[x] Maybe I should check in with the yamawaro. Surely Takane and I can cobble together something clever.
-[x] it still ends up involving kidnapping Nitori

ooooh, meeting the sisters again would be lovely. i shan't—i shan't piss!

[x] Maybe I should check in with the yamawaro. Surely Takane and I can cobble together something clever.
-[x] it still ends up involving blackmailing kidnapping Nitori and we make plans to blackmail aya

[x] Maybe I should check in with the yamawaro. Surely Takane and I can cobble together something clever.
-[x] it still ends up involving kidnapping Nitori

“Oh, I think I recognize that tree,” I point to a particular tree a couple dozen feet from us. It looks like it never healed off the stab wound Takane gave it. I should poke fun at how dramatic she was in our first encounter.

“And? Are you thinking you want to get strung up on another snare?” Nitori bickers from Ran’s shoulder. “You know what, go do that, I’d love to have an excuse to leave and get back to what I was doing.”

When I asked Ran to fetch Nitori this morning, she didn’t bother asking why. She simply left and came back in twenty minutes flat with the kappa in tow. It took a bit to explain that I wanted to convene with the yamawaro, the irate turtle interrupting every other sentence, but still Ran didn’t question why. I told her my general plan yesterday, but for her to not beat back any aspect of its validity is… different. Maybe I’ve finally hit a good enough track record in her eyes.

“How far does that leave us from the camp?” I ask my partner.

“About a quarter of a kilometer, depending on exact travel path,” she prints back.

I tap my shoe into place. I’ve been doing a lot of walking lately, and I can start to feel the wear in the sole, but now’s not the time to be worrying about where I’m supposed to find dress shoes. “You’d think we could just fly in if they have an open borders policy, now.”

“So you’re telling me you’d be fine if someone was flying over your house?” Nitori posits.

“I’d say that’s different from landing inside.”

Nitori goes to contest the thought, but Ran holds up a finger, looking into a set of nearby trees. We wait a breath as the rustle of red and orange gives way to a figure in green. A yamawaro lands next to us, a net slung over their shoulder and a few shuriken gripped between their fingers.

“You three look pretty darn suspicious,” the little ninja greets. “Although, I guess you’re also pretty recognizable. You need any assistance, Kawashiro? If they’re holding you unwillingly I’ll help

>>45250

I should elaborate on my reply: When I said "how much I appreciate," I meant somewhere between "quite a bit" and "a whole lot," and I definitely did not mean "not at all" or less.

Also, I'm not upset as in a-word-meaning-sad, I meant as in "I'm furious with myself for letting this happen." "This" meaning I let Reimu's ability and personality of floating infect the plot when it was just supposed to be in the narration. And when I tried to correct it, just like Reimu, I got suckerpunched by an unexpected danmaku/Yukari saying "I'm adopting you."

And don't worry, I don't think I'm a bad writer; in fact, I have the opposite problem where I KNOW I'm a GREAT writer, but I just make bad decisions (egomaniac)! I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING; I'M JUST SCREWING IT UP!

And! It's hilarious. You'd have to meet me in person to truly, TRULY understand, but I really wish I could get across just how upset-but-actually unbothered I am. "Screw it, we ball," is the only way I can think to describe it, but it's not enough. That and my image. Come Hell or high water, I'm gonna write a Reimu and Yukari relationship I like a lot more than the inspiration! Also, I was gonna say something about Jerma, but I don't know how to word it exactly, so...! There!

The day after Reimu visited Aya, Kasen came stomping up the shrine steps. The shrine maiden winced at the furious look on the hermit’s face. “H—”

“YOU FLEW INTO THE TENGU VILLAGE?!” she roared.

Reimu felt like she was facing down a tiger, but she still had to defend herself. “What?! I didn’t even do anything!”

“YOU FLEW… INTO THE TENGU… VILLAGE!”

“What’s the big deal?!”

“Reimu, do you even know how incredibly territorial the tengu are?!”

“N-no, not really…”

Kasen put her face in her bandaged hand and sighed. “Did you learn nothing from Ms. Kamishirasawa as a child?”

The shrine maiden ground the toe of her shoe into the stone pathway as she stared at her other one. Reimu didn’t feel like that was a very fair thing for her to say. She could read and write. And she knew how to exterminate any youkai.

“Not only that,” Kasen continued, “but you fought the guards!”

“They were in the way!”

“Of course they were in the way! Do you know what a guard is?! Do you even know what a guard does?!”

She looked away ashamedly. “N-no…”

“What? I can’t hear you when you mumble.”

“No. …I don’t know what a guard does.”

Kasen’s face went from angry to shocked. “Are you serious…?! Did nobody teach you these things?” When the shrine maiden didn’t respond, she continued. “Didn’t your parents explain anything to you?” At the word ‘parents,’ the girl’s lip started trembling, and a sharp pain pricked at her eyes. “Reimu? Are you alright? …I… I didn’t mean to make you upset.” Kasen reached out to her, and she swatted her away before rushing back toward the shrine. “R—! Reimu! I’m sorry!”

The girl threw herself into her futon, wondering why she had to be punished just for doing what she was told. She felt a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Reimu. This is my fault.” She turned to see Yukari sitting beside her, leaning on one of her hands.

“You

“I’m sorry for my outburst…” Ran murmured. She sipped her tea. “I… It’s just that I empathize with you; I was suddenly overtaken with regret for…” She took a deep breath to steady herself. “When I was young, I was foolish. And when I was foolish, I wanted to be Tamamo-no-mae.” Reimu didn’t react, so she continued. “We in my village had heard of Tamamo-no-mae’s exploits, and I latched onto them just as any child latches onto tales of true heroics. We were a peaceful village, by kitsune standards. Some of the kits would go out and play pranks on the humans of nearby villages—dangerous as well as safe—but we never dared to cause enough trouble to draw scorn.

“I was the most rebellious of the village; I had it in my mind that I was born to rule nations and crush my enemies. My parents… My parents tried to reason with me, but I refused to adhere to their will. I left them and everyone behind to make a name for myself. To be Tamamo-no-mae. I was successful. …Too successful. 41.9% of the tales attributed to her are from my efforts.

“Youkai hunters… thought they found me. Found her. …My… …My village…” Ran’s bottom lip quivered, and tears fell from her eyes. She dabbed at her cheeks with her sleeves. “My parents were killed… by my own hand… I would give anything to apologize… To undo everything…”

Reimu could only stare at her. “…Oh…”

“‘Oh…?’ That’s all you have to say…?” The youkai turned her gaze towards her. “That’s all you have to say…?!” She grabbed her by the collar with both hands, and the girl found herself floating under a foreign power. She shook her hard. “‘Oh?!’”

“H-hey! Put me down!”

“Do you think you deserve to remain so indifferent?! While the rest of us suffer?!” The youkai slammed her into the floor. “You sit in here and eat rice crackers all day while we…!” Ran’s anger began to disappear. “…What am I doing…?” Her grip loosened, and she pulled away. “I… I’m sorry…! I’m so sorry…! I…! I don’t know what…!” She put her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry… I’m so so sorry…”

[X] If this murder of dumbasses thought that they could stop her, they had another thing coming.

VIOLENCE

And there we have it!

Vote called in favour of murder, violence, and rampaging!

BLOOD FOR THE HAKUREI GOD, SKULLS FOR THE MIKO'S THRONE!

Luv me some Youkai Moe. I’ve been waiting for the eternity arc just because you promised some Yuuka with the initial lecture portion. Let’s watch them do some painting!

[x] Maybe they’d try to do some scene drawing together. Eternity and Kazami are apparently prolific artists

...Y'know, I get the weirdest vibe that Wriggle is jealous of Eternity...for being more favored by Yuuka.

I dunno, this just kinda reads like she's upset that her big sister or her puppy crush is paying more attention to her friend rather than her.

New thread time! We've still got plenty of material to cover!

New thread: >>45672

[X]Be careful. This was the middle of enemy territory, it would be better not to push her luck
{X}Play it safe and order tea. Better for her to keep a clear head for whatever comes next.

[X]Be careful. This was the middle of enemy territory, it would be better not to push her luck
{X}Play it safe and order tea. Better for her to keep a clear head for whatever comes next.

>>45584
>>45585
Sorry guys, I've already started writing for 'going big'. I didn't think anyone would vote past last week.

[x] “Fine, drag me away for all I care. I’d love to see you come up with a better idea.”

[x] “Fine, drag me away for all I care. I’d love to see you come up with a better idea.”

We've come to the bottom of the page once more. I wonder how many notebooks we've filled by this point?

New thread: >>45332

[x] No need to make her do something she’s not comfortable with. If I have to nix the idea then so be it.

[x] No need to make her do something she’s not comfortable with. If I have to nix the idea then so be it.

Honestly, being given the choice NOT to do it when Wakasagihime clearly isn't too comfortable to do so just makes it rather clear to not do it. Besides, we already kinda messed up with Kogasa and it's a lesson to take to heart.

A double update?! No, a new thread! It it time for us to leave behind the chapters of the rainbow warrior and the forgotten umbrella. Let us remember them as we go into the next chapter's journey with the mermaid.

>>44955