> Move slowly to reposition ourselves with our hands within reach of the ropes on her legs. Once that is the case, get to fingerin' those ropes quickly.
> Phew.
> Look back around toward our captors. Is our bucket visible?
> Is there anything in the immediate vicinity of the bed that both ourselves (in the bucket) and Kasen could hide behind, such as a wall?
> Is Kasen facing away from us?
> Is there enough room on the other side of the bed that would float over and position ourselves on it such that Kasen is facing us?
> How high off the ground is the bed?
> Can we tell if there is enough room on the ground on the other side of the bed that we could plop down next to it in the bucket and be face-to-face with Kasen?
> Damnit. We'll just have to improvise.
> Carefully float ourselves up and over to our bucket.
> Let ourselves down into it gently. We want to make minimum rattling noise.
> Give ourselves a few seconds to recover.
> Is the door closed?
> Get a good grip on the bucket, then take flight.
> Ramming speed aimed for the back of the man in green's head!
> Land on his body. If he's slumped over, just get close to him (preferably on the side of him that's not next to VIVIT) and hover in mid-air.
> Summon some more demon fire and hold it close to his head while glaring at VIVIT.
> "Waste of decent tea is enough of a crime in itself. Now what's really going on here?"
> "Not with that, that's obvious. What's going on with the blue-haired woman and this sleeping prince and all those jiangshi?"
> "Useful for what?"
> Roll our eyes.
> "Fine. Why's he throwing shurikens at shrine maidens?"
> "Not lethally. You combat danmaku with danmaku, not that nonsense."
> "...So, wherever we were going, are we there now?"
> Wait a couple of seconds, then nod curtly.
> Can we see the door from where we are?
> "Did that door actually swing open?"
> "Okay. Go over there and open it."
> Keep watch on her. Torch the guy's hair if she so much as looks at Kasen wrong.
> Can we see out the door?
> ...Doesn't seem like anywhere in Gensokyo we've been.
> "...Where the hell are we?"
> "That...doesn't sound a lot like Gensokyo."
> "How do we get back?"
> Look back at the guy, then back at VIVIT.
> "Well, time means nothing to my friend over there right now, so that sounds good to me."
> "Well...um, who are you? I mean really, this time. I've never met anyone with a humming body."
> Look incredulous.
> "...That's possible?"
> Straighten up.
> "Wait, what? Soldiers?"
> "So there is an army that's going to invade Gensokyo!"
> "Why?"
> "If they know that much, then they must know they wouldn't stand a chance trying to take out some of the best Gensokyo has to offer."
> "So there's more of you in Gensokyo?"
> "Seal them out or he dies."
> "That's locked now?"
> "Right. Go ahead and lock it."
> "Good. Now all we have to do is wait until this thing recharges, right?"
> "They'll have to wreck this thing to get in. And that's if they don't care about this guy."
> "You're alive enough to tell them he's not dead."
> "You can't talk through it?"
> Is there an open straight-line path from Kasen to the door?
> If the door was cracked open, would the opening be in our range of vision's or Kasen's?
> Good gravy. We should have just stayed underground today.
> "Uh...all right. I changed my mind. Unseal the door and open it a tiny crack."
> "Yeah, that's fine."
> "Gonna move him now. No fire unless I think it's necessary, okay?"
> "Just don't think I can't reproduce it instantly."
> Let our current fire go out, then get a grip on the guy and try to drag him closer to the wall the door is on. Drag him in a path perpendicular to the wall, so that we can see less and less out the door as we move.
> "Tell them not to come in!"
> Keep dragging.
> Position ourselves so the man is between us and this new guy.
> "Hey! Get out of here or he dies!"
> Is the near wall the one with the door in it?
>"VIVIT, tell him what I said!"
> Drag the man a little bit further backwards toward the wall.
> "What does it matter? I'm dead anyway! I don't stand a chance against an army!"
> "What good will that do me?!"
> "I will later when this army invades!"
> "They're invading my home!"
> "I'm going to get shot no matter what I do! Why shouldn't I take someone down with me?"
> "Wha...prison?! That's even WORSE than death!"
> "Uh...uh..."
> Let the guy go and back up...then start crying.
> "...wanna go home...lemme go home..."
> "...Really?...Well...okay..."
> "Wait! What about my friend over there?"
> "Is that where we're going? I want to be with her."
> Are either of these guys the first soldier guy?
> "Oh...Where are we going, then?"
> "Umm..."
> Sigh.
> "...all right. Lead the way."
> Frown.
> "Can I keep the bucket, at least?"
> "All right."
> Float ourselves up and out of our bucket, then hover a little bit to the left of it.
> "Do what you have to do. But no getting into that booze. That's for a special occasion."
>"And don't mess that scarf up, I likes it."
> Are we not wearing the scarf?
> But the knife was? Strange...
> "Never see someone fly before?"
> Settle back down in the bucket.
> Nod our head to the side.
> "Well, I don't remember the last time I saw someone that shot to kill, so I guess we're even."
> Bounce on inside.
> "So what exactly are we waiting on, here? If you all need to know what happened, I was right there, but no one's asked yet."
> "Hurry on that, then!"
> Bounce on over to the bunks after they leave.
> "Uh, thanks. Why are there so many yous, anyway?"
> Bounce over to the door.
> "I wouldn't worry about it. With how many yous there are, I'd be surprised if we saw each other again after this."
> Oh snap!
> Is the voice familiar at all? Kasen maybe? ...One of our parents?
> Whatever the case, we can't let her get caught, gotta play it cool. Keep a straight voice while taking the plate.
> "Thank you, ma'am."
> How visible is the interior of our cell from the outside?
> Bounce over to the corner she indicated and face said corner.
> Dig in!
>Finish eating, and get a look at the paper.
> Assuming there's stuff written on it, keep a sharp ear out while reading.
> Who on Earth...?
> Gotta make sure no one finds the paper, though...could we eat it, maybe?
> Probably our best bet for making sure no one sees it. Just gotta grin and bear it.
> Fold it up a little bit to make it easier to swallow, with the flan bits on the outside so it tastes slightly less atrocious, then...eat it.
> The sacrifices we must make...
> Head over to the bed and have a rest. Sounds like we're about to be thrown back into the fire...
> Open eyes and look around the cell. Any obvious source?
> Anyone at the cell door?
> If not, get back in the bucket (if we're out of it) and float up to the ceiling and listen around.
> Whatever's going on up there, there's not a lot we can do about it.
> The food might contain more notes. Head back down to it.
> Fly back up to the shuttered panel in the ceiling and knock on it twice.
>Wait a few seconds. If nothing happens, poke our head through the opening.
>"Hey."
> There's nothing left in our bucket, right?
> Did we keep a spare back home?
> Where is the shuttered panel now?
> Could it be grabbed, pulled, and reattached from above?
> Whisper in return.
> "Gotta put the bucket down first, okay?"
> "Bad luck, then. I'm slow without this thing."
> Fly back down and deposit the bucket on the lower bunk, then lurch our way back up and through the newly-made opening.
> "'Sup?"
>"Are you one I've met before?"
> Keep heading upward, far enough that VIVIT is below us.
> Go as indicated!
> "Can I help with that?"
> "So...are you Big R?"
> "What's the 'R' stand for?"
> "Neat. I'm Kisume, and I think I'll have a lot of questions once we're out of here."
> "Uh...that's good."
> Nod.
> Let Ruukoto concentrate on doing her thing.
> Follow her!
> "All right. Will we be able to get my stuff, though?"
> "Everything I own in the world was in that bucket before they took it all. Even if it's not right now, I'd kinda like it back at some point."
> "Well, if now's not a good time, as long as it can be done at some point. And hopefully I'll be in a new bucket by then, so I don't slow you down."
> Once we have the room, climb up the ladder after her. Even if we can't necessarily push with our legs, with that scarf, we should be able to use them for balance.
> Finish climbing.
> "Uh, okay...nothing in here is gonna go nutso and kill me, is it?"
> Frown.
> "Great. Well, I've come this far, and I'm pretty sure I'm dead the instant anyone here wishes it so, so I guess I have nothing to lose. Just don't leave me hanging for too long, yeh?"
> Nothing we can do if they're hostile.
> ...Pray they're not hostile as the door opens.
> Lift ourselves off the ground.
> "Got it, uh...sorry, what did the R mean again? Reisen?"
> Float toward the cart while whispering the above, but only actually get into it if she identifies herself as Ruukoto.
> Whisper again.
> "Got it."
> Let's go for a ride!
> "Yeah."
> Up, quickly!
> Once we can see, look around for this laundry we need to hide in.
> Dive into the open hatch.
> Pull the neckline of our robe over our nose and ride it out.
> Carefully poke our head back out of the hatch.
> "Wow. So...what's going on with..everything?"
> "All this! There's machine things everywhere and Japanese names in a land that speaks some other language and an army that shoots to kill and a million yous except for the you that's you and agents and emperors and maids and weird white ceramic constructs in my jail cell. I don't know what the hell any of this is!"
> "Uh...maybe. Let's deal with the most pertinent stuff, though. Why does your boss think I'll be of any use?"
> "Huh. I...don't think I'd be of any use to this Emperor if he's already got an army full of people that shoot to kill, but okay."
> "Eh. His shoot-to-kill army won't turn anyone's allegiance. Doubly so if he's going in with plans of conquering. Shooting to kill isn't unheard of in our land, but it's extremely uncommon, and those who even consider it are reminded pretty quickly why we don't do it. Danmaku is all about beauty to us, and there's no beauty in a quick death like that."
> "It'd be a problem if he got there at all. As much as I want to go home, I'm loathe to do so without making sure he won't be following."
> "Uh...I should probably also point out that I wasn't the only one that got captured. My friend's in the medical lab, I think that soldier guy said."
> Frown.
> "We need to get her back somehow. It's basically entirely my fault she's here at all."
> "I hope so. Who is this Boss, anyway?"
>Okazaki...Didn't those guys mention something about an Okazaki Drive or somesuch?
>"So, when VIVIT from before mentioned the Okazaki Drive, she was talking about one of the things your boss made?"
>Nod. "Alright, I think I got an idea then. We get in touch with your boss and her friend, rescue my friend, reclaim at least some of my stuff, and then we'll jack that Model 7 thing and head back to my world."
>"Yeah, but I'm thinking that maybe since your boss went there once, she'd be okay with bein' there. I know a few places that'd help out."
>"Besides, I get the feelin' he'd know who it was that jacked it, so he'd have his goons out lookin' for her the moment she came back or what have you. And to me, that doesn't sound too good for her life expectancy if he's as nasty as folks say."
>"True, but what if he forces her to make more of these world-hopping things? The whole deal is that he can't have that thing, it's bad news for Gensokyo."
>"Well, we won't know until we ask will we? So, we going to see her next I take it?"
>"Alright, so I just hunker down in here until we get there, yeah? I'm just glad I got a spare bucket back home."
>"Alright, lemme know when we get there."
>Well, we may as well lay back and wait.
> "So I should get out now?"
> Pick ourselves up and follow her through the door.
> "I wouldn't object to borrowing a replacement bucket."
> "You saw that bucket I was in back at the prison, right? If you don't want me floating everywhere, you'll need to get me another. Unless you expect me to crawl everywhere."
> "Floating around's not an issue, is it? Because the alternative right now is crawling or rolling."
> "'Kay."
> Float on in!
> Land on some empty floor space and have a seat.
> "Moniker's Kisume, and from what I gather, you know why I'm here a hell of a lot better than I do."
> "If you know how I got here, then you have to know who else was on that thing and what it was doing in my home."
> "Long story short, we've been playing cat and mouse ever since he threw me headfirst into a stone wall when I tried to waylay him. Whatever nonsense he's responsible for here, he's provoking shenanigans back home, too. I was tracking him when I found your thing with his maid in it, and after getting drugged by her, now I'm here."
> "He was working closely with a woman with blue loopy hair. It sounds like she has a bunch of jiang shi thanks to him. I don't know how, though."
> "I guess. Thinking back on their conversation and knowing what I know about the guy now, it did seem like he was in a hurry to leave and she didn't want him to go, so it's very possible. She was trying to wake up a prince, or something. Didn't get very far with her before all this."
> "He didn't seem to care all that much about this prince. I'd guess he didn't care about the blue-haired woman at all if I could think of an explanation as to why he was associating with her in the first place."
> "That I couldn't...well...hold on."
> Put on a thoughtful look for a couple of seconds.
> "...Actually, now that I think on it, he did seem to expect he would meet this prince at some point. I hear this Emperor putz in this place wants to invade Gensokyo. Maybe he thinks it will be a lot easier to have a resident prince on his side before he goes in?"
>"How long ago did you show up last anyhow? Because a lot of stuff's happened."
> Shrug.
> "That doesn't really help my frame of reference, since I don't pay too much attention to regular Gensokyo activity. Maybe you could tell me what was going on when you were there?"
> Do we still remember anything about the circumstances surrounding a particularly bizarre dream from a few years ago?
> "That's pretty strange. What did you do there?"
> Do we remember anything about the passage of time in regards to that dream? When it was before going to sleep, and when it was after we woke up? Perhaps how long the dream felt like it lasted?
> "Well, okay, but what did you do there? Did you visit the red-white shrine maiden, or maybe the black-white witch? Maybe the human village, or the mansion by the lake, or the mansion in the Bamboo Forest? I assume you didn't try to see the oni city underground, since I would've seen you on the way."
> "Huh. I'm not sure what there is to say, then. I know there was some nonsense several months back about money turning into jewels, and I think I heard about the sky falling a couple of years ago. Nothing weird about the passage of time in either of those cases, though. Hmm...the only thing I can remember that would have had a weird passage of time was a bizarre dream I had a few years ago where I was a human in a place that wasn't normal Gensokyo. There were a lot of tall stone buildings, for one thing."
> "Did you have it too, or something? Was it at about the same time as your time-wonky visit?"
> "How weird...maybe there was more to it than just being a dream, what with the time lapse, and one of my friends back home somehow getting in good with people I had no idea would take any interest in her. Do you remember any other names? I don't know a Rikako, but I know some others."
>"Ellen, I've met."
>"She seems to have a thing for fluffy things these days, probably did even back when you met her."
> "But the others don't sound familiar, aside from the first two. The people I know tend to be the folks that live underground. There's Yamame the earth spider, Parsee the brdge 'princess', Yuugi the Deva oni, Utsuho the hell raven, she usually goes by Okuu, uh...Rin the kasha, Nue the...the nue, I guess. Not the most original or creative name, but like hell would I tell her that to her face."
> "Figured as much."
> "Right. But in that dream thing, I was definitely not underground. If you had it too, maybe some of them did, and maybe they weren't underground either."
> Do we know if anyone else had this dream?
> "Interesting. It wouldn't surprise me if she had it too. From what I can tell, a good number of people were affected."
> "Right, yeah. So near as I can tell, my friend and I need to get home, and this land need this Emperor guy whacked, or otherwise made to not be a dick, right?"
> "Was he always a dick, or did it only happen after you returned here that one time?"
> "Is it at all possible to get anywhere close to him?"
> "Do you know when he wants to launch this invasion?"
> "That's good, since I still need to retrieve my stuff, and we still need to rescue my friend."
> "That can be arranged."
> Hold a hand close to us with palm facing upward and summon some demon fire in it.
> Do it in the other hand.
> Zvarri? The hell? ...Maybe she's so excited she's mixing her language use.
> Regardless, pick ourselves up off the floor and float over to where she is.
> "Uh...like this?"
> Put our hands under the panel and summon fire in both of them.
> Can we sustain our fire?
> Let's pretend like we're cooking, then, except sustain it in both hands.
> Stop, wait a second, then fire it up again.
> Again!
> Give it another go, but talk this time.
> "What exactly am I doing here?"
> "Well, yeah, but what's your panel doing with it, and how long will it take?"
> Frown.
> "So all the people and time-sensitive stuff we left back where Ruukoto and I came from..."
> Sigh.
> "I guess."
> Keep firing off as requested.
> Shrug.
> "I'm the least-knowledgable here about the layout of that complex. Assuming I can borrow a bucket here, though, I think it would be easier to get my stuff before trying to rescue my friend. Busting her out of the medical lab is going to cause a stir, whereas pilfering stuff from a locker probably won't for a while."
> "After getting my stuff and my friend, all I can think of is going home while making sure Emperorface can't ever follow me."
> "Near as I can tell, trying to talk him out of it is only one possible make to make sure he doesn't follow."
> Fire it off again.
> "If we're thinking about getting that close to him, what's to say I don't just knock him off?"
> "Do you think he would? From the sounds of things, it seems like he's too egomaniacal to even consider the possibility that he wouldn't be in power tomorrow."
> "Depends. Do you have a way to change the color of my hair, maybe?"
> "That could be useful. Do you suppose he's sufficiently politically disposed that he'd take the time out to publicly pay attention to a poor little crippled girl?"
> "Then the best thing I can think of is hoping that his living quarters are somewhere high with a window, that I can fly into but your average army grunt can't reach."
>Again, then.
> "Then what do you propose? I don't know anything about anything here, so I czn only offer the most general of ideas."
> "Shame it's just us. If nothing else, I bet Kasen would have some ideas from Gensokyo's perspective."
> "Even if the people in the medical labs aren't well-armed, couldn't they just raise hell until army people showed up?"
>"When she was pretending to be VIVIT, Ruukoto said there was some collective memory thing the VIVITs ;upload' to and share. Is that true?"
>If they do indeed have some form of collective memory: "Could we, um, maybe do something with that? Like, put in an order to help us?"
> "And you don't think you two could get at this memory bank with one of her?"
> "Anyone know how to pick locks?"
> Again.
> "Seems like picking locks bypasses the need for a key entirely."
> Frown.
> "Jeez. Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be here for a long time before we can actually accomplish anything?"
> "Well, yeah, but with as much as you know, if you're still this far away, how can adding someone like me that doesn't know anything help?"
> "I have my life to lose! I'm not really interested in dying far away from home over all this, especially when Gensokyo was doing just fine all by itself and all of the issues originated here!"
> "Well, uh...how fast are the bullets those guys shoot?"
> "So they shoot lethal undodgeable bullets? Who thought that was a good idea?!?"
> ...Again.
> "You two can plan it, then. I'll sit here and tell you what I can and can't do."
> "I can do the demon fire, and I can shoot some danmaku. ...Not really much else. To get back, I'll do pretty much anything that doesn't get me or my friend killed or let the Emperor guy get Gensokyo access."
> "Uh, I can barely lift myself. If you're thinking I can get anyone else in, it's not gonna happen."
> "So how do we get in?"
> "You kiddin'? So much better than being outside in the open. 'Swhy I live underground."
> "And what about you?"
> "Okay. What then?"
> "Depends on your definition of 'help'. Kasen's more useful, since she's smarter and stronger than I am, but I had some pretty good booze with my stuff, and it's sounding pretty good right now, given the circumstances."
> "Once she's up to speed? More useful than me, almost assuredly."
> "Out. We both got drugged, but she got the worst of it."
> Shrug.
> "I only just met her today. It's been several hours, though, and I woke up still inside that machine they used to get us here."
> Nod.
> "Okay."
>Let's flare some up again. And this time, put some oomph into it!
> Hold as long as possible. Stop conversing to enhance concentration.
> Might as well keep it going until Yumemi reacts again.
> "Do you know what those VIVITs do up there?"
> "Can Ruukoto fake having lost her key and ask a VIVIT for one?"
> "Do you know where they keep the cards?"
> "Think one could be picked?"
> "Either of you any good at that?"
> "Mmm, well, if I can get in a situation where I'm hiding from one and no one's around, I might be able to take care of that. Nothing fancy, but it'll the job done."
> "I suppose I should ask...how active is this 'collective memory' or whatever? Do they all see what each of them sees at the same time?"
> "...Kinda. So they only get to know everything the others did twice a day?"
> "All right, good. So if I assault one and I happen to be seen, I'll have some time before the rest of them know to keep an eye out for me."
> "Of course. But there's nothing to be done about that. It'd be a risk regardless, so we'll just need to be faster than it."
> "Do you have anything like their memory bank thing that we can use to share info?"
> "Oh wow, that's useful. I don't think we have anything like that in Gensokyo."
> "Yeah, and a change of clothes if you have one. Just so I'm not obviously the strange fugitive from another land."
> "Oh, shoot, that would be a problem, wouldn't it?"
> Shake head.
> "Not unless you have some machine that will let me walk around temporarily."
> "...Is that doable?"
> "Hmm...any machines that can move me around?"
> "The bucket might be better than nothing, but anything's better than a bucket. How does this thing work?"
> "That doesn't sound too bad. How heavy is it?"
> "Hmm. I'll definitely want to take a look at this thing myself at some point."
> "Speaking will be a problem. When those army guys started speaking Japanese, their voices sounded really weird. Even if you have a thing that'll go in the other direction for me, I bet it would sound just as weird."
> "Will a translator make me sound weird, though?"
> "Well, maybe, but it's going to sound weird enough that people will know I'm using one. And if I'm trying to blend in, using a translator to speak the local language isn't going to help."
> "You said that someone else could push this...wheelchair. If someone pushes it around with me in it, and that won't look weird, maybe that person could speak for me."
> "That sounds doable, yeah."
> "I think I'd need to see this wheelchair before planning that branch further, so we should start considering other things."
> "Getting out of here. I'll need all my stuff and Kasen before I go, because I have no plans for returning. By the time we've done everything else, though, people are gonna know something major is going on."
> "Is it still there? You don't think they used it again, do you?"
> "I dunno. It's possible, but they might want to wait until the agent guy wakes up."
> "Do you know where it is relative to everything else?"
> Nod.
> "Okay, then that's as much as we can do for that for now. I guess...until I can see this wheelchair, I think that leaves the logistics of getting Kasen and my stuff, and when we can relative to heading for the Emperor."
> "I don't think we can bank on them not drawing attention, so it's still important to you when they get done. Unless you really think I'm going to go after this Emperor by myself."
> Frown.
> "Then can either of you at least get Kasen or my stuff while I'm dealing with this guy?"
> "...Guess that's all I can ask for."
> "If you're worried about that, maybe you should borrow my scarf. She should know it's mine."
> "Tell her I said thanks for teaching me how to hold the birdsnake. She'll definitely know that's from me."
> "That's the idea. Only the two of us would know what it means."
> "Good. So...do you know where the jail, the hangar, the medical lab, or the doors upstairs are relative to each other?"
> "Good. That'll make planning directions easier."
> "I can't think of anything else right now."
> "You know, why don't you do this in Gensokyo, anyway?"
> "Well, I mean, why not do it in Gensokyo and stay there, oncce we get your thing back?"
>"...Good point."
>"I had it pretty good back in Gensokyo though. Fresh Air, the stuff you can't really get here. Plus, I'm not too keen on being where that Canus fella can try again."
> Does the bucket have a handle?
> Is there anywhere on the wheelchair where the bucket could hang by the handle?
> "Huh. Interesting."
> "It might on its own. It definitely will if I can keep that bucket hanging from it. Might need to put something in the bucket to make it looks like it's serving a purpose, though."
> Nod.
> "I'll be sure to give that chair a spin once we're done here."
> "Do I have a choice?"
> "Even though it's been her invention they've been abusing this whole time?"
> "I would think removing a dictator is more important than this. But maybe I'm just used to this."
> "Well, I suppose I could just shut it off."
> "I'm waiting for her to realize that she's asking this of me when it's her fault in the first place that I'm here at all and both of our homes are in so much danger."
> "The machine's hers, isn't it?"
> "Knife's imitatable, duplicatable, and if the first guy to make one didn't, someone else would have. How many of those machines will ever exist?"
> Frown.
> "You're not helping me get a reaction out of her, you know."
> Chuckle.
> "I'd love to, but I ain't stupid. I know I can't do anything on my own here."
> "But you're busy right now."
> "So I have to wait regardless."
> "What would I do in the meantime?"
> "Can we do the second one from here?"
> "How?"
> "...Huh?"
> "...Really? Wow. How does that work?"
> Blink a couple of times with a blank look.
> "...Oh."
> "...Yeah, that's probably all I'll get out of this."
> "That makes me feel slightly less stupid, I guess."
> Look over at the papers for anything meaningful on them.
> "Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask. What language is that, anyway?"
> "What country is this, then?"
> "Huh. Well, does that writing on those papers mean anything?"
> She handed us a rod while we're still holding fire? Or did it die out?
> Look back over to the machine where Yumemi is working.
> "Uh..."
> "Well, I guess I can keep going with only one hand."
> Still no reaction from Yumemi?
> Break the fire long enough to grab the rod and twist the top off, then hold it like we're going to write with this alleged pointy end while resuming the continuous fire near the panel with our non-writing hand.
> Write "Main Bay" somewhere in the room where there's blank space.
> "So those medical bays were close to my cell. Maybe we can get Kasen and my stuff in one fell swoop."
> How many floors high does this map go?
> Did we learn how the elevators work?
> Nod.
> "And how can I make an elevator get me up and down floors?"
> Nod.
> "Sounds less complicated than I feared. Shame about needing a card, though."
> "Are there floors beyond this map that just aren't mapped yet?"
> "So Chucklehead could be anywhere."
> "Do the stairs go up that high?"
> How close to the medical lab and the holding cell we were in to the nearest elevator?
> And the holding cell is in the opposite direction of the medical bay?
>Would we have any reason to think that an emergency such as a fire would make card locked doors very dangerous? (Worth a shot, anyway)
>"Huh...but if all the stair doors are card jammed or whatever, what happens if the roof is on fire or somethin'?"
>"Well it was kinda a thing in Higan, but yeah, you gotta point."
>"Hmm..."
>How resilient is our demon fire against water?
>"Well, unfortunately the demon fire is about as like to be put out by water as anythin' else."
>"Seems like a waste o' booze, but if we gotta do it, might not be a bad notion."
>"So, what do we have so far for doin' this shindig?"
>"Right, that's the bees knees there, but I more meant all planning style."
>"Got it. Anythin' we haven't covered, or will we get this goin?"
>"Sounds like it's all berries. You got anything to add?"
>"All righty then, let's kick this pig. Get a wiggle on and grab the stuff."
>"Oh, right. Uh, well, what now?"
>Sigh and go back to Yumemi's machine and go again
> Has there been any sort of standard hair color that we've seen so far?
>"I figure that so long as it blends in, and will last me the day, I'm alright. I'd really prefer to be back to my usual self when the day's done, y'know?"
>"Eh, black sounds good."
>We do NOT need to make ourselves look like Komachi >=[
>"The hair seems like a good move. Whaddya need me to do?"
>Um...did that make sense at all? (Is shampoo a thing?)
>"Kay."
>Do I see where to wash it in?
>Then I will proceed thusly, taking the bowl and washing the dye in my hair.
> Take our hair band beads out of our hair and pocket them first, though. Gonna keep the hair down for this, since twintails are easy to identify.
> "Uh, will this wash out later?"
>obtain white bottle
>"I live near a whole city of alcoholics. Booze-scented hair is not an option."
>Sit tight so she can do her thing.
>Is there any way we can have both? If not, the bucket must be left behind as we don't want to be recognized.
> Didn't we determine earlier that the bucket could be hung from the chair and filled with cleaning supplies? We can take it with us, we'll just be sitting in the chair.
> "I'll take the chair with the bucket hanging from it, just in case I need it later."
> Get up and float on over so we're sitting in the chair with our feet in the foot things.
> "Hmm."
> Wheel the chair forward a little bit.
> Can we brace our feet against the sides of anything while they're down on the metal foot pad things?
> Grab onto the arms of the chair, brace our feet and legs against said bars, and try to float into the air with the wheelchair beneath us.
> Let it back down gently and sit back in it.
> "...I will be. Just...testing."
> Did we get a change of clothes?
> "Wait. Before we go...I'll need a change of clothes."
> Are the drawers within reach?
> "All right."
> Might as well check the bottom left drawer, then.
> How do the light blue shirt and blue skirts compare colorwise? Do they clash?
> What about the blue shirt and the black skirt? Nothing looks bad with black.
> Take the blue shirt and the knee length black skirt.
> Get changed!
> Fold our robe neatly and place it in the metal bucket.
> "Okay!"
> "First and last time in my life."
> How hungry are we?
> "...Maybe some food?"
> Meat, huh? When was the last time we had that?
> Take the plate.
> "Interesting. What's the meat-ish stuff in the middle there?"
> "Really? Our tuna look a lot different from this."
> Might as well have a bite.
> Do we recognize the fruit?
> Make sure we've swallowed before speaking.
> "What're the black fruits?"
> Have we heard of 'olives' before?
> Take another bite.
> Meals on wheels, then! Let's eat while Chiyuri takes us wherever.
> "A curiosity, I guess. What are you three going to do after all this?"
> "Well, if it comes to it, it could be nice to freak out the bridge princess a little bit by introducing her to people from outside Gensokyo that already know her for unknown reasons."
> Is Yumemi visibly present?
> Where are our hair bobbles?
> What else is in our hands, besides the plate?
> "How likely are they to search the bucket if they can see cleaning supplies poking out of it?"
> Which buzzing was that again?
> "How likely are they to search the bucket if they can see cleaning supplies poking out of it?"
>"All right, let's go."
>transfer stuff from lap to bucket
> But give back the plate first.
>"Also, was there something else you were going to give me?"
> Take the translator back.
> "Will I talk to you in your language?"
> Try it on.
> "So do I need to do anything else?"
> "How weird."
> "I can still understand me. Is my end not working, or something?"
> "So I'll hear me talk in my language, and then yours?"
> "Seems to be taking a while."
> Look a little shocked!
> "Wow."
> "Does that other button thing work right now?"
> Do we remember on this thing where the button thing was?
> Push it and hold it in.
> "Uh, hi?"
> She did say she couldn't talk while we pushed the button, didn't she? Let go of the button and see what happens.
> "Yeah! How'd you do that?"
> Oh, right!
> Press the button.
> "Yeah! Yeah! How'd you do that?"
> Press it again.
> "Man, this could be useful in Gensokyo."
> Let go.
> Was there anything else we were going to get to before we got interrupted?
> Press the button again and whisper.
> "How quiet can I be so you'll still understand me?"
> Let go.
> Press the button again and raise our voice a little bit above the whisper.
> "How quiet can I be so you'll still understand me?"
> Let go.
> Wait for her to return, then.
> "No, I can't think of anything."
> "'Kay."
> Wheel ourselves along in Chiyuri's wake.
> "Um, do I need to carry this thing now?"
> "I think I'll wait in it until I know where I need to go."
> Float in her direction and find said blanket to lay on.
> Are we still wearing that scarf?
> Lie down on the blanket.
> "Oh, almost forgot. Can you stash this scarf in the bucket with the rest of my things?"
> "Someone might recognize it from earlier. Otherwise I'd keep it on."
> Untie the scarf and hand it over.
> "What would you catch?"
> "Oh."
> Slide backward somewhat, then find a good layin' position and get ta layin'.
> Did Yumemi and Chiyuri agree to go after our stuff and after Kasen?
> "Okay. Where are we?"
> Check whatever location she gives us against what we remember of the map.
> Do we know when they're getting here?
> Where were our cell and the medical labs relative to 'east of the palace'?
> "Don't suppose you have any idea how to get a card key thing?"
> Was there anything else meaningful in the area?
> "Is there a supply room near here? Could it have anything useful to us in it?"
> Shrug.
> "Whatever will help maintain our guise or get us a card key thing."
> "Uh...oh! Don't take this the wrong way, but since you're a person but you're also a machine, if you got in the face really hard, would get hurt or break or something? Or would you just shrug it off?"
> "So, if we needed to, I could smack a VIVIT in the head and knock her over? Because I could lift her card key if she has one, no problem."
> "We'd need to do it while there isn't anyone else around, yeah. And I wouldn't be surprised if we had to knock her out, if it came to that."
> "Hmm...then maybe I can pick one's pocket if she's distracted."
> "Hmm. We'll have to think of some way to distract her without her suspecting you're you, then, I guess."
> "Who else would have a key card?"
> "Would that agent guy from before have one?"
> "That might be our in, then. I got him good in the head; if he's really so important, then they'd probably bring him to the medical lab too."
>"People don't get up too quick after I give 'em a taste of my favorite fighting style, 'Bucket-to-Face'. Gets 'em every time."
> "Yeah, let's get moving. We'll need to tell them that we're headed that way, though, so they're prepared."
> Get out from under the seat and get back in the chair.
> Any people present?
> Did the device do translating both ways for us, or was it two separate devices for listening and speaking?
> "How common is Japanese here?"
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "Those two have very Japanese names considering."
> "Huh. Well...how common are humans that look like me and don't speak that language?"
> Did we need that translation evice to talk to the others?
> "Hmm. Are you able to get in contact with the others?"
> Nod.
> "And how many people do you think will be out and about in this area?"
> Do we still have our map with us?
> "All right, I think I'll wear it, then."
> Put the device on.
> "Don't think so. Let's head to the medical lab, I guess."
> Did we ever tell VIVIT or Agent Whatshisface our name?
> Does this soldier sound like he could be one of the soldiers that took us prisoner earlier?
> Give a small smile and a nod a little bit slower than normal.
> Take on a tone of voice that is slightly weaker and quieter than normal.
> "Yes. My name's Parsee. What's yours?"
> Look a bit downcast while actually looking down.
> Keep the same tone of voice for the remainder of this conversation until otherwise noted.
> "Yeah. I wanna be in bed, but it hurts."
> That must be the card key thing they were talking about!
> "Um...not much. I mostly play with VIVIT when Mommy's not around."
> "Do I really look older than that? Huh."
> "Well, whatever. I hope you know someone here that could pass as my mother, by the way. You know, just in case."
> "Hmm. Might need to reconsider my story later, then. How active do you think the medical lab will be right now?"
> "Or that agent guy. Think we could get away with wanting to visit one?"
> "Well, word must have gotten around about weird people being captured. Maybe a poor little curious crippled girl that wants to see one will tug on some heart strings?"
> "Guess we'll find out when we get there."
> "Right, I figured."
> What are our surroundings like now?
> "Are we likely to see someone as soon as we enter?"
> "How likely is it that the condition of the agent guy has gotten around the palace?"
> "All right. And do you think they'd ask you VIVIT things if you went inside?"
> Lower ours as well.
> "Yeah, but I might prompt you if I need to. And don't be afraid to tell me things a sheltered foreign resident might not know if they become important."
> Admire the painting of the lake with a look of slight curious wonder on our face.
> Start a little, then turn to the man and adopt the same voice style that we used with the guard earlier.
> "Oh, yes! I heard that a strange woman appeared in the palace today and was taken here. Is that true?"
> Let our face light up, but keep the same tone of voice.
> "Oh, it is true! I knew it just had to be true!"
> Look at Ruukoto with our hands balled into fists in front of our chest, like we're excited.
> "Did you hear that, VIVIT? There really is a-"
> Cut ourselves off with a short series of coughs, bringing a hand to our mouth to stifle them as if we were really having a coughing attack.
> Take a couple of visibly deeper-than-normal breaths.
> Keep the same tone of voice as we used for the guard for the remainder of the conversation.
> "...Yes, I'm okay. I just got too excited."
> Put on a smile smile.
> "...No, I'll be all right. Thank you."
> "Hmm...yes, please."
> Can we see down the right hallway at all?
> Point down the right hallway and look at Ruukoto.
> Give a quick nod.
> Point to the door that's open a tiny bit.
> Is there anything on the tables?
> Did the hallway stop after the three doors we observed?
> Where did it go, then?
> Point back out the door
> "Should we hide in here for a few minutes, then?"
> "No, I'll trust you on this. Should we close the door?"
> "All right. I'll leave that to you, then. Since, y'know."
> "Yeah."
> Wait for a minute.
> Hmm...
> Wait another minute.
> Might be the guy.
> Wait one more minute to hear if he comes this way.
> Look at Ruukoto and point at the door with an inquisitive look.
> Give a couple of quick nods and a quick beckon to indicate we want Ruukoto to move us toward the door.
> Open it very gently, peeking out of it while opening it.
> Beckon behind us, then slowly open the door some more, until it's open enough that the chair can fit out.
> Can we see anyone?
>And make sure Ruukoto re-almost-closes the door behind us.
> Point further down the hall.
>And make sure Ruukoto re-almost-closes the door behind us.
> Do this by pointing back at the door after we've both exited the room.
> SO MANY DOORS
> Point toward the branch off to the left, but put a hand up behind us when we get close to it to signal slowing down. We don't want to go barreling into it.
> Lean forward to peer around the corner.
> Are they looking this way?
> Duck our head back behind the wall out of their potential sight.
> Could we tell if they were holding anything?
> Look at Ruukoto.
> Point down the hallway toward the guards (but do not actually stick our hand out into their line of vision), then hold up two fingers, then pantomime like we're holding one of those things ourselves and pointing it at her.
> Point back to the nearest room with an open door.
> "Yeah. I'm guessing they won't just let a little crippled girl pass whatever they're guarding."
> "That's what I was thinking, yeah. Which means we gotta get by them. Didn't one of you mention something about a fire suppression system? How does it work?"
> "That sounds useable, but it also sounds like I'd need to be really close to these guys to make the metal thing rain on them."
> "Oh, there's an alarm? That'll be sure to chase them off, unless they're a part of that investigative team."
> "All right. How about this? I start a fire in one empty room and we hide in another empty room until this alarm goes off. Once we hear those guards go by, we check out that room they were guarding."
> "You think they would leave my friend in there? Just from what I've heard of this place, it sounds like they're more interested in her as an experiment than as a person."
> "I guess."
> Frown.
> "There goes that idea, I guess."
> "I'm sorry to say that I'm not as great as Yumemi wants me to be."
> "Yeah. I'm good for setting things on fire and mugging people. If you want anything else done, you'll have to ask any of the multitude of people in Gensokyo stronger than me."
> "If there was one of them and I could get at them from behind. But I'm not changing headlong at two guys with machines that shoot lethal and undodgeable bullets."
> "I can't shoot lethal or undodgeable bullets."
> "If their bullets are really as undodgeable as you all say, my bullets wouldn't have even reached them by the time I hit the floor dead."
> How far away were the guards?
> "We're not 'really close'."
> "Not without them seeing me."
> "...Probably not. But are you going to be right around the corner to back me up if I need it?"
> "Oh, no, if you're going to be right there with me, that's even better. I had figured you would want to stay behind, but I'd rather have you as close as possible."
> "Wait...if there are orders that people aren't allowed into that room, would a VIVIT know that by now?"
> Nod.
> "All right."
> Take a deep breath.
> "Let's do this, then. Wheel me out to them."
> Are these guys wearing any protection aside from the helmets?
> Take on the same softer and weaker voice that we had been using previously.
> "Wow. Hello. What's in there?"
> Are we still being wheeled toward them?
> Look back at Ruukoto and smile.
> "I bet the weird woman's in there."
> Look back at the guards.
> "That's who it is, isn't it?"
> How close to them are we?
> In our experience, how much danmaku can the average human take before they're down for the count?
> If Ruukoto is not still wheeling us, get ourselves closer to them.
> "Oh, please, let me see! I promise I won't tell anyone, so you won't get in trouble!"
> Can we do reasonably well-aimed danmaku from both hands at once?
> Pout.
> "Oh, I get it. I bet she's in there and she's really really pretty and you just want her to yourself."
> Then could we fire off accurate shots even without using our hands? Say, ones we wanted to hit the guards in the face?
> What if we did use our hands to aim, then?
> Where are our hands right now?
> Sigh and look down at our lap, bringing our hands into our lap so we can see our palms.
> "All right, I get it..."
> Put on a look of slightly disgusted curiosity and bring our palms closer to our face like we're inspecting them, then frown after a second.
> "Oh, yuck, I got gunk on my hands."
> Look back up at the guards.
> "That's what I get for moving myself by grabbing wheels that have been rolling along the floor. They gather all sorts of messes, like these."
> Put our hands up with palms facing out toward the faces of the guards to aim while looking like we're just showing them our hands.
> Wait a half second after our hands are aimed at the guards' faces, then unleash several danmaku shots at each guard, aiming for their faces!
> Are either of them blocking the doorway?
> How noisy was this whole ordeal?
> Keep our fake soft and weak voice going.
> "VIVIT, please move the soldier out of the way of the door, then search them both for keys."
> Does our current outfit have pockets?
> "That will do. Can you give it to me?"
> Take the card and pocket it, then nod toward the previously-guarded door.
> "All right, let's see what's behind Door #1, shall we?"
>Shank the guards
>Shank Ruukoto
>Shank self
>HIDDEN ENDING UNLOCKED