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Shuku

in the distance, you hear a snap

Shuku
Jun 2nd, 2019
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  1. [14:14:55] <Aeros> fifty lanterns by fifty lanterns.
  2. [14:15:15] <Aeros> you're almost sure, and its a nice even number
  3. [14:15:24] <Aeros> that's...well, 2500 lanterns, roughly
  4. [14:15:33] <Aeros> you probably could cut out a swath of them and it'd be fine.
  5. [14:24:02] <Aeros> as more lanterns go out, you start seeing things in the distance, although they're faint, even to your eyes. it looks like, a group of people possibly? its only there for a second. and its not at the center of every black spot either, just one here, another there. sometimes its just one figure at the corner of your vision, sometimes multiple.
  6. [14:24:10] <Aeros> all very far off.
  7. [15:17:02] <Aeros> As you ascend, you see the group below...the line of lanterns being empty is very clear here, and seems to continue on.
  8. [15:17:26] <Aeros> The big black spots where you took out a large square is also visible.
  9. [15:18:47] <Aeros> looking out...you don't neccessarily see another 'you' floating around...but to the far east, you do see someone, or something, by an unlit lantern, in one of the dark spots you made.
  10. [15:19:30] <Aeros> it'd be almost impossible to spot them, but you are well, you. and they seem a little lighter than normal, which stands out against the rest of the darkness.
  11. [15:19:36] <Aeros> its still super far away.
  12. [15:23:11] <Zuboshi> Yep. All those blank spots, right where she left them. And the line, that they seem to be traversing now. Maybe it's because it's a solid line of dark that they're being led in that specific direction now...hm. She could pursue the figure...she should pursue the figure. "...I don't see a me up here, but I do see someone in the distance...they're, uh, pretty far away though. Gonna check it out, unless anyone objects! Don't wanna lose sight of it, so I don't wanna come down yet!" Zuboshi waits before actually going, since just leaving would be rude.
  13. [15:23:55] <Zuboshi> ...And the figure could always use their ears, go 'oh shit' and vanish. Always a possibility.
  14. [15:24:01] <Aeros> (do you shout that down?)
  15. [15:24:06] <Zuboshi> Yep!
  16. [15:27:22] <Aeros> (feel free to respond in #gensokyo)
  17. [15:31:07] <Aeros> assuming no other objections, you go off towards the figure; its several 'repeats' over, you cross twelve lines of black before getting there.
  18. [15:33:05] <Zuboshi> ...Much closer. Perhaps now she can actually make it out, beyond simply being a figure!
  19. [15:34:13] <Aeros> you get closer to the figure...they're hands are around their knees, their white hair and dress seen a little bit easier in the pitch blackness. A Shiro sits, curled up in a fetal position, next to a broken stone column.
  20. [15:35:32] <Aeros> their*
  21. [15:38:00] <Zuboshi> ...Shadow Shiro. Shadow Mitsue didn't talk, so she can only imagine Shadow Shiro somehow manages to talk less, because if she talked more, she would probably be drowning in words. ...And yet, she has to talk to the Shiro. To test for a reaction, if nothing else. "What...happened here?" Knowing what to say, however, is something she doesn't quite know how to do.
  22. [15:38:17] <Zuboshi> ...Still has the urge to protect her, for the time being. Not sure why. Just still evokes that reaction.
  23. [15:39:22] <Aeros> the shiro EEPs, looking up at Zuboshi, eyes wide with fear, she attempts to throw the broken pillar at Zuboshi.
  24. [15:41:21] <Aeros> The pillar goes wide, flying off into the darkness, but hurled with some amount of force
  25. [15:41:41] <Zuboshi> Ah. While she still feels the need to protect Shiro, if she knows anything about the real Shiro, that pillar may just hurtle at her, at high speeds! Caution! And quietness. Quietness preferred perhaps. Maybe make stopping motions? Maybe make stopping motions. Preferably before a second pillar comes flying at her.
  26. [15:42:22] <Aeros> Shiro shakes, breathing heavily, backing up, almost like a cornered cat.
  27. [15:45:20] <Aeros> She doesn't through a second pillar, however. even if one is clutched. she...looks like Shiro! to call her 'shadow shiro' would be more saying that she's IN shadow from the darkened columns.
  28. [15:49:21] <Zuboshi> ...Huh. ...It's...difficult to communicate without words. She's not used to it at all. Sort of struggles to understand normal Shiro, regularly. Probably the worst of the bunch...and somehow, she has met another Shiro, just as talkative as the last. Zuboshi pouts, mostly at herself, and doesn't approach. How to handle this...might be easier to just bring Shiro over here...people are good at talking to themselves, if Mitsue is any indication...no, she's just good at talking. And understanding. Pout.
  29. [15:51:27] <Aeros> Shiro frowns at Zuboshi's pouting, dropping her aggressive stance, she drops to her knees, and begins sobbing again. you can hear her, by the way, her Eep was audible to you. perhaps Mitsue was just too far away to hear her 'other', if thats even what it was.
  30. [15:52:07] <Aeros> She clumsily wipes her tears from her eyes, looking up at Zuboshi, still a bit of worry in her eyes
  31. [15:54:58] <Zuboshi> Zuboshi.,.approaches, but much slower. No choice but to back away if she tenses--gotta respect boundaries--but at this distance, she can't do much of anything. And shouting probably wouldn't help, which she'd have to do at this distance! Approach...with...caution! Not fear, but caution!
  32. [15:57:24] <Aeros> It takes a bit of time, Shiro hesitates to let you closer, but eventually you close enough to be within touching distance...and Shiro collapses into your arms. From here, you can tell she looks exhausted, although with your eyes you could see that before. She hugs you tight with her weakened (but still very strong) strength.
  33. [15:59:37] <Zuboshi> ...Well, obviously, that won't do at all! Now, quietly speak--while hugging back, because Shiro's very hurt and she HAS ALL OF THE CONCERN AND CARE IN THE WORLD, true Shiro or not! "...Where...do you want to be taken? Just point the direction, if you can..." At the very least, some things can be communicated without words!
  34. [16:00:54] <Zuboshi> She doesn't know how to fix the problem, but she feels like a directional question is a start! It might not be answered with a direction, but dang it if she doesn't try to help her either way!
  35. [16:01:44] <Aeros> She sniffles, about to say something, but stopping in a very typical Shiro hesitation. Then she pulls back, touching your hand, then your neck, then your face, even pinching your cheek for a second "...Are you real? This time?" her quiet, timid voice speaks out.
  36. [16:02:14] <Aeros> And she's gone. No one stands in front of you.
  37. [16:03:18] <Aeros> You can feel where she pinched you, the sensation of being touched was there. But you stand in the middle of the dark square of empty pillars.
  38. [16:04:09] <Aeros> Alone.
  39. [16:04:16] <Zuboshi> ...Oh. "...Oh." Oh.
  40. [16:04:42] <Zuboshi> Zuboshi.exe has stopped working!
  41. [16:05:19] <Zuboshi> "...I'm...real..." The imagery alone is a bit much...
  42. [16:07:06] <Zuboshi> Windows is collecting more information about the problem, This might take several minutes...
  43. [16:07:41] <Aeros> Time is hard to tell if its passing. the lanterns flicker intermittently, but the ones that were around still burn.
  44. [16:10:09] <Zuboshi> ...After a while, Zuboshi...goes out of her way to light the pillars. ...Shiro doesn't like the dark, does she? It's scary. The dark is scary, actually. Introducing oil and a spark should fix them up--just use oil from other lanterns it'll do.
  45. [16:12:13] <Aeros> there aren't any lanterns on the dark pillars, but putting a bit of oil on their centers and lighting it seems to be stable enough.
  46. [16:12:46] <Aeros> the only one you can't light this way seems to be the broken pillar, and as far as you can tell, this still doesn't affect the other 'batches' of darkened pillars.
  47. [16:13:00] <Aeros> but at least, this area is filled with a little bit of light again.
  48. [16:14:58] <Zuboshi> ...That's...nice. ...Nice...and bright. Brighter. Bright enough? ...Zuboshi feels...less profoundly comfortable, yet without a Shiro around, she only feels uncomfortable again. "...Mmmn." ...She should get back to the party.
  49. [16:15:16] <Zuboshi> *profoundly uncomfortable
  50. [16:15:48] <Aeros> Heading back, crossing the 12 black lines, she can follow the one after northward to the party; she eventually finds them again.
  51. [16:16:28] <Aeros> They...look real enough! at least!
  52. [16:17:34] <Zuboshi> Are they real enough that the channel changes to #gensokyo, or is this, too, a deceit? Zuboshi's willing to believe either way, if only because she's so...shaken!
  53. [16:18:17] <Aeros> regardless if its a deceit or not, please refer yourself to #gensokyo
  54. [16:18:20] <Aeros> :)
  55. [16:18:28] <Zuboshi> swear to god--
  56. [16:28:57] <Zuboshi> THIS CAT AIN'T GONNA VANISH ON ME, RIGHT
  57. [16:29:30] <Aeros> Everything seems real enough. but so did that Shiro you interacted with earlier.
  58. [16:30:13] <Zuboshi> That's exactly right! And that horrifies her. But if it hasn't vanished immediately, that's a victory for those she cares about not becoming nothing in front of her.
  59. [16:32:51] <Aeros> Zuboshi: if you glance ahead, very faintly, in the distance, you see a doorway, and a wall. far enough away that you doubt anyone else can see it
  60. [16:32:58] <Aeros> the doorway is straight north
  61. [16:40:34] <Aeros> i'm sorry i didn't get your parent's permission before taking you on a feel trip, Zuboshi :B
  62. [16:41:45] <Zuboshi> IT'S OK, sometimes it just happens! Sometimes you're not used to the concept of someone you care about just BEING SCARED AND GONE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM ALL THAT WELL
  63. [16:57:23] <Aeros> i was very tempted to do another fakeout, even before you mentioned it
  64. [16:57:45] <Zuboshi> You very well could have, ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED after that
  65. [16:58:04] <Aeros> my idea was to tell all the players individually that when zuboshi gets back act as normal, but after i say stop talking to stop responding and have everyone disappear.
  66. [16:58:33] <Aeros> you'd have to go through the door by yourself, where everyone would've been waiting for you
  67. [16:58:42] <Aeros> since they had exited a while ago.
  68. [16:58:50] <Zuboshi> I was half ready for that, tbh--though I knew it could have taken effort, it's not like I discounted the possibility
  69. [16:58:56] <Aeros> ...but i thought it'd be a bit TOO mean.
  70. [17:00:10] <Zuboshi> yeah, Zuboshi was pretty shaken after just that--she's not one one to play favorites, but also Shiro's her favorite, and without her she probably might have had issues finding a sense of purpose
  71. [17:00:47] <Zuboshi> and not being able to talk with her is already a sore spot, so in that kind of situation THE SORE SPOT IS SMASHED, painfully, and also the sore spot's her heart
  72. [17:01:28] <Aeros> i knew exactly what i was doing :3
  73. [17:01:43] <Aeros> its me, i'm the monster who made that maze, you'll get to the next room and its just some nerd typing at the computer
  74. [17:02:07] <Zuboshi> how many nerds must die or be imprisoned in MYON?
  75. [17:02:09] <Zuboshi> all of them
  76. [17:02:20] <Aeros> its true
  77. [17:02:31] <Aeros> also feel free to pastebin our chat and post it in the ooc channel for others
  78. [17:03:02] <Zuboshi> OK~
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