[LP CYOA] Spiral

[treave]

The full scale of manliness stretches from Zhang to Zhang, but as far as this LP is concerned, from Mori to Taketatsu.

Oh, Zhang still applies in this LP.

 

[Kz3r0]

Isn't Seiji the most handsome of them all here?
We have his body after all, the impedement is our personality.
Basically we are the same as Amazonaki with glasses.

 

[Nevill]

Sawada is still cuter. But Sei-chan is manlier.

We need two scales. Or a graph in (x, y) coordinates.

 

[treave]

Maeda Yukina is 7/10 with illness, potentially higher without.

 

[Kz3r0]

Maeda Yukina is 7/10 with illness, potentially higher without.

Sick girl is always 10/10 on the Otaku scale.

 

[Nevill]

Sick girl is always 10/10 on the Otaku scale.

Never understood that fetish myself...

Edit: we are less manly than that snake Sawada Jun?

Are we at least higher than Toki-kun?

 

[treave]

Edit: we are less manly than that snake Sawada Jun?

Are we at least higher than Toki-kun?

He's not marked on the scale. That's just the axis.

 

[Nevill]

Damn, Mori sets rather high standarts, then.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Whele is Liam Nii-san on thatu scaru?

 

[treave]

Current tally:

B1 - 3
B2 - 1
C1 - 3

 

[Nevill]

An interesting tidbit here...

Yukina told us that a Sakaguchi family moved in the Mansion 'last year', but the incident occured several years back. All this time the estate was seemingly uninhabited. But it's not like the Baron didn't have heirs. Where are they?

We know that the Baron's wife died prior to the incident (was it another attemt to communicate with the loved one on the Baron's part? looks like it might be a running theme in this CYOA), but what happened to his daughters? Did they die? Or were they taken back by the Tendou household? They could still be around.

I don't remember Japanese laws on that matter. I know that if the husband dies the wife may choose to go back to her family and take their name again, but what about the children? What determines whether they are considered Tendou or Sakaguchi?

 

[treave]

Yukina told us that a Sakaguchi family moved in the Mansion 'last year', but the incident occured several years back. All this time the estate was seemingly uninhabited. But it's not like the Baron didn't have heirs. Where are they?

You'll forgive his heirs for not exactly being keen on living in that place, I hope.

I don't remember Japanese laws on that matter. I know that if the husband dies the wife may choose to go back to her family and take their name again, but what about the children? What determines whether they are considered Tendou or Sakaguchi?

Generally, the children are still their father's children unless the paternal side decides to cut ties with them.

 

[Nevill]

You'll forgive his heirs for not exactly being keen on living in that place, I hope.

I don't know what happened to it and if there is anything preventing them from doing so, apart from the emotional trauma, so I can't answer that yet.

Apparently, some people moved back in, so it wasn't rendered entirely uninhabitable. Probably.

Or maybe they were that desperate.

Generally, the children are still their father's children unless the paternal side decides to cut ties with them.

Figures. So they weren't Uehara's grand-grandmas, then. A shame.

Ah, well, it's not like the Tendou family is lacking in girls. Tendou Shizune's brother probably has his own daughters.

 

[treave]

You'll eventually find out all about this stuff if you ask certain people certain questions anyway.

 

[Nevill]

I'll flop to B1 in case there is still a tie by the time the votes close.

From her hands, she definitely isn't an old hag. Maybe the same age as Mrs. Sakaguchi, they have similar builds.

Wild speculation: Tendou family is blessed to give birth to twins occasionally. Yukina's mother's maiden name was Tendou, she was Shizune's twin sister and the woman in the photograph.

That would mean that the year now is ~1910.

Probably bullshit, though. She would have referred to the head priest as Uncle if that was the case.

 

[Tigranes]

B1 > C1

I think it makes sense to keep her around with us, especially for B & C, and I'd like to at least become accepted enough to get some info.

Besides, at some point we're going to have to get out of these clothes, right?

 

[Akkudakku]

B1 > C1

I think it makes sense to keep her around with us, especially for B & C, and I'd like to at least become accepted enough to get some info.

Besides, at some point we're going to have to get out of these clothes, right?

*implying she has to get out of hers*

 

[Nevill]

Today I discovered the 'Basic Instructions' web comic for myself.

Spoiler

We've moved to 'howdunnit' and 'whydunnit' since then but I find the style of our discussions remarkably similar.

 

[treave]

Elder of Yomiki

You walk with Yukina awkwardly, following three steps behind. The villagers stop, turn, stare and whisper as you pass by them. Somehow sensing your discomfort, Yukina says, “We are not used to seeing someone new, Shinoseki-sama. Please do not mind the stares.”

“You don’t really have many visitors here, do you?” you ask.

“It is the timing that surprises them. Usually, pilgrims make their way to the Tendou shrine when we ring in the New Year. We hardly see anyone else outside of that period. That is why my father has to ply his trade out of the village for most of the year.” Pre-empting any questions from you, Yukina adds, “He’s a merchant, so he spends most of his time travelling across the country.”

“Go on, ask her if she’s lonely and if she wants a bit of company to warm up the cold nights,” teases Ei.

“Ah, we are here. This is the village elder’s house.” Yukina stops, folding her parasol up. She has led you to the front yard of a large house, clearly more well-maintained than the other residences in the village. The nameplate reads ‘Kimura’. “Elder? Are you here?” she calls out politely, standing at the threshold. It takes a while, but the door to the house slides open slowly.

“Yukina-chan? What are you doing here?” An aged man who could be better called a decrepit ancient stands in the doorway. From all those wrinkles, he must be pushing a hundred years old.

“I’ve brought someone to meet you, Kimura-jiisan.”

Well, he is certainly the sort of elder you expected. “The stranger?” The village elder strains his eyes and peers at you, frowning. “My grandson ran home told me about a naked man who appeared out of thin air and kicked their ball away, but I thought it was just his overactive imagination acting up again. Is it true?”

“Is… is what true?” you respond nervously.

“Did you appear out of nowhere with no clothes on?” he snaps.

“I… uh…” you scratch your head, unable to look the elder in the eye.

“Well, even if you did, it is no surprise!” he cackles suddenly.

“Pardon?” You had not been expecting this reaction. Does he know something you don’t?

“You see, my ancestor fought in the Genpei War of 975 on the side of the defeated Taira. He passed down legends of a terrible oni appearing in the middle of his camp out of thin air, with no clothes on, to carry out bloody raids. His son believed those stories, so did his son’s son, and so do I, his descendant, hundreds of years later. You’re an oni, aren’t you?”

“You could be,” muses Ei thoughtfully.

You are not sure how to reply, and manage to only return a puzzled glance.

“Or, more likely, you could just have gotten into trouble in the woods, lost your clothes, and are too embarrassed to admit it,” he sighs. “You could just play along with an old man, you know.”

Yukina chuckles light-heartedly. “Shinoseki-sama, this is Kimura Dousen-sama, our village elder.”

“N-Nice to meet you, Kimura-san. I am Shinoseki Adachi,” you say haltingly as you bow.

“Hmph. Not the best manners there, I see. If you are after our Yukina-chan, you need to make more effort, boy,” grunts the old man. Before you can protest, he turns around and walks back into the house. “Come on in. The two of you must be here for a reason, right? I’ll get the old woman to make some tea, and we can have a more comfortable chat.”

***

The living hall is full of antiquities, pieces of old art, and even some weapons. Having greeted Kimura’s wife, a kindly looking old lady, she left the two of you and her husband alone, moving off to the kitchen to make some tea. As you and Yukina settle in, Kimura asks, “So? Why did you bring this boy here, Yukina-chan?”

“He wants to know about the Sakaguchis and their mansion, ojiisan,” replies Yukina. “To be honest, I harbour my own curiosities about the story. I have heard bits and pieces from the other villagers, but I am sure it is not the full tale.”

“I am not certain anyone knows the full tale,” says Kimura. “Only Kuroki himself would know, and he is no longer amongst us.”

“Kuroki?” you ask.

“The former Baron Sakaguchi. He died. Quite horribly, I might add.”

“Nevertheless… please,” says Yukina firmly. “This has something to do with me as well.”

Kimura glances at Yukina’s resolute face for a while, and then he nods. “I suppose. Yes, I suppose it does, but your father kept it from you for a reason. It is not a story that is easy to listen to.”

“I will endure it, elder. I deserve to know what happened to my mother.”

“Very well,” sighs Kimura reluctantly. “How do I begin? And where is that tea? Old woman!” The promised tea had yet to come.

You hear footsteps approaching, almost stomping, as if annoyed. “Coming!” The voice isn’t that of the old lady, but of a young woman. “The granny had to start preparing for dinner, so I’m making the tea instead.” In fact, the voice sounds rather familiar in its arrogance.

The door slides open. You see the spitting image of Maeda Nami there, holding a tray with three cups, and dressed in a traditional kimono. Her hair is entirely black, unlike the Maeda that you know, and tied up into a bun. The perpetually irritated look on her face is a good match, though. Perhaps this girl is an ancestor of hers.

Then, you notice that just as you are staring at her, the Maeda lookalike is staring at you. “Shino… seki?” she whispers. “What are you doing here?”

You exchange a wordless stare with Maeda. Questions swim through your mind rapidly, questions that you are unable to ask. Is it really her? How did she get here? Was her death real? And then, a darker, more disturbing thought: can we ever escape?

“Do you two… know each other?” Yukina asks delicately, afraid to interrupt the staring contest.

Maeda gives her a small, uncertain smile. “The tea. Here it is,” she says, setting down the tray and dodging the question entirely. Steam rises from the hot green liquid within the cups – it has been freshly brewed, and the scent is refreshing. You suddenly realize that you have not really eaten anything since… yes, that night where the Juunimon shone, and you entered the Abyss with Maeda. It feels like an eternity now. Perhaps it has been.

Elder Kimura eyes the two of you suspiciously. “Well, if the strangers know each other, I would hope it is not some conspiracy of the government to take over our land.” You are not sure whether he is joking. “Anyway, are you still interested in the baron’s story? If not, I have a lot of other stories to tell. Oni are real, you know. Why, my ancestor-“

“Yes, Kimura-jiisan, we are still interested!” says Yukina hurriedly. Leaning over to you, she whispers, “He really only has one story, and it’s always about how his ancestor defeated a demon thrice on the battlefield a thousand years ago.”

“If you are interested, then pay attention,” snaps Kimura.

“I’m interested too. Can I stay? Granny really doesn’t need any help from my side anyway,” says Maeda. When Kimura gestures at her to take a seat, she walks over to you and sits down formally, leaving you in the strange and somewhat uncomfortable situation of being flanked by two Maedas.

“Alright,” coughs Kimura. “To begin a story, you must begin at the beginning.” Stating the obvious, he continues, “The Sakaguchis are an old family that have deep roots in this land. The main branch of the family shifted to Kyoto… let’s see… perhaps five generations ago. But they never forgot their origins. Generations of Sakaguchis would visit Yomiki in pilgrimage, to pay respects to their ancestors of eras long past. Now, they were never nobility, never lords, but they had a long history of a good relationship with the ruling classes, be they bakufu or the current government. I have heard that young Kuroki, in particular, was a skilled practitioner of medicine and a diplomat, travelling far and wide as a representative of our country to the world. So, it stood to reason that when they began awarding titles… oh, some twenty years ago now, he was conferred the rank of baron. With the rank came perks. After his long wandering, Sakaguchi Kuroki came back to the land of his ancestors to settle down. He built his mansion – the mansion that you are interested in – inspired by what he had seen on his travels. Called it some foreign name… I’m not sure what…”

“Moontree Manor,” adds Yukina helpfully, pronouncing the name in English.

“Well, we just call it the Sakaguchi mansion here,” says Kimura with a hint of scorn in his voice. “Anyway, a year later, he married Shizune-chan, the eldest daughter of the Tendou shrine. There was a really big ceremony, and the festivities went on for an entire week. There were even foreigners traipsing around our village, acquaintances of the baron… I had never seen so many gaijin before.” Kimura shakes his old head, uncomfortable with the memory. “It was nice. Peaceful. Kuroki was doing his work for the government… whatever it was… and also practicing medicine for the people of the village, free of charge. About two years after the marriage, Shizune became pregnant, Her sister, Shizuin, moved in to help, and since it was such a large place, the Sakaguchis hired more people to assist around the house. Your mother was one of them.”

Yukina nods. “Yes, I remember mother bringing me to work when I was just a child… I remember when I first met the twins.”

“Yes, Sakaguchi’s twins. They were only a few years younger than you, weren’t they?”

“Three years younger,” Yukina says sadly. “Mina-chan and Eina-chan. They used to follow me around all the time, when I played in the mansion. I think it was… yes, I was twelve, and they were about nine, when Shizune-san passed away.”

“Indeed.” Kimura takes a slow sip of his tea. “That is when things went bad. Kuroki was so shocked that he did not speak a word for weeks. Shizuin had to feed him, or else he would not even eat. I remember going up there, with his brother-in-law and your parents. We tried to get him to wake up, to get moving. Even when we begged him to get up for the sake of his daughters, he would not respond. He would just lie there like a corpse, a husk of a man… as if when Shizune died, his soul departed to the tree along with her.”

“How did she die?” Maeda asks, a keen interest in her eyes.

“Fell down the stairs. Oh, a rather sorry and unfortunate way to go,” answers Kimura. “Well, it took about a month or so before he recovered. And he recovered in a quite sudden way. Like… like something just snapped inside him, and he was okay, just like that.”

“Not entirely okay, right?” says Yukina tentatively. “I remember the twins complaining to me about their father… that he wasn’t quite the same anymore.”

“That’s right. He threw himself into his work for a few years after that. He had strange visitors in the night… outsiders, who were seen coming by only a few, and seen leaving by even less. He would not tell me anything when I asked. Though Kuroki was just a young whippersnapper, he was still someone with rank, and someone with clout with the government. I could not do a thing to him, and so I approached Shizuin for help. She was the closest one to him after her sister passed. It was surprising. Even she, who I had looked after since she was just a baby, did not help. She only said that everything was alright. She said that, even after our villagers, her neighbours, started going missing. How could everything be alright?” Kimura takes a deep breath, visibly pained by the act of remembrance. “We knew something was wrong, but we did not know how to proceed. Then, that night happened.”

“The night my mother died,” whispered Yukina.

“We heard screams from the mansion. We got together and barged in. Tendou, Maeda, Shinohara, and I. We saw… everyone was dead. Everyone except for Shizuin and Mina, dismembered… like they had been torn to pieces by some great beast. Oni. A demon.” Kimura closes his eyes, muttering. “Yes, we found your mother there. She… suffered the same fate.”

“I… I see.” Tears are welling up in Yukina’s eyes. You wonder if she regrets hearing the story.

“Go on, comfort her,” giggles Ei, seemingly unperturbed by the whole thing.

“If it were up to me, I would have set fire to the place that very night,” snorts Kimura, “But in the end, it is Sakaguchi property. So, in the end, the only thing I could do was to sort out the parts, and bury them as best as I could.”

“So… what happened to Shizuin and Mina?” Maeda has her hand on her chin – she seems to have been thinking deeply about the story.

“Shizuin went mad. Her mind is gone. The Tendou shrine took her, to care for her. I have not seen her since that night,” the old man says with a resigned shrug. “Mina was taken by the Sakaguchis. I suppose she is living well, in relative luxury. It is no longer any of our village’s business. That, young ones, is the story in its entirety. I hope you are satisfied.” Letting out an irritated snort, he downs the last of his tea.

***

A. “What work did the baron do, both here and abroad? Was there anything to do with supernatural rituals?” You try to ask Kimura if he knows any details of Sakaguchi Kuroki’s work. Perhaps it has something to do with what happened, and what will happen.

B. “What about the current family living in the mansion? How did they come to be here?” You try to ask Kimura for more information on the Sakaguchi family currently residing there. Their presence here seems rather strange, considering what happened before.

C. “Can you tell me more about the Tendous, Maedas, Shinoharas, and your own family? Have these families been in Yomiki Village for long?” You try to enquire about the four families that were there on the night of the baron’s death.

D. “There is something you aren’t telling us, Kimura-san. What exactly happened that night?” Something is nagging at you… you get the feeling that he has not been entirely truthful. You attempt to press the elder for more details about that night.

E. “Thank you, Elder Kimura. I am satisfied.” You do not ask any more questions – the elder’s mood seems to have taken a downturn after telling the story, and you do not want to risk angering him.

F. "Kimura-san... from what you have said, oni are the terrible threat that I should watch out for. Can you teach me any moves to vanquish demons?" You know the tales. An old man like him is surely a secretive martial arts master and can teach you the skills you need to combat evil!

 

[Baltika9]

“You see, my ancestor fought in the Genpei War of 975 on the side of the defeated Taira. He passed down legends of a terrible oni appearing in the middle of his camp out of thin air, with no clothes on, to carry out bloody raids.”

Lord Zhang!

 

[Nevill]

Lord Zhang!

I feel like in due time we will learn that Juunimon itself has sprouted in a place where Lord Zhang relieved himself. And that Shinohara bloodline traces back to Master Zhang and a she-oni.

*sigh* So it was Yukina's mother, after all.

It is disheartening, really. The sickest shit in this CYOA always happens to the nicest people while the villains get away with far more crimes than they can ever answer for. And the worst part of it is that's already happened, so you can't even prevent the damage or right the wrongs, just find out about it and feel dirty and helpless as you watch the full scale of the disaster unfold. I wonder if anything we can do while in the 'past' can have a greater effect on the present than just feed us information.

Makes you think if Seiji doesn't have a rational seed in his madness and if it wouldn't be better to do something drastic if it can scrap that sorry piece of history altogether from the timeline...

Hmm. The elder called the girl 'our Yukina-chan'. Was her mother's maiden name Kimura, or does the elder consider everyone in the village 'his' people?

The reunion with 'True' Maeda (?) was somewhat unexpected. Can we give her an earful for jumping off the scryscraper after us? Will there be hugs? The tension! The suspense!

 

[treave]

Lord Zhang!

I feel like in due time we will learn that Juunimon itself has sprouted in a place where Lord Zhang relieved himself. And that Shinohara bloodline traces back to Master Zhang and a she-oni.

Luck 1 Jing strikes again. Sending the Minamoto to Tiger Island had more far-reaching grave repercussions for a lot of innocent people than initially expected.

 

[Nevill]

Which would be perfectly fine if only you would let us play a chink instead.

Hm. I think there were Chinese involved in Kayano's backstory? If we learn Seiji was working for them, everything will be right with the world again.

 

[treave]

You need either a force strong enough to overcome the curse of Luck 1 from a thousand years ago, or the guy who started this whole chain of events to fix the matter.

 

[Nevill]

You need [...] the guy who started this whole chain of events to fix the matter.

Wait. WAIT.

Shinohara Seiji has different eyes:

You move closer to one of the mirrors – this is the first time you have gotten the chance to examine your features. Your black hair is wild, messy and would do better with a good trim. Your spectacles are slightly skewed – that you fix quickly. Strangely enough, the colour of your eyes are closer to being a dark green than they are brown… are you mixed?

What if one of them is artificial?! We have the technology!

ALL HAIL THE MAN TIGER PIG!!!

This is the second part of Legend that was promised to come in June 2015, isn't it?