Author Topic: BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-09-23]  (Read 2697 times)

BB

  • Typewriter Youkai
BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-09-23]
« on: July 24, 2014, 07:43:46 PM »
Get it? Because... because one-shots? Yeah, okay.

Over on Tumblr one of my friends reblogged a Thirty Day Touhou Challenge- you've probably seen similar things, each day is a different question. It's meant for artists, but when I put pencil to paper I make fairies cry, so I've turned it to my craft instead and am attempting to write a short story for each day. I'm posting all of them over on my Tumblr but they aren't all fantastic, so I'll pick and choose the ones I like a lot to post here.

Starting with!


---

Day One: Favourite Touhou

Yukari raised her head gently, a smile immediately on her lips. The first full moon of the Spring had called an end to her winter?s slumber, though she doubted anyone could have slept through the mixture of smells in the air; the flowers of Hakugyokorou, in full bloom, wafted their myriad scents through the breeze, and these mixed with the warm inviting smells of the feast being prepared for her return.

She stretched, eager to get to work once the feasting was over. Yukari?s sleep was not wasted; her dreams were lucid and intense, full of thoughts, ideas, plans, knowledge, and adventures that were not hers, and every free moment was spent in consideration of how to apply these experiences to Gensokyo?s affairs. A human would accuse her of being idle, or even lazy, but for Yukari, every action and inaction was planned long ago. She knew where every piece should be a hundred turns in advance, a counter for every counter; every step back was made in preparation for two forward, and- rarely, when necessary- she could confidently bluff her way out of any unexpected turn.

The month until the next full moon would be an active one, of this she was certain. But, first things first? Yuyuko was not the type to wait for her guests to be ready before making a start, and the best sake was always the quickest to go.

?-


I have two favourites, and ordinarily I couldn?t choose between the two, but Yukari gets first pick because she was the turning point from ?this touhou thing looks kinda cool? to ?what is this, I need this in my life?. I?m a real sucker for the Magnificent Bastard type, the character who knows everything and every single event has been to their design, every win and every loss all part of their plan- the Dumbledore type. Yukari fits this bill but with a wicked youkai twist that I just love- her solution to the IaMP incident is one of my favourite things ever. She?s so smart, and devious, and cunning.

Her relationship with Yuyuko too is my absolute favourite kind of relationship- that intense love and adoration inspiring incredible acts of devotion. (If you?re familiar with Madoka, Homura?s entire story was an endless punch to my gut. That kinda thing gets me going like nothing else.)

I love her theme song too, and had it stuck in my head unrelentingly for four days after I first heard it (even in my dreams!), and her design, and her ability and just- everything. I fanboy Yukari hard.

The other candidate would be Byakuren, but I?m sure I?ll get time to talk about her later. :P
« Last Edit: September 23, 2014, 12:33:15 AM by BB »
Touhou fan since 2008.

Faves quicklist:
Yukari - Byakuren - Lily White - PCB - UFO - Necrofantasia - Cosmic Mind - Shining Needle - not into the fighters - not into score play - enjoy storytelling and theorycraft

BB

  • Typewriter Youkai
Re: BB's 1CCs
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2014, 09:09:08 PM »
Day Four: Oddest Touhou


Rinnosuke sighed heavily, slamming shut the book he had re-read three times before; its mission to distract him from his dreary mood had failed, and he leant his head against his hand with a long-brewing jaded frustration.

For those gifted with some skill in using danmaku, Gensokyo life was a flurry of constant activity and adventure- a stark contrast to the homely and slow life of the shopkeeper. On any other day he would be quite glad of his fate, not being the sort to throw himself into any fight going, but today something felt? lacking.

Berating himself slightly for his listlessness, he thought of all the good things he had: a comfy residence in the human village, far from the dangers to be found elsewhere in Gensokyo; his particular talent for acquiring misplaced goods from beyond the border attracted regular clientelle- Yukari Yakumo, whose interest in the outside world was perhaps a cause of worry for some but only ever of benefit to him, and the Kirisame girl whose interest in the items was of a wholly studious nature. He was on good terms with the resident shrine maiden, the humans from the village trusted him despite being half-youkai, and he wanted for nothing-

Another sigh; this last part wasn?t entirely true. Yes, he could keep himself fed, his home was more than sufficient to his needs, and he didn?t lack entertainment. His shop was always well-stocked, and investigating the true nature of these wayward items gave him many evenings of busy work.

No; what Rinnosuke wanted was of a different nature. Something no one else he knew had. Something the books of the outside world mentioned, often with great reverence. Deep down, he knew it was quite likely never to be, but nonetheless he wanted that rarest of all things in Gensokyo.


What Rinnosuke wanted was a husband.

?-

As the only (humanoid) (living) male in a world full of ladies, Rinnosuke already stands out as an oddity! It?s a universe in which most of the characters are odd in their own way, so his relative normalness actually makes him the odd one out? so to speak. As a sort-of self-insert character it?s also strange that, quite opposite to being over-powered and loved by all, Rinnosuke?s role is very modest and understated.

As such a stand out oddity, it?d be far too normal if he, a self-insert in a dream world lone-male-in-world-full-of-girls type universe, was interested in any of them in the slightest- hence this somewhat silly piece.

No one else really stood out to me as being ?odd?, but I think that?s a term that can be interpreted in many ways. I think a case could be made for most characters being the ?oddest? based on that difference in interpretation.
Touhou fan since 2008.

Faves quicklist:
Yukari - Byakuren - Lily White - PCB - UFO - Necrofantasia - Cosmic Mind - Shining Needle - not into the fighters - not into score play - enjoy storytelling and theorycraft

Failure McFailFace

  • I'm h...a...p...p...y...
  • Impor
Re: BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-08-01]
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2014, 02:15:39 AM »
What happened to Days 2-3?

And the other days?
1cc Easy: DDC (all) | 1cc Normal: UFO (SanA autobomb),  DDC (ReiA, SakA) , LoLK (Sanae PD)| EX clears: DDC (MarB Ultra) | Puzzle Games: StB: 10-X, DS: Hatate unlock, ISC: All clear

BB

  • Typewriter Youkai
Re: BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-08-01]
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2014, 10:57:05 PM »
I've been posting each piece on tumblr, but some of them are a little too sketchy or just not very good, so I'm saving the ones I like to post here :) As for the other days, I haven't got there yet! I'm taking the "one per day" as a suggestion rather than a rule  ;) I have a larger on-going project I'm working on and do one of these when I'm sick of working on that. They come out pretty sporadically, but it's nice to have a bank of thirty prompts available for days I just can't get my head into that project.
Touhou fan since 2008.

Faves quicklist:
Yukari - Byakuren - Lily White - PCB - UFO - Necrofantasia - Cosmic Mind - Shining Needle - not into the fighters - not into score play - enjoy storytelling and theorycraft

BB

  • Typewriter Youkai
Re: BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-08-11]
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2014, 11:59:55 PM »
Day 5- Scariest Touhou

?Give- hh- give- it- baaack!?

The little human girl ignored the call, and kept running; she was faster than her pursuer, even weighed down by the pilfered swag, and regardless half of the fun was in the escape. Kogasa, who was as much part of the stolen umbrella as it was part of her, gave futile chase, her youkai eyes allowing her to keep track of the thief despite the swallowing darkness of the moonless night.

The human girl had always been told to fear youkai, especially at night, but she had never paid much attention; the Human Village was safe from any real attack, after all, and the shrine maiden was close enough that no genuinely dangerous youkai would dare come here. When Kogasa had jumped out at her and made a feeble attempt at scaring her, therefore, her impish nature took over; a sudden grab, a push, and a twist, and like the shrine maidens in folk tales, she too had defeated a youkai menace.

Kogasa was about to give up hope of ever being reunited with her other half as the child disappeared around a corner, but suddenly there came a terrified shriek, and the girl reappeared, back-stepping with fear; Kogasa watched as from behind the wall a bear- no, five- twenty- a hundred bears walked forwards, each twice the size of a man, their eyes glowing blood red. The child tripped and fell on her backside, holding Kogasa?s umbrella in front of her for what little protection it could offer. The foremost bear roared and a torrent of flame issued from its mouth, lighting their faces up just long enough for the terrifying image to stay with her long after the light failed. The bear raised a paw, caked black with blood up to the elbow, and pointed a hooked, serrated claw at her. ?RETURN IT,? it seethed, venom spraying forth like spittle from its giant fangs and hissing against the ground.

Kogasa stepped forward glumly, and held her hands out for the umbrella?s return; the child threw it into her hands and, tears streaming down her face, ran away into the night.
?Come on, Kogasa,? the bears spoke in unison; ?kids are Easy Mode.?
?I know, I know, I?m sorry,? she said tearfully, inspecting the umbrella for any damage. ??Thanks, Nue.?

?-

Youkai all feed from humans, but they do so in different ways. Gods exist because of human worship, belief and faith, some youkai come from the folklore and stories humans tell each other and over generations come to believe, and other youkai are forces of nature that exist so humans have an answer to hard questions, like why objects go missing or why harvests are good one year and bad the next.

And then some youkai are born of fears, horror stories, and the darkest of thoughts. They feed off human fear and, were they no longer feared, would cease to exist. The fact they exist at all, then, makes them naturally the scariest of all youkai.

Of course, Gensokyo doesn?t follow the rules of the outside world, so even youkai born of fear aren?t necessarily feared by anyone who matters. And even then, some are just better at it than others. Compared to other youkai in Gensokyo, Kogasa isn?t especially fearsome, but I bet if your umbrella in real life said ?boo!? you?d be surprised, even if it was as meek as she is.

If Kogasa could rewire herself somehow to feed off being adorable, though? she?d quickly become the most powerful being in Gensokyo.

(I?m really surprised Kogasa/Nue isn?t a more popular pairing. One has what the other desperately needs- imagine the fun they could have with Nue uselessly trying to teach Kogasa some tricks of the trade, super cute!)
Touhou fan since 2008.

Faves quicklist:
Yukari - Byakuren - Lily White - PCB - UFO - Necrofantasia - Cosmic Mind - Shining Needle - not into the fighters - not into score play - enjoy storytelling and theorycraft

BB

  • Typewriter Youkai
Re: BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-08-11]
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2014, 12:14:46 AM »
Day 7 - Best Touhou quote(s).

Marisa knew she had been off more than she could chew, but that particular youkai?s brand of ?no good? was worse than most- and with Reimu flying alongside her, apparently duped, only Marisa was left to restore order. Her head-on assault had been reckless, and she had been quickly knocked out of the way; but the sorest injury was to her pride, and unwilling to back down just yet, she planned to stall them for time to recover before trying again with a little more strategic thinking.

Feigning the beginning of a spellcard declaration, she turned on a dime and flew straight into the Bamboo Forest, weaving through the impossibly tall shoots. She was on short time; their surprise at her departure would buy her a few seconds, but Reimu was an expert flier and the residents of the forest wouldn?t frighten Yukari away. Even if she couldn?t shake them from her tail completely, she hoped the lunar-frenzied youkai of the forest might at least wear them down. She darted this way and that, taking sudden sharp turns and risky swoops between startled fairies, but still the sound of their shots came from close behind; she dropped a few explosive shots of her own and used the smokescreen to fell a few bamboo shoots to bar their path- forgetting they had the power of the Gap. She cursed the rookie mistake- and her lost lead- as she hared off deeper into the forest; even she had never come so far, deep enough now that the light of the full moon could barely be seen. Reimu and Yukari were closer now than ever, almost close enough to take a shot at her, pressing every advantage they had against her to bring her in.

Desperate, she scattered some more explosive shots behind her and pulled up hard on her broom, sailing up and around in a loop over the pair and coming down behind them.

?Well, if it isn?t Reimu!? she called, quickly scanning them for any sign of damage; they appeared to have escaped the denizens of the forest unharmed.
?There?s no use running; we will chase you to the ends of the earth,? Yukari said, enjoying this distraction despite herself; she had wanted to ignore Marisa at first- impossible.
?Yeah, that works for me,? Marisa answered, taking firm hold of the mini-hakkero out of their sight. ?I was plannin? to keep you chasin? me until the night ended, anyway- whenever that'll be.?
?Oh, knock it off! You?ve already lost to us once!? Reimu scolded her. ?What we?re doing isn?t your business any more.?
Marisa laughed. ?Ha! Nah, you?ve got it wrong- see, there?s two of you. That last attack was for Yukari- THIS one?s for you!?


?-

?Everything Marisa has ever said? is probably a little too broad for this question, and ?Everything Marisa says in Imperishable Night? isn?t much better, so this snippet from the battle against her will suffice. It?s one of my favourite fights of the series because it?s just so Marisa- compare and contrast her ?take them down quickly with maximum firepower? battling against Reimu?s intricate, tightly focused traps and area denial.

I really like a lot of the dialogue throughout the games (I?ll take a quick second here to thank the volunteers who spend their time translating it all for the west- Touhou is what it is largely thanks to you guys) and this day was a hard choice. I went with the option I felt I could write the best scene from, but Reimu?s apathetic snark in all games is lovely too, and Sanae in UFO is the cutest damn thing.

I realise I?ve changed the dialogue around a bit- but unlike the games I?m not limited to two lines per dialogue box, and I?m not trying to tell the most story in the shortest time so the reader can get back to the game. I also don?t want to just copy and paste what already exists, so I hope it?s acceptable.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2014, 12:44:50 AM by BB »
Touhou fan since 2008.

Faves quicklist:
Yukari - Byakuren - Lily White - PCB - UFO - Necrofantasia - Cosmic Mind - Shining Needle - not into the fighters - not into score play - enjoy storytelling and theorycraft

BB

  • Typewriter Youkai
Re: BB's 1CCs [New: 2014-09-23]
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2014, 12:30:33 AM »
Day 8: Favourite Shot Type

Reimu mopped a cold sweat from her brow, and stood back to admire her handiwork; three poorly-realised effigies of youkai stood leering before her, composed entirely from snow- depicting no one in particular; their horns, parasol, and bat wings could have represented anyone. Today was training day, and she was going to try something new.

The Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb, trusted weapon of her clan that had been passed down through the generations, was invaluable in her line of work. Its youkai-seeking amulets had been of tremendous use during her early years on the job, allowing her to focus on staying alive while the Orb did all the fighting for her.

A long time- and many fights- had passed since those days though, and her skills had sharpened dramatically. The youkai, too, were becoming a more persistent threat each year, and the seeking amulets were losing their effectiveness- smarter youkai knew how to avoid them, or worked in packs to confuse them away from the biggest threat.

She took the Orb now; activating by her will, it split in two and hovered protectively either side of her. She closed her eyes and focused intently on the position of the orbs. Gently at first, she tried to move them closer together in front of her, from a protective position to an aggressive one. They resisted this command, insistent on protecting her as their duty dictated; with a little more force they slowly relented and held position before her, still split but almost touching.

Opening her eyes but keeping this mental focus, she commanded a shot; a single, large amulet burst forth, looping around behind the snow sculptures and shooting back like a boomerang, burying itself deep in the first snow-youkai with a hiss of steam. A surprisingly good first result; she fired off a few more of these large amulets, definitely more powerful than the multiple small amulets the orbs usually fired, but not quite the result she had intended. Her aim was far better than it used to be after all, and most of her shots found their target without any magical assistance; that energy would be better spent in maximising firepower.

Nonetheless bolstered by the success of this effort, she doubled down on her focus and willed the Orb to a greater level of power, ignoring all else in favour of the biggest payload. She let off another shot, the recoil of which knocked her backwards and startled her out of her focus; no longer exerting her will on them, the Orbs relaxed back into the role of sentry.

Regaining her balance, she ran to check on her handiwork and threw a fist in the air in delight; a scattering of large, pure-white needles of light peppered the body of the foremost snow-youkai, but more noticeably the head was missing- and behind the body, buried in a deep trough of snow was a giant arrowhead, shining red and hissing furiously.

She laughed, slightly manically; Marisa wouldn't have a clue what hit her next time they duelled.


–-

This story is pretty much my own. I used to prefer Reimu's homing shots because then I'd be fully-stocked for the boss fight, having trivialised most of the Stage. But when it came to attempting Extra, the boss fight was longer than the stage and the lack of firepower really stung. As I got more confident with moving around and also better memorised the locations of fairies I started favouring the Needles shot, and stick with it to this day. It's fast and powerful and has a decent spread, while Marisa's shots tend to feel too narrow, and her magic missiles are too slow for me. I like Reimu's straightforwardness. Her tiny hitbox is a nice extra, of course.

I don't like shot-types where you have to aim them separately, like Youmu's familiar in IN. They tend to move counter to where I'm going so I have to make the opposite movement to get them back to a useful alignment and by the time I've figured out the gymnastics of lining up my shot, I've lost all my stock!


(Oh, er, by the way- who of the staff would be best to talk to regarding the use of this board? There's something I'd like to do but I'd want to run it by someone first.)
Touhou fan since 2008.

Faves quicklist:
Yukari - Byakuren - Lily White - PCB - UFO - Necrofantasia - Cosmic Mind - Shining Needle - not into the fighters - not into score play - enjoy storytelling and theorycraft