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Coin flip: tails!
Though she had had her statement validated, it did not seem like Kochiya was satisfied with my answer. A stiff smile—distant and bereft of much color—had dried onto her face while her eyes scanned me cautiously, thoroughly, as if trying to see if there was any subtext or nuance she had missed that could be revealed by my body language. After a moment she turned her head away, staring out over the vast lake at something which could not be seen from our shore. Was she thinking of refraction and light? I observed her standing in imperfect profile, finding her more or less inscrutable.
Maybe I read too much into her momentary silence. She gently pushed aside the coiled hair strand before turning back to me, the brittle smile shattering into a soft sigh.
“Perhaps I should be a little more assertive,” she said to no one in particular, “then again, what good is it trying to be a rival when the other person doesn’t even care? It’s a little pathetic, don’t you think?”
I felt that the question wasn’t really directed at me but, because I couldn’t think of anything else to do, I replied all the same, “It’s okay if you’re not like Reimu. She’s popular in her own way, I guess, but it’s not like she’s popular in a way that she enjoys. It’s a lot of trouble for her. Kind of why she explodes and beats down anyone in her way.”
Kochiya found the response amusing. She let a small “heh” escape her lips as she shook her head slightly. Though color and moistness returned to her mouth her eyes remained difficult to decipher; they took on the green of the mountain and the trees on the far-off shore, becoming sumptuous depths, and their brilliance contrasted with the clear skin of her face and slender neck. I wondered if there was a mischievous twinkle in there or if it was her unfiltered inner self beaming directly at me. Either way, it came across as something rare but irrepressible, something that was in no way less powerful than Reimu’s hardheadedness. With no hint as to how serious she was being, Kochiya said, “Maybe I’ll start to imitate her every now and again. You’re her friend, so you must be used to the beatings by now.”
“I respond better to reason, you know.”
Indicating that she would not elaborate further, Kochiya said, “I wonder about that….”
Those previously honest and searching eyes had titillated me with the least amount of effort. Directed as they were by some mysterious impulse of hers, they pressed on me heavily and made me feel the force of her will. Her shoulders sloped with no detectable tension in them and she slowly, steadily, allowed the rest of herself to relax, her features to soften, and for a whimsical smile to curl ever-so-subtly on her face. Her eyes lost some of their intensity, softening to a pleasant, affable, shade of green. If I had to venture a guess, I would have said that she was in a good mood, one of some satisfaction, as if a hastily-whispered prayer had been swiftly answered.
The full meaning of things would remain a divine mystery. At least for the time being. Kochiya seemed to be possessed with a spirit of purpose, one that led her to disengage fairly ruthless fashion. She claimed that she had thought of something that she wanted to say to the group of hangers-on, that she had been inspired by the conversation. As a final act, she clumsily took my hand as if to shake it, then seemed to change her mind and lean in to give me a peck on the cheek but, at the last moment changed her mind and backed away and simply replayed the inscrutable smile and offered measuredly-warm words of thanks.
I was left a little lost for words as I watched her retreat, the stimulating scent of a minty shampoo lingering for a few moments in her wake.
I found myself soon heading towards the larger groups again. I didn’t intend to eavesdrop nor watch Kochiya return to the group and so kept close to the shoreline, closing in on the common area and the lodge. I thought about going up to the pier, still not really feeling like getting too involved in anything that seemed like work; Reimu was bound to be around somewhere, probably still not in a good mood and looking to take it out on anyone unfortunate enough to catch her eye.
In a classic twist of fate, there was no escaping being put into annoying situations. An artificially cloying voice called out to me just as I was looking into the lodge through a large sliding window. My heart sank as I saw the exaggerated smile on her face. Beautiful, some might have called it. Yes, she had classically attractive features, dignified proportions and a bewitching aura that likely had led to the ruin to many a man and so forth. To me, however, it was the face of a fly trap—I knew I had been caught and that there was nowhere to run.
“Why the sour face?” Big Sis asked, discreetly beckoning me into the lodge with a hand, away from prying eyes.
“I thought that I’d have more time to myself,” I answered. I noted that she was wearing casual clothes—jeans and a print shirt—a relatively slovenly look for her. She was pretending to be on vacation as well.
“Ah, well, you knew the deal going in,” she let out an almost flirty giggle, laying it on thick. “Wanna see my office?”
“Yes, Big Sis, I’d love to,” I said, hoping that sarcasm could kill.
“If you roll your eyes like that, they’re liable to get stuck,” she warned with another giggle before absconding with me deeper into the lodge. Through a corridor, past a door she unlocked with a large old-style metal key, and through to a lovely little space with a bookshelf, desk with a few documents and a taxidermied raccoon (who wore a more pleasant expression than me), a bed, and a large trunk. Already the room had the same mildly floral scent to it that her office at the school did and it once again like anything that happened within these four walls was bound to be some sort of conspiracy that was detrimental to my mental health.
“Mr Vice President—” she began.
“… Big Sis Yuyuko,” I interrupted.
She shook her head while sporting an annoyingly pleasant smile, her wavy shoulder-length hair bobbing with fluidity. Undaunted, she continued, “I’ve got a job for you to do.”
“Unless it’s giving you a neck rub before going on my merry way, I’m not interested.”
“Oh? You’d do that for me? My neck has been a little stiff lately…” she laughed, her voice effervescent as she rotated her thin neck with exaggerated effect.
“Only if you’re nice and don’t screw me over,” I replied, forcing myself to sound playful. I was sure that the smile on my face was closer to a grimace but I didn’t care. She would see through me even if I tried my best. My goal was to show my loathing in as many ways as possible. It was a self-defense mechanism, sure, but it amused me—though it likely also amused her. There was no telling what ‘Big Sis’ actually thought and felt. A beatified student counselor who went above and beyond for her students using the full suite of tools at her disposal to improve their lives. I was one such tool, coerced or incited to act as her agent to investigate, to resolve, or to simply raise hell and break an untenable status quo….
My thoughts were ready to reminisce about the past and all that she had put me through. Even the couple of positive things. …. It was likely that she did care about my own well being in her own strange way. But those were dangerous thoughts. I strove to keep myself steady, keep myself focused, and to minimize the damage and pain she’d cause me.
I attempted to preempt her.
[] The incident with Alice had been too big to keep under wraps, huh.
[] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
[x] The incident with Alice had been too big to keep under wraps, huh.
Let us transfer/strat-redeploy the momentum from ALICE SURGE from next thread over here.
Welcome home, friend. It's hard to qualify how much I've wanted this story back. There's hardly anything like it, after all. And what an impactful way to come back. A joy to read, as always.
>[...] they took on the green of the mountain and the trees on the far-off shore, becoming sumptuous depths, and their brilliance contrasted with the clear skin of her face and slender neck. I wondered if there was a mischievous twinkle in there or if it was her unfiltered inner self beaming directly at me.
>Her shoulders sloped with no detectable tension in them and she slowly, steadily, allowed the rest of herself to relax, her features to soften, and for a whimsical smile to curl ever-so-subtly on her face. Her eyes lost some of their intensity, softening to a pleasant, affable, shade of green.
>The full meaning of things would remain a divine mystery. At least for the time being. Kochiya seemed to be possessed with a spirit of purpose, one that led her to disengage fairly ruthless fashion.
All of this stretch with Sanae has had some gorgeous descriptions, and very evocative ones at that. There's a thrilling sort of faeness to Sanae, like she really might be under some sort of possession of a passing spirit, yet it's impossible to say how much is a less hidden part of her peeking out. It's hard to fully articulate how much I've enjoyed this particular interaction with her — and not just because I'm positively inclined towards the slug.
>She claimed that she had thought of something that she wanted to say to the group of hangers-on, that she had been inspired by the conversation.
Slightly ominous. Arc may or may not have had that much influence, but it still feels like a bit of blame resting on his head if things go sour. Then again, perhaps Sanae wouldn't see it as 'going sour'; maybe that would simply be the viewpoint of those around her. That's, of course, assuming she's telling the groupies to sod off or similar. It could be nothing of the sort.
Still, sort of ominous.
>To me, however, it was the face of a fly trap—I knew I had been caught and that there was nowhere to run.
To say nothing of Big Sis's honeyed scent, eh? Eh?
>“Oh? You’d do that for me? My neck has been a little stiff lately…” she laughed, her voice effervescent as she rotated her thin neck with exaggerated effect.
Seriously, I point this out every time, but I love your little incisive word choices. It's these little bits of spice that stand out just enough to make things 'pop' that little bit more compared to more ordinarily grey prose.
>She was pretending to be on vacation as well.
>A beatified student counselor who went above and beyond for her students using the full suite of tools at her disposal to improve their lives. I was one such tool, coerced or incited to act as her agent to investigate, to resolve, or to simply raise hell and break an untenable status quo….
Not that it was that disguised, but I guess this completely confirms that there was a definite agenda in this whole outing. Perhaps Arc might have a scoop to secretly deliver to a certain club prez...
But, man, Arc really is kind of a toy of fate, isn't he? He's always pulled between all of these forces he can't really control or even necessarily influence all that much. I mean, he can certainly exercise responsibility and not throw himself too far out there, but then he's potentially limiting himself in regretful ways. Well, such is the life of a lunkhead, I guess.
[x] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
As to the vote, well, as much as Alice is always good, and I do kind of want to know more about the deal with her this time around... I kinda can't resist the siren call of a 'tarted-up rich girl', to use Suika's words. I mean, not to hang on too hard to ToY happenings, but she did get done pretty dirty after the first couple of threads. Yeah, Arc can't help being Arc, but so, so much time passed without much concern for her. The last time there was any interaction, I believe she ended up kind of blowing him off — and not in a good way. Granted, part of the whole thing was that Arc did end up getting her to stop distancing herself from people, even if their interpersonal relations became a bit stunted after that brief, intense period of closeness.
Setting aside more meta reasons, though, I suppose I kind of flinch at the idea that whatever has gone on with Arc and his childhood friend has turned into something for public speculation. Yes, he's not necessarily cowed by public opinion, but it's more that I think it's his and Alice's business and should be resolved as such; if he's going to patch things up with her, it should be on personal terms that have nothing to do with anything going on around him/them.
And, well, a bit sillier, I do find the idea of some no doubt amusing pictures of Arc and Tenshi making the rounds funny. Maybe a certain jilted journalist has engaged in some needling over being left waiting so many times? It'd be the sort of thing Arc would bring upon himself.
>>70196
I'm not sure what you're referring to here. If you're talking about something going on in another story, I don't think that should have much bearing on what happens here.
>>70196
You again?! At least this time you're voting before deadline.
[X] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
[X] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
Might as well clear the air. Also kinda just want to see more Tenko. Her personality is often too polarizing to consider any level of meaningful interaction, so I want to scope her out a bit first.
[X] The incident with Alice had been too big to keep under wraps, huh.
>>70196
Let's do this!
>>70210
Tenshi in ToY wasn't the flanderised brat character. She started off as withdrawn and unwilling to engage with others out of an obsession with philosophical purity, after which she became more open and life-loving, albeit perhaps a bit of a brazen risk-taker, no thanks to Arc...
[x] The incident with Alice had been too big to keep under wraps, huh.
It's stupid to get backed into a corner by talking about rumors. Going with something more tangible.
>>70213
Yuyuko always has Arc by the short 'n' curlies no matter what tack he takes. It's more a question of whether she just tugs hard or rips them out. A little spat with the childhood friend turned into some out-of-control story could be bad, or it could be Marisa being impish. Similarly, a whisper about a picture or two with the rich girl could be all silliness and giggles, or it could threaten Arc in his position as vice prez. There's not that much info either way.
[] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
Tenshi Tenshi Tenshi.
I really like how Sanae is written. Has an air of otherworldliness and maybe even slightly mischievous, and then still clumsily excuses herself anyway.
[X] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
I think I'll go with this one since Tenshi who is already an outcast would be even more shunned if not cleared up.
Also, welcome back, you son of a bitch.
>>70216
>[Sanae] still clumsily excuses herself anyway
I took it as something akin to possession, with one will in conflict with another in that moment. I mean, I think it's something of an affectation on her part. She is, well, a strange bird. It feels kind of like she's putting on a character at least some of the time, even if she is legitimately weird.
>Tenshi who is already an outcast
That was never really true in the ToYverse; the implication early on was that she was someone others often tried to get close to, in fact. In any case, I don't know if she'd particularly care herself. Now, Tenshi's dad, on the other hand...
>something akin to possession
From a meta perspective, this seems like a very bad road to take a character down. Like...why would anyone willingly vote to associate with that kind of person?
Might be best to just assume she's a weirdo until the presence of the occult becomes undeniable.
>>70218
What does it really matter if it really is a form of possession/trace-like state common to practitioners of animistic religions like her versus an affectation for effect? Trances and possession in the context of animistic religion, if looked at from a psychological standpoint, are just a form of acting, allowing the performer to transcend a social role normally accorded to them. In this case, Sanae's normal role is 'girl who could never be (however mildly) sexually assertive', and the idea that she's taking on some 'other' aspect allows her to assert otherwise. The fact of the matter is that, in any case, she's the one acting.
The point isn't whether or not it's an act; the point is the mystifying impression it leaves on Arc.
[X] Those pictures with Tenshi aren’t real despite the rumors.
Since its Sanae, she'd probably be being possessed by Kanako and Suwako (unless they're just real people in this au?)
So really its like a 3 for the price of 1 deal
[X] The incident with Alice had been too big to keep under wraps, huh.
Big Sis Yuyuko had come to lean up against the desk, her backside half-resting on its surface as she took on the solemn look of a confessor; her head tilted downward, her chin abutting ever-so-subtly in my direction, as her half-closed eyes looked at nothing in particular, at something beyond me, beyond the wall, and at some sort of eternal truth of things; with her arms crossed over her shirt, she pressed slightly down onto her chest, as if to be more aware of how her heartbeat reacted to my words. There was a serenity to her, something that I was sure had served well to comfort youthful confusion and anxiety in others over the years. Being the sole object of her meditation, even I found that some of the past contentions we had had seemed to weigh less on my mind.
It was easy to think that there would be no judgment, that it was a space beyond life and its rules—just the two of us in a private space where labels and titles were meaningless.
“… There’s nothing more to it, really,” I affirmed at the end, having explained the root reason for the rumors. Those who could have seen them hadn’t, those who claimed they had didn’t, those who wanted to would say whatever they wanted regardless. And Tenshi wasn’t liable to say anything since she was indifferent to the gristmill of rumor. There were far worse things that she could be accused of. Things in which I had been directly involved as well. Some of which I suspected Big Sis with her preternatural intuition already knew.
Big Sis raised her head, divining that I had said all that I would on the subject. She smiled as if by reflex, as if she was going to absolve me with a casual wave of a hand. Instead, she simply emitted a soft “Huh.”
My heart felt out of sorts, skipping a beat as I wondered if I hadn’t said too much about something she hadn’t known the first thing about.
“… This matter of the Hinanawi girl,” she began after another beat, “it’s concerning, of course, and I’m not sure you’re being entirely truthful with me. I do defer to your judgment on a lot of things, much more than someone else in my position might. And I try to help you however I can usually, so you should have come to me sooner. But I get that it isn’t always easy to talk to your Big Sis about sensitive matters like that … rope marks, really? Very easy to have that sort of thing misunderstood.”
I found myself stuck in limbo for a while longer as she launched into a “gentle” interrogation of the matter, sussing out a lot that I had been hesitant to share. She didn’t have to apply any real pressure to maneuver me where she wanted to. Acting the conscientious elder sister, her mix of incisive remarks with smiles and playful turns of phrases sought to abolish the different in station between us. Superficially inquisitive instead of harshly inquisitorial. I was resentful at that, of course, but I was also impressed at how adept she was at seeing through my half-truths and having a feeling for what it was that I had held back.
“Though, perhaps, it is my fault for encouraging this bond between you,” she said with a sigh that I thought bordered on the theatrical. It was, of course, a reminder that not only did I owe her a lot of good things but also that she had set the direction for a lot of energies as of late. It was a reminder that there was no escaping her influence. And, as I bit my tongue, I also thought that I had screwed up sharing anything unprompted with her.
“Can we me move on?” I asked, deflated. Between those four walls it was important to pick my battles.
“I suppose. It’s not like she’s likely to be here, anyhow,” she said with that affable mask of a smile, probing to see how I’d react. “Make sure you carry all the necessary precautions if you should—“
I cut her off, “Let’s get to business. What’s this latest stupid thing you want me to do?”
“You can always ask your Big Sis if you need more …” she didn’t finish the sentence, instead uncrossing her arms with a laugh as she registered the look on my face. “You already know why we’re here. Feel free to play around if you like, like you always do. But remember that you’re also a representative of the community and that there’s always opportunities for improving that community.”
“In other words?”
“I’m willing to look the other way on a lot of things, keep the powers that be off your back, if you produce results. Or, at least, the good outweighs the bad.”
“Same as always then?”
Big Sis did not offer a retort, falling back once more to that neutrally-pleasant default she had. She nodded with a warm—but knowing—smile. It was a gesture that belied the suffering that could ensue otherwise. It was less an overt threat and more of a nudge, a reminder that unenlightened souls could be reborn in hell as a consequence of their karma.
“Do I really have to lead ‘activities’?” I whined, already resigned to my time not being wholly my own. The image of Suika out in the woods by herself, drinking, filled me with intense envy.
“Somehow I don’t think it right that the president take on that burden all by herself.”
“She has other helpers.”
“Does she?”
“Whoever is unfortunate enough to be in her blast radius,” I joked.
Big Sis was unamused. She shook her her as if to say that I was being unfair. She held her tongue on that score, likely saving me from being told that I didn’t understand other people that well, and instead kept the subject squarely on Reimu, “Be nice to her and your life will be easier.”
“It’s not like I’m rude to her,” I countered, “I just don’t like all this crap that you’ve pushed onto me. Not a student government type of person.
“Neither is she. See? You have a lot in common!” she chuckled to herself and got off the desk. With a small gesture telling me to wait a sec, she opened a drawer and rummaged through it. The spontaneity of it all made her seem flighty, difficult catch in earnest, much less preserve and categorize. Truth be told, watching her from behind in her casual clothes, seeing her hum quietly to herself, made her seem more like a peer than any sort of authority figure. I couldn’t say if that was part of an intended effect, of a projected charm. There was a good chance it was her genuine essence, an irrepressible force that was both capricious and carefree. In either case it made her seem youthful and more like an actual older sibling than I would care to admit.
Big Sis tugged at the form-fitting jeans as she straightened up with what seemed like an unconscious gesture. Whatever it was that she had found, she placed on the desk behind her, obscuring my view. She looked pleased with herself, her smile flourishing further and hints of teeth appearing behind pliant lips. Her enthusiasm had an effect on me as well. I had been inoculated somewhat from previous exposure but even so I began to feel a skittish energy within. I half-expected her to tease me and I half-welcomed the possibility….
“Make nice with your president. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important in life for the silliest of reasons. So, I think that I’ll be good to you and give you a little help,” she said, her words fluttering and tone ebullient. It had looked like she was set to continue scolding me in a playful manner, having placed an arm akimbo and leaning forward. With a twinkle in her eyes, she continued, “I’ve got something here that will help you along. No thanks necessary but still welcomed.”
Relaxing her posture, she reached back and fetched what she had left on the desk. It was something that could help ingratiate myself with Reimu.
[] A small box of fancy sweets, a special sort of gift that I couldn’t casually afford to buy.
[] An advance copy of the latest entry in a series of mystery novels she mentioned enjoying.
[X] An advance copy of the latest entry in a series of mystery novels she mentioned enjoying.
I get the feeling that a responsible Reimu would like reading.
[X] An advance copy of the latest entry in a series of mystery novels she mentioned enjoying.
This seems like the obviously superior choice. The candy's only going to last for a little while and be forgotten, while the book'll last as long as you look after it, sitting on your shelf and reminding you of the time you got it.
wouldn't that be nice? I know myself that certain stories, games, movies etc. almost bring me back in time to when I first experienced them.
plus, since its an advance copy, she'll be immunized against spoilers for it. If she's ever been spoiled she'll appreciate it greatly.
[X] An advance copy of the latest entry in a series of mystery novels she mentioned enjoying.
>There were far worse things that she could be accused of. Things in which I had been directly involved as well.
Oh boy, Arc's telling on himself now. Beyond phone club shenanigans, I wonder just what she sort of mischief she'd been working. Not to mention what Yuyuko probably knew about already, given her insight. I didn't think about it, but it really was her doing that brought them together, wasn't it?
>Some of which I suspected Big Sis with her preternatural intuition already knew.
Probably Eirin, too!
>her head tilted downward [...] as her half-closed eyes looked at nothing in particular [...] and at some sort of eternal truth of things
>I found myself stuck in limbo for a while longer as she launched into a “gentle” interrogation of the matter
>It was less an overt threat and more of a nudge, a reminder that unenlightened souls could be reborn in hell as a consequence of their karma.
I love the subtle gesturing towards Yuyuko's normal ghostly character with bits like this. I also love the mischievous big sis energy. Just imagine Yuyuko in tight-fitting jeans...
Leave it to Yuyuko to say the quiet part loud, though. Arc certainly has been lagging a bit as a supportive vice prez, however reluctant he was to play the role. It's a shame because they did have a good dynamic going before. It kind of makes me wonder if, like with Alice, something didn't happen; I don't recall from late ToY anything in particular coming between them.
Though, if I'm honest, however much I value Arc and Reimu's thing, I also think his bond with his girl-bro has been harshly devalued with time, so he's got a line to walk when it comes to being the vice prez versus being the bad boy.
[x] A small box of fancy sweets, a special sort of gift that I couldn’t casually afford to buy.
The thing about this choice is that I see it as partly an offer. The book reads to me like Arc saying that Reimu can take her time to chill and read whilst he takes care of things. However, is that really desirable? I don't think so. Even if it doesn't imply being fully wrapped-up in vice prez business, I see it as an encouragement for Reimu to spend time by herself. Now, I don't know about you, but I think I'd prefer Arc spend time with Reimu rather than not.
The sweets are something that are a nice gesture, even if they're clearly something out of Arc's league, but they don't imply any sort of further responsibility being assumed. Hell, they can be shared, too. Wouldn't that make for a nice moment — having tea and sweets together? If nothing else, it feels more outright like a sort of reward acknowledging Reimu's thankless work.
>>70233
There are no obviously superior choices. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother including alternatives! They are all there for a reason and have their own value or offer a different approach. These are often shaped by the context of previous decisions and things that have happened in the story. See also: result of previous choice in which people voting ignored Arc outright stating that he wanted to minimize damage and not get screwed over when offering Yuyuko information. A lot of this update covered how that turned out and hopefully re-stated the relationship with Yuyuko for those who did not read the parent story. It was only very tangentially about Tenshi and very much wasn't a "which touhou do you like better" kind of choice since neither have appeared and it would be silly to encourage outside biases on a potential first encounter.
Things should stand on their own in the context of this story. I don't ever intend to have something that's overly opaque or is a "left or right" kind of choice. Part of the reason I've emphasized comments and people responding to one another is that that exchange can help provide different perspectives.
I know that's a little behind the scenes but I hope that transparency may help better inform people when voting now and in the future.
I see. If I think more, I can make better decisions!
I think I'll stick with my initial choice though. Little keepsakes like that always make me smile.
>>70237
They might make you smile, but what's that to do with Reimu? She's probably not going to scorn a gift either way, but the vote seems to me to be about Arc and how he wants to approach his relationship to Reimu, which has greater significance beyond just, well, giving something to Reimu and maybe earning some goodwill from her. Incidentally, that's just assuming that she would have some more-than-neutral feeling about either thing.
Not necessarily trying to change your vote, by the way; I just want to present food for thought.
[X] An advance copy of the latest entry in a series of mystery novels she mentioned enjoying.
Both of these gifts seem like something Reimu would appreciate, but the novel sounds more interesting to me.
[X] A small box of fancy sweets, a special sort of gift that I couldn’t casually afford to buy.
Why not go for fancy things once in a while?
[] A small box of fancy sweets, a special sort of gift that I couldn’t casually afford to buy.
Life is like a box of chocolates. Probably better to give her something sweet and that she might share than something that she is going to do by herself.
[X] An advance copy of the latest entry in a series of mystery novels she mentioned enjoying.
This isn't a fancy chocolate kinda situation. I know for a fact that chocolate girls would much prefer the comfort types of chocolate, not the hoity-toity kinda stuff.
>>70242
It was never stated anywhere that it's chocolate. It could be many other things besides.
A box of non-chocolate sweets would be a very strange gift to give someone.
>>70244
It's not strange at all to have gift boxes of manjuu, youkan, all manner of namagashi, and sundry other types of sweets in Japan.
>>70244
Many type of wagashi are regularly sold in boxes to be given as gifts. Not strange at all to get something fancy-looking like nerikiri, manjuu, or daifuku. Even in the West fine confectionery stores do stuff like candied fruits, small cakes, pastries, cookies, and a bunch of other things that are not necessarily chocolate. It's the same world over with every region having its own things. The world of artisanal and expensive sweets is vast.
I took the help but I didn’t want to stick around for much longer if I could help it. When I sensed an opportunity to escape, I pledged my eternal allegiance to Big Sis and her agenda, telling her that I would keep an eye on things and that she should not worry. It was all very transparent. But it didn’t seem like she cared much at the moment.
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Big Sis said by way of encouragement. There was an unsaid “we’ll talk later” that communicated by the slight curling of her lips as she watched me turn and leave. There would be another chance to truly apply the screws to me.
I took a moment to account for all of my stuff. With all of my moving around, I hadn’t really secured a place among the cabins. It wasn’t really a big deal since I knew that there was a spot in the lodge itself that I could use—I had been given a key before setting out to a small room that was supposed to be a storage space but was large enough to fit a cot, or a pair of sleeping bags…. But I was getting ahead of myself. I away from the common area, which was noisy with activity, and looked for a small staircase that was supposed to be at the rear of the old building. Since the lodge wasn’t that big, I found it soon enough—it was just off the small corridor where Big Sis’ office was.
It didn’t seem like the small second floor had been cleaned in a very long time. A thick layer of dust covered everything and there were boxes and other containers cluttering the narrow corridor all the way up to the low, angled, ceiling. There were only a few doors to try and I found what I was looking for on my second attempt: it was a little larger than a closet, with a single small window along the ceiling that was probably meant more for ventilation than light. The space was reasonably tidy, however, with only a few bits of winter equipment like snowshoes hanging off a rack to the side. I had expected something a little more than a crawlspace so I was pleasantly surprised to have somewhere where I could stretch out and enjoy a little peace and quiet if I wanted.
There was a washroom on the second floor, too. The water pressure was almost non-existent but it was better than nothing. I washed my face and put away anything that I didn’t need in the room. I gave the rest of the space a quick look-over before locking up behind me again and heading back out, enjoying the thoughts of having a private little domain available to me.
Time had passed quicker than I had realized. Somewhere, from probably what were the lodge’s large central kitchen, a smell of cooking oil permeated. I headed back out, intent on getting my quota of drudgery out of the way. It wasn’t that Big Sis had convinced me to live life on the straight and narrow as such, only that she wasn’t completely wrong about everything. I was already in the thick of it, I could at least appear to be doing something.
I found Reimu on the little porch that overlooked the lake, by the read entrance of the lodge. She was talking to one of the class reps … III-A? At any rate, she was frowning at her, every little bit of her tensed up body screaming, “This is a pain, can’t you take care of it?”
Before I had the chance to even begin to think through whether or not I should approach her, she noticed me. She belched smoke and fire as she approached me, with a scowl that could cause a dragon to get spooked and flee. “Where have you been?” she demanded an answer.
“Oh, you know, just doing this and that.”
“If you think that you’re going to pile all the work onto me this trip, then…”
“I won’t, promise,” I raised my hands up in a gesture of surrender. I smiled my best smile and withheld the snark, looking as respectable as I could ever hope to manage.
Reimu’s brown eyes scanned me from head to toe as she forced a skeptical little “hah” from her lips.
“You look lovey, by the way. Not very often I see you in normal clothes,” I said, meaning it. She wasn’t exactly the most fashionable of girls but she played to her strengths well, mainly using primary colors were framed by her longish hair around the back and that popped against her reasonably-fair skin. Her midriff was partially exposed due to the length of her top but I wasn’t about to complain. A practical getup for the summer, all things considered, not too far away from what Big Sis had been wearing.
She sighed. Then shook her head in an all-too-familiar fashion, stating, “At least I can almost always depend on you to be yourself. I bet you’ve been fantasizing all week about seeing everyone dressed for the summer.”
“And what’s wrong with that? So what if I wanted to see my cute president wearing something different?”
“I’d be much cuter if you actually helped out and did your share,” she fired back. Her mood wasn’t completely rotten if she was still capable of joking around. The tricky bit would be to push her buttons without going too far.
“Impossible. It’s your cuteness that assured your election as president.”
“Somehow I doubt it,” she shrugged, “more like no one else wanted to deal with the headache. I didn’t want to either but….”
“Yeah, I know,” I said with a nod. We had both been—more or less—drafted. If it was up to her she’d just as well lie around taking it easy, drinking tea and having snacks. Still, for whatever reason, whenever there was a fire that needed putting out she was expected to do something about it.
“Don’t you dare think you’re on the same as me!” she howled, reading my thoughts. It was a good natured howl, however. If I had to say, less lupine and more sheepdog-like. We both knew we weren’t the same. I wasn’t about to follow the rules unless I was being forced to; she had to keep up appearances and put in the hard work when prodded.
“Maybe this little tribute will earn your forgiveness,” I saw the opportunity to hand over Big Sis’ gift.
Reimu took a moment to look over the gift. She opened up the box and inspected the contents and gave a little grunt of approval. “That’s suspiciously thoughtful of you,” she commented, her softening tone betraying her returning cheer, “I don’t know how you managed to get these. Marisa once told me that they’re from an exclusive shop downtown.”
“Oh, I have my ways,” I said, knowing that there was no better thing to do but to act cool and mysterious. If she thought me dependable and serious, all the better.
Reimu took a bite of a small delicate white thing that seemed to have a bean paste filling. “Ah, that’s really good! Think I could forgive you for most things now.”
“Good. Might as well confess that I’m resigning my post effective immediately.”
The student council president rolled her eyes and took another bite, gingerly wiping an excess of paste from her small lips with a quick motion of her finger. After chewing, she said, “Well, if you’re going, then I’m not sharing these with you. They’re for council members only.”
“… Oh, then I guess I won’t be leaving then,” I replied and picked something from the box when she extended her hand towards me. I chewed lethargically, enjoying the mix of glutenous texture with the taste of matcha. It was only mildly sweet but it was pleasant to let it roll around on my tongue, slowly releasing its subdued flavor.
Reimu closed the box and looked around, seeing if anyone else happened to be paying attention to our exchange. No one was around, the closest group was by the shoreline, sitting and dipping their toes in the water. She stretched her torso up and stood on the tip of her toes. Her belly was exposed as the fabric was shrugged upwards momentarily. Was I about to be inducted into a conspiracy? What sort of deep, dark secrets could Reimu have? Would I have to swear some sort of sacred oath sealed with….
“Now that I have my trusty lieutenant ready to tackle the problems of the student body once again—” she whispered, causing me to lean forward. I watched her lips as they enunciated words slowly and deliberately, “—it’s only fair that we take things to the next level. Do you follow me?”
I nodded.
“Well then,” she leaned even closer, a coy smile wafting onto her lips, “follow me. Don’t say anything until I tell you to.”
The student council president beckoned me back to the lodge, to a small closet that was by the side of the entrance. Was she going to ask me inside and then close the door after she joined me—? I knew that was a silly thought but there was something earthy, something more solid about her presence that made me doubt my instincts. She pointed to something on the floor, commanding my gaze.
“Grab a pot or two and come with me if you like, we’re figuring out what works in the kitchen. We’re only committing to making dinner for everyone but it’ll take a to of work to figure out where everything is and to make sure it’s al in working order. I’ve got a helper already but more hands means that the work will go faster.”
“…”
“… What?” she giggled, knowing that she had gotten the better of me. Had she been in a poorer mood, she would not have bothered to set me up, to lead me by the nose. “Well, I know you’re disappointed but you have another option if you like. You saw me talking to Komeiji just now, right? As class rep she was asking about what sports equipment we had around and if it would be too much trouble to set it up. Think some of the people in her class wanted to play volleyball or something. I’m busy with the kitchen stuff so I told her to go ahead herself but I don’t think she liked the answer too much. If I’m honest, I don’t like how she’s always guessing and judging what I’m thinking so I didn’t much feel like helping out.”
“… And I’m the one that gets chewed out for shirking work.”
“You’re still not the same as me,” she laughed, but didn’t seem too upset by the implied comparison, “but, sure, whatever, I wouldn’t mind too much either way. Grab that box of stuff over there if you’re not coming with me.”
[] Help Reimu figure out things in the kitchen.
[] Grab the sports equipment and set things up outside.
I also really need to get more serious about my word limit or I'll die before the story is over.
[X] Help Reimu figure out things in the kitchen.
Woo! Yeah! Cooking!
And I can't in good conscience leave poor Reimu alone to sort out dinner by herself. That's not what a friend does!
>>I’ve got a helper already
Aunn?
[X] Help Reimu figure out things in the kitchen.
The president and vice-president are supposed to be a team! Besides, Reimu is cool.
[x] Grab the sports equipment and set things up outside.
Divide up the work so we can get more overall work done. Feeling like being a "responsible" vice president right now.
>She belched smoke and fire as she approached me, with a scowl that could cause a dragon to get spooked and flee.
Reimu with Lina Inverse energy. Cute.
>“And what’s wrong with that? So what if I wanted to see my cute president wearing something different?”
>“I’d be much cuter if you actually helped out and did your share,” she fired back.
I love how much of a grump she is. Seriously, it's endearing.
>“… What?” she giggled, knowing that she had gotten the better of me. Had she been in a poorer mood, she would not have bothered to set me up, to lead me by the nose.
Also love her slightly cheeky side.
[x] Grab the sports equipment and set things up outside.
As much as kitchen shenanigans can be fun, I feel like it does behoove Arc to try and relieve a bit of pressure here, since it's clear that Reimu does not savour the idea of dealing with a certain monke further. True, she might not necessarily end up involved in the situation, but it was at her behest, so it's not like the chance is zero. And, well, a little part of me hopes she might do. I've heard tell she looks ravishing in short shorts. Uki uki.
[X] Grab the sports equipment and set things up outside.
[X] Help Reimu figure out things in the kitchen.
[x] Grab the sports equipment and set things up outside.
Do Reimu a favor by dealing with unpleasant people for her.
>>70250
I was re-reading and noticed a small thing.
>She was talking to one of the class reps … III-A?
>III-A
>III
My recollection was that Arc and most of the school-aged characters are second-years. Is this an oversight, or have we skipped ahead a whole academic year? Unfortunate if so, considering upperclassmen in Japanese high schools basically have little room for much beyond getting prepared to graduate and tackle uni entrance exams.
>implying Arc isn't repeating a year
After wishing me good luck, Reimu slunk away and let me get to it. Not that what I had to do was altogether clear—aside from the heavy box, there were a few odds and ends lying on a shelf that looked remotely relevant. I took the lot of them outside in two short trips, figuring that the area some ways away from the cabins and lodge was probably the ideal spot to set things up.
The grassy area that, between the trees and the lake, marked the approach to the buildings wasn’t particularly large. The terrain sloped in places—unevenly—and the unbroken flat portions were at a premium. I figured I could set aside enough room for maybe a not-too-big pitch, maybe find space for some other activities with creative demarcations. Something had been mentioned about volleyball but I wasn’t too sure if that would work out—the shore wasn’t very rocky in our sector but neither was it pure soft sand that caresses feet and cushions shapely butts after a fall. It was the coarse sort of stuff, which meant that it was a better idea to keep shoes on in case there was the odd pebble mixed-in. My dreams of glistening skin with splotches of white sand clinging onto it, scandalous bikinis likewise marked, and youthful energy driving their movement seemed painfully remote.
Some of the others had noticed what I had been up to. Extending collapsible poles and driving them into the earth was fairly conspicuous activity, after all. Wielding authority I didn’t really have (speaking in a loud and firm voice) I recruited others to do most of my work for me. It took no time at all to set up the pitch, marking off the sides with chalk, unfurl and hang a nets, and get various types of balls inflated. It didn’t seem like they minded the less-than-ideal conditions, either. An impromptu game of footie started up with a couple of the girls and boys playing mixed teams.
“So she did listen to me, after all,” by way of greeting, the class rep of III-A spoke at me. Did she expect me to slag off Reimu? I looked at her, finding that she was looking straight ahead, past our laughing and playing classmates, at the mountain on the other side of the lake.
“You don’t look too pleased about that,” I remarked casually, as if I was talking to no one in particular.
Komeiji was impassive. I didn’t shy away from giving her a more sustained look. Her hair was on the messier side of things, the ends waving in various directions and only held back from absolute chaos by a simple thin headband that cross the top front of her head; it almost looked like she had just gotten out of bed and I didn’t recall her being quite so slovenly at school. She wore a dark and thin hoodie that was too baggy for her small frame. Underneath that was a simple blouse. Below that, she wore a short but modest skirt, pleated and with a subtle flowery print pattern. While I was most assuredly one of the first people to crow about shapely and slender legs, there wasn’t much to write home about when it came to her. Her pale skin was likewise more of the kind that came from a life spent indoors instead of natural hue.
“Are you done?” she asked and raised an eyebrow, turning her eyes to me for the first time. I got the unambiguous impression that I didn’t impress her much.
“Huh?”
“You’re sizing me up, trying to think up lines that you can use to hit on me,” her voice was steady, like she had been called on to read something from a textbook in class.
“Was it something on my face? Maybe I’m smirking to myself again?” I tried to make a joke of it.
The joke did not land. Komeiji looked away and shrugged. Off in the distance, I though I heard nasally laugh.
“… Thinking of doubling down?” she asked.
“Might as well,” I said, unwilling to feel intimidated by the preemptive riposte, “the flowery stuff looks good on you. Makes you seem like—“
“—a thorny rose?” she interrupted.
“You said it, not me,” I laughed, “I was going to say a sensitive soul.”
At that, the corner of her lip turned upward and her left cheek raised itself. It was with great a clear degree of self-satisfaction that she asked, “It’s that sort of wit that makes the others all crazy for you, isn’t it?”
“I do alright.”
“That must by why Rin keeps saying that she’d like to kick your smarmy ass.”
“See?” I laughed even louder than before, “she’s crazy about me. Absolutely head-over-heels.”
“It’s tiresome to be around unjustifiable know-it-alls like you. You get that, right?”
“Is that why you’re here alone instead of playing with the others?”
“Ah, pretty rude to say,” Komeiji shook her head but didn’t seem like she had taken it to heart. I could appreciate that she was capable of both dishing it and taking it. And I thought that, maybe, she appreciated that about me too. Maybe it was just my imagination but she smirked a little less than before.
“Not the athletic type then?”
“I’m here to do my duties as class representative. After that, I’m going to work on a little project.”
Right, she was a member of the art club. Painter, maybe other stuff as well. A change of scenery, away from the city, was probably the sort of stuff that helped with inspiration and helped with creativity. Not that I really knew about that sort of thing; when it came the arts the best I could do was stick figures nor could I play an instrument very well.
Komeiji’s mention of Kaenbyou plus that nasally laugh made me look around to see if she was about. Couldn’t spot her. Everyone I did see was either busy running around and having a good time or were in groups that were chatting among themselves. The only ones paying attention to us was a pair of transfer students who were sharing a pair of earbuds and listening to something together. They were standing off to one side of the main pitch—one had short blonde hair, the other darker and longer hair. All that I knew about them was that they came from another town. I wasn’t even sure if they were under-classmates or not. But I did recognize a familiar face beside them: Reisen. Although, she seemed to be engrossed with some sort of portable gaming device. After a nudge from the blonde, Reisen looked up, met my look and offered a polite little wave before returning to her game.
Some of the others nearby were beginning to organize a volleyball game and were putting together teams. Reisen and the other two girls moved forward. It looked like they had been waiting around just for that.
“She would love it if you joined her,” Komeiji said. Had she been watching me? An eyebrow was skeptically raised at me, in a sort of accusatory manner. “Then again, the same could be said for so many others, right? Always waiting, hoping to share a genuine moment, but almost always left disappointed.”
I could not say if her harshness was done just for her own amusement. Yes, she did smile in a suggestive manner, in a manner that suggested that she knew how to needle others very effectively if she chose to do so. But the matter-of-fact delivery made her seem detached at the same time, like she didn’t really care and wasn’t actually getting much out of it.
All I had to say for myself was a non-sequitur, “Comb your hair when you get the chance.”
A low rumble of air barely cleared her throat. Was it a grunt or a laugh?
[] Partner up with Reisen.
[] Stick to the acerbic artist.
>My dreams of glistening skin with splotches of white sand clinging onto it, scandalous bikinis likewise marked, and youthful energy driving their movement seemed painfully remote.
Beach episode dreams crushed. Isn't it sad, Arc-chin?
>the shore wasn’t very rocky in our sector but neither was it pure soft sand that caresses feet and cushions shapely butts after a fall.
>caresses feet and cushions shapely butts
>caresses feet
>feet
Arc, I...
>Wielding authority I didn’t really have [...] I recruited others to do most of my work for me.
Like prez, like vice prez. Funny how Arc says he's not cut out for the position, and yet here we are.
>III-A
I went back and checked, and it was II-A before, so the question still stands: mistake, retcon, or indirect hint at the passage of time? I mean, I'd be down for Monke-senpai, though nothing seems to indicate that.
>it almost looked like [Satori] had just gotten out of bed and I didn’t recall her being quite so slovenly at school
>sickly pale
>rail thin
Now that's a slightly more modern archetype, don't you think? Not that it isn't cute in its own way. Perhaps Arc could pick her up and carry her on his back just to tease her.
>Below that, she wore a short but modest skirt, pleated and with a subtle flowery print pattern.
>“Might as well,” I said, unwilling to feel intimidated by the preemptive riposte, “the flowery stuff looks good on you. Makes you seem like—“
>“—a thorny rose?” she interrupted.
Nice design nod. I sometimes forget about the little rose motif with the monke. And, well, it certainly fits her in this incarnation. Thorny, indeed.
>“It’s tiresome to be around unjustifiable know-it-alls like you. You get that, right?”
>“Is that why you’re here alone instead of playing with the others?”
>“Ah, pretty rude to say,” Komeiji shook her head but didn’t seem like she had taken it to heart. I could appreciate that she was capable of both dishing it and taking it. And I thought that, maybe, she appreciated that about me too. Maybe it was just my imagination but she smirked a little less than before.
Heh. I love how this both acknowledges and slightly muddies the 'mind-reader' thing with her; it's funny to think that she could just be a bit of a smart-ass popping off at the mouth too. I mean, Arc's done similar kinds of things, though his observations and assumptions tend to go off into the realm of delusion at times.
>“That must by why Rin keeps saying that she’d like to kick your smarmy ass.”
>“See?” I laughed even louder than before, “she’s crazy about me. Absolutely head-over-heels.”
You know, I did like Arc's thing with Orin. She had a bit more of a bite than a stock tsundere, and it was fun to watch her get knocked off balance at least a couple of times. Too bad about Arc's serious case of low attention span.
>Not that I really knew about that sort of thing; when it came the arts the best I could do was stick figures nor could play an instrument very well.
Well, shit, Arc, why not get Satori-senpai's loving coaching? It'd probably be brutal as hell and involve a lot of verbal abuse, but you're that sort of guy, right?
[x] Stick to the acerbic artist.
I'll be real here: I think Arc would probably enjoy playing with the buns more. That said, I don't know if 'enjoyment' is necessarily the way to lean here, considering Arc does have some impetus to play the responsible vice prez. He's mostly done as asked and could reasonably just leave things there, but it might be good to follow up with the monke and see if she doesn't want a banana anything else from the prez. If nothing else, maybe there's a little insight to be found about the prez, her deal with the monke, and maybe some other things. A cat is fine, too.
Besides that, even if she's thorny, it's possible that Satori isn't completely checked out of interacting with others. I don't think she's necessarily a 'loner in her shell', but I don't think she's entirely not that, either. If she were just a self-absorbed type who don't need no human interaction, then I doubt she'd be on the trip. At least, the impression towards the beginning was that it was very much a voluntary thing, so she did choose to come along. Could be for Orin, but who knows, right?
>>70266
[X] Partner up with Reisen.
These daily updates are very good! I hope you're well.
I like this 'Satori' character! pray tell, If we were to select her option, would that mean we'd be playing volleyball with her? If so, I should like to choose that option, as watching those who are of untempered body attempt the use of their ill - maintained vessel is very entertaining!
>> The only ones paying attention to us was a pair of transfer students who were sharing a pair of earbuds and listening to something together. They were standing off to one side of the main pitch—one had short blonde hair, the other darker and longer hair. All that I knew about them was that they came from another town. I wasn’t even sure if they were under-classmates or not. But I did recognize a familiar face beside them: Reisen. Although, she seemed to be engrossed with some sort of portable gaming device. After a nudge from the blonde, Reisen looked up, met my look and offered a polite little wave before returning to her game.
And I hope this isn't annoying, but I just wanted to point out some sentences i thought were weird.
>> The grassy area that, between the trees and the lake, that marked the approach
>> It was the course sort of stuff,
>> The terrain sloped in places—unevenly—and the flat terrain was at a premium.
>> minded the less-than-ideals conditions
>> nor could play an instrument very well.
>> another person in a the right spots
>> made her seem a detached at the same time
>>70266
>>70267
I'd really go back and consider what it is you actually want to vote for if I was you. I can tell you already that Teruyo won't accept this vote.
From >>70250, consider:
>I don't want to go against the numbers too often but I do want to emphasize the importance of stated wants and reasoning. (Comments about stuff in the update beside choices are appreciated too and can be taken into consideration when writing.)
In other words, the votes themselves aren't the entire point; it's literally not about which number is higher. It's just as integral, if not moreso, that they come from a place of actual consideration, even if it's something very glancing and not entirely serious. You could literally talk about the most inane things like, say, wanting to pick Satori up by her stick legs and put her in a giant swing, or wondering what Reisen's favourite Game Boy game is. Hell, it could be as simple as just saying you think rabbits are cute. At the very least, that's a thought of some sort expressed, which is the real important thing here.
It really doesn't require agonising and strategising, nor does it even require justification. There's just got to be some kind of sentiment expressed there, even in its most mild form. Even confusion or a simple want for clarification is better than silence and a mechanically churned-out vote.
I say all this not to castigate you, anon, but because it's important that as many people do engage as much as possible to ensure this story lives. It is important, though, to understand that there are terms of engagement that have been stated and won't really be compromised on.
>>70268
>“I’m here to do my duties as class representative. After that, I’m going to work on a little project.”
Doesn't really seem to imply she has any inclination towards joining in. It'd be funny, but somehow I doubt she can really be forced into it. More likely, she's just hanging around to do due diligence in making sure no one's getting killed before going off and doing a painting or something. Perhaps she might even try doing both of those things at once.
Then again, perhaps Arc could spontaneously discover his inner performance artist and rope the monke into some nonsense to annoy her.
>>70268
>If we were to select her option, would that mean we'd be playing volleyball with her?
Only Reisen is explicitly volleyball. There are hints about what Satori might do if you spend time with her.
(Because of the large cast, choices are broadly three sorts of categories: "where" you go or a sort of general attitude, "who" you talk to, and "how" you relate to someone or deal with an issue; the last one usually follows one of the first two and only involves a single character at a time.)
>typos and mistakes
That's worst part of having to write quickly in order to conform to a schedule. My very brief and swift check before posting sometimes misses a lot of things. (I overlook stuff even when not having to deal with daily updates :/ ) Fixable but a bit of a pain. Don't worry, it's not annoying to have it pointed out—just embarrassing!
>>70270
>There are hints about what Satori might do if you spend time with her.
Dodge your attempts at catching her in a net whilst sick DnB plays?
[X] Stick to the acerbic artist.
Really hard choice here, but I think I'll go with Satori. Compared to the others, we don't really know her much other than from our limited interactions. But from what's presented, she seems to be someone who's avoided by others, and Arc's got a duty to provide "counsel" as a representative to Big Sis.
Also, I wanna know more about her and her project.
>>70262
>>70265
My memory may be failing me, but I thought the story started with them as second-years and transitioned into their third year. Either way, no biggie.
Alas, it seems that there will be no panted protesting, nor any comedic descriptions of ungainly movement not unlike that of a startled stick insect...
I shall cast my lot with "Satori" regardless! because her wit is entertaining, and I am also an appreciator of art.
[X] Stick to the acerbic artist.
Her favorite Gameboy game is Super Momotarou Dentetsu II. Don't ask how I know this, it's just a special feeling I get sometimes.
[X] Partner up with Reisen.
If she needs a student council intervention due to being an aloof outcast, that's one thing, but there's no need to sacrifice fun for work at the current juncture.
>>70272
I don't remember it ever being said anywhere explicitly that the term changed, but I guess it's possible? Really feels like something that would have been called out in some way, but memory is a tricky thing.
>>70273
There's always time for one side or other to suddenly need a substitute player.
>>70274
Seems a little slow for an active bunny. Her most major appearance prior cast her as the fighting game type. I don't remember much of that in the Game Boy library, so she'd probably make do with any number of platformers or something of the sort. Or Tetris, if she's into puzzle games at all.
Komeiji stood around for some time watching, not watching, doing whatever it was that she was doing in silence. I had the feeling that the aloofness was a calculated and deliberate plot, something to get me to be bored and lose interest. All things considered, it wasn’t a bad strategy. I was surrounded by classmates who I could talk to instead—Reisen, for one, but I thought I spied the earnest Konpaku there somewhere as well (wearing athletic shorts, no less!) and … was that also Inubashiri running around on the pitch? It was a matter of time before I got distracted or began to bother someone else from her perspective.
“You better just give up,” I voiced my thoughts, “I’d like to more time with you. Unless you tell me to sod off and die in no uncertain terms, I’ll stick around. And even then….” I trailed of not really wanting to list the mitigating factors I was already thinking up nor the lovable persistence that I was known for.
“Harassment, is it?” her question sounded more like a statement. A thin, taut, smile on her lips looked like it would dissolve into sand if I touched it. Of course, she meant to add that it would be a bad thing for the vice president to be credibly accused of anything untoward by a student, let alone a class rep of good standing. Though, given who much she seemed to feel she understood my thinking, she also probably supposed that I didn’t particularly care about my reputation.
“If you tried escaping, might be good exercise,” I joked, “Nice day out and all, perfect for a run.”
“Alright,” she nodded. Her smile vanished slowly as she relaxed her lips. A sort of bloodless expression took form in her face, one that seemed to suggest that the vital rosiness that had been previously present in her cheeks and lips was something of an ebb tide that had flowed to a distant sea that I could not reach. Compared to the long-legged girls with brilliant, tumbling hair and sparkling eyes, who were already busy practicing their serves, Komeiji looked small and matte. She took a few ungainly steps away from the rest of our classmates, slowly following the nearby shoreline in the opposite direction.
I watched her thin legs, as pale as her face, move away unhurriedly. I followed, compelled to chase after someone deliberately choosing to run as slowly as possible. I kept quiet, took to her side, and it seemed that she had resigned myself to my presence.
We went past the lodge, past the cabins, the bathrooms, and past many of the common spaces. The mirthful voices of our peers faded away surprisingly quickly. The woods began to encroach on the shoreline and the terrain became rougher, with large rocks a few boulders resting by the water’s edge. The weather-worn walls of the large building on the distant peninsula became visible again. For a moment I thought that that might have been our destination, that we were going to hike for a while, but Komeiji stopped within a small inlet, one that was camouflaged from our campsite by tall and leafy trees and only had a view of the sprawling lake ahead and the mountains opposite. She climbed onto a large, flat boulder that anchored the space, turned to look to me as if to invite me to join her.
“My workshop,” she announced with a parody of a dramatic sweep, her arm moving like slack rope. There was room on the rock for a desk, maybe a chair, and a few bits of equipment. I could picture her busy at work at her outdoor atelier, with the isolation of nature action like four walls and a roof.
“I take it that I’m your project?” I gave her a wink, hoping to get more of a reaction out of her.
“More of a tool,” she replied. There was a pause—one somehow akin to the flicker of a flame, a blurred image beyond frosted glass—and Komeiji bent down to reach for a bag that had been left in the crevice between rocks. In that short amount of time, hints of color—if not to say color in all of its bold imposition—had returned to her face. Komeiji’s lips now seemed almost fulsome by contrast, inflated by self-satisfaction and wetted by the prospect of indulgence.
I said nothing as I watched her as she got out a sketchbook and a few charcoal pencils. She sat down on the rock, cross-legged. I joined her. Though she did not open the book nor do much of anything at all, she seemed to be lost in thought. She mouthed a few words to herself and seemed to smile at them, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. A ritual before getting to work? I wasn’t sure but I got the feeling that she was also looking to me, observing me and what I did. Maybe I was getting a little full of myself but maybe I was her subject. In a way. Maybe. If so, was there something I was supposed to do?
[] Stay still and say nothing.
[] Offer to model for her.
[X] Stay still and say nothing.
As cool as it would be to be the subject of a painting, I think if Satori wanted us to she'd ask. barring her saying otherwise, I think she wants to do a landscape. Plus, I'd like to watch her work~
>A thin, taut, smile on her lips looked like it would dissolve into sand if I touched it.
A fragile smile is my weakness, I admit. I hate being a people-pleaser.
[x] Stay still and say nothing.
Enjoy the silence.
>I thought I spied the earnest Konpaku there somewhere as well (wearing athletic shorts, no less!)
Dammit! How do Arc's bully senses not go off immediately when such prime material is nearby? Such a clod. Then again, I guess his masochism overrides everything else.
>"[...] Unless you tell me to sod off and die in no uncertain terms, I’ll stick around. And even then….”
Quiet parts sometimes can stay quiet, Arc. We all know you're that type of guy. Next thing we know, you'll be asking her to spit on you as well.
>the lovable persistence that I was known for.
Yes, Arc, that's certainly a word for it.
>The weather-worn walls of the large building on the distant peninsula became visible again.
So that conspicuous old mansion continues to loom. Surely, it is a mere incidental detail. Surely, Arc won't end up approaching it for any reason — perhaps in the dead of night with other troublemaking students. Nor does the possibility exist that his girl-bro might drag him up there to unclear ends.
>She took a few ungainly steps away
>I watched her thin legs, as pale as her face, move away unhurriedly
>“My workshop,” she announced with a parody of a dramatic sweep, her arm moving like slack rope.
This puts me to mind of a languid version of the sort of deformed 'noodly creature' depictions you see of characters in some mangos; e.g., Nagatoro-san. A creepy noodly monke, in other words.
>A thin, taut, smile on her lips looked like it would dissolve into sand if I touched it.
>A sort of bloodless expression took form in her face, one that seemed to suggest that the vital rosiness that had been previously present in her cheeks and lips was something of an ebb tide that had flowed to a distant sea that I could not reach.
>There was a pause—one somehow akin to the flicker of a flame, a blurred image beyond frosted glass—and Komeiji bent down to reach for a bag that had been left in the crevice between rocks. In that short amount of time, hints of color—if not to say color in all of its bold imposition—had returned to her face.
I really love the bits of metaphor/simile sprinkled in here. It's like a careful use of colour to shade things and make them a tad more tangible. Evocative, that is to say.
>Komeiji’s lips now seemed almost fulsome by contrast, inflated by self-satisfaction and wetted by the prospect of indulgence.
Now, that's a pretty word usage. The way it verges on a pun makes me smirk like a monke no doubt would.
[x] Offer to model for her.
I'm pretty sure she's expecting that Arc will make such an offer, if only to be clownish. Perhaps she's willing to take the battle of wills to its extremes and will counter an understated modelling offer by saying it has to be a nude, predicting Arc will double down, hoping to make him look ever more the fool. At that point, he'll counter her counter — or so she predicts — with a stipulation that he not be the only one in the buff, which she will act like she's reluctantly obliging. Then, the cameras will go off. Caught in the act. The buffoon's buttocks will be plastered in full glory on the school newspaper's front, regulations be damned.
Or so Arc's manga-fed delusions tell him. Either way, seems like there's two possibilities here: One, she hasn't actually decided on anything to draw yet; two, she's not inclined to let Arc see anything she's working on and just wants to wear him down. I guess there is also the possibility that, even should he offer to model and she were to accept, there's no guarantee that what she ends up drawing would even acknowledge Arc at all.
Anyway, it's the role of a good vice prez to be a tool, so a tool Arc shall (continue to) be.
>>70278
She's been pretty good at assuming things from Arc thus far, so I'm pretty sure she at least knows he'd ask and is prepared with some rejoinder or other. If nothing else, it's an opening to pelt him with the knowledge that he knows nothing of art.
>>70279
Damn you! Damn you! Just when I think I'm forgetting, it comes straight back for me!
>>70280
Oh, right, I forgot the possibility that Orin is lurking in the bush, come to laugh at Arc when he invariably makes a fool of himself. Maybe Satori is even waiting for her. Maybe the whole thing is a setup so Orin can get a lick in whilst his attention is on the monke. Or maybe it's revenge for his cack-handed re-traumatisation of Okuu.
I feel like Orin is going to out herself at some point if she's around, in any case. Can't hold in that nasally laugh.
[x] Stay still and say nothing.
Arc can hold himself back from being a tool, if only for a moment.
I kept quiet. Komeiji did as well. Other than the occasional dull noise from slow-moving gusts of wind, the tweeting of birds was the only sound I could distinguish at the isolated inlet.
Things were peaceful and I found myself staring up and towards the horizon, lulled into a familiar state of comfort. The view of a clear sky with white and shiny clouds drifting at a leisurely pace was the same as that on the rooftop; many of the hours I had spent avoiding class involved just lying down under the sun, left alone with my thoughts as my eyes focused on nothing but the vast blue expanse above. Suika regularly kept me company on that flat, occasionally hot, roof . We talked, played around, and even fought with some regularity—but, mostly, we simply shared the space, shared the quiet awe of all the possibilities promised by the sky. Obviously, the blue sky and nice little fluffy clouds didn’t belong to us and loads of other people also liked them. But there was a feeling of a particular shared experience that was hard to really explain to anyone else. There were no worries and nothing but ourselves there—even time seemed to take a break.
I looked at Komeiji more critically, finding that she still remained unreadable. Were we sharing the moment, the experience, in the same way? I felt like asking would be an imposition and undermine the possibility in some unspecified way. She did seem to be staring off into the distance at well but it was difficult to say if her gaze was directed at the lake, at the forest beyond, the mountains, or the sky. It wasn’t directed at me nor at her sketchbook—she held the latter close to her chest, the plain grey-brown cardboard cover bending slightly.
I wondered if her partial dishevelment was a deliberate strategy. Even I wasn’t so conceited to think that it was specifically targeted at me but maybe it was a way to avoid too much attention—or maybe it was a protest against all the others who likely spent hours agonizing about their wardrobe and how they’d come across during the trip. I had overheard some of the boys talking between classes about wanting to make a good impression and talking about what was in at the moment. My approach had been much more pragmatic: I stuffed whatever comfortable clean clothes I had within reach into into my bag the night before. Of course there were people around me that criticized my approach but….
More importantly, I thought that Komeiji was doing herself a big disservice. She had good features, like small, vaguely rounded ears that were partially hidden by her hair. They complemented a similarly cute nose that had a simple curve outwards. Those eyes of hers seemed distant, normally, but that could be forgiven as a simple showing of restraint as the sparkles of animation that came about without warning made her whole face glow with clear character. This effect was complemented by her lips which could also seem deceptively sallow but I had seen enough to believe that that was not their real nature.
Finding that not much about her seemed to change, I was drawn back towards the sky. Given enough time and little in the way of developments, I rested on my elbows and leaned back. Then, on my back. I trusted my ears to alert me to any developments. If Komeiji was drawing she did so very quietly while continuing to pay me no mind. Just a thorny rose quietly blooming on her own terms….
I lost my sense of time. At some point I had fallen asleep, comfortably swaddled by my own thoughts. When I opened my eyes I found Komeiji leaning over me, staring at my face. When she noticed that I was waking, she did not move away nor pretend that she hadn’t been staring. Her expression was one of very mild interest and even that felt like an overstatement.
“Oh, what are you doing?” I asked.
“Reading your mind,” she answered without hesitating. Her eyebrows moved towards knitting themselves but froze midway and then and relaxed into a more indifferent default. She retreated and gave me some space. It may have been my imagination but I perceived the scent of something like flower petals mixed with something earthier, almost astringent, which lingered in the air for a moment.
“Did I have anything interesting on my mind?” I asked, “Anything I should know?”
“Maybe,” came the evasive reply.
“Managed to draw anything?”
“Was I supposed to?”
“No, but I assumed that you were going to use the sketchpad and pencils.”
Komeiji sighed. Her lips—still retaining some color—pursed in what I assumed was disappointment. I sat up. I had been out for a good chunk of time. The sun was no longer as high in the sky and it was already well into afternoon. As it was summer, there was still a good chunk of daylight left. Also, Komeiji had taken off her baggy hoodie at some point, maybe due to the heat. She looked more dainty with only her short-sleeved blouse on as it had frills on both the edges of her collar and sleeves.
“At least I hope I wasn’t terrible company,” I said, trying to get a sense of what she was thinking. An artist’s soul was difficult to understand. “I don’t know if you wanted to talk about what you were doing but I got the feeling that you wanted quiet while you worked.”
“Not the worst company, but didn’t add much,” she said. It was a blunt admission and it sounded more like a dispassionate statement than an opportunity to tease. “I thought to wake you because I was going. Glad you’re up.”
“At least you like me enough to not just abandon me,” I laughed, putting a positive spin on things.
“Are you hoping I’ll blush at the suggestion? Or maybe that I’ll be bold enough declare my undying, maidenly, love for you?”
“Oh, so you can read minds!” I used the opportunity to introduce more levity. “Quick! What am I thinking of right now?”
“The sort of thing that would get you slapped by someone more sensitive,” she replied.
“Yeah, but you didn’t have to be a mind reader to get that one,” I said and grinned. That my thoughts had been of something else was of no consequence. It seemed to be the case that she liked to believe herself unflappable or, at least, in always in command of the facts. An artist of a more general sort. Someone who believed they had a feel for the psychology of characters and ‘knows’ what they’re going to say. It wouldn’t have surprised me if it turned out that she also wrote stuff. Would tick another box.
“Indeed,” she agreed and allowed a degree of self-satisfaction to shine through as before. Grabbing the bag to which she had likely returned the sketchbook, she stood and made ready to leave. She was tired of the inlet or of me. Either way, she was going to return to camp. There was no reason for me to stay by myself.
[] Try to learn more about her art and vision. Is she coming back to do more tomorrow?
[] Try to get a more genuine reaction from her. She’s not immune to getting flustered.
[X] Try to get a more genuine reaction from her. She’s not immune to getting flustered.
OK, so now Arc can go make a fool of himself.
Sleeping on the job, Arc? Tut tut.
>But there was a feeling of a particular shared experience that was hard to really explain to anyone else. There were no worries and nothing but ourselves there—even time seemed to take a break.
Interesting that, of all times, Arc thinks of his girl-bro now and in relation to an unspoken intimacy of theirs. It's a pretty stark contrast to the sometimes tumultuous relationship they have when they're speaking. Perhaps Arc subconsciously feels a similar sort of thing with Satori. He just can't help being pulled towards girls who put up high walls, I guess.
>little fluffy clouds
You know, Bob was a hit in Japan way back when. I feel like this is supposed to be sometime in the '90s, though probably early-ish '90s if so. The time periods could align, maybe? Just saying; maybe Arc's seen a programme or two and thought of dabbling in the oils too.
>she held the [sketchbook] close to her chest, the plain grey-brown cardboard cover bending slightly
Seems about as protective as I'd have guessed. Arc seeing anything in there would probably involve a real uphill battle.
>Of course there were people around me that criticized my approach but….
Including a certain childhood friend? Maybe that was the spark that lit the fire? I mean, we don't even know how recently their little spat was; it could have been pretty recently.
>She had good features, like small, vaguely rounded ears that were partially hidden by her hair.
First his Tanizaki shows; now his Murakami is showing.
>When I opened my eyes I found Komeiji leaning over me, staring at my face.
Maybe she sketched him whilst he was asleep? Maybe she doodled on his face and he hasn't noticed yet? Maybe Orin hopped out of hiding to doodle on his face?
>Her lips—still retaining some color—pursed in what I assumed was disappointment.
The repeated calls to colour and pallor with her give me cause to wonder. Is colour good or bad? It's hard to tell, honestly.
>“Not the worst company, but didn’t add much,” she said. It was a blunt admission and it sounded more like a dispassionate statement than an opportunity to tease.
Oof. Pretty much 'I don't hate it'.
>It seemed to be the case that she liked to believe herself unflappable or, at least, in always in command of the facts. An artist of a more general sort. Someone who believed they had a feel for the psychology of characters and ‘knows’ what they’re going to say.
She certainly likes to present that sort of character, yes. How much of that is genuine, though? Does she even know? I wonder if she's the sort who's seven layers deep in her own irony and can't even tell what's a genuine self is anymore. Maybe that's the defence mechanism at play. Or maybe she's just boring and self-conscious about it.
>It wouldn’t have surprised me if it turned out that she also wrote stuff. Would tick another box.
Why are you calling me out, Teruyo? What did I do to you?
[x] Try to learn more about her art and vision. Is she coming back to do more tomorrow?
This is how you ensure the flow of monke.
More seriously, I kind of feel like maybe Satori could be on the syllabus for Arc under Big Sis's agenda at this point. We haven't been told as such, but we also haven't been told a lot as regards the aims of the trip or what Yuyuko is expecting. If that's even close to true, then perhaps it would be good to try and find that sort of comfy, cozy time to spend with the monke. If nothing else, maybe it could mitigate troubles for Reimu.
Or maybe it'll just be interesting and Arc can learn something about art instead of remaining a boor. Who knows?
> like small, vaguely rounded ears that were partially hidden by her hair
monke
>she held the [sketchbook] close to her chest, the plain grey-brown cardboard cover bending slightly
I should have known, ah... not even a glimpse...
[X] Try to learn more about her art and vision. Is she coming back to do more tomorrow?
Persistence! One day we might be able to see the bared contents of her notebook; I am for now content to imagine the delicate, lacelike linework upon supple pages that must be contained within...
[X] Try to learn more about her art and vision. Is she coming back to do more tomorrow?
[X] Try to learn more about her art and vision. Is she coming back to do more tomorrow?
Let's try not to upset the mind reading monkey here.
[x] Try to get a more genuine reaction from her. She’s not immune to getting flustered.
Not the worst company, huh? Then we're not trying hard enough.
>>70289
A bit of snooping in the art room back at school would probably turn something more finished up. I remember her doing oils, I think?
>>70291
Don't think there's any particular big 'or else' at risk with Satori... unless maybe Big Sis is involved. It's (probably) mostly just the risk of being left wondering about that mysterious arty girl.
>>70292
Do you really think Arc has what it takes to shock the monkey?
I patted myself free of dust and dirt before following her off the boulder with a short jump. At the lip of the inlet, she gave the area one final look over her shoulder, barely moving her upper body. It struck me as a forced sort of gesture, one that wasn’t exactly directed at me but it was also was just a little. What it was meant to convey, I couldn’t say.
At the very least, she was less tight-lipped than before. While walking beside her, she deigned to engage in pointless chitchat, even throwing a patronizing smile or two as she remarked about my persistence. Art, vision? She wasn’t as deluded as all that—not that she explained much but it didn’t seem like she belonged to a particular school or exclusively tried in a style. Best I could figure she liked to experiment and have elements from this or that. The vagueness with all of that was also due to my vacuity; I didn’t know the first thing about art … I could draw decently for an amateur and had gotten by in art class but if I was honest, if I had to pick, I’d go with photography for an artsy hobby—‘course I’d never tell Aya that!
Regardless, I thought I still had a good eye for beauty. Or at least, sizing truth up. Wasn’t art about those things? I asked Komeiji and her reply was a small titter, a not-too-unpleasant one at that. There was subtlety to her condescension just like there was more to the way she carried about; she may have seemed unassuming physically but she also had a certain boyish swagger that made itself known with the way she walked without minding others. Though, perhaps, it was less subtle than I thought and was closer to something petulant and adolescent and was the product of having a chip on her shoulder, of being against the whatevers and whoevers of the world. At present, chances were that I was the avatar of all of that.
Dignity—or at least decorum—likely kept her in check to an extent. Komeiji answered quietly, like it involved someone else, that she would continue to do what she wanted whenever she had spare time. I took it to mean that that meant that, yes, she would be going back to the inlet and she would be continuing her art. “Wasn’t it lonely to be away from everyone else?” To that question she simply shrugged, as if daring me to assume whether my company would be welcome or not. Sensing that I was undecided about her own ambivalence, she thanked me doing my best impression of a muse. With that irony-laden barb, we parted company. I watched as she disappeared around the corner of a cabin.
The energy around the camp was lower than it had been in the morning and early afternoon. Fatigue from the hike was setting in and a number of peers had dragged out chairs from the lodge to rest under the shade of awnings and talk in smaller discrete groups. As far as I could tell, the raucous games by the far side that I had set up had ended and only a few people were bothering at all with the grassy area. The most active group that I could spy sat at the edge of the pier, casting a pair of fishing rods off the end. Where they had gotten the fishing equipment I hadn’t a clue. No one had bothered to try out one of the rowboats yet.
Fresh from my nap, I felt like I was raring to do something. Didn’t matter what. It felt a little depressing to see everyone in a slump. I knew that it wasn’t the entirety of the group and that many had likely splintered off to explore the woods or were checking out the other buildings around the camp. Though I had been told, generally, about the amenities available it seemed like there was a lot that had been left unmentioned. I was unsure of what to do but I did know that I didn’t want to go back to the lodge and risk getting sucked into Big Sis’ orbit again. She’d say something about idle hands, I’d make a joke, and then my time would not be my own again.
Perhaps the best move would be to get away from the low-energy masses for the time being. There would be food just before it got dark and everyone would be in higher spirits then. For the time being I needed someone to match my own energy, someone who wasn’t afraid to live life.
[] Only Suika’s irrepressible energy and love for fun and adventure could fit the bill.
[] Find and extricate Marisa from whatever she’s doing and figure something out.
>but if I was honest, if I had to pick, I’d go with photography for an artsy hobby—‘course I’d never tell Aya that!
Gee, Arc, you have a cute, cheeky, assertive girl into photography who's literally said she fancied you at one point, has left the door open in spite of your bullshit, and you won't even create a bit of shared ground? You are an absolute dolt, lad. Shamefur dispray.
>At the lip of the inlet, she gave the area one final look over her shoulder, barely moving her upper body. It struck me as a forced sort of gesture, one that wasn’t exactly directed at me but it was also was just a little.
>Art, vision? She wasn’t as deluded as all that—not that she explained much but it didn’t seem like she belonged to a particular school or exclusively tried in a style. Best I could figure she liked to experiment and have elements from this or that.
>Though, perhaps, it was less subtle than I thought and was closer to something petulant and adolescent and was the product of having a chip on her shoulder, of being against the whatevers and whoevers of the world. At present, chances were that I was the avatar of all of that.
>Sensing that I was undecided about her own ambivalence, she thanked me doing my best impression of a muse.
You know, I'm getting the sense that this monke is actually a bit of a poseur. It certainly fits the adolescent age of the characters — the need to put on a certain image, to stake one's place in the social theatre. Kind of makes me wonder if there's actually anything in that sketchbook. Maybe she's put so much pressure on herself to produce and conform to an image that she's actually running dry. If they really are third-years now, it could be the time squeeze to get something done by the end-of-youth deadline putting her in a creative bind.
Or maybe she's just the type to pick up radio waves.
>The most active group that I could spy sat at the edge of the pier, casting a pair of fishing rods off the end. Where they had gotten the fishing equipment I hadn’t a clue.
Leave it to fishing maniacs enthusiasts to always be ready to fish as soon as there's an opportunity.
>No one had bothered to try out one of the rowboats yet.
Well, if there were a certain Tenshi in this story...
>Fresh from my nap, I felt like I was raring to do something. Didn’t matter what. It felt a little depressing to see everyone in a slump.
Funny how Arc is so relatable. Especially here.
[x] Only Suika’s irrepressible energy and love for fun and adventure could fit the bill.
I feel like this kind of goes without saying, but time waits for no one, and Arc has been pretty terrible to his girl-bro. I mean, she outright expected that he'd ditch her quickly. Yeah, her idea of fun and adventure can cause trouble, but it's a bunch of teenagers out in the woods. When isn't there going to be trouble? May as well stage-manage it a bit, if we want to take the cynical realpolitik tack of the vice prez. More importantly, though, seriously, Arc, time's ticking.
Beyond girl-bros, I guess there's also the vague possibility Arc could sweep Reimu into things and get her to cut loose, too. I get the impression she's been running herself ragged on account of her position, and ToY showed that she was definitely under a lot of pressure already. Hell, maybe Arc, Suika, and Reimu could all have a drink together, given we know the prez isn't above a tipple. Just hope it doesn't create any drama if it comes to that; who know what sort of hideous declarations could be made drinking around a campfire.
It would be nice if there were some way to include, you know, addressing Alice in here, but that seems tricky. Last time Marisa was involved, Alice wasn't anywhere around, so I kind of wonder if that's the case here. I kind of bet the witchlet is chasing more people for her club. At the very least, she might still be working over Narumi. I mean, who could blame her? Cute pigtails and all.
As an aside, it'd be nice to get some newer 'hus into things. The Beast Realm characters do seem to be trouble, and getting anywhere near them with Suika has been hinted as being a bad idea, but who knows? Perhaps a certain dragon-turtle can be reasonable. Or maybe a certain sheep can make for fun company. There's also the hinted yamawaro presence from the beginning, though I suspect they're probably a bit obnoxious; still might be interesting if Arc somehow ends up tangled in their forest ninja-wannabe shenanigans. Maybe if he and Suika stray out a ways...
Intrusions and/or interruptions involving slugs, monkes, cats, or — heaven forbid — cheeky rich girls wouldn't be unwelcome, either.
[X] Only Suika’s irrepressible energy and love for fun and adventure could fit the bill.
Strange to find a cow in the woods, especially one slamming beer.
Suika's all alone in that thar fo-rest - drinking on your own is just bitter. Marisa's prolly got her own thing she's busy doing.
[X] Only Suika’s irrepressible energy and love for fun and adventure could fit the bill.
I know it was for a good reason, but not hanging out with Suika was unfortunate. We should rectify that.
[X] Only Suika’s irrepressible energy and love for fun and adventure could fit the bill.
Marisa. Not even once.
Because, if only for the sake of variety, I feel like playing devil's advocate for a bit...
>>70298
Was it really a good reason? The actual choice to not hang with Suika wasn't to any real end beyond going down to see what was happening around the cabins. Yes, Arc might not have encountered Sanae if he hadn't gone, but it wasn't like it behooved him to do it. Even if he might have ended up in trouble for it, even the vague spectre of Big Sis wasn't hovering too close at that point.
>>70299
Why, though? Marisa isn't a bad presence in Arc's life. She genuinely shows care and affection for him, and she rarely does anything that makes too much trouble. If anything negative can really be said, it's that she keeps a lot to herself in the interest of not getting in Arc's way. That aside, Arc can do far worse than hanging around her, claims of being his fiancée notwithstanding.
[x] Only Suika’s irrepressible energy and love for fun and adventure could fit the bill.
Strap yourselves and hold on to your asses. Cause there ain't no party like an oni's party!
I went into the woods, doing my best to recall the path I had taken earlier with Suika. I thought I had a pretty good sense for direction and was able to get my bearings in most places. Of course, “most places” were usually not the woods and the landmarks and little things that kept me aware of my heading were fairly different than in a city. The lake was a useful reference point, generally, but it was difficult to keep track of the how far away it was due to the shadowy foliage of the trees. My instincts and were probably going to be worthless at night and there was no way I would be able to make it to Suika’s camping spot without help.
In the daylight it was easier to tell trees apart and to get a good idea of the terrain around me. I followed the general route for about as long as it had taken that first time and then stopped to look around. I could make out the rocky part of the area less than fifty meters from where I was. The clearing would be just underneath.
A familiar face was hanging around the clearing. She was inspecting the collapsible chair Suika had set up, with a foot poking into the already impressive pile of empty cans next to it.
“Busted!” I cried out, emerging from the brush. At that her shoulders hardened and it looked almost as if she would jump out of her own blouse up into the air. It took her a moment to realize that she hadn’t really done anything wrong and to turn to me with a very unconvincing scowl.
“Don’t scare me like that!” Aya protested as she turned, clutching at her notebook with more force than was necessary—her hands looked paler than the sleeves of her top. Clearly it was a result of indignation rather than fear.
“Couldn’t resist,” I said, “I half-expected a scream but I guess seeing you almost fly was good enough.”
“As if I would ever!” she puffed and would have no doubt huffed if not for my complete indifference.
“Yeah, yeah, listen, what are you doing here? Suika can’t be happy that you’re intruding on her privacy.”
“I came to ask her for a favor. Can’t say more, it’s an investigation. Top secret stuff,” she quickly pivoted from outrage to showing clear excitement over whatever else. Her eyes were lit up with with febrile obsession, the sort that could be suffocating if you were her target. On the other hand, it was also the sort of zeal that bound together those conspirators who worked hand-in-hand. In the afternoon light, her skin had taken on a sort of drunken flush though I was sure she hadn’t been drinking.
“We’re here on a break, you should just try to relax. I’m sure if I ask Suika nicely she’ll share a beer or two with you,” I wasn’t particularly in the mood to prod her about it. Her need to be on the clock at all times, to keep looking for “scoops” was pretty much a compulsion. For all her maturity and the clear, trustworthy, working relationship that I could expect to have with her, she was still childish when it came to taking her investigations and photography. I knew that she could easily hone in on my own failings if I were to voice that out loud so I didn’t bother to bring it up. Besides, I wasn’t aiming to be antagonistic, I wanted to spend time with my buddy.
“That will have to be some other time. You don’t understand, I can practically smell the rot here … forget school stuff, this could get me a book deal!”
“Rot, huh? That might have been me, actually,” Suika appeared from the other edge of the clearing. She gave me a curt nod of acknowledgment, directing her words to the excitable would-be non-fiction writer, “Lots of beer and canned sake can make for fairly strong piss, so sorry about that.”
Aya’s brow furrowed. The humor was evidently too lowbrow for her. “Did you at least think about it?” she asked Suika, ignoring the topic of secretions entirely.
“This is supposed to be some sort of vacation, right? Chance to cut loose, not think about exams, not think about being all proper and our futures. So I don’t give a shit about investigating things in the woods. Maybe ask this blockhead to help you, he’d probably be dork enough to care about the shady real reasons why we’re here.”
I, of course, already knew a little bit about that. So I deflected, engaging in our usual patter, “Hey, I came over to have fun. Don’t accuse me of being a killjoy.”
“Oh, there he goes—“ Suika threw up her arms, laughing, “got dumped again, so he treks through the woods to lick his wounds and get support from the only woman in his life other than his saintly aunt that doesn’t hate his guts.”
“I haven’t gotten dumped! You’re just drunk, as usual.”
The exchange went on for a few more minutes. Aya normally might have been amused at the turn things had taken. She might have scribbled down notes while chuckling, intending to use the robust exchange as the basis for a blind item. The proof that she was serious was that she did none of that and instead shook her head and sighed.
“Listen!” she interrupted a particularly good line I had about Suika’s small stature. “Listen,” she continued, “I didn’t want to do this but I can make it worthwhile if you help out. I have connections to an unofficial marketplace that has all sorts of things you can’t normally get. They’ll deliver here. Just takes a single call.”
“Not interested,” Suika replied.
“Well, there’s a lot of things that I know,” Aya said like it was the most normal thing in the world, “I’ve got enough on all the stuff you both have been up to get you in real trouble.”
“Probably would just end up helping our image. Being cool misunderstood outsiders and all,” I said, mostly joking. I wasn’t worried on whatever Aya had on me impacting much of my formal position (which I didn’t care about anyhow). Worst case scenario it would be more fodder for Big Sis to keep me under her thumb.
“… I know about the thing you don’t want Alice to know about~” Aya said with a soft lilt, most cruelly.
Suika laughed when she saw the expression on my face. We all knew that Aya had me over a barrel but, still, she showed solidarity with me. “If anything gets out on my friend, I’ll get back at you. Unlike him, you know that I have nothing to lose.”
“I don’t want to blackmail anyone, agh!” Aya balled up a hand into a fist and shook it wildly at us, exclaiming, “I’m just showing you that I have information but I haven’t used it. Nor would I! I’m your friend!”
“Since when?” Suika scratched her head and reached for a beer can, already bored of the exchange.
“Okay, okay, fine, it doesn’t matter. You know that in my own way I watch out for my sources and for interesting people. You can at least accept that, right?” Aya asked, shrugging her shoulders for effect. The ruddy look about her had only intensified as a result of exasperation—her blouse was light enough to show hints of the flushed skin underneath. “I just want to get to the bottom of things and you can help. I don’t think that I’m being too unreasonable by asking you to hear me out.”
Suika gave me a furtive look. It seemed to ask, “Really? You like her? How?” She was exercising a good deal of patience by not getting physical and chucking Aya out on her skinny butt into the woods. Vacation and all that. I didn’t want to encourage Aya but maybe her contacts were worth the risk.
[] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
[] Insist that there’s nothing going on. She’s wasting everybody’s time.
[x] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
It seems to be a vote between more plot or more Suika... or at least more bird rambling and more Suika.
[X] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
Lucky for her, I'm fond of conspiracies.
>>70311
>vote between more plot or more Suika
No. The plot of the story is what has happened thus far. This is a slice of life type story. There is no greater story to work through or mystery or whatever else. Just characters. Individual story lines may appear and develop when it comes to specific characters but they mostly only matter for those characters. That's the way it was with ToY as well. What the specific choices mean depends on the context of the interactions with characters and what is said in the update.
[X] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
[X] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
Operation cloaca starts here folk.
Sheesh. I'm really conflicted about this whole bit. I've had to sit here and toss it back and forth, and I'm still not one-hundred percent confident.
The way I see it, the choice was already sort of made at the beginning when Arc heard out Aya on her theorycrafting. To turn around now and rebuff her would be a bit of a jerk move, in my opinion. At the very least, it would be sending mixed messages, given how Arc committed to the bit and matched Aya in her cloak-and-dagger attitude. Plus, Arc has a bad track record with Aya; he winds her up, never follows through, then acts surprised when he seeks her out and she's not interested in him. Yes, she's still talking to him, so maybe it's not a matter of feeling hurt over it, but I still think it's a jerky way to carry on.
Besides that Aya is genuinely enthusiastic to the point of being a bit dorky about it. To trample on that feels really bad to me, even if she could stand to moderate herself a little. It's hard to say what place a lot of it comes from, given her level of fixation. A possibility is that she's simply the type who gets really heated up about the things she's into, nothing further. Another is that this is the way she interfaces with the world, and she might otherwise be rather maladapted. The latter possibility is especially bad if true, because denying her would be in effect saying Arc doesn't care about her, journalism being so tied into her identity.
Of course, the flip side of that is that, well, she seems obsessive and in a way that isn't necessarily helpful or healthy. Suika brought up the point that the trip they're on is something of a vacation — whatever other agenda might lurk in the background — and that it's a time to let their hair down. In many ways, it might ultimately be more beneficial for Aya if she were told no at this point. At the very least, I think trying to pump the breaks and redirect her a little might be for the best, especially considering it's not clear how deeply she might poke her nose into things in her search for 'the truth'. Depending on how hot and bothered she gets over her delusions, she could end up making a lot of trouble for Arc on the Big Sis side of things, even if our lovely counselor probably has some inkling of her nonsense.
Beyond that, well, it is a little bit of a shame that she's popping up right in this moment when Arc's actually intent on spending quality time with his girl-bro. There's always bound to be complications, but the fact that life will continue to move on makes it all the more poignant whenever something come between them. Even if Suika acts flippantly understanding about it, it's clear that there is definitely a hurt being nursed there.
[x] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
-[x] Try to pump the breaks a little and get her to cool down on this whole 'conspiracy' thing. Settle in for a fireside chat and a beer.
Having said all that, I ultimately believe that the biggest thing here is consistency with prior choices. Arc did choose to hear her out before, and I don't see being wishy-washy doing more than just screwing things up for Arc every which way. Besides, I do think telling her there's nothing going on will probably just worsen things in the end. The better thing to do is to try and stage-manage the chaos as much as possible, considering Arc does know the as-yet-unheard truth of things. It sucks because it cuts into Suika time, but I don't think it can really be helped at this point; Arc did kind of make this bed for himself.
That said, maybe Arc can get her to settle down a bit and drag her into Suika time. Maybe Suika won't be entirely thrilled, but I don't think she can deny that keeping a fired-up bird from flaming up too hard is a greater good. That's why I've permitted myself a rare write-in here.
>Her eyes were lit up with with febrile obsession, the sort that could be suffocating if you were her target.
>In the afternoon light, her skin had taken on a sort of drunken flush though I was sure she hadn’t been drinking.
>The proof that she was serious was that she did none of that and instead shook her head and sighed.
>The ruddy look about her had only intensified as a result of exasperation—her blouse was light enough to show hints of the flushed skin underneath.
I love how much of an absolute dork Aya is here. She seriously can't help herself. It's enough to almost want to tease her about it.
>“Oh, there he goes—“ Suika threw up her arms, laughing, “got dumped again, so he treks through the woods to lick his wounds and get support from the only woman in his life other than his saintly aunt that doesn’t hate his guts.”
Oof. You really can't deny it, Arc. Auntie has been exceptionally patient with this lunkhead.
>" [...] So I don’t give a shit about investigating things in the woods. [...]"
You know, the possibilities of who we could run into are enticing. I mean, there could be wannabe ninjas, cats, indebted teachers on the run from their gambling debts...
>>70314
Not sure Aya find yes-men interesting, especially not interesting enough to let them in her pants. Convenient, yes, but probably nothing more.
uuu... Gomennasai...
I'd like to also vote for the write-in from >>70315
-[x] Try to pump the breaks a little and get her to cool down on this whole 'conspiracy' thing. Settle in for a fireside chat and a beer.
Maybe she'll settle down, which would be good, or maybe she'll RESIST our SUPPRESSION of THE TRUTH.
>>70315
Hm, I'm generally against write-in votes because they tend to be unwieldy or try to cover too many bases on what's supposed to be a somewhat clear-cut decision. That's why I encourage comments—helps figure out voter intention in not only the current vote but with the story overall. When it makes sense, I try to integrate those thoughts and feelings into the text.
More relevant to this instance: it's like eating your cake and having it too. Hanging out with Aya or talking to her over a beer or whatever can follow from the choice but the 'pump the brakes' option is the other one. Probably should have thought of better wording for the choices but it takes me forever as-is and I try to do them from Arc's perspective instead of in a more sterile declarative fashion. Unless you indicate otherwise, I'd consider it a vote for the first choice.
>>70316
Nothing to apologize for. Plain text is difficult to get tone across but I just was just being direct and hoping to explain things succinctly.
I'm glad there's no hard feelings. I'd just like to check myself more on evoking stuff like this, as its sort of like throwing a metanarrative tar and feathers on the other choices - something which I'd be annoyed at if others did!
>>70317
The thing is that I don't want to cut Suika out, which I feel letting Aya go full-throttle on her thing does, but I also don't want to be inconsistent with the earlier choice or alienate Aya either by completely dismissing her. I can't really weigh Suika against Aya; they're both important, in my eyes.
I mean, I'd lean towards changing my vote if it wasn't out of line with what Arc did earlier. There's also the matter of how to go about telling her no: Does it have to be a flat-out dismissal? Can it be a redirection? A misdirection, if it comes down to it? I'd still consider it, but I don't want Arc to just tell her she's 'wasting everyone's time'.
I don't know, man. I'm torn.
[X] Hear her out. That’s not committing to anything.
Hear Ms. Information out!
>>70319
All right, you know what, I will change my vote after all.
[x] Insist that there’s nothing going on. She’s wasting everybody’s time.
That said >>70319 still applies. I really would rather Arc not be totally dismissive about everything. If it's going to be a let-down, at least let it be a gentle let-down. I think it is for her own good, even if it's not really Arc's place to make that sort of determination. Still, Suika is kind of important, as much as it hurts to burn Aya yet again.
Posted with permission from Teruyo. Inspiration struck at random, and I dashed this out over a couple of days.
Everything under the moonlight appeared made of shimmering satin. A wind blew that I knew could chill to the bone, yet I felt strangely warm, removed from the temperature around me. Hardly anything around me lay in shadow in spite of the deep night. The whole world stood underneath the moon as if cast under an enormous spotlight.
I stood looking out beyond the lake from a distance off. I supposed I couldn’t sleep. My shoes were in my hand, rocks scraping at the soles of my feet. Why on earth had I worn my leather shoes out here? For that matter, my school uniform served little better for comfort in this wilderness. I sloughed off my overly warm jacket, aghast that I was wearing long sleeves underneath in spite of the summer. Still, the night air failed to relieve my feeling of being stifled. In turn, I removed all I could remove. There was no gaze falling on me but the moon, so I felt no shame standing in my boxers. I was blissfully alone.
I blinked. Yes, I realised, I did seem to be alone. In fact, I looked about to catch sight of no cabins, no lodge, nor anything else familiar. The rocky shore and the shimmering water of the lake told me I was still where I expected to be. There, too, were the mountains, though unclear and painted in sharp relief with the moonlight, a black so deep as to suggest absence. The woods loomed as ever. I somehow had the feeling I had walked out of them, though I couldn’t recall ever doing so. This place felt as if it might be on a different shore, from a different angle.
The day spent helping Reimu had battered me from all sides. No matter how I shuffled away with my arms crossed, someone had to seize me and drag me back into the fray. I’d had hardly a moment to stand and look at the skies or the lake. Life only served to be more relentless out here. Responsibility and the sense that I had to be an adult — whatever that truly meant — hounded me like monsters arisen from the shadows, come to find me wherever I was to drag me into the murky deep. Every smiling, cheerful face asking for me seemed leering. Every sullen demand for my attention was a creature’s growl. Yet, I felt no more relief standing alone than I did in all that time.
A soft crash on the water broke the silence. Tension buzzed stronger in my body all at once. Before I even looked, I knew I wasn’t truly alone.
Standing closer to the water, I saw a figure lit up in full view in the moonlight yet still unclear to me. They were washed out, like an old faded photograph. I saw drawn lips. I saw hair that cascaded down their back. I saw overwhelming force in how they stood. This was someone always prepared to take on the world. I felt no hostility, but I did sense something within them tightly-coiled, ready to spring out with little prompting. The air around them seemed heavier somehow.
“Suika?” I found myself calling out. I had no idea why she had come to mind, though I had no feeling that I was in any way mistaken. In fact, my voice betrayed no confusion, only seeking acknowledgement. She was supposed to be here.
She picked up another rock and hurled it into the water, causing a ripple that distorted the moon on its surface. Though I could see her face in profile, she wasn’t looking my way. “Nice of you to notice me for once, asshole.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I’m well and truly knackered. It’s been a long day, Big Sis keeping me on my feet and all. Told me I needed to step up and be a good little Arc for Reimu’s sake. Be a team player. You know how all that is.”
“Yeah, I do know how all that is, Arc. I’ve only been putting up with it for the past however long.” Suika turned away. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I knew from her tone that she was rolling her eyes at me. Every word fell heavy from her lips, as if they too might distort the moon on the lake.
“Hey,” I said, feeling myself tremble despite the warmth around me, “don’t forget I kept Reimu and company out of your hair. Maybe we couldn’t sit up there and drink beer together, but you could damn well enjoy it yourself. Wouldn’t have happened without me.”
“How could I forget? My wonderful saviour Arc, sacrificing himself for my happiness.” Suika ran her fingers through her hair. Not even the moonlight could erase the firiness of it. She twisted it around in her hand, a gesture I couldn’t ever recall her making. Suddenly, she turned to me, face awash in white light. “Not that I ever asked you to do that,” she pronounced with an uncanny softness.
I moved closer to Suika, and my breath caught. I hadn’t noticed for the moonlight, but she wasn’t wearing her usual school uniform, nor was she in her customary streetwear. The sight of her in a flowing blue gown — bluer than the skies we shared — barely registered to my eyes; I couldn’t recall ever having even seen her in a skirt. The soft fabric swallowed her and yet also sketched in sharp relief the lines of her small frame, a rare sight given her usual dress. She didn’t shrink away from my peering eyes, but she did wear a slight frown, not wholly pleased at being looked over so closely.
My pulse quickened. I was feeling too warm, sweat beading on my skin. “And what would you have me do? You think I ever wanted to have to make these choices? We knew it couldn’t go on, Suika. Not forever. Someday, we were going to have to climb down from the roof, stop staring at the sky, and…”
Words turned to concrete in my throat. Every breath was laboured and shallow. I was suffocating under the weight of what I couldn’t say — what I shouldn’t say. Between me and Suika, words presented nothing but an intrusion, something that menaced the emotion we held aloft.
“Be adults?” Suika concluded for me, her lips quirking into the sort of tiny, fragile smile I never saw on her face. Sorrow beaded at the corners of her eyes, and she turned away sharply.
I thought she might run away from me, though where to I couldn’t scarcely imagine. All I knew was that I felt the strongest urge to seize Suika. She would disappear forever if I didn’t stop her. I grasped for her wrist and found it easily, prepared to wrestle with her. However, she wasn’t the least bit resistant as I took hold of her arm. I was caught off guard. She shook her arm from my grip, taking my hand in hers firmly.
Maybe it was because we weren’t the hand-holding types, but the smallness of the hand gripping mine surprised me, especially in its strength, but also in its softness. The Suika I knew was someone who did rough work, and I would have suspected the hands performing that labour would be equally hardened. She hardly seemed proud or conscious of anything like that. Meticulously shortening and filing her nails constituted the most maintenance I’d ever seen her put in.
“You think that’s really all that matters? That that’s the only choice?” A queer chill radiated from her expression. Though her hand trembled, there was a clarity in her voice that matched the firmness of her grip.
“Suika—” I choked through the tightness in my throat, only for her to squeeze my hand tighter.
Suika jerked my hand sharply, pulling me with her as she walked closer to the shore, where the lake lapped insistently upon the stones and sand. Every step brought the both of us closer to the water. I wanted to ask her what she was doing, but no words could escape me. All I could do was follow as she reached the water’s edge, continuing on, heedless of the water as she walked on. The lake had swallowed her up to her hips when she looked back at me, a look in her eyes that begged for my trust. We had trusted each other through so much else. I was already up to my thighs in the water.
I allowed myself to plunge further forward. Suika held onto my hand even as she sunk out of view below the surface, the warmth never leaving. The water itself warmed my skin in a strange way, almost inviting me under. No thoughts of air entered my mind as my face touched the water’s surface. I sunk in totally, eyes wide open under the clear water. The world became a watery expanse of blue illuminated by stark beams of white.
Far enough out into the water, the dirt floor shrank out from underneath us. We rapidly sank towards the centre of the water as if weighted down by something. Everything in the distance was dark and unclear, yet I could still make out Suika in front me with total clarity. She loosed her grip on my hand for a moment, only to seize me by the shoulders, dragging me even closer to her. Her small but strong arms wrapped around my back, pressing us together, cocooning me in the freely flowing folds of her gown. Her face hovered close to mine. I thought, in spite of the water, that I felt warm breath against my cheek. Stars twinkled in the abyss of her eyes. A deep darkness waited below us, coming closer and closer with every passing moment.
I still felt hot all over. Only then did I think of the breath I couldn’t draw. The warmth of the deep water had infiltrated me, my head having become filled with it. Thought was becoming more and more difficult as I struggled in vain for air wholly absent. Suika’s hands caressed my back with a gentleness alien to her. She was telling me not to be afraid. My fears, she seemed to say, were unfounded. There wasn’t any reason for me to even breathe down here.
“Arc,” echoed Suika’s voice to me through the water.
The edges of my vision faded into indistinct blurs. My strength was fleeing me. I opened my mouth to speak only for warmth to rush in and fill my throat. My eyelids struggled to remain open. I was awash in a heat that wouldn’t abate, consciousness losing its distinctness against the darkness, against the water, against Suika.
She leaned up against my ear. Our cheeks seemed to merge together as they pressed against each other. “Ribbon. Arc, the ribbon…” she rasped into my ear, her voice fast being swallowed by the hazy darkness.
When my eyes slowly opened, I felt warm all over. The brilliant sun of the early morning was still beaming down on me, though it had diminished with the coming of the afternoon. My body felt slightly sore from napping on top of a rock. Muted birdsong and the sound of lapping water tickled my ear.
A shadow lingered; Komeiji was standing over me. Her expression remained inscrutible as ever as she stood looking down at me.
[x] Insist that there’s nothing going on. She’s wasting everybody’s time.
Normally I would hear something out, but I don't like the way she asked, that's all.
>>70322
This is lovely. I'm glad that you were inspired. Funnily enough would also be the sort of thing Satori would be interested in, I think. That ribbon was so long ago, was it a fork in the road? I don't really know.
As for the vote itself: I think I'm going to have more of a think before writing. Probably means a bit of a delay. But I think it's warranted given some of the comments which seem reasonable enough. The vote is more or less split. Yes, that implies that I'm ignoring the comment-less votes. I almost always do when tallying because they're not very helpful in understanding what people are thinking. Given that these voters don't seem to read what I say (including at the top of the first post in the thread), I don't think they'll mind too much. (Feel free to prove otherwise!)
Hopefully sorting things out won't take too long but I'll have to see notes and modify other things.
>>70324
That's me in case it wasn't clear.
>>70324
>was it a fork in the road?
I like to think so, but it realistically probably wasn't as such. She might have appreciated the gesture on some level, but it would have taken Arc generally being better to her for it to mean something. Then again, I guess it's hard to say. Maybe Suika would have been swayed by a simple gesture; maybe she really is a blushing maiden underneath the bluster. Cute possibility, I guess.
I gave Aya a moment to pause, to think. She had worked herself up more than perhaps she even realized. Her brow and temples had a wet sheen to them—perspiration. Her agitation had made her breathe quicker, shallower, and probably did her head no favors. Suika might have been indifferent to the spectacle but I wasn’t. Even if I did have to say what I had to say, it didn’t mean that I wanted to be rougher than I had to be.
“Aya,” I called her name out as gently as I could. The sobriety in my voice surprised me and felt detached from my actual feelings. What were they, anyhow? Guilt? There was that, I was guilty. Lying by omission. Soon, just outright lying. But it wasn’t like a confession would make me feel less guilty nor would it change much of anything. I stole a glance at Suika who was watching me intently, likely seeing right through the calm facade. Was she judging me? Maybe, maybe not. Wasn’t her place to say anything about my nonsense and I knew she would keep it to herself unless prodded.
I went over to Aya. She was watching me carefully, her eyes inquisitive. I took her by the hand. It was warm and a little sticky.
“This isn’t the time for games,” she mumbled, seemingly surprised. I noted that the scent of that flowery perfume still was about her although it had been diluted by sweat and the passage of the day.
“Aya,” I said her name again as if it were an incantation, something that would invoke something within her, something that would recall her from wherever she was at present. “Aya, you still smell good,” I said. It wasn’t really what I was thinking nor was it what I was really feeling but, I asked regardless, “Did you really put it on just for me? The truth, please.”
“… Of course I did it for myself,” she confessed, her voice quavering in an unhappy chirp, “but it wasn’t just that. More than one thing can be true.”
“Yeah, I know,” I nodded and pressed on her hand.
“You never said if you liked it,” she continued quietly. I saw that she still still held firmly onto her small notebook with her free hand; its red covers were, reassuringly, a deeper shade than her skin.
“I like most things about you,” I said easily, truthfully, without really thinking about it.
“Don’t say things like that or I might start thinking that you’ve changed your mind about business and pleasure,” she crowed and flashed a faint smile.
“More than one thing can be true,” I repeated her words to her. “Come on, sit down for a moment, have a drink. There’s no need to rush things.”
I move to sit down near Suika’s chair, pulling Aya gently down to take a seat next to me. She looked partially recovered, less a concentrated mass of uncontrolled energy. … That didn’t seem the right way to put it. With a free moment to think about things, I wondered if it wasn’t instead some sort of passion made physically manifest. Not in the sense of Aya getting hot and bothered (though also a little of that) but in the sense of it being an object that existed outside of her own self. Did that make sense? Something with laws of its own, generated by Aya, but not bound by her; wild in its own way, it went where it went whether Aya chose to follow or not. What would it mean for her to follow it to its ultimate destination? What would it mean for it to collide against someone else like me?
As if sensing my thoughts, Aya lips formed a wan smile. She said nothing and simply waited to see what would happen next.
Suika didn’t miss the opportunity to give me shit. Sat down in her chair, she straightened herself out and took on a lordly bearing. My compact-sized friend looked down at us over the edge of her small nose, a wry smirk on her lips. “I’m a romantic at heart, so I’ll leave if you ask me to. Make sure you’ve got your protection on. ‘Cuz, otherwise, I don’t think you could bury that story.”
“Shut up and give us something to drink,” I fired back. I didn’t let go of Aya’s hand, knowing that a knee-jerk (or was it hand-jerk?) reaction would just give her stupid accusation more weight. The comment didn’t seem to upset Aya in the least. She looked on with a slight smile and asked for a can of sake.
With the satisfying pop, we each opened up a can of tepid alcohol. Not the most pleasant experience but it would do. Going camping meant roughing it, doing away with the conveniences of life. Taking a swig, I let go of Aya’s hand, making no big show of it. It went unacknowledged by everyone just as intended.
Only when the first waves of internal warmth began to spread across my body did I start up the conversation again. We were all restless and if I didn’t drive things, someone else would with uncertain results.
I did not want to lie and so instead told Aya a few truths. I reiterated that we were supposed to blow off steam and have fun with the trip; Suika approved, grunting after she downed what remained in her can; Aya did not seem to respond and took a few light, almost performative, sips from her can while I spoke. It was clear that Suika would not help Aya at all and there was nothing I could do about that. There was nothing going on that mattered to us, I told her. At that she twitched but didn’t say anything. Even if she was right about everything, there was nothing that I could do either, being a politician—I intoned the word with as much scorn as I could muster. I had things to do, after all, and couldn’t go and get lost in the woods for however long.
It was likely that both Suika and Aya could see through that last self-serving statement. They said nothing. Maybe I was making the hole I was in deeper but I had made it to where I was and I had little more that I could use to dissemble. If I was right about Aya, she wouldn’t simply accept being told that there was nothing going on. Just talking about me being unable to do anything in the case that was right could have made her suspect me complicit. Of course, I was. Albeit in a small fashion, just knowing the pair of things. The one she’d care about was a small thing. But a thing. Most of my fellow students, if they knew, ultimately wouldn’t care at all. That was made it so stupid and frustrating to know. It was only an incendiary thing if it became known by those most willing to throw firebombs. A would-be investigative journalist, for one. I wished I could change the subject to something safer or something more fun. I wished I could joke to her about her side business selling photographs of classmates to other classmates.
I wanted to point her away from me. I gulped down the rest of my can and made a decision.
[] Big Sis was around and could handle herself. Aya could deal with her.
[] Reimu also knew. If she was annoyed enough she’d let the truth slip.
Okay, I had to deliberate on this one a fair bit, too. It's honestly a hard choice.
The thing is that neither is that great a prospect and each has a chance of hurting Arc in a different way. Yuyuko has all sorts of leverage over Arc already, and I could see Aya ultimately just giving her more in some fashion, or dear Big Sis could be really assholish and stir up Aya in some way against Arc. Sending Aya at Reimu is, on the other hand, kind of a jerk move, given that it's piling headaches on an already taxed student prez, something Arc has technically committed to reducing. I somehow doubt that Aya is going to keep her mouth shut about Arc's involvement in her appearance before either, and it'll probably be obvious in any case.
That said, it seems clear to me that there's something there between Aya and Arc. Now, it's hard to say where Reimu stands exactly, but they do have a rapport in an obvious enough way, plus Arc has made reasonable enough gestures that she can't be too ill disposed towards him. There is the off-chance that it could be something of an issue down the line, but if the two of them both have a common interest in Arc, maybe that's more likely to become a topic of conversation between them. Maybe tricky questions of agendas can just be sidestepped. That's at least a possibility that I don't see happening with Yuyuko.
[x] Reimu also knew. If she was annoyed enough she’d let the truth slip.
Ultimately, it's a bit of a painful choice, but the prez does have to deal with headaches regardless, whatever good intentions Arc has. Besides, like it or not, everything involving students is going to reflect on the student council and thereby Reimu and Arc. Arc may not care that much, but there is at least a part of him obliged to care vis-a-vis Big Sis and his relationship with Reimu.
>“I’m a romantic at heart [...]”
Citation needed.
>With a free moment to think about things, I wondered if it wasn’t instead some sort of passion made physically manifest. Not in the sense of Aya getting hot and bothered (though also a little of that) but in the sense of it being an object that existed outside of her own self. Did that make sense? Something with laws of its own, generated by Aya, but not bound by her; wild in its own way, it went where it went whether Aya chose to follow or not. What would it mean for her to follow it to its ultimate destination? What would it mean for it to collide against someone else like me?
I really like this passage. It's hard to completely qualify it, but it's an interesting touch on that sort of obsessive element of Aya seen from Arc's perspective.
>“You never said if you liked it,” she continued quietly. I saw that she still still held firmly onto her small notebook with her free hand; its red covers were, reassuringly, a deeper shade than her skin.
>“I like most things about you,” I said easily, truthfully, without really thinking about it.
>“Don’t say things like that or I might start thinking that you’ve changed your mind about business and pleasure,” she crowed and flashed a faint smile.
Very cute.
> I wondered if it wasn’t instead some sort of passion made physically manifest. Not in the sense of Aya getting hot and bothered (though also a little of that) but in the sense of it being an object that existed outside of her own self. Did that make sense?
Is it some sort of god? Is it truth manifest? Is it HOPE? Is she preparing to fire her lazar?
> I didn’t let go of Aya’s hand, knowing that a knee-jerk (or was it hand-jerk?) reaction would just give her stupid accusation more weight.
Hee hee! Insulting the opponent as being emotional in hopes that they will respond emotionally and passionately!
> throw firebombs.
LISA The Painful!?!?!? Okay... Sorry... as an aside molotov cocktails are quite fascinating aesthetically and symbolically, aren't they?
We're voting for who to send Aya away to, right? so... Ms. Councillor or Ms. prez, oof...
Ah, shit. I hate to do anything at anyone's expense, but
[x] Reimu also knew. If she was annoyed enough she’d let the truth slip.
I hate to do it, and right after 'we' got her those sweets too. Makes me feel like I can't change. But sending her to Yuyuko, she could offload dirt on us, and I'd like to avoid that, to preserve our freedom.
>>70329
>Is it truth manifest?
Feels closest to this. The way I see it, the whole little metaphor is about Aya and her feverish obsession with finding some sort of 'truth' in things. Though it could also be about her way of connecting with others and what looks to Arc like a sort of associated mania. Whether or not she acts on a need to glom onto others, she has that way of being around everyone regardless.
>But sending her to Yuyuko, she could offload dirt on us
As much as that is kind of a risk, I don't think it's necessarily a matter of Aya dishing on Arc as much as Yuyuko being good at drawing things out of her — assuming there's anything she doesn't know about already. Honestly, I'm more worried about Yuyuko either winding Aya up excessively or maybe even trying a bit forcefully to deflate some of her enthusiasm.
>to preserve our freedom
Eh, is Arc really that free? Dear Big Sis has made it clear that she's well-adept at keeping a leash on him no matter how hard he twists and turns. It's always more a matter of how much leeway he's being allowed at the moment. There's also the matter of the student council, even if he doesn't necessarily care that much about it in principle; at the very least, he cares on some level about Reimu.
[X] Reimu also knew. If she was annoyed enough she’d let the truth slip.
[x] Big Sis was around and could handle herself. Aya could deal with her.
I'm thinking that Yuyuko would be good at properly dealing with students snooping around, probably giving her a non-answer. I also think that while there may be underlying reasons for the trip, ultimately it wouldn't matter for the students so they shouldn't worry about anything. So... take it easy, Aya. Also, Yuyuko should do her damn job herself for once.
[x] Big Sis was around and could handle herself. Aya could deal with her.
I do not wish to dump more problems on Reimu's plate. "Big Sis" Yuyuko should be able to handle this.
>>70332
>Yuyuko should do her damn job herself for once.
The thing is that things coming from an authority figure are different to things coming from a fellow student. Yuyuko could give her a good talking to, but Aya would probably just end up digging her heels in. Either that, or the consequences could be dire for the journalism club in some way, which wouldn't earn Arc many points. Frankly, we don't know what strings Yuyuko will pull if prompted. Plus, any relating to Arc always comes at a price to him; she will impose some new condition or task in return if she helps him out. In sum, Big Sis is kind of a big, soft, flirty monkey paw.
>>70333
However overworked she is, Reimu is the student council president and thus does have some responsibility to concern herself with her peers. Arc may be trying to lighten her load somewhat, but it doesn't mean he can't lean on her a bit. Friends lean on each other after all, even if it's sometimes a pain in the ass.
>>70334
>Frankly, we don't know what strings Yuyuko will pull if prompted.
Correct, Yuyuko has the means (and willingness) to do so if needed. However, she's still the school counseller and it's in her best interest to keep problematic students out of trouble. Targetting a club or threatening students to get her way would likely do the opposite in this case. She would use a few unscrupulous methods, yes, but they are (usually) for the benefit of the students.
>>70335
There's no guarantee that Yuyuko talking to her is going to convince Aya of anything, though. At best, whatever she hears from an adult is going to sound suspicious. I can't imagine what Yuyuko would have to do or say to get the right leverage, whatever her obligations. Worst comes to worst, she might just throw Arc under the bus.
Plus, there's no telling what she'll expect from Arc in return regardless of how things go. It's practically a Mephistophelean bargain.
It felt like I was stuck in a loop, trying to justify convenience at the cost of others. No amount of reasoning would produce a good answer. Deep down, I knew it would come back to me in some manner. It was pointless to worry any more. I’d just live with the consequences. Adding to the burdens of others wasn’t really my style—the flimsy excuse went—and so I ended the loop for the time being.
That Big Sis was around was a mild surprise for Aya. Nonetheless, she did not return to an excitable state. Instead, she opened up her notebook, wrote down something and asked me where it was that she could find her. I had half-expected an interrogation, at least a look of distrust or even hostility, as she internalized the information. I didn’t even get a “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” and on the whole Aya seemed calmed, self-possessed. It may have been that Suika’s only contribution—pointing at me and then miming a hanging while smirking—made it seem like I was also someone caught up in an unfortunate situation. Certainly Big Sis would dispute the characterization if she were to be asked. I wondered what else she would dispute. I didn’t really care to find out.
Armed with new knowledge, Aya seemed to fall into a pensive state. She closed her notebook and wrinkled her lips before taking a large gulp of sake. I hadn’t taken her for a drinker but apparently she could hold her own. A few more gulps followed. She quickly finished the can.
Suika offered us more to drink. She was already way ahead on the count. I accepted; Aya shook her head.
“I want to get back to the camp before it starts getting dark,” she said. There was still an amount of daylight left but the sun was beginning to get close to the far-off mountains on the horizon. For some reason I couldn’t put into words, I felt melancholic at the prospect of not watching the sunset with her and Suika from our secret base. There just was something about our relative isolation and the fact that we were doing something we weren’t supposed to do that made the prospect seem … comforting? It didn’t seem that she quite got what I was thinking at that moment but Aya did make a polite excuses, and added, “I owe you, Mr. Vice President. We’ll figure out just how much when we’re alone, okay?”
Aya contained herself and offered a knowing wink and a wave as a means of goodbye. In the uneven hilly terrain and thanks to her swift movement, her short skirt flapped up and down, showing off more of her well-shaped thighs. Her motions were doubtlessly controlled as I knew she could be as swift and graceful as she wanted to be otherwise. I cracked open another can while letting a smile spread across my lips.
“Thought she would never leave,” Suika was unsparing. A grunt followed. It got across how unimpressed she was. “I sometimes wonder why I bother hanging out with you. All those annoying girls interfering with everything all the time.”
“Buddy, friend of friends, perhaps you can’t hold your drink as well as you say. She was looking for you! I had nothing to do with it,” I said with a nasty and toothy grin, the sort that might have gotten us into a fistfight under other circumstances. “If anything,” I gloated, “I got her to calm down and leave, didn’t I?”
“Heh, yeah, crap, you’re right,” Suika shrugged. She wasn’t in a fighting mood despite the language. Being out in nature had mellowed her out. “Doesn’t mean I like any of your little hussies.”
“I know.”
“You should be going for someone nice, like that girl I was telling you about the other day.”
“You just like her because she served you good booze and a nice snack.”
“That she made!” Suika moved her arms, gesticulating as she spoke, “Knows how to cook, knows about the finer things in life too. That’s definitely girlfriend material, maybe even wife material if you ask me.”
I watched to see if anything would spill from the can. It could well be that she chose the canned format instead of larger bottles just so she could move about wildly and not worry about getting any on herself. But, at the rate she was drinking, would she have enough for the whole stay? I wasn’t sure how much she had managed to carry in.
“I didn’t know you were so old fashioned,” I joked, “these days we’re more about personality and compatibility than anything like that.”
Suika drank the remnants of the can. She tossed it carelessly into the pile next to her and launched into an animated explanation, “I’m not saying that she’d be a stay-at-home wallflower or anything, she has a job. Just, you know, it’s no use to get yourself all twisted up when the basics are what will make you happier in the long run. It’s a miracle anyone puts up with you so if she does and she can also cook….”
“I don’t even know what she looks like, Suika.”
“Cute. Green eyes. Warm smile.”
“How descriptive.”
“Oh, stop being so damned picky,” she complained, “don’t you trust my judgment?”
“You know I do. But, well, since when do you care at all about my love life? Don’t you usually roll your eyes and tell me to man up?”
“You’re right, I don’t care,” Suika sighed. She looked out in the direction of the lake and scratched herself, pretending that her head itched. I wasn’t too dense to notice that she was lying. She had thoughts and maybe even strong feelings about the subject. Contrarily, she would have simply grabbed another drink and made a stupid joke. What had changed, then? Seeing the stress I had to deal with thanks to Big Sis? That had taken its toll but my good buddy had always more or less encouraged me to take it on the chin and not to obsess over it. Maybe it was the aggregate disruption of our routine: skipping class, playing games together, exploring the town, getting into fights with one another and other people. Maybe it was just the massaging fuzziness of beer and sake burbling in my brain but I did feel that things had been inconstant between us for some time.
[] Coax her real opinion out. She obviously had her own takes.
[] Give her some space. The next few days of fun were what mattered.
> pointing at me and then miming a hanging while smirking
Me and a friend had an in-joke like this, except we had to wear ties at school so we tugged the tie up like it was a rope. Hee-ho...
> relative isolation and the fact that we were doing something we weren’t supposed to do that made the prospect seem … comforting?
A lot of school environments and even just things schools seem to have hands in organising don't have much privacy, seemingly engineering spaces for the express purpose of never being able to have a damn moment alone. I get you, Arc, little buddy, pal, friend-o
Hmm. strange options. One might say that she'd be glad to unleash her boorish opinions upon us, another might say that it'd be best to leave such a volatile thing in bed. I mean, what if she insulted my waifu? I'd have to take drastic action, A site-wide Suika extermination project... No, A WORLDWIDE ONE!
erm... anyway, I think Suika would relish the opportunity to chat shit.
[X] Coax her real opinion out. She obviously had her own takes.
>Think that this result better reflects the concerns brought up, even for the people who disagreed.
Still worried a bit about how directing Aya towards Yuyuko is going to bite Arc in the ass, but I guess what's done is done. Would have been funny if Reimu and Aya ended up having a bitch-fest about Arc or something like that. Ah well. At least Aya didn't seem to take it too badly.
>Nonetheless, she did not return to an excitable state. Instead, she opened up her notebook, wrote down something and asked me where it was that she could find her. I had half-expected an interrogation, at least a look of distrust or even hostility, as she internalized the information. I didn’t even get a “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” and on the whole Aya seemed calmed, self-possessed.
At least Arc may have helped her cool down a bit. At least, for the time being, I'm guessing. Might not be so lucky next time around, unless Aya is permanently glued to Arc.
...they both are kind of loners in a way, aren't they? There's never been much indication that Aya spends much time around anyone but her photographic subjects and students who want to buy snapshots off of her. I really kind of wonder if her little mania isn't a sort of reaction to the impending end of school years, the pressure mounting to 'accomplish something' and 'get one's affairs in order' for the impending life choices ahead. Maybe Aya knows she's got uni ahead of her and can't necessarily keep up with her passions. Maybe her life course has been decided for her in other ways?
>For some reason I couldn’t put into words, I felt melancholic at the prospect of not watching the sunset with her and Suika from our secret base. There just was something about our relative isolation and the fact that we were doing something we weren’t supposed to do that made the prospect seem … comforting?
Very unfortunate that it couldn't have come to pass. Whatever Suika's opinions, the three of them don't seem that different when you get down to it. Of course, that could be what Suika's contention is, deep down.
>It didn’t seem that she quite got what I was thinking at that moment but Aya did make a polite excuses, and added, “I owe you, Mr. Vice President. We’ll figure out just how much when we’re alone, okay?”
>Aya contained herself and offered a knowing wink and a wave as a means of goodbye. In the uneven hilly terrain and thanks to her swift movement, her short skirt flapped up and down, showing off more of her well-shaped thighs. Her motions were doubtlessly controlled as I knew she could be as swift and graceful as she wanted to be otherwise.
Oh dear. Well, I suppose, if nothing else, she can be quite honest about what she wants. Might have to be careful, Arc. Don't want her to get too aggressive and catch you in a headscissor.
Shapely long legs...
>“You should be going for someone nice, like that girl I was telling you about the other day.”
>“You just like her because she served you good booze and a nice snack.”
>“That she made!” Suika moved her arms, gesticulating as she spoke, “Knows how to cook, knows about the finer things in life too. That’s definitely girlfriend material, maybe even wife material if you ask me.”
>“I didn’t know you were so old fashioned,” I joked, “these days we’re more about personality and compatibility than anything like that.”
>Suika drank the remnants of the can. She tossed it carelessly into the pile next to her and launched into an animated explanation, “I’m not saying that she’d be a stay-at-home wallflower or anything, she has a job. Just, you know, it’s no use to get yourself all twisted up when the basics are what will make you happier in the long run. It’s a miracle anyone puts up with you so if she does and she can also cook….”
>“Oh, stop being so damned picky,” she complained, “don’t you trust my judgment?”
>“You know I do. But, well, since when do you care at all about my love life? Don’t you usually roll your eyes and tell me to man up?”
>“You’re right, I don’t care,” Suika sighed. She looked out in the direction of the lake and scratched herself, pretending that her head itched. I wasn’t too dense to notice that she was lying.
Oh dear, dear, dear. This is... a lot.
It's very clear that Suika does very much care for Arc. If anything, I'd go out on a limb and say that, deep down, she wants to be that girl. The thing is that she sees her own limitations and doesn't want to be a let-down for Arc. She really wants him to be happy, or at least content in life. She knows that he's a troubled boy who needs someone to look out for him. It's just that she doesn't think she can be that someone.
Such willingness to self-sacrifice for another's happiness. Ah! Arc, throw your arms around this girl right now and don't let her go. You've been a cad in the past, and now you can make amends, you dolt.
>“Cute. Green eyes. Warm smile.”
Oh? A (non-)cave (non-)elf acting as perhaps the mama of a sunakku? Given the usual way of those things, she'd probably be Auntie's age if that were the case. Trying to bounce Arc from older woman to older woman, eh, Suika? Well, that might not be that far off from his real tastes.
>I watched to see if anything would spill from the can. It could well be that she chose the canned format instead of larger bottles just so she could move about wildly and not worry about getting any on herself.
Splendid references rarely get more than a little chuckle out of me, but I had a right guffaw at this one. Good show. It's not even so out of place, considering the two of them. They would be the types to drink wine out of a soda can, wouldn't they?
But does Arc take his cheesesteak wit' or wit'out? Important question.
[x] Coax her real opinion out. She obviously had her own takes.
Anyway, in all honesty, I feel like we need to have a good bro-to-bro talk with Suika. It's clear that she thinks about things a whole lot more than Arc does, and I think he ought to at least hear her out. This seems to be a time when everyone's feeling some kind of pressure. I'm guessing — as I continue to guess — that they really are in their twilight years of high school, so life is fast encroaching, signalling a coming curtain call for the play of youth.
In some ways, this is turning into an Arc apology tour, but I don't think it's entirely undeserved. There's a lot of folks he needs to try and come to some understanding with. He might not succeed in all cases, but he has to make that effort.
Oh, also, very cute goblin in the post pic. Dangerously cute. If I were Arc, I don't know how I could resist that.
[X] Coax her real opinion out. She obviously had her own takes.
Tell us what you really think, Suika.
[x] Coax her real opinion out. She obviously had her own takes.
Let's not talk with our hearts, but with our fists!
[X] Coax her real opinion out. She obviously had her own takes.
Hope everything's going all right. Waiting warmly.
Freshly caught up and hoping for the same. The Sanae passages from earlier are maybe some of the most evocative pieces of Touhou writing I've read. They really do capture that feeling I've always had of Sanae as someone I might once have known; or maybe someone I might have been once upon a time; or probably an amalgamation of aspects of both. Feels a bit like being stabbed in the chest, in other words... but in a good way. A way that feels like home.
>>70360
>Feels a bit like being stabbed in the chest [...] but in a good way.
In terms of a melancholic feeling or a nostalgic sort of feeling? Not taking issue with your wording; I just think that's an interesting way of putting it.
The bit with Sanae is definitely evocative, though I personally just found it more mystifying and otherworldly than anything. I'd almost say there's an unsettling character to it, but it's not especially disturbing. It's just... the sort of thing that makes the hairs on your neck prickle up a bit.
Sorry, unexpected life stuff came up that I had to deal with and I have been either too tired or not in the right headspace to write. Good news is that things should be good for tomorrow and there (hopefully) should be an update at around the usual time. Wait warmly!
>>70360
It makes me glad to read that her characterization resonated with you. This is a "silly" story in many ways and is an AU but I do endeavor to have some sort of verisimilitude and try to capture the core aspects of characters; they're very much who they are in canon but also autonomous beings in their own right and context. This is a legitimate thing I think but also recognize there is a degree of pretension or ego probably. Dunno, they definitely feel plausibly real enough to me.
>>70365
Just good to know you're alive. Will continue waiting warmly.
>pretension
Not that anon, but I think it's all plausible enough. It's a fabulous enough aim to capture the spirit of things. It's a big part of what I enjoy about this story, in fact.
Sitting on the rocky ground was uncomfortable after a while. My legs threatened to fall asleep with incipit pinpricks rippling as I shuffled and adjusted my position. In between rotating my foot, drawing my knees closer to my torso and wiggling my back I found myself smiling at myself. I gave up on fidgeting around, deciding to endure the mild discomfort, and leaned back while propping myself up with my arms.
Suika hadn’t been watching me during all of that. At least not obviously and intently. She kept quiet, looking at nothing in particular on the horizon, with her small body relaxed in her chair. A sidelong glance at me—essentially noncommittal—showed less overt concern and was more of a simple acknowledgment that I was still there. While it would have been an exaggeration to say that all of that meant that there was an unspoken tension between us, it did add up to a sense of less-than-perfect comfort; nothing flowed thoughtlessly between us; the fresh air felt cool in my mouth and was a poor substitute for the fickle warmth of drink.
I spoke as if I were talking to myself, as if I was inviting commentary from the trees and rocks. I said a few words on the day, emphasizing little of the exploits and more of the general feelings of moving around and dealing with people. No one needed to hear my specific thoughts on Kochiya, Komeiji, Reimu, or Big Sis. But there was something to sharing an overall impression of those encounters of the flow of things. The refreshing feeling of the lake’s water came up and I described it as “something I hadn’t realized that I was missing” and thought of Marisa—she always seemed to know what she wanted even if the way of getting it might have not been clear.
“I know fun comes first,” I directed myself more directly to Suika, “and I don’t want to keep talking about myself and the things that I do….”
Suika sighed at the pause. She saw the indirect rambling for what it is was. With her shoulders slumping, she said, “Just ask what you want to ask.”
“Yeah. I know you said you don’t care but I still want to hear what you think about, I guess, my love life. Or the people involved. Whatever.”
“Tsk. What a pain,” Suika complained but did not seem taken aback by the request. Her lips were tight as she closed her eyes and let herself slide further back into her chair. A moment passed and then she proffered a short reply, “I don’t think much about it.”
“But you still think a little bit about it.”
“Sure, but only because you can’t keep your stupidity to yourself. It’s like right now,” her eyes opened as she spoke and she kept track of the upcoming sunset, watching as the sun began its apparent descent beyond the mountains, “we could be just having fun with what we’ve got and talking about the other things we could do after but instead we’re talking about something that doesn’t really matter. Isn’t making things nice and lively on our own terms good enough? There are circumstances that have made it so we are where we are and so the choices how we face the world are more important than what we get done. I know that makes sense to you. Well, it’s how I look at things. I don’t know, if we could just get along and party and drink and not worry about all the rest, then what I thought or what you did and whatever else wouldn’t matter.
“Ah, I don’t know. I try not to obsess about things. Thinking too much doesn’t lead to anything good. Just doubting things, feeling pissed off about things that happened and you can’t change, worried about the things that will happen and you don’t know how will turn out. It’s much simpler to just react to things as they happen. If you don’t take things too seriously and always have a drink around then it’s not going to go too bad.”
Without warning, Suika laughed. It was a belly laugh, one that shook her small frame and made the chair creak from the sudden outburst. She turned her head to look at me, her eyes alight with impish energy. “Saying too much about things can be bad, too,” she explained, choking back laugher, “it’s like that one time you got that haircut. You asked me what sort of look would be good for you. I said that thinking about your hair was the last thing I wanted to do. It was the right thing to say.”
“I couldn’t decide. I sat there for thirty minutes before they decided for me,” I laughed as well, recalling the episode. At the time it was anything but humorous—I had looked ridiculous coming out of the barber shop. Suika had been waiting for me outside and with one look and with unrestrained demonic cackling I knew that I had made a huge mistake. … I got a buzz right there and there and waited a couple of weeks for it to grow back out. A complete waste of money but at least only one person mocked me for it.
“See? There’s no need to share an opinion on everything beforehand. Let others live their lives and interesting things will happen.”
“Sure. But isn’t there something that’s annoying, maybe that you’d want to tell me? Or maybe you have some sort of insight that I don’t. Isn’t that worth sharing?”
“You want advice? I just gave you some.” Letting out another laugh—much smaller in magnitude—she said, “Or maybe you want me to tell you you’re an idiot. That you should pick this or that girl. Already told you that as well.”
[] But was there something that annoyed her? Something she thought made things harder for me?
[] Still, were there any standouts among the people I knew? Someone she thought would be good for me?
ITS BACK!!!!!
> “it’s like that one time you got that haircut. You asked me what sort of look would be good for you. I said that thinking about your hair was the last thing I wanted to do. It was the right thing to say.”
Arc, vas a recoltalte?
> “Ah, I don’t know. I try not to obsess about things. Thinking too much doesn’t lead to anything good. Just doubting things, feeling pissed off about things that happened and you can’t change, worried about the things that will happen and you don’t know how will turn out. It’s much simpler to just react to things as they happen. If you don’t take things too seriously and always have a drink around then it’s not going to go too bad.”
I don't know if I've got a good read on this, but it seems to me that Suika's really troubled with something. This might be projecting but I've a bad habit of sticking my head in the sand as a response to stress, especially stress from looming change. Some things are uncomfortable and really stressing to think about, but that doesn't mean they should just be ignored.
Saying that, I don't know if Suika's even in the same boat as me, and in any case Arc isn't the best vessel for such a message anyway...
Maybe asking her for her opinions on someone else might be annoying. Might just remind her that this period of her life is ending soon. Like I said before, I think she's got a lot on her mind, and it'd be nice to be able to talk candidly, and keep the atmosphere light, and I think this option is suited to that end:
[X] But was there something that annoyed her? Something she thought made things harder for me?
[X] But was there something that annoyed her? Something she thought made things harder for me?
[X] But was there something that annoyed her? Something she thought made things harder for me?
Who Arc chooses (or does not choose) romantically is up to him. But something that annoys Suika regarding Arc is both their business.
Good to see you back, friend. Hope life's all right.
>While it would have been an exaggeration to say that all of that meant that there was an unspoken tension between us, it did add up to a sense of less-than-perfect comfort; nothing flowed thoughtlessly between us; the fresh air felt cool in my mouth and was a poor substitute for the fickle warmth of drink.
I like this description. Sometimes something being just slightly off feels worse over time than outright tension. Or sometimes it turns into tension.
>A moment passed and then she proffered a short reply, “I don’t think much about it.”
>“Saying too much about things can be bad, too,” she explained, choking back laugher, “it’s like that one time you got that haircut. You asked me what sort of look would be good for you. I said that thinking about your hair was the last thing I wanted to do. It was the right thing to say.”
To be honest, this just says to me that she does care on some level but copes by hoping things will turn out badly for Arc. Maybe she's hoping he'll end up giving up and just sit and drink beer with her on the stoop until they're old. Maybe that's it; maybe it's the long game. Maybe she has the feeling he'll come crawling back to her in the end, and then there won't have to be all this pretense. Really makes me think she isn't being honest with her own feelings.
Especially when you consider her whole thing about not thinking too hard about stuff, it seems to me like she's just bad at dealing with emotions that are more than slightly complicated. Yeah, I absolutely get not wanting to get bogged down in being upset by life and things you can't control — I super get it. However, I think digging in and refusing to feel just makes life that much more miserable in the end. To be honest, I really feel like she's afraid of rejection or something deep down. If she really is playing the long game, it'd make sense; if she just waits until Arc has no other choices, she doesn't have to be afraid of being rejected.
[x] Still, were there any standouts among the people I knew? Someone she thought would be good for me?
As much as the other option is reasonable, I don't feel like it's going to make Suika any more honest with herself. This one might not necessarily help that either, but it's kind of a pushback against her 'wait and let him fail' sort of mentality. I see it as Arc challenging her into not just not thinking, maybe creating a slight crack where some actual self-examination could leak in eventually. Maybe it's an opportunity for her real self to leak out, showing a little more of how she actually does care about Arc. Maybe it's even an opportunity to lead her around and get her to admit she just wishes Arc would nut up and make the first move, comfortable friendship be damned.
Because, honestly, even if she names names, I feel like her real answer is basically going to be that nobody is actually a fit for Arc. Nobody except, she'll probably be thinking, certain figures he pays little mind.
>>70380
The choice may be up to him, but it does concern the both of them in a way. Suika knows that he'll invariably fall away from her if he ever actually manages to rope someone into put up with him romantically. That might not be wholly true, but I'm pretty sure she sees it as a foregone truth. Even if this isn't a whole charade where she's just covering for having feelings for him, the fact that she seems to care somewhat says to me that trying to dig deeper might demonstrate more care for their friendship than just letting her off with complaining about whatever.
>>70378
Asking her anything comes off as annoying to her, honestly. It means she has to think about something, which she clearly doesn't want to do. Nonetheless, she's not entirely reluctant to talk, considering she hasn't just outright shut him out yet, something she would definitely do.
Either way, either question is about their relationship in some fashion. Neither feels like they're in a place where they can actually dig down on that directly — maybe they just lack the 'vocabulary' to express where they are, their friendship being too rigidly defined in some ways, too scripted — so Arc's framing the question as about him. I see the former option as trying to take a step back and do the exact thing she said about more or less letting things be. Conversely, the latter is about stepping up and saying that life can't just be experienced on the sidelines; she's got to nail down a stake somewhere.
I mean, I may be wrong, but I do think a lot of Suika's persona is bluster and a cover for a more vulnerable, lonelier girl than she ever cares to let on.
>>70378 here. I think you're right, I think being more challenging toward this apathetic mindset is a good idea. Suika!....
[X] But was there something that annoyed her? Something she thought made things harder for me?
[X] Still, were there any standouts among the people I knew? Someone she thought would be good for me?
>You asked me what sort of look would be good for you. I said that thinking about your hair was the last thing I wanted to do. It was the right thing to say.
Rather a Taoistic goblin, she seems. An uncouth master of action by inaction :V
... Somehow I don't like either of these two options. The first one is repeating what we've just asked, with a bit more leading language, when she's already deflected it once. The latter is... remarkably self-absorbed; not to mention already pre-empted by her deflection! Well, not that you can't just press on a thread already deflected or pre-empted regardless; and she's given us license to push even more pre-emptively than that; but forgive me—I have no such youthful audacity. My crooked instinct is to mirror.
But all right. Let's take an indelicate approach for granted. On the one hand, as a baseline option, Suika's an insightfully observational sort, and it were well to coax out her observations of others. On the other hand, if something annoys her, that might be the real pearl of insight to be had—after all, who was it that said that real thinking is always that which you do once you hit upon that which you can't stand? Foucault, or someone talking about Foucault?
And yet I don't know whether it's the right time to insist on such an irritant. For me... well, for me, the instinct hinges on whether or not the Sun's dipped out of sight yet! Because, for me, if the Sun is still up, then we might prefer to broaden our topics; talk about here and there; bring up him and her and let the light illumine those thoughts. But it's in that cooling desaturation, that leaching of the last fire, where it seems most appropriate to close in, distill, and give vent to dissatisfactions. As a long exhale, rather than a hot bellow.
>“it’s like that one time
>Letting out another laugh—much smaller in magnitude
... I see it now. Yes, all right.
[x] But was there something that annoyed her? Something she thought made things harder for me?
>>70362
Not quite nostalgia. More timeless than that. Something familiar, and often missed, but not because it's merely past. She's not otherworldly to me—she feels to me to be precisely from my world. She makes those hairs rest easy, where everywhere else they're merely numb. Like a form of life it's possible to be, in the midst of others that are, well, certainly attested; but quite impossible to undertake.
I'm not sure if I ought to say, or stop short of saying—it's a form I'd like to take on, in the ideal limit of things. I'd like to let that divine spirit flow free in me as well.
>>70381
Interesting perspective, and thought-provoking as always. Though I often feel floundered by the gaps between what you manage to see and where my attention has wandered off instead—this time, it seems I've totally overlooked the matter of self-honesty. Maybe I take its presence too easily for granted.
... I'm not sure what to do with that knowledge, though. I'll stick to my vote for now, perhaps, since I don't foresee my own reasoning being more compelling than yours to anyone who comes after :V
>>70383
Something tells me the post-sundown hours have shenanigans planned. Something of a meta-feeling, perhaps. So, I think a lot of this is happening with the sun still vainly floating, the action likely to break off before it's skimming the horizon.
>Sanae stuff
Interesting. Seems quite remote to the sort of things I feel, yet I also think I understand a little. I suppose there is that enviable little element of following one's inclinations, letting that possessing spirit guide the role one takes on. For me, it's more a sort of rapture in witnessing something of the sort; perhaps the possibility exists to assume that form, but I just find it slightly exhilarating to see it in motion, as it were.
>anyone who comes after
Honestly, I think you're probably it, barring the odd latecomer. It tends to be about five of us with any consistency, assuming at least one or more of the silent voters are the same exact anons every time. If I haven't convinced anyone now, I doubt I'm likely to convince anyone hereafter; more people just need to vote in general if they feel some way about something!
As a completely unrelated thought, this is a perfect time for Coach Yuugi to come traipsing out of the woods.
After all, I've heard tell there's a secret oni hat trick ending. The obvious key to the Coach is her long-time(?) acquaintance, and any shot completing the trifecta will probably require triggering her appearance first. After that, it's all a matter of finding that hidden trigger for the even more hidden third...
How do I know? My uncle works at Terutendo. Trust me, bro.
[x] Still, were there any standouts among the people I knew? Someone she thought would be good for me?
I wasn't expecting Suika to be this introspective. But it just fits her, I think. She lives in the moment and doesn't like (or want to) think about any potential trouble. I think it's best to respect that for now and not pry any further.
Now, to the actual choice. I kind of want to hear an outside perspective about Arc and his sort-of relationships with others. An oni never lies, as they say.
I'm getting around to writing and things should proceed as normal. Just wanted to take a moment to thank the people here for the time and effort they put into thinking, commenting, and voting. It really is appreciated and valued. Your posts are always interesting to read, even if it's "just" a short line or response. I try not to respond directly to things posted or conversations that are ongoing so as to not introduce bias or stymie potential (save for rare cases when it is appropriate to add clarity) but rest assured that I do read and have thoughts of my own about things!
It's unfortunate that I seemingly only pipe up when there's something wrong so I thought it would be a nice change of pace to post something that is unambiguous and positive without prompting. The readers' contributions to the story are well worth recognizing! I hope you enjoy the process—it certainly helps keep me motivated to write every day and have fun.
>>70387
Love you too, big guy. This story has been one of precious few sources of fun in a life full of not-fun. When it came back, it really gave me a boost, and reading and voting is the highlight of my day. And it's reading and voting that's the important part; there's a fun in participation in an unfolding story that can't really be found just scrolling through a dead, static archive of a story. More importantly, the way the story often shifts in a subtle response to us in the audience who speak up is something I haven't really seen otherwise. It really does feel like a participatory story, and participating is fun.
So, yeah, keep being your fabulous self, friend.
“I can’t believe that I find your stubbornness endearing sometimes,” Suika said, forcing out a sigh for emphasis. It was an unnatural gesture: she took a sharp inhale of breath, shook her head as if to say “it can’t be helped”, and forced out the breath with enough force to make it seem like her body might crumple, purged of both air and soul.
Of course, I could say the same about her and her stubbornness. But I didn’t. I knew well enough to stay quiet and suppress any dramatic sighing of my own. The intent behind the question wasn’t to antagonize her further. She had made her feelings clear enough but I didn’t get many chances to press her about things that involved me; a lot of the time I didn’t feel talking about myself, let alone having others talk about me.
“Well, Arc, what do you want me to say?” she asked but didn’t expect an answer. My delinquent buddy looked at me, her eyes sharp and frightening. An outsider, someone who might have been spoiling for a fight, was sure to mistake that look for raw anger or for murderous intent; those without sufficient imagination would be driven to a binary: fight or flee. To me, however, it was an almost refreshing sign. That glare was not meant to intimidate me—at least, not entirely. It was a sign that she was baring something that was normally kept hidden, a nature filtered and obfuscated because of practical concerns, because others could not bring themselves to understand that there were layers and depths even to what might be mistaken for a demon.
I wasn’t sure what sort of expression I was making—I hoped that it was something equally as honest and intimate.
Suika held her breath while she looked at me. The stillness made the gaze all the more penetrative, red and dangerous like an overheated drill bit forced to bore. My own breathing came to a stop. There was a tingle in my skull, somewhere near the back of one of my ears. The hellish sparks that seemed to cascade from the spot felt more numbing than the feeling earlier of my leg beginning to fall asleep. Perhaps, I found myself thinking, enabled by all the fumes and vapors from the alcohol I had drank, something would ignite and result in a great conflagration.
There was a grimace from her, one that seemed to mock me equally as it did her. On one side of her mouth her lips curled, twitching like her wrinkled nose, and revealed the point of an incisor that was shiny from an excess of saliva.
“Well, what do you want me to say?” she repeated her question, once again beginning to breathe. I found myself automatically doing the same. “What is there to say? A next door neighbor that’s girlish and understanding in many ways, deeply caring but often wounded by your thoughtlessness? Yeah, that Alice is a good one, don’t you think? The more you fight, the more it means that you both care. It’s the sort of thing that you definitely enjoy. Maybe it doesn’t compare to the demure but smart Marisa, right? Cunning, maybe even scheming, kind of girl who knows what she wants. Or maybe Reimu is the best after all. She works hard when she has to and is more than willing to look the other way when it’s a pain. She always lets us off the hook, after all. Can’t be easy to deal with getting nagged by others all the time. These are all things that you know and maybe will even admit out loud. Just like you’d probably admit that that spoiled little princess is the kind to poke a hole in a rubber to piss off dear old dad.”
To punctuate her assessment Suika snatched up another can. She popped the top with the practiced flick of a finger. She drank in sips but smacked her lips in an exaggerated way. When she again looked at me, the light in her eyes was obscured by their usual veil. Only in the darkness, perhaps under revealing moonlight, could their residual incandescence still be discerned.
“Thanks,” I said even though I knew that words were very unnecessary and could only do harm.
A good part of me wanted to stick around, to get drunk enough to stop thinking and spend the night under the vast sky with Suika. The intense darkness would be something new—the lights around us when we at home did make it difficult to see some of the stars. I wondered about what sort of feeling I’d get or maybe that we’d share. Would we feel that same feeling of a shared space, with nothing but ourselves? Or would we even forget that we were there, that we could feel and touch, had thoughts and concerns? Maybe the unfeeling darkness that was punctured by pinpricks of far-off light would make us forget that we even had identities.
Ultimately, that sort of thing would have to wait. There were other things that I felt that I needed to do.
I gave Suika a casual goodbye, the sort that we always gave one another, and dusted myself off before heading back towards the camp. The forest had grown dark, with the darkening hues of sky failing to breach the canopy. I took my time, careful not to stumble on an exposed root or the odd rock, still feeling some of the effervescent effects that beer had on a mostly empty stomach.
When I got back to the camp, things were livelier than when I had left. Some of my peers were standing by the lakeside, watching the dulled, nearly igneous, light of the setting sun as it began to dip over the mountains. Both mountain and forest had begun to blend into a contiguous zone of darkness. The lake itself was affected by that atypical light and its far shore looked like it had been burned; this produced a shadowy crust that dissolved unevenly into mostly indigo and eggplant-colored water which, in turn, retained a few streaks of glimmering dark gold and gradients of blue. Those sensitive to the spectacle of change and to the promise of intimate isolation seemed to be rooted there for the duration.
An excitable queue had also formed near the lodge. Dinner was being served and everyone had, all at once, realized just how hungry they were. There were still comforts to be had and routine to be enjoyed even when surrounded by nature. The welcoming and civilizing glow of artificial light had opened up the appetite for socialization also—as they waited for their turn to get food, they took to impromptu groups and chatted happily. There were tables inside that would most likely begin to be filled up and segregated according to groups of friends or, at the very least, peers from the same class. There was nothing performative about the earnest desire to connect, to celebrate, and to consume both the food and the cheer of companions.
[] Eat, be merry, and grab a good table.
[] Enjoy the quiet show of light and shadow.
SUN IS SINKING
GOBLIN PRESENCE
ARC IS THINKING
GOBLIN'S BANE
ARC IS DRINKING
GOBLIN PLEASURE
ARC IS SLINKING
GOBLIN PAIN
[x] Eat, be merry, and grab a good table.
If you're gonna drink her beer and then ditch her to play social butterfly, you'd better make the most of it...!
Well, I suppose that was about what could be hoped for. A lot of what Suika said ended up not being all that pivotal, but it's interesting how incisive she is about these relationships of Arc's. She definitely leans towards the girls who are likely to support Arc and perhaps challenge him in some way or other. She knows very well that he's a fickle boy who can't live without some kind of complication to things. I do wonder about her somewhat indicting opinion on Tenshi, though; perhaps it's a general warning that some complications are more dangerous than others?
>To me, however, it was an almost refreshing sign. That glare was not meant to intimidate me—at least, not entirely. It was a sign that she was baring something that was normally kept hidden, a nature filtered and obfuscated because of practical concerns, because others could not bring themselves to understand that there were layers and depths even to what might be mistaken for a demon.
Man, I guess I really don't quite get Suika and Arc's whole thing. You'd think they almost hate each other sometimes, but there's all this complication to it, all these layers and masks. They act as if they're brutally honest with each other in normal times, and then they reveal there's yet another curtain everything was behind. It all sounds really tiresome.
People can connect in all sorts of ways, I know. It's just... something about the nature of it feels counter-intuitive to humanity. Suika is certainly in a class of her own, I suppose. I just wonder if it's truly tenable in the long term. Can one really live their life like that forever?
>The stillness made the gaze all the more penetrative, red and dangerous like an overheated drill bit forced to bore. My own breathing came to a stop. There was a tingle in my skull, somewhere near the back of one of my ears. The hellish sparks that seemed to cascade from the spot felt more numbing than the feeling earlier of my leg beginning to fall asleep. Perhaps, I found myself thinking, enabled by all the fumes and vapors from the alcohol I had drank, something would ignite and result in a great conflagration.
>When she again looked at me, the light in her eyes was obscured by their usual veil. Only in the darkness, perhaps under revealing moonlight, could their residual incandescence still be discerned.
> wondered about what sort of feeling I’d get or maybe that we’d share. Would we feel that same feeling of a shared space, with nothing but ourselves? Or would we even forget that we were there, that we could feel and touch, had thoughts and concerns? Maybe the unfeeling darkness that was punctured by pinpricks of far-off light would make us forget that we even had identities.
>Some of my peers were standing by the lakeside, watching the dulled, nearly igneous, light of the setting sun as it began to dip over the mountains. Both mountain and forest had begun to blend into a contiguous zone of darkness. The lake itself was affected by that atypical light and its far shore looked like it had been burned; this produced a shadowy crust that dissolved unevenly into mostly indigo and eggplant-colored water which, in turn, retained a few streaks of glimmering dark gold and gradients of blue.
Seriously, such evocative prose in this story. It's not necessarily even about attention to detail or whatever; it's just pure emotion that comes about without needing to spell it out. These are ultimately words, but they cause such feelings to arise as to suggest entire worlds in and of themselves. Sometimes I find myself re-reading these passages repeatedly trying to simply inhabit them.
>I knew that words were very unnecessary and could only do harm.
It dogs me everywhere I go. I must enjoy the silence. Help.
[x] Enjoy the quiet show of light and shadow.
To be honest, this scene is just too rapturous to pass up. Besides, I think Arc needs to enj— to take a quiet moment to himself after all that. He needs to melt into the expanse of darkness and space and free the boundaries of his mind. More than that, I feel like trying to socialise after that moment with Suika is going to... I'm not sure how to put it. It's not so much that the moment itself will be tainted by others, but I think there needs to be a decisive interval placed between it and everything else because it's valuable.
If anyone of interest is hanging around, well, maybe they'll understand where he's at. Or maybe they'll go out of their way to splosh paint on it. The theatre of youth is such a varied and interesting place.
[X] Eat, be merry, and grab a good table.
[X] Enjoy the quiet show of light and shadow.
Ooh, look at the pretty colors!
[x] Enjoy the quiet show of light and shadow.
Sit back and take a moment for a bit. Our boy's got a lot to think about. I know it's not a thing in this story, but this feels a lot like the end of the common route in VNs.
> I said even though I knew that words were very unnecessary and could only do harm.
There it is again... How strange. In a story, when the words stop flowing, that means its the ending right...? Until something jerks you from your quiet, at least...
[X] Enjoy the quiet show of light and shadow.
Arc's gonna do his best impression of a hungry wolf at a hunter-gatherer tribe's campsite. Maybe the campers will even throw him a bone or two.
I stood by the edge of the lake and watched as the sun continued to dip beyond the mountains. There wasn’t any one particular thought in my head as looked at the dying light. A few memories broke through—disparate and fleeting—and for a moment I tried to recall other sunsets, other times I had spent just watching the day end and not doing much of anything. From my bedroom window, if I craned my head out, I could usually see the sun being swallowed up by the very same hills and mountains where I stood. Specific instances blurred, consolidated by the sameness of daily life. I found myself smiling when I noticed the only exception to those phantasmal and imperfect images: her clear and unassuming eyes, set within a relaxed, almost unguarded, expression; they peered across from her open window, just as often taking in the last of the day as they would come to rest upon me. Every memory of dusk could so be evaluated and distinguished.
The moon had immodestly chosen to be bright even as the last of the sunlight continued to glow impotently over the lip of the mountain. A few clouds crossed over its fat and rounded surface but they did little to obscure its blanched light. The waters of the lake—so recently sun-kissed—were dark off to the distance but by the shore they took on a dignified dark and grayish-blue color. It felt to me like the lake was inviting someone to disturb its calm, to create ripples and reveal something carefully teased by the perfidious moon.
“Ah, Mr. Vice President, so there you are!” a cheerful voice interrupted the strange direction my free-flowing thoughts had taken me. I had barely registered the hail when I felt a pair of thin arms wrap around me from behind. “Hey~! Can you hear me or are you too busy having wonderfully deep important thoughts?”
Faint recognition followed. As did the smell of something sweet but spicy, like some sort peppermint candy. But what was she doing here? I gently broke out of the surprise embrace by pressing my arms outwards. I turned to face her, maybe showing more irritation on my face than I intended.
“Oooh, that’s a bit scary!” she raised her shoulders and slumped her head, miming what might have intended to look like a turtle retreating into its own shell. Much more quietly, whispering as if she had been hurt and was afraid, she added, “I thought you would be happy to see your cutest fan….”
Even in the dim transition between day and night, her blonde hair seemed bright and vital like freshly reaped wheat. Both of her light-colored brown eyes were looking expectantly at me, one of them peering through a few messy strands of the shoulder-length hair that fell over her face. The effect added to the playful insincerity that she was trying using to disarm me.
“I thought only people from my year were supposed to come,” I said, trying to think back if I had seen her hiking with the rest of the group earlier. I couldn’t recall but, then again, I hadn’t been looking too closely either.
“I think it was an open invitation,” she said and let her ridiculous posture relax as she let out a soft, breathy laugh. The dreamy, pleasant smile that formed on her lips was further enhanced by the slender brows that were almost wisp-like in their definition. The moon continued to be treacherous and wicked, using its mercurial light to make her pale, marble-colored flesh look more resplendent. Despite the playful way she had approached me, there was something permanently alert in her, I judged.
“Kudamaki, there was no such thing. Only the class reps knew about the trip beforehand and they only told their classmates as discreetly as possible.”
“Come on now,” she objected, giggling like it was a nervous tick, “I thought I told you to call me Tsukasa. There’s no need to be so formal with me, Mr. Vice President.”
… No need for formality yet she referred to me by my student council position. Was she hoping that I would extend the same courtesy to her? I wasn’t too keen to give her too much license. In general, I had little time for underclassmen even when they didn’t tag along on trips they weren’t supposed to be on. There were more than enough people of interest in my peer groups … and beyond them, real women and people out and about in the world. My thoughts wandered.
“Oh, I hope I’m not inconveniencing you by being here,” Kudamaki said. “I figured that Ms. Reimu was fine with it and so you would be too.”
“You spoke with Reimu?”
“I know you’re the real brains behind the council so I should have checked in with you first, sorry,” she giggled again, retreating half a step and joining her hands behind her back. The coquettish pose she struck, with her eyes sparkling whenever they turned themselves upwards towards me, was well-timed. I took stock of her outfit for the first time—mainly a short skirt and shirt that were unremarkable for the summer. The embellishments on top of her basic getup were fashionable statements. I hadn’t noticed on a first glance but she wore a oversized dress shirt over her other clothes, which was diaphanous to the point of total transparency; whenever she moved it took on a shimmer of sliver from the moonlight. A black band around her neck constrained her slender neck and contrasted with the subtle and thin lines that revealed themselves when she spoke.
“I don’t get why you’d want to come in the first place.”
“What’s wrong wanting to make sure that my dependable seniors have the most relaxing time possible?” Kudamaki cocked her head and puffed her lips outwards. A self-pitying sigh could not be too far behind. “I just want to be as helpful as possible.”
[] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
[] Big Sis was better equipped to deal with her and her enthusiasm.
[X] Big Sis was better equipped to deal with her and her enthusiasm.
I get the feeling she's not supposed to be here. Nor do I believe she spoke with Reimu.
G O T O H E C K
Dastardly fox. Makes up for their neuron count being a standard deviation below the norm by dedicating every single one to deceit!
Arc seems to be handling her well enough, but who's to say something like a brush of silk, a conspiratorial whisper, and hot breath on his ear couldn't make him lose his cool? Dangerous fox. Also a ridiculouly large fox, 5.63 Megabytes for the update image!?!?!? WHAT!
[X] Big Sis was better equipped to deal with her and her enthusiasm.
Also, contrasting nature's wordless beauty with a character who thrives in social hierarchies and is barely anything but their words is quite the whiplash! This is a good thing, if there's any confusion.
[x] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
Let's hear her out and try not to send another unfortunate soul to Yuyuko. I think that Arc should take whatever help he can get for his tasks. If she's crafty, then maybe we do need crafty allies too.
On a side note, I first thought "Who the hell is this 2hu again?", and then remembered that I haven't been catching up with the games past HSiFS. Can't believe it's already up to 20 now. Maybe someday I'll 1CC anything above Normal mode.
[x] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
[] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
Dumping more on yuyuko is just going to be trouble later. The thing with Aya is too recent.
>>70399
I like her theme. it's goes places.
You absolute madlad. Of course you'd make the damned tube-fox a cute, cheeky kouhai. This will ruin me. I can tell already.
I could pull in a lot of quotes as usual, but I'd honestly just be quoting half the update because this one has so many good bits of prose. The descriptions of how everything looks in the moonlight — I envy that sort of sense. In a far shorter space, you've managed to create a far more evocative and emotional scene than what I was going for in >>70322. You might have called it 'haunting', but I think this causes more of a buzz for me. And not just the scene itself either; the way that the moonlight characterises Tsukasa's fae-like qualities also works amazingly. I was going for dreamlike with my little tribute, but this is far more dreamlike, in my opinion.
>I had barely registered the hail when I felt a pair of thin arms wrap around me from behind.
>As did the smell of something sweet but spicy, like some sort peppermint candy.
>Both of her light-colored brown eyes were looking expectantly at me, one of them peering through a few messy strands of the shoulder-length hair that fell over her face.
>The dreamy, pleasant smile that formed on her lips was further enhanced by the slender brows that were almost wisp-like in their definition.
>The coquettish pose she struck, with her eyes sparkling whenever they turned themselves upwards towards me, was well-timed.
>A black band around her neck constrained her slender neck and contrasted with the subtle and thin lines that revealed themselves when she spoke.
>Kudamaki cocked her head and puffed her lips outwards. A self-pitying sigh could not be too far behind.
Hngh! Like a hail of targeted bullets shot straight into my chest. I might die at this rate!
>I found myself smiling when I noticed the only exception to those phantasmal and imperfect images: her clear and unassuming eyes, set within a relaxed, almost unguarded, expression; they peered across from her open window, just as often taking in the last of the day as they would come to rest upon me.
Man, Arc really doesn't appreciate how good he has it, having such a cute neighbour right in near-arm's reach. Can you imagine being able to open your window and talk to your childhood friend in the middle of the night? Such conversations that could be had. Why, if Arc wanted, I bet he could convince his adorable neighbour to count sheep for him and lull him to sleep. Or, I mean, they could talk about how pretty the moon is, too.
>The moon had immodestly chosen to be bright
>The moon continued to be treacherous and wicked
>reveal something carefully teased by the perfidious moon.
I know what I said, but I do just want to call out how much I love this whole metaphorical personification of the moon. Also, using the word 'perfidious'; it's a splendid word.
[x] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
Now, I may be biased and weak for cheeky kouhai, but there is a mild logic to this choice for me. The way I see it, if we assume Tsukasa is lying about things she's said and trying to be manipulative, then sending her off to Big Sis is probably the last thing Arc wants to do. Just because sending Aya her way didn't necessarily blow up in his face (immediately) doesn't mean someone like this crafty vixen won't do some harm. There is absolutely no telling what she might try and pass off; even if Big Sis is liable to know something is up, all the little fox has to do is sow small doubts. I mean, look at how she's already starting in with implying Arc's the one making the real decisions.
For the moment, it'd be better for Arc to wrap his arms around her and keep her close to his chest. For his own sake, of course. For safety.
>>70398
Wicked, indeed. Can you imagine all of the young men she's undone with a vulnerable expression and a saccharine "Seeeeenpai!"?
>>70399
Doesn't help that a lot of the newer 'hus haven't been all that relevant in official media after the release of their respective games a lot of times. Tsukasa is perfect bait for all kinds of shenanigans, but nope. Just her second appearance in UDoALG... where she was far more ineffectual.
Also, I'm not sure Tsukasa is all that likely to be an ally in any meaningful sense, but I suppose I can see the reason in trying to make use of her in some way, if only to avoid potential trouble. Then again, I guess it remains to be seen what sort of tack she'll take; maybe she can be inclined to not be entirely malicious.
>>70402
I can already feel my bones aching when I remember that it's been just a little over a decade ago when LoLK was released. I also get the feeling that newer 2hus don't have the same impact as the games released during Touhou's peak. There aren't as many doujins and fanworks as well for them, at least from what I see.
Perhaps the gacha flood just overwhelmed the franchise, perhaps it's just naturally going to get here anyway, even a giant like Touhou would eventually fade away someday. Ultimately, it is what it is, though. Don't mean to bring the mood down, I still very much enjoy Touhou works.
>>70403
Eh, I think it's a lot of things. The doujin scene just doesn't seem like it has the same sort of energy anymore; why bother with the original social aspects when everything can be boiled down to a digital transaction? Touhou itself is just a part of the greater downturn.
But, I dunno. I don't feel like newer characters are 'less impactful' as such. If anything, a lot of them are more interesting in their origins. It's just that perhaps those interesting origins make them... less easily 'categorisable'. I mean, you can't take someone like, say, Sannyo and slot them into a 'role' the way you could take someone like Youmu and go, "And she's dorky sword woman." Perhaps that doesn't help things in terms of fanworks; the investment cost is too high for someone to invent some pretext and context for a new character when there are well-worn ones right there that garner immediate buy-in.
At the very least, we have fanworks like this that take those sorts of chances, whatever the outcome.
>>70403
Although I agree it's due to Gacha, I think that's only a big problem for us in the western space. Translator groups just have more monetary incentive when gacha doujins are concerned, a lot of times I can check a doujin artists twitter and see them advertising stuff I never see translated.
Like most of Zounoses recent output and some of what Fuuzasa has posted recently as well.
There's still a substantial younger touhou scene in japan, going by popularity polls at least.
I'm glad we still have the creators we still have. It really stings that the reason Touhou stuff isn't making its way westward is money... But having younger people getting into it sounds really hopeful! A second boom might be beyond optimistic, but I look forward to what this younger contingent can bring in terms of fanworks.
>In general, I had little time for underclassmen even when they didn’t tag along on trips they weren’t supposed to be on. There were more than enough people of interest in my peer groups … and beyond them, real women and people out and about in the world.
It seems Arc is the sort who's relatively impervious to the charms of wheedling kouhairy, having his eye turned to prospects less jejune. Rather of like mind with myself in that regard. And, in that case, I see no reason why we can't just talk to her normally and see what she has to offer. After all, she's here now, whether wanted or not. What's the sense in being rude?
[x] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
Also,
>Tsukasa jellyfish cut with underlayer dye
str8 bussin fr fr no cap
>>70407
He might be immune for the moment, but you know she is trying to find that crack in his heart, that little opening to slip her way in. If she can find that...
But, well, I don't think directing her to Yuyuko is necessarily being rude or involves being so. It could be a matter of politely declining her assistance whilst acknowledging her helpful impulses.
>jejune
more like Jujyfruit lmao
>str8 bussin fr fr no cap
Goddamn you no I don't want to think of zoomer fox aaaaaaaaa
I guess I didn't really notice that because — at least, I feel it to be true — those sorts of colour highlights have become more common. My eyes just kind of slide past them.
[X] Big Sis was better equipped to deal with her and her enthusiasm.
Silly fox shenanigans are too silly for me.
[X] Big Sis was better equipped to deal with her and her enthusiasm.
[X] And exactly how did she intend to be helpful to the vice president?
This avoids punting too much trouble onto Yuyuko, and also, I like this portrayal of Tsukasa a lot (especially after >>70402 pointed out the similarities to Iroha, heh), so I wouldn't mind seeing more.
