Should have put these in the post before, but oh well.
First Part: >>30586
Previous Part: >>34444

And now, the INVENTORY!

Merchandise in dimensional bag:
Nice hat x1
Fireproof Clothes x1
Blank Spell Cards
Doohickey x1
A single stick of dynamite
Superboy XL x1(RESERVED)
Herbs and Leaves Tea Set x4
Shawl of Disguise x1
Butterfly Knife x1
Lamp x1
Strange Gem x1
Beginner’s Potion set x1
Tome of Advanced Practical Magic x1
Scotch Tape x1
Wand of Fireball x1
Batteries
Lava Lamp x1
Wrench Set x1
Mess of Hakurei Charms and Amulets

Outstanding Orders and requests:
Superboy XL (Rinnosuke) <In trade for mirror of dreams>
Keep an eye out for a manual sewing machine (Alice)
Keep an eye out for medicinal herbs and leaves (Eirin)
CD Player (Kaguya)
“Something of elegance, fashion-wise” (Remilia)


Personal items on hand:
Ring of Flight
Toolkit (Screwdriver, flashlight, bottle opener, simple knife (non-combat), campfire starter)
Food Rations
60,500 yen
Viator
Map of Gensokyo
Blank Spell Cards

Seals:
[Seal 1P] Arm Strength
[Seal 2P] Leg Strength
[Seal 3P] Stamina
[Seal 4P] Defense
<Seal 1M> Fire
<Seal 2M> Water
<Seal 3M> Lightning
<Seal 4M> Light

Abilities Unlocked:
LUCK x3 (Put in front of a choice to make our hero more fortunate for the next turn. At least 4 people have to select this for it to activate, but the options selected do not have to be the same)

You can once again gather the latent energy around you and channel it to suit your purposes. Larger endeavors require larger amounts of energy, and the energy you collect must be applied towards a person, object or the environment around you.

Spell Cards:
Spiritual Strike Talisman (System)
Magic Potion (System)
Practice Sign: Simple Laser
Surge Sign – Geyser of the Heavens <Requires Leg, Water and Light Seals Activated>

Known Merchants:
House of Kirisame (General goods)
Kourindou (Antiques, Variety, Basic Identification)
Kappa’s Bazaar (Various goods, mainly technological and literary in nature, food court)
Made by Nitori (Technological goods, technological repairs, located in Kappa’s Bazaar)
Fall’s Bounty (Seasonal Food – Autumn, located in Kappa’s Bazaar)
Kirisame Magic Shop (Junk shop, Marisa-for-hire?)
Fukuda Groceries (Food, produce)
Yagokoro Clinic (Medicine, health services)
Temple of Myoren (Dowsing)

[x] I wonder what’s going on in town…

Daylight's a wastin'. Rinnosuke will keep~

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

[x] Might as well take this chance to explore Eientei…

Can't resist.

[x] I wonder what’s going on in town…

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

[X] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

Give kourin his god damned toy.

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

Business first.

Maybe we could try to find Alice a sewing machine with the Kappa? I doubt the machine would be safe, though...

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

[x] Might as well take this chance to explore Eientei…

Might get lucky, and spot what is happening to Reisen right now.
That would be fun!

I wonder what Mokou would do for those fireproof clothes... Better yet, what Kaguya would do for them.

Sorry, I've got a big exam coming up tomorrow, etc etc. I'm sure you'll all live, though, so no worries!

>>37440
Mokou already has fireproof clothes and Kaguya uses her eternity power to prevent Mokou from burning hers every other day.

Mokou might still want them. It must get boring wearing the same outfit every day.

>>37453
Well these clothes were supposed to protect against the fire demon's attacks, so they'd probably protect kaguya from mokou's flames. That'd make it so much easier on her when the two fight.

[x] We still have a delivery we could fulfill today, don’t we…

Better to get the last piece of business you have out of the way before you try and take it easy. Business before bullets, and all that.

You make your way to Eientei’s entrance as you try and figure out where the heck you pulled that phrase from. Exiting the building, you lift into the air in the hopes of avoiding some of Tewi’s traps. Fortunately you don’t seem to trigger any, suggesting that either there aren’t any aerial defenses set up, or else the little rabbit is too distracted at the moment to activate any of them.

You find yourself glancing at the spot where you left Mokou lying on the ground, but you can’t see anyone in the general area. That either means that she was able to rouse herself before anything happened to her, or else, well, something happened to her. Still, the attempted theft is still pretty fresh on your mind, so you decide against pursuing this line of thought any further. Tewi said she would be fine, so you put your faith in that as you rise up above the bamboo.

---

As you touch down near Kourindou you get the feeling that something seems different from the last time you were here. It doesn’t take too long for you to figure it out; all of the stuff that was lying around on the ground seems to have up and disappeared. Of course, it’s been a month and a half since you were here last, but considering the disposition of the shop’s owner you wouldn’t have thought that he would go through the effort of actually cleaning all that stuff up.

You are taken further by surprise as you actually enter the shop itself. The place has been tidied up significantly, with items of significance being displayed near the shop’s entrance. (With price tags, even!) The shelved have been rearranged to assist with mobility, and you can see that there are a few youkai walking around, perusing the goods.

You can’t seem to find anyone from the village, however, a fact that puzzles you until you notice the dolls floating around the store. They are of similar design to the one that you saw near Alice the last time you were here, dressed in small dresses of blue and white. They seem to be occupying themselves with tidying up the store, dusting shelves and reorganizing items. One of them stops in front of you for a few moments before flying off towards the back. It leaves you with a half-cute, half-creepy sensation that brings the realization of why there are no villagers here.

Dolls or no dolls though, you’re here on business. You make your way towards the back of the store, where you find Rinnosuke leaning against the counter in a subdued manner. Next to him sits Alice, reading a book from one hand and making strange gestures with the other.

“Hey Rinnosuke, how’s business?”

“Mmm? Oh, Lawrence, was it?” Rinnosuke seems to regain some of his composure as he sticks a thumb in Alice’s direction. “Why don’t you ask her? She’s all but ransacked my shop, after all.”

“Now you know that’s not true, Rinnosuke.” Alice says as she closes her book and turns towards the conversation. “It’s just that I refuse to live in a pigsty, which is what your store more or less was when I came here. Now it’s a place of decency, and business has even picked up a bit, if I do say so myself.”

“It isn’t like I asked you pick it up for me.” You hear Rinnosuke grumble as he turns back to you. “So, what’s the reason for your visit today, Lawrence?”

“Delivery call, actually,” you say as you dig around in your pack. Upon hearing that, Alice’s eyes light up.

“Oh, were you able to procure a sewing machine for me, then?” Alice looks extremely eager as she says this, which makes you feel kind of bad that you have let her down.

“Unfortunately, Ms. Alice, I wasn’t able to find anything that matched your specifications this time around. Sorry.”

Alice blinks a few times before letting out a dejected sigh. “I was afraid that you would say that. Not surprising, since what I asked for is probably something of a rarity, even here in Gensokyo.” She puts a finger to her lips as she ponders. “I suppose that it isn’t a necessity, since I can do the majority of my work by hand in any case, but it would save me a lot of time when I start my business back up again.”

“Which can’t come too soon,” Rinnosuke mutters. Alice shoots him a dark look before turning back to you with a smile. “Would you mind keeping an eye out for it just a little while longer, Mr. Lawrence.”

“Sure, I’ll do my best.” As you say this you find what you are looking for, and pull the bag containing the Superboy, its games and the batteries on the counter. “As for now, however, I managed to get what you asked for, Rinnosuke.”

“What I… Oh!” Rinnosuke’s posture immediately straightens to a more interested one. “I’d forgotten that I ordered something from you! So this is…”

Rinnosuke takes the gaming machine from its box and gives it a good once over. Nodding, he turns his attention to the games. “Let’s see… hm, windows to alternate universes? Is that kind of thing even possible?”

“Of course it isn’t,” You lie, “These are just the games that go with the Superboy. See, they go into the slot there, and…”

“Ah, of course.” Rinnosuke fiddles around with the device for a minute or so before realizing that you are still standing there. “Ah, right, your payment. What was it that you asked for again?”

“The mirror, remember.”

“Ah right. One second, I’ll see if I can’t figure out where I put-”

A doll suddenly comes down from above, depositing the mirror into your hands. Rinnosuke now returns Alice’s dirty look back at her as she goes back to reading her book with a smug smile on her face. Rolling your eyes, you deposit the mirror into your pack.

Well, that’s all the business you had, so you’ve got some free time on your hands. What to do next?

[ ] Engage in some conversation
-[ ] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
-[ ] “I’m surprised that Marisa isn’t here.”
-[ ] “Neither of you have seen Reimu running around, have you?”
-[ ] “<Write-in>”
[ ] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.
[ ] Head back to Eientei for now
[ ] Do something/head somewhere else <Write-in>

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

No harm in browsing while you bullshit.

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
-[x] “Neither of you have seen Reimu running around, have you?”
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

You know, if nothing can be found, perhaps the manual sewing machine could be commissioned? Of course, that would ramp the price up, but if she really want it...

So, with that in mind...

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
-[x] Suggest to see if the sewing machine can be built if it can't be found, mentionning the disadvantage attached to it. She's free to accept or reject the idea.
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.”
-[x] “Neither of you have seen Reimu running around, have you?”
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
-[x] “Neither of you have seen Reimu running around, have you?”
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
-[x] “Neither of you have seen Reimu running around, have you?”
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

[x] Engage in some conversation
-[x] “Interesting ability you have there, Alice.
-[x] “Neither of you have seen Reimu running around, have you?”
[x] See if there isn’t anything good left in the store.

“So, ah, interesting ability you have there, Alice.”

“Hm? Oh, this?” She twitches her hand causing one of the small dolls floating around to float over to where you are. “It really isn’t much. After all, I wouldn’t be much of a puppeteer if I couldn’t at least do this.”

“A puppeteer?” You ask, “I thought you were a tailor of some sort.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t seem to make a living by making dolls alone. For some reason, people are rarely interested in purchasing them. I just can’t understand.” She gives a small sigh as the small doll gazes with its soulless eyes into your own, sending shivers down your spine. “Because of that,” she continues, “it’s necessary for me to gain my income by some other means. And since I refuse to resort to base burglary like some people, I fall back on tailoring an d alterations for the general populace. You would be surprised how popular my services are in Gensokyo, actually.”

“Considering the…intricate outfits I’ve seen here, I’m not sure if I really am.” Come to think about it, pretty much everyone in this land has some sort of extravagant outfit, don’t they? Maybe it really wouldn’t hurt to stock some extravagant clothing from now on. Easier said than done, of course. Maybe Ailira would have some idea…

“You there, Mr. Lawrence?”

You snap out of your thoughts, turning back to Alice. “Sorry, I think I distracted myself there for a second. What were you saying?”

“I was waiting on you, Mr. Lawrence. In any case, is there anything else you wanted to ask?”

“Oh, um…” the small doll has floated off at this point, and you really don’t have anything else to inquire on that subject. You are about to say that you’d like to look around the store some more, when a thought occurs to you. “Hey, have either of you seem Reimu today?”

“Reimu?” Rinnosuke asks. “I can’t say that I have. Why, did you need her to drink some of your tea or something?”

“No nothing like… what? Anyways, no, I just thought she would have been through here. You see-”

At that moment you’re cut off as the front door is slammed to the side, and an exited shrine maiden runs in. “Rinnosuke!” she yells out with a matter of pride. “I have come as a consumer today!”

Everyone in the store can only stare at her, but Reimu doesn’t seem to take any notice. Striding to the front, she slams both of her hands on the counter and gives the beleaguered white haired merchant a wild grin.

“Th…That’s, uh, great, Reimu. Just…let me know if there is anything you want to purchase, alright?”

Reimu blinks before taking a look around her. Ignoring everyone in the store, she seems to remember something. “Oh, right, I’ve got to pick something out first. It’s been so long I almost forgot.”

“You did forget.” Alice says bluntly.

“Oh, hey Alice, how’s it going? I guess that I should pick something out, then.” She walks away from the counter, and begins moving along the isles, concentrating deeply. Rinnosuke seems to be stunned to the point where he can’t even move.

“…what the heck happened with her?” Alice asks with mild surprise. After a moment, however, her eyes narrow and she turns to face you. “This is your fault, isn’t it?”

“I…guess? Some of the items she gave me ended up selling very well in the outside world, so I thought it only fair that I gave her a share of the profits.”

“Wait… you mean that you would be willing to sell the items of others?”

“In return for a share of the profits, of course.”

Alice stares at you for a moment before quickly standing up. “Don’t go anywhere!” She shouts as she runs into the store’s back. After waiting a few minutes she returns with a very ornately dressed doll. “See if you would be able to sell this, would you?”

It takes you a few seconds before you catch on, but you take the doll from her hands. “You want me to sell this on commission? I suppose that I can do that.” You slip the doll into you pack. “I’ll let you know if I find a buyer the next time I come around. Now if it’s alright, I think I’ll browse a bit before heading out.” Alice gives a small nod, and Rinnosuke seem to still be stunned by the whole Reimu fiasco, so you head out into the aisles.

…as it stands, however, you don’t find anything you would consider interesting. Sure, there are all sorts of knick-knacks lying around neatly, but thanks to Alice’s organization you can’t find anything that you couldn’t get cheaper elsewhere. You get the feeling that she put anything interesting away in the backroom, and Rinnosuke doesn’t look like he will be functioning properly for a good long while.

Reimu seems to be having a similar problem, in that she can’t seem to decide on what to buy. You are tempted to help her out, but at the same time there are other places you could be right now. It’s around mid-afternoon right now, so you could probably make it to either the village or Moriya Temple before it starts to get dark. And even though you can fly now, you figure that being outside after dark is still a poor idea.

First…
[ ] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[ ] “You know, Reimu, I do have some items of my own for sale.” <Select Item>
[ ] Leave her be, better that she figures this out on her own.
Then…
[ ] Head to the village
[ ] Head to the temple
[ ] Head back to Eientei

---

ABILITY UNLOCKED!
You can now sell items on commission! Sometimes, people may come to you with the intent of expanding their business. If you accept their proposal, you will take their item for no charge, but you won’t be able to keep the full profits for said item, instead collecting only a shipping fee of sorts and paying the remainder to the original merchant. While not particularly lucrative, it is a good way to build connections with other merchants, and to make some money when they aren’t willing to sell you their products outright.
You can ask merchants if they have anything they want to put up, or if you have a specific item in mind you can suggest it outright. This option is always available as long as you remember it is.

[x] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

Raymoo~

[x] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

your back!

[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

[X]Leave her be, better that she figures this out on her own.
[X]Head back to Eientei

I want to go back to Reisen!

I like Reisen.

>>37761
I also like Reisen.

[X]Leave her be, better that she figures this out on her own.
[X]Head back to Eientei

[x] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

[x] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

I think we can fit in one more stop before going back to Eientei.

>>37805
As long as we can actually end up going back to Reisen.

>>37879
Wow, you're paranoid. We'll definitely see more Reisen. and more importantly, Tewi

>>37879
I highly doubt that our "base" will change overnight. Also try to appreciate the story instead of mindlessly voting for Reisen like a goddamn retard.

We all know she hasn't gotten a route but mindless routefaggotry IS. NOT. THE WAY.

I apologize for the outburst.

>>37899
This story isn't exactly hostile to mindless routefaggotry. You know, between Minoriko (or is it Shizuha? I forgot.), Nazrin, Tewi, Reisen, Sakuya, etc.

Just don't start insulting other people's favorite characters (ALL OF THEM are someone's favorite character). No matter what. We'll find only misery down that dark path.

>>37906
mind you, I wasn't speaking against mindful routefaggotry as that's not too terrible outside of certain stories.

Stuff...happened today. Rather not post about it, so just know that I'm going to be taking a break for a little bit. I'll let you know when I'm up to continuing.

>>37906
Let's listen to this man, he's wise!

>>38069
Here's to hoping you'll be feeling better - hope it's nothing too bad.

>>38101
Again it's not so much normal routefaggotry that bugs me but mindlessly doing so at the expense of the greater story.

>>37761
>>37771
These are examples of what I'm talking about as they seem to be thinking of nothing but Reisen and maybe not even thinking that much.

Honestly this story should go to the best girl and at the moment Reisen's been getting the most time, but nothing that would effectively 'steal' the story (inspires all readers to go for her no matter what)

>>38104
Well, again, let's not start insulting what people vote for here.

You might not agree with them, and that's fine, but let's not start something here.

[x] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x] See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

I think we can fit in one more stop before going back to Eientei

Just finished reading up to here, and had some random thoughts: we need to find that damn supercrystal, don't we? And didn't Nazrin offer to demonstrate her ability on one object of our choice? Perhaps with a Luck boost, we could solve that issue before it gets out of hand or forgotten. Next stop, temple?

On an even more random note, as long as we keep the fireball wand away from the garden, Yuuka might be interested in multidimensional flowers/seeds/plants. Then again, she wouldn't really have much to trade (besides rare plants...hmmm). Of course, he hasn't run into her yet (another visit to Meiling might have her name arise) and we have no way of knowing how Realm would handle her (amusing troll or psycho)... Possibly rewarding, probably dangerous.

>>38262
Yukari has the crystal, nothing we can do.

>>38263
So that was confirmed?
Ah, damnit. I had been hoping someone "normal" (read Marisa/Tewi) had nabbed it. Well, there goes that 'brilliant' idea.

[x] Continue?

>>38306

Yeah, I think that's probably enough recovery time. I don't think I have enough time to prepare anything today, but I'll try my best to post the next part within the week.

[x] Help Reimu find something in the store.
[x] Ask Rinnosuke if he has anything he wants sold.
[x]See if you can visit the back room while you're at it.
[x] Head to the village

“Need any help?”

Reimu looks up from her shelf-browsing with annoyance. “Why? Do you work here now?”

“C’mon, you look like you’re having trouble deciding what to buy. I just thought I’d lend a hand.”

Reimu’s annoyance slowly drops off her face as she turns back to the shelf. “I guess Alice was right. I haven’t had the chance to go shopping since I was small, so I don’t really know where to start. I’ve always had to focus on the essentials, so I’ve never really put any thought into what I’d like to buy.” She lets out a small sigh. “Maybe I should just save my money, instead of frivolously spending it…”

“Come now, what kind of anti-consumerism thought is that?” You reply, “I’m sure that there is something in this store that warrants your attention.”

“Maybe.” Putting a finger to her lips, Reimu heads back towards the front counter, where Rinnosuke seems to have broken out of his shock and is playing his new Superboy XL. Upon seeing the toy in his hands, a smile immediately breaks out on Reimu’s face.

“Let me see that, Rinnosuke!” Without waiting for a response, Reimu grabs the Superboy out of the merchant’s hands and begins playing with it. She soon becomes immersed in its gameplay.

“Hey, Reimu, what do you think you are-”

“This thing is great! It’s like it’s some sort of Danmaku trainer or something! How much for this?” Reimu says as she cuts the merchant up short.

To his credit, Rinnosuke only remains shocked for a second before regaining his composure. Putting on an air of seriousness, he replies. “I’m sorry, Reimu, but I’m afraid that particular item is not-”

“How’s 6,500 yen sound? I know it’s a bit much, but I think that something like this is probably worth it.”

“L…like I said, Reimu, this isn’t for s-”

“Right, it’s a deal!” Reimu pulls the offered money from her sleeves and slaps it down onto the table. “Great doing business with you, Rinnosuke! And thanks for… whatever you did, Lawrence! I’ll see you guys around!” With that, Reimu walks out of the store and takes off, never taking her eyes off of the console the whole time.

Rinnosuke just sits there for a few moments before collapsing on the counter, small sounds of weeping coming out. Alice gives him a soft look, and then turns to you with a harsh glare.

“Aha. Well, nobody said consumerism wasn’t a harsh mistress…”

---

Well, that didn’t go as expected. You wanted to ask Rinnosuke if he had any items you could commission for him, and maybe ask if you could even get into the backroom. (Though you suspect you would have had to convince Alice to let you back in there as well.) Alice promptly kicked you out of the store after the Reimu fiasco, however, saying that you had done enough damage to the shop as it is. You were going to object that it wasn’t even her store, but a number of flying dolls heading in your direction was enough to convince you that it would probably be best if you left.

Well, no point in dwelling on it. You had taken care of your most important business there in any case, and you don’t think that Rinnosuke blames you directly for the incident. You can probably head back there after the shopkeeper calms down. (Although you might want to pick up another Superboy before you do.)

In any case, you decided to stop by the village before heading back to Eientei. It’s about a few hours before sundown, and you probably have time for an activity or two before you need to head on back to the rabbit’s den.

Choose one:
[ ] Head on over to the House of Kirisame
[ ] You’re getting hungry; Let’s see if there is anything to eat over at Fukuda Groceries
[ ] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…
[ ] Head on over to the plaza
-[ ] Let’s see if anyone we know is hanging around…
-[ ] That dragon statue…

Glorious return

[ ] You’re getting hungry; Let’s see if there is anything to eat over at Fukuda Groceries

[x] make a note to get Rinnosuke another Super-boy for only 6000 yen this time.

Lucky Reimu!

[x] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…

Even an ex-hero needs to stop in at the tavern occasionally. Adventure hooks stop for no one.

[x] Head on over to the plaza
-[x] That dragon statue…

[x] Head on over to the plaza
-[x] Let’s see if anyone we know is hanging around…

Somehow I'm not surprised by this turn of events...

Aww, Reimu is being cute. For her.

[x] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…

[x] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…

Good place to pick up rumors, maybe it'll give us a lead to somewhere interesting.

[X] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…

Works for me~!

The merchant part of me winces at the though of going out to spend money on food at a tavern (that has to be the Gensokyo equivalent of going to watch a movie, or something - food must be really expensive).
Still, we might get lucky, and find more customers, or something, I guess.


[X] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…
-[X] Before we go, take a quick look to see if we anyone we know is hanging out at the plaza.

Started writing today, but it turned out a bit shorter than I liked, so I'm going to work on it a bit more.

[X ] It’s evening now, so the tavern might be open…

Pushing aside the cloth that acts as an entrance, you make your way inside the village’s watering hole. Conversations dim a bit as you walk inside, but as patrons recognize who you are the sound picks back up. You, for one, are grateful for that, as there is nothing more awkward and, in some cases, more dangerous than a completely silent bar.

The bar itself is fairly simple in its design, in the same vein as most of the rest of the village. Wooden tables and chairs filled by patrons litter the floor, and a sturdy bar sits towards the side of the room. Three or four servers are going around taking and filling patron orders, and behind the bar stands a sturdy looking man wiping down a glass. A bartender in his natural state, if you’ve ever seen one.

All in all, it isn’t the most extravagant beverage distribution facility that you have ever seen, but at the same time most places like these aren’t judged by how they look. Taking a seat at the bar, you direct your attention to the bartender. There are a few others sitting there as well, but aside from a few glances they don’t seem to be bothering you.

“What’ll ya have?”

Hmm…best start off with something simple. “What have you got that’s closer to the cheap side?”

The bartender seems to glare at you a bit, but gives a shrug and grabs a cup from behind the bar. Dipping it into a cask, he brings it over to you and places it on the table. You pick it up and take a whiff. Odd, it smells stronger than you expected. You take a sip and…

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Yeah, what do you want now?” The bartender seems to be glaring at you, daring you to say anything bad about what he serves.

“Is this really something from you’re lower end? No offence, but this seems like it should be a mid-range at best.”

The entire place goes quiet as you are hit with a sense of familiarity. You can only look over at the bartender as he stares at you in shock. Maaaaybe you should get out while the shock is still there and before random mug-shaped bullets start making their way towards your head.

Suddenly, the bartender starts laughing like there’s no tomorrow. A second later everyone else has joined in, and the place is once again filled with merriment.

“Oh man, I’d forgotten that you’re an outsider!” The bartender says as he wipes tears from his eyes. “Have to keep reminding myself that the standard of alcohol is much lower outside of the border.”

“Standard of alcohol?”

“Yeah, it’s kinda like a standard of living, only with, y’know, alcohol.”

“…really?”

“…I’ll let that one go, but in the future keep in mind that in Gensokyo, alcohol is serious business.

“I, uh, I’ll do that.” You take another gulp of the beer that you were given, and soon have it finished. Good stuff.

“That first one was on the house, outsider. Just consider it a taste of Gensokyo.”

“That sounds great, uh…”

“Call me Match, everyone else does.”

“Alright, uh, Match, I guess I’ll try something a little higher up then.”

Letting out another laugh, Match dips another cup into a different barrel and slides it down the counter towards you. You catch it and take a sip, noticing that the alcohol level seems to have taken quite a jump. Better pace yourself or else who knows what might happen…

Still, things seemed to have turned out alright. The atmosphere in the bar is cheerier than it was when you came in, and you feel that a good number of the patrons might be up to some conversation.

MERCHANT UNLOCKED: Match’s Tavern

Pick one:
[ ] “So, where did you get a name like Match?”
[ ] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo
[ ] Let’s see if we can’t get the old rumor mill running
[ ] Wonder if anyone knows the latest trends in terms of buying and selling…
[ ] Let’s not push things too far for now. Finish the beer and head back to Eientei.

[x] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo

Nation of drunkards.

[x] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo

[X] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo

Works for me~!

[x] Let’s see if we can’t get the old rumor mill running

[X] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo.

So, alcohol is worse outside...
That seems to be something we should remember - could be pretty profitable, at some point.

[X] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo

Because why the hell not.

[X] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo.
He was saying that his worst drink qualifies as normal in his book. How is that a bad thing?

>>38783

Depends on your definition of "outside".

[x] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s celebrate with a story of what matters most in the new year: BOOZE!
---

[x] Delve deeper into why alcohol is so big in Gensokyo.

“So’s alcohol is a really big deal around here, huh?”

You’ve spent the last forty minutes or so talking to the patrons of the tavern. Friendly folk once you get to know them, and fairly trusting of outsiders. (Which, from what you understand, comes from the fact that even the weakest villager seems to have some sort of “spiritual” defense that most outsiders lack. Maybe you could get one of them to demonstrate later…) Only a minute or two after Match finished talking to you did a few villagers make their way over to you to chat.

Of course, in the time since then your first beer had run out, so you decided to shell out 700 yen for a “medium” range drink this time. Now you wouldn’t call yourself a lightweight, but at the same time you can tell that this drink is well above what you are used to, and that it might already be affecting your thought process. Then again, it was always difficult for you to judge your own sobriety levels…

“Heh, no kidding.” One of the farmers in your circle replies. “But that’s what you get for living in a youkai’s world, huh?”

“I don’ think I understand.” You reply, “What do the youkai have… have anything to do with this?”

“It’s the best way of peacekeeping with them.” Says a woman sitting a few seats down, “They tend to get real bored real quick, right? So every once in a while one or two of them cause a commotion here in town, trying to get attention. Thanks to the Law of Danmaku, it doesn’t usually get too out of hand, but the losers are generally still upset they lost. Breaking out the alcohol is usually the best way to ensure that there are no grudges going around.”

“Wait… Law of Danmaku? I knew that’s how people settled their disputes around here, but…”

“Well, it’s sort of a very heavily enforced ‘law in name only’. See, a youkai could go on a murderous rampage against everyone else if they wanted to, but at the same time everyone knows that would most likely gain the ire of pretty much everyone else in the land. Danmaku was set up so that everyone could play on a level field, and so that disputes could be easily solved. Heh, probably one of the only things that Hakurei girl has done right in the recent years.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Someone else interjects, “But realistically, it’s the alcohol that keeps things moving after the fighting is over. No better way to satiate someone’s bloodlust then by getting them drunk off their feet.”

“So it’s always alcohol after a fight, it is?” You ask in a somewhat slurred voice.

“Well, I’ve heard that tea is sometimes used if no one feels like getting drunk. But since that almost is never the case yeah, I’d say that alcohol is the most likely end scenario.

“I see…” You lift your mug up and finish off your second beer to a few cheers. So alcohol is very big around here, huh? You don’t usually make it a practice of carrying consumables around with you, but alcohol might be the exception here. You also note that good tea may be in high demand as well, though you might have to check on whether the stock you have fits the tastes of the people.

…man, this stuff is really getting to you. While you’re feeling pretty good right now, you’re pretty sure you are already at the point where you will be feeling this tomorrow morning. Of course, that has never stopped you from getting another drink in the past…

[ ] No, you’ve had enough better stop now while you can probably get back to Eientei on your own.
[ ] One more light beer couldn’t hurt, could it? And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[ ] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[ ] What’s currently popular
-[ ] Something else… <Write-in ONE question>
[ ]…screw it, you know where this is heading. Better to get smashed on your own terms then to pretend you will be doing otherwise.

[X] One more light beer couldn’t hurt, could it? And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[X] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[X] What’s currently popular

Drunk on two "light" beers.
What the hell - are they flammable?
Bah, if we want to prosper in Gensokyo, we better do something about that pitiful alcohol tolerance.

[x] One more light beer couldn’t hurt, could it? And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[x] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[x] What’s currently popular

[X] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[X] What’s currently popular
-[X] Something else…
History or founding of this land?

[x]…screw it, you know where this is heading. Better to get smashed on your own terms then to pretend you will be doing otherwise.
-[x] While you're still halfway sober, ask about "the Hakurei girl."

We can segue into a discussion of just why every girl in this pocket dimension is so goddamn cute. And then we can bitch about our old job. Shit sucked! Being a merchant is so much better.

>>39098
It's light bear by Gensokyo standards, where light by outside standards is considered non-alcoholic.

[x] No, you’ve had enough better stop now while you can probably get back to Eientei on your own.

Discretion is the better part of valor.

[X] One more light beer couldn’t hurt, could it? And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[X] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[X] What’s currently popular

>>39106
>light bear
Some kind of bear made out of LASERS?

>>39101
Aren't we supposed to not let anybody know about our former job, since we come from another dimension?

We're a merchant.
Getting wasted, when we're supposed to be talking to people?
Not a good idea
We've had enough to drink - humiliating ourselves isn't going to win us any favors.

The drinks in Gensokyo is obviously stronger than we're used to, so we can't expect to be able to handle them straight away.
We won't get to the point by getting wasted, and making a fool of ourselves.

[X] No, you’ve had enough better stop now while you can probably get back to Eientei on your own.
-[X] Do make sure to spend some more time getting to know these people, though, before you leave.

>>38786
Hah, true enough - there are quite a few places around Gensokyo that probably don't count as 'core' areas.

>>39106

Because the only way to talk to some people, specially inside a fucking bar, is to share a drink with them.
[X] One more light beer will hurt. Get ready, but drink it anyway . And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[X] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[X] What’s currently popular

>>39128
We don't have t o find out everything for our first time in the bar, though.
We can afford to spread out our information gathering over a couple of visits - which would, you know, also give us some time to get used to the extra-strength beer they serve in Genokyo, and won't make a fool of ourselves in front of people who we could sell stuff to.

I don't see why there's any rush.

[X] No, you’ve had enough better stop now while you can probably get back to Eientei on your own.

This will do

[X] One more light beer will hurt. Get ready, but drink it anyway . And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[X] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[X] What’s currently popular

>>39131
Yeah, I'm not sure why everyone feels the need to move everything along so quickly.
Especially since, you know, we'll be drunk, so it's not terribly likely we'll have an easy time remembering what is being said to us during this time.

[X] One more light beer will hurt. Get ready, but drink it anyway . And while you’re at it, you could ask about...
-[X] “The Hakurei girl”?
-[X] What’s currently popular

“One more on the lower side of the standard, Match.” You set another 500 yen down on the counter.

“You sure? You seem to be taking the alcohol a bit hard, and I don’t know want to end up serving the drink that pushes you over.”

“Maybe, but I still have some conversation left in me, and what is conversation without a drink?” The crowd cheers at this and induces appropriate peer pressure. Truth be told, you are pretty sure that this next drink will most definitely make you somewhat sloshed, but there is still a matter or two that you think should be discussed while the going is good.

Match just shrugs and gets you another mug. “Not my job to make sure that people don’t kill themselves over this stuff. If you get too rowdy, though, I’m cutting you off.” With that he places another mug of beer on the counter and moves on to help another client.

Picking the drink up and taking another sip, you turn to the other patrons once again. “So I’m guessing from the way that you addressed her that the Hakurei girl isn’t very popular around here.”

“Hah!” One of the patrons laughs out loud, “THAT’S putting it lightly! I swear, that girl is about as useless as a fairy, and a disgrace to her name!”

“Oh come now, she’s not that bad.” A female voice calls out from one of the tables behind you. “She did set up the law of danmaku after all.”

“Yeah, but aside from that she hasn’t done anything in the past few years at all!” The guy who was originally complaining yells up again, pounding a fist against the table where he is sitting. “These days all she does is mill about at her shrine and play host to youkai! Youkai of all things!”

“What’s wrong with youkai?” You ask as you take another sip.

“Nothing if you’re an ordinary person, but she’s the Hakurei shrine maiden! The whole purpose of that bloodline is to exterminate the youkai when they get rowdy, not to cozy up with them and play nice! And yet all she does all day is just mull around that shrine like she doesn’t have a care in the world!”

“Not only that, but her shrine has lost so much faith that it’s now a youkai den!” Another patron interjects. “Seems like a day doesn’t pass by when you don’t hear tales of one youkai or another making their way over there.”

“Is that so?”

“It is so! It’s even gotten so bad that the vampire over at the red mansion can go and visit. Can you imagine? A vampire! They’re supposed to be the weakest against religious stuff like that, but she can waltz in like there’s no problem at all!”

So Remilia occasionally visits the shrine, huh? Good to know. “Is that why I haven’t seen any humans whenever I’ve been over at the shrine?”

“Exactly! Who would want to go to a youkai-infested shrine? Theoretically it would be safe while the shrine maiden was there, but the moment you set foot off the grounds BAM! Youkai chow!

“While she was there? Are you saying that she’s strong enough to face off against youkai?”

“Kid, she’s the Hakurei shrine maiden. If she wanted to she could take on ten youkai and it wouldn’t make any difference. They won’t dare act up as long as they think she’s watching, but the moment she looks away BAM! You’re history.”

“Hmm. So she has all that power and does nothing with it…”

“More or less.” The woman at the end of the bar says. “To her credit there really hasn’t been anything earth shattering for her to take care of lately, but in the past there have been major incidents where she did nothing at all.”

“Really?” You question. “Having met her, I’m not sure if she’s that lazy. After all, she went into a frenzy of activity after I paid her for her services today…”

“Ah, that was you, was it?” An older looking man comes up to the bar and leans against it with his drink in hand. “I was wondering where she got the money for all the food she bought today. That girl more or less never spends in excess, and yet today she bought more than a fair share of luxury items from us today.”

“Food, huh? You wouldn’t happen to be the other half of the Fukuda grocers, would you?”

“Got it in one sonny. Heh, but it was still a surprise when she started buying up some of the higher end goods.”

“No kidding.” A guy whom you recognize as Yoichi from the House of Kirisame. “She came in today trying to buy the whole store up, before realizing that there was nothing we had that she wanted.”

“The point is,” Fukada continues, “Is that you gave her access to some easy cash flow, something she normally doesn’t have. Naturally, that’s going to upset her balance a little bit, but for the most part she seems passive to a fault. Even when there are major incidents occurring, we don’t hear anything from the Tengu press. And since they report on everything that happens in this little country these days, there is little chance that she is doing things that the village doesn’t know about.”

“Unlike that Moriya shrine, who seem to be trying too much these days.”

“No kidding. They seem to be going for a merchandising run this time around. Think it’ll work?”

“Hah, no way! It’s just another one of their schemes. Best leave it be for now, it’ll pass like the rest of the things that they do.”

You aren’t completely convinced on the villager’s stance on Reimu, but you decide that it isn’t a conversation worth pressing anymore. You’ve gotten the general opinion of how they feel, and you can follow up on that later if you feel like it. For now, best to go with the flow, and see if you can’t use this merchandising angle to your benefit.

“So what kind of merchandise would you be interested in seeing, then?” You ask.

You hear a chortle coming from Fukada. “So the merchant shows his true interest for being here, eh? Well not that I can blame you, seeing as local trends probably affect your business greatly.”

“No kidding.” You say, turning towards the older man as you drift out of the greater conversation going on around you. As you make the turn, you find it somewhat difficult to stop after your momentum, and have to catch yourself on the bar to avoid falling.

“Easy there,” Fukada says as he lends you a hand to support you, “Don’t want you spilling your brains against the bar there.”

“Thank you.” You say as you accept the hand. “I’ll try and be careful. So what were you saying about the trends, again?”

“Heh, straight to the point.” Fukada chortles as he takes another sip. “A good quality to have, in my mind. But unfortunately, I’m not sure how much I can help you on trends here in Gensokyo.”

“Oh come on, are you holding out on me now? The way you were talking earlier made it seem like you would know these kinds of things!”

“Well certainly, as a grocer I have a good feel for the pulse of gossip around here. But the fact of the matter is that the people of Gensokyo are either very individualistic, or else part of an ever shifting group. You’re either going to end up with someone who has some very distinct tastes, or else changes their opinion so often that it would be difficult to pin down exactly what they would like at a given moment.”

“…in other words, you’ve basically have to guess what’s popular at the moment.”

“More or less. Of course, there is one exception to the rule here.”

“And that is?”

“No matter what the current trends are, items from the outside are almost always popular, one way from another. We’re an isolated little land here, so anything we can hear of other places is always met with a wave of excitement. Who knows,” Fukada says with a smile, “Something you bring in might just end up being what starts the next trend.”

“Is that so.” Outsider stuff, huh? Well that more or less includes you entire inventory at this point, minus the doohickey that you still have lying around. Looks like you aren’t that bad off after all. Well, aside from the fact that you are swaying a bit here and there even while sitting, but you’re pretty sure that’s from the alcohol, and not at all merchandise related.

“And with that,” Fukada says, pushing away from the bar “I believe that I will agree with Match’s opinion and say that you’ve probably had enough to drink at this point. You might want to consider heading out before the sun goes down completely.”

“Aw come on, Fukada, the night’s just beginning!” A patron yells out as he notices Fukada trying to lead you away from the bar. “We can always send him over to Keine to dry out if he goes too over the edge.”

Fukada lets out a sigh. “Well I suppose it isn’t my decision to make. What say you?”

[ ] You’ve already gone this far, might as well drink the night away.
[ ] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

[X] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

[x] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

[x] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

[x] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

[x] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

[X] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

It'd be better to come back under our own power than to have Eirin and Co. find out that he tried to drink as much as an Oni.

[x] Best head out now before you make things any worse for yourself.

Even in your drunken state, you realize that the only thing another drink would bring you tonight would be shenanigans, and you get the feeling that shenanigans in this land could have disastrous consequences. Getting up from the barstool you wave off the friendly boos from the rest of the patrons as you head towards the entrance. By the time you reach it (with some slight support from Fukada) the boos have turned to laughs, inviting you back for another drink when your alcohol tolerance is a bit higher.

“So where exactly are you staying tonight, eh?” Fukada asks.

“Eientei.”

“What, the bamboo forest? Huh, interesting choice of lodging.”

“How so?”

“I wouldn’t say that the inhabitants aren’t known for being kind people, but it’s a bit difficult to reach, especially after dark. Most people would consider such a trek to be deadly.”

“I can handle myself.” You say as you wobble down the road. “Besides, I was planning on flying on back.”

“You sure that’s wise in your condition?” Fukada asks. “There’s going to be a lot of nasty stuff in the air come dark, and even from the air it would be difficult to pinpoint the mansion’s location.”

“I don’t want them to worry about me.”

“I’m sure they would understand if you came back in the morning to explain things, but I really don’t think you should be making the trip on your own. At the very least, maybe you should get that guide to lead you through the forest.”

“Ugh, no way am I going to rely on that mugger for anything.”

“Mugger? I don’t think she’s that bad. Come on, youngster, I’m only trying to watch out for you here.”

You don’t really see the problem with heading back on your own, but at the same time you just admitted to yourself that you’re at least somewhat drunk. Even with your mental state as it is, you can still see a few options laid out before you.

[ ] Head on back to Eientei on your own. It’s still sunset, you should be able to make it before dark, and even if you sway a bit in the air you shouldn’t actually crash into anything so long as you get enough altitude.
[ ] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.
[ ] Better to crash somewhere for the night and head back to Eientei in the morning to explain. It would probably be better to not take any chances.

If you end up choosing to crash somewhere for the night, you have a few options. You could take up Fukada on his offer, but you don’t really want to bother him if you have somewhere else you can go, and since you have your pack with you, you really only need a safe corner to place it in before accessing your personal living space.

[ ] Crash at Fukada’s
[ ] Crash at the school
[ ] Crash at the Temple
[ ] Crash at Kourindou Ok, see, that’s what we would call shenanigans. You’re pretty sure you should give it at least a day or two before you head back there.

[x] Better to crash somewhere for the night and head back to Eientei in the morning to explain. It would probably be better to not take any chances.
-[x] Crash at Fukada’s

It's not like Eientei would blame us for doing the smart thing. And showing up at someone's door all of a sudden partially drunk to ask if you can stay here the night? When someone already made you an offer? Yeah, no.

[x] Head on back to Eientei on your own. It’s still sunset, you should be able to make it before dark, and even if you sway a bit in the air you shouldn’t actually crash into anything so long as you get enough altitude.

Drunken fight scene! Gogogo!

[x] Head on back to Eientei on your own. It’s still sunset, you should be able to make it before dark, and even if you sway a bit in the air you shouldn’t actually crash into anything so long as you get enough altitude.

Drunken flying is best flying.

[x] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.

[x] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.

Mokou-ing.

[x] Head on back to Eientei on your own. It’s still sunset, you should be able to make it before dark, and even if you sway a bit in the air you shouldn’t actually crash into anything so long as you get enough altitude.
-[X] If possible, maybe you could find someone to help you find the way to Eientei?
-[X] Reisen would seem like a good choice, if she's around the village right now.


Seems like the best choice, to me.
We need to get back to Eientei, one way or the other, though.


If there's no help to be found, we still need to head back.

>>39401
Best choice except for the slim chance of actually finding someone to carry us back perhaps? Pressing luck isn't what I call a good idea.

[x] Better to crash somewhere for the night and head back to Eientei in the morning to explain. It would probably be better to not take any chances.
-[x] Crash at Fukada’s

[Luck] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.

I always forget we have these.

[x] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.

it's her job too. You people just HAD to get another drink...

[x] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.

Cause it might be amusing in some way.

>>39406
Me too.
>>39399
Here, can I add a LUCK to my Mokou-ing?

>>39411
I did tell everyone this was a very bad idea.
No one seemed to want to change their vote against having that last drink right this instant instead of coming back some other time for more drinks when we wouldn't be too drunk to do anything afterwards, though.

>>39419
It wasn't a bad idea. We are not in a bad situation. Relax.

>>39420
It's still particularly unfavorable in getting back to eientei.

Eesh, this was a hard on to write, for some reason. Anyways…

---

Only 2 out of the necessary 4 options requested LUCK, so it will not be activated this round.

[x] Go get Mokou to help you out. She might have angered you by trying to mug you, but you may be able to use that angle to guilt her into leading you back.

While you understand Fukada’s reasoning for crashing somewhere in the village tonight, you don’t want anyone at Eientei worrying about you, so you feel that the best course of action would be to head on back. At the same time, walking (or flying) through a dark, youkai filled bamboo forest in the middle of the night starts to strike you as a bad idea as well. Of course, the only escort you know of who would be willing to go through the bamboo forest at this hour would be…

---

“What, you did what?”

Keine was used to her friend acting in ways contrary to normal human behavior. After all, she didn’t have to worry about taking care of her body like a normal human would, so a good number of the cares and concerns of a normal person just didn’t apply to her. At the same time, though, it seemed that lately Mokou had taken a large interest in making sure the humans of the village stayed safe, and seemed to appreciate it when people showed her gratitude. So to hear of an act like this out of nowhere was…

“Hey, he had it coming, alright? If he’s going to be all friendly with her, then I have every reason to go after him, right?” With a humph, Mokou went back to her drink.

“But to mug someone just on that? And not to mention the fact that he was probably just delivering an order for them, and not necessarily doing it out of good will.”

“Aw come on, Keine! What was I supposed to do, just leave him to give something to Kaguya that could potentially make her happier? Besides, I wasn’t able to go through with it anyways. Something knocked me cold before I could go too far.”

Keine let out a sigh and let the matter drop. It was very difficult to win an argument with Mokou, considering that she could keep on going about something without sleep if she felt the need to. Still, it was pretty obvious that she was actually speaking the opposite of how she truly felt. Keine could see that despite her justifications, Mokou was really beating herself up about this. On one hand, Keine thought that this was probably a good thing, considering she never knew Mokou to attack a human in all the time Keine knew her. On the other hand, Keine didn’t like to see her good friend in distress, and something like this would probably weigh down on her for a long time. (Not to mention the fact that she would probably come over to drink for a good number of nights, which would cut down on the time Keine had to sleep. Drinking with Mokou wasn’t a bad thing, but the girl could take drink after drink forever, and Keine had the school to think about in the morning.) What to do…

A knock at the entrance broke Keine out of her reverie. “Just a minute,” she called out as she made her way to the front. Opening the door, she was surprised to find the old grocer Fukada supporting the merchant they were just talking about.

“Evening, Ms. Keine.” Fukada says with a smile. “Might I ask if that bamboo forest guide friend of yours is around?”

Blinking, Keine leads the two inside. Upon reaching the living room she sees Mokou jump somewhat as the two men make their way inside.

“They say they were looking for you, Mokou.”

Mokou just sits their blinking as Fukada explains the situation. Keine looks over at Lawrence who, in a word, looks completely sloshed. Even so, it’s pretty apparent that he is not amused with how things have turned out, casting an angry drunken glance over at Mokou.

Keine moves over to where Lawrence is sitting. “You shouldn’t take it too hard. Mokou tends to be somewhat… overly aggressive when it comes to everyone over at Eientei.”

“Shat so?” Lawrence slurs. “Sho shoulds I take it tha’ she at…attacsh everyone who maks there way ova’ there?”

Geez, how many drinks did he have? “No, but just take it from me, it wasn’t an assault against you. There is some…bad blood between her and Kaguya. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Lawrence only lets out a drunken humph as he continues to glare at Mokou. A few moments later said fire girl downs the last of her drink and gets up off the floor.

“Alright, I think I get the gist. Let’s go, Merchant.” With that , she strides towards the door. Lawrence only stares at her, and for a moment Keine thinks that he might make a fuss, but soon enough he pushes himself up and follows her out.

Keine can only smile. Mokou isn’t saying anything, but Keine knows that she’s leading Lawrence back in the middle of the night to try and make up somewhat for what she did. Though whether Lawrence sees it that way is another thing entirely. Getting up herself, Keine turns her attention to Fukada, who seems ready to head on home himself.

---

So here you are, walking in the youkai-infested bamboo forest in the middle of the night, with the woman who attacked you earlier today. It’s a good thing your drunk, or else this whole situation might be somewhat worrisome.

For her part, Mokou seems to be the same as ever, quietly striding forward as she leads you through the thicket. You’re still pretty pissed at her for what she did, but what Keine told you is weighing down on your mind a bit. You kind of figured that Mokou and Eientei weren’t on good terms, but to take it to the point of mugging an outside party just to upset their counterpart? What in the world could have happened? You kind of doubt that Mokou is in a talking mood, but maybe it couldn’t hurt to strike up a conversation anyways.

[ ] Ask her why she attacked you.
[ ] Ask her something else. <Write-in ONE conversation topic>
[ ] Stay silent and get through this trek as quickly as possible.

[x] Stay silent and get through this trek as quickly as possible.

The best thing to do when drunk is keep your mouth shut.

Though canonically Mokou doesn't act aggressively against the rest of eientei, just Kaguya.

[LUCK] Ask her why she attacked you.

>>39632
That's boring.

[LUCK] Ask her why she attacked you.

I'm with you Anon. I hope we can finally get to use one of these Lucks.

[X] Ask her why she attacked you.

[X] Ask her why she attacked you.

May need [LUCK] for later.

[X] Ask her why she attacked you.
- LUCK

Originally I was thinking of trying to come up with a write-in, but with LUCK coming into play I'll settle for this option.

[LUCK] Ask her why she attacked you.

You know, a part of me is in agreement with Lawrence here, that what Mokou did wasn't fair, so I kind of enjoy the idea that she'll continue beating herself up a little.
Still, another part is going "She's an immortal person who knows the area well - how can you NOT want to get on her good side?!" (and, let's be honest here, Mokou is a decent enough person that she probably will like us if we can help get rid of some of that guilt)

If nothing else, maybe we can get this to the point that she won't start a fight as soon as she gets within range of the place?

And, since we apparently will be using luck here, given what the votes are (it was supposed to be 4 votes for it, which we've got now), I might as well go along with that.


[LUCK] Ask her why she attacked you.

[LUCK] Ask her why she attacked you.

LUCK has been activated. 2x LUCK remaining.
---
[LUCK] Ask her why she attacked you.

“So?”

Mokou raises an eyebrow as she turns to look at you. “So what?”

“So mind explaining why you suddenly decided to attack before? I’m not used to people ignoring me one second, then threatening to assault me with fire the next.”

She stares at you for a moment before turning away. “There really isn’t anything to say, is there? You pissed me off, so I attacked you. That’s all.”

…huh. You honestly weren’t expecting some kind of response. It seems like she’s more talkative then normal tonight for some reason. Is there something on her mind?

…well whatever it might be, this could be a chance to figure out how to keep her from attacking you in the future. Best to get on the offensive while you have this chance. “I pissed you off? I don’t remember saying anything that offensive…”

“Jeez, just stop, alright? If you’re worried about me attacking you, don’t! I already owe you one from before, so there’s no way I’m going to attack until the favor is repaid!”

Well that explains why she was so willing to take you back this time around; looks like she was feeling a bit bad about attacking you earlier. Still, if you stop here, you’re never going to get to the bottom of this. But at the same time, you’re going to have to focus a bit more if you are going to gain any ground here. Just talking your mouth off doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere, so you need to deduce what part of your conversation infuriated Mokou so much.

It looks like it’s time to bring out… DETECTIVE MODE!

…yeah right, like you have anything like that. It’s not like you became a merchant due to your vast deductive abilities. But in this case, even someone like you could figure out what the root cause of Mokou’s grief is from your previous interaction with her. Tewi warned you against mentioning it, but…

“Hey, mind telling me what happened between you and Kaguya?”

THAT got her attention. Mokou immediately flinches to a stop and turns to face you. All she does is glare at you, but MAN she can be intimidating if she wants to be.

“I’ve been thinking about our conversation this morning, and it dawned on me that you only got aggressive after I mentioned that I was carrying merchandise for Kaguya.”

Mokou takes a step towards you.

“I also remember you saying that you didn’t really care about any of the merchandise that wasn’t for Kaguya as well.”

Another step.

“And then Tewi told me that mentioning Kaguya in front of you was probably a really bad idea and GAAAAAK.”

Mokou has grabbed your shirt and lifted you above the ground with one hand. Considering that you are slightly taller than her, this is quite an impressive feat. Wait, no, she’s compensating through floating. You float yourself up a few inches before continuing on.

“Look, I don’t really care what happened between you and Eientei; it really isn’t any of my business. What is my business, however, is the business that I do with Eientei. So if it’s alright with you, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t attack me just because I’m carrying something for Kaguya.”

“…there’s no way I can agree to that. If I can get something that belongs to Kaguya, then…” Mokou seems to be talking half to you, and half to herself. You get the feeling that she’s arguing over whether or not attacking an outside party would be for the best.

“But that’s just it.” You say, “Before I give an item to its intended recipient, the item still belongs to me. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s intended for Kaguya, as long as I still have it you are essentially attacking me and me alone.”

Truth be told, the guideline of ownership are much more complicated than that, but it seems that Mokou is buying your bluff. Letting go of your shirt, she drifts towards the ground and take a contemplative expression. “Not, Kaguya’s huh? Maybe that’s why I’ve been feeling…”

“Feeling?”

“Her eyes snap back at you, and then she turns around and starts walking again. “Never mind. I won’t try and mug you for carrying something to Kaguya from now on, alright?”

“…alright.” Truth be told, you wish she wouldn’t try to mug you at all, but this is certainly better than nothing.

“And also…” You think you hear her mutter something, but you can’t quite make it out. Well, at the very least you seem to have made some sort of peace with her. All’s well that ends well, right?

[ ] It’s not over yet! Ask her what she was muttering.
[ ] Let it slide, and just enjoy the quiet noise while you walk back to Eientei.
[ ] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

[x] Let it slide, and just enjoy the quiet noise while you walk back to Eientei.

[x] It’s not over yet! Ask her what she was muttering.

I just want her to actually apologize.

[ ] It’s not over yet! Ask her what she was muttering.

Jealousy?

[x] Let it slide, and just enjoy the quiet noise while you walk back to Eientei.
[x] Offer her a nice hat.

[X] Let it slide, and just enjoy the quiet noise while you walk back to Eientei.

It's been going well thus far.
Let's not try our luck with the fire woman right now, when we've actually seemed to get her to agree to not attack us on sight anymore.

[x] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

I would, however, be more than willing to sell you Kaguya's things.

[X] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

[x] It’s not over yet! Ask her what she was muttering.

[LUCK]

We can't press our luck without using Luck! You will regret this!

[X] Let it slide, and just enjoy the quiet noise while you walk back to Eientei.

Works for me~!

[X] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

Got to be something she had always wanted!

[X] Let it slide, and just enjoy the quiet noise while you walk back to Eientei.

We'll be around for a few days at least. We can always go back and ask her if she wants anything then. Or ask Keine if she knows of anything Mokou wants/needs (unsure if we've met Keine while sober yet, but that may change later this round in Gensokyou)

[X] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!
If Kaguya's good enough to be our client, so is she.

[X] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

[x] It’s not over yet! Ask her what she was muttering.

[X] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

Can't promise any updates until I finish with...something. Something that may or may not be related to the newest Mass Effect game. It might take a week or two, so keep an eye out for when I crawl out of my gaming hole.

Eesh, sorry for the long absence. Bunch of stuff came up one right after the other. Anyways, where were we…

---

[X] Hey, I know, let’s try and sell her something!

Now it should be stated that you have a strict rule about selling anything when you are inebriated. Namely, the rule is that you don’t sell anything when you are inebriated. Every time you have done so in the past, you generally either come off horribly in the end, or else the situation around you becomes horribly complicated once you wake up the next morning. As such, you’ve more or less grounded the idea that selling anything while drunk is a really, really bad idea.

Of course, having such a rule doesn’t really do much if your drunken self never bothers trying to remember it.

“You know what?” You say to Mokou as you attempt to catch up to her, “I think it would help if you tried buying something from me as well.”

Mokou glares at you. “Didn’t I just say that I wouldn’t bother you when you are carrying goods for her?

“Yeah, yeah, but we can’t just leave it at that! C’mon, I’m sure that there is something that I have that you might like! Like maybe, uh…” You begin digging in your pack for things to show her. “Like maybe this!”

Mokou looks at the item in your hands with a raised eyebrow, and then turns away. “Do I look like I need a hat?”

“But it’s a nice hat, isn’t it?”

“Even if it is, I never needed a before, and I certainly don’t need one now.”

“Oh. Well than, maybe…”

---

Mokou begins to wonder why this guy won’t just shut up and leave her alone. He was kind of annoying before, but now that he’s in his sales pitch mode his annoyance level has almost gotten to a level that she can’t bear.

Still, she does owe this guy for the attack from before. Despite the fact that he was slurring the entire time, he did make a good argument for why the whole “attacking him for his minor connection to Kaguya” thing was bad. Still, if he keeps this up much longer, she’ll have a whole new reason for attacking.

Luckly, it looks like her mansion is coming into view, so this probably won’t take too much longer in any case.

“Nooow, thiiiisssh piesh of cloth is quite the intereshting little numbuh. Ya shee-”

“Look,” Mokou says, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice, “I brought you back here, so if you wouldn’t mind, could you stop trying to pawn your shitty wares off on me?”

“My my, with an attitude like that, it’s no wonder that you attacked him on sight.”

Mokou freezes for a second, then begins to turn slowly, feeling the rage inside of her start to flare. Turning around, she sees that wreched Princess not a few meters away.

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion, Princess.”

“Oh my, but aren’t you the one who is trespassing on my land? And as such, wouldn’t my opinion be the one that matters the most here?”

“I ain’t trespassing, I’m only making sure that this idiot got back here safely.”

“Ah, I see. We were wondering where Mr. Lawrence had wandered off to. Well if that’s the case, then I suppose that you can just be on your way then.”

“Oh, you’d like it if I just up and left, huh? Well what if I said that I wasn’t in the mood for leaving quite yet?”

“Oh my, I wonder what I’d do if that were the case.”

This more or less pushes Mokou over the edge. (Not that it’s too difficult for Kaguya to push her over the edge in any case) “Alright Princess, if it’s playtime you want, it’s playtime you’ll get. See if you like a taste of my FUJIYAMA VOLCANO!”

Kaguya gives a small smile as she prepares herself for this impromptu playdate, but suddenly her smile turns into a frown of concern. “Ah, wait!”

“Not a chance!” Mokou says as she unleashes her attack, realizing too late that the merchant was still in the area and, in association with her attack, still in the line of fire.

---

Geez, what is it with these girls! You get that there is some bad blood between them, but it only took them a few seconds to go from hateful conversation to hateful fire in your face! Couldn’t they at least have waited for you to leave?

Jeez, it’s a good thing you were trying to show Mokou the fireproof clothes before she went all crazy. As it stands, they are probably kept you from being fried whole. You think you might be slightly singed here and there, but aside from that they seem to have blocked most of the damage. (And, you might add, look no worse for the wear.)

You look over at Kaguya and Mokou. They seem to be completely in shock from the fact that you managed to come out of that inferno unsigned.

“But…” Mokou says.

“How…?” Kaguya says.

“Fireproof clothing.” You say as you store said item away. The fervor you had for selling something to Mokou seems to have been burnt away, and it seems like the alcohol you imbued is finally catching up to you. You’re beginning to feel a bit drowsy, and decide that it would probably be for the best if you just went back to your room and collapsed for a while. It’s been a long day, after all.

Kaguya and Mokou can only stare at you as you walk past them. They both blink and turn to face one another, before going back to stare at you once again.

And then things start getting complicated.

“Hey, merchant,” Mokou says, “How much for that fireproof clothing set?”

“Don’t listen to her, Mr. Lawrence. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me, instead?”

“Why in the world should he have to tell you? And why in the world would you even want something like this in the first place?”

“Why, it would be very helpful if someone were to, say, attack me with fire on a consistent basis. Not that you would know anything about that.”

“That’s your fault and you know it! Besides, do you know how hard it is to find clothing that doesn’t burn? It’s nearly impossible!”

“Come now, if that were the case you’d be walking around naked, wouldn’t you?”

“You think these fire retardant charms I wear are easy to make? I have to take a day off almost every week to remake them!”

“Oh, because I’m sure that wasting a single day is so costly for you. In any case, Mr. Lawrence, be a dear and let me have those clothes, alright?”

“You do that, merchant, and I swear I’ll have all I need to attack you on sight.”

“ENOUGH!” Both girls jump as you shout out. Turning around, you glare at them in annoyance. “Look, I’m begging to remember why I don’t make deals while under the influence. As it stands, I’m not selling either of you anything right now.”

“But…!” Both of them let out.

“It will still be here in the morning, alright? We can argue over who gets it then, alright?”

The two of them swivel their heads to look at each other once again. Suddenly, Kaguya’s little smile reappears on her face. “Of course, Mr. Lawrence. The two of can… discuss this while you sleep. My apologies for all of the trouble we have given you.”

“It’s no trouble, Princess. If you don’t mind, I’m going to head on over to my room now.”

“I hope you have a pleasant sleep then.” Mokou makes as if she is about to say something, but an elbow from Kaguya causes her to double over in her tracks.

…whatever. You’ve had enough shenanigans from these two for one night. Leaving the two of them to their bickering, you uneventfully make your way back to your room. The futon is laid out for you, but you decide that you’re in the mood for sleeping in a bed tonight. You set your pack to open up to your mobile domicile and climb in. After using the sanitation facility to clean yourself up, you fall into bed, with sleep following what feels like only a minute later.

---

A moment of insight…

[ ] Kaguya and Mokou
[ ] A Gensokyo resident… <CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER! Note that it has to be someone that you’ve encountered during the current trip.>
[ ] The merchant’s past
[ ] Ailira

For your patience, go ahead and vote twice. I’ll pick the top 2 or 3 choices for the next update.

>>43440
>Note that it has to be someone that you’ve encountered during the current trip.
No Nazrin, no Minoriko, no me caring for this choice.

[x] The merchant’s past
[x] Ailira

Yay! You're back!

[x] Kaguya and Mokou
[x] Remilia

>Note that it has to be someone that you’ve encountered during the current trip.

Derp I am illiterate.

[x] the merchant's past

Also, will you maybe be updating more than twice a month now?

>>43445

I'll update when real life lets me update. Don't have as much luxury with time as I used to...

[x] A Gensokyo resident… <Reisen>
[x] The merchant’s past

I'm just curious where we stand.

[x] Kaguya and Mokou
[x] The merchant’s past

Wonderful update, BTW

[x] Kaguya and Mokou
[x] The merchant’s past

Helps with our current problem of Mokou pestering us.

[X] Kaguya and Mokou

[X] the merchant's past

Works for me~!

[x] Kaguya and Mokou
[x] The merchant’s past

[x] Kaguya and Mokou
[x] The merchant’s past

Oh snap, didnt notice this update.

[x] Kaguya and Mokou

“Of course, Mr. Lawrence. The two of can… discuss this while you sleep. My apologies for all of the trouble we have given you.”

“It’s no trouble, Princess. If you don’t mind, I’m going to head on over to my room now.”

“I hope you have a pleasant sleep, then.”

As the Merchant makes his way into the mansion, Kaguya thrusts her elbow into Mokou, effectively silencing her. (And possibly breaking a rib or two, but from Kaguya’s perspective that isn’t either here nor there.)

Just as Lawrence disappears from view, Mokou seems to regain some of her composure. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Come now, Mokou, I think we bothered him enough for one night. He doesn’t know about our circumstances, and it seems like he’s had a long day. We don’t need him here to decide who gets that precious item.”

“Why do you even want it, anyways?” Mokou says as she gets up from the ground, flinching from the pain of a broken rib. “It’s not like you can use it.”

“Oh, but couldn’t I? I mean, it seems like the ideal fashion to wear while one is lounging about the mansion on a hot summer’s day.”

“Bull. You saw it as well as I did, that this is as ugly as hell. You only want it so that I can’t have it.”

“Now why would I ever consider doing something as mean as that?” Kaguya says with a small pout and fluttered eyelashes. Two seconds later she reverts to her normal self. “That does still bring up the question as to who gets to buy it in the morning, though.”

“So it’s a contest of who can snatch it out of his hands first, huh? But wait, you have the unfair advantage here! You can just stalk his room out and wait for him to come out in the morning.”

“Or I could just have one of the rabbits watch his every move.” Kaguya takes a few steps away, gazing at the waxing moon. “But I naturally wouldn’t want to do something like that, now would I? I mean, it wouldn’t be fair.”

“Hah. What would a moon wretch like you know about fair? You’re always one to take a cheap shot whenever you get the chance.”

“Oh come now Mokou, I just want to make things more interesting every once in a while. Killing ourselves over and over is nice, but sometimes I just get the urge to do things differently.”

Mokou looks as if she is about to retort, but in the end she can’t help but take the bait. “Fine. How are we doing this?”

Putting a finger to her lips, Kaguya begins pacing in thought. “Let’s see… well we could always try to have a race to see who can get to him in the morning first…”

“No way.” Mokou says, “Like I said before, that gives you too much of a home field advantage.

“Alright, then how about we make it a contest of who can get it from him without him noticing?”

“…you kidding me? I’m pretty sure that if he catches wind of us doing that, he’ll hate the both of us for life.”

“True, true…” Kaguya continues pondering for a bit before a mischievous smile come upon her face. “Maaaaybe we could see who can seduce it from him first?”

In one second flat, Mokou went from being somewhat annoyed to completely enraged. “Oh, you mean like how you managed to seduce my father, you wretch!?!”

“Oh my, your right Mokou,” Kaguya says with a small sigh, “There is no way that you could compete with me on that front, now could you?”

---

Forty-five minutes later, both girls were lying on the ground. Kaguya had third degree burns all over her body, and Mokou was impaled on a large amount of bamboo that had been rapidly grown from what Kaguya had denied to be some sort of suspicious looking drug.

“Well, that was fun,” Kaguya said as she limped to her feet. Walking over to Mokou, she pulls her counterpart out of the nest of bamboo and, with a quick throw, tosses the bloody mess onto the ground. “But I think I agree, we should probably keep this simple. I’ll stall the merchant until evening, which should give you enough time to grab a few things that he might like in trade.”

Despite the fact that she currently had her lungs punctured in three different places, Mokou was still able to wheeze out a response. “Don’t…have…”

“Oh don’t be silly, Mokou, I know that you’ve been hoarding a treasure or two in that hut of yours. It shouldn’t be too hard to pick out something from there that you think he might be interested in.” Brushing herself off, Kaguya made her way back towards the mansion. “Of course, if you don’t want to show up with something tomorrow night, I won’t stop you. But that would mean that I win by default, doesn’t it?”

The pile that was Mokou could only sputter curses in response. Letting out a small giggle, Kaguya slid the front door to her mansion open. “That’s what I thought. I’ll see you tomorrow then, dear Mokou.”

As the door closed, Mokou was finally able to pick herself off the ground. Glaring at the mansion, she made her way towards the bamboo forest as the rabbits began their normal cleanup of the grounds.

---

I’m still working on the next part, I’ll try to have it ready for you guys by next week.

Aw man is this dead too?

>>43969
He's just busy/shit happening.

>>43977

This more or less gets it in one. At this point the story is more or less update sporadically, so don't fret too much if a few weeks go by without an update.