide to leave Kouyoshi and Mokou alone and head out into the hallway. You see Rumia waiting outside of a doorway farther down the hallway, almost as if lurking.
> _
-
>Go
Kogasa scare her!
>Lurk with her!
-
>Go Kogasa scare her!
>Lurk with her!
> Error: tatarakogasa does not exist yet
> You sneak up behind Rumia and jump out at her!
> "Aieeee!"
> This makes Rumia shriek in terror and scramble backwards until she falls back onto the floor.
> Keine appears at the doorway almost immediately, with a concerned look on her face. Down the hall you hear another door open, and Mokou's voice muttering something.
> "What happened?" Keine asks, frowning a bit. She looks over at Rumia, who is cowering on the floor. "Are you okay?"
> _
-
> GUILT TO THE MAX!
> "Aaaa!! I-I'm sorry!!"
-
> GUILT TO THE MAX!
> "Aaaa!! I-I'm sorry!!"
> Eek, so guilty...
> Rumia pushes herself off the floor, shaking a little.
> "Th-that really scared me..."
> _
-
> "Sorry..."
-
> "Sorry..."
> From the doorway, Keine sighs. "You ought to be..." She turns and heads back into the kitchen.
> Rumia takes a deep breath, then smiles blankly. "It smells really good in there but she won't let me in the kitchen."
> _
-
> Peek inside.
> "Um... sorry about scaring you, Rumia..."
-
> Peek inside.
> "Um... sorry about scaring you, Rumia..."
> You look into the kitchen. Keine is chopping up something at the counter.
> "It's, it's fine," Rumia says.
> _
-
> "Oh, okay."
> Stare at Keine cooking.
> "What's she doing?"
-
> "Oh, okay."
> Stare at Keine cooking.
> "What's she doing?"
> You and Rumia watch Keine cook; she doesn't give any indication that she knows you're watching her.
> "She's chopping up meat," Rumia says, and wipes a bit of drool from her mouth.
> _
-
>...When was the last time we ate?
>If it's been a while, then we're probably pretty hungry now.
-
> Well, we did have fish this... morning/afternoon, right?
> "Oh... what kinda meat?"
-
>...When was the last time we ate?
>If it's been a while, then we're probably pretty hungry now.
> Well, we did have fish this... morning/afternoon, right?
> "Oh... what kinda meat?"
> You had something to eat this morning, but you're hungry again.
> It was fish, you remember. That was what you ate.
> "Pork," Rumia whispers, as though she is saying something she shouldn't be.
> _
-
> Frown. "Beef would be good, but pork's fine. Maybe... tonkatsu?"
> Mmmm...
-
> Frown. "Beef would be good, but pork's fine. Maybe... tonkatsu?"
> Mmmm...
> Rumia is already drooling. "I really hope that's what she maaakes..."
> _
-
> "Me toooo..."
> Continue watching from around the doorway. Jiiii~
-
> "Me toooo..."
> Continue watching from around the doorway. Jiiii~
> The two of you continue watching from around the doorway, staring at Keine as she moves on to chopping the vegetables. Eventually, she notices you and Rumia, glancing over at where you are both lurking.
> "It'll be ready in about twenty to thirty minutes," Keine says.
> _
-
> "Aw..." That's too long!
> "Come on, let's go draw or something." Head back to the room where Kouyoshi and Mokou and the sketchbook are.
-
> "Aw..." That's too long!
> "Come on, let's go draw or something." Head back to the room where Kouyoshi and Mokou and the sketchbook are.
> You can't lurk out here for that long...
> You and Rumia decide to head back to where you left your sketchbook.
> When the two of you reach the room, you see Mokou is still lying on her back, seemingly asleep. Kouyoshi is leaning across the table, flipping through your sketchbook absentmindedly.
> _
-
> Stare at Mokou. So she's gonna teach us, huh?
-
> Stare at Mokou. So she's gonna teach us, huh?
> You stare at Mokou. This is the one who's going to teach you how to fight...
> ...She looks like she doesn't have a care in the world when she's asleep, huh?
> _
-
> Get our sketchbook back from Kouyoshi, and hop on the table so we can get a good vantage point of Mokou as we draw her while she's asleep.
-
> Get our sketchbook back from Kouyoshi, and hop on the table so we can get a good vantage point of Mokou as we draw her while she's asleep.
> You take your sketchbook back from Kouyoshi and climb up on the table. From here, you have a pretty good view of the sleeping Mokou. From where you're sitting, you can also see Rumia crawling under the table.
> "Hey, what are you doing?" Kouyoshi furrows her brow a bit.
> _
-
> "Drawin' Mokou." Sketch sketch sketch.
-
> "Drawin' Mokou." Sketch sketch sketch.
> "Really...? What if she wakes up?" Kouyoshi asks as you start to draw.
> You start sketching Mokou, and find that you have to turn your paper to the side to fit all of her. She doesn't move, though, which makes things much easier for you.
> _
-
> "Then I tell her to go back to sleep."
> Turn the page and start coloring!
-
> "Then I tell her to go back to sleep."
> Turn the page and start coloring!
> "Sounds fair enough."
> You start coloring in the picture, and end up using a lot of your red in the process, thanks to her pants. The resulting picture is quite good, though.
> _
-
> Grin, and share it with Kouyoshi! "What do you think?!"
-
> Grin, and share it with Kouyoshi! "What do you think?!"
> You show Kouyoshi the picture you drew, and she grins.
> "Heheh, nice."
> Rumia sticks her head out from under the table. "Let me see!"
> _
-
> Hang our upper body down from the table so we can show Rumia the picture.
-
> Hang our upper body down from the table so we can show Rumia the picture.
> You hang over the table and show Rumia the picture. She takes one look at it, and a huge smile breaks out on her face.
> "She looks really silly!" she giggles.
> _
-
> "She's just sleeping. Lemme draw you."
> Still hanging down, draw Rumia.
-
> "She's just sleeping. Lemme draw you."
> Still hanging down, draw Rumia.
> "Well, she looks silly when she's sleeping," Rumia says matter-of-factly.
> You decide to draw another picture of Rumia. She flashes a wide grin and makes a peace sign, providing a pose for you to draw. Drawing this one is easy, and very soon you're finished.
> As you're adding the final touches to the picture, the door slides open once more.
> "Food's ready."
> _
-
> "All right!" Close the sketchbook and roll off the table. "Let's eat!"
> To the food!
-
>Wave arms in excitement.
-
> "All right!" Close the sketchbook and roll off the table. "Let's eat!"
> To the food!
>Wave arms in excitement.
> You shut your sketchbook and roll off the table, waving your arms as you rush towards the door. Keine walks right past you carrying a pot, which she sets on the table. There are a few bowls and chopsticks balanced on top of the lid which she takes off and sets on the table in front of everyone.
> Upon taking off the lid to the pot, a warm aroma fills the room. Mokou stirs and yawns loudly, sitting up and looking around bleary-eyed.
> _
-
> Sit next to Kouyoshi and wait for Keine to say it's okay to eat, then chow down!
-
> Sit next to Kouyoshi and wait for Keine to say it's okay to eat, then chow down!
> You take a seat next to Kouyoshi and wait as Keine fills each bowl with meat and vegetables. Rumia, who is sitting across from you next to Mokou, keeps wiping away the drool until Keine starts handing out the bowls. She immediately starts devouring hers with gusto, while you wait until everyone else has been served.
> _
-
> Dig in! How does it taste?
-
> Dig in! How does it taste?
> You start eating. It...it's...
> Really good~
> _
-
> Delicious~. Chow down! Does Kouyoshi seem to be enjoying it?
-
> Delicious~. Chow down! Does Kouyoshi seem to be enjoying it?
> You continue to dig in to your food. Kouyoshi seems to be enjoying it almost as much as Rumia, who is already holding up her bowl for seconds.
> _
-
> We can have seconds?! Ooh ooh!
-
> We can have seconds?! Ooh ooh!
> Seconds, seconds!
> Keine glances over at you. "You want more?"
> _
-
> "Please?" Hold out our bowl and give a winning smile!
-
> "Please?" Hold out our bowl and give a winning smile!
> Keine smiles and puts more meat and vegetables into the bowl. "Okay."
> _
-
> Chow down until we chow down any more.
> When we're full, fall backwards and rest, arms outstretched. "Mmm~"
-
> Chow down until we chow down any more.
> When we're full, fall backwards and rest, arms outstretched. "Mmm~"
> You eat your fill, and then fall backwards, contented. Kouyoshi and Mokou finish eating soon after you, while Rumia is on her fifth bowl. Eventually, all of the food has been eaten, and Keine stands up.
> "Mokou, why don't you help me take this into the kitchen?"
> "Ah, sure."
> There's the clattering of bowls, and then footsteps as Keine and Mokou take the utensils and pot out of the room.
> _
-
> Oh, we should help. Take the bowls and follow!
-
> Oh, we should help. Take the bowls and follow!
> You would do that, but Keine and Mokou are already carrying all of them. That's kind of a disappointment; you wanted to help...
> _
-
> Pout, and lay down again. "Tasty~. What'd you think, Kouyoshi?"
-
> Pout, and lay down again. "Tasty~. What'd you think, Kouyoshi?"
> Aw, man...
> You ask Kouyoshi what she thought of the food, and she grins widely.
> "Really good. I wonder if they always eat like this?"
> _
-
> "Hm... maybe if you move in you can eat like this all the time!"
-
> "Hm... maybe if you move in you can eat like this all the time!"
> "As nice as that sounds, I have my own house..."
> _
-
> "Oh..." Relax.
-
> "Oh..." Relax.
> On that note, you return to your spot at the table and continue to relax. After a short while, Mokou and Keine--who is carrying some paper and a pen--return.
> Mokou wanders off to the side of the room, stepping over a sleeping Rumia, while Keine sits right down at the table. She sets the paper in front of her and holds the pen in her hand, assuming a writing position.
> "Meira, I'm sorry for asking you this all of the sudden," Keine says, "but do you think you'd be able to go over what happened at Mayohiga once more? What was it like there, before the incident?"
> _
-
> Sit up. "Um... before the incident?" Well... oh!
> Open up our sketchbook. "Well, there was a river with a buncha bugs..." Start telling her all about Mayohiga while showing her the pictures of the bugs and the frogs and our family.
-
> Sit up. "Um... before the incident?" Well... oh!
> Open up our sketchbook. "Well, there was a river with a buncha bugs..." Start telling her all about Mayohiga while showing her the pictures of the bugs and the frogs and our family.
> You start to tell Keine about Mayohiga, showing her pictures of the bugs, flowers, frogs, and your family. Keine's pen seems to fly across the paper as she writes.
> "It sounds like a nice place..." Keine says, pausing to shake out her hand.
> _
-
> "It..." Slump. "It was..."
> Awkward silence.
> "Um... anyways, but there was a school there, too. It wasn't as big as this one and didn't have a bath or anything and the playground wasn't as nice. Oh and..." Keep telling her a little bit more about the place, more subdued.
-
> "It..." Slump. "It was..."
> Awkward silence.
> "Um... anyways, but there was a school there, too. It wasn't as big as this one and didn't have a bath or anything and the playground wasn't as nice. Oh and..." Keep telling her a little bit more about the place, more subdued.
> Was.
> There's a brief awkward silence during which Mokou flops onto her back and folds her arms behind her head. You then continue talking about Mayohiga in detail as Keine reaches over to flip through your sketchbook. She comes to the page of Mayohiga on fire and stops. When there's another lapse in your story, she speaks up.
> "...How much do you know about this?" Keine taps the picture of Mayohiga on fire. "Was there anything that seemed particularly strange to you?"
> _
-
> "Um..." Flip to the next page with the youkai that we saw. "Those were there. And..."
> ... Wait!
> "Eyes! I saw eyes in the smoke above the village! Um... five pairs!"
-
> "Um..." Flip to the next page with the youkai that we saw. "Those were there. And..."
> ... Wait!
> "Eyes! I saw eyes in the smoke above the village! Um... five pairs!"
> You show Keine the pictures of the youkai.
> That is when your remember seeing eyes above the smoke. There were five pairs that disappeared too fast for you to really tell what they were, exactly...
> Keine furrows her brow as she studies the drawings. "That's odd. Just eyes?"
> _
-
> "Uh... yeah. But they disappeared, but they were weird! Oh, and the ugly youkai were saying something about Mayohiga being theirs or something, but it was our home!"
-
> "Uh... yeah. But they disappeared, but they were weird! Oh, and the ugly youkai were saying something about Mayohiga being theirs or something, but it was our home!"
> "Theirs, huh? I'm going to have to look into this further..."
> _
-
>"Look into what?"
-
>"Look into what?"
> "The situation."
> _
-
> "Oh. Um, well, look into that kitsune! I need to revenge my family..." Clutch at our katana.
-
> "Oh. Um, well, look into that kitsune! I need to revenge my family..." Clutch at our katana.
> You request that Keine look into the kitsune. That's the most important thing. You clutch your katana in your hands, feeling the need to get revenge once more.
> "I'll see what I can do." Keine stands up, shuffling the papers together and tucking them under her arm. "Thank you for your information."
> She then promptly turns and walks out of the door.
> Kouyoshi lifts her head off the table and watches Keine leave with a confused expression.
> "Huh?"
> Mokou opens one eye and looks over at the door. "Well, it's not like she has all the free time in the world."
> _
-
> "Um... what does she do? Oh and... are you gonna show me how to beat the kitsune?"
-
> "Um... what does she do? Oh and... are you gonna show me how to beat the kitsune?"
> "She's a teacher and the village's head." Beat. "And some kid went missing last week, so that's been keeping her busy, too."
> Mokou sits up. "Your clothes are still dirty, right? When those are clean, we can go out then."
> _
-
>"Yay! Clean clothes!"
>Wave arms in excitement.
-
>"Yay! Clean clothes!"
>Wave arms in excitement.
> Clean clothes! Yes!
> "Yeah...Keine wanted me to take care of it, 'cause she's busy," Mokou explains. "You can just take it easy in the meantime."
> _
-
>
Become a yukkuri
> "Kaay." How tired do we feel?
> "Hey, hey Kouyoshi, d'ya wanna do anything?"
-
> Become a yukkuri
> "Kaay." How tired do we feel?
> "Hey, hey Kouyoshi, d'ya wanna do anything?"
> Denied
> You feel a little tired. Maybe you didn't get enough sleep last night?
> You turn your attention to Kouyoshi.
> "Ummm, I wanted to try drawing something..."
> _
-
> Ah! We wanna see Kouyoshi draw! Give her the sketchpad and crayons, and watch eagerly!
-
> Ah! We wanna see Kouyoshi draw! Give her the sketchpad and crayons, and watch eagerly!
> This is your chance! You're so eager to see Kouyoshi draw that you readily hand her the sketchpad and crayons.
> You watch intently as Kouyoshi flips to a new page and starts drawing; she sits around for a minute twirling a crayon around in her fingers, but eventually she does start to draw something. As you watch, you realize she's drawing the creek. She pauses for another minute or so as if in thought, and then draws you in. Her drawing style is simple, but she's good at it.
> _
-
> Watch. Jiiiiiii~
-
>Wave arms in excitement of Kouyoshi's impending drawing.
-
> Watch. Jiiiiiii~
>Wave arms in excitement of Kouyoshi's impending drawing.
> You keep watching and waving your arms.
> When Kouyoshi is finished, she pushes the sketchbook back towards you. "Here."
> _
-
> Look at the drawing.
-
> Look at the drawing.
> You take a look at the drawing. It's kind of simple, but she can draw.
> "How is it?"
> _
-
> "It's good! Simple, but I like it!"
> Turn the page to an empty page, and draw something, say... the field outside of this village, and try to imitate her style.
> "... Hey, Mokou, what's the name of this place?"
-
> "It's good! Simple, but I like it!"
> Turn the page to an empty page, and draw something, say... the field outside of this village, and try to imitate her style.
> "... Hey, Mokou, what's the name of this place?"
> Kouyoshi grins.
> You try your hand at imitating Kouyoshi's style, opting to draw the field you were in outside the village.
> It then occurs to you that you don't know the village's name.
> "The Human Village."
> _
-
> Give Mokou a look like she's dumb or something. "I know it's a human village, but what is it called?"
> Keep trying to draw like Kouyoshi.
-
> Give Mokou a look like she's dumb or something. "I know it's a human village, but what is it called?"
> Keep trying to draw like Kouyoshi.
> Is she crazy?
> "The Human Village," Mokou repeats.
> You keep trying to imitate Kouyoshi's style. It's not that hard to do.
> _
-
> Puff up our cheeks in annoyance. "Stop playing around! What is it?"
-
> Puff up our cheeks in annoyance. "Stop playing around! What is it?"
> "The Human Village. I'm serious."
> _
-
> "... That's a dumb name." Unimaginative! We would've given it a cool name!
> Finish drawing.
-
> "... That's a dumb name." Unimaginative! We would've given it a cool name!
> Finish drawing.
> "That's pretty cruel," Mokou says, but she's grinning from ear to ear.
> You finish up the drawing. It's a decent picture of a field.
> "Anyway, if you want your clothes to be dry by evening I better get to washing them now." Mokou stands up. "Keine wanted me to take care of that, anyway."
> _
-
> "Do you want me to help?"
-
> "Do you want me to help?"
> "Sure, it'd go faster if you guys were helping me."
> _
-
And now you see Rumia standing in a field, laundry hanging from her outstretched arms.
> "Kaay." Put down the sketchbook and follow Mokou!
-
> "Kaay." Put down the sketchbook and follow Mokou!
> "Good." Mokou turns to Kouyoshi and Rumia, who is still asleep. "Both of you come on, too."
> As Kouyoshi stands up, Mokou goes over and gently nudges Rumia with her food. "Hey, wake up."
> "Mmmgh..." Rumia stirs and rolls over. "I'm awaaake..."
> Mokou grabs Rumia under her arms and stands her on her feet. "Not awake enough. Come on, we're doing laundry." She then turns and walks out of the room, and the three of you follow. Mokou first stops at the bathing room to collect the dirty clothes in a basket, and then starts for the stairs.
> "The washboard's down here," she calls out.
> _
-
> Bound down the stairs to the washboard!
-
> Bound down the stairs to the washboard!
> You rush down the stairs and into the hallway, while Kouyoshi and Rumia walk behind at a slower pace. Mokou has set the laundry basket on the floor and is getting something from a small utilities closet near one of the doorways.
> "Someone can carry the washboard and tub," Mokou says as she retrieves said items from the closet, handing the metal tub off to Kouyoshi. "We can get water outside."
> _
-
> "I got it!" Get the washboard and carry it outside.
-
> "I got it!" Get the washboard and carry it outside.
> You offer to take the washboard, and drag it outside with some difficulty. Mokou leads the four of you around the schoolhouse, past the playground to a small yard in the back. There's a water pump here.
> Mokou sets down the basket and looks up at the sky.
> "Probably won't rain again today," she notes.
> _
-
> Hold the washboard up. "Kay, let's do it!"
-
> Hold the washboard up. "Kay, let's do it!"
> "Okay." Mokou turns to Kouyoshi. "You, you can fill the tub with water over there."
> Kouyoshi nods and drags the tub off to the water pump. A few minutes later she is dragging it back, being careful not to spill any water from it.
> Mokou turns back to you. "You put the washboard into the water and...you..." She points to Rumia, who is sitting on the grass. "You hold it up."
> _
-
> Put the washboard in the tub. "Come on, Rumia, hold it up!"
-
> Put the washboard in the tub. "Come on, Rumia, hold it up!"
> Rumia sprints over to hold up the washboard. "Okaaay."
> "Good." Mokou then tips the basket over and dumps all of the laundry into the tub. She grabs a handful of the dirty clothes and starts grating them against the washboard, pausing every now and then to dip them back into the water.
> _
-
> Hold onto the washboard to keep it steady. Is it getting soapy?
-
> Hold onto the washboard to keep it steady. Is it getting soapy?
> You keep the washboard steady. Looks like it's getting soapy...when did Mokou put in the soap, anyway?
> _
-
> It must be ~soap magic~.
> Keep helping with the laundry. "Do you and Keine-sensei live here?"
-
> It must be ~soap magic~.
> Keep helping with the laundry. "Do you and Keine-sensei live here?"
> As long as the clothes get clean.
> You roll up your sleeves and help Mokou wash the clothes. As you do so, you ask if she lives here with Keine.
> "I have my own place," Mokou says.
> _
-
> "Oh, okay. So what do you do? Beat up kitsune?"
> Watch as she scrubs.
-
> "Oh, okay. So what do you do? Beat up kitsune?"
> Watch as she scrubs.
> Mokou shrugs and continues to scrub. "I just hang around, and stuff..."
> _
-
>Pout; she's boring~
>"Surely you must do more then that~"
>"Haven't you, like, fought against anyone?"
-
>Pout; she's boring~
>"Surely you must do more then that~"
>"Haven't you, like, fought against anyone?"
> She's not really interesting...
> "If you want to get specific, I have helped around the village." Mokou continues scrubbing the clothes without pause.
> You then ask if she's ever fought anyone and she says, "Of course I have."
> _
-
> "Ohhh, did you use a sword, or punch their lights out? Maybe even made them explode with magic!"
-
> "Ohhh, did you use a sword, or punch their lights out? Maybe even made them explode with magic!"
> "Ummm...." Mokou pauses; even Rumia and Kouyoshi are now watching her. "Everything but the sword. Not to mention stuff like strangulation and dismemberment," she muses, and wrings out the clothing she's holding.
> _
-
>"Dis... Dismem... Dismemberment?"
>Look to Kouyoshi if Mokou doesn't say anything else.
-
>"Dis... Dismem... Dismemberment?"
>Look to Kouyoshi if Mokou doesn't say anything else.
> What's this dismemberment she speaks of?
> Mokou doesn't answer, so you turn to Kouyoshi.
> Kouyoshi has a blank look on her face, and then says, "You'll learn when you're better at fighting!"
> Rumia raises her hand. "I know what it is!"
> "Why don't you go to the playground or something?" Mokou says to her.
> _
-
> "But..."
> Oh well, we'll learn about it! Let's get these clothes clean!
-
> "But..."
> Oh well, we'll learn about it! Let's get these clothes clean!
> You'll figure out what it means someday!
> In the meantime, you help Mokou finish washing the rest of the clothes.
> Mokou starts taking the clothes out of the tub, wringing the water out of them as she does so. She then starts putting them back into the basket...shouldn't she be hanging them up to dry?
> _
-
> "Um... wait, isn't there a clothesline...?"
-
> Look confused!
(It's what we do best!)
-
> "Um... wait, isn't there a clothesline...?"
> Look confused! (It's what we do best!)
> "Nope, I've got a faster way of doing it." Mokou packs the clothes into the basket, and then puts her hands over them. She closes her eyes, and you feel a sudden wave of heat. There's a faint aura around Mokou's body, which disappears as soon as she takes her hands off of the clothes.
> "How does this feel?" Mokou asks, handing off a shirt to Kouyoshi. Kouyoshi runs her hand over it experimentally.
> "...Dry?!"
> Rumia's eyes light up. "Coooool!"
> _
-
> "Woah... that's a lot better way of doing it! And plus dogs don't try to steal the sheets!"
> We gotta learn how to do that!
-
> "Woah... that's a lot better way of doing it! And plus dogs don't try to steal the sheets!"
> We gotta learn how to do that!
> "Convenient, isn't it?" Mokou says.
> If you learn how to do that, you'll never have to worry about hanging up laundry again!
> _
-
> "Please teach me how to do that!"
-
> "Please teach me how to do that!"
> "Later." Mokou stands up and grabs the edge of the tub. "Step back, I'm going to dump this out."
> Kouyoshi and Rumia move away.
> _
-
>Quickly move back with them; keep your eyes on the Mokou though.
-
>Quickly move back with them; keep your eyes on the Mokou though.
> You move back and watch as Mokou tips the tub over, sending the water spilling into the grass.
> _
-
> Help put everything away.
-
> Help put everything away.
> With the laundry done, the four of you head back around the yard and into the schoolhouse. Mokou carries the tub and washboard, while Kouyoshi carries the basket with laundry in it. After putting the tub and washboard into the utilities closet, Mokou takes the laundry from Kouyoshi and starts heading upstairs.
> _
-
> Follow! Clean clothes, clean clothes~
> Oh, and wave our arms while we're at it.
-
> Follow! Clean clothes, clean clothes~
> Oh, and wave our arms while we're at it.
> Your clothes are clean! Yes!
> You follow Mokou up the stairs, waving your arms as you go. Rumia races past you as you enter the hallway, running next to Mokou.
> "Can I go on the playground?!"
> "You have to get dressed first."
> _
-
> "Come on, let us get dressed!"
> Follow follow!
-
> "Come on, let us get dressed!"
> Follow follow!
> You and Rumia follow Mokou back into the table room, where she is setting the basket.
> "You guys can pick your clothes out of here," Mokou says.
> _
-
>Dive in and grab our clothes, then put them on!
-
>Dive in and grab our clothes, then put them on!
> You dive into the basket and fish your clothes out, causing other clothes to spill out of the basket in the process. As you're putting them on, Rumia follows your lead and dives into the basket, nearly going upside down. Mokou watches as her legs kick in the air. Kouyoshi, who is entering the room, looks confused at the scene. She walks over to the basket, reaching out to it hesitantly, but waiting until Rumia has retrieved her clothes before she goes to get her own.
> _
-
> Make sure our kimono is on nice and tight, and feel at it for dampness.
-
> Make sure our kimono is on nice and tight, and feel at it for dampness.
> You make sure your clothes fit nicely, and then feel at it to see if it's damp at all. There's no sign of dampness.
> Rumia is already getting dressed, fumbling around with putting her dress on over her shirt.
> _
-
> Wait for Rumia to finish and then head for the playground.
-
> Wait for Rumia to finish and then head for the playground.
> No time for waiting! Pull that dress over her head!
> "Let's go! Thanks for drying the clothes, Mokou!"
-
> Wait for Rumia to finish and then head for the playground.
> No time for waiting! Pull that dress over her head!
> "Let's go! Thanks for drying the clothes, Mokou!"
> You consider waiting for Rumia to finish getting dressed, but pulling her dress over her head is faster, so you do that.
> "No problem."
> Rumia pats down her hair and holds her arms out like wings. "Ready!"
> _
-
> Race Rumia down the stairs and to the playground!
-
> Race Rumia down the stairs and to the playground!
> You and Rumia race out of the room, down the hallway, and down the stairs. You burst out of the schoolhouse and rush over to where the playground is, seeing some people walking outside the gates as you go.
> When you reach the playground, there's no one there.
> _
-
> All to usssss!
> Go adventuring on the playground!
-
> All to usssss!
> Go adventuring on the playground!
> More for you and Rumia!
> You and Rumia head over to explore the playground. It's a bit old-looking, but it proves to be very fun. The monkey bars in particular prove to be extremely fun to climb. Rumia, on the other hand, sticks to the swings.
> _
-
> The monkey bars will be for training. Yessss.
> Run over to the swings and start trying to get high!
-
> The monkey bars will be for training. Yessss.
> Run over to the swings and start trying to get high!
> With these monkey bars, you will learn how to climb trees!
> You board the swings, trying to get as high as you can. Rumia, distracted by watching you, lets go and goes flying.
> She lands and rolls in the grass, her hair and clothes disheveled as she comes to a stop. She sits up, dizzy, and giggles.
> "Try jumping! It's fun!"
> _
-
> "Okaaaay!" Swing back and forth until we have a huge swing going!
> ... Okay, this is a bit scary, but we're not going to show Rumia that we're chicken! Let go and fly!
-
> "Okaaaay!" Swing back and forth until we have a huge swing going!
> ... Okay, this is a bit scary, but we're not going to show Rumia that we're chicken! Let go and fly!
> You build up momentum until you've got a good swing going. You're scared, but you can't let Rumia know!
> You let go, and feel a sudden loss of control as you soar through the air. You go crashing to the ground and lose your balance as you roll through the grass, feeling very dizzy and a bit sore when you come to a complete and final stop. You hear Rumia's giddy voice nearby.
> "That was awesome! You were flailing around all over the place!"
> _
-
> "Uwaaaah..." @_@
> Try to get our bearings...
-
>After getting our bearings, wave arms in excitement.
-
> "Uwaaaah..." @_@
> Try to get our bearings...
>After getting our bearings, wave arms in excitement.
> Dizzy...
> You try to get your bearings, and wave your arms. This just serves to make you even dizzier, and you sway here and there.
> _
-
> Fall over, and let the world decide when it wants to stay still again.
-
> Fall over, and let the world decide when it wants to stay still again.
> You fall on your back and stare up at the sky, waiting for it to stop spinning.
> Moments pass, and eventually you're not dizzy anymore.
> _
-
> Stare at the sky a little more, before giggling and getting back on the swings. Let's do it again!
> Keep playing until we're told to come back inside.
-
> Stare at the sky a little more, before giggling and getting back on the swings. Let's do it again!
> Keep playing until we're told to come back inside.
> You gaze up at the sky for a short while longer, before breaking into giggles and rushing back to the swings.
> You and Rumia keep playing for what feels like forever; the sky is actually starting to darken when you see Keine come around the corner.
> "Come on in, we're going to have dinner soon!"
> _
-
> "Kaaaay..."
> Race Rumia back inside, and have some dinner. Make sure to wash our hands, though, so Keine doesn't glare at us again.
-
> "Kaaaay..."
> Race Rumia back inside, and have some dinner. Make sure to wash our hands, though, so Keine doesn't glare at us again.
> You race Rumia all the way back into the schoolhouse. As the two of you are washing your hands, you smell something good down the hall.
> _
-
> Follow our nose! "Mmm... what is it...?"
-
> Follow our nose! "Mmm... what is it...?"
> You follow your nose into the hall, and see Keine opening the door to the table room.
> "It's grilled lamprey over rice," Keine says. "Mokou brought it over."
> _
-
> "Lamprey?" Do we know what lamprey is?
-
> "Lamprey?" Do we know what lamprey is?
> "That's right, lamprey."
> You don't know what that is...
> _
-
>"...What's lamprey?"
-
>"...What's lamprey?"
> "It's an eel-like fish."
> _
-
> "That sounds gross..."
-
> "That sounds gross..."
> "Well, it's really popular among the villagers. Come on." Keine heads into the room; Rumia rushes past you and patters after her.
> _
-
> Trudge on along and sit down. This sounds groooooss...
-
> Trudge on along and sit down. This sounds groooooss...
> You reluctantly follow them into the room and take a seat at the table. There's a plate of rice with strips of what you presume is the grilled lamprey over top. You notice that while Kouyoshi is here, already eating, Mokou is absent.
> Keine puts some rice on the plates, followed by a strip of grilled lamprey on top. She hands it over to you and Rumia, and then serves some to herself.
> _
-
> Poke at the lamprey and bleh. Eat the rice around it.
-
> Poke at the lamprey and bleh. Eat the rice around it.
> You pick at the lamprey, and opt to eat just the rice instead. Keine notices this and frowns slightly.
> "Don't be picky, now. You won't know whether or not it's actually any good until you've tried it."
> _
-
> Sulk and cross our arms. "It sounds icky."
-
> Sulk and cross our arms. "It sounds icky."
> Keine picks up a piece with her chopsticks and pops it into her mouth. "It's not that icky...see?"
> _
-
> Look over at Kouyoshi. "Kouyoshi, Kouyoshi, is it icky?"
-
> Look over at Kouyoshi. "Kouyoshi, Kouyoshi, is it icky?"
> Kouyoshi swallows her mouthful of food and shakes her head. "No, it's good."
> _
-
> Pick some up hesitantly... and nibble on the end.
-
> Pick some up hesitantly... and nibble on the end.
> Convinced--somewhat--by the others, you pick up a bit of lamprey and nibble at it.
> It's...acceptable.
> _
-
>Bite out a slightly larger piece the piece you just nibbled at.
-
> If nice, wave arms. If not, be silent.
-
>Bite out a slightly larger piece the piece you just nibbled at.
> If nice, wave arms. If not, be silent.
> You take a larger bite.
> Acceptable.
> You wave your arms, your chopsticks nearly flying out of your hands in the process.
> Kouyoshi blinks. "Do you like it?"
> _
-
>"It's alright."
>Wave arms slightly. HOLD ON TO THEM CHOPSTICKS!
-
> Quickly retrieve
arms chopsticks, then wave arms carefully while gripping chopsticks.
-
> Quickly retrieve arms chopsticks, then wave arms carefully while gripping chopsticks.
They didn't fly out of our hands. They ALMOST did.
-
>"It's alright."
>Wave arms slightly. HOLD ON TO THEM CHOPSTICKS!
> Quickly retrieve arms chopsticks, then wave arms carefully while gripping chopsticks.
> Kouyoshi smiles a bit. "That's good."
> You tighten your grip on the chopsticks as you continue to wave your arms. You almost dropped those chopsticks...
> _
-
>Om nom nom the stuff. All of it.
>Wave arms after done.
-
>Let's cut down on the arm waving stuff; our arms can only handle so much, and we'll probably feel the effects of that later.
>After we've finished eating, if it was tasty, smile and remember to say 'thanks for the food.'
>We will show we have manners~
-
>Om nom nom the stuff. All of it.
>Wave arms after done.
> You eat all of the food on your plate, waving your arms when you're done.
>Let's cut down on the arm waving stuff; our arms can only handle so much, and we'll probably feel the effects of that later.
>After we've finished eating, if it was tasty, smile and remember to say 'thanks for the food.'
>We will show we have manners~
> You then cease waving your arms; you might hit something, after all...
> You show your manners by thanking Keine for the food. She, Rumia, and Kouyoshi are still eating.
> "You sure ate fast," Keine remarks with a bit of a smile.
> _
-
> "Um... so, where's Mokou? We gotta train now!"
-
> "Um... so, where's Mokou? We gotta train now!"
> "She went off to the other side of the village," Keine says. "She goes there at night..."
> Then, for some reason, Keine frowns.
> _
-
> "Aw... I thought she was going to show me some moves or something..."
> Well, that laundry drying trick was cool...
-
> "Aw... I thought she was going to show me some moves or something..."
> Well, that laundry drying trick was cool...
> One day, you'll dry laundry just like she did.
> "I'm sure she will." Keine smiles again.
> Rumia finishes her fourth plate and stands up. "I'm going out."
> "Huh...you come here and eat, and then leave?"
> _
-
>Pout and try and stop Rumia.
>"Please stay~"
-
>Pout and try and stop Rumia.
>"Please stay~"
> You pout, trying to keep Rumia from leaving. Rumia puffs out her cheeks.
> "No, I wanna go outside~..."
> _
-
>"Will you come back? I'd like it if you did."
-
>"Will you come back? I'd like it if you did."
> "Okay!" Rumia turns and runs out of the room.
> Keine watches her go. "Hm...she was from the Forest of Magic, right?"
> "That's where we met her," Kouyoshi says.
> _
-
> "She made everything dark! Until she tripped..."
-
> "She made everything dark! Until she tripped..."
> "So she did." Keine stands up and collects the plates. She then leaves the room, presumably heading for the kitchen.
> Kouyoshi waits until she's out of the room before letting her ears and tail pop out.
> "Hahh...Well, what do you think of this place?"
> _
-
> "It's nice... I like the playground, and they cook well here... And if Mokou can teach me how to fight youkai..."
-
> "It's nice... I like the playground, and they cook well here... And if Mokou can teach me how to fight youkai..."
> "So you're gonna stay here?"
> _
-
> Well, where else are we going to stay? It's not like we can stay with Kouyoshi, can we? She's a youkai... one of the good youkai, but still...
-
> Well, where else are we going to stay? It's not like we can stay with Kouyoshi, can we? She's a youkai... one of the good youkai, but still...
> Even though Kouyoshi's a good youkai, you don't really have many options...
> _
-
> "I... I think so. Um... but I need to go back to Mayohiga some time... try to find everything from my..." Repress the feelings from thinking about our torched home.
-
> "I... I think so. Um... but I need to go back to Mayohiga some time... try to find everything from my..." Repress the feelings from thinking about our torched home.
> You still need to go back to Mayohiga.
> No, you're not sad at all.
> _
-
> "... Um... you're going back to your home, aren't you?"
-
> "... Um... you're going back to your home, aren't you?"
> Kouyoshi's ears perk up. "Yeah."
> _
-
> "Will you... will you come and visit?"
-
> "Will you... will you come and visit?"
> "Sure, I don't really see why not."
> _
-
> "Thanks..." Hesitate... then give Kouyoshi a hug.
-
>Squeeze Kouyoshi.
>Do not wave arms after huggie.
-
"MAKE LIGHT HEARTED TEXT ADVENTURE."
"EVERYBODY CRIES."
WELL THATS BECAUSE FROGGY DIED.
-
>"And don't forget to get a better door!"
Arm waving is clearly a Mayohigan gesture. Sadly, it was rendered nearly extinct overnight.
-
> "Thanks..." Hesitate... then give Kouyoshi a hug.
>Squeeze Kouyoshi.
>Do not wave arms after huggie.
>"And don't forget to get a better door!"
> You thank Kouyoshi and give her a hug. She nods and returns it.
> "Yeah."
> But she still needs to get a better door.
> _
-
> Wait for Keine to return, or something.
-
> Wait for Keine to return, or something.
> It takes a few minutes for Keine to return. The second she does, Kouyoshi's ears and tail disappear.
> "Well, I'm going to be going back out; you can go out and explore the village if you don't want to be cooped up in here all night," she says.
> _
-
> "Kaay! Come on, Kouyoshi!"
> Drag Kouyoshi outside, but don't forget our stuff!
-
> "Kaay! Come on, Kouyoshi!"
> Drag Kouyoshi outside, but don't forget our stuff!
> You quickly gather your belongings and drag Kouyoshi out by the hand; all the while she's more concerned with trying to get her hat onto her head and trips a little on the way out.
> When you leave the schoolhouse, you look up to see that it's getting quite dark. There are a few people heading back through the streets with their carts and tools, an indication that the farming day has ended. There's a smell in the air that quite reminds you of the lamprey you just ate.
> _
-
> "Hey, Kouyoshi, Kouyoshi, let's go explore!"
> Wander around town.
-
> "Hey, Kouyoshi, Kouyoshi, let's go explore!"
> Wander around town.
> "Okay..."
> You and Kouyoshi walk past the gates of the schoolhouse and through the streets. You see buildings similiar to those in Mayohiga, and more houses.
> "So, where exactly should we explore?" Kouyoshi asks, lifting the brim of her hat to get a good look at her surroundings.
> _
-
> "Um..." What looks interesting? Have we ever been in a bamboo forest before?
-
> "Um..." What looks interesting? Have we ever been in a bamboo forest before?
> You take a look around. There's nothing that really sticks out to you here, although you've never been to a bamboo forest before...
> _
-
> "Let's go to the bamboo forest! Maybe there's a panda there!"
> Drag Kouyoshi to the forest!
-
> "Let's go to the bamboo forest! Maybe there's a panda there!"
> Drag Kouyoshi to the forest!
> "I've never seen a panda youkai before," Kouyoshi muses as you continue dragging her through town. "But they sound really cute."
> It doesn't take very long at all to pass through the village, and soon you're standing at the outskirts. There's another field here; at the end of it is an expanse of bamboo so tall you can't even see over the top of it. The lamprey smell is much stronger than before.
> _
-
> Frown at that smell. We guess we know where it came from...
> Run up to the edge of the bamboo field and peer in.
-
> Frown at that smell. We guess we know where it came from...
> Run up to the edge of the bamboo field and peer in.
> Why would the smell of lamprey be coming from a bamboo forest, anyway?
> You and Kouyoshi run through the field and stop at the edge of the bamboo forest. You peek in and see that it's very dark, although your eyes have adjusted to the gloom nicely. It looks like there's some sort of trodden path in there, at least.
> _
-
> "Let's see where it goes!" Go down the path!
-
> "Let's see where it goes!" Go down the path!
> Kouyoshi squints at the bamboo. "Sure..."
> The two of you start heading down the path, and are almost immediately surrounded by bamboo. The smell of lamprey, however, gets stronger still.
> _
-
> "That smell's getting stronger..." Well, might as see what's up. Follow our nose!
-
> "That smell's getting stronger..." Well, might as see what's up. Follow our nose!
> You decide to follow the smell; Kouyoshi trails behind, looking this way and that. The smell gets stronger, and as it does, you think you hear...singing?
> _
-
> Hum along as we get closer!
-
> Hum along as we get closer!
> As you get closer to the singing, you hum along.
> "Welcome to Rock N' Roll Niiight~ Welcome to Rock N' Roll Fiiight~"
> Kouyoshi's ears flick. "Huh?"
> _
-
>
Wonder just what the heck the timeline between Gensokyo and the Outside World looks like.
> "♫ I'm just a Rock 'n Roll Man~♫"
> Approach!
-
> Wonder just what the heck the timeline between Gensokyo and the Outside World looks like.
> "♫ I'm just a Rock 'n Roll Man~♫"
> Approach!
> Forget consistency, I do what I want
> "We're just a Rock N' Roll Band~"
> You and Kouyoshi keep walking until you come to a small clearing in the bamboo. In the middle of the darkness is a single wooden cart with wheels and a small roof, parked in the grass with a bench in front. There are two lanterns on either side of the cart. Standing behind it you see a girl with pink hair tucked behind a dark blue handkerchief, wearing a brown uniform and singing merrily as she turns guts a lamprey with a kitchen knife. On the grill on the cart in front of her, more lamprey are grilling; she pauses every now and then to sprinkle some spices over them. You also notice that she has wings: they're mostly brown, but you also see flecks of black, white, and grey.
> Sitting at the bench you see a girl with two antennae poking out of her short green hair, wearing a cape over her shorts and shirt. She's digging into some lamprey, unfazed by the pink-haired girl's singing.
> "We kept running along the road, we'll keep speeding down the road filled with signs, we'll keep singing through many towns, we'll keep stirring up the cowardly scoundrels~ ♫"
> _
-
> Oh, so this is who made those lampreys.
> Look at the whole lamprey, and go ick: that's what we ate? At least her singing's nice...
-
> Oh, so this is who made those lampreys.
> Look at the whole lamprey, and go ick: that's what we ate? At least her singing's nice...
> Mokou must have gotten those lampreys from this girl.
> You take one look at the whole lamprey and promptly lose your appetite. It's not like you weren't full to begin with...
> The winged girl starts to sing the next line, but notices Kouyoshi.
> "Ack!" Her wings ruffle up, and she makes a squawking noise. "A tanuki?"
> The antennae girl looks behind her and blinks. "Huh?"
> _
-
>Tilt head to the right.
>"Why are all of you so surprised?"
-
>Tilt head to the right.
>"Why are all of you so surprised?"
> "That would be becaaause, tanuki aren't youkai~ you see every day~" the winged girl sings as she slices the lamprey in half.
> "Can you shapeshift into a lot of things?" the antennae girl asks.
> "Of course I can."
> _
-
> "I like her like this the best, 'cause she's fluffy~"
> Hug Kouyoshi's tail.
> "So you're youkai...?"
-
> "I like her like this the best, 'cause she's fluffy~"
> Hug Kouyoshi's tail.
> "So you're youkai...?"
> You hug Kouyoshi's tail, and the antennae girl looks on.
> "Nice, huh? No one ever wants to hug me," she says. "Oh, but there are totally cute ones among my people!"
> "Goodness, you couldn't tell?" the winged girl trills, a look of sheer pride on her face.
> _
-
> "It was obvious." Say that as bluntly as possible.
> "Do... do you know any kitsune?"
-
> "It was obvious." Say that as bluntly as possible.
> "Do... do you know any kitsune?"
> "Then there was no need to ask~" the winged girl says, slapping a fresh lamprey onto the grill.
> You ask if they know any kitsune, and they both freeze.
> "Aren't those like super rare or something?" The antennae girl stuffs another piece of lamprey into her mouth. "Like, what if they're not here anymore, like the oni?"
> "Well there's a kitsune in Gensokyo, and we're looking for it," Kouyoshi interrupts.
> The antennae girl's antennae perk up. "Whoa!"
> The winged girl absentmindedly pokes at the grilling lamprey with a spatula. "Hmm...I've never seen one. Of all my regulars, I've only heard rumors of some great golden fox...huh..."
> _
-
> Scowl. "Well, what did you hear about it?"
-
> Scowl. "Well, what did you hear about it?"
> "It was a girl from the Forest of Magic. She had with her~ a very strange monster with glowing eyes and a long nose~"
> _
-
> "A long nose...? Um, what did she say? About the fox?"
-
> "A long nose...? Um, what did she say? About the fox?"
> "Yes. I've never seen anything like it. She said that lately, she had been seeing a fox deep in the Forest of Magic. I don't know exactly where, though~"
> _
-
> Look up at Kouyoshi. "Could that be it?" Back to wing girl. "Where's this girl? In the Forest of Magic? Do you know where?"
-
> Look up at Kouyoshi. "Could that be it?" Back to wing girl. "Where's this girl? In the Forest of Magic? Do you know where?"
> Kouyoshi shrugs. "Probably."
> The winged girl brings her knife down on another lamprey. "Yea, the Forest of Magic. I assume she lives real deep inside, maybe even closer to the mountains." Beat. "Not Youkai Mountain, the ones no one ever goes to."
> _
-
> "Who would wanna go to a place called 'Youkai Mountain'?"
> Look up at Kouyoshi. "Can we go back to the forest and find her? She knows where that kitsune is!"
-
> "Who would wanna go to a place called 'Youkai Mountain'?"
> Look up at Kouyoshi. "Can we go back to the forest and find her? She knows where that kitsune is!"
> "Youkai like Tengu and Kappa, of course~"
> "I don't have any problems with that, but maybe you should tell that Keine woman where you're going." Kouyoshi's tail waves back and forth.
> The winged girl's ears perk up. "You know who Kamishirasawa is?"
> _
-
> "Um, yeah. Keine-sensei and Mokou are helping me." She might be a kitsune spy, don't wanna tell her too much...
> "Kouyoshi, wanna keep going?"
-
> "Um, yeah. Keine-sensei and Mokou are helping me." She might be a kitsune spy, don't wanna tell her too much...
> "Kouyoshi, wanna keep going?"
> "You know Fujiwara?!" the winged girl cries.
> "Yeah, let's go," Kouyoshi says, her voice lowered.
> The winged girl raises her hand. "Next time you see Fujiwara, tell her~ I've got my eye on her."
> _
-
> "Um... kay?"
> What a weird youkai. Go deeper into the bamboo woods with Kouyoshi.
-
> "Um... kay?"
> What a weird youkai. Go deeper into the bamboo woods with Kouyoshi.
> You agree to let Mokou know what the winged girl said.
> Still, those two are weird.
> You and Kouyoshi depart from the stand and head deeper into the bamboo. Eventually, the sound of the winged girl's singing fades, and once again the two of you are in the darkness with nothing but bamboo as far as the eye can see. When you look up, the bamboo is so tall that it's hard to see the sky. You can see the moon, though. It looks like it's almost full.
> _
-
> "Wow, the bamboo's tall~"
> Wander around for a bit, until we get bored or find something.
-
> "Wow, the bamboo's tall~"
> Wander around for a bit, until we get bored or find something.
> Kouyoshi grins at the moon. "It looks nice and sturdy, too."
> The two of you wander around for a short while, but walking through the bamboo soon grows boring. You think you hear a rustling at one point, but you don't see anything.
> _
-
> Yawn. "Let's go back, Kouyoshi..."
> Go back to town.
-
> Yawn. "Let's go back, Kouyoshi..."
> Go back to town.
> "Okay."
> The two of you turn around and start walking back through the bamboo.
> You keep walking...and walking...
> ...Why haven't you reached the field yet?
> _
-
> Look around. Did we walk that far...?
-
> Look around. Did we walk that far...?
> You take a look around. The bamboo seems a bit different here, but you don't think you walked that far.
> _
-
> "Um, Kouyoshi? How far did we walk?"
-
> "Um, Kouyoshi? How far did we walk?"
> "Not very. It didn't even take five minutes to reach that lamprey stand..."
> _
-
> "Did we get lost?" Look up at the moon to see if we can follow it out!
-
> "Did we get lost?" Look up at the moon to see if we can follow it out!
> "I hope not."
> You look up at the moon. Maybe if you try following it, it'll lead you out.
> You start following the moon, Kouyoshi following behind.
> After a few minutes, you've still gotten nowhere.
> _
-
> "Aaaaaaah... I hate this forest!" Stamp on the ground and pout.
-
> "Aaaaaaah... I hate this forest!" Stamp on the ground and pout.
> This stupid forest!
> You stomp on the ground in frustration.
> "I'm sure we'll--"
> Kouyoshi is cut off by the deafening sound of an explosion.
> _
-
> Jump, and grab onto Kouyoshi!
> "We're being attacked?!" aaaaaaaaaaaaa
-
> Jump, and grab onto Kouyoshi!
> "We're being attacked?!" aaaaaaaaaaaaa
> Ahh?!
> You grab onto Kouyoshi, who wraps her tail around your shoulders.
> "I--what?!" Kouyoshi's ears flatten against her hat as a rabbit darts out of the bamboo, rushing past the two of you and out of sight. As you start hearing more explosions, the number of rabbits fleeing increase. You then start to hear screaming.
> _
-
>Tighten grip on Kouyoshi.
>"Wh...what do we do? Do you think..."
-
>Tighten grip on Kouyoshi.
>"Wh...what do we do? Do you think..."
> Kouyoshi turns in the direction the rabbits are fleeing, pushing you along with her tail. "We'd better get outta here."
> As she says this, you see girls with matching dresses and rabbit ears stampede past. Over the din you hear one shouting something that isn't just screaming.
> "Run for its! Run for the fields! To the outskirts!"
> _
-
> "Kouyoshi, we gotta follow the white rabbits
down the rabbit hole!"
> Take Kouyoshi's hand and run! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
-
> "Kouyoshi, we gotta follow the white rabbits down the rabbit hole!"
> Take Kouyoshi's hand and run! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
> "Where do you think we are?! Got it!"
> You take Kouyoshi's hand, and the two of you run!
> You run with the rabbit stampede, weaving in and out of the bamboo until you see the edge of the field in sight. When you finally break through, the rabbits stop running.
> _
-
> Pant. Why do we keep running?! >_<
> Ask a nearby rabbit: "Wh-what's going on?"
> Realize how odd it is that we're asking a rabbit this.
-
> Pant. Why do we keep running?! >_<
> Ask a nearby rabbit: "Wh-what's going on?"
> Realize how odd it is that we're asking a rabbit this.
> You've just been running everywhere lately!
> You ask the nearest rabbit what's going on, and five answer.
> "There was a fight--"
> "--fire everywhere--"
> "--blamed it on some weird thing called--"
> "--but our HOUSE might be in trouble--"
> "--woe has befallen up us--"
> Kouyoshi looks like they just spoke to her in a foreign language.
> _
-
>... Ah, too many voices!
>Flail.
>"Gahhhhh, one at a time~"
-
>... Ah, too many voices!
>Flail.
>"Gahhhhh, one at a time~"
> Slow down, slow down!
> The rabbit who you asked first waves her hands at the other rabbits and clears her throat.
> "Ahem. Approximately two hours ago--"
> "Liar!"
> She shoots her companion a dirty look. "We were minding our own business when suddenly--"
> "She came out of nowhere!"
> "We should have expected her, but no!"
> "So naive!"
> "Yeah, that's right!" The rabbit nods. "And then there was a fight! We had no choice but to flee."
> "But we almost never leave the Bamboo Forest..."
> _
-
>Ahhhh, so much fighting. ><
>"Who was she? Was she a kitsune? What did she look like?"
>How is Kouyoshi taking all of this?
-
>Ahhhh, so much fighting. ><
>"Who was she? Was she a kitsune? What did she look like?"
>How is Kouyoshi taking all of this?
> Nothing but fighting. Then again, there were explosions...
> "It was the phoenix lady!"
> "Her hair is white!"
> "She's not a fox or we would totally know."
> Kouyoshi seems to be taking it very well; she just looks a little confused at all the rabbits.
> _
-
>Wait... White hair?
>"Was her hair long? Did she have red trousers?"
>if yes, turn to Kouyoshi.
>"What do we do? We ca...can't leave her, right?"
-
>if yes, turn to Kouyoshi.
>"What do we do? We ca...can't leave her, right?"
Sure we could: we just found out that Mokou just attacked a bunch of rabbits.
> Not this.
> If yes, ask "Why's Mokou attacking a buncha rabbits?!"
-
>Wait... White hair?
>"Was her hair long? Did she have red trousers?"
>if yes, turn to Kouyoshi.
>"What do we do? We ca...can't leave her, right?"
> "Yeah, that's right!"
> "She was wearing pants!"
> In the crowd, another rabbit's ears perk up, and she glances over.
> "What's going on over theres?"
> Not this.
> If yes, ask "Why's Mokou attacking a buncha rabbits?!"
> Wait...what in the world was Mokou doing?
> "She knows the phoenix lady!" one of the rabbits shrills, and the rest of the rabbits immediately start to crowd around you and Kouyoshi, chattering excitedly.
> "It's not like she was--"
> "--phoenix lady's wicked cool--"
> "--the princess! The princess!--"
> "--it's OUR house--"
> "--I like it when she scratches me behind the ears--"
> "--can we go home yet?!--"
> "--Tewi, I'm hungry!--"
> _
-
> Aaaaaaaaa so many rabbits @_@
> ... They look soft.
> Wait, we got no time to pet rabbits! "QUIIIIEEEEEEEET!"
-
> Aaaaaaaaa so many rabbits @_@
> ... They look soft.
> Wait, we got no time to pet rabbits! "QUIIIIEEEEEEEET!"
> Ahhh, there are so many rabbits; you want to pet theeeem...
> ...This isn't the time for that! You yell at everyone to be quiet!
> Your voices overpowers the rabbits' chatter. They fall silent, staring at you wide-eyed.
> _
-
> "Um... okay! Uh... is there a leader type here? A head rabbit or something?"
-
(This is the best part everrr)
> Wave arms for emphasis.
-
>Wave arms furiously for emphasis.
>Resist the urge to glomp and huggies them all.
-
> "Um... okay! Uh... is there a leader type here? A head rabbit or something?"
> Wave arms for emphasis.
>Wave arms furiously for emphasis.
>Resist the urge to glomp and huggies them all.
> You wave your arms furiously as you ask for their leader, all while surpressing the urge to give them hugs. They look so soooft.
> "That would be me."
> A rabbit-eared girl with wavy black hair pulled into a ponytail emerges from the crowd. One thing you notice is that she's wearing a necklace with a carrot charm on it, so she has to be someone important, right?
> _
-
> Stop waving our arms: they're getting sore. Then turn to Carrot.
> "So, um... why is Mokou attacking a buncha rabbits? Did you eat her garden or something?"
-
> Stop waving our arms: they're getting sore. Then turn to Carrot.
> "So, um... why is Mokou attacking a buncha rabbits? Did you eat her garden or something?"
> Your arms are getting sore, so you stop waving them.
> You turn to the Carrot rabbit and ask her what's going on. Her ears perk up, and she grins.
> "Oh, no, she doesn't attacks us. We're on good terms with the phoenix lady, you see. She was attacking someone else, ahaha!"
> _
-
> "... Oh. So... why were you running from... um, 'phoenix lady'? What?"
-
> "... Oh. So... why were you running from... um, 'phoenix lady'? What?"
> "Because she always makes such a big commotion, that she does. Whenever someone's in a fight, you can't just stand theres and watch, right girls?"
> The carrot rabbit is met by a chorus of agreements from the other rabbits.
> _
-
> That's true... "Why is Mokou 'phoenix lady', anyways? Is it because she can dry up laundry real fast?"
> Mokou's pretty popular around this bamboo youkai...
-
> That's true... "Why is Mokou 'phoenix lady', anyways? Is it because she can dry up laundry real fast?"
> Mokou's pretty popular around this bamboo youkai...
> "Tsk, tsk, you don't knows? It's because she sets things on fire, of course!"
> This must be her niche aside from the Human Village...
> _
-
> "Fire..." That's kinda cool... but... Mayohiga was set on fire...
> "U-um..." Look up at Kouyoshi. "Should... should we see why she's fighting... Hey, who is she fighting, anyways?"
-
> "Fire..." That's kinda cool... but... Mayohiga was set on fire...
> "U-um..." Look up at Kouyoshi. "Should... should we see why she's fighting... Hey, who is she fighting, anyways?"
> You want to be impressed, but Mayohiga was on fire...
> Kouyoshi shakes her head. "It probably isn't safe."
> The carrot rabbit's smile widens, and she throws her arm out in a wide sweeping gesture. "She's fighting her Highness, her Majesty the Princess, of course!"
> At the word "princess", the rabbits start chattering and bouncing around in sheer euphoria.
> _
-
> Mokou's fighting a rabbit princess?! Whaaaaaaat?!
> "That's mean! Kouyoshi, we gotta tell Mokou to stop picking on the rabbit!"
-
> Mokou's fighting a rabbit princess?! Whaaaaaaat?!
> "That's mean! Kouyoshi, we gotta tell Mokou to stop picking on the rabbit!"
> What beef does she have with a rabbit?!
> "Wha--if there was a fire, then we'd better!"
> _
-
> "Let's go!"
> Start running in the direction of whereever the explosions are! We gotta keep Mokou from making fried rabbit!
-
> "Let's go!"
> Start running in the direction of whereever the explosions are! We gotta keep Mokou from making fried rabbit!
> The two of you rush back into the bamboo forest.
> "Waits! Waits!" The carrot rabbit sprints after you, and soon you have an entire entourage of rabbits on your heels.
> _
-
> Run to the explosions!
-
> Run to the explosions!
> You all start running through the forest, the rabbits all but taking the lead as you head closer and closer to the explosions.
> You are soon close enough that you can see flashes from the explosions. The rabbits yell out a war cry and keep stampeding.
> _
-
> Become concerned about stampede.
-
> Become concerned about stampede.
> They're all stampeding...is this a bad thing?
> _
-
> Keep running! They won't run over us with their cute, fluffy paws if he just keep up!
-
>In fact...
>Yell along with them! This is like a trail or something!
[Here comes Chibi Meria's first crowning, adorable-badass moment.]
-
> Keep running! They won't run over us with their cute, fluffy paws if he just keep up!
>In fact...
>Yell along with them! This is like a trail or something!
> You and Kouyoshi keep running real fast! You won't let them run you over! The battle cry grows louder, and you yell along with them.
> You emerge in a clearing to see, simply put, an inferno.
> Perhaps it's because of the fire that there's a clearing, but everything is too burnt for you to actually tell. The rabbits stop a safe distance from where the fire starts. From the flames emerge a brilliant pair of wings, releasing sparks that mingle with the smokestake reaching up towards the moon.
> The look on Kouyoshi's face can best be described with the words "Another fire? Really?".
> A dozen or so rabbits break from the procession and scatter, screaming "WATER!"
> _
-
> Just like Mayohiga... shivver.
> Oh, um, help put out the fire! Gotta help the rabbits keep their home!
-
> Just like Mayohiga... shivver.
> Oh, um, help put out the fire! Gotta help the rabbits keep their home!
> It's almost as bad as Mayohiga...brr..
> But you can't just stand here! You break away from the crowd and follow the separate crowd of rabbits. Kouyoshi stays behind with the rabbits near the inferno.
> You follow the rabbits until you've reached another clearing; here you see a series of wells. Behind the bamboo beyond that you think you see something else, but you're more focused on the rabbits who are rushing to the wells and grabbing buckets.
> A rabbit with silky-looking hair runs past and calls out to you.
> "Are you gonna help with the water? C'mon!"
> _
-
> Look at that something in the bamboo, then help with the water!
-
>What is that? Is that... is that... AN EVIL SPIRIT!? :V
-
>What is that? Is that... is that... AN EVIL SPIRIT!? :V
> Oh, no, it's just us getting shanked by a child Parsee riding a small ninetailed fox.
-
>My God, what is this insanity?
>Wave arms for empathsis .
-
> Look at that something in the bamboo, then help with the water!
>What is that? Is that... is that... AN EVIL SPIRIT!? :V
> Oh, no, it's just us getting shanked by a child Parsee riding a small ninetailed fox.
>My God, what is this insanity?
>Wave arms for empathsis .
> "Guys, no." Kikuri shooes you away. "We've gone over 1,000 posts, just hold on, okay?"
> _