♫: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiK7nqraLAo
[祭炎 - 東方PARTYBOX02 (GET IN THE RING)]
Lyrics: https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Lyrics:_%E7%A5%AD%E7%82%8E
Music Collection: https://mega.nz/#F!1BdBzIKZ!bhLzijfM3iyphpueDOKf0g

The sky is changing.

Note: Don't be afraid of letting me know what you think. I like compliments, I like criticisms.

Histories of Yatsugatake, a Suika backstory short: >>>/shorts/2180
THREAD 1 >>65260 THREAD 2 >>65548 THREAD 3 >>65922
THREAD 4 >>66462 THREAD 5 >>66845 THREAD 6 >>67429
THREAD 7 >>67966

I decided to have fun and do a self-contained little something. Very likely with daily updates. And yes, as you might expect from the title, this story draws from other things. No, you needn’t have read it to know what’s going on nor in order to participate. Things should either be self-explanatory or anything that’s essential to know will get quality™ exposition to fill the reader in. The idea, as always, is to cut loose and enjoy the energetic spirit of things.

I’d appreciate comments in general, particularly when voting, as they help keep me fueled for the quick pace of things. I’ll be forthright and say that I may pick outcomes not only based on number of votes but if anything was said too. And even if a vote doesn’t win, I’ll try to work in stuff from reader comments if it makes sense to include. Not to mention that, in case of a tie, I may go with whatever reasoning in the comments that seems the most fun. So don’t be shy and say whatever comes to mind! Feel free to reply to your peers. The idea is to encourage engagement instead of just going through the motions. Anti-democratic, I know, but whenever you get around to writing a silly story with fast updates, you’ll get up to make up the rules.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the ride.

The hard, sturdy, and durable nature of clay has proved it to be an effective material of construct, as seen in their usage in potteries, statues, buildings, et cetera. But, part of what makes it so reliable is not limited to just that, it is due to its ability to soften its texture when mixed with water, making it easy to change its shape as one would like.

A dampened clay, like the one I am handling right now, will lose its tough exterior trait, and it will adjust itself to comply with the forces given to it. This one is no exception. When I mixture it with little water, it makes itself easier to change its proportion. Its structure follows as my rough skin - whose texture does not contain the characteristics of plump, living, mammal skin and is relatively similar to coarse dirt - guides it to shape.

With the help of a potter’s wheel, I change the clay mound in front of me to have a broad half-circle shape with its base facing upwards, then I press its lateral sides to shape it into a torso-like piece. After that, the wheel continues to spin as I pick one scraper from my side and use it to trim the base surface, leaving a hole in its medial area while the trimmed part peels into a spiral waste.

After being satisfied with my work, I bring the chest piece to my hold and turn around to the other being in the same room as me. The woman- pardon. The Goddess in my view is busy managing her latest project, a human-sized haniwa using a warrior helmet for its head and a lamellar armor for its torso, though the latter part is not complete yet as it is still in my hands.

I close my distance from my creator, her delicate blue hair flailing in the air as she solely directs her focus to her work. She is the being responsible for my existence, the only divine that is worth my faith, the sculpture goddess that has never committed any war crime throughout her time in Gensokyo.

“Keiki, my Highness.” I bow respectfully as I show the result of my hard work to her. “I’ve finished my part. Take as you like.”

The Goddess turns to face me, wearing her green apron that serves as a protection for her clothes from the dirtiness of the workplace. “Ah, thank you.” She

The sun gives a blinding welcome as you emerge from the train car, landing onto beaten boards of the platform with a thump. A good stretch and a few paces shakes off most of the stiffness from hours of uncomfortable sitting.

Framed by reddish foothills, the town sprawls out before you. It has the chaotic arrangement typical of a gold-seeking surge and the usual decay after the rocks had been picked clean. Painted, worn facades define the uneven contours of the main street. Overlooking this central axis is a prominent peak-roofed building that you’d guess would be the town hall, but even this monument reveals fading colors and lost shingles. Further away from the center, the structures dwindle, houses giving way to shacks, giving way to boulders and sand. A narrow stream glimmers its way between the mountains, through the town, vanishing under a bridge supporting the tracks. Spindly trees and mats of grasses huddle by the precious water and you can imagine the find it was for the first arrivals in the area. Hanging off the station is the name of your destination: Sage Springs.

All in all, you must admit the view was nicer through dust-coated windows.

A wagon-scarred road parallel to the raised railway separates you and the station from the main body of town. It joins the main street almost perpendicularly, forming a bent “T” shape. The handful of passengers who had also gotten off are already dispersing across it, leaving you alone on the platform.

The train’s bells and impatient whistling slice through the air and you give the machine more space. Turning your head to follow the departure, a few bored faces can be spied through open windows and underneath, cast iron wheels turn as mechanical might heaves against its own weight. The gust from the rolling mass ruffles your clothes and forces you to intercept your hat before it can take flight, but it also feels pleasant against the late morning heat.

The train slides away to continue its eastward journey, leaving behind a backdrop of pasty dryland and scraggly bushes. The flatter land allows the valley’s mountains to circuit the horizon unimpeded. The train leaving also means

Previous thread: >>63805
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“Let me see your hand for a second.”

“Sure,” says Momiji, obediently raising her hand up. “What’s up?”

Wordlessly, you grab it. Momiji patiently awaits your next move, but you merely lower your head in embarrassment and interlock your fingers with hers.

“Gallagher,” Momiji says, a hitch of curbed delight in her voice. “Did you... did you want to hold hands?”

“I just thought that this was the most appropriate course of action to show you how I feel. And I didn’t want to leave any room for doubt. Obviously, if I had to say anything, knowing me, I’d just stumble over my words for five minutes straight because I’m no particular expert on articulating my emotions.”

“And you say that you aren’t affectionate?”

“I’m not.”

“Then?”

Then a lot of things. Many different things, though you’re unable to piece together the proper words for it. But screw proper, you have just enough to tell her what you mean. “You’re important to me. A whole lot.”

“Well.” Momiji lifts your hand up with hers and, with a gentle touch, she brings it to her cheek. The wolf prompts you to caress her—a request you easily comply with. She breathes out a contented sigh as you stroke her cheek. “If, for some odd reason you didn’t already know, you’re very important to me too.”

“Miji?”

“Hmm?”

“We should go.”

“Yeah. We should.”

So you do, and so she does. The walk to the apartment takes about twice as long as it usually does, but you sure as hell don’t mind. It’s spring, and it’s the nasty kind of spring, but here you are, ambling along the streets hand-in-hand with a wolf tengu, wearing the stupidest fucking grin you could possibly make.

She squeezes your hand, does a little bashful smile, and all of a sudden, you’re about half a measure from kissing the dumb girl. But you restrain yourself. Just barely, but you do.

Filth as far as my eyes can see. The smell of booze and smoke is etched into wooden frames. Roaring laughter and heated arguments mixed and mingled at the card table. Poor thing probably withstand more beatings than all of us here combined. Under that distracting noise were the hush whispers of plots and schemes. Hands being shaken under the tables, no doubt those same hands swing at each other when said deals go wrong. In that bar of debauchery, is I, a nameless amanjakou trying to make my very first spellcard. I hadn’t even taken a sip from the glass, I saw nothing worth taking from it. A perfect place to make something beautiful and I mean that wholeheartedly. It’s a shame though that the card is still blank white…

Such is the issue when I can see, hear, and speak no good. As I imagine something beautiful, a warm feeling spread around my eyes. My ears flush red as I hear someone give a compliment to the bartender. My cheek burns as I remain silent. Considering where the bar is under, it’s not surprising that some of the yokai here are so nice. Still ugly though and worst, they’re distracting! I reach inside my coat to touch the ‘lure’. Caressing it, I manage to calm down, a toothy grin grows on my face. These guys are in for a surprise and oh I can’t wait!

If only I had enough time though… Focusing on the spellcard, a shape begins to form, something beautiful. Alas, I lose focus from the heat on my face. I grab the shot glass and down the whole thing, maybe if I get myself drunk I can focus…

I shout at the bear yokai, “Hey, Bartender! Another round!” A firm hand grabs my shoulder.

Bang! Bang! Bang! A spear hits the wooden floor. It echoes through the bar, cutting arguments short and turning laughter into mere whimpers. Those chugging choke on the alcohol content. Anyone smoking snuffs their pipes and sets them out of sight. The majority of the customers look away as if that’ll keep them anonymous.

Now silent, Tomamarou Shou speaks, “Water for everyone please.” She asks her tone even.

With a slumped shoulder, the bear walks into the back to retrieve some jugs. Avoiding to see her face, I look down and see the mouse Yoka

I have been suffering for a while from a disease called, watching too much disgaea and my brain going all tingly when I just happened to see an image of Seija and Renko traveling through hell. Hence this now exists too.

---

Your head hurts like a motherfucker, and you’ve had extensive experience with exactly the kind of person who warranted the term during your search. (Isami somewhat more so, if her drunken rambles could be at all trusted) so you knew exactly what you were talking about. Or thinking about. Whatever.

You just know it’s not due to alcohol, because you’ve sworn it away the day you saw drunkards fly about in a bar and throw booze and chopsticks around like it’s a normal sight and not something that almost stopped your heart.

The air is strongly scented with something like a cleaner version of a diesel-fueled firebomb, a sort of thin but intense burning scent of rotten eggs like aroma, and the ground on which you’re sprawled on in your typical thrashing prone posture felt warm and soft and moist, sort of like you’ve fallen onto a bucket full of glue on the beach, not that that ever happened to you.

You push yourself up on addled limbs, raising a heavy head, blinking the sleep from your eyes – which is immediately a sign that something is off, because your left arm hadn’t worked in a while, ever since that bitch with the cat claws had torn you up actually. But, well, that could wait, because the rough stony ceiling not a few feet up, combined with the scent of blood coming from the hexagram beneath you, promises nothing good. You move to draw your ‘legally’ obtained taser to no avail, neither do you find your ‘totally not looted’ firearm, instead only finding a flashlight and some minor girl stuff in your handbag alongside some survival items. Still the flasher is hard enough to really send off a blow to someone’s skull if you swing it hard enough so you’ll make do.

Anyway you scan your surroundings again, as expected you’re in some cave, the soil of which is made of a blackish, warm stone? The ground is too smooth and even to be of normal origins. That aside the e

Dear Reader.

If your reading this, then...let's just say you're not in the place you call home anymore.
I can't say too much, but let's just say that I'm an interested party wanting to help.
I wanted to write this message to help you in this little prediciment.
I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Don't worry. I actually arrived in this land a while back, so while I like to think my
knowledge about it is pretty limited, I'll try to explain how things are around here to the best of my ability. Okay?

Alright, I think the biggest question you have on your mind right now is "Where the heck am I?!"
Well my hypothethical reader, I'm glad you asked.
This is Gensokyo, the Land of Illusions. It's a mystical land where humans co-exist with creatures from Japanese Folklore
known as "Youkai". It also home to gods, and other creatures from myths and legends.
Think of it as kind of like a nature reserve for these magical and mythical creatures, located somewhere in Japan.
Of course actually getting into Gensokyo isn't just some walk in the park.
You see, Gensokyo is actually protected by a barrier called the Great Hakurei Barrier. It's what hides Gensokyo away from what
the folks around here call the "Outside World". I don't know which part of the world you come from (hopefully you can
understand this message to begin with), but to give you an idea, your homeland would techincally be apart of this hypothetical
"Outside World". Anyways it allows youkai to survive even when people from the outside don't believe in them anymore.
Don't question that, please. That is WHOLE 'nother can of worms.

Okay, so concerning you...let's just say you should probably find somewhere to stay before nightfall.
I mean, hopefully, you're not actually reading this in the middle of the night, In middle of freaking-who-knows-which-part-
of-Gensokyo. And if you are...well just keep your chin up. Just try not to let any youkai find you at night.
Let's just say humans need to be wary of these beast. Especially humans who ca

>You awake in a small dark space, and feel a stabbing pain in your chest.
>Would you like instructions?
>Y/N

Edit: Updates will be fast when I'm actively in the thread. Every 10 or so minutes fast. Check back a few times after posting.

The Human Village was devoid of sound. A chilly fog lurked around the canal, and the grass on the bank glittered with morning dew. Rays of the early morning sun shone over empty streets, most inhabitants still sleeping soundly in their bed or are already working at the fields outside.

The silence is soon filled by the breath of a Shrine Maiden in red-white as she kicked against the shutters of a small book-renter shop. One kick, two knocks with her fist against the door, then another third kick, were enough to bend the shutter slightly. A Witch covered in black was hunched over beside her, mini-Hakkero in hand and the same troubled expression on her face as her close friend. They had flown to the village as fast as they could, and they couldn’t afford to stop and catch their breath. Not if they wanted to finish this in time. Neither exterminator had any idea if their target was still in the shop, or if her parents were awake or asleep, but the crash of boots against wood would attract attention sooner or later.

Resting or taking it slow wasn’t an option either, for they might start thinking within that time and then the whole miserable business would become ten times harder.

Finally, with one final blow, the shutters broke apart. There was no sound within the shop. Still the debris was kicked aside and the two women rushed inside. There was no sign of their target still or her parents, or even, thankfully, some troublesome youkais that’d love to stand in their way.

No, it was only Hieda no Akyuu standing in front of the desk, her body completely still and her face like stone despite the telling red puffiness and dark bags under her eyes. “She’s not here, Reimu.”

“Then where is she?” said Reimu with a cold tone, her air of indifference already on the burst of wavering now that she knows they at least are making an attempt, that it doesn’t end here and now.

“As if I’d ever tell you.” Akyuu barks back with a heavy edge, one of her hands slowly moving under the desk, an obvious threat really or a true attempt to take out a weapon, it won’t matter.

“Akyuu, w