⋮ No. 27909 ► 
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>>/youkai/27603 ----------------------------------------------
For just a moment I hesitate, a little uncertain if I really want to take Futo up on her offer. But then I let myself smile. At the very least, Futo is trying to get better. I can at least try to meet her halfway, can't I? And if nothing else, this lets me get in a practice run for dealing with some of the more obstinate tengu.
"Sure thing," I say to Futo. "I'm always curious what the Outside is up to."
Futo looks absolutely, heart-meltingly delighted at my response. "That's great! Then I'll go put together some snacks and get the machine running, and I'll wait for you in the entertainment lounge." Bowing happily, the silver-haired Taoist scampers off, humming merrily.
Miko gives me an amused look. "I thank you. That was very kind of you."
I just shrug in response. "Well, no harm in meeting her halfway, right? Where's this entertainment lounge, or whatever?"
"Two doors down the hall, to the left," she replies. "Can I assume that we are now formally invited to the trade show, then?"
"We look forward to seeing you there," I nod in reply. "Will you be joining us for the documentary?"
"Regrettably, there are other matters which demand my attention," the Taoist says apologetically. "But by all means, get to know Futo a bit better. It may be good for her in the long run." Miko stands and bows politely, and I make my way into the hall after saying my farewells. Waiting for me two doors down is a woman in green, with legs that seem to end in... ghost trails?
The woman, Tojiko Soga if I recall correctly, jerks her thumb into the room. "She's in here. Go on in."
I raise an eyebrow as I walk up to the woman. "Will you be joining us, then?"
"Nah, I've seen this thing already," the ghostly Taoist says with a shrug. "Anyway, have fun and all that." Without another word, she spins on a wisp of ectoplasm and floats away. Hmph. Certainly not the friendliest member of this bunch.
Shaking my head, I enter a new lounge, where Futo is following what looks to be a very detailed set of instructions to get the documentary running. A few snacks have already been set out on a table for us. "Please have a seat!" she calls over her shoulder to me. "I've just... about... there!" Nodding in satisfaction, Futo rises and plops herself down on the couch. I join her there after a moment.
An awkward silence falls over us as we sit there. Futo coughs as the film starts up. I've never really figured out how these Outsider devices work... cameras are one things, but these whatever-the-heck-they are just baffle me. Hm, I wonder if there's a way to record interviews for showing at a later date? Probably...
"So!" Futo says abruptly, a little too loud. "I guess you have a soul, huh?"
"Um, yes," I say carefully. "Yes I do."
"That's nice," Futo says, nodding. "I have a soul too. Yep. We both have souls."
"Yeah, yeah..." I say idly, as words I don't recognize stream across the screen. Oh wait, this thing has Japanese subtitles. Okay, I'm fine with that.
"Um, that is a lovely outfit!" Futo speaks up. "You have very lovely legs, Miss Shameimaru, and I'm sure that any man would be eager to court you!"
I giggle, as some sort of machine appears on the screen. Some kind of aircraft? "Thanks! Well, I do know what my best features are~! And actually, I'm already in a relationship with Hina Kagiyama."
"The misfortune goddess," Futo muses. "Huh. But... how exactly would two women have children together? I fear that I really don't understand." Futo looks up at me with innocent eyes.
I shrug. "Who cares? We love each other and want to be together. What more do you need?"
Futo seems to mull this over carefully, clearly not really getting it, but at least considering my words. Then she frowns at the movie screen. "Um... are those people wearing diapers?"
"...Maybe?" I ask, blinking in confusion. "It looks like they were sleeping... maybe foreigners get incontinent when they sleep?" I shake my head. "No, no. That's stupid. Must be some sort of cultural thing we don't understand."
"Must be," Futo agrees. We sit and continue to watch the movie in silent confusion.
************************************
"I don't understand any of this," Futo says blankly, having shifted a bit closer to me. "I mean, are these people Lunarians? This obviously takes place beyond Earthly boundaries, but to the best of my knowledge even those of the moon do not develop machines such as this."
"Um, maybe it's allegory?" I suggest. "Like, people going into the unknown, that sort of thing? Kinda poorly-armed, though... the hunters I remember would be wearing better armor than this, and would be armed to the teeth. These guys are taking too many chances."
"And is this some sort of ruin, or... WHAT IS THAT." Futo suddenly grasps my arm tightly, staring in terror at the screen.
"...Deep space youkai?" I suggest, watching as the humans marvel over a huge body. "Some Oni who got a hold of Lunar technology? What the hell is with his chest?"
"Or hers," Futo points out.
"Or hers," I nod, conceding the point. Then the eggs appear. "The hell?"
"...Somehow, I don't think that this is about a trade dispute over poultry," Futo says nervously. She's shaking at this point, and squeezed up close enough that I can actually feel her heart racing. "Um, should they really be investigating here?"
"No," I say flatly. "Any intelligent human at this point would turn around and call for soldiers. Those are obviously youkai eggs. No, at this point you... what are you doing?" I suddenly ask the actor on the screen. "No. Stop. Don't go closer. Turn back. Get help. Get a fucking torch, you buffoon!"
"Fire is good!" Futo says, a bit too highly-pitched. "I can get behind fire! There should definitely be fire at play here!
The egg just opened why is he not walking away?!"
"Suicidal moron," I marvel. Then something leaps-
"AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Futo screams loud enough to hurt my ears and suddenly vaults over the couch and takes off for the door, which some unkind soul has seen fit to close. Then she bounces off of it. "W-What?!" Scrambling to her feet, Futo tugs at the door. Then pounds at it with increasing desperation. "Wh-why is this damnable thing locked?! Tojiko, you sociopathic, undead termagant, what are you playing at?!"
"Futo, it's okay," I say soothingly. The Taoist looks over at me, wild-eyed. "Look, the guy is still alive, they're getting him some medical help even ask we speak. I mean, look! The guy... has a youkai lobster stuck to his face?"
The two of us stare in confusion. "More like a crab of some kind... with a tail? Oooohhh noooo..." Futo moans, staggering back over to the couch and resuming her death-grip on my arm. "This man is obviously lost. He's been tainted, and they have not the means to cure him. Seal him away! Seal him until you have the necessary means at hand, you wretched fools!"
The two of us continue to watch the brewing clusterfuck in growing horror.
"Acid blood?!" I scream. "This thing has
acid blood that eats through metal?! What the- this is when you get the torches."
"I knooooowwww!" Futo wails, teary-eyed. "But... they cannot simply abandon their friend, now can they?" I just shake my head, as the two of us continue to watch the 'documentary' in growing dismay.
*************************************
"They're... idiots," I breathe. "This man is obviously infected with something. That lobster youkai did something, and now they're just leaving things be? Hello, give this guy a check-up or something with your fancy-ass equipment, what is wrong with you?!"
"Crab youkai," Futo corrects me, a distant look on her face. I grunt noncommittally, watching the screen as the group of people have a meal before going on their ignorant way when-
"
Oh gods!" I gasp, hand flying to my face as some poor bastard starts convulsing. "No. No. Nonononono..."
"
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...!" Futo starts to scream. She doens't stop. Bad things are happening on-screen. And then-
"Aaaaaaaaaggggghhhhh!!!" I scream.
"
...EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!" Futo continues to scream. "Whhhhyyyyyyyy?!" Some worm thing goes rushing off, and all of a sudden Futo has a lighter and some matches in her hands. I have no idea where she got them from. "Burn!!! We must burn the horror from the face of existence!!!" She lunges at the machine and I just barely keep a grip on her.
"Futo, calm down!" I shout.
"Fire is the ultimate cleanser, the purifier of the foul-"
"Put the matches away! The lighter too!"
"It's gonna get uuuuussss!"
"Get a grip!"
*************************************
I eventually manage to get the implements of mass-burning away from Futo. In response, she hugs me tightly around the waist, eyes locked on the screen in absolute dread. Honestly, I'm not doing much better. Whoever thought this stuff up was clearly a madman.
First, some poor bastard gets chomped on by the most
horrible set of teeth-
"Please give me back my matches," Futo whimpers.
"No," I mutter, despite the temptation. Then supreme idiocy happens. "What are they
doing?!" I all but scream. "You don't follow a monster like that into its hideout, even with a flame weapon! This bastard is at every disadvantage, here! What does he think he's doing?!"
The two of us flinch.
"Dying, apparently," Futo says, very quietly.
"The fuck was that thing?" I breathe.
"The absolute void of all hope, and the end of happy dreams forever," Futo says hollowly.
It keeps getting worse. People keep dying, one guy tries to kill a woman using literature, and turns out to have milk blood or something, and is some kinda super-developed version of one of Alice's dolls or some crap, and more people die, and then this woman with a nice butt finally manages to get away and decided to sleep away the trip home. Then it turns out the youkai snuck onto her escape thingy with her.
"Oh, come
on!" I protest.
"Why does its head look like male genitalia?" Futo asks in a voice barely above a whisper.
"Because it doesn't know when to quit!" I snark, feeling a little annoyed myself at the black-clad pest. I mean, seriously, your average youkai has enough grace to know when to die at the very least. "Oh, okay, there we go. She finally torched the damned thing. Sheesh..." I lean back into the couch. "Whoever made this thing had something very wrong with their head, you know what I mean?"
Futo just stares in horror as the credits roll. "So much for sleeping peacefully tonight," she sighs. Then the door opens, and Tojiko Soga pokes her head in, munching on a banana.
"You kids having fun?" the ghost asks, mostly disinterested. Futo whips her head around, an angry rebuke on her lips. Then she sees the banana in Tojiko's hand. Looks at the dark corridor behind her. Screams.
My last memories of Futo are of a silvery blur shooting out the door like a rocket, as Tojiko watches her go with an expression of faint amusement. As I sit there, brain trying to catch up with what is happening, I hear panicked screams in the distance, some more highly-pitched screams that I identify as Futo's voice, and the distant smell of smoke.
"That'll teach her to mess with my jar," the ghost mutters to herself. With a final wave to me, Tojiko drifts off, still eating her banana.
...Well. This was certainly an interesting trip. Maybe I should leave before Futo burns the whole place down.
[ ] Go home, drink.
[ ] Go home, find comfort in Hina's arms.
[ ] Go home, cry.
[ ] Go home, turn all the lights on.
[ ] Go home, stare at a wall.
[ ] Go home, shrug. It wasn't
that bad.
⋮ No. 27913 [X] Go home
-[X] Turn all the lights on.
-[X] Find comfort in Hina's arms.
>>27912 When Edison showed his screening of The Great Train Robbery, people apparently panicked because they thought the train was actually going to hit them. I don't think we should underestimate the potential culture shock a movie like this could produce.
⋮ No. 27923 >>27921 >What are there for more people that should be relatively up-to-date on the Outside? • There's Mamizou, who's a trickster at the best of times and probably doesn't have Futo's best interests in mind. She might help Aya though.
• There's also Yukari but it's hard to find her house without a fairy guide.
• Satori's a ghostwriter who publishes Outside...and she lives underground, where Aya doesn't wanna go when she
isn't horrified.
⋮ No. 27937 >>27935 Miko isn't so much anti-youkai as she is upset that the humans have fallen behind socially compared to the youkai. She'd rather work on helping the humans than anything else.
[×] Go home, drink.
-[×] Offer to take Miko with you.
⋮ No. 27944 
Yeah, I think that I'll take off and head for home, maybe get enough of Minoriko's booze in me to forget this whole twisted affair. Actually, the more I think about it, the better that idea sounds. Lots of alcohol committing a dedicated attack on my brain cells, hell-bent on destroying any and all memory of what I can only assume is some Outsider's vision of the youkai embodiment of rape. Pretty accurate assessment, in my opinion.
I silently make my way out of Senkai, making my way past rushing people armed with pails of water. Most of them have looks of resigned resignation, like this is something of a common occurrence. Miko might want to get Futo's head examined. I'm sure Eirin has some pills for pyromania.
I do take note of Miko rushing around with a determined, and somewhat irritated, look on her face. For a moment, I consider inviting her back to the shrine for a drink, but quickly dismiss the idea. I have a feeling that she's going to have her hands full dealing with Futo, as well as any damage to her home. Maybe some other time. Though I have to wonder how Byakuren would react to me leading the leader of the Taoists back to the shrine.
Anyway, leaving Senkai proves to be quite easy. All I do is lift off into the air, and all of a sudden I'm over the forest, with no sign of the palace I just departed. Pretty advanced techniques there. Also, it's starting to get dark out. With all kinds of dark shapes twisting in the shadows, slithering, hissing, drooling...
I launch myself back towards Mikami Shrine at maximum speed. Just because I want to check up on everybody. Yep. That's all. Not like that movie traumatized me or anything. No sir. Not at all.
Though I do wonder just what the fuck is up with Outsider brains.
I land in front of Mikami Shrine, and take brief note of Sukuna silently meditating, face furrowed in concentration. Wonder what's on her mind? Youmu? Shanghai? The many romantic difficulties of an inchling hero? Never mind, want booze. Tengu needs alcohol, badly. I quickly make my way through the halls of the shrine, which show the signs of a busy day, and finally exit into Minoriko's wing, with its bar, to find that we have some company.
Yamame is sitting at the bar, staring down blankly into a cup of sake. Hina, looking concerned, sits next to the spider, rubbing her back in a comforting gesture. Minoriko is acting as bartender, looking down solemnly as she polishes a glass. Shizuha sits a few seats away, and looks up as I walk in.
Silently, I walk in and take a seat next to Yamame. "Something strong, please," I say carefully.
Minoriko nods slowly and pulls out a strong bottle of sake. "Something happen today?"
"Lots of things," I comment, pouring myself some of the potent alcohol. "The Buddhists and the Taoists are both on board for the Trade Show. Byakuren and Miko both have issues with their followers. Kogasa Tatara has been hiding some incredible curves. Futo Mononobe is a horrifying little racist, but is at least trying to do something about it, and invited me to watch on outsider movie with her."
The others blink, trying to absorb this (aside from Yamame, who is still seeking enlightenment in her cup), but Shizuha perks up in interest. "Really? What was it about?"
"Human insanity in the face of clear and obvious danger, the mental illness of the writer, and a vision of absolute horror that I will never forget," I say blankly, staring at the cup in my hand. Then I shake my head and start drinking directly from the bottle.
Hina winces and moves to the seat next to me. "That bad?" she asks, stroking my wings in a consoling manner.
I chuckle weakly. "I'm not gonna be sleeping well tonight. Or sleeping without a night-light ever again. Nor am I going to look at an egg the same way. Actually, my entire way of thinking may have just been screwed up."
"...So, scary movie, then?" Minoriko hazards.
"Sort of," I agree, slamming back my cup in a single go before deciding to focus exclusively on the bottle.
Hina wraps her arms around me in a hug. "Awww... don't worry, I'm sure that I can help you forget all about it~!" And just like that, all of my worries vanish, washed away in the face of Hina's warm softness. Gods, it feel so good to have her in my life. Not that I stop sipping from my bottle, mind you.
As I lean into the Misfortune Goddess, I turn my attention to Yamame, who hasn't budged an inch since I got in. "Bad day?" I ask.
"Good for business," she says calmly, not looking up. "Secured three building contracts. On the other hand, my attempts to initiate my sex life crashed and burned horrendously."
I groan in sympathy. "What happened?"
"Well..." Yamame raises her head and stares blankly through the wall. "I had three guys come by today, all of whom had a big, fat contract for me to fulfill. Negotiations were going well, so I decided, why not see if they were up for some personal business as well, if you know what I mean?"
"Mixing business and pleasure rarely ends well," Minoriko comments.
"I know, I know," Yamame sighs. "I should have known better. I didn't and now I'm paying the price."
"What happened?" I ask, dreading the reply.
The spider sighs again. "The first guy panicked as soon as I started making the moves on him. Come to discover that he was arachnophobic, youkai-phobic, and germ-phobic, and the only reason he even made it into my office was through the miracles of alcohol." She rattles her glass in emphasis. "Once I started acting all friendly with him, he got the hell out of there. At least I got the contract secured, but he was kinda cute..."
"Ouch," I groan. "Yeah, that would mess up my day too."
"Oh, but there's more," Yamame chuckled. "There were three guys, all handsome, all of whom I thought I had a nice vibe going with. The first guy turned out to be paranoid. The second guy? Really friendly, said he'd love to see me around the village more often."
"That sounds promising," I comment. After a pause, I add, "So what went wrong?"
"He wanted me to meet his wife and kids, said I'd be a good youkai for them to get used to." Yamame shakes her head. "So yeah, I got friend-zoned right out of the starting gate there. Oops."
"And the third guy?" I ask.
"Gay," Yamame sighs. "And he seemed like the nicest one out of the bunch. Either he didn't notice I was coming on to him, or he was letting me down gently. Either way..." the earth spider lets her head fall to the counter with a thud. "...Fuck my life so hard. Because gods know my body isn't getting it."
......
Wow.
All that happened to me today was I watched a scary movie and had to deal with someone hopelessly out of touch with the modern world. This is almost painful to watch. And here I am, with Hina hanging off of me, when Yamame helped us get together despite her own feelings on the matter.
Yeah. Not feeling to good about myself right now.
I share a pained glance with Hina while Minoriko pats Yamame's head sympathetically. Shizuha just looks on with a sad expression, while the spider herself thuds her head on the countertop while muttering about her life. I feel like I need to do something for a friend here.
[ ] Quietly talk things over with Hina, then offer for Yamame to spend the night... (HINT, HINT)
[ ] Ply the Earth spider with alcohol help her drink her cares away.
[ ] Offer to introduce her to a certain appealing karakasa...
So yeah, this choice will resolve the Yamame situation once and for all. Should be pretty obvious what the choices represent.
⋮ No. 27961 [x] Offer to introduce her to a certain appealing karakasa...
>>27956 What are you talking about? It's not like it's gonna break Yamame's heart if we introduce her to Kogasa.
And Koagas's exact words were "all I want is for someone to hold me tight and let me protect them from the rain, you know?" That's like the exact definition of 'lover'. The fact the last part is more literal in her case doesn't change that. She said she wasn't comfortable with the predatory looks she was getting from people, not that she didn't want a special someone.
⋮ No. 27963 [×] Quietly talk things over with Hina, then offer for Yamame to spend the night... (HINT, HINT)
As much as I don't want to end up with another threesome ending, Yamame's been good to us, and I'd feel like a heel just dumping her off on Kogasa (no matter how much I want to see her again).
Unless...
[×] Quietly talk things over with Hina, then offer for Yamame to spend the night... (HINT, HINT)
[×] Quietly talk things over with Hina, then offer for Yamame to spend the night, and offer to introduce her and Hina to a certain appealing karakasa... (HINT, HINT)
Sure, why not? As Frank Sinatra put it, let's live until we die. And it wouldn't be a threesome ending...
> Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to veto asking Miko to come along.
Will we be able to run into her again before the trade show? It'd be nice for both of us...
⋮ No. 27965 >>27964 >one night stand Who said anything about that?
[x] Quietly talk things over with Hina, then offer for Yamame to spend the night... (HINT, HINT)
I'm really torn between this and Kogasa, but I'd rather make sure she's happy then risk setting her up for failure. I know she'll probably be fine from a meta perspective, but in-characterwise it seems a bit of a gamble for Aya to make.
Either way this goes, I'll be happy though. As long as the drinking option doesn't win, of course.
⋮ No. 27996 >>27993 I don't really have a diplomatic way to say this, but "everyone gets slashed together in the end" is starting to feel like a cheap way out. It's been done twice in this continuity, once honestly and once due to spacetime dividing by zero; I've been kind of hoping it didn't end up happening a third time.
If that's how the story ends up going, I'm not going to pitch a fit or anything, but I think the point stands.
Or it could just be schadenfreude for fictional characters on my part.
⋮ No. 27999 >>27963 here. Since my write-in isn't catching on, my vote's just for:
[×] Quietly talk things over with Hina, then offer for Yamame to spend the night... (HINT, HINT)
Aya
did hit if off pretty nicely with Yamame when they first met, and during the trip to the underground. Because anon didn't want this series to have a threesome ending like the other two series did, we pretty much exclusively gravitated toward Hina.
I would've been happier if Yamame had been that close, teasing friend Aya had for the rest of the series, but since Keymaster wants us to tie up this loose end, I say let's reward Yamame for all she's done. (At least her chemistry seems to be better than what Meiling had with Yuuka, in retrospect.)
No, I don't want a threesome ending, either. But you know what? I also don't want to just cast off Yamame for all that she's done for Aya and Hina. I'd honestly rather vote for just drinking our troubles away with her, but nobody's voting for that one, and I don't want to just drop her off on Kogasa when it's more likely that the one she really wants is Aya.
⋮ No. 28002 >>27991 here.
To be fair, Meadows didn't exactly finish with a harem end. That said, I really don't think that it's necessary in this situation. I mean, 'Yamame deserves love?' Well, sure. But that doesn't mean it's up to either Aya or Hina to make that happen. At this point, it'd be a bit odd for that to even be a thing.
Friends, sure. Friends can do a lot for loneliness- friends can help other friends find people to spend time or get intimate with, but as
>>27989 said, a relationship between the three of them would seem a bit hollow, at this point.
>>27993 Dunno. Maybe because I think what Yamame deserves most is to have someone all to herself. Someone she doesn't have to share with anyone, you know?
⋮ No. 28006 >>27996 Maybe you should just go with it then since it's happening. Complaining about threesomes in keymaster's gensokyo is like complaining about purple prose in a YAF story.
>>27999 You forgot that some anon were thinking with their dicks and tried to make progress with Yamame. If not for those people we would not be having this vote. Seeing that they did, everyone got to know Yamame and got them thinking about getting both.
>>28004 >Dismissing talk of chemistry, friendship, and history as "Hurr durr threesomes are hot" There's various posts mentioning the history and the fact that Yamame has been a part of Aya and Hina's inner circle. That and Yamame gave Hina some very good points, suggesting a good friendship if not more. The only reason why Keymaster sort of stopped that build up was due to all the people complaining about it.
If I didn't truly feel there was something there between Yamame, Aya and Hina, then I would just let things happen.
In contrast the main arguements behind the kogasa vote is "they're both lonely" and "threesomes are bad", that is if they even post a reason at all.
And the only reason she tried for those guys was becasue she felt Aya was out of reach, that and from a meta stand point, if she succeded, it'd make things too simple for everyone involved.
⋮ No. 28013 
[X] Offer to introduce her to a certain appealing karakasa...
Am I the only one who's thinking of this? (See picture.)
Couldn't find a Kogasa/Yamame version so had to use the original.
>>27997 It rains aboveground, and Spiderbutt has been looking to get out more.
⋮ No. 28019 >>27999 >I don't want to vote for a threesome ending >Vote for a threesome ending Wat
>I also don't want to just cast off Yamame for all that she's done for Aya and Hina Ah. Although I fail to see how getting a lonely spider some permanent company while remaining close friends is 'casting out' her.
>>28006 >if she succeded, it'd make things too simple for everyone involved. That's a good point. I guess that's why people were complaining: the suspension of disbelief was starting to break after a threesome ending first, and an alternative reality thing second.
And now the options are ANOTHER threesome or pairing two similar people with exactly the same issues. 'The MC lives happily ever after' is expected, but 'Everyone lives happily ever after' is kind of weird.
⋮ No. 28022 >>28019 Yeah, I didn't mind Meiling getting both girls cause she's the SDM's buttmonkey 9 times out of 10 while everyone fawns over loli vampires and a vicious maid who all would be far more likely t0 kill you than anything else. I was like, "Fuck yeah, you go Meiling!".
With Pleasant Meadows it was, "this is so crazy I can't even say anything"
But now, perfect happy endings are starting to seem to easy. We could help two lonely people not be lonely, but instead we're just going to take one of them for ourselves, and everything'll just work out fine with no consequences.
Keymaster's just too easy going. I mean, I don't want to go back to the endless despair that was Kira, but things seem to have gone too easily for three straight stories. We can just burn people's houses down and bed anyone and everyone and not give a fuck. Everything's to easy.
⋮ No. 28035 I just had a thought. This whole time Aya has been trying to set an example for Sukuna, to make sure that she does not go down the same perverted path that Aya crashed and burned on. Currently Sukuna is trying to sort out her love life and choose between Kokoro, Youmu, Yuyuko, and Shanghai. If we do end up having a threesome, Sukuna will most likely follow our example and come to the conclusion that a harem end is the perfect solution to her problem. However, since Sukuna's love interests have no chemistry with each other (and in fact, some of them have never met each other at all), Sukuna will end up alienating all of her love interests and ruining her chances with every last one of them. She will also forever cement her status as a sex crazed pervert in the process.
The worst part of all this is that, since we just had sex with two women simultaneously, we could not stop her from trying to form her own personal harem without coming across as a total hypocrite. If we try to talk Sukuna out of forming a harem anyway, she will just feel betrayed by us and our friendship could be irreparably damaged. Sukuna already attacked us back in the underground for hogging all the girls once, I can't imagine it would go over well a second time.
Just something to consider for those voting for a threesome end.
⋮ No. 28040 >>28035 we can try to help her in that area, that and I'm sure Aya would make clear to her the details.
>>28019 Trust me in Keymaster's gensokyo there's things that would break the suspension of belief worse, mainly a holy woman marrying a female vampire in a japanese setting. Japan is not tolerant of real lesbian relationships, and while Meiling might be overlooked, Reimu would not. And that's besides the whole super powered girls flying thing.
>>28022 This isn't an old CYOA which was semi-akin to a game, but closer to a set story as is the trend these days. That and it helps that Aya isn't your garden variety outsider.
>>28036 Pretty odd there, then again I think aya's past sort of hijacked the plot Ganon style.
⋮ No. 28055 >>28051 Underestimating someone else's opinions is the sign of a small mind. There are several reasons, each one even better than the other. For that matter, I've yet to see a justification for the harem (yes, it's called like that, it's a /jp/ culture thing, don't bother with 'polyamorous' theoretical explanations) choice that holds water (not that 'I like it' is a bad justification, mind you)
>>28040 >Trust me in Keymaster's gensokyo there's things that would break the suspension of belief worse, mainly a holy woman marrying a female vampire in a japanese setting. Japan is not tolerant of real lesbian relationships, and while Meiling might be overlooked, Reimu would not. And that's besides the whole super powered girls flying thing. Don't be obtuse, I was referring to suspension of disbelief in-context.
⋮ No. 28059 >>28055 The chemistry and Yamame's role in both helping Aya, Being one of Hina's early friends, and her assisting their relationship?
On the flip side the main brunt of the arguement of the other option is 'I don't like it' with bits of 'They'd make a cute couple'
Futher more, this is not /jp/ at all. Sure this site might have /jp/ roots, but the /jp/ back then is not the same as it is now. Hence /jp/'s logic doesn't fit THP at all.
⋮ No. 28060 >>28055 >it's a /jp/ culture thing What does /jp/ have to do with harems? Pretty sure they're more of an /a/ thing.
And how does being part of /jp/'s culture make something less factually incorrect?
>>28057 I never said anyone's opinion was wrong. I did, however, say that the reasons and justifications for those opinions, and how they are being applied to the current situation, are wrong.
⋮ No. 28061 >>28059 None of those things entitle Yamame to being included in the relationship. Helping Aya and and assisting their relationship are both things a good friend would do. If someone helped you, your first thought wouldn't be "that was really nice of them, I should let them sleep with my wife/husband," right?
Also saying Yamame and Kogasa being together wouldn't work is denying like 90% of all relationships. Most relationships, be they friend, lover, or whatever, start between complete strangers. You know the phrase, "a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet?" It's not entirely realistic, cause some people are assholes,but the point stands. You don't just magically know people.
Finally, how deep even is Aya and Yamame's relationship? Have we really spent as much time with her as people are saying? Besides our first meeting, have we actually even spent any time alone with her? The only significant amount of time we spent with her was during the Mikami trip underground, and that was primarily a Mikami business fieldtrip. Aya herself even stated that while she knew she had romantic feelings for Hina, but was worried her physical needs would overwhelm her, she wasn't certain if what she felt for Yamame was actual romantic attraction, or just her several century physically deprived body reacting to Yamame's glorious tracks of land.
None of your reasoning is anymore valid for this choice than the reasons you listed for the other choice.
⋮ No. 28063 >>28061 The Trip underground wasn't just a business trip but one of fun. As for time spent there was enough to make an impact, at least enough for Hina to ask Yamame for said advice.
The husband/wife question? That's applying real life logic to Keymaster's gensokyo, where there's already one trio.
And for all the fuss saying the trio is bad, where were they when Anon's mind went off track and started gunning for just Yamame? If that was prevented, this vote would have been avoided as that period was enough to push Yamame into the minds of many. That and if they didn't do that, things with Aya and Hina would have gone about smoother. But that's a moot point now.
As it stands I don't think things are going to change in terms of votes, so I suggest we agree to disagree.
⋮ No. 28064 >>28063 Meiling's relationship is an entirely different situation though. She spent the second half of the story trying to decide who to choose and how to break it to the other before they told her she could have both. The three way relationship was officially started in a single moment. In this case, Aya is consciously making the decision whether or not to include a third in a relationship that already exists. No other character is making that choice. Besides that, you can't just throw logic out the window just cause it's fiction. That's how you start breaking the suspension of disbelief.
I don't remember what I voted for during that part, but it wasn't for Yamame.
But, you're right. There's always that hope that someone will see your post and go, "hey that person's got a point, so I'll change my vote." But really, people only change they're vote when someone posts a funny write in or something. Nobody's going back on this one.
⋮ No. 28072 
"Hey," I say gently to Yamame, "C'mere for a minute." The spider looks up at me wearily, and I pull her into a tight hug, wrapping my wings around her and everything.
"A-Aya, what...?" Yamame stutters, looking confused.
"Ssshhhh..." I whisper, rubbing Yamame's back. "Just calm down, okay?" The earth spider is silent for a moment before returning my hug with a deep, cleansing sigh.
"Sorry," she mutters. "I don't mean to be such a downer. It's just hard sometimes, you know?"
"Believe me, I've been there," I remind her with a chuckle. Hina moves around behind Yamame and squeezes her shoulder, smiling gently.
Yamame just chuckles back in response to my comment. "Yeah, I guess you have, huh? Well, at least I haven't resorted to kidnapping people and tying them up in my web. And then doing all kinds of naughty things to them."
"See? You're doing just fine," I joke.
"Though you make a tempting offer," Hina teases, making us all laugh a bit.
"Hey, Yamame?" I stroke the spider's hair a bit. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
"...You think so?" she asks hesitantly.
I nod. "Yeah. Beautiful. Sexy. Kind and sweet. Got so many skills I can't believe it. You're pretty much everyone's dream girl. You've just had a run of bad luck is all."
"Remember how I drew out all of your misfortune earlier?" Hina says gently. "Things will only get better now."
"But I-" Yamame starts.
I cut her off. "No, listen. I realize that you feel a bit lonely. You're among friends in that regard. But look at it this way: you've just started to put yourself out there, right? You're gonna have some false starts. That's just how life is. And yeah, it'll get frustrating. But then you'll find that right person, that one special person, and everything in the world will just seem right. All the shit you've had to deal with beforehand will seem completely worth it."
"Like you and Hina?" Yamame asks, looking up at me with damp eyes.
"Yes," I say, goddess and I nodding as one. "And we'll be here to hold your hand along the way. You're not alone in this, Yamame. You never will be, as long as we're here." I gently kiss the earth spider's forehead, moving my wings to the side so that Hina can embrace her from the back.
Yamame blushes at first, but then relaxes into the double embrace. She smiles faintly. "You know, for a while there, I was seriously considering dragging you two back into my web and teaching you some nice things."
I laugh out loud. "Tempting. But why don't we call that Plan B, hm?"
Yamame looks up at me as I release her from my hug. "Oh? You have a plan A, then?"
I grin. "How do you like umbrellas?"
She stares at me blankly. "Um. Useful when it's rainy. I guess?"
I chuckle. "Her name's Kogasa Tatara. She's a karakasa, lives out by Myrouen temple. Big fan of ambush and surprise tactics, and she's packing some curves like you wouldn't believe. Also, she was born from an abandoned umbrella, so she probably knows how you're feeling. If nothing else, you two might be able to have a good time together, help each other out. Get yourselves into the dating scene, you know?" I give Yamame a naughty smile. "Besides, this girl has a tongue long enough to lick her eyebrows."
Yamame sits up straight and gives a low whistle. "Okay. You have my attention now." Hina just bursts into laughter at this comment, while the Aki sisters give each other a tired stare.
"I knew it was going to come to that," Shizuha grumbles.
"Eh, you might as well get used to it, Sis," Minoriko comments. "Besides, if things get too hot and heavy, I keep a pail of ice-cold water sitting around. That'll get them to smarten up in a jiffy, I'd say." I burst into laughter. I just can't help it. The harvest goddess just raises an eyebrow as he looks at me. "That's right. Just keep on thinking that I'm joking. I know how things go around here." She nudges something under the counter with her foot that gives off a slightly tinny sound.
Yamame bursts into laughter at this, unable to contain herself any longer. I'm already laughing, and soon Hina joins in, then the Akis. As one, the five us off laugh off the tension of prior moments, and the bar seems brighter by far.
Finally getting a hold of herself, Yamame looks up at the darkening sky. "Well... maybe tomorrow I will go have a talk with this sexy karakasa you were talking up. See if she's interested. Go from there."
I nod. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Hina hugs Yamame from behind, speaking to her softly. "And if things don't work out, and you don't think you can take it any more, just come to me and Aya, okay? We'll take good care of you, I promise."
Yamame pauses, then nods after a moment. "Call that Plan B, then?"
"Plan B," Hina nods in agreement.
I pour myself a small cup of sake and raise it in salute. "I'll drink to that. Now, how's about everybody help me finish off this bottle, huh? There's a movie I need to forget." There's chorus of cheers at this, and we set to work at finishing the bottle, and the one after that. It really doesn't take us very long.
***************************
The next morning, I walk out into the early-morning dawn light. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, somehow. Thankfully, my sleep was not at all plagued by visions of horrible banana-headed monsters, but of cheerful spiders climbing up waterspouts with the aid of smiling umbrellas. Then the sun came out, and the spider started using the umbrella to parachute over to a stage where it started up a rock band using traditional japanese instruments. I dunno, it was a strange dream.
Speaking of spiders, I notice Yamame sitting cross-legged, having a what looks to be a serious discussion with Sukuna. The inchling is holding a colorful mallet in her hands, cleaning it with a cloth while she looks up at Yamame with an interested expression. Not the lovestruck, lustful expression she often has while speaking with the earth spider, but a thoughtful, curious one.
Yamame for her part is sipping a warm drink while talking about herself. Then I think I overhear her ask Sukuna something about what the inchling really wants, and Sukuna bites her lip, lost in thought.
Well, I'll leave those two to their own devices. Meanwhile, I have some things to do today.
[ ] Visit the kappa.
[ ] Visit the underground.
[ ] Visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
[ ] Visit the Bamboo Forest.
[ ] Actually, let's get the advertising squared away.
[ ] Let's deal with the tengu now, and deal with that hurdle.
Hope people are okay with that result.
⋮ No. 28080 >>27963 >>27999 >>28070 here.
I voted for a threesome, but yeah, I'm very happy with this. We acknowledged that we'll be there for Yamame. Thanks, Keymaster.
Sorry for cursing you out like that. [×] Let's deal with the tengu now, and deal with that hurdle.
-[×] Hike up to Moriya Shrine, and ask for Kanako's help in getting the tengu to join.
Still gonna keep voting for this. C'mon, guys, are we going to do all of Kanako's work for her?
⋮ No. 28083 >>28082 We can get the advertising done
right after we talk to Kanako, since they both involve ascending Youkai Mountain (I think we decided that Hatate would help us advertise).
The idea I have in mind is, Kanako will invite the tengu elders to the trade show under the guise of showcasing the tengu to the rest of Gensokyo, to stroke their egos a bit. Right after that, we ask Hatate to go to the tengu elders to advertise for them, helping her score some brownie points with them (considering how rough things are going for her right now).
Because these two involve the tengu village directly, we need to do them as soon as possible. If we wait too long, news won't spread through the Tengu Village thoroughly enough. We need as many tengu to come to the show as we can, but we should concentrate on bringing in tengu who haven't sided with Aya yet (reinforcing our relationship with the tengu who already support her would defeat the purpose; strength in numbers, after all).
⋮ No. 28085 [×] Let's deal with the tengu now, and deal with that hurdle.
-[×] Hike up to Moriya Shrine, and ask for Kanako's help in getting the tengu to join.
Agreed with
>>28083's point. We should do this ASAP so that we can maximize the effect, and ensure that the Tengu Elders have already agreed before they quite recognize what kind of thing they're getting themselves into.
⋮ No. 28094 
(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Z7tDctcrU)
I stretch, feeling the kinks work themselves out of my body. Yeah, today I think that I'll try and get the tengu to agree to attend the trade show. I mean, we've got a pretty decent assortment of people on board as it, is, but things will be pointless if we can't get the guests of honor to show up in the first place. Maybe getting paying a visit to Kanako wouldn't be such a bad idea either...
Hm?
I do spy with my little eye a certain half-phantom gardener coming up the walkway. Youmu has a cheerful smile on her face, and a satchel full of something or other. She waves at me as she walks up. "Good morning, Aya!"
"Good morning," I reply, glancing up at the early-morning sky. "You're here bright and early. What's up?"
"Well, Sukuna had invited me over the other day. I managed to get the day off from Lady Yuyuko, so here I am!" Youmu seems both prim and relaxed, and eager to meet with her friend.
I can't help but cock my head in curiosity. "Forgive me for asking, but what's on the agenda? Sparring? Exchanging sword techniques?"
"Of course!" Youmu replies. She hesitates. "Well... that and Sukuna has a common interest in certain Japanese fine arts. I came here to show her, um, some of my work."
I grin. "Ohhh? Exchanging poetry samples? Maybe comparing artwork? Hmmmm~?"
Youmu blushes. "W-well, maybe! I mean, isn't a warrior entitled to a few hobbies? Wh-what's wrong if I do like poetry and artwork?"
I chuckle, deciding to lay off. "Not a thing. And I commend you for having a good hobby! Anyway, Sukuna was just chatting with Yamame over there, so feel free to say hello to her when they're done."
"That would be right now," Yamame comments, walking up from behind me. "Sukuna's waiting for you, Miss Konpaku. As for me... I'm going to look into an umbrella."
"Break a leg!" I quip.
"I have a few to spare!" Yamame calls back as she lifts into the sky. Youmu just stares at me in confusion.
"Long story," I laugh. "Anyway, have fun with Sukuna."
"Ah... thank you," Youmu replies, giving me a quick bow before walking over to Sukuna. The inchling seems quite happy to see her friend, and the two are soon chatting away amiably. As for me, I smell breakfast cooking and hurry inside the shrine to take part.
******************************
"You're heading up to the Moriya Shrine then?" Minoriko asks as we munch on breakfast. Youmu and Sukuna have already been in, taking a couple of plates and excusing themselves.
"Yeah. I think that Kanako might be the key to getting the tengu involved," I explain. "They'll probably be extremely wary if I'm the one to put the notion past them, after all."
"True enough," Shizuha admits. She smiles. "Very well. In that case, we're all coming with you!"
I blink. "Sorry?"
"We'll just put up a sign explaining that we're making arrangements for the trade show," Hina explains to me. "Besides, you know how we're not completely sure that Kanako is being square with us? Well, the three of us have an idea we want to put into action."
I raise an eyebrow. "What kind of idea, exactly?"
"You'll see~!" Hina sings back, giggling. Mino and Shizu just share a grin. I shrug. Whatever. Probably something that I need to see in action, in any case.
After breakfast, the four of us clean up and head off for Youkai Mountain, leaving Sukuna and Youmu sketching or something in the autumn groves. We make sure to take the long way around, well away from tengu territory, so as to avoid trouble with any patrols. That doesn't stop me from feeling the gaze of my people upon us as we make our way to the Moriya Shrine. Oh well, let them make of it what they will.
Our journey is thankfully peaceful, and we finally touch down just in front of Moriya Shrine itself. "Been a while since I've been here," I comment.
"It is a nice place," Hina agrees, looking around in the brisk mountain air. "Calm, serene, nice view..."
"Eh, I like the view from Mikami Shrine better," Shizuha grunts. "Far more colorful. Not that I'm biased or anything."
"Of course not," I smirk.
"Though this place certainly has enough potatoes," Minoriko says lightly.
I frown at that. "Potatoes... wha-" and then I see it. A potato field, just outside the shrine grounds. How exactly they managed to plant potatoes in the environment I'll never know; maybe just chalk it up to a miracle or something. But all the same, rows of potatoes make up the newest addition to the local scenery. And I happen to see a particularly green, wavy bit right smack in the middle of all of those potato plants. Oh, Sanae.
"It's her latest meditation," Kanako says as she walks up to us, accompanied by Suwako. The smaller god seems quite amused, but the war goddess herself has a long-suffering expression on her face. "Sanae insists that this brings her closer to the spirit of the mountain. I have absolutely no idea where she got this idea, but she has to clean her clothes twice a day now..."
"Nothing wrong with cleanliness in a shrine maiden," Suwako quips.
Kanako just shakes her head. "Whatever the case may be... welcome, our honorable neighbors, to Moriya Shrine!" Forcefully putting her weariness to one side, the war goddess welcomes us with open arms, a confident smile on her face.
I bow diplomatically. "Lady Yakaka, Lady Moriya, thank you for your warm welcome-"
And then Hina rushes forward and hugs Kanako. "Lady Kanako, how good to see you~!" she gushes.
Um.
"Buh...!" Kanako stutters, eyes going very wide. Suwako just looks on with amazement.
Hina pulls back ever so slightly to beam up at Kanako. "Oh, I just knew we could trust you! I never had any doubt in you! Just when Aya is at a loss as to how to help her people, you step forward with this wonderful plan of yours! Thank you so much, Kanako!"
"Um, of course..." Kanako laughs awkwardly.
Then it's Minoriko's turn to hug Kanako, causing the war goddess to get a horrified, dazed look on her face. "Yep, that's our Kanako!" Minoriko enthuses. "To hell with all of those people who think that you're sneaky and untrustworthy! A new faith couldn't have a better friend than you, Kanako!"
"Um, naturally..." Kanako says weakly. "A god of the mountain must of course support the spread of faith..."
"I agree completely," Suwako says smoothly.
And then Shizuha, quiet withdrawn Shizuha steps up with the cutesiest smile I have ever seen, and puts her arms around Kanako in a hug of her own. "Thank you so much, Kanako! I admit, I was worried at first, but now I see that you're our best friend in the world!"
Kanako has an agonized, defeated expression on her face. "But... but of course! I mean, how could I do anything other than support you?! No, Kanako Yasaka stands as a beacon of support to her fellow deities. By all means, let me know if there is any way I can support you in the future!"
I look on as the Mikami positively fawn over the terribly embarrassed war goddess, complimenting her outfit, calling her a dear friend, and otherwise making a scene. Sanae scoots up out of nowhere, apparently having just torn herself out of the ground, and joins in the fuss, leaving Kanako to soak up the praise with a painfully happy smile on her face, like she has no idea how to react.
...Pure genius, girls.
"Not a bad move," Suwako comments, whispering to me. "Poor Kanako just doesn't know how to take this."
"Having a bunch of fellow gods call her a dear friend while her beloved shrine maiden looks on?" I snicker with amusement. "Be honest, was Kanako planning to screw us over?"
"That's such a harsh way of putting it," Suwako chuckles. "Her original plan was to help sponsor you in getting the tengu involved with Gensokyo, and then spin things so that Mikami Shrine looked like a Moriya branch shrine. Then you showed some honest appreciation to her, which took Kanako completely off-guard."
"Clobbered her with kindness," I chuckle.
"Yep." Suwako looks incredibly amused as Hina discusses the things that Kanako can do with her hair. Shizuha and Sanae exchange ideas on a wardrobe change for the war goddess, while Kanako just flusters helplessly in their midst. "After this? You can kiss any of her plans goodbye. Very nice move on your part."
"It was the Mikami's idea," I say with a grin. "So, care to talk about the tengu?"
"Why don't we drive the point home and talk in the hot spring?" Suwako chuckles. "I can't wait to see the look on Kana's face. Besides, Sanae needs to clean off."
[ ] So, ideas to get the tengu involved in the trade show?
ALSO:
[ ] Official meeting in the hot springs!
[ ] ...No, let's cut Kanako some slack here.
⋮ No. 28099 [x] Official meeting in the hot springs!
>>28098 Someone cut you off and
didn't give you the finger? That's impossible.
⋮ No. 28120 >>28115 I'm pretty Keymaster made it clear that this story was going to be more serious than BM but not as serious as PM, but you did help me finally figure out why this story felt so off to me lately, though I am still enjoying it.
It pulled a Family Guy, which is to say, that it changed plots half way through. In any particular episode what ever plot the episode begins with will just serve as a lead in for the episodes actual intended purpose. That's what this story seems to have done.
Even if Keymaster had always intended for Aya's reformation of the Tengu to happen(which would make sense, as this was supposed to be a story of Aya redeeming herself for her past transgressions, and saving your entire society from stagnating themselves into nonexistence certainly qualifies), it wasn't what we expected.
We, as the readers, believed that helping Hina was our entire purpose. It was the goal we were given at the start and we all thought that that's what we'd be doing while enjoying wacky hijinks along the way. The 'game' would end when Hina was no longer a neglected, bitter goddess and at some point we probably would have bedded her. And at first, that's how things went. Until Yamame showed up and half the participants started chanting "spiderbutt, spiderbutt." Then the Akis showed up, which didn't conflict with our original purpose, and suddenly Aya's stressed out over her people's many failings. Now our original goal is more or less done with and we're having to deal with a problem we never anticipated would even come up.
It feels kind of like doing end game content after finishing the main story, you know, that bonus dungeon with no plot that opens up after finishing the game, with all the really powerful equipment you no longer have any need for.
⋮ No. 28126 
I just chuckle at Suwako's decision. "Nah, don't wanna drive Lady Yasaka too far up the wall. Anyway, we're here to talk business, so..."
Suwako nods, her expression turning sober. "Fair enough. Well, why don't we give Sanae a chance to clean up, and then we can talk about things over drinks?"
I nod in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me." Nodding back, Suwako drags Sanae away from an animated conversation about bathing suits, leaving Kanako to stand there, looking around awkwardly at her newfound friends.
"Well... may I offer you our hospitality?" she finally offers. We are, of course, all too pleased to accept.
Some time later, after Sanae has had a chance to clean herself off and get into a fresh set of robes, we form a group around a table, with Sanae flanking her goddesses off to one side, and me in the midst of the Mikami on the other.
Sanae giggles happily. "Wow! This is the first time we've had other goddesses over to visit! And their shrine maiden, too!"
"Still can't get over the thought of a Tengu as a shrine maiden..." Kanako muses. "But then perhaps it is simply a sign of the times."
"I still think we should've hopped in the hot spring," Suwako comments. "Then again, maybe Kanako was embarrassed by the thought of being around so many fellow goddesses, hmm? A bit wary of skinship are we, hmmm~?" The frog goddess grins at her counterpart.
"No, I simply have a sense of decorum in these situations," the war goddess shoots back. "Besides Suwako, we're all women here. I do have a pretty good grasp of the anatomy involved. We all have boobs here, as I've heard Sanae in the past." She gives Suwako a sidelong look. "Most of us do, anyway."
Suwako winces. "That's right. Make fun of the deity with the youthful body. Go right ahead. At least I have more experience than you do."
Kanako snorts. "Just keep telling yourself that. I'm far from an innocent maiden, you know."
"I'm still more experienced," Suwako says idly.
"And is that really something you wish to boast about in front of Sanae?" Kanako asks.
"...I move that we proceed to the topic at hand," Suwako replies, blatantly changing the subject.
"Are they always like this? Shizuha mutters to Sanae.
"All the time!" Sanae replies happily.
Suwako clears her throat. "So! Tengu! Trade show, and all that! How exactly do we get an isolationist, closed society to attend this thing?"
"Fair question," I sigh. "But I don't think that my word will help a whole hell of a lot."
"It may help, but it won't be a perfect solution," Kanako tells me. "From my observations, your word carries a fair amount of weight in tengu society these days. If you suggested that the tengu attend the trade show in order to show off their culture and wares, many would heed you."
I blink, a bit taken aback by this unexpected revelation. "Oh. Well. Um, what's the downside, then?"
Kanako frowns. "Not all of the tengu would attend. Many would, but others would remain at home, knowing full well what the elders' wishes in this case would be. You would get tengu attendees, yes, but it would only heighten the divisions in the village."
I wince. "Not exactly what I wanted to accomplish."
"What are our other options?" Minoriko asks. "We were thinking that you might have more luck than Aya at getting the tengu to attend, Kanako."
The war goddess nods. "Possibly. But I do not necessarily have the full trust of the tengu people yet. A regrettable truth. My suggestion alone will not convince them to descend the mountain."
"You say 'suggestion,'" Hina notes. "You mean to use other tactics, then?"
"I have a few ideas," Kanako nods. "Well, two, really. I can use soft tactics or hard tactics. Soft tactics involve just cajoling the tengu into attending, playing to their pride and getting them to agree to show off their superior culture to the rest of Gensokyo. Maybe try and make some money on the side."
"That'd get some tengu down the mountain for sure, but maybe not so many," Suwako notes. "On the other hand, they'd be going down with the blessing of the village, and might have some stories to bring back."
"In hard tactics, I just throw my weight around and order the tengu to attend." Kanako shrugs. "The elders owe me a few favors, and would have no choice but to acquiesce."
"Which means lots of tengu," Suwako explains. "Lots of unhappy tengu. Possibly salvageable, but kinda tricky to deal with."
I scratch my cheek. "Never a perfect solution, huh? Well, let me think..."
"There's also the possibility of going through Lord Tenma," Sanae puts in. Kanako and Suwako nod their agreement.
I, on the other hand, look at them like they're insane. Or brain-damaged. Or possibly both. "Tenma has been in his cups for centuries," I say flatly. "It's the elders who really run things."
"Tenma is tired and apathetic," Kanako corrects me. "But your opinion of him blinds you, I feel. He may not be the formidable force of ages past, but he is still the ruler of the tengu village. And he has reshuffled the council of elders in the past, when he felt the need was great. The man still has power, Aya. He's simply too dispirited to use it most of the time."
"Meaning, if we can get Tenma himself to agree, we'll get tons of willing tengu showing up," Suwako clarifies. "The issue there is getting him to agree in the first place. Influence the man has, but Aya has a point: he looks for his wisdom in a sake bottle."
"Could you bring him around, Aya?" Hina asks hopefully.
I close my eyes. "I have no idea. I really don't have a clue how I'd get through to the dense, drunk old fool."
Kanako shrugs. "In the end, they are your people, and you know best what would work. Take some time, and think it over. We of the Moriya Shrine will support whatever course of action you choose."
Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence. But I just don't know what would work best...
[ ] Speak to the tengu yourself.
[ ] Have Kanako cajole the tengu.
[ ] Have Kanako order the tengu.
[ ] Try to get through to Tenma.
[ ] Write-in
⋮ No. 28140 
I groan, running a hand down my face. "Okay," I sigh. "Okay, you win. I'll go and try to talk to Tenma. Emphasis on the word 'try.' I honestly have no idea just how in the hell I'm supposed to win him over. As a matter of fact, I probably can't. 'Set in his ways' doesn't even begin to describe our noble lord..." I trail off into irritable muttering. Tenma's a jerk, anyway. Always was.
"But still, if you could pull it off, it'd solve everything!" Sanae enthuses.
"Say Tenma truly does refuse to listen to you," Kanako interjects, "What then? It's always good to have a plan B."
I shrug. "Go with your soft touch idea. Tell the tengu that you heard about the trade show and think that they should attend. Play to their ego, like you were saying."
"Sounds like you have pretty low hopes for this," Shizuha comments.
I grimace. "Maybe a brilliant idea will come to me. But if one doesn't, I just have no idea how to change the mind of a man who pretty much got set in his ways centuries ago, and drowned himself in booze to keep himself from thinking about it too hard."
"Mad much?" Suwako cracks, looking at me curiously.
I just shake my head. "If you'd dealt with Tenma as much as I have in the past, you would be too. Anyway, I'll head over there right now. Alone, because I doubt the tengu would welcome visitors at the moment."
"I have my own means of approaching the tengu, and will do so later," Kanako nods. "Will you be going as you are?"
"Yeah, no sense in dressing up too much, or he'll think that I'm playing a game," I explain, standing up. "Which I sort of am, but I'm trying not to look like I am. Did I ever mention how much I hate politics?"
This nets me a round of laughter, but I just shake my head and bid farewell to the assembly of goddesses plus one shrine maiden. Leaving Moriya Shrine, I lift into the air and head down to the tengu village, a very short trip all things considered.
I land near Tenma's abode, wanting to get this meeting over with as soon as possible. However, it looks like I'll manage to get a little excitement before meeting with the supposed Lord of all Tengu himself. Specifically, I get to bear witness to a young crow screaming in anger at a couple of robed guards.
"And I want to know the the fuck I can't go buy a couple of fucking books!" the crow shouts, face red with anger.
"Hold your tongue, lest you anger Lord Tenma!" one of the guards says imperiously. "The restrictions in place are for the good of all Tengu, as has been stated at length by our wise elders! It is not for you to question-"
"The elders are shitheads, and Drunk Lord Tenma can suck my dick!" the crow snaps.
Uh oh.
One of the guards swings the butt of his spear almost on reflex, but the young crow is quick enough to dodge it. "Mind your tongue! This is your last warning! I am trying to be patient, for I know how much this matters to you, but if you do not-"
"You talk too fucking much," the crow spits.
The guard quivers with anger, while his companion glares icily. "This is your last warning. Leave this sacred place at once, or you will be removed."
"Oh, really?" The young crow's voice is very quiet. "And who's going to be the one to remove me? You? Do you really want to make an issue of it, big man?" And then the crow touches the dagger at his waist.
Everything seems to go very, very still. The angry guard stares at the dagger, stunned, while his frigid companion looks absolutely floored. Finally, Mr. Angry speaks, his voice weak and shaking now. "Toji... come on, man. You know I'd help you if I could, but-"
"But you have your head shoved up the council's collective asshole?" The young crow, Toji, just snorts in disgust. "Well, you know what? Too bad. I might just leave the mountain to go shopping. And then I might come back. And if the guards try to keep me out, I know a couple of people who would sneak me right back in. What then, huh?"
"Toji, don't do this, man. I'm begging you." The guard looks genuinely frightened now. "Look, you don't know what they're saying, everyone's on edge right now, and we don't need any more trouble."
"Too bad. You've got trouble." Toji clenches his fists. "But I owe you one, so I'll go away today. Someone's go to look after Mother, anyway. Thing is though, there are a lot of us who've had enough of this shit, and aren't going to take it anymore. Don't be surprised if you wake up one morning to see half of the village missing."
"The elders won't allow such a thing," Mr. Angry says quietly.
"Then try and stop us." Toji spins on his heel and start to stride away. He stops in his tracks when he sees me, eyes open wide. Then Toji the crow tengu bows deeply. "Lady Shameimaru," he says formally, before walking away. The guards just stare at me incredulously.
Great. Just what I didn't fucking need. Well screw it, too late now. I walk up to the guards, who spring to attention as I approach, eying me warily. "I'm here to see... Lord Tenma." The title nearly sticks in my throat.
"His Lordship sees no one, especially a disruptive, treacherous woman such as yourself," the frigid guard says icily. "Leave this place, lest you be punished."
"You know what? No." I get right in the asshole's face. "You listen to me, and you listen good. You know who I am? I'm Aya Shameimaru. Not Aya the perverted reporter, but Shameimaru, the only person who's ever kicked Tenma's ass in a duel. The only tengu he's never defeated. And right now, I am sick and tired of our mighty lord hiding his face in a bottle of sake. Now, I've been alive a lot longer than you. I've forgotten more about battle than you'll ever know, and I am going to walk in there and have words with Tenma if I have to use you as a godsdamned battering ram, do you hear me? Now. Move."
He moves, face pale as bone. I walk past him and push the grand doors to Tenma's palace open. Somehow, it feels good not having to deal with that bullshit.
"At least she didn't bring her sword," I hear the other guard whisper to the one I just browbeat. His companion just whimpers as I stalk through the hallways, servants gaping at me as I pass by.
I finally find Tenma in a sitting room, drinking sake. He reeks of alcohol. I take a deep breath, calming myself. It isn't going to do me any good if I walk in there angry. No, I managed to intimidate my way past the guards, but that tactic isn't going to work here. I need to think about what to say to Tenma. What I can possibly say to convince him to support the trade show.
[ ]
⋮ No. 28142 >>28140 I'm thinking:
1. Remove booze. Possibly out the window, if one is available.
2. "Now that I have your attention..."
3. ?????
4.
PROFIT! TRADE SHOW!
Just one small detail left to figure out.
But seriously.
We need to get him out of his bottles if he is to listen to anything we say. Otherwise we can talk at him all day and it wouldn't change a thing.
The only question is how?
We could drag him to the nearest source of water and just dunk him until he's reasonably sober, but I'd consider that plan B.
Either way, clearly he's not exactly content with the way things are otherwise he wouldn't be drinking so much, so when we get through to him we should probably try to talk about how much better things can be, how much
more the tengu can be.
Both he and the Elders must know that their propaganda of "Tengu Supremacy" is utter bullshit. The Tengu are no longer relevant to anyone but the Tengu, and barely even then. But they were, once.
Tengu used be renowned as warriors, protectors, craftsmen... And now they're driving themselves into forgotten oblivion.
And if the carrot doesn't work, we'll try the stick.
Warn him about the boy we saw just outside his door and how the whole village is about to tear itself apart. Even if Aya hadn't returned, the village was already a powder keg and all it will take is one spark.
Isn't it better to deal the situation
before it explodes? Because by that point it'll be too late. If he does nothing, the Tengu people break.
I suspect we'll probably have to do a bit of both carrot and stick, though.
And again, I'm sort of rambling but it's a lot easier to come up with ideas if I don't have to try and boil them down into single-line [X] votes.
⋮ No. 28143 Something interesting to think upon when looking at his drinking habit: He started it after the massacre of the human village. He is currently trying so hard to stay away from that event, he is about to cause a bloody civil war among his own people. As noted by
>>28142 , the signs of soon to occur trouble are right at his front door.
It would be interesting to see his reaction to mentioning that human village of so long aqo. Seeing as to how much it haunted our former parole officer, maybe jabbing a sharp needle into the leader's giant mental infection could be helpful. Or just spray lots of bad mojo everywhere. Either reaction has its uses.
All said, throwing his drink out seems like a good start.
⋮ No. 28145 [×] Start by taking his saké away.
[×] Talk across from him, not down to him. If
>>28143 is right, then we shouldn't treat him like an enemy.
-[×] Start by telling him what the other cultures of Gensokyo are like, especially the Ancient City.
-[×] Tell him you don't want the tengu to erupt into a bloody civil war, and the best way to do this now is to make the tengu's transition as gentle as possible. Tell him if you hadn't intervened, it would've happened eventually.
-[×] Tell them you don't want the tengu to become so isolated that they're apathetic of other races in Gensokyo-- like they did with the human village.
-[×] Don't tell him about our plan until you can get a private audience with him. As in, just you and him, no one else.
--[×] Say he should pitch the trade show to the elders and the tengu in the same way Kanako was supposed to-- to showcase the culture and economy of the tengu.
---[×] If anyone gets suspicious because they saw him with Aya, tell them you want to do this because Aya said the tengu are weak and backwards, and you want to prove them wrong.
⋮ No. 28149 >>28145 First time posting in this site so... I have no idea if this is gonna go through. Anyways, I do agree with what you have there so I vote:
[X]28145's plan.
Also, I think it would be good to force down the bad past every now and then just to make him remember (even if he knows and remember already). We must not yield to provocation however... No being angry...
⋮ No. 28156 >>28155 Not that guy, but danmaku isn't a way to "get someone to do what you want", it's a non-lethal method of resolving conflicts. Sort of like agreeing to decide an argument through rock-paper-scissors.
You can't just challenge someone to danmaku and say "if I win, you do X".
It's not a case of "no fun allowed" as much as the fact that it probably just won't work.
And for this specific vote we need solutions. They can be fun, but they have to solve our problem.
⋮ No. 28157 Danmaku is for when talking fails; no sooner.
[x]
>>28145 - [x]
Don't immediately toss the booze out the window: once you take it away from him, you can use it as a carrot to get him talking to you.
A shame we couldn't ask Yukari to manipulate the boundary between sobriety and drunkenness for a bit -- not necessarily to put Lord Tenma on the side of sobriety, but to include coherent rational thought on the side of drunkenness.
(I am tempted to also point out to him that, no, that kid wasn't just blowing smoke; things are getting bad, and half the village up and leaving isn't beyond the pale of possibility... and unless Tenma is prepared to lead a counter-reformation, the remaining tengu are likely to radicalize in the opposite direction. The group of militant xenophobic conservatives Gensokyo has now is bad enough; the last thing it needs is a group of militant xenophobic conservatives with a persecution complex. Again.
But that's perhaps going a bit far down speculative territory.)
⋮ No. 28163 [x]
>>28162 Because FUCK YEAH.
I don't care if it leads to a bad end. It has to be done.
⋮ No. 28164 >>28151 here. Now that I am slightly more awake, I can think things through a little better.
The main problem I see with my danmaku plan is how the rest of the tengu would perceive it. To them, it wouldn't be "make this drunk fool put down the booze and listen", it would be "Aya is challenging Tenma for leadership of the tengu". And that would be terrible.
The problem here is that Aya and Tenma have had this debate for centuries, and it seems silly to expect that only words will magically get through this time. We need some sort of shock or significant wake up call, as making Tenma stop drinking (sake out the window) will not make him sober.
In terms of what to say, I really don't think it matters, as long as Tenma gets out of his cups and back into politics. Something to the effect of "You said you'd fight me to the end. If you do not do anything now it will be the end." would be good though. It is impossible to rationally argue a case against someone who is unwilling/unable to think about the situation and consider various options. Even if he is actively fighting the trade show, he is at least doing something.
Not changing my vote yet because I don't really like any of the ideas given so far.
⋮ No. 28165 >>28164 >The problem here is that Aya and Tenma have had this debate for centuries, and it seems silly to expect that only words will magically get through this time. We need some sort of shock or significant wake up call, as making Tenma stop drinking (sake out the window) will not make him sober. Maybe, but if we can't duel him, if words won't work and taking away his sake won't work, what else can Aya do?! Those are pretty much ALL her options, unless she physically drags him to Eirin and hopes she has some kind of detox medicine. And the tengu who are still loyal would put a stop to that. That's why I think that while
>>28162's "Like a Boss" thing is a bit over the top, it's be best choice. It grabs Tenma's attention, keeps him from drinking to avoid Aya's words (at least until she leaves), gives him a cold-hard dose of the Truth and will not leave until he talks to her.
[x] DYNAMIC ENTRY (like a boss)
[x] Take his saké away (like a boss)
[x] Give a Reason You Suck speech (like a boss)
-[x] "Did you hear that outside? If you don't do something NOW, the village as you know it will be GONE. I don't even have to say a damn word. You have ONE chance to make this right. If you do nothing, the fracturing of the village will be on YOUR head. Your move, 'Lord' Tenma"
[x] Refuse to leave until he actually gives you an answer (like a boss)
⋮ No. 28170 [X] Start by taking his saké away.
-[X] Gently! Don't throw it out the window. best case scenario, we can share a drink with an old friend after all is said and done.
[X] Talk across from him, not down to him. We shouldn't treat him like an enemy.
-[X] Start by telling him what the other cultures of Gensokyo are like, especially the Ancient City.
-[X] Tell him you don't want the tengu to erupt into a bloody civil war, and the best way to do this now is to make the tengu's transition as gentle as possible. Tell him if you hadn't intervened, it would've happened eventually.
-[X] Tell them you don't want the tengu to become so isolated that they're apathetic of other races in Gensokyo-- like they did with the human village.
-[X] Don't tell him about our plan until you can get a private audience with him. As in, just you and him, no one else.
--[X] Say he should pitch the trade show to the elders and the tengu in the same way Kanako was supposed to-- to showcase the culture and economy of the tengu.
---[X] If anyone gets suspicious because they saw him with Aya, tell them you want to do this because Aya said the tengu are weak and backwards, and you want to prove them wrong.
this is a good plan.
if a little blunt for politics, but Aya's never really been all that fond of politics, has she?
⋮ No. 28172 >>28145 here. Amending my vote to include
>>28171's suggestion.
[×] "What the fuck happened, Tenma?"
[×] Sit down and share a drink with him.
-[×] If he refuses to listen,
only then take his saké away.
--[×] Start by telling him what the other cultures of Gensokyo are like, especially the Ancient City.
-[×] Tell him you don't want the tengu to erupt into a bloody civil war, and the best way to do this now is to make the tengu's transition as gentle as possible. Tell him if you hadn't intervened, it would've happened eventually.
--[×] Tell them you don't want the tengu to become so isolated that they're apathetic of other races in Gensokyo-- like they did with the human village.
-[×] Don't tell him about our plan until you can get a private audience with him. As in, just you and him, no one else.
---[×] Say he should pitch the trade show to the elders and the tengu in the same way Kanako was supposed to-- to showcase the culture and economy of the tengu.
----[×] If anyone gets suspicious because they saw him with Aya, tell them you want to do this because Aya said the tengu are weak and backwards, and you want to prove them wrong.
⋮ No. 28173 >>28172 I like this. Before hostile confrontation, attempt to form a connection. Given both background and the simple fact that Aya may be the only Tengu left that matches and/or exceeds him in age and memories of past events, success feels more likely down this path. And we have an appropriate toss the bottle counter for when negotiations fail.
If nothing else, getting some sort of compromise would be nice. And what better way to meet in the middle then with a drink?
[×] "What the fuck happened, Tenma?"
[×] Sit down and share a drink with him.
-[×] If he refuses to listen, only then take his saké away.
--[×] Start by telling him what the other cultures of Gensokyo are like, especially the Ancient City.
-[×] Tell him you don't want the tengu to erupt into a bloody civil war, and the best way to do this now is to make the tengu's transition as gentle as possible. Tell him if you hadn't intervened, it would've happened eventually.
--[×] Tell them you don't want the tengu to become so isolated that they're apathetic of other races in Gensokyo-- like they did with the human village.
-[×] Don't tell him about our plan until you can get a private audience with him. As in, just you and him, no one else.
---[×] Say he should pitch the trade show to the elders and the tengu in the same way Kanako was supposed to-- to showcase the culture and economy of the tengu.
----[×] If anyone gets suspicious because they saw him with Aya, tell them you want to do this because Aya said the tengu are weak and backwards, and you want to prove them wrong.
⋮ No. 28182 
Silently, I walk forward and sit across from Tenma, waiting for him to notice me. The Lord of the Tengu either doesn't see me at first or chooses to ignore me, sipping away at his drink without a care in the world. Then he pours himself another one, and the process starts all over again.
"Tenma," I say into the tense silence.
Tenma looks over at me. "Never once have you ever addressed me as 'Lord."
"Nor have you ever called me Lady," I retort.
Tenma just shakes his head wearily. "No sword, I see."
"No," I agree. "I've started training with it, just a little bit. I find it to be a good way to confront my past, and learn to deal with it."
"The past is history," Tenma grumbles. "Leave it alone, and let it fade."
"Those who refuse to remember the past are doomed to repeat it," I say insistently. "Better to confront things, rather than hide for them. And your bottles make a very poor hiding place."
He sighs. "Why are you here?"
"To talk to you obviously."
Tenma frowns. "How did you get in here, and what do you want?"
"I'm getting to what I want, and as for how I got in..." I just snort. "I was ancient when your guardsmen were born. If they tried to pull something on me, I'd just yank the weapons out of their hands and spank them with the blunt sides. I just made that perfectly clear, and they were no trouble."
For a moment, I think I catch a hint of respect, and even amusement, in Tenma's eyes, but it is quickly extinguished under another drink of alcohol. "So. You barge in, disturb my peace, and even insult my guards. Were it anyone else, I'd be tempted to have you executed for such acts. But you, you'd probably just fly away, wouldn't you? You're damned good at such things."
"Well, it certainly took me a while to get my head on straight, no thanks to you," I say evenly, "But at least I haven't been lying to my own people for centuries in a pathetic attempt to pretend I didn't do anything wrong."
Tenma crushes his sake cup in a heartbeat and glares at me, rage emanating from his very being. The two of us stare at each other like that for a long moment. Finally, Tenma sighs and grabs a cloth to mop up the spilled sake, while I look around at the lush decor. At the very least, the servants here keep things nice and neat.
After a moment, I look back over at Tenma to see that he's produced another sake cup from somewhere and has gone back to drinking. I heave a sigh, feeling a bone-deep weariness and disappointment. "How did things come to this, Tenma?" I ask sadly.
"Well, you turned your back on your own kind," Tenma says with a shrug. "Affairs simply went downhill from there."
I stare at him blankly, unable to believe that he's really going to throw such bullshit at me. No. fuck this, and fuck him. I reach out and grab the bottle of sake, drinking directly from it in one long pull, as Tenma stares at me with a stunned expression. I just shrug. "Well, it's not like you were offering me any."
"I don't offer sake to home invaders," he says flatly.
"This is what I'm talking about," I sigh. "No roar of anger? No demand that I leave your house and not darken your doorstep? Hell, you're even parroting the same shit the elders do, throwing a bullshit story at me that you know isn't true! And you know what? You're even phoning that in. I just can't believe this, Tenma. I can't believe you." In a surge of frustration, I hurl the sake bottle over my shoulder, hearing it shatter somewhere behind me. "You can do better than this..."
Tenma just shrugs and pulls out another bottle. So I throw that one away too. I think he's starting to get annoyed with me.
"...What?" the Tengu Lord finally says, propping his chin on his fist and staring at me blearily.
"The Oni have a city, far more advanced than anything we've ever seen," I tell him quietly. "They're a culture of gentlemen, who enjoy life to its fullest and don't fear their passions. The humans of Gensokyo have an amazing village that's more like a full-size town, and youkai visit it all the time. All over Gensokyo, people are building, learning, making works of art, writing books, and otherwise growing as a people. We aren't, Tenma. And if you bothered to leave the village and look around, you'd be horrified at how far behind we've fallen."
"Tengu workmanship remains as refined as it ever was," he replies simply.
"Yeah, and all of our stuff is basically ripped off of humanity. We haven't had an original idea in centuries." I glare at him. "Remember when newspapers came to our village? Remember how everyone jumped all over those?"
"Yes, Aya, I remember." Tenma heaves a sigh. "They were a very clever idea, they improved the village, and I remember how you were the one who introduced them. No need to pound me over the head with the fact, nor do you need to tell me that a race of beings formed form human thoughts and fears just so happens to get some ideas from the race that spawned them."
I pause. That's actually a big admission from him. He really must be drunk.
"The point is, Gensokyo is turning into a lively place, and many of our people know this," I press him. "A lot of them clearly want to leave the village and get involved. Like the dwellers of the underground increasingly are. Like the fucking Oni are."
"Yes, that angry young man out front," Tenma says lightly. "Funny how we've only had people like him cropping up as of late. When a certain ex-reporter has been running around causing trouble, that is. How utterly coincidental, I'm sure."
"Surely. We're on the brink of civil war. You know how that ends." Tenma goes very still at my words. I feel his eyes boring into me. I sigh, "It was going to happen sooner or later. If not due to me, then due to somebody, An angry wolf who'd had enough of the status quo. Curious crows who wanted to learn more, and not be jerked around by regulations. Havoc caused by an annoyed goddess sick of dealing with an obstructive tengu's shit. It was going to happen, and it is going to happen. Things change Tenma, no matter how hard you try to stop it. I'd just rather not see my people descend into a bloody civil war. I also don't want us to become so isolated that we're completely apathetic of other species. You know, like what happened with humanity."
"Oh, so you're unhappy with how things are run." Tenma snorts. "What a big surprise-"
"Some kid called you out on your shit, in public, right in front of your home, and your guards couldn't do anything to stop him!" I scream, getting fed up with his attitude. "What the fuck are you really going to do when half of the village just throws up their hands and leaves, huh? Wag your finger at them menacingly? Threaten to fine them?" I pause. "Execute them?"
Tenma grabs the table, shaking with some kind of emotion I can't discern.
"We're hosting a trade show," I say slowly. "It will be at Hina's old shrine, at the base of the mountain, on her property. Everyone who's anyone is going to be there. I would like the tengu to come as well. That includes you. I want you to see just what our people are missing out on, what we can offer the world, and what the world can offer us. I... don't want us to die out, Tenma."
He is silent, looking away. "Look, I know you hold the real power here," I continue. "You don't need to answer to the elder council. If anyone asks, just let people know that this is a chance for us to show off. To demonstrate tengu talent, that sort of thing. And if people wonder why I was visiting you... go ahead and tell them that I was being a bitch. Saying that I thought the tengu were weak and backwards, and this is your way of proving me wrong. Of rubbing my face in it. Tenma... just give this a chance. Give something else, something new a chance. Please?"
The mighty lord of the tengu stares at me in silence. One minute passes. Two minutes. Finally, he speaks. "Get the hell out of my palace."
Unbelievable. "Your ignorant bastard," I hiss.
Slowly, Tenma gets to his feet. I follow suit. "Do you think me foolish?" he asks me, voice quivering with rage. "Do you not think I can see what you truly plan? You haven't changed your song at all! This is just another blatant attempt at sedition. A plan to turn people away from the path that we have followed for centuries, all for some brainless notion of 'changing ourselves.' I know who we are, Aya! I remember the fields of blood as much as you do! I remember the death, the murder of innocents! And I hear in the voices of young men, like that fool from earlier, the same damned lust for blood that possessed us so long ago!"
Tenma stalks around the table and jabs me in the chest. "Who do you think you are?" he hisses at me, eyes narrowed with rage. "You spat upon us, wanted us to roll around in shame, wanted us to throw away all of our honor. You abandoned the village when we didn't want anything to do with your ridiculous plans and crawled back here a wretch, crying for somebody to pay attention to you. You seek to ruin all that we have accomplished here. Why in the name of all that is holy should I listen to you?!"
I raise a trembling hand and place it over Tenma's accusing finger. Then I twist causing Tenma to yelp in pain, and forcing his hand away. "Shut your goddamn mouth, you useless, drunken incompetent," I say icily, and Tenma's head whips around in shock.
"What the hell did you-"
I cut him off, stepping forward until our noses touch. "Silence."
Tenma steps back, speechless.
"You worthless old fuck," I breathe, feeling all of my rage spill forth. "I threw down my sword because I was disgusted at what we were. Because I knew we could be more. And we did become more, but only after you had personally called me a coward for not being willing to draw a sword."
"I-" Tenma tries, but I cut him off again.
"SHUT. UP. So, we lost our fangs, and got actual faces. We became more like humans over time. And we murdered a village full of innocents. That's when you finally realized that constant bloodshed was a horrible path to take. And you tried to pretend that it never happened, that all those lives weren't really murdered. And you convinced yourself of this by becoming a drunken old wretch who lets a bunch of bureaucrats do the thinking for him. When I left in disgust, you did nothing to stop me. You didn't even ask me to stay. And when I asked for readmittance, you did nothing to help me. Just as you're doing nothing to help the wolves, to help Hatate Himekaidou, who will probably be exiled for not playing the elders' games. And now, with the tengu turning into a joke, you still do nothing. And you know why?"
Tenma is silent.
"It's because you're scared. You're scared of things changing. You're scared of being forced to admit you murdered innocent people. You're just. Plain. Scared." I spit on the floor. "I should have challenged you for leadership centuries ago, put a stop to all of this. But I turned away, because I hated the thought of ruling. I knew, and I still know, that I'm not really cut out for it. But I wouldn't have fucked things up nearly as badly as you did." I straighten my shoulders. "I'm going to change things Tenma. And you aren't going to stop me."
He doesn't say anything. Doesn't look at me. Tenma just stand there, staring at the ground, beaten and broken, a shadow of the man he used to be. And I can't stand to look at him anymore. I turn around and stalk away, gritting my teeth in utter rage.
"I've fucked the whole village up, haven't I?" he sighs as I leave. "Damnation..."
I have never been more disappointed in a man for as long as I have lived.
[ ] Kappa.
[ ] Underground.
[ ] Scarlet Devil Mansion.
[ ] Bamboo Forest.
[ ] Advertising.
⋮ No. 28189 >>28185 Because right now, we're too pissed off to care. Not exactly the best frame of mind to make good decisions in -- but for that very reason it's probably better that Aya leaves.
>>28187 That is horribly out of character and would ultimately solve nothing.
[x] SDM.
I would have voted "Kappa", since we're nearby and they're important, but Aya probably needs some time on the wing or the road to cool down.
