[x] Take in the rain for a bit. Feel its wetness and how the ground becomes soft between your toes and why it smells so good.
[x] Puddle jumping!
It’s kind of loud, too, filling the field with the noise of the water hitting the flowers on its way down to the ground. Not a bad sound. It’s louder than the wind and the insects, though, so that’s all you can hear now.
…hmm. The ground’s getting more wet. Not the stuff right underneath you, but the stuff around you. It was already soft from last night, you think, so now it’s starting to form little pools and things. You splash around a bit, taking care not to step into the sunflowers. It’s fun, but a little boring being so careful. You wonder what kinds of things you could splash in the forest~
Not that you can go there. Well, not that part at least. Maybe there’s something better in this field? You decide to go walking in the squishy mud.
It’s really big. On one side, you see more flowers. They aren’t sunflowers, but they spread out all the way back to that mountain you saw before. On another, the forest. On another, grass. Lots of grass that goes out into the distance, over hills and stuff. On another… hmm. More sunflowers? No, that doesn’t make any sense. But they really do seem to go on forever.
[ ] Keep going. They can’t go on forever, can they?
[ ] You’ll be fine in the forest, if you don’t go to the part where the humans always look. Wander around.
[ ] Where does the grass go to? Maybe there’s something behind one of those hills.
[ ] Maybe you’ll play with those humans, after all…?
[ ] Go exploring somewhere else (write-in).
================================================
>>15984 (from the last thread)
It was started, in the beginning, to see if I could actually write without plot. So, I've been trying different things. Comments like this let me know that what I'm doing isn't working, and that I should change something. So thanks for the input.
How long ago did it get boring? Or has it always been that way? It'll be easier to fix if I know why.
And, as for SCIENCE... I'll get to it. I'll have to restart it in some form or another, though. Second chapter was badly planned without any long-term goals, so it's not really in a usable state. I'm totally open for restarting one of those two, though. Just not right now. I can't really write two things at once, and I'm really enjoying this.
Your decision to adjust the direction of the story is an agreeable one.
Besides, I think you'll find that character development is far easier to facilitate while doing so -- as HY would say -- "to the tune of a plot in the background".
And growth certainly seems to be what Anonymous is after at the moment.
Not sure if you noticed this, but, as the story went on, Anonymous seemed to shift towards evolution-- that is, to make Phobe something more than the moeblob that she (let's face it) is. Given, Anon was the one who determined her current personality through his choices, but auto-moe will only carry ones interest so far.
I think I speak for more than just myself when I say that the conversation with Keine in the village was one of the tenser and more enjoyable scenes thus far. If you were to put something like that in every so often to move things forward a bit (and balance out the moe, which, despite what I said earlier, is still pretty fun when done in tandem with pursuing objectives), I think this story has a bright future ahead of it.
Oh, and figuring out how to integrate a few more of the touhous into the story couldn't hurt, either.
As for the utilization of grimdark/morbidity, I trust your judgement. After all, you got this story from the initial mauling of an innocent child to where it is now.
So, plot away. I'm curious to see where it goes... or rather, where it takes Phobe.
I can only offer my honest opinion, but I hope it helps.
[X] Wander off towards the river and those red things in the distance. They might be interesting.
>>15995 I wouldn't read too much into that, it's just a single poster's opinion. Not every story needs a complex, involving plot.
[x] Wander off towards the river and those red things in the distance. They might be interesting.
Well, that’s fine. Maybe, if you go up really high, you can see the end? You fly up. Up and up and up… but, even when you’re high enough to peek over the forest easily, you still can’t see the edge. It does look like it goes on forever. So many flowers…
… but, over there. Way over there, past those hills. Why is it red? Those must be flowers or something, too. It’s not in the forest, so it should be fine to go check out. More fun than sitting around here for a really, really long time, too.
You fly back down to say goodbye first, though.
“I’m gonna go exploring,” You say to the flowers, “I’ll stay longer some other time, ok?”
Then, you take off again on foot. Off into that direction, with the water hitting you in the face. Over some hills, and some more hills… further and further from the forest. Though, there are trees out this way, too. And over the next one…
… a sea of red. Not unlike the sea of yellow before, but this one has an end. A whole lot of water. You can’t even see the other side of all that water, with all that mist stuff in the way, but you can just tell that there’s a lot.
There’s even someone sleeping here, under one of the trees closer to the water. She’s got something over her, so she’s not getting wet. If the wind was going the direction you were, though she would. It’s only covering the front and the top, and kind of looks like a not-as-pretty flower, like what Yuuka has.
So, it’s not just flowers here, but people. And a little… thing that you use to get across water. What was that, again? It’ll come to you. Either way, you get closer. You wonder, though. She’s not a youkai, a ghost, or a human. Something else that you’ve never seen.
“…mmm, pass the sodonu! I have swaremak… mmm…”
... is she sleeping, or not? You wonder what this thing could be?
[ ] Get in close and look.
[ ] Wake her up and ask her.
[ ] Watch from a distance.
[ ] Well, it doesn’t really matter. What else is here?
[ ] Do something else (write-in)
================================================
>>16031 Even so, I like to know what people are thinking. It's good to get different perspectives on things.
>>16004 It does. Thank you. The same goes to everyone else who comments, always. I do read all of them.
>>16077 >To quote George Carlin, there are no innocent victims, if you live on this planet, you're guitly, period, fuck you, end of report, next case.
...What the fuck does that have to do with anything?
[x] Get in close and look.
[X] Poke her in the cheek or chest.
Well, you won’t be able to tell from here. You decide to get closer and see.
…hmm. Even up here, it’s hard to see much because of that flower thing. Though, it’s not really a flower. It’s some paper or something. Maybe it’s different from Yuuka’s, then. Or maybe Yuuka’s just really looks like a flower? You’ll have to find out later.
But, although it’s hard to see, if you get in really close and peek up from the bottom, you can. She’s got a face, and hair, and a really big dress… Keine big, but it’s way different. And her eyes are closed. So, she must be sleeping. But, how can she talk like that?
“Hey, if you’re sleeping, how can you do that?”
She doesn’t answer you back. Hmm.
Well, Wriggle didn’t like it when you woke her up, you don’t think. But is this person the same? You know you’d want to wake up if a new person came by. Maybe she does, too. You give her a light poke to the cheek.
And, suddenly, her eyes snap open and she stands up real quick. The paper thing gets knocked over in the process, and you have to back up real quick
“I wasn’t sleeping! I-I was just… oh?”
It takes her a little bit, but she notices you. “Haha, I thought you were someone else. You’re, uh… not here to kill yourself, are you?”
“Why would I do that?”
“I know, right?” She says, still laughing a little. “That’s the best attitude.”
[ ] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[ ] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[ ] Introductions first. That’s how you do this, right?
[ ] Something else (write-in).
[x] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[x] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[x] Oh! You forgot! Introduce yourself.
[x] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[x] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[x] Oh! You forgot! Introduce yourself.
[x] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[x] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[x] Oh! You forgot! Introduce yourself.
[x] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[x] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[x] Oh! You forgot! Introduce yourself.
[x] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[x] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[x] Oh! You forgot! Introduce yourself.
[x] Her first question was kind of strange. Ask her about it.
[x] How’d she talk when sleeping like that? You want to, too.
[x] Oh! You forgot! Introduce yourself.
“No, really. That’s a weird question,” You say, “Doesn’t it hurt? Why would you do that?”
Komachi nods. “They give all kinds of reasons, like ‘my wife died’ or ‘I’ll never be anything, so I might as well disappear’, that sort of thing. I guess they think getting tossed into the river is less painful than living, or something.”
Then, as if shaking off something, she shudders. “Kind of a morbid topic though, isn’t it?” She says, picking up the paper thing off of the ground. “I know the day suits it, but talking about work sucks.” She reaches out her hand towards you, keeping one on the paper thing’s stick. “Komachi, shinigami. Who’re you?”
“Phobe,” You say, not entirely sure what to do about the hand. There’s nothing in it, and it’s sideways, so… what are you supposed to do?
“Ah, right…” She laughs a little, and puts her hand down. “So, if you’re not here to kill yourself, why are you here?”
“It looked pretty,” You say, “and I was getting kind of bored looking at sunflowers. So I came here to see it better.”
“Pretty?” She lowers her voice. “…well, I guess it is to someone.” Then, it goes back to normal. “Red really isn’t my favorite color.”
“How do you do that, though?” You ask, going to the next thing on your list. “I want to, too~”
“Eh… do what?” She asks, looking around. “I’m just standing here.”
“That thing, where you talk in your sleep,” You say, smiling. “Can you teach me?”
“Haha… was I talking? Dang.” Her voice is a little less now. “Well, don’t tell anyone I was sleeping, ok? You could get me in big trouble.”
You nod. “Ok. But, how do you…?”
She gives you a strange look. “Wait. You really don’t know what sleep talking is?”
You shake your head. “Nope.”
She scratches her head. “You live a sheltered life or something? Where you from?”
“The forest,” You say, pointing back, “I don’t know what a sheltered life is, though.”
“No, no, I get it now,” She says, shaking her head. “Well, it’s not like you choose to talk in your sleep. It just happens.”
You don’t really have anything else to say. Neither does she. So, you both kind of sit there for a bit, looking at each other. It takes a little bit, but she comes up with something.
“Hey, aren’t you cold like that? This umbrella’s pretty big, you know.”
You shake your head. “It’s not cold.”
“Heh. Suit yourself.”
She turns to face the water, and you do, too. And she sighs. “It’s going to be so cold, and miserable…”
“What is?”
“Oh. Guess you don’t know what a shinigami is, huh?” She says, turning to you. “Well, I bring the dead across this river to get judged. It’s kind of a crummy job, but someone has to do it.”
“Dead? You mean things that get killed?”
She nods. “That’s one way to end up dead.”
“Huh.”
“But, it’s not like people are dying left and right, so it’s fine to wait until it’s done raining, right?” She asks, turning to you. You nod. If you don’t like the rain, you can wait until it’s done to do stuff.
“So, you plan on hanging around?” She asks, “The living are so much more… lively.”
And that's that until Sunday, or Monday. I'm heading out of town tomorrow, so I don't think I'll have much time to write. I'll be back Sunday, but I'm not exactly sure how late, so... yeah. Expect something on one of those days.
>>16224 Better to honor the memory of a person who brought so much material and entertainment to the internet than to ignore it. Damn shame about what happened to him though.
It'll be fun to stay here for a while. There's something wrong with what she said, though.
“The dead are fun, too,” You say, remembering back. “Well, ghosts are.”
Komachi gives you a curious look. “Oh?”
“Yeah,” You say, nodding. “I met one and a half of them. We sang songs and stuff, and she had a lot of fun with Mystia.” You pause. “Well, that one that was only half a ghost wasn’t very fun.”
She laughs. “Oh, those two! They’re loads of fun for ghosts. I’ve never been to a bad party at their place, either.”
“…party?”
“What, you’ve never been to a party either?”
You shake your head. You think you might know what one is, but maybe not. And you know you’ve never been to one.
“You must be pretty young, huh?”
Again, young. You nod, though you don’t want to. “…only a few days.”
“Really?” She asks, sounding pretty surprised. “I thought you had a few years under your belt, at least.”
You shake your head. “Nope.”
She sighs a little. “Well, I was going to ask for some good stories, but that’s looking like it’s not going to happen. Want to hear a few of mine?”
[ ] You have good stories, though! (which one?)
[ ] She’s right. Listen to her stories.
[ ] Stories are kind of boring. Suggest a game (write-in).
[ ] Do something else (write-in)
[x] You have good stories, though!
-(x) Tell the one where ... uh ...
[x] She’s right. Listen to her stories.
“I want to tell mine,” You say, immediately. “I have good stories, too!”
“Is that right?” She asks, grinning a big grin. Like something good happened.
You nod. “Yeah! I, uh…”
No, that might not be that fun to listen to. That one either. Or that one. This one, you told to Wriggle, but she looked kind of bored when you were telling it. Well, until it got to the Keine part. And that one was fun, but thinking back, it’s really not much of a story. Not for someone like this.
“… nevermind.”
She sighs. “Come on, there must be something. You’ve just been sitting around the forest since you woke up? Even the ghosts that come through here have better stories than that.”
“No, but… they aren’t fun to listen to.” It’s true. Telling someone about danmaku isn’t fun like playing with danmaku is. “I think yours would be fun, though. Tell me what a party is like.”
She gives you a look. An unsure one. “…well, if you really want me to talk about myself, I can’t refuse. Can I? I’ll expect something after this, though. Even if it’s boring. Deal?”
You nod. You can do that easily. But… something catches your eye.
A white blob. Kind of like what you saw by Youmu. Well, you guess it’s kind of red in the middle, not like the one by Youmu. After you look, it zooms out of sight.
“Now then, what’s a good party to talk about…?”
[ ] Point that thing out to her. She didn’t notice it.
[ ] Not important. Just a ghost. There should be ghosts here.
[ ] After the story, you’ll go look for it. Maybe Komachi will come too.
[x] After the story, you’ll go look for it. Maybe Komachi will come too.
“Ah, I got it! Well, this one time, my boss and I got invited to this party, right? A big one, off in the netherworld…”
You listen intently. It’s a really strange tale. Apparently, that sake stuff makes people act really funny and do funny things. Her boss sounds like a kind of mean person normally, but when she drinks the sake stuff, she sounds like she’s fun to be around. And parties sound really fun, too. Lots of people sitting around (or dancing around), eating lots of food, having a good time.
Fun. But, you don’t know that many people. And it’s not a festival or whatever. And, you’d need a house or something. Well, unless you went to someone else’s party.
“… so, what do you think?”
“Sounds fun.”
“… that’s all?” She sighs, but you can tell that it doesn’t really mean anything. “I was hoping for something a little more than that.”
You shrug. “I want to go to one. And, ah…” you can say more than that, can’t you? “It was a good story.”
She laughs a little. “I guess that’s all I’m going to get. Your turn.”
…oh, right. You said you’d tell a story. But, stories are the best when you’re living them. Once you have to remember them, they’re not as good. Still good, but not as good. So, what’s something that…?
“Well,” You say, “Before you started telling the story, I saw a ghost.”
“…really?” She asks, sounding interested. “I didn’t notice anything.”
You point. “It went that way, behind the tree. Let’s go look for it and make a story~”
She grins. “You serious?”
You nod. A ghost hunt. This will be a good story, right?
Komachi stops leaning on the tree that she was, moving her legs around a bit. She laughs. “You’re priceless. Let’s go then, ghost hunter. You lead, I’ll take up the rear.”
You nod again. Which way did it go, though? You just saw it go behind the tree and not come back out the other side. Walking around to the other side of the tree, you don’t see it, either. But, it’s not like it couldn’t get behind another tree, and another, and another…
[ ] It’s a ghost though, right? So maybe it went up. Check the air.
[ ] If you could follow its footprints, that would be great. But do ghosts have footprints?
[ ] Hide and seek, but with two seekers and one hider. Start looking in good hiding spots.
[ ] Something else (write-in)
[x] Hide and seek, but with two seekers and one hider. Start looking in good hiding spots.
“He’s hiding,” You say, turning around for a moment to talk. “So let’s check all the good hiding spots, ok?”
Komachi nods. “Sure thing.”
You start to head off in the direction it went; looking in all the spots that it could hide. Behind trees, under bushes, even up trees… but, there’s a lot of ground to cover. It might even have hid so far away that it would be really hard to find. But, you check and check, Komachi following you around the entire time, looking. Looking. Looking…
“Want to cheat a bit?” Komachi finally asks. You turn around, and see that she looks kind of bored. “We probably won’t find it this way. There’s a lot of places here for a ghost to hide.”
[ ] Cheat? No. Keep looking like you are.
[ ] Cheat? No. Maybe if you split up, though, it would be easier…?
[ ] Well, just a little bit…
Komachi laughs. “Well, let’s not call it cheating. How about we call it ‘using our available resources’? It’s not like we agreed on rules beforehand.”
You can’t believe what you’re hearing. Is she really saying this stuff? You can just imagine that cheating human the other day saying it. But… she’s a youkai. Is she serious? Maybe that’s it. She’s joking.
You laugh. “That’s funny. But youkai wouldn’t cheat. It’s hide-and-seek, so we have to look for it on our own.”
“Ah, so innocent,” She says, grinning. “Well, if you think of it that way, that’s right. I didn’t know we were playing hide and seek, though.”
“What else would we be playing?”
She shrugs. “I thought we were just looking. Not playing anything.”
[ ] Well, you are. So no cheating.
[ ] Well, you can’t cheat if there’s no game… can you? That makes sense. So it’s fine.
>>16450 Well, in my mind, 'right?' was implying uncertainty. So I think it's more like making up your mind than changing it.
Anyway, I'm going to be out for the day to visit relatives. Not sure if I'll be able to write an update, but if I do, it'll show up much later from now. Or maybe not at all, not sure.
[x] Well, you can’t cheat if there’s no game… can you? That makes sense. So it’s fine.
That's... also true. You never said it was a game, and neither did the ghost. So maybe it's not. It's still fun, but if it's not a game, there can't be any rules. So using stuff that you have would be fine.
“Maybe we're not,” You say, eventually. “So, what you were going to do is fine.”
Komachi nods. “Thanks. It's actually kind of important that I find it, and the longer we spend looking now the longer I have to spend looking later.” You don't really get it, but nod anyway. She grins. “Sorry for stopping the game.”
Then, she's not holding a paper thing. It's something else now. When did it change? What? It's like a sword on a stick, although the sword is kind of thick where it attaches. She gives the ground a good poke with the end that the sword is attached to, and you see... something. Like a ripple on the water or something, but through the air. What's going on?
“Oh, this just makes them kind of lazy,” Komachi says, heading forward. You follow along. “It won't be able to hide as easy like this.”
“Was that... your power?”
She nods. “Yup. Well, the power of a shinigami, I guess. I've got a few other tricks up my sleeve.” She's holding a paper thing again. Confusing. Maybe that's another power, too. “Anyway, we'll still have to look for it. But it should be floating around really obviously now. And I think it's over here.”
[ ] Another person stronger than you. Sigh.
[ ] That... was really cool. You wonder what her other tricks could be?
[ ] How does she know that it's over here, anyway?
[ ] Something else (write-in)
You frown, and sigh. Annoying. Isn’t there anyone that’s weaker than you? Why’d you have to be the youngest?
“What’s up?”
She’s not even a youkai. Shinigami?
“How old are you? Pretty old, right?”
Komachi laughs. “No way! That’s almost insulting.”
She’s… not old? How does that work? You don’t think Yuuka was lying when she said that getting old means that you get stronger. But, Komachi isn’t a youkai, either. Maybe, maybe…?
“How can I become a shinigami?”
“Well, that’s a… why do you want to be a shinigami?” She asks, “The pay sucks, the benefits aren’t all that great, and the work is boring.”
“I want to get stronger,” You say. “And getting old takes a long time. So, if you’re not old and strong, I want to be a shinigami.”
“Sorry,” She says, “I was sort of lying. I’m not old compared to, say… my boss.” A chuckle.
“Is your boss really, really old?”
She nods. “Really, really old. Maybe older than dirt. She’s probably to the point where she’s stopped counting, and asking might be painful.”
“So, you can’t be young and be a shinigami…?”
Komachi motions for you to follow her. “Let’s start looking. And, I guess you could, but it’s not something you try to become. It’s just sort of something that happens. My boss explained it once, but I wasn’t paying attention.”
“So, tomorrow I could be a shinigami? How’d you become one?”
Komachi nods. “I guess that could happen. I just sort of woke up one day with my boss staring over me. Can you guess what she said?”
You shake your head. “No, what?”
“’Get to work.’ Can you imagine? I mean, I never even applied, and now I’m stuck…”
“Is it really that bad?”
She shakes her head. “Well… no. I guess it’s not.”
Just then, you see something. It looks a little like those low clouds from yesterday, but only about as big as your body.
“I see it!” You say, pointing. Komachi stops and looks.
“Where?” She asks, looking in that direction. “I don’t see anything.”
“It’s right there,” You say again. How come she can’t see it?
“That’s not a joke, is it? All I see is a tree.”
“Right in front…”
But… maybe that’s not it? As you look, it looks less and less real. Like it’s not really there, and you’re just pretending. You rub your eyes, and it’s gone completely.
[ ] No, that can’t be right. Where is it? It must have zipped away again.
[ ] So, it was a little bit of one of those clouds. It wasn’t there, after all.
[ ] Must be a ghost power. Ask Komachi if she can do anything.
[x] Must be a ghost power. Ask Komachi if she can do anything.
“It just disappeared. Can ghosts do that?”
Komachi walks towards where you were pointing. “I guess. Did it go off to the side or anything?”
“No, it…”
You squint. There it is again! Or… is it? No. Yes? Strange. Like it’s there and not there.
“It’s right in front of you!” You say, pointing again. “But it’s not. And it is? I don’t get it. Can you do something with your power?”
She turns to look back at you. “Maybe I could, if I knew where it was. I still don’t see it. You mean, right here?”
“No, a little bit more.”
She moves forward. “Here?”
“A little more…”
Another few steps, and she’s right in it. Or maybe not. Is it just a little further? Maybe closer? … no, that’s right. It’s right there. Sort of. But it’s in that spot.
“Right there.”
“Huh. I don’t see anything.”
You’re sure that’s it. “Not even any of that low-to-the-ground cloud stuff? It’s right there…”
“Nothing.” She says, looking down. “All I see is the ground, and some rain, and, uh… wait.”
She swings her free hand in a quick arc, snatching the ghost up by the tail. Like making it certain that it was really there. It’s not doing that weird thing that it was doing before, and now, you can see it again. It’s just like it was when you first saw it. With a form and everything.
“Hah! Gotcha!”
She holds it up high, just under the top of her paper thing, and looks into it’s bigger whiteish-red part. “What was that all about, huh?”
You move closer. After all that, you want a better look. As you do, Komachi starts nodding at the thing. “I mean the hiding in plain sight thing.”
A bit of mumbling, you guess. Or maybe that was the wind. Either way, you’re pretty close now. You can see the white blob shaking a bit. “You weren’t doing anything like that? Well, whatever. And calm down! I don’t think she’s going to bite you. You’re dead.”
The ghost is still shaking, but not as much. “Really?” Komachi turns to you. “Hey, I think this is one of yours.”
“Mine?”
“Yeah,” She says, grinning. “Eating a kid in the forest ring any bells?”
“Oh yeah,” You say, suddenly getting it. It’s that boy! He died, and became a ghost. So now he’s here. “So, if I kill a human it comes here?”
“I thought I told you that before?” Komachi says, nodding. She turns to the ghost again. “Now, if I let you down, you aren’t going to run off again are you?” More wind. Then, she sighs. “Well, I’ll just have to hold on to you, then. I think she’s going to stick around for a bit.” Komachi turns back to you. “Jeez, I guess you really tore into him, huh?”
You nod. “He was really yummy.”
Komachi smirks a little. “Well, I guess you coming down here yourself could have something to do with it, too.”
[ ] Can you ask it a question? (Write-in)
[ ] Hmm… now what? Why was it important?
[ ] Well, that was fun. Suggest something else to do (write-in)
[ ] Fun, but ghosts are kind of creepy. Go somewhere else (write-in)
[ ] Something else (write-in)
================================================
>>16534 Ah, right. I don't know if I mentioned this, but from now on I'm just going to assume that it's off when dealing with non-humans. Tell me if you want it otherwise.
[x] "Is there any way i can bring him back to life? I do not understand why, but his father seemed really sad that i ate him. Maybe he will play more with me if i can bring him back."
[x] To the ghost: "Thanks for the meal!"
[x] Hmm… now what? Why was it important?
“Hey,” You say, getting a little closer. “You were really tasty, so thanks for the meal!”
More wind stuff. Maybe there were words in it, too? Well, whatever they were, you didn’t hear them. Komachi waves her hand at you, like brushing off a fly or something. “Hey, hey. No taunting the dead.”
“So, why was it so important to find?” You ask her.
She shrugs. “It’s a real pain if they get away. ‘Sides, the rain is clearing up. If I do something now, I can take it easy later.”
Rain…? Oh, right, right. That’s what that stuff is called. And she’s right; it’s still dripping on you from the trees, but if you get between them, you can see it’s not coming from the sky. Still, though…“Do something?”
“Yeah,” She says, nodding. “I’m going to run this guy across the river, so he can get judged. Still, though, I wonder…”
“Hmm?”
“Well, I guess it’s not unheard of, but usually it doesn’t take that long for spirits to show up here.” She says, starting to walk back the way that you guys came. “And that hiding thing. I should have been able to see him.” She lets out a big sigh. “Well, whatever.”
You only look down for a moment, and only take a few steps. But, suddenly, you’re back by the boat. Back by the water, which still has those clouds over it.
“Well, I don’t know how long this’ll take,” Komachi says, stopping to look at you. “You’re welcome to stick around and wait if you want, but this isn’t a great place for the living.”
“Can I come?”
She laughs. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to. And besides, the boat’s only big enough for two.”
The ghost starts squirming a bit more. “I’m going, I’m going…”
Komachi waves to you, taking a seat at the back of the wooden boat after pushing it into the water.
[ ] Wait! One last thing… (write-in)
[ ] Well, this seems like a great place to lie low. Maybe you’ll wait here.
[ ] You don’t really feel like sticking around here. Maybe you’ll go exploring… (write-in, or writefag’s pick)
>Are we trying to take the reformed good girl route or the crazy maneater route?
Why not try both?
>“Well, I don’t know how long this’ll take,” Komachi says, stopping to look at you. “You’re welcome to stick around and wait if you want, but this isn’t a great place for the living.”
[ ] "I have a feeling it won't take very long at all."
[ ] Well, this seems like a great place to lie low. Maybe you’ll wait here.
It's natural for them but most youkai don't do it because humans and youkai have to coexist. If they all went around eating humans then it would make it rather difficult for the coexisting to take place, since there would be no co to exist with.
It's usually the lower or younger youkai who do this. Rumia, Mystia, even Chen eats humans occasionally.
[x] Wait! One last thing…
[x] "Do humans need their souls to be brought back to life?"
“Wait!”
Komachi waits. She looks kind of startled, though. “What’s all the yelling about?”
You move in closer. “I don’t really get it, but… if he goes over there, when are you going to bring him back?”
“Bring him back?” Komachi asks. “Well, after he gets processed, he’ll be reincarnated. Most people wouldn’t call that him, though.”
“But, Keine said that he’d be coming back. So how…?”
Komachi frown. She pulls the boat back, closer to shore. “Wait, what now? Keine? She’s that one from the human village, right?”
You nod. “And she said he was coming back in a few days. So, how does it work? I’m not supposed to go back to the village for a while, so I can’t ask Keine.”
“You serious?” Komachi asks, looking at the ghost, then at you. “Man, what should I do. It’d be a shame to ferry him over if… hmm, hmm…”
She sits down, her boat not moving since it’s kind of stuck. A little push would get it moving, but for now, it’s going to stay there. Thinking, you think. She still didn’t answer your question, so… you sit down and wait. Maybe the answer is complicated.
“Heh.”
After a long while, she stands up.
“So,” You ask, “How does it work?”
“Like this.”
She gives the ghost a good kick, sending the white blob out of the boat. “Get out of here. I’ll find ya if I need ya.”
The ghost zips away, but this time it’s pretty normal. It doesn’t just vanish or anything, and you watch it head over a nearby hill. You hear a sliding sound as the boat is brought back up onto the sand.
“Well, that was a pretty short trip,” Komachi says, laughing. “You didn’t see anything, right?”
“I saw you and---“
She looks at you, shaking her head. “Repeat after me. ‘I didn’t see anything’”
“’I didn’t see anything’.” You don’t get it. “But, I still don’t get it.”
“Well,” Komachi says, “I don’t really get it, either. Ask that Keine lady if you see her sometime.”
You nod. “I will.”
Komachi gets closer, almost taking a seat under the tree she was under before. But, she doesn’t. “Spot’s all wet,” She says, when she notices you looking at her. “So, what do you usually do for fun? You look kind of bored.”
[ ] I like exploring, but I have to lay low today.
[ ] Well, it’s fun to walk around the forest. Other places too.
[ ] I like to explore. In fact, I kind of want to see what’s at the (write-in)
[ ] Something else (write-in)
>>16615 >It's natural for them but most youkai don't do it because humans and youkai have to coexist. If they all went around eating humans then it would make it rather difficult for the coexisting to take place, since there would be no co to exist with.
Yeah, that's right. But it's only valid for the local humans, what about outsiders?
>It's usually the lower or younger youkai who do this. Rumia, Mystia, even Chen eats humans occasionally.
>younger youkai
Then why the hell not? It's not like Phobe has lived for more than a week.
>>16633 That doesn't seem to happen that often, and although PMiSS says "Most outsiders that get caught by youkai either get eaten at once, or get eaten once the youkai lose interest in them," that danger may be exaggerated (as admitted in the Monologue). I guess they'd have a good chance of getting away with it, though.
>>16615 >Mystia
I get the impression she sees humans as customers rather than food. Nobody would eat at her lamprey stand if she was attacking people.
>Chen
Where are you getting that from? Her PMiSS profile makes her sound pretty weak, and she doesn't sound threatening in the game dialogue. Plus her PCB profile says "Even without being in shikigami possession she can speak the human language and fly around, but her abilities will be limited to merely surprising people." so presumably she'd have to attack them under Ran's orders.
>>16633 >>16615 Here,
I agree with you, perhaps you took what I was saying in the wrong direction.
>>16636 Pretty sure Mystia has eaten humans before. Even if she doesn't any more. In PoFV she was looking for humans amongst the flower fields to trick and eat.
http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Perfect_Memento:_Chen >She spends most of her time on the Youkai Mountain, and occasionally comes down to the human village to attack people.
>However, it's said she follows the will of Ran Yakumo and Yukari Yakumo when she's possessed by the familiar.
Granted, when she's following orders, she's not going to attack. But she's fully capable and actually has attacked people before and I can't see a cat letting a good kill go to waste.
>>16639 Mystia in PoFV is kind of a strange case, she shows up at the shrine in her ending and Reimu and Marisa complain about her singing and threaten to make yakitori out of her, but they don't seem to actually do anything. I'm not sure why Reimu didn't attack her, if she really is going around hunting humans.
>She spends most of her time on the Youkai Mountain, and occasionally comes down to the human village to attack people.
Yeah, but look at the eyewitness accounts. Even the rest of the article suggests that's just Akyuu playing up the danger of youkai.
[x] I like exploring, but I have to lay low today.
“I like to explore,” You say, “But, I have to lay low today. So I’m kinda bored.”
“Lay low?” Komachi asks, “What, did you kill a man or… oh. Him?”
You nod. “Yeah. I guess the town hunters or something are looking for me today. And, Wriggle says that they’re really tough, so I should just not be there.”
Komachi nods. “Makes sense. So, they’re looking all over for you?”
“Just in the forest,” You say, “I think.”
She shrugs. “That kind of sucks. But, it sounds like it’ll blow over, eh? Especially if someone like Keine is up to something.”
You nod. “I want to go back to the village, but she said it would take a few days.”
A bright flash. Was that---
BOOM
“Another one?” Komachi asks, looking towards where it came from. “I really should build a shack out here, or something.”
You look where she’s looking. It’s cloudy, but the clouds are darker than the rest of the sky. And it looks like they’re getting closer.
“That’s… rain, right?” You ask Komachi, pointing at the darker clouds. “If the clouds are dark they’ve got rain in them. Right?”
She nods. “Usually. And if there’s lightning, it’s almost certain.”
“How does the water float like that?”
Komachi shrugs. “The gods do it. Otherwise, how would it get out of the lakes?”
Ah, that makes sense. Things that can’t move need water too, so this brings it to them. “That’s pretty neat.”
“I always liked watching the lightning, myself,” Komachi says, leaning up against a tree. She’s facing towards the clouds. “Sometimes it gets pretty intense.”
You look, too. But, the flash doesn’t last for very long, so how can you see it? You’d have to know where it was going to be, and---
“Oh!”
No, that’s how you see it. It’s all over the place. Bright lines heading all over the dark cloud. Then, the boom.
“Better than staring at the ground, right?” Komachi asks, not turning back to look. You see another streak, and hear another boom.
[ ] That’s right! You could watch this all day.
[ ] Ground isn’t bad, if you’re seeing different bits all the time. Time to head out, towards (write-in).
[ ] Something else…? (write-in)
[x] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[x] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
Bonus points if Komachi can give a scary face for inspiration.
[X] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[X] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[x] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[x] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[x] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[x] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[X] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[X] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[X] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[X] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[x] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[x] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[x] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[x] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
[Fear Sign] Face of Death
[x] Ask why there aren't any people here. Are humans and youkai afraid of things like ghosts and lightning and stuff?
[x] If her reply gives insight to what humans don't like, try to work it into a spell card.
“So,” you ask, “Why aren’t there any people here? And why don’t they come by a lot?”
She shrugs. “Most things get skittish when they’re this close to death. So, they try to avoid being here too long. The ghosts popping in and out don’t help things too much, either. And, well, sometimes there are other things…”
“Other things?”
She nods. “Sure. Things that like to eat ghosts show up sometimes, though I do my best to chase ‘em off. They’re ugly things, and I guess that would put people off.”
“Huh. So, humans don’t like death and ugly things? Would that make them act all funny?”
“Uh oh,” Komachi says, turning to you. “What’re you thinking?”
“I’m just trying to make more danmaku.” You say, interrupted in the middle by another flash. You wait for the boom before you continue. “I only know how to make one pattern thingie, so I always lose.”
Komachi laughs. “Oh, I guess that’s fine, then. Yeah, I guess most humans would be pretty scared if they just appeared here. Youkai, not so much.” She grins. “But you guys already act all funny.”
Do you? Wait, no. That’s another joke. You laugh a little bit, before being interrupted by another boom. It’s getting louder, so maybe that stuff is getting closer? Hmm.
“Well, I know all kinds of ways to freak things out, if that’s what you’re after.” Komachi adds, pointing her thumb at her chest. “Being a shinigami makes me pretty good at that.”
“How?”
“Like this.”
Another flash crosses the sky, and… there’s something wrong with Komachi’s eyes. Terrible, terrible. Like fire. Her teeth, too… so sharp. And her face is all wrong. Sunken in.
BOOM
And then, like nothing had happened, her face snaps back. Like it was before. “See?”
You nod. “I-I saw. What was that?”
“That’s when I’m not, uh… you know. Suppressing myself.”
“When you’re not being a shinigami?”
She nods. “Something like that. I don’t really need to be like that to take ghosts across the river. Plus, it makes ‘em kind of hard to keep still. It’s the least I can do to be comforting, you know?”
“Huh.”
Another flash, another boom. That would scramble someone, you think. But, she did it, and not you. Isn’t your power supposed to be something that you do? Just you. Well… hmm. It’s a hard puzzle, and you’re so confused about the whole thing.
You’re interrupted by a drop of water falling on your arm. More water, huh… looking up, it looks like those black clouds are pretty close now.
[ ] What’s her danmaku like, then? Ask for a match.
[ ] Try making scary danmaku, on your own.
[ ] Think a little bit more. Maybe you’ll come up with something good.
[ ] Something else…? (write-in)
[x] Think a little bit more. Maybe you’ll come up with something good.
[x] Try a different emotion than fear. Whats the opposite of it? Happiness? Wonder?
Fine then, we'll try a 180 on this. Lets see how a Curious Naivety Shot works. Pretty bolts of shiny that draws suckers opponents to it.
[x] Think a little bit more. Maybe you’ll come up with something good.
[x] Try a different emotion than fear. Whats the opposite of it? Happiness? Wonder?
[z] Think a little bit more. Maybe you’ll come up with something good.
[e] Try a different emotion than fear. Whats the opposite of it? Happiness? Wonder?
No. 15995
