Yumetou

"I am sorry…I should have seen this coming. I should have remained detached and watched from the safety of my Gaps. Maybe then I could have stopped this…look at what has happened to my beautiful home…" No one knows how it happened. The great Hakurei Barrier had always been there, keeping the outside world at bay. But in Season 123, something seemed to change in the barrier. Small shifts in the fabric of the barrier. Its guardian assumed these were normal ebbs in the flow of magic. Quick to appear and vanish again. All seemed normal, until the impossible happened. The magic within Gensokyo began to fade. The powers of great witches and youkai alike declined, until the fearsome power of the Spell Cards became a distant memory. With the rules of the Danmaku now forever broken, the natives of Gensokyo turned to the greatest of their kind for protection. Across this once-innocent land, banners rose to newborn nations. Dividing the land among themselves. Though in such tumultuous times, it was not long before Gensokyo fell into conflict… That is not to say all is safe away from the battlefields of these nations. Desperate to retain their powers, wild Youkai began to attack humans on the fringes of Gensokyo, hungry for their life force. Human supremacists, longing to see the day the Youkai are dealt with once and for all, operate in the shadows of free nations. Outsiders, guarding one of the few remaining paths to the outside world, plunder our home for its wealth and magicks. And all the while, the Lunarians silently monitor us all from the shadows… You are one of the few remaining heroines in this age of war. A champion, or perhaps a citizen, of one of these great nations. Perhaps you are a heroine who knew the world as it was, or a new champion rising to meet this new conflict. Perhaps you can throw a punch, shoot an arrow, fire a gun or know a blade. You may even know how to cast basic magic. As the armies of a divided Gensokyo march to war, you have no idea you will find yourself thrust into a quest to save the land the gods loved… ------ OoC ------ Hello one and all, and welcome to another Interest Check from Yumetou! With the votes for the next game tied, and my free time very limited, I decided Illusionary Nirvana might be the best RP to continue our reconquest of Eientai. The story is simple. The land is shattered as magic declines, dividing Gensokyo into several competing factions. You as heroines are destined to meet, and reverse this terrible fate for Gensokyo. Rules: 1) You may play as one character, either canonically from a Touhou game or a character of your own creation. 2) The only characters off-limits for the game are the leaders of the ten factions. Any other character is available. 3) Fill out the form below. When approved, you may post in the IC. 4) Have fun! Character Sheet ------ Lore ------ Major Factions Minor Factions (NPC) Timeline

Brave myself. Its nice to have a browser which blocks ads. No desperate horny housewife is going to catch me now!

I think its very telling of EoSD's design that even no-names like Daiyousei and Koakuma have developed their own fanbases. Every character in the game has a following. And while Zun's designs have gotten more complex, theirs are both simple and appealing. Leading to some very flexible interpretations. In an interview, Zun stated Koakuma--like all demons--is mischievious, but in a less playful way than fairies. While funny to see how the fanbase and Zun diverge on her and Dai, it does open the way to fun fan interpretations. From Koakuma being a good person and only being a troublemaker for little things she can get away from it, to being an unwilling slave by magic, to her just being a massive simp for Patchy. One interesting feature I find of her, is while generic Youkai are very common, devils are quite rare in the series. All other devils we see come from specific subspecies. Ellis, Kurumi, Remilia and Flandre are vampires, Patchy and maybe Alice are Magicians. But Koakuma is the only 'generic' Devil to appear in the series. Her being generic oddly makes her unique. I've hear devils may have some kind of tie to Makai. I doubt that myself. But I can only imagine how hard she would have been bullied before Patchy got ahold of her. I will say I find Koakuma's personality and design less compelling than Daiyousei's. Though that may well be down to taste. Then again I recently found a Resident Evil parody where she's a cold femme fatale with a .45 and that's been living rent-free in my head for three days now.

Ironically, I suspect Daiyousei is the most popular fairy in the series after Cirno and maybe Clownpiece. For a generic fairy, she has an appealing design, even as a tiny sprite in a bullethell. Her kindly nature is a little bland but very empathetic and endearing. Its easy to see how people latched on to Daiyousei. Canonically, all fairies are supposed to be mischievious and troublesome. Very different from Daiyousei. But I think it contrasts well with the others. She plays well as the voice of reason with Cirno or Rumia. The good-natured angel who is always pulled into trouble by her friend's hot-headed personality, or get them out of it through her thoughtfulness. Sadly, that does constrain her character to being an extension of Cirno. Even in good fanon stories about her, she is intrinsically tied to the ice fairy. You could tell me she was a hallucination of Cirno and I would believe you. I have been told Daiyousei appears in canon works. Technically. But she always appears as a slightly off-panel cameo. From what I read, she has yet to speak or even show her face. A sad fate for such a fan favorite, especially one so many saw. All in all, while one of the least deep characters (for obvious reasons), she's probably best girl.

My boy. I don't have time to run five different games. Even those as slow and relaxed as Dreamy Café. I have to narrow it down to one or two you will all enjoy and where possible combine ideas. The two games are similar and I think Illusionary Nirvana has more to offer the players than Grim Queen. You will be solving incidents either way. Illusionary Nirvana is liable to have more incidents to solve, and the story will be less linear. Giving you all more freedom. This is down to the tastes of the other players. Saathi's already told us their preference. We'll wait and see what @Juunimeta, @MoeNwe and @yankop's preferences before I decide for sure.

Grim Queen's Fantasy feels too restrictive for you guys. Instead I will run a game like that, using my plans for Illusionary Nirvana. Think of it as an open world game sent in Gensokyo. GQF felt very linear and less interesting, so something with more space should give you all more freedom to play your characters of choice.

This is a good example of what I mean. She can stand out, even from under Sakuya's shadow, and her design could easily be updated and fit in the series again. Personally, I would trade out her broadsword for a rapier or epee. Those swords are distinctly Western, and would stand out more in a game or manga from a more generic arming sword or katanas. Dual-wielding could also help establish her more. The fighting style for these swords is different too, with a lot more focus on quick thrusts and parries. Which would make her moves more distinct from Sakuya or Youmu in a manga. I would also play in a little to her more arrogant demeanor. Confidence is attractive, but taken too far, its a good character trait for a villain to get her comeuppance. She might genuinely be a better swordswoman than Youmu for instance, but her overconfidence could be a severe handicap in a fight narratively. I might also make her prudish or easily flustered when it comes to anything vaguely sexual. Though that might be playing into the fandom meta and Sakuya's knife-garters too much. How she would play in game, I'm not entirely sure. Her old style is probably not an option, given its similarity to Sakuya's. My first thought is basing her Danmaku on epee and rapier techniques, combined with the aesthetics of Western flowers. But having no experience in bullethells outside of barely beating Cirno and wandering into generic fairy fire out of panic, I can't say that will work. Since she was a creation of Shinki, she would presumably have some powers, though what those would be I can't guess. I don't think she has any broader abilities laid out in the lore, and her sword summon power is just going to confuse people with Sakuya. My first thought would be opening portals to Makai through certain swordplay techniques, letting her fire at you from unusual angles. You dodge a thrust from her as her sprite clears the map, and a hole opens behind you shooting pellets. You could also make her name literal, and pull the player into hazardous dreamscapes you have to maneuver through. All in all, she's a good example of why Zun does not recycle old characters. She has some excellent bones, and would be easy to refit in the lore. Her character traits fit nicely, and could be interesting foils to some of the others. But so much of the series has changed since then, that its just easier to make a new character, rather than overhaul one only diehard fans and lore nerds are going to remember. Even if he did reinvent her, she is just going to invite comparisons to the other maid in the series.

I feel like part of the reason is Yumeko just got upstaged by a newer model. She is barely referenced in the fandom, but if you look at any Asian list of top maids in fiction, Sakuya is certain to be on it. She is one of the most recognizable characters from the series, beaten out only by Reimu and maybe Cirno. Mystic Square also seems to be the least popular of the 98 games. I don't have any statistics or sales to back this. But its the one I hear mentioned least by fans, even if it was Alice's introduction to the setting. Its a shame. A cool and arrogant Western swordswoman would make a nice contrast to Youmu. Especially since her Western style swords would help her stand out.

A Nopperabu's legit. Not the first concept someone would hone on, very in keeping with the game series. That part fits nicely. :) I think he's nifty. Brings back some nostalgia from the old days. How did he lose his face? Give me the juicy details. It has to be an interesting story. Was it a super powerful yokai he came upon? Was it a unique yokai with special powers? A gang of them with a unique artifact or dangerous magics?

Happy Saturday gang! I don't know about you, but I am glad to sit down with my favorite hobby and relax. So, on the topic of what to play. I said before I was going to run whatever game you were all most interested in. While Grim Queen's Fantasy won out, the idea feels...I don't know. Robotic, to my mind. I have all kinds of concepts and characters in mind for it. But it feels much more linear than what I am used to. So, I have decided to take Illusionary Nirvana and run it as I planned to run Grim Queen's Fantasy. Nationbuilder games are one of the more advanced kinds of rps you can come across in PbP games. Since most of you seem new to intermediate for the hobby, it'll be easier to run the idea as a standard adventure for you all. As part of the game's lore, the world of Gensokyo is even more isolated from the Outside World, with various groups in Gensokyo forming their own factions. Theocracies, republics, empires all springing up from the world we know. This means chances are, your character may end up being from one country which is at war with another character's country. But we will figure that out as the game goes on. I also have a number of NPC factions, which will be up to their own brands of mischief. These incidents would normally be handled by Reimu or some of her other friends, though many are too busy running their countries to stop them directly. It will be up to you to stop them all! I already have most of the lore and factions written up already, so they are ready to go into an OoC. We'll have character sheets and rules there for when we're ready. I just need to confirm first you would all be interested in the idea.

The room was calm and relaxed, though one would not think so looking at their hostess’s face. In the fine lines of her skin, around her seemingly neutral expression, impatience and nervousness melded together. Then, Alice turned, calling out her own order. In an instant, the spell was broken. Turning to the doll maker, the droopy-eyed owner gave a salute. Before she started for the bar. Attempting to clear it in one jump. With a little more ease than her thin arms implied, she airily did a split-hop over the counter. After vanishing behind it, she disappeared again, only to emerge with her order. The succulent fruits seemed to shimmer in the ambient light. Their hostess primly held her dish in one hand. Walking deliberately towards Alice, before setting the dish down before her. Fruits of many colors seemed to glitter up at her. There was a set of apple, peach and plum slices around the rim. Berries of every description in the bowl. Each with their own unique flavor from the hostess’s memories… Ayume blinked. Or at least, that’s the closest thing a human would compare it to. With her eyes closed, the gesture was impossible. Though with the way her eyes seemed to scrunch shut and then relax, it was the closest comparison. The human leaned in towards Alice. Her closed eyes staring intently at the magician’s face. A single finger rose, before prodding Alice in her cheek. The touch of skin against skin seemed to confuse her. Though before Alice had a chance to be subjected to any further mistreatment, Yuyuko called for the owner. Anxiety creeping back into the borders of Ayume’s passive expression. Slowly, she turned and inched closer. Though not so close the hungry spirit might grab her if the mood struck her… The door opened with a gentle chime. In the doorway, there stood a young woman in a colorful kimono. Her dark hair accentuated by a flowery hair clip. Her dark eyes traced the room, as though inscribing it into her memory. Something which Kosuzu and Aya both knew, was very much what Akyuu was doing. She did not seem to catch sight of the two yet, giving them a chance to greet her.

Just a place to share your favorite Touhou girl eating borgar. Spaghet, pizza, pancakes and other non-Japanese food are also welcome.

I'll take a look when I can later. :) What can you tell us about her? How did you come up with her? How old were you? What relationship did you imagine she had with the other characters and the world?

Aya’s order was met with a nod from the hostess. Kosuzu’s order followed a moment later, acknowledged with a thumbs-up, before Ayume turned. Despite her closed eyes, she had no difficulty maneuvering her way past the tables and chairs. Every step from her polished red shoes giving a playful squeak. As she reached the bar, Ayume leaned over the counter, forced to stand on her tiptoes. For a moment, her feet wobbled as they threatened to leave the ground before she thankfully stood up. Sporting a tray in her arms. Upon this tray was the plate of sushi, lined up upon a linen napkin set with a woodblock print of a tuna. Beside it, a delightful array of cookies. Carefully arranged in a neat pattern. Steaming croissants sat nearby, a smaller plate carrying chocolate, jams, butter and even cheese. Turning, their hostess carefully walked back towards the two. Her face serene and eyes closed, before she set the tray on the table. Kosuzu’s croissants came first, placed before her. Aya’s tuna sushi next, along with a pair of bamboo chopsticks. Before the cookies were placed on the center of the table. Satisfied, Ayume stood. Giving both a polite bow. Aya’s advice thankfully did not seem to disturb the owner's expression. Though for a moment, a pulsing vein appeared on the side of Aya’s head. Vanishing in a moment as the hostess serenely turned, and made her way to Yuyuko’s table. As Kosuzu bit into the croissant, she would be met with the taste of a fluffy, lightly-buttered pastry. With it, came a sudden flood of emotion. Momentary shyness, quickly replaced by excitement and happiness. Made all the stronger with her additions to the croissant. Aya’s sushi on the other hand gave a rush of authority and respectability, which flooded her body from where the fish met her mouth. There was reason to be frightened, yes, but she also had reason to be admired… The emotions of both vanished as soon as they came. Kosuzu’s nervousness and Aya’s apprehension went first, leaving them both with only the residual feelings of shy excitement and authority. As Ayume reached the hungry ghost’s table, she pulled a menu from beneath the tray. One which had not been there moments before. Passing it gently to Yuyuko, the noble lady of departed souls could see a line of traditional Japanese faire. Though as she flipped through it, the serving sizes became larger and larger, and the meals slowly more Western. Certainly not food expected at a coffee shop. A twelve-piece bucket of chicken with sides. A seventeen patty hamburger doused in cheese. An entire cooked pig. Those closed eyes stared down at Yuyuko, beads of sweat forming on her brow… The arrival of another customer would normally have been a source of frustration for Ayume. As it was, Alice’s arrival was a rush of relief. The woman turned to face Alice. Eyes closed as she silently bowed in greeting. Ignoring the menu behind her as Yuyuko turned to the seventeenth page of what had been a one-page brochure. Without a word, Ayume gestured to a free table. A fresh menu sprung from beneath the tray, before she passed it to Alice. The food this time would be more European breakfast faire. Teas and coffees, pastries and mixed fruits. She could only hope that Yuyuko did not notice the other three’s menus. A conversation about such large menus might bring up the differences in their menus, Ayume did not want to hear that conversation between customers again…

OCs and canons are welcome for Dreamy Cafe and all of the rps I might run, except Become Fumo. Become Fumo has no canons in the setting, so all our characters would all be mostly original.

I'll probably write them at first, though I have no problem with you writing in your own once you have a grasp on some of the anomalous effects. :) Since I described the strawberry soda's effects on Aya, you know what Kosuzu will experience for instance. I may just PM you the effects of the food you try, to keep things from bogging down. Heya Privateer. :) We may pick Grim Queen and may not. I only have time to run 1-2 other games, so we're trying to work out which the most people would be interested in. But I'll add your vote to the votes cast (I forgot to put up a poll, so I am just keeping track of votes mentally).

As the pink, translucent soda passed Aya’s lips, she would be met by the novel taste. It was a soft, bubbly drink. Sugar and strawberries flooding her taste buds. The soft aftertaste of cream with it. But there was something else in the taste. For the barest moment, her body would feel young and joyful again. The smell of fresh-cut grass stung pleasantly at her nostrils, and Aya felt nothing but childhood joy. And then, it was over. The taste of strawberries and cream slipping down Aya’s throat, before it was gone… Kosuzu took her own sip. Her own mouth met with the taste of strawberries and sugar. Though her nose would smell no scent of grass, she would feel a moment of happiness, less strongly than Aya had. As she called for a drink of her own, the proprietor gave her a thumbs-up. Reaching under the table, she picked it up. Walking around the counter. Before she set it in front of Kosuzu. The sound of glass on glass as the marble rattled inside. It only waited to be seen, if the fresh drink would have the same effect on Kosuzu... From behind her back, the matron of the coffeehouse pulled free two menus. Setting them down in front of both Kosuzu and Aya. Like the menu over the bar, the menus were plain. Lacking any descriptions or prices, each marked only with Yen. Instead, each had a pictograph, displaying the item for sale. Ayume knew both menus were identical. Aya’s eyes however would find a menu sporting traditional Japanese cuisine. Sushi, udon and tempura mingled on the page. Most options were vegetarian, though the the occasional dish of chicken or fish appeared as well. Kosuzu’s on the other hand would display a number of pastries and sweets. Pastries fashioned after cats sat next to chocolate-stuffed croissants and colorful cookies. All begging to be ordered...

Finally home again. @MoeNwe and @Saathi, you two can jump in when you can. Don't let yourself be pushed by Juunimeta and Yankop's posts if you think you can only post now and then. Just join in when you can. You'll either be able to join them, or I'll throw plot hooks for your characters specifically. With Dreamy's first post out of the way, I think its time we work out what's next. I said before that if there was a tie, I would decide one or two RPs we could run. As it turns out, there was a tie. A four-way one. While I am glad all my ideas got some attention and love, it doesn't make narrowing things down to one or two ideas you all will love easier. So, a quick chat about what you'd like to see out of the game we do end up picking seems in order. Prepare yourselves.

Mmm, I heard of Muenzuka, and I am pretty sure there are other places humans creep in sometimes. But I wasn't sure if there might be...interdimensional smugglers, for want of a better term. Not to be overly analytical, but gold or silver was preferred as a currency because there was no central bank to insure paper money's value. Coins of precious metals have self-evident worth, and is probably what they would default to. Though it would be funny to see someone minting coins, considering how old Gensokyo is, chances are they just use Meiji and pre-Meiji era coins. I wasn't sure if they may have specified in a manga or not. What provoked this chain of thought was actually the first Touhou content I ever played to completion. No, not a game or a fan game. Its a mod for Mount and Blade called Gensokyo Warfare. In that game, P-Points are used as a standard currency. Though Outside World currency is considered far rarer and more valuable, to the point a 2000 Yen note (about $14) provides Cirno with life-saving surgery. Its a good McGuffin for the plot, though I'm still not sure why the natives of Gensokyo would care about Outsider money. Dreamers like Maribel probably can't take money with them. The Lunarians have no interest in trade with Earth, and I doubt Yukari shops at Cosco. It would probably be a novelty collector's item at best. But it did raise the question to my mind.

Approved. The hungry girl is welcome. Definitely looking forward to seeing her reaction to the...unique qualities of the food.

Of course. I just made this goofy doodle and felt like sharing.

Jokes in the title aside, I had a question for the lore nerds. My understanding of Gensokyo is that things from the Outside World, while rare, do exist. Sometimes people come through with modern luxuries, like phones or packaged foods. And there are plenty of Humans and Youkai who farm, cook, blacksmith, do news reporting or any number of other services. My question is...is this trade of outside goods strictly goods which come through people who fall into Gensokyo? Or are there humans/youkai who occasionally go to the Outside World and bring things back with them? How do they trade for goods? I've never seen Gensokyo referenced to have its own currency. Given Zun's fascination with pre-Meiji Japan, I don't think it would be weird to see people use Mon or Ryo. Or would smelting gold be too impractical, and using outsider yen or dollars be easier? Or are most things exchanged through a barter system? Idunno. I thought it would be fun to talk about though!

As Aya declined an order, the arm of the stranger girl dropped to her side dramatically. It was hard to tell on a face like hers, but she almost seemed to be scowling. Before slowly, she sunk behind the bar once more. There, she remained silent, until Aya called for a drink, some sort of pink bottle, marked with a trio of Yen. A single arm lunged out from behind the bar, shooting a thumbs-up from behind the counter, before the proprietor emerged again. As she emerged from behind the bar, walking purposefully towards the two, Kosuzu and Aya could get a better look at the owner. She was short, though not unusually so for a human. Beneath her long braids and the calm expression of her face, she wore a magenta dress, with a dark purple corset around her waist, and a jacket tied at the neck. Around her waist was a checkered length of cloth like an obi, which matched the tights she wore over a pristine set of buckled shoes. Without a word, she placed the bottle in front of Aya. It looked like a pretty standard Japanese soda. Probably strawberry. Its small size (compared to American sodas at least) made up for by its unique taste. The fun sound of a colorful marble bouncing inside added a playful element to the drink. But as Aya looked the drink over, it was hard not to notice something wrong. Bottled soda like this may have been a novelty in Gensokyo. But now and then, one would see a drink from the outside world. But while the bottle looked familiar, the label was definitely not written in any language of the outside world. The chaotic jumble of lines and curves vaguely resembled Katakana. But the way the logo looped around the label and onto the glass itself resembled no other bottled drink. Were one to turn the bottle around in one’s hands, the lettering just seemed to continue on, with no other writing visible. No manufacturer’s information or nutritional guide. Just the nonsensical name on the drink, looping around, until coming back to the front of the drink. Where the writing was different from when Aya first looked at it...