[x] Personally take the call.
I wanna talk to Satorin without worrying about the whole mind-reader thing.

[X] Personally take the call.

ANSWERS.

[x] Personally take the call.

Continuing this from the other thread.

>>175805

>What I was trying to point out is that Satori may only know 1 other Satori, Koishi. So the news that they may be another one of the species, one she has never seen in hundreds of years, may be exiting to her and send her into kinda a panic mode where she doesnt think straight. So she gives her pet, which she still considers family even with all the shit gone down (STA), the order to "bring her here" without any ill intent.

Which, while reasonable, doesn't change the fact that overall Satori has a given a very bad first impression. We aren't arguing from an out of character perspective where we know about Koishi, Okuu and Satori's story. We're arguing about how Kohaku has little reason to trust them. Satori has sent someone who basically tried to kidnap us. Furthermore, Marisa was pretty clearly traumatised by her whole ordeal in hell, and as our saviour, holds a great deal of sway over our initial impressions. I'm not saying that Satori has ill-intent or out to get us, I'm arguing that since she's given Kohaku little reason to trust her, we should show a little caution, maybe delay things a few days until we're fully healed. It's pretty clear that's what Alice wants us to do.

>she is a manipulative bitch

Never said she was, what I am saying is it's entirely possible. Hence, caution is advised.

>Hence at least I think it would be too quick too judge her on that and say "no, lets not meet possibly the only person who could help us with our powers" because in a quick decision she decided to send someone she trusts over following a call with most likely just that intent

That's not what I'm saying either, and neither is the guy you were originally arguing with. We were arguing that we shouldn't go with Rin or Okuu and if we were going it would be on our own terms. As for sending someone she trusts, well it's pretty clear that even Orin is a better choice than Okuu which is saying something considering how pushy Rin is. Basicly what we're saying is we shouldn't be visiting Satori right now, and probably not by ourself either.

As for helping us with our power, Kohaku hasn't really had any problems with it barring Okuu. Her only problem is one Satori can't fix; peoples reaction to having their mind read. In fact, if you include the most recent update, it seems Kohaku is better at mindreading than Satori!

>True,she didnt even consider that Kohaku didnt want to go, but it could also be that its a big fucking deal for her and she is kinda freaking out.

My point was that when you don't have much information, and all your information (which is very little) paints someone in a kinda negative manner, you'd be quite justified to exercise a little caution. In fact, that's generally the default manner people are expected to have. Observe, think, plan then act.

[x] Personally take the call.

Might as well. Probably should give her a first hand account about Okuu too.

[x] Personally take the call

Time to give Satori another panic attack.

[X] Personally take the call

>>175805
>What I was trying to point out is that Satori may only know 1 other Satori, Koishi. So the news that they may be another one of the species, one she has never seen in hundreds of years, may be exiting to her and send her into kinda a panic mode where she doesnt think straight. So she gives her pet, which she still considers family even with all the shit gone down (STA), the order to "bring her here" without any ill intent.

The problem here is that you're trying to excuse the information we have, rather than to use it.

[x] Let Rin take the call.
- [x] ... but let her know that you'd like to talk to Satori yourself when she's done.
I'd really like to read Rin's mind while she's talking to Satori; we'd probably learn more that way. (Also I'm interested in how Satori tries to talk to Rin while she can't read her mind.)

[x] Personally take the call.


Hello Satori, this is satori.


>>175811
I mostly agree, but...
>In fact, that's generally the default manner people are expected to have. Observe, think, plan then act.
That only applies when you are in a situation where you can calmly analyze the situation. When you have (just had) Okuu in your face, Satori on the phone and Rin mentally pushing you to go and you're an injured amnesiac, it's not exactly as if you have the luxury of the clarity of mind and lack of urgency as we readers have.

You're arguing about seeing things from an in character perspective, but forgetting that in character there is a lot things pushing and pulling Kohaku that prevents her from just chilling out and thinking things over.

[x] Personally take the call.
-[x] Get a good explanation for why she's so desperate to meet you. No explanation, no show.

Why didn't we do this in the first place?

>>175811
>In fact, if you include the most recent update, it seems Kohaku is better at mindreading than Satori!
That seemed more like a personality difference (Satori gets flustered easily? Satori is more uptight about sex?) than a difference in actual power, although it does mean we have one less weakness.

[X] Personally take the call.
-[X] Let her talk out and explain herself.

>>175795
[ ] Personally take the call.

Your favorite writefag here. Lots of discussion going on in these parts. While I'm not yet ready to call the vote, I will offer up a bit of clarification:

~

I hope this helps you in your quest.

>>175833
>Satori is more uptight about sex?
Very uptight. Bow chicka bow wow

>>175832
>Hello Satori, this is satori.
Satori, huh? How does it taste? Bow chicka bow wow

>>175828
>I'm interested in how Satori tries to talk to Rin while she can't read her mind.
Probably the same way she talks to Koishi: deathly afraid that she'll be molested at the slightest provocation. Or no provocation at all.

>>175811
☢ CAUTION ☢ CAUTION ☢ CAUTION ☢ CAUTION ☢
SorryIcouldn'thelpmyself

>>175828

>The problem here is that you're trying to excuse the information we have, rather than to use it.

That too.

>>175832

>That only applies when you are in a situation where you can calmly analyze the situation. When you have (just had) Okuu in your face, Satori on the phone and Rin mentally pushing you to go and you're an injured amnesiac, it's not exactly as if you have the luxury of the clarity of mind and lack of urgency as we readers have

Oh, I'm aware. But we could of told Rin that we'll decide tomorrow, and that if she keeps bugging us we wouldn't go at all. Then we could of thought about it overnight without Rin's constant nagging. Besides if anything, the whole Okuu thing would make Kohaku want to put everthing off anyway. Satori has had centuries without meeting another of her kind; she can wait a few more days.

>>175833

>That seemed more like a personality difference (Satori gets flustered easily? Satori is more uptight about sex?) than a difference in actual power, although it does mean we have one less weakness.

I was actually talking about this part:

>It almost feels as though I’ve conditioned myself for such a barrage. While I should expect to find it distracting, my mind seemed to unconsciously circumvent it entirely and focus directly on what was important to me. Considering how susceptible I was to Okuu’s mental attack, for me to be at an advantage when against Rin’s mind games seems bizarre.

Which seems to be a finesse vs power thing. Orin tried to mask her thoughts with something meant to embarass or distract, while Okuu just powered straight on through with no attempt at deception. Okuu probably wouldn't attempt the same thing with Satori, so we don't know how she'd react. Regardless, it appears that Kohaku may be more skilled or better trained than Satori. Or maybe Satori's problem was hearing it from one of her pets, instead of someone she didn't care about.

>>175847

Oh you~

>>175832
We have had some time to cool off ofter Okuu: enough to interrogate Rin, and enough for a meal to be prepared and eaten. The problem still looms, but we were (and are) no longer in oh-god-snap-decision mode.

Even if we hadn't had that time, most people's first impulse in a stressful situation would be to run away from the threat (or at least avoid the stressor). Which still supports >>175832's thesis, and fails to support >>175805's, despite the fact that the latter brought it up.

Well, most people who aren't hotblooded shounen protagonists, anyway.

>>175858

>Which still supports >>175832's thesis

Pssst, you're quoting the wrong post.

[x] Personally take the call.
-[x] Get a good explanation for why she's so desperate to meet you. No explanation, no show.

[X]Personally take the call.
-[X]"Hello, is your refrigerator running?"

So did we ever figure out where (if anywhere) our third eye is?

>>175950
I'm sure it'll turn up eventually.
We've been 'alive' for less than a week, man. Give it time.

>>175950
I have something in my pocket. You have three tries to guess it right. Note: It is not a ring.

Also, been another weird weekend. Updates possibly today, but I can't say for certain.

>>175961
Is this a lead-up to a "put your hand in my pocket" joke?
If so, I want no part of it.

>>175961

Isn't it normally, uh, you know, attached? I assumed it would turn up no later than the bath.

>>175992
Well, there are many parts that are normally attached that could get unattached when attacked by vicious beasts.

>>176002

Yes, but it's hard to imagine it would still be functional in that case, and unless all the mind-reading we've done has actually been a hallucinatory manifestation of some scarily accurate guessing...

>>176008

Obviously Kohaku is a master of both human and non-human psychology who is using her great skill in order to fool everyone into thinking she is a Satori! What a nefarious scheme!

I am surprised that nobody in-story has mentioned the missing eye. Or maybe it's not missing at all, and Kohaku just hasn't thought about it?

I take the phone.

I feel uncomfortable doing so as it doesn’t feel like my place to be answering the call, but despite a couple of surprised expressions, neither Alice nor Rin seem to have any reservations with my taking over the call. They only seem shocked by my sudden assertiveness. The phone rings a few more times as I adjust the earpiece, and an audible click signals that somebody has answered.

“Hello?” I hear a familiar voice say, in a rushed but nonchalant tone.

It’s Okuu. Suddenly I find myself having second thoughts; her voice alone sets me on edge. Upon making my decision to take the call, this was the farthest thing from my mind. Rin seems to notice my unease, and silently urges me to continue.

“Er,” I stutter, “Hello. Is Satori in?”

“Yeah,” she replies, “Who’s calling?”

“You don’t recognize my voice?” I ask.

I’m a bit confused, but mostly appalled that she would have forgotten me in such a short time. While I suppose it would be fair to admit that our conversation was indeed very short, and that I had spoken very little during the altercation, I was still able to recognize her voice immediately. The fact that I can strongly recall the sound of it rattling around inside my brain may have some influence on the intensity of my recollection.

“Nope,” she replies, “Can’t say that I do.”

“I’m the one you tried to kidnap this afternoon,” I say flatly, “Now, can you please put Satori on the phone?”

If I were not regretting my decision to answer the phone before, I most certainly am now. The last person I wish to speak to is on the other end, and I worry I might be forced to resort to begging to get what I want. I feel that it would be best for my mental health to get her off the line or simply end the call now. I’ve half a mind to do so, as Okuu is certainly taking her time mulling over the matter.

“Sure,” Okuu says, “Hold on.”

She seemed somewhat confused by my words, and from the tone of her voice I can tell she wanted to argue the matter further. Regardless, I’m glad she thought twice of it.

A moment passes before I hear another, much softer voice say, “Hello?”

“Satori?” I ask.

I’m unsure of what exactly I should say. I very much wish to speak to her, and that thought was on the forefront of my mind when I chose to take the phone for myself, but I hadn’t thought this far ahead. I had many questions and much I’d wanted to say on the tip of my tongue just prior to hearing her voice, but it all seems to have vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Yes,” she replies, “I am she. Also, Okuu tells me that you said she tried to… kidnap you?”

“Indeed,” I reply, feeling eager to expound at length on the matter.

“Odd, that,” Satori replies, “I’d very much like to hear the full story, but… I’m afraid I haven’t caught your name. Telephone conversations are a bit inconvenient for me in many regards, and I’ll admit that I’m unfamiliar with how social matters work for common folk… But, yes, names I suppose are important.”

“Kohaku,” I reply, “I’m the satori you’re looking for.”

A moment of silence, followed by a loud crash. A distant voice on the other end of the line yells Okuu’s name loudly twice and trails off quickly. I hear more noise, followed by some muffled breathing.

“Ah,” Satori’s voice returns, “Er, sorry, I… I suppose… Sorry, I dropped the phone. Pardon my surprise, but I-I—this is entirely unexpected and I’m not quite...”

I find it interesting that upon my introduction, the calm and composed quality to her voice disappears. Was she not expecting me? Did she not call for my collection and retrieval? It would be safe to assume that Satori is still not wholly aware of Okuu’s actions taken in her name, and despite my desire to explain my situation I’m entirely engrossed in what is occurring on Satori’s side of the phone.

“Not quite what?” I ask after a few moments of silence.

“Okuu tried to kidnap you, you say?” Satori asks again, this time placing much more emphasis on the matter.

It would appear that who I am changes the weight of the matter entirely. Prior to my introduction she seemed merely confused by the matter, but now her somewhat unconcerned attitude has vanished. There is a weight in her words that was not there before.

“She did,” I say bluntly, “She used some sort of mental attack as well. Care to explain?”

“I—I do not believe… She should not have that sort of capacity,” she replies, “…but since you’ve mentioned it, it does seem to warrant some investigation. Can you wait a moment?”

She doesn’t wait for my response, and the line falls silent. I look to Alice and Rin as they sit silently and patiently, watching as I try not to squirm with impatience in my seat.

“She’s starting to talk like you,” Rin says to Alice.

Alice replies with a glance in my direction. She shakes her head, but admits internally that I am picking up a few of her mannerisms. When I think about it however, nothing comes to mind. A noise from the other end of the line drags me back to the matter at hand before I can question it.

“She tells me you fainted,” Satori says, “Are you unwell?”

“In a sense,” I say, choosing not to mention my memory loss.

I’m not entirely sure why I choose not to discuss my condition. It is not as if I feel that Satori has no particular right to know, as my memories may hold some unknown significance or have somehow influenced her decision to want to meet me in person. Truthfully, I’m as in the dark in regards to her as she is to me. For now, I choose to keep us on equal footing.

“She seems quite worried about you,” Satori says, “And though I will apologize for her brashness in how she has handled the matter, she has no recollection of any sort of mental attack, as you’ve called it. I can easily see how her actions would indicate an attempt kidnapping however… I’m sorry to have brought this upon you.”

For someone stumbling over her words moments ago, she does seem to have regained her composure rather gracefully. It leads me to suspicion, and without meeting her directly I cannot determine her motives accurately.

“Apology accepted, then,” I say, judging her words to at least sound sincere, “but why are you so eager to meet me?”

“An important question, if ever there was one,” Satori replies, “That is a matter that I can explain better in person, but… until today I was under the assumption that my sister and I were the last of our kind,” she pauses, and says, “I was also under the assumption that it was you who was actively seeking us out, but… It would appear that I may have been hasty in my optimism.”

“Perhaps not,” I say, “I fully intend to meet you in person…”

[ ] …but I need time to recover.
[ ] …but I’d prefer you come to me.

>>176016
It's probably on or about her person. In terms of putting things into perspective, a human unconsciously recognizes that it has (normally) two arms, two legs, and two eyes. It would be weird to mention such things in a first-person narration, like the POV character has decided to take inventory on their normal bits and pieces. You know, like:

I wake up one morning. I have two legs and two arms. I look in the mirror and notice that I have two eyes. Seems about right. I eat toast and eggs for breakfast.


And as such, a satori will recognize three arms, three legs, and three eyes that do not need to be accounted for at all times.

Oh wait, it's just the eyes that are in threes. Now I've made it weird. Also, pardon the possible sarcastic feel of the italicized narrative. It is difficult to write something like that and make it seem genuine.

Also, I should totally write a short where Sekibanki wakes up and takes inventory her limbs like it's an every-day thing... and realizes that her head is missing at the end.

I was mainly bothered by the fact that Marisa had, in fact, noticed its apparent absence in >>174607.

And her arms, legs, and head have all been mentioned since then. As have, for that matter, her eyes, though not specified in number nor (other than in the intro bits before we voted on being a satori) particularly strongly implied to exclusively refer to the ones attached to her face.

[x] ...but I need time to recover.
- [x] Although I suppose you could always come visit me in my convalescence.
- - [ ] (deadpan) We could play charades. Or poker. Or I Spy.

>>175855
Not that anon, but I doubt Kohaku is better at mindreading. That would imply that Marisa is better at blocking mindreading than Rin, since she was able to keep us out by reciting digits of pi (>>174662).

>>176019
>I wake up one morning. I have two legs and two arms. I look in the mirror and notice that I have two eyes. Seems about right. I eat toast and eggs for breakfast.
Sounds like someone's lost the superpowers lottery there (uncontrollable shapeshifting).

[x] …but I need time to recover.
On the morrow, we shall meet upon the field of battle!
Or your front door, whichever is easiest.

[X] …but I need time to recover.
Do I even need to explain why?

[x] ...but I need time to recover.
- [x] Although I suppose you could always come visit me in my convalescence.

[x] ...but I need time to recover.
- [x] Although I suppose you could always come visit me in my convalescence.


I don't think Satori will come topside, but offering to receive her if she does is the polite thing to do.

[x] ...but I need time to recover.
- [x] Although I suppose you could always come visit me in my convalescence.

We promised Alice that we would rest for a day or two, and I don't think she will accept us going out earlier.

>>176020
I mustn't say any more. The walls have ears. Possibly eyes too. Which might explain the missing one.

>>176023
>Sounds like someone's lost the superpowers lottery there...
Or it's just Rin (or any one of the many other animal changelings) after changing into human form.

[x] ...but I need time to recover.
- [x] Although I suppose you could always come visit me in my convalescence.

>>176023
Maybe she's just getting more used to her powers.

[x] ...but I need time to recover.
- [x] Although I suppose you could always come visit me in my convalescence.

This seems reasonable.

“…but I need time to recover.”

In spite of my wounds having not been completely healed, I feel that it would not be impossible to make the journey. I’ve mapped the route well using Rin’s memory, but there are still gaps missing; it feels like I’m leaping blindly ahead regardless. Considering the notion, as I am, anything I do would be exactly that—a blind leap of faith. But for better or for ill, I will not move until I am at full strength. It feels prudent of me to be patient and use the chance I have now to plan ahead.

“Ah, I see,” Satori replies, “So you are ill as well?”

…‘As well?’ That is unexpected. I should inquire more when the opportunity presents itself. In a sense, one of my questions may have been answered. She has chosen not to come to me because she or someone she is close to has taken ill. I realize that it may be rude of me to speak candidly on the matter, but I cannot afford to let any scrap of information pass me by. On the other hand, Satori does not seem to be offended nor upset by my forwardness; perhaps she may even prefer that I do away with the pleasantries and banter that could mask intent. I certainly would.

“Injured, if anything,” I say, “I’m not bedridden, but I expect I won’t be capable of going far.”

“Indeed, it would seem that fate conspires against us,” Satori replies, “But I am not so impatient as to risk your health or my own. I will not press the matter further if you’d prefer. I’m sure that by now Rin has done enough of that for us both.”

I can’t help but laugh. She knows her associates well.

“If you’re not feeling too poorly,” I say, “Perhaps you could come and visit me instead?”

I offer a suggestion. In light of what Satori has told me, it feels unreasonable to expect anything of it, so I say it in jest.

“…”

My suggestion is met not with laughter, but with silence. Without an expression or a thought to accompany it, I cannot determine the underlying meaning. It makes me uneasy; I worry if I’ve suggested something objectionable to her. Perhaps she is bad with jokes? Rin’s mind fails to offer me any opinion on the matter, and I’m stuck waiting for or trying to coax a reply. After a moment of silent contemplation, I opt for the latter.

“Er, that is,” I say, unsure of myself, “I wasn’t being serious, and…”

“Hmm, I hadn’t considered that option,” Satori finally replies, “And under any other circumstance, I would decline. Normally.”

Her words are spoken as slowly and deliberately as my own. I can tell that she is actively thinking as she speaks, and her response comes as slowly as expected. I hang on every last word, hoping for a favorable decision.

“But,” she continues, “Despite my regular sensibilities I rather like the idea. Once I’m feeling well enough, I will come and meet you.”

“That’s great!” I say, unable to contain my excitement. I hadn’t expected that she would be so… willing to consider it. I had only spoken intending it as one possible solution to our dilemma, and it was given less than half-heartedly at that. I’ve not the heart to tell her now that it was meant as a joke.

“It may take me a few days,” Satori says, “But… Yes, this is good… Considering my condition and your injuries, perhaps it will would be best if I—” She pauses for a moment before continuing, “Ah, apologies. I’m rambling. I’m normally not like this, you’ll have to forgive me.”

“It doesn’t bother me,” I reply, “All things considered.”

“Ah, yes,” Satori says, “Now that I think of it, in consideration of what you said to me before regarding Okuu… I should like to warn you that she will be accompanying me as I dislike the thought of traveling alone. I will not offer any explanation in her stead, nor will I try to justify her actions as it is not my place to do so… I would however like to know if you have any objections to me bringing her along.”

[ ] I do.
[ ] I don’t.

[x] I don’t.
She will presumably be better-behaved this time.

[X] I don’t.

[x] I do.

Seriously, she mindblasted us into unconsciousness.

[x] I don't.
I think it'd be somewhat rude to object such an inane thing. Satori will be with her, and she has reason enough to bring her along.

Middle ground.
[x] I do object, yes. I don't begrudge you your protector -- it is dangerous up here, after all -- but be aware that I suffer her presence only under protest, and at the very least I must insist that she keep her distance.

>>176223
>She will presumably be better-behaved this time.
Quite a presumption, that.

>>176237
Satori's going to be here to keep all three eyes on her. Even if I'm wrong, we can totally yell 'I TOLD YOU SO' right before Okuu nukes us all.

[x] I don't.

>>176242
Explosion endings are Okuu's forte.

[x] I don't.

We might actually get an explanation for her behaviour if she comes along.

[x] I don't.

Satori will keep her dog bird in line.

[x] I don't. Just make sure she behaves.


>>176237
I like the idea of the middle ground, but that just sounds way too formal for Kohaku.

>>176319
>but that just sounds way too formal for Kohaku.
... you're kidding, right?

[x] I don't. Just make sure she behaves.

Blargh. I've been sick, therefore the lack of updates. I've thrown something into the update pipe and it should be ready soon.

I give a moment’s pause to consider the question, judging my options carefully. One misstep could easily spell disaster for me, for Alice, for any and all who might be present. Okuu has presented herself to me as somewhat of a loose cannon, but Satori seems to have complete faith in her. For me to tell her that her faith has been misplaced would be improper. I feel equally uneasy allowing it however, as it places my safety in jeopardy. But to deny her safety to ensure mine feels entirely self-serving.

“I don’t, so long as you can keep her under control,” I reply.

“Excellent,” Satori says joyfully, “I will call prior to my visit. Would I be correct in assuming that this is Alice’s line?”

“Yes,” I say, “Yes it is. I don’t plan on going anywhere for the next while, so I figure it’d be safe to call here.”

“Good,” she replies, “I’ll work out the finer details myself later. See you soon.”

The line goes dead before I can say more. I was half-expecting her to ask to speak to Rin or Alice, but I suppose it wouldn’t serve much purpose in the end. Perhaps Satori expects Rin to manage herself, and for Alice to sit in silent compliance while Satori does as she pleases. Come to think of it, I forgot to ask Alice for permission to hold the meeting here at her house. Now seems too late for me to do so.

’Heh, that dumb pigeon is gonna get such a beating. Kinda wish I was there to see it.’ Rin laughs internally, and buries her beet-red face in her arms.

“So, how did it go?” Alice asks me.

“She means to visit me here, it seems,” I reply, “I hope I didn’t do something stupid…”

Alice shrugs, feigning indifference but feeling somewhat bothered by the prospect of having additional guests. I worry that I might have pushed another burden onto her, but I feel no need to apologize. Alice seems mostly concerned with not wanting to make enough food for four. Which brings me to my next point, as her head count is one short.

“Five,” I say, replying to her thoughts, “Satori intends to bring Okuu as an escort.”

“Oh, pfft, yeah right!” Rin laughs, “Like she’d get off that easy. What’s she gonna do? Lie?”

Again, Rin collapses into fits of stifled laughter. She excuses herself from the room, and I can hear her laughing as she walks down the hall. Alice however, seems far less amused.

“When is she coming?” she asks, “Is it soon?” ’I don’t want that bitch in my house again.’

“She said she’d call first,” I say.

“Okay, good. That’ll give us time to prepare.”

“Pre…pare?”

For what, I wonder. Her words and thoughts are disjointed; Alice’s mind focuses mostly on Okuu, particularly in regards to preventing another disaster from occurring. She considers the use of outright force, but thinks twice of it as her relations with Satori are not so poor as to warrant it. Nowhere do I find mention of any sort of preparations…

“You,” Alice says, “should take a good look in a mirror. Your hair’s a right mess, your skin still looks filthy even after your bath, you’ve got bags under your eyes like a panda… And then there’s your clothes!”

“I—“

“I’ll have to see to getting you a proper set of clothing,” Alice keeps talking, “We can’t have you borrowing other people’s dresses forever, now can we?”

I’m stunned. While I’ve come to expect honesty and forwardness from Alice, I’ve never experienced it on this level. Her mind and her mouth keep sync as she leaves her thought tangent on Okuu in the dust. She mentally lists a few finer points regarding nails, feet, shoes, et cetera. None of which she verbalizes. She seems to realize that her words are becoming more and more offensive, yet still feels the need to keep talking.

“I don’t see how any of this is relevant,” I say, “I’ve got bigger problems than—“

“No,” Alice says, “You don’t. You need to look at least presentable, yes? I’ve not once met a woman who would consider her appearance as anything but her top priority.”

“You have. Right here.”

I sigh, finally starting to see the motive behind her words. She seeks to lift my spirits, to take my mind off of the more heavy subjects I’ve been made to consider since awakening. She wants me to enjoy myself for a change, as she thinks it. But to deem the best way to accomplish this would be to insult me? It seems uncharacteristically manipulative of her, and I want none of it.

“Now, now,” Alice says, “I’m not trying to upset you. I’m trying to help you. You’ve got a bit of time now, don’t you?”

“I… Yes,” I say.

“I think it’ll be good for you, and it’s not like I’m out to get you or any such nonsense. A woman must look her best for her guests, yes?”

“I… suppose,” I reply, “But I really don’t think now is such a good time.”

“Well,” Alice says, “Of course not now. I was thinking tomorrow, perhaps. Or the following day, if we don’t hear back.”

“I’ll think about it.”

I see her point, though I don’t feel the need to impress as strongly as she believes I should. My noncommittal reply seems to have gotten her hopes up regardless, and she starts to think of all sorts of odd treatments and solutions to make my appearance, in her words, ‘somewhat less dull.’ I still find it unpleasant, but in recognition of her good intentions I do not wish to find fault in her. I saunter off to bed as she rearranges the table, tucking the telephone away and clearing the dishes. I would offer to help, but I feel far too tired. Whatever strength I had left, that stressful call to Satori sucked it all away.

I settle into the room quickly and quietly, shutting the door before I lie down. The room is still lit, as the sun has yet to fully fall over the horizon. Wasted daylight, yet I’ve no will to stay up. There sits a lamp on the dresser, glowing brightly. Rin must’ve gotten the room ready after she walked away. I should thank her later, but right now the light feels like the only obstacle keeping me awake. The bed is too warm for me to get back up, and I fail to find the motivation to snuff out the flame. In the end, the lamp serves as little more than an annoyance, and I watch it burn as I start to drift off.

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

I’m awakened some while later by a loud thump. I sit up, silently still, waiting for any further commotion from outside the room. I’m met with silence, and the odd notion that I may have imagined it.

[ ] Investigate
[ ] Back to sleep
[ ] Snack time

[x] Investigate
-[x] Get a snack if it turns out to be nothing.

[x] Investigate
-[x] Get a snack after.

[x] Investigate

[x] Investigate

Anyone got a link to the first one? Enjoying this one so far.

>>176439
It's at >>174264

[x] Investigate
-[x] Get a snack after.

Let's raid Alice's sweets!

[x] Investigate
- [x] No snack. (Our host is already annoyed at having to prepare extra food.)

[x] Investigate. I bet it's Koishi.
-[x] No snack after, >>176461 is right.

In the event I haven’t imagined it, I step out into the hall.

“Alice?” I call out quietly, “Rin?”

I’m reluctant to wake either of the two. The rooms are pitch black—save the lamp light flooding from the bedroom’s open door and what little moonlight shines through the windows—and deathly quiet. My eyes slowly adjust, and I step further into the living room.

I feel relieved, as there are no collapsed or otherwise lifeless bodies in the room that could’ve caused such a sound by falling. There is also an absence of burglars or anything of the like. The window curtains are open, but all of the windows themselves are still closed. Alice sleeps soundly, bundled up in blankets on the couch. In the quiet of the room, I can hear her breathing.

Something brushes past my leg, I stifle a scream.

“Meow,” it says, silently hopping up on the armrest by Alice’s head.

“Oh, just a cat,” I whisper to myself.

’Not just a cat, young lady. I am the cat.’

I’m a bit shocked; I can hear the cat’s thoughts. More surprising is the fact that Alice owns a cat at all. She didn’t seem the type to keep pets.

Satisfied with my investigation, I head back to my room.

The cat follows.

’Don’t leave me out here,’ it thinks, racing towards the open door.

“Alright, fine,” I say, letting it into the room before I shut the door.

It climbs up onto the bed, where I can see it clearly in the light. It almost appears to be an ordinary cat, save a few flaws. And were it not for the bright red eyes, the black and deep red fur, and overabundance of tails, I’d have not found cause to think it suspicious or odd in any way. But judging by appearance alone it is indeed an odd sort of cat, and I think it unusual that it would be so eager to follow me—essentially a stranger to it—into a closed room. More interestingly, I find it in possession of a number of memories. Memories of me in particular, and more peculiarly all from what appear to be Rin’s perspective.

“Odd,” I say to myself, “Very odd.”

’Yeah, I can tell you already know the deal,’ the cat thinks, ’Doesn’t take a mind reader to decrypt that look on your face. It’s me, Rin!’

“You’re… a cat,” I say, boggled, “Rin is a person.”

The cat lifts up on her forelegs, holding her head high with pride, ’Not true! Rin is indeed a cat and I am she.’

“I was under the impression that Alice’s referring to you as a cat was somewhat more… metaphorical,” I say.

’Totally literal. But you don’t seem particularly bothered by it,’ The cat replies mentally.

Yet again, my mind recalls Alice’s description of this world. ‘The impossible, made possible.’ Right now it feels more like a mantra to prevent my descent into blubbering insanity. Under normal circumstances, one who sees a cat claiming to be a human or vice-versa and believes it should have their head checked. As an extension of that notion, despite my ability to hear the cat’s thoughts it fails to change the perception in my mind that I am in fact talking to a cat. Perhaps I’ve been insane since day one and have yet to have fully realized it until now. Unlikely, given the number of strange events I’ve been exposed to while others around me remind me that it is all normal. Then again, they could all be insane as well.

“I’m talking to a cat,” I say, “I think that bothers me more than the fact that you are calling yourself Rin. I can at least suspend disbelief long enough to accept that part.”

’Can’t help you with the talking to cats part. But I could always change back to prove I am who I say I am,’ Rin thinks, ’The only caveat would be that I invariably come out of this form naked.’

“Noted. I can trust that you are who you say you are, as I’ve seen the memories in your head for myself. But… this is some kind of curse, right?” I ask, “Like a ‘person by day, cat by night’ sort of thing?”

’No, no, no. Not at all. What you see now is me as I truly am. Alice’s soup was just so bland and watered-down that no matter how much I ate and drank I still ran out of prana in the end.’

“…Prana?”

’Prana. If I were to explain the concept to you, it’d take me all night and you the better part of a bag of catnip as payment. That’s some real science-y stuff you’re asking about there, so let’s just say it runs like a battery. I charge it with food and sleep and stuff, use it to maintain human form, and once it runs out… Poof! Cat. Ergo, our current predicament.’

Heh, cat battery. The explanation is simple enough that a child could comprehend her meaning, but is its only purpose to maintain a human form, or is she capable of doing other things with it? Oversimplification leads to more questions, but I opt not to inquire as I’ve no bags of catnip with which to use as a bribe.

“Doesn’t seem to change the fact that I’m talking to a cat,” I say.

’You were always talking to a cat,’ Rin thinks, rolling around on the bed and pawing at the sheets, ’Only now, I can’t actually talk back.’

“Mrrrooooowww,” Rin says. ’See? Cat lungs, cat throat, cat mouth, cat tongue. That means cat words, not human words. It’s real simple stuff.’

I take a seat beside her on the bed, scratching her head, “Do you cough up hairballs, too?”

’No, I’m smart enough to know about an invention called bathing. I’m also perceptive enough to notice that, for someone with no memories, you’ve an awfully comprehensive knowledge base when it comes to cats.’

“Is that so?” I ask.

She’s struck a chord with me; her question hits hard. I do know an awful lot about cats, don’t I? With a total of almost three whole days’ memory and having not once come into contact with a cat or any items describing cats until just now… How do I even know that cats cough up hairballs? From a logical standpoint, I expect I should not even know what sort of animal I’m petting right now, let alone any manner of intricacies such as hairballs. Perhaps a portion of my memory has been retained? Or has it started to come back? I search my tiny set of memories for clues, but I can’t seem to recall anything older than two or three days ago.

’Hey, space case,’ Rin scratches my leg lightly, ’I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. You’re probably just doing what Satori does.’

“And what’s that?” I ask.

’You’re putting a knowledge base together using the minds around you. Probably. Satori does it unconsciously sometimes, so the way I see it the same thing could happen to you.’

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

’It’s just a thought. A hypothesis. You know what I mean. Like grasping at straws but both of your hands are cat paws and you can only hold onto one while the others fall to the floor like a monument to your failure to hold all of the straws… Might’ve gotten a bit specific for that example. True story.’

It’s odd, but she seems to be much, much more talkative in this form, despite being unable to utter so much as a single coherent word. She seems somehow more… comfortable, in this situation. The fact that I’m pulling the words straight from her mind doesn’t seem to have any negative impact on her. Rather, the thoughts are so directed that there could be no explanation other than she is counting on my ability to hear them. Perhaps this is why she and Satori are on such good terms.

Oddly, I am capable of knowing the nature of Rin and Satori’s relationship; a set of knowledge that I am incapable of possessing without utilizing the minds and memories of others. The glimpses of Satori I have consciously or partially unconsciously pulled from Rin’s mind that I can recall only give Rin’s side of the story, and nothing implying their relationship status can be gleaned from them as a result. Rin also has no prior memory of me before today, so I can accurately surmise that Satori and I have never met. At least, in Rin’s presence. While it does seem likely or at least possible that my memories are bubbling just below the surface, perhaps the real fact of the matter is simpler; perhaps Rin is right. I know an awful lot about cats, but next to nothing about satori as a species.

“I… think I’m starting to get your point,” I say, “I seem to know things that I shouldn’t. Or couldn’t, under normal circumstances.”

’You’ve been showing signs of it all day, really. It isn’t anything to worry about, I think.’

“You don’t seem sure of that,” I say.

’I’m not a Satori,’ Rin tilts her head, ’Now are we going to get to sleep or what? Won’t it be bad if you stay awake for too long?’

“…What exactly do you mean by that?”

’I’d like to sleep in this room, where it’s warmer.’

“No, no,” I say, “The other thing, about being awake too long.”

’I meant nothing by it, if that’s what you’re asking. But your ability is physical in nature as far as I know, so won’t it strain you? Satori gets these terrible headaches sometimes.’

I have had headaches before, haven’t I? All of them related to my ability. Once when my ability awakened—or considering the circumstances reawakened, the other time when it was overloaded by Okuu.

“It seems I’ll be having a lot of questions for you regarding Satori and satori,” I say, “Truthfully, there’s a lot about me that I don’t yet know.”

’I’m a walking library,’ Rin nods, as much as a cat can nod, ’But sleep first, yeah?’

No argument here.


[ ] Let Rin stay.
[ ] Make Rin leave.

>>176480
Koishi is just getting over a week-long drunken bender after having asked all of Gensokyo for a fishing rod and turning up empty-handed.

So of course she won't show up just yet. The poor thing.

[x] Let Rin stay.

Cat dream incoming.

> prana
> named Kohaku
Insert obligatory "synchronization" comment here.

Anyway,
[X] Let Rin stay.

[X] Let Rin stay.

[x] Let Rin stay.
What could go wrong?

>>176515
I wish I could say that this whole story is an overblown lead-in to another "a cat is fine too" gag, but it isn't.

[x] Let Rin stay.


Few things are more peaceful than a sleeping cat. They have this air around them that causes even the laws of nature to back off and let it sleep.
You'll never sleep better than with a cat on your bed. Until the cat climbs on your face to steal your breath.

If not for the fact that we don't seem to know much about satori, I'd suggest a more likely conclusion is that our amnesia only affects our personal memory rather than our knowledge.

Does this imply that everything we know has been picked up from people around us? Shouldn't our speech patterns be the same as Marisa's, then?

Oh, and [x] Let Rin stay.

>>176532

>Shouldn't our speech patterns be the same as Marisa's, then?


Well according to >>176018 we're actually picking up Alice's speech patterns instead. Perhaps because she's somewhat less hostile than Marisa to the whole mindreading thing, or maybe we have to be around someone longer than we were around Marisa?


>“She’s starting to talk like you,” Rin says to Alice.

>Alice replies with a glance in my direction. She shakes her head, but admits internally that I am picking up a few of her mannerisms

Fuck, I've fallen off of the front page! You know what that means? Updates~

I climb back into bed, leaving the light on. Rin claims a spot at the foot of the bed, and though I’ve the notion that it might be better for me to have her leave the room I can’t bring myself to actually kick her out. What puts me at ease is the knowledge that there isn’t a single improper thought in her head in regards to me. This seems to be the norm for her; sleeping at the foot of the bed of a mind-reader, with only a single-minded desire to attain the perfect resting place driving her. I feel a bit uncomfortable when I consider her as a person, but when I regard her as a cat… It isn’t so bad.

She gets comfortable quickly, falls asleep without a peep. I follow soon after. I drift off into a dreamless sleep, comforted by the warmth of a cat at my feet.

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

I awaken to find a small, furry something covering my face. In my half-awakened state, I nearly burst into a panic. ‘What is this?!’ I ask myself. ‘I can’t breathe!’ I think, hurriedly clambering to get the fuzzy suffocation device off of me. Of course, I remember letting Rin stay the night, but only after I roll her off of my head. She almost falls out of bed, failing to awaken even when I catch her. I put her back by my feet, and her hazy thoughts begin to emerge as she begins to regain consciousness.

’Morning already?’

Averting a lazy start to my morning, I throw off the covers. While reluctant to leave the bed’s warm embrace, the cold air has a sobering effect on me. Whether I like it or not, I’m forcing myself out of my early morning stupor. The excellent thought I had a minute ago of staying in bed now feels like a waste of time. I notice that the lamp at my bedside still burns, so I put it out before stepping out into the hall. Rin lingers for a while longer in the room, and I last see her clawing her way under the sheets as I shut the door behind me.

I’m greeted by empty and utterly silent rooms. Alice is no longer on the couch, and the blankets she had used during the night are neatly folded and left in the space where she had slept. Rin’s dress is also folded among the pile.

I fail to find Alice in the bathrooms, either. Though I do find a note on the kitchen table when I go to look for her there.

“Went to the market, will be back after noon,” it says in a quickly-scrawled cursive, signed by Alice.

“That answers that question,” I say aloud.

The note also says something in regards to her being pressed for time and advises me to make my own breakfast, but I end up not reading the bulk of it. I find myself not hungry after just waking up.

I hear somebody come into the room. Having not expected someone else to be here with me nor having been able to hear their thoughts, I turn around to face them.

“Er, hi,” Rin says.

She’s reverted to her human form, and as she had told me during the night she has done so unclothed. While this flies in the face last night’s explanation of her having run out of energy to maintain her form, the more pressing matter of her full-frontal assault prevents me from working up the nerve to ask her about it. She smiles and waves at me without bothering to cover herself, and seems wholly carefree in her nakedness. I am unsure of how I should react, but I can tell she is expecting something from me. Perhaps I should just act natural.

“Good morning,” I say.

I smile and wave back, but it serves only to confuse her. She seems to have expected me to react… differently. Something akin to discomfort, blushing, covering my eyes, looking away and letting out a girly scream. At least, that is what is on the forefront of her mind. Aside from the discomfort my silence is beginning to cause her. And while I am eager to appease, I cannot in all honesty see myself reacting in such an overblown and impractical manner to a bit of unforeseen nudity.

“So. Like I said,” she says, looking for her dress, “I turn back, I end up naked.”

“I see,” I reply.

I’m beginning to understand why she would expect some manner of awkwardness on my part, as my inability to react has served to invert the situation, as well as having shifted the embarrassment to her side. My lack of reaction causes her no small amount of distress, if only because she seems to believe that I somehow take pleasure in staring at her body. While this is untrue, I do concede that I am indeed staring and that, however unintentional it may be, my actions could be misinterpreted as predatory. As a quick solution, I turn and look away.

“Sorry, I…”

“I guess me saying it and you seeing it are two completely different things, huh?” she asks.

“It is,” I say, “Let me know when you’re dressed.”

“Already done,” Rin replies, “You can turn around now.”

I comply, feeling relieved as she starts to recover her mental footing.

“But when you really start to think about it,” she says awkwardly, “I was like this all night. Sleeping next to you. Naked.”

Again, she mentally compares me to Satori. Her thoughts illustrate to me a similar situation in which Satori caught her undressing and reacted in a manner more in-line with Rin’s expectations. Here, Rin sees nothing of the sort. While this does work to illustrate Rin’s expectations and the reasoning behind them, I try to draw her attention away from the matter.

“Actually, Rin,” I say, “You were sleeping by my feet. How you moved from there to my face is an absolute mystery to me, by the way. I wouldn’t consider either of those to be anywhere near ‘next to me.’”

She laughs, “Can’t help you there. Cats migrate.”

Her words do not lie. While she admits internally to a bit of sleepwalking, she in no way recalls waking up in the middle of the night and moving. She is awfully quick to distance herself from the nakedness thing, though, and I am glad for it.

“Can you migrate your way through making breakfast?” I ask, “I’d hate to think what I’d be able to cook up in my state of mind.”

“Unless you want burned eggs or something that tastes like cat food,” she says, “I doubt you’d want me cooking. Alice didn’t leave us anything to eat?”

I show Rin the note. She looks it over and scowls, uttering a few less than elegant words internally. She doesn’t seem particularly hungry—a feeling which I share—but she does have a few choice insults regarding Alice’s lack of hospitality. While I fail to find fault in Alice for it, as her reasoning as written in the letter is sound, perhaps some facet of social graces pertaining to this very situation I’ve yet to uncover can explain Rin’s annoyance.


[ ] Offer to make food.
[ ] Ask Rin to cook.
[ ] Starve.

[x] Offer to make food, if Rin will watch to keep you from doing anything really foolish.

>>176686
Quick, everybody! Sage everything!

[x] Offer to make food. Ask Rin to make sure you don't do anything foolish.

Let's see if Kohaku knows how to cook. Hopefully we don't end up burning Alice's house down.

[x] Offer to make food.
Less 'cook', more 'combine and consume'.

[x] Offer to make food.
>>176691
If she's anything like her namesake, she'll be able to cook superbly.

[x] Offer to make food.


We can find bread and stuff to put on the bread.
Breakfast of champions, right there. "Bread n' stuff".

[x] Offer to make food.

>>176700

As the Anti-christook, I endorse this message. Bread'n'stuff has literally saved my life over a thousand times! ...Goddamnit microwave, stop making my food explode!

>>176705
Original "Bread n' stuff" poster here.
Me I'm not an anti-cook, I'm more of a Eldritch Cooking Horror having eaten things like cheese doodle icecream or bacon in licorice sauce.

I even have my own special "Bread n' stuff" recipe. Only to be eaten late at night when the shops are closed, you're hungry as fuck and you don't want to cook.
It's literally "bread with whatever stuff you can find and put on it" ("traditionally" it's marmalade/cheese/jam/sausage/mayonaisse because that was the original, although there is an alternative version using hamburger dressing).

>>176724

>Strange things I've eaten

Truly, you are a stronger man than I.

...For the sake of the world, let's never be in the same kitchen. I don't know if I really want to see what'll happen.

Holidays have gotten my schedule all blown to hell. Updates probably early-to-mid next week.

Ignoring Rin’s foul mood, I decide to try my hand at making something to eat. At first, the thought of going through Alice’s kitchen without asking bothers me. As I start opening cabinets however, I learn of the delicious-looking things Alice has hidden away, and it dawns on me that I prefer doing it over not doing it. The alternative being allowing Rin to go through Alice’s kitchen without permission, which I’m certain would garner a negative reaction. I find a loaf of bread stashed overhead and some eggs in the icebox, and I skip out on the dried meats and fruits as those hardly seem like breakfast foods.

I light a fire under the stove, find the proper utensils, and start preparing the eggs. Without really knowing what to do I feel a bit lost, and I find it bizarre that I can do so much while knowing so little of what I should be doing. I seem to have a subconscious sort of awareness as to what I’m doing, and I let my body do its own thing. But confidence is in short supply, as is actual skill. The eggs wind up burnt, and any attempts I made at making toast resulted in blackened objects that could be described as anything but toast.

The initial feelings of dejection and self-loathing wear off quickly, and rather than continue this madness I choose to end my failed attempts at cooking here and now.

“Well,” I say to myself, “At least I know how to work the stove.”

Rin surveys the damage, seemingly displeased with the outcome, but tries at least to eat the eggs. Her mental perception can be summarized with words like ‘overcooked,’ ‘hardened,’ or something far less appealing like ‘shoe leather.’ Whereas her body is showing signs of revulsion, she makes a valiant effort to show some appreciation.

Honestly, I’d rather her not force herself, and I put a stop to it.

“Well,” she says, “At least you can work the stove.”

“I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting much of my efforts,” I say, taking a bite of the fruits of my labor. I think Rin has either been raised on a diet of dirt, or that her thoughts were skirting around the truth of the matter. I can’t eat the eggs, and I don’t even bother trying the toast.

“I don’t think it’s that bad,” Rin says, noticing my sour expression.

I grumble as I clean up the mess I made. Rin’s placations do not help, as I can see through the lie and taste the bitter, bitter truth. Putting the stove out seems to be far less difficult than cooking on it, and I remind myself not to waste any more of Alice’s precious resources. It is a good thing to know one’s boundaries and limitations, and I have certainly found one of mine.

Rin seems to be more than pleased at least with the effort that I had put forth, and eats the rest of the eggs despite her clear revulsion and my insistence that she stop. The bricks of carbon I dare not refer to as toast are entirely passed over and eventually thrown out. We end up eating slices of untoasted bread and some of the dried meat I’d passed over earlier. I should’ve gone with it from the start.

The rest of the day until Alice returns is spent resting. Rin finds things to do around the house while I am content to take up space on the couch. Reminded by Alice’s insistence that I not aggravate my wounds, I find some books lying around. Most of them are in an incomprehensible foreign language. Of the ones I can read, one is a picture book captioned in the foreign letters, and another is ironically a cookbook. I feel a bit distraught when I read it, so I end up studying the picture book.

It depicts an image—each one seemingly unrelated to the ones both preceding and subsequent—of a figure of a man wreathed in color. Captions in the margins point to the figure or the colors surrounding it, but the letters are unknown to me. I look it over front to back and find nothing glaring or unusual despite a nagging suspicion that I’m missing something. I’m in the middle of trying to read the captions when Alice returns, carrying a number of bags and announcing her presence with a cheery “I’m home!”

“Is something burning?” she asks immediately.

“I tried cooking,” I tell her, helping unload the bags, “You can probably guess how well it turned out.”

“I see…”

Alice scowls, unsure whether to be upset that I’d used the stove without asking for help or happy that I’m showing some initiative. I explain that the use of the stove came easier to me than the actual cooking part and that it was the food that I’d burned, which seems to alleviate her worry that I might have unintentionally almost set fire to her house. She doesn’t focus on the matter long. Quickly, she puts away the bags. Perishables mostly, as she seems to be expecting to have to cook when Satori eventually visits.

“Here,” she says, thrusting something into my arms, “This one is yours.”

It would appear that she has bought me a dress. While ‘simple’ and ‘white’ are the only two words I could use to describe it, Alice thinks it would suit me. In consideration of what I’ve seen others wearing, it is far less intricate than even Marisa’s plain black-and-white attire. But I’m not disappointed; the fact that Alice had such consideration for me at all makes me happiest.

[ ] I want to try it on now.
[ ] I can wait.

[x] I want to try it on now.

[x] I want to try it on now.
We are indeed a blank slate. Well-chosen, Alice.

[X] I want to try it on now.
Anything else would be an insult to her

[x] I want to try it on now.

Be excited, etc etc.

[x] >>176994

(Well put.)

[X] I want to try it on now.
Might as well.

[x] I want to try it on now.

Why wait? We have something better to do?

[X] I want to try it on now.

>>176990
[x] I want to try it on now.

Just wanted to mention that I love how Rin decided to sleep on her face. That tends to produce lots of flailing in the morning.

Someone should offer an unforeseen consequences preparedness daily planner or something. Life is unkind to me this week. Updates probably early next week.

“I—“

I’m not certain how I should respond. I can only assume that it is a gift, but this is my first time having ever received one. I feel... anxious. Excited, certainly. But at the same time unnerved. Alice seems to think nothing of it, seeing it in her thoughts as a “matter of course” and that she’s fulfilling a necessity that I lack. Perhaps I should respond in kind and simply accept it.

“Thank you,” I say, “I’m going to try it on right now!”

Impossible, sad to say. I cannot treat it so casually, and my excitement gets the better of me. Alice seems pleased as I run off into the bedroom.

I throw off my existing clothes with little thought as to where they land. I unfurl the new dress, admiring it for a moment before trying it on. As I do, I can’t help but recall Alice’s insistence that I maintain my appearance. While I’d had little regard for it when she spoke of it, perhaps now I begin to see her point. The dress fits well; its simplicity seems to lend it the ability to fit a range of body shapes and sizes. It does seem a bit long however, and the chest and shoulders fit loosely. All in all, Alice’s determination of size isn’t perfect, but admirably well approximated.

I find a mirror in the dresser and try to examine myself. It is readily apparent that I’d dressed myself in haste, but the dress appears suitable. I hearken back to my talk with Alice yet again. My hair is a mess as she said, and not all of it is from having a cat sleep on my head. Compared to the stark white of my new clothes, my hair appears by contrast almost an ash grey. I should probably concede and admit that Alice has a point. I’m a right mess. I hadn’t noticed until just now just how ragged I look. Given my situation, I can hardly blame myself.

The bandages on my arms and legs appear dull as well, and I should probably have them changed again. I’m uncertain as to how long I’ll need to keep wearing them, but I feel much better in comparison to yesterday. Or perhaps I’m just numb to the pain.

I clean up the mess of old clothes, return the mirror to where I found it… But something catches my eye. The mirror catches an odd reflection as I set it into the drawer. I’m uncertain of what I should make of it, but I feel compelled to take the mirror back into my hands. I angle it as I had before, mimicking my own movements in the hopes that I might see that reflection again.

I do. I see it clearly.

“That’s odd,” I say to myself.

What it reflects is nowhere to be found. I search the drawer and find nothing similar, try to trace the angle of reflection with my eyes but see only air. I wonder if the mirror is somehow unusual, like so many other things I’ve come to find in the past few days. I wonder yet again if I’ve gone insane. I laugh at the notion, but a thought occurs to me as I continue to stare into the mirror.

I can’t seem to make sense of what I’m seeing.

“Interesting,” I say, feeling a chill run down my spine as I realize what I’m doing.

I’m forgetting. I know I see the reflection of something, but the moment I look away I fail to recall what it is. Has my mind started to break down? Will this amnesia extend to the rest of what little memory I have? I wrack my brain trying to remember, but all I find are holes in my recollection. I can clearly remember having seen something, but my mind is unable to comprehend what it saw, let alone the actual act of having seen it. If anything, I feel like I’m unconsciously trying not to remember, and I’ve no way to fight it.

I want to leave the room. I want to put the mirror down, step out into the hall, and congratulate Alice on finding the perfect dress. I want desperately to get away from here and carry on as if I’m not bothered by it, but I can’t look away. If I look away I’ll forget. Even as I continue to stare into the mirror I can feel my mind forgetting.

It feels similar to my earliest memories. The emptiness within my mind—a hazy fugue taking hold as I act on instinct. It feels as if that base autonomy has started to supplant my control of my own mind, and unable to put the mirror down or pull my gaze away, I—

[ ] See it.
[ ] Hear it.
[ ] Touch it.
[ ] Break it.

>>177297

After I did proofreading, this is what I thought:

[X] Buy it
[X] Use it
[X] Break it
[X] Fix it

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Carry on gents.

[x] Hear it.

Damn it Koishi.

[x] See it.

Is this our third eye? Koishi? Something stranger still?

Well whatever it is, we are a satori and seeing things that aren't supposed to be seeable is what we do!

I'm not sure hearing it will help. Seeing it seems the most simple solution but also the most likely not to work. Touching it may get around the mental block preventing us from seeing it. Breaking it will either break through the block preventing us from seeing it or end up destroying Alice's mirror. That's my speculation for the day.

[x] Touch it.

Either the shock of touching the cold glass will snap us out of our fugue, or we'll slip through Alice's looking-glass into Wonderland.

(... or would that be out of Wonderland? Eh, whichever.)

[x] Touch it.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for another round of 'Good Touch, Bad Touch!'

[x] Touch it.

Aha!

[x] Touch it.

>>177298
[x] upgrade it

[X] Touch it


I'm just reminded of an old in-joke that goes "touch it, feel it. Take it home".
It started because of an old E3 video I had, that came with a gaming magazine, in which the game console "Phantom" was featured.
I don't think anyone remembers it, because it was never released, and even during development people thought it didn't exist. But the guy in charge of the booth said to those who didn't believe that the Phantom was an actual console that was actually being made; well, he basically said "here it is" and that they should "touch it, feel it. Take it home."
He also called it "my little stormtrooper" because of the black and white design of the casing.

No, there's no point to this, other than me randomly being reminded of that man telling other people to touch and feel his "little stormtrooper" at E3...

Calling it now, it's our missing third eye, which works like the Silence from Dr. Who and/or a somebody else's problem field.

I reach out to it. Or, more appropriately I find myself reaching out to it. There is little to no conscious effort made as my hand extents outward, grasping at thin air. My eyes are fixated on the reflection in the mirror, and I dare not draw my eyes from it as I reach out to touch it. I feel a warm sensation on my face, my vision goes dark as something covers my eyes.

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

A moment later I find myself standing out in the hall, facing the bedroom door. While I do feel surprised by this sudden development, I am more concerned by the fact that I am not confused by it. I sense no danger, and my mind tells me that I have not been unconscious for long—perhaps only for the time it takes to walk the four or five steps out of the room. I find myself knowing more things I should by all rights not know.

My subconscious tells me that this is merely what I see. And while the hallway is very real and tangible, what I feel is the same as before—a warmth on my face, the mirror’s handle in my hand, my eyes are still covered. The disparities in my senses is unclear at first, but as I open the door it begins to make sense. I see myself as I was a moment ago, standing in the bedroom with mirror in hand, covering my eyes.

Ah, so the warmth on my face was my own hand. I hadn’t realized it, but I had reached for my own face. In retrospect, it seems obvious. Odd, that. It doesn’t tell me much regarding this sudden out-of-body experience I’m having. My first inclination is to move my arm away from my face.

My body does not move; another set of arms has taken the place of my own and moves accordingly. A second body moves in the stead of the first, and the voice it uses is muffled and unclear. It would seem that in splintering my consciousness, whatever I saw in that mirror had also wrested control of my body.

The notion frightens me—something or someone else having control over me and forcing me outside of my own mind. My body does not move, however, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Whatever it is, it appears currently incapable of taking full control, and with me in this ‘new’ body, I try to snap myself out of this stupor.

I reach out to myself. Perhaps trying to shake me out of this is the best option…

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

“Ah,” it appears to have worked.

I remove my hand from my face. The reflection in the mirror is gone, and even as I tilt it I find that I cannot recall what I had seen.

“Everything okay?” Alice asks. I hadn’t noticed her come in.

“Er, yes,” I say, “I think so.”

“You’ve been in here for quite a while,” she says, “I was starting to get worried.” ’I am a genius, if I do say so myself. She looks marvelous in that dress.’

“Thanks,” I say, putting the mirror down.

While I’m inclined to ask Alice if it is more than a simple mirror, I find that I feel better by putting it away and forgetting it. If I pick it up again and find that… thing staring back, I might lose more than a few seconds outside of my body.

“Thanks?” Alice asks, “For what?”

I seem to have confused her. It only took a morning out of the house, but she seems to have forgotten that I know what she thinks. I shouldn’t have to remind her.

“The dress,” I say, “And the compliment.”

I opt not to feed into her ego. While I do agree that her judgment is sound, I shouldn’t go so far as to call it genius-level. A genius probably would have taken measurements first. I might rethink it if I keep receiving compliments, though.

“And you do have a point,” I say, “Regarding our conversation last night…”

“You want to do something about that mop, yes?” Alice asks, “It doesn’t take a mind reader to see what you’re thinking when you can’t keep your hands out of your hair.”

“Ah,” I hadn’t noticed I was doing that. I put my hands at my side.

Alice steps around me, taking a seat on the bed. While she doesn’t comment on the fact that I hadn’t made it after I woke up…

“Cat hair?” She sighs, “You let Rin into my room, didn’t you?”

“I—“

That came about rather suddenly. I’m too shocked to reply.

“Of course you did,” she says, “I’m not angry, don’t give me that look. The both of you are leaving more hair behind than any of the wigs in my doll shop. I should say it’d be better to keep it all in one place, but I do expect you two to clean up after yourselves.”

“I—“ Her mind is switching from one matter to the next so fast I can’t keep up, “I understand.”

“And I will say this,” Alice continues, seemingly ignoring my response, “While I can cut your hair, I’d rather you get it done by someone with more expertise.” ’And confidence.’


[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree

[ ] RETHINK: Ask about the mirror

[x] Agree
[x] RETHINK: Ask about the mirror

[x] Agree
[x] RETHINK: Ask about the mirror

That mirror was disturbing. Getting possessed by the entity inside doesn't strike me as good.

[ ] Agree
[ ] RETHINK: Ask about the mirror

Yeah that seemed kind of important.

[x] Agree
[x] RETHINK: Ask about the mirror


If Alice says that she's not up for it, then she's not up for it.
And that definitely seemed important, whatever it was. Needs to be figured out, pronto!

[x] Agree
[x] RETHINK: Ask about the mirror

I can't think of anyone that we've met who would be more proficient at cutting hair than Alice, plus the whole possession thing seems a tad important

Everything went full potato when I wasn't looking. My update schedule is potatoes as a result. Next update will be bananas.

I don't even know what I'm saying anymore.

Are the potatoes chips yet?

>>177761
Nope. Potatoes are still potatoes. Apples are being shaved and prepped for cobbler.

Translation: I have something in the pipe now. Life issues still exist, but seeing as it'll be a long term thing, I may as well ignore it now and again. Pic related.

I nod in agreement, seeing no reason to argue the matter. If Alice does not feel confident in her ability to cut hair, I’d rather she didn’t try her luck on me. I’d hate to wind up with a bald spot; especially the sort of easily-noticeable bald spot that everyone but I can see.

I don’t spend much time dwelling on haircuts. My failure to understand what happened to me just prior to Alice walking in lingers in my thoughts. My attempts to recall the important bits of it return blanks in my memory. Not only of the reflection in the mirror, but everything in between when I covered my eyes to the moment I grabbed myself. What was all of that?

I feel compelled to ask. I feel like it goes against my better judgment, but I’ll be getting nowhere running around in circles inside my own head. Alice seems to take notice that something is bothering me, but misattributes it to our conversation.

’Did I say something bad?’ she thinks.

I bring out the mirror.

“What is this?” I ask, holding it in front of me.

Alice takes a good look at it, pauses for a moment, and says, “A mirror.”

An obvious conclusion. It is in fact a mirror. This is not the answer that I am looking for. Alice knows this, but is for some reason hesitant to respond to my question properly. I am unsure how to gauge it; she does not seem to want to be uncooperative, but at the same time she does not wish to be drawn into this discussion. I decide to be a bit more forceful.

“I know that,” I say, “What does it do? Why is it so weird?”

“Weird…?”

I’ve thoroughly confused her. Unsurprising, as I’m quite confused myself. I had a set of questions laid out in my mind, but when I put them to words the meaning became jumbled and I instead asked her something that sounded foolish. I take a deep breath, trying not to let myself get irritated.

“I might be getting ahead of myself… If I had to say,” I try to explain, “It feels like there’s something in it staring back at me when I look into it. I can’t remember what it is when I see it, but I know there’s something there. It did something strange to my perception a moment ago, and I was hoping you might be able to tell me what I’m facing.”

“Er,” Alice scratches her head, more confused than before, “That’s… an ordinary mirror. There’s nothing in it as far as I know.”

She tries to piece together a working explanation from what I’ve told her. While I find it difficult to impossible to explain what I say properly, this time she seems to grasp what I’m trying to ask. It doesn’t make her any more eager to reply, but she does do an admirable job.

“If you’re asking if it’s enchanted or cursed,” she says, taking the mirror from me and looking into it, “It isn’t. I haven’t set a spell on it, so it should be impossible for it to contain anything. While mirrors do work wonderfully as traps for curses and all sorts of parasitic spirits, I wouldn’t do such a thing to this one.”

“Why n—“

Her train of thought veers uncomfortably away from its intended path; the abruptness of the sudden switch both silences me and prevents me from seeing whatever was in the other direction. I can’t imagine this maneuver by Alice is anything but intentional.

“And furthermore,” she continues, her tone suddenly irritated, “I’m not the kind of reckless sort to leave my enchanted items laying around the house. You can’t just leave trapped spirits strewn about the floor for someone to just walk in and pick up! Would you leave a loaded pistol in the middle of a school house?”

“Er, I—“

She grows increasingly upset, and I worry that she also grows increasingly aware of my attempts to traverse her mind in search of whatever she’s hiding. The mirror seems to have some manner of significance, and I had intended to ask her about it, but she gives me no time to talk. Her mind buries the matter of the mirror under a mass of pent-up frustration.

“Of course not!” she answers herself, “It’s the same idea here. If it poses a danger to anyone or anything and it’s in my house, I have it locked away! I’m not like Marisa! I keep telling her, ‘Marisa, get those demon books off the floor; someone’s bound to lose a toe,’ ‘Marisa, don’t write over old summoning spells or you’ll uncork Hell,’ ‘Marisa, cursed daggers are not for juggling,’ ‘Marisa—‘”

“Alice!” I yell, interrupting her rant.

Alice falls silent, blushes, and returns to her seat in silence. Her mind gives up the struggle, and the walls she put up come crashing back down instantaneously.

“Sorry,” I say, “I probably shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, no,” Alice says, “It’s not your fault, you didn’t say anything wrong. I tend to get a bit… heated from time to time. Actually I’d rather you forgot I said anything at all.” ’What did I say? Oh, just let me crawl into a hole and die.’

Her wish is not so much that I forget she said anything at all so much as the hopes that I do not ask her about what she said about Marisa. I am curious, but I do not wish to make matters worse by asking. I see it as an opening to redirect; her deflated mood seems to make her a bit more pliable.

“So, about the mirror,” I say, “I simply can’t believe that it is entirely ordinary.”

“It is,” Alice replies, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

No matter how many times she repeats it, I cannot believe it. While I do believe that she is being truthful and forthcoming to the best of her knowledge, that I believe she believes it is ordinary does not satisfy me. She still hides something from me. And while I feel like I’m getting closer to the matter, I don’t believe it will help me much. Alice has complete faith in her answer.

“Where did you get it?” I ask, hoping she can at least give me a lead.

“It was a gift,” she says, pausing briefly, “from my mother.”

She finally relents, though I’d hardly expected the sore spot she was hiding was regarding her mother. I don’t need to read her mind to know that she doesn’t like the subject, but what I see is a veritable minefield of soft spots and emotional triggers. I feel like I shouldn’t be seeing this; there’s too much here that Alice doesn’t want me—or anybody—to know.

“Do you know where she got it?” I ask, for now opting not to ask about her mother directly.

Alice’s memories regarding her mother are fuzzy at best. What I can gather is that Alice was very young when it was given to her. I begin to see discrepancies and gaps in Alice’s memory. Alice has recollections of her mother making objects out of nothing—up to and including living beings. There are limits as far as believability goes, but Alice seems to honestly believe her mother can violate the laws of nature. While in any other mind this could be interpreted as simple glorification, here it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“She made it,” Alice replies, “It didn’t exist before that, nor did any of the matter that composes it.”

“That makes no sense,” I say plainly.

“Indeed,” Alice laughs, “She’s a rather strange sort. I’d expect her to say she ‘compiled it’ as opposed to ‘made it,’ as if a choice of words makes it any different.” ’I should stop talking about mother, she’ll think I’ve gone insane.’

“In any case,” I say, “You’re trying to tell me that this mirror didn’t exist before then.”

“Yes,” Alice replies, “It has only exchanged hands the one time, and as a construct it should be incapable of accepting any manner of metaphysical alteration. If you’re looking for answers, you should be looking beyond the mirror. If you don’t believe that, you’re welcome to try looking into it again.”

She returns the mirror to me, her suggestion an obvious one. If the mirror really is at fault, Alice believes that the phenomenon I experienced should be easily reproducible. I stop to consider if doing so would be unwise…

[ ] Look into the mirror.
[ ] Don’t look into the mirror.

>>177807
After 10,000 years I'm free! Time to conquer Earth!

[ ] Look into the mirror.

This may be the weirdest digression I've ever seen in a THP story.

[x] Look into the mirror.
-[x] If nothing happens, angle it to observe Alice's reflection instead of your own.

>>177810
Its not all that weird. It actually makes a fine amount of sense. Though I wonder how long it will be before either everyone figures it out, or the writer gives it away. What is she doing hereeee

>>177810
Depending on the direction taken, it gets weirder. Much, much weirder.

>>177812
I should probably do something about all the knots I've tied but I feel like it'll all be fine if we just find the right railroad thread.I don't know who you're talking about. There is nobody here but us chickens n̛o͜t̸͡ t͏́h͠ę̴ ̀ę̛͜y̨e̡s̀ ͢o̵h̶͢͢ g͜o͘͜͟d҉̸ p̶͞lę͝a̶̛͜s͜͝e̶͘҉ ̵͝m͏a͟҉͝k̛̛e̡͏ ̵͢i̵̧͠t̴͘ ̢͟sţo͢p͟͡ ̴͝ņo͏̀ ̢͘n̨̕o̸ ̛͞n̶̶̶o̷

>>177813
I'd really appreciate a Koishi that isn't the same old 'pervert molester' re-hash everyone seems to do, particularly if she's going to have more than a fleeting role in the story.

>>177808

Fate! Sage's escaped! Recruit a team of real life issues with attitude!


>>177813

>Depending on the direction taken, it gets weirder. Much, much weirder.

[x] Look into the mirror.
-[x] If nothing happens, angle it to observe Alice's reflection instead of your own.


Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes. I suppose it's only fitting that Alice comes tumbling down with us into wonderland.


>>177810

>This may be the weirdest digression I've ever seen in a THP story.

I think that award still goes to Do the Right Thing for segueing into Noir style narration when the main character got possessed by evil spirits. Or the time the main character spent four entire updates gushing about eggs and getting attacked by non-existant birds. Or the time we went to Namekthe Underground. Or whenever Koishi did anything ever.

...Now that I think of it, Do the Right Thing was pretty much composed of stuff like this. Does it still count as digression in that case?

DtRT is still my favourite story apparently. I should go reread it from the beginning.

>>177832
I checked out DTRT both due to your comment and the mentions in the rec thread.
Then I got to the bathroom scene.
I'm not reading DTRT any more.

>>177923
That was my experience with it too. Don't need to read a story that does that.

>>177923
>>177924

I assure you, that was the lowest point of the entire story, it got less dumb/silly as it went along. At least read until the end of thread 3 before judging it. Then again, if you're not the kind of person that can laugh something like that off, DtRT is probably not the story for you anyway.

Seriously, have none of you read any of *Scorn's stuff? I remember when random and detailed scat scenes appeared in Forest LA and THP just laughed it off. Nothing Flag has written comes even close to matching *Scorn's scat.

Anyway, if it's just the scat that bothered you, that was the only scene that contained any.
...Well, disregarding that one joke at the beginning and end of one of the Underground threads.


I'm also pretty sure that's the only time Remilia ever appears in the story too, which I find hilarious. What a great impression MC must have of her.

>>177930
It wasn't about the scat, I don't even think there was any. It was just about how... dumb and silly it was. I'm not gonna judge a 30-something thread story on that, but that's just not what I want to read. Not my cup of tea. And lordy when did this thread become about DtRT, I should stop now.

>>177932

>It was just about how... dumb and silly it was

Well as I said, that was the silliest part of the story, and it gets more toned down the further you go in. Still a pretty silly story though, even then, so I can understand if that's not to your taste. Thread 3 is about where it turns less randumb.

>And lordy when did this thread become about DtRT

When we digressed from, ironically enough, a discussion about how wierd this mirror digression is. Not very, in my opinion. But then again, we've seen that I'm already compromised in this area.

>I should stop now

As should I. Sorry for derailing your thread Sage. Please forgive me.

Sage bumping for Sage
Status?

>>178124
I'm not dead yet. Updates will be slow and coming for the next few months, probably. That said, I should probably do something soon as it's been a while since my last post. I'll try for an update before the end of the week.

>>177933
If anything I was surprised to see six new posts. Pic related.

And unwise it is, but I am starting to grow accustomed to my actions flying in the face of my better judgment. I take the mirror, gripping the handle tightly. Partially due to my own curiosity, and partially because Alice’s words sound like a provocation, I have no desire to put it away. I gaze into the mirror, dreading the worst.

Nothing happens. I sigh, loosening my grip on the mirror’s handle. ‘A few minutes longer,’ I think, waiting for something—anything—to happen. The reflection angles towards Alice as my grip relaxes, and still I see nothing but her reflection. I get to my feet, trying to realign myself with the dresser—standing as I was during the first occurrence. Again, nothing but the scowling visage of my own face is reflected. No mysterious objects stirring up amnesia, no odd feelings of dizziness, and certainly no out-of-body experiences to report.

“Satisfied?” Alice asks.

“Not particularly,” I reply.

If anything, what I feel is closer to disappointment. I do feel relieved that nothing dangerous took place, but I suppose a part of me had hoped that something would happen when I looked into the mirror. Perhaps it’s just my feelings of insanity working their magic; it certainly doesn’t feel right when I realize I wanted something to happen just to prove a point to Alice.

I put the mirror back in the drawer, hoping to lock those feelings away with it. Unfortunately, the act of simply placing the mirror into a dresser drawer and shutting it does little to seal away my unwanted thoughts, and I have to acknowledge that I’m stuck with them.

“Let’s just pretend that this all never happened,” I say to myself.

“I’d rather not,” Alice replies, thinking that those words were meant for her, “If you say something happened to you, no matter how strange or impossible it may sound, I’ll believe you. I’ll worry about you, too. While what you say you experienced is not outside the realm of possibility, I was just trying to rule out the possibility that the mirror acted as anything more than a sort of trigger.”

“I know,” I say, “I know everything on your mind right now. You don’t have to explain.”

“I’m just trying to help,” She says. ’She doesn’t need to talk like that.’

Oh dear, I seem to have upset her. While I may be able to see right to the very center of her mind, I have to stop and remind myself that the inverse is not true. She does not know my intentions; my emotions can only be deciphered by her via body language and subtle visual and tonal cues, and my words can take on an entirely different meaning if she were to apply such guesswork measures improperly and wrongly assume my state of mind. In this case, she has done exactly that and is wrongly assuming that I am for some reason or another upset with her for trying to assist me.

“I suppose I should restate,” I say to myself, before directing my attention back to Alice, “I think you’ve misunderstood the intent of my words. I do not wish to cause conflict between us, nor am I expressing displeasure in regards to your desire to help me. Your assistance thus far has been no less than indispensable to me, and I can’t thank you enough. While I will admit that my condition has left me feeling frazzled, I was merely stating a fact. You don’t ever need to explain yourself to me.”

A brief pause, the room falls silent. Alice fidgets in her seat, unable to properly process my words. I was under the assumption that my words were to be taken at face value, but still she seeks some underlying meaning. She contemplates for a moment if I am attempting to incite anger but quickly dismisses the notion as I am ‘not that kind of person,’ in her mind. A few other notions are tossed around before she gives up trying to find an ulterior meaning.

“You’re… serious?” she asks.

“Yes, I am,” I reply, “Is that too hard to accept?”

“I suppose not,” Alice says, “Normally when I’m faced with something like that, it’s just Marisa trying to get my goad.” ’Normally it works, too. Why do I always have to think like this?’

“I’m not Marisa,” I say.

“I know, I know,” Alice laughs, “I had to stop and remind myself of that, and… Well, let’s be honest here. If it wasn’t so awkward and stilted when you said it, it might go so far as to pass for a declaration of love.”

“Would it?” I ask.

An interesting observation. One I had not considered. Do honest words often pass for such a thing? Alice may have said it in jest to relieve the awkward tension between us, but I find something like wishful thinking at the core. I am unsure of how I should respond.

“I guess,” Alice replies, “I might be stretching things a bit.”


[ ] “You are overthinking it again.”
[ ] “It was a declaration of trust.”
[ ] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

>>178162
Note: I forgot to include this due to having not thought of it at the time of writing, but to avoid destroying anybody's hopes of Alice route so early on, option 3's intended delivery is in a joking manner. And to level the playing field, the other two are entirely serious.

Also, Dark Souls 2.

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”

[ ] “It was a declaration of trust.” 

[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

Why would anyway pass up the opportunity to tease Alice?

{X} Do you want it to be a Declaration of Love?
Why would anyone ever pass up the opportunity to tease Alice?
Also, we are steadily heading into Satori-like territory. We might even meet Satori and have it be like looking at two versions of the same person!

[X] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

Flustered/annoyed Alice? Yes please.

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”

>>178167 here, wondering why we can't have both.
[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
-[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”
>>178171
And now I'm worried about psychic feedback loops.

[X] “It was a declaration of trust.”

In the spirit of avoiding further confusion and misunderstandings, let's be as direct as possible.
(Unless people who voted for "love" actually wanted it to be love instead of just messing with her head, in which case it's still as direct as possible, so yeah...)

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
-[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

I'm all for going for an Alice route.

>>178171
>>178174

I imagine that when we first meet we'll stare at each other silently for ten minutes, and only when Alice or the pets interrupt will we remember that we're the only ones in the room who can read minds.

[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”
-[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”

Flipped for effect. If she gets upset or doesn't get that we were kidding, we can end it with "Relax, it was a declaration of trust. I was only teasing you." Final vote order is, of course, up to whatever Sage thinks would flow better or otherwise prefers.

The problem, of course, is that it isn't a declaration of trust. We haven't been put in a situation where we would have to trust her, because we read her mind instead.

[x] “You are overthinking it again.”

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
-[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”
You guys, I can't think of a SINGLE time declaring your undying love for Alice has gone wrong in the history of this site! Am I right or what?

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
-[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

>>178183
We trust her intentions. She could have hidden her thoughts from us whenever she wished, but she hasn't done so. She could have taken advantage of our weakened state for nefarious purposes, but has instead given us a great deal of assistance.
Alice is good people, and we can expect her to remain such for as long as we know her.

>>178195
Eh, fair enough.

>>178183
changing to
[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
, hold the teasing.

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
-[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”

>You don’t ever need to explain yourself to me
Cute.
[x] “It was a declaration of trust.”
-[x] “Do you want it to be a declaration of love?”

>>178188
Er, has declaring love for Alice ever gone badly?

>>178265
>>178188

Thanks, you just reminded me of DoaLF, I feel dirty now.

>>178283
???

For those of you who are still watching, two points to make:

1. Yes, I am still alive. Without getting to far into philosophy, I fell I can confirm this.

2. I intend to update soon. However, I have recently started a new job and may not be able to do so for a little while longer. Please wait warmly(or coldly, if you're a ⑨ or ⑨ accessory)~

>>179090
>betraying the truNEET lifestyle
I am disgusted and ashamed. Congrats.

Gentlemen, I have returned. I've started actively writing again since the first three weeks on the job have gone by without incident. Updates are up and coming, but I'm doing a bit of additional work on the back story of a few of the more important and/or highly visible characters currently. I will likely post it all here in the future after I can confirm I won't be spoiling my own story, since it's basically a short story per character. I will also not spoil how it will work with regards to Kohaku's memory, as that plays a rather pivotal role in the story.

tl;dr I will make an attempt to update over the weekend. No promises there, but I feel like it should be a doable deadline for me.

>>179479

Cool, looking forward to it.

Certainly, Alice’s words are correct. To say that I feel love for her would be a stretch. The depth of my emotional connection to her barely progressed beyond superficial. After all, I’ve only known her for a number of days. There hasn’t been enough time, and I do not feel a want for her affection. Alice seems to want something more from me, but her thoughts on the matter are still unclear. For me, the truth is simple: Alice has my best interests at heart. While I may be capable of knowing her thoughts, I’ve spent the last few days being pulled around left and right by the ones around me. It would not have been difficult for her to have taken advantage of me during that time, but the notion never crossed her mind.

“I have faith in you,” I say, “If you can call it anything, call it a declaration of trust.”

I speak my words straight from the heart. I trust Alice. She seems to have my best interests at heart, and has proven herself to be reliable over the last few days. But while I believe my words to be direct, Alice seems to have misunderstood my candidness.

“B-but that’s like...” she blushes and stammers, “I-it’s the same thing!”

“I don’t believe I’m being unclear,” I reply, “Or is it that you’re hoping for some sort of love confession?”

This may be unfamiliar territory for her. I’ve been entirely open with her, and she has constantly mistaken my intentions. My words do not serve to help, and I realize only after asking her what I did that I’ve become entirely too curious for my own good. Her true feelings seem only to surface when I place her in an awkward situation or ask her a discomforting question.

“I-I…” she pauses, “No, of course not!”

“You don’t want me to declare my undying love for you?”

She says nothing and looks to her feet. Her hair hides her face, but I can tell what kind of expression she’s hiding. I’ve troubled her unnecessarily, and all for the sake of my own selfish curiosity. I feel terrible—like I’ve somehow wronged her. Perhaps I took my teasing a little too far.

“Can you not accept that I trust you?” I ask.

She shakes her head but says nothing. Her mind races, memories surface and she tries desperately to bury them. I feel as though she’s trying to hide them from herself as much as she wants to keep them from me. Odd, though, as she seems to be so happy in most of them.

“It isn’t that,” she finally says, her voice quiet, “I don’t dislike it or anything, but… What am I saying? You already know what’s on my mind…”

“I’m not sure I do right now,” I say, “And even if I’m guessing right I’d still like to hear you speak it.”

I avoid asking her about her memories, despite my gut telling me that whatever she’s trying to bury is at the core of the issue. I can’t get a firm grasp on what it was I saw, but there was at least one constant in all of them; something she’s mentioned in passing before but had never touched on directly.

Marisa. All of the memories had been centered on Marisa. It’s still unclear to me the nature of Marisa’s role in Alice’s past, but what I saw made me wonder if something had happened or if something had changed between the two of them. I saw more smiles and fewer shouting matches, and that lack of conflict has me speculating the very nature of their relationship. Alice is in no place to want to discuss it. If anything, she’s beginning to grow fearful that I might ask her about it, so despite the role it may be playing in her current mindset I put it aside.

“That’s a laugh,” Alice says, “You can’t read my mind?”

“I never said I couldn’t,” I reply, “But my accuracy in judging seems to be based on your mental state. There’s a lot on your mind right now, and I can’t assume that you’ll just tell me everything.”

“I see,” Alice says, “Well, I’m at least glad to know that you trust me.”

She stands up to leave. I grab her by the wrist. I can’t let her leave just yet. The way she said that just doesn’t sit well with me. I know that I’ve upset her, and that she’s been trying to fight to find a way out of this conversation for some time now, but the way she’s gone about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I spill my guts to her, I tell her exactly what is on my mind and how I feel about it and she tries to leave me in the dark. I don’t feel I’m entitled to know what her thoughts are; I don’t necessarily believe that she owes me a response. But I want more than what she’s given me. I feel like I’m being brushed aside. Had she said anything else, I would have let her go.

“Where are you going?” I ask as I tighten my grip.

“I have to make dinner,” she replies, “It’s getting late.”

“Make it wait,” I say, “I’m not done talking.”

“Please let go,” Alice tries to pull away.

I think it odd. Only after I reference my ability directly does she try to leave. She doesn’t tell me, and her face doesn’t show it, but right now my mind-reading ability has her terrified. She tries to hide it, but my eyes see and my ears hear all. Her hand is cold and clammy, and I dare not release it from my grasp. She starts to pull away, and she fears looking me in the eye. She seems to have drawn up some senseless connection in her mind between making eye contact with me and my ability to see her thoughts. But it isn’t sight. It isn’t sound. I simply know, and I know everything that she’s trying so desperately to hide from me.

“Why are you afraid of me?” I ask.

She shudders, reaches for the door. I can feel her growing more and more desperate to get away.

“Don’t be silly,” she lies, “I’m not afraid at all.”

“You are,” I say, “You can’t hide it from me. You know what I am. You knew what I was when you let me into your house. I simply think it odd that it bothers you only now.”

I stop, considering my next words carefully. Alice is afraid, and my ability seems to be what is making her uneasy. Though, as I think carefully, it’s more than that. My ability alone is no threat to her, and she’s always been cordial even knowing what my capabilities are. She has never once misled herself into believing that I don’t know something, and her honesty with me up to this point has been nothing short of respectable. I think the key to unraveling this mess lies within her memory. The memories she doesn’t wish for me to know, the questions she’s unconsciously been begging me not to ask. About her mother, about Marisa, about herself. I work up the nerve and—

[ ] Explain to her the full extent of my knowledge.
[ ] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.
[ ] Tell her how pointless it is to try and hide.
[ ] Do something unthinkable.

[X] Do something unthinkable
Mystery Option~

[X] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.

We just declared that we trust her. Time to act on that trust.

[X] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.
We've just declared our trust in her, are we going to contradict it so soon?

Also
[ ] Do something unthinkable.
Based on the circumstances, I believe Kohaku would kiss her to redirect the focus of Alice's thoughts so she'd be able to get a clear view of them.
Aka, steal a peek at the part of her mind she don't want us to.

[ ] Do something unthinkable.

How can I not choose the shiny button?!

[X] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.

>>179535
[x] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.

TRUST POWER GO

[x] Apologise
[x] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.
She's scared because we flustered her, and she can't control her thoughts.
Aw man I was expecting something a lot cuter than this.

[x] Do something unthinkable.

[x] Trust her to make the right decision and let it go let her go.

[x] Apologise
[x] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.

I don't like acting dickish.

[X] Trust her to make the right decision and let her go.

Seems like the best option.

Sorry for the massive delays, folks. Here's another reminder that I am still alive and actively working on this.

Essentially the long break I've been taking this time is mostly due to work, and the slow awareness growing on me that the supplementary texts I've written or have started to brainstorm have taken a lot of time to nail down right. But there they are, and here I am. Of course, it's still an ongoing thing, but I should probably resume updating before people mistakenly bin my CYOA in the "hiatus" pile.

That said, I'm writing something now. Hope to see it by this weekend. Or next, if I suddenly start doing science to my computer.

>>180440
My patience limit is three months. You didn't even make it halfway!

>>180442

My patience limit for myself is two weeks. I've been slipping a bit lot.

A small one for now. Hopefully more later this weekend. Get to voting and it'll happen sooner~

============================================================

I let go.

I’m not entirely sure why I let go of her. I want to say it’s simply out of trust, or a wish to instill in her the importance of my words. Perhaps in a perfect world, in an ideal situation, in a trusting relationship.

I know better. I let go knowing her mind is too agitated to remember the words I spoke to her; that her desire is for nothing more than to put herself on the other side of that door from me. And it exhausts me—listening to her silently panic in her own mind, seeing the sweat on her brow. There is nothing I feel I could do to resolve this as she and I are now. The feeling of her hand slipping away gives me an odd sense of relief. I find myself believing that this will pass—that her mindset will resolve itself somehow and that we will reconcile.

The sound of the door slamming behind Alice banishes the thought.

“Great… Now what?”

I sigh, sitting at the foot of the bed and staring at the floor. And when I glance at the door I feel a strange aching. I know I could easily stand up and chase after her, I could say something—anything—to bring this argument to a conclusion. But to do so I must first open the door, and I find I haven’t the strength of heart to open it. The door remains closed, as if to signify the wall Alice has built up around herself to keep me out. I wonder if she will ever come back. I wonder if my trust in her had been misplaced. I wonder if this is the sort of feeling to which I must grow accustomed.

My body grows heavy as I think about Alice, and I take to the bed. I try to wrench my mind away from what happened, and I pass the time by watching through the window as the sun begins to set. I feel myself passing in and out of consciousness at times, others I gaze into Alice’s mirror in hopes that I might see something. I don’t, but the weight of it in my hands is oddly comforting…

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

I awaken at some point to find that the sun has gone down. The room has grown dark and I’m forced to find some artificial means to see. The lantern left on the dresser suits that purpose perfectly.

Tired of lazing and feeling sorry for myself, I jump out of bed. I really ought to slap some sense into myself. The situation I’m in will come to resolution in one way or another, and my role now is to wait and see how Alice responds once she’s calmer. When I stop and think about it logically, Marisa wasn’t particularly keen on me being a satori and that knowledge didn’t affect me strongly. Perhaps I feel so despondent because I’d expected more of Alice? Because Alice showed me kindness, have I somehow been growing attached to her? Perhaps a more proper term should be dependent… Marisa also showed me a modicum of kindness, did she not? The comparison feels flawed, and the argument I’m having with myself feels clumsy. The category of ‘people I know’ is an impressively small group, and the number of conflicts I’ve experienced to date feels fewer still. If I keep thinking about it I’ll be doing nothing more than convincing myself to adopt a single frame of mind as absolute truth.

“I should stop worrying…”

’Yes, you should.’

[ ] !!!
[ ] ???

[x] !?
They're about equal, but general shock would come first, I'd think.

[?] ???
>???
???

[X] !!!
[X] ???
I am both confused and surprised.

[x] ???

[x] !?

Honestly the shock confused thing is what I would be feeling.

[x] ???

“???”

What was that voice just now? I find myself standing and scanning the room before I can really understand what I just heard, but…

I’m not seeing anybody else in the room with me.

’You won’t find me if you’re searching for me,’ the voice giggles, echoing deeply in my mind.

“Rin?” I ask, knowing it isn’t Rin’s voice I hear. The tone of the voice seems oddly feminine, but…

’No, no, no. Not the cat! Not the cat! Can’t you tell the difference? I’m plenty more refined and elegant than that… flea-bitten animal.’

When considering Rin, I remember that I can hear her voice when she takes the form of a cat. Compared to the voice I hear now, it isn’t quite so... muffled. Rin’s voice comes through clear, and almost in the same tone and feeling as if she were speaking to me with her voice. The one I hear now sounds faint but sharp, as though the one projecting it were yelling through a pillow. It wouldn’t be a stretch to believe I can hear the voices of normal animals as well. Perhaps some kind of small rodent? An insect, even? The muffled nature leads me to believe it’s speaking from some compartment inside the room. I walk around, searching the dressers and armoire for anything living.

’I’ll give you a hint,’ the voice says, ”Why not take a good look at yourself in that mirror over on the bed?’

“Err…”

I must be tired after that confrontation with Alice. I have every reason to be suspicious of what I’m hearing, and I have no reason to follow the direction of some disembodied voice in my head. My judgment itself may be compromised by the earlier altercation, as I soon find myself staring at my own reflection. I don’t even remember picking the mirror up, but here it is in my hand. And here I am, gazing deeply into it.

I can see it again. In my reflection, that… something that’s been plaguing my mind is back again. I feel like I can see it clearer now. There’s a more definite shape—a location where something should be. On my face? Behind me? In front of me? I cannot tell for certain. I look away to find it only to immediately forget where I should be looking. Again, the moment when I look away is the moment I feel my mind start forgetting what it saw. The sensation sends chills down my spine, and again I find my breath grow shallow as I wonder if it might spread to other areas of my memory.

’You won’t see it,’ the voice says, ’Not yet, at least. Your mind is still reeling from some sort of shock.’

“Who are you?” I ask, “What am I supposed to be seeing? Why do I keep forgetting?”

’You’re oddly calm, given the situation,’ it replies, ”A voice speaks to you in your own mind and you’re not afraid? You can feel yourself forgetting what you’ve been seeing and you don’t scream out? I’d like to know why that is.’

“I—err…”

I really don’t know why that is. All things considered, I should be terrified. A more rational sort of individual would likely wet themselves in fear were they to be placed in my shoes. I had felt a modicum of fear the first time I saw something in the mirror, but now I’ve learned to expect it. I should think I’ve gone mad, hearing voices in my head… But that is a surprisingly normal occurrence now. I only wish to know who or what the voice belongs to and why it’s chosen now of all times to speak to me. I wonder if it’s the mirror speaking out to me, having waited all day for my suspicion towards it to be allayed by Alice. It must be trying to take advantage of my more fragile mindset created by my argument with Alice as well. I mustn’t give it the opportunity.

’Are you mad, woman?! Who in their right mind has ever heard of a talking mirror? I should laugh, but you’re taking that hunk of metal far too seriously for my linking. Put it down, will you?’ The voice says, ’I’m trying to help you. I’ve listened in on enough to know what you are, and I know better enough to warn you that Alice’s interference will do more harm than good in regards to your mental state. You are not human after all, and humans and former humans can’t quite grasp the nature of a satori’s mind.’

“Wha—“ it’s words catch me by surprise, “Listening in, you say? For how long?!”

’Since about the time you got brain-blasted by Okuu. But my situation and who I am isn’t really important right now. We’ll meet soon enough, though I doubt either of us will recognize one another when the time comes. You’re hanging on to all of the wrong facts and clinging to all of the wrong people. Really, I think you shouldn’t be clinging at all, but that isn’t my choice to make… If anything, I’d like to ask you a question.’

“Erm... Go ahead, then?” I have a number of questions to ask as well, but considering the indifferent tone the voice speaks with, I expect I would get no answers.

’Excellent! I knew I could count on you!’ The voice seems oddly excited, ’You’re a proper gentleman, you are!’

“But I’m a woman…” And it’s question is…?

’Ah, yes yes,’ it says, ’Since you’ve come to, despite losing your memories—or perhaps because of your amnesia, have you ever felt like you were missing something important?’

“I can only say my memories,” I say, “I’ve no real recollection of—“

’No, no, no! You’re taking my words entirely the wrong way!’ the voice interrupts, ’Don’t rely on your intellect to answer. This is a matter of pure intuition, and I’m quite certain you’ve still an abundance of that rattling around in that empty head of yours. It isn’t something you can so easily discern, and your memory has nothing to do with it! How many arms and legs do you have, girl?’

“I… Is this some kind of riddle? I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to—“

’Answer the question, will you? You don’t have to understand my intent to know how many bleeding limbs you have!’

“Two of each, then.” I can’t help but wonder where all of this is going…

’Good answer! Very direct! Now how do you know you have two of each?’ the voice asks, ’Does your lost memory somehow dictate that to you?’

“No, I just…”

’You just know, right?’ the voice says, ’It’s another form of memory, and one you haven’t lost. Just because you’ve been unable to recall your past experiences doesn’t mean you are unable to recall your knowledge about yourself. You’ve noticed, haven’t you? You still remember information not tied directly to your lost experiences, yes?’

“You’re not making any sense…”

’I’m making perfect sense. You’re just incapable of comprehending all of the sense I’m making right now because you’re dippy. But leaving that aside for now I’d like to ask you one more question, and once I ask it you’ll begin to understand how this all ties together.’

“Ask away then. I’m not exactly sure how any of this will help me, but I’ll answer what I can.”

After all, I’ve nothing else to do but sit here and worry. Talking with the voice in my head serves to take my mind off of Alice, even if acknowledging it makes me feel like I’ve gone insane. I wonder if I’m the only one capable of hearing all of this. I wonder is anybody watching would only see me talking to myself.

’Good, good,’ the voice laughs, ’I like your attitude. So laissez-faire. I feel like we’ll get along well once all of this has passed. Ah, but I digress again, so here goes…’

“How many eyes do you have in that head of yours?”

“Ah— I—“

[ ] Two
[ ] Three
[ ] I don’t know

[ ] Three

>Three
Why would our third eye be in our head?
>Two
However I'm still suspicious of answering this, so
[X] I don't know
Also, Koishii please go.

[x] Three

So that's where our third eye went.

[x] Two
Because Koishi is being irritating.

[ ] I don’t know

[X] Three

Bah. Forget uncertainty.

[X] I don’t know

[X] Three

That should be the answer she's looking for anyway.

[X] Two

Because the three answer would mean we're a freak satori with the third eye on the brain instead of the heart.

[X] Two

Two in our head, one in our heart.

[ ] Two

How often do you pay attention to your features in a mirror? If you don't see something out of place, it's probably normal human-style.

At least, that's what human thinking gets you.

[ ] I don’t know

Because we don't actually know.

[X] Two

Argh.. Damn boring people, all of you two-eyes!

[x] I don’t know

Three eyes on the head is not cute.

>>180589
Somehow I VERY MUCH DOUBT that the question is quite so literal. Why do you all think the third eye is gonna be on the head?

The third eye is attached to the heart. Not head.
Also, I like to think Sage typed Sage into the wrong box but just said fuck it and kept it.

>>180592
>Also, I like to think Sage typed Sage into the wrong box but just said fuck it and kept it.

Pretty much.

>>180589
Pai would like to have words with you.

>>180551
Is it really Koishi? Or is it Yukari pretending to be Koishi? I'd like to think it's Koishi pretending to be Yukari pretending to be Koishi. Or maybe the other way around.



Don't mind me, just checking in~♥

>>180593
But what if it was Nue pretending to be Mamizou pretending to be Yukari pretending to be Koishi?

>>180594
Or perhaps Kohaku is simply hallucinating the voice of Koishi unconsciously thinking she is Nue pretending to be Mamizou pretending to be Yukari pretending to be Koishi pretending to be oh no I've gone cross-eyed.

>>180595
We need to go deeper...

Kept you waiting, huh?

Updates eventually, for starters. I'm going through a bit of a transition period involving an upcoming move and a bunch of other things. I should get back to writing either shortly before or after this all happens. Either way, probably no updates until September unless I perform some sort of devil magic motivational ritual.

SO HOW ABOUT THEM UPDATES?

>>181951

Soon™.

The whole preparing for moving thing has left me without any real time to actually sit down to write. I can really only say that it will happen soon.

>>181968

>Soon™.

Would that be Soon™ in Valve time, or Soon™ in Blizzard time?

Terrible.