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THE STORY SO FAR:
The world has ended, but five (well, it’s complicated) humans get a chance to do it over, and make things right. Only problem is, for their second go around, they're not going to be 'human'...
Kosuzu, Reimu, Akyuu and Youmu have all remembered their pasts, and through significant trials and tribulations, begun the path of fighting against the doomed future. Of the five Immaterial Children who were wound back in time together, only one remains - the former magician, Kirisame Marisa.
In this life, she is Houjuu Marisa, raised on the island of Sado in the outside world. Spending her childhood years looking up at the stars, the arrival of the Spiral Comet awoke her inhuman heritage - one she was completely unaware of, and equally unprepared to deal with. Having fled her life on the island, she now searches for a way to get to Gensokyo - ever chased by a mysterious group.
But though she has left her home behind, she is not without allies. She has met up with Goutokuji Mike, a maneki-neko and fellow mystery hunter, and together they’ve decided to search for a path together. A narrow escape from her pursuers has brought them into contact with the gentle Ibaraki Kasen, the divine Tenkyuu Chimata, and the crafty Nippaku Zanmu. With such a trio of powerful figures behind her, Marisa’s fate is set to turn…
Previous Threads:
Redo/Reimu >>205449 >>205720
Again/Akyuu >>206017 >>206302 >>206595 >>206906 >>207202
Yester/Youmu >>207370 >>207705 >>208027 >>208337 >>208664 >>208978
Kaizou/Kosuzu >>209221 >>209492 >>209799 >>210140 >>210522 >>210832 >>211127 >>211466 >>211848 >>212143
Memoria/Marisa >>212437 >>212766 >>213061
Epilogues and Shorts >>/shorts/2804
Or read the story archive on Ao3:
https://archiveofourown.org/series/4062991
Outside/Omakes (Shorts from Other Writers): >>/shorts/2947
Marisa sniffled, trying to recompose herself. “I… I’m useless. I didn’t even realise she’d been replaced.” She grit her teeth. “I-I should have realised something earlier! They’d already got Aunty Zou, and they nearly got me too…”
Kasen hesitantly reached out a hand to the girl. “Marisa…”
Chimata placed her own hand on Marisa’s shoulder. “...It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”
“I should have noticed something! I-I should have done something! I’m some kinda powerful thing, aren’t I? I-I could have helped her, if only I’d known she was gone!”
She kicked her chair across the room, knocking it into the cloudy wall with a bang. Kasen and Chimata shared a hesitant glance. Neither seemed to know what to say.
Zanmu, however, seemed to have an idea. “...You know, that’s an interesting point. You do seem like a strong one.”
Kasen’s head whipped up, but Zanmu held her hand out. “Something doesn’t add up, in that case. There’s a couple of issues with your theory.”
Marisa turned to her, as the oni continued. “For starters, your Aunty Zou. She knows your actual youkai parent, right? And I’m guessing she’s pretty smart, too?” After waiting for a response Marisa wasn’t in any state to give, she stood up, explaining as she walked. “No ordinary person would have agreed to raise a changeling unless they were ready to handle the risks.”
The changeling sniffled. “...The risks?”
“You know, the consequences of your youkai transformation. Think an ordinary adopted parent could have handled that?” Zanmu picked up the chair the islander had knocked over, fluffing it like a pillow to restore its shape. “Most likely, your Aunt knows her way around a good fight.”
Marisa tried to recompose herself. “Sh-she did say she used to get in fights when she was young…”
“But I’m sure she kept vague on the details, right?” The oni grinned. “Probably because she didn’t want you getting into scraps with other youkai before your powers kicked in.”
The islander sagged. “But they still took her, didn’t they?”
Zanmu gave a noncommittal grunt as she set the chair right next to Marisa. “Perhaps. But even then, I can’t imagine they’re thrilled about the idea of fighting a young, rampant whatever-you-are.” The oni chuckled as she sat down. “The rarer a species is, the stronger any individual member. Wouldn’t it be great if they could use a hostage to bring you in without a fight?”
Kasen scowled. “You’re saying they captured her Aunt?”
“Something like that. At the very least, Marisa… I’m sure your Aunt’s still out there. Trust an oni to know the wicked, after all.” Zanmu gave the kid’s hat a flick. “Now, how to save her is an entirely different question. And rather out of my field.”
Marisa grabbed at her hat, taking a slow breath to steady herself. “...Right. What should I do?”
Chimata stood up. “Marisa, please, don’t go getting yourself into trouble.”
The changeling spun around. “Well I can’t just do nothing, can I?! Aunty Zou’s caught up in this whole mess!”
Kasen shook her head. “Be that as it may, it’s too dangerous. If these people really do mean you harm, then you can’t go out and fight them! They’d surely capture you!”
“Then maybe we can ambush them! I haven’t tested my limits yet, but if I get the drop on them, I’m sure I can take them out! Or-or I can set a trap, or, or-”
Zanmu sighed. “Being a youkai means you have key weaknesses - some standard ones, and some you likely don’t even know about yet. Trying to blindly outsmart someone who knows exactly what they’re hunting is a recipe for disaster - especially when you don’t know what countermeasures they’ve got.”
Chimata nodded in agreement. “For now, it’s far better to let us adults handle them. A youkai who doesn’t even know her own powers can’t fight off full-grown opponents, no matter how strong she is.”
Marisa growled, gritting her teeth. She tried to think of what she could say… but nothing was coming up.
“Um…”
The maneki-neko stood up. “What… what if we find Marisa’s mother?” The group turned to her. “I mean, if they’re after Marisa, they would have been after her mother too, right? Maybe she left her with her Aunt so she’d be safe from them, even.”
The oni gave a small smile. “Now that’s a thought. There’s a good chance that the older Houjuu dealt with exactly this group.”
Kasen nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps that was why they targeted ‘Aunty Zou’? To cut off her mother from realising there was a problem until it was too late? Regardless, if we can find her…”
Chimata smiled. “Then we’d have someone who should understand the ins and outs of the situation - and would be very motivated to see Marisa through it. Kasen - you said you were a sage of Gensokyo, correct? Could you take them there?”
The sage hesitated, glancing at the two girls. “I have… some matters to take care of. I need to secure a rather dangerous item.”
The oni turned to Kasen, offering a warm smile. “You know, I could take care of that-”
“Zanmu.” The hermit gave her an icy glare. “Don’t even try. You’re the last person I want to have it.”
“Fair, fair. Never know what an oni could do if they got their hands on an artifact like that, right?” Zanmu let out a sinister chuckle that did nothing to ease Kasen’s staredown.
Marisa turned to the oni. “Can you take us, instead?”
She got a predatory smirk in response. “Oh yeah? You’re asking an oni for a favour? And a big one, at that. You sure you’re ready for a deal with a devil?” Zanmu’s face eased. “Even if I did take you, where I’d be taking you is Hell. You’d be eaten alive, and that’s not even hyperbole. If you want a favour from me, you gotta live long enough to pay me back, y’know?”
Kasen’s bandaged hand came to a rest on Marisa’s shoulder. “Believe me, Marisa. Whoever these pursuers are, they’re nothing compared to trying to make it through Hell. It’d be far better to come to Gensokyo with me.” The hermit sighed, rubbing her forehead as she thought. “...Though I don’t know how long it’ll take before I can go… and it isn’t like I can easily get someone from Gensokyo to escort them either. The path I take isn’t a one-day trip, after all.”
Chimata hummed. “I have obligations here, of course. This market is mine - I can’t abandon it to take the kids there. And I can’t have my servants leave, either - even Nio can’t split so far apart from himself.”
The other two adults seemed to have no issues with that absurd statement. Marisa took a look back at the young man by the entrance… maybe he and the other security-guard type guy were some kinda special youkai twins? The stony horns, and green curly hair… hmmm…
“Are there any other routes?” Marisa blinked, turning back as her friend spoke up. “We came to investigate the market because we wanted to get into Gensokyo. But there’s other places around here that are special, right? Could one of them get us there?”
“...Yeah, actually. That might be it!” Marisa perked up. “Maybe if we follow the other rumours, then we might be able to get to Gensokyo way faster!”
Kasen looked between the two of them. “...Which rumours would these be?”
“Well, aside from the market, the biggest one we thought might actually get us there quickly was the one about a whole shrine going missing at Lake Suwa. Of course, we don’t have evidence, but there’s a big, weird hole there, isn’t there?”
Marisa grinned in agreement. “Yeah, and there’s the rumour about the Scarlet Talent Agency, too! Does that place really employ paranormal employees?”
Kasen seemed nervous. “Are you sure that those places will be safe?”
“Safe enough, as long as they behave.” Chimata smiled, before her face fell. “And assuming those thugs don’t find them.”
“Well, then it seems to me like one of us should talk to them, throw ‘em off the trail.” Zanmu leant back, resting her head on her hands. “Maybe we can tease a little more information if we play our cards right.”
Chimata hummed. “And in the meantime… you two don’t have anywhere to go, right? We should be able to host a couple of kids for a few nights.”
The guard nodded. “I’ll start making arrangements then, Lady Chimata.”
Mike hesitated. “Um… we’re happy to help, if we can!”
“Like I said, at least part of this is my own remittance, so don’t worry about it for now.” The rainbow goddess smiled. “But if your stay ends up being extended, then I’m sure I can find something for a young maneki-neko to do.”
“I-I can help, too!” Marisa stood up as well, before hesitating. “Um… Probably not as properly as a Maneki-neko, though…”
Zanmu sat up. “Actually, about that. I have an idea.” She turned to the market’s goddess. “Lady Chimata, you have a special power, don’t you? Could we perhaps use it to understand Marisa a little better?”
The goddess raised an eyebrow. “...You know about that application?”
Zanmu just chuckled. “We can talk more about that later, once things are settled. Of course, that might not be necessary if I’ve misinterpreted what I’ve heard.”
“Well, it’s a good idea, regardless. Nio?”
The statuesque man grunted, marching over to a cabinet and reaching in to pull out a stack of blank, black cards. Marisa’s eyes locked on the fluffy tail, the same colour as his hair. It was at the tip of her tongue, he was a, a- she hastily looked away, hopefully before anyone caught her staring at his backside and got the wrong impression.
“Mike, if I could take your hand first?” The changeling straightened up to look at Chimata, trying not to pay attention to the oni’s smirk in her peripheral vision. “We’ll start with a little demonstration, before we try it for Marisa.”
“Um… sure.” The catgirl took the proffered hand, and Chimata closed her eyes. A golden light seemed to form between the two of them, as Mike twitched. “I-it tickles…”
After a few more moments, the market goddess let go, smiling gently as she took a quintet of cards from her servant. She made a show of them being blank on both sides, then spread them out on the table.
Chimata’s finger began to glow, as she tapped on each of the cards. Wherever she touched, the cards seemed to ripple, as their undersides shone from within. The goddess smirked, making a grand flourish as she turned the cards over in one smooth movement.
And what she revealed… was that each card now had a print of a calico cat holding up a coin. Mike’s silhouette could be seen in the background, but Marisa’s eyes were locked on the cat. Wasn’t that the one she’d been chasing around this morning? She’d need to apologise later.
…The rest of her brain caught up on the actual reality of what happened as Chimata picked up the cards. “I have the ability to transfer very, very trace amounts of one’s abilities into cards. They can then be used by anyone. Here, try holding it, Marisa.”
The changeling took the card, staring at it. It didn’t have any writing on it… and yet, the moment she touched it, understanding seemed to come.
Mike Goutokuji's ability to improve product lineups. The next time you go shopping, you will find a wider variety of items.
“So you can help us find more stuff, Mike?” Marisa grinned. “Guess I should have expected no less from a beckoning cat.”
Mike flushed a bit. “Y-you think? It doesn’t seem that impressive to me…”
“It’s a testament to innate good business acumen. The cards often allow you to understand latent power.” Chimata smiled. “You’d do quite well as a marketeer, I expect.”
As the catgirl hid her increasingly-red face behind her hands, the Market Goddess turned to Marisa. The changeling reached out, letting Chimata take her hands. “Now, Marisa… is there any kind of ability in particular you’d like me to try to tease out?”
[ ] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[ ] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
[ ] A bunch of people were flying around in the Lunar Market. Perhaps she had an ability that’d let her join them?
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] A bunch of people were flying around in the Lunar Market. Perhaps she had an ability that’d let her join them?
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
It probably won't be a proper Spark, but overwhelming firepower solves all problems. Need to fly? Gravity will stop complaining if you aim a giant laser at your feet and use it for propulsion. Need to hide? The guards can't raise the alarm if they're busy being piles of ash. Stuck in an awkward social situation with no clear escape avenue? Well, a laser probably doesn't actually help with that but you can use it anyway!
[X] A bunch of people were flying around in the Lunar Market. Perhaps she had an ability that’d let her join them?
I happen to be a Gale Geta enthusiast.
I feel like there’s a decent chance Marisa gets outed as an Immaterial Child here. Possibly depending on what gets chosen.
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
Well, that's confirmation that Marisa saw Mamizou without her disguise and freaked out. At this point she's worked herself up enough that she won't believe it if it's explained, so finding Nue probably is the easiest way of fixing it.
Man, the big attack fits Marisa the most but it really feels like this Marisa wants to understand what hell is going on with her
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
I had this one ready and waiting for the new thread.
Sorry I haven't been posting drawings lately, but I promise I've been drawing on the background, mainly character designs. Maybe someday I'll share that.
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
Gotta start cultivating the Nue style of trickery young.
Also, sounds like Kasen is also looking for her severed arm. I thought it was Gensokyo in WaHH? Unless Watanabe no Tsuna passed it down to his descendents or something...
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
if chimata sees that marisa has two abilities it might give her a clue that she is an immaterial children.
this is maybe a clue or maybe not...
>>Marisa’s eyes locked on the fluffy tail, the same colour as his hair. It was at the tip of her tongue, he was a, a- she hastily looked away...
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
Well, Marisa-the-human didn't really have any abilities like most Yokai possess, she was just really good at magic. Also, the fact that it's a vote means that there's inherently three 'powers' that Marisa has by virtue of being a Nue.
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
You want to hit someone really hard? Just confuse them so badly they think you're on the ceiling and you'll have all the time in the world to deliver a "Blazing Star" football charge to their brittle, brittle bones!
>>213616
in WaHH chapter 50 kasen says that she found her arm in the outside world and brought it back to gensokyo to be sealed again.
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[X] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
Lost Sign: Mystery Spark.
or, wait, no, this is an ability card. can't use my classic template.
Digital Pet
Type: Active Card
An ability card that summons a terrifying digital monster to do its super move. The monster may be fake, but like any good cursed game, it borrows its power from a real one.
...what? It's not like this option's winning anyway. Let me dream.
>>213614
Aw, they're so happy to just be hanging out and investigating mysteries. Onward, to bright horizons!
[x] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
:3
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
Meanwhile in the SDM, a certain magician felt a sudden inexplicable urge to triple the security around her library.
[X] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
This one feels like it will help us more right now.
[X] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
Danmaku's all about firepower!
As much as i'd love to give what is almost certainly a doombeam to a smaller-than-normal Marisa... probably not the best idea.
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
I do want the Doombeam eventually, but let's try and get somewhere less...at risk of collateral than crowded areas.
[X] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
This one probably has the most benefit to it, since A) people in Gensokyo can fly without ability cards, and B) a stronger understanding of her Unknowable powers would probably help our girl figure out a powerful attack on her own.
Counting to >>213638:
Main Choice:
[18] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[4] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
[2] A bunch of people were flying around in the Lunar Market. Perhaps she had an ability that’d let her join them?
>>213614 is really nice, I like it a lot. Thanks for the drawings, Kosu.
:3
It would appear our winner is overwhelming, but nevertheless...
[X] A bunch of people were flying around in the Lunar Market. Perhaps she had an ability that’d let her join them?
We probably shouldn't have let Zanmu in. I don't think she necessarily means ill, but the oni seems to be stirring the pot hard.
[18] There were a few times people had gotten confused around her. Was that one of her abilities? Maybe if she had a card of it, she could understand it?
[4] Go for a big, powerful attack! Something that’d blow up the bad guys in one shot!
[3] A bunch of people were flying around in the Lunar Market. Perhaps she had an ability that’d let her join them?
…One thing did come to mind. Marisa nodded. “Um, there was something that happened earlier today… I’m not really sure what I did, though. Or if I even did something.”
Chimata smiled, her hands starting to glow. “Just think back on it, then. And let me draw out your power…”
The changeling closed her eyes, trying to remember. It had happened twice, right? Once with the note, and when they were running from Kasen. People had gotten weirdly confused about the stuff around her.
…Now that she was thinking about it, both times it had happened - she swore as a spark of static jumped from her to the goddess, shaking her hand from the effect. Chimata’s face made it clear it wasn’t pleasant either, though she did her best to hide any discomfort.
“Mind your tongue, Marisa… feisty magic, this time.” In the grip of Chimata’s fist, the light was a slightly different yellow than Mike’s - but it almost seemed to rattle around, flashing blue, green, and red in her hand. “Let’s find out what it means.”
Nio quietly laid out another set of cards, with Chimata imbuing the power she’d grabbed on each one. Marisa braced herself, anxiously waiting for the process to finish.
When Chimata flipped the cards over, Marisa craned her neck, anxiously. It appeared to show a small worm, flying through the night sky.
Zanmu was the first to pick up a card, looking it over. “...Interesting. Tell me, everyone; what do you make of this?”
Marisa hesitated, but the others around the table each picked up one of the cards, as Nio returned to the door. Chimata raised an eyebrow. “Oh my. I don’t believe I’ve seen this before.”
“What?” The islander wasn’t liking the concerned look on the other’s faces. “Wh-what’s it say?”
Kasen let out an irritated noise, furrowing her brow. “I can’t understand a single word. All I’m getting is gibberish.”
“I can’t read it either.” Mike’s ears were folded back. “Every time I try, it seems to change on me.”
“I-is it broken, somehow?” Marisa picked up a card, anxiously. “Is that even possible?”
Chimata shook her head, firmly. “No, it shouldn’t be. I’ve done this procedure hundreds of times…” An idea seemed to strike her. “Marisa, what does it say for you? Could you read it aloud?”
The changeling gulped, but took a moment to ‘read’ the card.
“Seed of Unknown Form.
“Houjuu Marisa’s ability to produce a Seed of Unknown Form. The Seed obscures the true nature of objects it possesses, making them more difficult to identify.” Marisa stared at the card. “And… it’s not changing, for me.”
“Huh, now that you’ve said it, it’s starting to… oh, I get it!” Mike smiled, triumphantly. “Does that mean that the card was obscuring itself?”
“It must have been. How fascinating! Most effects don’t touch the cards themselves.” Chimata twirled the card in her hand. “What a curious little power this is.”
Zanmu gave a small smirk. “I see… so that’s the nature of it, hmm?”
“You don’t seem particularly surprised.” Kasen gave the oni a wary look, which the latter waved off.
“When we first met, Marisa spotted me through my illusions. Perhaps she’s tapping into an innate form of true sight.” Zanmu gave the islander a self-satisfied look. After all, what good is an illusionist fooled by their own tricks?”
“So… does that help?” Marisa asked, anxiously. “Could it help me figure out what I am?”
“Nnnn…” Kasen hesitated. “Yes and no. It’s not an ability you’d expect in any ordinary youkai, but at the same time… if you have an innate ability to disguise ‘true forms’, it’s not surprising I’ve never seen wings like yours before. It does probably mean you’re a well-hidden species, rather than just an exotic type of youkai.”
“There’s probably other innate mechanisms your species has, to render yourself undetectable. Perhaps it’s even why your mother took such steps to obscure herself from you.” Chimata nodded, working through her logic. “It might be an instinctual compulsion.”
“Or she was hiding things in plain sight.” Zanmu seemed deep in thought. “Perhaps there were some things obscured throughout your homestead, which would only reveal themselves when your power awoke?” The oni frowned. “But those would have been beacons to your pursuers, if they’re some sort of poacher or the like.”
“Oh!” Mike raised her hand. “Ummm, Marisa. Did Aunty Zou talk about youkai a lot?”
“All the time,” Marisa said flatly, “and whenever I looked them up, she always seemed to be adding a unique spin to the exact events.” Unique spins that Marisa might have been supposed to take seriously. She sighed. “I wish I paid more attention, honestly.”
“Were there any particular stories she liked telling?” Mike leaned in. “Maybe one of them’s about your mom?”
“Hmmm… maybe?” The islander shrugged. “I mean, the stories she liked telling most were all about Tanuki. But I’m pretty sure I’m not one of those.”
And frankly, thank goodness. Marisa still didn’t know what she was, but there was at least one species she was glad she wasn’t. Tanuki were everywhere in Sado - every sign, map, store and restaurant had one of them on it somewhere, every rack of products had one with a raccoon dog, they were simply inescapable. Her school had one as the mascot - at least they’d had the decency not to include a literal nut sack.
Marisa was more than happy to not make a fuss about it in front of her aunt, but growing up on an island full of the things had led to Marisa’s taste in aesthetics going in the opposite direction. Leaving the land of testicle-dog worship was a silver lining she’d turned to more than once on the trip.
“But aside from that…” The islander rubbed her chin, trying to dredge up old memories. “Hmmm… a few things, maybe? I mean, she mentioned a few that could hide their form and stuff, but she likes tanuki, so I just assumed that it was ‘cos they were similar.” She spun her card around. “And I don’t remember any of them mentioning something like this Seed thing.”
“Hmmm…” Kasen sighed. “It seems the true nature of the unknowable youkai will remain hidden for now.”
Marisa sagged, but Chimata gave her a pat on the shoulder. “That seems to be the case, but don’t lose too much heart, Marisa. When you’re being pursued by strange youkai, hiding yourself is exactly what you need. Nio - could you help these two get set up for a longer stay? Maybe see if there’s anything we can do for their clothes and such?”
“Of course, Lady Chimata.” Nio gestured. “Do you need me to bring my other body over?”
Another eyebrow-raising comment. Maybe she’d have to bite the bullet and ask later.
“No, that’s fine.” The market goddess turned to the other two women. “We just need to discuss some things in private. I’ll call you if I need you.”
The statuesque man bowed. “Of course, Lady Chimata. Marisa, Mike - please, follow me.”
Marisa and Mike shared a glance, but didn’t have anything more they could add. With a bow and muttered thanks, they took their cards, and left the room.
“Because that requires very rare materials called Izanagi Objects,” Nio explained. “Nothing else is as good for both holding any innate power and not disintegrating when unleashing it. And those were just test samples, anyways. Sometimes we go through a few batches before we find one worth a full production. It can take a few days, even - Lady Chimata says it’s hard to bring out different powers at the same time. And could be unhealthy, too.”
“Izanagi Objects…” Marisa tried to picture them. The first thing that came to mind were giant, gleaming gemstones. “Man, I wonder what I could make with some of that.”
The young man gave a smirk. “Well, if you do find some but can’t think of anything, just bring it to us. We’ll be sure to find a use for it if we can, and a buyer if we can’t.”
Apparently, the three adults had finished their meeting, and now Marisa and Mike had been called ‘when they were ready’. Marisa was travelling shockingly light for the first time in weeks; all her clothes were either in for a wash, or had been taken by a very small team of tailors to make some adjustments for her wings. They’d left their bags in a small storage area, too, leaving the young youkai free to move about.
Nio the komainu (it had finally hit Marisa when he’d been praising the Market Goddess and she’d seen his tail wagging) was doing his best to welcome the girls and get them comfortable. Thinking of one guy having two bodies was still a bit weird, but knowing one of those bodies was hanging right by the entrance to keep an eye out for trouble made it both more of a theoretical concept and something the islander could deeply appreciate. Marisa once again found herself thankful they hadn’t fallen prey to trying for a five-finger discount before they’d even gotten here.
Their directions lead them out to the foggy mists, surrounding the Lunar Market. Nio had explained that the fog was all connected - leaving one side would result in coming out the opposite. Did that mean the Lunar Market was like a small planetoid? Unfortunately not, it seemed - but it was fun to imagine.
Mike was just a bit hesitant, falling back a bit. “Where are we going, Nio? Is it safe?”
“Yeah, should be just a little farther… ah, here it is.”
Their destination appeared to be an open space, perhaps based on a neighboring park or something like that. Kasen and Zanmu were in the centre, both perched with two seating spots each.
“Marisa, Mike!” The hermit waved them over with a smile. “Would you like to spend some time training?”
“What sort of training?” The catgirl tilted her head. “Like some fancy martial arts or something?”
“Not quite.” Kasen shook her head. “Actually, what I wanted to teach you was some general combat techniques. Some universal magic that should work regardless of species.”
Marisa perked up at the thought. “Actual magic? You can teach us that?”
The hermit gestured to a few targets. “A few simple danmaku that you can customize to suit your personal tastes. Gensokyo’s actually prototyping a new format of duels known as Spell Cards, and these techniques should fit well. Not to mention, they can be as flashy or as discreet as you want, too.” The hermit folded her arm, satisfied. “If you’re still adjusting to being a youkai, why not try magic even humans use? Even if you find your instincts unpalatable, you should be able to make good use of this.”
“Spell Cards…” Marisa murmured. Something about those words struck a chord in her.
Zanmu gave a scoff. “Sure, that’s one way to go about it. But I wanted to offer a different style.” She leant in, with a conspiratorial grin. “Marisa… you haven’t had the chance to really cut loose, have you?”
The changeling blinked. “Cut… loose?”
The oni gave a small chuckle. “You’re afraid of your own strength, right? You don’t really know how strong you are, only that you’ve got to hold yourself back. But while we’re here… you can go as crazy as you can.” She gestured grandly to the space around them. “I mean, this whole space isn’t ‘real’. It doesn’t matter if you knock down a building, even. And you’re certainly not gonna hurt me.”
Marisa hesitated, as Zanmu leant in. “Trust me, kid. You’re a powerful youkai now, and there’s nobody that can really get hurt here. Why not go a little bit berserk, and have some fun with it?”
“Ah-hem.” Kasen grabbed at one of the oni’s horns, pulling her back. “I think a more subtle combat style would be a better fit, here. After all, if they try and do some massive attack, they’ll be exposed.”
“But if they get exposed, isn’t it better to know exactly how hard they can punch? Though, that reminds me.” Zanmu straightened up, turning to the girls. “If you’re being hunted, you should probably start using some fake names. Got any ideas on that front?”
[ ] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
[ ] “How about… I’m Konpaku Youmu, and she’s Motoori Kosuzu?”
[ ] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{ } Train with Kasen.
{ } Brawl with Zanmu.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
Remember how in her original life, she tried introducing herself as Reimu to Flandre, the vampire called her on that bullcrap, and Marisa thought she that she should’ve introduced herself as a nurse. Let’s learn from that mistake.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
As much as I’m loath to turn down a more subtle form of combat… Zanmu isn’t wrong. We saw what happened with the mugger at the start of this. Taking this opportunity to cut loose could help with our control issues down the line, though I won’t hold my breath.
>>213660
>Remember how in her original life, she tried introducing herself as Reimu to Flandre, the vampire called her on that bullcrap, and Marisa thought she that she should’ve introduced herself as a nurse.
Uhh, sorry but when does this happen again? I can't seem to recall it.
This happened in EoSD’s Extra Stage.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Marisa introducing herself as Reimu is hilarious. This probably isn't the best decision, but I'd love to see Kasen's reaction to it.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Spirit check?
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
[ ] “Maybe… she's Kyouko Kasodani, and I'm Mystia Lorelei?”
I'm totally not biased at all
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
Marisa calling herself Reimu will never not be hilarious.
{X} Train with Kasen.
Kasen is best mentor, plus I don't trust Zanmu yet.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
This can only be the worst possible outcome. And this is why we choose it.
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
This is easily one of the funnier options, Kasen is probably gonna have a "bwuh?" moment
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Brawling is fun :>
[X]"Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
The bait is strong here, but as funny as it's be, I can't help but worry about Kasen's reaction.
Konpaku and Kootori might be much safer, although might get her brain niggling...
Eh, tribute to the Nurse! Learn from past errors, even if she hasn't made them!
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Probably instinct up?
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.
this is probably the most direct way we'll get of telling them marisa's an immaterial child. she shouldn't know those names at all. even if the name "hieda no akyuu" could be guessed from the naming schemes of the children of miare, they're not from gensokyo and shouldn't know about the child of miare. "hakurei reimu" is even more of a signal- not only does marisa have no reason to know about the hakurei, there's absolutely no way she should know what the previously-missing heiress is named. which is pretty damning evidence that the she's an immaterial child, which, on one hand, means that kasen will be really intent on making sure we get into gensokyo safe and sound. on the other, she's probably going to try her damn best to get us to go back to the kirisames, which....
...actually, does kasen know that the immaterial children were reborn as youkai? she's only gotten the confirmation that the other sages have found them recently, after all.
anyways, the latter choice feels like an instinct check to me? i feel like going all out with zanmu would increase instinct and make us more liable to break our cover. training spell cards with kasen would probably not just get more control over, y'know, not instinctively stabbing a guy with our tentacles, but also could jog some more memories loose.
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Finally violence (with adult supervision)
[X]"Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
SATSUKI RIN SATSUKI RIIIIINNNNN
... And, for the other option, I think it would be nice and bring Marisa closer to her past self (Re/Awakening?). Though Zanmu's option seems to be better for acclimatising to actual battles (Not saying Kasen won't aswell, I just imagine she'd be softer on Marisa to a detriment), I don't trust her and I think the argument for Kasen I gave before outweighs the positives her option brings.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Marisa calling herself Reimu is funny, but I don't wanna do that with Zanmu here.
Isn't Satsuki's vanishing from EoSD kind of similar to the Immaterial Children incident?
We already know that there has been more than one loop, what's to say that the Touhou canon was the first one?
To add to this, the names of ICs don't appear to change across loops, and this would be the first case (as far as I can remember) of a canon TH character name repeating - Satsuki and Kaenbyou. I think we should check in with Youmu sometime soon.
While we did pick the ability cards for stealth, knowing the limits of our firepower is likely going to be useful at some point. This should also help Marisa unwind a bit, and getting on Zanmu's good side will be more important than Kasen's.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “How about… I’m Konpaku Youmu, and she’s Motoori Kosuzu?”
I'm for the whole "do the funny thing and maybe remember some stuff" deal, but I would prefer to be a bit more subtle to keep things interesting.
Not sure if this is really all that much more subtle, though.
{X} Train with Kasen.
>>213679 double posting like a dumbass
And honestly? I like Zanmu's offer/idea more, but I'm not keen on destroying Chimata's senkai. Even though it's not real, I'm worried about:
1. Making Chimata particularly annoyed with us.
2. Making a ruckus while Chimata may be meeting with the Tanuki from earlier.
3. I know nothing is real as far as the buildings go, but people are real. Most of the youkai here are strong, but I'm worried about collateral.
Learning her strength feels like something better done at another time. Means Marisa would need to be more careful, tho.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
This will almost certainly cause Kasen to blue screen, which is why I'm all for it. Aside from the hilarity of it, this might also end up being our ticket into Gensokyo once Kasen finishes putting 2 and 2 together.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Kasen will probably be indisposed for a while as she tries to process our choice of aliases, so Zanmu is the only available option here.
>>213673
I get the impression that Kasen is very much not aware of the Immaterial Children being youkai. I'm looking forward to Kasen lecturing us on why a pair of youkai should not be impersonating such important humans as the Hakurei shrine maiden and the Child of Miare only to later run into the fact that said "humans" are in fact a pair of youkai from the Animal Realm and the Lunar Capital respectively.
Actually, how familiar is Mamizou with Yachie? If Mamizou isn't read in on some crucial context first, she could see Marisa joining up with Reimu as her ward signing on with the heiress of the Kiketsu family who have apparently managed to not only gain a foothold on the surface, but also take over the Hakurei Shrine with the human denizens of the village none the wiser.
[X]"Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
The urge to go with Rin and Tokiko is strong, but I want to see Kasen's face when this apparent outsider knows the names of two of the most important families in Gensokyo
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Stoning...
[X]"Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Normally, I'd vote for Marisa being as subtle as a brick to the face, but she is a Nue, which means she has instincts to obscure, to hide, to prevaricate (okay that last one is just pure Marisa, but...)
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
>>213682
>I'm looking forward to Kasen lecturing us on why a pair of youkai should not be impersonating such important humans as the Hakurei shrine maiden and the Child of Miare
I'm thinking she'd be more surprised that this seemingly-random outsider youkai child with no apparent connection to Gensokyo knows both of the most important immaterial children's names. She might jump to conclusions.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
At first I was like "let's not try stealing identities" but then... re-reading the last few sentences made me realize that this could ring a bell into Zanmu and Kasen if Marisa names Reimu and Akyuu.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Totally Marisa's style lol
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
I think that Marisa "remembering" Reimu's full name before Reimu does despite being the worst off of the IC is too funny to pass up. Marisa teasing Reimu about remembering Hakurei first would also be in character for her.
The website gave me this CAPTCHA for this vote no joke. I think Zanmu is honestly trying to help Marisa here, but we also have Mike here. Mike wouldn't get much out of Marisa fighting Zanmu but likely would out of being trained by Kasen if she joins the training with us. If we fight Zanmu the one who has the biggest chance of getting hurt is Mike.
From >>213362
>>Marisa sighed. “...if you say so… It’s just… a lot to take in, you know.” The… changeling looked up. “I always thought of myself as… an ordinary person, I guess? But that was kinda the point - I wanted to be able to do hard things because I’d worked hard to beat them, not because I was super-powerful by nature. Like I was beating the odds, y’know? Now I’m some kind of monster-”
>>“You’re not a monster, Marisa.” Mike’s voice was firm. “You’re still you, aren’t you? I mean, if you don’t even know how to control your tentacle-thingies yet, then it really hasn’t done much to your mind at all.”
>>Kasen gave a small smile. “She’s right, you know. Realising you’re no longer human… it’s a terrifying feeling, but that doesn’t mean you’ve become something different at heart. And… just because you’re stronger now doesn’t mean you can’t beat the odds.” the hermit gave a reassuring smile. “You just have to set the odds you’re aiming to beat even higher.”
>>“...okay.” Marisa took a deep breath. “I-I’ll try to think of it that way.”
While this wasn't what Kasen was thinking when she said this, let's set some high odds to beat.
-(X) "Kasen said I should set the odds I want to beat high few things are higher than a fight with an oni in Hell." Challenge Zanmu to a future match in Hell when we are strong enough to defend ourselves.
As much as I would like to named her Rin Satsuki for the funnies, Marisa name dropping the missing ninth child of Miare, and the last name of Gensokyo's local miko could probably be beneficial for her
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Im finally in on time to vote
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
I want this running joke to run further
{X} Train with Kasen.
danmaku time
Actually, since Youmu and Kosuzu are still missing at this point wouldn't it be funny if Yukari and Youki caught wind of those two and tried to chase them down
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
I love the idea of Marisa learning to lie better subconsciously (>>213660's idea), even if she may not remember her dialogue with Flandre.
[X] "Let's try... calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?"
{X} Brawl with Zanmu
>>213670 here
[UNDO] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
[X] "Let's try... calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?"
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
I do see a couple of ways this could backfire, but the sheer comedy of it means I'm willing to take the risk.
{X} Train with Kasen.
This I don't have too much of an opinion on, so after literally flipping a coin Kasen it is.
[X ] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin
Cause why not
{X} Train with Kasen.
Cause training with kasen would make her very close to being like magician to her previuse life and learning to obscure stuff can greatly benefit in the long run and could become one of her specialty from the other imaterial children
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
Marisa claiming she's Reimu is a fuckin' classic, and I wanna watch Kasen scramble to make sense of this, ESPECIALLY if she's not in the loop yet about the ICs being youkai now.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just wanna go apeshit? We went for the powerful youkai option, so let's ACT like a powerful youkai, if only for a moment. Embrace the power in full while there's no (apparent) consequences.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
While the other options are a lot of fun, this one seems the most appropriate to me.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
Yeah, it's not often you get the chance to go all out without fear of collateral damage training with an oni.
[X] "Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
On the one hand, something something it's very nuelike to hide Marisa's nature as an IC. On the other, I really want to give someone a heart attack.
{X} Brawl with Zanmu
I like interacting with newhus. No strong preference.
[X] “How about… I’m Konpaku Youmu, and she’s Motoori Kosuzu?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Probably would be the most interesting.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
Could be just complete coincidence but I wonder if some meta knowledge shenanigans happened during the transmigration process, giving her two fanon names at that. Not to mention that while the first two options could be fun, it jumps our reunion progress too much.
{X} Train with Kasen.
While I really want her to control her strength, I want her to double down on subtlety and soft power. Let's see how Marisa dates differently from Kosuzu on this.
Also it would make her true strength remain a wildcard final resort, which would be either be appropriate or problematic depending on the circumstance. Either way that future breakdown could be fun too.
Counting to >>213711:
Main Choice #1:
[20] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
[2] “How about… I’m Konpaku Youmu, and she’s Motoori Kosuzu?”
[20] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
Main Choice #2:
{25} Train with Kasen.
{17} Brawl with Zanmu.
Potential Additions:
For {x} Train with Kasen:
-(1) "Kasen said that I should set the odds, so... maybe I'll train with Kasen for now & brawl with Zanmu later on. Besides, there are few things that are higher than a fight with an oni from Hell." (>>213690)
I'm pretty sure that this is what you implied, but I had to edit it quite a bit. Please tell me if this is suitable or if you wanted to add/edit something that I potentially missed.
I love ties.
:3
>>213714
Honestly, I think a tie works quite well here. Kasen would almost certainly veto using Reimu and Akyuu as aliases (once her brain finishes rebooting of course), which would force us to come up with a second set of names in response.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
I kinda don't want to be mega obvious about it, you know? At least immediately.
{25} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Brawl with Zanmu.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
While I normally don't vote, this seems like it'd be an entertaining option. So let's make a reference to EoSD.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
The only reason I want to go with the absolutely non-canon names is because I love these characters, but it's also hard to not just choose the nostalgic "I'm Reimu Hakurei" of Marisa. As for training with Kasen, well, as much as Marisa usually picking the massive blast over a controlled attack, I personally think her Nue nature requires more delicacy to maximize its value.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Considering Marisa herself doesn't seem to have any conscious memories of being an IC, this might be our best chance to signal someone that she is one.
At a sudden 52 votes, the thread has spoken!
And what the thread has said is “I dunno!”
I’m going to sleep now. Voting period ends when I wake up, if it needs a tiebreaker I’ll call for it then.
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Too many opportunities for shenanigans
[X] “Call me… Hakurei Reimu, and her Hieda no Akyuu.”
{X} Train with Kasen.
Let's give Kasen a little surprise. Hope she doesn't respond to surprises by punching people in the face.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
[X] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin?”
{X} Train with Kasen.
(X) "Kasen said that I should set the odds, so... maybe I'll train with Kasen for now & brawl with Zanmu later on. Besides, there are few things that are higher than a fight with an oni from Hell."
Apparently, there are actually two types of votes that can deadlock us. Origin votes AND fake identity votes.
[X ] “Let’s try… calling her Tokiko, and me Satsuki Rin
Let's try not to give Zanmu immediate confirmation Marisa is an Immaterial Child. She's kinda terrifying.
{X} Train with Kasen.
Alright, I was just about to call for a tiebreaker, but >>213741 has called it!
The tiebreaking vote was for the Tokiko and Satsuki Rin option. So that's what we'll be going with.
New epilogue at >>/shorts/3058! This one featuring the sculptor goddess, and a frustrated haniwa.
>Brawl with Zanmu losses
Why do my fellow voters never want violence. When will blood finally spill?
Honestly, I don’t mind that the brawl vote lost. I admitted that I wasn’t too keen on letting Kasen’s training go, so even if I think glorious violence was the better option this time, I’m fine with this.
The big thing I cared about winning was the Rin and Tokiko vote, so I’m glad that crawled its way back eventually. Even if it resulted in the tiebreaker being a bit stressful.
… though I will admit the concept of pitching this to Kasen and having her blue screen would be pretty funny.
