(in which we make kaguya flakes)
"Alright, then. What do you know about this Shikome?"
Eirin drew a clipboard from somewhere behind herself, readyin' to take my input! And by extension, my party's input, since we all got some experience wit' the murder loli.
It's a little awkward, just being right here in the room with the atom smasher keeping Shikome in place, but I've been in more awkward situations before! "She likes to kill things."
...Eirin just gives me a glazed look! "I see you're a detective."
"She used to reside in the human village." Genkan spoke, lettin' me collect myself…! "We actually had a close encounter with her, once."
"Oh, yeah!" I remember almost dying! "She almost stabbed Genkan in the head, and she did stab Mokou in the head, once."
"We- also got ran out of that bar, that I used to own…" Maria spoke up, too. "I thought she'd chase us down the village road, but… she didn't."
"Mmm." Despite the look Reisen was givin' us, Eirin just nonchalantly scribbled down what we said! "She resided in the village, and was this violent? Do any of you know about her murder rate, or anything?"
Reisen spoke up before we could! "She seemed to kill humans on occasion for the week or two she was here. Youkai deaths are unknown."
"Hmh." Tappin' her lip wit' her pen, Eirin pondered this. "Such a significant threat makes certain individuals look lazy."
By the way, Seiga's here wit' us too! "Why, it really does. Especially when a rout was so, so easy..."
Reisen gained a glare at her, but didn't say anything.
Eirin gave Seiga a bored look! "So you say. Considering your involvement here, how did she slight you?"
"Mmm?" Seiga just kinda tilted her head, at that. "Slight me? ...Now that you mention it, she had been particularly destructive of my property. It was almost harassment, even. Do you know the price of a life in Gensokyo's current ecosystem?"
"Yes." Eirin's stare has not become more interested! "It's fairly cheap, even amongst humans."
...Seiga didn't say anything about that, but smiled all happy-like anyway!
"Aaa~h!" Ha-chan exercises her right to yell in pain! The light energy the Shikome Sitdown Room exudes is powerful...
"Anyway." Since no one else said anything, Eirin gestured back to the fluffle muncher machine behind herself. "Since you all seem to recognize this youkai, we needn't spend too much time in here any further. I'll relocate us to a nearby round room. Follow me."
Seiga, Reisen, an' that rabbit-faced chick Uchu go to follow her- as does Ha-chan- while me and the other fluff girls just kinda stare back at the luminous machine, fer a moment…
Oh, shit, it's getting brighter again!
Genkan turns away, and speeds up a little as she floats to get out before it flashes brightly again! "Let's not stay here."
Maria does a little jog after her! "Ye- yeah…!"
...I'm too distracted by how fluffy their retreat is to escape in time myself! When they're already outta the room, I gotta shut my eyes 'cause it's just so freakin' bright now…!
Wau. After the flash, I get to meander after them peacefully. We backtracked into the room with a buncha dead rabbits and broken machines, following the big boy congregation.
Aw. Una rejoins us out here, having slinked out earlier fer some reason. Not that that means too much, since she's super quiet.
We leave the room, and enter a big white hallway, which is similarly minimal, with the freakin' computer paper white furniture.
Eirin pushes open a silent, white door. You know- I probably said this before, but this is probably what a house by Apple would look like. Why the fuck is this door abstract art. It's like-... it like folds in and the handle is this weird looking lankey knob!
I speak over the silence! "Eirin- you know-... why does this whole area look like it was made by Apple…?" Friends and noobs alike give me weird stares at this question!
Eirin snorted. "Ah. Visual differentiation, more than anything. I leave interior sector decoration to the princess where it may be allocated, more as an activity than anything. You may have to ask her what she was thinking, rather than me."
...Hmm. Kaguya don't seem ta be an Apple fan, though. Wat the frik. Maybe she just wanted an area like that clone center in that one Star Wars movie! Or, maybe that gay baby jail at the end of 2001: A Noob Odyssey.
"It's a little gaudy." Seiga speaks out against the color white! "Does it not hurt your eyes?"
Eirin doesn't even justify that with a response, as she moves for the round table in the center of this big meetin' room!
Ah-... uh. Huh.
Me, Genkan, Maria, and like half the other chicks all end up staring at this vending machine to the right. It's not styled like the rest of the pitch-white room, instead lookin' like the typical crappy Coca-Cola machine, except in Japanese.
"Now." Before any of us bothered to use the actual table in here, Eirin speaks up! "Matters of business. Seiga, you seek scheduling to access the capture target, yes?"
"Indeed." Seiga replied simply.
"You may at any time, but you are restricted by these guidelines." Eirin- just had a stack of papers ready in here, and slid them towards Seiga! "They were rewritten in Japanese, for this scenario. They were originally in Lunarian-type."
"Ah." Seiga nodded, at this, looking a little perturbed… "Anything I need to know to get started?"
"Yes." Eirin nodded. "You are to be escorted and overseen by the new containment division. Speaking of, Reisen, you are to organize a containment division effective immediately. I trust you to use your best judgment in assigning your fellow soldiers."
Reisen gave her a salute! "Yes, master."
Then, she turns to us! "...You three want to talk to me for unrelated reasons. Please, be patient." How's she know…!? "First. Shigubaru, you are to spend the next day off duty. I need to have a discussion with you."
"Heh. Day off, huh?" Uchu folded her arms, and looked smug, despite Eirin's forebodingness…! "By the way. How'd I do?"
"Enough to not demand immediate reprimand." Eirin gave her a nod! "Next time, you follow orders."
"Pft." At that, Uchu just scoffed…
"Now." Eirin faced us fully! "Before we move forward, I'm open to your inquiries. Scouting reported your visit was a possibility, especially after the uncharacteristic amount of time you spent at the buddhist temple." What the hell's that information network…!?
"Who are you to call individuals lazy on the matter of safety?" Genkan brings up an' thwashes some point Eirin made prior… "Your robot teleported us onto a…" She looks at me for help!
"Tram car railway thing!" I supply! "We almost got run over…!"
"Literally." Maria even speaks up! "That-... wasn't fun at all."
"We expect something in return. We were almost killed." Genkan makes her intentions clear! "Especially because, I'm sure Brad at least wouldn't have said anything about it." She looks at me…!?
...I nod! "I mean, probably not, actually." I've just accepted near-death as a fact of life!
Eirin looked plain about this! "...Ah, yes, you used the recall point function, did you not? It must have been accidentally triggered while on the transportation cart as I developed it. Apologies."
"Words are cheap." Genkan presses!
"Yes, yes." Steppin' closer, Eirin cuts some deals…! "In exchange, I suppose I'll offer you all anything you request. But only once, naturally, and within certain limitations."
"The princess." I immediately demand!
"Being one such limitation." Eirin uses my words in a different way than I intended! "Thank you for stating an example."
"One of those defender things." Maria somehow has a good mind about this! "That we can use."
...Eirin shook her head! "Not likely." Awh.
Genkan decided to go up to bat, next. "...Anything? Hmm..."
"Udongein is also not on the table, for those curious." Eirin says this while lookin' at me!
"Who?" Genkan doesn't know, yo! "Anyway. I feel as though apt recompense would be… for me, some method to better defend myself. Both in that event, and otherwise."
...Eirin nodded, at that. "Rather vague. I'll see what can be done. Actually…" She turned to Reisen! "Udongein. In addition to that team, find an unmodified Theimer from a closet somewhere."
"...What's that?" Genkan wanted to know, dude. "Will it be what I get?"
"Yes." Eirin nodded! "While there's not much of low value, or practical value, that can stop a moving rail car, the Theimer anti-armor rockets see more practical application in dealing with most other aggressive vehicles." Wait… s'that mean she's givin' Genkan an anti-tank bazooka?
"What if it ran outta rockets…?" I wonder!
Eirin tilted her head. "I could give you a wealthy supply of them. Or, teach your mage how to craft the 'lance'-type rockets from ice."
...Maria looked indecisively inquisitive at that!
"give me a pasta shell" What, no.
...We turn, and there's a fluffle as tall as Maria next to her. "im mama mia"
fwish. A knife flicked from Eirin's hand instantly meets its tubby forehead. "what no i wanna headbutt" Dropping onto all fours, it waddles up at her! When it gets close, it does a big, fluffy leap!
thunk- fwi~sh! Reisen came outta nowhere, and kicked it into nothing, dude. "Freaking…"
"Cute." Aw. Eirin liked it, dude. She focuses on Maria again! "Have you decided?"
"Um." We should probably take that as a no! "Now that I think about it-... it'd be nice if I had more things for up-close self-defense. And, um…" She felt at the bunch of staffs all collected on her back! "Maybe not something as big as a staff. This is getting heavy…"
...Eirin held up her clipboard! "Backpack and combat knife." Combat knife. Finally, Eirin looks at me again! "Decide on something sane." Hoh, shit…!
The codes to the nukes, dude. Wait, no, actually…
"A router!" We internet now, boys! "Super wireless! Wait- actually no, a generator!" Power might be more important- I don't know…! "Battery backup!?"
Eirin blinks at me! "...The fact you actually did as I said is something to appreciate, I suppose. Also, we create combo modem-router-generators devices." Hoh, shit! "Anything else small, while you're thinking about it?"
An entire APC with plane and boat supplying capabilities. "...A 3DS adaptor, so I can charge it!" I'd like a laptop, but I'm sure we can just find one here, all things considered. Or ask Kaguya about it! I doubt we're gonna jet super fast or anything, considering how we like to loaf about nowadays, and we're gonna have to wait for Seikatsu's stuff-or-whatever to get done. Wait- we gotta initiate that!
"That reminds me!" I raise a finger! "Seikatsu! We probably got you a lot of data…!"
"I've already taken a moment to analyze some of it." Eirin supplies. Wh- when. "But, as you can tell, I've also been very busy. I have modifications outlined that would take a day, at most." Ooo.
"Cool." I see Seikatsu modification does not count as a favor! This is good, dude. "So, uh, do I just- uh… Seikatsu, cloak!"
fli- flick. Hi, friend…
Now that Seikatsu's visible, Eirin starts to move up to her! "Seikatsu, location transformation procedure E-X-T-E-S-T, develop one nine nine seven, voyager. Coordinates: ten billion, eight six seven, nine five six, eight eight one, point seven one nine nine one six four three. Hook true, hard press half true; disable later. Execute."
fvrar. Instantly, Seikatsu just vanishes! A storm of white particles is left where she was, but is then gone…
"She's been teleported to the lab." Eirin explains…! Did she just- does she just know the galactic coordinates of a lab that's probably under a mile away, or something!?
"Ah." I nod! "Good…!"
With that, Eirin turns to move past us. "With that, I will take my leave. I'm assured that none of you will kill one another as I do so." She looks at Seiga when she says this…!?
Wait- when'd Seiga get on our end of the round table thing. "...You say that as if you don't trust me, Yagokoro."
"I'd say I don't trust many people to begin with, Seiga." Eirin's reply was pretty apt! "Udongein, instruct whatever team you assemble to keep her in a neutral, observant state as frequently as possible."
"Mmm." Reisen hummed, at that…
Seiga gave one last, longing look over Maria as she distanced herself from us. Freakin', scoot, you. "All I wanted to do, was mingle with these humans. Maria there is particularly cute."
Instant alarm bell! "How'd you know her name?" I'm kinda weirded out, du~de! It wasn't said at all in the past twenty seconds, du~de!
Seiga smiles at me! "Let's just say I knew her mother. Not that she'd talk about it, much." That's even weirder, I think!
"...She knew you?" Maria looks displaced, at that! "Really?"
"Oh, yes." Seiga reclined, in the air, looking comfortable… "Her passing was a shame, surely, but I believe it to be something to be happy about."
...Her statement just kinda leaves Maria blinking at her.
"Whelp! I'm off to hit the pool tables." Uchu starts sauntering off! "Call me if you need me."
"Uh huh." Reisen waved her off, keeping her eyes on Seiga.
"Wh-..." Maria starts to speak up, finally! "How?"
"Well…" Seiga mulled over her own statement. "Your mother was an extremely talented mage, for how well she hid it. So, that loss was a shame. But, now that she's gone, you have so much more room to grow, now. Did you know, that she never wanted you to practice magic in the first place?"
"Wh- why would she tell you?" Uh… this shit's gettin' weird! "Tha- that was between me and her…"
"Oh." Seiga glanced away, fer a moment. "Well, we didn't keep in contact much, but we're close, I assure you. In fact, I would say I'm one of her best friends, even. Even more now, even if it does feel one-sided."
"Stop being creepy." Genkan calls her creepy! "You didn't harass us last time you saw us. Why start now?"
"Mmm, no reason." Seiga shook her head. "Think nothing of me. I'm just having fun."
Ye- okay, yo.
"Well." I look around gingerly… "Let's go have fun in a noose, dude."
...Why's everyone staring at me. Wait- did they read into the random shit I just said!? Oh, shit!
Aw. Even Seiga's just got her brows raised!
"In the meanwhile…" Genkan comes up to me! "I'm taking Brad to rest."
I hold up a finger 'fore this gets too far…! "I encourage everyone to not read too deep into what I just said!"
"...We probably won't?" Genkan eyes me curiously! "You seem confused, however."
Oof. "Maybe I am confused, dude." I nod gladly at her statement…
"I'm confused." Maria moves closer the table between us and Seiga. Speaking of which, I didn't see when Seiga moved back around the table either! "I'm confused- as to who you are…"
Seiga gave her another warm smile. "A family friend."
That's it! Reachin' into my bag- I draw the big bawmber! "Ohp! That's it!" Luggin' it over my shoulder, I am it forward! "Let us play en garde, snake!"
...Seiga blinked, a little bewildered-looking! "Oh? Um."
pap! I fire a NERF shot at her! She just kinda stands there, watching it near herself-
Boom! Wh- aw! It hit 'er, and the boom blew her hair stick outta her blue hair, and made it fluff up!
"O- oh!?" Her mouth goes agape!
Wh- oh, shit, Genkan grabbed onto me! An' then she lightly shakes my by my shoulders! "Bra~d…! What possesses you?"
"I- I mean…!" Maria turns to us, getting excited too! "I'm not complaining. I think…"
"How-... uncalled for." Flattening her hair, Seiga smiles again. "Yagokoro? ...Oh, she's gone. Reisen- may I take this man for a walk?"
"No." Reisen shook her head! "Until we get the division sorted, I'm escorting you outside and having the guards we pick up on the way look after you."
"Pity." Seiga just gives me a balanced look of sorts! "Oh, well. Do what you will with me, officer."
...Genkan lets me go, yo. "At least, she doesn't seem to mind. Still… I don't think we should stay down here for long."
Probably not! As fun as the alien zone down here is, I'd like to not randomly discover corpses in strange places. Not only do they not smell good, they'd probably slowly freak most of us out…!
"Yeah- let's skedaddle." I agree! We also don't have free healies for the time Seikatsu is in noob confinement, so we're gonna have to be at least ten percent more careful than we normally are. "An' watch our steps, too, so that we don't find herculean bunnies in the walls or anything!"
...Genkan meets my gaze! "You're right. We should minimize our hooliganry, then." Wait, oh shit-
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
"I- I didn't really know any of those moonies, but damn…"
Una speaks, on the elevator out! She was dead silent that whole time, so she's pro'lly pretty shook.
"Moonies?" Maria inquires! "You mean the taller ones, right?"
...Una almost looks irritated at first, but softens up after lookin' at Maria. "Yeah. 'Cause they come from the moon, y'know. Rest of us don't, not rocket science…"
Genkan's mesmerized by the little galaxy thing in the middle of the elevator. It's always kinda cute whenever she fixates on something. I guess that means she's kinda cute in general…!
Oh- shit, she looks at me. Hi. I almost look away on the good instinct, but I hold my stare!
After enough staring, she lets her lips curl! "You look bemused, for some reason…"
"Bemused, huh." I don't actually know what that word means. It sounds like amused, so I try to make myself look more amused! "...It it a synonym for amused, actually?"
"Hmm?" Genkan doesn't expect the question! "Oh. No. It's confusion." Oh shit. Why.
How are we even having a debate on the construction of English words. The translation barrier must be really goddamn good!
"It sounds really close to amused though!" I argue! "Freakin', words are weird."
"...So you say." Ohp, yep, Genkan doesn't level, yo. If she knew English, she would!
"I blame the translation barrier Gensokyo has!" I exclaim to defend myself! "I'm speaking in English!"
"Oh, right…" Genkan tilts her head back, at that! "That sort of thing slips my mind. How does the outside get by? Do they have their own… technology, that does it?"
Google Translate. Perfection. "...Not really!" I admit that Google Translate really doesn't count! "Typically, stuff that needs to be translated… gets translated by like, people who know both- or more- languages. No magic fix for that kinda stuff."
"Ah." Genkan nods, at that. "Well, they have seven-... million, was it, people? Seven billion?"
"Seven billion." I nod back at that…! "And most of them do not know the same language, 'cause the world is freakin' big."
Genkan snorts! "The outside sounds lonely. Overcrowded, but by your descriptions, also lonely. Which-... reminds me of the human village, in a way."
"Welcome to overcrowded societies!" I declare! Aw. "I think that kinda like-... just sorta happens when there's way too many voices in one space. Especially-..." I was gonna say 'on the internet', but that's a whole new can of worms.
Genkan won't let me back down, though! "Especially?"
Here we go, son. "Especially on the internet! Which is basically a tool that lets everyone in the world talk to one another whenever and wherever, in varying density, using sometimes written languages, other times spoken, and-..." Inhale…! "And uh… shit, I lost my place…!"
Genkan smiles at that! "Oo- oh. You came up with that definition instantly..."
"I did!" I agree! "And- it's also used to communicate art. It's like the television we saw, except way more open-ended, and way more like-... it's a lot better with user input!" Talking is weird, dude! "Like, takin' video games for example, you can even use it to access libraries of games, literature and film! And, more easily find people that're possible to be connected with! Like- people often used it to get around feeling trapped in local areas, 'cause sometimes people just have nothin' to connect with. Before the internet, they were just trapped and sad, and often dumber for it. Stuff like that..."
"...That does sound nice, I suppose." Genkan gives the best response she can! "You sure seem enthused."
I raise a good finger. "And, if any of you remember how I said I sat in one place in one room all day on the outside-... it was 'cause I was using the computer!"
The combination of these concepts really made Genkan think for a moment. After all, it was a really freakin' abstract series of ideas! But, eventually, she responded over the elevator's silent hum. "There's something both novel and depressing, about that."
Ooh? "What's that, yo…?"
"To think someone like you…" Genkan had a sorta revelatory look! "You held yourself up in your home akin to how one of my kind would, except-... how long would you do so?"
"I did not leave the house except when obligations made me." I just shake my head! "Like school, which is mandatory."
"To think you'd see no point in meandering like you do now, and would choose to shelter yourself instead." Genkan considered, yo. "Either the-... art technology was truly something to fear, or that speaks to your distaste for the outside."
Definitely both, probably! "...Humans are creative motherfuckers! But, it's hard ta give a shit about 'em otherwise, 'cause on the outside, there's so many and things're made in a way that it's like-... ironically really hard to give a shit about anyone other than yerself." Hah! Caring about other people. I know the procedure, but it happening at all recently is uniquely awkward.
"As you've said before." Genkan fixates on the milky galaxy in the center of the elevator, again… "It really makes me think."
...In the resulting silence, Maria gives her a snuggly look. "A lot of things make you think."
...Genkan lets her brows curl up! "Well-... I suppose so. You're one to talk. If-... I was about to say, 'if anyone of us should be thinking more, it's Brad', but..."
I wave a finger at her! "You know what happens when I get thinking, yo!" Let's buy nine hundred sticks of TNT and blow up the local government!
Ding! Aw, hey. The elevator arrived…
shoof. The door slides open, revealing us to the dim interior halls of the clinic again, brightened by the ironically dismal elevator lights.
Maria romps out, with surprising initiative! An' then the rest of us just kinda meander out…
"So-..." Maria looks around idly. "Ah. We didn't ask when we'd get our things, or anything."
"Probably when we got to nab Seikatsu, which we also dunno where to go for!" We may not know where, but we know when, dude.
"...We'll find a way, I guess." Genkan chooses not to worry about it anymore! "Until then…"
...We both stare at Maria!
She stares back! "...Wh- what. What's up?"
"Me." I'm up.
...After givin' me a fluffy look, Genkan centers on her again! "Weren't you avid about those hot springs suggestions, earlier?"
"Oo-... oh, right!" Maria perks up! "I- uh… that's- a little awkward, to bring up again, isn't it? But- but-"
"I suppose?" Genkan forgot how to be embarrassed at things again! "...Actually, in retrospect, it is. I was more focused on what happened to your perversion."
"I- I don't-..." Maria shakes her head! "It- seemed cool at the time… but just thinking back on it-..." Aw. She's floofy, dude…!
"What is there to be shameful of?" Genkan looked interested, while we just freakin' idle out here in the hallway. Y'know what- while they have a girly heart-to-heart, I'mma get into some stupid shit in the background…!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: MARIA'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Shameful? Wh- when did that come into the conversation…? "Wha-... wha~t?"
...Genkan just blinks at my verbal stumbling. "Embarrassment has roots in shame. Not that it's always a bad thing, but in this scenario, I find it perplexing that you have it now, especially in reference to the past." ...She really thinks differently from other people, huh.
I- I don't really think it's a shame thing… I think. "I- I guess I just felt a little-... weird." It felt kinda dumb of me to just suddenly be so upfront like that, without thinking about it…
...Genkan let out a breath, and inadvertently shrugged, it seemed. "We should trade some of your shame into Brad." Would that really be a good idea, though.
Wh- woah! That orange-haired rabbit girl, Una- she's really close, all of a sudden! "I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of. If you want to bathe- I'll bathe with you!"
...I don't wanna hear this coming from a rabbit of all people. She doesn't even know what we're talking about! "What- no." I reply to her a little late, but-
"Wait- hold up!" Brad's yelling at something. What's he-
Cra~ck! An ornate, red and gold vase tipped off of an end-table and exploded. Brad's anchored himself up onto the table itself, as if he tried to catch it, but it was too wide to get anything more than an awkward paw-like grasp on it. "Ho~h…!"
...Eyes widened, Genkan turns to Una-
fwish. Ice obscures her face, a visor covering her eyes. "Wh- hey…!?"
"Let's go." Genkan picks up Brad really really quickly! And then- ah. She got me, too.
Brad defends his property damage. "I dindu nuttin'!" I don't think we would've been in any trouble, but Genkan probably wants to play everything safe now… knowing what we saw downstairs, and in uh, virtual reality...
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
I shake my head at Hana. "No. It's too early to bathe."
She shakes the head of a fluffle she's holding. "Nnn~no."
"It is, though." I wonder if she did anything to Brad, like- me and Genkan. Did she touch his- I- I shouldn't be thinking about that…! "It- we took a bath just yesterday…!"
"Nnn~no." Now she shook her whole upper body, swinging the fluffle around with her. Wh- her response didn't even make sense. Nngh.
We've been moved to somewhere-... further down the hall. At this level, the hallways just twist and turn, and there's no respite in the featureless black fog of the labyrinthine clinic's interior.
shoof. A shoji door next to us slides open. Inside is a galaxy-looking thing, again. Despite these impressive illusions, it's easy to tell magic laces the whole hallway. That- and if you just walked into one of the rooms, you'd find it's a normal room. I'm not sure what the point of these illusions are. There might not be a point.
"I'm still curious." Genkan floats ahead, while I kinda walk beside her. In halls like these, it's about the same as standing still. "What made you change your mind?"
...I- I mean, the original reason was I wanted to see what would happen-... if Brad and Genkan got in the bath together. I mean, that other night they were so close to each other. It'd be kinda hot-
I'm terrible. "I just gave it more thought, is all." We've been at this for long enough. We should make like Brad, and dig into a wall or something.
Una gets between me and Hana. "You girls…" Uh.
"I'm a girl!" Hana is secretly the smartest of all of us.
Una tries to wrap an arm around both of our shoulders, but is too short. Instead- ah. She held onto our thighs, wrapping the arms around our butts. "It's really obvious, what you girls want. You're all, uh…" Where is this going…!
"I'm a girl?" How did this make Hana question that…
"Freakin'...!" Ahead of us, Brad pivots around. "When'd this become rocket science…! I think it's obvious that Maria wanted me an' Genkan to molest each other in the bath!" Oh- oh no!
Genkan's eyes widen! "...Well, yes. I wanted to see if she'd admit it herself." What…! "I'd also suspected she wanted us to wash each other more. Which, I will admit, was fairly… pleasurable." Oh my god!
"Why were we being secrety about this!?" Una begins yelling! "Ma- Maria, I think you're hot!" Everything's going wrong!
Hana romps up to Brad! "I wanna wash you, too! I didn't getta- and you keep getting away from me- let's wash right now!" Woah!
"Wh- what the hell've I done…!" Brad starts to run away! "I've started the magenta apoca- oof!" Hana tackled him!
...I watch Genkan move to help- wait hold on-
"Mmh!" I- I tilted my head to the side, and Una's lips met my cheek. "Ah- come on…!" What do you mean- 'come on'!? Geez…!
thud. I push her back, and she lands on her butt. "Nn- not right now. No." I had a feeling she was just following us around to get at me. But, she was casual about it, so I didn't really care…
Uh. We both stare ahead. Brad's being held upside down, walking on his hands while Genkan holds his legs, using her body to keep Hana from glomping him. Ho- how.
shoof. Nearby, a uniquely white shoji slides open. From the astral illusion inside, an individual marches out…
She's half-naked, clad in a pink bra and white shorts. Oh- it's her! Aa-... Princess Houraisan, the um, hooligan, apparently. I remember her from last time we were here. "What the hell's fucking going on-..."
pap- pap- pap. Brad slaps his hands against the floor, 'running' in place and looking up at her. "Whahaha- aw! Aa- aah, ass fuck! Ass fuck!" Wh- what the hell.
...O- oh my god, the princess is just frozen. We ruined her…! Why- why 'ass fuck' of all things…!? At that particular moment!?
...She just sauntered up to the two, with a glazed over look. "Hey, ice boobs. Can you kill me again."
Pft- aw- ah. Genkan has the most bewildered expression. "...I- I'm… busy. As you can see..."
Whunk! Oh- oh, she kicked Brad over! "Wh- oww~!" Oh no!
pap. She jumped into Genkan's arms, as she tried to stop Brad from tipping over. "Oo~h, yeah-"
FWASH! Genkan froze her instantly, and caught half of Hana, too! And- she froze herself. She's at the center of a big ice block…
"Wh- nnh." Hana tried to escape, half of her body stuck. "Nnn. Nn! ...Noo~!" Now she's really trying to escape!
...I would've thought Una would assault me more while all this nonsense happened, but apparently she knew how to take no for an answer. That- or she's just been incredibly distracted.
I turn to her, and she gives me a look about as lost as the princess's. "...Y'know, yer lucky I ain't one of the guy rabbits. Lemme just say they know their way around a human woman." Why're you telling me this now. What kind of timing…!?
But, you know. "You're lucky your genitals aren't as sensitive, either." Since no one's listening right now, I'll be blunt. You'd be surprised what a fire spell to the crotch can do to a person. One time, there was this time some creepy guy in the village tried to follow me around, but long-ranged magic is pretty good. I- I didn't mean to hit him in the crotch, but some things just work out…
"That-... is true." Ahah. Una looks less bold, now…
…Maybe I should help the peoplecicles.
"Help." Oh, hey. Brad escaped the disaster. He's still on the floor, though. "Ka-... Kaguya kicks pretty hard…!" Ah. Um, how am I supposed to heal him without his ice gear on. Is-... is he the only one of us with healthy stuff? We've just kind of relied on Seikatsu the entire time. Uh oh.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
Everything sort of sorted itself out. Kind of.
Brad's taking it easy on the couch, still in that Toyosatomimi outfit. We just- never healed him up, but he's doing alright. "Oo~h, ho ho ho…"
Also, we're in Kaguya's room now. We're standing in front of this really big television thing she owns. I think I see the value of owning a big one…
"So." Kaguya's giving us all a drained look, for some reason. Her skin is really pale, almost glowing white with how smooth and perfect it is.
It seems kinda wrong for her to just, not be in a dress, or anything. A bra and shorts seem very unfitting! I'd expect that kind of clothing at the Golden Grin, or something.
"What the hell was that." Kaguya gestures her arm out.
"You were the one who leaped at us." Genkan countered immediately. "I don't want to hear ridicule from you of all people." Uh…
"I'll ridicule you all I want, bitch." Kaguya's personality really doesn't fit her beauty, either. "Did you forget who I was, again?"
Genkan visibly bristles at the insult. You guys… "It's hard to remember- with you acting so repulsively. You must be the custodian."
I've had enough. "Can you guys not." This is just gonna end up with Kaguya on ice, again. "Genkan, don't let her tempt you. She just wants to get frozen again. She doesn't mean what she says, I think-"
"Wha~h?" Kaguya pouts at me, almost innocently. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'to hit two birds with one stone'?"
"Forgive me, Maria." Genkan looks at me with a sort of biding look…! "While it may seem hard-headed-... taking an insult from her of all people seems like something I just cannot stand."
Fwi- click! Oh! Brad changed his outfit, while he was sitting down…
He's got his, uh, green gruel kimono on, but still has the Toyosatomimi earmuffs equipped. "I need a blizzard, yo!" Ooo!
When he stands, I swing my staff up, into the air! "Blizzard!"
Fwish! I swing it down like a hammer- taking care not to whack it against the ground like a maniac. Magical, translucent flakes of blue and white roar out, mesmerizing and great.
Fwa~sh! Brad embraces the ice directly. "Ho ho ho~!" The magic first rolls across his kimono and face, briefly illuminating him, the ice absorbed through his clothing and skin rather than wracking onto him.
...He flexes his arms up! "My gut no longer feels like it got hit by a bullet!"
Kaguya poses an arm on her hip… "Ehehe. I hit hard, don't I?" Leaning forward, she brought a pale hand over a smooth leg. "Or, you're just weak as piss."
"Brad's not weak!" Hana romps out from behind the couch…! "He just needs food!"
pap! Oh, she pushed Kaguya!
Thud. She flailed her arms, before landing on her knees and arms. "Ugh- what the fuck! You- fucking fairy!"
"Kaguya!" Brad can be loud, when he's not hurt or forced on the ground… "We nee~d… a laptop." A what. This is a weird time to ask!
Stomping back onto her legs, Kaguya centered her anger on Hana… "Hey- hey! Don't run- you fuck!"
thump- thump- thump! "Hehehe~!" Hana sprinted away to the back of the room, her arms held up all giddy-like. Kaguya sprinted after her, which was really surreal, 'cause yeah… she's half-naked. Even though her breasts are pretty modest, they bounce as she sprints.
...Brad gave me one of his typical wildly bewildered expressions. "Guess Kaguya's a li'l busy right now!"
Genkan meandered closer to us… "As she should be." They're never gonna like each other, are they.
Clack! Ah. Kaguya threw one of those can things up. When'd Hana get on the ceiling…!?
Clack. Another empty can was tossed, and lightly bounced off of Hana's wings. "Nn- no~..."
...Kaguya held up a more weighty-looking one, and sneered. Uh oh.
Brad shook his head. "We're gonna need another scene break at this rate, Jesus…!" He really likes his literary references, doesn't he. Does- does he even read though…? Actually, considering what he said, maybe he read a lot on the outside. And- I forget who or what this Jesus thing is.
Kaguya chucked the full can up at Hana-
KLACK- BAM! Oh gods- what…!? It exploded!
"Aaa~h!" Hana yells, covered in juice! Oh no…! Wh- ah, some of it got on us…!
"Ah…!?" Genkan looked down at her kimono, and noticed the flecks of liquid on it. Uh, she doesn't look happy…
Brad crouches before the couch. "Oh, ho ho ho…" I'll just uh, join him…
Woosh! Genkan rushed ahead!
Fwa- FWASH! Fwash! A bunch of stuff froze. ...I'd like to know why ice magic is luminescent, sometimes. There's an indiscernible mess of frost ahead, probably. I can't see it well, 'cause me and Brad are hiding.
...After a moment, I put my hands on my head like he is.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
Everything calmed down… so, now we're all seated. We actually got some of the juice to drink for ourselves, too.
Eugh. It's from this can, and- I don't really like it. It's apparently soda- but it's nothing like the soda made in the village, which I didn't like to begin with, and just, ugh…
We're all on the couch, and Kaguya's sitting facing us, backwards on a chair. Or, the chair is backwards and she's sitting towards us. Hmm…
"Carbonation-..." Genkan also looks suspicious of the soda we got, after Kaguya calmed down enough to give us stuff. "I never could understand the obsession with it. Some sisters of mine even appreciate it, but I don't."
Brad was the smart man, and just got water from somewhere, apparently. "...I won't be surprised if none of you like soda, 'cause I don't!"
"...Village soda is better." I say, but I also don't like that. But- I can at least live with that! This stuff is just, so diluted.
"You're all pussies." Kaguya looks like she's already downed half of her soda. "Ice boo~bs. I dare you to down the whole can. You gotta drink it, too! No fuckin' popsicle tricks, or turning it into ice crackers or whatever the fuck you do."
...Genkan shrugs at the challenge. "Well, fine. It's a simple beverage, so… sure."
...What was the point. Wait- soda is carbonated.
I set my own soda down, on the floor. Between how unenjoyable it is, and the fact it'll make me gassy… no. I'm done with it.
"Bwu~hp!" Kaguya really is just the total opposite of her appearance. She just burped. "Oo~h. Da~mn, that was good…"
Um. Already finished with her drink, Genkan let her eyes roll. "Ugh. For someone similar in appearance to my kind, you really ought to-"
"Bru~hp." Oh. Oh, my. Genkan flinched from her own burp. "Oo- oh, go- gods… my throat..."
"Pft- hehehe~!" Kaguya chuckled heartily. "Did- did that wind you? Geesh. You might be curvy, but…"
"Si- silence…" Aw. Genkan blushed. "Ugh…"
Brad gives her a little amused look. "...I didn't know it was possible for chicks to burp! Ones that aren't Suika or Kaguya..." Who's Suika. Probably another hooligan… wait- was she that oni? The one always hanging around the shrine?
"I- I feel demeaned." Aww. Genkan looks so compact, now… "Ah- excuse me, by the way…" Oh my go~d.
"You're freakin' snuggly." Brad is probably as enchanted as I am by a really shy looking Genkan.
"Aww~." Getting up from her chair, Kaguya saunters over to us. "Bra~d. I can't help but notice you're still traveling with this snow chick, whatever-her-name-is. Could it be~, that you like her?"
"Yes." Brad makes himself blunt, to immediately counter her teasing tone. "She's snuggly."
"Did you ever suck her dick?" Kaguya- what.
"Aa- what…" Genkan looks winded, again.
Brad nodded enthusiastically…! "Yes, dude! I do that yuki-dick, dude! Yuki-co~ck!" What the fu-
"Oh, yeah?" Kaguya flops into Genkan's lap? "Wait, that makes me wonder…"
"Get off." Genkan pushed her off-
Kaguya rolled off the push, using her elbow and right leg to continue forward. She ended up in Brad's lap, and hugged herself to his chest. "Mmm~."
Brad's eyes widened, his face full of her pale chest and modest breasts. "Oh- shit…!"
FWASH! Genkan froze both of them. "Nnh- you damned harlot…!" Wow. She got riled up, at that.
…Well. I'm getting good fire spell practice, these days! 'Cause, I'm gonna have to free them before Brad gets hurt.
Getting up, I ready to thaw Kaguya out, again. "Genka~n. You should really watch your temper, sometimes…"
"I don't like the princess." She folded her arms. "She is a bitch." I mean- she's not wrong…
Wait. "You- you realize, you froze them in that pose, right?" Uh oh.
"Mm- mm- mmm!" Brad's muffled voice comes from inside, 'cause he has freezing resistance, so he actually didn't freeze inside the ice block! Uh oh!
Genkan's form flares with frost, and she stands. "Rgh- of all the damned-...!" Ah- she's moving for the ice!
She brought her leg up, and kicked-
WHA- CRA~CK! Holy…! The ice just entirely exploded! Diamonds of ice sparkled in the air, jagged and random, shimmering in the almost holy white glow of the shut-in room the princess calls home.
Brad sits intact in the midst of the ice storm, eyes wide. "Ho- hoho~ly shit…!"
cli- clack- clatter- click. Uh, oh. Oh no. Kaguya is a million little pieces on the floor. The- they're turning red- oh god…
I- I look away. Ho- holy, crap…
...Genkan holds her hands to her mouth. "O- oh. Oh, gods."
"That-..." I- I don't know what to say. The red stuff- it's bleeding everywhere. I'm covered- we're all dotted with red, shards of both clean and gore-filled ice melting on us.
"Yo…!" Brad stood up, and gazed down at the blood and mess with wide eyes. "You telefragged her, dude…! Without the teleporter!" What.
The bigger chunks melt fast, becoming a- a really disgusting mess of just-... wh- what is that…
Wh- I see half of her head. Her eye- is all red- I can't look at this...
"I, will we get in trouble?" Genkan asks a really important question. "Be- because, if security comes- we're leaving right now. Maria- we should break through the wall- wait, there's a window- ah…" Oh- oh gods.
Ho- how…!? "Wh- me…?" What do I do-
"Nah." Oh. Brad says we'll be fine. "I think!" Oh gods-
shi- shi- shi- shif. Um…
The- the blood- the ice- it's sliding together!
I can't look away. It's such-... a disgusting congealment, of flesh, red folds, and stained black-crimson ice, coming together. Why…? Oh god- the princess- is she turning into something!? Did we really screw up!?
We need to go! "Brad- Genkan!" Let's go! I start running to the window!
Genkan accelerates to meet me at it. "Brad, follow us."
Brad holds his hand up at us, looking plain about this for some reason. "Wha- yo, hold yer horses…! Chill out, friends!"
"If the princess's blood doesn't maul us- her security will make our life miserable." Genkan tries to pull the window up, but it doesn't move. "Co- come on…"
While she just assaults the window lock, I watch Brad as he saunters towards the intimidating blood mess…
Cri- crick- shi~sh. What…
It's snapped into standing. It has taken a humanoid form, bone and organ shifting into tangible, recognizable form. It's the most inhuman, surreal thing ever. I can see the muscles- individual, internal organs, gaining color, the blood flowing back into the veins and giving the skin a raw, deep royal red color at first. Then, as it starts to sew back together, it gains the healthy, serene paleness of Kaguya's likeness.
I- I can see her skull come together- her brain, her heart, her eyes fitting into her skull before being layered onto like a picture in-progress. Then, her face is made.
...The- the body is so complicated. I thought- I thought she was turning into a monster at first, but… is that how we would look without skin? With-... wow. It was almost nothing like the books at Keine's school. I recognized some vague structures, and organs- but the colors, the blood- the sheer way the skin regained color and form when it sewed back together…
"Wow…" There's so little I know about the body. It makes me-... feel weird… and sort of queasy. The scent of blood is still in the air.
Kri- krack. Brad- what the hell have you done. What…!
He darted in while she was reforming, and twisted her head, twisting it entirely backwards. Oh, no.
Kri- kri- krack! It twisted unhealthily, rotating back forward in three jerky motions-
Kra- krack! Brad twisted it in to the reverse again. "Freakin'- son-"
Whunk! Her elbow jerked back to stop him, and met his gut. "Oof! Ka- kaugh..." Wow. He coughed from that?
Kra- kra~ck! The neck twisted back into the right position again, and Kaguya stumbled forward, in her naked beauty. "Uu~gh. Damn, ice is a hell of a way to go…"
Ice is a hell of a way to go, huh. ...I kind of, want to ask her about that.
"Ah." Genkan's just watching Kaguya prance about, now. "You're-... right. You're immortal."
"Thanks." Kaguya nodded back at her. "Wouldn't'a known." Pft… aw. Genkan flicked her eyes up at her response.
Brad watches her butt for a moment as she saunters into the room's midst, before averting his gaze. "Anyway! If we're done killin' each other, I'd like a not-crap laptop…!"
Kaguya spun on her heels back to him. "Ah. Oh, yeah. What was I doing again…" Wh- did she forget, after she died…? "Oh!" Grinning, she looked between Brad and Genkan, again.
"Let me stop you there." Genkan approaches her… "I know you're tempting my anger."
"Took you this long to figure out." Kaguya smiled up at her, as she got closer and loomed down at her… "You must be a kinda brain genius, or somethin'."
...At Genkan's imposing stare and proximity, she just chuckled. "Al~right, calm the fuck down. Lemme find some undies, and then we'll go look fer some shit. Like that laptop, and some gifts."
Ah. "...Gifts?" I question, because Genkan is too busy being evil-looking.
"Aw, yeah, gifts." Kaguya looks like she forgot I was here, for a moment. "...Also, who the hell're you, anyway. You the side bitch, or what?" Please, no.
"That's me!" Hana- is eerily on the nose, there! Where was she? Whatever, she has a knack for chronically eluding us… it's nothing abnormal at this point.
Oh, geez, she's caked with that soda Kaguya chucked at her earlier. It looks like she cried earlier, too. What the heck.
"...That didn't answer my question, but sure." Kaguya was sated by her response, somehow. Turning to Brad, she smiled, and held her arms up. "So, how do they compare to hers?" She's- showing off her boobs…!
Fwash! Genkan immortalized her in ice, again. "Will you stop that, already. I won't let you be free, if this is going to be the trend."
Brad gave them an idle nod. "They're a lot smaller, and less impressive!" Oh- ow.
fwish. Genkan thawed her instantly, and now just looks casual about this.
"Oh- come on!" Kaguya stomped in place right after she got freed… "Aren't modest-sized ones their own kind of beauty?"
...Brad looks at me, and shrugs exaggeratedly, bringing his arms up to gesture. "I mean- it can be argued, but I just like big, yo! I like 'em fluffy!"
He moves, marching right past Kaguya, and takes Genkan's side. "She's also cuddly, and not a freakin' noob. I also don't need to undergo nineteen impossible ass fucks to level wit' 'er!" Nineteen impossible ass fucks.
...Kaguya looks jaded for a moment again, before rolling her eyes. "Whatever. You're both fucking weird. By the way- are her nipples blue?" Oh- I- I know the answer to that one…!
I- I have to stop chuckling to myself to reply. "Ye- yeah, until they're abraded a little, along with some of her other skin.." I um, I- yeah.
...Everyone looks at me. Um…! Worse idea than I-
"Are they inverted?" Kaguya gives me a greedy look…
"Maria- don't answer that." Genkan instructs me. Okay!
...I look at Brad, and he's just staring at Genkan's chest. Then, he looks like he has a bad idea, and lifts his finger into the air. "Does that mean her labia's blue, too…!?"
Kaguya gives him a weird look. "...Wouldn't you know? ...'Cause- if you don't, you should find out! Right now!"
"Why is everyone here horny…?" Genkan looks exasperated!
Kaguya gave her brows a flourish, and looked away faux-bitterly. "...It was a logical question."
I will say that uh… "I haven't even seen uh… that." I don't think I remember what exactly the labia is…
"What's a labia?" Hana- well, yeah. I guess she had good reason to say that.
...Kaguya gave her a ginger stare, before moving to grapple her. "Co- come here- ahah!"
"Wha- no!" Hana tries to escape, but can't! "Lemme go- no!"
"Guy! Brad!" Who the heck is Kaguya. "Help me undress her!" Someone replaced the princess with someone worse than Brad.
"What, no." Brad looks confronted! "Freakin'...!"
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
We finally got a move on for that uh, laptop… and the gifts.
Kaguya lead us out of her room, and we're moving down the halls now. She's actually got her cute pink dress on, which accents her black-haired beauty quite nicely. Her personality, however…
She looks back at me, with a peaceful smile. "Your name was Maria, wasn't it?"
"Yeah…" I nod plainly. "Maria Yamada…"
Kaguya's gaze became predatory, again. "Have you ever sucked Brad's dick?" Ugh… I- I mean, no. I haven't even really seriously thought about him like that a lot. Could it even be imagined- me and him together? ...It would look kinda cute, I guess. Let's stop thinking about it before that goes too far...
"Your existence is pain." Genkan shook her head.
"Kaguya!" Brad yells at her! "Have you ever sucked a rabbit dick, yo!?" At least we can fight fire with fire, with him around.
"Yes." Kaguya admits!? "Some are pretty hung, here, you know. If you're ever not happy with Brad, just ask for Eisuke!"
"That's- not how anything works." Genkan looks offended by that idea… "Is that how you do things?"
"Yea~h." Kaguya shifted her smile to her. "Oo~h, I should tell you guys about the time one of the bigger ones broke my goddamn pelvis. It was kind of a turn off at the time, but it's a fuckin' good story! For people who don't fuck rabbits here anyway- everyone who does would know that's not terribly uncommon…"
"You shouldn't tell it." Genkan just wants to stop her any way possible now. "I hear that referenced too much here to be comfortable."
Kaguya waved her hand back at her. "Aah, it's whatever, especially for you. ...That makes me wonde~r. Has Brad ever hit you from the back?"
"I want to strangle you." Genkan, no!
Freaking… "You guys… you're such opposites."
"I was just gonna say!" Brad agrees! It's kinda funny actually, because they look kind of similar… but their personalities aren't.
"S'that a yes or no~?" Kaguya's a hellion, through and through. "I don't think I asked how big he is yet, either. Do you know?" She asked Genkan…
"Co- compared to what…?" Genkan just looks exhausted, now. "Do you just measure this sort of thing?"
Kaguya- hands her a ruler. Pft- wow…! "Yes. You should, too." Geez!
...Not taking it, Genkan just stares at the ruler neutrally. Before she can decline it, Kaguya tosses it into her arms. "Aa- if this is used, I'll-"
"How the fuck can a ruler be used." Kaguya begins to look at her like she's an idiot. "Oh, well. We're almost where I got the things, by the way."
The hallways haven't changed in style or anything. We're still walking down these halls lined with foggy darkness. While we occasionally saw rabbits in the more natural halls, up here we really don't see anyone. It's a little spooky…
Oh, but, speaking of other rabbits- there's actually one passing by right now.
She's got long, brown hair, and a deep crimson suit, reminding me a little of the bloodbath earlier.
Marching past us at first, she stops soon after. "Ah. Princess?"
"Hey." Kaguya gives her a dismissive wave. "...You look like you want something."
She begins to walk along with us. "Uh, yeah. Look out for Mokou, she's been admitted."
Kaguya grinned at the wording. "Oh, to the insane asylum? Or the mating chambers?"
"...To, um, converse about the current events with master." The generic elite rabbit nodded. "Yeah."
Kaguya exhaled. "Aah. Well, as long as she keeps her bitch ass out of my face." It- it's always something, when she just goes off like that…
Even the elite rabbit sort of curled her lips up, at that. "I'll-... see what I can do. No promises, if she goes about it diplomatically."
"Diplomatically?" Kaguya paused outright in the midst of the hallway, now. "I don't care what your master says. If you see her, you shoot on sight. Especially up here, where she shouldn't fucking be. Even if we've gotta get information from her, there isn't a good reason for her to rub her scent all over everything we own."
...The brown-haired rabbit girl nodded. "Alright. Um…" Her gaze traveled to Una, who's just been quietly following us. I kinda forgot she was even in Kaguya's room, but she kinda milled around in the background and drank stuff. "I'll see what I can do, princess."
Kaguya finally gave a smile, continuing to lead us again. "Mmm."
With that, the elite-looking rabbit broke away from us to continue her patrol, or something. I've realized, this place is a lot more like a… fortress, than a hospital. But, it's also the best hospital. There's a lot about Eientei that I don't understand…
It's also pretty spectacular as far as fortresses go. With the changing halls, and everything.
Oh, woah. Kaguya's lead us down the hallway, and where we end up has one wall exposed, showcasing a big courtyard, with little fountains, ponds, and trimmed bamboo.
It's night now, so a half-full pale moon shines over the courtyard, and into this dark hall. Could this be why the halls are dark? Is it because it's night on the outside?
"Hey…" Since we're all just moseying on quietly, I um… break the silence.
...Turning to me in the quiet, Kaguya gives me a smirk.
"Hi." Brad says hello, and gives me a casual wave.
"Hello~!" Hana went out of her way to be friendly-
"Hey." Una replies next-
"Hello!" Brad- no-
Hana burst with energy, throwing her arms out from herself. "Hello~!"
I- I think I'll just talk over them so this stops. "Is the haze in the halls… is it affected by the time of day?"
...At my question, Kaguya pursed her lips for a moment. "Hmm~. It i~s… actually an illusion, that amplifies light pollution, if I remember right. It regulates light to some random-ish variables to keep things dark and nice. Don't you think light looks the brightest, when it shines in the dark?"
...I guess… that's true. Guess time of day doesn't matter. "Doesn't that kinda make it inconvenient, though? To do stuff?"
Kaguya snorted, facing away. "I don't really have to worry about that. Our bunnies have their shit together, and they're youkai, so they don't have a problem in the dark."
Huh. Aren't rabbits known for their eyesight, too? I guess it all makes sense.
"...That's an oddly serene thought." Genkan considered her concept on home lighting. Brad himself seems to be just be thinking about stuff, which is rare, but happens. Sometimes he just doesn't have anything to say. "About the light."
Kaguya twirled to face her, gaining a sardonic look. "Coming from you. I bet you live in a dark ass cave."
...Genkan just- looks away, kinda, but she refocuses on her. "I have magi-lights, and mixed sky access."
"I went to her cave one time, yo!" Brad decides to speak up! "We were in... complete darkness." Um. "It was deep, and we fell over each other a lot! We just couldn't see…! We got lost, dude!"
...Kaguya let a brow arch up. "I bet her cave was deep." Freaking.
"It-... wasn't that dark." Genkan gives Brad a strange stare… "Was it?" It wasn't, but uh.
Grinning, Brad keeps the jest going. "It was, dude! It was so dark, we got lost, and never found our way out." ...Slowly, he pans his head towards Genkan. "We're still trapped there…!"
It's around this point Genkan caught on. "...Yes. I routinely get lost for life in my endless cavern."
...I- I can't help but smile at how bluntly she put that. Kaguya soon latches on, too. "You make innuendos too easy."
At her observation, Genkan gave her an actually neutral look. "...You know. It's not that I don't see the opportunities, it's that I have the self-control to not vocalize the parallels every time they happen."
...Without response, Kaguya just gave a small smile as she walked backwards, leading us still. We're about to leave the cool open-wall balcony thing, back into the dim, long halls...
While we shuffled back into the shade, Genkan looks down from her casual drifting to further respond. "Though, I imagine your cavern is very small."
...Kaguya just looks mixed, about that. "Well, naturally. I'm a pure maiden, after all. Unlike you, letting a human indulge in you. Didn't snow women super look down on mutual mating, with such inferior races?"
"We look down on a lot of things." Genkan admitted. "Some for good reason, and others… less so. We- didn't mate or anything, either… and- you." She furrowed her brows. "It must be nice, playing a smug noble and an irritating hooligan at the same time."
"It is!" Kaguya doesn't disagree…!
...I check up on Hana while we walk. Her gaze is sort of attentive, but also kinda tired, which explains why she's been quieter than usual. Well, she often kinda slips away, and it's apparent since she never adds anything to a conversation most times.
"Noble and a hooligan, huh." Brad's expression visually builds up as he makes another observation… "She's a noobligan. A noobleligan." A- a what.
...Kaguya actually looks like she doesn't know how to respond to that immediately. Wh- her 'somewhat off-put' expression actually kind of reminds me of Genkan's, even!
"Whatever she is, she shouldn't pretend to have purity." I- I like how Genkan herself wasn't at all phased by that.
Then, we begin to slow. The halls are a dim blue again, which actually makes it seem like we're earlier in the evening than we are.
"Oh, shit." Kaguya turned to a large metal door, as we neared the side of it. "We're here."
"Oh shit." Brad repeated, for no exact reason… "Aw." Then, he looks back over us. Aw?
Ka- klunk. Without Kaguya doing anything, the door flashes light, a subtle tinge of inner mana releasing easily at an undoubtable command. As the princess, she probably knows easy bypasses to these kinds of things at the least.
Everyone else seems to have sort of missed what happened, Brad's vision snapping to take in how big and mean the door looks.
While the door opens, I focus on Hana again. And, I'm kinda curious, now…
"Hi." Let's make conversation with her. "What're you thinking about?" ...It'd normally be kind of a rude question, but Hana's not a regular person, so she probably won't care.
...Hana just kinda gives me a slow smile. "Slee~p." Well, yeah…
I could energize her if I used thunder magic. The problem is, Thunder and Thundara are… not accuracy-based spells, to be sure. At least in the way that, I can't aim them for anything. I also wouldn't dare use them without a focus, or I'd probably lose my hands, or at least fry every nerve in them.
"Get in here." Kaguya lazily gestures for us, as she moves inside. Brad and Genkan immediately push in, leaving me and Hana and that rabbit Una out here.
Hana begins to lazily trail after them, but I stop her. "Hey…"
...Slowly, she turns to me, and furrows her brows. Then, she- she gets in my face, for some reason. "Let's cuddle…" Wait-
Nnh! She- pulled me into a hug! Ah- uh. My face is trapped in her chest. "Mmgh." Why are the mansion fairies dangerously fluffy, anyway…
She even ruffles my hair a little. "Mm~h." Da- dangit… "You're really soft, Maria." How am I supposed to take that.
"I bet she is…" Una, if you get too close, I'm gonna use my staff on you.
"Hana-..." I speak between her breasts, and my voice is a little muffled. The heat of my own breath comes back to meet me. "I was just curious, what you've been-... thinking about, this past couple hours…" She- smells nice.
...Hana paused a little, before tilting herself slightly. "Well. I was sticky. And now I'm still a little sticky, but I got used to it. I wanna cuddle, but everyone seems like they're having fun… doing stuff."
...I guess that's fair. She is still a little sticky. Um. I kinda struggle to escape, but Hana holds me tighter, and her cute little wings begin buzzing.
Using my staff, I pry myself free. "Nnn~no."
"Aw." To my surprise, Hana actually backed off willingly when I really tried to escape. "...I kinda wish we would all cuddle together. 'Cause everyone's really nice, except for that princess lady." Pft. Yeah…
Then, she suddenly focuses on me, and makes a sudden statement. "I- I'm hungry."
Huh. "...We- we could see what food's around, maybe." I didn't know fairies could-
"Not for food." ...Oh.
Let's-... guess, I guess? "For-... hugs?"
Hana looks surprisingly-... I don't know what emotion that is. "I don't know." Guess I'm not the only one.
...Genkan gingerly floats back out of the room, and centers her parts elegant, parts inexpressive gaze on us. "Oh, there you are. What're you doing?"
"Uh, nothing." I move to catch up with everyone. "Just keeping Hana from um, getting lost…"
...Genkan snorts at that, and breaks away to re-enter the room. "Don't lose yourself in the process, now. Even I lose track of her presence, when she too loses herself."
...Hana held her arms out, following us. "I don't like to lose presents!" Ah.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
"Woah!" Inside, Brad held up a what is that. "It's a smorgasbord!" That literally didn't help!
It's a- spinny thing, with three- or five moving parts, and glowy lights, and- realistically, it's probably some super toy or something. It's three spinny disc things put together, by two axis things, which are also joined to each other by one axis. So weird.
This room has a bunch of bamboo counters, interwoven just loosely enough to sort of show off what's in each. Not that I can put a name to anything The countertops are a different color and fold up.
Kla- klack- klacklack! Brad uses his hand and wrist to flick around that freaking weird light toy he found. "Ho ho ho!"
In the back of the room, there's an open wall revealing the glow of the moon on nearby bamboo trees. There's a, um… oh.
I point at Mokou, who is here. "Is- um… is she supposed to be here?"
Kaguya gives her a dull look. "I just explained, it's a hologram thing we can abuse, not actually her." Oh. Wait, what…
Clack. In a corner of the room, Kaguya seems to have retrieved a laptop from somewhere. "Here's that laptop thing you wanted. Eight gigs of RAM, some crappy everything else, should run a bunch of shitty games, but don't expect to play ARMA or anything. Find the parts yourself."
"This is good, because I hate ARMA!" Brad apparently knows what she's talking about, somehow. Eight gigs of what? Like, as in... performances? Something else? "What stuff does it come with by default? Like, programs, yo."
Kaguya pursed her lips at that. "Mmh. Pirated copy of Bunnysoft Word, which is like Microsoft's shit, but infinitely better... an emulator that works with every console game to date, and streams ROM and ISO files from our home server-... if you have internet, that is. Windows seven. Some other Bunnysoft standard crap, and a server relay window to report spies and suspicious activity."
...Brad began to grin again. "I'm gonna report every fluffle I see as a spy!"
"When you inevitably waste the operating center's time, they'll just blacklist your computer from the spy thing." Kaguya stated this dully… "I would know. Except, I can force them to listen. Not that I'm normally that mental..." Oh?
I don't know anything about what she's talking about, but okay.
Knock knock. A- ah. Some noise came from the front of the room.
We all apparently ignore the noise. "Hey, snow boobs!" Kaguya's dress hides her legs, and makes it look like she's just sliding up to Genkan. "Here's what I wanted to give ya!"
Slowly, Genkan accepts this ring and pad thing Kaguya had for her. "...This has buttons. What is it?"
Kaguya nodded gladly… "It's the Joydick. You put the ring part around a guy's cock, and move it with your lips to use it like a control stick. It's heat activated." What. I figured there was an ulterior motive, here...
"This is a terrible gift." Genkan instantly looks twice as weathered! "...Where do the buttons come into the equation?" There's just something really cute about her looking so… slightly bothered.
"You gotta be in a sixty-nine to use it, basically." Getting even closer to Genkan, she closely examined the buttons... "So the buttons would go on his balls. You can adjust how high up the shaft the ring itself is, too… but, he feels best the closer to the bottom it is!" This thing is dangerously lewd.
...I should try and get a turn of Brad's game thing some time, now that I think about it. It looked like fun, and it was really different than any kind of art I've seen before. To be fair, if I had a room just full of that kind of art, I might not ever go outside either.
"I feel like putting the buttons there would be a bad idea." Genkan- is actually seriously talking about the thing, isn't she… "You tend to press on them hard."
...Kaguya gained a wry smile. "Maybe that's the point. But- to avoid that, you just grip like, the area under but past the balls, and there's some padding on the top to keep it from… going nuts, you might say." The princess is awful.
Genkan gives her a dead look.
Brad grins at it. "Wouldn't the buttons not press, 'cause the balls get pushed down without somethin' ta stop 'em?" Why are we talking about this!?
Knock knock. There's that noise again. Someone seems to be standing outside the door. None of us will address them, however.
...Awh. Genkan just looks disappointed. "Who made this?"
"R 'n' D is pretty lively around here." Kaguya bluntly states. R 'n' D…?
"I'm coming i~n." Alright- who's that…?
Ah. A rabbit girl saunters out from the doorway, holding a bunch of things. She's got the red elite suit on, but this one has some long, blue hair.
Brad's already slipped the laptop into his bag, so he's just leaning on the counter, watching the lunar bunny wade inside.
Cla- clack, clack. She sat some things down on a nearby counter, and Brad instantly descended upon her. "Hoh, shit! S'this the combo router combination, yo?"
"Yeah." Turning around, the rabbit held up something big. It was bigger than one of my staves… "Um. This is for-... Genkan?"
...Genkan blinked at that for a moment, before drifting up. "Um. This is…?"
"It's a Theimer." What's a Theimer, though. At our confusion, she continues. "A- a, uh, anti-tank lance. Or- a rocket launcher, you could say."
"Aww~!" Brad looked over, and was really excited, for some reason!
"Rocket… launcher?" Genkan tilted her head. "I know vaguely of what a rocket is. The source word-... derives from a firework, does it not?"
...The bunny soldier smiled at her. "Well, that's what it would be a long time ago. The war time purpose is similar, if you know of that. Except, instead of igniting wood crafts, it's for piercing the armor of tanks."
Genkan's next question was what one of those were. "...Tanks?"
"Large metal machines made for fighting." Aa~h. So like, that big thing that instantly killed us that one time. Um… so- that launcher's made to fight that?
"Oh." Genkan has a look of realization… "This is that powerful? To stop something like that?"
"If you shoot the right places." Becoming more invested, the bunny shifted and nodded. "For that model, it takes about… three or four hits, on just a light- or small- tank. But, if you shot a car with it, it'd definitely stop it, or at least halve its speed."
"Hoh, shit!" Brad looks pretty impressed, by it. "Freakin' rockets! Say uh… how many rockets we gettin' packaged, here?"
She smiled. "Three. And, this." Ah…? "Which one of you's Maria?" She's got a little manual thing held up.
I come up, and take it. "That's me."
"Ah." With that, she steps to the side, and gestures to the other stuff on the counter. "You guys can sort the rest out, I think. Anyway, yeah, that manual's for you. It shows you how to make more rockets, in a few different styles." Oh?
I fold open the cute little manual. Let's see what's goin' on in here…
fwi- flick. Oh- oh my god, it has a hologram thing! ...It's more aesthetic than useful. A weird little gear thing rotates around in my face. It's actually really distracting. Kinda cool, but…
Ignoring it, I sense some kind of magic I can interact with involving the brochure itself. There seems to be no writing on it at first, and only weird illustrations of lance-tip-esque stuff.
So, uh… there's some obvious magic receptibility emanating from the almost metallic panes of nothing. The foil-like background of this brochure sort of reminds me of the crappy trading cards in the village. They're fun, but-... for some reason always left me wanting. Ah- anyway, the foil background here is really neat!
Fwi~sh. The foil accepts my mana really greedily, actually.
Unlike the uh, other magical brochure from Makai, this one just has plain directions that glow when my mana floods the stretchy paper. They're really tiny…
...Ah. But, there's actually kind of a lot of stuff here. The first pane's a recommendation about how to craft one of the lance heads generally, with some specific directions. I might need a um… ruler or something. The next talks about specific materials and advantages of shaping them. Ice, metal… minerals, like gems, gold, or things like silver, iron and beyond.
At the bottom of the right page, it stops, referencing a second brochure that goes into stuff like cobalt, adamantite and mythril. Wow…
But, nothing in this actually teaches metallurgy. The best I could probably do-... is use what we can do with ice magic. Shape it to the angles and stuff really exactly defined by the measurements. It does say, that it doesn't have to be perfect. Just- the closer to perfect it is, the less chance it will fail completely, or veer off course. Hmh…
The hardest part is the detonation mechanism. There's some magic about fire there that I don't yet exactly know, I think. Perhaps making just-... lance-shaped dummy rockets would be more up my skill set, for now.
That bunny's gone, now. On the counter near where she used to be, there were the other things, like that uh… combat knife that I got given, and some backpack thing.
It's a little weird we keep getting weapons and stuff, but you know, Gensokyo isn't the safest place at all times. My stuff's a little mundane, but...
SHII~F. Genkan slid her hand up the lance launcher, and removed the pointed head with a twist and a pull. "Ah… it's- quite heavy…" The- the rocket part makes her arm sag from the weight, and the entire launcher seems to slowly push her while it's propped up next to her.
Uh. If Genkan's feeling like that, I don't think the rest of us can actually use it ourselves. She looks like she's about to drop the tiny lance piece, let alone the whole body-length launcher.
...And, on second thought, mundane stuff suits me just fine.
"It's unwieldy, and fucking inaccurate." Kaguya actually spoke poorly of it… "But, it's meant to be used on tanks and not people, so I guess it's fine… even if it really should be used on people, because holy shit." Uhm?
"This doesn't feel safe to fire at people." Genkan made a probably wise statement, as she lugged it around, weighing it in her arms…
Moving through the room's oddly warm, pastel-yellow lighting, Kaguya came up to her, and began to direct her. She put her hands on Genkan, and goaded her towards the idle Mokou-… lookalike. "You gotta see how it reacts when it hits a person."
But, uh… "Won't that- use a lance? Like- waste it?" We might wanna save these, if they take too long to make.
...Kaguya rolls her eyes at my notice. "Ngh, we have a stockpile of lances in this room, actually. That's an M1 model, right? Yeah, we got a fuck ton of TM1-style lances just lying around. I'll give ya a bunch." Oh, hey.
Genkan narrows her own eyes, while Kaguya positioned the lance gun in her arms. "This sudden generosity…"
"It's because I want you to shoot Mokou's bitchy brains out." Bi- bitchy brains…? "If it takes a buncha lances, who cares, they're like a thousand yen 'a pop. TM1 model is dirt-value anyway. Barely even a damn Tamer." Please talk in normal speak, princess.
Wait! I just realized! She gave Genkan a ruler to measure Brad's di- uh… I can use the ruler to make these lance things, probably!
"Genkan." Before they start, I wanna experiment. "Can you give me that ruler you got?"
...Both of the black-haired beauties turn to me, and Kaguya sneers. "You have a use for it, huh?"
"Yeah, making lances." Let's shut down the idea of me measuring dicks before it starts...
Genkan floats it over to me. "Be careful. It might be used."
"It's a ruler, Genkan." I really don't care. We haven't washed our hands in ten thousand days anyway.
Now that I have my new ruler, I can get to work… seeing what I can do with these measurements, and some uh… hmm. I've never actually freely manipulated elements before that much. The prefabs were enough for me up until this point.
Well. No time like the present. Let's get experimenting!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: BRAD'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Dude, the rocket launcher Genkan got is fucking huge.
...Or, y'know 'lance launcher'. It's basically the hard anti-armor version of a rocket launcher, but it's still a fuckin' rocket launcher!
And, by fucking huge, I mean it's taller than she is. It's taller than I am. It's like eight fucking feet tall!
Each 'lance' rocket's a freakin'... they're two feet in and of themselves. Lances are fucking huge! They're like the rocket end of an RPG, except mounted onto the firing stick of the launcher, and more secure-like until they actually launch.
Also, they look like, you know, the mean tip of a lance. Metal, and to the point!
"So." Kaguya's movin' Genkan's body, aiming the lance forward for her. "You aim it forward, then you shoot. There's a sight on the side of it, right around uh…" Leanin' forward, she slid a big freakin' pad thing outta the lance's side. "Here."
Genkan leaned into the side 'a the launcher, using it ta adjust her aim, her cheek on the metal-
"Een- hey!" An' then Kaguya grabbed her by the boob and pulled! "I- I'll, I swear-"
"Y'don't hold your face right onto the barrel, you snow cone!" Kaguya freakin' flexes on 'er wit' verbiage…! "The lower reticule's for the holotargetting. There's a bigger one for manual, but- it's not really used anymore."
"You had to pull my breast for that…!?" Genkan's actually pretty disgruntled, by all 'a this! "I'll bludgeon you, if you aren't careful!" Holy shit!
Kaguya moved to expand the other reticle, pullin' on the top 'a the lance launcher while Genkan tried to move it outta her way! "Ah- fuckin', who cares- hang on-"
Krik! Oh, shit, the launcher snapped audibly-
fwoom. Holy shit the lance head just flew off.
It soared forward like a bullet, a thick trail of smoke behind it as it powered linearly ahead at a nearby wall, a motion happening in one second.
KRA- FWOOM! Ho~ ho ho…! The impact was punctuated by a fuck huge smoke cloud, and the plaster all along the wall it hit cracked from the strike. Jesus! What do you mean, s'not meant to be used on people!? Kaguya was right, it's terrifying!
...Both Genkan an' Kaguya just kinda stare at the impact! Kaguya was surprised not by the boom, but by Genkan flinching violently! They also both almost just fell over…!
"Wha- what-..." Maria looked up from uh, whatever she was doin'! She's makin' gentle frost, dude. It just kinda looked like she was blowin' ice into her hand for some reason… but regardless, the impact spooked 'er!
...Slowly, Genkan looked over at me, then at Kaguya! "I- I don't-... know about this, exactly."
"Look, just calm down." Kaguya pats 'er on the shoulder with an ironic amount 'a actual intent. "If you aim the thing right, you won't destroy walls like… seventy percent of the time." Aw.
"Seventy…?" Genkan still looks worried! "This is an implement of destruction…"
Already sliding a new lance tip onto the launcher for her, Kaguya gives 'er a brisk nod! "No shit. Aim for Mokou this time, and use the holo-targeting. Shows you deviation predictions and everything."
Real confused-like, Genkan glared at the rocket launcher like it was some kinda catastrophe, the targeting scope things glaring back! "...Is holo-targeting supposed to do anything?"
"You gotta turn it on." Lookin' somewhere between helpful and annoyed, Kaguya went ta adjust a switch next ta the lower reticle. "And- to be fair, you'd totally hoist some real rocket launchers onto your shoulder. But this big ass thing's meant to be aimed like a minigun, kinda. If a human shot it from their shoulder, they'd go on a fuckin' round-trip tour of the ten meters behind them."
click. Ooo…! Once she flicked the switch, a dotted laser line was drawn between the reticle and where Genkan was exactly pointing it.
In the air, a circle of deviation was drawn, and a red translucent lance tip darts about the walls, as her grip on the massive weapon ever-changed under its weight. By uh- a 'circle of deviation' we mean there's a circle that shows where the rocket lance might go if it doesn't fire straight forward.
"Lance guns-..." Maria made similar observations! "Seem deadly."
...Kaguya shoots 'er a dry look, 'fore lookin' back at Genkan. "Alright. Shoot Mokou's tits off, already."
...Reluctantly, Genkan nods, readying the rocket lancer. Lance launcher? Lancer, rocket lance launcher- launcher launcher-... "If I must."
Silently, she tenses her body, aiming the super asshole-maker launcher both by fidgeting, and by shifting her shoulders. It looks like the unwieldiest thing ever.
She's like, scared to fire it! But, she has a clear shot on uh, holo-Mokou's ribs, so…
Her body is ready! "Ho- how do I actually shoot?" Genkan doesn't dare move from her ready posture!
Krik. She trensed one of her arms along the giant polearm-like rocket, and that good snapping sound was heard.
Stepping back, Kaguya held her arms up. "Ohp- too late! You already shot it!"
"What…?" Eyes wide, Genkan relaxed a little, her arms loosening on the outside-
fwoom. The lance head was ejected from the launcher, propelled like a rocket, a cloud of smoke roaring out behind it.
Thud! Genkan fell on her ass without Kaguya helping her hold onto the launcher! "Nnf!"
...Uh oh. The lance didn't hit Mokou. It deviated from the original guideline, and just uh, sailed off into the night sky, smoke billowing in the air as it went.
...Krack- Boom- fwishcrackfwishfwishkrack! I think it hit a tree in the darkness, somewhere…!
CLA- CLACK. I felt the vibration offa' that launcher landing on the ground! It was loud, too!
"Aw, damn it!" Kaguya rolled her eyes. "Fuckin', it missed. Here- I'll reload it…" An' then she shifts ta look around fer another lance head.
...Slowly, Genkan gets back up, lifting the big launcher slowly! "Why- would anyone use this…!?"
"It's anti-armor!" Kaguya barks back, while still lookin' through a nearby drawer wit' a counter that folds up. "It's-... usually a good choice when stacked up against a tank."
...With a tug, Genkan hefted the thing back over her shoulder, and nearly fell backwards again in the process! "Mmh- my god…"
"S'freakin' heavy looking!" I must add to the conversation…!
"You- you believe so…?" Genkan gives me a begrudged grin! "Do- you want a go…!?"
"That thing's like, two hundred fifty pounds." Kaguya states from the background…! "It'd literally crush him to death." Holy shit! "Or, at least break his shit…"
"How heavy is a-... tip piece?" Genkan questioned, gradually twistin' to Kaguya. I saw her having trouble with the rocket-like part earlier, so I dunno!
Lookin' up, Kaguya hefts one of 'em outta the counter she dug in. "Nn- like, fifty-something pounds..." You tellin' me Kaguya can lift fifty pounds, yo. "If- he drops it, it'd explode and pound into the floor, or his foot." Uh oh. "It'sa- tiny fragmentation effect…"
Coming up to the launcher as Genkan held it, Kaguya slowly twisted the head onto the shaft's mechanism, pushing it into place. "Hoo~, there. Next shot might hit, hopefully…"
I should put away some of the computer stuff while I'm here, or find out how it'll freakin' work together before we all scootle off...
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: GENKAN'S PERSPECTIVE ====
"Why would you make a weapon this inaccurate?" Genuinely…
"I already said it was for shooting tanks." The princess retorted. "Things at least five feet wide. Is your memory made of slush as well?"
I don't want to hear that from this idiot, even if she seems knowledgeable about weaponry, for some reason. "From the sounds of it, this was made to shoot you."
She snorted at me. "Yeah uh, wrong, it was made to shoot Mokou over there." She pointed at the 'hologram', which hadn't at all flinched when my previous shot missed. "So get on that." Fine.
...This time, I'll try to be ready for the kickback. If the device really was on my shoulder, I'm sure the reticle would have smacked into my eye, and the actual device would have just went flying.
"Why is there a lower reticle at all?" I can't help but wonder.
...Kaguya pauses at my question. "That's what I said. Development told me it was a carryover from real shoulder-mount bazookas, and meant for our mechanized infantry. Everyone realized it was better as a fuckin'-... laser guide, so that's what the later models use. They also come with guided rockets and multi-target lock-on and accuracy analysis and predictive shit- and-... yeah. This was the first model of this kinda thing ever made, so it's a rickety piece of shit."
I feel comforted by this history. "Will it ever fall apart, on me?"
She snorted. "Pft, no. Shitty it might be, it's still a lance launcher. It's like, made outta the scraps of a steel girder." If you say so.
...So, I aim it again. I don't know exactly how I fired it the last two times, but it feels like there's a pressure plate along the-... thing, somewhere. Under one of the design details.
I take aim in the same way I did last time, and still myself as much as possible…
Krik. Ah, there. It's actually near the body, and does take a relatively disagreeable amount of force to trigger. It's just, I was hugging it so hard the last two times that I accidentally tripped it.
...I- I have to steady my aim again so that the guide lines up, and once it's where it should be, I release-
fwoom. Despite the soft sound from the launcher, I'm met with the unmistakable force of the weapon trying to throw itself out of my arms in the opposite direction, and it- really takes a lot to not let that happen-
FWOMP- KLACK- SPLASPLAK- SPLACK- SHLUSH. Gods- what was-
Blood splattered out of the smoke wall ahead, in a V-shape towards me. That was the sound of the lance meeting flesh and bone.
"Woohoo~!" Kaguya pumped a fist into the air. "Sounded like that hit the ribs!" How- how can you tell?
When the smoke fades, I behold the results of my violence. The shirt of the silver-haired woman was blown off, chest gouged in an extreme direction. Her entire right rib cage was folded open, the skin flayed into an amazing cave opening-like shape.
The lance head itself was still smouldering with white clouds, an ominous blue hue marking the air with a small gradient directly behind itself. It's also painted with blood-
Krik- spri~tz! It dug heavier into the flesh, still active, folding the ribcage back further-
FWUBOOM- SPLAK- SPLISH. Oo- oh. It finally detonated...
Kaguya whistled. "We~w!" Ye- yeah… um…
It's-... it's such a mess. There's a lake of red on the ground before me, all from the chest cavity of the girl that stood there. That right of her ribcage was blown out entirely, but otherwise, it was hard to see much else that was wrong.
"It's normally not that good on people!" Kaguya exclaimed… "If you strike a bone dead-on, it'll act similar to anti-armor and smash the fuck outta it. Sometimes it won't even explode from hittin' them, which is also really good. That's like a~... one in seventy shot. From here, anyway."
I can't stare at this for too long. "And- you just know that off the top of your head…"
Kaguya beamed at me. "I'm fuckin' immortal, bitch. I gotta lotta free time. Lances are a lotta fun, too. Next time you're pissed off, float up to someone you don't like, and just stick it up their ass. Only has a like one-percent chance of missing, then."
Is that so. ...I point it at her, despite it not being ready to fire.
She rolls her eyes at me. "Ingrate. Whatever, I'm gonna go see what your haremmates are doing." My what.
...It seems she is finally done dispensing trivia on my new… thing. I'm not sure if I can call it a weapon. It's so unwieldy and impractical… but, it's really powerful.
I turn to Brad, who is patting the side of a-... screen-clad thing. That seems ironically personal, for machine interaction. But, it's not like I know enough to say for certain.
Let's approach him stealthily. Um-... as stealthy as stealth can be, with this metal abomination…
Coming up alongside him, I heft the thing up… and, making sure I won't accidentally break anything, I plop it down-
WHAM- CRACK! Oh- blast! It- broke the counters I dropped it onto!
"Euh- wuu~ hohoho…!" Brad has a miniature heart-attack in response. "Holy shit! Ya annihilated it!"
"I- I didn't mean-..." Ah. I shouldn't be so encumbered. "Oops."
...He gives me a big grin. "Oops, huh."
Well. "I didn't mean to destroy a row of counters."
He gave me a knowing nod. "Yeah- that's what I said when I broke a wall at the SDM!"
SDM? Regardless, knowing how he goes about things… "It's probably not the same thing. You destroy property for sport."
"This is true!" With his glad admission, he looked down at the… device. "Anyway! I think this laptop'll more or less work! Not that I've had time to uh, set it up yet, but y'know. I feel like it'll connect!" ...I'm not sure what he means, but I'll trust him on that.
I'm really not sure what to make of this lance launcher thing. Oh- right, the reason I came over here…
"Brad, you're carrying that lance launcher in your bag." I declare. "It's actually too heavy for me to care to lug around."
He gives me a thumbs up. "Yeah, yo! Now I got a person scruncher ta just drop on people!" ...As long as he doesn't kill anyone with it, I guess.
In fact, he takes a step closer, and holds his bag open. "Alright, yo. We gonna stash it now, or…?"
"Yes, let's." It would really be the wisest.
Reaching down into the smashed counter, I-... I pull the two-three meters of metal from the ruined wood, and start to tilt it into the large opening… steadily, and-
It slips inside, out of my grasp. My body tenses as the bag takes all of it, and Brad tenses up himself, the launcher's weight felt by him even without directly interacting with it.
...thud. There's a distant thud from the inside of Brad's bag. Oh dear.
He gives the inside of it a cautious look, before grinning up at me again. "Good! I dunno how I'm gonna softly get this tech stuff in there, but I'll find a way…"
That's unexpected. "Softly? You?"
It takes him a moment to process my nitpick, but when he does, he smiles at me again. "Yeah, yo! Freakin' computers. They're a little fragile, considering what they are 'n' everything…"
Raising a hand, I slowly raise the shut, tiny computer. I do so telekinetically, but I still feel the weight of it to an extent.
Realizing I was doing this, he nods. "That's actually a pretty good idea!" What do you mean, 'actually'?
Stretching the bag open again, he steps back. "Alright, yo. Drift it in until it pokes a thing, an' then drift it down!"
I do as he says, softly repositioning the technology inside.
...While I do this, I look around.
"Nn~h…" Hana holds up something big and terrifying. It looks like some kind of gun, and her legs threaten to give away as she raises it by the barrel, like it's an axe. "Wha- what the heck-..."
"Put- put that down…" That rabbit… Una, I think she was. Why does she still follow us? It's odd.
"Ah- aah!" Oh. The big gun slipped from Hana's hands, out between her tensed fingers-
CLACK! Ouch. It hit Una in the head-
WHA- CLACK. The impact of it hitting the floor didn't compare to my lance launcher. Still, I don't think Una is okay, after that.
She is in fact, on the floor. Ah, wait. The computer I was adjusting met a wall. Time to move it down, I guess.
"What is this device called, anyway?" My question rouses Brad from beholding Una's injury. Or, injuries, depending.
"Aw, yeah, it's uh… typically it's a laptop, since it's like a desktop, except worse, and fits on your lap." Ah. That didn't entirely make sense, but I'm going to assume 'desktop' isn't the literal top of a desk… or, perhaps it refers to something different, like a quality. "If we wanted ta be technical, it's a portable version of a general home-type computer." That makes more sense.
And, done. I've set down the technology.
Next, Brad slips in this fluffy… bag, thing, with zippers. "I also thieved a carryin' thing for the other shit, like the~ router thing, and stuff." Aa~h. There is a lot of stuff simply lying around… and, considering this is all on the princess's dime, I have no qualms stealing anything. She is, at the very least, spoiled absolutely rotten.
"The princess will not miss it." I comment on this. I'm not sure why. I sort of want to rub this in, I suppose.
This room has a cozy, draining atmosphere. The blunt smile Brad gives me in response to my own flat comment is nice. Many might not think it, but I'm conscious of how monotone my voice can be. Not all of the time, but I really like the contrast my own voice can provide.
It's especially prominent, when compared to Brad's usual nonsense. Since he's been inactive, he hasn't really focused on his own actions, so his gaze and demeanor is pretty… different, than how it often is. He's probably also tired-
ZAZAZAZAP! That- was loud! What was that?
It takes me a moment to investigate, more from my own surprise. In the direction of the buzzing…
thud. Kaguya softly fell onto her back, convulsing. "Chhk- gh- nnh…" Hmm?
Maria had compacted herself before her, holding up a bladed… cylinder-esque thing. "Uu- um…"
Kli- zazazap! Kli- zazazap! Whenever she tensed her hand, the sides, tip, and bladed parts of the poker loudly flashed to life with electrical energy.
Kli- bzzt- zapzap! Every time she activated it, she flinched, because it intimidated her even as she wielded it. It's a fair reaction, considering everything. I couldn't say whether or not the technology might backfire on us at some point. I was never very much into science, or machines. I like books.
...Looking at us, she perks up. "Oh, hey. I have a thing to hold my staffs in, now." She gestures to this little red, boxy backpack on her back. "It's a lot like Brad's bag, but it has less room, I think."
Turning around, she shows it off. It's pretty cute.
Fwii~sh! By poking both her arms to the sides of it, the faces she touched begin to glow?
In this moment, she slid her knife-poker-thing into the right side, and from the left side, she drew one of her staves. Oh!
"I see…" That's actually quite powerful. "In that way, you have all your staves on command, don't you?"
"Yeah." Maria nodded. "I'm not gonna get crushed to death if I get too many now, either." She's right. It was getting to the point where I wasn't sure if I should ask to carry them for her or not. I was half-expecting Brad to offer, but it's really for the best that she has her own means. I am more than adept at keeping my fan-… fan-esque things on my own form, since they don't weigh much.
"Al- alright…" Kaguya gets up off the floor, pushing off her arms into standing. "I thought this was gonna be more exciting, than it was…"
Really, now. "I feel as though everything has been plenty exciting, as it is. It's nearing the dead of night, even."
Once she finds her balance, she marches up to me. "...What're you doing now, then?"
Now? Mmh. I haven't thought that far ahead. I did say I was taking Brad to rest, earlier, but we got sidetracked immediately.
I look over at him. He's making himself casual, but by the way he's blinking, I can tell he's-... well, his body's tired, at any rate. He could probably keep himself going until he collapsed, I'm sure.
"I'd kinda like to… lie down." After everything, Maria looks-... not quite tired, but a little worn.
Kaguya snorted, facing her only partially. "And?"
"We should probably lie down." For their sake, if nothing else. Although, I wouldn't mind a nap in these dim halls…
Raising a brow, Kaguya began to slide towards the door out. "...Nap, huh. I'm coming with you." What?
"And me!" Hana bounded towards us. No, I'm putting a stop to this.
By 'this' I mean the princess, not Hana's… tendency to bound towards us and exclaim 'it's me'. "What is your goal?" I approach the princess, too. "Surely you have better things to be doing."
Her gaze towards me became wry. "Not rea~lly. Besides, it is getting late, isn't it?" She doesn't look very tired. "You know, have you ever all tried sleeping in the same bed?"
...I nod plainly. "Yes, we have." We were all very tired, so it didn't really mean too much.
...She blinks at the blunt way I put that, it seems. "Oo- oh? And, what happened?"
Let's disappoint her. "We slept."
Brad nods, and gives us a warm smile. "We found fluffles." Yes.
...With an expression somewhere between put-off and faux-disgusted, Kaguya left through the door out. "Whatever, just, follow me…" Brad has succeeded in warding her off with fluffles.
Hmm. It'll be good to get out of this yellow lighting. It's starting to play tricks on my eyes.
"We should find fluffles." Brad suggests to me, with the gentleness he likes to exude with certain jokes.
"...Maybe." Despite the success related to them so far, I really don't know about that idea.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
"What actually motivates you to follow us?" It's taken awhile, but I finally ask Una this, as we move down the ever-lucid, endless halls.
"...Maria is cool." She says something predictable. Her presence is oddly off-key, but not intrusive, I suppose.
"Brad is cool!" Hana too says something predictable.
"Genkan is cool!" Brad- that-... was a pun. I don't have words to describe my mixture of amusement and disappointment.
For awhile, we say nothing, until Maria makes an observation of Brad's comment. "...What a loaded statement."
He snorted a couple times. "Mm? Oo- it really is, innit…!?" Is it, now.
Eventually, we come to a door, where Kaguya stops again. "We're he~re."
"If this is some place weird, I'll freeze you, and then we'll leave." I threaten. I still have that weird sex toy technology she gave me…
"I'm an elementalist myself, you know." Kaguya faces me again, posed neutrally before the door. "Before I was a huge fucking nerd, I was into magic. And, a million other things, but that's beside the point..." What does she-
"Aw. Kaguya- do ya know underwater basket weaving?" Brad quizzes her on the essentials, immediately sidetracking her attempt to impose on me.
"Yes." She grins back at him. "That shit's harder than you think. Incredibly goddamn useless, but it takes a level of discipline."
...Before she opens the door, she faces us all again and asks a question. "You mind if we go back to my room, and use the futon there?"
"...How big is it." This question of hers could not have been asked with good intent, so I follow up with one of my own.
She smirked. "One perso~n. I'm actually sort of curious! Like- could we all even fit?"
"I'm not. Probably not." This princess is on a mission, to be certain. "Just open this door already, you mud-minded harlot."
Kaguya chuckled. "Mu- mud-minded, huh. I keep forgetting how juvenile... some older insults sound, compared to modern ones."
shoo~f. She finally slid the door open. And…
Hmm. It's actually a relatively normal bedroom, fit with many futons and some nice furniture…
There are six futons, to be precise. Assuming me and Brad share one, there'd be one for Maria, Kaguya… Una, and Hana. We'd even have one left over.
"This room just exists here?" I can't help but wonder why.
Kaguya snorted, as she moved towards a small potted tree in the room's center. "Yea~h. Actually- when we wake up, I should show you all the goddamn stupid rooms that're made, sometimes. Recently, we came up with some formulas for the less developed sections, and let robots do the interior expanding."
Brad jerked his head back in what I can only assume is pleasant surprise. "Aw, yo! Roguelike shit!"
Then, he faced me. "We never did ask Eirin about that dead alien did we." ...What? Wait. Why did he remember that now?
...Kaguya gave us a weird look. "When the hell did you clowns learn about that. Who could've even told you about that."
Brad pointed at Hana, who pointed at Una, who pointed at me. Maria didn't point at anyone.
Grinning, Kaguya also furrowed her brows. "I didn't say that like I expected it to be any of you! Whatever. Actually, you were running around with Tewi earlier. Probably her, somehow."
...Brad came up to me. "The cyber-lung was not stored in my bag!" I'd be scared if it was. We took it from a simulation.
I float down to follow Kaguya inside, while others had already navigated inside.
"Y'know..." Brad obtains some kind of rush of energy, for absolutely no reason. Although, it'd be more fair to say that he obtained that odd pre-bedtime rush one experiences when trying desperately not to sleep. While I don't need sleep in the same way humans often do, if I've gotten comfy with a book in my personal snow piles, it can be… challenging to stay awake, sometimes. It does depend on the book.
His gaze shifting between the two of us, Brad gets involved with our ongoing situation. "Kaguya, how long's it been since ya last got along wit' someone…!?"
She instantly became twice as weathered, which is somehow cute when compared to the neat oversized bonsai plant right beside her. "Aw, fuck you. Well… I get along with different people for different reasons. Couldn't you call this a form of getting along? The synergy me and the~... snow-boob girl exude together."
"My name is Genkan." She legitimately forgot. "I'd also not call it getting along."
"Me- me either." Maria pipes up for the first time in awhile. "...But, it's funny." I'm not sure if that helps.
"I think so!" Hana-... I'm not sure if she replied to the question correctly. I'm confused. Talking with so many people with us always feels cumbersome. I'm sort of curious now, actually...
"I mean like-...!" Building off of the peanut gallery, Brad continues, raising his arms for-... effect. "Actual conversation, an' not just kinda-sorta jeering people into submission, or giving 'em Joydicks!"
...Swaying in place a little, while others of us went to work on the nearby futons, Kaguya gave a measured response. "I mean, there's the obvious candidates. Tewi's pretty cool… and, obviously Eirin. It should go without saying." Hmm.
"What is Eir-... Yagokoro, to you?" I almost forgot my formality. How careless of me.
Her stare grew… calmer. I seem to have found a topic she can at least be vaguely serious about. "Time to ask me the hard questions, is it? It's a little hard to simply put into words so promptly, like this. She's done a lot for me, variably for the people who I both do and don't care about, and-..."
She put her arms onto her hips. "When'd this become about me?" When you poked us enough to make it a curiosity. You can only be a lunatic for so long, before people get suspicious. Like myself, with Brad.
"Didn't she make ya immortal?" Brad continued the line of questioning. "What's the story on that?"
...Running a hand through one of her locks, Kaguya exhaled. "Well. It's not a simple tale. In reference to the current conversation, hmm. She did make me immortal, but as much as that is the eternal blessing, it is also an eternal curse. Yet, I would never think poorly of her for it."
Of course, that beckons the question she's left unanswered. "You imply there's a reason beyond the resulting indifference. Particularly in the diction you chose, clarifying where you stood."
She scoffed at me. "Smartass. I'll spell it out for you, then. We share the same fate. Although it's not the exact same, given her divine heritage, her demonstrated… compassion towards me, you could say, has proved her merit time after time."
...I see. That's probably all we're going to get out of that point of interrogation.
"Wha~h." Hana appeared behind Kaguya, somehow. "Divine-... heritage. I said it right! Heritage!"
Kaguya faced her bluntly. "I mean, even after every goddamn star goes out, I'll at least have her. But…" She spoke to all of us, now. "I've thought it out, and if something like that really does happen, I'm pretty sure matter and physics will no longer have the strength to put something like my body back together. Unless, of course, something motivated it. Miscellaneous holy or dark energy, or some kinda spatial fuckfest. I don't fucking know space that well."
Brad nodded his… typical 'comedic' type nod. It's the one where he gets ready to say something cheeky or blunt. "You'll have her and Mokou…!" Yeah.
Kaguya huffs. "Ahah, yes, her. I find it funny, even in my many, many years and immortality, that life still finds a way to counterbalance the benefits of my situation. When this planet is no more, I hope the methods of space take her with it. Considering the vastness of the universe, perhaps then we will never see each other again."
I can't say I've ever experienced hate so strongly, myself. I've wished death on others, and even caused it, but… the emotions were different. To an extent, at least. Here, it sounds like pure desolation.
"Do you, like…" Ah. Maria wandered up, after Hana romped off in the background to-... find some dust 'friends', or something similar. "Do you actually hate her? 'Cause, I've heard stories, and yeah…"
...At that, Kaguya gave her a quick look, before speaking generally to all of us. "Well. Not especially, at all times. After all, time cleanses, obscures, and dulls. I find that life, without something to make you feel strong emotion… pieces of yourself slip away. You stop growing, and in some respects, you regress. To learn, forget, relearn, re-forget, and learn once again, and in the face of it all-..."
For a moment, her brows are truly furrowed, her stare on no one in particular. "It epitomizes the meaninglessness of it all. Vanity; that would be the word… or, futility, maybe."
She searched our faces, as if to find someone to speak to directly, before giving up. "It's more fun to feel in the moment. While you don't grow, retain, and probably forget things, it's not boring. Anything but being bored."
Finally, she refocused on Maria, who took some steps back through it all. "...I imagine she found out much the same, albeit quicker, I'm sure."
Emotions are really a carousel of pleasure and pain. Then, there's the paradox of pain being its own pleasure, depending. I know anger is addicting, at the very least. Considering her probable age, anything is probably superior to nothing, or rather, activity trumps inactivity, and disordered storms far surpass ordered idility.
"Like so, I've also indirectly explained why I respect Eirin." Kaguya references our previous query, pivoting away from Maria. "We both know that, unlike myself, she doesn't need me. Yet, she keeps me around all the same. At the very least, I would be able to expedite the production of another Hourai Elixir. Not that such a thing should ever be considered, but you never know what the future holds."
...Hmm. The princess really is a lot better when she's not pretending to be schizophrenic. Again, I see the theme of people pretending to be lunatics out of sheer boredom. Or perhaps, actually becoming lunatics of a sort out of boredom. It's hard to place, but I suppose it'd depend where one drew the line between lunatic and… normalcy, maybe?
I will say that her formality in genuine discussion reminds me somewhat of my sisters. By contrast, for our age, only the eldest of our kind tend to yearn for suicide or self-destruction by means of experiencing similar horizons. However, it's not terribly common, in that there have only ever been a few cases like that. We, as people of the frost, are naturally at comfort in stillness. Perhaps not perfect stillness, but stillness all the same.
Sleeping and binge-reading every summer also gives people a very disproportionate sense of scale regarding our lifespans, it would seem.
...Now that the discussion has tapered off, she slowly made for one of the free futons. "Don't expect this kind of behavior from me tomorrow. This has been enough thinking."
"I understand." It's the least I can say.
She snorts. "If you say so." Crouching onto the futon, she twisted to smirk at me. "Have you ever been bored? ...You don't have to answer."
Aah. Hrm. Considering my answer would be both parts awkward and tone-breaking, perhaps I will keep it to myself.
"Hi, bored." Brad gives Kaguya a gentle wave. "I'm Brad."
"Kill yourself." Her reaction is a little extreme, but understandable.
"Ye." He- just accepted that, huh.
...Facing me, he gave me a tired look. "The fluff death, of the universe." He must be really tired, now.
Somehow, Kaguya took a bed next to us; the center bed on the right. Maria took the leftmost one on the right, and Una picked the one across from hers.
Hana is waiting for us to decide, for some reason. She looks really giddy about it, like she's on the verge of blurting out all her excited energy. It's very cute, but also oddly suspenseful.
With few other options, I make for the right-right futon. "Let's go to bed, Brad."
...It takes a moment, but soon he tenses up at the proposition. "Aa- ah. Right." Hmm.
"You don't sound terribly enthused." Let's make him think, so that he doesn't just drop dead immediately.
"There's so many people around…!" He states quietly. When has that ever stopped him before?
"Just now feeling self-conscious?" Let's start prodding him. I've got an idea where to lead this… "Well, if you're not comfortable, we don't have to sleep that way."
Naturally, he springs to save the situation. "Aa- s'not that- I mean, I'll still uh…!"
I come up to him, and grab onto the sides of his kimono. Despite his height advantage when we're on even ground, he's easier than anybody to pull around. "Hey. I've got an idea."
He's somewhere between shy and curious. "An… idea?"
"Idea A!" Hana is now very close to us, too. "...Are we gonna snuggle!?"
"Yes." I confirm to her. "We're going to snuggle."
Instantaneously, she glomps the both of us. "Ya~y!"
Bringing my arms out, I scoop the both of them up. Brad and Hana's faces become remarkably close to mine in the process, the both of them briefly taken by my strength.
"Now that I think about it…" There's something oddly satisfying about their faces both close to mine. "This is more like plan B."
I pivot, my back to the futon, dragging the other two with my grasp against their volition. Before they can awkwardly become displaced within my grasp, I tip back, and off my heels.
Fwoof! We free-fall into the futon, the well-padded cloth letting out a great breath at our rough but perfect landing.
Fwi- fwi- fwi~sh. Streaks of my frost wash over us, and soon, we are contained. I have built a coffin of frost over us, with the floor serving as its foundation, fit with a grated roof so that we may not die of asphyxiation.
"There." I gaze down at Brad, who is just sort of sunk into my left side. "Now, we may have our privacy." And-
Nn- ah. Hana hugs into me, her face buried in my right breast, for some reason.
None of us have taken anything off, but that's for the better. After all, even I wouldn't consider stripping with the princess around, regardless of her confirmed sanity.
Like the rest of the clinic, this room is naturally dim, which makes it easier to get sleepy.
...Despite how warm the interior of this clinic is in some places, we're nice and evenly cooled in this ice coffin. Brad sort of relaxes.
He carries himself very clumsily and clunkily when he has clothing on, especially when it's bulky, like that camo-kimono of his. He felt very much more natural without anything on.
"If we had less company…" To accommodate for his awkwardness, I force him closer, pressing him into my other breast, as Hana is to the right one. "I'd ask you to strip, again."
...He seems pleased by my idea and my actions, and gives in. Or, it might be more like, 'resigns to his fate'.
After a moment, he speaks into me, his cheek to my kimono. "...Ho- how come… you've never undressed?"
Ah. That-... hmm.
"Well…" I'll answer the best I can. "A kimono's cloth, to me… it bears more significance than-"
Suddenly, Hana blows air into my face. I lose my train of thought, and narrow my eyes a little.
"My maid outfit's important to me~." Hana… states? Announces? "But, I've always wanted to take it off, a whole lot, but I always thought that'd make Brad mad, so I didn't. And- chief might come outta nowhere and kill me like she usually does." Ah… "But, if Brad asked me to take off my clothes and snuggle, I'd do it right away!"
...That says something. I don't know what it says, but it says something.
"...Can I take off my outfit?" Hana proposes immediately after.
Brad snorts, and answers by obligation. "Not- uh, right now, I think…"
...Hana just kinda looks like she expected that, and sinks back into my breast. "Mrmh." She gazes up at me, almost glaring. "Mmh- mm- nnh- mmh." Pl- please, don't talk into my breast. That feels weird. I can feel the vibrations through it, and it's-... nnh.
...Still. I feel like a queen, with both of them pressed into me like this. I could get used to this.
I lie back, and stare at the ceiling, through the faintly translucent ice coffin roof.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
END OF CHAPTER 94
=!= STATUS =!=
= = ► EQUIPPED ITEMS - BRAD:
WEAPON: Unarmed
HEAD: Toyosatomimi's Earmuffs
TORSO: Camouflage Kimono
PANTS: [Camouflage Kimono]
SHOES: [Camouflage Kimono]
MISC ONE: None
MISC TWO: None
MISC THREE: Carrot Medallion
RESULTING STATUS:
150% Ice resistant.
100% Silencing resistant.
Sound protection.
When unarmed, evade is vastly improved.
= = ► EQUIPPED ITEMS - GENKAN:
WEAPON: Fans
HEAD: None
TORSO: Absolute Zero Kimono
PANTS: [Absolute Zero Kimono]
SHOES: Plain Sandals
MISC ONE: None
MISC TWO: None
MISC THREE: None
RESULTING STATUS:
300% ice resistance [200% native]
300% freezing resistance [200% native]
-50% fire resistance [native]
-50% burning resistance [native]
= = ► EQUIPPED ITEMS - MARIA:
WEAPON: An Eternity Together
TORSO: Casual Freeze Clothes
PANTS: [Casual Freeze Clothes]
SHOES: Casual Shoes
MISC ONE: None
MISC TWO: None
MISC THREE: None
RESULTING STATUS:
50% ice resistance
100% freezing resistance
Slightly improved magical defense [native]
==o==
=!= NEW LOOT (BRAD'S INVENTORY) =!=
Theimer M01 - Improved anti-tank RPG with armor-piercing capabilities. Huge weapon that must be slung over the shoulder. Known among lunar soldiers as "The Tamer". Only usable amongst the party by Genkan.
STATS:
200% damage bonus against armored vehicles.
-50% damage bonus against people.
High chance to fracture bones and cause fatal bleeding in opponents.
Very long reload time. Has limited ammo.
Hilariously bad accuracy.
SKILLS:
Theimer Lance - Large metal warhead that gores into people and armor alike. Travels slowly, and does physical damage. Next to no splash radius; the rocket more falling apart than actually exploding.
=o=
Eientei Gamer Pro RX3 Laptop - One of Kaguya's clean spare laptops, with a free BunnySoft Suite subscription. Respectably powerful hardware.
Generator Router Modem - Staggeringly convenient Eientei technology, which sustains a minor power supply autonomously from ambient mana. Doesn't work outside of Gensokyo. Provides access to Eientei's internet connection, for use by modern devices.
Black Carrying Case - Soft case with foam-insulated inside to protect technology in transit. Could also be used for field trips, or adventures. Not that it's very relevant, with a hammerspace bag on hand…
Nintendo DS XL Charger - A charger which works on all big DS models.
(x3) Themier Lance - Metal lances constructed for the Themier brand of lance launchers. Inside, they have a payload that pounds the metal architecture of the projectile into a target, rending flesh, armor, and stone. Might go off if you drop them.
=!= NEW LOOT (MARIA'S INVENTORY) =!=
Lance Construction Brochure - Mass-produced lunar-grade instructions on how to cheaply and quickly construct lances of many materials on the battlefront.
SKILLS:
Construct Lance - Combine technical know-how with magic to create more lances. They serve as ammunition for Theimer, Lancaar, Yatsu-VB PL, Pzf. 98 Lanze, or Ultimortar anti-tank lance launchers.
=o=
LunarStorage: Recreational Model - Allows extended inventory. Has an undefined capacity, but can't fit objects beyond a certain size. Allows Maria to draw any item at any time easily, as well as put them away. Exists as a square, red box of a backpack.
=o=
SafetyZap! OVERKILL Edition - Half baton, half knife taser. When the grip is, well, gripped, the edges of it energize with one million volts of electric energy. Very efficient self-defense tool which has an amazingly high chance to stun foes.
STATS:
When the skill is active, deals magic, electric damage. Stuns foes.
SKILLS:
Taser - When the handle is gripped, the thunderstorm begins.
=o=
=!=
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
wow this took a fucking eternity
i also DUNNO about the pacing but we got some neat stuff so honh and the chapter had a nice ending
also the inventory is getting re-orientation! basically you get a FULL TAKE at the end of every batch (five chapters), but the end of every chapter is just current equips + status and new stuff
so like this you can examine what new stuff does right away without having to dig and if you want a BIG TAKE you'll get it eventually just not now
honh honh
reason it took so long? one kickass college semester
was taking technical writing (or database design) in the same semester worth all this goddamn trouble? probably not but i need that shiny paper mate
well, now i can move forward kinda, but this semester is still going to shit on me; i'm glad i achieved any progress at all thusfar!
still gotta give this a big proofread later for pacing, but otherwise hoh
nearly 20 k words son, over 57 pages; i actually went WAY OVER FOR THIS CHAPTER but that's cool - w -
as always, see you all next time!
