THE STORY SO FAR:
The world has ended, but five (well, it’s complicated) humans get a chance to do it over, and make things right. Only problem is, for their second go around, they're not going to be 'human'...

Kosuzu, Reimu, Akyuu and Youmu have all remembered their pasts, and through significant trials and tribulations, begun the path of fighting against the doomed future. Of the five Immaterial Children who were wound back in time together, only one’s fate remains unknown - the former magician, Kirisame Marisa.

In this life, she is Houjuu Marisa, raised on the island of Sado in the outside world. Spending her childhood years looking up at the stars, the arrival of the Spiral Comet awoke her inhuman heritage - one she was completely unaware of, and equally unprepared to deal with. Having fled her life on the island, she now searches for a way to get to Gensokyo, ever chased by a mysterious group.

She is not the only one exploring the mysteries of the city she now finds herself in - she is joined by Goutokuji Mike, a young maneki-neko of the modern world also on the run from home. Together, they discovered the Lunar Rainbow Market, and with the assistance of powerful benefactors managed to evade their pursuers.

Their time at the Scarlet Talent Agency ended poorly, yet not fruitlessly - not only were they joined by fellow mystery-hunter Kotohime, but a mysterious shadow of a witch managed to contact the young Houjuu, and point her on the path towards discovering her nature and purpose. This has proven to be another pain point for Mike, who feels herself falling behind the young changeling and wants to catch up. Perhaps the Vanishing Path and the prisoner of the shrine it conceals will give her a chance to prove herself…

Previous Threads:
Redo/Reimu >>205449

3 AM. The Witching Hour.

A time during which the boundary between normalcy and the profane is at its weakest, when safety’s veil over mankind thins to gossamer and allows fear to seep through. Winds start to carry whispers, and the creaks of one’s home bring with them thoughts of unseen presences. At that hour, all that lurk in the darkness are at their most terrifying.

That’s the belief, anyway - one reinforced by generations of sleepless nights. And in Gensokyo, belief is a force of nature in and of itself. Surely then, at this very moment, you must be at your peak. Surely.

Despite your effort to steel your revolve, your breath shivers past your lips. The pressure in your chest is no less oppressive than it was moments ago. If anything, it only mounts further. But you have to be strong, now more than ever. Frightening as it may be to take the first step, you have to do this. For her.

Forcing yourself forward, your foot steps past the torii gate of the Hakurei Shrine. You’re trespassing on sacred ground now. The pressure in your chest doubles, a palpable weight that threatens to buckle your knees. But the night makes you strong. The next step is easier to take, and the step after that even more so.

It gets so much easier to keep pushing onward, in fact, that by the time you’ve made it halfway down the leaf laden walkway, you’re starting to feel rather light and jumpy instead of leadfooted. The fear of getting caught skulking around is a great motivator to hurry up, as it turns out. And so, you skedaddle around the building in your desperate search for her.

Due to the special link you two share, you find yourself naturally drawn toward a grove of cherry trees a short distance from the back of the shrine. You bypass the main shrine grounds entirely, feet guided by an invisible connection. There, half-buried in a layer of pink petals from spring’s end, your gaze settles on a large stone - a paper talisman stuck to its surface. A seal. The seal that contains your master.

The sight is almost enough to bring you to your knees. Couldn’t the Hakurei have thought of

[x] Reisen is a brilliant little kit, and this was the time for her to shine. Just like with Chen, all I needed to do was give her a little support and encouragement.

I still remember back when Chen made her first spellcard. It had taken a lot of effort on both our parts - for all her good qualities, Chen simply wasn’t a natural with danmaku. Staying still while you cast a spellcard and the other person shot at you went against every instinct my kit had, and while spellcards with movement did exist, they were more difficult for a beginner. Making matters worse, the order for me to treat her as my pet made it difficult for me to teach her to the degree I wanted. (When she grew frustrated and started mewling for kitty cuddles, I almost had to tie my own hands to stop the shikigami from indulging her.)

But nevertheless we persisted, and finally she had her first spellcard ready to show Yukari. And my little girl was nervous. The shikigami possessing me had been anxious that everything be perfect for its master, and while that drive had helped in focusing enough to teach Chen… it had left my kit with stage fright, her voice wavering as she asked if we could maybe practice another week first.

I’d felt an almost primal urge to just embrace her and make the problem go away. To pick up my little girl, hug her, assure her she was the best kitten in all of history, and leave the spellcard demonstration for later. But that would have just delayed the problem and made it that little bit harder for Chen to stand on her own when “later” finally came. She’d done a good job, she’d put in the work, and “Kishin - Soaring Bishamonten” was a fine entry-level spellcard. As much as I wanted to hold her hand, that would be holding her back. She didn’t need my protection… just a little encouragement.

So I knelt down, and pet her. A quick stroke as my fingers traced a line from her fluffy ears down her cheek. She went completely still, looking at me as I told her not to worry. That she was ready, that she’d worked hard, and that Yukari was going to be just as impressed with her as I was. And in my kit’s eyes I saw the worry fade away as Chen fought her fear with pure, earnest determi

Imagine a tiny spark, as minuscule as a speck of dust, yet as brilliant as the most gigantic stars in the universe; slowly and lazily floating above nothingness. A nothingness where nothing and everything, paradoxically, exist simultaneously. Perhaps you don't remember, but you've been here before. Maybe it was that time before you were born, before or after your conception. Maybe it's the same place you go to every time you sleep, that brief, pleasant time before the next day begins. Maybe it's the place where you ended up, like all the others you've known and forgotten throughout your life.

Ah, now that I look at you more closely, it seems you're on your last breath. Tragic, but expected for your kind, whatever you were before ending up like this. Believe it or not, it's hard to tell from your appearance. Tidy yourself up a bit, okay?

But well, it seems you've been floating in nothingness for quite some time. That's odd, since you should have been picked up by a shinigami, if they even bother to do their job anymore...

Of course, our boss would have already taken matters into her own hands.

Or at the very least, turned into a vengeful spirit. Hmm, have you even visited the banks of the Sanzu River? I heard the Ministry finally allowed the installation of—

Please, focus! We have a job to do.

Ah! Where were we? Oh, yes! You, the spark, whatever you are, continue floating, illuminating the void with your nonexistent light, dancing with a carefree attitude. After an eternity of dancing—you need to work on those moves, by the way—you stop. And as you stop to a stand still, you explode with tremendous force.

Your consciousness awakens ~ ❤.

Reimu panted and held her side, feeling the burn from one of the lasers which had grazed her. Her red hakama were covered in grey ash, and her white kimono was speckled with soot, dirt, and a little blood. She half-crouched, half-knelt on Genji’s back, the giant turtle having shrugged off most of the attacks that had hit him.

Still, she took some satisfaction from being in a better state than her opponent. The one she was fighting was a gargantuan woman, one who simply radiated power. Even so, it was clear that she had suffered; white hair cascading in front of her face, red dress covered in soot and one purple wing bent unnaturally and another bearing an angry-looking tear in it. The remaining four wings

“Looks like your bark is worse than your bite!” Reimu powered through the pain and gave the goddess a savage grin.

“How could you be this strong?” The goddess panted out, shocked at her defeat

“Well, that’s just normal for me” Reimu boasted, puffing her chest out.

Shinki just gave her an unamused look, before brushing the hair out of her face “Anyway, what business did you have in Makai again”

Now it was Reimu’s turn to give an unamused look “Like I’ve been saying! There’s been too many demons coming to the human world lately! You’re the god of their world, so do something about it!”

“Guess I’ve got no choice...”
Shinki grumbled, before raising a hand to her chest. A purple light washed over the goddess, causing her to be rejuvenated. Her Wings snapped back into place, the gash disappearing in an instant. Even her clothes began to sew themselves back together.

Then she raised a hand towards Reimu, wreathed in green light. Reimu was about to get Genji to dodge when the light poured over her. She could feel the pain in her side dissipate, as the wounds across her body closed.

Shinki gave her a slight curtsy, her six wings disappearing as she did so.

“In deference to that strength of yours, I shall do something about it.” she declared.

“Yes, Please do.” Reimu put her hands on her waist, like her mom did when scolding her. She wasn’t entirely sure what def-fer-ence meant, but it sounded like she

Hello there, long time lurker(wow has it been a few years) and first time thread maker here.

I wondered if anyone here would be interested in an story.(dumb question)

I am in posession of 2 brainchildren that for the love of all won't leave me alone. The first one developed into an red line, having the bare bones in the beginning, conflict with a few characters and an potential climax. It has no end since the other parts still swim around in the depths of my brain.

Well, all in all i want to know if anyone has enough interest to vote, comment and interact with me while putting up with my ADD, formatting mistakes, slipping grammar(im german) and an irregular release schedule that at least i can guarantee will lead to an end of the story.

It will begin as pretty standard gappy story,with votes on what an mc we will creating, mc will NOT be powerful very fast into it. There will be so much choice making(for hopefully our amusement and to help the plot along) and at last i will add an stat sheet with the skills of mc and an archievement tab. Everything astounding and all deaths(connected to the choices)will get one, with a bit of flavor Text the first time.

So yeah... i want to let this fester for 3 days before coming to an decision if it's worth it.

See you.

Wonderfully jobless and with too much time for the next 8 months

Alastor Darkwood

Everyone’s waiting for you to continue. The thing is, you didn’t have anything to follow up after that. But you don’t want to disappoint, so you say the first thing that comes to your head.

“And then we can beat him up,” you conclude, earning the respect of battle-happy shrine maidens across the world. You’re sure Reimu’s clapping in her head with the approving nod that she’s giving you.

“...Him?” The badger sputters. “As in, the other guy… and not me, y-yes?”

“Do you want to be beaten up too?” asks Reimu.

With a somber expression, he shakes his head slowly and silently.

“Good.” The shrine maiden jerks a finger to the mountainside. “Now take us to your boss, leader, or whatever you call him.”

Despite how talkative the badger initially was, he does not say a word through the forest’s passage and the climb up the steady hillside. With Reimu following right behind the badger, it looks like he’s being walked to his execution—and the shrine maiden, his executioner. He stops at a patch of open area. Around is conspicuously clear of brush, as if all the foliage was trimmed away. All that’s missing is quiet in the forest, a dark mist that permeates through the woods, and you’d be wondering if you’re experiencing a serious case of deja vu.

A horned figure steps out from the cover of the trees. Just like the badger described, the youkai has a ruddy, taurus-like face. Dark splotches color the sides of the man’s face like oil, finished with a black muzzle that juts out. Mino, you think for a second before discarding it.

THE STORY SO FAR:
The world has ended, but five (well, it’s complicated) humans get a chance to do it over, and make things right. Only problem is, for their second go around, they're not going to be 'human'...

Kosuzu, Reimu, Akyuu and Youmu have all remembered their pasts, and through significant trials and tribulations, begun the path of fighting against the doomed future. Of the five Immaterial Children who were wound back in time together, only one’s fate remains unknown - the former magician, Kirisame Marisa.

In this life, she is Houjuu Marisa, raised on the island of Sado in the outside world. Spending her childhood years looking up at the stars, the arrival of the Spiral Comet awoke her inhuman heritage - one she was completely unaware of, and equally unprepared to deal with. Having fled her life on the island, she now searches for a way to get to Gensokyo - ever chased by a mysterious group.

She is not the only one exploring the mysteries of the city she now finds herself in - she is joined by Goutokuji Mike, a young maneki-neko of the modern world also on the run from home. Together, they discovered the Lunar Rainbow Market, and with the assistance of powerful benefactors managed to evade their pursuers. Now, they turn their eyes towards the other unearthly secrets in the area, seeking a path to the land of fantasy.

Having made arrangements for their meeting on a forum for discussing cryptids and urban legends, a number of others have followed their lead, seeking out the local mysteries in separate groups. One such individual is the tenacious eccentric Little_Bunny, who has tried many times to infiltrate the Scarlet Talent Agency and confirm its suspected otherworldly connections. Marisa and Mike have come across one such attempt, and are about to watch one of the forum’s local legends in action…

Previous Threads:
Redo/Reimu

You awake into this world with a scream.

Your eye flies open as your vision blurs. Panicking, you quickly stand up only for you to immediately fall over. You feel like you want to vomit.

So vomit you do, as you crawl over to a nearby tree and hold onto it for dear life as you puke whatever was inside your digestive system.

A few minutes pass as your show of repugnance slowly fizzles out. A sigh of relief passes over you as you move closer to the tree and plop yourself onto it for support.

You're breathing steadily now. Your eyes aren't blurry any longer and they adjust to the moon-lit night.

Looking around you realize you are in a forest, an ancient looking woodland to be more specific. The trees that surround your corpse (Did you just refer to ourself as a corpse?). Are old and- wait who said that?

(Me you fool, I am your conscience.)

That... Isn't normal. You think to yourself, one would think it impossible for your own conscience to have thoughts independent of your own, let alone have it's own voice.

(Well, something clearly happened before we woke up here. I don't remember much myself so I'm hoping you could fill me in.)

Ah right, your current predicament. You snap out of your thoughts and take another look at the forest around you.

You don't even know where you are. How does one even find themselves in a forest?

Like a quick clap of thunder however, you suddenly realize something.

Your breathing quickens in panic as it becomes increasingly obvious to you that you cannot recall a single thing before your awakening.

(Shit.)

You can't remember anything.

(Okay look I know this is a bad-)

You can't remember your life before waking up here.

(Let's just take a breather and coll-)

You can't even remember your own name.

(FOCUS.) Your conscience shouts.

(Look, we can't sit all day moping about the fact that we can't remember anything. Need I remind you we're in the middle of a forest?)

I guess you're right.

(Good, now get up and let's get out of here.)

With as much e

[x] A wicked hermit appears

You decided to cut directly to the chase. “Is Miko here?”

Seiga floated around you in a circular arc, forcing you to turn to keep her in your vision. “Now, now. You’re being quite the rude guest. Insulting my darling Yoshika, leaving your companion to fight her while you ran on ahead…”

“My heart weeps for you,” you said flatly. “Is Miko here?”

“Fortunately, you’re also quite the interesting one,” she replied, completely ignoring your question. “A servant who is a master, once a master of many servants, but now ensnared by her own trap. And one who condemns a servitude more benign than that which her life has been defined by. What am I to make of you?”

“A person looking for information,” you told her. “Specifically, where is Miko?”

“Is there a reason for me to just tell you?” the wicked hermit asked. “Surely the fair thing would be a trade of information, no?”

Reisen glanced back and forth between you and Seiga. “That doesn’t seem unreasonable?”

Knowing exactly where this was going, you glared at the hermit. “What is unreasonable is the knowledge she wants. This wicked hermit is after the shikigami ritual.”

“Didn’t you just- ack!” Reisen started before one of your tails flicked across her legs, making her yelp.

Seiga laughed, floating right up to your face. “Tamamo-no-mae’s reign of terror was followed by dozens of copycats utilizing her work. There’s little point for you to safeguard that knowledge now.”

“Knowledge that my past self went to considerable lengths to eradicate,” you spat. “What makes you think I would hand it over to you?”

“Perhaps because your lips have been loosened already? Alice has been talking quite a bit about her living doll while fighting my pet zombie.”

So that was why Seiga showed herself. “Alice will not abuse the knowledge, whereas you are a self-professed wicked hermit. The answer is still no.”

She was unfazed, smirking back at you. “Everyone has their price, and I’ll find yours eventually. Or perhaps hers?”

You grimaced. That was an unpleasant reminder you’d need to stre