(in which we push upward)
Alri~ght… doin' some push ups, doin' some push ups…
"Aa~h…" Ha-chan stared at me, as I did push ups on the dirty floor next to the table! "What're you doing?" Freakin'- what's it look like…!?
"Push ups…! I gotta wake my ass up!" I've yet to down the awake-me-not or whatever the fuck potion bottle thing we got was, so I'm making due!
So far, euuh… we've still been waiting and stuff. Some performances have passed, but I've not exactly been payin' any attention.
"Haa~h…" Mystia sat down her guitar again, on the loaf table, dude. "I think, we've got that song down, at least…"
I can always cleanse my sins, by which I mean my hands, with the water hanger, once I'm done freakin'...
Uhm- oh god, holy shit-
Thud. What- what the fuck- Ha-chan, why…!? "Hehehe~! Aww…" She just- sat down on my back, and oww…
"Pft- pftuhaha…!" Seija- goddammit! Oof… she's havin' a giggle.
Maybe I do need ta take that noob-me-not thing, because I feel like just flopping over and dying. Like, right now. Ha-chan pinning me down with her butt didn't help- even if it momentarily spiked my blood pressure!
"Hana~, get offa him…" Kyouko lazily waves over to shoo the fluffy fairy.
There was at first a notion of 'holy shit fairy butt', but it was very quickly overtaken by 'ow oof my bones'...!
Ha-chan stands up. "Aw." Oof. Now… I am free.
I stand up, and brush off my dusted leather stuffs. "Freakin'... asses are a weapon, Ha-chan!"
"Oh…?" She looks confused, but amused!
"Y'know- why the hell is a fairy just, following you around?" Mystia questions the premise! "She's awfully attached to you…"
"'Cause she's gay." Seija comes up with the only deduction, dude.
Mystia's brows raise at that! "That's- actually factually wrong, in this situation…"
"What's gay?" Ha-chan, don't- that's not a question that's asked!
"You." Seija smirks at her! "You're fucking gay."
"I mean- I dunno what that is…" Ha-cha~n! Woaa~h!
...Seija looks bewildered, dude!
"It- it means you like to have sex with girls." Lookin' off-balance, Mystia tries to educate her! "Like, um…"
"Sex?" Ha-chan tilts her head at 'er!
"Are you fucking dumb." Mystia doesn't wanna go any further!
Ha-chan nods! "I think so!" Holy shit!
Seija claps her hands together! "Fairies are fuckin' wild!"
Next up to bat, Kyouko starts to stammer out a response! "Sex, um… is- it's a thing you have, with someone you really love."
...Ha-chan turns to me, and smiles. "Like Brad!" Um…!
"Kyouko- shut up!" Mystia softly pats her friend down with one hand! "Holy crap!"
Seija beams at us! "Wo~w…!"
I have nothing to add to this conversation, dude. Between how long we've been here, and the freakin'... ramifications of reality, I have become weaker mentally, friends.
"So, what's sex…?" Ha-chan, help, no…!
"Te- teach her, why don'cha…!?" Seija, I don't care how strong you are, I will shove fluffles down your shirt!
The sky is dark and full of stars. The backstage booths are filled with unnatural light from the kappa-... kappan? Kappanian lights, dude. Kappa kappanians.
"Oof." The pain of life, friends. Why do people need sleep…!?
"I think we should take those Drop-Me-Nots now." Kyouko comments, probably due to my doomed state! "We all seem a little…"
"Pussies." Seija's just… she's Seija, dude.
Futo gets offa' her crossed legs, and moves away from her koto thing, towards us. "Art thou'st done?"
I shake my head at her. "No. No, friend, I think we aren't. I think… we have just begun…!"
"Yeah- yuck it up, you sleepless fucking demons." Mystia- holy shit…! Aw, then she yawns. "Hau~h. Normally- I'm nocturnal, but I had ta stay up to get this shit together…"
Futo furrows her brows back, as she gets closer! "Thus, the pot deemed the kettle black. I do not take kindly to being deemed-"
"Uh huh." Seija mows her over verbally! Diggin' through her own pocket, she then takes out one 'a them whacky fuckin'... Drop-Me-Not bottles. "Y'think this'll get you high if you burn it?"
Futo actually snorts at that! "Wh- how would it…?"
I take out my own bottle of pain and death. The design is teal and hot pink, which instills me with primal fear and anguish, dude.
Fli- flick, crack! I take off the plastic crap on top of the medicine, and start crackin' the lid open. Reminds me of an energy drink! Surely, it'll be like- uuh… oh. Oh…!
The viscosity of the pinkish blue gruel inside is inky. It looks like fuckin' leaked car oil! Oof…!
"Mmh…" Mystia starts to down hers, and so does Kyouko. Aw. A suicide pact, is it…
Oh well. Goodbye, cruel world! Tilting my head back, I take in the drink- mmgh…
"Mh- ghk…" Ye- yeah- a mistake- this was a mistake…! Oh fuck- I can't breathe, it's just-... sliding down my throat, all slippery like, like the natural course in which the throat accepts shit was disallowed for this newer, better way of getting the hard drug down. Ugh…
"Kugh- kauf- kaugh!" Ow- ow, ugh! I feel like… I'm fuckin' half-drowned! This better not gimme a sore throat! God damn! Outside world energy drinks weren't a fuckin' oil, dude!
"Aye- thee well?" Futo- freakin', what's it to ya…!? "Were it poisoned?" Wha- son…!
"...I don't think so!" The instant assumption to my negative reception… was that someone tried to politically assassinate me! For we all know dude, I am clearly the most important person to this band. The guy who just-... sits around and hardly even plays his keyboard!
She leans away from me! "Hmmh." Yeah- hmmh to you too, fluffy.
I think the previous rondo of rounds are over. We've just been in the quiet starlight for a bit now. Aya said she'd be back with the results of the previous round, about who'd get kicked in the ass, and who'd stay. Considering how each band gets one chance to prove themselves only, it's a very elimination-friendly environment!
Also- shit, yeah, that drink really woke me up! Ugh. Tasted like fucking motor oil too, not that I'd know…! The real question… is whether the taste woke me up, or the drug itself!
"Pftoo." I spit, not that it helps. Time to drink from my hanger! Ugh. I need more nuggets!
"Mmh…" Kyouko makes a bitter frown, herself, before raisin' her mic… "A~nd my voi~ce… is my viole~nce!" Hoh! Freakin', I dunno how they project their voice half the time. Wait- Kyouko doesn't even need to, since her ability is like, projection. Wau!
Fwi- fwish. Ooh. Our curtain flicks open a bit!
Aya snuggly sprints on inside! "Hello~!"
"Hello~!" I wave back, while her sudden presence makes everyone else flinch!
"I gotta keep things short- lots of people to yell at!" Pullin' up a sheet of paper, she looks it over! "...But- you survived the round!"
"Yay!" Kyouko leaps from her seat at the picnic table! "So- when's our next performance…!?"
"You'll see!" Turning around, Aya just kinda sprints out! Aw.
"But- nnh…" Holdin' out her arm, Kyouko tries to stop her, but ends up stoppin' herself instead… "Good."
"Yay…!" I try to copy her little leap- but, holy shit- I almost fall in the process…! How'd she do that!? Might be a flight thing… "Oof."
She just stares at my stumbling with rue…!
Then, Mystia stretched her arms a little. Her wings expanded too, and I realized again how fwoofy she was! "Nnn~h. We pro'lly won't be called up first, at least."
What to do in the meantime, dude. The… meanest of times!
I already took a stroll around some chicks and dudes outside. We kinda went back to our booth early, but… let's not stroll around and accidentally run into a succubus or something!
Idly, while we wait, I actually hold Deep Blue over my face, and uu~h… "Mmh- om…" Sweet wetness, dude.
Drinking water from a hanger at midni~ght! It's surprising what can become freakin' normal. Being alert at this time is cool!
"Hell spawn…" Futo immediately comes up with something disagreeable to say! "Doth thou care of anything worldly?" Oh, she's addressing Seija. It might actually be agreeable, then!
Lookin' up from her guitar an' turnin' ta her, Seija just raises a brow. "The fuck'd you just say?"
"I mean no offense." She wiggles her brow back! "Thereby, thou receives none."
"No- as in, the fuck'd you say. I actually didn't catch that, because you speak like my fuckin' buried ancestor." Seija freakin' annihilates her, dude! "How long you have to study to speak like a fucking asshole?"
The insult's strong enough for Futo to chuckle it off! "Pft- hoh…! Well… do, you… care, about… things?" Oh, man. She really put effort into translating that into regular words!
"No." Seija put it simply.
"...Oh." Futo frowned at her…!
Vzzt…! Yo! The TV's on! In it, we see Aya and company in their natural habitat…
"Aw." I turn to Ha-chan! "Y'think Aya's gonna shit out an egg this time!?"
"Pft- hehehe~!" This gets her to laugh, dude!
However, Futo's unpleasantly surprised! "Wha- why…!?"
Oh, shit, Mystia leans back in her seat to stare me down…! "You ever make a joke like that about me, 'n' you'll be the one shitting out eggs." Wahaha!
This does raise a question… "Do night sparrows lay eggs?"
"Motherfucker…" Mystia starts to get up! Woah- no!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: MORIHEI SHOZABURO'S PERSPECTIVE ====
I don't want to be here.
Again, this boring formality job… is, well, boring. By some curse, our ensemble, orchestra, band- whatever this is- passed the first round of performances. Our opponents were-... well, I don't actually remember who we played against.
I'm more worried about how I'll be compensated, when this is all over. Masato is worried about me, whenever I'm out late.
I'm seated on some magic box. It's of wood, but it 'amplifies sound', or something. I don't really care what it is, or how it works. As long as it doesn't break, because it'll suddenly become my fault when it does. It's my job to hook it up before the next performance.
The village guard morale band was something of a joke, until this concert band thing happened. My pal- what was his fucking name… whatever- he told me about how we had documentation for this sort of thing. And, it was apparently real, because I got fucking allocated into it. Fuck.
You'd think it'd be 'let's hire musicians!', but no. They took a random assortment of men, and hired a few musicians, ones who'd give us the time of day, and just mashed us together. Told the musicians to teach us, and that was all she wrote.
It's cold. It's dark. These fake magi-lights suck. The wind is cold, and goes through my crappy rags and armor. Our booth- twice the normal size, to account for our members- is drafty, the curtains powerless to stop the wind.
"Ho~h." I breathe into my hands, and rub them together. How long will we have to be out here?
Instead of a sword, I have this girly flute. I know I was never much of a warrior, or even a man, but this hurts. Even putting that aside, I feel like it would've just been a lot funnier to have our normally burly guys do something like this.
I say that, but we do. I'm the fifth of the six flute players we have on hand, and none of them are very happy either.
Of us, there are some priestly guys, in this to play their discount harps and such.
I never understood what the purpose of these holy practitioners was. They have no, like… formal faith alignment. They don't serve a god, and they're not seen wandering around the village at most times. They-... they're just kind of hard to talk about, really. I don't keep up on rumors.
Then there was… everyone else. We've got drummers, and some people with… some kind of string. Strings? Instruments with strings. All of us are guys, with this crappy uniform on in the dead of winter…
Leaning against a beam, seated on my box, I gaze at a shivering drummer, as he shifts his single drum about. We have two dedicated lifters, but neither of them seem to be around anymore.
And, then…
"Hehehe~!" A red-white clad girl giggles, seated around the fire in the middle of the booth. "What did you do then, captain…?"
Our captain, this half-pint, snot-nosed little shit, looks over to her. "Ah- I told him how it was, of course! I would not accept those conditions!"
Each of these girls are candidates for the Artificial Hakurei Project. Or, something like that. Really, it just seems like a team of cheerleaders. None of them really know how to sing, but their voices are apparently good enough. As much of a little shit the captain is, it seems like he's hit puberty.
The fire in the camp's midst is reserved for him and those girls alone. For the supposed risk of fire hazards, we are both not permitted near the fire, or to make our own fires. This order came from his own mouth. I'm pretty sure he fucking hates us.
Do we hate him back? Well… yeah.
He suddenly raises from the lap of one of the Hakurei-styled bimbos of his. "Surveyor! I would like a status report on our ranks!"
A guardsmen in white cloth and the regulation-standard bare plating came up to him. By 'bare plating', I mean he's got a plate on his chest like the rest of us, and that's about where it ends. "Ye- yes, sir!"
The surveyor moves. He's got a clipboard, and a quill, with a very dry slot on the side of the board for ink.
"Name and status." He requests of a strong looking man, standing by a stack of drums.
"Fukuma Ichizo. Drummer. Defender."
While the surveyor jots this down, he's already up to the next guy, another tall, large man, this one with a small flute like mine. "Name and status."
"Suga Okura. Flutist. Blade Surger."
"Ebisawa Shojiro~. Special effects. Holy prophet of the Human Village."
"Wada Satoshi. Flutist. Archer."
"Hosoo Koyo. Uh- um- drummer. Shieldsman."
"Ah- uh, George… Walker. Strings. Low-priority wall guard, and clerical staff…"
"Urata Masafumi. Strings. Patrol blade."
"Bushido Hido. Strings. Blade." What a guy he must be.
The surveyor stops before me, way more drained than when he started. "Alright-... go on."
"Morihei Shozaburo." I state my name. "Flutist." I state my instrument. "...Contractual surplus, blade." I'm not an everyday, on-file patrolman, but I could be if there was ever a shortage. The outside world has had similar concepts, or so I've heard. Something called a 'minuteman'. I'm supposed to fill any number of roles…
And, today, I'm a little sissy playing a fucking flute for a kid who could be my cousin, while he gets pampered by a bunch of not-Hakurei. Life comes at you fast. I just want to sleep.
This captain was one of many new, crappy hires. Now more than ever, experimental, unqualified recruits are being rushed in. They're either paying to get in, or being paid for. There's no questions about it, considering how the council currently is.
The surveyor leaves me alone. Good.
I wish I had long hair. The wind is not feeling good on my neck, right now. Fuck.
Vzzt. That annoying magic box on the upper rafters comes to life, the youkai inside peering down at us. Lady Hieda must feel embarrassed, sitting up there among them.
"Hello, hello, once again!" The tengu speaks, her voice projected in an innumerable echo across the village. "Well… to those who survived round two, anyway. We're ready for our second premiere bout!"
The audience murmurs outside.
"We're gonna start it off, wi~th…!" Don't pick us. Don't make me move. "Village Guardsman Ensemble!" You tengu bitch. Ugh.
Well, hopefully we lose here, so we can at least go home. I'd like to never touch a flute again, if that's okay with the guard. It's not the stupid girly attribution we came up with- it's pretty much just the fact we don't wanna play fucking flutes. None of us even really know how.
Wait- who are we fighting? I didn't hear. It doesn't really matter, but if we fight a big youkai team, this is gonna suck hard ass.
Alright. Time to- "Hngh…" -time to move this box…
My flute rested atop it, I heft it up, and… yeah, here we go.
Vrr- Vrrrr~. Two double doors shudder open, as our booth is two in width. Time to make some noise.
"Nn- ngh…" Thi- this sound box… is fucking heavy… c'mon- aah-
Thud. There. Plopped it down on the first step on the stage's ledge. Gonna need a moment…
Thud- thud. Alongside me, others move to push their pieces, where they need to. Behind me, and behind the rest of us who pulled forward first, are more people, waiting to move more wooden devices.
"Hnn~..." Well, let's not keep them waiting, I guess. I can breathe once I stop bottlenecking the doorway.
While everyone else gets their obligations and dumb things together, I stare across the stage…
Oh. We're playing against the Moriya. Last time we were on 'offense' was sort of a disaster, but 'defense' should go alright. Disaster in the passably awkward way, I mean.
Goddamn, it's so cold…
I almost wish it would snow. Then, this stupid thing would just be cancelled outright. Or postponed, but at least I wouldn't have to be here for another month or something. Maybe they'd get a real band together in that time, so I wouldn't have to be here.
But, there's no snow.
"Let's just give our contestants a moment to set up!" The tengu screeches. I'm starting to hate crows.
We begin setting up. For me, this involves pushing this box in line with the other rightmost boxes on the stage.
In total, we've got six sound boxes, three on either side. Twelve men who perform on flute, six drummers- each with minimal kit pieces, they've got to share- four priests, six fake Hakurei maidens, and the commander.
Oh- also, we have eight people on violin. Basically, our strings. Not sure why we call them 'strings' and not 'violinists'. Might be because the types of each differ. Whatever.
We've rehearsed all of our scripted songs, and we have protocols in place for if they play things we don't have instrument-wise.
"As always…" The captain gave us all a nod, standing at the forefront of our stage. "Cowardice, or death! Do you all hear me!?" That's the most melodramatic thing ever. Like what- is the kid just gonna execute us or something?
Will he sentence us if any of us really act out? Well- probably, or at least the political equivalent. Fire us and gossip about us to the businesses. Pretty sure that's actually worse than death, unless you can bum off someone for the next so-and-so years. Not that anyone'll take this kid seriously. I know I'm not.
Cli- click. Drawing his custom flintlock, the captain faced forward. It's a gaudy yellow and blue, weathered somehow.
Now that I think about it, does anyone know the captain's name? Probably. I don't.
Nnh. There. Box thing in place. Everyone else'll be done soon. Position-taking ti~me.
Ahah. From here, I can see the girls are all shaking. I don't know how the actual shrine maiden does it. She must freeze her tits off.
Thu- thu- thump. The drums are stacked into place. Some men are on cymbal duty, others on basic drums. Don't get dumb and trust one of us with a whole kit, now.
Wait- we got guys with horns, right…? We had guys with horns. Maybe they went home for the day. Maybe this is their extended piss break. I need booze.
Let's ask this kind looking soul next to me. "...You see where the horn guys went?"
The tall, short-haired man gives me a strong look, before staring ahead again. Don't talk my ear off, now. And- that pro'lly means no…
Drums, set. Flutes, I guess set. Horns, dead forever. Singers maybe, set… maybe. Worthless captain with a dumb gun, set. Priest guys, set.
Danmaku-wise, the strategy's pretty simple. Sound boxes do the work, otherwise, instruments automatically shoot things with use. No need for any of us to focus on any of that magic bullshit.
All I know, is flutes shoot slow homing bolts, and that's that. Some other colorful shit too, but it gets lost in the tide, and I just kinda zone out because fuck this. I'm not observant.
Although, I am observant of shit that might hurt me. Across from us, on the opposing stage, there's those actual goddesses with varying shades of hair… mostly brown and green. I don't know if the Moriya shrine maiden is a god, but they've actually got the harvest gods with them. I don't imagine they're… the most powerful of gods, but I wouldn't place any bets…
"Alri~ght!" The tengu bellows her shrill voice down at us. "Does anyone have any starting words, or things they wanna say!?" ...You mean 'parting words'.
"Yes!" It'd be nice if captain just said 'no'. Because we really don't. "It is once again the village's honor, for us to prove ourselves in this area of competition!" He's managed to say nothing in one sentence. "And we see to prove ourselves against the faux faiths of yesterday!" And- baselessly insulting our opposition, so there's no chance they'll be merciful.
...I mean- for us, that's a good thing, because it might be over quicker. More painful, but done faster. I hope, anyway.
"Ee- hehehe!" The one blonde on their stage, the child-sized goddess of mountains, as well as the namesake of Moriya, speaks up. "Nothin' says legitimate, like impersonations of an actual shrine maiden! Right, fellas?"
Can I switch sides?
"Indeed." Our own child growls into his microphone back at them. "We will deal with the youkai lover and your own heretic in due time, Moriya. Tonight, we prove ourselves better than you!" I will give him that, for a kid, he really knows how to sound like an asshole grownup.
"Oh, boy!" I think I agree with the tengu, this time. "Sounds like we're all riled up, huh!?"
The crowd's paying more attention now, since some drama's been stirred up between the stages. Funny how that works…
I bring up my flute. Ugh, playing this thing is such a… trial. We were pretty much showed how this works the other few nights, and… it's just, there's a lot of depth to playing it I'd like to know before getting shoved onto the stage, but, yeah.
We're basically backup trumpets, even if that's probably a terrible way to divvy up an instrument like this. Doesn't take a surgeon to tell you that these tiny pipes aren't the same fucking thing as a metal horn.
"Are we ready?" Finally, the tengu stops beating around the bush.
"Mmm!" The goddess Moriya nods back, her arms raised and ready to drum. Why's she got a drum kit? She's got the shortest arms of all of them. Actually- that kit looks custom tailored… probably by her, since she's a goddess. Divinity probably makes life a lot easier.
"We are ready." Captain fuckass also gets to the point. Only so much you can drag on the proceedings, apparently.
"Ready~...!" We don't need you to say you're ready, judge. Like- "Go!" Ah.
"Everyone!" Throwing one arm up, Captain immediately declares the command for our song pattern. "Order one large string, horn workaround, six trumpets, and twelve backup! We sing the third declared banner lyrica!"
Someone sneezed audibly after he said that. I- I found that funnier than I should have…
Cli- cli- click. All our music boxes click, their configuration shifting on his demand, the priests backing them cooperating.
What song is this? Captain's so creative with his names that none of them make any damn sense. Hopefully someone else begins playing and I can follow along…
Our drums begin first. Okay, good. A steady, consistent at least beat which spans the entire stage. Oh- oh, it's this song…
Fwoo~. Our flutes can serve a vaguely flute-y role in this song. And, even better, we just have to make spooky noises instead of actually fucking play anything. Maybe this'll be alright, aside from what the song's about.
Vree~r! Our violins blare third. This song's about imposing flourishes, and I suppose it fits how much of a dickhead the captain is.
"All embrace me…" The not-shrine maidens sing. If, if… if only for the fact, that the captain can't sing for piss. Just- he can barely be a big asshole without his voice cracking, so him singing is just not something that can exist in reality. "It's my time to rule at last…"
"Forlorn years have I been waiting, to sit upon my throne!" Can you guess who they're singing about? He also didn't write it himself, by the way. This is also the tenth-or-something draft. Also, the third writer. I'm glad I wasn't here for that.
It still hasn't struck the other band fully yet, but some of the goddesses are-... they actually look sort of amused, or something.
"No allegiance…" The girls also kind of started half-assedly, but they're picking up energy. "I will swear no oath!"
"Crowned by man, not by the gods, as my power is divine!" This would be awesome if we weren't singing about someone half my height. Also- if half of us knew what the fuck we were doing, because… I mean, the writer did all he could, with money and a gun to his head. Pretty much wrote the score and shit too, and I'm pretty sure he knows as much as I do about music.
Also, the violins sound kinda funny doing shrill ascensions like this-
Vrhree~r! The guitar of the Moriya maiden sounds a lot better for this, actually. It's a good thing she's here.
"They thought I was too young to rule the land…" We all still do. "Just as they failed to understand: born to ru~le!"
Yeah, there it is, all the girls on the other stage have realized what's going on. The bemusement is great, at least.
"My time has come…" The girls begin to compose themselves for the next stanza.
Fwio~m. Our music box things begin to charge magic, glowing brighter. You know, that one youkai band didn't use their sound box things as shields.
Fwam! "I was chosen by mankind!" With their announcement, streams of tasteless white bullets splash from our box-fuck-whatevers. And, you know what? I respect how pure they look. I can't help but stare at the neon white as it somehow accelerates towards the other stage…
"Say my name, and don't pray, to the ski~es! See our captain rise!" Somehow, this is the worst thing I've heard all evening. Also- what the fuck is his name…!? We can't say it if you're just 'the captain'!
Also, his anti-religion stance is very, very bizarre. I think he's the only person I've ever met who's publically despised the gods just because. Some people might get angry at them for the weather, or a bad crop season, or because they tripped and fell, but this guy? No, he just hates gods.
As expected, our machinegun of easy to follow, colorless danmaku pellets is flawlessly avoided by everyone… except goddess Moriya. But, she just kind of takes it. This is good.
"With the village, my protector!" I wanna know whose aristocracy he hails from. "Make them bow to my will! To the ski~es, see our captain rise!" I feel embarrassed. For everyone.
...Oh- man, looking at him, it looks like he's sort of embarrassed too! Pft- hahaha~! Good thing he doesn't actually perform! Oh- shit, fucked up my flute timing, I laughed into it…!
Fwa- fwa- fwam! "To the ski~es, see our captain rise!" Our maidens announce themselves once more, bringing about unaimed spreads of absolute white danmaku this time.
Their own shrine maiden is right at the border of their own stage, looking very… again, I'm gonna say amused. Awkwardly amused.
After a brief recession in our music's overpowering loudness, it picks up again. "Proved in battle. Led our men to victory…" Wait- oh right, this lyric! Yeah, I'm seriously doubting the validity of this. "No man alive or dead commands me! I answer to my land." What- does that mean…? I answer to my land. Does the lawn fucking talk to you!?
"Hear my orders." Our offense is probably gonna get a low score, because these dumb machinegun boxes can't hit a rock if it stood still. "Question me and die! What I say was said by the people, and so it shall be done!" Uh, yeah, sure.
"I know I was destined to rule alone! All for myself I have claimed the throne; born to ru~le!" What throne- you're a fucking guard captain! Well, the captain, but you still technically answer to the chief! Not that, he does anything…
"My time is now!" The girls all flourish their arms.
Fwa- fwa- fwam! Oh, hey, more pretty bullets. You know, I never realized how nice danmaku actually looks. Maybe I should find out how to shoot like, one really slow bullet, just so I can stare at it.
"I was chosen by mankind!" With another shout of our maidens, the chorus begins again. "Say my name, and don't pray, to the ski~es! See our captain rise!"
"Kanako-sama!" Uh- woah. The Moriya maiden across the stage yelled out.
Whi- whi- whish. In the sky above her, the clouds in the dark, moonlit sky swirl momentarily. Um…
"With the village my protector!" Our maidens start to huddle together, taking pragmatic stances. Weren't they trained in some kind of combat? Probably too distracted by the captain's dick. "Make them bow to my will! To the ski~es… see our captain rise!"
Woosh. Descending from above, goddess Yasaka has her arms folded, casting a lazy gaze over the stages, her legs also crossed.
We've got another brief intermission here, which the Moriya maiden capitalizes on like she's psychic. "Kanako-sama, transfuse some faith to Hina!"
"Wha- oh. Why?" Yasaka faces her curiously…
The Moriya maiden beams back. "We've got a plan!" They do? Oh, fuck.
I mean… yeah, shit. I didn't notice, but they've just not been shooting at us. At all. Probably… not a good sign.
Raising a microphone thing from our own maidens, the captain speaks some things himself. He was smart enough to give himself a speaking interlude, at least. Although, what he says always changes.
"All that's thine shall be mine, there's no stopping me~!" Oh, fuck. We're double-fucked at this rate. "All o'er Gensokyo, my rule shall be questioned by none. All I see, give to me; that is my decree~!"
Man. The guard's fallen on some… hard times. The hardest of times.
Woosh. Before us, before the captain finishes his interlude, one of the goddesses floats forward, joining the Moriya maiden at the front of their stage.
Her form glowed an unearthly, green and black hue, a gold-teal trail flowing from Yasaka into her. This was goddess Kagiyama, one of the goddesses of misfortune. Wait...
"My will be done!" Our captain squeaks out. He tries to bellow, but no, I'm calling it a squeak, because that's what he does.
With a flourish of the Moriya maiden's guitar, it overpowering our violins pretty remarkably, it does a solo thing over our progressive interlude.
whish. Goddess Kagiyama suddenly is gone, her aura going with her. Ah…
I look around, not that it helps. Ah, shit…
fli- flick- flick. From above, a single strand of royal red ribbon twirls down, spiralling impossibly on its way towards the ground. But, it stops in the air.
whish- whish- Whish- WHISH! From the midst, many more bands project out, forming a massive, shell-like shape of white frills and red silk.
Then, the storm of fabric is cast up. Beneath it, the first thing we see is the huge, laced boots of the goddess Kagiyama, before the rest of her form was revealed. She was larger now, the womanly form easily that of our one story houses, and then some.
She's over our stage, by the way. Yeah, that's-... that's pretty bad for us, isn't it?
Dropping the microphone- one of the maidens moving to retrieve it- the captain staggers back at the mere sight of such a huge woman, raising his flintlock. Are- you seriously gonna try to shoot the god…?
"They thought I was too young to rule the land!" The shrine maidens keep singing-
"Beast!" Oh- um, that was a priest-
"I didn't sign up for this shit…" The guy next to me starts to lower his flute.
"She's hot." Now this guy has the right idea!
"Fuck all of you!" One of the scrawnier guys just- ohp, bye! Fuck you too!
BLAM! The captain fires at the goddess.
The bullet meets Kagiyama's forehead. Where it dents her great flesh, the hole is instantly gone.
Cli- click. The ball bearing fired from the flintlock bounces to the floor beneath her. She just ejected the bullet…
FWOO- FWOOM. Oh my… gods.
From her back, two great wings of earthy green flourish, spanning a width greater than our stage itself. Her green eyes are luminescent, spiralling and vast.
"It's every soldier for himself!" The trumpeteers are here! They sound pleased to join us.
Vuu- vraa- vruu- vuu! They play randomly up at the goddess, red beams flaring from the magically addled instruments. Only like, three guys stuck around…
"Just as they failed to understand! Born to rule!" The fake maidens all drew their ofuda, of varying designs and colors.
"Sir!?" One of the defecting violinists stops by the captain, grabbing him by the shoulder. Wh- when'd the violin snap in half!? "Sir- what do we do!?"
"Unhand me!" The captain's expression flares-
Wham! He smacked the guy in the face! "Peace, commoner!"
fli- flick. flick. Simple, one or three bullet spreads and twists of ofuda met Kagiyama's boots. Nice… job.
"Um…" One of the short-haired fake maidens nears the captain. She's shaking, compacting as she distances herself behind her sisters. "Sir, um…"
I'd like to kinda… take note, that we have not been attacked yet. Goddess Kagiyama has, so far… glared at us, and most of us are fucking hysterical over it. We are not finishing this song!
Taking the microphone from the frightened girl, the captain yells into it. "My time is no~w!"
Cla- clack. Casting his flintlock aside, he took a non-custom one out from within his official attire. He has more!?
Our instruments-... no one's playing anymore. The musicians in stuffy suits are gone, half our men have deserted, and some are just sitting around, on the fence whether or not this is worth it anymore.
"Oh, dear…" Goddess Kagiyama speaks down to us.
The captain tries to yell back, filling in for the shrine maidens who seem taken aback by the goddess over them. "I-"
"All of this spread sorrow..." The goddess moves her hands out, her deathly paleness and great green nails catching my eyes.
"Say my name, and don't pray!" The captain's just… damn. He's got some balls, for a little shit!
The shrine maidens don't answer his expectation, most of them starting to shuffle behind them. "Na- Nanako-chan, I'm scared-"
"Fu- fuck it… we need to run! Look- everyone else is fleeing!" Another points to the men getting out of here.
Oh, I'm alone now. Why am I still here, even.
"Cowards!" Captain's voice gets even shriller than I thought it could. "We all failed, because yo~u were too weak!"
A long-haired shrine maiden stuck her middle finger in his face. "Fuck off." O- oh, wow, he looked stunned for a moment…!
Whack! I toss my flute on the ground! Alright, time to watch this shit from a distance!
...What the fuck- the door behind me is closed already, probably to keep people from dancing back and forth so half-heartedly. A bunch of people got stopped by it, actually.
One door's still open past the kid, so I move for that one. On my way back, I see a priest is still here, shooting some dumb holy bolts up. One guy's got his sword out. You gonna stab her boot with it?
Hell, there's more people here than I thought, but many people found excuses not to play and just hang back.
Bwa- bwa- bwaa~! The trumpets blare again, but the lasers do nothing.
Captain's angry again! "If you will not serve in combat…!" Well, fuck sticking around! Let's go!
Powering past him, I make for the door, where some shrine maidens imposters are already on their way out. Maybe I can chat with some of them, now…
"You will serve, on the firing line!" Yeah, yeah.
Slowing in the door, I take a look back at the center of the stage.
"Wha- what…!?" One of the maidens has her arms up, his gun- wait what the fuck. "He- hey, no…"
His eyes teary, the captain moves the flintlock from her face, to the maidens near her. "The- the price of cowardice, is death!" Wait- is he…!?
His eyes meet mine, or at least it seems like it.
Click. His gun-... he's got it ready. He was-... he might shoot them? It sure as hell looked like he was about to.
Pivoting away from me, he takes aim at some of the guys near the closed door. They begin moving back into positions, but only a few of them. The rest of the men are glaring, also put off by this bullshit.
"Young man… with a heart of hate." Goddess Kagiyama focuses on him. It feels like so much is going on, all of a sudden. "Never play with fate."
At this point, there's no more music. Everything's stopped.
"You!" The captain calls up to her. "You do not scare me!"
I begin to step up to him. I really don't know what the hell I'm doing.
Is anyone else, though? Ah, no, not really. I'll fucking do it, then. Pansy asses. You don't just point a gun at a girl. Pointing it at a guy, woulda been screwed up but, like, your everyday kind of screwed up. Flashing it at a girl, though? I don't care if he's a kid. Fuck him.
"Retreat, is not an option." He speaks to us, as a fraction of us sort of lingers about. Then, he sights me coming up to him. "Ah, you- you will be-"
Eee~! I left my flute behind, so I just whistle into my hands, and focus-
Woosh. A single, white danmaku pellet flares past him. Damn. So- it is… about as they say, then. First time in a few months I bothered to use danmaku.
"...You dare shoot at me!?" He almost seems to grin at me. "At me!?"
"Yeah. Because you're being a goddamn asshole." Little piece of shit.
Click. He flicks his flintlock up to me, before I can get close enough to fuck with him. Ugh… shit.
CLA- CLACK. Goddess Kagiyama lands, obviously invested in our exchange. "I suppose… I should be direct, even if it's tasteless of me. Do not shoot him." Oh. Woah.
...Fuck. I guess I've… got a goddess' blessing.
"You heard her." I'm starting to get momentum, here… "Put your toy down."
He doesn't lower it. "The rate these vermin go…" After shaking his head, he reaffirms the arm. "By the charge of cowardice, you are sentenced to death! On behalf of the human village!"
I grin. "I fucking dare you, kid." What, as if you would, after
BLAM
auhfwhaaohoa
nn
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: BRAD'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Red splashed onto the not-Reimu behind the guy, after she'd kinda just filed behind him. "Aa-... aaa~h!"
The body of the black-haired guy fell back limply. S'not… something you see everyday.
"Hey- hey!" Aya yelled out from her stand. "Awh- ah- are you serious!? A- real-...!?"
That kid- captain, whoever- lifted his flintlock, as if a little at first apprehensive of what he just did, but uh…
He nodded at everyone. "Well!?"
A big guy began to walk up! "I can't believe this shit-"
The priest next to him stopped him. "No- er, just…"
Cla- clack. Casting his flintlock aside, the boy drew another from his suit. "Are you ready to die for me!? Who's with me!?"
Slowly, everyone began to shuffle back to their places.
"You…" Uh. Giant Hina poises herself back, as if kind of shocked! "You'd go this far?"
Sanae's kinda fidgeting on her stage, the rest of her band just together and discussing things. Probably 'what in the fuck are we gonna do about this'.
"Yes." He aimed his flintlock up at Hina, again! "And I'd-... do it again! Who would dare defy me?"
...Ooh. Slowly, the giant winged Hina crouched down, looking down at him-
BLAM! He tried shooting her again, which went about as well as the first time. His own pull of the trigger made him blink and recoil!
She closed her glowing, green eyes. "That fortune, of yours… would be put to better use elsewhere."
Shing. He drew a fucking tiny sword from his belt. Like, the fencing kind even. "Is that a threat?"
She inhaled… and then-
Woo~sh! Upon exhaling, she became an aura of black and green…!
The fog quickly enveloped him. "Back- get back!"
I'd like to see how the judges are wiggin' out about this, but the camera's only good in one direction… the one it's pointing! Nnh.
Additional smokey, black energy manifests out from the guard band members around their stage. From the not-Reimus, from the men, and even from the freakin' corpse- especially from the corpse.
It all coalesces around the boy, forming a perfect, round sphere of black. Then, it shrinks in…
His form is revealed again, the black solid now within him. He was swinging his sword at the air, eyes shut hard. "Hrgh- rah! And- back! Haha! Ah…" Then he opened 'em!
Hina's voice- oh shit it's coming from everywhere- "I'm sorry. I hope you will learn from this, someday. And, maybe, what you learn will save lives, rather than end them."
I'm sorry I disrupted the festival.
I hope you all have a great evening.
O- oh… woah. What… the fuck. Holy shit, gods are good, dude!
...The village is visibly freaked out! The camera itself is freaked out, changin' positions all randomly!
"Wha- what the heck…" Somewhere around me, Mystia shakes her own head! "Geez." The real question is, if it's from event-related disgust, or confusion from Hina invading her brain!
"I think…" Looking way older than she did before, Aya just flops her arms on the judge table top. "Disqualified. Guard people- whatever, disqualified. All in favor?"
"Yeah." Akyuu nodded dully.
Rinnosuke sighed. "Disqualified."
...The camera pans back to a big zoom-out of the two stages. It's kind of creepy, because the shot is just dead static, unlike how it's been. Literally just put the camera there just to put it there for now.
The clarity does let me focus on something in particular.
"Um…" Ha-chan starts talking, but I kinda just tune all 'a the ensuing noise out fer a moment.
I'm takin' note of that not-Reimu that got splashed in blood. She's just kinda kneeling down, crying over the guy's corpse now, sort of… feeling at it, fer some reason.
That situation went pretty well for him, up until like, there. Kinda, anyway. And, y'know… the layout really made me wonder. What if he didn't die? Hell- what if he just ran? I dunno how shit woulda played out then, but y'know… maybe coulda met a girl, had a whole romantic sub-story of his own or some shit, did things.
But nah, he's dead. A pile a coolin' skin an' blood… in, well, at least a place a lot of people can see! Not that that's a good thing, but- as opposed to like, a ventilation shaft or somewhere forgettable and dismal.
People never really think about stuff like that. The sorta creepy 'what ifs' to a situation, which in the end aren't so scary, 'cause we can go 'what if' about something all damn day long, but what happened happened.
Like- ooh, he coulda gotten a wife, had a kid, made her happy and not traumatized like that one not-Reimu is, maybe woulda even been like the next big man in charge or something, or maybe just a good tablemaker, or… or he coulda died the next day to something even more stupid, like a falling rock. Watch out for falling rock, dude.
But, shit like this is a good lesson in consequences! One that kid'll probably be sure not to forget!
I pan my gaze to my party members, after Aya already knocked the kid the fuck out in one swing of her arms, and is now helping the people on-stage.
Seija looks pretty satisfied! That's- yeah. Good!
"Thi~s is why I don't hang here anymo~re…" Kyouko sort of innocently jabs at the village atmosphere…!
"Damnation." Futo's just tiredly leaning into the table next to me. I didn't even know she was there!
"This is why I don't hang here to begin with." Mystia didn't seem very bothered by it, for probably obvious reasons. "Place is full of shitheads like these. Fucking circus of serial killers."
Kyouko snorted. "You say that, but…"
Brow raised, Mystia panned her gaze to her. "But I only eat ba~d people, Kyouko-chan."
"Mmm." Kyouko didn't seem too happy with that…!
"I don't eat people." Seija is suddenly next to Kyouko!
"...That so." And yet, Kyouko is not invigored…
...When she turned to her, Seija was leanin' down into her face! "'Cause they taste like shit."
"Fu- nnh, screw you." Aw. Kyouko tries to shoo her with her hand.
And it works! Seija lets herself jankily pace away. "Hehehe~..." She's probably having the best night of her freakin' sadistic life. An' now I know to watch out for her a little more even! Considering this gets her high! "I prefer poultry, anywa~y…"
...Mystia turns to her next! "Ah, fuck you, Seija. If there's anyone we should be pissed at, it's this rotten bitch getting high on this goddamn murder."
"Heheha~!" Seija shuts her eyes in laughter! "Dude- why do you fuckin' care? He was just a dumba~ss! Walked up to a guy with a gun, even! De- deserved to get shot…!"
"I think that's the point, Mysty…" Kyouko had a small smile, as she shook her head…! "I-... don't think Seija even cares, at all. The controversy-"
"I know! Still, fuck!" Mystia is pissed! "Aagh!" Rock fuck! Yeah!
And then there's me, dude. And Ha-chan, who's just looked mournful. Oof.
"Tardation." 'Scuse you, Futo…? "Tarnation, damnation- condemnation-... anathematization!" Holy shit, dude!
"Hi." I turn to her.
...She exhales at me. "Do not speak, ye jobbernowl. Keep thy damned wisdom by lock and key."
"S'it really piss you off that much…?" Aren't you like, ten million years old? Well, more like a grand, but-
"Between that shinto wenche's unholy hexation, the ruin wrought by the Moriya harridan- sard- lickspittling bloody cunt." What in the nine fucks are these words, and how are they English…!? "Yes- I am deptly enraged! And- ye 'a mite fascinated as well, yes!? What say you!?" She's loud!
Well… "Uuh. It got me thinkin' about like, the alternatives."
"Pfta~h!?" She's kinda cute when she's this riled! "The- the alternatives!? My boy- a single event has taken place, and it shall be so! Thou'st a drunkard's mind, and ye'aven't drunken!" I don't think 'drunken' is proper English in the first place…! Also- her going 'my boy' is incredibly cute, actually. Like- ooo!
"S'not like you said anything 'bout the murder to begin with!" I mean, she seems more pissed at Sanae and friends than she is the fact a guy just got hung… with a bullet!
"Awful damnation it is." She seems almost offended at me! "Leave it to a damned varlet nobthatcher to push their sin to the holy. I speak, for… the Moriya, they caused the damn occurrence. Are ye sated, yellowbelly?" Yellowbelly.
I guess that means she thinks they like super caused it. I- don't think so? I can see how people can take it like that though, because magic bullshit, and if they weren't pressed in the first place, the noob wouldn't've killed a boy. But, I mean, considering the kinda psycho he is, he woulda done that anyway.
"So, they caused a guy to shoot anotha' guy." I kinda question this premise. Wasn't where I was goin' to begin with, but after thinking on it…
"Eh-... yes. Effectively so." She nods strongly! "And beyond, a plague unto the village. Do you see?"
"He woulda shot a boy eventually anyway. Didn' need anyone specific to pressure 'em." I debate back, dude. I gotta speak quick- 'cause she does too! "An' also, whaddaya mean curse?"
"The plague of fallen luck, and general tamper." Futo- she said wat now. Gonna assume 'tamper' also means luck…!? "She was out of line, disciplined the sinner beyond authority and right, and involved others in greedy self-satiation. What a pitiable, weepable display." I don't think weepable is a word, either...
"I didn't really care about that." I confess! "Hina does bad luck stuff, right? So, she gave him bad luck, like… adjusted everyone else's luck, and, yeah. S'like- the godly version of punching a guy in the nuts." Ho ho ho!
Futo huffs back at me. "Many thanks, for once again placing thy ineptitude on display. Pray tell, what do you price it at?" Freakin'...!
"Look- I don't get how yer faith bullshit's a problem, but- nnh!" I do not get why her taoist things make this more abstract than it needs to be! I guess like-... she thinks associating villagers with a godly act is bad, but the way she puts it, the gods existing is bad. I mean, they're fuckin' shinto gods, and she's taoist. Weird.
Well, whatever. "Anyway yo, what I was tryin'a say, was it got me thinkin' about what the boy coulda lived for. I don't give no shits about this blame game crap, and, like…" Oof. Brain, work!
"Say the Moriya murdered thy wife." Futo, please. "What of it now?"
"Bye, wife." I give her a look of faux concern, dude. "I miss her, dude."
...Futo actually looks concerned herself! "Oh- her? Um-... mine, apologies. O- oh." Wait, did she just misunderstand me? Aw, dude!
I don't know if I want to correct her, or if I wanna ride that one-way ticket to awkward quietness town!
"You guys are a fucking riot." Seija is dying in the back, some distance away from us! "Oh my god…"
"I think you two need a room." Mystia, I will roast those fluffy wings 'a yours. Roast 'em! And then- nuzzle them… 'cause they're so fluffy…
"Begone, youkai scion." Futo casts an arm up for no reason! "Thy jeers-... nngh."
I think I can safely say, our morale has been shot in the foot! Aw, well. This stuff builds character, dude.
I stand up! "Alright, Ha-chan. I'm gonna take you out for your walk, so you can piss on a tree."
She blinks owlishly at me! "...I don't pee though?" Oh, huh, yeah. Let's just quietly ignore the fact all pissing occurs in some parallel universe that isn't this one…
Wait. "Didn't you like, piss or shit in the- you know what, nevermind." Let's not find out if she shat on a couch before. I think fairies can defecate when they feel like it, and that's scary!
"Oka~y! Let's go~!" Wait- I'm leadin' you, Ha-chan!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
We found a nice bench, dude.
"Mmh…" Sitting next to me on the plain bench, Ha-chan's cast her legs over mine, effectively half-sitting in my lap as she snuggles onto me.
This wasn't necessarily what I had in mind, when I just skedaddled outta the angry room that was the booth!
It's been awhile 'a this kinda thing, hasn't it? Ha-chan destroying my personal space, that is…!
At the very least, it's stopped being awkward! S'kinda like… the weight of someone makin' contact with you is still just something that never ceases to be weird in some way.
"Music stuff is fun." An' it doesn't get weirder than a cheek getting rubbed up against your own!
Her bum brushes my lap, as she wiggles about. "Everyone's funny, but kinda mean…!"
"Yeah, they are!" I agree wit' 'er! Freakin'- just got an arm around her to keep her from destroying my thighs by shiftin' about!
There's really something about how her body is… so adult, or at least quite late teen. It's not like super busty or anything, s'pretty humanely tame, but that just kinda makes it…
It's hot. Ha-chan just sitting in my lap like this is doing awful things to my self-control...
"I kinda wanna know why…" Geez- when someone's sitting on you, it seems like there's so much of them. Probably because it gives them an inherent height advantage… "But at the same time, I think it'd be kinda, y'know, complicated."
"Well, one 'a them gets a high off 'a anger, and the rest are just kinda… fed up, or got agendas…!" Freakin' agendas, dude. I had an agenda from my middle school- like, an actual physical calendar booklet thing, and not a freakin' political-
"What's an agenda?" Ha-chan- aw, s'actually good timing on that! And-
Uah. She- scoots into my lap, and brings her face closer. Her face is really smooth! Fairies are cuddly…
"Eheheh!" She- Ha-chan, stop adjusting yerself! "Your lap is lumpy!" Oh, good. Ah-
Okay. She just, intentionally thrust her butt against the 'lump', which, nnh… "Well- an agenda's like a calendar- but in a tiny book, with room to write- like, in it…"
"Aah…" She kinda tilts her head, like- her face is just ten or twenty centimeters from mine, she has no concept of personal space. "Sounds boring. But- those make people mad? Maybe they'd make me mad…!"
Ha-chan- really now- holy shit…!
"Um- sto- stop…" I make her stop nudging her butt into me! "S'not comfortable…!"
"Ohp… sorry." Hoh, shit. I have negotiated with my cuddle fairy. "But- what is that…" Pft- don't grab it- holy shit!
"Anyway!" I'm gonna drown out that thought! "There's another kinda agenda!"
"Uu~gh…" She groans into my face. Jesus… "Why do some words have double meanings?"
"Because pain, friend." No good answer for that one! "And- can you um, let go, friend…?" She's just- holding on to it. it's a good thing it's dark and no one can see shit, 'cause this is a novel experience…!
"Why." What- what do you mean why. "Did you put something in there?" Ha-chan-...
Her hand just gropes my crotch, and while it feels good, it's not really territory I think I should like, approach tonight, like at all…!
"Yes." I put something in there, y'freakin'... "Food." I put food there.
She smiles into my face. "Aah- food!? Lemme-"
"Chicken nuggets." Something she doesn't like!
She lets go. "Aaw. Darn…" Success, dude! I'm victarious!
Even so, she's kinda just taken me over, and is now just, sitting on my lap belly-to-belly with me. Why's she have boobs? So many other fairies are flat- why's she so- woah…
Not sure if this position's better or worse. I mean- it's better, but the fact I gotta restrain myself makes it worse!
"You look dizzy…" Freakin', we've gone completely off-topic, and now Ha-chan's just in my face.
Ugh. You know what…
I give up. Reaching forward, I wrap my arms around her, and press my head into her neck.
"Ooh!" She hugs back. "Mmm…"
Smells like fairy and dirt. I'm fine spending like, the next hour like this. She's warm…
Also, my legs are getting squished into the bench we're on, but that's good. I like her weight on me. Pressing into me, weighing me down, and just-... she feels so alive. It's so new!
I let my hands drift down to her butt.
"Ehe!" When I squeeze on, she giggles a little. "That feels funny…" Wait- her hands are sliding down my own back…
She squeezes mine back. "...You're soft, Brad-kun." What the fuck're we doin'...!
I hug back really hard because of how fucking cute she is- and it prompts her to hug back just as strongly! So good.
"Um…" Oh- shit- we've been spotted! By who!?
I turn my gaze to the left, as does Ha-chan!
From the alley next to us, a luminescent light began to fade out, of some kind. And, standing before us… ah. Wait…!?
== Freakin' Boundaries: Maribel Hearn's Perspective ==
Carefully slipping into my seat at the cafe table, I watch Renko-chan plop down across from me.
A cute, somber, blues rendition of Greensleeves is quietly playing over the cafe radio, half-droned out by the rain. We're pretty alone in here, and that's what makes it nice. So local. It makes it feel like, personal.
"So..." Heaving a sigh, Renko relaxed into the cushy cafe seat. "What's new?"
"Oh…" I love this rain. "I've just been thinking." Lurching to the side of my seat, I begin to lift my suitcase from under the table.
Renko-chan smirks. "That's new. What's the occasion?" Wha- mrrm...
I roll my eyes. "We were just here yesterday, Renko-chan. I wanna know what you've come up with."
Her fingers folding together, she smiles and snorts. "I know. With the way you phrased that, I couldn't resist. Why not 'hey, what's up'?"
My suitcase makes the table jolt, when I set it down.
Unfastening the locks on it, I glance up at her. "Hey, what's up?"
...She props her arms on the table, giving me a vain stare. Haha~h!
Um. Hmm, let's see... what do I wanna take outta my suitcase…?
I look up, and out the nearby, hazy window. The rain outside the cafe is getting heavier. My. We might not be able to go home, for quite some time.
Done with my glance at the window, I open my suitcase. Inside, there are many pictures I've drawn over the past few weeks…
Lifting them out and moving the suitcase aside, I spread them across the rich, brown cafe table.
There are many pictures. My eyes run across the one I drew the other day, of a girl dressed in black. She had an orb of darkness around herself, which masked her light, even though it shined brighter than all others.
When I slide that one aside, I see the one I drew last Saturday. The beautiful, duty-bound shrine maiden, who worked tirelessly to maintain her way of life.
Renko-chan scratched her cheek. "...Did you bring any new ones?"
The perfect balance. That was what she strived to maintain, even if something such as that was truly impossible. At least, not-
"Merry." Renko-chan snapped her fingers in my face. "I know it's rainy, but we only just started. Don't fall asleep on me already."
"Hehehe…" I blink. "Sorry, sorry, Renko-chan. No, I don't have anything for today."
She slouched. "Wha~t? Why'd you call me, and ask me to come out here, then…?"
I brought a finger to my lips. "I was thinking we could draw one. It'll be fun!"
...Renko-chan smiled. "Well, I guess."
...Interlocking my fingers, only for a moment, I framed our activity. Believe it or not, I actually planned a little beforehand! "You know how I usually ask you to bring an object? Inspiration?"
Renko-chan tilted her head back and forth. "Yea~h. You had me bring you that red ribbon, last Sunday. Was I supposed to bring something today?"
"No, no." I shook my head. "I did it, today."
"Ah. Coo~l." Renko-chan nods. "I was about to say… if you expected me to bring them, you should've said something."
Reaching into my suitcase, I took out a pencil and some paper. Then, I took out…
Clang. Renko-chan stared down at the metal blankly.
…
"Merry," Renko-chan gave me a vain expression, "that's a plant hanger."
I nod. "Good, good." Additionally, I draw a pair of scissors from the suitcase. "These will be our objects, today."
"…I think you're running out of ideas, Merry." Awwh. Renko-chan was still skeptical.
Taking out another pencil, more paper, and a box of crayons, I hand her some of the supplies. "Maybe. You shouldn't doubt common objects, though, Renko-chan. You might be surprised."
"I'm sure that plant hanger holds plants really well." Renko-chan made fun of the shiny, black plant hanger. Not like that's hard, at the end of the day...
Adjusting my paper, and placing the plant hanger at the side, I begin drawing.
...Renko-chan slowly begins to get busy on a drawing herself, placing the scissors aside her sheet.
The lines come naturally. The characterization, thickness, shading...
It's like my hand's on auto-pilot, almost. Maybe I'm really good at this. But… I don't think so.
I can feel the… weight behind every drawing. Every picture, every portal...
I make idle conversation. "I've been having these… weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this for real… or not?"
Renko-chan snorts. "I played Kingdom Hearts too."
Awwh- dang it! "Yeah, well, my point still stands…"
Then, she just focuses on improving her drawing. Ever perceptive, Renko-chan...
…Ha~h. Well, I'm almost done anyway. Now to just, embellish it...
Once a drawing's done, it's done. Well- kind of. It could always use work, but… whenever I consider something final, it's final. My hands slow, and eventually, they stop. It's not a matter of laziness, because will doesn't play a part. In my mind's eye, the drawing is complete.
"We should go there." I'm nearly done detailing the legs.
Despite everything, Renko-chan's drawing is still a lot more defined than mine. I guess that's what happens when you take an art course as an elective…
"Sure." She replied idly.
...Was she listening? Eheh.
My drawing, uhm…
The figure I've drawn… has blue sweatpants, and a blue shirt. He's also got what looks like a tumbleweed for hair. I'm completely done. I finished my drawing in about… fifteen minutes. My shortest time yet. It's pretty-... hard, to elaborate more. It's a very simple subject by nature.
Renko-chan wasn't nearly as done, though.
Setting down my crayons and pencil, I look up at her. "I'm serious. I've got this feeling, about that shrine…"
"Are you certain about it?" Renko-chan speaks while focusing on her own drawing.
"Mmm…" I stare out the window. "I… know how to access it. I think."
"...You don't sound certain."
...Well. Yeah. Dang.
Renko looks up from her finished drawing.
It's of a rather average-looking guy, with khaki shorts, and a red shirt.
"Done." She looks up at me, smiling. "So, Merry, what's their stories? You couldn't have a story for the one I drew, I'm sure."
We'll see about that, Renko-chan.
First, I look down at my drawing…
"He's a very happy, innocent sort of man." I begin. Not inherently innocent, but of a… mind, more in tune with that of a curious child. Active and roaming, despondent to encumberment."
"Is he really, though…?" Renko-chan interjects immediately. "Well, I guess your drawing is simple."
"...You're right." I nod at her perceptivity. "Rather, he wants to be more innocent. Exploring, running, jumping, talking… he loves it all. He loves it so much, that he couldn't bear the thought to lose the ability to do those things. He couldn't bear to not live, by his standard of living."
"He sounds really needy…" Put off, Renko-chan tilted her head back and forth.
I shake my head. "His standard of living is simple. He just wants to live."
"I think the word you're looking for is freedom." Renko-chan adds. "A free spirit, that doesn't want to be tied down."
Right, right… "And so he bears weapons, to defend his freedom. There's nothing he fears more than confinement. In spite of this… he's more confined than anyone he will ever meet."
Renko-chan smirked. "That's where you usually take these things. Why's that?"
"His fear creates indecision." I finish. "...He will never be free."
"…That's arguably true of every human being." Renko-chan pointed out.
I smile. "Did you not say he was simple?"
…Ahah. I got you, Renko-chan.
"At least he doesn't eat people." Shrugging off her defeat, she stared out into the rain. "Like that last one."
I thought she was pretty sweet… though, I guess it's a little morbid.
"What about him?" Smirking anew, Renko-chan held up the individual she drew. I knew she was going to draw him. "What's his story?"
"It's not all that different…" I consider. "Except, he doesn't so much feel the fear of indecision."
Rolling her eyes, Renko-chan leans back. "You had that planned out, didn't you? I mean- he looks like Jake from State Farm, or a Staples salesperson."
Renko-chan, please. "He acts with definition. Such definition that he disregards human life in his pursuits and desires. He fells those in his way without consideration, because to him, he does not need to fear losing freedom. He allows nothing, no one, and no emotion to bind his action. While the other man is simple, friendly, and idle, this one is complex, destructive, and energetic."
...Half-expecting the explanation, Renko-chan blinks. "Again, that's kinda arguably true of every human being."
"Hehehe~..." Oh, Renko-chan… there's more to it than that. "I suppose it is easy to see how balance is present in humanity. Then, again, I suppose balance in nature is sort of hypocritical to talk about, when we use human terms to define it…"
…Ha~h. This may've been our quickest session yet.
"So…" Leaning back, she stares at me. "Do you still want to go check out that old shrine again?"
…I begin to get up. "I'd like that."
I want to go there while I'm awake.
== Freakin' Boundaries ==
Resolute, we marched up the stormy shrine steps with our umbrellas held hi~gh…!
KraKoo~m! "Did we have to go in the middle of the sto~rm!?" Renko-chan yelled over the roar of the rain! It was striking the overgrown, eroded stone steps up to the shrine…!
...Okay, okay, I'll admit: not my brightest whimsical moment! But, we're halfway up!
"Keep go~ing!" I yell to her! "We're almost there!"
KraKoo~m! It's hard to see, and water's rushing past our shoes!
Slowly but surely, we trudged up the old stone steps. Around us, the dark forest that owned the whole hill was murkily illuminated by a faint tinge of blue, while grey commandeered the sky.
"Wo- woah!" I hold Renko-chan's arm tight, my left arm looped through her right. In one hand, I hold my suitcase, and in the other, that plant hanger. I couldn't get it back inside, so~...
Anyway, I stopped Renko-chan from having the world's worst slip'n'slide experience ever.
"Oh- oh my go~d!" She was slowly growing more amazed by the storm. "Why was there no weather ale~rt!?"
...News channels tend to lie. Especially meteorologists. Why do they call them meteorologists if all they study are clouds and wind…?
KraKoo~m! The world flashed a second after the thunder boomed. That lightning was somewhere near…!
We reach the top of the steps, the water not nearly as rapid or active as the stream roaring down the steps. Gods...
"Go, go, go~!" When Renko-chan hastily bolts forward, I try to run with her. We end up with some kind of demented, sideways jog, but that's alright. The shrine's steps aren't too far…
We reach them. "Hey- get- augh!"
Aah…! Renko-chan awkwardly pulls me along as she tries to go up all three steps at once!
"Nnh!" I have to set a hand on the wet wood floor, to stop myself from becoming one with the stairs, because Renko's motion made me fall…
"Aa- ah, sorry!" She tries to unloop our arms, but- ugh...
"Ju- just go- eck..." I begin to get up- and manage to successfully separate our arms! And- wind got my throat, and everything's awful! "Ghet inside!"
She slides the shrine door open-
Clack! It slams, wind forcing it open as wide as can be. We rush into the musty, dark shrine, and she proceed to slam it shut ourselves.
Clack. ...Safe!
…Oh, man. That rain. I'm so happy we're inside now.
"Ha~h…" Moving to the middle of the empty room, Renko-chan gently sits down. She must be real in the moment, to ignore how dirty the floor in here is... "You better actually be able to do something. We're gonna be stuck here until Thursday, at this rate."
...Reaching into my suitcase, I take out a tiny, fluorescent LED. Pressing a button on the side, the weak light flickers on, lighting up the dark room. Kinda.
Renko-chan just sighs. "Merry, you dolt…"
Hehehe!
…We listen to the sound of rain for awhile. I feel myself warm up a little… but not much. This shrine does not gather heat.
Standing up from my wet spot on the floor, I hold out my hand. Looking at the air ahead, I begin to survey it…
Silently, Renko-chan observes me.
…I close my eyes.
…
…
Right there. Six meters in front of me, there's something… something big. The edge is very defined. If I just…
I separate the surface of the large thing in front of me. There's no way I could get through that entire border.
What I had just found was probably a boundary. For awhile now, I've been able to access simple boundaries, and change things… but, there are many I can't touch. I can only change simple outcomes, like the flip of a coin, or the roll of dice.
...Let me tell you, though, I have a great time playing XCOM!
Despite my best efforts, however, I only get a little into the boundary. It's way too accessible for a boundary so big, but whatever.
"Me- Merry…?" Confused by all of this, Renko-chan begins to stand. "What…?"
I open my eyes. That must've been the boundary of some sort of concept, I think… normally, they're only super dense, not super big.
A flat, black hole rests in the air before me.
…It's kind of scary, but...
I step near it. "...I think I did that."
"Yeah, uhm…" Renko-chan steps up beside me, staring into it. "Woah. Didn't you make a tiny one of these, last week?"
...It turns out salt shakers don't have particularly strong boundaries. It's kind of a funny story, actually-
Fwish. Suddenly, the gap shifts, and the borders expand. No longer is the inside merely black space. A whirl of colors momentarily replaces the dark. After a second, they fade out, revealing a long, dim alley that lead into an amber-lit road.
It's big enough to walk into, now.
...
"Merry…" Renko-chan speaks quietly. "Wait."
I stop before the gap, turning to her. "I'm going through."
"Wait!" She demands. "There's not even anything through there! Don't!"
…Well. I guess she's-
The gap begins to slowly close…!
"Merry!" She yells at me for moving towards it again. "You idiot, hold on!"
"Come on!" I yell for her to follow me. Let's go go go, Renko-chan! It's now or never, and it's not gonna be never!
Leaping through the gap… I land solidly on my feet.
I turn back to make sure Renko-chan came with-
The gap is not there.
…Um
Oh, crap.
Oh no.
Looking around, I take in the dark alleyway I just leapt into. The buildings look like they're made of plywood.
Renko's-... did she get left behind- or, um...
I screwed up.
I'm sorry, Renko. Ugh.
...Some kind of light in the alley fades. It was sort of bluish, whitish, but now it's gone. What…?
Whatever. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.
Stepping out of the alley, I find myself in-... this village is just, it's kind of sad. Wow.
Ooh! But- to my left, there's some stages set up, and bright lights, and wo~w…! Aah. I'm so sorry you're missing this, Renko! Woah!
To my right…
Um, oh. There's-... well, there's a guy. I think? Or maybe just a really, um, local looking girl. She's got a maid on her lap! And, um…
"...Hi- hello!" Oh, that's a he. He ain't no she, for sure! "Da~h…"
The maid's also a fairy! This is quite a sight already! "Hello~." She gaves me a plain, kind wave. Um, their faces are pretty warm. Were they- making out, and I-...!? Oh my god, they were weren't they?
"Um, sorry for bothering you." I give them a bow, and um, go-
"Yo- hol' up, s'not what ya think…! Ha-chan, get offa' me…" What. He sounds, like… extremely American. What's even going on? What's with the stage- the crappy buildings, the-...
Wai~t. That fairy was one of the kind at the mansion I was at. That human maid made me cookies. I remember...
And, on top of all this crazy- whatever… Renko's not here, and for all I know, she could be like, trapped in a sealed off cave under the earth or something!
I-... I screwed up...
== Freakin' Boundaries ==
End of Chapter 54
= Maribel Hearn =
Weapon:
Cast-Iron Plant Hanger - A sturdy plant hanger made of solid metal.
Inventory:
[Suitcase] - Holds drawings, and things. Gives five inventory spaces!
Little White LED - It has a blinking mode, too…! Somehow takes up as much room as my two hundred fifty page homework notebook.
Drawings - My drawings.
Writing Utensils - Crayons, pencils, pens… you name it!
Homework - Aaah… psychology stuff.
[one space remaining]
Party:
Empty
Actual Author's Note:
SO YEAH maribel happened
i have devised a LONG CON yo
so on and so forth we'll see where that goes
anyway, lotsa action this chapter! freakin', yo…
i mean these are pretty much your obligatory "wahaha tournament" chapters, which i've seen some other people gravitate towards…
the concert thing's neat enough, though, and i feel like i've added enough spice to make it enjoyable overall
...you hear that, yo? that's the sound of me almost not doubting myself for once
all it takes is not reading over your writing for as many days as necessary to remove it from your subconscious; it makes it easy to read it over from a consumer point 'a view
this also makes me think batch uploading was the right choice!
i really like the way i do action scenes… which is probably good because i have to write them and reread them like three-four times a chapter depending
i have no idea if action scenes are a thing in contemporary literature- at least, with documentation and consideration. they SHOULD be, like, you'd think they would be…
also wow google helped me less with that question than i thought it would, and i even set my standards pretty low there…!
oh well!
merry (christmas) is gonna hang around for a LIL WHILE but not in EXCESS…
honh honh
as always, see you all next time!
==== SITTIN' ON A ROCK, LETTIN' GO OF THE EHEEEHEHEEEEGHOOO ====
hi again son
big changes this time dudes
o original fights totally wiped to make way for the one in this chapter!
o removed mokou and kaguya from the matrix again
o pace of the festival sort of changed because it's a lot more like, articulated; although next chapter will hafta tread carefully 'cause of this one's articulateness, perhaps
o human village now sings a modified Carolus Rex by SABATON. it's GOOD DUDE
o kid commissar is given a lot more impact because we now get the pov of the boy he SHOOTS dude
o fun post-massacre banter
o hina drops her mad funky mojo on a boy
o minor grammar fixes and adjustment for merry's bit! also slightly expanded
o hana now sits on brad's lap and makes him hot and bothered by climbing all over him and being cute and nice-smelling and he's just an innocent guy person
o futo makes up more words- i mean uses more old words of evilness to try and hurt brad's feelings
o will we re-coup from this rocky relationship stay tuned on the disney channel for more
o brad is going to melt because hana's good for him
o we feature the moorah shroine again because hina makes good use in this scene, and generally i don't feel like introducing more bums (aside from a few coming instances where it'll be appropriate)
this chapter was a lot of fun to rewrite 'cause it was really different and at no point felt like a trudge
the effort to make each of these band arc chapters unique and fulfilling continues
let's see what did old brad fumble out last time
"the concert thing's neat enough, though, and i feel like i've added enough spice to make it enjoyable overall" eeh; you added enough spice to make it stomachable but i think this is a better take
not that i can blame you noob you DIDN'T KNOW DUDE
wat a noob he didn't know
"i really like the way i do action scenes… which is probably good because i have to write them and reread them like three-four times a chapter depending"
well the thing about action scenes is thematic placement is important and how they uniquely tie in to a scene is also important; the worst is when they get super predictable and it's like oof. music helps pace it better and like, give it a flavor that's not the most generic fighting
most tournament arcs might as well linebreak all but the most important character fights and even then someone might tell you they go on too long
and that's what this arc should like aim to do now for the most part! stick to important and fun bits that is- not go on too long…!
this chapter actually came a bit shy of the 40 page total on gaggle drive; by one page, despite clearing my desired word count of 10 k, by like, 2-3 extra grand
i find more words really slows chapter pace way more than more pages
as always, see you all next time!
