(in which we loaf around in fluff weather...)
The portal deposits us! And it's dark…
Wherever the frik the outbound traffic's supposed to go, the only light source is from the portal itself! Down here, it's nothin' but dim cave walls in either direction, and a black tunnel ahead…
Fwi- fwi- fwish, fwish- fwish! The portal makes good noises as the server is populated with friends…
Oh, right. Tojiko didn't come with us! So's just me, Genkan, Maria, Ha-chan… and Sakuya.
Genkan's still playin' with the 3DS, 'cause it's got the good screen LEDs! "...Ah." She takes note of this secondary functionality!
"Classy." Sakuya immediately criticizes the tunnel…! "Leave it to hermits, to dig their skyscrapers into holes."
"Oh?" This has aggroed our next guide! "Don't you know?"
Seiga drifts down from the ceiling, passing through the rocks, holding a ghostly blue lantern… "Holes are perfect for hiding things in. You'd be surprised, just how much earth there is, all around us…"
I step forward, my toyota sandals clackin' against the rock below us! "How about up, dude. How much earth is up…?"
She almost gives me a witty retort, but then she notices my clothes…! "Ah. Hmm. That's-..." Shakin' her head, she gives me one anyway! "More earth than average, I'd say. Unless you were dead, perhaps."
"I'm dead, dude." I clarify! "Do fluffles count as dead?"
...Seiga just gives me some kinda look…!
"He will talk you down to nothing." Genkan warns from behind us! "Beware."
"Too late." Sakuya monotones, fer some reason!
Aw. Now that I think 'a it, isn't Seiga like, the not-oft-heard villain of some random fanfics? Not many fics really did 'er right! What the hell's she even like…!?
"I'll keep it in mind…" Seiga gives us a good nod, before drifting around… "Watch your step."
What if I watched her step, dude. Wait, she doesn't step, she floats!
So we all just kinda plainly graze with her, headin' down the tunnel of doom.
Ha-chan and Maria are lookin' ginger and fluffy, behind us. We have… a fluffy surplus in this party, dude.
"I heard you turned down Miko's offer." Seiga's voice is heard!
"...Yes." Sakuya answers instead 'a me!
"Not you." Seiga pivots while leading us, and manages to keep leading us despite facing us! "You." Oh shit, she means me…! "Refused to join our religion, in favor of some youkai."
Is this gonna be a theme, dude. I raise my finger ta nag at 'er-
"You sound like a fucking moron." She just gives me a smile...!
"Help, no." It's bad cop, dude! Hoh, shit! "What if I am, dude…!?"
She begins ta turn away, again. "Not very surprising." Aaa~h, aaa~h!
Aw. Here we go, we came to a dead-end.
Shoo~f. A block raises off the top 'a the tunnel fer some reason, like this is some kinda Zelda bullshit, dude. "There's your exi~t." Seiga drawls off a very lazy parting…! "Don't let us hear you've become buddhists on u~s."
"Do not worry, friend." I raise a hand, to soothe her. "I am atheistic!"
"Mmm." She's got such a glazed over look on her face, right now! "You're even dumber than I thought, then."
...Sakuya turns to me! "Haven't you-... seen gods, before?"
Oh. Oh! "Oh shit- yeah! In that case, I am… not-invested-in-religions-istic."
"Goodbye." Seiga really wants us to just leave, dude!
From the light above, a gentle column of light straight down from the hole glows brighter, making a white circle on the floor.
Moving to stand in it, I wait warmly… aw. Aw, dude!
I slowly float up, the magic elevator raising me away butt-first…! "Aw- dude! Ho ho ho~!" We're goin' to the Disney magic kingdom, son!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
By which, I mean a graveyard. The block over the good tunnel was actually a giant tombstone.
Shoo~f. When we're all outside, we see the freakin' memorial rock just gingerly shift back over the hole. S'actually really well hidden!
"We were kicked out, dude." For some reason, we're all just staring almost mournfully at the hole! "Oof."
As far as graveyards go, this is-... pretty graveyard-y! It's not entirely big but for some reason, the sky around it is just… dimmer. It's a bright sunny day right now, so the sky just looks a bit greyer. It's almost a little funny how the sunlight fucks with the dark filter so hard!
"Ah…" Genkan actually notices this when staring into the 3DS, of all things. "Colors… are different, here."
"There's magic everywhere…" Maria looks a bit wigged out! "Especially… in the graves."
"That's only natural, I suppose." Sakuya- yeah, you would be used to that… "A graveyard this tiny is nothing to be scared of."
"Easy for you to say…" Maria disagrees, dude.
"The color effect is an intentional spatial distortion." Sakuya notes fer us. "...I'm not sure whether the buddhists or the taoists put it here. I'm not familiar with either." Hoh.
Click. Shutting the 3DS, Genkan pockets it herself… "Hmm. I can't say that-... I'm really familiar with graveyards, in general."
"I don't imagine many are." Sakuya gives a curt reply ta her…
Ooh! Aw, look dude! I see Yoshika approaching, from aside us. I do not yet point her out, however. Her movements are kinda uncanny…!
thump, thump, thump. Man, she steps loud. The way she does so is weirdly flighty! "Nn- nnh…" Ooh- she moans!
Maria flinches and turns to 'er- "Aa- ah…!"
"Hmm…!?" Genkan fluffs up! "Jiangshi! Brad, look out!" What- woah! She whisked me aside, dude!?
Once she gets to Sakuya- since we've fuckin' jetted back a few feet- Yoshika just looks fluffy. As fluffy as a walking corpse can, anyway…!
"Are you our escort out of here?" Sakuya gives her a glare of sorts! "Because, we can find our way out perfectly fine."
"Nhoo~..." Stepping forward, Yoshika reaches out! "Lemme-"
Fwish! Sliding back on her heels, Sakuya threw an arm out-
Shi- shink! Woah…!? Two holy daggers met Yoshika in the stomach, and her body convulsed visibly-
CLACK! The third thrown dagger was caught by a fully extended arm!
Cli- click. Yoshika's bones click as she articulates the arm to bring it to her mouth, and- oh.
KR- KRACK! KRK… She begins eating the knife. "Mshk- hhh-..." Her throat visibly opens as she downs the silver shards, her teeth gnashing apart the metal she hasn't swallowed yet.
pap. Oh, good. One of the biggest shards drops from her throat, and onto the floor, covered in some kinda mucus…
"Are-... you kidding me." Even Sakuya's set back by that, dude!
"Thanks for the meal…" Yoshika gives us the best good smile she can muster, as her balance gradually stabilizes itself.
From her stomach, the two blades she took finally burned out of her flesh, dropping to the floor and leaving gaping, bloodless red and black gouge marks…
...So Genkan's just got me held, with Maria behind her… and Ha-chan behind Maria!
"The undead…" Genkan states the obvious! "Even among the surface inhabitants, these beings are… not always welcome." Yeah, I'd imagine ghosts would be whatever, but-... why're people all scared of Jiangshi again?
"Why're people scared of a zombie?" I wonder! "Most of us have tools to deal with them!"
Sakuya half-faces us, turning only her head. "Jiangshi doom the lives of those they bite to share their fate. Among 'zombies', they're likely higher on the power hierarchy…" Oh god, they're the recolored super versions of zombies!
Woosh. Throwing an arm hard enough to cleave the air, Yoshika uses it to point. "Exit's… thatta way."
...We turn, and see the gate outta the graveyard right there. In fact, I'm pretty sure we've already seen it, but Yoshika caught our attention!
"Oh." Sakuya blinks. "You-... you really are our escort, then."
cli- click. "Mmh." Yoshika gives a nod strong enough to snap her own neck bones. "Exit's… thatta way!" Aw, she points again, dude!
Sakuya snorts! "Yes, thank you…"
...Then, she faces us! "Cowards."
"Easy for you to say…!" Maria counters, again!
"I'd rather protect everyone else. Especially if there's more." Genkan argues!
Sakuya takes one good look around. "...Nope. Only one."
"Good." Genkan thinks that's good, dude. Lookin' down at me, she lets me outta her protective embrace… "Be free."
woosh! Yoshika threw another arm! "Gift shop's, that way!" Wat. Gift shop. Graveyard gift shop!?
I look, and- oh. Oh, it would be that, wouldn't it…
There's a fluffle, eagerly manning a dark wood stand in front of some freakin' graves. It's especially good, 'cause it's still got the intimidating lighting and everything…!
Oh- dude! I get to show everyone the fluff market! "Yo! Aw, c'mere, friends! Yer in for a treat…!"
"A treat in the midst of a graveyard." Genkan ruminates on the idea…! Then, she gets a good look at the nugget stand, dude. "I'm already afraid."
"Of all the places." Sakuya looks pitying…!
"Uuh…" Followin' along with us, Maria raises her brows…! "What's going on, here?"
"hi" The fluff greets her. "im on the fastest available route" Oh.
"...Um, to where?" Maria gets closer to the stand…
"the road home" It lets its head tilt back, revealing its decal smile. Aw… "network music ensemble!"
"...What is the point, of this?" Genkan is offset by the fluff's tubbiness! "Do you actually sell anything, here?" She seems kinda surprised it can speak, kind of!
"yes friend!" It raises its fins! "take a feature length sneak preview"
It spreads a fin across one one-hundredth of the counter, and somehow lays out yuki-onna fans on the span of it. They like, project from itself onto the counter- it's so fuckin' weird…!
They're all of a lot of different funky colors, and there's more than a few of them here!
"...Um." Genkan goes 'um' now, herself! "Where-... where were these?"
"here" The fluffle acts like it's obvious…! "i made them"
Awkwardly, Genkan half-smiles! "Oh?"
This makes me wonder… can Yoshika order items and shit from this thing, dude?
"So…" Genkan looks over the fans for realsies now… "What are all of these?" She gestures across them all…
The fluffle gestures to them all with a waves of its fin arm! "fans"
She lets herself slouch a little! "I mean- with how unique they look… do they have names, or something?" I like how she just doesn't know what to think about this!
It stares forward for a moment, letting its DSL process her request…! Then, it points a fin at each fan. Yo ho ho…!
First, it gestures to a weirdly basic red and black fan. "hero" Oh.
The next fan is eye-piercing yellow and orange. "light it higher" S'that a fire weapon…?
This one fan's just- it's just a mess of dumb tye-dye rainbow colors! "hipster tripster" Yeah, dude!
These next two fans are a dull grey. "dying alone" Wow.
Finally, the last fans are huge and look like they're made of fuckin' cardboard…! "heavy tanker"
Oh- wait, there's one last one. Oh my god, it's just two freakin' toothpick sized fans, and they're hot pink. "fever"
"Cute." Genkan doesn't mull over the names, too much… "Did you come up with those yourself?"
"yes" I can't really tell if it's lying or not…!
I decide to impart what I know onto the friends. "All these items should have like, unique properties and stuff."
"Many are likely grievously expensive." Sakuya helps explain, foldin' her arms… "They also often have untold drawbacks. It takes awhile to listen to each item get explained, so I'd recommend only appraising what you plan to buy immediately." Yeah, uh...
With a cautious, jaded expression, Genkan reaches out for the tiny pink fans. "These-... these are interesting."
"Fever!" The fluffle just rattles off what they do! "wearer is immune to evasion debuffs, confusion and slowing! halves defense and attack but it makes you real fast"
Climbing onto the desk, it holds up its fins! "allows the user to take a break! and cast hastega"
...Genkan opens her mouth-
"it lets you do rising rotor! ! ! ! ! ! !" It's really excited, dude!
"How... much?" Genkan's curious! Then, she turns towards us… "I'm not sure what to make of it."
Let's see, we've go~t… what, that fifty two grand of yen? An' whatever Maria had, and those random gems. Freakin'...!
"fifteen thousand yen!" Oh hey, we can get that.
"...I-... don't just, carry that much on me." Genkan seems displaced, now... "I guess magic materials would cost that much."
I dig into my bag for some yen! "Lemme get out some money, dude."
"Mmm?" She turns ta me… "Oh, we probably shouldn't waste our funds on these things, even if they sound… novel."
"An' then we run into the god of thievery again an' she shakes us down entirely this time!" I refuse to let my pocket burn a hole into itself anymore! "I'm gettin' ya those freakin' tiny fans…!"
Click. I place the yen on the counter!
"...Ooh." Genkan just looks guilty! "I'm not sure who to apologize to. Brad, I feel like you just made a mistake."
I hand her the fans! "No, yo. There's only one way ta find out, dude!"
We actually… do not have much money left! Compared ta before, anyway...
Wait. Reaching into my bag, I pull out the seventeen rubies, or so. "Yo- can I sell some 'a these…? How much fer each?"
...After a moment of dustiness, the fluffle looks up at me! "one hundred fifty thousand yen!" Wh- holy shit.
Sakuya steps closer! "That's actually half the value. Today, a medium grade ruby goes for three hundred thousand yen, about. You can get up to a million for a true quality one." What the fuck.
Genkan's eyes are wide! "Jewelry-... costs that much…!?"
Sakuya just gives her a dry look…! "Well… yes? Shouldn't you know this?"
"The common trinket is nowhere near that value." Genkan shook her head… "I must not deal in true gems, then. I always liked sapphire better."
"Sapphires are not nearly worth as much." Sakuya shook her head back. "Well, some can surpass or rival a ruby, but they're generally worse in bulk."
I point at Sakuya! "What's a diamond cost!?"
"A well-cut, single carat diamond is almost exactly one million yen." Sakuya clarifies fer us. Holy shit! Freakin'- just buy plastic, why don'cha!? Looks just as nice, and doesn't cost your legs!
...So. "Can we sell ya the rubies for regular price?"
"Two hundred fifty grand yen per." Sakuya brings her arms outta her folded-arm pose, and wraps them behind her own back… "You're not jewelers, after all. I'm not sure where you even found them from."
"Joon the boon." Will she get my riddle, dude!?
"Ah." Apparently so! "Makes sense. Few rival the rate of which that god both accumulates and spends wealth on a regular basis."
So…
I hold the seventeen rubies out towards Sakuya. "How's about all 'a them!?"
Click. Suddenly, she's just got a briefcase! It opens up, and inside are a fuckton of yen bills. "Four million, two hundred fifty thousand yen, in cash. You're lucky the mistress likes red more than she should."
Down in my arms, I just have the briefcase instead now! "Holy fuck."
...Maria's just got her jaw dropped, when I look back at 'er! Like- freakin' blown away, dude!
"Money." How very observant of you, Ha-chan. "Why's everyone like money, so much…?" Aw.
"Th- thah… s'a lot of money…!" Maria's just freakin' assblasted by how much money we just transacted!
"It's really not." Sakuya shook her head…!? "In the mansion's scheme of things, anyway. Mistress won't mind a few more rubies for the vault. We can always resale for higher, later."
Jesus! Jewelry is freakin'... insane!
While I look over the tubby bills, Sakuya clarifies further! "They're in stacks of thousands."
Oo~h… hoo~h…
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
The fluffle stand is now a freakin' mess. Three fluffles are here to handle our cash, and there's a big pile of random bullshit stacked up on itself before us.
So! To recap… this insanity.
Genkan now has Fever and Heavy Tanker. We don't super know what they do, but we'll find out, dude!
I got Maria this freakin'... time staff, thing. It was called 'An Eternity Together'!
I have… finally purchased the Headless Horseman hanger thing. Freakin'... good. I only vaguely remember that shit since it put me in mortal danger, but it also seems like… forever ago. It was so long ago!
Vhi~r. Holding up the purple metal handle, a weird hanger-like pattern is rendered in solar energy, projected out from the edge. "What the hell…"
Woo~sh. Genkan swings one of her Heavy Tanker fans! "So- so-... heavy…" Aw? When she wields them, she slouches super hard, and looks like the world is crushing her…!
Maria's holding up An Eternity Together, looking intimidated by it! "Oh, gods… this- is this time magic?"
"ya" One of the now three fluffles at the stand nodded at her, vigorously. It's making dust as it does so, dude… "it casts stop and wont let you be stopped" Aw. "stop" What, no.
I also got this otha' hanger, called Frost Broker. It looks like a yuki-onna fan slapped onto a weird ice claw thing! It seems based on the time Shimokoa gutted me. S'good, dude.
"Here I thought I was special." Sakuya quips about Maria's new staff…!
...Turning to Sakuya, Maria thrusts her staff out! "Stop!"
...Nothing immediately happens! "Wo- woah, the handle on that- wow…" Holdin' the staff closer to her face, Maria looks up along it curiously… "That's-... gonna take some getting used to."
"All of these items will take some getting used to." Genkan almost struggles to hold up the cardboard fans…! "These-... these things are trying to squish me."
Aw. I hold up Frost Broker in my other hand. "All this equippable shit's makin' me feel weird-"
FWASH! Wh- oh shit-
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: GENKAN'S PERSPECTIVE ====
...Ah. The plant hanger Brad bought froze him. Not… a sentence I'd normally ever consider.
At the counter, the fluffles have undone the rubber bindings holding all the yen bills together, and have seemingly just been throwing them around randomly. I'm not sure why we're not just stealing everything, but-... for some reason, that just feels like a bad idea.
If I remember correctly, the temple behind us… it has a courtyard, used for training. We should be able to find out what our weapons do exactly there. Well… not that all of them are weapons, strictly, but these fans feel like they alter the way I handle myself, by a lot. Holding both types at once… makes me feel very uneasy. I shouldn't ever draw more than one.
"Um…" Maria pokes the Bradcicle. "Do you think he's okay?"
Surely. After all-... ah. He doesn't have his ice-retardant clothing on. Um.
I hold my hand to the ice-
Fwish. It all is dispersed in a flash.
Thu- thunk. Dropping the hangers, he stumbles back… "O- oh, oh shit…"
"Are you alright?" I feel irresponsible, only asking that, but typically he bounces back from pain quite well, for a human.
"Ye- yeah, just-..." Holding himself, he shakes violently… "Da- damn, th- that was co- cold…"
If we left him like that for too long, he probably would have gotten hurt, or worse. "You're going to need to be more careful with that… ice hanger." I advise him. Of all the things that can easily hurt him, we don't need him to start hurting himself. Well, more than usual.
He looks over at me, and grins, despite his teeth chattering. "Ap- appa- rrh… apparently…! Je- jeez." His nose starts to run, and he already looks really winded for how temperate today is.
...I'm sort of conflicted, between awkwardly helping him, or letting him get better, as he normally does. There is the temple right behind us, so perhaps I'll hold off on anything… weird. Brad's surprisingly easy to make uncomfortable.
I've never really thought in terms of appealing to humans before, but looking at them as equals is especially hard to refuse, now.
"Frea- freakin'...!" Brad shoved that familiarly-styled ice hanger into his bag. "Stay there, noob…!" I- I don't think it's going to argue with you.
"We should… probably get inside." Maria wisely begins to corral us towards the other side of the graveyard. "We can blow a buncha more money on… weird stuff some other time."
"Ye- yeah…" Brad's in no position to refuse her advice, for now. "I need heat…! Also, air!"
...As we turn to leave, Sakuya already having trotted ahead of us, Brad stops. "Act- actually, jus' one more thing!" Brad, no…
Reaching the counter, he stares down a new, very tubby fluffle that has risen onto the top of it to greet him. "Oh- he~y, there…!"
"frequent flier miles" It held out a green pin, for him.
...He took it. "S'this the green card, dude…?"
"discover master visa" It stops speaking sense. "reward member reward card" Um…
...Brad grazes towards us again, grinning. "Aw. I joined the mile high club, dude!" I'm not sure what that is, but it doesn't sound like a great idea.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: BRAD'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Alright! That's our weird out of place shopping trip outta the way…!
In recap: I got two hangers, Maria got a staff, an' Genkan got two fans.
Also, I got this pin! No freakin' idea what it does, so I'm gonna just pocket it. If you want freakin' laser-pointed precise details on what every freakin' piece a crap we picked up does, it'll be shoehorned into the ever-growing amalgamation of an end-chapter summary at the bottom!
We also have more yen than we know what ta do with now. Freakin'...
"What's a mile high club?" Speakin' of laser-guided, Ha-chan asks the good question.
"Do you use 'miles' as a term of measurement often?" Maria is more interested in my freakin' westernizations…!
"I feel like I've forgotten what a mile is." Genkan is on the ascended level of not caring…! "It's rather seldom you hear about western conventions, all the way out here."
We come up to the graveyard gate, and as we do so, everything slowly becomes even sunnier. Freakin'... it's hurting my eyes, now! Can the whole world have an edgy filter, so we can obsolete sunglasses!?
Crea~k. Sakuya was waitin' there. She tilts the gate open fer us, but remains cautiously propped near it… "You three. Wait."
Ohp. "Ah, shit. S'it a tyrannosaurus rex crossing?" Freakin'-...
"Yes." She just replies on beat! And-...
Oo~h. I see Byakuren back there! She's sittin' on some back steps, around a big lantern post… thing. I dunno what the hell they are, but they're good lawn architecture.
Steppin' past the gate, a bit closer, I see- ooh. Oo~h…
I'm kinda snapped from my sorta complacent-explorer mood, 'cause I see some real shit happening on those steps!
And, to clarify what I mean by that, I mean Byakuren's making out with a freakin' boy!
"Mmh…" Ooh- I could hear a moan from here, just a bit! Who the hell's the lucky- aw, dude…
Genkan realizes what's going on, herself! "Ah."
"Oh- okay…" Maria maintains cautious distance! "Wow…"
Ha-chan stares curiously. Oh, boy. She's just takin' it in...!
A blonde-haired, stout boy had his face pressed against Byakuren's. Her arms were right around him, tightly pressing him into her lap, his chest pressing against hers.
"Mwah…" Releasing him from her kiss, Byakuren ruffled his hair with a hand. "There, there…"
...While this goes on, I take anotha' look at my freakin' parade. Since no one's gonna go ahead… I'mma just slowly graze forth, in my Toyota Miko clothes, dude.
"Mmm." The quiet, slick click-like sound of Byakuren peckin' the boy on the cheek was heard, as I meandered ahead. "You're safe, now."
...Then, once I get close enough, Byakuren's head whips to look at me! "Mm- ah!?"
I prop my arms on my hips! 'Cause I'm fluffy, like that…
"Miko…!?" She looks alarmed, before looking me over fully! "What- what are you-..." Aw, dude! She even stood up, holding the boy in her arms bridal-style now…!
"I know no Miko." I counter! "For I am… Toyota Yes Mike-o." I know of the forever grindstone… of the fluffclave.
...Byakuren's still just lookin' spotlighted!
"Um…" The boy just looks up at me plainly! Aw, yo. He's got the monkey robes on, and is still all flushed and tired!
"Oh." Byakuren lets out a confused exhale…! "It's-... just you. Hello?"
Slowly, my friends populate the area around me! Surprise, surprise, dude!
"Oh…!" Setting the boy down, but putting her arms around him, she looks over all of us!
"Hello, friend." I give her a good greeting…
"What, um…" Maria is the first to break the silence!
But, then it returns. Oo~h, does it return…! Aw, now Byakuren's got her poker face on…
"You were-..." Genkan slowly holds a hand up, lookin' a little suspect of her! "Nevermind."
"What?" Byakuren decides to tank it, dude! "I am-... comforting, this troubled disciple."
Genkan tilts her head, which is not something she does often! "By… making out, with him." Wahaha!
Byakuren snorted? "Oh? Did it look like that?" Son.
"Yes." I answer! "That was makin' out!"
"...No?" She's really tryin' hard to nooble her out outta this! "You may make what you wish of it, if it pleases you."
"It's unbecoming of you to lie, Hijiri."
An' then there's Sakuya, just appearing before us!
"Ah- mmh…" The blonde kid makes a very disconcerted face at Sakuya's appearance.
"Izayoi…?" Byakuren shifts a little bit! "And, what brings you, here...?"
"I was in the area." Sakuya lies herself, dude! Well- not technically, hrrm. "I also saw."
This congregation of noobs makes Byakuren immediately suspect…! "What is this, now? ...Did Miko send you?"
"I sent me." I point at myself!
"But- you were, um…" Maria insists about the make-out, too!
"All I know!" Ha-chan chips in! "Is that the big lady was giving the little guy a kiss, on the lips!"
"...So, fate has decided against me, today." Byakuren's freakin' salty, dude! "What do you make of this interpretation you've chosen, then?"
...Aw. No one gives an immediate answer. We're all fluffy.
"I suppose nothing." Sakuya replies after a moment, however. "But, this boy you've chosen to love…"
Leanin' down sharply, she looks him over closely.
His eyes lookin' tired, he sizes her up in turn. "Yo- you…"
"Izayoi." Her voice strong, Byakuren warns her. "Please, keep away from him."
"As you wish." Takin' a few steps back, Sakuya props her arms behind her own back again… "However. He was formerly ours, and we do have a debt on him." Whah.
Furrowing her brows, Byakuren responded real quick! "Debt…? I know nothing of a debt. This disciple of mine was in need, so I took him in. From what he's told me, you weren't the most accommodating caregivers, either."
What. Dude, s'this some like, Yakuza-level shit goin' on here, dude…!?
An' then, there's the stare-off. Uh oh…!
"This-..." Genkan speaks to me quietly! "This has gotten weird." Yer tellin' me!
"Who held the debt?" Byakuren prods for information!
"Who did you claim him, from?" Sakuya steps closer again! "If it's who I think he is, we may need to issue a reminder, about the debt."
Byakuren's brows keep furrowing! "You sold him?"
"He was stolen. Mistress offered a debt in jest, as opposed to simply disposing of the thief. There's a potential we'll make something of it, anyway." Sakuya explains…? "The full intention was getting him back, however."
"No." Byakuren just refuses her! "That is outright unacceptable. I will not willingly subjugate him to that, again. My conscience would not bear it, and neither should yours."
Wait a minute. Him, getting him back… wait.
"Holy shit!" I know who he is! Holy fuck!
...The girls look at me!
I point at the boy! "He- he's the kid commissar! The 'ol village captain boy!"
...Maria's eyes widen! "Wha- what!? How?" Then, after a few seconds of staring closer, she realizes! "Oh my go~d…!"
"If it isn't one thing…" Genkan just shakes her head! "I think I'll need context for all of this…"
Byakuren just looks puzzled at us. Get owned, dude.
"Do you mind if I stay for tea?" Sakuya asks the casual question.
"...You may." Aw. Byakuren accepts!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
Very quickly, we were ditched by the girls when we tried to trail along! But, we're in the temple now… goodbye again, Sakuya!
We've ended up in some recreational room, but there's just a few standard monk-y people in it. This whole place has a weird 'paper walls, real walls' kinda situation goin' on. As in, some are paper ones, and some are wood or otherwise!
"Back here, again…" Genkan takes a good look at the furniture, which does look pretty simple and fun… wait, when'd that stuff get there- "Is this what it's like to be you, Brad?"
"Yes." I answer definitively! "The past two months have just been me going back an' forth to mostly the same places…!"
Moving up to a couch, Maria gives it a stand-offish look, fer some reason… "I already feel like we did a lot, today…"
Y'know, I never really do spend a lot of time around the temple. Maybe we should just, do that. Fer once!
"We should… explore this temple, dude." I propose!
"...Sure." Genkan took a moment to think about it, before agreeing. "This is perhaps, one of the more relaxed places we could choose to do nothing useful in. And-..." Hoh. She cuts herself off.
Walnuts 'n' company, dude. "And, while true do, get nuggets." Get nuggets…!
"No." Wh- aw, Genkan just ignores my nonsense…! "I was going to say, it reminded me of something."
"Something, huh." ...In terms of things to do, we uh… we could piss off Stormy, and look for secrets again. Also, test out our crap on the training dummies outside. If she's got any ideas, I'm all ears!
Floating over to some wolf man, in monk robes, Genkan questions him. "Hey."
...He looks at her, and blinks.
"Would you happen to know, where the brushes and combs are?" Oh, boy. What's she wanna do with those.
...After looking awkward fer some reason, he pointed in a direction! "Do- down the hall. Um, to the right. Closet, in the kotatsu room..." Why's this big wolf guy shy.
...Noticing me, he gives me a funny look, 'cause I look like Miko! Y'know- maybe I should have a different costume on for just walking around this place!
"Thank you." Genkan does an eighth of a bow, and drifts back over to me. "Follow me." Ooh…
An' now Genkan's off in the hall ahead, and I move to meander after her. She's snug looking…
When we get down the hall a little, I speak! "He knew the skill of wolf, dude."
...Genkan slowed just to look at me again! "Skill of wolf?"
"He can cook food, dude!" I announce, for this is the skill of wolves!
Maria gives me a blunt look. "That's skillet of wolf, Brad." Ho- holy shit…!
Genkan represses amusement! "Oo- oh…" Aw. Maria can't help but grin at 'erself, too!
Ahead of me, Ha-chan romps up behind her, suddenly holding a shiny orb!
"Yo- Ha-chan, what the hell…" Where'd she steal a freakin' orb from!? There's no like- fancy things around, freakin'...
...She pauses in the hall, as does Genkan! Aw, then Maria comes up to us all gingerly-like…
"It's cool!" Ha-chan declares! Then, she reels her arm back, and tosses it at the mid-hall floor like a freakin' vandal-
Poof. The teal orb became smoke in one frame. Not a lotta smoke, just… poof. Uh oh!
thu- thu- thud. Oh. Random monks using the hallway just fell over.
"Hehehe~!" Ha-chan was sufficiently amused by this…!
...Gingerly, Genkan floated near one, this pink-haired chick who was annihilated. "You knocked them all out. They're sleeping." Oh, good. Who the hell left a- a slumber orb just lying around.
"Aah…" Maria looks somewhere between tired and concerned! "Oh, no~." I think she wants to take a nap, dude.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
We found the combs and brushes, to my shock and horror. Help, no.
The boy wasn't kiddin' about the kotatsu room thing, either. It's just an empty room with some plants and a kotatsu, in the center. This is more like what I remember!
Except, in the back, there's a closet! Fulla' towels and brushes and stuff. I feel like this temple's a freakin' disorganized nightmare from the impression this layout gives me, but I dunno, dude.
Speakin' of relaxation, the room's also pretty warm, and the dim inter-temple lighting is kinda nice, actually…
Oh, yeah. Genkan wanted to know about that uh, kid commissar situation. We'll have to wait for a good moment though, yo. 'Cause right now, she's approaching me menacingly, a brush and comb held up…!
...After giving her a myriad of ironic, concerned looks, I question her! "What's possessin' ya to do this, anyway?"
"Your hair looks like it has not been maintained in a year." Genkan stresses…! "And, I've also been neglecting my own hair care, among other things. Perhaps we can also have a more proper bath here, too." It feels like we took a bath just yesterday, though… or maybe it was. To be honest, it was so hack job of a bathtub that it was hard to get in the scrub-a-dub-dub mood for it.
...Hoh. Maria's lookin' at her new staff, now seated in the kotatsu before us.
Speaking of that kotatsu, Genkan brings it up! "Sit down. This will probably be awhile."
An' now I'm seated.
Softly shifting on her own legs behind me, while I'm tucked inta' the kotatsu, she begins to look over how the hell this is gonna work. "...Well- first, none of this…" She takes off my stylish earmuffs! "Good. Those ironically parted your hair back, a little."
"Not when I walk around!" I also sorta noticed they did that, but ignored it 'cause taking like ten good steps killed it. My hair is uncontainable, dude. It is a fwoof of fluff and grease.
"Mmm." I cannot see… the faces she makes! "...This really is a mess. Have you ever tried to comb this?"
"Yes." Actually yes. You'd be surprised, dude.
"...And, were you successful?" She attempts to obtain truth through jest!
But, actually… "Yeah! Aw. It took me two hours. It was… untangled, for a good day."
"A good day…?" Genkan sounds worried! "What do you do to it?" Aw. The good question.
Then, she tries to actually put the brush through my poofy hair.
...It gets stuck. She lets go of it.
I turn my head, and feel it swing with my hair. "Aw, yeah, I love doin' that!" It's easier than you'd think!
"I had a suspicion, but didn't think something like this could actually happen." Reaching fer it, she takes it back out! "I suppose my next question is… how did you untangle your hair?"
"Aw. Lemme demonstrate…" Reachin' back, I pretty much just… use my hand to trace a lock, and- ohp, it got stuck instantly. Now, if I bring my other hand up, and just- tug a bit- ow, wow, that's settled good…
So I move a bit further down, and- ah, there we go. Following a lock further down, I feel where some dirt, grease and tangled strands are all nestled together in a little ball. I'm pretty sure people can't really see or care about this detail unless they look really close.
Now, to keep my scalp from hurting, I just-... hold onto the bases with my whole fists, and pull the two tangled bits apart with the help of individual fingers.
And there we go! I got one little fuzzball.
I deposit my Brad-ball on the kotatsu.
Sitting down at the kotatsu, after coming from freakin' nowhere, Ha-chan takes it. What, no. "Ooo…"
"That looked painful." Not sure if Genkan's joking! "How do you deal with just, doing that…? Is that why you don't comb a lot?"
"Well, it doesn't really hurt super bad, if I'm careful about it, but if I don't wait, the pain of each removal like, builds up." I provide! "And I like, use a comb which helps, 'cause it can get different grips an' clumps, and solve different problems, compared to a hand."
"Combs-... are not the best choice for hair like this either, I feel." Genkan-... I dunno what that deduction means, 'cause I'm not into hair-care! "Brushes are better, but…" She looks over the kinda crude brush she found in the closet. "We need a good brush."
"We're gonna need a bigger brush!" I grin back!
She snorts! "That too, probably…"
You know. That just gave me an idea. "Genkan- why not make a comb or brush outta ice?"
She actually shoots that down! "A comb, perhaps, but we no longer need one. A good brush, however… while theoretically possible with ice, to replicate the bristles and architecture needed with simply just ice, would be… I'm not sure if that's even possible." Wau.
She goes ta move for the closed closet door…
Crea~k! It swings open! "Hello~." It's a tanooki, dude!
An' not just any tanooki!Mamizou glides out! "What was this about brushes?"
"Who are you…?" Genkan is immediately displaced by her existence! "Tanuki…?"
"Hehe." Orienting herself upright in the air, Mamizou smirks at her. "Indeed, yuki-onna. Come here to commandeer our lower-grade hair products, have you?"
"...Yes." Genkan admits! "They are not quite up to par, however."
"Tell me about it." Reachin' behind herself, Mamizou digs for something, somehow…! "Let's see, where'd I put that…"
...After sizing up Mamizou, Genkan reaches a conclusion. "You would know about… fluff care, wouldn't you?"
"Fluff care." Mamizou echoes her for cute effect! "Perhaps. If I can find it…" Now she's diggin' into her tail! "Mmh. How about…"
Poof! Woah! She just filled the room with smoke, fer a moment…!
"A- ah…" Maria's stirred.
When the smoke flies away and gets erased from reality- oo~h…
There is now a second Genkan, with tanooki ears! And a leaf thing on her head… "Ah ha." She pulled a colorful brush from her sleeve. "Of all days, to not bother with sleeves…"
...Genkan looks confronted! "Why?"
An' Mamizou just knows exactly what she asked. "'Cause yer pretty! And…" Reaching into her sleeve, she drew a second colorful brush. "Wouldn't two be better than one, for this job? So it gets done today."
Takin' pause for a moment, Genkan seems to consider her options, dude. "...Hmm. Fine."
"Mrm- mrmh." Clearing her throat, Mamizou holds a hand to her Genkan-ly upper chest. Like, above the boobs, again. What do ya call that- the fore-chest…!? "It is also fine with me." She tries to imitate Genkan's speaking style…!
...Aw. While the two Genkans move around me to sit on their legs, Maria watches them curiously!
"Time magic-... is so weird." She expresses her worries, dude.
Mamizou-Genkan looks over at her. "Isn't it? I can't think of anyone long-lived, who hasn't at least once attempted to adapt time magic. As you might assume… few were successful."
"What about me, dude." I am time.
"People under four hundred don't count." Mamizou dismisses me…! "Why, I'm past a thousand, and still can't be bothered." Oh shit son, she told me her age. More than one thousand.
"One thousand…?" The actual Genkan's brows raise!
Oo- ooh. Mamizou runs her brush into my hair. Y'know- why are her brushes clean? Does she just carry a buncha fresh ones, or is there a spell for that!?
The good brush gets stuck for a moment, on my rat factories, but somehow, somehow freakin' glides through anyway. Woah…?
Genkan starts running her brush into me, too! And- holy shit, I forgot how good it feels to get freakin'... maintenanced.
"Why are you surprised?" Mamizou-Genkan interrogates the real one! "Don't yuki-onna live so long, as well?"
"...I'm only sixty." Genkan returned. "Which, as I sleep every summer, would be more accurate to thirty chronological years. I don't know the complete upper limit of our lifespan… but, if one thousand is anything to go by, I'm not even a tenth through my life yet."
Sleeps every summer, huh…
How are these brushes just- piercing the mess!? They also… feel really good.
I wanted to add my own input on something, earlier, but… I forgot…
"So young." Mamizou grins widely, to my left, as she works on my bang things. "And, for your kind, quite more active than one would think…"
"I'd think so." Genkan agrees! "Seldom do I leave my cave, even on a good day. Yet, I… don't really feel like going back to it, for now."
Mamizou snorted. "Too busy with this boy, hu~h?"
"Speak little of that." Genkan shuts 'er down, for some reason!
"Oh ho?" An' then Mamizou breaks character! "Why no~t?"
"...It's delicate." She insists! Aw…!
"Pft-... delicate, huh?" Mamizou grins even wider! "Why not be a little more honest?"
"I've already settled." Genkan… is settled, dude. And soft. "I've found a balance, within myself."
"Or perhaps ya just beat half 'a yerself into submission." Mamizou supposes? "I know how ya ice-types are."
Genkan furrows her brows! "What's that supposed to mean?" I like how they're at like either side of my face at this point, just talking across me.
But no, yo. Mamizou has said enough, so says Mamizou. Or so I think she'd say, 'cause she ain't sayin' anything!
But, then she gets closer to my side…? "Y'know- what does attract a snow lady to a boy, like this?" I am the six foot tall boy, dude.
"It is not your business." Genkan's getting colder towards her! "We are a collection of friends."
"A- a collection of friends…" Mamizou faults at her speaking…! "Why don't you go comb the little mage's hair, over there? Or uh, the fairy…"
Ha-chan casts the hair ball into the air! "Hehehe~! Aah..." Then, she spaces out, seemingly!
"No." Genkan refuses outright!
"...What do ya mean, no." Mamizou chuckles! "Why not?"
Wh- ooh! Genkan pulls me a little, as Mamizou encroached on my side! "I don't trust you."
"Heh heh! Fair enou~gh…" Shakin' her head, Mamizou folds her arms. Yet- her brush still goes through my hair! Genkan's also brushing harder now, but it actually just makes it feel nicer… "I was just curious is all, snow lady. But-... what would it matter, if anything happened to him? A human?"
"Humanity doesn't matter." Genkan counters! "The person itself does."
...Mamizou looks like she had some kinda fuckin' revelation! "Coming from a yuki-onna? Did your kind have a civil revolution, or something?"
Not replying, Genkan brushes my hair just a bit faster! Also- I can feel the crazy knots just dying, and coming undone. Where were these brushes like, a year ago in my life? Like, dude…!
Also, this is getting fun, 'cause Genkan's all but pulled me into herself. She's got an arm wrapped around my side, and her legs are all displaced from under herself so she could keep me closer…
"Would you trust me to brush the others, though…" Mamizou just does not stop buggin' her!
"I can brush hair!" Ha-chan stands up! Oh, god.
Stompin' around us, she reaches for the brush Mamizou's telekinetically controllin'!
"Uh…" I warily look in her vague direction! And- ooh. Wh- ow…! "Ha- Ha-chan, ya freakin'- that's too hard…!" Aa~h, aaa~h!
Taking her own brush, Genkan starts to hit her! "Back, back. This needs to be done right, you little devil."
"Haha- aww…" Freakin', silly fairy, dude. She was repelled by the collective shoo'ing of the snuggle girls. "I know how to do hair ri~ght. Here, lemme…" Ah?
Sitting down, and stealin' the spot Mamizou woulda wanted, Ha-chan takes the brush again and actually does it right, this time!
And- ooh… "How's that?" She asks like she fuckin' knows.
"Holy shit." I utter my bafflement, dude. "You're actually good at something…!?"
"Chief doesn't like fairies who can't at least dress themselves!" Ha-chan declares! "And, nice hair is nice…"
"Snow lady." Mamizou, why~... "I got an idea. If ya wanna relax him even more, wrap your legs around him."
"Begone." Genkan shoos her too! "I'm not trying to seduce him."
That's when Maria gives us a jaded look. "Right now, anyway…" Oh shit, dude. Maria sass!
...Genkan gives 'er a blank look! No one expected it, dude.
"Awh." Parting from us, Mamizou moves for her… "Lonely, aren't ya?"
"He- hey, what…" Awkwardly, Maria watches the floof-onna snake around herself, before it sat down behind her. An' then-
scratch- scratch- scratch. Mamizou began givin' her a scalp massage, all of a sudden! "Here, here…"
"Wh- aa- ah…" At first Maria resists the invasion 'a her space, but then she gives up…
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
I feel… like napping…
Leaning on the kotatsu, I just twitch a bit. The brushing kinda wore at my composure after a bit, when I was able to just, focus on it…
Seated next to me, Genkan and Ha-chan are still goin', and I really just don't feel like life, right now! I'm pretty sure my hair is sorted too, so they're just doing it to see me melt…
Maria is already a puddle across the kotatsu, leaning into it with heavy eyes. "I- I wanted to-... study my staff…"
"Study later." Mamizou refuses her, dude. "Sleep now. It's a good day, for it…"
At this point, Mamizou seems ta have just dropped her Genkan disguise, and is now just being fluffy.
...Sleep now, huh. Yeah. These dim lights… really aren't doing me any favors…
Still, leaning on a kotatsu's a lot like leaning into a table. Not much superior! But, it is warmer, at least.
...Lookin' over us another time, Mamizou keeps backseat-gaming. "Snow lady."
"My name is Genkan, tanuki." Genkan gets cross wit' 'er immediately!
"My name is Mamizou, Genkan." Mamizou mocks her way of being cross! "I suppose 'bitter cold' is about right."
...At Genkan's lack of a response, she continues! "Hehe! Aw, well… I was thinkin' you could violate his personal space even more."
"We're in public." Genkan countered. "And, I don't want to freak him out…"
"Oh, plea~se." Mamizou shook her head… "He's fallin' asleep over there. And- by public, you mean me. Trust me, I won't go tell all the friendly monks about how you two are secretly rea~lly friendly with one another. Not that it's a big secret to begin with."
...I don't think Genkan's gettin' persuaded anytime soon. Her traits include being gently slow and impossible to stir, for the most part…!
Then- um… oh. Almost carefully, Genkan presses herself into my back. "Fine…" She speaks inadvertently close to my ear.
I, ah, wow…
...
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: GENKAN'S PERSPECTIVE ====
...Oh. That was what it took... to put him to sleep.
Maria's already dozed off across the heated table, on her own.
Mamizou offers me an irritatingly wry smile. "So?"
"What is this fascination of yours?" She seems determined to interfere with us, for now. It's-... a little awkward to talk, my chin resting on Brad's now-brushed hair. It didn't really get any less fluffy… in fact, this did the opposite. However, it's not tangled anymore. Now, it'll probably just need a deep scrubbing-
"Ooh." She regains my attention, by finally responding. "Just that. A fascination. This interests me."
"Why?" It seems like an awful lot of trouble just to screw with us. Or… I suppose it's not. Still.
"Simply because it's irregular…" She seems to suppose, herself. "And, it's fun to annoy you. Yuki-onna have nice reactions, in general." Oh. That's… nice.
Brad is very unceremoniously sunk into the kotatsu top, now.
I'm always surprised, when he becomes really vulnerable. I'm not sure if he's more or less appealing with or without the wig on, but… I've liked being close to him, and this time we've spent together has only increased that. Not that I don't like his hair or anything, but there's something about the pseudo-feminine detail of long, black hair.
Maybe it's from the time I've spent with my sisters. And, I'll say, when Brad's not being… Brad, he can look surprisingly sedate, or even drained. It's a look I've seen in my sisters, and I'm pretty sure it's a look I have. Why he has it, however… is puzzling.
...Now that I think about it, his wig had certainly seen better days, after all the action it seemed to have gotten. I'd need to see it again to critique it…
I guess the real question… is where his 'Brad'ness comes from. I don't think that question has an answer.
Hana leans forward, and sticks her face really close to his sleeping one. "Aww~. He's sleeping…"
I want to talk to her, but this Mamizou here… I don't really want her around for anything between us.
"Gen-chan." Did Hana just say that. "C'mere…"
"Gen-chan." I echo.
She nodded eagerly. "Gen-chan. Genny getty genny!"
Never utter those words again. Oh, well… "Fine, fine." What's she want me to see?
Slipping a little out from my comfy spot on Brad's back, I lean down over where she's near his face…
She nuzzles his cheek with hers. "Mmh."
"...What was it you wanted me to see?" If she simply did this to annoy me, she's succeeded.
Bringing her face away from his, she looked up at me. "You try, too." ...Ah? "It's fun."
Try? Does she mean, nuzzling him? That's-... embarrassing.
Mamizou is staring at me.
...Slowly, I hear her voice begin to ascend. "Do~ it... do~ it, do~ it!"
I've been adventurous, today. So be it, then.
Leaning to the side opposite of Hana, I-... I press my left cheek against his right.
This whole time, I've been able to feel his heartbeat, but now I especially notice it. It's… making me tired. His cheeks are so warm…
I'm suddenly reminded, of the time he asked me how he looked, to me. He doesn't seem to receive blind lust well, ironically, so… I've refrained from being pushy. When he's asleep like this, however, my hands may travel his body as they please. That's- not to say I do anything weird even then, yet, the freedom comforts me. Despite his bravado, inwardly he's fairly shy, at least to some respect.
I suppose that's not saying much. Everyone has more depth to them-... or, well, some people. The human village has proved otherwise.
...Taking the clump of Brad's discarded hair from his initial de-tangle attempt, Hana put it back on his head. "Hehehe~..." We also have fairies like Hana in the world.
Placing my arm on the kotatsu, I sort of… rest my head, where it is. Brad's resting his head on his own arms, so… I'll just awkwardly adjust, and-... there we go.
I'm… more tired, than I thought. This position is… alright, if only for how unique it stretches the limbs, and the fact I'm wrapped around him, about.
Mmh…
…
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: HANA'S PERSPECTIVE ====
...Whah? Uh oh. I got all dizzy, all of a sudden!
Not anymore. That Mami-zoe fox lady stands up. Or, wait no, she's a raccoon! Ah ha. "Oh, no. It looks like everyone was just too tired to continue."
Oh, yeah. Everyone fell asleep! I forget that people who aren't fairies just kinda do that, sometimes, without it even being bedtime.
How'd Gen-chan fall asleep, like that, anyway…? She's got like, an arm over Brad-kun, and- sleeping at a kotatsu just looks weird entirely!
I stand up! "I am not tired!"
"Mmm." Raccoon nanny just does that hum thing at me… "Fairy girl, question…"
"Answer!" I am a smart cookie!
She smiles! "Hah. Are you jealous?"
Jealous? Uuh… oh- right, that's like, the emotion when you get mad at someone for having something else. "Why?" No one's taken my stuff. Wait-... okay, good, my uniform's still on!
"Of 'Gen-chan'." Oh? Why would I be jealous of Gen-chan… "Do you not hold Brad intimate, to you?"
Intimate? "...I like Brad-kun!" He's nice and fun and good!
"Do you not feel like… she's stealing him, from you?" Wha~t? Hehehe~!
"You can't steal a person, silly!" That's just- wait, no, hold on… "Well- not in a nice way, anyway!" Gen-chan hasn't put Brad-kun in a bag or anything, so… he's put himself in a bag, but I don't think that's- the same thing…
...Um, I don't get it!
She's making a funny face! "It's like I can see the gears turning in your head, and then they just stop." Hehehe~!
I give Brad-kun a hug, 'cause he's sleepy…
Raccoon lady gets up, and begins to float away…
It's a nice day, today. Nearby, there's a pile of Brad-hair-stuff and dust on the floor, from all the brushing.
sniff- sniff. Whah? Oh- it's shifting!
fwoof. Suddenly, it rolls around, and becomes a fluffle! "hi world" Ya~y!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: BRAD'S PERSPECTIVE ====
whump.
...whump. What, no. Something's whumping me…
whump. Sto~p. Don't touch me, I'm sterile…
whump. Alright, that's it, son.
Opening my eyes, I'm- totally fucking trapped, 'cause Genkan's just- did she just sink into me, or something!? Woah! That's-... huh-
whump. Oh, hi. I found the source of the whumping.
whump. A fluffle headbutts my face. It shifts its entire body horizontally, so it can just whump me every time it needs to.
whump. Stop, no. Desist…!
"Nn- nnh…" Oh, shit.
Across the room, Maria's standing, doing some stretches. She woke up before I did, dude. "Ha~h…"
whump. Who created you, you little freakin' menace…!
I'm trapped in the flux, dude. On one hand, Genkan's just, on me, and that's great. It's a little awkward of a position, but it… somehow works!
whump. On the other hand, I'm getting slowly annihilated by this tubby fluffle. What, no.
I snort from my nose, at it. Begone, noob. My nose air shall best you!
sniff- sniff. It pauses to sniff me back.
whump. Ohp- and it just, whacks me again. Freakin'...!
"Oh, no…" Maria finds me, dude. "Um…"
whump. The fluffle whacks me. Aa~h…!
"Help." I ask of her. "I'm being whumped…!"
whump. Case in point…!
...Stepping over to us gingerly, she takes the fluffle, and puts it on my head. Why are you just now like this, Maria.
Awkwardly, it tries to find its footing, and ends up doing multiple circles in my hair, before she takes it back out. Ya freakin' sabotaged me, Maria…! "Actually… yeah. I think I'll get you guys up, so we can do stuff." Oh. Maria's rarin' to go now, dude!
Stepping around us, she came to Genkan. Uuh…
Reaching down, she wrestled the back of Genkan's kimono open, and deposited the fluffle. Uuh…!?
"Mm- mmh…?" The wrestling itself stirred Genkan, and she began to rise a little… "What was…"
"what help!" It's trapped, dude! "im stuck"
An' then Genkan feels it! "Wh- whoah- what-!? Aah- ooh…!" She- pushed the kotatsu- yo!
Oof! Her flailing and writhing pushed me and the kotatsu over! "Aaa- aaa~h!"
"Ho- how, no!?" Genkan fights her own kimono, standin' up and strafing away as it freakin' shimmers due to the fluffle in it!
Whump! She hit a wall-
FWASH! And, she just, froze herself entirely...
...Maria's just standin' there with her hands over her mouth!
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
It's now like, just before sunset. We spent the day sleeping like dumbasses, and now everything's wrong with the world!
Ha-chan's holding onto that loaf of fluff we found, which has somehow not exploded horribly after what happened. "Awh…" She played with its fins, dude.
We've just entered the outside courtyard, after I let myself get molested, and then subsequently knocked out, and then everyone knocked themselves out. Except for Ha-chan!
Like always, the courtyard is big an' square. Columns around keepin' the overhangin' and more sorta inward bits up… and there're blocks of stone just around the courtyard, for the good reasons. Also dummies!
"I feel like, the fact it was born from Brad's discarded hair…" Genkan gives the fluffle a dubious look, dude. "That's just more reason we should kill it."
"No~." Ha-chan shoves her face into the dust factory. "It's cu- cute- kaugh- kauf…" She has to hold it farther from herself, because the dust was too much!
Anywa~y. One thing I've been thinking about since I've woken up, is getting Byakuren's help to meld summore plant hangers together. She can do that kinda shit, right…? Ah, well. Someone here can smack stuff together, I'm sure!
...While we take in the glory of a half-wasted day, Genkan speaks again! "I just remembered. Seeing her reminds me…" She points to Byakuren, who seems to be across the courtyard, doing nun-ly things. "What was the context for that whole… debacle?"
Oh, man. "That's actually a pretty long story…!" The tale of a boy who got sold into twenty different molestation circuses. Actually, I'm not even sure how the hell he went from the mansion to the temple. Seems like there was a middleman between all of that, or multiple! Jesus!
Where the hell do I begin. "So… first, lemme ask! Maria, didja know about that one concert? At the village?"
Time staff clasped close, Maria nodded! "Ah, yeah. I helped out with the potion and medical things, sort of." Huh, you did?
"Do you remember that captain?" He was the boy, dude. "The guy who freakin' brained a dude!?" Freakin, the goddess Hina went big girl on 'em, and placed a ten thousand years reign of doobies on his ass.
"Yea~h." She curls her brows up, and nods! "He was captain for… not long. I don't think he got fired, 'cause I never saw him again after that. Until, um..."
Hoh! "Yeah, he got trapped in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Y'see, what he did was try to attack it. Just, full-stop."
"...And so, this happened to him." Genkan got a grasp of the situation, dude. "He didn't look like he could hurt a fly, now."
"Yeah." I agree, dude. "Sakuya must have put him in her crazy sex dungeon, or something. He was passed around to a freakin'... sex brothel, 'fore Byakuren finally took him in. I bet that was a freakin' trip!"
...Genkan looks concerned! "This world is strange. Wait, crazy sex dungeon? Brothel?"
"Now that I dunno about! The dungeon, that is." I start to proceed forward! But then I face 'er again. "Like… what do ya think happened to the boy? As in, the boy who contractually couldn't say no, in a mansion fulla' horny fairies."
Aw. We proceed a little more, Genkan lookin' distilled… "Why is this land full of horny people in general?" She also shook 'er head...
...Maria gives her a snuggly, cynical stare, for some reason.
"As fer the brothel, it was the one we tried attacking, then almost died in!" Freakin', Shikome, dude. "So there was no fixin' that!"
All of a sudden, Maria's eyes widened! Aw- she was with me, when we saw the boy, wasn't she!? Kid sex slave wasn't there when me an' Genkan made a round, though… so maybe he was already Byakuren's by that point. Which is good, 'cause Byakuren'll probably at least treat him like a human person.
Brows slightly furrowed, Genkan asks a question. "Isn't he male?" Ooh…
I just purse my lips at 'er! "...Well. He looks like a girl, and fer some guys, y'know…"
...She now looks very concerned! "Oh, gods. That's-... ugh. I didn't think-..." Oof.
"Ye- yeah, I remember…" Maria just raises her brows briefly, staring ahead. "That guy, who put down some money, and took him upstairs…" Oh, wow. Yeah- I remember that!
I remember it- but I remember not thinking too much on it myself! Hoh, shit!
...In the resulting silence, I nod! "Yeah, so that's what it looks like… to go from the cushy life, to all the adversity freakin' possible."
"Lives can change on the drop of a hat here, sometimes." Once more shaking her head, Genkan paced in place restlessly… "Especially where matters of safety are concerned."
Yeah. Freakin'... seems like it! Makes me wanna make more freakin' weapons, for if we ever come short on our luck in some dumb random encounter!
Steppin' into the midst of the courtyard we've been idlin' in, we see Byakuren more specifically like, arranging some things on a table that's just kinda placed out here…
"Ah…" Oh, there's Shou, dude! "Hijiri."
"Good afternoon, Shou." Byakuren gave her tigerly friend a look… "How are things?"
"Ah, good." Shou gives her the good nod back, dude. "Are you all finished with today's sermons?"
"Indeed." Noddin', Byakuren stepped back from the little wooden table… "These recent weeks have been… interesting."
Leaning back, Shou smiled. "You think so? More than usual?"
"...Hmm." This question made Byakuren mull, fer a moment! "Perhaps not." What an interesting conversation, dude!
"Yo ho ho!" I call out to the noobs, still dressed up like Miko!
...Byakuren looks surprised we're still here!
"Ah- uh…" Shou pauses at my dressing, fer a moment! Then, she evens out… "Oh. It's you."
"It's only me, dude." I give them the snug look. "Who'd you think I was, yo?"
Grinning at that, Shou faced Byakuren again. "That reminds me… Hijiri, what matters did you discuss with Izayoi today, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh. Some cooking advice…" Byakuren- super lied just then. Yo!
"Cooking advice." Genkan sounds like she really wants to poke a hole in that fib, too! Aw-
Byakuren centers her gaze on her. "Would you like some, too?" Uh.
...Genkan's gaze hardens. "No. That's okay." The most intense cooking exchange ever.
Shou just shares some kinda look between them…
"Well. I'll be around." With that, Byakuren jets the hell out super fast! "Take ca~re."
"Ah…" Shou turns, ta see Byakuren just freakin' escape, dude.
...A few moments after the fact, she props an arm on her own hip. "That was weird. It's not typically like her, to be that on edge. Perhaps today was rougher than she said."
"Hoh." I dunno, dude. Since pissing off super nun would be stupid, and she seems to be a protective good person anyway, I'll just keep that secret. "Maybe she put her boots on wrong, dude."
Shou snorted! "Put her boots on- okay. Also- I remember you!" She points at me! "...But not your name!"
That really figures! "I don't think I ever told ya! I'm uh, Brad." Hoh, hoh…
I gesture beside myself! "...This is Goofy, and that's Donald!"
"Who are Goofy and Donald?" Genkan wants to know, dude! "This joke continues to go over our heads."
Oh, god. I must account for my sins, dude. "...That is such a long story, I don't actually think it's possible to explain it!" Kingdom Hearts is some bullshit. Actually, the first game can be made out to be like, a sorta generic fairy tale. Everything else is edgy fanfiction!
"...Perhaps that'll be a tale for a boring night, then." Oh, shit. Genkan will remember this, dude. "You can only reuse the same jokes so many times until I start analyzing them." Oo~h, ho ho ho...
...I point to Ha-chan! "An' that's Pluto." Wahaha!
"I'm a Pluno!" Ha-chan, that's not- y'know, that's fine actually…
Steppin' forward, in the courtyard's midday sunlight, Shou gives me a good nod. "I see. I remember well, that you fought with a plant hanger. Even though our meeting was very brief."
Aw, yeah dude! "I still do, yo!"
"And how about Goofy and Donald?" Shou uh, good.
"I'm Genkan." Genkan redefined herself! "And she-"
Her attempt to introduce Maria is intercepted… by Maria! "Maria." Aw. She fluffs herself up, a little. "I use magic." How her two other staves're just hangin' on her back looks janky…! Someday, it will be a whole armory on her back, dude.
This prompts Genkan to define her own fighting style… "I'm a yuki-onna, so my preference should be obvious. I can sort of hit things if I need to."
"Sort of hit things, huh." Shou takes in that intimidating skill level, dude. "I'm interested in your progress, Brad. Last time I saw you here, you could barely do much of anything, except glide around with a… plant hanger's assistance."
Aw, yeah. "Really…? Interested in me?"
She nods! "Well, not everyone tries to master an ordinary object. I would have given you more reprisal were you trying to master cargo crates or lounge chairs." Oh, man. Those are the good primary weapons, dude. "At the very least, some styles of plant hanger have a club or bat-like shape."
"That," Shou looks around fer a moment, for some reason, "and, while I'd initially scoffed at such a weapon, someone recently came by to test Hij- Byakuren's strength, using such armaments. Outwardly, she was a masterful elementalist, and a gifted arms user. If only she used anything other than plant hangers."
Wait- hold the fuck up, s'the first I heard a' this shit…!?
Genkan also looked weirded out! "...Wh- who? You mean... Brad's not the only one? Is this an American tradition I don't know about?" Pft-...!
"Sh- she wasn't American." Shou has to resist chuckling at that! "She was Japanese. She broke Byakuren's guard and managed to scratch her more than once, and was very creative with the elements. She puts someone like you to shame, Brad. She's what you could be if you were dedicated to your training."
Son. Wh- I didn't even know there was plant hanger training- who uses plant hangers!?
"Who's she…!?" I wonder!
...Shou shrugs. "I hadn't gotten her name. We spoke little other than formally." Wh- dawh. "You've seen her once yourself, have you not?"
...Only person who comes ta mind is Merry, and she was 'bout as clumsy as me. She couldn't have become an overgod in like, ten chapters, right?
Well, anyway, this got me thinkin' about plant hanger use an' abuse. The plant hanger handle's a little weird, so it fucks with my hand 'n' my grip on it, but I just kinda… power through that. Maybe it's detrimental, though!
Clunk. Uu~h…
Letting her staff spear pike thing of doom float beside her, Shou reached out behind herself, and drew a like-... what the fuck is that!? It's a metal club with spikes on it! She was just carrying that around!?
"This, I would probably consider the actual weapon equivalent to your… plant hangers. This is a kanabo. It is what I wish that girl used instead." A kanabo. There's an actual Japanesey name for what is pretty much just a big dumb oni club…!?
"Kanabo, hmm…" Genkan nods at the name. "Metal stick. I can see it." Oh. So- it actually just means… metal stick.
"It's about as wieldy as a plant hanger." Shou considers… "It, if more orthodox to grip, has actual impact across all faces and angles, is easier to wield from actual design, and has proper weight balancing, dynamics, and substance."
Ho~h. Aw…
Reachin' into my bag… I draw the good hanger.
Holdin' onto the solid base shaft, I lug Fallen Comrade out from the depths of my freakin' stupid inventory! And- woah, that weight without the strength buff thing it's got active is oof. "Behold, yo…!"
"Oo~h?" Shou sizes up the messy conjoinment of many hangers! "I see. Why, that even compares to the size of a proper kanabo, if not the architecture. Yes, that should be a suitable choice to practice with."
"Practice, huh…" Ho ho. "How're we gonna go about that?"
Shou gives me a big smile! "Why, we'll do some light sparring, of course. Don't worry, I won't be too aggressive. I want to see what you might have developed, while you were off doing other things." Uu~h…
...I look around, and the others have already distanced themselves!
"Good lu~ck." Genkan drawls out from the sidelines…!
"Achoo!" The fluffle Ha-chan had made her sneeze.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
Standing some distance from one another in the courtyard's midst, I stare down Shou across the way…!
The~re we go. Hefting Fallen Comrade up with both arms, I rest it on my shoulder…!
Woosh. Oh, boy. Shou does that about twice as quick, with one hand.
Fwi- Click. Toyosatomimi's cape on my back flashes to the color red, signifying strength, or something! I think that's what she said…!
Taking a deep breath, I also channel my mana through Fallen Comrade, to get that passive strength buff goin'...
Woosh. Oh, holy shit. With both the cape's strength, and the buff, I can almost hold the hanger like Shou can her big metal club!
"Alright…" Givin' me a smile, Shou stands ready. "Show me what you've got."
Well… huh. I'm not really sure how to begin this!
Both arms tight on Fallen Comrade's base, I kinda… move in her direction!
She's not even really moved yet, she's just kinda standing still. Uu~h…
I begin with the overhead swing of JRPG heroes! "Hnnh…!"
CLANG! Her kanabo somehow makes its way over her head in one moment, taking the hanger's impact. Uuh…! "Hmm. Again." She's still only got one hand on the base, by the way!
I kinda stumbled back after my swing was deflected. "Freakin'... yo~!" I thrust at 'er!
thunk. The hanger's thrust met her at the midst of her stomach, but she just kinda… flinched a little, and nothing else happened. I also kinda paused, 'cause I actually like, hit her!
"Hrr~h…!" Somehow finding the strength, I cleave the big hanger around my side, pivoting around on my heels so I could swing three-sixty degrees-
Clack. The blow at the end was not very strong, 'cause I spent a lot of energy trying to spin! Also, Shou just kinda held her weapon in the way, and just stopped my swing.
...I- I also stumble to a stop, 'cause that spin threw me off balance! "Oof…"
"Hmmh." She had her brows furrowed… "Weak." Freakin'...!
"S'that so…!?" Freakin', let's test her again, then! Reeling Fallen Comrade behind myself, I use both my legs and my arms to heave it overhead, and then-
Clack! I slammed it down! And- oof… she just, did that overhead-one-handed block thing, again. Y'know, I don't feel very strong, right now!
"Has this really been good enough…?" She asks! And- no, not… not really! "This is sort of silly."
"To be fair!" I hold up a finger! "I haven't actually used this hanger melee-style, yet. S'a bit heavier than I'd have thought…"
"For these bat-like weapons, technique is more or less the same." Shou declares! "It's just, too much weight can make optimal use impossible. This may be true for you." Wau. What- ya mean I went too crazy with the welding…!?
"S'that so…?" Oof. "Surely there's some kinda great hammer strategies, or somethin' I could use? Not every guy's got the luxury of youkai muscles."
She nods! "Hm, hm. Well… for starters, you seem to only be able to put genuine power behind one attack. Every other attack is pushed to a threshold of… bare plausibility, since you do not have the strength or the endurance to continue stringing attacks together."
Aw, shit. She might be talking about my Combo Plus modifiers, from my weapons. I always thought it was kinda hacky that I just, got to swing more for not having any more strength…!
Woosh. Letting her kanabo float into the air beside herself, she held out her arms. "Now, I want you to simply hit me. Strike as many times as you are able, without losing momentum." Ooh…?
...Alright, then!
"Ho~h…" Once again, I lug up Fallen Comrade for a powerful, cleavin' blow-
pap. It comes down, rolling off Shou's forearm that she held up.
Thunk! An' then it kept goin' straight down, and bounced off 'a the floor! So I thrust it forward-
whunk. Shou did that millisecond-long flench in response to getting whammed in the gut, again.
"Hnn~h!" Pulling my body- instead 'a spinnin' around like a retard, I just reel the hanger to the side a little, freakin' clumsy like, and-
pap. I tried to ram it into her with a horizontal swing, comin' from my side an' goin' to hers, but she just stopped it with her forearm.
"A- ah…" And I'm left ta stumble back, 'cause that was all the fight I had…! Three swings, yo.
"I was right, about the force." She remarks… "Try a thrust, to start with. Or-... yeah, just a single thrust."
Just a single thrust, huh. I'll be gentle, dude.
Well- not advertently, anyway! "Alright…"
Proppin' her arms at her sides, she awaits an attack.
Bringing the hanger up along my side, I take a moment to just ready myself, and I thrust! "Yo~!"
Whunk! She flinched for… what was that, a third of a second?
"...Better, actually." She declared! Aw… "Right now, you only really have the strength for one hit. Artificial modifiers would be good if you were using a knife, or something where force didn't matter, like a magic weapon. Where just hitting would matter, as opposed to hitting well."
Ha~h. "I kinda figured there'd be some kinda drawback, like that. How would I like, work around that?"
"Get stronger." She uh, oof. "Or… well. I do have a technique, for heavier weapons. Provided, things that are heavy to me, are… likely not as heavy, to you."
Lookin' away, I see-... ah, Genkan and Maria have found some chairs nearby, and are just lounging…
Stronger, huh. And, what kinda technique would she have, fer me?
"For now, I'd like to see you swing a few more times." She held her arms up again…! "Try my guard, at least."
Try her guard, huh…
Well, swinging like a freakin' keyblade wielder has so far just been… entirely useless!
Bringing the hanger along my right side… I take a breath. Inhale, and… exhale. "Ha~h…" My strength buff thing still seems applied, so…
I swing! "Hr~h!"
Whap! It meets her left forearm, an' it actually jitters a bit from the impact! The blow did make me lose my momentum when she stopped it, though.
Her eyes are just kinda plain and examining. "You do single hits… decently. But, the way you try to handle yourself… it's like you think your weapon doesn't have weight, or as if your body was way more massive than it is. Which, is good exercise, but not very practical for a fight." Looking along her forearm, she casts the arm aside herself-
fwish. Amber energy flared along it, for just a moment…! "Alright. Again." Again…?
Hmm. What else can I try…? A thrust of doom? A~... maybe a diagonal blow. Or not. Lugging it over my head hasn't done anything new so far, either.
"Maybe you can try using it like you would a sword." She offered me a suggestion! "So far, you've displayed great sword-esque techniques."
Like, a sword? How the hell would that work?
Provided, I've been trying to swing it like a keyblade, so freakin'... I guess I'm also tryin' some off-the-wall freakin' ideas, here!
What other JRPG dumbass uses criminally large implements? Aw- what about Luka from Monster Girl Quest, dude!? He's got that Angel-... dildo thing, of justice! Angel Halo, that was it…
Flail Wildly, is the skill I shall imitate. Wait, no. That does remind me…
Ah, fuck it. How much could bringing the thing up by your neck help swinging it? Seems a bit weird!
Reeling the hanger over my shoulder, I, hmm… you know what? What if I just swung it like I swung my fuckin' NERF sword!?
Holding onto the very bottom of Fallen Comrade's hammer shaft with one hand, I whip it from my shoulder, extending my arm-
Whap! Shou brought forward both her arms, to stop the blunt back 'a Fallen Comrade from whunkin' her.
The hanger kept goin', the blow letting me just keep doin' my shit even after her arm deflected. Oo~h...
Woosh! I just swipe it back to the right, an' my arm sorta aches a bit! My hand's really not liking how I just freakin' reeled the thing back like a maniac!
Shou actually ducked that in one moment, 'cause the other side of Fallen Comrade had a big sickle bit with her name on it!
Taking a deep breath, I reel back Fallen Comrade real good over my shoulder after it comes back, raisin' my front leg as it almost knocks me over on return! Then, I stomp back down, and put it all into my next swing!
WHACK! This time, my hanger's hit made Shou move one of her arms away!
...After all 'a that, I just kinda have to pull my big fuckoff hanger back, 'cause the big swing left me super open! And I'm all winded, too…
"Huh." Still indifferent lookin', Shou gives me a nod…! "That wasn't bad. Not at all skilled, nor effective against a foe like me, but you seemed to find a way to innovate, at least. It suits you. I said sword, but you used it more like a bat, just then."
I like how her arm recovered right after it was knocked away, in like, one second.
Anyway! Freakin'... good! I basically just let the weapon carry itself around, while I freakin' strained my hand muscles pulling it around. It's a pretty scary thing when it actually hits! It's like, metal, which is pretty bad to get hit with regardless of how powerful a swing is.
I've recollected myself, now… but, she seems ta be adopting a neutral posture.
"That should serve a good starting point, for you to think about self-improvement." Shou gives me a nod, and a smile! "I'm not saying to go around fighting people… but, people tend to learn a lot more about combat from real, hands-on experience. And, the more you can do with your natural skill and strength, the more your weapons can build off of. Keep that in mind."
I nod at that! "Hoh, shit. Thanks, I think!"
"Come see me again, after you've taken some time to experiment." With this, she begins to pace restlessly… "Now… hmm. Let's look at your friends, over here." Aw!
We graze over to Genkan an' Maria, who're fluffy and gentle…
"While we're here," Shou wraps her hands together snuggly-like. "I'd like to evaluate some of you, too. Self-defense of the martial kind is more important than you might think, even if you're both particularly magic practitioners."
...Maria raises her brows! "Aah. Um…"
"I suppose we might as well." Genkan supposes, yo… "It would be good to know."
...Maria doesn't at first seem into it, but she gives into the peer pressure! "I- I guess. I'm not really, um… good at…"
Shou grins, and lets 'erself look big, dude! "Fighting is more than raw power. That, and with the magic of today, there's more than simply being strong. Battle sense, instinct, and the ability to amplify your natural abilities. It's not always fair, but fighting's not always about honor."
Hoh. At that, Maria nods! "Okay…"
"Which of you would like to go first?" Shou propped her arms on her hips!
...Genkan an' Maria looked between one another, 'fore Genkan sacrificed herself! "I suppose I'll get it over with."
"Awh. Don't look at it as something bad." Casually, Shou gave 'er a wave. "Follow me."
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: GENKAN'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Alri~ght. At the very least, this'll be good justification to make Brad buy me ice cream later, or something. Not that it's a costly sacrifice to us, at this point…
"Now…" The tiger-like youkai stood before me. "What sort of weapon do you prefer?"
Weapon? Um. "...Technically paper fans, I suppose… but, not as a martial weapon. They're stylistic, if anything."
...The golden-haired tiger girl nodded at me. "While fans have been utilized as a weapon before, anything decorative you have on you won't do. It'd be best for us to focus on hand-to-hand as well, or at least something similar. Your species is naturally quite above human capacity."
Hmm. Perhaps this will go better than it looked like it did for Brad.
"Alright…" I, um… hmm. My sleeves will be in the way.
Fwish. I roll them up magically, exposing my arms to the sun. "What will we be doing?"
She considered this. "...For now, I'd like to see how you hit." Bringing her arms up, she readied herself. "Come."
...Coming up to her, I reel my fist back… and-
pap. Ah. I hit her arm.
"Put force into it!" Aah? She just got loud. "Come on!"
...Landing on my sandals, I reel my arm back for a little longer… and thrust.
Pap. It ended about the same.
She was now giving me a dry look. "I have a feeling you're capable of way more. Come on, now…"
pap- pap. I try brutalizing her with both arms at once, but it doesn't end well.
...Well. I guess I'll be rowdy.
Bringing my leg up, I wait… and then I kick.
Pap! I feel like guarding it with her own leg shouldn't have worked. Oh well.
"...You seem very unmotivated." She criticizes me. "Question. Can you pick me up?"
Sure. Reaching forward, I lift- hmmh… well, she's heavier than she looks, but yes. I'm too used to Brad and Maria weighing nothing to me.
"If you can lift me, how can't you break my guard?" She asks me.
I guess because I don't really feel like hitting anyone. I may be stronger than a human, but not by a great margin. While feats I do look superhuman to Brad and Maria, surely, it's as a whole not much farther along than one would think. Yuki-onna are not oni, by any definition. We rely on telekinetic magic, rather than muscle; for lifting things, and such.
"Hmm." Oh. Let's respond to her. "It's a good guard." In reference to her defense.
She rolls her eyes. "Okay. Well… again." Again.
pap. I punch.
Pap! I kick.
"Maybe if you were angrier…" She considered.
"If you make me angry, I'll just freeze you." It might be immature, but I don't like being taken out of my… comfort, I guess.
Hmm. I did pick up those other two fans…
Reaching into my kimono, I dig for the fans Brad picked up for me. Their effects aren't active when they're so simply stowed away, fortunately.
I take out Heavy Tanker, the pair of huge, cardboard fans.
"Nn- nnh…" Instant regret. I-... almost fell over, just taking them out.
"Ooh…?" The tiger girl perks up. "What's this?"
Woosh. I let the fans drift to my side. As long as I maintain a mana connection with them, they give me their… 'benefits'.
"Al- alright…" I'm… so heavy… "Here I come…!"
Pap. Pap. Those were the sounds of me walking on the grass, not hitting anything. I'm- sort of worried, about my sandals, like this…
"Hnn~h…" Reeling both my arms back, I… take a deep breath, and then I swing…!
WHAP- Whap! My arms awkwardly slap against hers, actually making her take a few steps back. "Did I make you mad, somehow…?"
"Nn- no…" I'm just- ugh… "The- the fans…"
"Oh." She sights them. "Aah. I thought you were just constipated, for a moment there." If you keep that up, I'll actually be mad at you.
And- and… and-
flap- flap. I- let go of the fans…
"Fhuff…" I need to breathe. It's not often I take a physical toll, like that.
"Oh. Too much for you to handle, hmm…" The tiger girl mulls over my inadequate muscles. "Not that I can blame you. I'm pretty sure those would instantly make your guy-friend over there faceplant." Well, you say that like there was any doubt…
Ignoring the cardboard fans, I reach into my kimono, and pull out the… tiny pink ones.
I can fit one between two of my fingers. That's… bad. I think, at least.
Wait-
woosh! Oh…! I tried to move, but… I went farther than anticipated!
woo- woosh. Floating ahead, I go from zero to sixty, clear the entire length of the court yard, and then return to the tiger girl.
"Heheh…" She has a chuckle at me. "What're you doing…?"
woosh- woosh. I float up to Brad and Maria.
"Hoh- shit…!" Brad instantly staggers back at my sudden arrival. "What the frik, dude…!?"
"I'm accelerating." I explain.
woosh. Now, I've returned to my starting position. I'm satisfied with this.
"Well, try me now!" Suddenly, the tiger girl here beckons me to assault her. I think I will.
woosh! I try to float behind her, coming up suddenly.
Pap- pap! My quick slams of my arms are stopped by her arms, way quicker than I am, somehow…
woosh! So, I fly over her. Up here, I try to stomp down.
Um. I stopped, but it didn't feel like I hit any-
Woosh! Oh- woah- what is-
Thud! Ow- ow…! I- she threw me by my leg… into the floor. Gods, that-... doesn't hurt really badly, but it's irritating…
She got my kimono dirty, and- my arms! My sleeves were rolled up, so dirt got on them, as well. Ugh.
She leans over me. "How was that!? You gonna take that!?"
Is she really going to be this annoying-
Fwish! Oh. My mana accidentally flared through my fans- um-...
My body moves automatically at first, a feedback coming through the tiny, glowing pink papers, and into me. My flight abilities let me drift up, onto my hands, and- this is pretty embarrassing.
WOO- WOO- WOOSH! "Uah…!" Spinning in innumerable three-sixty rotations, I spread my legs out in the air for maximum distance.
Pap- pap- PAP- PAP- WHACK! Near me, the tiger girl makes noises, my legs impacting her by accident. "Uu- uhn…!?"
Ugh- my kimono fell on my face- what is this…!?
WHUNK! Then, I stop on a dime… and feel uneasy. "Oo- oh…"
Thud! Aah. From one of the few lines of sight from inside my own kimono, I see the tiger girl land on her butt. "Wha- ah…!?"
WOOSH. I flip back around instantly, and fight my kimono back down. I wear an undergarment for exactly this reason… but, it's still going to be embarrassing to hear about. I'm shy about showing my skin.
The tiger girl gets up off the floor, thrusting herself back onto her legs. "What the hell was that…" What did happen to her, anyway? I think my legs hit her, and… she couldn't handle that?
...From what I learned of the fans, the skill was called… Rising Rotor. It's an awful skill with no practical application, and I hate it.
...Which, is sort of a lie. I just don't see myself using it a lot, unless I can keep my kimono… on both my legs, somehow. Brad and the rest of the world don't need to see my panties or my butt in the open.
"Alright." The tiger girl gave me a wave. "Um. Do you wanna be done, for now? You seem to be lost in thought… again."
Oh? Ah. "Sorry. And, yes." I think that's enough close-quarters for me, today. Rising Rotor… hmmh.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: MARIA YAMADA'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Genkan and the tiger lady come back to us in short order, after um… that thing.
"Wow…!" Brad's predictably into seeing all her skin… "That was-... somethin'!"
"No." Oo~h. Genkan's got a little cyan tint to her cheeks.
I'm compelled to ask… "What was that?"
"No." Oh. Genkan says no. Guess I'll ask her later.
"No~w…" Tiger lady centers her gaze on me. "I believe you're the most in need of martial incentive."
"Probably." I let myself admit. I'm really no good up close in a fight, at all. Well, I can cast up close, but if someone hits me… yeah.
But, Brad has some wisdom to share with me, first. "Psst- Maria…!" He calls for me in faux-secrecy. "Jus' cast stop on 'er, and beat 'er up while it lasts!" No, Brad. That's cheating.
"Before we begin…" Tiger lady reaches for her… behind-herself-space. "Here. This is something passed around to magi here, at this temple."
Um? Oh- she's giving me… a staff? Not a magic staff, an actual just… wood-stick type staff. Pole. It's actually a good size for me, which is cool, I guess.
I reach for it, and take it.
Instantly, my body… wo- wow.
"Aah…" I sit down. "That's… weird." My whole body began to pulse, and grow warmer… and- I lost my balance just a little, because my head felt really weird...
"Equipping it will feel weird." She provided. I really gotta ask for her name… 'cause I forgot. She never formally introduced herself, so~... "It converts two thirds of your mana to bodily vitality, when wielded."
Wh- it does what now!?
Finding my strength again, I spring back onto my legs. "Um-... wow…" I had to say something.
Some explanation from her soon followed. "Magic will be greatly weakened, when using that staff." She gave me a slow, relaxed single nod… "But, it improves physical ability. It's meant for magician-type combatants to practice their martial affinities."
That's-... that's something. This staff, though… it's really something…
Stepping into the midst of the sunset-crested clearing, the tiger girl-who-I-forgot-the-name-of smiles at me. "Come!"
Woosh! Her lance thing she carries around joins her arms. "I'll take your blows."
...Well. Okay, then.
I start running. Immediately, my body feels the difference in power. The pulsing, aching demand that my muscles do something. I have suspicious how this thing applies itself to me, but I don't know nearly enough about the body to say anything concrete. It seems to target muscles, at least.
Already, I dread letting go of this thing, because I'll feel so weak when I do.
Cla- clack! Sliding forward, I whack her staff superficially to make staff fighting noises.
"Hu~p!" I jump- wow…!
Leaping meters into the air, my body automatically carries itself into a backflip, and rights itself before I even reach the apex of my jump…! "Wo- wow, wooh…!"
...O- oh, the ground's kinda far-
Oh! Ah. I landed, and… it was pretty unspectacular. Safe landing. My jump took me like, three people high! That was crazy!
"Now…" Uhm, the lance-tiger-lady-girl is walking towards me, her maybe-a-lance held with real purpose now. "Come!" What?
Woosh! Wh- she swung at me! Oh gods!
Clack! Aah! She- swung down, and I just kinda ran outta the way, clipping it with my staff as her attack came down.
WOOSH! Spinning around, she brought it along the floor around herself. I just kind of watch it, because wow- but it's really fast-
Thud. It- took out my legs, and, ow…
Ge- getting up off the floor, I hold my staff up.
CLACK! Ooh! She- just meets mine in the middle with hers the very moment I kinda take a defensive hold on it! Wh- what am I supposed to do!?
"Hnn~h!" She brings her lance back, holding it comedically short on the shaft with both hands…
Woosh. Oh- oh my go~d! It just-... I think she wasn't aiming for me with that, but I still felt the wind off of it… she like, swung way over me, and I compacted to avoid being whacked.
For some reason, I run at her, because I don't know what else to do…
Fwish! Then- I feel something, from the staff…
Whunk! From the defensive hold I had, both hands on either end of it, I reel it over me, and ram it down tip-first into her shoe.
"Hya…!" I pull down on it- and I- I left the floor from the force I used!
Whack. Flicking my leg forward automatically… my shoe met her in the gut, and she fell back. "Ah…"
Landing back on my legs, I- I just sort of, stumble back. Idea…!
Woo~sh…! Reeling my short staff all the way over my head, holding one tip of it with both hands like she did… I- I pull it down!
THUNK! The staff's flat met her hard, as she lied on the ground. "Nnh."
...Stepping back, I let out some breaths. "Ha-... ha~h…" Geez.
But then, she gets off the floor like nothing just happened, dusting off her yellow dress. How. "I see the ingrained sample technique came to you. Not only that, but… without it, you used the staff quite well, for a beginner."
Really…? "You're just saying that." I really honestly doubt it.
She blinks, in surprise. "No, really. You already show promise… which, is more than I could say of your companions, without offense to them." Wo~w. That's funny.
I'm too tired to giggle about it, though. "Oh. Too bad I'm more into magic." Staff fighting is cool and all, but… I wanna be a magician. "Do you want, um…"
She shook her head. "That staff is yours to keep." Oh. That's nice of her, actually…
"Neat." If I ever get silenced or syphoned, this might come in real handy. "Thanks, um… I- I don't know your name."
Shifting her posture into a sloppy one, she gives me an awkward smile… "It's Shou, dear. I suppose I haven't formally introduced myself…"
I shake my head. "No~ you did not." Tiger lady.
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO: BRAD'S PERSPECTIVE ====
Aw. Genkan's paler than I am! I dunno how I didn't notice when I was drunk on being pressed up against her fore-chest, or from just her hands, but I especially noticed when I saw her spin around super fast!
An' right now I'm starin' at her really pale forearm. There's just something about her skin being so milky white...
"You like that, don't you?" She makes fun of my fascination with her super pale skin!
"Yeah, dude." Aw. Her forearm is fun, too. S'kind of a weird thought, innit!?
Aw. Maria's coming back from her whack'em 'n' smash'em-athon. Shou got kerfluffled, dude.
"Your friend shows prowess in the martial arts." Shou say wat now.
Maria actually rolls her eyes! "If you say so."
I did see her pull off a freakin' wicked combo somehow. Maybe she's actually really good with melee combat, and she just had us all fooled, dude!
Now I know the truth, dude. "Maria." I announce her name! "You are actually a secret martial arts master!"
Gingerly, she shakes her head. I tried, dude.
"No~w…" Givin' herself a stretch, Shou paces away a little, 'fore stopping. "Would you three like to join me, for tea? The night is young." The- the sun hasn't set lady, it ain't quite night yet…!
...I look to the friends!
"Hmm." Genkan considers it… fer some reason! What's there ta consider!? "Not right now." Ooh?
Shou blinks! "...Aah. Might I ask why?"
"We're probably only going to spend so much time, here." Genkan figures! "So… I feel like we'll have more to see, if we wander around aimlessly." Hoh, shit!
Brows curlin' up, Shou shifts her posture again! "Ah. Well, if it suits you three." Then, she's just indifferent! "I'll be having tea in one of the southern lounges." Aw. Southern lounges. Yeehaw!
…And, after a few moments, she's gone, dude.
We begin walking, but I'm not sure where. All three of us kinda just, picked a direction, then adjusted to stay together when we noticed we were all goin' entirely different ways, and then compromised!
Maria locks her gaze on Genkan. "That was weird."
Genkan raises a brow! "Hmm?"
"I just, uh... didn't think you'd just pass up an opportunity to relax, like that." Maria admits! "Especially after we just… sorta exercised."
Lookin' at one of the doors ahead, Genkan begins moving for it of her own volition! "We just woke up, really. This place as a whole has a comforting atmosphere about it, so I'm actually sort of in the mood to… explore, at our leisure." Aw. Yeah, dude!
"Lead the way, snuggle friend…" I compact my posture, 'cause I'm snuggly…
...Genkan just gives me a look, before continuin' forward!
Click. Ha-chan walks slowly out of the door we were movin' for.
"Oh, there you are, Hana." Genkan gives her a tiny wa~ve, with just her hand. "Where'd you go?"
She mournfully looked back at the door she came from…! "Um… it turned on me."
Uh oh. Genkan looks concerned! "Oh?"
SNIFF- SNIFF. In the doorframe, a single, huge shell nose lowers down before it, trying to fit through, but it can't!
"Oh…" Genkan now knows. "Oh, no." It's the giga fluff, dude.
...Ha-chan tried to re-enter the room.
thud. She fell back on her butt, after getting displaced by the shell nose! "Ow." Freakin'- what was the master plan there!?
==== FREAKIN GENSOKYO ====
END OF CHAPTER 90
Brad, the Fluffle Slayer, Fairy Slayer, Accidental Human Slayer, Robot Demolisher, Ph. D in Plant Hangers, Scarlet Liberator, Village Liberator, Eientei Crucible, Sinker of the Flufftanic, Factory Disassembler, Assembler of the Legendary Air Ride Machine, Sky Climber, Amateur Espionage Practitioner, Illegal Fairy Harborer, Conscientious Party Member, Winter Warrior, Village Revolutionary, Has Forgotten What Half of These Titles Stood For, Holder of Too Many Titles - Aw, Genkan gave me a summary! I can change elements, skills and resistances depending on the situation! Weaknesses vary…!
NON-EQUIP SKILLS:
Lucky Star - Non-elemental magic that does very random damage to one target. The star is summoned from above, and simply coasts into people.
Scent Pillow - A spell taught by Koakuma. The end-game strat, dude.
World's Wimpiest Fireball - A spell learned from a book given ta me by Patchouli. Not very good for anything…! May dry out targets.
Lumen - Low-grade holy spell that eats mana. Requires a source of holy to actually be cast. Homes in on an enemy and deals a burst of mediocre holy damage.
Double Jump - The good skill. Allows the user to completely cancel their falling momentum and jump again.
NERF Marauder Combo - A wimpy, back-and-forth slapping motion, one hand on the very bottom tip of a hanger's handle. Relies on the weapon itself to just bean a person's head! The way it works allows attacks to be chained together easier.
Longstrike - Combo finisher. Reeling the hanger back like a bat, Brad freakin' clubs a guy across the head with it! Or, tries to. Stagger and knockback potential!
INVENTORY:
= = ► EQUIPPED ITEMS:
WEAPON: Fallen Comrade
HEAD: Toyosatomimi's Earmuffs
TORSO: Toyosatomimi's Regalia
PANTS: [Toyosatomimi's Regalia]
SHOES: [Toyosatomimi's Regalia]
MISC ONE: Toyosatomimi's Cape
MISC TWO: MP Prize Badge
MISC THREE: None.
RESULTING STATUS:
50% darkness resistant
Morale - Survives lethal blows when over half health.
Brave - Resistant to crits, and crits more often.
200% Dispel resistant
100% Silencing resistant
Sound protection.
Moderately improved defense.
Extended prize grab radius.
MP Prizes drop.
= = ►[Bag of Holding] - The best piece of equipment…! It's good, dude! Infinite enough inventory space!
==o==
= ►WEAPONS:
Fallen Comrade - Giant hanger made of three smaller ones. Sharper Than Darkness is at the front edge of it with the sickle facing out, and Swordbreaker is along the broad front edge to engage blades. Hard Winter makes up the backbone of the thing and the hilt so that it's actually wieldy!
STATS:
Slightly debuffs target's physical attack on impact.
50% darkness resistance when wielded.
Attacks are darkness elemental.
Sickle end may make opponents bleed.
SKILLS:
Revenge - Skill that increases in strength when health is lower. Power doubles for each deceased party member. Power is increased by fifty percent for each defeated party member. Fairies count as defeated rather than deceased no matter what. Power and effects depend on current weapon. High accuracy.
Bloody Mess - User bleeds faster and longer. Oof!
Jack Hammer - Y'know, I have no idea if this still works with it as is…!
Generic Buff - Channeling mana into the hanger gives the user a marginal increase in physical stats. Moderate increase to physical defense and offense.
Pulse - Basic dark magic, which creates an influx of dark magic in an enemy's form and stresses their whole body. Reduces magic attack.
Gaia Seed - Basic earth magic which intensifies Earth's pull a little. May make targets slightly tired.
Gaia Bloom - Advanced earth magic, which intensifies Earth's pull, with multiple instances of hazy earth magic. Makes the target tired.
Tundra - Crate-sized spike of ice that erupts under people and throws them off balance. I suppose it'd hurt if you fell on it. Basic ice attack.
Ice Shard - Advanced ice magic. May freeze enemies. Creates ice magic in their body, before initializing fully by flash-freezing the air all around them.
Combo Plus - User artificially gets an extra hit. Can be canceled out of.
Combo Jump - User cancels out of combos easily.
Frost Trail - User leaves frost in their trail while jumping.
=o=
Youkai Inconveniencer - A holy plant hanger, which works as a flail 'cause of the cross necklaces attached to it! Boosts the power of holy skills.
SKILLS:
Flash - Blinding magic. Works best on dark-elementals, but also works on youkai. Humans don't resist it, so it still works on them, with reduced efficiency.
Flashlight - It's a flashlight! Might blind dark youkai, I dunno…
Shine - Basic holy magic. Generates a holy orb in the target's body, randomly battering them with a raw holy gush.
=o=
Fairy Harp - "A sand-red, cast iron plant hanger. Some kind of non-elemental monstrocity with grates, blocks and strings slapped onto it for no good reason." Some of Genkan's summaries were kinda oof, dude…!
SKILLS:
Gust - Basic wind magic. Pushes the feeble. Fee~ble…!
Fairy Dust - Weapon status effect replaced with fairy dust. Wind attacks with this weapon get fairy dust all over the enemy, reducing accuracy and senses.
Sick Ill Harp Cords - Get ready for my next great mixtape…!
=o=
Red Scare - A red and crimson plant hanger comprised of purplish-red gems and crimson metals. Boosts the power of fire skills. Also's got the good NERF gun attached now!
STATS:
Danmaku confuses the target.
Danmaku degrades the target's luck.
Danmaku may berserk the target.
Ignites things with physical impacts.
May berserk targets on physical impact.
SKILLS:
Hellfire Plume - A jet of hellfire. Berserks the targets, and isn't put out as easily. Not quite a grease fire, but unless it's totally frozen into oblivion, it ain't goin' out! Obeys fire resistance like any fire, though.
Fume - Makes hot air fume from the earth below. Might sear the feeble.
Berserk - Non-damaging fire spell which berserks a target for awhile. Can be removed with water or ice stuff!
Danmaku Adaptability - Now that there's a NERF gun on it I can shoot the good danmaku dude.
=o=
Vortex Hanger - Wind elemental plant hanger currently attached to the Yin-Yang flail as a crafting material. Boosts the power of wind skills. Maybe I should purchase fast food, and disguise it as my own cooking. Ho ho ho…!
=o=
Deep Blue - A blue and silver plant hanger comprised of mysterious fantastical metals. Boosts the power of water skills.
SKILLS:
Freakin' Leaks! - Can produce limitless fresh hanger water…!
Geyser - Basic water attack. Gush of water erupts from the earth and might fling the feeble…!
Valve - I can control the water flow with this!
=o=
Bee-Fitty-Fore-Bawmber - A mechanical plant hanger enchanted to make big booms on contact. Made of a lot of weird freakin' parts and stick bits and piston things. Has a NERF gun slapped onto it too!
STATS:
Danmaku explodes, dealing knockback and splash damage.
Accuracy falls moderately when used to fire danmaku.
SKILLS:
Boom - Hitting stuff makes booms!
Danmaku Adaptability - Can also shoot the good danmaku, dude.
=o=
Million Bucks - A basic green cast-iron plant hanger, from the aged cellar of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. It's a gift from Flandre Scarlet! Has an obsolete map of the cellar's maze, etched by Flandre herself, along with some shoddy enchantments!
STATS:
Lowers user's defense slightly.
Attacks are electric and holy elemental.
Attacks travel through matter
Attacks become magical rather than physical.
SKILLS:
Panic Attack! - Run faster when health is lower!
Magic Attack - Physical attacks are converted to magic attacks, and fluidly pass through objects.
Combo Jump - Allows the user to transition to jumping while mid-attack.
Aerial Plus - Forced aerial support! It's vaguely easier to hit aerial foes with it!
Air Slide Plus - Lets the user awkwardly air slide.
Glide - Replaces my double jump skill with gliding.
High Jump - Increased jump height while running.
=o=
Fragile Flower - A cute hanger with floral designs and light colors. Aesthetically pleasing!
SKILLS:
Enfeebled - Wielder has halved physical defense and offense.
Cleanse - Basic healing skill which cleanses one target of all debuffs or status problems.
=o=
Dream Hanger - Non-elemental hanger. Black and unassuming metal. Currently balanced, and easy for Brad to use. Has innate magical properties to it.
STATS:
Increases accuracy slightly. Somehow…? So said Genkan.
10% instant death resistance. Hoh…!
=o=
Headless Horseman's Hanger - Hanger based on the blade of a headless horseman...? Solid 'hilt' handle thing, but the rest is purely energy...
STATS:
Deals sun-elemental damage on contact.
25% Dark resistance.
Boosts the power of sun skills.
SKILLS:
Headless - Summons pumpkin-head danmaku from nowhere to assault targets. One spawns every combo-finisher!
Combo Plus - User gets one more melee attack!
Critical Plus - User gets critical attacks more often!
Magical Attack - Physical attacks phase through targets and do magical damage. Makes chaining together attacks way easier.
=o=
Frost Broker - Hanger-fan hybrid which never melts. Based on that time Shimokoa freakin' gutted me!
STATS:
Deals chilling on impact.
Randomly freezes the user.
Boosts the power of ice skills.
SKILLS:
Freezing Impact - Spreads frost along anything it strikes.
Auto-Sucker - When this weapon is equipped, Brad will always lash out with it immediately.
=o=
London Operating Cross - A cross that lets me summon good 'ol London, yo. Non-elemental in nature. Not actually a plant hanger. London herself uses Fireball, Ice Shard and Thunderbolt, but can only use a few spells before runnin' outta mana. Also fires diamond-shaped patterns 'a yellow, diamond-shaped danmaku. Hoh! Costly-ish to use…!
=o=
Yin-yang flail-o-copter - A flail with a standard, maximized Hakurei Yin-yang orb in the sling of it. Unable to have its powers fully activated, as only Reimu can truly harness the power of Yin-yang orbs. Crafted from a Hakurei Yin-Yang orb, a rope of panties, and two bra cups. Ropes were used to attach the Vortex Hanger to the yin-yang orb, allowing the flail to be used as a flying device, although it's a bit straining on the arms.
Market Gardener - Critical hits during blast jumps! Otherwise, it's just a normal, old plant hanger. Named after a very similar shovel…!
NERF longsword - 'CAUTION: Do not jab at people or animals'… you know what that means! Maybe one day this will actually come in handy…
NERF longsword: the sequel - Now I can dual wield these useless, narratively non-existent armaments!
==o==
= ►ARMOR:
Camouflage Kimono - This kimono means business. Doesn't actually help him hide in the brush.
STATS:
150% ice resistance.
50% freeze resistance.
50% dark resistance.
-50% percent fire resistance.
-50% percent burning resistance.
=o=
Kaguya Houraisan Disguise - Pink dress with lots of white ribbons. I'm not sure what to say about this...
STATS:
75% time resistance.
=o=
Yellow Racecar Helmet -It's like a really knockoff space marine helmet! It feels like it's got good physical defense, too… at least for my head.
STATS:
Fifty percent sun resistance.
100% freezing resistance.
100% blinding resistance.
100% electrical stunning resistance.
=o=
Lunarian Prototype Space Suit - A suit meant for combat in deep space. So far, it's only got the whole 'exist in deep space' part down…! Has an oxygen tank, but that's only useful if you wear the helmet to go along with it.
STATS:
100% electricity resistant.
100% freezing resistant.
Randomly casts Zero Gravity when it feels like it.
Zero Gravity - Area of effect spell which removes gravity from debris and the feeble!
=o=
Lunarian Prototype Deep Space Helmet - It's a freakin' space helmet.
STATS: (alone)
Fifty percent blinding resistant.
STATS: (paired with Lunarian Prototype Space Suit)
100% electricity resistant. Again, yo!
100% resistance to burning and being actively poisoned.
=o=
Testing Oxygen Tank - The oxygen tank used by the Lunarian Prototype Space Suit. Lasts for two and a half minutes. Not meant to actually be used outside of testing, but it's possible. Refills automatically in breathable air.
=o=
MP Prize Pin - A badge that allows the user to drain some of the enemy's mana, forcing it to become mana prizes on the field.
STATS:
Extends prize grabbing range. Yay…?
=o=
Sun Badge - A badge that looks like the sun. How interesting, dude.
STATS:
15% sun resistant. I need to smelt this into a weapon…!
50% resistance to blinding and electrical stunning.
Replaces the on-impact effect of all weapons with Sunfire Flare. Yuck…!
SKILLS:
Sunfire Flare - Flash of light that blinds everyone. Doesn't work on the sun-resistant.
=o=
Stock Outfit - Blue, long-sleeved shirt with a huge V-neck button-up collar. Blue sweatpants. Most balanced outfit.
STATS:
-5% wind resistance.
May make the wearer tired.
=o=
Retro Patchy Hat - A really old hat of Patchy's. It's freakin floofy, du~de…!
STATS:
Moderate increase to magical defense and offense.
=o=
Moon Crescent - Patchy's favorite accessory.
STATS:
Immunity to silencing.
25% moon resistance.
Moderate increase to magical offense.
=o=
Anti-Magic Amulet - Deep blue, crystalline necklace given by Patchy in exchange for a blue dragon's bone. I should incorporate this into an outfit too so I don't freakin' forget it, 'cause it's real important!
STATS:
Sharply increases magical defense.
=o=
Cow Costume - Female clothing, of some description…? I think! S'freakin' weird, dude!
STATS:
Increases breast size by 25%.
Increases max health by 50%.
Wearer is immune to dispelling.
=o=
Autumn Dress - An actually sensible dress…! Looks like generic villager garb, except prettier and with brighter colors. Even aged, it's still bright!
STATS:
Wearer is immune to tiredness.
Wearer is immune to holy weakness.
Wearer is immune to stunning.
=o=
Iron Cross - Big World War II medal! Freakin'- holy shit…
STATS:
Randomly summons explosion backup.
50% bomb resistance.
Stagger immunity.
=o=
Officer Hat - Nazi officer hat…! I better not get a million angry letters for finding this!
STATS:
50% darkness resistance.
Wearer is immune to instant death.
=o=
Officer's Coat - Nazi officer coat, too! Oh boy oh boy…
STATS:
50% darkness resistance.
Wearer is immune to being cursed.
Slightly boosts defense and magic defense.
=o=
Toyosatomimi's Regalia - Dress of the Crown Prince... of all Taoism or something, I don't freakin' know!
STATS:
100% Dispel resistant.
100% Blinding resistant.
50% Sun resistant.
Gives the user Bravery, improving critical rate by 50%, and reducing enemy critical rates by 30% while active.
Vaguely boosts defense.
=o=
Toyosatomimi's Earmuffs - Makes it hard to hear when worn right. Has an awesome symbol on the sides! I... have no freakin' clue what it means.
STATS:
100% Silencing resistant.
Immunity to all sound damage, including Mandragora-tier screeching when worn properly.
=o=
Toyosatomimi's Cape - Miko's fancy ass cape. It shimmers in the light!
SKILLS:
May be set to three different colors, changing cape properties:
Purple Mode:
The Prince's Will - Passive which constantly gives the user Morale status, preventing them from dying when struck by a blow that would fell them in one hit if they're of high vitality. Stops even Instant Death, although the wearer will be on the cusp of death.
Red Mode:
Adaptive Combo Plus - Passively extends melee combo length on the ground and in the air by one.
Strength Up - Boosts strength somewhat.
The Prince's Strength - Boosts defense greatly.
Blue Mode:
Danmaku Plus - Each bullet fired has a 50% chance to be two bullets instead.
Magic Hastera - Mana regenerates 50% faster.
The Prince's Cunning - Boosts magic defense greatly.
=o=
Toyosatomimi's Panties - The prince's panties. They're purple and shiny...
STATS:
Improves movement speed slightly.
50% Dispel resistance.
Randomly grants Morale status.
100% Blinding resistance.
=o=
Reimu's Outfit - Shrine maiden clothes, dude. Holy resistant, but I dunno how much! Even comes with the bindings and tubes and ribbon 'n' everything!
Reimu's Ribbon - Man, that's cuddly looking. I need to hug Reimu now, dude...
Hakurei Arm Sleeves - No- teach me, how do you wear these!?
Remilia Scarlet's Mob Cap - Twenty five percent dark resistance. Legends say that if touhous do not wear this hat, they die dude.
Monk Robes - Doesn't really stack up to my other shit at this point! Wonder what I can do wit' it...
Gravity Boots - Boots that reduce the user's gravity! More like, propels them off the floor a little. Reduces the effectiveness of space statuses on the user. Really weird to control…!
==o==
= ►CONSUMABLES/OTHER:
Fifty two thousand, seven hundred Yen - Cash just got a lot smaller...
Four Health Potions - They give you youkai-like regen for like, thirty seconds! No chuggin' these babies to indefinitely survive the cold reaches of outer space. Unless the regen outdoes the asphyxiation, but I think I'd rather die by that point…
Mega Potion - Youkai-like regen for thirty seconds… except for the whole family! Applies to entire party. Good for when we all suck at life!
Four Mana Potions - Restores an average amount of mana, I think. More than enough for someone like me!
Three Panaceas - Cures all status effects. I dunno if it works on debuffs, though...
Akihito's Broadsword - Too big for me to use as a weapon. I wonder if I could use it as like, a tent stake or something.
Butterfly Dream Pills - Makes you dream of being a beautiful butterfly!... now, if only there was a pill for lucid or wet dreams, and then I'd consider Yagokoro the doctor to end all doctors!
Rope of Red Bikinis - Wahaha! Gonna getcha, son!
Some Fancy Key - A key lent to me by Brittany. Wha- why. What's it for…!?
Youkai Exterminator Badge - I still have this, dude! Yo ho ho! Allows me to not be considered a youkai by most guardsmen!
Yellow Star Gem - A star-shaped yellow gem. I really should've asked Patchy what this did…! It's shiny and luminescent, though.
Sweet Sleep Pillow - Doremy's nice cuddly pillow. Really soft. Random chance to survey you on pillow quality while you're sleeping.
Genkan's Sweet Sleep Pillow - It's also pretty poofy...
Another 3DS - Especially 'cause I picked up anotha'!
Picture of Sendai Hakurei no Miko Sleeping on her Side and Facing the Viewer while Drowsy - ...Yeah uh, what it says on the tin. Reimu must see this, dude…!
Masturbation Pillow - ...Genkan probably would've given me a look fer this, if she could! Wau…
Dark Knife - Where the hell'd this- oh, wait! This is the thing Genkan got from that fairy! She just slipped it in here while no one was lookin'...
Combo Technology - Red, orange and yellow piece of plastic and metal, about the size of a plant hanger. Not sure what the hell it is… but it looks pretty neat.
Wasp Stinger - Let the crap pile o~n!
==o==
= ►RANDOM CRAP:
Tables and Furniture - Impromptu furnishings!
==o►o==
PARTY MEMBERS:
==o►o==
Genkan, the Yuki-onna - A bitter yuki-onna from Gensokyo's wildlands, mostly active in the winter, and on particularly cold days. Heals from ice damage. Commands powerful control over frost, and has a wide variety of ice-affinity attacks. Weak to fire and burning. Cuddly, dude...
SKILLS:
Ice Control - Freely use ice to make stuff. Inherent one hundred percent ice resistance. Negative one hundred fire and burning resistance.
Freeze - Instantly freezes one to two enemies. Low chance of working on stronger foes.
Creaking Freeze - Generates a spinning, magic snowflake in an enemy's body, which instantly freezes them after a moment. High accuracy.
Tundra - Precursor to Glacier. Weak spike of ice that serves more as a warning. Physical ice attack.
Glacier - Erects a massive blade of ice from the ground, dealing incredible physical ice damage.
Triple Glacier - Same as above, except with more sudden scope across more targets. Less accurate. More costly.
Ice Spin - Not the skill Brad thinks it is. Creates a ring of initializing frost around a wide area, with a high chance to freeze.
Ice Shard - Advanced ice magic. May freeze enemies. Creates ice magic in their body, and freezes the air around them.
Snow - Make it snow locally. Very minor ambient ice damage to everyone on the battlefield, including allies. Has a low chance to instantly freeze someone for no reason.
Yuki-onna's Embrace - Hug. Binds target close to her. Makes the target tired, severely lowers accuracy and magical defense, and makes them comfortable. Skill may only be performed by my kind. Negative facets reduced by ice and freezing resist. Someone with over a hundred resistance will be buffed and healed by it.
Yuki-onna's Entombment - Final, optional stage of the hug. Guaranteed instant death inflicted by the draining of vitality. Heals the user for the heat taken from the target. Does not work well on bosses or the instant death resistant. Instant death proc is nullified if the target's ice or freezing resistance is over fifty percent. Skill may only be performed by my kind.
INVENTORY:
WEAPON: Fans
BODY: Absolute Zero Kimono
MISC ONE: None.
MISC TWO: None.
MISC THREE: None.
RESULTING STATUS:
300% ice resistance
300% freezing resistance
-50% fire resistance [native]
-50% burning resistance [native]
==o==
Absolute Zero Kimono - A better version of the stock yuki-onna kimono. Outfited with new royal blue and cyan trims. It's fun, dude...
STATS:
100% percent ice resistance.
Effects vary when not worn by her…!
=o=
Heavy Tanker - Huge, metal-grey cardboard fans!
STATS:
+150% max HP.
Quadrupled defense.
Speed reduced to 25%.
Knockback effects halved.
100% Stagger immune.
50% Bomb resistance.
SKILLS:
Super Armor - When casting or melee attacking, user is way more knockback resistant.
Tundral Disaster - User can create a pinnacle glacier of ice, and then detonate it like a warhead. Half magical bomb, half physical ice attack.
Defender - Defense is increased in critical situations. Passive.
=o=
Fever - The tiniest pink fans...!
STATS:
100% Confusion resistant.
100% Slow resistant.
100% immunity to evasion debuffs.
Defense halved.
Attack halved.
Speed doubled.
SKILLS:
Break Time - Take a break. You've earned it, dude! Heals all MP and HP, if user is given some time to relax. User has to do three party tricks to get the HP and MP.
Hastega - Speed up the whole party! Doubles everyone's speed. Stacks...!
Rising Rotor - Do a breakdance move to fend off attackers and get back up!
=o=
Two thousand yen - Pocket money.
Bagged Money - We still dunno how much Reimu gave us...
Peppermint - Yo- Genkan has candy…!?
Fans - Regular fans. Helps her spread out frigid air, but she mostly holds onto them for personal fashion, apparently...
Ninjas of Love - Novel? Yo- what...
Viking Rune - Reusable rune that summons a viking monolith. Whiterock was very brief, but apparently vikings were ancient warriors who hailed from frozen lands to the north. Once summoned, it greatly increases everyone's physical attack prowess, before firing a frost spark with massive freezing capabilities. Very costly to all party members. Uses two inventory slots.
3DS - Genkan likes to play the single video game, dude...
[no space remaining]
==o►o==
Maria, the Actually Ordinary Magician - A villager from the human village. Sort of down on herself, and not very confident… but when she gains steam, she can be very determined. Resistances and weaknesses depend on equipment. Can cast basic elemental spells.
SKILLS:
Fire - Small, homing fireball of doom. May ignite foes! Doesn't do much damage.
Fira - Slightly larger homing fireball of doom. May ignite foes. Bursts broader than the preceding spell.
Blizzard - Spread shot of big snowflakes. May chill foes.
Blizzara - Big spread shot of myriad ice chunks, with magical snowflakes whirling around inside them. May freeze foes.
Thunder - Random spread of bolts in an area. Basic electric spell.
Thundara - Random spread of bolts in an area which explode on impact with the ground. May stun foes.
Charm - Boosts magical attack of self or an ally moderately.
Seduction - Skill that temporarily seduces a foe. Single target, and doesn't work well on bigger girls...
INVENTORY:
WEAPON: Pine Frost Staff
BODY: Casual Freeze Clothes
MISC ONE: None.
MISC TWO: None.
MISC THREE: None.
RESULTING STATUS:
75% ice resistance
100% freezing resistance
Slightly improved magical defense [native]
==o==
Pine Frost Staff - Made with pine wood and an icy reagent.
STATS:
25% ice resistance.
100% freezing resistance.
-50% burning resistance.
SKILLS:
Ice Shard - Advanced ice magic. May freeze enemies. Creates ice magic in their body, and freezes the air around them.
=o=
Way of the Tiger - A really good wood staff, dude!
STATS:
-75% max MP.
+75% max HP.
Weapon is very light!
Defense increased sharply!
Attack increased sharply!
Magical defense decreased sharply...
Magical attack decreased sharply...
SKILLS:
Staff Skill - Doing effective moves with the staff is a lot easier because of its combat design!
High Jump - User can jump a bit better!
Polearm Beatdown - Critical attack that users tend to pull off once their adrenaline is running high. Hits multiple times.
=o=
An Eternity Together - Grey staff, with a very, very intricate top piece.
STATS:
50% Time resistant.
User is immune to slowing and stop.
+15% max MP for every party member.
User's speed is halved for every additional party member.
SKILLS:
Stop - Freezes an enemy in time. Only works on weaker foes. Any damage the enemy takes while frozen is relayed to it on fast-forward once it's free again!
=o=
Stubby Rapier - A shiny, brass rapier. Imbued with magical energy, for spell swords.
STATS:
50% dispel resistance.
=o=
Casual Freeze Clothes - Casual, neon villager garb. Bright yellow shirt with a blue snowflake stitched onto the front, a bright blue skirt, and a tan vest.
STATS:
50% ice resistant.
100% freezing resistant.
=o=
Wood Staff - Training foci for magic. Not very good for much else.
Magical Lens - When coupled with magic, this lens shoots non-elemental lasers. Gift from Marcus Kirisame.
[Travel Bag] - Item that grants inventory by holding more items. Wahaha! Eight slots.
Two Mana Potions - Alchemical blends which restore magic energy.
Sabbath Pamphlet - Dark brochure imbued with instructional magic, and desires from a land far, far away. Teaches Seduction to mages.
[three spaces remaining]
==o==
Hana, the Electric Fairy Maid - Snuggly fairy maid companion…! Healed by electric magic. Immune to electric stunning, 'cause yeah. Weak to earth, poison and darkness. Quick to become ill from poison.
SKILLS:
Little Zap - Basic electric magic. Zaps a target twice with static from above.
Random Electric - When pressured, uses random electric spells.
Electric Control - With true power, she's able to stun opponents into submission by touching them.
Electric Elemental - 300% electric resistant. 100% percent resistance to electrical stunning!
INVENTORY:
Hana's Fairy Maid Uniform - Stock standard uniform from the mansion! Cyan-tinted in places to match her hair color. Hoh...
==o==
Seikatsu Kikai, the Human Salvation Robot - The mysterious, alighty T-posing robot! Aaah- aaa~h!
SKILLS:
Medibeam - A slow-healing beam, which takes a couple minutes to rejuvenate someone. Feels good to be targeted by…
Cloaking - Seikatsu becomes invisible.
Scan - Returns data on a foe, including name, biological info, stats and strategies. All of us can call on this skill.
INVENTORY:
Nothing.
WEAPON: Seikatsu Kikai Offense System V.2.11
BODY: Regenerative Skin Armor Augmentation with Limb Enhancement V.3.31.11
MISC ONE: None.
MISC TWO: None.
MISC THREE: None.
STATUS:
Immune to poison, stagger, stunning, freezing, syphon, silence, blinding, tired, seduction, confusion, among others.
-80% radiation resistant
-50% thunder resistant
-80% bomb resistant
-50% water resistant
200% holy resistant
-50% dark resistant
80% earth resistant
-80% magnet resistant
-30% wind resistant
80% fire resistant
80% ice resistant
100% poison resistant
100% moon resistant
==o==
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
a fun chapter
wow the end-chapter inventores are like gihugic
ALSO, GUESS WHO'S BACK
'CAUSE I'M BACK
==== new update catchup ====
to the guy who inevitably freaked over about nazi stuff in the reviews: why would most of these characters care- hell japan was allied with germany so no nazi atrocities even were committed on them, and the nazis were dead fer awhile now so the history is old, and the hakurei barrier shielded gensokyo from the actual happenings and overall it doesn't make sense to make people freak out just to make myself look like some white knight circlejerkin' twat
like we get it nazis are evil rrrr hate them nazis i am trash man kill 'em all 1997
420,2624,23423,243234 dead nazis
also nice guest reviews so we can't have a civil private discussion about it - w - (didn't i lampshade getting these kindsa complaints)
actually are you some BOY FROM THE DISCORD EVEN
well moving on yo
==== REVISED CHAPTERS ====
chapters 63-68 (minus the matt chapter) were revised! this is the band arc where all the performance and the things happened
changes include some context for this batch (nothing super crucial but hoh), erasing the more tedious incontextual fight scenes with some flashier, ACTUALLY MUSIC-BASED performing with danmaku additions
the bad is mokou and kaguya now only cameo and are not the focus of the arc - w - but it does give brad some time with some fun characters we see little of, and i feel like it works super good!
isn't it nice how ff net doesn't tell people about revised chapters dude
==== also plugging my other fic which has been going on ====
contrary to popular belief i'm not shifting focus to sendai or anything, i've just been working on those revisions for a long ass time and working on sendai between said revision chapters
that said if you hated the original sendai and are continuing to scoff at final mix i ask ya to screw yer head back on the other way 'cause it's just way different than the original sendai
mostly in that fighting is more contextually paced; chapters no longer centered around fighting in and of itself, more based in the characterization, lore stuff, plot stuff, some side story bits and hoh hoh hoh
some pieces of sendai final mix may also undergo substantial revision so the whole thing is the best it can be but y'know that can come, i feel like its already pretty well past the quality of other stories in this section so IT CAN LIVE, BEING WHERE IT IS
(i'd like some feedback on sendai as a character too and what people want / like out of the story)
give it another sniff or two and if ya don't like it: hoh, but if ya do like it then who'd'a THOUGHT DUDE OOO
==== now back to the regular rambling about the chapter ====
ANYWAY we got a bunch of weapons this chapter! and i think i managed to put a fun spin on finding out what they're all supposed to do, mostly because with more than just brad and one friend testing out every item becomes a predictable mess unless you do something really unique with it or just make the party go "ah fuck it we'll FIND OUT"
DOESN'T HELP THAT THE FLUFFLE VENDOR IS A FLUFFLE EITHER but it does make it more interesting than blandly buying items
if it was ever super bland like an actual salesperson i'd probably just timeskip it and have the party members show off what they got later XD
IN FACT I KIND OF DID THAT HERE for some of it
and then we had a really nice session of just brad and friends relaxing while he got molested
also mamizou exists say hi
i'm gonna be trying to hit some good places in the temple here 'cause it's a fun place that brad doesn't explore too often, and it's also tame enough for us all to just actually like… BENEFIT FROM BEING THERE
freakin' powerleveled by the friendly noobs dude
so i say but brad just learned how to suck less and shou otherwise for the most part let some of us test our new things
and brad hasn't had a like fight-fight in so long that fallen comrade is seeing its first good use like just now
probably a good thing! plus having friends keeps the reigns on his INSANITY somewhat - w -
we didn't see too much of him doing anything outlandish here, aside from pulling out his own hair in lieu of actually grooming it maybe XD
source: me
but it's nice having the good world building, especially after he just beat miko with crazy bullshit
also yoshika existed! and introducing sakuya to taoism and buddhism is a fun time, especially since this normally isn't a region of gensokyo she gives any shits about
hoh hoh…
it feels like just yesterday that we did power-progression things at the SDM kinda! maybe that means i revived the pace or something
that was a FUNNY JOKE WASN'T IT DUDE
i'm running outta things ta say
as always, see you all next time!
