Gensokyo Survival Guide OoC and Off-Topic

[Motaromc]

On 10/7/2024 at 7:10 PM, Gri said:

Bullet hell aren't that bad difficulty wise. Don't let the Lunatic gameplay scares you from trying the game, that's what difficulty levels are for (It's like rhythm games. Nobody's born a pro, so there's no shame playing lower difficulty first, then increasing it if you enjoy the challenge). Bullet hell is a very unique genre that I recommend anyone to try at least once (especially Touhou fans so that they at least experienced the game that spawn character/lore/music they are so fond of. Demo are available for the latest games, so money isn't an excuse, and a full game last ~30-40m so time isn't an excuse either). The goal of the game and the controls are extremely simple compared to more modern game, so it's very quick to learn how to play those (just make sure to read up the short introduction that's on this site to learn the basics). It's not for everyone, so no big deal if you don't like it, but it's an experience that deserve to be tried.

Oof, Master, I see you are very passionate about the main games, with a reply like this then perhaps I can't escape anymore. I'll need to plan a day just to try my hand at it, which might become a problem because when I start something, I tend to follow through it to the very end so when the time is right, I'll start with Koumakyou and if I end up liking it enough then I'll make a saga of reviewing it all up to Touhou 19 (Forgot the name lol).

 

1 hour ago, Yumetou said:

Update on life. We've lost a few members of our department

JESUS, Yume, are you a soldier or something? I'm sorry for your loss.

To be honest with you, I started following you mostly because of my little mess up back in the day, however, it turned out you are so good at this that I'm unable to leave anymore Take responsibility also as I said earlier, I tend to follow things to the end so you don't have to worry too much, so you may already consider my day brightened. Considering that you said we bring some stability to your life, I guess being around is a plus in those trying times you may be passing, life is full of ups and downs but keep steady and feel free to take a break should you need it. Stay safe Yumetou, I mean it.

 

Alright, finally to the chapter! The horror part was a nice touch, we can't run away from it if we are making a "realistic" Gensokyo setting, so don't be scared of trying to add it to your entries, although, I have to admit that I was too busy finding Team 9 antics to be cute to actually feel the horror, I mean, it almost felt like watching Scooby-Doo for a moment.

As for my choice, yeah, I don't know enough of this youkai to risk the first option, and trying to talk it down feels like a dumb idea, instead, I ALMOST chose to try and read Marisa's tome but it will probably sound like pure gibberish. So I went with the safe option of using the old and reliable flashbang.

 

P.S: If anyone here does know if that guy is weak to closed doors, please, do tell me, maybe we can trap him and continue to explore for more loot. 

[Yumetou]

Since my explanation wasn't the sharpest for Wits (lol) and I have a couple of minutes before work, let me try again. :) So Youkai in GSG take inspiration from not just Touhou but traditional Japanese lore. Meaning they have strange habits and limitations. Looking into the room, it looks like this thing was trapped in a room with only a paper door as an obstacle. One Wriggle going through removed. 

 

That said I'd be lying if I didn't say the flash bombs was my second favorite option. Outside opening a grimoire, flipping to a random page and reading.

 

...Klaatu barada nikto...

Edited October 14, 2024 by Yumetou

[Gri]

Greetings.

Do not feel bad about having a more horror vibe, it is very fitting, and having a variety of moods help to keep a story fresh. Besides, it is not the first time, the early chapter were very tense. And we are in spooky month, so it fits .

A new Youkai, yay! I think I know which one it is, but I have forgotten the name. Is it the one that make people want to commit S  then it hang a lock of it hairs (shaped like a rope with a knot) so that they give in and K themselves? I don't remember if they had many eyes though (Oh, so that's what Aggapa saw. Meaning she'll be useless against it)

The options now, I doubt talking to that Youkai would work, unless Oscar convince the Youkai that Wriggle and Cirno can't be hanged since they can fly, but then the Youkai might want Oscar to hang as well. Maybe there's a magic trick where Oscar can levitate, making the Youkai leave in disappointment. Hey, that's might not be a bad idea after all . Though if it is the Youkai I am thinking, Oscar would need some kind of protection, or else he could be manipulated into committing S (oh, potential tension, I like the idea more and more, especially given Oscar might have S before to end up in Gensokyo)

Reading a random spell from the grimoire sounds pretty funny, but it could be the beginning of Oscar turning into a real magician (Him being a "fake" magician may be one of the reason he ended up in Gensokyo, cause people lost faith even in "fake" magic. Doubt it, but possible).

Flashbomb could be effective, but a bit boring if you ask me.

Asserting the situation for hints as to what's keeping the Youkai trapped could work, but Wriggle and Cirno are in danger.

Well, turns out I'll change my vote.

[Yumetou]

Am glad. :) Tbh, I've been a little leery of horror scenes since Kimiko. I don't just use the reactions as a gimmick for the CYOA, but to gauge everyone's interest. That entry has the lowest number. Granted, it was the start of this experiment, and I think the lack of votes was partly because it was so long.

 

Good guess! I'm not sure I recognize it. Details can apply to a few different Youkai I can think of, though nothing is a match. But I'll leak one detail on my youkai I have chosen: So far in the house, the group has not encountered one Youkai. They have encountered *three* now. One I have referenced but not by name, the Inugami of the Fortune Teller, and the most recent one, but we'll have an entry on them in the next post. Side note. Youkai being afraid of eyes is a common motif, especially those with Buddhist undertones like Agappa.

 

As always, all options are viable, even if some are moreso than others. I won't tip you all off one way or another, I'll just go with whatever you pick. ;)

[Motaromc]

On 10/14/2024 at 7:59 AM, Yumetou said:

Outside opening a grimoire, flipping to a random page and reading.

Aight Bet.

[kymoh]

Yep the story really got intense all of a sudden! And I am definitely NOT taking any chances with this scary six-eyed mess. I voted late, but I went with the flash bang option, I'm thinking it's best to utilize whatever reliable items Oscar has. We I know nothing about this youkai and if I were him, I'm not about to take chances trying to befriend it or play tricks with paper doors! And while reading the grimoire sounds funny, remember that Oscar can't even read Japanese! How useless would that be! (I suppose he could throw the book at the monster, which might actually be more effective)

On 10/14/2024 at 4:12 AM, Motaromc said:

Alright, finally to the chapter! The horror part was a nice touch, we can't run away from it if we are making a "realistic" Gensokyo setting, so don't be scared of trying to add it to your entries, although, I have to admit that I was too busy finding Team 9 antics to be cute to actually feel the horror, I mean, it almost felt like watching Scooby-Doo for a moment.

I agree with you and Master Gri, this scary yokai encounter got me filled with suspense :D   I can vividly picture the scene in my head and the horror I see on Cirno & Wriggle's faces is definitely a sight I wish I could share to you all

 

On 10/15/2024 at 3:57 PM, Gri said:

The options now, I doubt talking to that Youkai would work, unless Oscar convince the Youkai that Wriggle and Cirno can't be hanged since they can fly, but then the Youkai might want Oscar to hang as well. Maybe there's a magic trick where Oscar can levitate, making the Youkai leave in disappointment. Hey, that's might not be a bad idea after all .

On 10/15/2024 at 3:57 PM, Gri said:

Reading a random spell from the grimoire sounds pretty funny, but it could be the beginning of Oscar turning into a real magician (Him being a "fake" magician may be one of the reason he ended up in Gensokyo, cause people lost faith even in "fake" magic. Doubt it, but possible).

Interesting ideas! I hadn't thought about Cirno&Wriggle being immune from getting hung - speaking of which, I feel like you always catch useful points that I miss- Also, imagining the youkai's disappointment made me crack a smile :)   I find it funny when seemingly emotionless monsters expose some human personality

 

On 10/15/2024 at 11:28 PM, Yumetou said:

But I'll leak one detail on my youkai I have chosen: So far in the house, the group has not encountered one Youkai. They have encountered *three* now. One I have referenced but not by name, the Inugami of the Fortune Teller, and the most recent one, but we'll have an entry on them in the next post.

As a final note, I wonder if the crease in the paper wall was referencing to a yokai? Because in that case the team might be very screwed- they're going to have trouble running from the current monster if the walls suddenly start jumping at them :O

 

Alright, I think I've rambled randomly for long enough now. Forgive me for being so inactive and late recently  >.<  

[Motaromc]

On 10/14/2024 at 7:59 AM, Yumetou said:

...Klaatu barada nikto...

Not this time Yume...

Hello everyone, it's always funny to see how everyone gathers here around this time! To keep things short, flashbang has been one of my closest allies since immemorial times along with the trusty smoke grenade, when I saw that option, something inside me screamed that it was the best course of action, until I read Yume's line above me, so despite being skeptical at Ozzy's Japanese skills like my ally pointed out, I felt like it was a risk worth taking for a breakthrough in the magic side of things. Mostly because we can only go so far with funny tricks and bravado...

Speaking of which, tonight's options are a bit more troublesome than usual, hiding in the jars feels like another Scooby-Doo type of action and it could lead to another horror scene of the youkai trying to find Team 9, going up the stairs is probably the "safe" option but it would likely keep us from going downstairs again, then there is the going through a wall into the streets option but that would be counterproductive unless we want to stop the expedition here. That leads me to the "risky" choice! I feel like this "I have no neck!" could be another magic trick (those are quickly becoming my favorites) and if we successfully pull this off then maybe we can deactivate this Youkai like Yumetou mentioned in the Ao Bozu entry, basically a high risk but high reward choice.

[Nyoko]

Hello again, if you wish to know where the hell I was for the past month or so, go read up on the War, Peace and Vengeance stall. 

I have a lot to catch up on, so let me just do that real quick.

...It has been so busy here the place I want to quote is on a different page. I suppose it is my fault, but fine then, here I go, quoting Soshmal

Quote

Hey! I've been lurking here following the Survival Guide for a bit now and thought it was about time I pop in to say thank you for your work, I love it! I've been thinking about trying to get into creative writing for a while now and if you don't mind my asking, do you have any advice on how you structure stories? I know the Guide is a CYOA but it still reads as well thought out.

Also, Agappa is definitely my favorite character. She has this dark & mysterious yet also silly and at times even lighthearted energy that really matches with the essence of touhou :)

I am not going to welcome you because everyone has already done that and I would stick out like a sore thumb, what I will do is try to give you advice because you requested it.

How do you structure stories? ...That depends on your writing process. How I do it is I have an overarching storyline where I know the beginning, the end, and some important pitstops along the way. Then I break down each of those pitstops down into its widest form that still sounds entertaining, followed by identifying pitstops along the way if there is empty space and taking that Modus Operandi for the rest. Also, I'm of the opinion that the best way to see if something is for you is to try it, but writing is notorious for feeling like your throwing your heart on a page, which makes criticism feel like an assault on your feelings.

I don't know if I have been of use, but I hope I have. You can search my qualifications if you want, as well.

...Why have Kymoh and Mota started a bromance? Well, they can do as they please so long it does not hamper their own judgement. I will hold it against them should it come to that.

Quoting Soshmal again

Quote

I’ve been copying this story over to a google doc so I can better take notes on it, and this entry officially makes over 100 pages of written content! It’s currently sitting at about 103 pages, and that’s including some editing I’ve done to make it take up less space.

I should probably do something similar for my own sake because you slowly start to go mad when you know the jargon to three different stories on command while writing two of them. 

Now we have returned to the present day, which means explaining why I chose to lie directly to the Youkai's face that Oscar has no neck to hang. Simply put, it is mostly blind due to the flashbang and should thus take a moment to confirm that Oscar does indeed have a neck from which he can hang from, but a moment is all we need to flee in this confused mess of an abandoned cottage with our books we so painstakingly collected. Details are to follow on how we do that, but not getting chased by a youkai is a great start, don't you think? We also stay on the floor where we dropped our books.

[Yumetou]

Heya gang.

 

No update this week. :( Life has been demanding, and I have had no time to come up with the next post. Much less make it a decent read. Hoping to finally get to it on Wednesday, but I don't know for sure yet.

[Gri]

Greetings.

This delay allows me time to comment on last week chapter. Frankly, I don't have much to say. I did think simply throwing a flash-bomb would have made things a bit boring, so of course I got a bit less interested in that chapter (no worries. That's the rule of the game). But at the very least, Oscar got to trick the Youkai with a magic trick, so that's nice.

Now, for this week, I voted for going out through the window, since it's probably the safest option (no need to wander further, and I doubt the window is somehow a trap). Going through the tunnel did cross my mind, but I am afraid it would stretch this "arc" a bit too much. I don't expect the plot to evolve considerably until we find out what's in those book (unless something unexpected is coming )

[Yumetou]

My body is weak and tired. Overworked from my job, and ill with...some kind of flu, idk. But that sounds like a skill issue for some other guy, so new entry into the GSG. Hope you all enjoy when you take your forty-five minute bathroom break like a true American. 

[Gri]

Greetings.

Thank you for the chapter this week. I wish you a swift recovery.

I really liked how the choice were done in this one. At first, I wasn't exactly fond of Wriggle being angry at Cirno being friendly with Oscar, but from her point of view he IS suspicious (I didn't get the impression Cirno was more friendly than usual with Oscar, but him being an outsider + Rumia disappearing makes sense), but I like how it turned out: Oscar scaring the Youkai away to allow Team9+Aggapa to flee, and Wriggle decide to help Oscar despise her feelings. That said, I am not sure why Aggapa would leave Oscar side, but I'll be patient on that.

For the choices, I had a good laugh at two of em: "If I confront it directly and fool it twice more, maybe it will stop?", in other words "Hit the bosses weakpoint (the eyes) 3 times to win". What is this, a Zelda game ? I am joking of course. The other one where the girl distract the Youkai from the outside safely reminds me and my friend playing Phasmophobia, where sometime one person gets trapped in the house with the Ghost, while all the others just yell at the ghost or laugh at the poor guy through the windows (The ghost can't leave the house, so the people outside are 100% safe).

I would go with that option, since I think it's the most prudent one, but I think Team9 leaving the story now (for this "arc" anyway) would be best. So the next most prudent one would be to prepare a trick, then slowly head to the cellar, and use that trick in case Oscar encounter the Youkai.

[Yumetou]

Heya gang. No post today on account of me still dying. :( Hoping to feel well enough to get one up after work tomorrow. I apologize about the delay. Next week I likely won't post as well, since I am driving across the continent. My sister refuses to leave Canada, so of course our Thanksgiving revolves around her. Nevermind that's almost 3k miles for me...

 

I am glad it appealed to you Gri! :) I look forward to hinting more about Wriggle's mental state. Especially since she herself keeps having sudden doubts. I try to be very subtle with a lot of my foreboding. But this one is fairly open, even if the solution may be very challenging in its own way.

[Motaromc]

52 minutes ago, Yumetou said:

Heya gang. No post today on account of me still dying. :( Hoping to feel well enough to get one up after work tomorrow. I apologize about the delay. Next week I likely won't post as well, since I am driving across the continent. My sister refuses to leave Canada, so of course our Thanksgiving revolves around her. Nevermind that's almost 3k miles for me...

Heya Boss! I hope you have a safe trip and a swift recovery. Honestly, I can't fault your sister for not leaving Canada, mostly because I wouldn't want to leave too if I lived there lol.

Well, you guys probably noticed my absence here for the last week or two but I can explain, the truth is that I somehow managed to write more in a single week than I did in all the months I've been around and that's saying something, so my schedule got all messy and I ultimately decided to seat a week off and wait until the next Sunday to restart with my routine again. That did cost me the vote for the last chapter but Lucky me, turned out Yume is also taking a break, well, double Lucky me! Because I haven't lost a single bet from the coin toss event yet, all three bets turned into three wins! Is this fate? Or maybe I'm Tewi in disguise, who knows?

On 11/12/2024 at 8:18 PM, Gri said:

I would go with that option, since I think it's the most prudent one, but I think Team9 leaving the story now (for this "arc" anyway) would be best.

 

On 11/12/2024 at 8:18 PM, Gri said:

I am not sure why Aggapa would leave Oscar side, but I'll be patient on that.

Oya? Master Gri, am I sensing a heavy opinion about Team9? Regardless, looks like you certainly have a favourite among our teammates but that's fine, speaking for myself here but I enjoy any 2hu interaction so I'm fine with everyone for Ouzes's squad, I do have my favorites though. If I may speak master, then I believe I should remind you that Wriggle is under a spell from something that I don't really remember right now, her behavior is being manipulated to an extent, Cirno is just being her usual friendly self and Aggapa probably just left because Oscar asked them to leave, I'm pretty sure she is just going to wait outside until Oscar leaves the house as well.

With all said and done, I'm glad to be back, as usual, I'll be here next Sunday too! Stay safe everyone.

[Gri]

Greetings,

21 hours ago, Yumetou said:

Heya gang. No post today on account of me still dying. :( Hoping to feel well enough to get one up after work tomorrow. I apologize about the delay. Next week I likely won't post as well, since I am driving across the continent. My sister refuses to leave Canada, so of course our Thanksgiving revolves around her. Nevermind that's almost 3k miles for me...

Once more, I wish you a swift recovery. It's really bad to heard you'll have to do such a long trip (please, don't tell me you're going from somewhere like South-West USA to North-East Canada. That's almost a whole week of driving). I hope you'll find a way to enjoy your travels.

20 hours ago, Motaromc said:

Oya? Master Gri, am I sensing a heavy opinion about Team9? Regardless, looks like you certainly have a favourite among our teammates but that's fine, speaking for myself here but I enjoy any 2hu interaction so I'm fine with everyone for Ouzes's squad, I do have my favorites though. If I may speak master, then I believe I should remind you that Wriggle is under a spell from something that I don't really remember right now, her behavior is being manipulated to an extent, Cirno is just being her usual friendly self and Aggapa probably just left because Oscar asked them to leave, I'm pretty sure she is just going to wait outside until Oscar leaves the house as well.

Nay, nay. I do not dislike Team9, I actually quiet enjoy them, especially in this story. All the characters in Team9 have their role, expect for Mystia that feels a bit "too much" in the group, having a similar role to Dai (the kind-hearted, always ready to help but less brave than the others). It's not that I want to get rid of Team9, it's just I like when a story have characters going their separate ways then reuniting. It makes for a more interesting plot than having a fixed "party" from start to finish, and I think Team9 did their job at establishing their weakness to "spiritual" youkais (which shows the contrast between their weakness and Oscar strength, whose wits can trick that kind of youkai). As for Wriggle (in this specific story, as I don't care much about the original barely relevant stage 1 boss Wriggle), I would say I like how she's portrayed, even though sometime she acts like a typical "tsudere" (perhaps not the best term). She acts like this cause human dislike insects so she's bitter about them yet she knows "that's how things are", but on the other hand she kinda wish things weren't like that (especially seeing how her friends can easily approach humans), so she approach Oscar but is never able to bring herself to not be mean to him. That's mostly my interpretation so far, but she might also be truly suspicious of Oscar with Rumia's disappearance given the last few chapters. Speaking of those:

I re-read a few chapter back. While it isn't 100% stated that Wriggle is cursed, there's a chance she is (usually, the intro describe a youkai that will appear in this chapter or has appeared. Usually, I am waiting for the chapter to show the youkai before assuming the intro is relevant, but in this case, the Inugami might have been invisible). Thank you for sharing this insight. Now it got more interesting, cause we can't say for sure whether those bad feelings are truly hers, or whether an invisible Youkai possessed/cursed her in the manor. And if she is under a spell, then how will it evolve? I eagerly await the answer.

[Yumetou]

As a rule, I try to focus on Dai and Wriggle over Rumia and Mystia when writing Team9.  People like Cirno, and she's the lynchpin of the team so she appears either way. Even if I like how I've been writing her. Dai is a blank slate, even if she has a number of details which are interesting. She's the only purely benevolent fairy, and she's the only fairy with wings like hers in the lore or fanon. Wriggle is a mostly blank slate, with an implied tomboyish attitude and love of insects. But people have fairly concrete ideas about Mystia due to Mystia's Izakaya, even if her personality is a little boring. Rumia has a more concrete persona as well, due to Little Reimu. I have ideas for how to give them my unique flavor, but I don't want to swim against the popular perception of either just to be special.

 

I made it to NY safely. We'll probably drive up to Canada later this week. Then driving back in a week. I'm feeling more energetic than I thought after a 16 hour drive, so I am hoping to have something for you all tomorrow. :)

[Gri]

Greetings,

This was a nice surprise. Thank you for working on this despise being busy travelling. Very appreciated.

Well, the mystery about Wriggle weird negative feelings got "solve" much quicker than I was expecting. She is clearly possessed, thanks Aggapa, certainly makes up for being completely powerless in the dark mansion. It's her time to shine .

What will happen next? Will "Wriggle" try to get rid of Aggapa the hard way? Or will she manipulate Cirno's into leaving Aggapa behind? Will the dumb Cirno be smart enough to notice something is wrong? Will Oscar join them just in time to save Aggapa? Or will he meet another obstacle, crawling in the dark cellar waiting for a prey to step into its trap? Eagerly await the next one.

[Yumetou]

I mean, the Youkai entry I made before the change wasn't the most subtle. :D Though outside that context, it seemed to come on a bit suddenly. I think a couple people just assumed she was being mean out of nowhere, or even trying to be a tsundere to get his attention, rather than something being wrong.

Even so, if you think the problem is now solved...do you really think Agappa can explain to Oscar, the bug girl is afflicted by a dog spirit? Not to mention Inugami are incredibly hard to exorcize, requiring a master magician. Reimu or Marisa could probably take care of that no problem, but...doubt either are going to listen to Agappa. But maybe they have another friend with secrets to hide and tricks to show off.

 

Probably should be in bed. But after resting all weekend after a bad week, it didn't feel right not to have something up. Hope you all enjoy...

...Oscar being trapped in a cellar.

[Gri]

Greetings.

20 hours ago, Yumetou said:

I mean, the Youkai entry I made before the change wasn't the most subtle. :D Though outside that context, it seemed to come on a bit suddenly. I think a couple people just assumed she was being mean out of nowhere, or even trying to be a tsundere to get his attention, rather than something being wrong.

As I said before, I usually don't take into account the info in the chapter intro useless it is relevant to something that has happened. I am one of those people that though she was suddenly more mean than usual. That aside, the only "tsundere" part that I remember is from chapters way back, where Wriggle choose sit next to Oscar at Mystia's place (yet still act as if she didn't wanted to when they were other places, since she quickly move when Aggapa comes). She also chose to accompany Oscar to the manor, but my guest is more she doesn't want Cirno to get into trouble or get hurt cause she cares about her (not exactly cause she can't trust Oscar). Not really interested in the whole "tsundere" stuff, but just one moment isn't enough for me to write fer off as an annoying tsundere. I am patient on that, but I should have been more patient before thinking she was too angry, especially when it could be reasonable for her to be angry, given the situation with Rumia. On the other hand, she did choose to help Oscar, rather than preventing Cirno from accompanying him, so she had to care at least a little about Oscar (which is where I though she was suddenly going a bit far).

I try to post every time you do (It's the less I can do to show I care about this story), but sometime I may post too quickly and not think things through, or post too late and miss some details. I am usually far more patient than that.

20 hours ago, Yumetou said:

Even so, if you think the problem is now solved...do you really think Agappa can explain to Oscar, the bug girl is afflicted by a dog spirit?

Ah-ah, I said the mystery about her weird negative feelings was solved, not that they are in the clear. I do think that, even if Aggapa has a hard time speaking clearly, she can at least tip-off Oscar about something being weird with Wriggle, which would cause him to be more careful.

20 hours ago, Yumetou said:

Hope you all enjoy...

...Oscar being trapped in a cellar.

Yeah, this week chapter. Team9 is in danger, oh no ! Aggapa might be left alone, cause the Yama's agents might do something bad to the Inugami if it harm one of them, but the rest are in trouble.

As for Oscar, nice to see he can think clearly despise the situation he's in (yeah the readers choice affect that). I do think at that point he should start feeling a bit more scared, especially if that monster comes back. Him outright panicking wouldn't do, but maybe having him talk to Houdini would help him calm down and figure something out. My bet is the exit is in the ground, but I can only vote for one thing.

Last week, I somehow confuse "cellar" with "attic".

Keep up the good work.
 

[Motaromc]

Hmm, Pizza! Hello everyone, It's me, the man who is late to the party.

Well, turned out I said I would be here every Sunday, to greet Yume with a reply as a "Welcome back" every time we are blessed with an update BUT it seems like I have failed to adjust to the update time for... Maybe three weeks in a row? Ouch, that is a VERY Irresponsible thing from my person, so I do feel like I need to apologize. Since when I out of all people have failed so much to uphold a self-imposed schedule? Granted, I have been extra busy this month and had to retire to bed early on Sundays which caused me to miss the updates but I can't help but feel a bit disappointed in myself, I'm glad Master Gri, with all the wiseness accumulated during the training in the Jedi Temple, was able to take the mantle of keeping you company from my irresponsible self.

21 hours ago, Yumetou said:

I think a couple people just assumed she was being mean out of nowhere, or even trying to be a tsundere to get his attention, rather than something being wrong.

Okay, with my self-roasting session done for, it's time for we to start talking for real, I did miss a lot of good topics to discuss and even forgot about some things I wanted to talk but maybe this is a good point for me to opinate.

Wriggle Nightbug, a stage 1 boss from an old game, Imperishable night if Google didn't feed me the wrong info, ultimately, who is even she? What do we have to talk about a character that barely appeared once and was quickly disposed of? Thing is, she wasn't as popular as some others, and taking from the little we know of her she is just a bug who looks human. What do I mean by this you ask? It's okay to take liberty with some characters and I think you are doing a pretty good job with that, being "Tsundere", is probably the common interpretation of Wriggle and I don't think it's completely far-fetched because as Wiki states: "Wriggle is annoyed at the low social status of bugs" meaning that she does want people to like her and wants to feel needed by them, while also "take it personally when someone offends insects" which means she probably feels very wronged by people in general.

Now, in an "anime" setting, how do we portray someone who wants to be closer to you but doesn't know how and at the same time has a quick temper? The answer might be a borderline "tsundere" person. In the end, that's actually okay as long as you don't let it die out here, being completely described by a single word is not what we, as writers, are aiming for when trying to give life to an idea. Here, Wriggle has more to her name than being an outraged bug, she has close friends, and that's essential to continue developing her character, Wriggle tends to mellow out when it comes to Team9, escaping from her common behavior, adding one extra layer to her character.

In the end, I don't know what you are aiming for but for me? Depending on how things go, I would have Oscar fix the Team9 plotlines one by one, slowly leading Wriggle to see Ozzy as one of her own, an interim member of the team if you will, she would trust him near bugs and even offer aid should he need it, allowing for a smart use of her skills by Otherworldly Ventures. To keep the charm of her character and to avoid bending it too much, perhaps some occasional show of Tsunderism?

Something like this: "Why didn't you ask for my help sooner? Idiot!" Then she crosses her arms and looks away while blushing.

Okay, that's cringey but you understand my point right? Keep in mind though that the example above is just how I would have developed her. Your plans are your own and I can tell you are doing great  last thing I want is to see more of me rubbing on others. Oof...

 

I think I had more to yap about but my mind went overdrive while thinking about Wriggle so I ended up forgetting about it. Well, if I forgot then it was probably not important right?

Anyway, what is important though is today's chapter, there is one thing that has almost eluded me, Houdini, I wanted to talk about this little fella for a LONG time but it always slipped from my mind. Houdini is a rabbit and rabbits are a big thing in Touhou no? We have many of them in the setting and Houdini might even facilitate a meeting between Ozzy and Tewi in the future, she does approve of bnnuy pets in that manga if I'm not mistaken. So, as much as I want Ozzy to do a magical magician magic, maybe investing in the Bnnuy might prove to be a profitable venture.    

 

Oh, and before I go, I have decided I won't follow any schedules anymore so expect me to reply anytime from now on. Should be easier for me now since all I have to do is pop here, type and disappear.

[kymoh]

Hello! Been a while! The past month or two (I've lost track how long) had been quite hectic. Tragedy after tragedy had befallen me. But I'm back, and I've caught up with the latest chapter :D

On 12/10/2024 at 3:47 AM, Motaromc said:

Well, turned out I said I would be here every Sunday, to greet Yume with a reply as a "Welcome back" every time we are blessed with an update BUT it seems like I have failed to adjust to the update time for... Maybe three weeks in a row?

I guess that makes two of us irresponsible with our time...

 

Anyway I skimmed through you guys' commentary posts and spotted something about Wriggle being a tsundere? I was under the impression that Wriggle was saying all those mean things due to a curse, one that Agappa could see physically, skewing her personality and causing her to turn on her friends. Even worse, had the curse led Wriggle to lie about the exit in the cellar? Did she lead Oscar into a trap? Oh no!

Speaking of which, I might be too late for my choice to matter but I voted for Oscar to share his thoughts (breaking the tie). It was a 2-2 vote so I know choosing my own option would be useless, and of the two options, talking to Houdini seems like the better one. And the other option is to... seriously?! Stand around and pass time with some reading?! What in the world is that supposed to achieve? ...but knowing Yumetou, I'm sure even if that option is picked, there will be a fun twist that I don't forsee.

 

Keep up the good work as always Yumetou and hopefully I won't go missing for over a month again

[Yumetou]

On 12/27/2024 at 7:38 PM, kymoh said:

Anyway I skimmed through you guys' commentary posts and spotted something about Wriggle being a tsundere?

 

Well, yes and no. I decided to give her some characteristics which could be tsun. Making her abrasive and guarded but warm-hearted underneath. A friend who takes to you slowly, but is firmly in your corner once you win her over. She was warming up to Oscar, before the kami (the readers) decided to send them to the Fortune Teller's house, and its silent guardian chose her as the weakest target. Leading to her being cursed. I was worried, however that she might be seen as something more basic, and the readers might miss that something was wrong. 'Oh Wriggle was always a jerk, what else is new' versus 'Huh. What's wrong with Wriggle? It must be pretty bad.'

 

Thanks Kymoh. The past few months have been rough, and this past one has been no exception. Especially with Christmas. I didn't even get around to shopping for the season until the 21st. Hoping to get a quick entry up tonight or tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Edited December 30, 2024 by Yumetou

[Motaromc]

On 12/27/2024 at 9:38 PM, kymoh said:

Hello! Been a while! The past month or two (I've lost track how long) had been quite hectic.

YES! YES! YES!

 

On 12/27/2024 at 9:38 PM, kymoh said:

Tragedy after tragedy had befallen me.

NO! NO! NO!

 

Hello there friends, nice to see you all around here at this fine day, as you people might have noticed, I guess I could say I'm in a great mood. After so long, my ally has finally returned to us! Isn't this amazing? I knew we were lacking something these past updates, almost like the vote of a certain very important person was missing... I can even say that I was feeling sadder with each week...

But that uneasiness has long since passed because my ally has triumphantly returned!

Okay, maybe not so much triumphantly judging by what I've read before typing this but Kymoh is back all the same, it's always good to see familiar faces, and suffice it to say, you were indeed missed. I can't even imagine what happened to you who was always such a vibrant person to sound so sad but: 

53 minutes ago, Yumetou said:

Thanks Kymoh.

I think Yume appreciates your presence here just as I do.

Now let's try to move on to happier topics, shall we? Merry Christmas everyone, I know I'm late and the year is almost over but I didn't have an opportunity before. Well, I did come here every Sunday to see if we had an uptade but since things were rather quiet I assumed we were having a bit of downtime to enjoy December as much as we can,  since It's probably the busiest month of the year after all.

1 hour ago, Yumetou said:

kami (the readers) decided to send them to the Fortune Teller's house

Wait, really? We are the Kami you mention in the first chapters? I was reading it all over again because I forgot the details of almost everything and noticed this entry in one of the first chapters. Assumed that you were talking about literal Gensokyo gods like the Moriyas lol.

Anyway, if you want to take what little remains of 2024 off then by all means, don't let us hold you back. As the literal talking heads would probably say, there is nothing wrong with taking it easy for a bit.

On 12/27/2024 at 9:38 PM, kymoh said:

Anyway I skimmed through you guys' commentary posts and spotted something about Wriggle being a tsundere?

Hm, to be honest, I don't really rember much but I think I was debating it with Master Gri or something along these lines, what I can say for sure about it though is that I was really invested into that considering how much I rambled in my last reply, I try to not dwell much in what "past me" did once because sometimes I cringe from it... Seriously now, I wouldn't even read the little story I wrote for Nyoko because I would die from the sheer amount of cringy energy that I would get from it. 

Lastly, the choice? About that, I'm 90% sure that reading the book would make something happen, even if Oscar doesn't know how to read anything that is not english and is a complete novice about it. Yume said that all choices are viable options so I'm sure we can get a result from that.

Why do I still choose the rabbit over the juicy magic? That's an easy question, you see, never before have I read a touhou quest where people take their pets with them, especially a rabbit. No, scratch that, the fact is that people just don't do pets in fantasy stories in general unless they are magic by nature, so you could say I'm really curious as to where we are planning to go with this, the fact we have an earth rabbit is just a bonus, even if Mr Snuggles was a dog I would have still vote for him.

And before I go, I decided to prepare a little gift for my ally, Kymoh, as a "Welcome Back" of sorts. It's also an opportunity to try and put a gif in this site, which I had never done before by the way.

 

[Yumetou]

Finally got an entry up after almost a month. Hoping things will be calmer in the near future. We've a new hiree, and should have a couple more temps trickling in over the next few weeks. Meaning I won't have to work 50 or 60 hour weeks anymore. On the other hand, we were supposed to have more temps last month, and they ended up ghosting us. So, not going to make any promises until I'm asked not to come in on my days off.

 

Anyhow! Hope it makes for good reading.

[Gri]

Greetings.

Wow, I was not expecting a new entry during the busy end of year holidays. What a nice surprise. Let me read that real quick.... poor Oscar , left completely alone . Still, it's not over yet. We must choose who could meet Houdini and notice rabbit's odd behaviour.

The "medicine stall" is an obvious choice, since Reisen will immediately notice something's wrong with the rabbit (and while Tewi don't go to the village as far as I know, she might assist Reisen from time to time). If Reisen were to end up helping Oscar, it could make for a nice new dynamic. Reisen is usually not very friendly to humans (she does her job, but that's it). So far, only Keine was not immediately kind to Oscar (excluding Yokai that tried to eat him), and even then once she knew he was an outsider, she showed kindness. So, Oscar dealing with someone who doesn't like human (a bit different from Wriggle) would feel different.

The "temple at the north". No expert on Gensokyo's geography, but would that be the Myouren Temple? I guess any beast youkai there could notice the rabbit, so that would mean either Nazrin, Shou, Kyoko(is she a beast? I don't think Yamabiko are beasts, but she has some beast features). Shou wouldn't leave the temple like that (unless ordered by Byakuren), and I doubt Nazrin would just chase after the rabbit, unless she believes it leads to treasure (she could double check with her dousing rods, then get a reaction due to the fortune teller's books). Her interaction would be similar to Reisen's, except Nazrin is even more unfriendly (tends to look down on others)

The "rental library" would be Kosuzu or one of her regular visitors (so, Reimu, Marisa, Mamizou, Akyuu, maybe Aya). Oh! Maybe Marisa's when there to decipher the book she stole from Oscar Crap. Bad memory. She only stole his wallet. Aya would wait for someone else to follow the rabbit, then snap picture of whatever happens. Akyuu wouldn't go out, not sure if Kosuzu would (from memory, I think she more the type to tell Reimu/Marisa/Mamizou if something weird happens).

The "tavern", so Miyoi or one of her visitors (Marisa, Mamizou, Suika, Aya). Suika wouldn't care (and she wouldn't be here anyway cause is the afternoon and she doesn't disguise herself unlike Mamizou and Aya). Mamizou is a beast youkai and could send a few tanuki to investigate. I already mentioned it, but her scheming nature could go well with Oscar who is also a trickster. This could be an early introduction for the two, and it could become a form of rivalry or maybe Mamizou would become an antagonist who want to expose Oscar's tricks (but for that to work, he would have to be more popular at the village. Right now, he's just the latest stranger to join the village).

Finally, the "Heida Temple" would be Keine or Team9. I can kinda see Wriggle trying once more to convince Cirno to not worry about Osu, but Cirno is being more insistent now that Houdini is there. The two arguing could get the attention of Keine, who would interogate them and then quickly go in to save Oscar, scolding all of them for going to such a dangerous place.

Those are my theories, but which one sounds the more appealing ? The library is out, and introducing Mamizou this early could work if she becomes important later, but I would go for anything more that a short introduction right now. Between Reisen and Nazrin options, I guess I would go for Nazrin (a less popular choice so it would feel different than usual). I do like my Heida temple theory, but this is something that could happen as soon as Oscar comes back for the night anyway (unless he go rest somewhere else).
 

15 hours ago, Yumetou said:

Anyhow! Hope it makes for good reading

This is the end of the year, so I want to wish Yumetou and everyone a Happy New Year .