>Continue to Parsee's
>"Nah, work got out early, so I figured I'd head over here. I invited Orin along, so we could let her know what's going down tonight."
>"I think I also should practice getting Stargazer to do a couple of the things that she's going to have to pull off tonight. We really, really don't want her confused at a key moment."
>"Nah, not yet. I'll let you know when I do."
>"Ok, Stargazer. Later tonight, we're going to be investigating the wrongness in a place that could be very dangerous for us. We're going to need your help if we're going to pull this off."
>"First thing we need you to be able to do is retrieve a card from Yumemi's purse when she's not looking. You can still move objects while invisible, right? Like the screwdriver this morning?"
>Show her a photo ID of some sort that we have.
>"It'll look a little something like this. We need you to find it in her purse and bring it out."
>Put the card in our wallet, or whatever, and zip it up and put the wallet down somewhere
>"Can you try doing that now, here?"
>We can sense where Stargazer is, and what her attention is focused on. Can we use this to get a sense of which card in the wallet she's looking at? Could we possibly use it to help her identify the correct card from Yumemi's wallet, while she was looking around inside it?
>"Now, when you take out her card, you also need to close the purse and make everything else look as though it was never opened, ok?"
>"And then take it over and slip into my pocket. The point is that Yumemi cannot see any of this happen. Understand?"
>Are we any better at communicating non-verbally with Stargazer, now? Do we think we could signal that it's the proper time to do this without speaking?
>"Ok, second task that we're going to need later tonight is this. We need to slip some things past a metal detector. Basically, it'll be this large metal archway. We have to walk through it, but if we're carrying certain objects when we do, the guards will take them from us. We need you to take the object out of Parsee's pocket, and move it around the archway, but not THROUGH it, and then put it back in her pocket when she's on the other side. The important part of this is that no one but us can see this happen. You'll have to do it when the guards are looking away. Do you think you can do this?"
>To Parsee: "I'm going to try to get her to sneak your stun gun into the facility. Can you show her what it looks like?"
>Gesture towards a doorframe
>"You see that? Now, imagine something shaped like that, but in the middle of a room and made of metal. People walk through it in the same way."
>Facepalm
>"No, there won't be walls around this. Just the frame. So it'll be quite possible to get things around the sides of it, as long as the guards can't see it happen."
>"Yes, I'll point it out when we get there, don't worry. And thanks."
>"How comfortable are you with lifting objects, now, anyway? How heavy a thing can you lift without struggling too much?"
>"Well, it might be nice to know. If your abilities are growing, we don't really know if they're now at a similar level to a human, or if they may even surpass them."
>Point out something in the room that seems fairly heavy, but not fragile, and ask Stargazer to try lifting it a little, just to see how heavy it feels
> Current time.
> "Stargazer seems to be understanding things easier now."
>"Well, I don't know if I mentioned, but since Orin got possessed, she's perfectly comfortable around her, too. She can sense the difference. Of course, she still can't communicate with her any better than anyone else. Otherwise, I think she's pretty much as shy as ever."
>"And, Stargazer, I want to apologize if it just seems like I'm treating you as a tool or something. I've just been very focused on the problems in front of us, and every advantage I can get against them. I don't mean to be disrespectful. I hope you understand..."
>"Yeah, I know where you're coming from. Although you have to know it's nothing personal. Of course, you could always go and find a ghost to possess you, too...."
>"Stargazer, are you sure you still don't feel comfortable being seen by Parsee? She's been helping us since shortly after all this started, and she's going to be putting her neck on the line this evening, for the sake of solving this, just as much as I am. I trust her."
>"I think she would appreciate it, anyway. She won't hurt you."
>"Parsee says hi."
>"Keep in mind that she can't understand a word you or anyone else says, unfortunately. But, it's still a pretty big show of trust she's giving you."
>"So... I guess we just hang out until Orin gets here. I can't imagine she should be too much longer, at this point."
>Pass a little time
>Study until Orin gets here.
>Check time.
> We can always study later
> Look deeply into Parsee's eyes
> Gently place our hand on her shoulder
>VAS KAL AN MANI IN CORP HUR TYM
> "Parsee, since we have some time to kill..."
> Lean in slightly after we trail off.
> See if she seems to recoil in any way
>2 attempts at checking time failed. Attempt to check time again.
>Pause until that voice in your head logs back on.
>"Well, she isn't here, yet, is she?"
>"It's just... tonight is going to be a long and scary night, and... well, I wouldn't mind just spending a little time close to you."
> "Thanks"
> Wrap your arm around Parsee and pull her close
>"Uh, which one of what? Did- did I miss something?"
> "Honestly? None of them."
> "Do I strike you as the kind to shout encouragement? I thought I seemed more like the type that would just go out and do things."
>"Ha. They only wish they were this close to you right now."
>Kiss her
>"Well, lousy timing aside, she should know what's going on."
>"And remember, will WILL be continuing that, so we'll just have to make sure nothing goes wrong in the meantime, now won't we?"
>"Don't worry. I'm fine, Stargazer."
>Straighten our hair bow
>"Hey, there!"
>"Taking an interest in what?"
>"Ok, well... you're in this as much as I am, now, so I wanted to let you know what we're planning to do tonight. "
>"We've found a possible lead on this whole situation, and we're going to pursue it. But... before I begin, I want to warn you that what we're planning is dangerous, reckless, possibly foolish, and definitely illegal. So, especially because of that last part, you have to swear that you won't tell anyone else. If you're not ok with that, please say so."
>"Ok. Well, here's how it is. We got a tour of the research facility last night. An old university colleague of Nitori's showed us around. However, there's a bunch of sections that are restricted, even to other researchers in the facility. No one will give even the slightest hint of what goes on there. I can't say exactly why, but I think what they do down there is somehow connected to all this. So I want to get in there. And we think we have a way to do that, if we're careful, and lucky."
>"Yeah, this may not be the... sanest thing I've ever tried. But, well... after waking up the way I did the other morning, there's a lot of things I've found myself doing that I would never have expected. I'm sure you can understand that much, sis."
>"Well, the jist of the plan is that we're going to steal the prof's ID, and get some fake ID's made for ourselves. Pass us off as some grad students, to get by the guards, and then use her ID to open the sealed doors. We've got a hacker of sorts who's going to be coming along for the ride. Hopefully she can do something useful once we're inside. Haven't actually met her in person, yet."
>"There's about a dozen things that could go horribly wrong with this, but I feel we have to try."
>"Unless you can suggest a better way of going about this, I don't think you can..."
>Go over to Orin and put an arm around her shoulder
>"I'm sorry for dumping this into your lap, sis. I don't want you to have to worry about us, although I feel a bit foolish saying that, now. But I felt that you should know."
>"And... I really hate to say this, now, but.... well, if something happens, and we aren't back by tomorrow.... I think you should call Nitori and tell her what happened. She still has some connections with the place. I doubt she'd approve of what we're doing, but maybe she'll be able to work something out. There's a lot of scary rumors circling around the place, and I can't be sure that if we get caught, they'll just politely hand us over to the police."
>"Hey, I've got no plans of being captured. We know the layout of the place, we'll have someone who might be able to crack their systems, and we have our secret weapon over there."
>Gesture towards Stargazer
>"Even if the plan breaks down, I think we've still got a good chance of making it out in one piece. I have no intention of letting anyone getting hurt tonight, if I can possibly help it."
>"Yeah. This morning she figured out how to move small objects around while invisible. It may not be much, as supernatural help goes, but there's quite a few places that's going to come in handy, tonight. And who knows what she might be able to do if we really did get ourselves into a crisis. But I'm hoping it won't come to that."
>"Nothing comes to mind that I hadn't already mentioned. I was thinking about asking if you wanted to come along, but it might be best if someone who knows what's happening stays a safe distance away, in case... well, you know. And the more people we try to bring in, the more attention we'll draw to ourselves. Three people might already be a crowd."
> Check Quests, Inventory, Status, Powerlevel, Files, and Party
> Fondly regard situation
>"Don't worry, sis. As soon as we're back out again, we'll fill you in on everything we found. We're in this together."
>"Nope, came here straight after work. Wanted to give Stargazer a chance to practice some of the things we're going to need her to do tonight. Thought I'd make sure the important bits were taken care of before doing anything else."
>"Well.... now that I think of it, I hadn't fully planned out exactly HOW we were going to distract Okazaki. I figured we'd play it by ear. I'm pretty sure Stargazer can slip her ID out of her purse, but she needs to be either far enough away, or distracted enough not to notice this happening. It'll probably make some noise, regardless of whether Stargazer is invisible or not. She knows both me and Parsee, but I imagine she has no idea who you are. I wonder if we might be able to take advantage of that somehow..."
>"Well, here's a thought... I was thinking I could go there and maybe ask her for course selection advice for my first year. I mean, I'm not actually accepted yet, but she might appreciate the enthusiasm. And how about, while we're in her office, going over the calendar or whatever, you knock on the door and ask for directions to... somewhere. If she goes over to the door to point out where you're supposed to go, she might be far enough away for Stargazer to grab the ID."
>"Unless either of you have a butter suggestion?"
>"Yeah. You're just another student wandering past, who saw the open door and decided to ask a question."
>"But try to get her to actually come out of the room a little bit, to talk to you, without making it too obvious that you want her to do this."
> Check on Stargazer.
>"What do you mean? About the cops?"
>"Besides, I think the bigger issue is how in the world a passerby could possibly know that it was her car in the first place, if you'd never even met her. That would be suspicious in and of itself."
>"It needs to be something completely ordinary-seeming. If it's a little fishy, she might start wondering..."
>"Well, first of all, that shows that we're connected together. Secondly, that might draw ME out of the room, but I'd imagine it would leave Okazaki sitting at her desk, which is the opposite of what we want."
>"Honestly, asking for directions might still be one of the better options. If she just points in a direction, without getting up, you could always act confused, and ask if she could show you. Would have to be something relatively nearby."
>"Again, how are we supposed to know whose car it is? And what happens when she goes there and finds out that it's not busted?"
>"I, uh... don't want to beat up her car. Let's not rack up more felonies than necessary, ok?"
>"Remember, we don't need her keep very far away or for very long. Stargazer should be able to find the card while she's the room, and we only need long enough for her to get it out of there and into my pocket."
>"Stargazer? How long do you think it would take you to pull the ID card out of her purse and give it to me, if you were hurrying?"
>"Well, probably should have known better than to ask Stargazer that kind of question. Doesn't really understand how we measure time. But how long would it really take you to do it, if you knew right where it was? 5 seconds?"
>"I can get a sense of what Stargazer is looking at. I think I can guide her to the correct card if I concentrate."
>"And yes, I'd like for her first thought when she notices it missing to be 'Where did I misplace that?' I'd like it to be at least plausible that it wasn't just taken. She might waste time looking around for it, rather than just report it to security."
>Did we get a good enough look at the ID last night to be fairly confident about what it looks like?
>"Yeah, I suppose the bigger the delay the better. Even if we don't end up needing it, it's nice to have a margin of error."
>"Gah... I'm no con-artist. I keep running scenarios over in my head, but almost all of them that are certain to get her to leave also end up being false alarms, or other things that look extremely suspicious if you look back on them."
>"Yeah, it might be able to work. You could try to play up the 'poor sense of direction' angle, if she isn't too helpful at first. I can probably help you along 'Hey, don't mind me. I can wait a few moments', etc."
>"Heh, yes, I suppose you did. That's one good thing that's come out of all this, anyway."
>Smile at Parsee
>"She has office hours from six to seven. I thought I'd drop by a little before office hours, just so that Stargazer can check the place out, on the off chance she keeps her purse in there during class. Would save a lot of trouble if that's the case. Otherwise, I'll slip away and drop back shortly after office hours start. This is when we'll need you. If you can notice when I go in to talk to her, and wander by a couple minutes later?"
>"If I'm going with the 'give me some course selection advice', it would probably help if I picked up a copy of the calendar before I showed up there. Either of you know where I can pick one up?"
>"Ok, I'll need to get there in enough time to pick one up."
>"And yeah, will WILL get this to work, one way or another. If Yumemi doesn't bite at first, we'll just have to improvise."
>"The registration office doesn't close before six, does it?"
>"Well...."
>What time is it now?
>And what time would we need to leave to get to the university in time to pick up a calendar, and be at Yumemi's office before six?
>"Well, I think we probably ought to just kill time until we're ready to leave, now. There's a couple other things I considered doing, but we don't want to end up being late for this. This is the important bit. The rest can wait. They'll still be there tomorrow."
>Wait around until ready to leave for the university
> Mentally prepare our self for this massive undertaking.
> "Ah."
> I can't believe we forgot one of the most important aspects...
>"Well, I think I figured that we'd either manage to get out inconspicuously... or we wouldn't get out. But you're right. We should plan for the possibility of a hasty unplanned retreat."
>Send Ace an IM
>"I don't suppose you have a car? Or any other way to make a hasty retreat, assuming we need one?"
>"Nope. We originally thought we would make a getaway by being inconspicuous. But mianly we forgot about the getaway."
>"The person I've been staying with. She was there with me the other night, and has mapped the layout of the interior better than I have."
>"Ok."
>To Parsee: "Ok, but please be as diplomatic as you possibly can. We really don't want to convince her this isn't worth her while. And... you may have to be willing to make some concessions, even on bits that are important to you. I totally support where you're coming from, but remember that if you don't give her enough of what she wants, you may not get the chance to get ANY of what you want. Just... don't say anything rash."
>"Do you think it might be better to wait until the three of us meet in person, though? Might be easier, face-to-face. At the very least, she's already more committed by that point."
>"Um, well... I suppose you do have a point. We can at least bring it up, now."
>To Ace: "My friend actually wanted to have a talk to you about the information you were interested in getting out of that place, and her own interest in part of that. Are you willing to talk to her for a moment?"
>To Parsee: "Ok, she's all yours."
>Watch what they're saying
>"Well, that went better than I'd hoped."
>"And... well, I understand how much it must have pained you to ask only for whatever information Ace didn't want. I know how strong your convictions are. Don't take this the wrong way, but... I think it was very big of you. And, well... I feel kinda proud of you right now."
>Give her a hug
>"I know. It may have been done out of necessity, but it still takes a lot of bravery to be willing to back down from something like that, even when it's necessary. A lot of people don't."
>"Oh? What did you have in mind?"
>"Yeah. That might work, maybe. But you're right. Those are details. The big work still has to happen first, and none of us knows what we're going to find tonight. I look forward to the happy problem of arguing over who has dibs on what. That means we've already succeeded, now doesn't it?"
>Rest quietly with Parsee until it's time to leave for the university
>Then leave for the university
>"Well, I need to get a calendar, for the prop support. You can tell me where to get them, right?"
>"Then I'm going to swing by Okazaki's office and have Stargazer take a look inside. Assuming we find nothing, I'll move away from her office, and come back during office hours. That's where you come in."
>"I'll go to talk to Yumemi, and after a short time of me being with her, you need to walk by and do the whole 'can I get directions?' bit."
>"It's best if we're not seen together, as much as possible. You can idle near the building, and come in a short while after I go back in to talk to her."
>Go pick up a calendar
>Flick through them quickly so that we at least have an idea where the physics-related courses and relevant information in the book are. Don't want Yumemi to think we hadn't looked at this at all, yet.
>Go to Yumemi's office
>Current time
[/quote
>You flip through the materials quickly on your way to the building.
>Heading inside, you find the building is mostly empty. You follow Parsee's directions, and soon find yourself outside of the Dean's Office. Checking your cellphone, you see it is 5:56.
>_
>The Dean's office? Is Yumemi the dean or something? I don't recall this piece of information...
>Tell Stargazer to have a quick look inside the room
>Can we use her senses to see if there's a purse or anything of the sort around?
>Ask her if she sees anything like that card we showed her earlier. Look in the desk drawers, and such
>Quietly leave the building and wait until after 6
>Can we see Orin anywhere around the building? Don't make any acknowledgment of us seeing her, if we do
>Well, if we can see her, she shouldn't need to see us. We've made it clear what time she should come by
>Wait until a touch after 6, and head to Yumemi's office, again
>Is the door not open?
>If it's closed, knock on it
>"Um, well yes, actually. How'd you figure that?"
>"I picked up a calendar, and was looking at some of the course offerings, but I thought it would be helpful to get some advice from an actual professor."
>Try to non-verbally communicate to Stargazer to start looking for that ID
>If it would help to have a moment to focus, buy time by going and fishing the calendar out of our backpack
>Walk in and take a seat
>"Well, I don't really know the usual procedure here. I don't really know anyone else around the university."
>"And I... had no idea you were the dean, to be honest, until I found your office."
>"Well, on the other hand, you could say that at least I was given an impressive first-impression of the department."
>"And... were you planning on leaving the university, at some point, or something?
>Examine the photographs. What are they of?
> "Ha, is it that bad over their? I thought to start with you because I had met you before. Why start with someone I have never met before when I can start with someone I have met before?"
> "If your the top, then it's all the better, means I'm almost certainly going to get a lot more info I'll need then if I went to someone else."
>Gesture towards the photos
>"Are those old shots of the department, or a research group or something? It's kinda strange seeing Nitori in a lab coat, to be honest."
>"Yeah, I suppose. It's kind of interesting how two people can have formed such different mental images of the same person. I guess it really is almost two separate lives, in a way."
>"How long have you been at this place, anyway? Did you study here, too?"
>Can we tell if Stargazer has found anything, yet?
>Can we get enough sense of what Stargazer's looking at to at least help her filter out cards that are obviously not it, like driver's license, credit cards, etc.?
>"Heh. Must be kind of nice being in that sort of spot, even if you get used to it after a while. I've never been away from Gensokyo, myself. It's kind of hard to imagine living anywhere else, to be honest."
>While she's busy answering the door, can we focus more closely on what Stargazer is seeing?
>Meaning we'll probably have to look through it with our own eyes, if we're going to find what we're looking for?
>Wait for Yumemi to answer the door
>Is Yumemi still at the door?
>So she's still standing in the room? Or is she outside the door?
>If she's at least out of line of sight between the purse and us, let Stargazer know to take them all. We'll try to put the rest back after we can figure out the right one.
>Can we shift in such a way to inconspicuously put ourselves between the line of sight of Yumemi and her purse, such that Stargazer could move things into our pocket without her seeing it?
>Does it sound like Orin might be convincing her to step out and point her in the right direction?
>Try to non-verbally communicate to Stargazer to put that one back, when she returns from bringing us the next one.
[/quote
>You think she gets the idea, as she hands you a few more. She takes it, while you find yourself holding a debit card for a bank you don't recognize, what seems to be an ID for the University, and a fishing license?
>_
>Does the university ID look like what Yumemi used at the facility last night? Or might it be something else? Is there a chip or a magnetic strip, or something on it that could serve as a card key?
>Probably should put that one in our pocket, anyway
>Non-verbally communicate to Stargazer to take the other cards back
>Assuming we're not fully satisfied with the university ID, do there appear to be other cards that Stargazer think are possibilities?
>Are there any identifying marks at all on the unknown ID?
>Does the Research Institute logo seem to have a chip or strip on it?
>If we hear the slightest hint of Yumemi coming back in, just pocket the ID that we have and signal for Stargazer to stop
>Take them both, to be on the safe side
>Are there any more cards?
>Signal Stargazer to close up the purse, if it isn't already
>Look over towards Orin and try to discretely indicate that she can stop distracting her now
>"Well, we were talking a little about life outside Gensokyo, but we may as well get down to what I came here for, now."
>"As you deduced, I'm here for a little course selection advice. I don't really know what my options in terms of course choice are. I mean, I can read the courses listed here, of course, but I don't know which electives are really worth taking, and which aren't. The descriptions aren't always too informative. But I'm sure someone with as much experience as you knows what kind of background real scientists are looking for in a research assistant. If I wanted to build as productive a track record as I could, how would you recommend I focus my program at first? What are some courses you would recommend taking?"
>Head out of the building, and off-campus, towards the bus stop
>Feel good that you managed to accomplish something extra.
>"Yup, we've got them."
>"I think Yumemi was pretty convinced you were a total airhead. Nice job."
>Give Ace a quick call while waiting for the bus
>Elbow Orin for that. Not too hard.
>"Yeah, it's me. We've got them. You can head over to the meeting place now. We're on our way there now."
>"Yeah, yeah, sure."
>"Well, that's done, anyway. Now let's get out of here."
>Grab the bus to Parsee's
>Nod back at her
>"Hey, there."
>Gesture towards the bikes
>"Shall I assume the second one of those is our ticket out of there for the night?"
>Catch the keys
>"Ha, Chiko. I, uh, wouldn't be surprised if she did. Does she know she lent this to me, specifically? She's actually been trying to get me to buy one, but I don't have the money for it at the moment."
>"I ended up grabbing a couple of ID, actually, since I didn't get a good look at the one she used last night. But I figure this is probably the one we're after."
>Show Ace the Research Institute ID
>"Yup, that would be her."
>"Nah, I think I'm good for now. And thanks again, Orin. Like, seriously. Don't know what I would have done without you, there."
>Give her a hug
>"Now I just need to catch my breath before the REAL scary part. But we can do this. We're already past the first hurdle."
>The motorcycle is parked in the lot by Parsee's building, right? If not, drive it over there and park it
>Go up to Parsee's. There's time to do other stuff, but we ought to let her know that everything's gone ok
>"Yup!"
>"Orin made a great distraction, although she didn't end up getting Yumemi further away from me than the doorframe. Was rather nerve-wracking having cards float back and forth from her purse while she's standing no more than a couple feet away from me... But we did it. Ace has the ID now. Said she'll be back around nine."
>"I ended up with more cards than just the research facility one, partially because I didn't know which was which at first. I'm sure that'll make it more suspicious, but I hope it still takes her a little while to notice."
>"I picked up some sort of military ID for her, too. Not sure if it'll be any good to us or not at some point, but..."
>Show her the military ID
>"Yeah. Well, I'm hoping that we'll be in and out of that place before she even notices anything is gone. I mean, it's a Friday night. Surely even Yumemi does something to kick back, sometimes? Well, can't second-guess it now. What's done is done."
>"And yeah, I thought it might be possible to make use of it, somehow."
>"Oh, and Ace also got us an extra motorcycle for tonight. I don't know if you'll laugh or scream at this, but it came from Chiko."
>"Yeah. You take what help you can get, in times like this. Although, at this rate, I really WILL owe them a few drinks by the time this is over with. Well, Yuugi seems to like me for whatever reason. I can probably make it out without any major bruises."
>"Anyway, we've got a few hours before the real fun starts. I figured I might go do a few things in the meantime. Unless you had any plans?"
>"Well, Orin mentioned Hijiri again. I figure that if she was concerned about me, it couldn't hurt to drop by and let her know that I'm hanging in there. She seemed the most understanding and honestly desiring to help of the three religious people I visited a couple days ago. And, well, Orin seemed to care enough to mention it again, a few minutes ago. I figure it probably can't hurt. I really doubt she's messed up in any of this. Of course, I AM growing kind of paranoid these days..."
>"And... well, I was going to mention the museum, but it's probably too late for that again, today, isn't it?"
>"Eh, the old pottery will still be there, later. Some things are worth seizing the moment for."
>Smile and give her a kiss
>"But I think I will drop back to the temple. I shouldn't be gone too long."
>Wave goodbye and head towards the Myouren Temple.
>Isn't there a bus that goes that way?
>Although, if we feel comfortable enough driving the motorcycle in a non-emergency, take that over there instead
>Was Ace thoughtful enough to include a helmet?
>Hmmm... probably should have taken a closer look the first tine
>Examine motorcycle
>Put the helmet on. Safety first!
>Drive to the Myoren Temple
>What color is the bike?
>Take off the helmet, and enter the temple
>Go in, and sit down
>"Hello, again. I, uh, heard you were asking after me?"
>"Well.... the world doesn't seem any less wrong than it did when we talked last. And, I don't think I have any better answer for how or why it is wrong. But... I suppose I have learned some things that I hadn't known before, and I've found companions to share the search with."
> "Hard to really say why I feel I wrong, so not really. But, I may have found a potential lead on this issue, so I am making progress."
>"Well.... yes... and no. This might sound crazy, but I... Well, actually it DOES sound crazy, but I hope you'll give me the benefit of the doubt here. I think I may have developed a bond with something not quite of this world. A spirit, in the form of the animal. And it is through this connection that I am aware that something is wrong with the world. But why this spirit sought me, and how we are joined, I still have no idea."
>"I've... seen it with my own eyes. And so have others who do not share my own apparent craziness. And... because I saw a similar spirit join with my sister, before she... woke up to the same sense of wrongness that I have felt."
>"I can't make it appear on my own, but... do you have a camera?"
>"Well, that was... quicker than I expected."
>Can we non-verbally ask Stargazer to sleep inside us for a moment? One secret at a time
>"Well, snap away. It's probably resting on my head. It doesn't seem to move much."
>"Well, I figure it is. It... doesn't really do much. I haven't seen it really move. It doesn't speak. I can't sense it in any tangible way. But it hasn't done me any harm, either."
>"But I'm certain that it is somehow responsible for this sense of mine, given what happened to my sister. I actually met that spirit while it was out and about, before it... joined with her. I... think it recognized me. I felt fragments of memories from it, or something. Something... familiar, although I couldn't how or why."
>"Well, I've certainly been doing plenty of looking outside. I've barely stopped for a moment since all this started. I've looked at nearly every corner of the island, investigated any report of strangeness, no matter how unlikely. It's how I learned what I have, so far. But, as I said, although I know things that I didn't when we first met, I still feel like I'm missing the key to all this, somehow. Whatever central thing is actually wrong."
>"As for inside... well, when I woke up in the middle of the night, the other night, and looked at myself in the mirror, I was absolutely convinced that something was missing. Something about ME that was missing. I don't even know how that makes any sense. I tried to figure out what it was, but eventually gave up and went back to sleep. I... hadn't given it a lot of thought since then, to be honest. It's been a very, very busy few days."
>"You may be right..."
>If we stop and focus, do we still have the same sense of something missing that we had the other night?
>Do we have even a slightly better idea now as to what it might be?
>"I don't suppose you have any suggestions on how I can do that? I've tried thinking as deeply as I could on it, but I haven't made a lot of headway."
>"You're right, I've had precious few moments of relaxation since this started."
>"I've never really meditated before. I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at letting my mind go, amid all this craziness. But I'll try it."
>Do we have time to take a little time to quietly reflect and still be back at Parsee's before 9?
>If so: "Thanks. I think I might give it a try."
>Go to one of the private rooms
>Sit down and get comfortable
>Close our eyes
>Take calm and steady breaths, in and out
>Focus on our breathing
>Let it be boring. The point is not to do. The point is simply to be. No need to rush things.
>Continue to concentrate on our breath, and let the outside world slip away
>Continue to focus
>As each thought floats to our mind, gently set it aside. The world outside can wait
>As our thoughts calm, turn our focus inward
>Focus on ourself, our sense of being
>What part is whole? What part feels missing?
>Don't force the question. Just try to envision a holistic feeling of 'self'
>Afterwards, if none of the above clarifies things, try incorporating the idea of having wings into this sense of self. Does that change how this image of ourself feels?
>Try including that eye pendant into our image, and our dreams of a future in nuclear fusion.
>Stay with this image of the circle. Can we get a clearer image of it?
>Do the wings feel like a missing piece of this circle, somehow?
>Try reflecting on the images that we saw when we touched the cat ghost. Does some of the feeling of familiarity that we got from these feel at all related to what is missing?
>If we focus on a piece that is missing, and let our mind drift, can we get a sense of direction, somehow? Kind of like letting this feeling of a particular absence act like a mental dowsing rod, gently pulling our thoughts towards something. Don't force it. Just be with it for a while
>Focus more on this feeling of home
>Is our house here small and perpetually dank? Or is this something else?
>If our house doesn't feel like home, what SHOULD feel like home?
>The images from the cat ghost had a feeling of heat and darkness, that was somehow familiar. Could this be related?
>Can we remember more about this place? Is this a place we actually remember being?
>Can we use the sense of WHERE we should be to inform our sense of WHAT we should be? Can it help fill in any of the sense of what is missing about ourselves?
>Freedom? Could this be from being able to fly with these wings, or do we think it's something different?
>Attempt to connect that thought with the concept of nuclear fusion. See if they're related.
>Taken from us? So, do we feel that it was forcibly removed, somehow, and not simply lost?
>Think back on the history of our life. If we had something that was now lost, how does that fit in with what we remember of our past?
>If we feel that it was taken, yet we don't remember losing it at any point in our life's history, is it possible that the memories of our past are somehow wrong, too?
>If we think on our life, stretching back into the past, is there any point itself which feels somehow wrong?
>Memory may not be our strong suit, but this is important. Try to muster the extra focus to pull it out. Try going slowly chronologically backwards. 'Feel' the sense of our memory as we go backwards. Can we isolate it at all?
>Does this feel like a point where a memory is wrong or missing? Or a point beyond which none of our memories are right?
>Have we ever kept a journal, or any other sort of tangible record of our past?
>This point at which things go wrong, and which we feel something was taken... does this in any way feel associated with the research institute in some fashion? Or anything else of that sort?
>Let our mind drift freely among the thoughts of ourself, the world, what was lost, and what is wrong. Float like that for a while. Does any facet float to mind that we hadn't yet focused on?
>Caw?
>Can we sense the spectral crow's presence here, in any way?
>Try to reach out to it
>If the crow is somehow in our thoughts, let it be so. Relax and be receptive to it. Focus on this 'caw', wherever it comes from
>Have you ever just wanted you to declare that you were "there"?
>Realize that your terrible memory is now an Informed Ability. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InformedAbility) Unless the hecticness of the past few days is changing that...
> Try imagining Rin and her cat ghost to see what happens.
>Try focusing and visualizing communication with this crow spirit
>"Hello, can you understand me?"
>If that doesn't seem to do anything, try mentally cawing back
> Try to focus harder on this new entity in an attempt to establish better connectivity.
>If it felt a bit like Stargazer, if Stargazer wasn't feeling anything, could that mean it's partially 'asleep', somehow? Or do we think it's just because the create is really that simple?
>If so, see if we can try waking it up
> Try to urge it again. It may seem pleased because of that.
>We got a bunch of imagery when we brushed against the cat. Can we try reaching out to touch the crow's consciousness in a similar way?
>"Show me what you know."
>"Stargazer? Weren't you asleep?"
>Does the crow look like a perfectly normal crow, or is it ghostly in some way?
>"Hello. Can you understand me?"
>Reach out a hand towards it in a friendly gesture
> Do we still feel a sense of wrongness, now that the crow has awoken?
>"So, are you the one that's been resting on my head all this time? Woken up enough for me to see you now?"
>"I'd give you something to eat, but I don't figure ghosts do that sort of thing."
>Take out a couple sunflower seeds into your other hand, and hold it open, anyway. Maybe it'll appreciate the gesture, at least
> Look around for Hijiri.
> Time.
>Try putting out hand through the crow, and reaching out mentally towards it like we did before. Remember the image of light that we saw.
>Do we know WHY we felt proud of it?
>Can we figure out what it is?
>Can we even get a sense of WHEN it was?
>Do we feel that we may be meditated out for the moment?
>If so, ask Stargazer to go back to sleep for a short while, and go find Byakuren. May as well confirm that this crow is indeed the one that was on our head. And see if it vanishes around people, since she's comparatively safe to show it to at this point
>"I, uh, think I woke the crow on my head up. Could you take another picture of me? I'd like to make sure."
>"Well, I figured as much, but it's nice to be sure."
>Try to get the crow to perch on our shoulder or something, rather than taking up one of our hands
>"Do you think he could pass for a regular bird?"
>"Yeah, it seems to be just slightly intangible. Which is a little annoying, if people bother to look closely at it. Being followed around by a visible ghost is quite a bit less subtle than an invisible ghost."
>"And, uh, sorry if I'm freaking you out a bit, here. If I seem to be taking it in stride, it's only because I've gotten used to weird stuff like this happening to me over the past couple days."
>"Thanks for your advice, though. I don't know that I really found any answers, while I was meditating, but I do feel like I've touched on fragments of something important. I'm just not quite sure what they all are, yet."
>"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it isn't dangerous. It doesn't actually seem to have a complex mind, either, from what sense I can get of it. In a lot of ways, it isn't too different from a regular crow. I've always loved crows."
>"And, uh, I'd be more comfortable if you kept all of this to yourself, for now. This isn't something I go around sharing with everyone. I just felt like I could trust you, somehow. But there are any number of ways things could get uncomfortable if too many people knew about this at the moment."
>"Yeah... I'm not quite sure what to do about that at the moment. Hopefully most people won't stare at it long enough to notice. Would be nice if it was either fully invisible, or fully solid. Easier to pass off carrying around a regular bird than one you can see through. But... just one more problem to puzzle over, I guess."
>"I probably should be going now, though. Thanks again, for your concern and your advice. I really do appreciate it."
>Leave the temple
>Can we try coaxing the crow to vanish, or go to sleep in us for the moment, or something?
>If not, just put the helmet on and drive back to Parsee's
>Adjust speed if the crow has trouble staying on, or keeping up with us by flying. Who knows what the creature's capabilities are, after all
>Well, that works, anyway
>Put on our helmet, and drive back to Parsee's
>Does this mean that it had probably just moved physically inside the space we were occupying, and hadn't actually become less tangible in any way?
>Continue to Parsee's. Hopefully if anyone notices it, it won't be immediately obvious that it's following us
>Go up to Parsee's apartment
>"Ooo... sounds great. Thanks."
>Enter the apartment
>"And, not so new, really. I think I just managed to somehow wake up the crow that had been following me since the other day. I don't know that it has a name. It... doesn't necessarily seem that much smarter than a regular crow. Nothing like Stargazer, anyway."
>"I'm a little worried that it'll be a problem for tonight, though... It doesn't seem to turn invisible in the presence of other people, and I can't get it to go to sleep the way I can with Stargazer. I did get it to vanish inside me before I drove here, but it almost seemed to fall out of me, or something. Followed me through the air all the way here. I'm hoping I can get it to just stay inside me if we're only going at walking speed."
>"Stargazer seemed fascinated by it. I don't think the crow noticed."
>"Oh, speaking of which..."
>Tell Stargazer that she can wake up again now
>"And that smells delicious, by the way."
>"Sounds like a plan to me!"
>Take a seat
>"Well, I went and talked to Byakuren, and she asked me how I'd been these past few days, and whether I'd found any of what I was looking for. I ended up telling her about the crow and Orin getting possessed. I'm not sure why I was so open to her, but she just has that calming and concerned manner to her. Makes you feel like you can trust her, you know? She actually had a camera on her, so she actually got a look at the crow before he decided to pop out and join us. I don't think she knew quite what to make of that."
>"Anyway, we talked a little more about my sense of wrongness with the world and with myself, and she suggested that I should take some time and reflect more deeply on myself. That I've been too busy to really take time to relax. Which is... pretty much true, really. Aside from a few fleeting moments, it barely feels like I've slowed down since this all started."
>"So she gave me a few tips on meditating, and showed me to a private room. It's... kinda boring stuff at first, really. But after a little while I managed to lose myself and actually explore some of this sense of wrongness in more detail than I've managed up to now."
>Dig in, during pauses in exposition
>"Aww, no worries. Hopefully we'll hit something big tonight, anyway."
>"I did learn a few things when I was busy meditating, though. Well, aside from waking up the crow. Of course, like much of what we've learned over the last couple days, it's fragmentary enough that I'm not sure how useful any of it is. Or, at least, there's not enough for me to see how useful it is, yet."
>"Did I ever tell you that I woke up during the first night I slept over here, suddenly convinced that part of ME was missing somehow? Well, I couldn't really figure out what at the time, but I stayed with this idea for a while while I was at the temple, and... well, I'm almost certain now that parts of me were somehow 'taken'. I don't know how, I don't know by who, and I don't even know what all these parts even ARE."
>"There's something wrong with my past, somehow. I don't know if it's my memory or just a side-effect of something being wrong with the whole world. But I'm convinced that things were taken from me, and yet I have no memory of ever having them in this life. I had a pretty normal life, as far as I remember. But there's some point in my past where things don't feel like they add up right. I tried to pin down when this is. I really, really tried, but... well, my memory's always been lousy, and I just can't seem to do it."
>"You'll probably laugh at this, but... well, I suppose it's not much crazier than some of the stuff that's happened lately, but... I think I had wings once. Having wings feels right. I know it's absurd, but..."
>"Well, I suppose you could be right... It doesn't FEEL like a chemical-induced hallucination, but who knows...."
>"But you have to admit there's parts of this that almost certainly can't be part of any government conspiracy. I mean, you don't think Stargazer is some drug-induced shared hallucination, now do you? The people at the research institute and elsewhere are certainly involved in a great many things, some of which may relate to me. But I'm not sure I'm willing to say that's all there is to this, either."
>"Are you really not open to the idea that she might just have been peacefully living in the forest all this time, with no meddling from outside forces? Just some form of life we don't quite understand? No matter how many things might be manipulated by black ops groups, or whatever, not all mysteries are the result of a conspiracy of some sort. Surely you can agree with that much?"
> "Either way... every time I picture myself with big Raven-Black wings... it seems to feel... fitting... right almost... Maybe I've started going off the deep end, maybe someone did screw with me big time, or maybe, just maybe, I'm right. And out of those three, option 3 is the best one..."
> Continue eating, Parsee cooked all this food for a reason!
> "Delicious... absolutely delicious... Home cooking beats out restaurants any and every day. I could eat your cooking every day and not get tired of it!" Give a big ol' smile. :)
> Contemplate if Rin would like to get in touch with her cat the same way we got in touch with our crow.
> Time.
>Finish up supper
>"Well, at least we'll have a few minutes of peace to ourselves before the real work tonight starts. How're you feeling? Nervous?"
>"Oh, I'm sure I would believe it. I am, too, if I let myself stop and realize it for a minute. What we're planning is enormous and almost unreal, in a way. I know I swore that we'll all come out in one piece again, and I mean it. But that doesn't stop it from feeling overwhelming at times."
>Go over to the couch and gesture for Parsee to follow
>"Come here and sit down by me."
>Take her hand
>"Well, at least it's been interesting, anyway. Sometimes terrifying, but still interesting. And there've been bright spots."
>Smirk at her
>"How's it feel like, being a bright spot in someone's day?"
>"Awww.... well, every hint a smile that I can bring to your face is reward, in and of itself."
>"You know, when we get this thing finished, we will so deserve the most responsibility-free holiday, ever. The rest of the world can take a number."
>"Oh, I didn't mean that we'd just be lazing around. Unless that's what you want to call it."
>Give her a sly and teasing sort of look for a quick moment, and then go back to innocently staring off into space in front of you, thoughtfully.
>Just sit like that for a while
>If we can manage to communicate it non-verbally, try to let Stargazer know that we're just enjoying being close to each other, right now
>Continue to sit there, a bit
>After a little while, lean over and give Parsee a kiss
>Keep it up, until there's a natural pause
>"And THIS is why we're both coming back in one piece tonight. I refuse to let fate be that cruel."
>Go with the flow
>Are our clothes still off?
>If so, toss some on, and give Parsee a chance to look decent, too
>Then answer the door
>"Great! Can I have a look at them?"
>Examine the cards. Do they look like a convincing forgery, at least to our untrained eye?
>"Looks good to me. I mean, I'm no guard, but unless we give them cause to be extra suspicious of us, I can't imagine these will look out of place. The guards kinda looked bored the other night, anyway. With any luck, they aren't being paid enough to make more work for themselves."
>"So, there's one for each of us, then? Plus the original for the card locks?"
>"Thanks."
>"So, I guess we just get tidied up and ready to leave, then? Nothing else that needs doing before we do this, is there?"
>"Uh, yeah... that's kind of what I meant by the 'getting tidied up' bit. I'll make it quick, if you want to drop back in a few."
>"I won't. We've got a lot of work to do tonight, and the sooner we're in, the sooner we can be out again."
>Say goodbye to Ace and close the door
>"Well, at least she didn't show up a few minutes earlier. Anyway, let's get cleaned up and do this."
>"You know, the more you start to understand, the more awkward that's going to be.... Let's just say that we went from enjoying each other's company to REALLY enjoying each other's company. It's a way to share comfort and closeness with someone you care about. And, uh, also a lot of fun. But... it's also really private. It's probably better if Parsee doesn't reflect too hard on the idea that you were watching..."
>"Nah, it's ok. You were just being you. I can't really fault you for what you don't understand."
>Wait for Parsee to finish showering
>"Yeah. The fakes look pretty good, in my opinion."
>Show her ours
>"I take it Ace still has hers and yours on her. She's waiting downstairs in the lobby, by the way, so I'll make this as quick as I can."
>Go take a quick shower
>"Hey, little fellow. You're really going to have to stay out of sight this time. We're going into a place where being seen with you could get us into a lot of trouble. So, could you please hide again?"
>Well, it's better this than nothing
>If we're finished getting ready, head downstairs and meet up with Ace and Parsee
>"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this."
>Head out
>How long would it take to get back to the bikes from the research facility, at a brisk but non-suspicious pace?
>Is this as reasonably close as we can park to there, while still being inconspicuous?
>"Yeah, I guess this'll do. Probably the best place we're going to manage, anyway."
>Park our bike in the same spot
>"As for the plan, remember we're not sneaking in. We're grad students. We're allowed to be here. Try to look at natural as you can."
>Head towards the facility
>"Uh, well, I've always had a bit of a way with crows. But this one seems to insist on following me everywhere. It's kinda annoying at times like this."
>Can we try to shift the angle of our body such that Ace might not be able to see the crow if it merged with us again? If so, do so. Wait until we're in a dimly lit bit, if it helps
>"Now, if you could just be nice and make yourself scarce until we come out of this place again?"
>Try to wave the crow off. At least for show. Try to also conceal line-of-sight from Ace with this gesture
>Walk up to the guard
>"Good evening."
>Nod to the guard and nonchalantly show her our ID
>"Yeah, I'm new. Professor Okazaki gave me the grand tour the other night, and now the paperwork for my own ID has finally come through. It's so exciting finally getting a chance to work here."
>"Thanks."
>Enter the gates
>When a safe distance from both the guards outside, and the facility outside, speak quietly to Parsee
>"You did remember to bring the stun gun, right?"
>Try to non-verbally ask Stargazer if she remembers what we talked to her about earlier today regarding the stun gun
>Try to non-verbally communicate the following question/mental image: "Metal archway? Metal detector? Moving an object around it without being seen? Does that sound at all familiar?"
> Examine surroundings now that we're past the gate.
>To Parsee, quietly: "Can you move it somewhere more accessible, like a pocket? You're going to be handing the purse over at the desk, after all."
>"Try to angle yourself in a way that'll make this easier to pull off, if you can. Line-of-sight-wise. This might be a bit touchy."
>Slow down, such that we can get this straightened out before reaching the building
>"Hmmm... wish you mentioned this sooner. Is that some computer thing? I assume it'll trip the metal detectors?"
>"Where is it on you, currently?"
>Non-verbally ask Stargazer to look in the location Ace mentions, to see if she can find it and therefore know what we're referring to
>"Well, we kinda do, but a laptop might be a bit large to try it with.... I mean, even if we got it around the detectors, where could you possibly hold it that wouldn't be seen, if we have to check our backpacks and other stuff at the front desk? It's not something you can fit into your pocket."
>"They must have SOME way to take data in and out of the facility, though. I mean, not everything here is secret. But I don't know what the rules are, and asking about them might blow our cover. Or, at the very least, bring more attention to us."
>"What's this 'bitty stuff', though?"
>Kneel down by Parsee
>Point out the blackberry-esque thing and the usb sticks to Stargazer
>Let her know that we need her to move those around the metal archway, in the same way as what Parsee is carrying
>"You've got all kinds of stuff in there, don't you?"
>Take the band-aid, and assuming that Parsee hasn't ACTUALLY scraped something on the way down, put it on a plausible spot for her to have done so
>"I think we can probably get them across. Mind if you give them to me for a moment? It might make this easier to pull off. I'll give them back when it's time for us to actually use them."
>If she lets us have them, put them in a pocket, preferably one on the side of us that'll be facing away from the desk/guard when we cross the metal detector
>Stargazer, you think you can do this, too?
>Is the stuff still inconspicuous enough in the pockets? Would it be obvious to the people at the desk that there's stuff in there that should be removed?
>Is there any less obvious place to put it, on us?
>Would Parsee's pockets fit it better, for that matter?
(Don't want to have to deal with Ace's reaction when invisible hands start rooting around in her pockets)
>"Well, I was kinda hoping we could just manage to keep it out of his line-of-sight the entire time."
>Whisper: "I mean, Stargazer could keep them in parallel with you, as you walk through the gate, couldn't she?"
>"Well, if the angles are done right, it shouldn't be possible for him to see, even if he IS looking, since the view of the objects would be blocked by either you, or the metal detector itself. But... you're right that it's a lot to pin on Stargazer. I may be able to cook something else up."
>"Couldn't find a convenient visual aid. It's probably wishful thinking to hope she'll pull off 'make sure no one sees' as well as I had in mind."
>"You've got all the stuff we're sneaking in, so you move though quickly once I play the distraction card. You should probably be able to feel when Stargazer starts taking the stuff out of your pockets, anyway. Try to keep up with it, and use your body to block sight of them as best you can."
>"Just working out some of the details about how we're getting this past the metal detectors, that's all."
>"I think we're probably as ready for this bit as we're going to be, now. Keep your fingers crossed. This is probably the trickiest bit of getting where we're going."
>Continue towards the facility
>"Good evening."
>Show them your card, and wait for the others to do so, and start taking out their stuff to check in
>"Yeah, actually. My transfer was tied up in paperwork for ages. She decided to give me a tour of the place, herself, but the papers finally came through earlier today."
>Where is the guard standing in relation to the metal detectors? Is he on the near or far side of them? How close to them and us?
>How bright is the lighting, here? How strongly transparent do we think the crow would look if it were flying around here, briefly?
>Is there more than one archway to the detectors?
>Could we basically interpose ourselves between the guard and Parsee while heading into a nearer archway than her?
>From the angle Stargazer would have to take the items across, would they potentially be visible to just the guard, or also the receptionist?
>Consequentially, would it be mostly required to have BOTH of their attention at that time?
>Keep our ID, and fake ID, and check the rest in
>Then head towards the gate, but pause at the side and talk to the guard. Position ourselves so that he wouldn't be looking at Parsee while she goes through.
>"Heh, you look kinda bored. Not a lot of people coming through this time of day, I take it?"
>Is the layout of the place such that we could talk to him from the other side as well, non-awkwardly? And if he were looking at us there, would he easily see Parsee already coming through?
>Walk on through, then turn around and talk to him again
>"Oh, that reminds me. I had a policy question."
>If we seem to have his attention, and the receptionist isn't really looking this way, mentally signal to Stargazer: Now!
>"What're the rules on bringing data in and out of here? On non-classified projects, of course. Like, are there certain circumstances that allow people to bring laptops or whatnot in and out of here? I do a lot of the work that doesn't need actual equipment on my computer at home, you see."
>What kind of chair is the guard sitting on? Does it seem like it might be easy to tip off balance?
>Does it have wheels?
>Does it seem possible that Stargazer could cause it to effectively roll out from under him by pulling on the back of it a bit?
>Would we be far enough to be outside of suspicion for this, such that it could plausibly be blamed on some part of the chair itself messing up?
>Focus on the chair, and the point that would be easiest to pull on to tip it, and visualize for Stargazer: Pull that. Stay invisible
>Try to use a natural pause in our conversation if we need a moment to focus more strongly on this
>Be ready to react quickly if this happens
>Dash back through the gate towards the guard and lean over him>As you are both on the same side of the gate, you do not need to dash through to get to him.
>Simultaneously signal to Stargazer: Move the items past the gate NOW!
>"Geeze, are you ok?"
>"I guess they blew all the budget on expensive toys, and didn't have any left for working chairs?"
>If Parsee is safely through, give him a hand up
> Tell Stargazer, non-verbally, that she did indeed do well.
> "Now, where were we going first?"
>Convey to Stargazer a sense of gratitude. She DID do good!
>Head off into the facility
>Once out of sight of the guards, head towards the restricted doors
>"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. For now let's just call it a trade secret."
>"Well, this is it. Moment of truth."
>Look around the corridor to make sure no one's in sight
>If the coast is clear, use Okazaki's ID in the card lock
> "Well. Lets do this."
>Cautiously descend the stairwell
>"Well, uh, crap.... Probably should have expected this."
>Turn to Ace: "Please tell me there's a chance you can do something about this?"
> "Son of a submariner. I loathe these sort of things."
>"Nothing that'll keep alarms from going off or hide us, if that's what you mean. We got the objects past the metal detector by simply moving them AROUND the metal detector."
>"But I didn't figure we'd be able to maintain cover down here for too long. There's a short list of people who get into here, so I figure that we'd stand out like a sore thumb as soon as someone noticed us, anyway."
>"Actually, hang on one second. I want to check something."
>Ask Stargazer (non-verbally) to go through the door and have a look around inside. Can she communicate any of what she sees to us?
>Can she see any other people within roaming distance?
>Can we get any better idea of what this stuff is, or looks like, even if she doesn't understand it?
>Do you think the door can be opened from the inside?
> Could we get Stargazer to pull the lever on the door to open it? Don't have her do it yet if she can.
>Is the person in the room in a position that they could see the door if it were opened?
>If so, does it seem like there's any chance of them wandering away if we wait a few moments?
>Have Stargazer attempt to open the door.
>Contemplate how much Stargazer has "grown".
>Quickly survey what we can see
>Can we see the person from here? How far away are they?
>Are they showing any attention in our direction?
>Move out of the doorway and into the corridor to your side. Quietly move out of sight of the woman, and then get a better look at the other corridor
>Can we see if the labs along the corridor (at least the ones that are visible to the hallway through the glass panels) have people in them?
>If we can't see them all from this angle, send Stargazer ahead of us to scout them, so that we can see people before they see us
>Otherwise, move down the corridor towards the 'supplies' door, and examine the labs as we pass for anything obviously suspicious or of unusual interest
>Does it look like she's seen us? And if she has, does she seem aware that we're intruders?
>Is there a nearby door we can duck into, to get out of the corridor?
>Duck into the lab, so that at least you're not in the line of fire if she decides asking questions takes too much time
>Ask Stargazer if she sees the large object the woman is holding. When she moves to open the door, grab it!
>Wait... was this the lab with the purple-haired researcher in it....? (If so, I really need to make better mental maps for this stuff)
>Put your hands in the air. May as well look disarming while disarming
(Bah, they didn't follow us in the door. Well, that kinda throws that plan out. Maybe I'm too tired to be doing this now, since I forgot to specify =/)
>Slowly move to join up with the others
>"I'm honestly not sure I can give an answer to that question that'll satisfy you. If I tell you the truth, you'd assume I was lying. And if I don't tell you, then..."
>"I can honestly say that I don't mean anyone here any harm, but I doubt that'll satisfy you much, either."
>I assume the gun is still trained on us?
>Can we communicate the idea to Stargazer to grab a hold of the finger the woman has inside the device she's carrying? Prevent it from moving?
>Slowly empty our pockets while doing this to buy time
>"What are you planning to do with us?"
>"Tribunal? Does a military court really have jurisdiction over civilians?"
>"So then, what gave us away? Or did you know the whole time?"
>"That's... unsettling, to say the least."
>"I just came here in search of answers to a very important question, doctor Asakura. I felt that I might be able to find some here. I'm not a trained spy or military agent, or anything like that. I just repair AC units."
>"Admittedly, I'm not sure how tribunals work, but you'll have to present the evidence of how you got us, won't you? Or something to that effect, I assume. And, hell, assuming you've got it, we'll be put away anyway. So, I'm curious. We've been bested, and the consequences will effectively disable us forever. Can we at least know how? I mean, I think it's probably not too out of line given we'll come quietly. Perhaps a reward for good behavior."
>Give a very grim smile at that last, showing you understand the gravity of the situation.
>To buy more time if needed, have Ace empty her pockets next, since as far as I know she doesn't have anything.
>"Sorry. I'm not exactly used to having guns trained on me..."
>Empty our other pocket
>If she leans in or lowers her guard to get this, use it as an opportunity to do the follow. But if she doesn't, try it anyway.
>To Stargazer: grab that finger, make SURE it can't move
>If Stargazer seems confident that she's got a hold of the finger (and she actually grabbed the trigger finger), tell her to grab the object at the same time. Pull it up. Do NOT let go of her finger!
>If we see the gun being wrestled with, and it's safely pointed away from us, tackle the woman, and try to help Stargazer get the gun away from her. Try to make sure it STAYS pointed away from anyone in the room
>If we get this far along, and don't seem to be succeeding in disarming her, quickly yell "Parsee, quick!"
>Before all of Draco's Stargazer commands, ask her if she could show herself (mentally), and that it would be both very important and very helpful if she did so. If she does so, continue with Draco's commands. If she hesitates, just quickly add it's not necessary and follow through with Draco's commands
>"Someone stun her!"
>Did... she just stab us?
/me facepalms
>*hack cough* "Fuck. Parsee, now, p- *hack" lease!"
> See if we can get Stargazer to punch her as rapidly as possible
> Headbutt her ourselves. Try to break her nose.
>To Stargazer: Help hold her down!
>Try to pin the guard's arms down as best you can, while keep your head at a safe range from her
>If possible from our position, slide down a bit and bite her breast.
> Also try to bring up a knee to her groin if possible.
> Stay as aware as possible of any motions she makes, and use your arms to block anything she brings at you.
>Also be prepared to dodge her head.
> Tell Stargazer to keep her down as best she can.
> Disengage the guard by either punching or kicking her and propelling back from that.
> Be sure to avoid that head, and if Stargazer isn't subduing her well, dodge flailing hands and arms as well.
> Look for the gun.
>"Going to move. Be quick!"
>Shift off enough so that Parsee has access, while still pinning that arm down
>Can we spare a glance to see if doctor Asakura has run off?
>Keep her pinned until the stungun makes contact
> How are they desperate? We've escaped the grapple and Parsee is rescuing. We can at least afford a glance to find the gun, right?
>Can we at least see if Asakura has it?
>Either way, if we can't find it and Asakura doesn't have it, do our best to support Parsee if we can.
>Lie there and groan until we can move again.
> Fuck
> What are we in shape to do?
> If we can, probably a good time to see if we're bleeding anywhere.
>If we have any voice left in us: "The professor... where is she? Where's... the... gun."
> How much range of looking around do we have?
> Can we see through Stargazer's eyes?
> If so, have her give us a synopsis of the gun/professor/Ace situation
> If we can, look around for the gun and the professor and Ace, even if it's from our current position.
> Also, if possible, see how Parsee is doing against the guard.
>Try to sit up
>See if we can clear our head a little
>Try to look around us and survey the situation
> Facepalm.
> Try to move. If we can't lean against a wall.
> Have Stargazer look in the room if we can't move and tell us who has who at gunpoint.
>"Don't kick her, Parsee. She's down, already. I'd still like to be able to tell myself that we did all we could to avoid hurting anyone."
> "Meh, I'd say at least see if there's anything important..."
> "Anyway, she got me good in the gut...not sure what she did but I'm not bleeding and the soreness is fading, so, I'm guessing there wasn't any massive amount of damage."
> "Um...so, anyway, we should probably make sure Ace doesn't shoot Asakura."
>"You can see what she has on her, anyway."
>Does the guard still appear conscious?
>If so: "I'm sure you won't believe this, either, but I would been willing to just talk, if you were, too. I'm sorry for all this."
>Go into the lab to make sure Ace doesn't do anything rash. And to find out what they're talking about
>Sigh
>"Are they really frightening enough that you'd rather gamble on armed intruders? But... I am utterly sincere when I say that I mean you no harm. I'd hoped to somehow pull this off without anyone getting involved."
>"You don't seem as... antagonistic as our friend out there."
>"How long do you think it'll be before anyone else gets here?"
> "Well, hopefully we can find whatever we need before they get here..."
> "I am sorry to have put you into this position."
> "Hmmph. If you were relying on our mercy, you could have easily set it up so we "disabled" you before you could do anything. What's done is done, but I'd rather you not rationalize it."
> "Anyway, any ideas from here? Cause as far as I can tell this operation has mostly failed."
>To Ace: "Ok. Just... don't do anything stupid. At least, more stupid than everything we've already done tonight."
>Is there anything around the room that look immediately suspicious or interesting? Other than whatever's on the computers?
> Is there anyway we can say something to Ace without Rikako hearing?
> If so, whisper to Ace "Can you do anything about the camera footage? I'm not sure if there's a point but it might not be a bad idea"
> Whisper back "I trust us to be able to subdue her easily enough if she tries anything. But just in case perhaps I should take the gun and train it on her?"
>Call Parsee into the room. Tell her to drag the guard into the corner with Rikako. Then give her the rifle, and tell her to keep a safe distance, and make sure they don't do anything.
>"Did you find anything else on the guard?"
>To Asakura: "And if it was?"
> "Who's asking? I will assure you the means by which we acquired our entry were non violent. In fact, this was basically the first violent altercation we've been in on this endeavor. But, from there, one has to make their own conclusions."
> To Parsee: "May I assume you disarmed her then? Also, did you check for hidden weapons, like in the shoe or up a sleeve or such?"
>"Don't tell me she'll get in trouble over this, too?"
>"Why would you even work for someone that scares you this much?"
>"And yeah, we need to hurry with whatever time we have, here."
>"You want to watch the doctor here, while I take a look around?"
>"Yup. I'll be as fast as I can."
>Leave the room and go down the corridors towards the series of rooms we saw
>Have Stargazer peek into the rooms long enough to see if there are any people in them
>If the coast is clear, open each door and see what we can find
>Take a look at the clipboard in the first room. Is there anything written there that we can make sense of?
>Afterwards, open the door and take a look inside
>Open the box, and take the watch out
>Well, it it works at all like the report says it does, it might come in handy. Take it with us.
>There's nothing else of note in the room, correct?
>Then go to the next room and read the information on the clipboard
>Check the information on the clipboard of the last room
> Do we feel that these things are "right"?
> Do we feel as those these things are part of the "right world" as opposed to the wrong one we live in?
>Enter the room and take a look at this stuff
>Look at them. Try touching them. Can we remember anything?
>"Hey, fellow. Do you recognize these, too?"
>Try putting the cape on
>Try putting the rest of the outfit on, except for the rod. Whether or not we feel these are 'ours', it's still an ominous warning
> Nothing ventured nothing gained
> Retreive arm from safe.
>Do we feel any unusual sensations wearing this?
>If we focus on something, does this remind us of anything? The hot light that we faintly recalled while we were meditating?
>Were there any other doors further down this corridor?
> Put the rod on.
>Pray we don't get vaporized.
> If everything is fine after putting the rod on, check to see if we that everything is finally right with our person.
>"Don't be scared. I'm still me. In fact, I truly AM me again. I remember!"
> Stand up confidently and grin
> "Problem one has been solved. I'm no longer "wrong". However, it would appear that the world itself remains wrong. But, I have some associations made. Rikako! How many of these item sets exist here? And who owns this lab?"
> If we can safely do it, make a show of fusion to show we very, very, very much have the upper hand.
> "Now then... Why are we on an island?"
> Did we know Nitori in normal Gensokyo?
> If so: "I'm pretty sure that mechanical arm in the other room belongs to Nitori."
> How many people can we carry while in flight?
>"Are there any other SCPs stored elsewhere in Gensokyo?"
>Did we also know Parsee in our other life?
>Do we recognize who Ace was there, too?
> "This is harder than I thought. Essentially, I think I know two people who would benefit from the other SCPs. So I'm probably going to have to deal with the source."
> Turn to Parsee "Um, yeah, things are getting a little weird for you but things have started to get less weird for me if that makes sense. I get the impression if Orin saw me she'd at least dimly feel things were right in my case. You...um...have your own abilities as well. Different from mine, but you still have...well, I guess in this world it'd be a 'different form'. It's difficult to explain, but...I think I need information about the SCP Foundation, and as soon as possible."
>Wonder if the postman is behind everything. Nobody would suspect the postman! And who in Gensokyo would he be, anyway? It doesn't match up!
You feel strong
> "The arm belongs to the "right" Nitori. But I guess that makes even less sense."
> It is her mechanical arm right?
> "Anyway... We should probably get out of here soon."
>"Well, if you think this is their only facility here, then where are you expecting them to come for us from?"
>"And I'll fight them if I have to. The world is still wrong, and I intend to fix it. And if they had something to do with it... they'd best pray they can fix it very quickly."
> I LOVE BEING STRONG.
> Alarms were triggered, right? We should probably get out of here before they have time to respond.
>"Sorry. I hope that you don't get in any trouble over this. What I said when I first got here still stands."
>Is there any significant part of the underground area that we haven't looked at, yet?
> Is Stargazer still with us?
> Try to mentally communicate with Stargazer to see if she thinks this is right.
> Also, see if we can identify her with our regained memory.
>Then quickly head down the eastern corridor. Should make sure we haven't missed any other important clues before we dash out of here
> With our restored memory, try to associate a person with the pocketwatch.
>Featureless door? Does this look like the door that we entered the underground from, but at a different angle?
>Dash back to the SCP room that we didn't pick the item out of, and take it with us. Never know how it might fit into this
>Wouldn't it be possible to sling this under our arm and take it with us, though?
>Are Ace and Parsee still with us?
>Try lifting it. How heavy IS it?
>"I know it's easy for me to say this, but you don't need to be nervous, Parsee. If you trusted me before, you can trust me now."
>If it seems like it would be very difficult to transport, it mightn't be worth the trouble. Do we even know what we could do with it?
>Even with our memories, we still have no idea what this is, right?
>"I understand. I almost feel selfish being more at ease now that this has happened."
>Go back to where Ace is.
>"So, do you think you've mostly got what you've come for? We really should get out of here."
>"Is that as much as you think you can get, then? Ready to leave?"
>"Well, I think we can discuss our futures when we're all at a safe distance from where they know how to find us. Any suggestions on that one?"
>"Well, we can probably wait a few more minutes if you think it'll help."
>"Do you remember where the other way out was?"
>"That makes it sound like the worst possible way to try exiting this place."
>"Yes, but even if the path is straight, we'd still be walking into a military base, full of armed and alerted people. Sure, there's a lot of doors upstairs, but do they really keep that many armed detachments in the civilian areas?"
>As a youkai, how is our physical resilience? Would getting shot have a similar effect to us as a human?
>"Look, unless you really think you're on the verge of a breakthrough over there, I think we really should leave."
>Head towards the door we used to enter this place
>Can we still communicate with Stargazer well enough to have her scout ahead for signs of people?
>If we concentrate harder, can we reach her at all?
>If not, continue on through the exit
>Keep our senses pealed for any sign of other people
>Check details of queat: The World Is Wrong
>To Parsee: "Well, it seems I've lost touch with Stargazer. We're on our own for the moment."
>Open the door and continue out
>"I'll explain later. By this point, I don't think I can pretend to be normal, no matter what I say."
>Continue up the stairwell
> Are our danmaku abilities the same as before? If so, ready some bullets that'll hurt, but won't totally obliterate a normal person.
> Can we think of items that would go with the people we know? Maybe some of them are in public places?
>Recall: Did we ever get to see what was in the room in the other corridor? Or was the other "featureless door" just another stairwell out?
> Is the room big enough for us to take flight, with our wings or our Incredible Powers?
>Open the door from the side, so that we're not directly exposed by doing so
>Take a quick look in the hallway for people
>If the coast is clear, head out into the hallway
>Where's the gunfire coming from? Are they shooting in the door? Past the door? Or does it sound like it's not directed towards our location, and happening elsewhere?
>So they're shooting INTO the room we're in, now?
>How good are our abilities maintain an intense heat in a small, confined area without leakage?
>Could we effectively hold a wall of fusion energy in front of us, kind of like a shield? Bullets should melt pretty quickly if they come into contact with temperatures like what we can put out.
>Gesture for Ace and Parsee to go back downstairs
>Shoot some covering fire into the corridor. Nothing too destructive, but enough to dissuade them from storming the door for a moment.
>Then leap over the railing and float to a position a flight or two of stairs down, such that the stairs themselves are in the way of any fire, if the soldiers run in
>While in this position, quickly shape the shield
> "Danmaku, Parsee, Danmaku."
> Assuming we are flying, "Note, I am flying."
>How large is the shield and how much area does it cover?
>We can't do anything fancy, but could we at least shoot a few basic danmaku with this thing up?
> Can we move with the shield on? If so head to the Exit
> "This should keep us safe."
> "You two feeling ok back their?"
>Keep the shield between us and the door, and keep ourselves in front of Ace and Parsee
>When we reach the actual door, fill the doorframe with the shield
>Can we shoot danmaku THROUGH the shield? Energy projectiles shouldn't melt the same way that bullets would.
>May as well give diplomacy a shot, first. After all, most of these people probably have no idea what they're defending or why.
>"I don't want to hurt anyone, but I am more than capable of doing so if you refuse to back down."
>"If you withdraw and allow us to leave, I won't harm you."
>Can we confirm that we hear people moving away?
>What direction did they sound like they were moving in?
>If we can tell from the above that they're actually falling back, angle the shield out to open a gap on the side where we think no soldiers remain, and take a look. Be ready to shoot warning shots if someone is actually there.
>Step out into the corridor, keeping the shield in the direction of the guards
>Quickly examine the fallen guards. Do they look... dead?
>Are there any windows we can see, or remember seeing in a direction opposite where the guards are going?
>If we don't know the answer to this question, ask Parsee. She has a better mental map than us
> Ask Parsee anyway for a closer exit
>Head towards the section with these windows, keeping an eye out for any other soldiers. Check every corner before you turn it.
>If the first group of guards is still within line of sight, keep the shield between you and them until you're out of sight again
>You slip your off hand into the Rod. Inside, you can feel a sheath for each of your fingers to fit. It feels almost like a high quality glove, you can even move them freely.
>The crow makes a circuit around the room, and flies through you, giving off an exuberant cry. You feel it melt into your being. Your body feels warm, so warm. It's wonderful! You close your eyes, exulting in the warm welling within you. You're grinning like a fool, but you don't care. You feel it flowing into you, empowering you. You feel the warm in your mind. You can feel it!
>You are Reiuji Utsuho, the Subterranean Sun. You are the heir to Yatagarasu's power, and you have exceeded him. The world is wrong. It has changed. It has taken you from yourself, but no long. You remember everything clearly now. You remember the Palace of the Earth Spirits. You remember the Hell of Blazing Fires that you personally reignited. You remember the world above, where you aided the kappa. You remember the kappa, the tengu, the youkai. You remember Gensokyo as it should be. You remember the power. Oh yes.
>You have lived two lives. You have had two childhoods. You've had two different families with the same people, yet different people. It makes your head hurt just a little, trying to reconcile these.
>You are kneeling on the ground now. Your back hurts; two feathery wings flank you now. Dimly, you realize the back of your shirt is ruined. You feel strong again. Who can stop you now? What can they hope to do to you? You are Reiuji Utsuho, the Searing Divine Flame.
> Head for those windows
>What is the terrain immediately below the windows? Are the police cars actually down there, or are they on the outside of fences, with a fair distance of grounds between here and there?
>Can we see people milling about?
>Where are our stashed motorcycles in relation to police and our view out the window?
>We can carry one person with us while flying, correct?
>Do there appear to be people near enough to us to shoot at us if we flew out the window?
>How quickly does we think they could get here if alerted to use flying out the window?
> Don't fly it could only get atten.....actually we could use this. Can we cover ourselves so not to be recognized so that we could be the distraction while the others make a break for it?
> Do we have any of our spellcards with us now that our memories have returned?
>"Do you know if there's roof access from here, anywhere?"
>"Well, we need a way out, and I'd rather not have to fight through all those soldiers waiting for us out there."
>"The roof might give a chance to sneak out. I can fly us off it to somewhere safe and out of sight. Sadly, I can only carry one of you at a time, but if they don't see us leave that mightn't matter."
>"Now, I could just break the window, and fly us out that way, but then there'd be people shooting at us while we try to do it."
> "Plus, my beautiful Parsee, see the wings? They work too, hell I don't even NEED the wings to fly."
> Could we remake a spellcard of ours? Or at least a spellcard? What would we need for it?
> Out of memories of the real Gensokyo, is their anything we remember Parsee having that she doesn't have right now?
> Try to take the Control Rod off, maybe it's like a magical girl transformation?
>"Well, you point a direction, and we'll go that way."
>Follow Parsee's directions (to a staircase up, first, presumably), but take point yourself. Continue to be vigilant for guards or other personnel at each corner or point they could be lurking.
>In the worst case, we're capable of just cutting a tunnel through a whole external wall, aren't we?
> Distance as in where we just came from? Or are they on the roof?
> If they're on the roof, tell Parsee and Ace to get behind you and reform the shield.
>Continue roofward
>Keep vigilant for signs of people
>"I don't think we have time for any more 'good stuff', unless you want to get yourselves shot at."
>Head towards the corner Pasee is gesturing to
>Motion to the others to get out of the direct line of the doorway, behind you, and open it from the side again
>If the coast seems clear, peer around the corner
>Just to check, we're still maintaining the shield, correct?
>Go up the stairs
>Repeat this procedure at the door to the roof itself
>Are the cars and people mostly gathered towards the entrance?
>There's only one way into the grounds on foot, correct?
>Head towards the side of the roof away from where the people are gathered, but keep an eye back on the entrance to make sure no one follows us up
>Try to keep a low profile while moving. Make it as hard to see you from the ground as possible. Hunch over a little, and use objects on the roof for cover
>Are the cars on the inside of the fence? Or the outside?
>What direction from here are the bikes stowed?
>By 'not covering that much ground', does that mean there are significant sections with no police presence?
> Could we slowly descend through the air with two passengers in tow, or is our weight limit one person?
>Find a spot that's fairly free of police presence, and which looks like it could have decent access to cover a short distance from it, or roads leading to other off-campus buildings nearby. Basically, a good spot to get away, in the most inconspicuous way possible.
> Turn to the others.
> "Okay, here's where things get even more fun. I can glide us off the roof of this building. It'll be a pain for me, but that's secondary to getting the hell away from the cops and the military. In which direction do you two want to go? Myself, I'm leaning directly north, but I imagine I'm not as worried about a long trip back to the bikes as you two might be."
> Outline the the plausible directions and their known pros and cons.
> Also, what did we do with that metallic arm?
>I assume that carrying two people at once would leave us with no maneuverability at all if anyone started shooting at us, correct?
>And we could move faster back and forth with just the one passenger?
>"I think if we can slip into that apartment building over there, we can probably come out a back entrance, and might be able to lose them, as long as no one sees us go in there."
>You left it behind.
> Nerts.
> Recall our acquaintanceship with Patchouli in the real Gensokyo.
> Recall our knowledge and potential acquaintanceship with everyone else in Patchouli's household. If one Sakuya Izayoi is among the list of known names, specifically recall details about her.
> Assess ground activity around northeast corner - does it look like the authorities are making moves to quickly surround the building?
>How fast could we fly, if we were unencumbered?
>Fast enough that we could keep up with a motorcycle?
> Recall location of watch.
> "Hmm. It doesn't look like the cops are in any rush to watch anything but the entrance. If given the time, I think the northeast corner is our best bet, if I take only one of you at a time. East I'm a little wary of, if they happen to see me carrying both of you we're as good as six kinds of dead before we hit the ground."
> Where did we leave the metal arm? If it's too far back, forget about it, if not, see about retrieving it cause it's looks quite important
> After done making that decision, carry your two companions and glide down the North exit, better safe and sore than sorry
> Don't descend just yet, wait to see if they raise any objections to the two-trip idea.
>"If I can get you two to a temporarily safe spot, I might be able to double-back and pick up one of the bikes for you two. I can get to wherever it is we're going well enough without one."
>Do you think your transformation is reversible, at least temporarily? We want to stay inconspicuous after this whole mess.
> Fuck it, if we're really hurt that badly we can use cover to recover. Possibly the watch, too.
> "You're right. Okay, here we go."
> Grab Parsee and Ace and glide down the northeast path.
> Head north actually, there's a apartment we can hide in
>Eh, north works. We're busting our ass to get them down there, they can handle a little walk.
> How high can we fly? If we ever needed to escape on our own, would we be able to stay out of sight?
> "If we run into trouble, last resort I'll blow it up. This control rod here ain't just for show."
> "All right, now what do you think we should do? Flying's out of the question for a few moments, I'm not used to that much of a load."
>"No, I don't know that I won't get in trouble. But I do know that I'm probably more capable of dealing with it, if I didn't need to let you keep pace with me. I can move a lot faster than you can. It's leaving you alone for the moment that worries me."
>Head towards the apartment building. If the entrance we can see is well-lit, and visible from where the police are, try going around the side or back.
>"Well, I figured nabbing a bike would help us get away QUICKER. But you're right that we mightn't need all that speed, if they don't even know we're gone, yet."
>"Ace, do you people have a safehouse or anything like that we could use for a bit? I'm not sure heading home is the safest thing to do right now."
> Attempt to make mental contact with Skygazer. Just because we're right doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't still wrong.
>Continue moving away from the institute quickly. Try to put a building between us and there, at the least.
>"Ah, great... Well, do you people have any suggestions on where we should head?"
> How about that Shrine in the forest, not a lot of people know it exist, and the Shrine Maiden at least somewhat believes in the super natural, so she might not freak out to much by the wings
> "Hmm..."
> "Well, there's Reimu, in the abandoned shrine out in the woods. There's Yukari, in [I actually forget what part of town Yukari's from, insert it here]. And then...Parsee, you're gonna hate this, but there's Yuugi and her gang."
>"Renko and Maribel would probably love to see this, but... I'd really hate to bring the military on their heads"
> "Actually, now that I think about it, there's also Yamame. I haven't been to see her since waking up to find the world is wrong, so she might not be on the Institute's radar."
> Time.
> Mentally check Yamame's work schedule.
> Fuck! Where did we lose it?
> Consider the forest in general if only to lose the heat for awhile.
>"I'm not sure it's a good idea to stay with people we're known to associate with. The people after us know who we are. They might start checking friends and such. I'm wondering if the forest might really be the safer bet."
> Examine items
> Examine Quests
> Examine Skill
> Possibility of using Crows as a spy network
>The forest would be way too far to walk, wouldn't it?
>Can we head towards where the bikes are parked, while staying far enough away, due to other buildings, to remain out of sight?
>Wait a second... where are the bike keys? Did we leave them checked in at the front desk, too?
>But didn't she have to check them in after they set off the detector?
>Faceplam for not considering this
>Chiko's not going to be happy about this at all, is she?
>Do we know who Chiko was in the original Gensokyo, now?
>Continue towards campus, while staying out of sight for as long as possible
>Continue towards where the bikes were stashed
> "Hey, so, I just remembered that my bike keys are still back at the Institute. Do you two mind riding together?"
>Consider going to the Myouren Temple.
>Myouren Temple is corporately backed, yes? And Byakuren seemed legit surprised that what we did worked, so her belief in the supernatural is...questionable. Hiding with her could work, but there's a chance she'd be forced to sell us out.
> The forest Shrine is the best bet for hiding......or do they want you to think that way, eh, no time for round about paranoia, to Reimu's!
>Hold up. Doesn't Reimu work for the military base?>I believe that was Sanae, the shrine we really didn't want to go to BEFORE anyway.
>Sanae does test pilot work, yes, but Reimu claimed to be a receptionist or some shit, I believe.
>Hold up. Doesn't Reimu work for the military base?
>I believe that was Sanae, the shrine we really didn't want to go to BEFORE anyway.>Actually, you wanted to go. Stargazer did not.
>Sanae does test pilot work, yes, but Reimu claimed to be a receptionist or some shit, I believe.
> Are our bikes within view?
> Are there authorities visible between our current location and our bikes?
> Examine possible paths to bikes
> How tired are our wings?
> Your wings are already suspicious enough, go along the buildings
> "We're going to get our bikes"
> "To the Forest Shrine cause barely anyone know it exists so it should be safe, also Reimu somewhat believes in the supernatural"
> "Yeah, she's not very social. Or...known about."
> Recall acquaintanceship with Reimu in the real Gensokyo. Are we still mad over losing that fight?
>Wonder if we've seen anything like Reimu's Ying-Yang orbs anywhere in Island-Gensokyo
> Think about telling Parsee and Ace what we remember when we get to the shrine
> Think about possible ways to get Patchouli's memory back, she probably would have an idea of what happened to make everything like this
> "Okay"
> Take flight and go high into the air so we'd look like a bird to those looking up
> Relish in the feeling of being able to fly again
> Keep an eye on the bike if we can
> Try to keep following them
> Bring the height down a little bit. The authorities are pre-occupied at the moment.
> How much detail are they likely to see if they notice us?
> Try to concentrate on following Ace and Parsee
> Focus your attention to the south. It could be a fighter jet or something equally dangerous.
> If we can get a better look at this motion without losing track of Parsee and Ace, do so.
> If not, just keep on flying
> Recall acquaintanceships with all Gensokyo natives that don't live underground. We probably didn't have too many visitors. Anyone in particular we like or dislike? What about the rabbit and the doctor from the time all the oni were celebrating?
> A human sized flier!? It could be another person who remembers...or those UAV's you'd heard about...or even the person who done all this!
>Check Parsee and Ace's status, are they fine, good, we only need to meet them at the bridge, go check out that flier
>We don't see Koishi around much, do we? Maybe it could be her... or the culprit, of course.
>Pursue her!
> Quick, give chase, see if we can cut them off from where ever there retreating too
>Is she close enough to call out to, and expect she could hear us?
>Do we have any idea where she's retreating towards? What's in that direction?
>Are we gaining on her, losing her, or going about the same speed?
>Do we have the ability to turn into a normal crow like how Orin turns into a Two-tailed cat? That'd be useful for hiding...
> "HEY YOU!"
> Elaborate on know acquaintanceship with Marisa in the real Gensokyo.
> Keep following her.
> Can we distinguish any colors on her? Hair, outfit, anything?
> "＼射命丸／"
> You're no fun.
> "Aya! Is that you? Wait!"
> Keep up that hot pursuit! Someone else that can fly and knows there's shit going down is too valuable to lose.
> Well, we must know Aya from our work on Youkai Mountain, with the Moriya Shrine and the kappa, right? We've heard of her, at the very least, if not outright seen her (as listed earlier). Do we know her outfit?
> Reimu and Marisa also had a whole bunch of voices coming out of their artifacts when they first came down. Does the voice match any of those?
> "Is that you Sanae!? Holy cow, did not expect that... the way everything else around here is, I assume you remember the real Gensokyo as well, considering how you're flying."
> "No more than whoever did this to all of us, as far as I'm concerned."
> "If they weren't so bent on ruining all our lives there wouldn't have been a police scare in the first place."
> "They're the ones intent on shooting me dead. If I had any say in the matter, things would have gone peacefully."
> "Everyone's! You're taken away who they are and given them a steaming pile of lies! Do you have any idea what it feels like to wake up and realize everything is fake without being able to do a goddamn thing about it? It fucking sucks, that's what it's like! Did you even bother asking anyone if they wanted this? Or did you just drum it up yourself without giving a damn about anyone you might harm? I am who I am, and like hell if you or anyone else is going to take that from me! I WILL NOT HAVE MY IDENTITY STOLEN FROM ME!"
> "What have I gained, huh? Parsee? She was with Yuugi first, it wouldn't be fair of me to intrude on them, and like hell am I going to butt heads with that oni when she's motivated. An education opportunity? I can just make the fucking stuff with a flick of the wrist. A job? I already had one of those, and Nitori was still a common acquaintance of mine."
> "I was feared in reality, and if I wasn't feared here before, I sure am now. What's that got to do with anything?"
> "Honestly, I don't give a DAMN about whether or not I was feared. I had my family of me, Orin, Satori and Koishi, and that's all I ever needed or wanted! Did I ever ask anyone to take it all away!? Did ANYONE ask for THIS!?"
> "Sanae, you and the Goddess's caused all of this didn't you? I want you to put everything back to how it was, or damnit, I'll do it myself."
> "Reimu went around beating the shit outta people until an incident was solved and we ALL know it works... If you and your Goddess's caused this incident, it needs to be solved, it needs to be fixed and if I must fix everything myself, I'm willing to use Reimu's style of fixing problems. We can talk this out peacefully like the sane people we are, or we can fight each other until one gives in, and damnit, I am NOT going to just give in."
> "I already had it, so what gain is there? Besides, being feared by a bunch of weak, pathetic humans is boring. Anyone can do that with enough motivation. Being feared by people that can fight back, that's where the thrill comes in."
> "Well, sure, it would be nice to make more friends, but I can say I was happier with that than the feeling that everything was wrong, and I can definitely say I was happier with that than knowing Orin is suffering through the same anxiety. At least my previous problem can be fixed, if I decide it's worth pursuing."
> "And I still want to know why you didn't ask first!"
> "Give me a straight, honest answer. Did you and your Goddess's do all this Sanae? Cause if so, that is 4 times now you and your Goddess's have caused a disturbance within Gensokyo."
> "Oh, no. I know all about how you wanted to exorcise Orin, and like hell am I going to let you steal her chance at getting her identity back."
> Flit our eyes around to check the surrounding ground area for police activity.
> "It doesn't matter if people judge me by my past deeds, I can prove to them that I've changed and won't do those things again. You don't give up and brainwash everyone simply because you've made a few mistakes in your life."
> "She's lost the identity of kasha. She's lost the identity of corpse-carrier. She's lost the identity of Hell's Traffic Accident. That was who she was, not some university student training to be a veterinarian, and don't you dare tell me otherwise."
> Identify current location and, should we choose to go there, the direction necessary to head to the Moriya Shrine.
> "Only for me? I'm not that self-centered! But at the same time... It doesn't just feel like a lie, I just know that this shouldn't be! This world isn't so much better than the real one, that the lies are justified. As for what affects me, if I'm to be forgiven, I want it to be because I EARNED it, not just because no one remembers!"
> "...Although, I do have to wonder. Just why did you do this? Did you just take it onto yourselves to decide that the outside world was better than Gensokyo, or did something happen to cause it?"
Okay, time for some fun.
> "I have zero reason to trust anything you're telling me right now, and you damn well know that, so I don't know why you even bother trying."
> "So this was Yasaka's doing, huh? Pfft. There have been an awful lot of loose ends for someone that's supposed to be so powerful. Some god she is! Couldn't even stop a birdbrain like me from ripping her little dream world a new one. Pathetic."
> "A mistake? What mistake? Allowing any possibility of remembering what once was?Leaving traces of the old Gensokyo behind? There are far too many pieces of the old Gensokyo remaining for it to just be some minor oversight! The world itself seems to want the truth, just as those in it search for it!"
> "...Beyond all of it, I would be betraying Parsee if I allowed such a lie to exist, knowing the truth. I am sorry Sanae... You do at least seem as if you mean well, but... I cannot accept this. Not as long as I have this feeling, this knowledge. Even knowing that I might not be the best judge of what should or should not be, I have no reason to think of you as such either."
> "I'm not sure this is an agreement that can be sorted out with words."
> "A quirk of circumstance? Please. Look at all the shit she fucked up on! Me, Orin, Stargazer, all my stuff still sitting there, the watch, the arm, whatever other things the Research Institute is hiding down there, and who knows what else. Hell, even Reimu to a lesser extent. Maybe my getting chosen was "a quirk of circumstance", but with all those loose ends floating around someone was bound to pick up on it sooner rather than later."
> "Of course, it's not like she wasn't capable of fucking things up in the real Gensokyo, too. She can't even run a nuclear reactor right! So she goes ahead and stuffs Yatagarasu down my throat and has me do it instead because I'm actually a capable functioning being."
> "...Wait a minute, that must be it! That would be why she set all this up in the first place! That's why Reimu got thrown into the middle of Bumblefuck Woods. That's why your shrine throws attention-whoring parties for everyone every so often. She's jealous! Jealous of people that are just plain better than her! People like Reimu and me, who know how to not fuck shit up when we have jobs to do! Ahahaha, what a lousy excuse for a "god"! Oh, poor, pathetic Yasaka, you only wanted people to realize you're not a complete waste of faith, but you even fucked that up! What a laugh! Ahahahahaha!"
> "Oh, so now she's taking credit for the Yatagarasu's power too, huh? Haha! I guess no less can be expected from Queen Inferiority Complex! Why are you that devoted to her, anyway? Didn't she fuck your life up too when she dragged you to Gensokyo in the first place, away from your family and friends who you're never going to see again because of her? I thought you were smarter than this! Is the snake charm in your hair too tight?"
> Why do we give a shit about spellcards right now? There's no incentive to play fair here. Charge up a good-sized laser in that oversized kebab of ours and blast Sanae with it.
> Just try to knock her out, we still have to catch up with Parsee and Ace
> In fact, try and capture her, she could be useful
> Plan A: Shoot a Big ball of Plasma at her then start spamming bullets, while she's dodging those try to do a precision shot one her
> Plan B: If the above doesn't work, rush her then when your close enough, try a spread shot at her then start spamming bullets
> Dodge any bullets that come your way
>The knives are moving straight, correct? So sidestep just a little, to put us out of line of them. If we can tell where the second line is aimed, move such that we are not directly in line of either of them
>Does the wall of blue danmaku exist only on either side of us, or are we also surrounded above and below?
>Shift out of line of the 3rd line of knives. Try to shift AWAY from the walls if possible, so that we don't get ourselves hemmed in
>"Do you really think that all you have to do is beat me, and everything will be alright, again?"
> Keep on charging as you dodge
> "What gave you the right to do what you did, huh, I mean Gensokyo wasn't even your responsibility!!"
>Try dodging them by shifting vertically this time
>"But did you even ask anyone if they wanted this? None of us has the right to reshape Gensokyo to our own wishes. Even I learned that lesson, already!"
>Do we have the capability of launching any lesser danmaku while still charging this shot?
> How much charge do we need to make the Ball of Plasma, say, 11 - 12 feet big?
>"Yes, but did you even ask anyone if this is what they wanted? Or did you just decide this is what you and your gods wanted, and that was enough? Weren't some of these people your friends? Do you think Reimu would have approved of any of this?"
>How much of the corridor between us would the shot cover, now?
>Shift out of the predicted path of the new knives
>"A gift? This is a gift? You took away our LIVES!"
>If we're getting pinned, we may not be able to afford much more delay. Launch a spread of lesser danmaku at Sanae. Doesn't need to be too well aimed, but try to at least restrict her open room, and force her to move. And then launch the large shot at her while the space around her is less open.
> "Yes but what your doing is rearranging entire live, Is it really a gift if the person would not want it? Just face it, your doing this for an entirely selfish reason"
>How much charge do we need to implement Plan A
>"I will not lose myself to my power again! This isn't even about power. This is about truth!"
>"You speak as though someone DID want this. Was it you? Did you miss the outside world that much that you would recreate Gensokyo in its image?"
>How far away from her are we at the moment?
> Prepare to dodge incoming wave
>"Ok, I'll admit that I missed my power. But that was far from the only thing I lost. I lost memories of an entire life that I had lived! Do you have any idea what that's like? Oh, wait, I guess you don't, because you didn't seal your past like you did to the rest of us! Isn't that even more selfish of you? Not only change our world, but make sure that you're the only one that even remembers what you took from us!"
>"You don't move forward by resetting your past. You move forward by learning from it. I've made more stupid mistakes than most people, I ought to know."
>"And if it wasn't your call, whose was it? Kanako?"
>"I'm not saying you made this place so that you could rule it. But no matter how much you think it was for other's good, it was still selfish to impose it on everyone."
>"As for others. Yes, perhaps there are some who would be happier with this life, even if they had the power to choose between them. But I'm sure there are others who would do whatever they could to restore their old lives, if they only knew what was taken from them."
>"And I'm not sure I go could back, either way, now. There's a lot of people who want me dead. How long do you think I would last if I were ordinary again?"
>"Koishi? Is she involved in this, too?"
>Be careful for any sudden moves on her part, now that she's this close. It's hard to tell if she's just being friendly, or planning something.
>Move backwards slowly, but don't put too much distance between us.
>"And is there any way to ask them? To see what they truly would think? What choice they would make if they'd been given any?"
>"But if she doesn't have her third eye, either, how could she access her powers?"
>"Evidence? And what evidence would that be? That the world is still running? That doesn't answer my question at all."
>"And where would you have me go?"
>"She understands? Was she part of the original plan from the beginning?"
>"Do you want me to go with you so that you can just seal me again? You know I don't want that."
>"And as for not doing something while I slept... I'm not convinced you ever thought I'd get this far. If you had, wouldn't you have intervened earlier?"
>"No, I will not disarm myself. You have lied to me in the most profound possible way. I'm just not willing to extend that kind of trust to you at the moment. I still wish to speak with her, but I am not willing to put myself at your mercy, and believe you will not take advantage of it."
> Current Charge
> Did we stop fighting her?
>"Can you not stand for anyone to disagree with you!?"
>She's still at point blank range, right? If so, launch a very large sphere from our current position. Is she's that close, it should be very hard to dodge something that large.
>Simultaneously dash backwards as fast as we can. Try to outrun the danmaku, and open up some room to actually dodge them.
> Dodge those stars!!
> Once clear, launch a big ball of plasma at her, stay behind it so that she doesn't see you, then when you think your close enough, get out from behind it and blast her with a spread shot
> What do we remember in our inventory?
>If the danmaku is slowing down our big shots, go for penetrating power, instead. Level a fusion beam at her, and see if we can cut straight through them
> Are we in a position that let's us use the pocket watch to slow down time or is that too intricate?
(Our inventory sucks :()
>If the danmaku is slowing down our big shots, go for penetrating power, instead. Level a fusion beam at her, and see if we can cut straight through them
> Hold up. Koishi's involved?
> Try to recall our dream with Koishi in it.
> Fine, we'll remember the Koishi dream later.
> Whip out the watch and open it up.
>Can we avoid the danmaku by simply continuing backwards and putting more distance between her and ourself? Do so, if possible
>If not, and it's too dense to have confidence of dodging normally, open the pocketwatch.
> Also see if any aerial avenues of dodging exist.
> Hey wait, can we blast those bullets away?
> Blaze our way through the danmaku toward Sanae as fast as we can. Being careful isn't as important as speed right now; be willing to take a couple of glancing blows in the interest of saving time, if necessary.
> When we get to Sanae, cock our un-rodded arm back.
> "Spell Break!"
> Punch Sanae in the gut as hard as we can.
> How charged are we?
> Is there a decent path to get within melee range of Sanae?
> If not, how close can we get?
> If we have a decent amount of charge (40%+) get as close as we can to her and attempt to pin her with danmaku, and then blast her in the face with a large plasma blast.
> If we don't, do what Kilga suggested.
>Red stars means she's still in the middle of the invocation, and can't dodge properly
>Aim at her with the fusion beam and give it everything we've got! We have to end this before it ends us.
> How tired are we? If were quite tired, let her flee, we need to meet up with Parsee and Ace
>Quickly look around. Can we see anything else that could have prompted her to disengage?
> "Oh, that's why you follow her around! You can't do anything right either! Like goddess, like priestess, huh?"
> Direction check: where is she going?
> If she is flying towards the military base, the people there might know whats going on, mark it as a place of extreme interest
> Can we catch up with her before she makes it there?
> Go back to Ace and Parsee then, it would be suicide to follow her into a military base. She's probably retreating to get some backup like the coward she is!
> Nah, she's just getting the giant mech.
> We should follow her before she gets into it.
> Not if we can catch up to her before she gets there. Letting her go off and do her own thing will cost us the initiative later. Who knows what forces she'll wrangle up at a military institution.
> This voice votes for speeding after her, while still charging (but only if charging doesn't hamper flight speed).
>Incidentally, there any clock towers, or other large visible clocks that we could use to rewind the pocket watch to the correct time?
> Can we use our abilities to create an impromptu atomic clock?
> If we can catch up to her before she get there, yeah chase her, fly a bit above her so when we catch up we can dive tackle her
> Blast off after her, charging all the while. A straight line should suffice for the time being - anything fancy will depend on what Sanae herself does.
> While in flight, recall our Koishi dream.
> Is Sanae still visible?
> I propose that it would be possible to wire the watch to our atomic abilities combining our innate knowledge of fusion and the electronics experience we have gained from repairing AC units. There are some things that would be different, but the basics of electronics should help.
>No one is shooting at us, but how high up are we, still?
>Do we see any other soldiers on the ground?
>Long buildings? Do they look like hangers of any sort?
> Alas, time is not something we have. Consider it a future project.
> Is there any time indicators that we know of nearby? I can't imagine that we're entering a place completely without clocks.
>Swoop down after her, and see if we can get inside before she does. It's bad to be seen by too many people like this, but if whatever she's after is worth calling off the fight, we don't want to let her reach it
> So we would need to be charged up at all to fire this laser? We couldn't do it from scratch?
>Does it look like we can reach the hanger before she does?
> "Hi."
> Grin and prepare to dodge anything she throws at you, as well as keeping an eye on her for anything ELSE she might try.
> "I gotta admit. This has been good for me in one way. I've watched enough anime to know to expect something big in here that might allow you to stand a chance against me. I wanna say a mecha but you worked pretty hard to make this world at least somewhat realistic. Figures that the cowardly goddess' miko lacks even the simple ability of accepting her defeat."
>I vote for at least waiting for a reaction before blasting her.
> I vote talking is kinda futile at this point except to be a bitch. I just enjoy being bitch Okuu.
> Blast her unconscious. We can get reactions and questions when we get back to safety.
(This is Gensokyo. It's wrong Gensokyo, but her and Okuu are "right" now. Might makes right. After we blast her and drag her somewhere, we have tea and work out our differences)
Anyway, Belay Doll Warrior's command.
> "Yeah, you're right, that was kinda obvious. Now, what do you mean two of us?"
> Act like you are planning to shoot her again, then punch her in the gut.
> Brace for retaliation if the punch misses. If she makes to dodge the punch, fire some danmaku at where she's likely to dodge and go for another punch, this time to the face, with the control rod arm.
> If she starts to dodge that, just full on tackle her and shoot at point blank range. Don't kill her though.
>"You say that this Gensokyo is better, and I say that you don't have the right to make that decision. You can restore the other's memories, right? Let them choose what THEY want. Neither you nor I can make that decision for anyone else."
...
> Wait a second.
> Belay the tackle command, and also watch the fuck out of our back. Make sure nothing from the hangar interfers.
> If she manages to dodge the second attempt to melee smack her, break for the hanger and try to beat her to her thing. Possibly destroy it if it seems possible.
>Run into the hanger
>What do we see in here?
> Use our quickest form of movement to dash to whatever it is.
> Remain aware of attacks from behind.
> "My friend? She hasn't been really doing a lot for me lately. Something happened after we awakened that's distanced her. Any advice, oh wise Miko ^-^?"
> May I assume we lack the skill set needed to steal the jet?
> If we can fly it, jack that bitch.
> If we can't, blow that shit UP! Attack a fuel tank or, something.
>"And were you really planning to shoot me down in this thing?"
> Specifically, attack by throwing a fusion ball at it, rather than wasting charge.
> I thought we were paying attention to back attacks
> Well, nevermind that, how does the wound feel? As in what's it's nature?
> Quickly get up and face Sanae
> Can we do an Omni-directional blast?
>Try to right ourselves and quickly turn around
>Ready our arm cannon and be prepared to shoot it she's right up in our face, now
> "Hey, Sanae! Can you just tell me one thing before you get ready to try something stupid? What time is it?"
> Can we blow up the entire room that we're in?
> Preferably with a blast that will allow us to knock Sanae unconscious or escape.
>Is she heading for the jet, again?
>Run towards after her, while angling toward the side of the jet. Don't want to be in front of it, if she can actually reach it
>Shoot her. Rapid-fire, moderate spread. Enough to distrupt her momentum, at least
> Shoot the jet itself with say...40% power if she is getting too close to it[
> What are you doing standing there? blast her back
>Take to the air, and lunge forward for an instant
>Launch a couple large spheres towards Sanae
>Then, flare your wings, and sweep to the side, strafing an arc wide to her left. Lay down a stream of rapid fire towards her, as you sweep around this path
> "Oh no, not a meme at all!"
> Make sure to keep dodging as you talk
> "I just am VERY interested in the time. You see, I have a date after all this, and I don't want to be late, yanno? So, I mean, if you could tell me the time, I could figure out how fast we need to wrap this up."
>Do you even care about your other quests anymore?
>Get ready to graze.
> Wait, the sky? I thought we were in the hanger
> Graze towards her at a fast speed, leaving a trail of bullets behind you, make it look like you want to tackle her and when you just past her spin around and blast her with a large Plasma ball
>Can we get a read on their trajectories? If so, try to maneuver to a comparatively safer location among the field and launch some rapid-fire spreadshots
>Otherwise, try to use a larger blast to punch a hole through the shots, and follow it into the gap it's created in the field
> Can we do a small laser barrage?
> Can we make our bullets ricochet?
> If so, fire a few shots past her to where they'd bounce back and hit her.
> If not, fire a slow-moving sun at her, and as soon as she dodges try to hit her with a laser or two.
>Launch a stream of danmaku whose trajectory curves and splits. Make it harder for her to tell where she should move to evade them.
> Keep dodging the bullets, when charge is sufficient, launch a huge barrage of bullets at her and then predicting where she would move next spam small lasers at her
>Does it look equally crowded to our right and left?
>If they look equally dense, pick the direction that takes us furthest from the walls
>As we maneuver through the bullets, try to take quick strafing shots at her
> Keep dodging the bullets, when charge is sufficient, launch a huge barrage of bullets at her and then predicting where she would move next spam small lasers at her
> When would the charge be sufficient to implement the Plan?
>Launch the splitting stream of bullets again.
>Presumably she'll move into a safer spot this time, but that should hem her in
>While the stream is still active, expend some charge to level a fusion laser directly at where she's pinned
> Implement above Plans
>If she seems to still have some fight left in her, shoot some more basic danmaku at her while she's down. We want to make sure she's not going anywhere anytime soon.
>Do this while closing the distance between us