[X] Try to calm down Elly. You never know what people are capable of when they're terrified, and we don't want a cave-in.

[X] Try to calm down Elly. You never know what people are capable of when they're terrified, and we don't want a cave-in.

[X] Try to calm down Elly. You never know what people are capable of when they're terrified, and we don't want a cave-in.

[X] Try to calm down Elly. You never know what people are capable of when they're terrified, and we don't want a cave-in.

[X] Try to calm down Elly. You never know what people are capable of when they're terrified, and we don't want a cave-in.

>>48262
BARUBARYYYYY!

Really, he had a terrible name.

Elly seems to be the one most affected by it. You lay a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She jumps with a start, pulling herself from her shocked state.
"You okay?" You ask.
"Y-Yeah.." Her eyes are wide. She's obviously terrified. "What was that?"
"Hell if I know." You turn to face Kanako, who's holding the unconscious Sanae in her arms. "That God over there might know. I'll go find out."
You walk over cautiously. You're unsure what sort of state Sanae is in, so you take care not to make any loud noises. Noticing your approach, Kanako gently sets the girl at the edge of the cave and kneels over her.
"I know what you're gonna ask." She continues to look at Sanae, her voice is stressed. "I can tell you right now that I don't know. I just saw it coming."
"That why you told us not to turn around?"
"Would you have preferred that I said something else?"
You think to yourself, 'Ahh! Run! A big scary monster is gonna eat you!' probably wouldn't be the best thing to say in that situation.
"No, never mind." You look over Kanako's shoulder at the unconscious girl. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine. Just pushed herself a little too hard with that gateway."
That was her doing? You decide to leave the subject be for now, and turn your attention to the stranger standing where the portal once was. Kanako said she was a personal friend, but you should at least find a name for her. She looks to be little older than ten or twelve. She kicks a few stones lying loose on the rocky floor, and runs over to Kanako's side.
"Sanae's fine. Quit your worrying." She slaps Kanako reassuringly on the back before turning her attention to you. "So I've finally shown myself. Happy now?"
"Huh?" You're confused by her statement. Did you meet her once before?
Kanako cuts in. "The fairy of the outhouse." You remember her mentioning something to that effect back when you met at her shrine.
The 'fairy' visibly flinches at the comment, almost as if she'd been slapped in the face. Her expression shows an intense anger, though she tries to ignore the remark. "I'm.. not..." She clenches her teeth as she speaks, her hands ball up into fists.
Smiling widely, Kanako turns to face the two of you, adding more fuel to the fire. "Making 'ribbit' noises when you should be sleeping, right?" The two of them seem to have completely forgotten about Sanae laying behind them.
"Dammit woman!" She stomps her foot in anger. "Will you be quiet and let me introduce myself?!" That was what bothered her? You were certain it was the 'outhouse fairly' part.
Kanako laughs, seemingly enjoying bullying the small girl. "Fine, fine. Go ahead, Princess." Her tone is mocking and dismissive.
The blonde-haired girl clears her throat. "I am Moriya Suwako." She takes off her hat, bowing as she speaks. "The native God of Moriya shrine. Truly, a pleasure."
"Snake, right back at you." Moriya Suwako, Moriya shrine. It makes enough sense to you.
"Heeeh?" Kanako sneers. "Well, well." She stands up, towering over the smaller God. "Awfully polite for a toad God, now aren't we?"
"Shut it, you!" Suwako scowls. "Now's not a good time."
Kanako's condescending mood and tone fade away. "Indeed. Got bigger fish to fry, right?" You wonder which God is the more dominant one. They seem to enjoy messing with each other at the worst possible times.
Kanako keels back down over Sanae, trying to rouse her from her unconscious state.

>>48291
>BARUBARYYYYY!

Oh, that's his eye? I always tough it were the boss's eye. You know, that St.Evan, St.Something...

[X]D-Dive

[x]So, which one of you tops?

[x] "I bet the hate sex must be amazing."

>>48295

>[x]So, which one of you tops?
>Kanako: "That's me... I think?"
>[x]Is that so~

[X] "So, I hear some frogs can change their gender. Have you ever tried it?

[X] "So, I hear some frogs can change their gender. Have you ever tried it?

Oh, Suwako. I'll always love teasing you.

>>48306
Bullshit. He never would have heard this. When was that discovery even made? And besides, for a WW2 grunt, he'd have been awfully interested in biology to know that.

>>48312

MAGIC

[x] "I bet the hate sex must be amazing."

Take a shot at both of them at the same time.

>>48312

Animal biology experienced many of it's...leaps...around 1905, so it's not particularly unbelievable. He also isn't a "grunt". The fact that he was sent solo implies that he's special forces, at least.
Therefore, he'd have taken survival training.

Further, it wouldn't be the first inconsistency. The protagonist's equipment is incorrect for his occupation and time period, for example.

No, the most compelling argument against that I can think of would be that I personally have never heard of a frog that can change sex, only toads.

>>48320
....Sure, that works, too.

>Further, it wouldn't be the first inconsistency. The protagonist's equipment is incorrect for his occupation and time period, for example.

what? like what?
M1s/M1A1s were issued to airborne units, and the 1911 is an iconic WWII weapon.

unless you mean the stuff he got after he paradropped in, which is to be expected.

>>48322
>M1s/M1A1s were issued to airborne units

Due to the fact that he was going solo in enemy territory and the late war timeline, it's likely he would have gotten a grease gun due to it being easier to rechamber for captured ammunition, aswell as them being more abundant to give to men on suicide missions.

>>48321

If consistency is needed that badly, perhaps one could remark asking how close she is to her frog nature?

Does she produce any toxins? If she were to lick you, would you get a rash? Any Neurotoxins? Maybe she's got a poison kiss.

[x] none of the above write-ins

ಠ_ಠ

>>48320
No, the most compelling argument is why would you want to see Suwako turn male?

[X] "So, I hear some frogs can change their gender. Have you ever tried it?
[x] "I bet the hate sex must be amazing."
[x] "Especially if you can switch genders."

>>48326

Perfect

>>48325
>why would you want to see Suwako turn male?

Because straight shota is more tolerable than futa. Also, because Kanako raping shota Suwako would be awesome.

selfsage

>>48323
>Due to the fact that he was going solo in enemy territory and the late war timeline, it's likely he would have gotten a grease gun due to it being easier to rechamber for captured ammunition, aswell as them being more abundant to give to men on suicide missions.

The M3 could be effectively chambered to .45ACP and 9mm. Germans used 9mm rounds frequently, while the Japanese firearms used the smaller 8mm round, so the weapon's ability to be rechambered wouldn't have been as important in the Pacific theatre.
The Thompson had selectable fire rates, a feature the Grease Gun lacked. Versatility and conservation of ammunition were my thoughts for the weapon choice, despite the fact that the Thompson was slowly being phased out by the end of the war.

>>48329
If Snake were a 4channer.
Which he is not.

[x] none of the above write-ins

[x] "So, I hear some frogs can change their gender. Have you ever tried it?
[x] "I bet the hate sex must be amazing."
[x] "Especially if you can switch genders."

Awesome.png

[x] "I bet the hate sex must be amazing."

>>48329
>Because straight shota is more tolerable than futa. Also, because Kanako raping shota Suwako would be awesome.

I know the concept of lesbian hatesex may be more "out there" for some of you than, say, one of them having a dick, still it's something to consider.

Kanako pokes Sanaes face.
"Stop that." Suwako tries to pull her back. "She'll wake up when she's good and ready."
Kanako returns to her previous standing position, attempting to intimidate Suwako with her sheer size. She seems to take any opportunity possible to taunt the poor kid.
"You're not in the position to order me around, now are you, you little toad?" She grins.
"What was that?!" Suwako holds her fists up in front of her.
"You heard me." Kanako lets out a condescending snicker. "I called you a toad."
"You brainless sow!" The hint of a devilish smile appears on Suwako's face. "Is that the best you can come up with?"
Kanako laughs, loudly. Her voice echos off the walls. You notice Aya, Youmu, and Elly begin to gather around you, listening in as the argument plays out.
"And what about you?" Kanako narrows her eyes. "'Brainless sow'? Surely a hermaphrodite amphibian such as yourself can think of something better than that."
Suwako becomes visibly angered. "H-Hermaphrodite?"
"So how is it?" Kanako holds a hand to her face, covering her mouth as she speaks. "Is the sex good? Do you lay eggs like a frog?"
"THAT'S IT!" Suwako raises her arms over her head, a large ball of energy gathers between her hands. "Die where you stand!"
"That's more like it!" Kanako floats backwards into the center of the room, leaving a glowing trail of purple light behind her.
Kanako's entire body seems to be glowing with the purple light. Rather, as you look closer, it almost appears as if she's on fire. A round, rope-like object materializes behind her, along with four larger cannon-shaped objects to her side. The ends begin to glow bright red, like the light you saw back when she broke down the door.
The two seem prepared to fight to the death. A meaningless squabble over nothing in particular, and they immediately begin clawing at each other's throats. Suwako lowers her arms, stretching them out in front of her. The glowing ball follows her hands, stopping just in front of her.
"YOU BIIIITCH!" Suwako screams, the ball of light shooting forward towards Kanako. Yet it doesn't hit her. Rather, it breaks into hundreds of small fragments, which disappear shortly afterward. Suwako's eyes widen and turn to you. You feel yourself being pushed aside.
You move to the side as Sanae steps ahead of you, leaning onto your shoulder for support.
"Sanae!" The two fighting Gods yell in unison, the both of them run over to her, pushing you further aside.
"You're okay?" Kanako grabs the injured girl by the face.
"Does it hurt anywhere?" Suwako performs a half-assed examination of Sanae's knees.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Sanae slowly lowers herself back to the floor. "And what about you two?" Her voice turns to frustration. "Probably fighting over something stupid again!"
The two of them become silent, much like siblings scolded by their mother.
"Jeez, I rest for just a few minutes, and you're already going at it!" She sighs. "Aren't you two supposed to be Gods? Where's your sense of discipline?"
"We were just playing around!" Kanako laughs, turning to Suwako. "Right?!" There's a certain, sinister tone to her voice.
Suwako crosses her arms. "Hmph!" She turns her head away.
"Alright, alright!" Kanako drops the menacing tone to her voice, now pleading with the small God. "I took it too far! I'm sorry! Jeez!"
"If you're sorry it's fine." Suwako turns back around, a hint of retribution in her expression. "That was awfully rude of you."
You watch as the two of them help Sanae to her feet. She leans on Kanako's shoulder as she tries to walk towards you.
"My apologies." She bows her head. "I should say this never happens, but.."
"It's an everyday thing, isn't it?" Aya finally says something.
Sanae smiles weakly. "You've seen the fighting before, then."
Aya laughs, smiling charismatically. "Oh yeah, all the time. Heard it, too. Hell of a thing, two God's fighting."
"Most of the time we're just playing around, though." Kanako gives her usual playful grin.
"Shall we be going, then?" Youmu speaks up, too. "How far is it to the surface?"
"Quite a ways, actually." Suwako steps forward. "We followed a series of caves down here. By the looks of it, there's been some serious fighting in the area recently."
"Think we can avoid it?" You ask.
"Even if we can't, the enemies here are no match for us all." Aya speaks confidently.
"That said, let's go!" Kanako yells, as if ordering troop so move forward. She floats away, carrying Sanae on her back. You follow close behind, Youmu and Aya to either side of you. Elly lags further behind, still unsettled by the event from earlier.

>>48333

Various specialty M3s were rechambered to 8x22 due to the fact that all it took was swapping out the barrel and getting it to take the magazine.

If pure versatility were the matter, he would have been given a carbine as it was just as versatile and lighter and more accurate and fresh in re-production.

But as I said, no one cares about stuff like this, so style over substance is completely acceptable and probably better as it's more recognizable.

>>48354
True, I probably should've given him an M1A1 carbine or something.

[X] Ask Elly if she is alright

[X] Elly still can't be fully trusted. Keep her from watching your back under the pretense of making sure she's really okay.

>>48340
Shota rape, yuri hatesex, futa, it's all good.

None of this detracts from the fact that those were all royally fucking moronic votes.

>>48359
I'm glad to see he ignores retarded story-breaking write-ins, though. Every writer should have that policy.

>>48359

You had plenty of time to come up with something better.

>>48360
I didn't ignore it per se, but I did have to think of a way to keep everybody in character and add it in somehow. So yeah, it kept me on my toes, there.

>>48362

The right thing to do.

[x] "Momma, momma, can't you see..."

If it's gonna be a long march, we might as well make sure we don't lose Elly.
And every good march requires a cadence call.

>>48365
I like the way you think.

[X] "ALL RIGHT LADIES, SINCE OUR MARCH WILL BE LONG, WE WILL BE SINGIN' A SONG TO HELP GET OUR STEPS IN LINE!"
or something to that extent.

[X] "Momma, momma, can't you see..."

[X] "ALL RIGHT LADIES, SINCE OUR MARCH WILL BE LONG, WE WILL BE SINGIN' A SONG TO HELP GET OUR STEPS IN LINE!"
or something to that extent.

[X] "Momma, momma, can't you see..."

>>48372
This seems right, somehow.

[X] "ALL RIGHT LADIES, SINCE OUR MARCH WILL BE LONG, WE WILL BE SINGIN' A SONG TO HELP GET OUR STEPS IN LINE!"
or something to that extent.

[X] "Momma, momma, can't you see..."

[X] "ALL RIGHT LADIES, SINCE OUR MARCH WILL BE LONG, WE WILL BE SINGIN' A SONG TO HELP GET OUR STEPS IN LINE!"
or something to that extent.

[X] Con te partirò
Paesi che non ho mai
VEDUTO E VISSITO CON TEEEEEE

[X] "ALL RIGHT LADIES, SINCE OUR MARCH WILL BE LONG, WE WILL BE SINGIN' A SONG TO HELP GET OUR STEPS IN LINE!"

[X] "Momma, just killed a man..."

>>48377
A bit too new, don't you say? Snake wouldn't know about Bohemian Rhapsody.

>>48378

Not to mention it isn't adaptable to a jody call at all...

Jody callan gaems.

"Momma, Momma, Can't You See" is fairly recent as well, considering the mention of the M16 in it. I chose another one without such references. I have no idea how old it is, but it fits the story well. Also, sleepan gaems, writan tomorrow, etc.

----------

You follow the caves for several miles, and it appears you're gaining little ground. Although most of your time walking is spent in silence, you do manage to make some small talk with Aya and Youmu. Aya gives you a basic explanation of the lifestyle of the demigod race of Tengu, and Youmu attempts to discuss with you the more fine points of crossing between life and death. You understand little of what either of them say.
"So Snake." Her legs tired, Aya floats several inches above ground. "Tell us about the outside world."
You have no idea where you'd start. "There's an awful lot to the outside world. What do you want to know?"
"All of it." Youmu's answer is swift and short, much like her temper.
"All of it?" You don't think you could do that, even if you were to walk fifty miles it would be difficult to explain that much.
"What about you, then?" Aya leans into you. "You haven't talked much about yourself since we first met."
You really haven't. All the strange happenings and beings in this strange world have occupied your thoughts, and you've had little time to talk about anything else.
"That's a tough one, too." A lot has happened in the past few years of your life. A war breaks out between nations, and as a military man you got caught up in the middle of things. You've had little time to truly think of yourself these past few years. "I wouldn't know where to start."
"Then how'd you get here? Do you remember?"
You remember like it was yesterday. You try to explain what happened from the beginning. You start with the mission. Get in, mark the targets for bombing, get out. Simple enough, up until the point where you got sucked into another world.
"So when you say mission, were you some sort of warrior?" Youmu speaks as if you were performing a menial task for a lord. This brings to mind a good question.
"How long has Gensokyo been separated from the outside world? You said the Border seals this world off before, so I'm just assuming it wasn't always like that."
"Indeed." Youmu answers you. "The Border was erected in the year of Meiji 17."
"Uhh..." You were hoping for a more familiar number.
"1884." Sanae responds, her head turned slightly so she can hear and see you. "There seems to be some rumors about the date, though. Some say it was earlier."
"So I've heard." Youmu replies. "Records often become lost or distorted with time. Furthermore, dragons have not been seen since the border's creation."
Basically, what she's saying is that most of this world is living in a time period a little more than a century ago. "That explains the old-fashioned town and clothing."
"So let's get back on track, here." Aya redirects the conversation. "You said you were a warrior."
"Not quite a warrior." You wag a finger at her. "The term I'd use is soldier."
"What's the difference?" Youmu asks, confused by the difference in terminology.
"There's a whole world of difference." You'd rather not debate the concepts of both terms. "A soldier works together with other soldiers as a part of a team, forming a unit. The smaller units work with each other to form larger groups, and that eventually becomes the country's army."
"Yet would it not be difficult to tell the stories of battle?"
You nod. "Not necessarily. The army as a whole writes it's own stories, of sorts. The more experienced soldiers who return to train new ones pass them down through word of mouth. They're used during marches to keep the recruits going at the same pace, so nobody steps out of line." You wonder if you should recite a cadence. The ones your drill instructor loved were incredibly vulgar, to say the least. His favorite was about a trooper who's chute didn't open. "Would you like to hear one?"
"Absolutely." Youmu nods.
Here goes nothing. "All right you ladies, listen up!" You search your memory, trying to find one that's fitting. An old buddy of yours from boot camp you remember had a particular favorite. He never could remember the whole thing, but it left a lasting impression on you. You decide to give a full performance, loudly reciting what words you can remember and keeping pace with the rhythm of the lyrics.
"Band of brothers, that’s what I said,
Baptized by fire, scarred by lead.
We’re lean and mean, and fit to fight,
Anywhere, day or night.
When bullets fly and rockets fall,
We’ll stand our ground, and give our all.
We’re on the move, we’re on the march,
We’re diggin’ ditches and breakin’ starch.
When you hear our battle cry,
You better move, and step aside.
Band of brothers, that’s what we said,
Mess with us, we’ll shoot you dead!"
Your words echo from the cave walls as a short moment of silence fills the room.
"A bit on the violent side, don't you think Snake?" Aya raises an eyebrow at you.
"I thought it was beautiful!" Youmu responds, adamantly.
"Really?" Aya turns her puzzles stares to the sword-bearing girl.
"I shouldn't expect you to understand the heart of a warrior." She ignores Aya's attempts to retort, turning back to you. "I liked it. It was a stunning portrayal of a warrior's strength and brotherhood in the face of intense adversity. Though the wording was a little on the gruff side."
"That's just the way soldiers are." You're happy to hear that at least one person liked it. "We don't waste time with pleasantries and get right down to business."
"Indeed." Youmu laughs. An honest sort of laughter. Something you've come to think you'd ever hear coming from her.
Ahead of you, Kanako stops, holding her hand in a motion for the rest of you to stop. Beyond her, the narrow passageway opens up into an immense cavern. Man-sized crystals of green, red, and blue line the walls and ceiling, and you can vaguely make out several man-made structures in the center. You were so distracted by your little performance that you didn't notice what was up ahead. You wonder if your getting sloppy.
"Let's go!" Kanako whispers forcefully, on edge. You can tell she's completely certain that the room is not safe, but the only way out is straight ahead. You ready your rifle as you follow her into the room.
The cavern is much larger than you'd thought. It ends abruptly at one end, narrowing to form the passageway where you stand. It becomes wider as it continues. In the distance, you judge about a half-mile away, you can vaguely make out the shapes of buildings, yet that defies all logic. What would houses be doing in a cave? Bright flashes of red and purple light dance and flicker above the house-like structures, the shapes and sizes of which appear similar to the ball Suwako threw at Kanako earlier. Directly ahead, you notice an underground stream, over which an elaborate bridge is built. There appears to be a person leaning against one of the railings. You can sense them staring at you.

>>48380

[x] Take out your knife and ready your laser pistol.
[x] "Identify yourself or I will fire."

>>48380
>>"Momma, Momma, Can't You See" is fairly recent as well, considering the mention of the M16 in it.

Eh, shoulda just used the original one instead of the nam' or iraq variations then.

"Used to hold a Beauty Queen."
"Now I grip a magazine."

>You wonder if your getting sloppy
>your

ಠ_ಠ

[x] "Name yourself before I fill you with all manner of lethal and perhaps some non-lethal projectiles."

Wonder if our imagination gun supports full automatic?

It's Parsee. Nobody worth being particularly nice to.

[x] Take out your knife and ready your laser pistol.
[x] "Identify yourself."

>>48385
>It's Parsee. Nobody worth being particularly nice to.

You know, I was thinking of this earlier. I'd like to think it'd be entertaining were Parsee to use her ability to manipulate some feelings out of Youmu. Though I don't think it'd be easy for Parsee to do such a thing, but very entertaining.

"Looks like she's seen us." Aya states matter-of-factly.
"Guess there's no point in trying to run or hide, then." You turn to Kanako. "Is the way out across that bridge?"
"Yup." She nods, rotating in mid-air to look across the bridge.
"Hey, isn't that.." Suwako points.
"Yeah. Looks like she's really got her hands full, that red-white." Kanako grins.
"I thought it looked familiar." Sanae leans her head over Kanako's shoulder. "But aren't you forgetting something?"
"Yeah, right. The weirdo sending creepy stares in out direction." Kanako's smile widens. She bares her teeth like an animal looking for a fight. "Well, let's walk on up and say 'hi'."
"We'll have none of that!" Sanae hits her on the back of the head, lightly. "I know what you're thinking."
"Hey, guys?" You raise your weapon. "Why not let me handle it?"
Sanae and Suwako nod, Kanako looks slightly disappointed.
You take the lead, carefully approaching the strange person on the bridge. As you get closer, you notice several finer details of their appearance. Obviously female, her dress is ripped and torn, as if she were recently attacked by a wild animal. As you set foot on the bridge, she pushes herself from the railing, and walks to the center, blocking your path.
"Well, well." She narrows her eyes, smiling at your group. "I suppose it's true what they say. If you've seen one, you haven't seen them all."
You raise your weapon, aiming it towards her. "I suggest you back down and let us across. I was in a very good mood earlier, and you've just spoiled it."
"Ooh, scary, scary!" She lets out a condescending laugh. "When did I say I was looking for a fight?" She settles her eyes on somebody behind you. Her eyes seem to glow green for a split second. "You're free to cross as you please. I don't feel like losing twice in one day.."
She stands aside. You motion for the others to cross as you remain still, aiming your weapon at the strange woman. You allow then time to clear the bridge, and you watch as they stop and wait for you.
"They're waiting for you." The woman looks to her ripped skirt, fiddling with one of the tears. "I won't try and stop you."
You step past her, holding your gun ready in case she decides to try something. She doesn't move from the railing, and when you feel you're far enough back, you turn around and run back to the others.
"That was fairly painless." Suwako says as you rejoin the group.
"Aside from that woman's attitude problem." Aya laughs. "I guess it takes all kinds.."
"Whatever, let's go." Youmu seems to be getting impatient again.
"This way, then!" Kanako points towards the 'city' beyond. The flashing lights above seemed to have stopped appearing after you crossed the bridge. "The way out's right before that mess of things." She begins floating towards the village. You follow her, prepared for any enemy that might show itself. The last thing you want to do is be taken by surprise. You take one last passing glance at the woman on the bridge. She remains still, although she seems to be watching you leave.
You arrive at the first set of buildings. They're similar in appearance to the human village structures above, although the roofing seems to be made out of a stone or ceramic tile rather than the thatched reed roofs common above.
"This way." Kanako turns down an alleyway.
You can see a series of bright lights lining the main road ahead as you stray from it, turning into the alley. There must be some sort of festival going on. As you pass out of the alley, you come to another main road.
"What is all this?" Aya finally asks. You were planning on saying something yourself.
"'What is it'?" Kanako replies, repeating her question. "A village, of course."
"I can see that, but why is it underground?"
"Dunno. Has something to do with Hell. I'm not Enma, so I can't say much about it."
"How did you know it was here?" Youmu asks. "I don't believe anybody else knows of this place."
"A God needs to know all about the world they protect." She leads you down another alley and onto another road. "I know this place is here out of necessity, but I don't know much about it beyond the layout."
"I'm not sure I understand, but I'll accept this explanation for now." Youmu gives a wordy response before going silent.
You hear a loud bang, much like the sound of fireworks exploding. The noise echos across the cavern walls, and the town is bathed in a red light. Ahead of you, something impacts the ground with the force of an artillery round. The shock wave impairs your hearing for a second, sending a dull ringing straight to your brain. Several more rounds hit the ground further down the main road. You run straight towards the buildings, with Kanako ahead of you.
"Not good!" She grabs Suwako under her arm. "Run!"
She flies at an incredibly fast speed down another alley, seeking shelter. You follow her instinctively, running as fast as you can. She barrels down the door of a nearby building, and forces her way inside. You, Aya, and Youmu run after her.
You take a minute to catch your breath. "What the hell was that? A mortar shell?"
Kanako drops the smaller God, and props Sanae up against the wall.
"Danmaku." Sanae answers you.
"Somebody lit of a big one right next to us." Kanako crosses her legs, 'sitting' about two feet above the floor.
"Kinda rude, don't you think?" Aya does the same.
Unable to fly, you sit on a nearby barrel. The building looks like a storage shed for what could be water or spirits. Large barrels line the walls.
"Meh, we didn't get hit, so be thankful." Suwako sits next to Sanae.
"Why didn't you fire back?" You remember Suwako and Kanako seem to have the same ability, judging from their fight in the cave. "Weren't they attacking us?"
"It's a little rude to step in on a duel, don't you think?" Kanako leans forward. "That shot wasn't directed towards us, but it's easy to get caught in the crossfire."
"Indeed. Whoever it was, such careless use of danmaku is.." Youmu rolls a barrel in front of the doorway.

[X] "A sign of an amateur"

Finish her sentence.

[X] "A sign of an amateur. Besides, getting hung up on little details like duels is a good way to get yourself killed."

GATTAI DA!

[X] "A sign of an amateur. Besides, getting hung up on little details like duels is a good way to get yourself killed."

[X] "A sign of an amateur. Besides, getting hung up on little details like duels is a good way to get yourself killed."

[X] "A sign of an amateur. Besides, getting hung up on little details like duels is a good way to get yourself killed."

Seems solid 'nough.

"Foolish, right?" You continue where Youmu left off. "Only an amateur would miss their target with shots like those."
"I agree." Youmu sits beside the door. "Although it's a fairly common state of mind, placing more emphasis on design and pattern of fired volleys than to defeat one's opponent with carefully placed shots."
Aya floats over beside you, anchoring herself beside your head with her hands, and staring over towards Youmu. "Maybe that's why everyone gets beaten by that shrine maiden?"
"Maybe." Youmu shrugs.
"I can't say I like the idea, personally." You pull one of Aya's hands from your eyes. "A duel should be between two people. Involve others, even unwittingly, and it becomes something other than a duel."
"So would you like to go have a word with them, then?" Kanako steps in. "It's still raining bullets out there." She floats closer to you. "They won't kill you, but it hurts like hell."
Suwako moves to her side, smiling ominously as she speaks. "She's right. It's really painful. An average human would be unconscious for weeks~" Her voice quivers, as if telling a bad ghost story.
The two of them stare you straight in the eye, waiting for a response. As you open your mouth, you see Youmu's ghost half spring forward, right through you. The two Gods shriek in unison, and squirm away from it, clutching each other's shoulders with a look of absolute terror on their faces. Youmu takes a step over and sits beside you, laughing the entire time.
You lean your head over. "That was pretty good."
Youmu glances in your direction, a smile on her face. "I am half ghost, after all." Her ghost half returns to her side.
Aya laughs uncontrollably. "Hahaha! That was..! Haha, great!"
Sanae sighs from her place against the wall. "Who would've thought Gods were afraid of ghosts."
Kanako points to Sanae, her expression still shows traces of fear. "D-Don't make fun of us!"
"Y-Y-Yeah!" Suwako hides behind Kanako. "G-G-Ghosts are n-nothing to joke about!"
Sanae laughs at their response. Their voices quiver with fear, making it all the more humorous. The two of them turn back to Youmu, staring at the amorphous blob above her head. You turn to the object as well. For a split second, you see a visage of absolute horror appear within it. It's 'face' morphs into the shape of a smiling skull, and it seems to produce a deep, guttural laugh. Youmu, on the other hand, sits silently as if nothing's happening.
The two women cower in the corner of the room, pointing at the object as it moves forward towards them.
"Alright, Youmu. I think that's enough." You place a hand on her shoulder.
"Something the matter?" She continues to play it off as if she can't see it.
"That!" You point to the ghost, which now floats directly above the two. They're hugging each other and apologizing to the object for you-don't-know-what.
"Ah, What do you know." She withdrawals the terrifying cloud of death to her side. It hangs loosely above her shoulder.
"That wasn't funny!" Suwako points at her, her expression similar to that of a bullied child on the verge of tears.
"I thought we were done for!" Kanako wipes her forehead, breathing a heavy sigh.
Sanae and Aya continue to laugh uncontrollably while you and Youmu sit silently in the center of the room, pretending nothing just happened.
"Don't laugh!" Suwako stands up, yelling at Sanae and Aya.
"I need a drink." Kanako grabs one of the barrels from behind her, lifting it effortlessly over her head and placing it in front of her. She stands over it, examining it carefully.
"How're ya gonna open it?" Aya floats over, interested.
Without responding, Kanako punches the top of it, breaking a hole in the wooden surface. "Ey, anyone got a cup?"
"I do." Answers a strange woman, leaning her head in through an open window.
"Give it here, then!" She holds her hand out to the side.
You place a hand on your pistol, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Sanae continues to laugh herself to tears.
"You guys lost?" The strange woman hangs an arm limply through the window.
"Naah, we're all fine right here." Kanako pays absolutely no mind to the woman, treating her as one of the group. "Just waitin' fer the shooting to stop."
"That so?" She pulls herself through the window, landing feet-first on a rotted wooden cart just below. The wood collapses under her weight, alerting everybody in the room to her presence.
"Hey." Kanako turns around, suddenly suspicious of the woman she's been talking to the entire time.. "Who're you?"
"I could say the same to you." The woman steps off the cart and sits in front of it. "But let's save the small details for later. There's all this alcohol around and nobody to drink it but us!"
"Hmm," Kanako smiles. "I like your style." She sits next to the woman. "'Name's Kanako."
"Yuugi." She lifts the open barrel with one hand, and places it in front of her. "Shooting's gonna be a while, I'd say. Got an awfully rude priestess on a rampage down here." She sighs, pulling something from behind her.

[X] "Do you really think now is a good time to drink?"

[x] "We might be able to help you with this actually, Raymoo, the red-white, is an acquaintance of ours. Maybe we can mediate. Anyway, before I get ahead of myself my name is Snake, outsider, soldier, and time-traveler. A pleasure."

>>48439
No one likes a teetotaler.

>>48439
Yuugi just showed up and you want to NOT DRINK? You faggot.

>>48443
We have better things to do than get in Reimu's way. That won't end well for anyone involved.

>>48445

Getting drunk while attempting to escape from an unfamiliar area doesn't seem smart at all.

[+] "Man, I bet Suika wishes she was here. She'd never miss a chance to drink."

[x] "Man, I bet Suika wishes she was here. She'd never miss a chance to drink."

[x] "Man, I bet Suika wishes she was here. She'd never miss a chance to drink."

[x] "Man, I bet Suika wishes she was here. She'd never miss a chance to drink."

Sounds good, I guess. I can't think of anything and the others don't interest me.

Tired, writing more tomorrow, etc.

>>48451
"Suika?"
"An oni I know. She really likes to party. ....Say, what's with the shocked expression?"

[x] "Man, I bet Suika wishes she was here. She'd never miss a chance to drink."

[x] "Man, I bet Suika wishes she was here. She'd never miss a chance to drink."
hahaha, oh wow.

As she pulls her hand around, your grip tightens instinctively around your pistol. Yet what she pulls from behind her is not a weapon but a bowl of sorts. You release your grip on the weapon, reaching into your pack and pulling out your mess kit. It has enough parts to it that can hold liquid, although a few of you may have to share.
"Heh, I'm not about to pass up a chance to drink." You hand some of the parts to Kanako, Youmu, and Sanae. You suppose you and Aya could share, and you keep the largest one for yourself. "The times I can are few and far between these days."
"That's the spirit!" Yuugi lifts the bowl over the barrel, dipping it just below the surface and drawing some of the liquid into it. "Finally, some worthy company!"
"'Finally'?" Aya leans forward, still floating in the air. "Are the mole people a bunch of teetotalers?"
Yuugi laughs, loudly and uncaring of who may hear. "Ha! That's a good one!" She gulps down the liquid in her bowl. "You're Tengu right?"
"I am." Aya straightens herself to a standing position, thumping a fist against her chest proudly. "Aya's the name. Don't you forget it!"
"Sure, if you can keep up." Yuugi goes back for seconds.
You reach towards the barrel, filling your own cup. You test the clear-colored liquid. It's taste is similar to the bottles Yukari pulled from out of nowhere back at the shrine, but much stronger.
"Wish they had this stuff back at the shrine.." You say to nobody in particular.
"Shrine?" Kanako looks in your direction. "Surely you don't mean ours?"
"No, no. The other shrine." You point to the door, motioning to the outside. "That one."
"The Hakurei shrine?" Sanae looks up.
"Yeah, they had a get-together a couple nights ago." Aya works her way across the room to your side, kneeling behind you and resting her head and arms on your shoulders. "The drinks they had there weren't strong at all." She wrenches the cup from your hands, downing the entire thing in seconds. "Hmm." She nods in approval. "I bet Suika would've liked this."
Yuugi's eyes widen, slightly. "Did you say Suika?"
"Yeah, you know her?"
"Know her?! That stupid girl's like a sister to me!" Yuugi acts as if she's about to tell a story.
"Hey, hey, HEY! A party you say!?" Kanako raises to one knee, holding a fist in front of her. "And we weren't invited?!"
Suwako jumps beside her, smiling widely and laughing playfully. "Sacrilege! Punish the heretic!"
"Ha! Good luck." Yuugi chuckles. "I don't think that girl would lose to anybody as she is now."
"Trust me, we know." Kanako sighs, drinknig from the small cup you gave her. "I take it you're one of the 'defeated' now?"
"Guess so." Yuugi smiles, reaching for another refill. "Not that I mind."
"You don't look too beat up." Youmu sits idly beside you.
"Yeah, I called it quits before she got serious." Yuugi laughs. "She's determined, to say the least. Can't say I know why she's all the way down here, though."
"That reminds me." You pull the cup from Aya's hands, intent on having a drink of your own. "We've ben looking for a dragon for a while. Can't say I've found anything."
"A dragon?" Yuugi looks at you in disbelief. "You're about a hundred years too late for that, erm..." She seems to be searching for something to call you.
"Snake."
"Right. So yeah, haven't seen one in years."
"That's too bad." You take another sip. "I haven't seem heads or tails of the thing since I started looking."
"What about that thing back in the portal?" Aya pulls the cup from you again. "It looked kinda dragon-ish."
"Geh, don't remind me." Thinking about it makes you shudder. Speaking of which.. "Hey, where's Elly?"
"Elly?" Kanako doesn't seem to know who you're talking about. She thinks for a second before clapping her hands together. "Oh! You mean that blonde girl?"
"Yeah. It looks like we must've lost her." You were certain she was following you up to the bridge, but..

[x] Call out for Elly

>>48562
[x] Call for Tewi

[x] Call out for Elly

>>48564
OH U

[+] Call out for Elly

[x] Other (Genuflect)
GiG in GiG

[x] Go looking for Elly.
Maybe Parsee jealousy'ed her up enough that she's gone and done something stupid.

[x] Call for Elly
Suddenly, Oni Ninjas, hundreds.

If there's still shooting going on outside, she could be in danger.
"We should probably go look for her." You stand up. "She might be in trouble."
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Yuugi replies, not moving from her spot on the floor. "With all that shooting going on out there, it's not safe."
"And that's why I have to find her." You don't like the idea of going back out into the middle of that mess. "I'd expect everyone to do the same were it me stuck out there."
"Meh, suit yourself."
"I'll go with you, then." Aya stands up behind you. "I'm faster than anybody else in this room."
Her speed would certainly be helpful. "Alright then. We'll drop what weight we don't need, and backtrack the way we came." You drop the heavy pack from your shoulders, and set the rifle on top of it. You make sure you have your pistol and knife before you head out.
Aya pushes the barrel blocking the door aside, and takes a quick look outside.
"Looks like it's safe for now." She motions for you to follow her. "We should make this quick. I'll go back and check the bridge, you stay in the city."
You run behind her out the door. Before going further, you search the immediate area and alleys around the building. No sign of Elly anywhere. Aya shoots off ahead of you, flying at an incredible speed back the way you came.
"You're not leaving me behind, are you?" Youmu steps through the door as you're about to leave.
"The more, the merrier." You may need all the help you can get. You have little knowledge of this place, and the city may be much larger than it looks. She follows you as you run across one of the main roads, down into the next row of buildings. The place appears deserted, and calling for her probably wouldn't attract nearly as much attention as the fighting at the far end of the cave.
You begin a systematic search of the buildings, calling out Elly's name once for every few buildings you pass by. Youmu branches off, searching the row of buildings down a separate road. You can hear her calling out as well.
Eventually, you reach the end of the village, back where you first entered. The bridge lays just beyond, and you can barely make out the shape of Aya floating over it. She seems to be engaged in a conversation with the woman you passed by earlier. You find a seat, waiting and watching as the events play out. If Elly is in the village, she's probably gotten closer to the fighting than you're willing to go.
You see Youmu clear the buildings just ahead.
"Hey! Over here!" You stand and wave to her. She notices you immediately, and runs toward you.
"Find anything?" It didn't take her but seconds to clear the distance.
"Nothing." You hold your arms out. "This place seems deserted."
"Anything from Aya?" She scans the area.
You point to the figures on the bridge. "Over there. No idea what she's doing, though."
Aya appears to be flying back towards you. Rather, she doesn't seem to notice and passes directly over you, flying at a speed that even a fighter plane would have trouble maintaining. She's headed straight for the safe house.
"We should probably get back, too." You have no idea how long the search took. You'd guess it was no more than an hour's time.
Youmu follows you as you make your way back, staying on the main roads and avoiding the alleys. You see flashes of light further in the distance. The fighting seems to have moved far enough away that you'd probably be able to leave this place safely, provided the exit isn't at the other end of the cave. As you reach the building, you notice Sanae and Aya standing outside the door, watching the fireworks display beyond.
"Nothing on your end?" You pat Aya on the shoulder.
"Nope." She shrugs. "The woman on the bridge said she went down a different cave, though."
"Did she say anything else?"
"No, but when I went to check it out, the way in was collapsed. I hope Elly's not trapped in there."
Sanae steps forward, a worried expression on her face. "But that way leads to.."
"Something with spiders, right?" Aya leans against the wall. "The bridge lady said something about spiders."
"If it's spiders, she does have that scythe with her." If she doesn't get caught off guard like she did when you fought her in that dream, she'd probably make for a formidable opponent. You're honestly glad you gave the thing back to her.
"We should try to find her when we get out of this place. She's Yuka's servant, so we may want to start there."
"Eh, even if it means learning Elly's okay, I'd rather avoid that woman." You lead the way back inside the building.

[X] Forget about Elly, War has Casualties. Mark her MIA for her motherland Gensokyo.
[X] Move on.

[X] No man (or woman, or youkai) left behind.
[X] Go Back and look

[X] No man (or woman, or youkai) left behind.
[X] Go Back and look

[X] No man (or woman, or youkai) left behind.
[X] Go Back and look

Spider-loli (Yamame) is nice, so Elly's probably fine for now.

[+] Come back for her later.
[+] Move on.

[X] No man (or woman, or youkai) left behind.
[X] Go Back and look

BeerSpiderBeerSpiderBeerSpiderBeerSpider

[x] No man (or woman, or youkai) left behind.
[x] Go Back and look

>>48742
But Elly's a fucking spaz and might have started a fight with her anyway. I get the feeling we should have her with us next time we run into Mima.

[x] No man (or woman, or youkai) left behind.
[x] Go Back and look

Updates?

>>49161
I'll have one up later today, and I'll try for more tomorrow. I'm on vacation for the next whole week, so updates will be few, if any at all until next weekend depending on whether or not I can get enough time on a computer.

"But still, if we could dig through the collapse, we could follow her." You continue to talk to yourself, attempting to think of a way to find her. You walk back to the center of the room and take a seat.
"Any luck?" Sanae seems to have recovered a bit more.
You shake your head. "Nope. It looks like she went into another cave, and it collapsed behind her." You hope it wasn't 'on top of her'.
"Huh?" Suwako turns her attention to you. It looks like she's been wrestling with Kanako for some reason. You'd probably be better off not asking why; Kanako looks plastered.
"Cave in?" She continues. She seems awfully interested. A little more than you'd expect.
"Know where I can find a drill?" You reply, somewhat sarcastically.
She pulls herself up, throwing Kanako to the side. "I'll be the drill, boy!" She yells, enthusiastically. She points to the door, grabbing Kanako's collar in one hand. "Now let's go!"
"Okay, whatever you say." You slowly pull yourself to your feet. What exactly did she mean by that? Although it wouldn't hurt to ask, you'll probably find out soon anyway.
"You guys have a safe trip, then." Yuugi remains seated, smiling and waving as you head back to the door. Behind her are what looks to be the remains of several broken barrels. As you walk back outside, you wonder how much the woman can drink.
You turn to Aya. "I'm sure you'd know where it is better than I do." It's probably best that she lead the group. "You take point."
She snaps to attention in response. "Aye aye, Sah!"
You follow her back through the city. Youmu and Suwako behind you drag Kanako through the streets, holding her by her shoulders. She's mumbling some manner of nonsense to herself. Sanae remains silent behind them, her expression showing both worry and anger. You expect it has something to do with the drunken God.
Aya leads you back to the main road, and eventually to the outskirts where you regrouped with Youmu previously. With the bridge just ahead, you take one more look into the city, expecting you may not see it again. The bright flashes of light in the sky continue further beyond, almost out of view.
Before you know it, you set foot on the wooden bridge. Your attention returns to what's ahead of you. The woman you met earlier seems to have left. You walk along over the bridge, past the cave you initially exited, and stop at a wall of loose rock that wasn't there before.
"Here we are." Aya pulls an about-face, walking over to Suwako. Youmu takes charge of Kanako, sitting her down gently behind you. She seems to have gone completely unconscious during the walk. Sanae sits beside her, the same look of worry and frustration on her face.
"Right!" Suwako waves an arm around in a circle, as if warming up for a fight. "Time to make this wall not be here!"
She holds a hand ahead of her as she approaches the wall. As she touches the rock, it begins to glow red hot.
The glow spreads through the rocks in a veiny pattern, creating a pattern of glowing orange lines on the wall. The wall burns white as she steps towards it, seemingly unscathed by the scorching heat that forces you to turn away.
You close your eyes and step back away from the heat as it becomes unbearable. You hear a hissing noise coming from the wall. The sound slowly grows deeper, turning to something similar to the sound of water boiling as the smell of smoke wafts into your nostrils.
In an instant, everything stops. The sound, the heat, the smell. It all disappears as if it never happened. You open your eyes.
You first notice a hole in the rock wall, burned open as if by the extreme heat you felt before. You walk forward, trying to find Suwako. You lean into the hole. The residual heat you'd expect to be present isn't there. The charred and melted surface is cold to the touch.
"This way!" You hear her voice from inside the newly-formed passage.
"Somebody cooking something?" You hear Kanako's voice behind you. As you turn around, you notice she's standing on her own power. Furthermore, she seems completely sober.

>probably no updates until next week
;_;

[+] Follow that frog!

[x] Follow that frog!

Eh.

[x] Follow that frog!
And hop to it!

... I'll get my coat.

{X} Follow that frog~

[x] Follow that frog!

"Your buddy's cooking us up a rock wall, in case you're curious." You lean forward and work your way through the tunnel. It extends about ten feet back before opening up into a naturally-formed cave. Suwako waits just up ahead.
"Piece of cake!" She smiles.
"So you can make rocks disappear, too?" Aya floats in just behind you.
"Disappear, appear." Suwako holds her arms out at shoulder-height. "If you'd like, I could make swords appear from the floor, although the metal wouldn't be forged. Divine powers over Earth is something like that."
"Sounds.. useful." The way she explains it, there would likely be little limitation to her abilities.
"And I can turn 'em all to rust just like that!" Kanako snaps her fingers at the last word. Somehow, she wound up just behind you. She certainly came in silently enough. Youmu and Sanae make their way through the passage last.
"So let's see if we can't find a way out through here." Aya flies just ahead of you.
"Keep an eye out for Elly." You add.
"And try not to get eaten by spiders, while you're at it." Youmu clears the end of the tunnel, and makes her way to your side.
"Spiders don't eat Youkai. They taste disgusting."
"I don't doubt it." You remember Yuka's reaction after she bit your ear. "So let's get going, then."
"What's the rush?"
You look ahead, replying. "We lost Elly, remember?"
"Elly? That blonde one?"
You wonder exactly who in the group is so dense that they can't even remember the people around them. "Yes." You reply in frustration. "The blonde one."
"Oh, well she came through here not too long ago, but you probably already know that. C'mon, I'll show you where she is!"
Wait, what? You turn around to face the rest of the group, and are surprised to see one more added. A girl in a brown dress hangs by a rope from the ceiling. The others stay silent, most too surprised or confused to say anything.
Finally, Kanako points to the girl. "Uhh... Who're you."
She smiles. "A man-eating spider."
"Really?" Kanako's expression shows confusion.
"No, not really!" She pats Kanako on the head, laughing. "Who the hell do you think I am?!"
You take a step forward. She doesn't seem intent on attacking, otherwise she probably wouldn't have shown herself. "That's what we're trying to find out."
"Oh, right." She smiles, mischievously. "If you really want to know..." She pauses. "I'm a spider, webbing in the darkness."
"Enough with the spider jokes." Youmu replies, dryly. "Who are you, really?"
The girl pouts. "Mm.. You're no fun." She crosses her arms. "Kurodani Yamame, web-slinger extraordinaire!"
"So... You're like spiderman?" Aya leans over you, still hovering in the air.
"Obviously I'm a woman!" Yamame's smile returns. "But yeah, I guess."
"So where's Elly?" She mentioned she knew, earlier.
"My place. Said she's waiting for some people." She rotates backwards, holding the robe between her legs. "Wow!" She seems to have noticed the hole Suwako made in the wall, earlier.
"You like it?" Suwako grins. "I made in myself."
"Hey, you're pretty strong, then?" Yamame turns to face Suwako. "Do me a favor, then!"
"Go on.." Suwako seems interested, if not just for the sake of hearing her out.
Yamame points through the tunnel. "Go kill that shrine maiden for me, will you?"
"Kill?" Suwako's eyes widen for a second. "Reimu?" She waves a hand in front of her face. "Tis impossible."
"So I take it you got beat, too?" Kanako seems to like this question.
"Too?" Yamame laughs. "You also?"
Kanako simply nods, as Youmu cuts into the conversation. "We have little time, would you please show us to Elly?"
"Sure, sure." Yamame pulls herself up to the ceiling rather than letting go of the rope. You watch as she reaches the top and walks down the wall like a spider to the front of the group. "This way, then!" She marches forward, deeper into the cave.

[x] "Say, what is that rope attached to?"

Obligatory.

[] "Say, what is that rope attached to?"

Good question.

[] "Say, what is that rope attached to?"

[+] "Say, what is that rope attached to?"

You follow the strange girl through a large network of caves. Without some manner of guide, it'd be easy to get lost in them. Thankfully, this girl seems to know where she's going, although the fact that se walks on the ceiling more than she does the floor is a little unnerving.
"By the way.." You catch the girl's attention when she's on the ground. "That rope."
"Rope?" She continues forward. "Oh, right that. What about it?"
"Uhh.. What was it attached to?" You don't know anybody--even amongst your squadmates--who could hold themselves upside down with that little effort.
"The ceiling, of course!" She replies, enthusiastically. She's either dodging the question, or doesn't understand what you're curious about.
"No, the other end of it. I want to know how you're able to hold yourself upside down like that." If you run into anything hostile down here, it may be a useful skill.
"Oh." She jumps back up to the ceiling, fiddles with something, and swings back down on the rope. "See?" She turns around. There's a harness of sorts attached to a belt around her waist. So there's really no trick to it after all?
"That's how you do it?" It's somewhat disappointing. "What about all that spider stuff? Can't you shoot webs or something?"
"I can, but.." She pulls herself back to the ceiling, removes the rope, and swings down again, this time right-side up. "This'd happen." She smiles. Certainly, upside-down looked better.
You don't bother to ask where the other 'rope' came from. It appears as if it's coming from her hands, but..
"Just like spiderman!" Aya exclaims from the back of the group. Just who is this spiderman she keeps mentioning?
"Spiderman?" Yamame releases herself from the ceiling, the string of webbing hangs limply from the ceiling. "You've said it twice now, but who is he?"
"He's a superhero journalist who fights crime with spider powers!" Aya seems incredibly enthusiastic about the subject. It must be the journalist part. "Geez! Who hasn't heard of Spiderman?!"
As if choreographed, you and Yamame raise your hands at the same time.
"Anyway." Also as if on cue, Youmu cuts in before Aya can respond. "We should get going."
"Yeah!" Yamame sticks her tongue out at Aya before turning around and storming further down into the cave.
"You've never heard of Spiderman?" Aya whispers into your ear as she floats beside you.
"Well, excuse me for living in the past." You laugh.
Her eyes widen in surprise. She holds a hand up to her face ,covering her mouth.
You return her awkward stare. "You forgot, didn't you?"
"Hehe, guess so." She smiles apologetically. You shrug in response. It's really no big deal.
"Here we are!" Yamame stops in front of a cave wall.
"Where's here?" You look around. There doesn't seem to be anything remotely resembling a living area.
She walks up to the cavern wall, grabbing a couple of rocks. Without warning, she tears the wall away, revealing a secret passage. Further inspection of the door reveals a web-like material on the back, holding the wall of rocks together on the front.
Yamame walks into the tunnel, waving the rest of you inside as well. You duck down and crawl through the structure, and exit into a small dome-shaped cavern about 40 feet across each way. The room is furnished to an extent. Everything seems to be either made of or covered in webbing. You notice Elly sitting in the far corner of the room, probably asleep.

[x] "Nice furniture set. Everything matches."

>If you run into anything hostile down here, it may be a useful skill.

Dohohohoho.

[x] "Nice furniture set. Everything matches."

[x] "Nice furniture set. Everything matches."

"How do I shot web?"
"Imagination gun, lol"
"..."

[x] "Nice furniture set. Everything matches."

[x] "Nice furniture set. Everything matches."

[waka] "Nice furniture set. Everything matches."

Last one for a week, probably.

----------

Further inspection reveals that the furnishings aren't covered in web, but the pattern on the cloth is designed to give that appearance. "Matching furniture, huh? Pretty classy for a spider girl living in a hole in the ground."
"Yep!" Yamame smiles, sitting down on the nearby couch. "I bought it in the city."
"We should probably get going, now that we've recovered Elly." Youmu has an uneasy look about her. You wonder if she's claustrophobic.
"Nonsense!" Yamame laughs, playfully. "My home is your home! Have a seat over there!" She points to another couch facing towards the center of the room.
Youmu sighs, obeying the request.
Sanae follows and sits beside her. "Ahh! Finally!" She seems relieved to be sitting on something other than the floor. "That took a lot out of me, you know."
"It's because you never use your powers!" Suwako walks behind the couch, leaning over next to Sanae.
"It's fine that way, isn't it?" Kanako sits next to Sanae, pushing Suwako's head back over the couch. She takes a passing glance behind her as Suwako falls to the floor. "My Sanae's a good girl, after all!"
"'Your' Sanae?" Suwako pulls herself to her to feet. "She's MY descendant!"
"That so?" Kanako grins.
Sanae pushes the two away from each other. "No fighting in someone else's house! Get along nicely or I'm going to get angry!"
The two fall silent.
"Anyways." Aya floats over to the sleeping Elly. "She okay?"
Yamame turns her head, slightly. "Yeah, why?" She smiles, slyly. "Are you afraid I sucked her guts out?"
"Ehh.. no." Aya seems a little put off by that last comment. "I mean, did she say anything about us, besides the part where she was waiting for us?"
"Nope. She seemed confident enough that you'd show up." Yamame leans back, relaxing. "Had a bit of a tough time, though. You should probably let her rest a little longer."
You don't know where that confidence came from, though. She'd known you for less than a day, and she had no guarantee that you'd go after her.
"On a completely different note," You should probably ask, even if she knows nothing. "Seen any dragons lately?"
"Dragons?" Yamame tilts her head to the side, in a sort of confused gesture. "Can't say I have, although I've heard one showed up in the skies above ground recently." She smiles and laughs. "Really, what would a dragon be doing underground?"
"We heard it took up residence somewhere near the lake, and we're currently following that lead." Youmu replies in your stead. "Furthermore, we were supposed to meet somebody by the lake to search for it."
"So that's why you're so rushed?" Kanako turns her attention away from Sanae.
"Indeed. The sooner we get there, the better."
"So who was it you're supposed to meet?" Kanako seems incredibly curious.
You reply. "Her name's Shinki. Says she's some Demon World Goddess or something."
"Ha!" Kanako laughs. "That broad couldn't find a rock in daylight even if she tripped over it! Now she wants to find a dragon?! Lemme guess, she wants to try eating it?"
"She said something to that effect, yes." Youmu seems surprised. "You know her, then?"
"Know her? Hell, she used to come over to our place all the time, back when we still lived on the outside."
"She could travel to the outside world?" You ask. You hope it may be a way out of this world.
"Yeah, why not? Barriers and borders don't mean much to the power of Gods, after all." Kanako shrugs. "We just go right through 'em, although it does take a lot of energy to rip a hole in one. Why do you ask?"
"I'm curious to find a way back to where I came from."
"But, you came in from 1945, right?" Youmu tries to clarify the situation.
"Hey, hey!" Kanako leans forward, intently. "That's breakin' the rules! How'd you manage to pull that one?"
"It had something to do with Yukari, although she won't give me any details."
She shrugs. "Might be possible, if she's involved.."

>>Last one for a week, probably.
Snake?! SNAAAAAAAAKE!

Well, see you when you get back. And I have no idea for a good write-in.

bump for write-in?

[ ] "Ah never mind then, I was just curious if I could go back, I really have no motivation to other than to find out what has happened in the rest of the world."
[ ] Take it easy and wait for Elly to wake up

>>49647

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

>>49835
I d'awwwwwed.

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

Beautiful.

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

Normally I cannot stand Aya. I guess it's all in how they're portrayed, since Snake's Aya is loev.

[X] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[X] Smile at Aya.

SNAEK LOEV AYA

{X} "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
{X} Smile at Aya.
Ayayaya~

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

That makes me blush cause it's so sweet.

{X} "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
{X} Smile at Aya.
Ayayaya~
Seconded.

[ ] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[ ] Smile at Aya.

\SHAMEIMARU/

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

I can't wait for Snake's and Aya's flying Tengu children. We shall name them Liquid, Solidus and Ocelot.

>>50310
So one's going to be shy and fuck Nitori, one's going to die at age 5, and the other one is going to destroy Gensokyo?

>>50362
Sounds good.

[x] "It doesn't really matter anymore. I've got someone here I could never replace if I went back."
[x] Smile at Aya.

Looks like Kanako was right about love blooming on the battlefield.

Back, etc. Writan gaems sometime soon.

>>51572

>>51572
Hooray!.jpg

Kanako continues. "I could ask her, if you'd like." Judging by the devilish smirk on her face, she probably means 'interrogate'.
You shrug, taking a seat across from her. "It's fine. I'm not really all that concerned by it any more."
"Oh?" Kanako's eyes widen. "Why not?"
"Well, other than the fact that I seem to be becoming less and less human with each passing minute, I've found something in this world that I don't want to give up."
"What's that?" Kanako inquires further. "You strike gold or something?"
"I guess you could say that." You glance at Aya and smile. She cocks her head, unaware. "In any case, I've decided to stick around for a while longer."
"We're glad to have ya." Kanako leans forward and pats you on the back.
You notice Elly roll to the side in her chair. She mumbles something and slowly pulls herself upright.
"Morning sleepyhead!" Yamame makes her way past you towards Elly.
Elly rubs her eyes. She seems completely unsurprised by everybody's presence. "Took y'guys long 'nuff."
Sanae smiles. "We'd have been here sooner had the roof not caved in."
Aya sits beside you. "More importantly, nobody's bothered to ask if this cave leads to the surface, yet." She sprawls out in the chair, resting her head in your lap.
"It does." Yamame offers Elly a glass of water.
"We should be going, then." Youmu shifts her weight to stand, but is held back by Sanae.
Holding her arm out, she stares at you and Aya. "Shouldn't we attempt to understand the situation just a little better, first?" Youmu relents, and she drops her arm. "Have you ever wondered why you were the one chosen to find the dragon?"
You play with Aya's hair, thinking to yourself. "A little, yeah. At first I thought it might have been because I was expendable, but now I have no idea. I wasn't told anything beyond 'find it'."
"He doesn't look the expendable type, I'd say." Suwako interjects.
"I just think it's strange that one of the strongest youkai in this world would send an outsider to do something that she could wrap up in minutes."
"No use just thinking about it, I guess." You reply. "I'm sure it'll work itself out somehow."
"What about those eyes of his, huh?" Kanako points at your face, looking to Sanae for confirmation. "He didn't have those before, right?"
"Yeah, I ran into a meddling girl with bat wings somewhere along the way." You shrug. "Said something about fate manipulation and that she'd help speed up the process."
"Makes sense, I guess." Kanako smiles at you. "So how's it feel?"
"No different than normal, really." You lean backwards. "Injuries seem to heal faster, and I seem to be a little stronger, but that's really about it."
"That's what YOU think." Aya leers at you.
"Something happen?" Sanae asks.
"No, er.. Nothing." Aya turns her head, burying her face in your stomach.
"Then there's really nothing to worry about, is there?" Elly, now fully awake, joins the conversation.
"I dunno." You shrug. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"
"Is there anything you could tell us that we don't already know?" Sanae leans forward, focusing more on Aya than you.

[Z] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"

[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants. "Collect 'em all."

[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants. "Collect 'em all."

[x] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"
[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants. "Collect 'em all."

[x] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"
[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants. "Collect 'em all."

[x] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"
[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants. "Collect 'em all."

[+] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"
[+] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants. "Collect 'em all."

"I have a few things in mind." You first turn your attention to Aya, leaning forward over her and whispering in her ear. "Is this about what happened in the baths?" You feel her head nod in response. You should probably ask more about it when you're alone with her.
You run your fingers through her hair, allowing you time to think of what to mention.
"I suppose I should start with the man I ran into back in that weird dimension." You pull the ray gun from your pocket. "He was probably carrying one of these, or some sort of firearm. I didn't get a good look at it."
Kanako stares at the weapon. "Hmm." She smiles. "Looks kinda like something out of a bad sci-fi movie. Never seen one before, you should probably ask that shopkeeper down by the human village."
"I'll give it a shot." You go through your stuff, pulling out the items you took from the place. "I found all of these there, too." You notice Elly staring intently at the leather-bound book you couldn't open. "Recognize anything?"
Elly grabs the book. "I'll hold onto this." She clutches it tightly against her chest.
"What is it?" You ask.
"My diary." She replies stone-faced.
With that issue solved, you turn back to the mess of stuff. "Anyone recognize anything else?"
Kanako reaches for the bag of jewels. "These are charged with magic energy." She examines one of them, staring through it at the candle-lit lamps overhead. "You could do a lot of damage with these."
"What do you mean?"
"Hell, the uses for these are practically limitless." She returns the small velveteen bag to you. "It's a sort of all-purpose fuel source. Put one in a car's gas tank and it'll never run out of fuel." She picks up the stack of papers, continuing her explanation. "You could probably grind 'em up and use 'em as gunpowder, too. Might kill youkai with those bullets." She shuffles through the pages. "Hmm... Lemme see one of those." She holds her hand out, pointing to the bag of jewels.
You reach in, grab one of the smaller ones, and hand it to her. "Got any ideas?"
"Yeah." She hands back the other sheets of paper, now holding just one between her fingers. You watch as she holds the small stone to the sheet and mutters something unintelligible.
A bright flash, and the paper disappears. In it's place is a small ball of glowing white light.
"Hey, pretty nifty." Kanako returns the stone to you and thrusts the ball of light overhead, illuminating the room.
"Hey, hey!" Yamame taps the ball, squinting. "Does it go out? I won't be able to sleep with this light on."
"It'll probably last for another hour or so. I'll take it with me when we leave." Kanako stares at the ball for another few seconds before returning to her seat. "That's a gold mine of spells you found there, Snake. Don't lose 'em, and try not to use the one on top."
"Why?" Her friendly warning makes you uneasy. "What does it do?"
"Let's hope you don't have to find out." Kanako points to the papers in your hand. "What it does is a mystery to me, but what I do know is that it uses the soul of the person closest to you as a catalyst." You think now that she was pointing to Aya, who's head rests just under the papers. You pull Aya closer to you instinctively.
"There's one more thing." You change the direction of the conversation. "I found this pendant with the stones." You pull the sunflower-shaped pendant from your pocket and set it on a small table in front of you. You notice Kanako and Youmu narrow their eyes. "That's not all. It looks a lot like the one I've had with me for a while now." Aya sits up as you take the other from your neck and set it on the table.
"Hmm, can't say I know what to make of these." Kanako scratches her chin, holding her hands close as if afraid to touch them. "They're certainly full of some kind of power." She looks up at you. "You've had this other one for how long now?"
"Almost since I got here." You try to remember where you picked it up.
"Where did you find it?" Youmu stares intensely at the pendant.
"I found it in my bag shortly after I got to the shrine before I met you." You have no idea who put it there or why.
"This was my father's possession." She stands, her voice is tense. "Why do you have it?"
"I don't know." You meet Youmu's gaze. Her expression is unreadable. "I have no idea how it got there, or who put it there."
She examines the pendant further. "I have a request, then." She returns to her seat. "Will you return it to me?"

[] "I am your father"

nah

[X] Return it

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."

[X] Return it

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."

[+] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[+] "But before I do that, is there anything you know about it? Any information you have might help, even the little details."

[x] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"
[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants.
[x] "At this rate, I'm expecting a decoder ring from Yukari."

>>51640
...shit, I got slowpoked. Pity, I liked that decoder ring comment.

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "But before I do that, is there anything you know about it? Any information you have might help, even the little details."

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "But before I do that, is there anything you know about it? Any information you have might help, even the little details.

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "But before I do that, is there anything you know about it? Any information you have might help, even the little details."

[x] Whisper to Aya. "Is this about what you were telling me earlier in the bath?"
[x] "Well, we did run into that other outsider. Oh, and I have matching Yuuka & Yuyuko jewelry now." Pull out the pendants.
[x] "At this rate, I'm expecting a decoder ring from Yukari."

>>51650
ಠ_ಠ

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "But before I do that, is there anything you know about it? Any information you have might help, even the little details."

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "Yuyuko told me to keep it safe, anyway."

REMEMBER?

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "Yuyuko told me to keep it safe, anyway."

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "But before I do that, is there anything you know about it? Any information you have might help, even the little details."

[x] "I'd be some kind of jerk if I didn't return what belonged to you. Of course you can have it back."
[x] "Yuyuko told me to keep it safe, anyway."
[x] "Whatever it did sure pissed Yuka off though."

"I don't see why not." You pick up the pendant and hold it in front of you. "I was told by Yuyuko to keep it safe, and I can't think of anywhere safer. If there's anything you know about it, could you tell me?"
"What I know is little, and I believe it may be more beneficial that you see the results for yourself." She carefully takes the pendant, and places it around her neck. You notice her eyes flash red as she connects the chain together. She continues speaking. "I believe it may act as an amplifier or resonator, though I am unsure of this. As you may have noticed, it affects the color of the wearer's eyes, changing them to red."
"What about mine?" You look around the room for any sort of reflective surface.
"Yours are red, even without the pendant." Youmu's hands fall to her lap. Her gaze turns to the remaining pendant. "What of this one?"
"They both look the same to me." Kanako replies. "It's probably going to have the same effect as the other."
You take this as the go-ahead, and grab the pendant. It's noticeably heavier than the other, and you put it around your neck. The others stare at you.
"Something wrong?" You ask.
"Not really." Suwako turns her head to the side as she responds. "That was a pretty bold move, there."
"I don't feel any different, so I guess it's safe." You laugh. "Are my eyes glowing or anything?"
"Looks fine to me." Kanako turns her attention to the remaining item on the table. The small box you'd picked up a while back is the last item to examine. "What's this, then?" She lifts it off the table.
"That's Miss Yuka's!" Elly reaches to grab the object.
Kanako holds it just out of her reach. "Hang on, I'm lookin' at it!" She flips it over, looking for a way to open it. "Hmm, no good." She hands it back to you. "I can't get it open, but I have an idea who could."
"Yuka, right?" You take the object from Kanako and shove it into your pack with everything else.
"Yup." She shrugs. "Looks like there's something inside it, but I don't know what it is."
"Wait, how do you know all this?" Aya looks at her suspiciously.
"It comes with the job." Kanako shrugs again. "I can see the aura given off by magical energies. It helps with a lot of things." She leans back in her chair. "You know, like taking out the garbage, buying groceries, or moving whole buildings into a different world."
"That last one was a bit weird." Although she said it as if it were a daily hassle and not a big issue in any way.
"I guess." She droops her head over the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling. "Anything else?"
"Nothing that I can think of, although there was this one thing about the border weakening that Shinki mentioned."
"Yeah, that. No big deal." She waves her hands, as if pushing the issue from her mind. "Heard it does this every sixty years or so. Bends reality a bit when it does."
"Shall we be going then?" Youmu returns to her original intention.
"Yeah, we probably should." Aya agrees.
"We can continue the conversation on our way to the surface, I suppose." Sanae, too.
"Guess it's decided then." Yamame, who was almost completely silent before, finally speaks. "I'll show you to the way out."
"I'd appreciate that." You reply, helping Elly to her feet. "We'd get lost by ourselves down in this mess."
"Thanks." Elly straightens her dress and heads for the door.
You follow Yamame out of her home and back into the cavern. Without pause, she leads the entire group down a long network of tunnels. To make sure you don't lose anybody else, you follow behind the group, with Aya floating next to you.
"So about that reality bending thingy you said earlier." Aya taps Kanako on the shoulder.
"Oh, right. You'd like to hear more?" Kanako turns her head to the side, looking at Aya through the corner of her eye.
Aya nods in response.
"Not much to explain, I'd say." She turns to face forward, continuing to speak as the group plods along. "Most of what I know is hearsay and rumors I picked up from those that have lived here the longest. Apparently it has something to do with the amount of human souls flowing into this world from the outside world. Lotsa outsiders show up during the periods when it's at it's weakest."
"Would that explain an aircraft flying through?" You try to remember what Shinki said.
"Probably, although I've never seen it happen. How big a plane would you say?"
"Well, I heard it from Shinki. She doesn't seem to know much more beyond seeing one."
"Could be your dragon, eh?" Kanako turns her head and smiles at you.
"I've thought that might be the case." You hold your arms up. "Can't say I'm too sure anymore."
"It's a thought." She turns forward again. "Anyways, where was I?" She pauses. "So yeah, I guess that's possible. Not only is it easier to fall into this world, a little extra push and you can have outsiders fall in from any part of the world. They could come in while they're dreaming, or they could just walk into a random hole in space. I'm willing to bet that it might effect the passage of time, as well."
"So it's possible I got here like that? Just by falling through a random hole in the sky?" It doesn't sound plausible at all. You could've sworn it was entirely Yukari's doing. Maybe she'll warp in a decoder ring to help you find the answers.
"I guess, although it's more likely you fell in back in your time, got trapped in the border for 63 years, and suddenly fell all the way through one day. The exposure to such magical energies for such a long time might help to explain a lot of what's happening to you."
"But wouldn't he be an old man, then?" Aya asks.
"I dunno." Kanako shrugs. "That's about as far as my expertise goes. I'm just making educated guesses now. Don't take it too seriously."
You hear a voice from the front of the group. "The exit's just up ahead!" It's Yamame.

[x] Walk into the light.

[x] Light into the walk.

[x] DARKNESS

[x] Walk into the light

>Maybe she'll warp in a decoder ring to help you find the answers.
THAT IS NOT HOW DECODER RINGS WORK
But I still appreciate its inclusion.

>"But wouldn't he be an old man, then?"
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Old Snake DO NOT WANT

>>51691

[X] Keep going.

[x] Stay frosty.

Updates?

Nowhere to go but up. You can see a faint light coming from the end of the cave. The group continues forward, and you notice Yamame isn't following.
"Staying here?" You ask.
"Yup." She smiles and nods. "Sunlight and me don't get along too well. I burn easy, never tan. Come see me again if you're ever in the area!"
"Will do. Thanks for the help." You shake her hand and walk past her. You take a quick glance back into the cave as you reach the entrance. She's disappeared into the darkness.
Turning forward, you notice the opening is small, just big enough for a small person to pass through. The whole thing is covered in thick, leafy vines. You brush them aside and walk out into daylight. The sudden brightness hurts your eyes.
"Hey, this is.." You hear Aya's voice to your left. You allow your eyes to adjust before scanning the area.
"Convenient." Youmu stands just ahead of you.
You immediately notice several familiar landmarks. The cave opened up on the side of the mountain, near the location of Aya's place. You look above and below you, searching for the building, yet you find nothing.
"Well then, we'll take our leave here." Kanako gives an unceremonious goodbye and floats up the side of the mountain, headed directly for the shrine. Sanae bows silently before following her.
"So come visit sometime, why don't ya?" Suwako slaps you on the back and laughs before heading off behind them.
You sit on a small outcropping of rock, watching as they climb upwards and out of sight.
"So, what now?" Aya sits beside you, now noticeably tired in this light.
"I dunno," You reply. "We gotta go pick up that hunk of metal before we do anything else." You rummage through your equipment and pull out the box of cigars. You hold it open in front of you. "Want one?"
Youmu's expression shows a tinge of disgust. "I don't smoke."
Aya grabs one, examining it between her thumb and forefinger. "Why do you like these things?"
You put the box away as you take a second one from it. You hold it up in a similar fashion, turning it between your fingers. "You'd have to find out for yourself." You pull out your knife and cut the ends.
"Really?" She doesn't seem to understand.
You laugh. She's lived several human life spans yet knows nothing of such simple pleasures. "Yeah. Here, I'll light it for you." Too lazy to find a match or lighter, you pick up your rifle and fire it. A small flame emerges and burns steadily from the tip of the weapon. You light yours first before holding it up to hers.
You watch her as she takes a quick puff and immediately starts hacking and coughing.
You laugh. "Hahaha! Trial by fire, kiddo! You're not supposed to inhale it. This shit's no cigarette."
"Don't laugh!" She scowls at you as she tries again. She doesn't cough nearly as much this time.
"Better?" You smile.
"Not really." She holds it at a good distance from her face, staring at it with a mix of confusion and disgust.
"You get points in my book for giving it a shot." You lay back against the hard, rocky surface and stare into the sky. "It'll grow on you if you keep it up."
All you see is blue, and not a cloud to be seen. The sun hovers straight above, about noon.
"Can we go now?" Youmu's impatient voice sounds off to your left.
You sit up. "Yeah. Guess we should." You can finish the smoke on the way down--or up depending on which way you decide to go.
"So where to, then?" Aya leans against your shoulder.

[X] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

[x] Find Shinki

[X] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

>You put the box away as you take a second one from it. You hold it up in a similar fashion, turning it between your fingers. "You'd have to find out for yourself." You pull out your knife and cut the ends.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QqMxx1n2kXE

>"So, what now?" Aya sits beside you, now noticeably tired in this light.
How much sleep did we get in Yuuka's mansion, anyway? Maybe we should crash somewhere for a few hours, either at Aya's place or Nitori's.

>>51919
>Aya's place
Good idea

[x] To Aya's for some R&R
then
[X] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

[x] To Aya's for some R&R
then
[X] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

[x] To Aya's for some R&R&S
then
[X] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

[x] To Aya's for some R&R
then
[X] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

[waka] To Aya's for some R&R
then
[waka] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY

Why not? Sound like a decent plan.

[+] To Aya's for some R&R
then
[+] To Nitori's to retrieve RAY
Interesting thing of note: People didn't know about health hazards associated with smoking until long after WWII. Very appropriate that Snake would take it so lightly.

>>51974
Okay, you just reminded me: In canon (Bohemien Archive in Japanese Red, interveiw with Rinnosuke), Aya mentions that she occasionally smokes a pipe.

>>51991

Hmmm.

Could be. How much of that damn thing is translated, anyway?

>>51992
Only a few articles. The inteviews with Rinnosuke, Yukari, Mystia, and Cirno are the only ones I read.

"We're close to your place, right?" You pat Aya on the back a couple of times before you stand up. "We should probably head up there and rest for a while before moving on." You look at Youmu, expecting dissent.
She stares right back at you. "I'm feeling rather tired myself. It sounds like a plan to me."
"It's settled then. We should rest for today, then head back down to Nitori's lab." You toss the burning stub of the cigar against a rock and crush it with your foot.
"Guess I should lead the way then?" Aya stands, slowly. You notice the cigar you gave her is hardly halfway gone, and that the flame has gone out.
You wave her to the head of the group. "By all means. I wouldn't know where to start."
She points to the left, just past Youmu. "There's a path over there, I think. If we follow it down it'll lead back to that old shack. It's really not where I live. Didn't I say that once before?" There's a tinge of annoyance to her voice.
She leads you across the rocky slope of the mountain. As she said, there's a path just beyond a small group of trees. It winds downwards, and you can see the small wooden shack just below you.
"We were closer than I thought." You work your way past a couple of large boulders blocking the way down.
"Funny how that cave's been right there in my backyard this whole time, and I haven't even noticed it." Aya kicks a small rock from the path as she waits for you and Youmu to catch up behind her.
Your shirt catches on a tree branch. "Dammit!" You bend the branch aside, freeing yourself from it. "It's pretty well hidden. I doubt most people would've found it."
Aya stops just before the door and knocks on it twice. "Wonder if anybody's home."
The door opens a crack. "Who's there?" You've heard this voice before.
"Momi!" Aya forces the door open and tackles the woman to the ground. "I missed you!"
"A-Aya?" She struggles to remove Aya's arms from her neck. "What are you- I can't breathe!"
Aya releases her, suddenly regaining her previous composure.
Momiji rubs her shoulder. "Back so soon?"
"Just for today." Aya helps her to her feet. "Say, do you still have that thing?"
"What thing?"
"You know, that thing." Aya holds her hands out in front of her, trying to draw the shape of something in the air.
"Ohh! That thing!" Momiji claps her hands together. "Just one moment!"
Aya waves you and Youmu to follow her inside. "Come on in, don't be shy!"
You take a seat at the small table in the center of the room, waiting for Momiji to bring whatever it is she's run off to find.
"So what is that thing?" You turn to Aya, who sits directly across from you.
"I'd forgotten to bring it before. It might be helpful."
"Details, Aya." You smile, hiding your frustration. "I wanted to know what it is."
"Oh, well.." She sees through your guise. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see." Her tone is dismissive. You can tell she's getting frustrated.
You choose not to respond. You're more on-edge than you thought. Rest may solve this.
Momiji slams open the back door, carrying with her a polished wooden box and several bottles. She hands the box to Aya, and sets the bottles on the table.
"I'm afraid this is all I could find." She sits next to Aya. "It would appear our stores have run dangerously low."
Aya covers her face with her hands, hiding her expression. "I'm going to sleep." She stands up, pushing the chair over behind her as she storms out of the room.
As she slams the door behind her, an awkward silence fills the room. Momiji looks apologetically at you and Youmu.
"It would seem she's not in good spirits." Youmu grabs one of the bottles, calmly opening it and pouring it into a small cup. "Did something happen?"
You stand up, slowly. "I should go see what's bothering her."
Momiji stares at you with suspicion.
"What?" You hold your hands up.
She holds her stare. "Don't try anything funny."
'Too late for that,' you think to yourself. You simply nod as you head after Aya.
You open the door carefully, looking around the room as you walk in. She's laying in the farthest bunk with a blanket thrown over her.
"What do you want?" Her muffled voice comes from the heap of white fabric thrown haphazardly over her head.

>>51995

[x] Whisper to Aya. "I wanted to ask you about what happened at the baths."

[X] Whisper to Aya. "I wanted to ask you about what happened at the baths."

Doesn't sound like the right time to be talking about that but I can't think of anything.

Might as well be screaming it, Momizi can probably hear everything.

{ } "You gonna get raped."

>>52003

Oh god, his nostrils.

[X] Whisper to Aya. "I wanted to ask you about what happened at the baths."

>>52003
Why is he so creepy? That picture will invade my nightmares.

>>52003
Hahaha, oh wow!

>>52003

awesome

You sit on the edge of the bed by her feet. "I had some questions about what happened in the baths."
She pulls the covers tighter over her head. "Not now."
"Why not?" You place your hand on the center of the bed and carefully lean over her. "Something else on your mind?" You try to pull the covers from her head with your free hand. You manage to expose the top of her head before being met with resistance.
"No, it's nothing." She pushes the covers from her head. She faces towards the door, staring blankly into the room. "I'm just tired." You notice she's still dressed.
You lean down further until you're laying just behind her. Her dark, wavy hair smells of sweat. "Hey."
"What?" Her response comes swiftly.
"Aren't you going to bathe and get changed first?" You dare not say much else. She's already in a bad mood, and a slip of the tongue might set her off.
She replies with an aggravated groan, and slowly pulls herself to a seated position.
You sit up as well, noticing first that she's still wearing her boots. Was she really planning on going to sleep like that?
"Alright, I'll go." She glares daggers at you. "But you're coming in with me."
She grabs you by the hand and makes for the door. She pulls you into the main room and turns to the left, towards the bathroom door.
"I'm going to take a shower." She announces, "I don't want anybody disturbing me."
She tightens her grip on your wrist as she walks toward the door. You glance behind you. Youmu sits calmly, drinking just the same as you had left her. Momiji has stood up and is headed after you and Aya.
She grabs your other arm, wrenching your shoulder painfully and stopping Aya in her tracks all at once.
"Where do you think you're going?" Momiji glares at you.
"He's coming with me." Aya responds. "Let go."
Momiji's grip on your other wrist tightens.
"I will not." She narrows her eyes. "If you require help, I will gladly-"
"I need to talk to him. Alone."
Momiji's expression turns to bewilderment. "In the baths?"
"Yes." Aya's reply is short. "Now let go."
Momiji breathes a heavy sigh, glares as you once more, and releases her grip. Without pause, Aya pulls you into the bathroom, locks the door, and begins taking off her boots. You rub your shoulder in attempt to relieve some of the pain.
"Uhh.." You're at a loss for words.
Aya throws the boots to the side. "What?" She takes a quick look at you before pulling off her shirt. "Didn't you want to talk about the baths?"
"Yeah, but.. This isn't really what I had in mind." You didn't expect she'd react quite like this.
"Hmm?" She tosses her shirt at you. "You're not going to bathe with your clothes on, are you?"
You weren't planning on bathing at all. You won't turn down the offer, though. You start to undress yourself.
"So why are we going to talk about it in here?" You ask as Aya turns on the water.
"Background noise." She finally responds after spending several seconds adjusting one of the knobs.
"Right.." You're not entirely sure what she means. You wait and watch as she finishes undressing and steps into the shower.
She hides behind the shower curtain, only her head and one outstretched hand is visible through the side. She beckons you closer with her finger.
You finish undressing, set your clothes in a pile to the side, and walk closer to the shower.
She smiles, amused at your current confused state. "Well, you wanted to talk. Let's talk."

[X] "What happened after I blacked out?"

[x] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."

[x] Put shoe on head

[x] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."

What happened Elly? Is she still with us? I haven't seen mention of her lately.

[x] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."
[x] "And you look like something's eating at you, too."

[] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."

[] "And you look like something's eating at you, too."

Sounds good.

[x] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."

[x] "And you look like something's eating at you, too."

[+] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."
[+] "And you look like something's eating at you, too."

[x] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."
[x] "And you look like something's eating at you, too."

[$] "What exactly happened to me when you were "interrogating" me? The only thing I can remember is waking up on the floor next to you. You told me something about just standing upright even though you had me pinned down."
[$] "And you look like something's eating at you, too."

New thread-ish thing.