...Shikome looks around. As usual, she appears rather unassuming outwardly, even perhaps inquisitive as she takes in the random wooden visuals.

We're back in Small Packages. It's a sunny day outside. We napped once we got home, and fortunately, nothing bullshit happened over the evening.

We're also seated on the one, creaky bed in the second floor's… 'common room'? I suppose it's a common room. It's as common as a room can get.

This village has gone to hell in a handbasket in the few days I've been away. Not that I was working to improve the situation, necessarily.

Now that I'm less tired, and can think straight… I ought to gauge my threats. Because that's what this has turned into, which makes sense for medieval life, but still feels… disappointing, in a way.

Well. Whatever.

Mokou is looking for me. Seiga, perhaps. I know she still wants Vanilla, as well as Shikome, probably. ...Wherever Vanilla is. Hmm.

Might be a worrying loose end. Regardless…

Those losers Shinki gave me- where did they go? Hmh. The traps, I mean.

Is Keine against my existence, now? Considering Mokou was, it wouldn't make sense if she wasn't. That means Shikome can't go to school.

...Damn it. Of all the things I could be pissed about now, that's what I'm pissed about. I feel as though that says something.

That, and I'm still angry about Mima's existence. If she chooses not to get in my way anymore, I won't care, however. That, and the magic I've obtained is… undeniably, kind of good. She's kind of a fuckup, but when she stops wasting your time, the yield of her magic is kind of good.

I think she's more focused on that Shimokoa chick now. That absolutely crazy ice bitch. Since that should keep her hands full, I shouldn't have many problems.

...As tempting as it would be to go wild and exert our newfound force on the local populace, I don't feel like catching Yukari's ire in that way.

No, instead… hmm. I'll have to think about it. The only rule is no killing. Well, that, and no… disruption of the people, in a way that would remove them from play indefinitely.

We still have plenty of gold, and yen. Though our business is not in operation… hmm.

I suppose I have two objectives.

One. Get Shikome back into school.

Two. Find an edge over Mima and Mokou.

"Alright." I speak to Shikome, although it's not like I need to use words often with her. "...We're going to go exploring today, I guess."

...Shikome blinks at me, looking as passive as she usually does.

Oh, right. On that note… hmmh. The rotted wood growth which belonged to her in the loli room, I believe I've said this before, but the captives escaped, since the… thing died in the time Shikome was away from it.

And, to be honest, I'm not even pissed about losing the little things here or there. I'm pissed that these people have made enemies of us, through simply trying to steal from us- or steal us- and through naturally being inclined to take a moral ground over us.

Because, really, who cares about what we've done? We've killed some nobodies. I doubt Keine even knows the people I've killed. Youmu, too. This shit's none of Mokou's business.

...Actually, in retrospect, Shikome's killed Mokou at least once, so perhaps it is her business.

Regardless, a majority of the offense against us is… while maybe not unfounded, out of proportion. I'm tired of it.

"Well. Let's go." I have nothing much to say to Shikome. We're just going to be making some stops, here or there.

I adjust my officer's cap, and feel my kitty ears twitch. I feel at my coat, and put on my boots.

Long black hair… it's interesting, really. The weight is still somewhat awkward on my shoulders, even now. Even with my cat balance and improved cat instincts.

There. All ready. Let's make those stops before the day's done. I've got no time to lose.

/ / / / YEEHAW / / / /

shoof. Using my council card, I slip into the Golden Grin easily. It's practically next door to Small Packages, making it an easy first stop.

I'm here to speak with Yukari. To seek clarification, to get some ideas, and to annoy her a little. She said she didn't want to speak with me, but we'll see if she actually makes good on her word.

After all, she's quite tactless when it comes to approaching me. She'll tell me not to do things, but she won't ever act on anything. Total pushover. Of course, if I pushed too hard she'd have probably killed me outright… but to succumb to gradual advances is amateurish.

"Do you sense Yukari?" I ask Shikome.

I get the feeling Shimoke is at least favorable towards me for aiding her in Eientei. I'm not sure how much I did. However…

In truth, while all of the things I've mastered are nice, at the moment I care quite a lot about Shikome's existence. She is different; something above the nothing of the human village. Far superior.

She would have broken out of Eientei without my intervention. If anything, all I managed to do was expedite the process. It was as I'd assumed, until Mima stirred fear in me. I still don't know how strong the whole of Eientei is, but apparently they're not that strong.

Even now… right, that reminds me. They probably won't be happy Shikome has escaped. Another threat on the radar.

Shikome starts to move. Ah, I see. She knows where to find her.

As I progress through the club, I look around…

"Alright, so look. C'mere." Oh. We're approached.

A blue-haired cat man strolls towards me. "Wait- ah, shit. You one of mine?" He gives me a questioning look.

...Me and Shikome don't say anything.

"Whatever. Also, nice nazi outfit. Looks good on ya. ...Say- I was wonderin' if you were open fer an hour a' two. My table's got room fer two more."

Shikome keeps moving. I move with her.

"Oh- hey! Aw- don't gimme the cold shoulder~..."

Oh. As we move past a bar stationed back here, I see a certain someone stand from one of the stools. "Hey, Kugo…!"

'Kugo' pauses. "Tch- ugh- what is it? I'm tryin'a get t'know that little muffin over there-"

"I think Little Kugle has rabies…!"

"I'm gonna- get outta the way! Oh- come on-"

Shikome walks into the push-open door-

KRA- CRACK! ...I think the mechanism has come undone.

cli- clickick. ...Shikome pauses in the doorway, looking for what made that noise, before continuing. It was a broken piece of door mechanism created from her interaction with the push door.

I advance after her.

...Behind us, Kugo is heard chuckling. "The- the fuck…?"

Wonder what the fuck Brad was doing here. This place is more a strip club than it is a casino… at least, when you get past the basic service tables, which are more restaurant-like.

It's also really early right now. I imagine the illicit activities occur over the evening into the morning. We're just here during the freaky hours.

Shikome leads us up a flight of office stairs nearby, which then lead us to…

Somewhere random on the third floor. At first, I think we're going to take the elevator to Yukari's perch. Except…

Oh. There's someone very much like Yukari up here. She's shorter and thinner, and noticeably does not have massive tits.

She's staring down at the club floor, arms on the rail, looking vacant.

Shikome progresses up to her. I come up next to her.

"...Oh." She smiles at us. "Matthew, I presume?"

You must be… "Yukari junior."

"...Maribel." Ah, that's her name. I'd forgotten. "Although… you might be right, in some ways. But, I'm not like her."

"Yeah. Your tits aren't massive." I may actually prefer you to her for that reason alone. Not to say I don't appreciate Yukari's aesthetic, but Maribel here has the potential to be cuter.

I remember her being more bubbly in fan art, however. "Hehe. Yeah." She seems… dead, in some way. In fact, when I met her before, she was more bubbly. "...Well? What do you want from me?"

"To find Yukari." I want to pester her.

...Maribel closes her eyes, and steps back. "Didn't she say she was done with you?"

I guess I'll pester you instead. You're close enough. "Is she going to do anything about the people who tried to ransack me for no reason, or are they all exempt from her arbitrary-... behavior?"

...Maribel smiled, but it clearly didn't reach her eyes. "Well… you are youkai. Above that, an outsider. Shikome too. She didn't want to tell you directly, but you and her are a threat to the balance. Even if you're only a small one. Of course, she was being kinda clumsy. She kinda dropped the ball on the whole 'indirect threats' thing. She warned you way too often."

"Must be a fragile balance." To be upset by me just killing random people occasionally.

"It sets a precedent." Maribel reasoned. "It'd be pretty bad if the humans went extinct."

"Would it really?" They're all not good for much anyway.

Maribel doesn't reply.

Regardless, I don't get it. "Did she really warn us too often? I feel as though you should warn someone more often than not. Such is the purpose of warnings." I'd rather be nagged at than be punished, if only because I don't believe in the basic premise in the first place.

Maribel idly scanned me and Shikome. "...Hmm. Let's just say, the fortune you experience is proportional to how your manner of conduct-... influences Gensokyo. I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid."

"...So, you're saying a bunch of shit's her fault?" I wonder.

"Could be. Indirectly at best." Maribel looks out of it, somehow. "She's really good at, let's say, putting the right people in the right places, to get what she wants. Ideally… if it's going correctly, you'd never know she was involved. Her speaking to you directly… was perhaps only a result of you and Yuyuko knowing one another."

Right, they're friends. Yuyuko probably wanted a more peaceful route. Cute. "How do I stop pissing her off?"

Maribel closed her eyes. "You know how." Good. "Stop upsetting the balance. Namely… you know. Killing the limited supply of humans."

Neat. ...I wonder. "You seem different. Is something the matter?"

Maribel snorts. "Uum. ...It's nothing you need to know."

Hmh.

"Do you have any motive for telling me these things?" I can't help but ask, at this point.

She takes pause, before gaining another fake smile. "Oh… well. I'm just sort of… thinking over, the way she does things. You're not the only thing she cares about, you know. In fact, the overall role you have is… pretty small. You're really lucky you know Yuyuko like you do. If it wasn't for that, you might already be dead."

Charming. Well, without Yuyuko, and the Saigyouji tree, there wouldn't be Shikome, would there? Perhaps I'd be dead, but for unrelated reasons.

...On that note, maybe there are multiple layers to the sentiment. Regardless, Shikome is here, so I won't die to anything short of an explosion, a bullet to the head or heart, or an arrow that'd do the same.

Or, you know, the twenty other things that can kill humans instantly and seemingly arbitrarily, but I think one could get the picture.

"I'll have to thank Yuyuko later, I guess." I give Maribel a parting wave, and start to move.

"...Yeah." Maribel nods at me, and just continues to stare down at the club.

I start to move.

"Hey." Maribel calls out, and I recognize it's towards me.

I pause.

"Don't cause trouble for anyone." Maribel suggests. "I mean it. ...I might be doing a lot of… maybe bad things, these past few days… but I'd like to believe that I'm doing them for the sake of everyone. I'm doing them… because I know there's truth in my actions. Because I really am trying to help people… and preserve love, and dreams, and all that cool stuff."

"You kill people just for killing's sake." Maribel deduced. "I don't like that."

Oh. "That sucks."

/ / / / SACRED MOON / / / /

I feel as though... I've been missing the point of… something.

Walking along the Human Village road, I feel my cat ears twitch. My tail swings around, reaffirming my pristine balance.

I'm at least three times lighter, and flightier, than I ever was. If I wanted to attack a human now… I could run along a wall, flip over them, and draw a crescent through their neck.

But, really, as fun as arbitrary murder can be, I feel like I'm missing something. Something to give it more purpose, maybe.

I also somewhat resent this… change. Gensokyo has been unfriendly to me for quite awhile now. I have been left at the mercy and behest of others, and at least on the outside… things are more pronounced and subdued.

Then again, you can be jumped for no good reason on the outside too. And, even if you have a gun, if they have a gun, they can shoot you first.

...However, I think Gensokyo leaves you more at risk. If you stand out, those with motives can easily get you.

Maybe it's this damn village. Maybe that's where everything went wrong.

Shikome walks off on her own. I follow her.

I would like someone to behold the fruits of my violence. It's really no fun without the reactions… and Yukari is quite boring about it. She doesn't care about the people, she cares about the balance.

I'd like to come across Brad again, on more level terms. I'd like to meet that one girl whose mother I killed. I'd like to tell her I did it, and see how she reacts.

I'd like to see what Shikome wants. Especially now. She's quite interesting. I've said it before: she's beyond all the nothing there is here.

Maybe I'm just bored. These villagers are boring me.

Maybe…

I don't know.

Maybe I want something less… drawn-out like this. I have enemies now, and I don't really have a cause to stand behind… other than the fact that I feel they shouldn't even really give a shit to begin with. It's been awhile, and it's not even most of their business.

I wonder what Brad would have to say about it. I've just kind of forgotten about him… but, he's one of the few in about the same circumstance as me.

Has he made a mess of his own? I know he's running around with that snow woman and… some girl. That fairy too.

I guess it isn't like it matters. Aside from Eientei's strangeness and its probable grudge, Shikome is exempt from the petty matters of the greedy. Gensokyo really isn't what it's made out to be on the outside.

But, I'll find a way out. I'll find a way for Shikome to persist past the barrier. I'll live to tell the tale of having 'tried out' this fantasy land… and deciding to go back home anyway, with power and a loli. Yeah.

Or maybe we should put on fake mustaches and get deported to Makai. That'd be pretty easy. Since I'm youkai now, if only technically, we could probably survive there. Maybe. I'll see, I guess.

The whole 'being a loli myself' thing may be an awkward side-effect, but… well, personally, I'm not completely opposed. Still, there are things I don't want. I'm glad I have these charms at the least, to at least temporarily be my normal self.

I'm bored. I'm doing too much thinking. Where is Shikome taking us?

We're at the northern gate of the village. There's a guard there, just kind of leaned up against the wall…

KR- KRACKANK! ...Shikome walks through the gate, quite loudly.

"Wh- woah!?" The guard there flails his arms, waking up abruptly. "Shit- jeez!"

/ / / / SHIMOKOA'S PERSPECTIVE / / / /

The fake moon. The lunatic, fake moon.

Adrift in a sky of its own, in this strange realm Mima has conjured.

After we came back, I'm… not sure what happened.

It is just us. Mima and myself. The others… we can forget about them. We can forget about their hateful, absent-minded presences. Hopefully they've been rendered obsolete. I'm so tired of them all.

"We won't have all the time in the world, pro'lly." Mima's voice is in my head. "So… if we wanna do what we wanna do, we gotta do it quick. Not too quick, but… we can't just kill a week watchin' fuckin' TV or something."

I feel… full. The fullest I've ever felt in a long time. Soothed by the moon's calm light, even though it's supposed to enrage. Or so tales of the incident had told. It was brief to a youkai like me, who had already gone to rest for the coming summer.

So… beautiful. A large orb of ivory splendor, and it's all ours.

...Am I crying? Oh. That's why my eyes feel strange. I hadn't even noticed.

"Eientei's gonna be pihihissed, but if they get the moon back sooner or later, ain't even gonna realize someone stole it. When we're done with it, I guess we'll just- leave it on the side a' the road. Next ta that damn old couch I gotta chuck still."

That seems disrespectful, but the time we're in is probably beyond the notion of disrespect.

"So, what are you after?" I ask Mima. She's nowhere around me, simply choosing to reside in my head. Is she talking through my mouth, or just to me? I can't even tell.

"Now that we've jostled that Shikome chick free… I'm thinkin' we acquire her next. With or without Sabrina's permission."

"Why is that?" I've never known this youkai. I don't believe so, anyway.

"She's powerful. Born of the Saigyouji wood, she is a being who stands on the border of life an' death, chucklin' at the concept. Or something, I don't exactly know- but that's what I'm lookin' to find out!"

I can feel Mima's giddiness. "It'd be an insult on my magehood to not wanna experiment! And… well. It's… kinda embarrassing to admit. But…"

Mima takes a breath in through my mouth, involuntarily. "I'm out fer revenge. I think that power'd help me."

"...You too?" I'm skeptical. "You seek revenge too, that is?" I'd known it, vaguely, but… clarification is always nice.

"Yeah. On the Hakurei. Can y'believe it? It's been years since the thing I was first mad about. I'm a vengeful spirit though, so… y'know. Everything I do, meandering or not, tangential or stupid or retarded or not… is towards that whole goal."

"How many years?"

Mima clicked my tongue. "Tch. Who's ta say, now? All I know… is Reimu reminds me a' her. And… hell. I want revenge, but I don't even know if I exactly wanna kill her. She ain't Kiyoko, after all… but damn if they aren't almost the same damn person sometimes…"

She shook my head. "Not that you'd give a crap what I'm ramblin' about."

You're right. I don't. I clarify my own stance: "As long as I at least see my goal to its end. As long as we teach this world- that its violence shall be returned, in full. If I get all of that… I don't care what happens to me."

I'm probably better off dead, once everything is said and done. ...Correction: I'm probably better off killed in battle, once we continue to storm the Gensokyo countryside, in pursuit of blood and justice for the fallen.

Tanuki must die. Tengu must die. Kappa must die. Beast youkai- they must die. Humans must be eradicated, or enslaved. Made into sustenance for me and my kind.

I want revenge for the sisters who've died. I want revenge for all my loved ones. I want revenge for Genkan.

My mind is dominated by the thoughts of what once was, and what we lost. What that human- those humans- what they step on. So much loss…

Murder. Rape. Enslavement. Power…

I shut my eyes.

This world is not one where people are meant to be happy.

"But… you remind me."

Mima feeds off my sorrow. "You remind me what it's like to be angry. To feel afraid of the world that seemed destined to step on my dreams, and me. Bein' dead, it's hard to remember that myself sometimes…"

"Marisa reminded me, 'till she didn't. Now she just- kinda reminds me of what I wanted. And- ya know…!"

Mima makes me twirl around eventfully, as well as anxiously. "I did my best! I tried to teach her resent- I was still fresh at the time- and, you know? God, we really had somethin' cool!"

We take in an eyeful of the moon together. "But… ultimately, I couldn't, like... I couldn't make her me. Because Gensokyo has changed. She found the life I was lookin' for. That meant she could be happy.

"...An' that means, you know. Some of the shit I was angry at is actually just gone.

"Y'know, kinda figures, don't it? After I'm all worked up, freshly dead, ready to unleash ethereal retribution on a world that wronged me… poof. Half the problems? Fuckin' gone."

A strange wind flows from the fake moon, rolling across my skin. So good… so satisfying to look at.

"All I got left is Reimu." Mima shook my head. "...An' she ain't half the fire Kiyoko was."

Our arms fold. "Why does nothin' ever turn it like it should?"

She grieved. She's grieving the loss of someone… maybe not dear to her, but important nonetheless. Influential.

But, her, grieving? To me, of all people?

Hah. "Pathetic."

You taught me not to grieve. Especially not in front of other people. Sorrow is weakness. People scoff at vulnerability. Anger may not be much better, but it gives you the inner strength to get the job done. It's… simple, and effective.

Mima snorts through my nose.

"What was even so important?" I must ask. "For you to hold a grudge so eternal?"

Mima makes me frown. "What's so important to you?"

...Fair enough. Still. "You don't stand for the simple essence of living like I do." I contest her.

"...Yeah I do, dumbass. In my own way. You ask me, I think yer-... well. Fuck it. I think yer kinda kooky, but I'm kinda kooky too, in my own way."

She continues, tapping my forehead with a single finger. "Anger's easy to question. An' questioning it just dampens the flames." Hmmh. I see. "...If you truly want to embrace it, commit and act. Up to you whether or not that's the best idea."

Brad has, historically, argued with me in the heat of battle. Genkan, too. They both put these fraudulent, mislead thoughts in my head… when, I know.

I know he is misleading her. I know he is taking advantage of her. I know she is too ignorant to defend herself from all the ways someone can be deceiving. I have hundreds of years over her. She should listen to me.

I know it's probably too late. Why do I even bother?

"This world is not ours to exist in." That much seems clear. "...Why were we put here?"

Mima doesn't answer.

Genkan… everyone. Everyone I love…

"If the world has decided- we will never get along with anyone…" I'm in so much pain. My heart is caught in a pit in my chest, soaked in venom. "Then we will destroy the world. One life at a time, until it forgives us, or until it destroys us."

Mima doesn't answer.

...Gazing deep into the moon, the lovely light flooding my vision, I just-...

"I am here!" I yell at the small world. "I am going to live!"

...So tired. I want to rest. Look at me…

I won't cry again. Not by my own volition. If my body feels like crying, I'll let it. I just won't acknowledge it.

"Aah. Gettin' sleepy on me, are ya?" Mima takes note of my weariness. "Let's go nap an' shit."

I don't like your attitude. But, I guess I don't like you. The only reason we work together… is the fact our goals align. We were both wronged by the world.

You would think we could be friends. But… I know that's too idealistic. Mima is, besides a spirit of vengeance, a spirit of greed. A spirit of selective ideology, who steps on those who oppose her. She's a control freak, and denies self-awareness too.

I could never be friends with her. She shrugs off my occasional insults, because she knows how much our bond is forged by necessity.

I close my eyes.

I don't care if I fall.

I fall asleep in the air. Mima will protect me. It is clear that I am one of her more important assets in this scenario. She will not let me be harmed like this.

...Good night.

"Woah- hey, dumbass- don't just fall asleep in the air! Fuckin'... pft- hehehe… the fuck…?"

/ / / / VANILLA'S PERSPECTIVE / / / /

The sun rises on a strange, scary world.

I don't know why I feel scared, all of a sudden. But… I'm scared.

For starters, um… I think I've been abandoned here. But, I'm sure some of the guys will come for me at some point.

It's just… as I watch the sun rise, and as I watch the bamboo-washed land around this clinic, I get this feeling in my gut. Like… like something's changed.

And change is scary. I- I'd know.

It's not a foreign feeling. Not sure if that's good or bad! But, this fear is just… weird.

I guess I'm just anxious about being left behind. Maybe they assumed I'd get out, or come back on my own later, instead of sleeping at Eientei.

...I'm staring at the sun from a window in the room I'm in. It's next to the bed. I'm in bed…

I- I kind just… woke up…

I'm still tired.

How long will they let me stay in here? ...Whatever the future holds, I guess I'll lay here 'till I'm sick of it.

...I wonder if Matt got Shikome out. I wonder if Shimokoa's okay. And, um… I- I wonder if Sanji- Pearl is okay, too.

Actually… yeah. Maybe I should get up for these reasons.

Pushing the light blue covers off myself… I get up, inside this warm room. The fireplace has gone out, and the brown walls… seem strange in the daylight, rather than the warm dark of evening.

Wait. That's right! I was given a business card! I'm gonna learn how to mix drinks today.

Hmm. Well, the guys can wait, I guess.

"Mmm… mmn~." I stre~tch…

It's so nice being indoors. There's no wind. Wind is really the worst.

...I adjust my panties, and my cape, and-... yeah.

Okay! Let's go, I guess. There's nothing here for me.

Slipping the business card from my panties, I look it over. Uum… I'll just ask someone where to go.

Coming up to the door, I swing it open. Aa-...

Someone tall's just standing there, as if waiting for me to open it.

"Oh…" She smiles, looking away from her clipboard. The- the stack of paper on that clipboard is thick. "Good morning." She has long, silver hair done up in a braid, and a blue-red nurse outfit of some kind…

"Goo- good morning…?" Um. "Who are you?"

She gives me a nod. "I am… Eirin Yagokoro. You may call me as you please. If you don't mind… I have a few questions to ask you."

She emanates a sorta… easy feeling. Yet, she still seems… icy.

"Let's go find somewhere comfortable to sit." Eirin starts to move.

"...Okay." I might as well follow her. She seems… smart, at least. She gives off that aura.

We start to move through the clean, immense halls. The solid nature of these unnatural halls speaks a volume of the scale of this place. I wonder just how big it really is…

It definitely seems bigger on the inside, too. Some of these halls… seem like they go on forever.

"I- I'm Vanilla." I guess I should tell her that…

"...Nice to meet you, Vanilla." I feel like she's talking to me like I'm a kid. Which- you know… "If you don't mind, I must ask… why do you dress like that?"

Hmm? "You mean, in just a cape…?"

"Yes."

Ah. "It just feels natural."

Eirin seems to recognize this. "Aah. You're one of those types of people."

"What do you mean, 'those types'...?" That doesn't seem good…

She snorts. "It's relatively common amongst young children and even teenagers. They find clothing restrictive, and prefer to be… more natural."

Ah… "Yeah." I can see that. I'm glad I'm not the only one…

"As they grow up, they eventually adapt out of it. Though they usually still prefer to sleep relatively nude. It can depend."

Oh my god, I can't imagine sleeping in anything. Even pajamas, maybe. I don't know… but I hope I don't get forced to wear anything too soon. Shirts make me feel like I'm choking, and socks feel like they get under my nails, and are just- so annoying.

"That said… children like that are still usually forced to wear clothing in public." Eirin tells me. "For… a variety of reasons."

Hmm… "Like what?"

We pass by some rabbit- or bunny- people in suits. They're kinda really tall, compared to me…

They all stare at me, but quickly focus on Eirin instead, before moving on.

Eirin explains. "Being nearly naked can attract stares. For someone like you, perhaps even stares of the… uncouth variety. It's also very atypical for anyone around the teen ages to go around unclothed. It can weird people out, if it doesn't arouse them."

Huh. "...I guess that makes sense."

"People often choose clothing because a state of nudity can feel shameful." Really…? "As well as to protect against the elements." That... actually makes a lot of sense. But still...

I ask, "what's so bad about being naked?"

Eirin took pause. "...To most, it's a shame to let random people see your garments and precious regions. This goes for women especially. Socially, a woman's beauty and precious places are sacred and scarce. There's a certain taboo around revealing them. Some men seek beauty so obsessively they get scorned for violating others' privacy."

That's kind of weird, but I guess I get it. "Why's it so taboo to reveal it? And why'd it become so scarce in the first place?"

Eirin closed her eyes. "...Well. Culturally, it wasn't like this always. Across the globe, it was a phenomenon that began most notably under Christianity, and as a popular concept along the western front of the European region. This eventually spread across all of Asia easily. Japan adapted this perception when interacting socially with the Europeans in trade… and various places in Africa have yet to actually adapt such culture."

Um. "I- I don't… know where- or what- a lot of those places are."

Eirin smiles at me. "That's okay. Perhaps we should save that for a later conversation."

"...Yeah."

We came to a more… rustic place of the clinic. Where the walls were still brick, but the floor was wooden boards, and the wall gave away to skimpier bamboo fortifications.

Under the day's warm light, we stop at some benches. This room has two floors, an upper walkway, and a lovely… island? Yeah. An island in the middle, with shrubs and some palm trees growing there.

Eirin sits down. "...Take a seat." She pats the free space on the bench.

I sit down next to her. "Huff…"

"So…" Eirin pulls up her thick clipboard. "You've been on an adventure, haven't you?"

"I guess."

...After writing some things, she nods. "You were an accomplice in that break-out last evening, yes?"

Um. "...No?"

...She stares at me. She continues to smile, but she just stares at me.

"Nn- no, I-..." I fidget. "What makes you think that?"

"It's not like it matters." Eirin decided. "We were… relatively unprepared for what those parties had all been planning, at the time. But, the road to recovery in this case should be fairly quick."

"...What do you mean? 'Recovery'?" I have to ask. It could be something about Shikome.

"Recovery of our assets." Eirin decides.

...Alright.

"What part of Shikome is your asset?"

As if expecting this reaction, Eirin centers her gaze on me again, still smiling.

I'm glaring at her. "Really?"

...She looks ahead. "In honesty, I wouldn't consider her an asset. I'd consider her… hmm. I don't want to say 'liability'. She's not really property at all. But…"

She centers herself on me again. "Until we had studied her, I would have liked to contain her, you know?"

But…! "Studying her sounds bad too!"

Eirin smiled wider. "I suppose it does. You know how many she's consumed, however… right?"

...Oh. Ooh- um… yeah.

"If she's not a monster, she's a criminal. And if she's not a criminal, she's a monster, or a beast." Eirin shook her head. "It may seem unfair to say it that way… but that's how we all see it. She has killed the loved ones of some. She's killed people with futures in other ways. Undeniably… even if she is your friend, she has taken and destroyed more than she's given."

...I- don't… really know what to say.

"Considering the kind of entity she was, it was miraculous we could contain her in the first place. I highly doubt we'll get a surprise attack like that again."

Eirin leaned back in her seat, setting the clipboard down in her lap.

fwii~sh. The palm trees rustle overhead. A cool breeze passes through us…

"It's not good." Eirin says. "It's just not going to be good."

...Well. "What if you left her be?"

"To kill more people?" Eirin argued back. "To amass more power? To, as observed, destroy some of Gensokyo's nature?"

Wait… "Destroy its nature?"

"She absorbs the life from plant-based lifeforms, and even non-plant-based life forms." Eirin tells me. "Seemingly subconsciously, at that, but she's undoubtedly also aware her body can do it. It's a small miracle she hasn't caused mass destruction of the forestry now, but soon we may see the natural balance… harmed, one way or another."

I guess that's kind of… bad. "But, um… the trees will grow back someday."

"Some trees live for thousands of years." Oo- oh… "Are you telling me we must wait thousands of years for those trees to grow back to their full potential?" Oo- okay, I can't deny… even one thousand years seems like kind of a long time.

"Fires destroy stuff too…" I argue. "And floods."

Eirin exhaled. "While a few trees aren't anything I typically find worth stressing over, the fact of the matter is that nature in Gensokyo on a wider scale is being threatened as a whole. It's being threatened in a way that may undo some of the natural progression and balance this land has worked towards."

...Shikome can, um, destroy a lot of stuff, I guess.

"Someone above me and my affiliates undoubtedly was counting on that surprise entrapment to be enough." Eirin shook her head. "But, with Shikome free again, now things have to be done more directly. Otherwise, some people will be upset with what becomes of Gensokyo's balance.

"And, of course, if we have to be more direct… that means things as a whole will be messier. Clumsier, and more prone to collateral. I do however hope that things do not become too… destructive. It has been some time since Gensokyo has seen pure violence made a show of, as well."

...I guess this was what the bad feeling in my gut was.

"If there's any information you know that can help cut down on the amount of lives and nature lost… do feel free to share."

...I- I'm not sure-... if I even want to-... say anything. Her words are kinda complicated, but… I sort of get the picture.

"You're not gonna kill her, right?" She… seems okay. This Eirin lady.

...Eirin reaffirms her smile, as she focuses on me. "If we can help it, we'll try and avoid coming to that."

Hnn. Still…

I just don't know.

/ / / / MATT'S PERSPECTIVE / / / /

I wonder if Shikome can get hungry. That may've been what we came out here for.

Initially? I'd thought she'd walk into the woods and start eating the bark off trees, or something similar.

In actuality, we took a sharp right while outside the village's walls, and eventually attacked some things when we made it to the Hakurei trail. We could have just walked out the eastern gate, but I guess going around seemed closer to Shikome.

CRUNCH. Shikome bites into the arm bone of some cat youkai. It had black-ish hair, and a human-like figure. Also, it was a he. He's dead now.

Casualties include this horse girl- or perhaps a centaur girl- who was along the path itself, and some random yuki-onna who came across us while Shikome was eating.

Shikome was not apparently hungry enough that she could eat a horse. Seemingly, she killed it just because it saw her.

So, now we're here. Surrounded by corpses, on the side of this sunny path. It's also cold.

...Yeah. So basically, nothing eventful's been happening.

I'm still plagued with uncertainty; more like dissatisfaction. I suppose I'm still displeased with how complicated working around other people is.

I tire of dealing with the Human Village's… Human Village-ness. I tire of our enemies, and I'm especially tired of screwing with assholes.

CRUNCH- CRUNCH. I don't get how Shikome eats bone. I don't think any other animal I know of just bites into bone. Maybe it's a youkai thing.

...Coming up to the yuki-onna's puddle of slush and blood, I reach down, and draw the blood-stained kimono.

It's white, the trims a faded blue, and emits a cold energy. Maybe I can use this.

Folding it up, stowing it away with the rest of my crap, I meander up to the centaur girl.

She was mostly nude, so… not much to her. She had a big damn axe, apparently. No good for me.

The cat? He had a suit on, so maybe he had some money, or other goodies. Unfortunately, Shikome picked him to eat, so I'm left waiting until she's done. I sure as hell won't get the suit he wore in one piece.

Mmm.

"...Hey."

Mima.

She appears at my side. "'Sup?"

I turn to her.

Shikome takes pause mid-consumption, gazing at her neutrally.

"So~..." Mima lays her hands on my shoulders, and squeezes them. "Happy now?"

"No."

"He- hehe…" She giggles off my growl of dissatisfaction. "Anyway~. How 'bout we celebrate? Our victory o'er Eientei's stupid security system?"

"Where were you?" You left us alone, entirely. We didn't have to fight exactly, but we sure as hell had to leave right fucking then.

Mima smiled wider. "Ooh… I was keepin' busy. Don't worry, I was jammin' some of their shit an' shit… whatever you call some a' those doodads."

Not that it matters. I don't need her anymore.

"That's nice." I wave her off. "Now fuck off."

Mima snorted. "What, already? No after-party, even?"

"Yep." I hate you. "Fuck off."

...We need a way to Makai, maybe. Oh well. Maybe I'll find it on my own. Now that I'm more youkai, the gas of Makai is of no problem to me. Probably.

...Mima snorted. "Eeh. Oh well."

With that, she was gone.

That's right. Get the fuck out of here. You don't have the authority anymore, bitch. Take your losers and return to the Earth.

It won't just be you, soon. Soon I'll right the wrongs, and get to live in peace.

/ / / / MARIBEL'S PERSPECTIVE / / / /

Huff.

I stare up at the broken skylight over the casino's main floor. Huge glass shards lay embedded in furniture, the hosts and hostesses all gaping at the damage.

"...Hmph." Some black-dressed lady in the aisles folds her arms. "Weirdo." She speaks of the one who caused all this damage.

Man. My body yells at me to just recede into the apartment room Yukari gave me here, and to just spend all day watching Youtube videos.

But, the bright blue sky hits my eyes through the broken skylight, and assaults my senses in a way. So bright, compared to this club's floor…

I wanna go play XCOM.

Here I stand. The ever-elegant stand-in manager of the Golden Grin casino, of Takashihara.

Money's just an object to me now. ...Even though I've never stooped so low as to start experimenting with the hosts and stuff, I've still seen some things.

Female clients extorted into becoming permanent thralls of our top hosts. Male clients blackmailed for their debauchery, particularly the elderly who are supposed to have families. Really, there's not that many innocent people here.

But, it's still all natural, really. It's the underside of the village, of the people who live here. Corruption seems to just follow society, simply. And, the youkai? They feed off these fears. Societal fears, like divorce, social entrapment, financial ruin, envy, greed… and endless days of the same-old, without end. Monotony.

Though this club stands new, a fixture of the past ten years, Yukari told me she could see it. Women whose lives span from youth to old age, being played like fiddles by the jerks here, knowing so little else other than the psychological games played here, and the hardships imposed by the village outside this casino's walls.

Some of them just have no hope; they need so much help it's not worth it for anyone to try. Some are just shy of happy lives, but then something dumb happens, and they lose it all… and for some losers: losing don't end. They end up being losers, through and through.

But this place doesn't help anyone. It's carnal, it's eventful, it's momentary… even, in some ways, fantastical. But, the image is shallow. I guess it's part of the charm, but I feel like… very few people thrive like this.

I'd hate living on the underside of a big city. I'd never have survived something like that. Even if it's… pretty.

Humanity is being abused. News at eleven.

This could be an experiment. No, this is an experiment. Less a 'social' experiment, and more like a… human experiment. A fear experiment, perhaps.

And now… I'm at the helm.

I feel like crap. But… yeah. Yukari has her reasons, and I'm not about to step on them.

Because… at the end of the day? Yukari wants a peaceful world. She wants a world where those she loves to see happy can thrive, and a world where fantasy and dreams can thrive.

It's just, like anything else, that money's gotta come from somewhere. The fear, the resources, the bureaucracy and the back-end mechanics. For Gensokyo, this all comes from the Human Village. It comes from all the plain people who live here.

...Well. Not that it's all bad. From what I've learned, this is the most peaceful era. Before Reimu Hakurei, the village's people were slaughtered until it's scale was what Yukari planned.

We stand on the nexus of brutality and blood, and a peaceful, loving land of otherworldly beauty.

If we can make fear extraction efficient, we can minimize those who are unhappy, and maximize those who are. Logical, right?

Provided, it's not like this crappy casino creates more fear than the rest of the village. No… no, this is simply an experiment in what could be different. Of the village, a huge chunk visits it. It's the biggest building in the town. Of five thousand villagers, five hundred to a thousand visit here, most tethered to it one way or another.

If Gensokyo ever wants to expand, small villages centered around casinos like these may be a good idea. Or… you know, when I establish my own pocket realm using my powers, as I've wanted to do… maybe I'll have to do something similar for the youkai who live there.

"Um…" Oh. When'd Orato get his suit back on? "M'lady." Oh my god, he actually said it…

Orato's this big guy. Cow-horned guy. He's got cow horns, I mean. He's a cow youkai. That's why he's big.

He's also a complete suck-up to his superiors, but he's a complete sex hound when it comes to the clients. And, well, at this point any client who'd come here knows this place is basically a brothel on the low. Some people don't know that coming in, and they tend to get snared into the whole thing by surprise more often than not.

It's really not worth talking about. I wouldn't do those girls' stories justice by talking to them now, or just talking about them. You'd have to have been in their shoes, to feel the despair of giving up, but also the satisfaction and comfort in-... well, what they've been settled into.

...I say 'girls', but this applies to some guys too, sometimes. It's just, I don't know, they're less… prone to being trapped? Might just be a culture thing. Maybe… something else?

...If you're wondering why I'm rambling about this, it's because it's basically in the field of the degree I went for. Relativistic psychology! And I'm gonna get use out of it even here and now, dang it!

From that perspective, this is really all very interesting. I get to see lots of different people, thrust into a lot of different situations. The Human Village as a whole is really an interesting ground for seeing that kind of thing.

Yukari told me I could maybe even see people like, 'rise through adversity', but… that sounds like a really anime thing. And really anime things hardly ever happen in real life. And, I think all these people who end up just trapped and screwed over here are kind of a case study in how anime things don't just, um… happen.

Unless, she means Reimu, or Marisa? Maybe Marisa… but it's not like she was a sex addict or anything before she ran away from home. No, she was just… a girl. A girl who was kinda looked down on, and faced adversity, but not a girl at the bottom threshes of society exactly.

"You're zoning out again." Orato reminds me that I'm standing here, in the now. "That's no good, you know?"

"Yeah." Screw off, cow man. I'm gonna- hit you with fluffles. "Don't you have something to be doing?"

"...To be honest, that outsider sort of threw off my groove." He adjusted his long, brown hair. It was just slightly curly enough to be sort of wild and have some spikes, but it was orderly enough to be straight. ...Must've taken a lo~t of gel. "It's gonna take me an hour or two, to get things up to speed again. He was truly one of the most obnoxious kinds of human…"

Also, footnote: Brad doesn't count as 'rising through adversity'. Well, um, not here. Yeah, he was here.

He left, through the skylight. I mean, he may have, in a literal sense, rose through adversity, but it's not like he frequents this place or anything. It's more like he showed up, had a laugh at how fucked up everything was, and left.

So much for hassling him. ...I'm still bitter about before, yes.

Because- I think I'm right. Him and his friends-... they could escape all the pain Gensokyo could have in store for them- if they just went with me, and- and let me use them. Like, um, like characters in the Sims, except I'm a good person!

"Yeah. He was." I agree with Orato.

Then I turn around, and leave. I don't feel like talking with him, no no no.

...It's kind of funny. Everyone has a different idea about what might get them promoted, here. Some think it's sales. Some think it's the amount of customers they get, or the amount of sex they have.

In truth, I'm probably just gonna pick the lowest ranking person and promote them for some dumb reason or another. Unlike Yukari, I don't feel like… you know, praising anyone for being a bad person. I have no idea how the heck she runs this place with a clean conscience.

"Ooh… how mean."

I stop. Oh, boy…

We're behind the stage's curtains. I was gonna just, leave through the back door, and wander the office-like back halls.

Back here, amidst the sort of orange darkness behind the stage, Yukari emerges from a gap, hanging in the air before me. "In time, you'll come to appreciate this aesthetic. Of the classy and classless. Of the elegant, and the shallow. This realm of artificiality that's so very… human. So foreign to nature."

"Sounds dumb." I just reply on impulse.

"Fufufu!" Yukari seems to find it funny. "...How-... great."

Pft. "You wanted to use bigger words, didn't you?"

"I was about to gush over the irony, but realized that would detract from the joke." Yukari smiled wider. "Not that it was a joke. It was just funny, is all."

click. I operate the push-door, as one does. "Yeah, yeah." I'm growing tired of your tendency to-...

Oh, crap. I was about to complain about her needlessly condescending sense of humor, but now I'm realizing that I'm kind of not that much better.

"Fu- fufufu…" Yukari emits classy woman energy behind me.

Yeah, yuck it up, you-... you wine-drinker. Yeah, I- don't know. Oh- bedhead. She hibernates, so bedhead would work kinda well.

/ / / / IN FLOOF WE TRUST / / / /

On the Golden Grin's topmost balcony, I stand over the club, standing… just, absent-mindedly. Taking in the visual of the lights, the moving patrons, just... meditating.

I stand with a replica Roukanken embedded in the crystalline floor, my hands together on the hilt. Not quite the blade of legend, but it's good enough.

These fake weapons of mine are from the dream realm. They're not quite as good in reality, but just having the basic functionality of all of them is good enough.

Or, you know, so I had thought. Until I got stunned by a freaking electric fairy and had the crap beaten outta me.

I hate mook-type enemies. They're always so in the way…!

Well… what's done is done.

...Haa~h. Yeah. I don't feel like XCOM anymore. Maybe, uuh… mmh. I'll just browse the Steam store page, or something.

If it seems like I'm waiting for anything… well, I'm not. I'm considering my next plan of action, but also… well, I'm kind of going along with Yukari's tutelage, and her offers of a dreamy world under my control.

I might be succumbing to greed myself, but… it's an offer no one, if they thought they could feasibly take it, could turn down.

And, me? Like her, I control the gaps in space. I see the borders between fantasy and reality, and I can see the depth in… so many people, so many environments…

This similarity makes me think she's not just lying to me. It'd be way weirder if she was, at this point.

I wanna explore it all. If I can't explore it, I'll gladly accept whatever trap awaits me. Even a fate worse than death would be no worse than being unable to find the payoff of fantasy that awaits me.

...Yeah, I'm greedy. I'm greedy as hell! ...Also, bored. So terribly bored of the outside. So terribly, terribly bored. And, life in Gensokyo is nice too…

But, just living as some somebody here, powerless to the incidents, those with power and to my own mortality… well, everyone has to live with it, yes.

I'm being given a way out though. Who wouldn't accept that? And the fact me and Yukari's powers align-... it's something no one else shares. That alone conveys- that her intentions aren't completely malicious, if they are at all. She doesn't seem the type for malice. She seems… opportunistic.

Sh- shoof. Um- what…?

The elevator platform I'm standing on starts to lower. Did someone wanna come up there…? Who? No one should be able to easily just do that.

Shiff. Bringing Roukanken from the platform's crystalline surface, I turn to face-... oo- oh.

"Merry."

...I smile. "Heya, Renko."

On this floor, cast in gold, warm candlelight, amidst the absence of guests due to the earliness of the day, Renko stares at me alone.

"Don't 'heya Renko' me. What have you even been doing these past few days…!?"

Eheh. "Well… um…"

"We have to go back home!" Renko yells. "We've already been here longer than we should! Your parents're gonna be worried! Wh- school's probably in session- nnnh…!"

Ah. Yes. Hmmh. I don't like being reminded…

"And-..." Renko took a breath. "Have you been, like… attacking people? I keep hearing that you have, or something. I mean, unless it's a doppelganger, or something else. It's totally that, right?"

...Mmm. Well. "No. It's me."

Renko just kinda pauses.

It's hard for me to express my ideas to her. In a way she'd like… and without being too dumb about it.

"Why?" Renko relaxes, leaning back some, looking me over in whole.

"I was looking for people for my… world." Here we go. This is the first I'm telling her of this. "I'm going to create the next Gensokyo on Earth. Using what I've been taught, and what I've learned."

...Renko smiled at me. "Why, though?"

Pfhu- uhm… "Wh- what do you mean, 'why'?"

"Is the life you live not good enough?" Renko held her arms out. "Am… am I not good enough? Are your parents not good enough?"

"I'd take you along too. Maybe even them." It's not like those things are exclusive. "Don't jump to conclusions, Renko."

"Well-..." She huffed. "Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"I thought you'd say it was stupid."

Renko furrows her brows a little.

"I mean-... it kind of is."

You just don't see what I see. How close it is-... and how much fun and cool stuff we'll see when it's all done.

Brad, Reimu, Marisa, some villagers, some youkai like Remilia or Keine or Kaguya or Yuyuko- all these people- they're all really cool people. Just-...

I want Gensokyo… but I want a Gensokyo that I can realize. That I can illustrate, moderate and nurture. Maybe not one with a bloody past like this one… but, I mean, if I had to have one, then really, so be it. History repeats itself, and sometimes, it's because that's just the natural law of things. Some things can be avoided, while other things just have to be the way they are.

"Yeah. I guess so." I close my eyes. "But, we'll see. I think everyone will see. Gensokyo is a land of fantasy and dreams. Why can't we go that much further, and find our own? Our own dreams, fantasies, and visions?"

Renko propped her arms on her hips. "...Why can't we just go back to what we were doing before? Exploring, and-... living day to day?"

...It's hard to say anything to that. It's a really simple wish.

"I was fine with that." Renko comes closer. "Weren't you?"

...I wasn't opposed. "Well…"

Renko lays her hands on my arms. "You can stop this."

Um… "Wa- what?"

"You can stop doing this." She says. "You can stop-... moving in this direction. Merry, you're changing. I don't know how… and I don't know how I know it- but I don't like the way you're changing."

"Is ambition really all that bad?" I ask. "It's very human."

Renko frowns. "It's not very Merry."

...Aa-... ouch.

God. What do I say?

"The ends won't justify the means." Renko keeps on going. "They just won't. I-... I really don't want you to- bring us into a weird state… where we can't go back to how things were."

She hugs me.

"You're my best friend. All this-... all this is just- stupid. This is- the sort of thing we'd make fun of other people for, Merry."

...I don't think it's very stupid.

She parts from me, partially. "Please. Think about it. Or, think about how I'd think about it. I know you've probably already thought to death about it… but, seriously. I think you're just-... just wrong."

"...You're so beautiful, Renko."

Renko jerks her head back a little.

I bring my face closer to hers. "So… honest. Simple and loyal. I can always trust you to be on my side." Maybe not in agreement with me… but always by my side.

She's my best friend, too.

"Is my vision not beautiful too, in some way?" I have to ask. "It might be dumb, but bold things have to be dumb. One way or another. Or else nothing gets done."

"Nothing has to get done." Renko frowns again. "...I think-..."

"I think I'll regret it." I tell her. "I think I'll regret losing the opportunity if I don't go for it. And, how can I live like that? Everyday, thinking about what I passed up, even if it's for you. All because you were too afraid to take a chance. We wouldn't have gone into Gensokyo at all... if I had listened to your fear and grounded logic."

...Renko knew I was right.

"Well…" She fidgets in my own grasp, my arms now on hers just as hers are on mine. "I just think you're being reckless. It's stupid."

"I think you're being boring. I think-... it's stupid."

We give each other some 'done' expressions.

"He- hehe…" Renko giggles. "I guess we just can't see eye-to-eye, huh?"

"I guess not." Really, it's this degree of logic and abstract objectivity that I love about you. I like to think myself logical, but-... you know me. Head in the clouds, all the time. I don't have that ever-eternal groove or mood that she does. She's always in her world, but still very… grounded.

Me? I'm anything but grounded. As I've spent more time in Gensokyo, I've gotten more and more reckless, and with my power, I've grown more and more careless. Shameless, stressless… totally relaxed.

I'm always in my own world. Period.

Renko let go of me. "C'mon, Merry. Let's go get something to eat, or something. Maybe sit in a cafe. You know, like we tend to do."

"...Okay." For now. It's better than browsing the Steam store page in boredom. "Maybe I can tell you more about my ideas there."

...Renko beams. "You've always got your head in the clouds, Merry. Have I ever told you that it might bite you, one day?"

"I think you've told me to be more realistic, yeah…"

"I think that's more relevant now than ever."

Maybe it is, Renko. Well… we'll see.

I'm not making any decision by impulse. We'll see, and see and see. We'll hold our breath, we'll wait and listen.

Maybe my indecision will lead to something good, at some point. Someday. For now… I just hope I'm not pressured to decide too soon. The future approaches, and time ticks away.

Oh, hey.

"Renko…"

We're walking along the upper floor, leaving the fancy casino club… brothel, thing.

"Did you know there's only eight thousand hours in a year?"

...Renko pursed her lips. "What, really? Well… actually, I think I've heard that somewhere before, yeah."

"Can you believe it?" Seriously, eight thousand hours! "It's closer to nine thousand, maybe… but it's still a scary number."

Renko snorts. "You're afraid of a number, but not afraid to start your own new world order? You've got weird priorities, Merry."

"But- really!" Renko~! "Mmnh. I have like, nearly a thousand hours in like-... Terraria, and Team Fortress 2! A few thousand more, and I'll have spent an entire year making video games! Instead of like, chronicling the unknown, or drawing about it! Or even being here in Gensokyo!"

Renko looks at me again, grinning. "Hey. If you make a new world, will it be so hot if you can't play the next Final Fantasy when it comes out? Or would you be satisfied just making some pretty boys in that new world of yours?"

"Oh, screw you."

"Pfhehehe!"

/ / / / PEARL'S PERSPECTIVE / / / /

"Please-... please! Let me go~!"

I fight my bindings with the force of a thousand gods- but it's not e-fucking-nough!

Hanging upside-down, water drips from my hair. I am completely bound, imprisoned in the caverns below the youkai stronghold!

"Mima~!" It's gone fucking wrong! "Mima~! Mima-"

The bunny astral future soldier pulls a lever on the wall- and the rope holding me drops me into the drink again- hgho oh god-

Splash! "Mghk- ghlgh- mmgkg-"

Splash! "Pfuh- kaugh- kauf- haa~h…!" I'm raised from the water, spitting it out, cold liquid running down my head and my hair…

"Hehehehe…" The sadistic future astral soldier laughs in alien Youkai tongues at my misery. "You crying yet? I can't tell. Man, waterboarding sucks."

She's a navy-haired bunny, with glowing blue eyes.

"I- will not succumb!" My breath ragged, body wracked with pain, I heave my resistance! "To your dungeon- of petty torment!"

Click! Oh- god no-

Splash! "Mghkh- ghhk- hmghmhghmghm!" God stop please fuck off fuck fuck fuck-

Splash! "Kauff- kau- ku-... kaaugh! Hru-" Oh god- 'm vomiting-

"He- hahahaha!" I'm going to be killed here, I swear…

Oh, this is not how I wanted to go. This is not how I wanted to go at all this fucking SUCKS! Fuhuhuck!

"Fh- fuck you~!" Fuck! "Fuck you- you fucking motherfucker!" Fuhuck!

"Hehe- hahaha~!" Stop laughing!

"Fuck you!" Ngh…

Creak. Oh- oh god, the door opens! "Shikome! Shimokoa~! Sabrina!" Anyone- fucking, please!

...Oh- no it's another of them I'm going to die!

"Um…" She smiles, in the sickening way youkai smile. "Kiyumi?"

"Oh. Hey, captain." Kiyumi hoists her nail cannon she stabbed me with over her shoulder. "Here for the prisoner?"

"Eeh… yeah." The lavender-haired captain of petty torment looks over me. "Get anything out of her?"

"Hell no." Kiyumi shook her head. "Fucker's the retarded type. Too retarded to crack. Hell, they've pro'lly forgotten what to even give out. They'd carry it to the grave."

"I see~." The captain sighed. "Well, let her go, I guess."

...Kiyumi nods on a delay. "Yes, captain."

The 'captain' comes to untie me. Wait- this is that girl! From last night!

"Reisen!" I yell! "Fuck you!" I swing on my ropes to headbutt her-

She stops my head- holding my forehead with her hand. Oh- fuck, oh fuck- shit, shit…!

"I'm releasing you. Chill out." Reisen- is totally mocking me. She sounds too calm. She's mocking me.

"I never even got to make her eat a fluffle." Kiyumi- god, please…

Reisen chuckles. "I- I think that would have killed her, Kiyumi."

My restraints- undone. The ropes, uncoiled.

SPLASH! Fhk- ghl- mghlgh-

Splash! Reisen- draws me from the water again. You- stupid fucking bitch! "...Don't look at me like that was my fault, 'kay!? You're the one snaking out of my hands here!"

"Fuck- you!" There's her leg- I'm gonna bite it!

Crunch! Rrgh- stupid fabric-

"Ow!" She-

BAM! -throws me across the room ow ow ow-

CRUNCH! Fh- fuck… uuu-...

The moment I hit the wall- she fucking kicked me. God, damn it…

Thud. Hitting the floor on my head pales in comparison to the otherworldly amount of pain I am in.

"You- stupid-... ugh." Reisen feels at her thigh where I bit her. "Seriously. ...Alright. Kiyumi- I gotta go get this checked out. You keep watch on the captive."

"Hehehe… I'm on it." Wait- oh god!

"Please! No! I'm sorry!" I get up, running- hoof- falling over myself to get up, and then I start running-

Bam. She slammed the doo~r!

"Mg- ghk!" Kiyumi grabs onto my neck.

"Come on, baby. Let's go on a date."

No no no no no no no-

/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

a very 10k words-y sort of chapter indeed - w - although it might go up in post…!

does some basic scene-setting of all of the involved characters; now featuring merry merry merry merry!

i do have some fun ideas for matt chapters moving forward

in this chapter we get a bunch of fun resolutions from the various mildly ambitious people

merry is probably the most neutral of all of them, next to vanilla who seeks to mix the drinks, and pearl, who seeks, uh… AVOIDING BEING ABUSED, PERHAPS, probably social success

i think the trickiest part was to write merry's ambitions; matt's was difficult because matt himself isn't here, but i totally know he'd get bored as assfuck after all of that and after having his sense of security jostled

and shimokoa's is very, very forthright and straightforward, and her internal rage is BUBBLIN'

but merry has a more neutral overarching goal other than a quest for vengeful slaughter or boredom so thick it could kill

as always, see you all next time!