Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Mystia's Stored Games => Topic started by: Fightest on September 01, 2011, 08:46:12 AM
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> You are Akyu, youngest scion of the Hieda clan.
> In an effort to put an end to the unwinnable tournament that has Gensokyo in a deadlock you have assembled a host of Youkai at your back to bring a protest to the organisers themselves.
> Your victories - numerous, your exploits - the work of legend. Your combat prowess is enough to bring even the strongest combatants in Gensokyo to their knees, and your Compassionate nature is potent enough to soften even the most jaded of hearts.
> The cloud, against your expectations, is rock-solid beneath your feet as you are set down upon it. Youkai of all shapes and sizes, mostly fairies and Oni, land all around you. So great are their numbers that they crowd your cloud, and all the neighbouring ones, and the ones beyond them.
> A low hum announces the appearance of the swirling portal that you have so often seen before. Stepping out purposefully, Shikieki wears a grim expression. She addresses the congregation in its entirety.
> "I will not insult any of you by asking you to turn back. Your dedication deserves more than that. Indeed, many of my colleagues sympathise with your cause. However, this is a flagrant violation of the terms of the tournament, and, as such, it comes down to the Judges themselves to put an end to this protest."
> The hum doubles, triples in intensity as more and more portals appear behind Shikieki. People - Youkai - most of whom you do not recognise step through them:
> The Goddess of the Moriya Shrine, her expression serene and imperious.
> The Child of the Moriya Shrine, entirely devoid of mirth.
> Kind Byakuren of the Myouren shrine, dressed for combat.
> An enigmatic lady, her eyes just peeking over her elaborately-decorated fan, her pink-and-purple kimono, elaborately decorated in butterfly pattern, gently swaying in the breeze.
> A short, almost childlike Oni, her outfit a riot of colour and patterns, an excited grin on her face.
> Her back turned to you, a woman in a luxurious white dress with billowing skirts strikingly overlaid by a strict chinese one, her head almost entirely concealed by her lily-white parasol, revealing only a few golden locks of hair.
> You hear Youmu, standing just behind and to your left, start to draw her sword.
> You hear the collective clenching of teeth from the Oni.
> You hear Yuka crack her knuckles.
> The compass in your hand shudders, its arrow firmly pointing at the woman with the parasol.
> Shikieki gives you a brief pained look that nobody else notices.
> "No lawbreaking shall be tolerated."
> Each Judge brandishes a Spell Card. You know, with the certainty of experience, that combat is inevitable.
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> Skills
> Stances
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Merging this with the last thread if it's still a continuation.
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>"I refuse your challenge."
>Have a seat on the cloud, place the ying yang orb in out lap
>"We did not come here to battle anyone. We've come to let it be known that the entire event is now null and void, there is no longer a tournament. It's laws have run their course, and may be placed into the rolls of history where they belong. I am certain that you, Yama, understand the idea that the spirit of the law supercedes its letter. And, I ask you, what does it say about striking one who does not strike back?"
>Pat the orb.
>"Or, what does it say about harming the property of a bystander? There is no tournament. The stadium has long since emptied out. Your services, by extension, are no longer necessary. However, if you have been upset by this event as have we, or simply inconvenienced, I would encourage you to come join me."
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Merging this with the last thread if it's still a continuation.
The last thread was approaching its limit soon enough, and this particular bit still has some stuff to go through. Unless the merge is completely necessary, I'd rather it not happen.
> Skills
> Stances
> Skills:
Eidetic Memory: 5 - you remember everything you've experienced at least once. Also governs learning and pattern recognition.
Brawling: 5 - You are a warrior paragon, capable of performing Moves and adopting Stances that stretch the limits of mortal capability. You are nigh-invincible against mortal opponents, and many Youkai will think twice before challenging you to combat. Many of your Moves and Stances have improved directly as a result of your new-found prowess. Governs attack power and difficulty, also physical strength and general fitness.
Martial Arts: 5 - Your focus allows you to perform near-superhuman feats of agility, and, even without tapping on your Qi, your resistance to supernatural effects is phenomenal. You have no limit on the amount of actions you may try to perform simultaneously, but the quality of each one will suffer with each additional action. You can understand the purpose of any Move or Stance as it is being used even if you have never seen it before. Governs technique, combination attacks, agility and spell resistance.
Calligraphy: 4 - your calligraphy skills are unmatched among the human population of Gensokyo, and you'd give many Youkai a run for their money. Also governs reading and writing.
> Moves:
Kiai Shout - You are the master of your Qi. The user of this move focuses her Qi by drawing it from key points in her body, and releases it in a mighty shout. Whilst it has no direct offensive use, the advantages that a kiai provides are plentiful.
Nimble Shift - Agile and quick, the user of this move takes advantage of her opponent's surprise to immediately slip behind her foe, bypassing many defenses for a brief moment.
Flying Hieda Tackle - You are the most reliable projectile you've ever used. The user of this move launches herself bodily at the opponent, providing a bonus to attack, as well as quickly closing distance. When used for the first time in a fight, also counts as a surprise attack.
Cross Counter! - In a clash of heroes, there is no time for defense! The user of this move must ready a counterattack action, or be in a stance that enables counterattacks. When hit, this move alleviates some of the damage received in exchange for an attack against the opponent that is unblockable.
Sledgehammer Fist - The force of your strikes is such that air whips around them, and the earth shatters beneath them. This move cannot be dodged.
Tiger Claw - The vast power of your strikes is unstoppable. This move cannot be blocked.
Qi Release - Power is nothing if it is not used against one's foes. The user of this technique explosively releases any accumulated Qi - whether in the body or stored elsewhere - to augment a single attack. The attack becomes unblockable and undodgeable under normal conditions, and gains a great increase to damage.
Heavenly Guardian Defense - As long as you hold love deep within you, your body will remain unbroken. This move automatically and completely blocks any single attack, including such attacks that cannot be blocked. Flaw of Invulnerability: You may not use this move if not fighting in the presence of a target of your Compassion.
Spell-Shattering Palm - The mightiest of spells wither at your touch. The user of this technique focuses all her Qi into a single, perfect strike aiming to disrupt the flow of magic by crushing it with her force of will. This move completely destroys many Spell Cards, but might require multiple precise hits against stronger magics.
> Stances:
Eagle Hides Talons - An opponent is weakest when committing to an attack. The stance's user sinks into a low position, waiting for attacks to her upper body and shoulders, blocking and counterattacking each one. All offensive capability is sacrificed for improved defense and the ability to counterattack. At Complexity 5 the user is able to counterattack any attack made against her regardless of position and direction.
Tiger Rends Prey - No defense is necessary when your opponents lie bleeding at your feet. This stance puts the user into an unbalanced position on the tips of her toes, outstretched arms crossed in front of her. This is a highly aggressive stance that gains speed, damage and accuracy in exchange for defense, control and technique.
Berserker Rage - Hell hath no fury like an Akyu scorned. The user of this stance flies into a berserk frenzy, attacking friend and foe alike until nobody stands but her. This stance severely boosts all physical attributes and ignores fatigue and damage penalties for its duration. Whilst this stance is active the user must attack everything that can be considered to be a threat. The stance only ends when nobody else can be perceived, or the user falls unconscious.
Marble Bulwark - Attacking you is akin to attacking a mountain - pointless and futile. The user of this stance prepares to defend every vulnerable part of her body with both arms and legs. The stance sacrifices attack power and the ability to counterattack due to the concentration required to maintain a strong defense. At Complexity 4 the user no longer receives penalties whilst in this stance.
Marble Carapace - Surrounded on all sides, your defense remains unwavering. Marble Carapace augments the effects of Marble Bulwark when you employ Two Fight As One. During this stance, you take no penalties to defense against multiple opponents, and cannot be caught off-guard in combat. At Complexity 5 your defense cannot be reduced by any effect when in this stance.
Meiling's Tower - Power gathers to those who are strong. The user of this stance is able to fully tap the channels of Qi in her body, and shape them to her will. While offensively and defensively weak, this stance is able to quickly counter attacks with a mystical component, as long as they can be affected by touch, simply by channeling Qi to the correct location in the body. To the outside observer, the user of Meiling's Tower would seem unmoving and unflinching even as attack after attack breaks itself upon her. Once her Qi has been shaped, the user of this stance does not need to remain in it to enjoy its effects, but would have to return to it to alter the flow of her Qi into another fashion.
Two Fight As One - Transcending words and emotions, the two users of this stance share a bond on the instinctual level. When fighting together, their combined co-ordination and strength become greater than the sum of the parts. At Complexity 5 the bond goes so deep that the two combatants share senses, emotions and pain. It goes without saying that there is a mystical component to the use of this stance, and someone without magical aptitude or who is not in touch with their Qi cannot use this stance. The stance can be further enhanced with magic to a level where the two users of this stance do not need to be close to each other to benefit from its effects.
> Miscellaneous:
Snake Coil Parry - Like a snake winding around its victim, always avoiding a direct confrontation, so does the user of this technique avoid blocking powerful attacks head-on, instead using agility and flexibility to redirect their momentum. A Permanent effect that requires no activation, Snake Coil Parry enhances the user's blocking ability, reducing by half any damage incurred from attacks that damage through a block. At Complexity 4 this technique perfectly cancels damage from attacks that have been successfully blocked.
Opening the Mind's Eye - The five senses are limited and imperfect, easily confused and misled. The user of this technique subdues all her other senses in favour of perceiving everything around her through her Qi. A Permanent effect that requires no activation, Opening the Mind's Eye enhances the user's Qi sense, when applicable, to perceive anything around her with a mystical component. Only situational in the real world, this is a perfect sense in Gensokyo, where everything has such a component.
Your Compassion drives you and guides you - You can never be forced to hurt your allies, even if your mind itself is in the clutches of your enemy.
>"I refuse your challenge."
>Have a seat on the cloud, place the ying yang orb in out lap
>"We did not come here to battle anyone. We've come to let it be known that the entire event is now null and void, there is no longer a tournament. It's laws have run their course, and may be placed into the rolls of history where they belong. I am certain that you, Yama, understand the idea that the spirit of the law supercedes its letter. And, I ask you, what does it say about striking one who does not strike back?"
>Pat the orb.
>"Or, what does it say about harming the property of a bystander? There is no tournament. The stadium has long since emptied out. Your services, by extension, are no longer necessary. However, if you have been upset by this event as have we, or simply inconvenienced, I would encourage you to come join me."
> You see Shikieki struggling against the same overbearing will that held the Goddess in its grasp. It is futile, however, as her expression falters.
> "If you will not come to the tournament, then the tournament will come to you. The Heavenly Doctrine is unilateral."
> A strong hand squeezes your shoulder.
> "Stick to your guns, Akyu, stay outta the fight," says Marisa. "Figured there was a reason we came here - if you won't fight, then we're going to keep 'em off you. If it helps, we ain't fighting for the tournament - we're fighting for you."
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>"Thank you, Marisa, but no one is fighting. Sit with me, instead."
>Look toward Shikieiki
>"That would simply empower the the force that binds them, and they would have even less choice. No. Instead, I wish to see if the Yama can truly stand aside when someone who offers no threat is harmed."
>Address the yama directly.
>"It does not matter what the letter of the law says,. We have abandoned the tournament. It's laws are now defunct, and hold no more authority than those of the civilizations whose time has past. We invite you all to resume your normal lives; there is no longer a tournament to compel you. If the organizer has a problem with this, the organizer may speak. It is no longer anything you need be concerned with if you do not wish to. If you have a lingering issue with it, then you may join us. There is always room. But no, we shall not fight. We do so when we feel the need, not because someone has given us an order. Our needs have been more than amply sated."
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>"Thank you, Marisa, but no one is fighting. Sit with me, instead."
>Look toward Shikieiki
>"That would simply empower the the force that binds them, and they would have even less choice. No. Instead, I wish to see if the Yama can truly stand aside when someone who offers no threat is harmed."
>Address the yama directly.
>"It does not matter what the letter of the law says,. We have abandoned the tournament. It's laws are now defunct, and hold no more authority than those of the civilizations whose time has past. We invite you all to resume your normal lives; there is no longer a tournament to compel you. If the organizer has a problem with this, the organizer may speak. It is no longer anything you need be concerned with if you do not wish to. If you have a lingering issue with it, then you may join us. There is always room. But no, we shall not fight. We do so when we feel the need, not because someone has given us an order. Our needs have been more than amply sated."
> "She don't get it," says the small oni, her Spell Card burning white in her hand.
> "Even in the face of our divinity," says the Goddess.
> "We don't get a choice in the deal," says the Child.
> "Laws are not lifted when someone, no matter how well-intentioned, merely says them to be," says Shikieki.
> You hear Youmu's quiet murmur at your side.
> "I have seen what they speak of. My Lady - that is her over there," she says, nodding at the figure in the kimono, "was helpless against some arcane geas laid upon her."
> The small oni rolls her eyes impatiently.
> "What they're trying to say is, you're getting a fight whether you like it or not, and I am going to like it a lot."
> With her words, the Spell Cards in the Judges' hands glow and flash.
> The small oni barrels into the oni crowd, sending dozens flying with her first tackle
> Byakuren vanishes between moments, Youmu following suit with a quiet rustle
> A cloud of fairies sweeps over and engulfs Shikieki even as she charges you, her baton surrounded with a sword-like fiery blaze
> A chill wind blows as Youmu's Lady vanishes from sight, ghost lights appearing in her absence
> A glowing orb grows in size with each passing moment above the Goddess' outstretched hand as she starts to chant
> Two figures shoot up through the clouds to tackle the figure with the parasol from below
> Steel rings out as Youmu and Byakuren appear in front of you simultaneously, the former parrying an open-palm strike from the latter an inch away from your face
> You are Marisa.
> No matter what the right way is, combat is where you find your true self.
> As long as you fight, others do not have to.
> What do?
> You are also Youmu.
> You have been defeated once, never again.
> Your mind would have to be flayed and your body broken before you would let the march fail.
> What do?
> You are also Akyu.
> Violence has exploded all around you as the Judges lay into the congregated march.
> Your goal, however, is far ahead and above.
> What do?
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>Marisa: Moves? Do we have the hakkero?
>Marisa: What threat is closest to Akyu? Engage.
>Youmu: Moves?
>Youmu: Byakuren is trying to hit Akyu, teach her who her opponent is.
>Akyu: Who are the two figures that are trying to engage the parasol?
>Akyu: Follow the compass, by leaping if need be.
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Not yet. We didn't come this far just to lose control at this juncture.
>Akyu: "Everyone! Stand down."
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>Marisa: Moves? Do we have the hakkero?
> Yes.
> Moves
Arcane Grapple: Your technique is your first weapon. The user of this move locks their opponent in a vice-like hold, able to perform a variety of takedowns. This move cannot be blocked and can be used as a counterattack.
Arcane Grapple ~ Spinning Piledriver: Leap high and plow your opponent into the ground! Stuns opponent and breaks grapple.
Arcane Grapple ~ Starform Suplex: Arch your back into a spine-crushing drop! Chains into itself twice, then breaks grapple.
Arcane Grapple ~ Galactic Toss: Throw your opponent into obstacles! Breaks grapple.
Arcane Grapple ~ Quickthief Reversal: Force your opponent to move at your whim! Maintains grapple.
Mighty Hold: Your strength is your second. As long as you are grappling, your moves work regardless of your opponent's size and mass.
Versatile Spellcasting: Third comes your experience. You may use any spell in your repertoire even whilst grappling.
Spell Card: Love Sign: Master Spark: With magic the fourth pillar of your might, you are invincible. You fire a blinding beam of coruscating light in a straight line in front of you. This move is unblockable and undodgeable.
>Youmu: Moves?
> Moves:
Spell Card: Ghost Sign: Phantom Pain. Being half-dead has given you great insight into the art of battle. You exist both in the mortal and the spirit worlds, and your strikes affect the two simultaneously. For the duration of the Spell Card's effect, for every attack you make, you can make two instead.
Sun-Through-The-Clouds - The first strike decides the outcome of a battle. This move can only be performed whilst your sword is sheathed - you draw and attack in a single motion. Regardless of circumstances, this attack will always be the first to hit. The actual strike can be performed with either sheath or blade.
Tsubame-Gaeshi - Your attacks are so swift and accurate that you can split the feathers on a swallow's tail mid-flight. This attack cannot be blocked or dodged, but may be the only attack performed in an action.
Seven Shadows Evasion - You move so quickly that you arrive at your destination before you have left. This move successfully dodges any attack made against you, including attacks that cannot be dodged. Due to its difficulty, you can perform it a limited number of times per battle.
>Akyu: Who are the two figures that are trying to engage the parasol?
> You do not recognise them. One is dressed in red trousers and white shirt under a red vest, two black tails poking out from behind her. The other is dressed in an elaborate white-and-blue robe, a magnificent mass of fox tails - nine of them, you count - billowing out behind her from the folds of her robe.
Not yet. We didn't come this far just to lose control at this juncture.
>Akyu: "Everyone! Stand down."
> Despite the authority and strength carried by your voice, the violence does not cease - the Judges act as though they are not in control of themselves.
Fightest's note: I do know this is heavy-handed, but I hope nobody was seriously expecting me to sail so far off-genre so as not to have an unavoidable fight every once in a while.
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I kinda was, yeah, given how the plot pretty much changed to fighting is stupid. I'll have to ponder for awhile what to do next, I was hoping to have more time to set things up.
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I kinda was, yeah, given how the plot pretty much changed to fighting is stupid. I'll have to ponder for awhile what to do next, I was hoping to have more time to set things up.
Apologies. I had hoped to get across the feel that fighting for no good reasons is stupid, fighting for a cause is just fine. Standard shounen set-up, basically.
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I kinda understand that, because even though we may have the compassion, others might not.
Okay to go ahead with previous commands Purvis?
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Still thinking.
Part of the problem is we have no real idea how committed either of our new characters are to the whole crusade as it is. How likely are they go go with Akyu's wishes, and how likely are they to just say to hell with it and beat judges half to death?
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Still thinking.
Part of the problem is we have no real idea how committed either of our new characters are to the whole crusade as it is. How likely are they go go with Akyu's wishes, and how likely are they to just say to hell with it and beat judges half to death?
No problem there, we have flashbacks for exactly that sort of thing! There is enough time between the Hakurei Shrine and the top-of-the-clouds gathering to get anything you want straightened out.
> A few hours earlier...
> The path up the mountain is majestic in the noonday sun, and the clamor of your cohort as they scale the slopes is akin to nothing you have heard before.
> Remilia Scarlet and her group is not here yet - Meiling, who is now walking proudly at your side, has explained that her Mistress will catch up shortly, and sends word insisting that you start heading up without her.
> Despite the excitement and determination of your allies, you can feel a tension in the air. Now is a good a time as any to resolve it.
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>Assess our allies.
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> You are also Youmu.
> You have been defeated once, never again.
> Your mind would have to be flayed and your body broken before you would let the march fail.
> What do?
Wasn't the purpose of the march to be a non-violent protest that ends the tournament? The march would fail if the protesters fought. Youmu is a protestor.
Thus, attacking Byakuren is against this motivation.
Would being a half-ghost shield be fighting?
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Youmu is the half-ghost, and using a shield would be defending, an integral part of a battle, due to putting up resistance, thus for the purposes of a non-violent protest, defending might be in violation.
Another thought: if the judges are constrained by the rules, and the rules say the one attacking a participant becomes a participant themselves, the judges are now participants; unless there are unknown exception rules in play.
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>Assess our allies.
> Meiling walks proudly at your side. There is a serenity and determination in her poise that you saw before when sparring with her.
> Marisa sails overhead, her expression jovial, yet filled with an almost hunger-like tension.
> Keine and Mokou are off to the side, the former wearing an expression of concern, the latter grim and ill-at-ease.
> Youmu keeps pace a step behind you and to your left, her manner inscrutable, her right hand casually resting on the hilt of her sword.
> Kaguya and Eirin are a bit behind, chatting casually and sharing a laugh every so often. Yet there are no openings in their posture, trained through centuries of experience.
> Swarming all around are the fairies, kept barely in line by Cirno and the Great Fairy. You notice Cirno brandishes a variety of iceform weapons hovering in place behind her back.
> Every so often an Oni will leap past you up a sheer cliff. It looks like they've turned this climb into another contest of prowess. Yuugi joins in the cheers and jeers of other Oni. You sense a subdued disappointment at the lack of a proper fight, kept in check by fierce determination to follow the code of the Trials.
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>"Ease your hand, Youmu. There won't be any need for such wariness."
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>"Ease your hand, Youmu. There won't be any need for such wariness."
> Youmu shakes her head.
> "The messenger of peace walks amongst enemy banners, my Lady. It would be inexcusable if aught were to happen to you as a result of my negligence."
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>"Perhaps so, but we must consider everything. When someone at my hand is so clearly wary, the others will notice. Some will feel that they should be the same, added tenseness means a riot is more likely if things go poorly."
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>"Perhaps so, but we must consider everything. When someone at my hand is so clearly wary, the others will notice. Some will feel that they should be the same, added tenseness means a riot is more likely if things go poorly."
> "It is not for my caution that they are on-edge. I do not know if you realise, but you have captured the hearts and minds of many - and they feel that it is their duty to ensure your safe passage to the highest echelons of Heaven."
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>"That is why I am careful not to show any trepidation. And why it would help if you were to do the same."
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>"That is why I am careful not to show any trepidation. And why it would help if you were to do the same."
> "Forgive me, my lady. I will conceal my intentions better."
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>Pat her on the shoulder. "You meant well. I appreciate that."
>Drift over toward Keine and Mokou. "You both seem worried."
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>Pat her on the shoulder. "You meant well. I appreciate that."
>Drift over toward Keine and Mokou. "You both seem worried."
> "Mokou thinks we're walking into a trap," says Keine.
> "Yours truly don't sodding think, Keine. It's plain as the horns on your head, 'n' we'n mise well bring some forks 'n' knives to a-sodding-company the silver platter."
> Keine shrugs to you apologetically.
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>"And how do you feel Keine?"
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>"And how do you feel Keine?"
> "History is against us, I am afraid. Revolts - no matter how peaceful - tend to provoke very violent reactions from the opposing side. I fear the worst."
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>"History has no parallel for this, I think. Have so many disparate peoples come together before, without violence to match the anger in their hearts? I cannot think of a single time it has been so. I have faith that it will be obvious to anyone, they may apply force, but what will it mean? They can beat all of us, but what will it change? No one supports this any longer. I do not think they are foolish enough to pretend otherwise."
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> Keine nods, some concern leaving her face.
> "I hope your sense of reason carries across to the organizers."
> Mokou lets out a hmph.
> "That'll be the day. Pearly berks en't chanted for their progressiveness."
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>"Perhaps not, but I would like to think they are known for their wisdom."
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>"Perhaps not, but I would like to think they are known for their wisdom."
> Mokou shrugs.
> "Yeah, so's they're going to wisely beat the stuffing out of us. Yours truly en't throwing firstwise, but I en't folding either."
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>"Throwing a punch back would be folding. It's what is desired. But, if things go poorly, I trust you to be clever in finding ways to deny them what they want without sacrificing yourself."
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I'm still not completely sold, the judges are compelled to fight, like marrionettes. Not sure that whoever is pulling the strings is going to stop because they see the other side is not resisting. I know these "puppets" have wills of their own, but I don't know how much of a factor that plays. Having them wail on us does a disservice to the protesters (not everyone is strong or compassionate) and harms the psyche of the judges themselves. Might be best to overwhelm them with numbers and hold them down.
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Well, historically speaking, there's certainly more to it. The Suwa war was largely the gods of heaven taking supremacy over the gods of earth. If Heaven had the power to say, "You're bound by this now!", there never would have been a Suwa War. And somehow, I doubt the likes of Suika or Yukari can really be considered a part of that system to begin with, so it wouldn't only apply to people already under their suzerainty.
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Well, historically speaking, there's certainly more to it. The Suwa war was largely the gods of heaven taking supremacy over the gods of earth. If Heaven had the power to say, "You're bound by this now!", there never would have been a Suwa War. And somehow, I doubt the likes of Suika or Yukari can really be considered a part of that system to begin with, so it wouldn't only apply to people already under their suzerainty.
What have I been telling you about the history Akyu remembers very likely being a fabrication?
>"Throwing a punch back would be folding. It's what is desired. But, if things go poorly, I trust you to be clever in finding ways to deny them what they want without sacrificing yourself."
> "Oh, yours truly's got some eggs frying, you be sure of that."
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>Observe the faeries.
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>Observe the faeries.
> Of all those gathered, the fairies seem most at ease, being their usual noisy, playful selves.
> Cirno appears to be taking things more seriously, but her banter is carefree and her encouragement is enthusiastic.
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>Address fairies, "How are my cheerful sprites doing today?"
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>Address fairies, "How are my cheerful sprites doing today?"
> "Looking good, Chief," says Cirno, "we're ready for anything! Gonna peace the stuffing outta them!"
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>"Ah, good. What are you plans?"
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>"Ah, good. What are you plans?"
> Cirno looks around to make sure nobody is listening too intently, but her fears seem to be unfounded - the fairies are never long enough in one spot to pay attention to much of anything at all.
> "Well, Chief, if you wants me honest 'n all, I just ain't too confident that we're gonna get through so easy. The gang ain't much against the bigwigs anyway, so I reckon we'll just pile on an' hold 'em down if things get hairy. That ain't really fighting, right?"
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>"Well, as long as you aren't too angry or aggressive about it, it certainly wouldn't hurt to give them a much needed hug in numbers. But, if things go badly, don't feel too bad about drawing back for a moment and letting them forget you're there. But, overall, escalation is what I'd be more worried about."
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>"Well, as long as you aren't too angry or aggressive about it, it certainly wouldn't hurt to give them a much needed hug in numbers. But, if things go badly, don't feel too bad about drawing back for a moment and letting them forget you're there. But, overall, escalation is what I'd be more worried about."
> "Esk-ah-lay-shun? Oh, so's we don't go pick fights? You were plenty smart in that talk back then, so I'm going with what you say, Chief."
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>Pat Cirno on the shoulder. "Exactly. I'm sure you'll all make me proud once again."
>How is Marisa doing?
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>Pat Cirno on the shoulder. "Exactly. I'm sure you'll all make me proud once again."
>How is Marisa doing?
> "Ain't no thing," says Cirno.
> Marisa looks elated. You can tell she's anticipating something big.
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>"Are you always like this before major incidents, Marisa?"
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>"Are you always like this before major incidents, Marisa?"
> "Yeah, the anticipation's killing me," she says, nearly quivering. "It's probably nothing, but a bit of tension's good just in case they decide to not be as reasonable as we hope."
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>"And what will you be doing if it does come to that?"
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>"And what will you be doing if it does come to that?"
> "Well, I was a-thinking. You know how the point of the tourney's for there to be a winner to the fights, right? I figure, if a fight never ends, that's going against the grain of the tourney as well, right? So yeah - if things get bad, I'll keep 'em occupied and off everyone's back 'til you can get to the highs."
-
>"Hm, and how do you intend to do that?"
-
>"Hm, and how do you intend to do that?"
> Marisa clenches and unclenches her fists.
> "I can pull my punches, and roll with 'em too. I reckon I can draw a fight out 'til the cows come home."
-
Wasn't it set that none can win the tournament?
From this we can infer that the observing power desires to see fights.
The endless fight would fall into its desires.
Therefore, I conclude that Marisa's planned endless fight would be counterproductive.
-
Concurred.
>"Hm. I think that would largely fall into what they want, don't you think? Given that there is supposed to be endless war until there is only one standing? Perhaps, rather than try to prolong things, try to prevent them from achieving their ends?"
-
Concurred.
>"Hm. I think that would largely fall into what they want, don't you think? Given that there is supposed to be endless war until there is only one standing? Perhaps, rather than try to prolong things, try to prevent them from achieving their ends?"
> "Well, I can make it a real boring fight, I suppose. I'm just getting the feeling that the whole thing works about fights being finished in the short term - those gamblers back at Rinnosuke's, Shiki's popping up every so offen... If they didn't care, then there would be no reason for them, right? Still, whatever you say, boss."
-
Then I would say the best course of action would be for her to not launch any blows in return and simply defend. Someone only defending would not fall into the organizers desires I imagine.
-
>"Has anyone but the Yama really appeared or acted in an official manner, though? I suspect she does so only out of a sense of obligation."
-
>"Has anyone but the Yama really appeared or acted in an official manner, though? I suspect she does so only out of a sense of obligation."
> "I dunno. Maybe they got different functions? I heard Whatsherface-Yasaka was in charge of the non-participant immunities, and things like that."
-
>"You may have a point there. Though I would imagine that Yasaka-sama would be very interested in keeping immunities in place for her own reasons, as well."
-
>"You may have a point there. Though I would imagine that Yasaka-sama would be very interested in keeping immunities in place for her own reasons, as well."
> Marisa shrugs again.
> "Plans and agendas. Don't care for them, never helped me much."
-
>"Oh, I see what you mean. Thinking in the middle of a fight brings trouble, and even the best laid plans can go horribly awry. We should be prepared for anything."
>Others?
-
>"Oh, I see what you mean. Thinking in the middle of a fight brings trouble, and even the best laid plans can go horribly awry. We should be prepared for anything."
>Others?
> You have not talked to Meiling and Yuugi.
-
>Walk with Yuugi and the onis if we've put Marisa more at ease.
-
>Walk with Yuugi and the onis if we've put Marisa more at ease.
> Marisa looks to be more centred.
> Keeping pace with the Oni is quite a task, but you manage to get within earshot of Yuugi eventually.
-
>How are the oni around us?
-
>How are the oni around us?
> The oni are fully engaged in their contest of getting the highest jumps up the mountain. They are having a good time of it.
-
>"It's good to see someone is enjoying our nice walk as it should be!"
-
>"It's good to see someone is enjoying our nice walk as it should be!"
> "'ey're letting off steam. Some're bothered that we en't gonna have a brawl, but them's the breaks."
-
>Nod.
>"Regardless, at least they seem to be enjoying themselves. Hopefully, there won't be much happening that will test there resolve on that matter."
-
>How high are the onis jumping?
-
>Nod.
>"Regardless, at least they seem to be enjoying themselves. Hopefully, there won't be much happening that will test there resolve on that matter."
> "If summin' happens, we'll jus' dogpile 'em. Ain't nobody strong enough break that, eh?" Yuugi laughs.
> "Well, unless... Nah, can't be."
>How high are the onis jumping?
> A starting jump clears a single-storied house, and, when the oni have got enough momentum, you see them start to clear several dozens of metres in a single leap.
> Yuugi nods appreciatively.
> "Nice. Only two've been able to hit the ceiling back home, and I'm one of them, but they're doin' a good show nonetheless."
-
>"Unless?"
-
>"Unless?"
> "Nobody's seen the other oni's who's touched the ceiling back home. I'd've reckoned she'd be happier 'n anything to beat some faces in this tourney."
> Yuugi shrugs.
> "Sure hope she ain't on the welcoming committee. Could get interesting."
-
>"Let's say she is. What then?"
-
>"Let's say she is. What then?"
> "She'll want a scuffle. Not for the tourney, mind you, or anythin'. Just outta principle, and I get 'er - no fightin' for however long's this been goin' on. Kinda grates on the fists, y'know?"
-
>"Well, if it's of your own will, as opposed to any kind of mandate from on high, I suppose there is no problem. But, should you feel she is not truly living up to her own feelings, I invite you to fluster her."
-
>"Well, if it's of your own will, as opposed to any kind of mandate from on high, I suppose there is no problem. But, should you feel she is not truly living up to her own feelings, I invite you to fluster her."
> "Oh, she's had a good flusterin' a long time coming."
-
>"Should I know?"
-
>"Should I know?"
> "Bit of a personal thing. 'S harmless, don' worry!"
-
>Nod.
>"Very well, then."
-
>Nod.
>"Very well, then."
>Complete flashback?
-
We done here, Bobert? I don't think we need to do much with Meiling.
-
We could finish with Meiling for full circle.
>"How do you get to jump so high? Is it oni leg strength, technique, or what? Jumping so high seems fun."
-
We could finish with Meiling for full circle.
>"How do you get to jump so high? Is it oni leg strength, technique, or what? Jumping so high seems fun."
> "Oh yeah, nothin' like the soarin' and the landin'. 'Course, strength's an important part, but technique's what makes the better jumper."
> She leans in close enough to whisper.
> "An' some good ol'-fashioned Oni magic."
-
>Gently chide Yuugi," Isn't that just drinking until you can't tell up from down?"
-
>Gently chide Yuugi," Isn't that just drinking until you can't tell up from down?"
> She playfully backhands you on the shoulder. You do all you can from getting knocked over.
> "Ach, you 'n your words. Don' get me wrong, a good drink gets one's blood pumpin', but we couldna be Oni without havin' some magic o' the earth in us. None o' this newfangled spell-card business."
-
>"I'm glad I won't have to worry about the oni's if things go pear-shaped then."
>Go see Meiling.
-
>"I'm glad I won't have to worry about the oni's if things go pear-shaped then."
>Go see Meiling.
> Meiling is a bastion of peace among the now-somewhat-alleviated tension.
> She nods at you proudly as you approach.
-
>"You are quite at peace in this gathering Meiling. How do you feel about the tournament?"
-
>"You are quite at peace in this gathering Meiling. How do you feel about the tournament?"
> "I truly enjoyed our time together, so, in that sense, I am grateful for the tournament's throwing everything into such disarray. Otherwise we might not have met!"
> She winks.
> "But all must come to an end, one way or another. Whether the surrender comes to words or to fists, I would definitely see this through to the end."
-
>"Much in the way that I am glad to have met and battled with my comrades. I am happy to have you as a mentor and ally, Meiling."
>Finish Flashback
-
>"Much in the way that I am glad to have met and battled with my comrades. I am happy to have you as a mentor and ally, Meiling."
>Finish Flashback
> Fade to black.
> Fade in again on the Judges assembled to form an impassable wall between you and your destination.
> "Even in the face of our divinity," says the Goddess.
> "We don't get a choice in the deal," says the Child.
> "Laws are not lifted when someone, no matter how well-intentioned, merely says them to be," says Shikieki.
> "What they're trying to say is, you're getting a fight whether you like it or not, and I am going to like it a lot."
> With her words, the Spell Cards in the Judges' hands glow and flash.
> The small oni barrels into the oni crowd, sending dozens flying with her first tackle
> Byakuren vanishes between moments, Youmu following suit with a quiet rustle
> A cloud of fairies sweeps over and engulfs Shikieki even as she charges you, her baton surrounded with a sword-like fiery blaze
> A chill wind blows as Youmu's Lady vanishes from sight, ghost lights appearing in her absence
> A glowing orb grows in size with each passing moment above the Goddess' outstretched hand as she starts to chant
> Two figures shoot up through the clouds to tackle the figure with the parasol from below
> Steel rings out as Youmu and Byakuren appear in front of you simultaneously, the former parrying an open-palm strike from the latter an inch away from your face
> You are Marisa.
> No matter what the right way is, combat is where you find your true self.
> As long as you fight, others do not have to.
> What do?
> You are also Youmu.
> You have been defeated once, never again.
> Your mind would have to be flayed and your body broken before you would let the march fail.
> What do?
> You are also Akyu.
> Violence has exploded all around you as the Judges lay into the congregated march.
> Your goal, however, is far ahead and above.
> What do?
-
Youmu and Marisa
Would interposing oneself to be a half-ghost shield but not taking effort to dodge or block be fighting?
Akyu
>The purpose is that even if the group is attacked, there will not be fighting. Focus on ceasing any attempts to fight back. Continue the march forward ignoring the judges' attacks.
-
Youmu and Marisa
Would interposing oneself to be a half-ghost shield but not taking effort to dodge or block be fighting?
> The parser assumes this is an input command.
> Marisa's natural toughness and Youmu's Conviction will allow them to weather an onslaught for some time.
Akyu
>The purpose is that even if the group is attacked, there will not be fighting. Focus on ceasing any attempts to fight back. Continue the march forward ignoring the judges' attacks.
> You grit your teeth and proceed forward amidst the commotion. While there is currently a path you can follow, once the floating islands of Heaven start climbing higher and higher you will need assistance from your allies to make the arduous climb.
-
>Youmu: For now, devote our time to interfering with the Monk. We don't need to beat her any more, just get in her way, harry her attacks.
>Marisa: Are we under attack right now? If not, take a moment to survey the field.
-
>Youmu: For now, devote our time to interfering with the Monk. We don't need to beat her any more, just get in her way, harry her attacks.
>Marisa: Are we under attack right now? If not, take a moment to survey the field.
> Youmu
> You devote yourself to the defense of others. For better or worse, the Monk has focused her attacks on Akyu, so you have the luxury of neglecting your own well-being and concentrating solely on intercepting the Monk's attacks, lightning-quick as they are.
> The air rings as strike after strike is deflected, near-unseen by the mortal eye.
> You can feel the Monk's attention turning to you. You will be her target soon enough.
> Marisa
> You are not immediately engaged, but that is a fleeting condition at best. If you do not pick a course of action, it will most certainly be picked for you.
> The little Oni - you know her as Suika, a common freeloader at the Hakurei Shrine - is laying into the Oni congregation, her size belying her monstrous strength.
> The two goddesses of the Moriya shrine have not immediately come into the fight - Kanako has spent the past moments chanting to herself, an orb of light growing above her outstretched hand, and Suwako watchfully standing between her and the body of the march.
> You cannot see where Yuyuko went to. The air is much colder than usual, though.
> Shikieki is still engulfed in fairies, who are being coordinated and encouraged by Cirno.
> The last you have seen of the figure with the parasol is her being forced off the islands of Heaven and down to the mountain below.
> Akyu
> You leap across a dizzying gap across a series of smaller islands and onto a larger one. You can feel the air around you rippling from the powers in play, and your Qi sense throbs at the displays of magical power.
-
>Youmu: Is the monk armed?
>Marisa: Spy Yuugi?
>Akyu: Where is the compass pointing?
-
>Youmu: Is the monk armed?
> No, but her unarmed strikes are as potent as any weapon.
>Marisa: Spy Yuugi?
> Yuugi is with the Oni group, trying her best to keep Suika in check.
>Akyu: Where is the compass pointing?
> Somewhere towards the mountain behind you. The pointer moves around sporadically.
-
>Youmu: If the monk is not paying proper attention to us, let's have a moment to see if pride is really as important to her as our first encounter suggests. Pour on all the speed we can muster, and cut off as much of her hair as possible. Just so she can know that, symbolically, we have taken her head.
>Marisa: Can we tell what that orb that Kanako is brewing up will do?
-
>Marisa: Work with Yuugi to pick up the pint-sized hellion and hurl her into the goddesses.
>Akyu: How far have we gotten? Any pursuers?
-
>Youmu: If the monk is not paying proper attention to us, let's have a moment to see if pride is really as important to her as our first encounter suggests. Pour on all the speed we can muster, and cut off as much of her hair as possible. Just so she can know that, symbolically, we have taken her head.
>Marisa: Can we tell what that orb that Kanako is brewing up will do?
> Youmu
> Your strategy has lulled your opponent into a false sense of security, and, choosing your moment, you strike.
> As the Monk gathers herself for another attack, you slip past her, merely a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision and, with a speed unrivaled in all the land, you draw your sword and slice in a single motion.
> Time seems to stand still as a lock of hair, no longer bound to its owner, floats motionlessly in the air.
> The Monk, her body moving before her mind has realised, executes a near-impossible dodge against your near-perfect attack. A single drop of blood slowly crawls its way along your blade, a matching thin red line welling up on a cut on the Monk's shoulder.
> For a brief moment the Monk's eyes glow with the deep gold of the dawning sun, and she leaps, muscles tensed, to attack you.
> Marisa
> That is some high evocation she's powering up. While it is a simple matter to gather one's magic for a direct offensive blast, the amount of control that she's got going is really impressive.
> You hear Kanako's chant develop a repeating musical line and, with almost an audible fanfare, her chant turns to song.
>Marisa: Work with Yuugi to pick up the pint-sized hellion and hurl her into the goddesses.
>Akyu: How far have we gotten? Any pursuers?
> You seize the moment when Suika's busy beating an Oni with another Oni to blast your way into her, use your momentum to turn your vice-like grab into a spin and, picking the right time, you let go.
> Suika shoots like a bullet, laughing all the while, into the Goddesses.
> Suwako braces herself and, with superb timing, interposes herself between Suika and Kanako. The impact is like that of a peal of thunder, sending Suika and Suwako flying in opposite directions. Both recover from the impact, the little Oni adjusting her parabolic arc to send herself into the mass of Oni, and Suwako quickly resumes her defensive position.
> Kanako's song, militant and aggressive, adjusts to a gentler tone and her orb reduces in size slightly. You see Suwako looking visibly refreshed.
> Akyu
> You're making your way slowly. It will be a while before you are even in sight of your destination.
> While there are no immediate pursuers, all attackers having been occupied in some way or other, the entire ball of non-violent violence keeps pace with you.
-
You've given me an idea Purvis. Would anyone find it to be too patronizing to sheathe our swords and apologize for drawing blood?
>Marisa: If fairies are occupying Shiki, imagine what onis could do. Arcane Grapple ~ Galactic Toss, "Yuugi! Catch!"
-
I think it would be exactly patronizing enough.
-
Oh joy.
>Youmu: Sheathe blades and kowtow, "I am sorry most esteemed opponent, you have inadvertantly been wounded despite my efforts to engage you non-violently." Anticipate recourse.
-
>Marisa: If fairies are occupying Shiki, imagine what onis could do. Arcane Grapple ~ Galactic Toss, "Yuugi! Catch!"
> Marisa
> The fairies scatter in all directions like a swarm of flies as you dash into their centre, narrowly dodging the vast fiery blade emanating from Shikieki's baton.
> You quickly reach out and grab, pulling Shikieki off-balance and, with an accelerating spin, send her flying at Yuugi.
> The Judge recovers from the throw and screeches to a halt in mid-air just outside of Yuugi's reach. She looks rattled and is taking some time to recover.
> Just beyond Yuugi you see the oni mob seemingly grow in volume and explode outwards, scattering Oni everywhere. At the epicentre stands a vastly enlarged Suika, still growing in size.
>Youmu: Sheathe blades and kowtow, "I am sorry most esteemed opponent, you have inadvertantly been wounded despite my efforts to engage you non-violently." Anticipate recourse.
> Youmu
> "The mistake was all mine, rest assured," mutters the Monk through gritted teeth. "It will not happen again."
> The Monk aborts her reckless charge and, regaining her composure, takes up a stance that is all weak point, hands like claws, elbows above shoulder-height, knees deeply bent, feet on tip-toe.
> Encountered Stance: Tiger Ravages Creation. Complexity: 4. The first strike becomes the last. The user of this stance aims to end their fight in a single blow. Any attack they make that connects instantly disables the body part struck as the user's Qi breaks their opponent's body from the inside. At Brawling 5 every attack made in this stance becomes Unblockable. While in this stance, any attack made against the user becomes Unblockable.
-
>Marisa: "Fairies, blind the giant! Onis, jump onto that growing mountain and tickle her!" Whistle for our broom while speeding forward and Arcane Grapple ~ Quickthief Reversal the recovering judge by flying straight towards the growing Suika.
>Youmu: "How would you like your hair styled?"
-
>Marisa: "Fairies, blind the giant! Onis, jump onto that growing mountain and tickle her!" Whistle for our broom while speeding forward and Arcane Grapple ~ Quickthief Reversal the recovering judge by flying straight towards the growing Suika.
>Youmu: "How would you like your hair styled?"
>Marisa
> Cirno relays your command and, within moments, Suika's head is crawling with fairies.
> This doesn't appear to actually faze her, she flails around wildly blind, sending Oni flying every which way, which is much what she was doing before, anyway.
> You do not let Shikieki recover. You re-establish a grip, limiting the movement of her sword-arm, and, with a trip-and-stumble you direct her towards Suika.
> Youmu
> "You will never touch me again, ghost-servant."
> She sounds quite agitated.
> With a snarl, she lunges to strike you in the chest, palm outstretched, fingers tensed.
-
>Marisa: Have no fear. Ram Shiki-first into Suika's face.
>Youmu: Seven Shadows Evasion behind our adversary into a Tsubame-Gaeshi. If we can split a swallow's tail feather's in midflight, some more hair should be no problem.
-
>Marisa: Have no fear. Ram Shiki-first into Suika's face.
>Youmu: Seven Shadows Evasion behind our adversary into a Tsubame-Gaeshi. If we can split a swallow's tail feather's in midflight, some more hair should be no problem.
> Marisa
> You are the hammer, Suika's face is the anvil. Shikieki, unfortunate enough to be caught in the centre, takes the full brunt of the impact. You can just about see the stars circling her head.
> Suika laughs joyfully and tries to swat you out of the air.
> Youmu
> You move faster than you have ever before, faster than your own draw, faster than a storybook heartbreak, faster than the world's first moment, to dodge and circle around behind the Monk. You see an image of yourself in front of the Monk, making the first motions of Seven Shadows Evasion. The defense requires tremendous effort on your part, and you already start to feel your body protesting against the strain.
> Your attack's precision is enough to split the building blocks of life itself, its timing pure enough to strike a bolt of lightning. To defend against it is to do the literally impossible.
> The Monk does the impossible. Twisting her whole upper body, she interposes a palm between herself and your blade. In a brief flash of light, a bright golden mandala, gently turning, forms ahead of her palm, as if a shield protecting her from your sword.
> She stands stock-still after her miraculous parry, breathing heavily. The defense took as much from her as yours did from you.
-
>Youmu: She's falling for it! Look at her expend all that energy on something like hair.
>Laugh, as we take a moment to recover.
-
>Youmu: She's falling for it! Look at her expend all that energy on something like hair.
>Laugh, as we take a moment to recover.
> Youmu
> "I had believed you to be above this," snarls the Monk.
> You definitely seem to have struck a nerve.
-
>Oh now that is hilarious! Blaming us for her failure; getting distracted from her so-called duty. Have a good laugh; but try not to let our guard down.
>"Oh my, you really are the incarnation of beginner's luck, aren't you? Now I can see why you're blindly loyal to this whole thing!"
-
>Youmu: Sheathe Sword. Ghost Sign: Phantom Pain, if our attacks are unblockable, how about we make two attacks unblockable? Sun-Through-The-Clouds let's aim for a new hairstyle.
>Marisa: How are the oni doing on Oni Mountain?
-
>Oh now that is hilarious! Blaming us for her failure; getting distracted from her so-called duty. Have a good laugh; but try not to let our guard down.
>"Oh my, you really are the incarnation of beginner's luck, aren't you? Now I can see why you're blindly loyal to this whole thing!"
> "Why do you speak so, ghost-servant? If I have wronged you then I can only ask forgiveness, otherwise your manner is just cruel."
>Youmu: Sheathe Sword. Ghost Sign: Phantom Pain, if our attacks are unblockable, how about we make two attacks unblockable? Sun-Through-The-Clouds let's aim for a new hairstyle.
>Marisa: How are the oni doing on Oni Mountain?
> Youmu
> With nary a movement your sword disappears into its sheath. With nary another, your Spell Card flashes in your hand, and the world around you changes as your vision is overlaid with the sight of the realm of spirits and death.
> As before, you can vaguely sense something wrong at the bottom of the world, a void where none should be, a missing piece of a grand puzzle through which blows a wind cold and terrible.
> You shake off the sensation and resume your attack.
> Locks of golden hair fly left and right - the Monk takes your attack, nimbly steps inside your reach, and, from inches away, lands two light blows - on your chest and right arm.
> You barely feel them, yet the shock that comes after leaves you breathless and reeling - you cannot take a deep breath. You can barely breathe at all, and each intake of air is shallower than the last. You know with a profound clarity that you will stop breathing in thirty seconds. Each second, passing at a glacial pace for you, will be agony.
> It seems almost secondary, then, that you feel your right arm hanging limply at your side, as though that of a lifeless corpse.
> Marisa
> Not well. Their tried-and-true strategy of hitting things until they stop has found its match in something that looks - and probably is - unstoppable.
> Suika's vast hand catches you mid-air and slams you backwards, sending you into a bounce across several of the smaller floating islands until you crash to a stop. That even stung somewhat.
-
>"If you wish to apologize, lay down right now and cease this idiocy at once."
>Grin.
>"Then again, I've never met a monk who balked at a shaved head. So, where does this leave you, my vain friend?"
-
>"If you wish to apologize, lay down right now and cease this idiocy at once."
>Grin.
>"Then again, I've never met a monk who balked at a shaved head. So, where does this leave you, my vain friend?"
> "Do not ask of me the impossible, and do not presume to judge me - that title rests with me for now. You have little time remaining, ghost-servant. Use it with wisdom."
> The Monk relaxes her stance.
-
>Yes, talk to us, when you should be stopping Akyu.
>"You're no judge, you silly little fake monk. You're just blindly following whatever your told to cover up your embarrassing lack of humility, then trying to act like it's a thing to take pride in."
-
>Yes, talk to us, when you should be stopping Akyu.
>"You're no judge, you silly little fake monk. You're just blindly following whatever your told to cover up your embarrassing lack of humility, then trying to act like it's a thing to take pride in."
> Youmu
> She'll have a lot more time to stop Akyu when you're incapacitated. It's getting hard to stay focused with the lack of air.
> "I see. I had thought better of you, ghost-servant. Enjoy your last moments."
> She turns away.
-
Shall we go for the hair again, Bob? I am pretty sure, whatever she's done, there's not a whole lot we can do about it.
-
>Marisa: We're bringing that giant down. "Fairies, pull back on the head and hair! Cirno slick the surface! Everyone else, knock the back of the knees in!" Comet: Blazing Star to get some speed, then Love Sign: Master Spark directed at.... opposite direction of Giant Suika's face, kamikaze, hopfully with enough force to bring her down onto the other judges.
(Also toyed around with an idea to have everyone combine into our own giant of many, and go toe-to-toe).
>Youmu: Fleeting time is nothing for the gardener of Hakugyokurou. With one hand flip the monk's hair into her eyes, and with the other drive a sword in front of her leg so that if she were to move, would cut herself. Take off in the direction of Akyu, we'll be her legs while our conviction lasts. Don't get hit by falling onis.
-
>Marisa: We're bringing that giant down. "Fairies, pull back on the head and hair! Cirno slick the surface! Everyone else, knock the back of the knees in!" Comet: Blazing Star to get some speed, then Love Sign: Master Spark directed at.... opposite direction of Giant Suika's face, kamikaze, hopfully with enough force to bring her down onto the other judges.
(Also toyed around with an idea to have everyone combine into our own giant of many, and go toe-to-toe).
>Youmu: Fleeting time is nothing for the gardener of Hakugyokurou. With one hand flip the monk's hair into her eyes, and with the other drive a sword in front of her leg so that if she were to move, would cut herself. Take off in the direction of Akyu, we'll be her legs while our conviction lasts. Don't get hit by falling onis.
> Marisa
> You pull some more spells out of your repertoire, lest it be forgotten that your magic is as potent as your muscle, sending your whole body hurtling at Suika even as your allies swarm all around her.
> You feel the comforting sensation of your greatest spell completing. A brilliant pillar of light lances into the sky, a beacon that lights up all of Heaven, its destructive force used for the singular purpose of providing more speed, more momentum, more force.
> The force of your shoulder connecting with Suika's forehead shatters the island beneath you, and sends everyone attached to her flying in every direction. You, yourself, maintain your position as Suika ponderously somersaults backwards from the impact of your attack.
(Fightest's note: You can go toe-to-toe, and without assistance, at that. Mighty Hold specifically allows you to do so, regardless of your opponent's size and mass.)
> Youmu
> Please clarify your actions in regard to the Monk. Do you wish to disable her or pin her down in any way?
-
>Marisa: Arcane Grapple ~ Spinning Piledriver Suika's horn into the ground.
>Youmu: Just remembered our right arm is out, but doing two actions should be no problem with Ghost Sign. The intent is to prevent pursuit, or at least hinder it. The hair in the eyes is meant to be a screen to set up a trap in a blind spot, so that if the monk should give chase she takes herself out of the race. It'd be best to set up a sword just in front of and just in back of a leg, but including the feint, that might count as three actions. The trap is meant to pin her by preventing movement in one leg, at least temporarily, but if she springs the trap. she would debilitate her movement.
-
>Marisa: Arcane Grapple ~ Spinning Piledriver Suika's horn into the ground.
>Youmu: Just remembered our right arm is out, but doing two actions should be no problem with Ghost Sign. The intent is to prevent pursuit, or at least hinder it. The hair in the eyes is meant to be a screen to set up a trap in a blind spot, so that if the monk should give chase she takes herself out of the race. It'd be best to set up a sword just in front of and just in back of a leg, but including the feint, that might count as three actions. The trap is meant to pin her by preventing movement in one leg, at least temporarily, but if she springs the trap. she would debilitate her movement.
> Marisa
> For the moment it is but you and the now-giant Oni, but odds have never fazed you.
> You grab Suika by one of her horns and, with impossible leverage, lift her entire - giggling with mirth - form off her feet.
> All that is left is to let gravity do its job. You take a step into the abyss.
> Far below you, the Youkai Mountain rushes at you as you spin Suika downwards, downwards, the air screaming in your ears, the clouds parting before you and
> As though continents colliding, you make impact with the upper slopes of the Youkai mountain, breaking off house-sized chunks and sending them flying in every direction.
> Suika lies in the middle of the crater you made, her eyes googly. She is stunned for the time being.
> Youmu
> You cannot let yourself give up for as long as you have strength in your body.
> Like a wind's whisper you rush forward, draw your swords one after the other and plant them deep into the ground around the Monk's leg, expertly pinning her in place.
> With nary so much as a pause you continue onwards, onwards to Akyu, grabbing your honored ally and, sweeping her off her legs, carrying her across the islands of Heaven at a speed unmatched.
> Akyu
> It is as if a hurricane picked you up and carried you with a mind of its own.
> You take a moment to realise that you are being carried by Youmu, who is not looking well at all - her breathing is ragged and shallow, and her face pale.
> You realise that she will carry you far, but her body will collapse from under her before she reaches her distination.
> A pulse of sound, as though the ringing of bells, carries around the battlefield. Kanako, singing a mighty hymn, releases her stored magic, suffusing her allied Judges, rejuvenating and invigorating them.
> "I'mhereI'mhereI'mhereI'mhereI'mhere!"
> Sanae, dressed in full Shrine Maiden regalia, dashes through the clouds to stand opposed to her two patron Goddesses. You can hear her shouting from where you are.
> "They're done! Just try not to kill me while I get set up!"
> A ball of fire lights up the battlefield, surrounding a recovered Shikieki. She charges at her nearest target...
> And halts her advance as a crimson lance rips through the air ahead of her, as if thrown from far below, splitting clouds and islands alike in its path.
> Looking down, amidst the tapestry of Gensokyo laid out far beneath you, you can clearly see a circular patch of grass, as though the ground was but several metres below.
> Three figures stand on the patch - Reisen, her red eyes glowing as she channels her sight-warping spell, the maidservant Sakuya, holding a sequined parasol over her mistress, Remilia Scarlet, who is even now preparing to throw another arcane lance.
-
> The Parser apologises for taking so long to write up the previous post but would like to point out that it is there harrumph
-
Aw, don't worry Fighty, I'm sure you've got plenty on your plate. There have been pauses before, and there will be pauses ahead. No fretting allowed.
>Has Kanako's spell rejuvenated Suika too?
>How's morale on our side?
>Set allies to "Protect Sanae" mode.
>Akyu: Attend to Youmu as best we can. Is she too hot/cold? Wipe away sweat? Heart rate? Our mind's eye tell us anything? Watch her eyes and breathing closely for signs of collapse; if she's giving her last for us, we'll be sure her fall is as soft as we can at this speed.
-
>Has Kanako's spell rejuvenated Suika too?
>How's morale on our side?
>Set allies to "Protect Sanae" mode.
>Akyu: Attend to Youmu as best we can. Is she too hot/cold? Wipe away sweat? Heart rate? Our mind's eye tell us anything? Watch her eyes and breathing closely for signs of collapse; if she's giving her last for us, we'll be sure her fall is as soft as we can at this speed.
> Yes
> Everyone's going out of their way to resist in as much a non-permanently-damaging manner as possible has actually kept them conserving their strength. As such, confidence in victory is still high.
> The first group to respond to Sanae's entrance are Kaguya, Eirin and Mokou. They take up defensive positions around Sanae, who is even now fixing talisman after talisman in place in mid-air around her.
> In response, Kanako starts charging up another orb.
> Akyu
> Even as you are being carried by her, you tend to Youmu.
> She looks on her last legs, but the determination in her eyes in unshakeable.
> Your Qi sense paints a grim picture: critical Qi centres in her body have been shattered completely, and the resultant flow is sickly and cancerous.
> A procedure to restore these centres is complicated and dangerous - a wrong move could cause even more damage, maybe even killing the recipient outright.
> Your Compassion makes it impossible for you to truly hurt your allies.
> You concentrate on your own Qi and, with a few precise taps on Youmu's breastbone and neck, manage to infuse her with some of your overflow, creating two gentle pulses of Qi where Youmu's once were. Already her flow improves and stabilises.
> This is a stop-gap measure at best, as the damage has already been done, but, at least, she will survive.
> You have traveled far, and, gently, you lay the unconscious Youmu on the ground. All that is left now is the journey up, to the very top of Heaven.
> The air around you grows cold, ghost lights in the shapes of butterflies materialising out of nowhere.
> With a sound of breaking glass, the enigmatic lady in the pink-and-purple formal kimono appears, kneeling next to Youmu, gently stroking her head.
> "Well done, Youmu," she says, "well done. It was impossible, yet you have succeeded still."
> The lady turns to you.
> "Thanks would be in order, hmm?" She smiles and winks. "Without you, this wouldn't've worked! Poor girl-" she nods at Youmu "-she knows nothing about the failsafes, but that's what makes them work."
> Shikieki, her sword now a blazing whip, parries the second thrown lance only to barely dodge Remilia Scarlet's charge.
> "A judge?" scoffs Remilia. "You're but a miserable little pile of laws."
> Shikieki's answer is only the snapping of her whip.
> The monk turns her head slightly to view her new opponent out of the corner of her eye.
> "You cannot hope to win," she says. "Not against my power. You've seen what the Hieda child can do."
> "Then I'll just lose until you are too tired to claim victory," says Meiling.
-
Hoo boy.
>Marisa: Pin Suika's horn into the ground as long as we can. If she can get free, Arcane Grapple ~ Quickthief Reversal by directing Suika into the Mountain Lake, or basically try to impede her progress.
>Akyu: What does our Qi tell us? Do we sense hostility? "What do you speak of?"
-
Hoo boy.
>Marisa: Pin Suika's horn into the ground as long as we can. If she can get free, Arcane Grapple ~ Quickthief Reversal by directing Suika into the Mountain Lake, or basically try to impede her progress.
>Akyu: What does our Qi tell us? Do we sense hostility? "What do you speak of?"
> Marisa
> You grab hold of Suika as she recovers and, with a heave, send her sprawling into the nearby lake, sending up a vast plume of water.
> Amidst the spray, you can feel Suika trying to get up on her feet.
> "Only two Oni ever reached the ceiling underground, you heard of that? Always did wonder if I could reach the ceiling here."
> You feel a monstrous surge of acceleration, and it is all you can do to keep holding on, as the ground falls away at an astonishing rate.
> You see, off in the distance, the highest reaches of Heaven - your flight spells could never carry you this high and, soon, even they fall below you.
> Seconds later you come to a harsh stop as the two of you crash into... the sky... sending cracks running along the hard and smooth gentle-blue surface.
> Through the gentle blue, as if through stained glass, you can see a swirling, colourless non-void, a roiling, chaotic, all-encompassing existence, its tendrils hungrily licking away at the hard wall that separates you from what is outside.
> Akyu
> Something has broken around the lady. The intrusive compulsion that seems to drive the rest of the Judges is not there for her.
> She is not hostile.
> "I've always been a bit worried that someone would somehow control my mind or body against my will. That sort of thing just would not do - I've simply got too many responsibilities to waste time like that. So I placed a few triggers and conditions on myself to allow me to resist all control should dear Youmu ever be in danger and rush, like a knight in the shiniest of armours, to her aid. Once that happened, I was able to kill the compulsion entirely."
> She shrugs, as if it were a trivial task for her.
-
>Marisa: Depending on what is below us, we may need to Master Spark as a retro rocket to avoid a harsh landing.
>Akyu: "Then do you know how we can stop this foolish tournament, or who we must confront?"
-
>Marisa: Depending on what is below us, we may need to Master Spark as a retro rocket to avoid a harsh landing.
>Akyu: "Then do you know how we can stop this foolish tournament, or who we must confront?"
> Marisa
> You've got a lot of falling time before you need to make any decisions.
> In addition, your Brawling is sufficient for you to land at terminal velocity without meaningful damage.
> Akyu
> The lady bites her lip at your first question, and smiles enigmatically at your second.
> "The answer to your second question comes in two parts, the second of which I will not reveal. You see, I believe there is an interesting... event riding on your ability to deduce your final confrontation. The penultimate, though, is obvious enough - you're looking for the individual all the way at the top. An interesting person, if you can call them that."
-
>Marisa: "SUIKA WHAT WAS THAT? WE SHOULDN"T HAVE GONE HIGH ENOUGH TO REACH SPACE!" To make sure she can hear us through the rushing wind.
>And make sure she doesn't grab us.
>Akyu: "Will they be able to answer my questions up top?"
>Continue travel?
Anything to add anyone?
-
>Marisa: "SUIKA WHAT WAS THAT? WE SHOULDN"T HAVE GONE HIGH ENOUGH TO REACH SPACE!" To make sure she can hear us through the rushing wind.
>And make sure she doesn't grab us.
> Marisa
> "Space? Oh, 's right, you surface people have that thing going on. Ain't no space here!" she hollers, her voice booming. "Only the unshaped chaos, the unexistence that is what it is not!"
> She tries to grab you by your head, but you slip through her fingers and re-establish your hold on her arm.
> "Look down, Marisa! This is all that's left of our little world!" Suika's voice is filled with equal parts hysteria and spite.
>Akyu: "Will they be able to answer my questions up top?"
>Continue travel?
> "They most certainly will - it is their plan to reveal. Do you want me take you there? You will leave your allies behind if so."
-
>Akyu: "Let's end this, the sooner the confrontation, the less Gensokyo has to suffer."
Anything else?
-
>Akyu: "Let's end this, the sooner the confrontation, the less Gensokyo has to suffer."
Anything else?
> The lady nods, and a chill unlike any other surrounds and envelops you. A darkness follows, and you feel yourself slipping away, slipping away into a nothingness cold and terrible.
> A warm wind brings you out of your stupor, and you find yourself elsewhere. There is nothing above you but a blue sky, and it is as if all the land is below you to watch with an enlightened detachment. A pavilion stands just ahead of you, radiating the warm wind that you feel now. A small pedestal stands at the centre of the pavilion, a smaller container, like a finely-crafted pitcher, stands atop it.
> A figure in magnificent golden armour sits meditating, cross-legged, before the entrance of the pavilion. A sword, radiating brilliant crimson, lies beside her.
-
>What do we sense about her?
>"Hello? Whom is this august personage before me?"
-
>What do we sense about her?
>"Hello? Whom is this august personage before me?"
> She is a swirling mess of magic and Qi intertwining and overlapping, as if fighting each other for superiority.
> You sense the immunity effect of noncombatants, but one that has been subtly altered.
> You sense a presence about her that feels alien to her.
> The figure opens her eyes, normal for a brief moment before they turn to glowing golden orbs.
> The voice that comes out of her mouth is both a gentle feminine one and a deep, rumbling bass, cracking with age.
> "She is my Eldest Daughter, and the final challenge between a contestant and the glorious prize that awaits them as reward for their victories."
-
>"Were you the one to start this whole tournament nonsense? (Why would you do such a thing?)"
>"What will you gain by fighting? Do you not think there is another way?"
-
>"Were you the one to start this whole tournament nonsense? (Why would you do such a thing?)"
>"What will you gain by fighting? Do you not think there is another way?"
> The figure takes a more relaxed pose.
> "Yes, I started the tournament that you have done so well in. And, to forestall your next question - no, I cannot end it. It is beyond my power."
> The figure smiles a confident smile.
> "This entire event was created with this very situation in mind. Yes, Akyu, daughter of the Hieda, the whole tournament was designed for you. For you to enter, for you to participate in, for you to win and lose in. And, finally, it is for you to end."
> The figure casually shrugs.
> "Ending it is, of course, impossible, but I trust you will find a way. We are all doomed if you do not."
-
>"If you started this whole ruckus with the intent of getting me dragged into the mess, why go about it in such a round about way? Tempting others with promises of lasting life in order to eventually get me caught up in the storm, then leading me by the nose blundering about, finally bringing me to your doorstep, to do what, even you don't know. All the while involving and hurting innocents in the process. If I were able to help, and the situation is as grave as you and Hakurei claim, why would I refuse? What is really going on in our world?"
-
>"If you started this whole ruckus with the intent of getting me dragged into the mess, why go about it in such a round about way? Tempting others with promises of lasting life in order to eventually get me caught up in the storm, then leading me by the nose blundering about, finally bringing me to your doorstep, to do what, even you don't know. All the while involving and hurting innocents in the process. If I were able to help, and the situation is as grave as you and Hakurei claim, why would I refuse? What is really going on in our world?"
> "Time enough for explanations, I would suppose. The little bubble of existence that you know as Gensokyo is dying. The Sublime Barrier is fading, bit by bit and, it might not be today, and it might not be for ten years, but, eventually, nothing will remain."
> The figure stands up.
> "Believe it or not, Akyu of the Hieda, you are this world's last hope. Your ancestral memory might hold in it some way to save us all, the ancestral memory that can be unlocked by the phenomenal power passed down through the Hieda clan. I have been trying to awaken a child of Hieda to this power for many, many decades and you are my last and greatest attempt. The Hieda line and - should you fail - the rest of the world as well, ends with you, Akyu."
> With a flourish of her arm, the figure materialises three crystals in the air in front of her - only an illusion, you can tell. One burns with a golden flame, one oozes a black shadow, one shines with a crimson light.
> "Only a time of great crisis can make this power manifest, and only by accomplishing impossible deeds can its wielder truly awaken it."
-
>"What have your previous attempts to awaken my line been?" Check with Eidetic Memory.
>"What are you showing me now?"
-
>"What have your previous attempts to awaken my line been?" Check with Eidetic Memory.
>"What are you showing me now?"
> You are unaware of any direct interference on you or any of your ancestors.
> "Every time this land had been plunged into crisis I had hoped you - or your ancestors - would be embroiled in it somehow. Yet, to my frustration, you have always managed to stay on the sidelines, playing the role of the impartial observer. My only choice was increase the stakes, involving everyone in the crisis, and here we are."
> "Power, Akyu. A flawed and simple representation of it, but it is the greatest power this land has ever seen. I do not know which kind you possess, but that matters little at this stage."
-
>Any ideas how to identify or draw this power? "Any idea how to draw on or from this power?"
-
>Any ideas how to identify or draw this power? "Any idea how to draw on or from this power?"
> An uncanny, unnatural sensation floods through you - you should know and understand this power, but it is as if you are seeing it for the first time. It is as if your own hands have become alien to you.
> "You have been drawing on it ever since you broke your immunity. Magnificently so, I would add."
-
>Meditate.
-
>Meditate.
> To what purpose?
-
To ...um... think about this new sensation, and from where in our psyche/body/place? it comes from, in order to understand it better.. or something.
Assuming we're free to do so, and she suddenly doesn't go "Ha! Gotcha!" And punches us in the ..... external occipital protuberance.
-
Also, analyze (Or Introspect, if we've the time and freedom of thought, since that seemed to be a way to better realize and appreciate one's abilities based off of previous Introspection) our growth since the beginning of this mess, recalling how we started and our current abilities that we DO know about? (Not looking for a list of Skills/Stances/Moves, we could just reference the first post for that. I'm talking about a more general sense.)
-
Jq has it.
>Let's not go so far as meditating in the middle of all this, rather, just consider a moment. As well, contemplate how our many allies have helped us through all this, in a more absrtract fashion, to see if there's anything other than face value that can be see there.
-
>Meditate.
Also, analyze (Or Introspect, if we've the time and freedom of thought, since that seemed to be a way to better realize and appreciate one's abilities based off of previous Introspection) our growth since the beginning of this mess, recalling how we started and our current abilities that we DO know about? (Not looking for a list of Skills/Stances/Moves, we could just reference the first post for that. I'm talking about a more general sense.)
>Let's not go so far as meditating in the middle of all this, rather, just consider a moment. As well, contemplate how our many allies have helped us through all this, in a more absrtract fashion, to see if there's anything other than face value that can be see there.
> You let your Qi flow freely and center yourself.
> You can feel yourself close to a realisation, a truth unimaginable beyond a locked door just outside your reach in a lightless room. You can sense the door's presence, an unnatural sensation in your mind, a foreign intrusion that has concealed the truth from you and, no doubt, many others.
> You feel a strange taste on your lips as you push against this barrier, a taste that you can only describe, as though in a fevered dream and in the ramblings of a madman, as violet.
> Even though you have begun to comprehend the nature of the alien thing in your mind, you cannot yet fight it, for it lies in the deepest reaches, the very core of your being that makes you what you are. Only by surpassing your very self can you break free of shackles you never even knew existed.
> You turn away from the barrier and look in a different direction. You do not know what it is you are looking for, but you know that it is there, there where the Qi flows and replenishes is an existence whose age carries the weight of a mountain and whose capacity for power can contain the entire world's rivers.
> You feel yourself in this existence, polished to near-perfection and, as the Qi flows, more and more perfect still, slowly, slowly - this existence has no doubt been nourished and reinforced by your Qi ever since you began fighting.
> Yet the last touches are the still the hardest - only a perfectly-centred stream of Qi can polish the existence to completion. Only by achieving the impossible can you awaken this power.
> You recall, when you touched Youmu deeply, deeper than any mortal could to heal her, you felt a similar existence, still quiet and dormant.
> You recall a similar, but subtly different sensation in Meiling's heart.
> Anything else?
-
>Do we recall any other similiar but different sensations, like Meiling's, in anyone else we're been connected to, such as Utsuho or the Komeiji sisters?
-
Other players: Do you think we could use Meiling's Tower to channel our Qi into that 'perfectly-centered stream' we'd need to fully refine the existence that we've managed to percieve?
If agreed:
>Take up Meiling's Tower stance, focusing our Qi as we have when using it those times before, and gather it at that point we feel inside ourselves, that existence that we are so close to fully unlocking.
-
It's worth a go.
-
>Do we recall any other similiar but different sensations, like Meiling's, in anyone else we're been connected to, such as Utsuho or the Komeiji sisters?
> Neither Utsuho nor Koishi and Satori have given you similar feelings - you could not have mistaken them for anything else.
> The intensity that you have felt from Yuugi during your "duel" might have been an echo from this power as well.
>Take up Meiling's Tower stance, focusing our Qi as we have when using it those times before, and gather it at that point we feel inside ourselves, that existence that we are so close to fully unlocking.
> The power gathers to you as an avalanche tumbles downhill, but you know, know intuitively that this is yet not enough, for you have faced many a struggle that has resonated with your Qi that then touched the existence at your centre. The one resonance that the existence has not yet felt is the very cracking of impossibility.
-
I'm not sure if this will work, but...what do you think about taking out the compass? There is a barrier, a boundary inside of us, which is impossible for us to reach as we are.
Editing since I decided "Why not?":
>Take out the compass, see if it points somewhere meaningful despite our current location(Or lack thereof).
-
>Take out the compass, see if it points somewhere meaningful despite our current location(Or lack thereof).
> The compass shudders and spins wildly.
> The figure in gold lets out a laugh.
> "For someone that can travel the entire span of the land in one footstride, she is certainly easy to find. Show yourself, Yukari, and introduce yourself to our guest."
> "Projecting interface."The air parts behind you with the low hum of the same kind of portal that Shikieki moved through, but, instead of anyone walking through, the portal's outline wavers and settles into a humanoid shape - a long-haired woman in an elaborate dress, and wielding a parasol. You remember seeing her during the Judge lineup, but losing track of her in the mayhem.
> "Executing command." The figure does not so much speak as the air around her vibrates to sound like spoken words. "I AM. Supreme management of Ark-type stabilized wildspace designation Gensokyo. I AM. Central archive of accumulated knowledge. I AM. Only functioning power source for the Sublime Barrier."
-
>Ask Yukari: "Is your power running out? Is that why the Sublime Barrier is fading? Also, what do you know of the abilities of the Hieda clan, of which I am the sole remaining member? There is a power within me that I can sense, I can almost reach, which could very well be the only thing that can save the barrier from its ongoing erosion. However, I believe I may require your assistance to unlock it."
-
>Ask Yukari: "Is your power running out? Is that why the Sublime Barrier is fading? Also, what do you know of the abilities of the Hieda clan, of which I am the sole remaining member? There is a power within me that I can sense, I can almost reach, which could very well be the only thing that can save the barrier from its ongoing erosion. However, I believe I may require your assistance to unlock it."
> "Sublime Barrier projected failure within three years. I AM. Operations will cease, along with the collapse of stabilized wildspace."
> The girl in gold bids her to continue with a wave of her hand.
> "Hieda bloodline possesses perfect ancestral memory. Status: sealed. Celestial essence detected within current surviving member. Status: dormant. I AM. Incapable of removing the seal without permanent damage to Hieda ancestral memory. Damage can be mitigated through use of personal Celestial essence."
> "It was all a series of poor decisions after poor decisions when we created this land, but we were desperate, and still are," says the girl in gold, shaking her head slowly.
-
>"So you mean to tell me my perfect ancestoral memory has some sort of celestrial essence to it, but due to it being sealed, my Eidetic Memory has been tricked?"
-
>"So you mean to tell me my perfect ancestoral memory has some sort of celestrial essence to it, but due to it being sealed, my Eidetic Memory has been tricked?"
> The girl in gold shakes her head.
> "You've got it backwards. Your memory - and your ancestral recall as well - have been sealed regardless of whether you are special or not. Everyone in Gensokyo is under this effect. It's just that you are one of the few that can survive it being unsealed once your essence is awakened, and you're the only one for whom it holds an additional meaning with the ancestral recall."
-
>Now that we know WHAT is inside of us, this Celestial essence, does that give us any better capacity to harness it? Perhaps the golden armored woman before us can give us some sort of idea of the nature of a Celestial's essence?
-
>Now that we know WHAT is inside of us, this Celestial essence, does that give us any better capacity to harness it? Perhaps the golden armored woman before us can give us some sort of idea of the nature of a Celestial's essence?
> "Celestial essence: fuel and engine to accomplish near-divine feats of ability. Designed and seeded in select individuals in the First War, where it demonstrated unparalleled success. Variation over time has led to multiple distinct types of Celestial essence existing. Two individuals currently possess awakened Celestial essences, both of the Golden Flame variety - Byakuren of the Hijiri and Reimu of the Hakurei."
-
This action is assuming we still have the item in question, of course. I don't recall us leaving it with Marisa, but I may have overlooked it.
>Take out the Hakurei Orb Reimu lent us. "Can we perhaps use this as some sort of aid to awaken our own Celestial essence?"
-
This action is assuming we still have the item in question, of course. I don't recall us leaving it with Marisa, but I may have overlooked it.
>Take out the Hakurei Orb Reimu lent us. "Can we perhaps use this as some sort of aid to awaken our own Celestial essence?"
> The girl in gold and the being she called Yukari look at each other, almost perplexed.
> "I am afraid that the Orb is just a decoration. An exquisitely-crafted one, yes, but there's no power in it. The Hakurei would perpetuate the illusion that it grants them their powers in combat, but Reimu quite quickly got bored of the charade. Fortunately, nobody thought to wonder."
-
>"Very well then." Put the Orb away. Ask Yukari, "What can you tell me about the different types of Celestial essence?"
-
>"Very well then." Put the Orb away. Ask Yukari, "What can you tell me about the different types of Celestial essence?"
> "Black Void and Crimson Light-type essence effects poorly-documented due to uncooperative nature of their wielders. Motivations and actions often run contrary to logical projections. Black Void essence formed from close proximity to the impurity located in the Oblivion Well. Crimson Light essence shows strong traces of demonic power."
-
>"Oblivion Well?"
>"Have we encountered the Black Void power before?"
-
>"Oblivion Well?"
>"Have we encountered the Black Void power before?"
> "You know it as Higan and the Netherworld," says the girl in gold.
> "No wielders of awakened Black Void-type essence known."
-
>"What about the Golden Flame variety of Celestial Essence? You didn't describe it, though you mention it earlier."
-
>"What about the Golden Flame variety of Celestial Essence? You didn't describe it, though you mention it earlier."
> "Original type of Celestial Essence. Designates its wielder as one above laws and considerations that govern mortals. Formed by the gods during the First War and seeded in select individuals."
-
>"Do you have any information about how those with active Celestial essences activated their essences? I have a sense of how to go about it, but perhaps you can help me put the final piece into the puzzle, so that I may then utilize this essence to assist you in breaking down the internal barrier keeping my full potential sealed."
-
>"Do you have any information about how those with active Celestial essences activated their essences? I have a sense of how to go about it, but perhaps you can help me put the final piece into the puzzle, so that I may then utilize this essence to assist you in breaking down the internal barrier keeping my full potential sealed."
> The girl in gold nods.
> "Every time someone awakened to their essence, it was in accompaniment to the completion of a task that is, by all mortal laws and standards, impossible."
-
>"Ending this contest has been deemed as impossible, due to the lack of a victory condition beyond the implied one of being the last one able to fight. However, the one who wins this contest is awarded the Hourai Elixir. Therefore, would it not be true that if one were to obtain the Elixir that sits there," point to the Elixir on the pedestal, "the tournament would end anyway,?"
-
>"Ending this contest has been deemed as impossible, due to the lack of a victory condition beyond the implied one of being the last one able to fight. However, the one who wins this contest is awarded the Hourai Elixir. Therefore, would it not be true that if one were to obtain the Elixir that sits there," point to the Elixir on the pedestal, "the tournament would end anyway,?"
> The girl in gold nods again.
> "You choose a direct route. Good, it shows strength of character. You must understand that, should you wish to do this, I will summon an opponent for you, a guardian of the trophy, one certainly worthy of making the task impossible."
-
>"Everyone I've met with up until this moment is counting on me to end the fighting, I can't afford to turn back now."
-
>Breathe deep and easily. Approach the pedestal.
-
> The girl in gold speaks solemnly.
> "Guardian of the Hakurei. The time has come for you to play your part."
> The woman with the parasol makes a gesture, and the air before you warps at her command.
> The portal quickly disappears. In its place sits the Hakurei shrine maiden, dressed in red-and-white hakama, her upper torso tightly-wrapped in sarashi but otherwise bare. Her hands are similarly-wrapped, leaving only the tips of her fingers exposed.
> She opens her eyes and stands.
> "You have come far, Hieda. No matter what happens now, remember - the suffering and hardships you have faced were overcome by you alone. It was your will that brought you here. There is no greater achievement to be proud of."
> She narrows her eyes.
> "Now. I do not care how you do it, with word or with fist, through force or trickery, but do what you must. Defeat me."
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What do you all think of taking a peaceful route through here? If our goal was to resolve this peacefully, perhaps we can get the Elixir without directly defeating the shrine maiden?
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A peaceful solution could be us defeating her in a debate or some other non-violent task.
It would fit with our dedication to non-violence.
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Hm...Let me know if you think this will work, everybody(Fightest: Do not parse unless at least one person(preferably more) agrees to the idea first.):
>"I would like to challenge you to a debate, Shrine Maiden of the Hakurei. I feel it is perhaps the best way to settle this matter peacefully, for while I do not wish to end this through violence, I still think that a contest of strength, as it were, would be a fitting end to this tournament. To prevent either of us from having an advantage from the beginning, I would make the suggestion that she," gesture to the girl in gold, "be the one to decide our topic, and the one to make a final call whose strength of will was best expressed."
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Not really keen on that idea, presented as it is. Why is it we have to defeat Reimu? She just seems like an obstacle arbitrarily inserted.
>Get a reading on Reimu.
>Where are our spectators? What are they doing? How far away are they?
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Sometimes absolute pacifism isn't the way, sometimes one has to fight for what they believe in.
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She just seems like an obstacle arbitrarily inserted.
She is. And, to be fair, the entire scenario was this. The entity speaking through the girl in gold has admitted as much.
>Get a reading on Reimu.
>Where are our spectators? What are they doing? How far away are they?
> Reimu is powerful. She is colossally potent in both body and mind, Qi patterns flowing through her like a complex and impeccably-crafted tapestry. And yet you can feel that there are greater reserves that she can still call on.
> The only beings up here are you, the Hakurei shrine maiden, the kimono-clad Lady who brought you here, the woman with the parasol and the girl in gold. The latter three are watching intently with bated breath. The rest of your initial retinue are no doubt still facing off against the Judges.
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Reimu is a combatant, Tenshi has some modified immunity, and what are the statuses of binding for the other two?
>How far away is Reimu? How far away are the three spectators?
-
>How far away is Reimu? How far away are the three spectators?
> The other two bear non-participant immunity.
> Reimu is about three metres away. The spectators are off to the side, six or so metres away.
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I think the best course is to refuse. If it's arbitrary, we don't need to do it. In fact, we could use spellcards as the example; it too was arbitrary, but it was adopted because it served a greater purpose. In short, we don't need to defeat her because we don't need to compete.
If this does not work, we need to do better than destroy her in a debate. We need to win her over. Thankfully, compassion isn't about cold logic and game theory, so we can break out of those things if needs be. I think something we can exploit, though, is her history with other youkai. Any time she's shown mercy, or acted out of anything other than cold disdain that she showed earlier.
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>Is it difficult to think about punching Tenshi in the face?
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>Is it difficult to think about punching Tenshi in the face?
> Yes, the very thought seems unspeakable to you.
> However, you are able to maintain it by virtue of your high Martial Arts. You would still need to break the immunity to mount an effective offensive.
-
>Can we contemplate giving Tenshi a handshake?
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>Can we contemplate giving Tenshi a handshake?
> Yes.
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Okay, I have the solution. We must arrange for Tenshi x Reimu.
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Okay, I have the solution. We must arrange for Tenshi x Reimu.
Wait, seriously? We're gonna try playing matchmaker..?
I'm actually rather eager to see where your thoughts are coming from with this. It sounds like a very interesting solution, indeed.
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Simple. Given Reimu's attitude in this, the two are made for each other.
>What are our surroundings like, including what we just left behind? And who all is here and there?
>And what do we know about the eldest daughter?
-
>Does the idea of tacklin- *cough cough cough* hugging Tenshi cause us no difficulties?
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>What are our surroundings like, including what we just left behind? And who all is here and there?
>And what do we know about the eldest daughter?
> Heaven is built up of floating islands, some nothing more than more-solid-than-normal cloud matter, others made of stone and dirt. There is an occasional house and garden on these islands.
> Up here is similar to where you were before the Lady transported you, except that there is nothing more above you. In the middle of this island stands a gazebo with the potion of immortality on a pedestal at its center. At the far end of the island stands a lone gate-like construction that leads to nowhere, merely an empty doorway standing alone.
> Not sure what you mean by here and there, bub.
> You know little else of this eldest daughter beyond what you've been told - she caused an incident some time back and was soundly beaten for it. Accounts on her personality were highly conflicting. She appears to possess a modified immunity that allows her to attack others without breaking it.
> It is not she who is talking at the moment, however. Someone else is using her body to speak - her parent, judging by what they said.
>Does the idea of tacklin- *cough cough cough* hugging Tenshi cause us no difficulties?
> With a bit of mental gymnastics you can easily entertain the thought of close, friendly contact with the girl in gold.
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> It is not she who is talking at the moment, however. Someone else is using her body to speak - her parent, judging by what they said.
If that's the case she likely very ancient, and very sagacious. I think we have enough information to produce a logical impossibility.
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>"Reimu, I understand that you don't care about the tournament at this point, you would still test me. For it is in this crucible that I am to be tempered, and you are merely the tool chosen to do this work. Therefore, I bare you no ill will, even if we have no quarrel. Come at me Hakurei!"
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So, just a straight fight, then?
Sorry, this got lost in the thanksgiving mess and such. =[
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>"Reimu, I understand that you don't care about the tournament at this point, you would still test me. For it is in this crucible that I am to be tempered, and you are merely the tool chosen to do this work. Therefore, I bare you no ill will, even if we have no quarrel. Come at me Hakurei!"
> The Shrine Maiden nods and gives you a respectful bow. When she straightens back up, you can see her eyes glowing golden.
> Her stance is simple, one fist before the other, one foot before the other. Yet the magic that flows through it is a perfect weave of offensive and defensive capability, filling the Shrine Maiden with untold potential.
> Encountered stance: Eternal Golden Glory. Complexity: 5. It is not for heroes to stumble and fall. The user of this stance automatically succeeds on their first chosen action of every turn, and on their first reaction on an opponent's turn.
> She waits, no doubt expecting you to take your stance.
Sorry, this got lost in the thanksgiving mess and such. =[
Oh, it's all right, I'm just happy you guys are back.
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So, just a straight fight, then?
What were you planning with Reimu - Tenshi pair-up? And how?
I was planning to get the Golden Girl involved via collateral.
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I was also advocating that we go for debates and such. As it's way more in character, given we've resisted the whole thing up until this point. But too late for that, I suppose. What do you mean via collateral?
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I want to do the impossible. I want the tournament immune Tenshi to be properly entered into her own creation, with a punch to the face, courtesy of Reimu.
Would you consider sparring that ends in a draw to be violent? That's what I'm aiming to do with the Red-White, not knock her teeth in, though I think she'll be giving us plenty of trouble in her own right.
>Assume Golden Eternal Glory, or at least mimic it.
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Interesting, go for it.
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>Assume Golden Eternal Glory, or at least mimic it.
> Where the Shrine Maiden's stance is clearly magical, your mastery of your own Qi is superb.
> You focus, focus on your chakras, making minute changes here and their to their output and flow direction, unlocking pathways rarely-used, and certainly never in such a configuration. As you shape the flows and ripples of your body's energy into a pattern indistinguishable to that of the Shrine Maiden's, you feel the changes rushing over you, as if you are no longer tapping into just yourself but into a greater force. Where earlier you may have stumbled and failed, now it is something that feels inconceivable.
> Developed Stance: Hieda's Eternal Triumph. Complexity: 5. Those who strive will succeed. The user of this stance automatically succeeds on their first chosen action of every turn, and on their first reaction on an opponent's turn.
> The Shrine Maiden's serene expression breaks for a moment in wonder at your stance.
> "Glorious. You are truly peerless amongst the mortals in this world."
> She makes a single short step forward and, sinking low, makes a single strike towards you from three metres away. You can tell that the force of the blow will extend far beyond the Shrine Maiden's physical reach - it's an attack from range!
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I got something that might work.
>Would it be possible to turn the attack back on it's origin?
(IE, sending the attack right back to Reimu to give her a taste of what she's capable of.)
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>Would it be possible to turn the attack back on it's origin?
> You have no appropriate moves that allow you to do so. You are free to develop them, however.
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Let's see how this goes...
>Gather our Qi around the shockwave of her attack like a net, and bounce it back at the miko.
Of course, if anyone's got better ideas, do feel free to supercede this; it's just an idea. Maybe we can get what we're after without having to do any/much attacking on our own, merely using Reimu's power against her? This way, while we're still technically fighting, we're not directly initiating any attacks.
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That should work I'd say.
And yeah, that was my whole idea. Fight, but in a very judo/jiujitsu manner by using our opponent's power against them.
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Let's see how this goes...
>Gather our Qi around the shockwave of her attack like a net, and bounce it back at the miko.
> With your degree of control over your Qi, and the ability imparted on you by your extraordinary stance, you effortlessly let the blast of force pass over your body, weave it over your back and release it back where it came with a strike of your own.
> Developed Move: Iron-Stone Collision. Complexity: 4. What force is dealt out is equally received. This move is a counterattack. When the user of this move successfully defends themselves against an attack, they may copy the attack used against them once and immediately use it against their enemy.
> With a flick of a wrist, the Shrine Maiden disperses the wave of force hurtling towards her.
> "Excellent adaptation. Well done." The Shrine Maiden nods approvingly.
-
>Slowly fall forward, catch ourselves in mid-fall on one foot, then propel ourselves forward in a great leap, land on the opposite foot and push into the earth, hard.
>Simultaneously, with our arm (on the same side we landed on) strike, aiming just short of Reimu's chin, and at the last moment of the strike, tense our entire body.
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Fightest's note: It would be helpful if you stated your intentions for this sort of thing - are you feinting, setting up for another attack, or something else entirely?
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Apologies.
By stopping "just short of Reimu's chin", I mean I don't want to hit her, just show a display of power, speed, and technique.
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>Slowly fall forward, catch ourselves in mid-fall on one foot, then propel ourselves forward in a great leap, land on the opposite foot and push into the earth, hard.
>Simultaneously, with our arm (on the same side we landed on) strike, aiming just short of Reimu's chin, and at the last moment of the strike, tense our entire body.
> The Shrine Maiden does not so much as bat an eye, let alone move a muscle in response to your display.
> "A perfectly successful display of power against a perfectly successful display of indomitability. We will be at this until the world ends, not to mention that this is hardly a challenge for you," she says.
> She claps her hands together and slowly slides them apart, revealing a glowing white rectangle in her left hand.
> "Show your best, Hieda. I will accept nothing less."
> The rectangle flashes and disappears.
> Elsewhere, a crowd groans as letters and characters run at breakneck pace down an enormous, everchanging scroll.
> "Bets are off," says someone. "Can't bet against someone who's invincible."
> "Infinity to one, correct? I'll take those odds," says a quiet, but steady voice, its speaker's mouth concealed by a butterfly-themed hand-fan.
> You catch a glimpse of a grin as the Shrine Maiden passes through you, and barely dodge her incorporeal hand brushing against your throat chakra.
> A sharp pain lances through your left side.
> Two needles, each as long as your forearm, are embedded deep in your flank - you can see two more such needles in the Shrine Maiden's right hand as she floats to a halt just ahead of you. You do not bleed, however - you know that they are there to stimulate nerve centres for the specific purpose of causing as much discomfort as possible.
> You withstand the pain for the time being - you have experienced worse.
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>What do we sense about the Shrine Maiden's Spell Card and the energies causing her incorporeality? Do we know which Spell Card it is, and if so, what do we know about its workings?
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>What do we sense about the Shrine Maiden's Spell Card and the energies causing her incorporeality? Do we know which Spell Card it is, and if so, what do we know about its workings?
> Encountered Stance: Spell Card: Fantasy Heaven.
> This must be what Rinnosuke talked about so long ago, the Shrine Maiden's greatest weapon. You know that it automatically and completely defends Reimu from any and every attack by letting it harmlessly pass through her for as long as she chooses to maintain the stance, whilst allowing her to fight unimpeded. Needless to say, the Spell Card has an immense magical and spiritual component.
> Your concentration is broken by Reimu flinging the needles in her right hand at you. You snatch them out of the air.
> There is more to find out about the Spell Card. You just need to get yourself enough time to analyze it.
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If we defend well enough, we can get the time we need...
>Switch to Marble Bulwark stance while we try to learn more about Fantasy Heaven.
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>Can we remove the needles without causing harm?
>Make sure Reimu's needles don't hit their mark properly so as to disrupt the efficiency of the attack.
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>Can we remove the needles without causing harm?
>Make sure Reimu's needles don't hit their mark properly so as to disrupt the efficiency of the attack.
> You carefully pull out the needles.
> The pair of flung needles clatter harmlessly to the ground as you parry them mid-flight.
>Switch to Marble Bulwark stance while we try to learn more about Fantasy Heaven.
> You focus on defending yourself as the Shrine Maiden seems to shimmer and disappear from view.
> You feel an icy coldness wrap itself around your gut.
> Looking down, you see the Shrine Maiden's hand protruding from your abdomen before forming into a fist and forcefully pulling out through your back.
> Your focus on defense allows you to twist yourself away, protecting your lower-body chakras. It will be impossible to parry the Shrine Maiden's attacks while she is incorporeal, you realise.
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>Is there more to learn about this Spell Card still? Did we sense anything or learn anything of the nature of her strikes thanks to being impaled on her arm just now?
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>Is there more to learn about this Spell Card still? Did we sense anything or learn anything of the nature of her strikes thanks to being impaled on her arm just now?
> There is more to learn. You have not been able to concentrate on analysing it for long enough, instead having to use your awareness on avoiding the Shrine Maiden's unblockable attacks.
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> There is more to learn. You have not been able to concentrate on analysing it for long enough, instead having to use your awareness on avoiding the Shrine Maiden's unblockable attacks.
>We need some quicker means of gaining perception on things, since we can't block Reimu's strikes. Would a kiai be likely to fulfill this need? If so, use one.
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>We need some quicker means of gaining perception on things, since we can't block Reimu's strikes. Would a kiai be likely to fulfill this need? If so, use one.
> Your mighty roar seems to shake the very island itself, sending your nearby audience reeling.
> The Shrine Maiden is unperturbed by the blast of Qi that fills the air like flak.
> The kiai amplifies your already-finely-honed senses, instantly filling your vision with feedback from magical effects around you.
> The Shrine Maiden's Spell Card is a magnificent construct, its energies a barrier that keeps at bay reality itself, letting the Shrine Maiden maintain her little pocket of intangibility.
> You see three nodes in the Spell Card's weave, rapidly spinning and rotating around the Shrine Maiden, where the flow of magic is most complex, most vital.
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Time for Spell-Shattering Palm on the nodes eh?
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Time for Spell-Shattering Palm on the nodes eh?
Hm...Since Reimu likes to try to strike at us from inside, those nodes should wind up being awfully close to us when she attacks. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage so that we can still avoid taking a truly direct offensive, merely using the Spell-Shattering Palm on the nodes when she's close? We'll probably need a quick Stance to do this safely, though, since if she connects with our chakra points while we're in the midst of attacking... What does the rest of Akyu think?
Also, we should be prepared to change strategies after the first attack, since she'll be onto us then.
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We might be able to use Meiling's Tower as a contingency if things go bad; that is if the stance allows us to redirect our internal Qi too.
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We might be able to use Meiling's Tower as a contingency if things go bad; that is if the stance allows us to redirect our internal Qi too.
It states in the stance description that to use it on an attack, the attack needs to be affected by touch...(Just looked it up to be sure.) Given Reimu's incorporeality, I'm not sure if that'll work in this case.
How about trying to formulate a stance where we sacrifice mobility to a degree(so we can't move over long distances well with it active), but where we can focus on agility? With our Martial Arts ability, we can more than likely pull something like that off without losing much or any attack ability...
Also, when we get attacked, perhaps if we've readied a SSP, we can try doing a dodge(Like a spin out of the way or something) that flows into a strike?
Not committing to any actions on this right now just in case other ideas come to light.
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>Is Meiling's Tower able to redirect internal Qi flow? If we were to take damage to one of our vital points, is redirecting the Qi/ Nerve channels around the problem zones a possibility?
Thinking Cross Counter! might be what we're looking for to hit the nodes.
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>Is Meiling's Tower able to redirect internal Qi flow? If we were to take damage to one of our vital points, is redirecting the Qi/ Nerve channels around the problem zones a possibility?
> Meiling's Tower can be turned inwards to amplify your degree of control over your own Qi to an astonishing degree: for a brief time, you can relocate a Chakra entirely. This is a highly strenuous action, and very likely to do damage to its user if sustained.
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>Relax our body, heighten our concentration. Parry any inbound needles, aim to dodge Reimu's attack. Follow-up with Spell Shattering Palm counterattack.
>Beckon Reimu.
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>Relax our body, heighten our concentration. Parry any inbound needles, aim to dodge Reimu's attack. Follow-up with Spell Shattering Palm counterattack.
>Beckon Reimu.
> The Shrine Maiden wastes no time on her offense.
> She looses a swarm of needles even as she sinks into the ground.
> You do not give. In your stance of perfection of action you easily track the needles' path and swat them out of the air with a series of lightning-quick strikes.
> A coldness creeps up through your right leg as the Shrine Maiden reaches out of the ground to strike at your lower-back chakra, but you are prepared.
> Each movement carries with it a vast deliberation and unthinkable precision:
> a single step back out of reach, the foot's motion tracing a perfect arc in the best feng shui traditions
> a single breath in and out, timed to your heartbeat, sending your Qi blazing with synchronous power
> the arc continues as you pivot on your left foot to start a roundhouse kick
> the Qi focused in your striking foot collides with the magical weave of the Spell Card, striking up a trail of flame
> And with a timing so impeccable, you strike at a node, your life-force blasting into it, unraveling it in an instant with the sound of shattering glass.
> The Shrine Maiden accepts the hit and, with a look of utter concentration, spears her hand into your face.
> You feel a brief pain in your eyes, and everything goes black.
> You know you are still conscious. You feel perfect control over your own body. It seems like all the retaliation strike did was take away your eyesight.
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Poke my eyes will you! *Bob shakes fist*
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>Do not be perturbed. Our Qi sense is the only one we truly need, the basic senses are merely more convenient at times. (We DO have Opening the Mind's Eye, after all.)
>Remain focused, and prepare to deliver our next strike.
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Sorry about that, let's try to finish this before Christmas.
>Do not be perturbed. Our Qi sense is the only one we truly need, the basic senses are merely more convenient at times. (We DO have Opening the Mind's Eye, after all.)
>Remain focused, and prepare to deliver our next strike.
> Your eyesight was a hindrance, anyway. No longer are you distracted by worldly sights - all you now know are the ebb and flow of the fundamental forces that shape this world.
> Against the sickly background hum of the world, the Shrine Maiden blazes like a bonfire, surrounded by the impenetrable aura of her Spell Card.
> She is much more careful, now, wary of sacrificial counterattacks, and stops just outside of your striking range.
> The Shrine Maiden shifts her weight onto her back leg, brings her hands close to her body to ward oncoming attacks and lifts her front leg, bent at the knee. You realise that in this battle of mind and magic, you are still at the simplest of disadvantages: reach.
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>How are we clothed? Can we use it as a screen, but remain decent?
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>How are we clothed? Can we use it as a screen, but remain decent?
> You still wear your trademark kimono, a little worse-for-wear for having been used as a makeshift sack for the Hakurei Orb. There, however, is still plenty of material to improvise with.
> Please clarify your intention.
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>Are we able to fling off our kimono to make a visual screen between Reimu and Akyu?
>Can we manipulate Two Fight As One where our double looks like us?
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>Are we able to fling off our kimono to make a visual screen between Reimu and Akyu?
>Can we manipulate Two Fight As One where our double looks like us?
> It could work as a one-time effect. Using it consistently would require ingenuity.
> No.
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>Loosen our belt and rush forward.
>In a smooth movement tuck our arms into our sleeves and fling our kimono in front of us.
>Pitch the Hakurei Orb in an high arc over the spread garb, past Reimu.
>Attack through our screen, as we can easily sense our target with our vision deprived, with another Spell-Shattering Palm.
>Power through the attack, past Reimu, to the spot where the orb will land; hopefully we can detect and catch it if it is a mystical object.
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>Loosen our belt and rush forward.
>In a smooth movement tuck our arms into our sleeves and fling our kimono in front of us.
>Pitch the Hakurei Orb in an high arc over the spread garb, past Reimu.
>Attack through our screen, as we can easily sense our target with our vision deprived, with another Spell-Shattering Palm.
>Power through the attack, past Reimu, to the spot where the orb will land; hopefully we can detect and catch it if it is a mystical object.
> You attempt to re-establish an offensive pace with your surprise maneuver.
> The Shrine Maiden's aura flares as you fling your robe ahead of you, its mundane fabrics doing little to obscure your vision of the blaze ahead of you.
> Your own Qi is sharpened to a razor-edge as you target the second node of the Spell Card with a spearing hand-strike.
> Leaving a trail of her aura behind her, the Shrine Maiden shifts to thwart your strike with an expert parry...
> ...which passes right through you.
> With the sound of shattering glass the second node breaks, its weave unraveling in moments. You can sense the strain the last node is under as you push through the intangible Shrine Maiden, stopping yourself on the other side. A dull thunk a few feet to your right reveals the landing spot of the entirely unmystical Hakurei Orb.
> The Shrine Maiden hmphs.
> "I have never truly had to fight after using this Spell Card, and so you use my lack of expertise against me. You thwart me with my own greatest asset. Intentional or not, your potency on the battlefield is overwhelming."
> Only now do you notice a glowing strand extending from your striking arm to the Shrine Maiden's closed fist. Her aura flares as she clenches her first, unraveling the strand and surging into your body.
> Your legs collapse out from under you, and you fall to the ground like a rag doll. You can hear your heartbeat unsteadily pounding in your ears, weaker and weaker with each beat. You are unable to breathe.
> You hear the Shrine Maiden's voice, muffled, almost at the edge of your consciousness.
> "I have no self-delusion of victory - your resourcefulness has proven to be infinite. But I would be disrespecting your abilities if I did not employ all of mine."
> Encountered Move: Touch of the Golden Sun. Complexity: 6. To feel the caress of the divine is to welcome death. The user of this move attempts to sever her opponent's soul from their body by simultaneous inhibition of their chakras. A single touch is required for this move to succeed. This move can be invoked as a counterattack, provided that touch is involved.
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>We realize our chakras have been attacked, so is there any way for us to redirect the flow of our Qi to our chakras to restimulate them, countering the effects of Touch of the Golden Sun?
Hopefully we wouldn't need full mobility if we CAN do this...
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>Stance: Meiling's Tower.
>Towers do not fall as long as the foundations are strong, and chakra is our foundation.
>Re-position our Qi centers, anything, to evade being ensnared by these golden strands.
-
Aah, internet. Akyu's greatest foe.
>We realize our chakras have been attacked, so is there any way for us to redirect the flow of our Qi to our chakras to restimulate them, countering the effects of Touch of the Golden Sun?
>Stance: Meiling's Tower.
>Towers do not fall as long as the foundations are strong, and chakra is our foundation.
>Re-position our Qi centers, anything, to evade being ensnared by these golden strands.
> You shut down your senses and withdraw inwards.
> Deep, deep down your consciousness falls until there is nothing around you but the vast stars that are your chakra points once-pulsing with life, now dark and dessicated husks.
> You feel no emotion but serenity and a singularity of purpose as you expand yourself out in a manner only a disembodied consciousness can and entwine the incomprehensibly enormous bulk of the first chakra point and pull
> pull
> pull with every erg of might that you possess and indeed it is as if you are shifting a celestial body
> but bit by bit, step by step you force the chakra to move.
> With each miniscule motion you feel the chakra regain strength, processes deep within its core igniting once again, spreading, spreading in an unstoppable reaction, turning from in to out as the husk pulses with a power near-blinding...
> You do not know how much time has passed - and if time itself is something meaningless in your mindworld - but you stand before your now-reignited chakra point, its fire halting and unfamiliar in its new home, but eager to burn with all its power and let flow the starwind that is your Qi.
> Six more to go.
> It is as if years have passed in the mindworld's untime, your consciousness' spark - tiny against the chakra points' size - toiling tirelessly to create a new constellation within yourself, striving to achieve perfection of alignment between each point's new placement so that their starwinds would flow uninhibited.
> And finally you behold your work, a new set of stars burning brightly and cleanly, no longer hesitant and unfamiliar, but confident and comfortable in their new homes.
> Never before have you felt such a unity of self, such perfect comprehension of every aspect of your body that you yourself have crafted anew.
> Like reactivating an ancient mechanism, you return feeling to your senses, trivially swatting away the block that had been placed on your eyes and you rise, rise to the surface and
> You open your eyes.
-
>Breathe in. Breathe out. Behold.
Aah, internet. Akyu's greatest foe.
Well said; but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
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>Breathe in. Breathe out. Behold.
> The Shrine Maiden stands, eyes wide in astonishment, stance ready
> but, in inexperience with her great power, lacking the perfection that is needed
> to ward off the clear, singular passage of attack
> shining like a unbreakable thread connecting the now of the stand-off and the then of your victory
> your victory that seems like a certainty
> like water flowing downstream
> like the rise of the sun in the morning
> like the collapse and fall of Gensokyo
> but when faced with those gifted, what is certainty if not yet another barrier to break?
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>Stance: Hieda's Eternal Triumph
>Sprint towards Reimu
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>Stance: Hieda's Eternal Triumph
>Sprint towards Reimu
> It is like following a path already chosen long before you.
> You duck under the Shrine Maiden's kick
> duck and roll behind her
> without turning step to the right, perfect dodge of the follow-up kick infused with golden flame
> momentum to spin, launch and kick out, away from the Shrine Maiden, your chakras filling you with a singular point of power
> shattering glass
> the Shrine Maiden's counterattack with a punch you know is strong enough to crack mountains
> Heavenly Guardian Defense
> stopped on your outstretched palm, the shockwave radiating to split the island you stand on
> unstoppable grab, pull, step, leverage and
> slam the Shrine Maiden on the ground in front of you, knocking the air from her.
> time slows to a crawl to your heightened senses, a tunnel vision like any other focusing on the Shrine Maiden's next move...
> ...
> a satisfied smile
> a relaxation of muscles
> a slow movement of her free hand to
> tap
> tap
> the ground next to her.
> "I give."
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>Help Reimu up. Smile.
>Bow deeply. "Thank you for the match Hakurei Shrinemaiden. I am honored to do battle with you."
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> The existence inside you awakens.
> All your experiences, all your memories and struggles are barely enough preparation for the sensation of celestial power streaming forth from the depths of your soul, filling you to the extremities of your limbs, pouring out of your eyes and mouth, clouding around you and streaming up, up to light up the sky in wondrous colours in a display of potence not seen for centuries.
> You feel the power amplifying every aspect of your body, making your muscles stronger, your mind quicker, your eyes sharper, and also of your being, swelling your Compassion, hardening your dedication... but also intensifying your rage, deepening your greed.
> You can still remember yourself, the Akyu that was, but those memories now share your mind with the perfect, ideal-made-living Akyu that is and the premonitions of the unimaginable Akyu that will be...
> Elsewhere...
> The din and shouting of the impromptu gambling den had reached their peak and, when the letters and numbers, streaming at a near-illegible rate on the grand scroll hanging on the wall, suddenly waver and stop the silence seems deafening.
> A single, carefully-steadied voice breaks the silence. It takes Rinnosuke every fiber of his being to remain calm.
> "Bet placed on contestant Hieda to be paid out. At established odds, the winnings are..."
> "Infinite, yes, to be paid out by the tournament funds themselves," says a soft, confident voice. "That will put an end to this tournament quite promptly. Good-day, gentlemen, ladies."
> The door to the gambling den opens and shuts.
>Help Reimu up. Smile.
>Bow deeply. "Thank you for the match Hakurei Shrinemaiden. I am honored to do battle with you."
> The Shrine Maiden accepts your hand and stands.
> "Call me Reimu. You have long earned that right."
> She turns and nods at the girl in gold armor. The girl in gold armor nods back at Reimu, then paces towards you, her eyes fixed on yours. Behind the girl's eyes you can see another pair, older, wiser, filled with regret and hubris. It is as if a great golden aura of an old ape, adorned in ceremonial armor and wielding a mighty staff, surrounds her.
> "Now you have awakened, you must remember! Your ancestors' memories are hidden inside you, find them! Take them into yourself! Remember a way to save this last bastion from the chaos-erosion, from the formed-and-unformed that threaten us all! You are our only hope!"
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> "Infinite, yes, to be paid out by the tournament funds themselves," says a soft, confident voice. "That will put an end to this tournament quite promptly. Good-day, gentlemen, ladies."
> The door to the gambling den opens and shuts.
Yes! Yes! YEAH!
>Just as Gensokyo hastens to it's end, so too, does it's revival.
>Eidetic Memory.
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>Just as Gensokyo hastens to it's end, so too, does it's revival.
>Eidetic Memory.
> All it takes is for you to remember.
> Memories of a thousand lifetimes are laid before you like an open scroll. Every event is described in infinite detail, every action, every heroic act or villainous exploit performed by your ancestors - they all are perfectly recorded in your memory.
> And so you begin to read the saga of yourself, like a diligent student, starting at the beginning, hundreds, thousands of years ago, in the Age of Legends...
> Here ends Akyu Quest! Congratulations for completing Akyu Quest and achieving the True End!
> Stand by for the next installment in the Akyu Saga, to be started soon!
> As per custom, the parser will answer questions and provide comments if requested until threadlock.
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>It worked out rather well, though this player wonders...What made you choose Akyu? Any specific link you might have had to the character that made you wanna do a Quest for her?
>Did you have the entire thing basically planned out from the get-go? Did player choices make you completely reqork ideas you'd had?
>Anything you wish went differently? Anything that you couldn't do here that you would have liked to?
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How many years experience do you have Fightest? You are damn good.
Also, you have run / are running games simultaneously? Heck of a task.
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No questions, just here to say that this was a really cool quest to follow.
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>It worked out rather well, though this player wonders...What made you choose Akyu? Any specific link you might have had to the character that made you wanna do a Quest for her?
>Did you have the entire thing basically planned out from the get-go? Did player choices make you completely reqork ideas you'd had?
>Anything you wish went differently? Anything that you couldn't do here that you would have liked to?
> Akyu is the one canonical absolutely-mortal character in Touhou that doesn't have any superpowers. The quest was always intended to be a shounen-style combat thing where the character would learn abilities from their enemies and become more powerful as they do, and Akyu's eidetic memory really ties into that.
> The initial setup for AQ was very barebones: point 1 was "beat up everyone," point 2 was the above "learn to fight by oneself, possibly steal moves," points 3-6 were some ideas for fights and point 7 was the actual plot, consisting of the single sentence "greatest fighter gains potion of immortality." From that point on everything was improvised, vaguely following rules of the shounen genre. As such, player choices did not force any reworks, although I'll readily admit that I railroaded every so often.
> As a corollary, I am not sure exactly when I started blatantly stealing from Exalted, but I'm definitely happy that I did.
> I feel that I did not handle the sudden flavour change where diplomacy suddenly took the forefront over physical combat. On the one hand, I made it quite clear that AQ was about fighting, but, on the other hand, I should have adapted faster than I did. I'll take this to heart and implement a more robust social combat system for the next installment.
How many years experience do you have Fightest? You are damn good.
Also, you have run / are running games simultaneously? Heck of a task.
I started being a GM about six or so years ago, and have had the (un)fortune of experiencing two medium-length games that went horribly wrong for different reasons, and the fortune of experiencing two long-length games that were very good - again, for different reasons. I like to think that I've learned just about everything about being a GM from those.
I actually found AQ to be a nice break from game-running. It was a very relaxed schedule, and I had plenty of time to think of cool things to happen at every turn. As such, I am entirely happy to keep going with this sort of thing.
No questions, just here to say that this was a really cool quest to follow.
Thank you! I appreciate your compliments, and I think you player folks have been great as well!
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Though I kinda stopped participating at one point, I did follow the rest because it was really interesting. :3 Congrats on finishing this installment!
Also, I just want to throw one thing at you really quickly:
BGM: Akyu Quest
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Hey, lemme in on this too!
BGM: VS Reimu
BGM: Befriending Yuuka
BGM: Battle Royale (The big fight towards the end.)
BGM: Contest with Yuugi
BGM: Pulling yourself Together
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Though I kinda stopped participating at one point, I did follow the rest because it was really interesting. :3 Congrats on finishing this installment!
Also, I just want to throw one thing at you really quickly:
BGM: Akyu Quest
Thanks! As for the BGM, I'm not entirely familiar with the tradition, but if you're asking for my preferred soundtrack for the theme, that's easy. Don't even have to leave the franchise: Memory of Forgathering Oriental Dream (Arrange Version) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE1n3_EuwxI)
Hey, lemme in on this too!
BGM: VS Reimu
BGM: Befriending Yuuka
BGM: Battle Royale (The big fight towards the end.)
BGM: Contest with Yuugi
BGM: Pulling yourself Together
I'd actually rather hear you guys' take on more specific themes, as I'd just end up referencing IaMP and SWR tracks.
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BGM: VS Reimu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V56nv-60OGc)
I'm biased though.
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Damn it, had I read a bit faster I would've made it in time to participate at the very end. This was a great quest, Fightest, I really find myself lacking words to describe the feeling of it being over, I wish I had found it earlier. Thanks for everything.
First attempts at BGM, feel free to suggest other more fitting songs:
BGM: Befriending Yuuka (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKKxu51Xm7s)
I didn't quite know whether you wanted to refer to the encounter or the aftermath, so I settled with the latter.
BGM: Nursing Home ~ The Rowdy Akyuu Household (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KPvnrgDcI8)
BGM: Pulling Yourself Together (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtXEjrnSfrk)
BGM: Gensokyo's Impending Doom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNpvM0ZJL60)
BGM: Back Home ~ Well Earned Rest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq_2VV4Eeww)
BGM: Battle Royale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3aQx-OdJ4Y)
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Those tracks are great! Certainly an eclectic mix.
And, because there wasn't much of a way to do it as the story stands otherwise...
> Epilogue.
> They descended from Heaven like a funerary procession. Yet, instead of mourning, they each carried a light inside them, born from the words and actions of one girl, and tempered in the fire of battle and the warmth of camaraderie.
> To those on the ground, it is as if a slow landslide comes down the Youkai Mountain: fairies, oni, humans, gods, once rivals born from needless conflict, now bound together in a single goal not of their choosing - all walk side-by-side down the precarious paths.
> Between them they carry a still shape, her eyes closed, her face tranquil.
> "It is as if she is dead," says Kaguya, worry cresting her features despite her efforts to appear calm.
> "She'll come back to us," says Meiling, patting the princess on the shoulder. "Do you not trust your physician's assurances?"
> "I did set her on fire once, and that was all right..." says Kaguya, more to herself than anyone else.
> "I'm not quite clear on what she's doing" says Remilia, "it is a bit beyond me."
> "Yer a truly smart-like bint, en't ye?" taunts Mokou. "Kid's a-cookin' a right breakfast between yon ears, so all's ye need to is leave off 'n drop yer tea."
> Remilia gives Mokou a level stare.
> "I did not understand a single low-bred word of what you just said," she says, narrowing her eyes. "Sakuya?"
> Remilia's maidservant, up until now silent throughout the journey, clears her throat and speaks.
> "Ye's grey-wise, berk? Hardback's thicker'n it sees. Yer drape-like?"
> Mokou, recovering quickly, grins and winks at Sakyua.
> "Yes, my Lady," says Sakuya, deadpan, to a wide-eyed Remilia. "Mistress Fujuwara assures us that Mistress Hieda will come to no harm."
> "Now's what?" says Cirno, idly twirling an icicle between her fingers.
> "A remarkable astute two words," replies Byakuren. "We cannot continue as we were before. Not after everything that has happened."
> "Oh, I'm sure things will change. It'll be fun!" says Yuyuko cheerfully. She looks down, talking to herself. "Yes. Change will come, whether we like it or not."
> "Hakurei," says Marisa, coldly.
> "Kirisame," responds Reimu, not missing a beat.
> The two burst out laughing, but quickly quieten down to avoid drawing attention.
> "She's did amazing things, that kid," says Marisa.
> "No doubt about that," says Reimu. "I did not dare dream she could achieve so much in so little time."
> "'N she's made a lot of friends, too, eh?" Marisa playfully nudges Reimu.
> Reimu hmphs.
> "Don't expect me to develop a sudden affection towards Youkai," she says, eyeing large parts of the procession with disgust.
> "Hah, whoa," says Marisa, smiling. "Worth a try, eh?"
> "I appear to be in possession of a few thousand years' worth of false history," says Keine, her tone cordial.
> "Indeed?" says the girl in gold.
> "Don't play games, celestial," replies Keine, snapping. "You tend to cause ruin when you do."
> "Very well, celestial," says the girl in gold, ignoring Keine's questioning expression at the emphasis. "I will tell you what I know, which, I fear to say, is woefully incomplete, unlike the account the Hieda Daughter could provide you. It is a story that starts with a war to end all wars..."
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So she overstrained in order to find a solution, huh? that's our Akyu :3
Took me a long time to find the kind of thing I was looking for, plus a few more:
BGM: Contest with Yuugi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCB4kwlr7ws)
BGM: The War is Over (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEv63giG-fk)
BGM: Lunatic Eyes ~ Chaos at Eientei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyceB7yTmZo)
My own take on BGM: Vs Reimu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI1Pyofbjnk)
BGM: Ambush! Free Fall Brawl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpfALk_FFf8)
I can't seem a particularly good one for BGM: Akyu Quest, so I'll leave that to somebody else.
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Gee, Reimu and Marisa sure are Mass Effect in here.
But aside from that, I was pretty surprised that Sakuya could understand Mokou. Good laugh that.
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As long as this thread's around, I might as well take the opportunity to ask some questions of my own:
Are there things you liked/disliked?
What would you like to see developed for the sequel?
Were there threads that weren't followed up on that you'd like to see finished?
Was justice done to the re-imagining of some characters?
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I was kind of expecting Yukari to slip away from the battle and find Akyu instead of Yuyuko, she most likely had the knowledge to give a speech on why Gensokyo's crippling was happening, and in retrospect, Yukari actually needing help from somebody, seeing her getting serious for once and having her help us find our way to the memories key to fixing the whole mess would've been a rare sight and pretty cool. The ending was nice regardless, specially since it appeared to be kind of rushed to get the adventure over after such a long time.
I felt kinda bad when the diplomatic/peaceful route was chosen, because yeah, it was a fighting quest, and taking the battle component away from it isn't that good an idea, unsurprinsingly it lead to you having to try to force the battles on, but you managed that pretty nicely. Other than that, I have nothing but praise for this one. Starting up with a battle scenario with holes to be filled later was a very nice hook, considering most of these adventures take some time to pick up. The battles at Eientei and with Parsee were specially awesome, on the level of "did that really just happen?", I quite enjoyed the character side-stories, specially Youmu's, and I'm looking forward to see what happens in your next one.
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Obviously, Akyu Quest was very enjoyable. Cannot think of an encounter that wasn't fun and didn't bring anything new to the table. The some of the fights at the beginning still stand out to me though, just because it felt that we were horribly outmatched, and we won by the skin of our teeth, and barely walked away (or sometimes not even that). The character switches brought in an excellent change of pace, and each fight had it's own ohshitohshit moments. I think the railroading was fine, and handled skillfully. The only thing I think could have been expanded on was Chireidin at peace and did New Kid ever get a name? Like I said before, superb running the game.
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and did New Kid ever get a name?
Hah. I got the impression that most readers didn't much care about New Kid, so I quickly shuffled her off to the sidelines. If there is interest, she could well come back during the Akyu segments of Legend of Hieda.
Otherwise, the thread's comments and feedback are much appreciated! Thanks, everyone!