Author Topic: Scarlet Sabbath  (Read 3840 times)

nintendonut888

  • So those that live now, pledge on your fists and souls
  • Leave a sign of your life, no matter how small...
Scarlet Sabbath
« on: February 11, 2014, 08:32:13 AM »
(I hate titles and it's late. :()

Hah. Hah. Hah.

So yeah, this is my first time writing in a full year and a half. I kind of ran into...problems...with my life, ones which made it almost impossible to write properly. But that's all done and over with, and I'm back. This is something I wrote to warm back up my writing muscle. Enjoy...

---

   I wonder why we have to live like this...

At the edge of the Human Village, a girl with long blond hair sat at a cliff edge. Swinging her legs lightly, she leaned back against her hands and stared at the half-filled Moon in the sky.

She knew the answer to her question before she even asked it, of course. As anyone in Gensokyo knew, humans hunted youkai, and youkai ate humans - that's simply the way it was. For as long as she lived, that's the way it was, and tonight was no exception.

   But still, I wonder why it has to be like this...

She shook her head - it was no use thinking about it. Thinking about the hard stuff made her head woozy. More importantly, she wondered how much longer she'd have to wait. She would be in trouble if no one came soon - she was starting to get hungry. The young girl sighed and stared back up. The sky was pretty tonight. Real pretty...it made her feel at peace, especially when it was so clear like this night.

"Oy, what are you doin' up there?"

A small yelp - how did she get caught off guard when she was the one waiting?! She shook it off and looked down. A large, sturdy woman was looking up at her with a concerned look on her face.

"Ah- um, h-hello." The blond girl fiddled with her shirt collar nervously. Geez, why did she always get so nervous around people?

The woman below put her hand on her hip. "Hello, indeed! Are you lost, young one?" Blushing slightly, the girl atop the cliff nodded.

"Y-yes, well, I stayed out a bit later than I expected, and it got dark, and, well..." She trailed off, looking to the side. The older woman gave a sharp laugh.

"Lasses like you are easy pickings for the youkai 'round here. Yer lucky I saw them golden locks when I was goin' to draw the well." She waved her hand. "Come on, it isn't far. I'll take ya back."

The blond girl gave the woman a quick appraisal. Yeah, this looks like what she was waiting for. Thank goodness, she was starting to get worried.

"Thank you! I really appreciate it!" Giving herself a small push off the edge, she came down lightly onto the grass below, her long skirt fluttering as she landed. The large woman gave a warm smile and began leading the blond girl back to the village.

"So what's yer name? Haven't seen you around the village, and that's sayin' somethin'!"

"Kurumi. Just Kurumi." The young girl brushed aside her blond hair as she answered. She met eyes with the woman escorting her.

"Kurumi, eh? Nice to meet you. They call me Masa!" The woman patted her chest - it seemed she was proud of her name. Kurumi muttered a pleasantry back, watching Masa's eyes carefully. The older woman gave a kind smile and turned back towards the path a ways ahead.

Six. Dang it.

"You probably never saw me, Masa, because I-I don't go out much. I tend to stay at home." Kurumi tensed up a bit. She never knew how to be social even after all this time.

"A stay at home girl, eh? Nothing wrong with that, then. One of my kids is like that too, cute little thing." Only one, that time. Kurumi scratched at her collar. She was blanking on what to say next. Thankfully, it seemed she got lucky this time.

"Though I can't blame ya for wantin' to stay home, a pretty girl your age. The youkai have been pretty active lately. The Hakurei maiden's a fine gal, but she keeps gettin' all lovey-dovey with her husband, ain't been huntin' much lately. Youkai been takin' advantage of the situation to terrorize the village - it's gettin' pretty dangerous."

"Eh? Is that so?" Kurumi really didn't know about this. She knew the Hakurei shrine maiden was a pretty important youkai hunter, but she got married?

"Yeah! Ol' Sayuri found a nice young lad and swooped him right up. Never saw a shinto priestess look so amorous, heh!" She dusted some nonexistent dirt from her apron as she spoke. Kurumi nodded, though she looked a bit worried. They hadn't gotten more than than two or three seconds during any of that, and she was starting to get concerned. Had she made a mistake after all?

"Mmm? Something wrong, Kurumi~n?" Kurumi looked up, startled by the sudden familiarity. But, this could be her chance...

"U-umm, well, you see, the youkai!"

Masa tilted her head. "The youkai?" Shoot, that was a bad start.

"I mean, the youkai would really take advantage of the shrine maiden being distracted? The village doesn't have that many people..." Last she heard, it can't have had more than a few thousand people, so...

To her surprise, Masa gave her a light jab in the arm. "Have pride in yer people, lass! Just 'cause the youkai are steppin' up their attack don't mean they catch any more of us! We humans may be fragile, but no dumb youkai are gonna nab us if we use our brains!" She pointed at her head, probably to indicate her brain. Kurumi nodded, and Masa turned back to the path. Seven...

"But it's pretty crazy, Masa, that we have to fight each other like this. Isn't Gensokyo the home for both of us?" This caught the older woman off guard. She stopped walking and looked up at the sky for a moment, searching for the right words. Then, she turned to Kurumi and smiled with a worldly gleam in her eyes.

"Yer still young, Kurumi. When you get older, you'll understand how it all goes."

Kurumi mumbled. She thought she was quite old enough. "If you say that, then do you have an answer?" Masa sighed lightly, unfazed by the girl's sudden vigor.

"When I was your age, I used to wonder the same thing. The youkai look an awful lot like us, and often talk like it too. Some o' them are even pretty friendly, if you get to know them."

Kurumi nodded. "Aren't they? Then why do we have to kill each other?"

Masa gave a wry grin. "That's just the way Gensokyo is. Like it or lump it, the two of us gotta keep fighting if we both wanna live. It's some kind o' weird politics, I never got it myself."

Kurumi looked down, realizing too late she lost it at eight. That's right, she had heard something along those lines. Something about humans and youkai being dependent on their hatred of each other for mutual survival...

"But...even so, can't we be friends? Can't mutual survival work differently?" Why was Kurumi pressing this point, all of a sudden? She was beginning to get irritated, and what's worse, her stomach was rumbling...

Masa gave an inward smile and placed her hand on Kurumi's shoulder, their eyes meeting. "You're a good kid, Kurumi. It's that kind of heart that keeps the world spinnin'. But, eventually you'll see how it is. Meet a friendly youkai or two, yeah, you can meet eye t' eye with 'em. But if you keep thinkin' you can just cross the species barrier and live with 'em, you'll be in a for a nasty surprise."

Kurumi's shoulders drooped. "So you're saying it's just not possible? I guess that makes sense, but..."

Masa drew back her hand and nodded. "I understand how ya feel. Some things in this world just don't make no dang sense, huh? When it comes to that, though, you just got to hitch up yer skirt and carry on."

Kurumi smiled meekly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

TEN.

"Eh...?" Masa's sharp eyes suddenly began darkening. Her shoulders drooped, and her knees began to lock. Kurumi stepped towards the large woman, her golden irises carrying a haunting glow as she gazed into Masa's eyes.

For a few brief moments, Masa made a few incomprehensible mumbles, though she can't have understood what was happening. Then, the spell was complete, and she stood motionless, her mouth slightly open as she stared into Kurumi's golden eyes. This was surprising - usually they didn't even last a second.

"Come." Kurumi waved her hand back away from the path, which they were within spitting distance of. Masa nodded wordlessly and followed, her steps a bit uneven as she followed the blond girl. Well, time to hitch up her skirt and carry on, as she said...

---

This should be good. Kurumi looked to make sure nobody was around, and turned back to Masa, who was staring into space. For a moment, Kurumi's heart sank. But, there was no avoiding it. She took a small breath and steeled herself. She raised herself on her tiptoes, but she was a bit too short to reach.

"Masa, bend down." The older woman nodded and relaxed her posture even further, her arms and knees drooping towards the ground. More importantly, her head rolled forward, her shoulder-length hair falling over her eyes. Kurumi nodded; this was good enough.

"Good. Now hold still..." Kurumi stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the woman in front of her. Within an instant, she was overcome with the sudden sensations. The warmth of her body, the worn yet lovely texture of her skin, the beautiful, luscious fragrance of her neck...

Wait, remember what you said... Kurumi scrunched her eyes. Try to be careful... But how can she be careful when she's about to...

"Good girl. Now, good night..." Kurumi bared some as of yet unseen incisors and planted them deep into Masa's neck.

"Uhn..." Masa gritted her teeth, but held true to Kurumi's command. She stood still as Kurumi found the precious artery and dug her teeth deeper. Kurumi moaned in satisfaction as blood began filling her mouth. As her instincts began taking over, the air behind Kurumi shuddered, and a large pair of purple wings formed from thin air.

"Ooh...so good..." Kurumi began panting, her fingers digging deeper into Masa's back as she gulped down her first meal in days. Part of her kept thinking that she should hold back, that she promised she would hold back this time. But how could she comply when there was so much blood, and it was so potent? She was a large woman, she wouldn't miss just a little bit more...!

Kurumi smacked her lips, taking care to point Masa's neck away so the blood dripped onto the grass and not her white shirt. Masa's eyes remained glazed, though she was blinking lightly. Her resistance to Kurumi's hypnosis was surprisingly strong; it wouldn't be long before she realized what was going on.

...

She could try and make her forget. But, that is awfully risky - it seems she made a stronger impression than normal. Yes, there's the possibility she would remember... and then, there's a good chance she would tell the village about her, and she could lose her only reliable food source. She would have to go back to feeding on stray animals for years until people forgot about her, eeking out a meager life for ages and ages...

Kurumi drew a finger over her mouth, staring at the woman's life which stained her lips. Her wings fluttered lightly.

...Was she really going to just take that chance?

"Masa. Sleep." Kurumi snapped her spare fingers. Responding to the command, Masa's eyes lost their struggle for light, and she fell forward into Kurumi's surprisingly strong arms. Taking a deep breath, Kurumi plunged back into the woman's neck with renewed resolve.

   I wonder why...

Even more blood licked her lips, filling her belly with the sacrifice of this woman. It's not like she didn't hear that she had children. It's not as though she didn't hear that.

   Why must it always go like this?

She knew, too, that they had every right to defend themselves. A vampire like her was nothing but a menace, and one that humans had to get rid of. But it's not like she didn't like humans. It's just that she had to eat. What's more...she had a role to fulfill.

   "Humans and youkai can't get along, huh...?" Kurumi gazed up at the Moon, holding onto the limp body of tonight's victim. It was a good meal; she certainly had no complaints with how this went, despite the rough start. And yet, something seemed off, incomplete...oh well. She was just a simple vampire girl. Shrugging off the thoughts dancing in her feverish mind, she let Masa's lifeless body sink forward, sprawling across the grass with a light whoosh.

Spreading her wings wide, Kurumi took to the air and began flying towards  her hovel in the mountains. There was some time left before morning, and she would be long gone by the time they found the body. She didn't have to rush, but one thought was in the back of her mind, quickening her pace...

You promised you wouldn't take it all this time...

---

To be continued?! We shall see.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 06:05:42 AM by nintendonut888 »
nintendonut888: Hey Baity. I beat the high score for Sanae B hard on the score.dat you sent me. X3
Baity: For a moment, I thought you broke 1.1billion. Upon looking at my score.dat, I can assume that you destroyed the score that is my failed (first!) 1cc attempt on my first day of playing. Congratulations.

[19:42] <Sapz> I think that's the only time I've ever seen a suicide bullet shoot its own suicide bullet

nintendonut888

  • So those that live now, pledge on your fists and souls
  • Leave a sign of your life, no matter how small...
Re: Scarlet Sabbath
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2014, 07:48:49 PM »
A bright, cloudless day. Among the bustle of the town square during its peak hours, an inconspicuous blond girl drifted through the crowd.

"Did you hear? A youkai got to old Masa!"

"Her poor children..."

It's not as though she cared, really. She'd long gotten used to this kind of reaction whenever she fed. But the thought that someone could have found her out always eats at her until she just has to wander into town and make sure she's overthinking things.

"She was drained of all her blood..."

"You know what that means. A vampire is on the loose!"

"Eeh, no way, don't even say that! I hate vampires..."

Geez, it's not like we're that bad...

Kurumi sighed wistfully as she stared up at the early afternoon sky. Well, it seems that nobody saw her, but they figured out it was a vampire's work. Well, that wasn't a surprise; what other youkai drains all their victim's blood? And there aren't many vampires in Gensokyo to begin with...

Despite this, Kurumi smiled softly to herself as she distanced herself from the hubbub of the shopping district. When she thought about it, coming here to town was a good idea. Even if there was a witness, it would only work in her favor if they saw her walking around now. After all, who would suspect a girl wandering around in daytime to be a vampire?

Kurumi giggled and suddenly felt pretty cheerful. Well of course there was nothing to worry about to begin with. She nodded to herself and began heading back out the way she came.

...

But...maybe I should go and make sure nobody saw me. Just in case. Yes, that's a good idea. Spinning around on her heels, Kurumi trotted off through the Human Village, without a single glance to prove her guilt.

---

Kurumi walked around a musty bookstore with her hands trailing behind her back. If this was going to be a day out, she may as well restock on books. None of the complicated stuff, of course - Kurumi wasn't smart enough for "sophisticated literature." Thankfully, Suzunaan had some more normal books that even she could appreciate.

"Ooh, this one sounds cute. 'Lolita'..." Kurumi reached for the thick book. She always did think the fashion was pretty cute.

...Nah on second thought, I never could pull that off. Kurumi waved at the book and kept looking.

"Haa, so many books..." Kurumi smiled as she poured through the stacks. Even if life was so long and boring, she could always count on a good book to keep her satisfied.

And just like in these books, I'm sure that someday, I'll have a beautiful, gothic princess of my own to take me away. Hah...~ Kurumi sighed with her hand on her cheek.

"Excuse me, miss."

"Ooh! Oh, sorry." Kurumi slid against the shelf and let a woman with an elaborate blue dress past.

"Mmm..."

Still, it kind of gets lonely sometimes. I mean, it's not like she could make any friends in the village, but how nice it would be to actually recognize someone on the street, say "hey" to, and move on. Or maybe, for someone to recognize her...

"Uuh, what am I thinking. I don't want people to recognize me." Right, that's why she was here, to make sure of that. This is no time to be stupid about things. Kurumi shook her head and buried herself in the stack in front of her.

"Aah, here we go! The 'Story of O...' Kurumi always did like stories. She pulled the book from the shelf and started reading...

---

Memo to self. Use mirror to hypno-wipe my memory later. Kurumi clinged to the children's books she ended up buying. It's better to just stick with what you know...

---

"Haa, finally out of the sun..." Kurumi reclined at the table of an outdoor tea house. She fanned herself under the loving cover of an umbrella. Even if she could walk out in the sun, it made her feel all icky. She never knew why she could defy the classic vampire weakness of sunlight, but ever since she was a little girl she played outside all the time, night or day. It saps her powers a little, but she'd never be suicidal enough to operate during the day anyway.

Shame I can't brag about it to anyone... Kurumi mumbled to herself, poking her steaming tea cup. Resting her cheek on one hand, she stared at the humans who walked by.

A sprightly, greying man swaggered down the road, heaving a bundle of wheat over his shoulders. He sung a jaunty tune about the sea, which was strange, because there was no sea in Gensokyo...

Kurumi recognized the lady walking by next as the owner of the flower shop. In her hands was a bouquet of roses, probably to be delivered to some lucky person. She smiled sweetly at the people along the path, as though they were meant for her. What a cheerful person...

And behind her, a girl in a yellow kimono cuddled up to a boy who was presumably her boyfriend. Both were holding ice cream cones as they talked animatedly. Kurumi frowned; her companion didn't seem to mind how close she was, but she was practically fawning over the boy...she's way too into him.

For that matter...everyone in town was far too happy, given what happened. Even though someone just died last night, everyone in town was beaming. Even the colorful posters on the side of the teahouse seemed to defy reality.

How can these humans stay so happy at times like this? Is a grisly, bloody murder just not worth registering to these people? If that's true, then they're way scarier than  youkai. The youkai they're meant to be fearing. Why does this annoy her so much...?!

"Whatever, what do I care about people? I have tea." Kurumi took a large gulp from her cup, almost burning her tongue in the process.

Yeah, she really has no more business lying around in enemy territory. It's not like she'll feast on a human again for a while anyway; there's tons of animals that are much easier prey and don't spawn manhunts when you kill them. She'll just drink this tea and then slink away, slink away and let this incident roll under the rug like -

"Ha ha, stop right there, evil youkai!"

Kurumi almost swallowed her teacup. Umm, shoot, this is bad. She needs ten seconds of unbroken eye contact to use her special power, and no way was that working in an aggressive situation like this.

Oh god now everyone's staring at me this is horrible I knew I should have gone home ummmmmmm...! Kurumi slowly craned her neck around to face...

Some little red-headed pipsqueak lying on her back, kicking her legs in the air as she read a book with outstretched hands.

"Eh."

"Yeah, go kill the big bad monster. Hehe." The little girl, who couldn't have been more than four or five, was lying on the cobblestone next to Kurumi, reading...was that her book?!

"H-h-hey! Leave that alone!" Kurumi scrambled to the ground and yanked away the book she chose for its vibrant youkai illustrations.

"Hey I wasn't done!" She leapt up to her feet and pouted at Kurumi, who held the book defensively.

"No! Get your own books!"

"Come on, let me look at it!! Can't you read the words to me?  Why is a big girl reading a little girl book like that anyway?!"  Kurumi heard a chuckle from an elderly lady at a nearby table and froze. Oh no, this is not happening.

"You little...!" The girl glared at Kurumi, on equal ground with the crouched vampire. Umm, let's see. If she could get this kid by herself she could probably hypnotize her, but it would be real awkward avoiding detection in the getaway. Everyone's already looking, so that could just make her position worse. Grr, everything was going so well until now... Kurumi stared between the kid, the book, and her precious tea still lying on the table. No time to worry about consequences, it was do or -

"Kotohime! Are you disturbing the patrons?!" Suddenly a cultured-looking lady burst out of the tea house and clopped over on her geta towards the red-headed girl. The child squeaked and hid behind Kurumi.

The older lady panted slightly. "I'm so sorry miss, has my daughter disrupted your peaceful relaxation?" Kurumi tensed up.

"Aah, no, not at all! We were just...playing..." Kurumi flashed a dirty look towards "Kotohime's" direction and gave the hostess her best smile. She tucked the book back under the table and took her seat.

"Is that so..." She rose up to look at her child with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmm, mommy, I was just playing! Really!"

The hostess dug her arms into her sleeves and stepped to Kurumi's side. "Koto-chan, how many times must I tell you before you understand? If you cause distress to our customers, we'll lose valuable revenue. And if you do that, I may get a little upset.

The little girl whimpered. "Mommy, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I won't make you lose rev uh neeeeew!" The little girl huddled closer to Kurumi's back. She looked like she was about to cry. Kurumi shifted uncomfortably. She didn't really have to go this far for her...

Aah geez, why am I doing this? Kurumi took a small breath and cleared her throat. The lady turned her gaze to her customer.

"Please, mistress, it's fine. I came here to relax, after all. The brightness of a young child could hardly spoil the atmosphere of this teahouse."

The hostess bowed lightly. "Thank you for your consideration dear, but you don't need to treat us so kindly. If I cannot control my daughter, how can my customers retain confidence in me? I can't run the risk of letting her ruin business." She circled around and closed in on her daughter, who slunk down, gripping the sides of the chair.

...

Somehow, that got to her. Doesn't she realize her little girl can hear that? What kind of feeling is that going to give her child? Kurumi heard the red-head sink further to the ground and felt her hand curl up.

"...But wouldn't it be worse for business if you made a scene punishing her?"

!

The air froze. Kurumi closed her eyes and took a sip of her tea, trying not to concentrate on the eyes falling on her.

...

Finally, the hostess rose to her feet and gave a deep bow.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, miss. Please forgive my impudence."

She didn't know what that word meant, but it sounds like things worked out. She nodded quietly, and the lady clopped back through the door from whence she came.

"Mmm...! Mmm...." Kotohime rubbed her arm and stared down at the ground. Without a word, she walked away, and people slowly resumed their business. Kurumi hung her head with a sigh.

---

With one final sip, Kurumi had thoroughly soaked the atmosphere of the tea shop and rubbed her neck. Well, it seems she made a good impression in the end, so she'll call today a victory. She gathered her two books off the ground and stood up. Time to go home.

"Umm, pardon me...!"

Geez, I don't need this. "Aah, sorry, I'll get out of your way..." Kurumi sidestepped and began walking to the end of the patio.

"Wait, no! I need to ask you something."

What...? Kurumi turned around -

And was taken aback immediately. In front of her was a girl in a dark red dress. Kurumi looked up slightly to meet her face; her blond hair curled at the sides, flanking her strong, youthful features. And even higher was a large, wide-brimmed hat, simple yet lady-like. Kurumi gulped.

She...she's pretty... A-and what's more, she was talking to her?! Wait, OH. Kurumi blinked and snapped to attention.

"Yes! How can I help you?" Her voice pitched at the end there. Real smooth...

If the girl sensed anything wrong, she didn't comment on it. She held up a poster. "Do you know anywhere I can put this up? I'm advertising for a party."

"Umm, just around the corner is a wall. It seems to be free for anyone to use..." Kurumi pointed in the direction. The girl nodded and smiled.

"Thanks! I'm sorry for bothering you." The girl turned and walked away.

"No, no problem at all..." Kurumi trailed off as she rounded the corner.

The young vampire leaned against the table in a daze. A human, a human finally talked to her! There were tons of people she could have asked, but she asked her. Oh my gosh, and she was pretty...

Against all rationality, Kurumi began moving forward. Just what was she planning to do? Before she could even consider that fact, she rounded the bend and was right in front of her. The girl with the large hat turned, having just finished pinning the poster up.

"Oh? Do you need something?"

Kurumi opened her mouth, letting it do the talking. "Umm, what's your name?" ...Passable.

The girl touched her hat for a moment. "I'm Elly. How come?"

Right, reason. She needs one of those. Kurumi's eyes caught the poster and latched onto it.

"You said there is a party? Does that mean you're going to it?" Elly's eyes flickered for a moment. That would seem to indicate bad things, but then she beamed at her.

"Yes! It's being planned by the community to build goodwill between humans and youkai. I'm one of the organizers." Elly pointed toward the light blue poster.

Good...will? Kurumi shuffled to take a closer look:



PARTY THIS SATURDAY, 6 PM

Humans and youkai both welcome.

Free food! NO fighting!

Hope to see you there. :)



 ...Well, this was certainly a party invitation, all right. But...

"Humans and youkai, really? Will that actually work?" Elly's face lit up.

"Of course! It's not all blood and guts between us. And besides, it's important to build a good relationship with our neighbors."

What...? A good relationship? That's just crazy. Yet, something was tickling her in the side of her brain. The vampire strained her eyes.

"Where is it being held."

"Aah, sorry, directions are at the bottom. I kinda ran out of space." Elly chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. Kurumi squinted at the bottom and made out the location. This...this was just off the path she used last night...

"You should come! It'll be a good experience for everyone involved."

"I see...umm, I'll consider it." Free food, that will at least slow down her desire for more blood.

"Great! Hope to see you there, umm..." Elly paused and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

Kurumi gasped slightly at this gesture. "Kurumi. Just Kurumi." She tried not to look too hard at Elly's yellow eyes, afraid of what might happen if she did.

"Then I hope to see you there, Kurumi. Take care~" She waved and headed off, ruffling the multitude of posters she still had left to distribute.

"T-take care..." Kurumi stood awestruck as the charming woman disappeared into the crowd. Finally she shook her head.

Humans and youkai, together? How does that even work...? That girl was so naive! Did she not hear the news this morning? There's no way I could - she felt a pain in her head and stopped herself.

But, even so, when she remembered that kind face saying those words with such confidence, Kurumi forgot how ridiculous they sounded...

Kurumi suddenly remembered the books she was holding and snapped back to reality. Right! It'll be dusk in a couple hours. She better get heading home. Refusing to linger on the girl in the distance any longer, Kurumi spun around and began walking the road out of the village.

...

Elly, huh... She looked down. It was a couple days away, still. She'll probably forget about her by then. But this party...

"Well, free food. Maybe they'll have ice cream!" Kurumi nodded. Ice cream is a good reason to go to anything. Right, it's settled! Kurumi looked forward and took off down the street, an unusual feeling brewing in her heart...

---

I think I'm sufficiently warmed up, so we shall see how much farther I take this before getting back to my other stories. Leave a comment if you enjoyed this so far! See you next time.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2015, 08:34:52 PM by nintendonut888 »
nintendonut888: Hey Baity. I beat the high score for Sanae B hard on the score.dat you sent me. X3
Baity: For a moment, I thought you broke 1.1billion. Upon looking at my score.dat, I can assume that you destroyed the score that is my failed (first!) 1cc attempt on my first day of playing. Congratulations.

[19:42] <Sapz> I think that's the only time I've ever seen a suicide bullet shoot its own suicide bullet

Nicktendonick

  • guess the IRC ban wasn't a big enough hint
Re: Scarlet Sabbath
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2014, 08:51:58 AM »
I have to say, I really do.

It's interesting duality for our heroine (if we can call her that) showing both sides of her nature, both the monster and the human inside her (well, figuratively) and conflict they cause Kurumi. She's can't deny the monster inside her what it wants, but she wants what humans have: Friends, family, a place to belong, the what-not.

It's a classic setup, that what she needs to do to live comes into direct opposing conflict with what she wants / how she wants to live. It's a great interpersonal conflict that I'm eating up like candy.
Keep up the good work, I wanna see what happens next.

nintendonut888

  • So those that live now, pledge on your fists and souls
  • Leave a sign of your life, no matter how small...
Re: Scarlet Sabbath
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2014, 04:48:24 AM »
A modestly furnished series of rooms within a hidden complex of caves. In front of a bedroom mirror, a young girl was busy readying herself for a big night.

Aah, having long hair is such a pain sometimes... Kurumi furiously dug at her hair with a brush, trying to make it absolutely, perfectly straight. The vampire was never terribly big on keeping up appearances, but tonight was different. It was a party; she almost never got to go to parties. And plus, she wanted to look good...j-just in case she remembered her.

Kurumi backed up and lifted the knee of her maroon dress. She felt a bit self-conscious about the lack of sleeves exposing her shoulders, but it really looked good on her. When she saw it in that store she knew she just had to have it. Sure she couldn't actually afford it and ended up hypnotizing the store owner, but anywaaaay.

Hmm, I still need something...ah!

Kurumi rummaged around her dresser for a bit. Finally she found it - a small white hair ribbon. She got it as a gift when she was small, and it has always brought her good luck. With slow, tender movements, she tied it onto the left side of her hair.

There... Looking at the mirror, she hardly recognized herself. Between the party dress, the thin white gloves on her hands and the ribbon, she could pass as a real life socialite!

"Hehe, I actually look pretty cool!" Kurumi twirled in place. She feasted on a mountain goat earlier today, so there's little chance of her messing up at the party. That just means she has to not...mess up...at the party. Kurumi scratched at her chest absent-mindedly before shaking her head. She didn't want to spoil this good mood.

Kurumi headed to the exit of the caves she made her home in - the Sun was just starting to reach the horizon. If she headed out now, she would arrive just after it started. Excellent; she didn't really feel like helping with the setup.

The day-crawling vampire took a deep breath of the mountain air. She was kind of nervous. Kurumi usually stayed cooped up at home, and this was her first time being social in ages. But, there was something about this party that really gnawed at her...

Humans and youkai both welcome!

Well, we'll see when we get there. Releasing the magic on her body, Kurumi's large, bat-like wings phased into existence. Sometimes Kurumi wondered how that didn't ruin her clothes, which remained completely unharmed when exposing them, but better not to question such things.

"Alright! Human Village, here I come!" With a running start and a few practice flaps, Kurumi touched off the ground and rose into the air. It was about an hour to the village from here; she'll have plenty of time to get into the mood. The young vampire smiled as she soared over the mountaintops, hoping this good feeling would last.

---

Kurumi walked with sure steps past the reception with her hands tucked in front of her. The last bits of sunlight were fading from the sky, signaling the beginning of the night. Oh, by the way, she hid her wings a mile out of town and walked the rest of the way - it's important to keep a consistent image.

As Kurumi wandered to the main party grounds, she beheld quite a sight. Among the tables covered with tasty-looking food were countless clusters of people. Some were standing, but many of the groups were sitting down, soaking in the pleasant spring weather.

"Do I just not get out enough? This party is huge..." There must be over 300 people in this area, with more like her on the way. Despite being in a crowd though, Kurumi felt oddly at ease. Given her lack of sociability, she was essentially still alone. No one would bother her or look at her, and she could walk freely as long as she didn't get in anyone's way. There's something to be said for acting like you're not there.

The hidden vampire casually glanced around the party as she made her way to a nearby snack table. Sure as Elly said, there were certainly youkai at this party. While some youkai were indistinguishable from human at a glance, their behavior around others clearly gave them away. That girl with the red hair ribbon popping cherries into her mouth, for example - Kurumi could easily pick out her leers at that plump guy across the table. She couldn't possibly be more obvious, or off-putting. Kurumi ran her fingers through her hair, grateful that she was able to act better than that.

Others, however, were youkai in more unsubtle ways. Sitting with a bespectacled white-haired man was a rather large kitsune, marked by her fox ears and nine tails. But wait, was the man a human, or a youkai? Kurumi paused for a moment, unable to get any signals one way or the other. Either way, they were chatting animatedly about some topic or another - from what little Kurumi could pick out she heard some math-sounding terms - some intellectual topic, probably. More than that, though, the kitsune was acting quite unconcerned about her obviousness as a youkai. Either she was far too powerful to worry about counterattacks, or...

Kurumi glanced off to the side.

Or she's comfortable around humans. The young girl held her arms and moved on.

Reaching the snack table, Kurumi helped herself to some bread. Human food did little for her, but it seemed to serve as a mild substitute for her real craving. Besides, some of it tasted pretty good in its own way. Moving on, she poured herself a tiny bit of red liquid - wine, of course, but holding something red in a glass made her feel like Dracula. She swished the wine around as she continued observing.

Honestly, this doesn't look so bad... Skilled musicians in the background played an array of both eastern and western instruments, complementing the diversity of characters at the event. Humans and youkai alike seemed to be having fun, though as Kurumi suspected, a lot of the intermingling was single-species only.

But, there's interaction. More than I expected. Kurumi strolled next to a bunch of fairies, giggling and chattering amongst themselves. Trailing behind them were a couple of human children with sticks, somehow left unsupervised by their parents. When one fairy in a light blue dress caught noticed the creeping children, all of them instantly cried and charged the children, who screamed and ran away. Given the mutual laughter between the humans and fairies, she got the impression this was a recurring conflict.

Well, they're not openly hostile, but is this really "building a relationship...?" Kurumi shook her head and took a sip of her wine.

"Kck-!"

Kurumi coughed into her arm. Right, she forgot how much she hated alcohol. Kurumi sighed and set the wine glass down on the nearest table, filled with regret over losing her impersonation tool.

Anyway, this party was great. Both humans and youkai were getting a real treat out of this. Lots of food, music, friends...

But, why am I here?

Kurumi felt her spirit sink. She didn't want to think about this now.

But it's all...so...

Kurumi scratched her neck in discontent. All around her, humans and youkai were having fun. That's good. I mean, of course it's only natural everyone would have a good time at a party like this. Humans, youkai, of course they would find reason to get along with each other when you set up something all nice and fancy.

"But...this can only be true because this is a party..."

Kurumi stepped through the party anxiously, as if trying to escape from something. Scanning the party-goers, her eyes caught a large group sitting on the ground. It was mostly comprised of humans, but there was at least one youkai among them, marked by her rabbit ears. Though Kurumi wasn't intending to eavesdrop, she picked up a few things from the bunny youkai...

"...just can't believe they locked me out of my own room. It isn't easy being bottom rung in the mansion, you know." The long-eared girl sipped her sake dish.

"Huh? You rabbits have a place?"

She looked at the stout-looking man across from her with a bright twinkle in her eye. "Aah, yeah, in the bamboo forest! Oh, but wait, I wasn't supposed to tell that to you humans, ha ha." Kurumi noticed her cheeks were a tad rosy.

"Ha ha ha, no worries. I wouldn't be caught dead in that forest. Your secret's safe with us."

A girl next to the man piped up. "Yeah, you wouldn't find hide nor hare of me, either! Don't worry, don't worry!" Everyone in the group laughed, though the guy narrowed his eyes a little at the girl.

...

Well, Kurumi certainly admired their friendliness, if nothing else. She must admit, it would be nice to sit in a group like that and just laugh the night away.

But...there's no way I could do that...

Kurumi stared between her elegant white gloves and the group in front of her. Sure, she looks all nice and pretty...but there's no way she could fit into a group like them. They were humans; she was a vampire. Unless she forgot this most basic fact, there's no way she could ever be friendly towards them without lying to herself. No matter how much they'd talk, a party like this wasn't going to solve anything. It made no difference, because all those warm feelings would melt away when we went back to hunting each other the next day. Nothing about this night was showing her anything different from what she expected.

"...Ha ha ha, oh man, working for this head rabbit sounds like a hare-y situation!"

"Emi, you can stop now..."

Kurumi clenched her teeth. This was starting to piss her off. Come on, "building a relationship?" We kill humans. Humans kill youkai. How could Elly ignore such a simple thing? This was just a foolish dream. Everyone would go right back to fearing each other the next time they met, and nothing would change. It was foolish. It was stupid, so why...

Why does everyone look so happy?

One of them noticed Kurumi and caught her eyes. Kurumi looked away with a pained expression and hurried away.

---

Kurumi lay down on a small hilltop at the edge of the party. Hugging her knees, the young girl looked up at the Moon and sighed.

Oh Moon, what was I thinking, coming here? I'm no party person... At least she got some ice cream, in the end...

"Heeeeey!"

? Kurumi looked down, and widened her eyes immediately at the person waving up at her. Like an image straight from her memories, there she was, unchanged from the other day: That same red dress, that same large hat, that same gorgeous face...

"E-Elly?" The girl tilted her head.

"Hmm? Do I know you...? OH!" She snapped her fingers. "You're that girl from the other day! Ku...rumi, right? I'm right, aren't I?" Elly trotted up the hill, her dress swishing in the cool wind.

"Y-yeah! You remember me?" Kurumi blushed. Of all the things she could be right about...

"Hehe, you have to be good with names in my business." Elly sat down next to Kurumi, who shrunk slightly.

"So what are you doing all by yourself? It's no good to come to a party if you're not going to talk to anyone."

"Aah...! Umm, uh..." Kurumi was drawing a complete blank after that surprise attack. Elly stiffened a little.

"O-ooh...I'm sorry, that was a little rude of me. I-I just wanted...you know..." She drummed her fingers on her lap and looked away. For some reason, this made Kurumi smile. She loosened her shoulders a bit.

"No, it's fine. I'm just not a party person."

"Huh? But you came here to the party, didn't you?" Elly shifted to look at Kurumi. The shy girl met her gaze.

"W-well, yes. I did come. I wanted to come, in fact! But well, to be honest, I don't understand why I bothered coming at all. Weird, huh?" She laughed nervously.

"You don't know why you came...?" Elly tilted her head in concern.

Kurumi looked down and knit her hands a little. "No... I mean, the theme of the party sounded weird, and I wanted to see it for myself...b-but now that I'm here, I don't really know what to do, or what it was I wanted to see..."

Wait, what...? Is that what I'm thinking...? Kurumi blinked. Elly stared at her. An uncomfortably long pause followed.




And then...

"I think I get it..."

"Eh...?" Kurumi turned to Elly, and was taken aback by her bright smile.

"You want to come with me, Kurumi?"

Kurumi's eyes fluttered. "Eh? What's that, all of a sudden?"

Elly giggled. "Come on, I'm one of the organizers! I could tell from the beginning you were interested in the theme. You said you knew about it, right?"

Kurumi nodded. "Yeah, you told me at the tea house. You said this party was about 'building goodwill between humans and youkai'."

Elly nodded vigorously. "That's right! It's my job as an organizer to make sure the party is going well, so I gotta get everyone I can involved in the party!"

I don't think that's part of an organizer's duties, but...

"So come on, I'll introduce you to some people! If you want to build some relations, I know just where to go!"

Upon hearing this, the bad feeling in Kurumi's head came back stronger than ever, and she grew pale. "I...I don't know...I'm really bad with people. Th-there's no way I could get along with them."

"Then I'll be your companion! If you have someone by your side, you won't have to be scared." Elly leaned forward.

Sweat formed on Kurumi's forehead. "N-no, I-I don't have any...I don't know how to..."

"You're talking to me, aren't you? I'm sure once you get started you'll open right up! Please, Kurumi? I can't bear to see someone I invited look so sad..." Elly's eyes softened, and Kurumi gasped slightly.

Those eyes...they look...so...

Taken aback, Kurumi looked down. Only then did she realize her position. Hugging her knees, shrinking into a ball, letting her best dress get dirtied on the ground...she had no idea she looked this depressed.

Kurumi took a deep breath and made up her mind then and there.

"Alright!!" The girl opposite almost jumped back, surprised by Kurumi's outburst. "I mean...! If you'll have me...umm, I would like to accompany you, Elly." She nervously held out her hand.

"Kurumi..." Elly reached out and held Kurumi's hand softly. It was strange; her expression almost seemed to be one of gratitude.

...

Then, suddenly, she let go and rose to her feet.

"Great, then it's settled! Come on, let's go before all the good snacks are gone!" She ran down the hill, waving for Kurumi to follow her. The vampire lit up and scrambled to her feet.

"W-wait! Wait for me!" Lifting up her dress, she scurried after Elly. The spirited girl waited at the bottom with a wide grin. Once Kurumi caught up, she gave a reassuring nod and led her into the crowd of both humans and youkai. Kurumi did her best to keep up, too shocked by this turn of events to doubt herself.

---

Haaa, that was a hard chapter to write for some reason. Still, I think I'm finally satisfied with how it turned out. Stay tuned for the next installment!
« Last Edit: March 18, 2016, 08:17:40 PM by nintendonut888 »
nintendonut888: Hey Baity. I beat the high score for Sanae B hard on the score.dat you sent me. X3
Baity: For a moment, I thought you broke 1.1billion. Upon looking at my score.dat, I can assume that you destroyed the score that is my failed (first!) 1cc attempt on my first day of playing. Congratulations.

[19:42] <Sapz> I think that's the only time I've ever seen a suicide bullet shoot its own suicide bullet

Re: Scarlet Sabbath
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2014, 05:47:55 AM »
So Kurumi does not drink ... wine, huh? :3

nintendonut888

  • So those that live now, pledge on your fists and souls
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Re: Scarlet Sabbath
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2014, 04:07:52 AM »
Ha ha, even once my writing ability comes back to me, my update schedule remains the same. Now that college is all over and done with, I have a lot more time to focus on my writing. ...I really wanted this chapter to come out right, so I hope you enjoy it too.

---

A party in full swing, attended by both humans and youkai. Underneath the cloudless sky, a timid girl was accompanied by a rare companion...

"S-so, Elly, where are we going?" Kurumi rubbed her arm shyly.

Elly spoke in a grand voice. "We are going to meet up with the head organizer of this party."

Kurumi touched her chin. "I thought you were the organizer?" To this, Elly laughed and waved her hands.

"No no no, I'm just an assistant. I'm far too busy to tackle something this big on my own."

"Busy? That's not very common in Gensokyo. What do you do...?"

Elly adopted a proud smile. "I am the maid and bodyguard of a rich and powerful lady. A caretaker, if you will."

Kurumi "ooh"ed in response. She had no idea there was someone like that in the Human Village. "That would make you pretty busy, I guess... It, umm...sounds rough."

"Aah, no, it's not that bad. She's kind of...odd, but she's a really nice person once you get to know her. So yeah, I get my share of free time, and I make sure to use it. Gotta keep up with my reading, after all!" Elly pumped her fists, mostly to herself.

Kurumi's eyes lit up. "You read too, Elly?"

Elly gave an approving grin. "Of course! I still don't get out much, so I have to take what I can get. Nothing like books to while away the hours, I say!"

Kurumi clasped her hands together. "W-what kind of books? I mean, if you don't mind me asking...!"

Elly giggled for some reason. "Oh, you know, the classics. Not just the Chinese classics either; a lot of western literature has a very distinct taste compared to what's around here."

"Yeah, I agree! I mean, not that the stuff around here is bad or anything...it's just interesting, to read stuff from other places that aren't here." Kurumi thought of all the books in her home with that foreign label of "young adult" and nodded approvingly.

Elly smiled and nodded. "What are your favorites, then?"

"Aah, well, you know...eh heh heh." Kurumi looked away.

Nooo, I should have thought of this...! She just talked about "classics" and "literature." She can't know Kurumi avoids big-worded stuff like the plague...!

Come on, think of somethiiiiiing. The young blond's mind raced for something that sounded classy. Finally her mind settled on the picture book she bought the other day, the one that kid tried to steal.

"Well, the book I finished reading most recently..." She took a deep breath; Elly stopped walking and waited expectantly.

"...was the great work 'Spirits of the East.'" She held her head high, hoping she survived the next minute.

...

...

*snrk*

Elly chuckled and looked away, covering her mouth with a delicate fist. Kurumi flushed red.

"U-uuhm, I...take it you've heard of it."

Elly tried to keep a straight face. "Y-yeah, I have. That's a nice choice, I've heard. From the kids at the school. Heh heh heh."

She should have just taken it, but Kurumi pouted. "There's nothing wrong with appreciating a good children's book!"

"No, I'm not judging you Kurumi. It's just...fitting, somehow." She gave a serene smile which caused the vampire's annoyance to melt away. She looked away for a moment.

"...Eh heh. Thanks, I guess." She scratched her cheek and let the awkward moment last just a while longer.

---

"Ooooooy, Keine!" Elly waved and ran ahead of Kurumi to a proper-looking lady with a lunchbox on her head. The lady turned to face her, her long white hair flowing as she did so.

"Aah, Elly, it's good to see you. And you brought a friend...?" She gave an imperious gaze at Kurumi.

"Kinda. Come on Kurumi!" Elly waved her closer, and Kurumi fast-walked forward, keeping her arms stiff as she approached the woman.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Kurumi...umm, just Kurumi." She bowed deeply. The lady with blue highlights in her hair glanced at Kurumi skeptically.

"I am Keine Kamishirasama. I am the head organizer for this event. Will you be joining us?"

"Umm, if you please..." Kurumi's heart was pounding, trying to impress this big-shot.

The woman raised her eyebrow. "Hmph, very well then." She walked past Kurumi with her arms folded, surveying the party. Kurumi looked down, feeling slightly dejected.

Elly leaned in close. "Don't mind her, she's always this way. She's a really nice person, even if she's a bit stuffy." Kurumi nodded. She could see that, but she also could tell there was zero chance of them getting along.

"Aah, there's a snack table over there. Come on Kurumi, help us get some grub!" Elly rushed forward, and the other two followed suit.

Kurumi put herself in charge of gathering the sweets, while Elly helped filled a plate of fruit and crackers. And the older lady, Keine...filled her sake dish.

It wouldn't kill her to carry something in the other hand... Kurumi stole a glance at the sake dish as she dished some mochi. Keine must have seen her, because she suddenly turned and grew a stern look on her face.

"What? Am I not allowed to have sake?"

"U-uh, yes, of course you are! But...umm, never mind." Kurumi sweated and busied herself with a second plate of sweet bread, and Keine turned away, satisfied.

In any case, it wasn't long before they were all stocked up with food. Keine turned to the other two.

"You should know that along with my duties, I am the chaperone of someone this evening as well."

Elly's eyes widened slightly. "Ooh, I see. Let's find them, shall we?"

Keine nodded. "Then follow me." Taking careful yet steady steps, she balanced her sake dish in a dignified manner and glided towards some far-off destination. Elly turned to Kurumi. "Ready?"

Kurumi nodded. "Yeah, I think I am. Thanks." Elly smiled and walked ahead to Keine's side. The young vampire trailed behind the two and concentrated on keeping her plates level.

"So Keine, how has everything been going, party-wise?"

"Mmm..." The white-haired woman looked up at the stars briefly before answering. "Well, it's certainly going well, as far as attendance goes at any rate..."

Kurumi glanced to the side, eager to not enter the conversation. For the first time since meeting Elly, she took in her situation.

I can't believe I'm doing this...I've never had an outing with humans like this before...

Well, that wasn't true. In her early days she had joined guests for dinner a few times when her caretakers insisted, and she played with some villagers a few times back then, too. But that was so long ago. Plus...that wasn't exactly a positive experience with humans back then, either. Kurumi bit her lips in anxiety, wondering how she should act once the actual talking part happened.

"..."

The sound of nearby voices interrupted Kurumi's train of thought. She looked and saw two girls pointing at her and whispering.

Eh...? She took small peeks at the two girls as she moved a bit closer behind Elly. Why would they be looking at her...?

As if to answer her question, the girls then looked ahead to Keine and Elly and said something Kurumi couldn't make out. The young vampire's eyes widened as it dawned on her: They weren't looking at her, they were looking at the group. The group she was in.

Kurumi gave a meaningful look at the two girls as she passed by them and they turned away, pretending not to be paying attention to her. Paying attention...to me...

...How could she put it? The idea of being a part of something made Kurumi super nervous. As a covert vampire, she couldn't risk letting her true nature be found out by anyone. But...at the same time, it was kind of exciting. Kurumi looked down at the ground and softened her eyes. It was kind of...like it was back then.
---

Finally, Keine stopped in front of a group of two people on the ground.

"I'm back, Youmu." The one she spoke to, a young girl wearing green shorts, perked up.

"Oh, Keine! Thank goodness you're back. This weird youkai tried attacking me earlier..." The other girl, a modest-looking girl with a ridiculous-looking umbrella, pouted.

"I did not! I only wanted you to fear me...not hit me with that big thing..." She rubbed her cheek, and Kurumi noticed a large bruise.

Keine sat down Japanese style. "You appear unharmed, in any case. Elly, Kurumi, this is Youmu. I'm looking after her while she's away from home."

The short-haired girl lowered her head. "Pleased to meet you." Keine took Kurumi and Elly's plates and set them in the middle of the forming circle. As she did this, she turned to the other girl. "And you are?"

The blue-haired youkai gave a wide, if insincere smile. "I'm Kogasa Tatara! Pleased to make your acquaintance!" The five of them nodded and exchanged pleasantries. Elly sat down and patted the ground next to her. Kurumi obliged, sitting cross-legged.

Keine glanced at the hideous accessory next to Kogasa. "That umbrella...are you a karakasa, by any chance?" Kogasa puffed out her chest.

"That's right, a true-born tsukumogami! There's nothing I can't scare when I try!" She turned to Kurumi and waggled her fingers. "You better be careful, Kurumi, or you'll soon find yourself quivering on the ground like a piece of konjac. Ueh heh heh heh heh!"

Kurumi raised an eyebrow. "I'll keep an eye out, thanks." She nibbled on a cracker. The boyish girl, Youmu, leaned towards her.

"Yeah, you better watch out! For serious, keep an eye open when you go around a corner. You can't let her catch you off guard, no matter what!" She turned her gaze to Kogasa and edged away.

Man, what a kid. Kurumi then felt embarrassed, remembering her talk with Elly from earlier.

Elly dished up a plate of potatoes. "So, Youmu, Keine says she's your chaperone at the moment. Does this mean you're not from around here?"

The girl gulped some daifuku she bit into before answering. "Aah, yeah. My home's far away, and I don't get to come out to the Human Village much. But my master insisted I talk with people my age. She calls it "training," but I don't see what I'm supposed to learn..." She had a slightly morose look on her face as she said this last part.

Keine sipped some sake. "I got a formal request to look after her several days ago. It was quite a surprise, but her master isn't someone you say no to."

"Huh..." Kurumi appraised the exotic-sounding circumstances of the girl in front of her as she ate an apple slice.

Taking a closer look though, something was a bit off about the girl. It was hard to see in this light, but there was some fluffy cloud-like thing around her which blended into the background.

"...Umm, Youmu? What is that giant thing around you?"

"Eh?" Youmu looked around, confused. The object adjusted itself behind her as she turned. "What thing?" Keine cleared her throat.

"Youmu is what is known as a half-ghost. As in, half-ghost, half-human. You're looking at her phantom half."

Kurumi tried to hide the puzzlement on her face. "I...see..." A half ghost? Until now she thought this girl was human. The shapeless blob shrunk under her gaze; Youmu suddenly looked a bit shy.

"Is that weird? I know there aren't many like me..."

Kurumi shook her head and waved her hands. "Oh, no, no, it's not like that. I didn't mean to say you're weird. It's, umm..." Shoot, what does she want to say? Youmu looked apprehensive as sweat began forming on Kurumi's forehead.

Elly cleared her throat slightly and everyone turned to her. "I think what Kurumi wants to say is that it's very distinctive to be only part-human." Kurumi perked up, and Elly winked at her.

"Yeah! That's what I wanted to say. It's very...uhm, distinctive." She tapped her fingers together, glad to have someone to back her up.

Youmu looked down slightly. "Oh. Well, thank you, but it's nothing special, really. Just my lineage." Youmu shrugged her shoulders and helped herself to an apple.

The vampire shook her head. "No, I think it's very interesting, to be half and half like that. You get to be on both sides of the coin."

Youmu gave a confused look. "I guess? I'm usually too busy to worry about stuff like that, though." She took a bite of the fruit in her hands.

Kurumi steeled her will and leaned forward slightly. "So if you don't mind me asking, then, how do people treat you? Like a human, or a youkai?"

"W-what-?" Youmu almost lost the bit of apple she chewed into, and everyone in the circle gave a confused look.

Shoot, why did I say that...? The formerly upbeat atmosphere suddenly darkened, and Kurumi felt like every eye on her was judging her. Her breath stiffened and she wanted to apologize, but she couldn't take back what she already said...

Keine was the first to respond. "Kurumi, that was very rude. What would it matter if she were seen as a human or not?" Kurumi's mind felt hot at this remark.

"It matters a lot! Because, you know, everyone in Gensokyo is either human, like you, or a youkai like Kogasa." She motioned at Kogasa, who was listening intently. "How someone'd view you would depend a lot on which one you were..."

Keine brushed aside her hair and gave a small snort. "For your information, there are a lot more than just 'humans and youkai' in Gensokyo. Take her." She glanced at Kogasa. "She's a karakasa. Would it be right to just call her a youkai?"

Kurumi strained her eyes a little. "Well, she's a kind of youkai..."

"Yes, a kind. But there are countless varieties of them, and it'd be folly for you to treat them all the same. For example, there are tsukumogami, magicians, vampires, nyuudo, hakutaku, evil spirits, oni, satori, rokurokubi-"

Kurumi shut her eyes and pouted. "Alright, I get it! But even if there's  all different kinds, they're all the same to..." She trailed off, suddenly becoming very nervous. There's no way she could flub saying this up. She glanced to Elly for support, but to Kurumi's surprise, the normally cheerful girl was looking ahead with a far-away look on her face. She gulped and looked back to Keine, who was giving an uncharacteristically intense look on her face.

"They're all the same to...what? Finish your sentences when you start them, young miss. Didn't they teach you that in school? Oh wait, you don't go to school, of course. I've never seen you in my classes..." She gave Kurumi a piercing glare, and the young girl felt like she was being cooked alive. She couldn't finish that sentence. It wasn't true, so there's no way she could say that...

Youmu shifted uncomfortably. "Uhm, you guys?"

Keine's glare turned to Youmu. "Yes, Youmu?" The half-ghost stiffened, but kept herself firm.

"I didn't really mind the question that much, it just caught me off guard is all. So if you could calm down...?" Kurumi was amazed at how she kept herself calm with those eyes on her. She must be a monk or something.

After a momentary eternity, Keine sighed and relented. She relaxed her shoulders and sipped some sake. Youmu wiped her forehead with a "whew." 

"Anyway Kurumi, it's no big deal. I'm just a human with a ghost part. I guess if you wanted something strange about me, it's that I age slower than a normal human. And I have my ghost half." The white mass sailed to the front, and she wrapped her arm around it. "That's it, really."

"I-I see. Umm, I'm sorry for asking such an inappropriate question like that." Kurumi wasn't satisfied, but felt like she should cut her losses.

"It's fine." Youmu returned to the apple she had started on before, and the conversation lulled.

...

"Hey, Kurumi..." A soft voice to her left caught the blond's attention. Elly faced her, a slightly worried look on her face. "Is it okay if I ask you a question?"

Honestly? No, she just wanted to get up and run far away to someplace safe right now. But those eyes...she couldn't say no to them. "Yeah...?"

Elly's eyes flickered away slightly before continuing. "Do you think humans and youkai are able to get along with each other?"

"Eh...?" Such a question...why would the organizer of a party like this ask something like that? Still...

"Aah...hmm..."  Kurumi looked down at an increasingly abandoned food plate and searched within herself.

Can humans and youkai get along? In all her years of living, she had never seen a reason why not. They both laugh, they both cry, and they both have the same thoughts and feelings. She's never seen a reason why they can't live in harmony. But...

Then, an image of blood-soaked bodies filled Kurumi's mind.

It's impossible. Kurumi closed her eyes and shook the image out of her head.

"Kurumi...?" Elly's eyes looked apprehensive. Youmu was looking anxious and Keine had a patently neutral expression. Kurumi's head was pounding, but she couldn't let herself say what was in her mind right now. To admit that this feeling was right would be to give up. But...but...

"Don't you think that's kind of unfair, Elly?"

"Eh-?!" Kurumi and Elly startled and turned to the voice. Kurumi turned to see Kogasa the karakasa, stroking the handle of her umbrella thoughtfully.

"W-what do you mean, Kogasa?" Elly gripped her collar. Kurumi remained silent, but stared as the blue-haired youkai took a small breath.

"I'm saying that it's wrong to pose it like a philosophic question. After all, a youkai has no choice but to terrorize humans. It's just our nature..." She gave a small, wry smile to herself.

Elly's face stiffened. "I don't think that's true, Kogasa."

Kogasa smiled. "Isn't it? A youkai requires humans to fear it in order to maintain existence. That...is basic. No matter how much we like or hate humans, attacking them is inevitable. We youkai can't exist without that element of fear."

Or for vampires, human blood... Kurumi looked down.

Now it was Keine's turn to speak up. "That may be true, Kogasa, but you're ignoring where we are and why it exists. Gensokyo was made as a haven for youkai so they wouldn't have to disappear from the world. No one in Gensokyo is foolish enough to deny the existence of youkai.

Kogasa grumbled. "Well that's true, but-"

Keine cut her off. "And because everyone believes in youkai, you can exist in Gensokyo without attacking the humans who live in the village. It's enough that people remain who believe in you and your powers."

The umbrella youkai sighed. "You don't get it. That doesn't change anything Miss Kamishirasawa.  Unless humans are afraid of us, belief isn't good enough."

Keine narrowed her eyes. "I don't understand. Explain yourself."

The karakasa raised her arms as though she was a monster. "To strike fear into the hearts of humans!" Her hands fell behind her head to resemble horns. "To inspire stories of our might!"  She covered her face and shifted her eyes. "And to ensure those stories live on in hushed whispers...!" She clasped her hands together. "That is the kind of fear and respect that makes us who we are as youkai, our raison d'?tre."

Keine furrowed her brow, as if remembering something. "So that's how you see it. That's right, I had forgotten. If your existence originated from a certain quality, needing to express that trait wouldn't just be psychological; it'd extend to your physical health as well..."

Kogasa nodded. "Now you're getting it. And for a karakasa like me, to not scare someone and live on belief alone is like..." She picked a pastry off a plate and ate it in one gulp. "Like a human without sweets."

Elly held herself as she glanced at Keine. "Or a teacher without a class...I think I get what you're saying, Kogasa." This must have meant something to Keine, as the stubborn lady closed her eyes with a difficult expression.

A teacher without a class...yeah, I get it. Most youkai would waste away without this "role" whether or not they continued living; it'd hardly be a haven at all. Not to mention those of us who need to eat humans...it's no wonder humans and youkai have no choice but to fight each other... Kurumi sighed in resignation.

Elly raised her head a bit. "But still...we don't think it has to be that way, Kogasa. That's why we threw this party - as a way to let us intermingle and build lasting relationships. We want to show everyone there's a way we can live in peace together." She waved her hands at the bustling party.

"Aah, I see. That's pretty thoughtful." Kogasa straightened her skirt as she spoke. "So let me ask, how is this party going to solve the problem?"

Elly looked tense. "What...do you mean?"

Kogasa looked around at the various groups chattering in the night. "I mean this." She waved her hand. "How will this quench our need to frighten humans? Do you have a way I'm just not seeing?"

"Nngh..." Elly pursed her lips and let her hands sink into her lap.

This karakasa was kind of pissing her off, but Kurumi couldn't deny the logic behind her words. The problem wasn't that youkai like her couldn't get along with humans like Elly. It's that they have to keep attacking humans in order to remain healthy and active. So long as that's true...this party and the memories it builds won't do anything but make that fact more painful. Elly's goal, as nice as it sounded, was just the hope of an inexperienced child. Kurumi felt like she was about to cry.

"This isn't meant to be an easy fix, Kogasa. These things take time."

Eh...? Kurumi held back the growing tears and looked at Elly, who still seemed to have some fight left in her.

"I'm sure there's a solution that will let us live in harmony with humans in spite of that. But nothing will get done if we don't at least try to look for an answer..."

That's pretty gutsy of her to say, but - wait...something about what she said seems off...

Kogasa gave a sympathetic smile. "Wishful thinking, dear Elly. In the mean time though, we gotta still get our sustenance somehow. You know that as well as anyone. We're not going to just sit back and wait for you to come up with a miracle cure."

...

"E-even so, not all youkai need to eat humans to find fulfillment. Some of us can achieve that through other means. I'm sure there's a way for all youkai to reach that end...!"

. . .

And then it clicked.

WHAAAAAAT?!

Kurumi slammed her palms down.

"YOU'RE A YOUKAI, ELLY?!" Everyone in the circle jumped. Youmu almost fell backwards screaming.

Whoops. Kurumi blushed furiously.

Kogasa gave Kurumi a proud look. "Man, you'd make a grade A karakasa, Kurumi. I'll have to take notes on that one." She took out a notebook from her breast pocket and began writing.

"U-u-u-um, sorry about that. But, Elly, you're a youkai?"

Elly laughed a bit as she caught her breath. "Ha ha...you scared me... Anyway yeah, I am. Sorry, I-I didn't mean to hide it from you...why? Was that important?" The normally self-confident girl suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable.

This revelation hit the vampire like a ton of bricks. Her head was swimming. A youkai? A youkai is the one saying all this? She thought this was all the posturing of an ignorant human, but now...

"You say that even though you're a youkai? That we can live together?"

"Y-yeah...? Is that...wrong?"

Kurumi's arms shook. How. How can she say such things when faced with raw reality? How can she go to the lengths of this party to try and reach out to humans when she knows it won't fix anything? How can she be so stupid and naive? Why...why can't Kurumi say anything against her?

"Ooh..." She couldn't think. Her breath became ragged.

Elly held her fist to her chest. "Kurumi, talk to me. What's wrong?"

Kogasa put away her notebook and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Isn't it obvious what's going on, Elly? Now that she knows you're a youkai, she won't be able to trust you anymore. Because you're a big scary beast, and she's a frail little girl. Isn't that right, Kurumi?"

Elly grew pale. "T-that's...Kurumi, is that true?" She looked to Kurumi with fear in her eyes, and once again that awful feeling rose in her head.

"..."

Kogasa sighed. "Aah, I'm sorry though. You gotta understand, it's not like I like everything about the status quo either. I mean, I'm a tsukumogami, of course I have attachment to humans too. Still, I for one am happy to use my youkai gifts to try and freak 'em out. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, though." With this, the karakasa grabbed her umbrella and stood up.

Keine looked up from her thoughts. "Wait, where are you going?"

Kogasa slipped on her geta. "I get the feeling I'm not welcome anymore. Said too much, etcetera etcetera. You keep up the good work though, Keine. You too, Elly." She nodded to the youkai, who silently turned away.

Keine jumped to her feet. "Now hold right there. You can't just leave in the middle of the conversation after saying all that." She clenched her fists; she looked like she was about to flatten the karakasa. Kogasa leaned back and gripped her umbrella.

Elly looked at her companion. "Keine, stop. It's fine; getting angry at her won't solve anything. It's not like she's wrong, after all..." She tucked her dress between her legs.

"But...! Ergh..." Keine lowered her fists.

Kogasa brushed her hair with a "sorry I'm not sorry" expression. "Geez, I'm really sorry I ruined the conversation you all had going. I swear I'm usually better than this. I guess you touched a nerve in me, is all. Anyway, I gotta get going now - that scare from earlier oughta get a priceless reaction from someone in this party." She giggled to herself. "See you all -"

"Wait a minute, Kogasa. You're not going anywhere." Kurumi stood up.

"Huh...?" Kogasa, Elly, Youmu, and even Keine all turned in surprise to who just spoke up. No one was more surprised than Kurumi. But this feeling in her head had to go somewhere, and that place was now.

"What - what is it, Kurumi?" Kogasa tapped her heel on the ground.

What did she want to say? Her mind was a mess right now. But she couldn't just stay silent anymore.

"I don't appreciate you deciding my thoughts for me."

The karakasa tilted her head. "Meaning?"

Kurumi took a deep breath. "About my reaction to Elly being a youkai. You called me afraid of her and said I can't trust her, but that's not true." She looked to Elly before continuing. "Why, I'm not scared. In fact I'm...inspired!"

Elly's head rose up. "Kurumi...?"

The vampire looked down at the middle of the circle. "You're probably right, Kogasa. It's probably impossible for humans and youkai to get along, given all the stuff you just said. Youkai have to attack humans to survive, and humans have to attack youkai for their own safety. That...cannot be changed. Even so..."

Kurumi concentrated on that image of those eyes back then. She was posing as a human, but Elly still showed her such genuine concern. Even though she was supposed to be the enemy, this youkai still saw her as an equal, as someone worthy to give her hand to. She saw her as an equal worth giving her hand to. The idea that such a person exists...

Kurumi looked up and stared deep into Kogasa's eyes. "Even so, I cannot forgive what you just did. No matter how impossible it is, it can't be foolish to wish for something so beautiful."

! Kogasa's eyes widened. All noise within the circle ceased. Only the sounds of the surrounding party-goers broke the silence.

...

Kogasa looked to the side and grew distant.

...

Finally, the umbrella youkai sighed and threw up her spare hand in defeat. "Alright, you got me. I'm sorry, Elly. Maybe I'm too cynical to wish for such things anymore. But if you want to chase that rainbow, I'm certainly not going to stop you."

Keine didn't respond. Elly too was silent, but gazed up at Kurumi with an unidentifiable expression.

The karakasa swung her umbrella like a sword. "But! When you reach that rainbow, just know that I'll still be waiting behind it, ready to leap out and surprise you! Mwa ha ha!" Kogasa did a feint towards the still-seated Youmu, who yelped and flinched a little too much. Then, without another word, she waved goodbye and spun around, trotting off into the crowd.

...

Youmu looked around nervously at everyone still present and got up with plates. "I-I think we need more food. Keine, do you want more sake?"

Keine sighed. "Please."

With that, the party slowly returned to normal. But strangely, no one felt like talking about the theme of the party anymore...

---

"Are you leaving, Kurumi?"

Kurumi turned to Elly and nodded in an apologetic manner.

"Yeah...I think this party's done for me." She glanced meaningfully at Keine and Youmu, who were drunkenly rambling to themselves and passed out respectfully. Elly gave a weak smile.

"I get you. I should probably start cleaning up soon." She straightened her hat and rose to her feet, and Kurumi stood up as well.

Kurumi itched her collar as she tried and failed to remember how goodbyes went. "T-then, I guess I'll be going home now."

"Okay..." Ooh, that did not sound right. She turned to hide the pit forming in her stomach.

"...Hey, do you mind if I see you off, Kurumi?"

What...? She buried the pit and turned back. Elly's hands hung loosely at her sides and she looked a bit sheepish.

W-what's with that expression? It looks so unlike her. Kurumi tried to hide her smile. But, she thinks she understands this gesture.

"Sure, let's go!"

Elly smiled. "Awesome!" She turned to Keine. "Hey Keine, I'll be seeing Kurumi out. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Keine turned as if her concentration had been broken. "Eh? Aah, yeah. See ya Kurumi." She waved clumsily.

"S-see you, Keine. Thanks for having me." Keine had already resumed her ramblings; she probably didn't even hear her. Kurumi sighed.

Elly turned back to Kurumi and clasped her hands. "Well then, lead the way."

"Okay!"  Kurumi nodded happily and began walking toward the distant mountains.

"Eh? Wait, Kurumi, where are you going? The village is that way." Elly pointed towards the Human Village, and Kurumi blanched.

"R-right! Heh heh, silly me. I have no sense of direction, eh heh heh..." Flustered, she spun around and quickly walked in the "right" direction. Elly put her hand on her hip and chuckled before walking to her side.

...

Kurumi glanced furtively at the girl next to her as they walked silently towards the Human Village. She was again becoming conscious of her figure. She really was quite tall. If they hugged, then she bet she'd be nestled safely right against her -"

"Hey Kurumi..."

Kurumi blushed. "Y-yeah?"

Elly paused a bit before answering. "Thanks. For earlier."

Kurumi tilted her head. "Huh? Oh, that." Her mind flashed to that moment when she confronted that karakasa.

"I-I'm still kind of embarrassed. I've never done something like that before. I kind of went overboard with Kogasa, didn't I?"

Elly shook her head. "No, you were amazing! You looked like you were going to throttle her if she didn't listen to you."

Kurumi's eyes widened. "Did I? Geez, that isn't very flattering to think about."

She glanced away. "...I just couldn't stand to see her make you feel bad for something you believed in so much, is all. Don't think anything of it."

Elly nodded, but her eyes suggested she had more to say. Kurumi shot her an inquisitive look.

Elly took a small breath. "I'm just...sorry. I wanted to help you meet youkai, but all that other stuff ended up happening instead. I'm a failure as an organizer..." The youkai gazed away with a self-berating smile. That got to Kurumi, and she shook her head.

"No, don't be like that! Don't be like that for me... It was...interesting. I'm glad I came with you, Elly." Her cheeks felt a bit hot saying this, but it was the truth. Elly must have sensed this, as she straightened up a little.

"Oh. ...Thank you. I'm glad you came with me, too. Thanks Kurumi." Elly smiled, a bit more broadly this time, and held out her hand. Kurumi's eyes lit up at this and slowly took her hand, shaking it as Elly did.

Then she realized what she was doing and felt really jittery.

"U-umm, but you know Elly, it's not like you failed, you know. B-because you're a youkai and so I ended up meeting one after all and you know so you shouldn't feel bad and such, you know?" Kurumi's vision grew fuzzy as she shook her hand, but she could make out Elly's wide grin.

"Ha ha ha, that's true, that's true. And I met a very interesting human as well."

!!! That brought Kurumi back to reality.

"Yeah...I guess." She quickly swallowed the feelings in her throat. Her companion let go of her hand and startled.

"Oh, it's the village. I didn't even notice how close we were." Elly glanced at the slanted roofs in wonder, and Kurumi gazed up at them, fighting off her guilt at lying to Elly.

"Then I guess this is it, Kurumi. It'd be bad form for a youkai to show up in the village on a night like this, so I better stay here." Elly took a step back and crossed her arms. Kurumi nodded half-heartedly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine the rest of the way." She looked at Elly as she walked backward into the village.

Goodbye. This is the part where you say goodbye. She knew that. She's not that stupid. She almost blew her cover so many times, she'd better run before she gives herself away completely. So just say it. Just say goodbye. Come on, say it. Say iiiiiiit...!

Kurumi opened her mouth. "Elly." Elly gave a nod of acknowledgement.

She took a deep breath.

"Would you mind if we met each other again? At the tea house from before, maybe?" That wasn't it, girl.

Elly's eyes lit up, and she beamed. "Yes, I would love that! Would noon tomorrow work?"

"Yeah! I could do that..." That isn't what you were supposed to say.

Elly nodded. "Then I'll be there, on the dot! Alright, I gotta get going. See you Kurumi! Nice meeting you!" The youkai rose off the ground and, waving one last time, flew off towards the party in the distance.

Kurumi stopped waving and let a long breath out. She really screwed up this time. How could she have had such a lapse in judgment? That girl is so good-natured and friendly with humans. If Elly finds out she's a vampire, it's all over. It's...

Kurumi looked down at her hand. She could still feel the warmth of Elly's handshake.

...

"We'll call it even." She turned around and walked deeper into the Human Village. She'd exit out the other side of town, gain some distance, and fly the rest of the way. Then it will be over. It will...be...over... Kurumi glanced down thoughtfully before smiling.

A clear sky. An exciting party. Under the light of the moon, two youkai's smiles lit the night that much brighter.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2015, 07:38:06 AM by nintendonut888 »
nintendonut888: Hey Baity. I beat the high score for Sanae B hard on the score.dat you sent me. X3
Baity: For a moment, I thought you broke 1.1billion. Upon looking at my score.dat, I can assume that you destroyed the score that is my failed (first!) 1cc attempt on my first day of playing. Congratulations.

[19:42] <Sapz> I think that's the only time I've ever seen a suicide bullet shoot its own suicide bullet

nintendonut888

  • So those that live now, pledge on your fists and souls
  • Leave a sign of your life, no matter how small...
Re: Scarlet Sabbath
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2014, 07:41:04 PM »
I'm floating. There's nothing ahead of me, and nothing behind me.

Grey. It's grey all around me.

I stare blankly. There's no reason to be surprised. I've been here many times. If this is happening, it must be because I'm dreaming.

I lightly hold my bare shoulders as I float aimlessly. It's not because I'm scared that I'm naked. It's just that I feel a bit cold in this place.

There's nothing here. There is only me and my body. But my mind is a part of this body, and through it I see the past.

Why was I born? Why was I born, if I could only hurt others? I know the answer to that question. It's probably because humans were afraid. They were afraid, and wanted something they could be scared of. And from the belief that such things existed, monsters were born.

What kind of fears created me? I was just born one day. I've heard that youkai are generally born with knowledge of their purpose, but that purpose was never given to me.

I was just a girl who wanted blood. I was vaguely aware that such a desire was not normal for someone my age, but I was also aware that I myself was not normal. I was a vampire. A beast. A freak. A thing meant to stalk the night, live alone, and strike fear into the hearts of humans.

But, I think something went wrong with me. I wasn't interested in killing. Every time I drank blood, it was just because I was hungry. I didn't feel shame for eating humans, but I didn't like it, either. The sight of dead humans did make me feel bad, though. I wondered if they had lives like me before I took theirs away from them. But I thought it was just natural, so I kept doing it.

Why? Why did I become interested in someone I was supposed to kill? It was just luck that my hand got caught in the locket that boy wore. I lifted my head just a moment to get my hand free, but the whole thing ended up coming off. I was ashamed, for some reason. I was killing this boy, but I felt bad for breaking something he owned. I tried to reattach the locket, but the knowledge I was born with didn't account for how to connect a necklace. I really was hopeless back then.

I remember peering at the locket in the night. It was hard to make out, but I saw an engraving on it. It looked like a group of humans. My knowledge told me that this was a family. That made me feel almost as bad as breaking the locket.

Why? Why did I panic when I saw the boy coming out of the trance I put him in? I should have just finished him off like usual. If I was a real vampire, I'm sure that's what I would have done. Instead I simply commanded him to forget about me and ran.

I wonder why I took the locket with me? If it were someone else, I would guess it was so I didn't leave any evidence behind, but I know I'm not smart enough for that. I think, probably, I just didn't want him to be sad that his favorite necklace was broken. Maybe I didn't want him to get mad at me.

Maybe...I was curious to know what a family was like.

I stare blankly at the grey before me. There's nothing here. The boy I just remembered is gone now. When I wake up, I'll still be alone. There won't be anyone to greet me. This is just me remembering the past. What I saw has nothing to do with who I am now.

But it's strange...tonight, I feel a warmth from these memories that wasn't there last time. A part of me wonders if tomorrow will be any different from the days that came before.

A smiling girl appears in the corner of my internal vision. She's maybe a bit too happy for her own good. There's no reason she should have smiled like that in my direction. I'm evil, way too evil to deserve that smile. It's a smile meant for someone else, probably a human she thinks she met.

I must really be bad if I know that. Because even knowing that smile isn't meant for me I...find myself smiling back even in this place.

My mind grows a bit fuzzy. It must be time to leave this place for somewhere else. As I slip back into sleep, my mind lingers...just a bit more...on that smile...
« Last Edit: June 17, 2014, 07:02:16 PM by nintendonut888 »
nintendonut888: Hey Baity. I beat the high score for Sanae B hard on the score.dat you sent me. X3
Baity: For a moment, I thought you broke 1.1billion. Upon looking at my score.dat, I can assume that you destroyed the score that is my failed (first!) 1cc attempt on my first day of playing. Congratulations.

[19:42] <Sapz> I think that's the only time I've ever seen a suicide bullet shoot its own suicide bullet