Ace Combat: Gensokyo - 4 | THP

But The motherland called, so I have written an update for you comrades IAmNotPaperBoy 2011/09/08 (Thu) 22:50 No. 33386

[☭]"Why do you mourn, comrade? So long as a single person holds a place for justice in his heart, the Revolution can never die. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[☭] ALEK DON'T GIVE UP, WHERE OTHERS FAILED, YOU WILL SUCCEED.

[☭] “The motherland is calling!”

[☭] Voters everywhere, we have nothing to lose but our chains, but we have an update to win!

[☭] The motherland requires your final commitment for an update. What Mother Russia requires, the motherland shall receive.

[☭]Him? Yeah, I know him. It's going to take a while; it happened years ago. Did you know there are 3 kinds of aces? Those who seek Strength. Those who live for Pride. And Those that can Read the Tide of Battle. Those are the three. And Him... He was a fighter pilot named Lt. Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov. He is the man I seek.

[☭]Comrade, you must know that updates, these updates, are as vital to the Motherland as bread or water or the great guns that protect us from the fascist hordes. Why then, comrade, do you not update? Why then must our great union languish beneath the heel of the enemy? Write Comrade! Write for honor! Write for the story! Write Comrade, for the glory, for your fellow comrades, for the very spirit of Mother Russia!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A crappy writer shall now write his best attempt for the Mother Russia! Please have some mercy on his poor performance!

[☭] Glory! The war is won and the fascist hordes swept away by the People's might! No doubt had you about the inevitable victory of the People's will, but still these tidings lighten your heart.
[☭] Sweep this little dear up in your arms and shower her with kisses for bringing such glorious news to you.
[☭] Produce a bottle of finest Vodka, one that is a true testament of the skill of the People's distilleries, and drink in celebration, not forgetting a toast to the honor of the Great Architect.

You blank out upon hearing the news. It seems as if though years had passed by since Suwako had told you the glory of the motherland’s victory. Although you had no doubt in the people’s will to overcome the plague of the Fascist Reich from the motherland, you were cautious if it were to be the People’s flag or the capitalist pigs’ flag upon Berlin.

Berlin. The cursed city and wretched heart that is the Evil Hitlerites’ control center of evil, the very birth place of the misery, death, and destruction of your motherland. However, now is not the time to grieve over the motherland’s loss, so you make a note to pay tribute to the heroic sacrifices of your comrades. Rather than be saddened by the honorable and heroic sacrifices of your comrades, you promise yourself to spread the Truth to this land, to make sure that their sacrifice is not in vain. When you remember that it was the motherland’s, the People’s, flag that flew above the Fascist Reichstag, your heart is lightened. The time right to celebrate your glorious motherland’s victory over the rotten Fascist hordes!

“Heeeelllllloooooo? You’ve been staring into blank space like a rock for like, two years. Well, I suppose that being told such a large revelation that it is simply natural.”

Oh yes. While you were having an internal monolog about the motherland’s glorious victory, you completely forgot that you were talking to another person. The messenger of the glorious news.

“Anyways, the story----
Before you let her talk anymore, you leap from your position and envelope her in a bear hug…
“WHAT ARE YOU--
…and proceed to shower her in kisses. She seems to have calmed down from the initial surprise, and despite not being pleased with your sudden action from your near coma-like state, she doesn’t make any attempt to force you away. After kissing her cheeks once more, you release your grasp upon Suwako.
“That was a thank you for delivering the magnificent news of the Motherland’s victory! Come now, we must celebrate the victory of the People!”
Suwako, who is still slightly dazed by the expression of gratitude, as is her hat, who's eyes are spinning around in a circle, replied with “Ugh, you did not have to be so rash with such gratitude of yours. Furthermore, I have not finished the story, so hold your celebration, for it is a grim story”

Finished the story? It becomes grim? Isn’t it that the People won, wiped the evil of the cancerous Fascists off the face of the Earth, and then everyone in the liberated lands and the Russians themselves joined together in labor, friendship, and prosperity? The Truth is unveiled to the masses? What could have possibly happened to your motherland? You are almost afraid to find out, but you steel your heart for the worst, the might of the people to be suppressed by another foreign invader, or worse from one of the leaders inside the motherland.

“Do you remember Stalin?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update Part 2 in a bit. That is, assuming I don't get temp banned or something(for necroposting? I am not sure if doing this counts because it is an update, even if not from comrade Paperboy), or told to not write anymore updates by the majority of the anon because my writing sucks (which I firmly acknowledge, for this is my first attempt at a CYOA, and I already have a base to work off). Sorry for no proofreader, and even more sorry for hijacking this story. However, the sheer lack of Sovietness has led me off the deep edge, as comrade Serial ATA's Little soldier lost was becoming more genericanon and less sovietanon (in my view. This is not a dis, for I still enjoy the story immensely, just it feels less soviet.) So I was inspired into action by the comments above, the quotes above, the ideals above, and most importantly the story excerpt "Why do you mourn, comrade? So long as a single person holds a place for justice in his heart, the Revolution can never die. " This ideal is what inspired me. So long as there is someone with the memory of this story, it shall continue. Paperboy had started this great odyessy, and since noone has had the courage or bravery to take on the torch, I shall. That quote is the very ideal of this story, of true and pure communism, of Soviet MC. Although I do not think that I am a great writer, I shall try to do my best, and my best to improve. Although I cannot promise strict times for updates, I will do by best to get an update out weekly on the weekends if I can. Unless I die, get jailed, or someother insane thing occcurs, I shall do my best to tell you guys if I were to stop writing this story. IN WHICH I EXPECT SOMEONE TO RISE TO THE OCCASION, TO CARRY ON THIS TORCH AND STORY!
URA COMRADES! USHER THIS ONWARD, TO PROGRESS AND VICTORY!

If I am still allowed to write this glorious story that Paperboy had left us, the update will probably on the upcoming weekend if it isn't today. I am currently swamped in an assortment of assignments. And yes, this is my first and only imageboard, and I am what they call a "newfag". However, this does not seem to be violating the guidelines posted on the gensokyo board save for "namefagging". Please have mercy, comrade mods

I acknowledge that this is Paperboy's Story, and should he come back to write it, you may disregard my posts as not canon (to this CYOA). If he is to decide to continue off my writing, I shall secede the power, and responsibility asscociated with writing this story back to him.

And please, give me a chance and give constructive criticisms. The Motherland called, and this is my answer.

Sorry I ended up writing a wall of text about my newfaginess instead of the story. Although part 2 is not written, I have the general plot written down for part 2.

Anonymous 2011/09/09 (Fri) 03:38 No. 33389

Sorry I did not finish the update today, I was doing my homework watching a documentary on Stalingrad. Sage because I was a lazy bastard. Sorry if I am not meeting anyone's expectations. On the good note, the weekend is technically starts tommorrow afternoon, so I should finish writing the update by tommorrow or Saturday. Remember Comrades, at Stalingrad the Soviet commander who was brutally trapped by the Nazis, and was "yards away from the Volga" managed to rally his troops to take back land and strongpoints from the Nazi invaders. That is the power of the Soviet leadership. When I refer to leadership, I refer to the leaders on the ground that fight beside their comrades. Stalin the dictator the ruined the ideal of communism and caused massaacres does not count. So yeah, will attempt to get the update tommorrow.

Anonymous 2011/09/10 (Sat) 00:58 No. 33391

Currently provisional, but hopefully soon offical writefag is sick, but continues to write/ is writing for the motherland and its People. Comrades, I am about half way thorugh the update. Please hold tight. That is, if anyone is even reading this.

Comrades, Part Two Has Been Written For The People Writefag 2011/09/10 (Sat) 04:54 No. 33392

PART TWO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[☭] “Update the story! This is your Mother's Prayer! Update the story! This is the cry, of your Russian Earth! Do not count days! Do not count miles! Count only the number of Updates you have posted! UPDATES TO THE LONG SUPRESSED PEOPLE!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[☭] Glory! The war is won and the fascist hordes swept away by the People's might! No doubt had you about the inevitable victory of the People's will, but still these tidings lighten your heart.
[☭] Sweep this little dear up in your arms and shower her with kisses for bringing such glorious news to you.
[☭] Produce a bottle of finest Vodka, one that is a true testament of the skill of the People's distilleries, and drink in celebration, not forgetting a toast to the honor of the Great Architect.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You nod. You remember your country’s temporary leader. He was to lead the people to the light of the Truth, command the Red Army to victory against the Fascist oppressors, and then step down once the goal of a secured and equal motherland was assured.

“Indeed, I do remember comrade Stalin. He was to lead the people of the motherland to the Truth, security, and freedom, then step down from leadership once the motherland’s goals have been achieved, with him having no more authority than the fellow comrade next to him, and for this he had promised”

“He may have promised to step down, but he never did. In fact, He declared war on the western world.”

This left you shocked. Comrade Stalin would betray his comrades and declare war on the Western world? Sure, you had been somewhat leery of both Stalin and the West, but you had not thought that it could have devolved into such.

“He … betrayed the motherland by making the motherland the aggressor nation in a war of the East and the West? How many lives were lost in this war? How many of those were my fellow comrades in a war that they did not wish to have?” you say in a state of dismay and shock. However, you don’t let this show. If the people have a place for justice in their hearts, the Truth will arise out of its ashes, even if it means the toppling of the “fake communist” government.

“If you are worried about the deaths of your comrades, you should not be worried the war. If my memory serves me correct, it was called the “Cold War” and that most of the fighting was small scale and done through other countries. The Soviets never had a head-on battle with the leaders of the West, such as American forces. Rather, what Stalin had done to the people of your motherland and the lands they had freed is what you ought to be truly worried about.” Suwako said with a fairly calm tone.

“What happened to my fellow comrades when they returned home from the war?” you inquire, hoping that Stalin would at least grant them a Hero’s return.

“Some were jailed immediately. They were sent to Gulags and “re-education” camps, where they were brainwashed, tortured and killed. Some were used in biological experiments. Others attempted to flee but were shot. The leaders of the countries whom the Soviet Union had liberated were assassinated. When the polls did not go in favor of the now Dictator Stalin, he sent military force, and skewed the vote counters to install puppet governments in Eastern Europe. He did massacres to those that stood in his path, and to those of race or religion that he simply disliked. He suppressed all free press and media. The comrades of yours that were lucky faded into obscurity, out of Stalin’s wrath. Stalin ground his prideful, selfless, and large hearted soldiers, workers, and comrades into dirt, and transformed the Soviet Union from a beacon of liberty to a beacon of suppression. He essentially turned Russia into a socialist Fascist state.” Suwako tells you, with a face that tells you that she hates to break this to you. Even her hat appears sad and melancholy as Suwako tells you this.

The news wore your heart thin. The glorious Motherland, wins the war against the Fascists, only to be ground into the earth by a traitorous leader from the inside. More you think more it about, however, the more it makes sense. Stalin was in position to do so. It was the good will of the People, their belief that he would do as he promised, to step down and let the world be peaceful and complete the Communist dream. However, He was a lone man with too much power for a true communist society, and for the dream of the Russian people and the motherland. He turned the motherland from the land of freedom and prosperity to come into a country that represented opression.

Before you get to wallow further in sorrow however, Suwako continues,
“Stalin however, however, failed to keep his honor, morals, and allegiance aligned with true communism. Stalin crushed true People’s heart, morals and spirit after World War 2, with these atrocities that rivaled the Nazi’s. I can see why she chose to bring you in, as you still retain the morals, spirit, and heart of the true Russian. I believe that YOU can succeed where others, such as Stalin, have failed.”

She? You are somewhat interested in this, since it appears Suwako knows who had sent you here, but you are more focused on the fact that Suwako seems to not only accept the plan, but support it. You remember your oath to yourself, to spread the Truth to this land; however, you are still disturbed by the fate and current state of your motherland.

“I see you support the execution of true communism and The Great Plan here in Gensokyo, but I need to know what has happened to Mother Russia since Stalin’s takeover, for if the motherland needs a revolutionary to guide it back to its path, I shall answer her call.”

“In 1991, two decades ago, the Soviet Union collapsed under the anger of the People, differences in races, a failing and shrinking economy with most of its money being spent on war materials, and more assorted issues with the flawed government. There are few communist governments left, for after the Russia turned into a socialist dictatorship, it spurred the West into stopping communist dictatorships revolutions from winning revolutions. Russia is now a capitalist country, and the only relevant and strong communist government there was when we left for Gensokyo was China, and they too had adopted a capitalist economy. I am afraid to say this Alek, but Capitalism has taken over the world, and it is too late for it to change back to the small golden era of Communism from which you hail from” Suwako replies grimly

“If Communism on the Outside has turned into the Fascism we had valiantly fought against except with socialism, then I must regrettably admit, that perhaps the Outside is better off now without a skewed and evil leader that destroyed a great country, its morals, and its very people’s spirits and selflessness.” You say in a sorrowful tone, “However” you add, “I will see the Great Plan to completion here in Gensokyo, in the way it was intended to be. If the motherland cannot achieve true peace and prosperity for all, I shall spread and achieve that here, in Gensokyo, in name of those that gave their lives to the cause. Their sacrifices shall not be in vain.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Writer is tired, going to sleep. I have part 3 (the last part of this update, and it should have voting) half way done, Should be up tommorrow if a silly chinese festival doesn't take away all my time tommorrow. Keep strong comrades, I have faith that someone out there is reading this.
Once again, Constructive criticisms are welcome. I am really tired and I do not have a proofreader, so take it easy on the spelling/grammer please.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/09/10 (Sat) 06:45 No. 33393 ▼

Image Source

File 131563715380.jpg - (219.27KB, 612x792 , bookstaf.jpg)

>>33386
>>33392
I'll leave the grammatical errors to the experts, but all I can say after reading these posts:

Glorious. It was simply glorious.

I don't know what else to say, other than hoping that this story will continue, one way or another. Shame PaperBoy may not return to us after all these years. ;_;

>just it feels less soviet
Yeah, I just realized Yuri has begun to lose his grasp to his root. Still, I thank you for the write-in~

Anonymous 2011/09/10 (Sat) 15:10 No. 33394

It has been two years, I don't think he's coming back. Unfortunately.

But this newwriter (?) seems pretty good! Please continue and let's see where this leads us.

NewWriteFag 2011/09/10 (Sat) 18:21 No. 33395

Writefag is currently plagued by Chinese moon festivals, going over to "friend's" house for social reasons, and most importantly was playing minecraft leaked 1.8 beta Doing Homework. Sorry comrades, no update today if you are holding your breath/ spamming F5. I should have time tommorrow though. On the bright side, part 3.5 is more or less outlined and the first half of part three is already written. Keep it together comrades!

Sorry Again NewWriteFag 2011/09/12 (Mon) 01:39 No. 33396

Homework has decided to take its toll upon my time. So do not expect an update until the next weekend. Sorry about that.

Anonymous 2011/09/12 (Mon) 12:53 No. 33398

>>33396
You don't have to do status update very often. Just let us know whenever you're ready to post the update.

NewWriteFag 2011/09/17 (Sat) 03:26 No. 33417

>>33398
Thank you for informing me comrade. It is just that I hate it when writers simply dissappear into the void, after some random status update. Just like how a single, unknown soldier can dissappear from existance after the dust of a battle settles. The Soviets kept horrid records of their regiments, so entire regiments dissapeared off their records.

Anyways, I am reading old posts for missed details and writing.

NewWriteFag 2011/09/18 (Sun) 00:08 No. 33427

PART THREE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I also assume that I have your support in completing this, comrade?” you ask.

“Of course, that was the underlying reason why I had called you over tonight. I wanted to tell you that you have my whole-hearted support!” Suwako cheerily informs you.

“But may I ask why you are so quick to provide support for my plan?” You question. After all, if the few things you have picked up during the Party are true, Suwako is actually a deity, and her shine also has another deity. It is somewhat unusual for a supposed god to throw their support behind a person that they barely know, and hasn’t even been awake in this land for a whole day.

“My reasoning is based in where and when you came from, what personality you showed when giving the speech and just simply talking to you, and most importantly the kind of person you are. You are a person with nothing but justice and equality on his mind, a person with a faithful direction, a person with an honest heart. In fact, you remind me a lot of a newcomer that arrived somewhat recently, with your inspiring speeches to equality and peace. However, it appears as if you have the drive to achieve it, while she lets people slowly join her. But that’s beside the point. The point is that you can do it, for you have an immaculate heart and spirit of a Russian. Furthermore, the name of this land is Gensokyo, or township of fantasies. What you might not be able to achieve on the Outside is very possible in here.”

You interrupt, “Before you continue on, I must ask you this comrade: Just because I have your support, can I count on the support from the rest of Moriya shrine? The last time I saw the shrine maiden, she looked more nervous than the cowardly Germans at the impeding People’s Army. Also, if I am not mistaken, there is another god in your shrine.”

“Do not needlessly worry yourself over trivial things, comrade! I shall persuade them to your cause.” says Suwako in a much friendlier, happy tone, a stark contrast to the grimness of the past, “In fact, I invite you to come over to our shrine sometime!”

You produce two bottles of the finest Vodka, ones that are a true testament of the skill of the People's distilleries. “Come now, in celebration of the rebirth of true communism, of our alliance of friendship and prosperity, and our goal to spread the Truth to this land!” you cheer. You also have a toast with the deity to honor the Great Architect. Despite the setbacks that Stalin has done to the motherland, you will still honor and remember the Great People of the motherland up until the end of the war.

The Great Patriotic War. That seemed like a lifetime ago, yet it was merely a few days ago.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After getting drunk and merry with comrade Suwako, you see her off, as she decided to leave the sleepover early for the comfort of her shrine and the opportunity to explain the Great Plan to her partner deity, who is apparently called Kanako. Before she left, she told you how to get to her shrine, on the top of a mountain, and a forewarning that not all beings are as civil as the people that attended the party tonight, and that you will need to master this magic of flight and Danmaku in order to solve conflicts with others in this land. However, since she was in a dire need to leave, she simply told you to ask Reimu for more information about those. She then flew away with a sleeping Sanae in tow, back to her shine. That leads you to where you are now, upon this unoccupied spot on the floor, pondering what to do. You decide that it is too much of a hassle to attempt to find a different place to sleep upon, and that doing so would make you unequal with your comrades of the Party, so you join them in resting upon the matted floor of the Hakurei Shrine. Your mind slowly drifts away from all of your pondering...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are in the dark void yet again. However, this time the girl stands right in front of you. Furthermore, you can clearly see her face. Life has seemed to have returned to her face, and her eyes tell you that there is a soul behind them. However, her arms are just as injured as before.

“Do you …?” she speaks

However, before she can finish, you interrupt, “Comrade, I do believe. In me. In the People. In the rebirth of True Communism to this land. In you and your existence. This black void is nothing compared to the light truth to be revealed to this land, and to you, Sacchin”

For so unexplainable reason, you are now able to say her name. You remember who she is, and all the things she and you braved together back in the Motherland.

She however, only gives you a smile. “I shall see you again then, next time outside of this realm. Take this with you, and never forget to believe in me”, she says, as light and time starts to flood the through the cracks of this darkness. She hands you a piece of paper, the one that was at the bottom of your bag. However, it is now inscribed upon it is a group foreign symbols that you do not recognize.

“Wait comrade! Wait! I do not know what this says!” you say in a panic, as she begins fades out of this realm

“Just believe, and have faith in me Comrade… I am already leaving this realm, to the real world, and it is about time you to leave here as well. You shall find out the meaning in due time comrade.” She says with a whimsical smile while looking at you, as she finally fades out of this dimension into the light.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While you are busy having dreams of Sacchin, Comrade Suwako was not having such an easy time.

“I had instructed you NOT to reveal to him what had happened to him. Furthermore, you had not only blew his illusions of this land and time period, but also agreed to align with him and you invited him to our shrine! We were supposed to be in the back, watching where he went with this! What is the explanation of your rash actions?” Kanako said in a fairly frustrated voice

“Sorry Kana, but only a person that would damn a man’s pure and true ideals can truly be called a dictator. We came to Gensokyo to survive due to declining faith on the Outside. If you think about it: ideals, faith and yes, deities, including you and me, all depend on the people that support them. His ideals are pure and true, and I sensed no ill will from even the depths of his heart to use this to manipulate the politics of Gensokyo in his favor, unlike someone we are familiar with. Furthermore, he supports the individuality of choice and personal traits, only the communal helping of the people with each other, so it is not like he is out to eradicate all the individuality and religions in Gensokyo, unlike Stalin.” Suwako said in a somewhat apologetic tone, but one with resolve in its own ideals

“Sigh. Suwako, I told you a million times already, those were attempts to benefit our shrine and faith. I suppose I should not be so quick to judge him. When he arrives at our shrine, I shall see his personality and you so called “pureness” first hand. Should it not appease me, I shall see fit that he stops his spread of Communism, in a fair duel of Danmaku.” Kanako says in a somewhat whimsical voice.

“ No need to pull out the Spell Cards, I am sure that you too shall see the immaculate whiteness of his heart when he arrives.”

And with that, they conclude their meeting.

After the meeting, Suwako thinks to herself, “I hope you become proficient at Danmaku before you arrive at our shrine. Kana does not like being proven wrong, and even should she accept you, she will test you strength to carry out your ideals.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next post will have the rest.

ComradeWriter 2011/09/18 (Sun) 01:30 No. 33429

The Part with voting in it

You suddenly awake with the moonlight shining on your face and the “scrap” piece of paper in your hand. Looking at the paper, it now has the symbols from you dream written upon it. It appears to be a few of hours before dawn, judging by the moon’s position in the sky, and around the time you woke up back in the war to do physical training. The lobby of the Shrine is still mostly covered with the sleeping bodies of your comrades, but you note that some of the people are no longer there, in particular small, blue-haired mistress of the Mansion on the lake and her associates, and some of the residents of this shrine. Before you set off to do anything, you take a quick check of your inventory. Satisfied, you are ready to start the day. However, you are lost on what to do, for you could do many things.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time: ~0530, Pre-Sunrise, Second full day in Gensokyo
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Touhou’s who were once at the Party:
Reimu (Asleep, appears to be dreaming about capitalist filth filling her donation box)
Suika (Unknown, Presumably somewhere in the shrine)
Mima (Unknown)
Marisa (Asleep, appears to be having a good dream whilst hugging Alice)
Alice (Asleep, appears to be having a nightmare while being strangled by Marisa)
Wriggle (Asleep)
Cirno (Asleep, muttering unintelligible things to herself in her sleep)
Mystia (Asleep)
Rumia (Asleep)
Sakuya (Unknown, but appears to have left in the middle of the night, perhaps when you were speaking to Comrade Suwako?)
Remilia (Unknown, but appears to have left in the middle of the night, perhaps when you were speaking to Comrade Suwako?)
Patchouli (Unknown, but appears to have left in the middle of the night, perhaps when you were speaking to Comrade Suwako?)
Suwako (left)
Sanae (left)
Nitori (Asleep)
Shinki (Unknown, Presumably somewhere near the shrine)
Yuyuko (Asleep, seems to be making smacking sounds in her sleep)
Youmu (Asleep, appears to be having a nightmare over...cooking?)
Reisen (Asleep, seems to be having nightmare about... getting injected? Representing the House of Houraisan and its associates)
Keine (Asleep, seems to be muttering about Stalin’s post-war Tyranny. Representing the Human Village)
Aya (Asleep, seems to be dreaming about getting good newspaper material)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choices:
[X] Free Inventory/Status Check

[ ] Continue the Early Morning Physical Training that you did at this time of day back in the glorious fight for the People. You must always be ready to protect the rebirth of Motherland’s ideals.
[ ] Wake up Comrade Youmu. She appears to be a swordswoman, and her skills would greatly help the motherland's cause to train physically. Remember to remind her that you are merely human. Also, she appears to be having a bad dream, so she shouldn’t mind being woken up. The people of this new motherland need not suffer from the woes of nightmares!
[ ] Don’t wake her up, you have not made great ties to her nor her “master” Yuyuko, thus it would be impolite to wake someone you barely know. You aren’t sure if they came to the Party to scout you out or to make friends. The motherland demands your caution and respect to the individual choices of others ... to have nightmares.

[ ] Wake someone up to talk to outside/ in the hallways
[ ] Reimu, you really wish to tell her, the Commissioner of the Party, about the recent Alliance with the Moyrians
[ ] Keine, you need to talk to her about the things the fact that you come from the Pre-Stalin's Iron Fist Era, and that you are not out to destory the individuality of the People of this glorious land.
[ ] Go find Suika
[ ] Wander the hallways/ courtyard of this shrine. Perhaps you shall meet one of your comrades?

[ ] Insert Soviet Anon's write-in here

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are probably a lot of grammar errors in the past two posts because I was writing all night last night, and I do not have a proofreader. So please take it easy, but feel free to point them out. Free status check in a bit. Also, feel free to pick multiple, non-conflicting choices (aka anything but waking up and not waking up Youmu). You can train with Youmu for a bit, find Suika, wander the hallways, then debrief Reimu and Keine when they wake up normally. Sorry for being a lazy bastard and such. Also I know little about ImageBoards and the like, so I am unsure of how to obtain a "trip" and/or use one. More importantly that those trival issues, it is time to vote comrades!

ComradeWriter 2011/09/18 (Sun) 01:48 No. 33431

Sorry for the fail formatting of the choices. The first main choice is train, and the sub-options are for with Youmu and without Youmu. The second main choice is to find/ wake someone up to talk with, and the sub-options are Reimu, Keine, Suika, and wander the hallways. Feel free to combine non-conflicting votes together, or to write a Patriotic Write-in.

Anyways, here's you Inventory/ Status check
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

List of things to do (later):

- Repair Sacchin (late morning Nitori will drop by)

- Find means of protecting yourself without lethal projectiles/ fly (Requires Reimu/Youmu)

- Spread the Truth to other parts of Gensoyko
---- Human village, talk to its protector, Keine 上白沢 (either as she leaves the Party, or later in the day after her classes)
---- Talk to the leader of this other place that promotes equality in practice (on a visit to village)
---- Drop by the mountain (need to be able to fly/ use danmaku/spell melee of some sort)

- Find out who this she is by asking Reimu later for who are likely suspects for bringing people into this land.

[STATUS]
Pilot Status
Name: Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov
Rank: Lieutenant of Aviation
Unit: 1st Guard 240 Fighter Division
Allegiance: People of the Soviet Union Pre-1946; True Communism Party of Gensoyko

Health: Excellent (99%)
Magic: Not Applicable (yet)
Stamina: Refreshed (99%)
Moral: Russian (Error: overflow)

Skills:
- Basic Machinery I
- Basic Firearms I
- Aviator Operation III
- Charisma III (Level Up!)
- Vodka Conjuration I
- Russian Will, Heart, and Spirit MAX

Inventory:
- Travel bag x 1
- Tokarev TT-33 (loaded) x 1 (9 bullets in gun, + 8 bullets in spare magazine)
- Spare sidearm magazine x 1
- Clean clothes x 1
- Diary x 1
- Pens x 2
- American notes (Total value: 100 USD)
- Wrinkled photographs x 3 (Including 1 signed copy of the Great Architect)
- Unknown, important piece of “scrap” paper with part of the writing from your dream on it

Aircraft Status
Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik “Sacchin”
Role: Ground Attack Aircraft
Maximum Speed: 257 mph
Range: 450 mi
Service Ceiling: 18,000 ft
Rate of Climb: 2050 ft/min

Operational Status: To be looked at by Nitori
Physical Status:
- Left wing heavily damaged (Bent)
- 1 propeller blade missing (Currently lost) found + repaired by Suika
- Minor damage to airframe
- Fuel tank empty
- Powerplant Mikulin AM-38F undamaged and operational

Armament:
- 23mm VYa-23 Cannons x 2 (12 rounds remaining)
- 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns x 2 (208 rounds remaining)
- 12.7mm Berezin UBT machine gun x 1 (4 rounds remaining)
- No bombs available

[RELATIONS]
- Alliance with Moryia
- Friends with most of the other people of Youkai Mountain
- Alliance with SDM
- Friends with the residents of the Forest of Magic
- Home base in this shrine

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/09/19 (Mon) 08:04 No. 33440 ▼

Image Source

File 131641948382.jpg - (148.71KB, 850x478 , sample-d61e01511881d9d18d7a0b50cb51bde8.jpg)

>In fact, you remind me a lot of a newcomer that arrived somewhat recently, with your inspiring speeches to equality and peace
Foreshadowing of Alek & Yuri meeting? I wish.

[c] Wake someone up to talk to outside/ in the hallways
- [c] Go find Suika.

After we're done...

[c] Continue the Early Morning Physical Training that you did at this time of day back in the glorious fight for the People. You must always be ready to protect the rebirth of Motherland’s ideals.
- [c] Wake up Comrade Youmu.

Wall options?

Anonymous 2011/09/19 (Mon) 17:56 No. 33442

Hooray, you are back!

>[ ] Insert Soviet Anon's write-in here
I want to believe he is still with us. Said that, i will wait a bit longer for him.

SPOILERS + Time in relation to LSL ComradeWriter 2011/09/19 (Mon) 23:04 No. 33445

>>33440
That was actually referring to Saint White Lotus (Byakuren? The Stage 6 of TH12. My touhou database in my brain still thinks th12 is new stuff lol).

I've been thinking a lot about how this fits in with the timeline and here is what I have to say (for now. I need to reread a good chunk of LSL)(MAJOR SPOILERS, TAKE CAUTION, EXCEPT COMRADE SERIAL ATA WHO SHOULD TO READ IT): This is after LSL side story (which btw was beautiful, I cried manly tears for the poor victim, tank girl Anne, of the NAZI Leaders), because that was in 2006. This is a decent bit before the weapons convention (?) on Moyria shrine. That is if I recall correctly, Kanako or Suwako referenced comrade Alek to Comrade Yuri. If it wasn't them, please do tell who it was that asked Yuri if he knew about Alek. Yuri and Alek arrived at about the same time, but Alek suffered too many hangovers/knockouts his first few days, he did not make much progress. We have had like 3 or 4 dream sequences, but we are just starting our second full day.

Super spoilers start here. Really. If you are not Comrade Serial ATA, you should probably turn back. However, since the truth is available to all, if you do not fear the future, here it is:

Sacchin finally manifesting in the real world is a bit after some plot (ha! not going to spoiler what Alek needs to do!), but when she does finally come into being, she ends up in the bamboo forest as opposed to by Alex, due to the distortion caused by leaving and destroying the dimension, no, PRISION of unmoving time. She will find her way home to Alex, perhaps by the help of brokou, perhaps by the help of Yuri, perhaps by the help of herself. This is potential meeting one.

Potential meeting two is WHEN we hitch an invite off of Reisen as she leaves the Party, and after dealing with the mountain's people to gain their respect, Alek goes to the Eientei, meets comrade Yuri, Marvel at the Glorious wonders of the new, TRUE communist red army training at eientei. This could give Yuri a new resolve, to no longer be ashamed of the bad of the Soviets, but instead use the good of his heritage. It is possible to meet and have Alek receive Sacchin here. This is only a possibility; it is up to the People to decide where we go. I however, still hold the right to overrule something that is either out of character or completely stupid. Alek is a comrade, not a person that can go toe to toe with the top tiers....YET.

I would rather have a wall of semi-decent choices over some very, very basic, generic and out of character choices. However, I can see the logic in having basic choices, as it provides much more inspiration for a great Patriotic Write-in. If having a wall offended you comrade Serial ATA, I apologize in the best fashion I can. I just had so many Ideas for where this story could go, I thought that I'd put them as choices for the CYOA part of this story.

I might do something in the future that would seem to be a complete rip off of one of your Story's Danmaku mechanics Adding Danmaku guns/weapons, in particular to a certain Aircraft’s turrets that Alek will be fighting in... So please be kind to this, comrade. I mean, at this point it is the same Gensokyo(?)
About Alex (V.S. Yuri’s qualities):
Yuri is a specialist as a Sniper. Alek is a pilot with a ground specialty as close quarter combat (what pilots train with when their plane goes down.) Alek specializes in Hand-to-hand, knife, sword, bayonet, pistol, and Submachine-guns on the ground. Alek only squeezed by rifle training, but surprisingly did better with the enemy’s semi-auto rifle, the G-43 than the Soviet SVT-40 counterpart. His proficiency in the bolt action and semi-auto rifles in general, however, remain in large only par. In the end, He is most at home in his aircraft, The Sacchin.

Random note: If Serial ATA disagrees, I suppose his will is canon. If anything offends you, comrade SATA, I apologize profusely. Also, thanks in part to Yukari, Alek arrived in Gensokyo around the time of Yuri, but Alek left the Eastern front quite a bit after Yuri, long enough for the heroic tales of Yuri’s Regiment’s heroic last stand to the last man against the Fascists to spread among the ranks, boosting morale in their fight to protect the motherland’s. Also, Although Alex deplores most of the Nazis as Fascist hordes, he believes that there were a few brave and courageous [/spoilers]Tank wo[spoilers]men that fought not to protect themselves or the Fascism, but their fellow countrymen.

Relations update
Eientei – Yet to be known friends, center of Gensokyo Red Army Training Center, Home of Comrade Yuri, one of the nameless heroes of the war that was thought to have died in holding a position against the evil Fascist hordes that will stop at nothing, not even the pleads of their very tanks, to destroy Russia in the Evil Fuhrer’s name.

Sage for no update. I seem to run counter of the rest of this board, I really can’t update/ talk on this board during the weekdays, I can only update on the weekends. Today was an exception. Sorry for no update though. Plus, we still needs more votes anyways.

Anonymous 2011/09/20 (Tue) 02:34 No. 33446

[x] Continue the Early Morning Physical Training that you did at this time of day back in the glorious fight for the People. You must always be ready to protect the rebirth of Motherland’s ideals.
-[x] Wake up Comrade Youmu. She appears to be a swordswoman, and her skills would greatly help the motherland's cause to train physically. Remember to remind her that you are merely human. Also, she appears to be having a bad dream, so she shouldn’t mind being woken up. The people of this new motherland need not suffer from the woes of nightmares!

[x] Wake someone up to talk to outside/ in the hallways
-[x] Keine, you need to talk to her about the things the fact that you come from the Pre-Stalin's Iron Fist Era, and that you are not out to destory the individuality of the People of this glorious land.

Anonymous 2011/09/24 (Sat) 22:11 No. 33469

Calling it for:

[X] Wake someone up to talk to outside/ in the hallways
- [X] Keine, you need to talk to her about the things the fact that you come from the Pre-Stalin's Iron Fist Era, and that you are not out to destroy the individuality of the People of this glorious land.
- [X] Go find Suika.

[X] Continue the Early Morning Physical Training that you did at this time of day back in the glorious fight for the People. You must always be ready to protect the rebirth of Motherland’s ideals.
- [X] Wake up Comrade Youmu. She appears to be a swordswoman, and her skills would greatly help the motherland's cause to train physically. Remember to remind her that you are merely human. Also, she appears to be having a bad dream, so she shouldn’t mind being woken up. The people of this new motherland need not suffer from the woes of nightmares!

Will be writing tomorrow if I get my homework done today...

Why there was no update today ComradeWriter 2011/09/26 (Mon) 03:19 No. 33476

I spent the night re-reading skimming LSL, I figure out my timing is REALLY off. So, before the next post can go up, I will fix my timeline + refit it to the correct sequence

Also today was my birthday, and I completely forgot about it, so I didn't have any piece of mind thanks to my friends and family to write until about an hour ago, that was really derpy on my part.

>>33445
Changing the first bloc of Spoilers to:

This is after LSL side story, because that was in 2006. This is before the first party in Eientei, for Suwako referenced comrade Alek to Comrade Yuri. Alek left the Motherland before and arrived before Yuri. This is a few days before/after the time Yuri lands in Gensokyo. You know, it is really weird to write in second person, and now it’s weirder that I need to write a concurrent/prequel to another story. I'm not going to worry about the specifics for now.

Yeah, sorry for no update, however writing outline though, and it's going really well. I just came up with a lot of explainations for almost everything.

Do not expect an update update until next weekend however. Sorry about that.

DAY 2, Early Morning, Pre-Dawn ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/02 (Sun) 03:24 No. 33494

[☭] Wake someone up to talk to outside/ in the hallways
- [☭] Keine, you need to talk to her about the things the fact that you come from the Pre-Stalin's Iron Fist Era, and that you are not out to destroy the individuality of the People of this glorious land.
- [☭] Go find Suika.

[☭] Continue the Early Morning Physical Training that you did at this time of day back in the glorious fight for the People. You must always be ready to protect the rebirth of Motherland’s ideals.
- [☭] Wake up Comrade Youmu. She appears to be a swordswoman, and her skills would greatly help the motherland's cause to train physically. Remember to remind her that you are merely human. Also, she appears to be having a bad dream, so she shouldn’t mind being woken up. The people of this new motherland need not suffer from the woes of nightmares!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every success needs a plan. The Nazi scum did not plan their invasion of Mother Russia, for they thought that they could overcome the People’s will. And in return, they were crushed under the Might of The People. You set up a plan for your morning, that you will liberate comrade Youmu from the dread of her nightmare, followed by finding your little Petrushka before going out to train with them. After all, Youmu appears to be a swordsman, and Suika is a person that fights with her BEAR fists. Then you should tackle the issue with the village’s protector, for from her mumblings she thinks you are from the era after Stalin’s Iron fist razed the Motherland of its people. You must explain that you come in peace, to bring prosperity, and that you have no intentions of crushing the people of this glorious land, which you only want to bolster prosperity and cooperation among this land’s People. Since she also looks like a teacher, learning the culture and whatnot about this land would help ensure the prosperity of communal actions.

Now, you need to put your plan into action. You will achieve nothing by waiting for it to happen, so you take the initiative over the day.

You walk silently over to Youmu. She still appears to be suffering from the nightmare, so now is as good of a time as any.

“Comrade, Wake up! You need not suffer any more from nightmares! Liberation awaits only those that answer’s its call!” you whisper harshly into Youmu’s ear, trying to wake only her.

Youmu instantly snaps from a position lying on the ground into a standing salute, surprising you, and only more so when she says, “Sorry for not cooking breakfast for you before you woke up Yuyuko! I promise that I won’t let this happen again! Please have mercy!” At which point she both has tears running down her face as if she had been brutally whipped.

However, she finally realizes that she is no longer suffering from the nightmares of failure and cooking, that she is awake and free from chains of the nightmare. She finally sees you, and immediately addresses you.

“Uh…Comrade Alek? You didn’t see any of that, did you? ” she asks, with the most endearing blush you’ve seen on any girl. It’s so cute……SNAP OUT OF IT! WHAT IN THE INFERNO OF NAZIS ARE YOU THINKING SOLDIER! COMRADE COMMISSIONAR WOULD MAKE YOU FIGHT WITH POTATOES FOR A WEEK IF YOU THOUGHT THAT BACK ON THE BATTLEFIELD! You instead realize something that you haven’t in a few days: you are speaking Japanese. Although speaking it has become natural to you, thanks to your father, who continued to believe that the Japanese would become the rival of the Motherland to his last breath, you fared worse than a Fascist in a hail of Russian Lead when it came to writing it.

“Hello..?” Youmu says, who is almost, no, just plain is frightened if you will burst out into an insane laughter over here outburst about the dream. This however, is not true. You can only wonder what has scarred the poor comrade.

“Worry not comrade, your secrets are safe. No man, ghost, phoenix, witch, Sacchin nor vampire should suffer from the chains of nightmare. You would have done the same for me.” You reply calmly. However, she just turns redder instead, even more embarrassed that before.

“Um...Thanks...How can I show my appreciation to you?” She replies, with her face still as red as the finest beets and radishes from the People’s Farm, and her ghost half now appears so red that it could be radiating heat.

“Calm down first, comrade. The Youmu that Yukari had told me about was as cold as steel, yet as loyal as oneself, and as valiant as the Red Army. Please, recompose yourself before we press onwards.” You tell her.

She becomes visibly less embarrassed. After about a minute, she was determined to help you, to pay you back for helping her. This fierce determination is something you valued, and you immediately recognize it within her. Where a mere minute ago stood an embarrassed girl, now stands a fierce, disciplined soldier.

“As I was saying comrade, I woke you up not just to liberate you from nightmares, but to enlist you help in my physical morning training. I felt that back at home, I was too weak to stop too many things, too stop the Fascists from marauding their way through my homeland, and I feel even worse here, where as everyone else can use magic and fly, yet I am now more fragile than all of them and cannot to either of the aforementioned techniques, at least for now, comrade. I need your help.” You say. You have no shame for being weak, for you only have the determination to get better, to be able to protect your countrymen’s cause and your new allies’ lives. You continue, “And I choose you, because Yukari told great stories of your physical sword fighting skills. I hoped that you, a magical resident of this land, could help me train, at least physically for the grave months and obstacles that lay ahead for the Rebirth of The Truth, and True Communism in action in this sealed land.”

“I accept your offer. After the advent of Spellcard rule based fighting, my sword practice has also fallen below a satisfactory amount.” She says, with a new tone that may as well have been made out of cold, hard, sharpened steel. “However, I still must cook...food...for Yuyuko before I join you in training”

“That is fine comrade” you reply, as you are still intrigued in her reluctance to say the word food. “The duties to your master call, and assuming you are satisfied with your master, whom I assume to be benovolent and caring, you must answer them. I then, shall go seek out comrade Suika, for she appeared to be a fist fighter, a skill that the motherland would greatly appreciate as well.”

And so, you part ways with Youmu for now. She heads to the kitchen, appearing to be making enough food for the entire Red Army, whilst you head to the shrine’s numerous halls and rooms, searching for Suika.

You sweep the shrine, room by room, for your beloved Oni. Since the shrine is mostly filled with empty rooms, or rooms filled with antiques and dust that need to be cleaned by a certain lazy shrine maiden, you end up doing a quick fact check as you search. You are in the “Township of Fantasy”, and landed over half a century into the future. You need to learn of the new ways to fight and fly in this land. Keine is the guardian and representative of the Human village, and appears to be a teacher. You make a mental note to ask her about how to, or if you even can, fly and what are Gensokyo’s ‘spellcard’ fighting rules. Everyone in this land speaks Japanese. This leads you back to previous monologue. Your brother, Yuri, was the only one who passed when your father gave you and your siblings the proficiency test in your childhood. You failed the writing portion spectacularly, and even though you were fluent in spoken Japanese, and even writing kana, the phonetic symbols in Japanese, all but the most basic of kanji escaped your grasp. Well, that was until you went into university before the war. After entering higher education, your father signed you up for mandatory kanji sessions, a supplemental course to learning Japanese at your university. You were doing well in it, combining radicals and roots of characters to form more complex ones, or combining multiple simple characters to make a more complex one. You understood the concept well, and the basic components, radicals, and roots of a character as well, but then the Nazi war machine invaded the Motherland. Your brother was conscripted in the army, and you, in turn, joined the air force. You last heard of him holding a post in the Kursk, a post you knew had become overrun by Nazis, thanks to your radio, before you became stuck in the mysterious cloud.

That means your brother is dead. Yuri ‘John’ Ivanov, your blood brother, is dead. He died. Your brother has died, has been dead for over fifty years, and you can’t do a damn thing about it. Your other siblings are probably dead as well, or worse, have had to live through Stalin’s Iron fist. 操蛋!いまいましい! проклинать! JUST DAMN IT. Why? Why couldn’t I do anything about it? Why am I so weak? But before this boils out of control, you calm down. Yuri wouldn’t want you to mourn his death to the point of it impeding you, or to rage about it. No, the Yuri you knew would give his all and would want you to do the same, against impossible odds, against innumerable losses. Even if his death was in vain to his goal to protect the Motherland. You promised yourself, you will make sure that no death can slow down the Truth, the communal actions of The People, and the success of The People and the Truth in this land. Even if Stalin, the pig that capitalized on the very hearts of the Russian People, who has razed the motherland, who has sent many people more of a man than he, such as Yuri, to their deaths, you will continue to spread the true ideals , and only in one direction. Forward. Forward shall you progress. Hell is not where you are going; Hell is where you have been.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part two soon. Hopefully tommorrow. Hopefully. Homework continues to eat my time. Also, trip test. Hopefully it works. Still no proofreader though.

Anonymous 2011/10/03 (Mon) 04:48 No. 33497

>>33494
>Part two soon. Hopefully tommorrow

Hooray!

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/03 (Mon) 09:56 No. 33498 ▼

Image Source

File 131763580789.jpg - (269.37KB, 537x740 , 8e50d5b8a4ce78e2a3c60aad2d28d802.jpg)

>>33494
Still no proofreader though.
You can always drop by at the IRC channel.

An excellent update to read. Waiting warmly for the second part.

Picture not related.

Forgive the Following Post ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/03 (Mon) 21:26 No. 33499

I hope you forgive me for the following scene. I think I wrote Suika out of character, so I am temped to re-write it. I just think Suika being SAD and in DESPAIR and SOBERNESS[/s] is simply out of character for her. She is usually is happy and drunk. I hope I did not screw this up too badly.....

Note: I wrote more, But I want to get this cleared by the people first. I'm ready to click the check box and delete on this one. I can avoid this situation completely, but I felt like this builds up the characters, especailly in solidating Alek's view of Yuri and [spoiler[revealing Suika's view of Alek indirectly [/spoiler] much better. If this is a crapshoot which it could very well be I'll just rewrite this part. I can easily circumvent this without blowing up the rest of what I wrote.

sage because I don't feel too confident in this post. Don't expect another update/ rewrite until Thursday.

Part two (?)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And that’s when you notice Suika has awakened in front you. You find yourself outside of the shrine. Actually, on the top of the shrine’s roof. Now you remember, as you were raging about the death, you stormed the stairs to the roof. Based on Suika’s expression of fear and confusion, and most frightening of all, SOBERNESS, you must have looked more menacing than a charging, angry Russian bear. It becomes clear that you appeared so angry and pissed anyone that could have stopped such a bear would have start charging the other way from you. So frightening that it sobered Suika. You were fairly sure that Suika being sober was impossible. You’ve obviously calmed down upon stepping upon the roof, but the rage’s aftermath nonetheless was lingering in the air. Suika is the first to speak.

“Why are you so enraged, Alek? Is there something I had done to upset you...? I thought you ... me ...” Suika says in a sad state, being to sniffle and cry.

She’s sad, and it is because she thinks you were angry at her. Or it is because she is now sober, which is an oxymoron, no, a paradox, that defies the very laws of nature, the very laws of magic, in this land. Nonetheless, it is your fault that she is frightened. And Sober. You need to tread calmly and apologize. Sober and Little Oni are a very, Very, BAD combination. Especially if she’s scared. Especially because it is your fault. Even if she thinks that you love her, which you do. In a strange sense. You love all your comrades, is that so wrong? Is it so wrong for those that love each other to love each other, to be free to choose their life, so long as it does not impede on the lives of others? You, however, take this off your mind for now. Your love issues must wait. There is a bigger problem, existing right here, right now. Your little Petrushka’s status: Critical - SOBER. This calls for decisive action, a decisive apology.

“It is not your fault comrade. If it is anyone’s, it is mine. I was lost in a blind rage, for I have figured out that by all normal means, my brother who I was closest to, is dead” You state in a solemn tone. “Although he was not as charismatic nor as speech prone as I, if he died, he would have given his life for his ideals or his comrades, dying like a man. I am ashamed of my rage. He would not have wanted me so weak. He would have wanted me to keep going, forward, despite all the wrong that is done, and all the obstacles to come.” You say, but then you see Suika crying, full out now. “You need not mourn comrade, it would have happened over fifty years ago. The past is irreversible, or should be. There is nothing I could do, and nothing that you could do. The only thing we can do is keep his beliefs alive and his memory in our hearts, and continue to push onwards. For him. For The People. For the Truth.” You say, as you hug her.

She most certainly is calming down now. You then let go of her after a while, and she drinks from her gourd. You two spend some time on the roof together, silently, calming down, watching the stars. You feel as if though there are people hiding in the trees and watching you two, but you don't care... for the moment. You'll give them a good lesson of capitalizing on your personal drama later. But for now, Suika needs to relax, not become more anxious. The People’s needs come first, you can deal with these... spies... later. Finally, after both of you have recovered from this episode, You speak. “Are you alright now, comrade?”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And no, it is not Aya. I'm going to attempt to potray her in a better light. I'm slightly sick of all the flak she usally gets. I mean, I used to hate certain Touhous, but you gotta accept them at some point. Maybe not their canon, but accepting them through one angle is plenty good. Hey, what's that white thing poking out of the tree?

Once again, no re-write/ update until Thursday.

[ ] Keep the Post, It's fine
[ ] Rewrite the post, it sucked
[ ] Suika: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DONNNNNTTTTT WRRRRRRRIIIIITTTTEEEEE MEEEEEE OUUUTTTTTT OFFFF CHAAARRRAACCCTER PLLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEEE!!!!!!!! There was a thread that ended with this. I've had that phobia ever since.

Anonymous 2011/10/06 (Thu) 14:40 No. 33513

[c] Rewrite the post, it sucked
[c] Keep the post, it's fine.

I'd have pointed out many errors in the update, but I'm too lazy for that. It definitely needs some rewriting, but it's fine as it is.

Redemption ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/07 (Fri) 04:13 No. 33514

> [c] Rewrite the post, it sucked
> [c] Keep the post, it's fine.

Indecision

Error....loading....loading....

File for self dispute not found.
Completed Writing corrupted.....Rewriting....stand-by

[☭] AUTHOR PANIC RE-WRITES AMD DOES STUFF.
[☭] Author uses: write off failed post
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[☭]Writer did something. That being said, He probably paniced.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Except it wasn’t you that had said anything. Or Suika. Suddenly, the world distorts around you, and everything becomes warped or disappears. You see the entire world is now black but the “sky”, which is poked with stars. What in blazing hell? Focus comrade, focus. You must have fallen into a trap of some sort while thinking about Yuri, or your past. The scene was Suika must have been a cleverly disguised illusion. Remembering basic training, “If you want to live, comrade, be alert at all times!” you give yourself a face palm. You give yourself another for noticing another fact that it is impossible for Suika to be surprised into soberness or scared. The embodiment of true communism will only be sober when she wants to, and it is impossible to scare the alcohol out of her system. Heck, how did you miss the fact THIS SHRINE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE STAIRS! How could you make such amateur mistakes? No more time for worries. Alert. Focus. Now.

“fufufufufu...my little Ace...I see you’ve finally realized that you’ve fallen for my trap.” An unknown woman. Her voice is filled with hostility and mostly mockery, and you know you deserve it. After all, three logic failures is three too many. You brace yourself for the worst; you’ve been captured, lost in thought.

“Who are you?” you ask
“Both a fiend and a friend, both sane and insanity, both black and white, both…” says the woman from a place you can’t discern. It seems to be coming from everywhere in this rotting dimension.
“Who?” you ask. Why can’t someone just state their names these days?
“You know me. You may hate me now for what I am going to put you through” Says the voice. You swear you’ve heard it somewhere, but you aren’t sure where. You were probably too drunk.
“What?”

From the shadows emerges...a shadowy figure of you? WHAT IN THE BLOODY RED VOLGA?
The shadowy figure of you looks at you with a smirk. An evil smirk that looks at you with such a hostile, no, murderous intent, that it is clear it is out to kill you.

“Don’t smirk at me like a fascist, or use my face, you shady pig!”

But the shadow remains emotionless, save for the apparent need to murder. It begins a charge across the field, hungry for your very soul. You must win this fight. For your Life. For your Honor. For anything and everything you’ve ever known. Except you don’t have any weapons, and the shadow has a rod or pole of sorts. It could be a sword, but it is too much of a blur to know exactly what it is. Instead of a gun in your holster, you have a batch of blank cards in your pocket. You don’t know what they are for, but they are useless for physical fighting, leaving you with nothing to fight with. Suddenly, your commissioner’s voice rings through your head “Tear them to shreds: with your bullets, with your bayonets, WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.”

The shadow raises its bar to hit you in the face. It’s a vertical strike, which a joke to dodge. You side step it and punch it in its face. It falls back down. If the shadow can materialize a weapon from thin air in this dimension, why can’t you? But before you get the chance to attempt to make a weapon, the shadow comes back, and is now trying more complex attacks. You dodge and block them with you arms, but you know you can’t keep it this way for long. But long enough to come up with a plan. Plunk. Or not. The shadow’s sword breaks through a crack in your defenses on your side. It continues to mercilessly pummel you down, into the ground. However, when the shadow spins its bar in a circle in front of itself and hits you directly on the head, it is at that moment that everything you’ve forgotten, all your teenage years and memories from then, come back to you. The shadow is using an eastern technique of sword fighting. The shadow continues to beat on your body on the ground, but you can’t care nor feel it, for your mind is back in 1937. Your father’s proud face as you left on the train for the Far East. China. Japan. Damned piles upon piles of foreign languages. Martial arts. Training against the martial arts students. Getting your ass kicked there and back. Being unable to save a twin ponytailed girl from getting killed in a brutal, cult-like way during the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war. Being too weak. All of it comes back to you. You thought you had forgotten about the trip to the Far East during your teenage years. You must have subconsciously repressed it with The War. But now, you must embrace it. Embrace you. Embrace the hardships of the past, the failures that you have incurred, accept it. You must execute what you could not before. Continuous change and promises are meaningless without action to back it. This is where you make your stand. It is the cry of your soul.

The shadow brings up its pole for the fourth or fifth time to hit you yet again, but you haven’t given up. Not at all. The shadow thinks it’s going to win. And so did Hitler and his Hitlerites.

As the pole rises, you spring into action. There appears to be a magical barrier around the shadow, but it doesn’t matter. Your wounds don’t hurt. Conviction. That is all you feel. Conviction to live. Conviction for your comrades. [spoilers]Conviction to avenge 弓塚さつき, the person you had failed to save back in Japan [/spoiler]

Jumping to you feet, you punch the shadow in the face. The shadow tries to evade your second punch, but you instead miss it on purpose, so you can swing your lower body around, landing your foot into its face through a roundhouse kick. Now the shadow’s taking it seriously. It starts moving at quick speeds, circling you, and you question if it is supposed to even remotely resemble you at all at this point. You decide that if the shadow won’t let you out of this ring, why not try to materialize a weapon? You picture something simple. A sword. To your surprise, the weapon, abet covered in shadows, appears in your hands. You swiftly bring it up for a block as the shadow commences to attack you again. You land a hit on the shadow, and it is obvious the barrier around the shadow was damaged by the attack. You also notice that the shadow has given up on encirclement, and decides to face you head on. It charges at you, but you wait for it to come to you. The Motherland is not an aggressor nation. In an instant, you see the line the shadow’s sword will carve, and you swing you sword on the line to cut the shadow’s sword. This knocks out the sword from the shadow’s hand, but it breaks your sword in the process. Your sword must have been made out of cheap capitalist plastic. You throw the remaining half of the sword to the ground. The shadow reaches for a shorter sword by its waist, but you grab its hand and the sword, ripping the short sword out of the shadow’s hand, throwing it into the dark. Now, no one has any weapons. Or so you thought. You had begun to fight the shadow with you fists, when suddenly the shadow leapt back and started shooting glowing balls at you. Lots of them, but they moved only at a moderate pace, and could be dodged. That is, if there weren’t so many of them filling up the field. You rush up a small ditch in the ground and use it a cover. You are pinned down by the bullets clouding the field. You’re hiding like a coward. Why?

“Is this how you want to die? IN A PITIFUL TRENCH, COWARDING FOR YOUR LIFE? PROGRESS. FORWARD!” sayth the commissioner into your ear.

“IS THIS HOW YOUR MOTHERLAND WILL CRUMBLE?” sayth the soldier of the time long past.

“SON, I SENT YOU TO CHINA, JAPAN, THEIR MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS, YOU EVEN SURVIVED THE OUTBREAK OF THE SECOND SINO-JAPANESE WAR WITH NO HELP. WHY DO YOU DISSAPOINT ME NOW?” sayth a certain deceased father.

“Brother, I am but a young man in his twenties, laboring and learning to make a living. But now, the sight of the Fascist invaders destroying our Great Cities infuriates me. I may only be a few years older than you, but I am already prepared to die for our Motherland.” Sayth a letter from a brother in blood, on a day of enlistment.

The cry of your Russian Earth had prepared and let you survive Hell itself. Your brother gave his life for an attempt to preserve the motherland and its ideals. You promised that you would not coward anymore. You promised not to make his sacrifice in vain. There’s freaking glowing balls of light that go fairly slowly across the field. What can that be in comparison to the tragedies you have already faced? Nothing. You are ASHAMED of hiding behind this ditch, What kind of person are you? Not a coward. THIS SHALL BE NO MORE!

A blank card lights up in your pocket. It is not longer blank. It’s lit up. You grab the card, and raise it to the heavens. Why, you do not know. You shout out its name as if you had known it your entire life,

“Liberation’s Sign: 「SHEDDING THE CHAINS: REDEMPTION」”

You feel the weight of a submachine gun in your hands and pistol in your holster. You start firing as fast as it can while charging the shadow head on, running straight through the shadow’s bullets without much harm. You ignore the minor amounts of pain they give, and continue charge straight at the shadow. The shadow is obviously under great pressure, as it tries to dodge your shots, but your shots are far faster and more precise than its balls. Strangely, a pattern of bullets come out from you gun, a complex pattern that you know would be hard to dodge. Also strange, the gun, a modified ppsh-41, fires glowing bullets as well, and does not need to be reloaded even when you started firing it in normal generic straight pattern. However, when you reach the shadow, the gun overheats. No matter. “BRICK FOR BRICK, FIST FOR FIST, REPAY EVERY DROP OF BLOOD WITH TEN OF THEIR’S!”
Rather than swinging random punches at the shadow, as you did before, you charge in at the shadow, still at full speed. You ram your gun’s stock into its chest, straight into the ground. Using your ppsh, left hand, and body weight to keep the shadow pinned, you draw your pistol. It looks like your good old tt-33, but this one has been obviously modified to fire these magical bullet rounds. You can visualize where you had engraved “Sacchin” on the hand guard on your old tt-33. Funny, you swear this has ‘Sacchin’ engraved on the hand guard as well. The shadow looks nothing like you anymore. Actually, it looks strangely like Youmu. You may have been a man to be ashamed about in the past. In the PAST. It is where you were, not where you are now. Now, not only have you made resolutions, you have taken ACTION with them.

You fire nine shots straight into the head of shadow.
*Bang* “For The Motherland!”
*Bang* “For The People!”
*Bang* “For The Truth!”
*Bang* “For Rebirth True Communism!”
*Bang* “For the New Motherland!”
*Bang* “For all comrades of all lands!”
*Bang* “For the End of Past Doubt and Mistakes!”
“FOR YUMIZUKA SATSUKI AND FOR YURI IVANOV! TOGETHER, WE END THIS!” *BANG* *BANG*

Whatever the spell the shadow had up, it broke. As the last two bullets hit the shadow, its spell barrier had broke, and with it, the world returned to normalcy, with the world of a dark plain under the starry sky giving way to the sun creeping across the horizon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To be perfectly honest, I don't know what I wrote. I hope it is good. Well, if it doen't walk and read like a blind, buring, three-legged camel it suppose that's good too. I know how to explain the scene, so look for part 2 (4?) soon Hopefully this upcoming three day weekend. I need to read someone else's story. I feel as if though everyone, and myself not exempt, have not been updating their stories. Well, not the stories I read at least.

Is completely not looking at say, Winemaker's Journey that's been dead for 'bout three weeks

Anonymous 2011/10/07 (Fri) 06:49 No. 33515

>>33514
Hey now! Serial ATA's been busy that's all.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/07 (Fri) 11:01 No. 33516

>Is completely not looking at say, Winemaker's Journey that's been dead for 'bout three weeks

>Hey now! Serial ATA's been busy that's all.

Blame my hectic kitchen job for that.

Enough said, the post is truly glorious and epic. I am now inspired to write more of Captain Yuri regaining his badass speech and true Soviet spirit.

The Explaination: Part One, Update Part 5 ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/08 (Sat) 06:58 No. 33519

[☭]Writer did something. That being said, He probably paniced.

>>33515
>Blame my hectic kitchen job for that.

Writer raged at someone that didn't deserve it. He is very sorry, and He would make a comment if he wasn't busy writing away. Think about the poor Yukarin that gets so much Flak when she say, saves someone's life or trains them to be a better man or introduces them to Gensokyo. In the end I am really sorry about complaining about updates. I need to up my own update speed and quality.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suddenly, there is the sound of applause. What? This world can only continue to confuse you. You thought you had understood that magic was common place, but now applause for something that occurred in a different dimension? Heck, there were spectators? You know, you think that you would say something along the lines of ‘What the blazes is going on?’ but you swear that everything that has happened is confusing and bewildering, save for your resolutions. Well, if you have the attention of The People, why not use it?

“When I look at these fields and this shrine, I have rediscovered myself.” You look at the fields surround the mountain the shrine is on, and then the shrine itself. “All I want is peace for The People. I have embraced myself, my past, and my faults. I am ready for Progress.” Then fell a lone tear of happiness.
The People watched the shadow world crumble away
“Is the end of yesterday?” asked she
“Yukari, All I know that it is the end of Yesterday’s denial and mistakes”
“Gone are the Old Guards. Gone are the Cold Wars. Gone are the Mistakes of My Past. Gone is my Denial. Progress is what we have and it is where we are going. Onward comrades, to The Bright Future.” You say to conclude your your solemn speech

The audience applauds again. You can see tears on the face of some of the audience members. You can see that in the audience is Remilia Scarlet with her maid and her librarian friend. You can see Alice and Marisa on the edge of the crowd. There are a few faces you barely recognize, like the blue-green spirit that was in the hot spring and a red dressed, silver haired woman with ... are those wings? You can also see a grumpy Reimu, an ecstatic Suika, a Nitori busy taking notes about ... your ppsh’s and you tt’s performance, a scared Reisen accompanying an unknown woman of silver hair and tall statue, a delighted Yukari, and a Yuyuko eating away at enough food for the entire Red Army. You wonder where Youmu is, for she is almost accompanying her master, until you hear a moan from underneath your gun’s stock, bringing you attention from the crowd and to your surroundings.

You appear to be right in front of the shrine. While the ground continues to lose its darkness, of both the early morning and of the shadow world, the scene clears to be one of the most confusing sights.

One of the attention grabbing things is that while the shadow world and your broken sword have disappeared, the shadow you had shot was ...Youmu? who did not disappear. Furthermore, The Shpagin submachine gun and the TT-33 remained, even though they should have been part of the shadow world. Worse, it becomes clear that the TT-33 is YOUR TT-33, the one that you carried on foot at China, Japan, and Stalingrad and the one you always carried in your plane after getting into air force selection. The one you engraved Sacchin’s name into. The Truth demands answers. But first, you remove your body weight and ppsh from Youmu's half-dead body.

“So comrades, anyone want to tell me exactly what happened? I remember looking through this shrine for Suika when I fell into an illusionary trap.”

“Well, a certain SOMEONE was screwing with you and the borders again. She got Remi and group to help her set up the barriers and slow time around us. She got Nitori involved to take ‘battle data’. She even got Yuyuko to persuade her servant to fight you as the evil embodiment of you. I swear that if that fight went on any longer, I was going to jump in there are beat the living pulp out Youmu myself, followed by Yukari. YUKARI! DO YOU KNOW HAVE CLOSE THAT CAME TO SPIRALING INTO A NEW ‘INCIDENT’?” Commissioner Reimu is screaming at the top of her lungs. It is not a pretty sight at all. Yukari becomes shamed, but attempts to hide it by turning her cheek and opening her fan. Reimu on the other hand isn’t going to let the Lady of Borders go.

“I AM ASHAMED OF YOU! YOU CONTINUE TO ACT LIKE A SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD, BUT YOU ARE CLOSE TO ‘THE ALMIGHTY GOD’ OF THIS LAND. WHAT IN THE NAME OF MY DEAD GOD WERE YOU THINKING? ALSO, FACE THE FACTS YOU BORDER HAG, YOU’RE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD, AND HAVEN’T HAD A LOVER. YOU’VE ATTEMPT TO BRING IN MANY PEOPLE TO GENSOKYO BEFORE, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT THIS ONE’S GOING TO LOVE YOU ANY MORE THAN THE OTHER ONES?” Reimu is just unleashing the rage on the Lady of Borders. Yukari looks like her shell’s about to break and looks like she is about to have a breakdown. Reimu’s screaming is not being very productive, not very informative, and not harmonious at all. As much as you wish to see the continuation of Commissioner Reimu’s scolding and brutality, you’d prefer to have this land be harmonious. Or at least not having the Lady of Borders breakdown in front of everyone. You also prefer to keep you gender as male and strange magical occurrences to a minimal. At least for now.

“Commissioner Reimu, as much as I agree to some of the statements in you scolding, I’d prefer that you let her justify her actions and tell me exactly what happened.” You speak up. Yukari turns to you and displays eyes of hope. Hope that you’ll bail her out of her scolding. That hope is not misplaced.

“So, I get the point that Yukari pit me in a match against Youmu for my soul. She created this realm of shadows for use to fight in and got Lady Remilia and company to slow down time. Apparently all of you People have been viewing this. Is that correct?”
Everyone nods their head. Reimu does as well, despite still being miffed at being cut off. Yukari on the other hand is gleaming as if you are her savior. Isn’t it ironic, Sacchin ;_;

“So, my dear Yukari, lady of borders, the friendly youkai, may I ask why you pit me against Yuyuko’s comrade in a deathmatch after sending me into an illusion in the middle of my morning? No offense comrade, but you just managed to ruin Early morning training for The Motherland.” You state with a somewhat disappointed tone.

“Well...you see...Um...” Yukari stumbles. She’s flustered.

“Speak coherently comrade”

“In the words of one of your Commissioners, ‘Fighting for your life is the best training!’, so I sent you in a deathmatch to train to the style of fighting in this land. Welcome to Gensokyo’s spellcard and spell melee battle system.” Yukari says with a renewed confidence, and continues, “I was surprised at your adaptability to fight in new situations. Even more surprising was your ability to form magic into a solid weapon in that realm. Such a technique requires a great amount of magical technique, even in the shadow realm I created with help. It is to my delight that you have already progressed so far in magic! Perhaps you should begin flying soon, you know. Although we had restricted Youmu from flying at the quarter of the speed of light, the people you face in the future won’t be so generous. Also, is it not among your goal to liberate the common man from walking?”

It intrigues you that Yukari thinks that every man and youkai needs to be liberated from walking using magic. Although you have no doubt that such a technique would be helpful, you know you are and will always be most at home in your airplane.

“It is indeed among my goals to liberate The People from as much needless labour as possible, I do not think that walking is among them. The People must also diligently work for The Motherland and their brothers and sisters, and thus to laze about and increase the burden upon you comrades is not acceptable. While flight is most certainly a technique that is valued by The People, it is not needed to be reached by magic alone.” You reply to the “almighty god of this dimension”. You still doubt such a title, but you digress.

“Ah, that is true that you have an airplane. But your control of magic is competent enough to allow you to fly with just a bit of training! Alternatively, you could just ask Eirin or Yukarin here for a little help and you’ll be flying in no time!” Yukari says with such a pleasant smile on her face. She pointed to the tall silver woman as she says “Eirin”, but you are sure that is a first name. You will need to find her last name later, but knowing the first helps as well. Furthermore, are The People of this land already so generous? If so, this means is a Great Leap Forward for The People if the ‘almighty’ lady is already behind The Great Cause! However, you know that if you take upon her deal she made to you, and only you are able to fly without hard work, that that is an unjust and unequal thing. So, you must deny her that part, while mantaining you encourage her support.

“Comrade, as much as I and The People enjoy your support, I am sorry to inform you that I would prefer to be equal to my comrades in labour and achievement, and if I am to fly by magic, that I would labour vigorously beside my comrades to achieve such.” You reply

“Are you still mad at me for sending you into a fight? I'm very sorry that I sent you into a fight unprepared and stripped you of your weapons. I wanted to test you ability to be able to protect The Rebirth. Will you forgive poor Yukarin?” Yukari says as she stares straight at you, into your eyes. You swear that she'll cry if you don't forgive her.

“I never said I was mad, nor was I ever angry after I understood the situation. Your apology is accepted and you are forgiven for sending me into battle unprepared. In fact, I must thank you for making me remember my basic instruction: be alert at all times if you want to live. I must also thank you for making face the shadow of myself and my errors and faults. It is thanks to you, Comrade Yukari that I was able to come to terms with them, and put my resolutions into action.”

“Does this mean that Yukarin can join your Party?”

“Of course comrade, The Great Cause, The People, and The Party embrace all with open arms! The People of all lands can become comrades if they give up their ways of oppression and mistrust! There will be no racial or past ideological bigotry! Even former Nazis and retired capitalists are accepted into The Motherland’s all accepting arms! Cheer to the joining of Comrade Yukari!” you say as you hold her hand in yours and raise it to the sky, “URAAA!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sleepy when writing, blame all errors on that. Should've been asleep five hours ago. I promise I'll include voting soon! I promise! It is just by the time I start writing, I don't want to stop, and if I HAVE to go to sleep like now, I write an outline about how far into the future I've planned. Don't worry, I've planned a point for voting on the outline. So in a part or two. If a planned TEMPORARY POV switch to a few people, including nirakuY (<- read that backwards. It's that much of a spoiler) doesn't cause the entire outline to become 2-3 times longer than intended. It will hopefully explain Yukari's behavior. Hopefully I get to write it this upcoming weekend if My life doesn't get swamped with work.

Double update? ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/08 (Sat) 07:36 No. 33520

The next Psrt's POV Change adresses a certain person's strange behavior in this post. Please forgive it for now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comrade Yukari begins acts very strangely as you hold her hand in the air, and you notice it. She had mumbled something under her breath, but couldn’t quite hear it under the cheers of The People in the crowd. Her face becomes redder and redder, as if she had one of the direst cases of illness. “Are you alright Comrade? You appear to have a fever. Comrade? COMRADE? YUKARI?”

Yukari responds even more strangely, “Errm.... Wha....? Yehh...? Umm... Alek.. are you done holding my hand?”

Holding her hand? Does she mean in the spirit of a glorious victory for The People? Is that wrong somehow? “Does joining hands with your comrades bother you? Is it so wrong for all People to join hands together in harmony?”

“It is not that holding hands bothers me, it’s that it’s you, my dearest, who’s holding my hand.”

My dearest? Bloody Mary Terrible Ivan, her fever’s critical! In fact, you notice that her face is redder that a Kraut’s face when a bullet gives their head a hit and their blood spews over them.

Yukari’s head appears to overheat as she collapses on the floor in front of you, only saved by your catch of her just above the ground.

“MEDIC! MEDIC! HELP US EIRIN! WE’VE GOT A PERSON DOWNED HERE! WHERE’S OUR MEDIC?!?” You shout at the crowd, hoping in the desperate chance that one of them is a trained medic or doctor. Eirin then springs into action, and Reisen follows.

You watch as Eirin examines Yukari at various places as you and Reisen hold the limp body up. The doctor then proclaims that Yukari will be alright in a while after a bit of rest, and that she had only fell into ‘shock’ but it poses no threat to her overall life. The Scarlet and company decide to leave, saying that their job at this shrine is done.

As they are on the flight home, Remilia reveals quite a bit:

“Mistress, are you not impressed by Mister Ivanov’s display of courage and his ability to create and summon up a spellcard effectively on his very first battle without any instruction?” said Sakuya

“I AM impressed at his ability to display such a high level of magical competence, and his ability to use correct honours, calling me Lady Remilia, unlike most of the other brute headed humans in this land.” Replied the Charismatic Scarlet Devil

“The why did you require us to leave so early? I was interested greatly in his Russian background and his apparent leap in time.” Said Patchouli

“He has issues to attend to, namely the border hag. I’d be best if we supported him by not restricting his ability to speak freely to said person.”

“But...”

“No buts my friends, You’ll understand in due time. He is a valuable asset to this mansion and to Gensokyo. We’ll see if he can truly live up to his promise to embrace former Nazi’s and their victims. End of Discussion. The enemy is listening.”

And with that, Aya was shot out of the sky by a combination of danmaku, knives, and other spells.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annnnnddddd I be going to sleep now.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/08 (Sat) 14:41 No. 33521

Glorious, fun and exciting update to read. And I see that Yukarin isn't immune to praises usually reserved for Mother Russia.

>We’ll see if he can truly live up to his promise to embrace former Nazi’s and their victims
Is this a foreshadowing of tank girl Anne?

>And with that, Aya was shot out of the sky by a combination of danmaku, knives, and other spells.
I snickered.

Can't wait to read the next update.

Anonymous 2011/10/08 (Sat) 16:13 No. 33522

Well this is a first that I've seen: Someone remotely grateful for Yukari's antics. Though she is much nicer than LSL's Yukari so I'm not sure how you'd mesh the two together unless it's a sort of AU LSL.

not an update ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/08 (Sat) 18:04 No. 33523 ▼

Image Source

File 131809707391.jpg - (444.54KB, 900x1278 , 0c3cadaa31e90a3c7a2b8c0519cbf19d.jpg)

>>33522

If you haven't read LSL, Please don't go over the following spoilers. If you did, it is a nice refresher of why there was so much Yukarin hate and why Yuri is relazing the tension between them now.

Think about it: Why is Yuri angry at Yukari? Because she took him from his comrades, from the battlefield, from his glorious fight against the Fascist hordes for The Motherland. He doesn't know his comrades died sixty years in the past, and The Motherland's ideals with them. His Great Country is run into the ground by Stalin, but doesn't know it. Suwako here on the other hand, blew the Big Red One, that has caused Yuri so much trouble, on Night One for Alek. Alek has nothing against Yukari. He is also connected to reality, despite being in Gensokyo for a while, he knows that 'Victory is NOT achieved by ONE man, But on The LIVES of Many'. Alek knows that even if was able to sent himself back in time, which he can't, he would die in vain for a cause destined to fall by Stalin's fist. Then He could not spread The Truth to a glorious, new land where it might actually work. His death would be in vain, and he would cause all of his comrades' death to be in vain as well. And in thus, He bears no grudge against Yukari. Yukari has preserved The Great Cause through Alek, Alek knows this, and they work together, as fellow, friends, and comrades.

Yuri on the other hand is left in the dark by everyone *cough* Suwako, Yukari, Houraisan, Yagokoro, heck anyone that has read a history textbook about 'the outside' after 1992. He thinks that he does not deserve a peaceful life, without any point or meaning. Alek immediatly takes up the new flag of The Party, so he does not have that problem. Alek thinks it is unjust that only he is allowed to live. However, the past can't be changed, and what Yukari did on a whim over 60 years ago is coming to fruition now. Yuri, however, bears a grudge against Yukari because while he was gapped into the future, he doesn't know what on Earth happened to The Motherland until Thread or Day 8. If I recall correctly, he thinks for quite a while that The Great Patriotic War is still going on, and he's still back in 1943. In thus, hostility for getting gapped gets Yukari's hostility returned, and a lone misunderstanding that isn't solved until Houraisan tells him in one of the most akward places late into the story (as of now), while not too little, it is too late to stop the damage of trust and friendship between them. Although they are beginning to relax the tension, or defrost their cold war, such a thing will take a while to finally restore friendship that they should have had.

Looks like we're gonna have more than a single Yukari POV after the next post. I'll do my best to keep it in line with Serial ATA's (I got a plan, doesn't look horrendeously hard, even after Yuri comes into the picture). Gotta refresh my self on the LSL timeline (again). Once I figure out which night was Yuri's Party, what happened on Yuri's first night, and which night was Marisa's theft and which night was the raid on Marisa's house (all of this on the normal LSL timeline) I can start fitting in this timeline to it. Feel free to let me know which threads those are in (not searching right now, got work to do). If I recall correctly, then we are on the Day before Yuri's Arrival. Like Yuri's landing into Eientei tonight. If I got this right: Marisa's steal amulet + Yukari ruins mp40: Night one. Something happened about training in bamboo forest, plus Mokou smokes meat: day 2. Raid on Marisa's house is night two or three. Please correct any of these/ affirm these. Break's almost up, gotta go back to work.

>Well this is a first that I've seen: Someone remotely grateful for Yukari's antics.
Isn't it sad, Yukarin ;_; On a serious note, Yukari was what got me into Touhou big time. I had grazed its existance with on a brief crossover image of blazeblue with mugen characters, and even got to the point of listen to a few theme's (Locked girl and Septette for the Dead Princess, and yes, the versions from the game.) However, it was Yukari and her theme (necrofantasia) remixed with guitar that pulled me into Touhou (and inevitably written chinese and brief excursions into Japanese) by both feet, swinging me from meme to meme (although I always questioned the legitamacy of those memes and never used anything besides 'take it easy!'), from the most silly stories to the most serious stories. My first image search of Touhou? Yukari, Patchy and Remilia. Although it is possible to display just about any Touhou character in a bad light, it is easy to display them in a good light. I always was able to see Yukari in a good light, heck all of the Touhou's in a good light. Well, except fricking paparazzi Aya. I've gotten over it. Kinda. I digress. Doesn't this image of Yukari make you all warm inside?

sage for no update. I'm on a update spam recently because There's going to be a blank spot of no updates about two weeks soon.

More not update stuff. ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/08 (Sat) 22:15 No. 33526

>Is this a foreshadowing of tank girl Anne?

I don't think that I foreshadow any more unless I do it like that story... Back to camolot? Knights of the Round Table? You know, the one where Merlin the magicial mentor tells king Arthur that he's going to die on that field and go to that place at the end of his life? Except that was at the begining of the story? Yeah. Yes, comrade Alek will meet a certain tank girl and a certain other Soviet in due time. After all, it's SDM's owner that said it.

>alternate universe

Yukari is above the borders of universes. I don't think that such can work.

>Praise reserved for The Motherland

Ah, but comrade, you see, The People will give credit when and to whom it is due!
*Yukarin shall now be refered to as The Great Benefactor

Writing in three or so hours if all heck doesn't break loose on me.

The next update ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/09 (Sun) 05:40 No. 33528 ▼

Image Source

File 131813884895.jpg - (175.05KB, 293x700 , Sad_Yukari.jpg)

Is coming soon, either tonight or tommorrow night. And it will either be REALLY GOOD, or, unfortunatly more likely than not, Horrible. Still praying to Kanako Suwako Yukarin Shinki Serial ATA that I don't mess this up.

Still no voting though. Although I was really happy that A Certain Winemaker is a step closer to a threesome, My very spirit to write was crushed in the LSL Thread. I suppose 'nothing gold may stay'. The next post is really depressing and frightening, but could possibly turn into heart-warming. Or massive soul crushing depressing. The next post has made it so I can not say 'godspeed' or 'Yukarispeed' any more. So, "SerialATASpeed us on our way."

Picture related. Foreshadowing. Sad Yukarin is Sad.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/09 (Sun) 06:52 No. 33529

>I'll do my best to keep it in line with Serial ATA's (I got a plan, doesn't look horrendeously hard, even after Yuri comes into the picture).
Looking forward for it.

>Yuri, however, bears a grudge against Yukari because while he was gapped into the future, he doesn't know what on Earth happened to The Motherland until Thread or Day 8.
And he still is, even though the tension between them has loosened.

And yes, it took him that long to realize the truth.

Saging for posting in ComradeWriter's story and not actually updating.

Yukari POV Delayed ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/10 (Mon) 06:31 No. 33533 ▼

Image Source

File 131822831393.jpg - (102.07KB, 850x637 , Kanako and the sunrise.jpg)

I had to time shift it So I don't create five plot holes and what not. It's fully written though, so don't worry about it. It's the end of this day. So it is a few choices/ updates away. Well, that's if it doesn't screw with LSL and in return this story's plot development. It can be put on hold for quite a while if need be. The soonest time is the end of this day. It, however, is heart warming. Unless you hate Yukarin. In which case you'll be grinding you teeth and smashing your doors as she reaches a happiness that she had never had before.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have a Scene from the Moyria Shrine Point Of View instead!

At Moyria shrine, Suwako joined Kanako in watching an ever bright sunrise that had bejun to rise over the hill tops in the direction of Hakurei Shrine.
“See Kanako? His existence has caused the sun to rise brighter and more valiantly than ever.”
“Hmph. I concede that. But I still demand that he duel me to prove that he can defend his so called ‘Great Cause’”
“Really?”
“Yes”
“You’ve made up your mind on that?”
“Yes”
“So nothing I do can change your mind?”
“Nope, nothing can change my mind.”
“Not even getting beaten by a drunk Russian?”
“Nope”
“You’re stubborn as ever, Kanako”
“There is a Rising Sun shining brightly over our opposing shrine, Suwako. If the Miko there wasn’t such a lazy bum, the People of the Human Village that make the arduous journey up the mountain to give us their faith wouldn’t do it anymore. They’d take this as an omen and go to Hakurei.”
“You speak of such as a bad thing”
“It is a bad thing! What if it resurrects the god of that shrine? Or worse, resurrects or reincarnates something else sealed there! And plus, it is faith that we’re not getting!”
“We have plenty of faith! Geez, I know you’re just trying to look out for me, you, and Sanae, but you’ve been paranoid about losing faith! You even got the Kappa to make her experimental faith measuring thing!”
“Did Not!”
“Did too! It’s under your pillow! See? I have it in my hands!”
“You looked under my pillow of all places?!?” Kanako says, with a state of such disbelief, that her faith in herself went down, shown on the meter that was now in Suwako’s hands.
“Now you know how I feel about you being paranoid about our faith’s status and continuously opposing Alek!”
“You’re such a child, Suwako.”
“And your such an uptight virgin, Kanako.”
Kanako hits Suwako on the hit, raising a bump on the later’s head in an almost comedic effect.
“I told you not to bring that up! It’s not like you’re truly not a virgin either, you just touched a pregnant woman’s belly!”
Still, Suwako continued to tease Kanako, whom chased the frog goddess around the shrine grounds as the frog goddess continued to chant as if she were a child in grade school: Kanako’s a virgin! Kanako’s a virgin! Kanako’s a virgin!
And thus, the average morning at Moyria Shrine resumed, with Sanae continuing to pretend that she is asleep and isn’t hearing any of the child-like banter from the goddesses that are in essence her guardians and parents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Picture somewhat related. Expect an Alek update soon, or no updates for two weeks.

Update was promised, update is made ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/10 (Mon) 08:03 No. 33534 ▼

Image Source

File 131823381319.png - (82.61KB, 554x800 , DaDao the sword of China.png)

Soon can mean tonight you know.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at this shrine, Nitori and Youmu explained what happened, after Youmu is checked by Eirin that she is alright and all of this evil had left her. Eirin and Resien then left back for their place in the bamboo forest, for Eirin though she had a premonition that something was going to happen that night. However, before they had left, Eirin had given you instructions on how to get to their base in the bamboo forest of the lost.

“You sure you can trust him with the location of our base?” ask Resien

“Of Course. Even if I don’t give the locations to him, Yukari will gap him to who knows where in our place. I’d prefer that he walked in the front door instead of landing in the Princess's lap just as she begins desperately trying to get out of her MMO playing chair to go eat or drink for the first time in a week.” Replied Eirin.

“Comrades, thank you for inviting The Great Cause to your faction in this Great Land. It is greatly appreciated” You say

“I still just have this...feeling that something or someone related to you is going to make a big impact on our place soon enough. Come on Reisen, Let’s Go” Eirin says, as she waves you goodbye on her way out. You never got her last name. Formality will be hard to achieve between you two if you don’t what to call her. Miss Eirin? Doctor Eirin? Ah, you decide not to worry over something so trivial. Before you know it, You won’t even need formalities between you and you comrades. You also vaguely hear Reisen say 'Oscar Mike' into a radio, presumably to their princess. You can only wonder what this 'Oscar Mike' thing is.

The rest of your comrades break into separate groups to talk about the recent turn of evetns, and to analyze the battle.They are obviously sticking around the shrine to have a word with you. Strangely missing, of all people to not be here, is Aya. You’d think that this would be newsworthy to her if just your arrival was newsworthy. You suppose that it may be a good thing she isn’t here right now.
Back to the explanation of what happened.

Youmu begins with, “Congratulations for beating your evil embodiment’s sorry ass”

Your attention however, is on Nitori, who appears to be crunching your battle data numbers by hand and paper, trying to plot it out and create a graph. You almost feel sorry for the painful math she must going through, so you decide that you’ll let her crunch her numbers in peace a bit before questioning what in hell happened your pistol. She’s doing things that you barely understand, and you were in the middle of college! The average Russian soldier on the front would get lost in multiplication and division! After all, Nazi’s died in a fairly linear fashion, as did bullets become expended, or as food becomes eaten. Count the number of Nazi’s you killed? Addition by one. Number of bullets you have left? Count the amount you’ve used, in ones. You are interrupted, however, by Youmu’s conclusion to a speech that you’ve completely missed.

“In short, I was forced to be the vessel of your evil by her, and the evil was killed away as you did more damage to me. I was able to watch what you were doing, and I must say, I am very impressed at your ability to fight with Danmaku and use a spellcard on your first fight with no experience. Your spell card put you at the level of Serious Suwako, Pissed Ran, and even Yuyuko or Yukari trying. You must have some die hard, no dying implies it can die, you must have some conviction that is greater than your mortality, your life, and your soul to be using such a powerful spellcard without prior any training. What is this conviction that eclipses mortality and death itself?”

“The Great Cause to achieve a peaceful and harmonious living for all comrades, no, all of The People of this land."

“Yes, your noble cause to liberate The People. You should talk to Master Yuyuko about that. She may not look like it, but she’s close friends with Yukari and the leader of one of the factions of this land.”

“You keep mentioning these ‘factions’. Could you tell me what they are?” you ask her politely. Youmu, on the other hand, still isn’t too happy that she’s been doing all the talking so far.

“Sure, but in return you’ll answer three of my questions first”

“Go for it. The Motherland does not fear The Truth”

“Where did you learn your eastern style of fighting? You did not seem to fight with any consistency. One chain you were fighting with Chinese arts, then you pull a Japanese move, followed by materializing the Chinese DaDao, and using a mix of Chinese, Japanese, then western blocks and counters in the fight. Who did you train under? And why did you choose the Chinese sword? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable with the western sabers?”

“When I was a teenager, I was sent to China and Japan to various martial arts schools and swordsman schools. I wasn’t allowed to go to the next school in my journey without getting a note from the previous master that I had bested him in at least one round in a match of six, using his style. I got better, but not quickly enough. I wasn’t strong enough to save someone, someone dear to me. That only made me more determined to learn swordsmanship and martial arts better. I still got my ass kick from Soviet Russia to Japan, but then on my way back, I started making sure that I had bested the masters by two rounds out of six and their senior students in a complete match."

"The last master I had let me fight with any sword and any style I wanted to against him. Yet he didn’t fight back. He only blocked. After teaching me his style, and having six rounds of fighting without a single landed blow on either side, he told me to leave China, for near the border of Japanese occupied Manchuria was where we were then. He said that Hell on Earth was about to break loose and that I should leave back for The Motherland soon, for it would call for my duty soon, and that I’d need as much training in education before then. I told him that he was my last instructor, and he had informed me earlier that I was his second and last student, so I said that he could not let me go without me at least getting a hit on him. So, I spent the entire night fighting him, trying to land a blow, trying all kinds of techniques I learned in my journey. It ended up with me charging straight into his only attack he did in the fight that lasted the entire night, an attack he did with his short sword. I had run straight into it, but the cut didn’t hurt. I had missed him attempting to use his duel swordsmanship against him, so I threw my swords away with the momentum of the failed slash and hit him in the chest with both of my fists. He just smiled in a sad way, saying that he is glad to have both been able to pass on his technique and his rule: when the worst comes down, rely not on fancy techniques, but on your instincts and your friends. Then I passed out on the floor, probably from the blood loss from the wound I had incurred. By the time I woke up with my wounds bandaged up, he had disappeared. The local people did not know what happened to him. In fact, they denied any knowledge of this person at all. Soul of Avoiding Demons or Soul of Demon Fear I believe his moniker was. It is a shame that I never got to see that man again. You know Youmu, you remind me of him, my last swordsman teacher greatly. You look similar, you dress similar, heck, you even both have two swords and you put you swords in the same position! We need to have a proper duel sometime."

"Anyways, the day after he left I had searched for him in vain, only to have the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese war have me fight in a resistance movement and in a fighting guerrilla movement though Manchuria to Russia with the brave Chinese People and Farmers, who were apparently communists as well, and were willing to lend their Russian comrade a hand. That’s why the Chinese Da Dao was the weapon I formed. It’s what I’ve had the most battle experience with. Although I have trained with all sorts of blades, The Da Dao is the only one I brought with me across the entire journey. My father got it from a friend in China, and gave it to me. I was the only one of my siblings that volunteered to go to Asian fighting schools as a punishment for failing his Japanese competency test. You pick up quite a lot of a written language from full scale immersion you know if you know how to speak it. I even picked up some Chinese on the way! I digress. Also, I didn’t make a Russian sword because only really high officers got them and I have absolutely no experience with them. The Motherland was on short supply, so all metal went to making planes, tanks, artillery, other Great guns to keep the Motherland safe. We didn’t have metal to spare for swords for each officer. The lucky and well supplied Russian soldiers had bayonets. Some of the People fought with nothing more than their fists and teeth. It is not like I needed a Russian sword anyways. I fought with jsut my Da dao and my engraved TT-33 throughout China, Japan, and Manchuria as a Teenager and in Moscow, and with an addition of a mosin nagant, in Stalingrad during the Great Patriotic War as a Man before they reviewed and accepted my application into the once small Red Airforce. I had to give up the mosin nagant, but because the TT-33 and the Da Dao where still considered my Late father’s items, they let me keep them in exchange that I didn’t get any new personal defence weapons. I became a pilot, but they made everyone train as if they were going to be shot down behind enemy lines. It seems as if though such training has paid off, comrade."

"Anyways, on the topic of weapons and training, Nitori, want to explain what you did to my pistol that you now know that I had inherited from my late father and used across Asia and back, in the bloodiest and most crucial battle for mankind’s freedom itself?” You say as you finish your discussion with Youmu, who seems to know your last mentor for some reason or another, and as you turn you gaze to Nitori, who is cowering away at your strong gaze. You also spot Keine in your circle of people, looking at you eagerly as if she has something to say about your history and about your learning of foreign languages. Unfortunately, that will have to wait.
“I’m not that mad at you Nitori, I just want to know why it is suddenly shooting these....Danmaku magic bullets suddenly and it has unlimited ammo.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And I need sleep. Sword in picture is a Da Dao (大刀)(literally big blade).

Anonymous 2011/10/10 (Mon) 10:50 No. 33535

wow Alek was trained by Youki?

Last update for a bit ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/11 (Tue) 03:14 No. 33536

>>33535
Yes, he was learned the basics of the Konpaku style. And he managed to land a single blow on his master after fighting for an entire day. Why was Youki missing before? He was on a journey to teach someone his style. It fell into the hands of a Russian to learn it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nitori, on the other hand, really just turned around to confirm her numbers were correct. She turned back to you, with eyes of disbelief. What could those numbers have possibly said?

“Are you...You sure you’re human...?” The kappa looks at you with wide eyes. Or at least you think she is a kappa. You spent your time in Asia fighting there and back, and speaking and writing the languages, not studying folktales. You knew a few though, so you’ll go under that premise.

“Of course. I was born into a large family with my brothers and sisters. I look, talk, and fight like my family. I share the same courage as my family. I’ve known my brother, Alek, since I was born. If you mean it in the figurative sense, I would say that it is not beyond reason to say that all patriotic soldiers of The Red Army are beyond ‘human’. Or swordsmanship teachers and martial arts teachers for that matter.”

“No, I meant human as in of the species homo sapiens. Either you went to training through Hell and back and managed to live, or you’re not human.” The blue haired kappa says. You notice the silvered hair woman conversing with Mima almost jump at the word ‘hell’ being used as a derogatory term.

“Well, I’m a veteran of two wars, one being The Great Patriotic War. I’ve also had an odyssey around Asia from Martial arts school to swordsmanship schools to Japan and back. Does that count as.... hard enough training, comrade?” you say. You notice the Mima’s companion ease at your purposeful avoidance of the word ‘Hell’

“I suppose that could be it, assuming you were taught by someone that was either a master for life, or perhaps a resident of this land that was on a journey or in temporary exile on the outside? Say, if you’re from the 1930’s did you train with an old geezer that wore green and fought with dual swords?”

“Comrade, if you know the man, it is imperative, essential to the training of The Motherland that you tell me everything you know about him and his whereabouts.”

“So you trained with him?”
“Yes comrade. He taught me the style of two unequal swords.” You reply
“Well, I don’t know too much about him, but I know that he’s a resident of this land. Furthermore, he’s Yuyuko’s servant, so you should ask her for more details.” Nitori replies, as she factors in your training in your projected performance and compares it with your actual performance. Youmu on the other hand, looks like she’s sick and doesn’t want to talk about your last teacher.
“Anyways, the numbers are now much more believable now that we factor in Him as your teacher.” Concludes Nitori

“So comrade, you wish to tell me now what happened to my TT-33 that I brought from Moscow to Tokyo and back? And maybe the ppsh?”

“Real bullets kill People. In this land, we don’t kill anyone. We have spellcard battles with defined rules. We shoot bullets called ‘Danmaku’ that hurt but they aren’t lethal. Most of the magical residents can form it from their fingers. You are obliviously a human and an outsider, so I modified your gun to shoot Danmaku so you don’t go killing anyone in a battle and so you can fight by the Spellcard rules. It also as unlimited ammo, since it collects magic from the magic rich atmosphere and turns it into danmaku, much like how the residents do it with their hands, however, it can overheat from extended bursts of fire. Its strength and its fire rate are dependent on the user; the more proficient the user is with magic, the faster and stronger the shots are. It also depends on how familiar you are with the weapon. However, even if you don’t know anything about magic, you can still use these weapons. That’s what makes this system ingenious.” Says Nitori, with a hint of pride at her achievement

“What about melees and melee weapons? Or a bow? What would that count under?” You inquire.

“Allow me to explain”, jumps in Keine, “We have two types of battle: Danmaku and Spell melee. Spell Melee is what you did at the start: The People beat on each other with melee weapons or with their body until the spell barrier around one of the opponent’s breaks. Real, metal melee weapons are allowed in regulated matches because both of the contestants are protected by a spell barrier that prevents massive physical harm. That’s not to say you won’t get bruised or cut up, but you shouldn’t die. Danmaku on the other hand, is what you did in the later part and is what people usually use to fight with because it is not lethal regardless of amount and regardless if you are in a regulated match or not. You shoot glowing balls of magic at each other, and when one person or the other is hit by the danmaku, their barrier weakens. Bows are tricky. They can also count as danmaku if you fire danmaku arrows with them or use Nitori’s generator with them, but they are otherwise not allowed in battles. For this reason, most people don’t use them, because if they can make a danmaku arrow, they can probably just shoot Danmaku. I think Eirin is one of the few people that still practice that old sport”

“You shouldn’t make fun of archery, comrade. The skills of marksmanship are timeless.” You state, but Keine just goes on as if she didn’t hear you. She must be too eager to say what she has.

“Anyways, both types of combat are used together, and that makes up the Spellcard battle system of this land with Spellcards themselves. Spellcards, of course have two purposes: Offense, or using it to create complicated patterns of danmaku that is hard to dodge for your enemy, or two, defence or ‘bomb’, where you use the spellcard to clear the field of enemy danmaku. Usually, the contestants agree to have an even number of spellcards, but since it is impossible to regulate every single match, it is possible that spellcards will be used at whim with however many being used decided as the match goes along. Spellcards also usually give the user some temporary benefit from their usage, such as increased defences, vigor, et cetera. A Spellcard can turn the tide of a battle, or seal the fate of one if used appropriately, but it’s possible to use only danmaku or only spell melee to win a fight and use no spellcards at all.” concludes Keine

“Well, thank you for informing me about this land’s fighting system, this knowledge is valued greatly by The Motherland.”

“You know what happened to you motherland right? Stalin was...”

You cut her off. “Stalin was a liar, a cheater, a rat that capitalized on the hearts of the very People. He is no hero, no communist, no man. He is a socialist dictator, a rat worse than some people in the Fascist Hordes. There are a few tankpeople in the Fascist armies that I respect, for they fought not for their leaders ideals, but for their brothers and sisters, or countrymen, that fought beside them. They froze in the Russian winter, not out of their aggression, but of that of their leaders. They did not kill nor rape the Russians Citizens, rather treated them fairly, unless they were coerced by their evil leaders or users into doing so. They should have been born elsewhere.” You say. Keine is most certainly stunned now. You continue, “But I am no longer part of Stalin’s Russia. I am not from the Russia after The Great Patriotic War, but from the Motherland during the war. I come not in communist aggression, not to spread Stalin’s lies and dictatorship around the world, but to promote the real ideas behind it, the camaraderie, the communal actions of using everyone’s unique abilities to help each other. I still support the individuality of this land, I am not out to ruin people’s love life, nor people’s beliefs, faiths, and personality. No, that is not the communist dream. It is communism in action, in actually helping each other, that takes the sole priority of this Party. Stalin’s dictatorship was by no means communist. In fact, and ironically, it is the moment upon which The People take his dictatorship down that is the only true moment of True Communism after the Great Patriotic War. I come seeking peace for all, not destruction. So, comrade, protector of the human village, you need not fear us.” You see that everyone has crowded around you in a circle as you were doing your speech. “And all of you comrades, are part of this Great Party, This Great Cause! Cheers to the Great Cause!” Keine is somewhere between shocked that you actually know the cruel fate to arrive upon your nation by Stalin after the Great Patriotic War, the fact that you come from before that era, but is relieved that you are not a communist aggressor. Everyone else just cheers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What happens after that is somewhat of a blur. Keine tells you that you should go to the Human village later if you want to learn more about the history and culture of this land. She then left for the village, saying that she had a school to attend to. Nitori when out to the backyard of the shrine to look at the Sacchin and fix it. Yuyuko sent Youmu to go buy food from the Human village. That leaves you with Suika, Reimu, Alice, Marisa, Mima, Mima’s silvered haired friend, Yuyuko, and an unconscious Yukari. You know you’ll be talking to Yuyuko and Yukari later about quite a bit because you told Yuyuko that you need to see her later. Thus, you have time to talk to the other people right now. Who do you talk to?

[ ] Marisa and Alice
- [ ] About Alice’s dolls
- [ ] About Alice’s occupation
- [ ] About Marisa’s occupation
- [ ] About how to fly using magic
- [ ] About something else (write-in)
[ ] Suika and Reimu
- [ ] About Reimu’s sleep
- [ ] About the status of the party
- [ ] About how to fly using magic
- [ ] About how they’re doing
- [ ] About something else (write-in)
[ ] Mima and her friend
- [ ] Their names
- [ ] About them
- [ ] How to fly using magic
- [ ] About something else (write-in)
[ ] Everyone come together and talk in a circle!
[ ] Write-in That means you, Soviet Anon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last update for about two weeks. Don't expect anything in that time.

Anonymous 2011/10/11 (Tue) 07:24 No. 33537

[c] Mima and her friend
- [c] Their names
- [c] About them
- [c] How to fly using magic

PC-98 Touhous, go!

Anonymous 2011/10/11 (Tue) 08:50 No. 33538

[x] Marisa and Alice
- [x] About Alice’s dolls
- [x] About Marisa’s occupation
- [x] About how to fly using magic

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/12 (Wed) 04:32 No. 33539

>>33537
Now I'm just plain confused. At one moment, Serial ATA's here, Full trip and all, using [c] for his choices, and the next we have an anon using [c] for his choices. I'd say that the anon is SATA, but I can't be sure. Votes are still open because I'm not sure if two people be following this, or if there are three.

In short, It'd be nice if comrade Serial ATA always used his trip. Also, yes, the previous posts haven't been as patriotic as I'd like them, really the only redeeming thing was the speech at the end of the most recent update. Unfortunatly, Bland and chalky explainations tend to be as such. Especially since Alek's Soviet colliquialisms have yet to spread as commonplace word with The People. Yet.

Once again, no update until the weekend after next. Mabye I can squeeze out an update this weekend. And That is incredibly optimistic. So don't expect an update. sage for forementioned reason.

If you have any suggestions on what I should do, please say so. Like me not posting any pictures unless near mandatory by the text.

And yes, The Yukari DRAMA EMO SCENE Pov is ready, but I'm somewhat dissatsfied with it. That it may not appeal to say, the LSL timeline as flawlessly as I want it to. I mean, there is no outright nor blatant contradictions. It might even explain Yukari's infatuation with Yuri in the later threads. I mean, I had a one sentece explaination before that worked well, but come on! Yukari's going to get character development. Even if it's hidden behind her mask of cruelty.

I think that Yukari might end up coming off as a bit too...meek? lovestuck? Self deploring? in the update of her Point of view. But don't worry, we'll have plenty of tsun/yan/cryptic/foolish/self-confident Yukari to make up for it. And You won't hate her for her actions. I hope. Must...Resist....urge...to...post...Massive spoilers....and...happy Yukari...on...interwebs....for now....

Also, is it normal for a story to only have a slow ass updater like me and still manage to be at the top of the board? Or for there to only be two voters?

Anonymous 2011/10/12 (Wed) 05:32 No. 33540

> yandere

OH FU-

Anonymous 2011/10/12 (Wed) 06:48 No. 33541

>>33539
Yukari with a soft side isn't a bad thing, but you should feel forced to throw on more typical traits as that rarely works well. Hell SLDT's Yukari in AoS1 was popular enough to steal the story without resistance.

As far as what I'd like to see next? Nothing at the moment, though you shouldn't get caught up in the sound of your speeches, it's a good way to lose proper perspective.

Crossing over this and LSL will be tricky as well... there's many differences and unless you're getting spoiler data from SerialATA directly, odds are he'll unveil something that will clash badly with what you've written.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/12 (Wed) 09:10 No. 33542

>>33539
Yes, that would be me in anon mode.

>Stuffs about Yukari
I don't have problem with seeing Yukari with soft and/or benelovent sides, so long as they don't spoil her very quality as Yukari all of us know. And I really like to see how you explain Yukari's apparent obsession with Yuri.

>odds are he'll unveil something that will clash badly with what you've written.
As far as I am concerned, I don't have anything to be written that will clash with ComradeWriter's works, but I'll keep everyone informed. For now, let's just be safe to say that it's just the calm before the storm...

Saging for already voted.

Anonymous 2011/10/12 (Wed) 15:59 No. 33543

[x] Mima and her friend
- [x] Their names
- [x] About them
- [x] How to fly using magic

Because Mima

So I may stand alone, in my grave ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/12 (Wed) 23:34 No. 33544 ▼

Image Source

File 131846249364.jpg - (270.40KB, 800x600 , Yukari will be free someday.jpg)

According to the LSL threads, this may be me being "hyper-dramatic" at the drop of a frilled hat. Too bad this could very well mean the end of this story, or one hell of a plot twist/ retcon if I fuck this update up. Only if I had more time to write, so we could get to the blasted part sooner.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I wrote that piece of crap that was the failed attempt at a Suika scene, I was really pushing things too far, too fast, with no explaination. I, the writer, did not have too much confidence in it. That's why I threw it out.

Massive spoilers lay ahead. If you don't want to be spoilered the Yukari event, don't read on. Except Serial ATA. You need to read this. Everyone else, proceed at your own risk.

Really. Massive spoilers for real

I've dug myself a grave if keeping the sterotypical Yukari is the way to go. The update is Yukari reflecting on herself and her actions for once, instead of doing whatever the fuck she pleases. No, The Truth has opened her eyes to the dispair of her world, that she is supossedly the god to. She's in dispair for once. Gods in gensokyo have problems. Like the ruler of demons isn't evil. She can try to continue to hide behind a shell, but that can't go on forever. No, what's on your inside will always surface.

And thus, if Yukari doesn't change now, all will be in danger. Alek, bringer of The Truth, is the only one who can change someone as fucked up as Yukari. Alek changes the inside of Yukari, so that she can truly feel, no, LIVE again. So she won't remain a weak character, especailly in the front of others. No, she'll be a strong, self believing character. And her shell will be pushed away for her heart, her true self, not a cryptic border hag. Even if it is a person that has taken an intrest in Yuri and a bit more than that in Alek, she won't nor need to hide it anymore. Embrace. Sometimes, it is the only way to change, to get over the past. In otherwords, If I'm in a grave, and I've resolved to dig a tunnel using this hole to get out. I could easily rewrite the whole thing, and take the easy way out with no character development, and have Yukari stay as the generic Goddamnit! Yukari. But do I want to? To have my reputation stay safe at the cost of Yukari's liberity? NO. Freedom, redemption, and a second chance is avalible to all. I won't lock away Yukari for my own personal safty. I could've sworn it was Jefferson or Franklin that said A man should NEVER give A DAMN DROP OF LIBERTY for even COMPLETE SECURITY. Yukari will be characterized, be it at the cost of my crappy reputation. If I don't change, don't define her now, I'll be railroaded into making her as whatever the conclusion of LSL represents her as. As much as I love you Serial ATA, I need to have Yukari be able to breathe, to be herself, to not be a damn cryptic, 2D, Static character with unknown motives. That's just about the only reason that I am somewhat happy that Serial is not updating LSL at a fast pace, and why I've been update spaming whenever I have the chance: I need to characterize the characters, to not potray them as complete black, complete evil, but as characters that are redeemable, characters that can change, characters that can progress out of their sterotypes.

>soft side isn't a bad thing, but you should feel forced to throw on more typical traits as that rarely works well.

I'm assuming that 'that' in the sentence above refers to a soft side. Well, the update's going to have Yukari's soft side, but she is WAY more than a blob of moe or dere, that is the exact opposite of what I want, a 2D character, lifeless, unchanging character. No way in hell am I going to turn her into one of those. She's weak right now, and you'll find out why. She may be meek in the update, but she'll return as strong as the god of Gensokyo should be.

>so long as they don't spoil her very quality as Yukari all of us know

You come to a line, a point that you cross at which you have gone from changing a character to spoiling it? Where is that line? I do not know. I could very well have dissapointed you comrade SATA in these updates. But it is these updates that will define the very nature of Yukari Yakumo herself, that she too, is not a perfect being, that she too, has insecurities, that she too, is able to see The Truth of her actions, and that she too, will be able to feel, to LIVE again after being numb so long.

This may be my final stand. I may stand alone behind a New, Great, Warm hearted Yukari, the benevolent Great Benefactor of this land that breaks away from her past self of being an uncaring, cryptic jerk. I understand this. But this is my one shot that change Yukari for the better. Will I capture this moment or just let it slip? I've decide to continue to believe in my path, this path of camradiery, this path of redemption, this path of my Dreams, of Yukari's final appeal to be free from her sterotype.

Dear S.D.L.T., I stand here silently saluting thee. You have accomplished something, in Aos, that I can only inspire to achieve sometime later in my life.

A poem for Yukari
Yukari's more than just schemes, and petty plot fights
Yukari has fears, faults, and a fucked up life
If we don't help our comrade now, Alek will get hell back
We'd lose the a great friend, and nothing can ever replace that
So this writer may stand alone, in his grave
But he won't give up, until Yukari is saved

And I can't spell today ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/12 (Wed) 23:45 No. 33545

Dear, S.L.D.T, I'm sorry that I misspelled your name in the previous post. Unfortunatly, due to time constraints,I do not have the time to fix the previous post, so this is the message of Apology for misspelling your name in said post. ONce again, I salute your AoS1 Yukari.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Voting open until Sunday. As much as I'd love to update now, freaking time constraints just get in the way. sage on both posts for not updating.

Anonymous 2011/10/12 (Wed) 23:57 No. 33546

>>33544
I was referring to you forcibly having her act typical in a hamfisted attempt at keeping her character when a more natural transition like SLDT did.

But the notion of making Yukari a person as opposed to 2d-thin plot device or villain is still a rather novel notion on this site and is something I support as the sooner we all move on overdone fanon bits, the better.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/16 (Sun) 00:02 No. 33564

Calling it for PC-98. Will write after I skim a bit more old lsl and think.

Hell Isn't So Bad in Gensokyo ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/18 (Tue) 02:36 No. 33571

[X] Mima and her friend
- [X] Their names
- [X] About them
- [X] How to fly using magic

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You need to spend time with all your comrades. One day, you could be fighting side by side with them, using the enemy’s weapons, without food, cloth, without land. Without all but your comrades. All comrades must be as close as brothers and sisters in the defense in such a fight. Yet you do not know some of your comrades names, much less their background. How can The People fight and prosper in unity if there are People, comrades, who you know little about? You set out to correct this. You walk over to Mima and her friend. However, Mima preempts you, and speaks the instant you arrive, before you can even open your mouth.

“Nice speeches you are giving, and a nice job out there, kiddo. Not convinced that that was your first danmaku fight though. I mean, I’m no master at spellcards, but you look like you might give Yukari a run for her money. Well, in Danmaku anyways.”

“Thanks for the compliments comrade....?”

“Mima. My friend here is Shinki. Shinki, meet our fellow Russian, current resident of this shrine. Alek, meet Shinki: Grandmaster and ruler of Hell.” Mima says with a neutral tone. You don’t even understand how Mima keeps a straight face as she acts like the title is nothing at all.

You offer you hand for a handshake. After all, The Motherland embraces all. Considering The Eastern Front’s bloodbath didn’t happen at the Party and she has done nothing wrong, it would be wrong of you not to extend the Party’s welcome to her as well.

She takes you hand in a hand shake. “Greetings comrade Shinki” You say, but in return, all you see are the fires in Shinki’s eyes. Shinki holds you hand, and grips it harder. You could easily break from her grasp, but you chose not. Shinki looks straight in your eyes. If her eyes are that of Hell’s Queen, then so be it. You stood in a hail storm of Fascist bullets. You stood against the Japanese invasion. You stood in the ruins of Stalingrad, in the skys over the Kursk. This is nothing. The borders of reality, memory, and imagination blur. Why be restrained by the limitations of reality? The Great Cause is no longer chained to reality, to the cynicism and greed of the real world, so why should you? Is Hell really so bad in this world? Does it matter? “Not One Step Back”. You cannot tell if that was the memory of your old commissioner, yourself, or commissioner Reimu. Your only concern is to face the hard truth. Into the red of Shinki’s eyes. You look her straight in her eyes, returning her glaze of flames. She may grip your hand tighter; you grip her hands ten times harder. She may look in your eyes with flames, and you look at her with eyes ten times brighter. She may look into your soul, but The Great Cause has nothing to hide.

You lock gaze for a good minute. You think that she wants to strike fear into you. These are the eyes of the devil, eh? Nothing compared to the Eastern Front. Nothing compared to China. Nothing compared to the incident in Japan. Nothing compared to the brutal lessons and beatings you have taken, and the sacrifices you have given. These eyes aren’t that of a Devil, but that of a benevolent ruler. You can see right through it. She’s not evil, and she can’t fake it. You’ve seen Real Hell. This isn’t close to it.

“Innocent” is all Shinki said, as she finally broke her gaze with you.

“Innocent?”

“You’ve only fought for what was right. You’ve never fought or committed sins without just reasoning. Your heart is pure. I won’t be seeing you in the afterlife.” Shinki says, almost sadly. You'd think that the normal person would be happy that they aren't going to Hell when they die, but given the truth you saw beneath Shinki, you feel bad for her. The Great Cause includes reducing the unneeded suffering of The People as much as possible. Sad Shinki is sad. And it doesn't need to be that way.

“With a Great and Virtuous leader as you, I’m sure that this land’s Hell is not as bad as the Hell that the Westerners think of. Do not mourn my inevitable death, for I am still alive! And so long as The Great Cause lives on, Freedom and Glory in this land will never perish. Even if I were to die, comrade, and not go to the land you rule, I am sure there will be a way for us to see each other as comrades. No distance is too large for Camaraderie of The People. So long as there is a will to be united, we will be united. So long as we fight together, prosper together, and live together, then we will all still be united in death together. There can be no direction without left and right, no whole without both Yin and Yang, and no Gensokyo without both Heaven and Hell. Your role is crucial to This Glorious Land. Surely you can confirm that your land does not deserve its name used as a derogative term?”

“Of course my land does not deserve as much condemnation as it gets. We’ve progressed from the sinful, war torn past. We have a functioning and virtuous society down there. Everyone has ascended from the weights of their sins of their mortal lives. The land I rule...shouldn't be called Hell. It is not Hell, it is Makai.” She says, and then continues after a brief pause with, “Now that I’ve told you my story, why don’t you tell me yours? What brings a foreigner here? A Russian from World War Two, nonetheless.”

You give her a quick debrief, starting from your travels and training in Asia, your return to The Motherland and to college, and the Great Patriotic War, ending with your plane flying into a cloud, transferring you through time and space to Gensokyo. During the course of the speech, you put emphasis that you are out for the cooperation of The People and not here for the destruction of their identities.

“So is that the true communist dream? You’re really something else. You’ve come so far from home, traveled your world, fought for your country, then got sent through time to a sealed off land, yet you continue to pursue for your dreams. I like people like you.” Shinki says, with a genuine smile on her face.

“Comrade, The Motherland also approves benevolent rulers such as you, who work hard against their stereotypes to be the better man, vampire, demon, ruler, king, queen, and now, Devil, than the people that prejudge them by their pivotal and crucial roles in this land. Now that you and I have made open our backgrounds to The People, Mima, why don’t you tell us about yourself? You have been awfully quiet during our conversation, comrade.” You turn you attention to Mima, who has been silent this entire time. You know plenty about her friend, yet you barely understand more than Mima’s name. What is she? A Ghost? A Spirit? If her name is supposed to represent what she is, she is a succubus. But she doesn’t seem like one at all. What is she?

“I’m the infamous charming demon, Mima. I used to be the badass evil orchestrator of plots to destroy Gensokyo, but I’ve moved on from that. And for the record, I’m not a ghost. I’ll come back to life one day, just you watch. Got it?”

“Understood, comrade Mima. Anyways, would you comrades be as kind as to teach me how to fly by myself with the use of magic?”

“Sure, Alek, if your promise that you’ll let me stay at the shrine. I need a place to stay up here in Gensokyo” Shinki jumps in.

“Only if you agree to join The Party and The Great Cause. You will be suspect to training, teaching others and verbal abuse in the name of this Glorious Land and The Great Cause. Is that clear?” The Great Cause with supply The People, but only if The People will accept The Great Cause.

“Didn’t I already join The Party and Cause last night? If not, you have my whole heart support, and the support of all of Makai.”
You shake her hand and it turns out quite normally this time. Shinki looks extremely happy and pleased with herself, as if though she had scored some kind of victory. Is it really that hard for her to shake off her background that she’s the Devil? She’s done nothing wrong herself. Reimu looks at you three from the distance with a tired and slightly disgusted face that completely says, ‘Oh my dead goddess, here comes the Devil herself to mooch off my measly amount of donations’. Suika’s defiantly thinking that the more residents in this shrine, the merrier the parties will be. Marisa and Alice appear to have left while you were conversing with the duo of more mature people. Mima…Mima’s just thinking about how you’ll fly.

“Hm… it has been quite a while since I taught a human how to fly. And even then, she was a resident of this land, and has been living with magic since birth. Then again, you’ve got a ridiculous doggedness just like her and you’ve got significant competency in multiple physical styles and weapons…. Not to mention your spellcard’s power, or the fact you created something out of sheer magical energy, even in that realm….heck, that old retired gardener trained you…. Well, Shinki, go teach him like you would any child Youkai! Let’s see where is level is!” Mima calls to Shinki, who just walks over to you with her same smile. Well, you suppose that it is better to have the Devil to be happy and on your side, than pissed and out to make your life miserable.

“Okay, Alek, think of a reason you want to fly. Think of some strong conviction, some strong feeling, and then imagine that is the reason why you need to fly. Then imagine yourself floating in the air.”

Strong convictions. Strong emotions. You got plenty.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Think about:
[ ] Suika. Your buddy. Your first comrade in this land. Your relationship is as deep as the Volga itself

[ ] Reimu. The commissioner has given you so much help, why can't you be less useless?

[ ] Shinki. Her past. The discrimination that befalls her unjustly, even today.

[ ] The Motherland. Her Glory. Her Freedom. Her Great Cause.

[ ] Sacchin. The girl you failed to save.

[ ] Yuri Ivanov. You brother. He has paid the ultimated price to stop the Fascist Hordes at the Kursk.

[ ] Yukarin. You see potiental for her to change for the better, to become a People's Person. You must take action now to change her life and moral compass for the good of The People, and herself.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wrote something. Also, we're going to need at least a Yukari scene before the POV. I'm tempted to say that the POV's going to be moved to the next day beacuse Yukari prefers to spend her time on LSL's first night with Yuri. As far as I'm concerned, the whole Yukari scene and POV is on variable input, and will need to wait until it can be as conflict free as possible. Also, feel free to pick multiple of the choices. Also, I had something else written for Shinki, but I'd prefer not to railroad/ derail Serial's potiental LSL 2 if it is in the same universe. Shinki's past....is not my fight. That is not my war. That is Serial's story, Alek would be at most but a mere side character in such. My goal is to avoid conflicts with LSL while characterizing Yukari and whatever girl Anon picks for Alek. I'm trying to avoid conflicts at some pretty steep costs here. I made maybe one reference to something, not even outright. It can be played off. Voting open until Friday. Also, the days in the thread will be going faster than day one and day two. LSL's about a day to a thread or so. This shouldn't be four threads to a day. If it continued at that pace, I'll never get enough story and deveolpment done before LSL's supposed end. Even at say the one thread to one day pace, I still might not get enough done. If I wasn't drowning in work right now, I'd be writing to catch this story to LSL's current spot. Back to the regularly scheduled action of sleep.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/18 (Tue) 08:15 No. 33574

[c] Suika. Your buddy. Your first comrade in this land. Your relationship is as deep as the Volga itself.
[c] The Motherland. Her Glory. Her Freedom. Her Great Cause.

I'm tempted to vote for all, but I'll just have to settle with these two.

Anonymous 2011/10/18 (Tue) 08:24 No. 33575

>>33571
Could you tell me how much weight this choice has? I get the feeling it's not such a simple choice. I'll have to think on it for now.

I just remembered something ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/18 (Tue) 22:20 No. 33582

>>33575
This choice does weigh a bit, but if you don't like the result, its effects can be reversed. There will be no single action that changes the balance of relationships so great that it would be impossible to reverse, unless you do multiple, intended, consistent choices that point you into one direction/to one girl.

>>33574
> Vote all
> Writer realizes that he didn't put that on
> FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHOICE ADDED:
[ ] All Of Them. All Of Them helped you to where you are. All Of Them are your comrades, your family, in peace and war. All Of Them are one with The Great Cause. The Great Cause only is poised to be revived upon the labor of many, and on the bodies of some of your comrades. You cannot credit the need of flying to one person, but to all of them. Without even one of them, the Great Plan would fall apart. Why choose? Why single out a single one of them? That is not the communist dream. That is capitalism, for a single man or woman to talk all the credit, all the glory, when it was the Will of The People. The Communist dream gives credit when it is due. So why only credit one of them, when it is The Need of All Of Them for you to fly, it is the Cry of All Of Them for you to fly, it is the Prayer of All Of Them for you to fly, to be released from the chains of the Earth.

Suika. Your first comrade. The stories of your relationship are told to be as deep and wide as the Volga itself. She helped create and set up the initial meeting, and cofounded the Party. She was among the first to join the Great Cause, and to cover your back under all circumstances. How can you let her down?

Reimu. The Poster girl of the Revolution. The Commissioner that put your old commissioners to shame in brutality and patriotism. She has changed from her lazy self. Why can't you do something as simple as flying?

Shinki. The Devil herself has changed for the better. If you can't fly and keep up and stop a bunch of idoits and lowlives, how can you do something like protect Shinki from all the unjust prejudgement she recieves? To stop the unjust racial bigotry that plagues this land?

Sacchin. You couldn't save her then because you were too weak. If you can't fly in this land by your own will, how can you protect anyone?

The Motherland. You must carry its torch that Stalin tried to extinguish. You must succeed where he has failed. You must make it so that all your comrades' deaths were not in vain, that tehy truely managed to liberate at least a small township from all oppression.

Your brother. He gave his last breath, shed his last drop of blood, to stop the Facists at The Kursk. All to give The Motherland, The Great Ideals another chance. To give Freedom and Liberty and all that is just ANOTHER CHANCE. WILL YOU LET THAT CHANCE GO, THIS CHANCE OPENED BY THE VERY RIVERS OF BLOOD AND MOUNTAINS OF CORPSES OF YOUR COMRADES?

Yukari. She can change her ways. What she has done was not wrong, but was inconsiderate of The People. And sometimes, she knows that she is toying with The People. That what she is doing is wrong sometimes. But she can be redeemed. She can find what she is missing. She can change for the better. But she needs her eyes opened to The Truth of her actions. She needs not to belive, no, for faith implies otherwise, but to SEE and to KNOW The Truth, The Great Light of Compassion and Sympathy that is being spread across this land.

You are but one man of many that makes steel backbone of The Party, but a lone man forged from The People’s will, but another man with the shedding of blood and sweat of the Working Class, but a man as equally entitled and lifted by the Progress of this Glorious Land. Everyone is all working together through times of prosperity and times of hardship, through peace and war, through love and resentment. Everyone is completely free. We do not have faith or belief in this cause, for it is our wills, our bodies, our very souls that make up this Glorious Cause. To have faith is to say that there can be otherwise. There is no otherwise. This is the Truth. This is Real. This is the Glory of The People’s might. BY THE PEOPLES' MIGHT, I SHALL FLY. FOR THE PEOPLE'S WILL, I SHALL FLY. FOR ALL OF MY COMRADES THAT HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR FREEDOM, I SHALL FLY. I BEGIN MY GLORIOUS ASCENDANCE FROM BEING CHAINED TO THE GROUND THE PEOPLE TILL AND LABOR. WE ARE FREE. LOGIC CANNOT STAND IN THE WAY OF THE MIGHT OF THE PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE OF THIS LAND ARE ALREADY FREE FROM COMMON SENSE. COMMUNISM IS FREE FROM COMMON SENSE IN THIS LAND ALREADY. AND NOW, I TOO STAND BESIDE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THIS AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FREE. URAAAAA!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note, as appealing (to me) as the All Comrades Of This Land choice is, the individual choices will lead to a much more intimate and relation shifting choice. Probably.

Since I added a new option, feel free to change vote. Sage for being a lazy bum.

Anonymous 2011/10/19 (Wed) 00:55 No. 33583

[x] All Of Them.

This is the most fitting choice and I think the readers need some time to A) get to know the new folks and B) establish their targeting locks after the hiatus if at all (the story was pretty young before the hiatus). Though I must say your Shinki has the potential to be a story stealer in due time.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/19 (Wed) 08:46 No. 33585

>>33583
That was what I thought, so I'm changing vote to:

[c] All Of Them.

Glory to Mother Russia. URA!!!

Anonymous 2011/10/20 (Thu) 16:52 No. 33586

[x] All Of Them.

Anonymous 2011/10/20 (Thu) 20:16 No. 33587

[x] All Of Them.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/20 (Thu) 23:34 No. 33588

Calling it for [X] All of them. The write in is NOT the entire thing. Expect Someone else to be in it that was not mentioned. Unfortunatly, not writing until a see a certain retcon in lsl. It's driving me off the wall, and I feel like it is going to change my story plan.

Flying ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/23 (Sun) 06:30 No. 33590 ▼

Image Source

File 131935144411.jpg - (53.79KB, 600x600 , AHappyShinki.jpg)

Warning! The author wrote something half asleep. Have mercy on his poor preformance

No retcon heard from Comrade Serial ATA. The Motherland, however, must press on. This entire story’s existence is in peril anyways for working well with Serial ATA’s, so I’ve changed my mind and decided to press onwards. After all, I’m banking Yukari fitting in on a Charisma break from seeing The Truth and talking to Alek and Shinki’s been claimed by LSL 2 (?). This story’s a rolling disaster in terms of canonicity, a marching retcon if you will. But it is a story that is written by sheer will to carry out the story, to make sure that the odyssey never ends prematurely. To ensure that all the Characters are fairly and equally treated and characterized. To be humane to all, even former Nazis and their impersonators, even the ones that seem unfriendly to humans, and even the Devil herself. When LSL’s plot is too dark to see, and both the past and the future are unknown, The Motherland demands that someone bear the torch and lead forward, into the darkness. And it is he, Alek Ivanov, who has taken up the duty, raised the torch, to continue into the darkness, where all the shadows seem to contradict themselves. But he is not alone. The torch’s flames not only burn with his will , but the will of many, the will of both his dead and living comrades and brothers, the will of......
[☭] All Of Them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Who has helped you get to here? What reason do you have to fly? Suika? No, while she is a major factor, she is not the lone cause. Your life does not revolve around her, nor does her life revolve around you. Rather, you two are but close friends in the struggle for Freedom and The Truth. You are but two stones in a pond that landed near each other. The Motherland? No, while you still fight to keep her flames, her ideals, her beliefs, and her soul alive, the Motherland has been lost to Stalin, and will not return to its former Glory. The enemies’ Fatherland and your need to stop them? No, The War is over. The Nazi’s have long fired their last shot in the name of their misled cause. You have no prejudice against them, for when their leaders waged the war, it is the civilians that suffer. It is only the SCUM that PLAGUED the streets of Mother Russia, Killing EVERYONE, MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN ALIKE, and ENJOYED IT that should be damned. But there are the innocent ones; there are those that were forced into such actions by their evil leader. The ones that fought for their comrades. Those few people are respectable and honorable. May The Judge speed them on their way to redemption. But if there is no immediate threat, then why do you need to fly? Who got you to this point, where you have the chance to fly? Commissioner Reimu? Lady Remilia? The Great Benefactor? Suika? Shinki? Who?

HOLD IT. Why in Lenin’s name are you choosing one person, one reason, and one cause? The Great Cause is not built on the foundation of one, but that of Many. WHAT KIND OF COMMUNIST ARE YOU? WHAT LIES AND MISCONCENPTIONS ARE YOU SPOUTING? The People that have helped you reach where you are today are simple: The People.

All Of Them helped you to where you are. All Of Them are your comrades, your family, both in peace and at war. All Of Them are one with The Great Cause. The Great Cause only is poised to be revived upon the labor of many. Some of your comrades may pay the ultimate price for The Cause, and some have already paid. You cannot credit the need of flying to one person, but to all of them. Without even one of them, the Great Plan would fall apart. Why choose? Why single out a single one of them? That is not the communist dream. That is capitalism, for a single man or woman to talk all the credit, all the glory, when it was the Will, the Labor, The Sweat, Blood, and Tears of The People. The Communist dream gives credit when it is due. So why only credit one of them, when it is The Need of All Of Them for you to fly, it is the Cry of All Of Them for you to fly, it is the Prayer of All Of Them for you to fly, to be released from the chains of the Earth.

Suika. She was your first comrade in this Glorious Land. The stories of your relationship are told to be as deep and wide as the Volga itself, and the magician of love herself has come to comment upon it. Comrade Suika helped create and set up the initial meeting, and she cofounded the Party. She was among the first to join The Great Cause, and The Rebirth. She would cover your back under all circumstances. Even in the direst of situations, she would be there for you. How can you let her down?

Then there is Commissioner Reimu. She is the Poster girl of the Revolution, and much more. She is the Commissioner that put your old commissioners to shame in brutality and patriotism. She has changed from her lazy self. Now, she looks valiantly at the sunrise, into the bright future and the Glory of tomorrow. Her change was far from a small one. Why can't you do something as simple as flying?

Shinki. The Devil herself has changed for the better. If you can't fly and keep up and stop a bunch of idiots and lowlifes, how can you do something like protect Shinki from all the unjust prejudgment she receives? To stop the unjust racial bigotry that plagues this land? If the racism does not stop now, it will end in bloodshed. You won’t be able to protect Shinki. She’ll end up like Sacchin, but now you know what will happen if you are so weak.

Sacchin. You couldn't save her then because you were too weak. Her blood splattered on the walls. Her home BURNT AND DESTROYED. She was tortured and murdered. You were too late to stop the killer before he did it. You were only able to avenge her. But that can’t bring her back. You named your plane after her. That can’t bring her back. You’ve released her spirit from Darkness. But that can’t bring her back. But at least you can rest knowing that she is in a better place, a better afterlife. Better than her mortal life’s brutal end. You must fly in her sake. She wouldn’t want you to fail again. If you can't fly in this land by your own will, how can you protect anyone?

The GLORIOUS Motherland is calling for you to reignite her torch’s flame. You must carry its torch that Stalin tried to extinguish. You must succeed where he has failed. You must make it so that all your comrades' deaths were not in vain, that they truly managed to liberate at least a small township from all oppression. If you cannot spread the light through flight, The Truth shall reach many too late. Much could be prevented. Much WILL be prevented.

Your brother. He gave his last breath, shed his last drop of blood, to stop the Fascists at The Kursk. The Salient that changed The War. All to give The Motherland, The Great Ideals another chance. To give Freedom and Liberty another chance. BUT it is just ANOTHER CHANCE. WILL YOU LET THAT CHANCE GO, THIS CHANCE OPENED BY THE VERY RIVERS OF BLOOD AND MOUNTAINS OF CORPSES OF YOUR COMRADES?

Yukari. She can change her ways. What she has done was not unredeemable, but was inconsiderate of The People. And sometimes, she knows that she is toying with The People. That what she is doing is wrong sometimes. But she can be redeemed. She can find what she is missing. She can change for the better. But she needs her eyes opened to The Truth of her actions. You need to make Yukari see the truth of her actions, how they impact the world, and inflict harm to The People. She needs to take responsibility for such actions. She needs not to believe, no, for faith implies otherwise, but to SEE and to KNOW The Truth, The Great Light of Compassion and Sympathy that is being spread across this land. To see her pain, and then to change herself to cause less. To be the Yukari that you know deep inside, that she TRULY wants to be: A Friend of The Common Man. Not the Enemy.

Like Lady Remilia. She knows that if she is to make hard concessions to The Great Cause, that it will benefit The People, including her. She has made the hard decision for the better. The Motherland values her support greatly, for The Cause is not ignorant to the sacrifices of its People. Even the Charismatic Scarlet Devil has put your support behind The Great Cause.

You are but one man of many that makes steel backbone of The Party, but a lone man forged from The People’s will, but another man with the shedding of blood and sweat of the Working Class, but a man as equally entitled and lifted by the Progress of this Glorious Land. Everyone is all working together through times of prosperity and times of hardship, through peace and war, through love and resentment. Everyone is completely free. We do not have faith or belief in this cause, for it is our wills, our bodies, our very souls that make up this Glorious Cause. To have faith is to say that there can be otherwise. There is no otherwise. This is the Truth. This is Real. This is the Glory of The People’s might. The Will of the People cannot be opposed.

“BY THE PEOPLES' MIGHT, I SHALL FLY. FOR THE PEOPLE'S WILL, I SHALL FLY. FOR ALL OF MY COMRADES THAT HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR FREEDOM, I SHALL FLY. I BEGIN MY GLORIOUS ASCENDANCE FROM BEING CHAINED TO THE GROUND THE PEOPLE TILL AND LABOR. WE ARE FREE. LOGIC CANNOT STAND IN THE WAY OF THE MIGHT OF THE PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE OF THIS LAND ARE ALREADY FREE FROM COMMON SENSE. COMMUNISM IS FREE FROM COMMON SENSE IN THIS LAND ALREADY. AND NOW, I TOO STAND BESIDE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THIS AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FREE. URAAAAA!” You cry into the air with your fist straight into the flaming sun.

Flying is not so weird, you think. All that has happened was breaking the chains of common logic off your legs.
“Comrades Mima and Shinki, is this right?” you say as you float from one side of the Shrine’s front yard to the other.

“My, I didn’t expect you’d come this far in such little time.” Shinki said with a motherly tone of both surprise and happiness.

“Nice job kiddo. What’s next? You’ve fought spell melee, danmaku, used a badass spellcard, and now you can fly. Before you know it, you’re going to snap out of some memory loss that you’re really Yukari’s brother or something and you can manipulate the fabric of reality.” Mima snickers.

“Mima! You’ve never been so rude before! What’s gotten into you?” Shinki looks at her friend with a mix of scolding, sadness, and confusion.

“Well, we’ve got an outsider that’s just come in a few days ago, bums around at my shrine, refuses to …. ‘have fun’ with me, suddenly becomes a pro at magic and all the stuff in this land, and he doesn’t give a damn about it. All he gives a damn about is his cause. No way am I going to take ‘he’s a natural’ as a reason for his leaps in progress. Marisa’s a real natural, born in this land, raised in this land, accustomed to this land. Yet she had pure hell when it came to using magic. She was a natural, but not gifted like, say, Reimu over there. Marisa worked her ass off day and night to use spells, shot types, spell cards, and to fly. And this guy just comes over and uses top tier spellcards that’d keep that pair of hags from the moon on their toes. Then he learns to fly like it is nobody’s business. Yet he is a human. Something’s wrong, his ‘training’ in the war just doesn’t add up to his proficiency in magic and martial arts and swordsmanship. He’s supposed to be a wimpy little pilot that relies on his machines, not his brute strength.” Mima says, with an attitude that is part inquisitive and part hostile.

“Mima, you’ve gone too..” is all Shinki says before you cut her off. This isn’t her war. This is yours.

“Comrade Mima, you’ve missed out or forgotten quite a bit. First, I was trained in material arts swordsmanship by many masters across China and Japan. One of the sword masters, if my information is correct, is a resident of this land. Second, I am a veteran of two wars, both of which I had fought the majority of battles on land. While I still feel most comfortable in my plane, I can fend for myself on ground. In fact, all pilots that fly for the Glorious Motherland were trained as if they were going to be shot down on their first flight, and were taught to link up with the Patriotic Guerrilla Forces on the other side. Furthermore, I was on my first real mission, just graduating from flight school, returning from my fist run for a refuel when I ended up here. Every other fight besides that one and the training runs were done on foot with my comrades beside me. Like at...,” you pause, and pay quite tribute, then continue, “Like at Stalingrad. And this is for the record: I’ve already had a damn big revelation or five today, comrade. I am Lieutenant Alek Ivanov, Born in Mother Russia, blood brother of priv-err Captain Yuri Ivanov and brother to all comrades under The Great Cause, not just a random ‘cause’.”

“Hmm… So that’s how it is. 1930’s eh? Then it was him. You’re HIS pupil? SO YOUR’RE the guy that he talks about so much. NOW it makes sense.” Mima states, with any resentment gone. In fact, she looks at you like you’re her new drinking buddy or something.

“You stumbled when stating the rank of your brother, Alek. Why is that?” Shinki inquires. You’re relieved she isn’t mad you cut her off. But before you can answer, you land abruptly on your bum.

“What?” You inquire to the world. The fall did not hurt much at all, but it was quite shocking to stop floating.

“It seems like you’ve strained your magical ability. Don’t worry, it’ll come back gradually over a bit of time. You’ll be able to use magic longer the more proficient you get with it. See Mima, he IS just a human after all.” Shinki says, and then continues with, “Now can we continue on with the story?”

You stand on your feet, and brush the dirt off you, and start with, “You see, The Red Army did not spend too much resource on letters and private communications. After all, we were in war. The last letter I got from my brother was way back when both he and I were about both about to leave Stalingrad. He went north to The Kursk with his team, and I back behind the front for the Air Force. He was a sniper after all, and that’s where he was, and that’s where he stayed. I, on the other hand, went to the Air Force because… I had a dream that a girl told me I had to. For her sake.” Shinki looks between shocked and devastated. You didn’t describe anything horrific. Nonetheless, you quickly change the way the conversation’s going when you notice her. “So, he sent me a final letter. Well, the final letter that got to me. It was just about how he had survived the Great Battle for Stalingrad, and how he was doing, and how many close encounters he had had. And why we had to keep fighting the war. All the atrocities some of the Crueler Germans had committed. But he had sympathy for the ones that were forced into the war, as do I. He and I are not so different; after all, we are brothers. Anyways, this letter ended with ‘Private Yuri Ivanov’. Yet I had read a few meager stories of then men trained by Vasily Zaytsev, and I knew that my brother was one of such men. His sniping would be only matched by that of his fellow peers. I had read that there was a group of them, among them a ‘Cpt. Yuri Ivanov’. The war was hectic those days, with the massive build up around the Kursk salient. It could have easily been a three letter typo or a misaligned report.”

Shinki, at this point, doesn’t seem too worried about your brother’s rank. She seems like she has a question that’s going to burst out of her. She’s also turning pale. This sends a chill down your spine. What makes the Devil pale makes you nervous. On the inside.

“Comrade Shinki, are you alright? You don’t look good at all.”

“Did you say you saw a girl in your dreams?”

“Yes?”

“Who was she to you...?”

“She was Sacchin. She was killed in Japan, and I was too weak to save her. I avenged her death, but I will forever live with the shame of her death with me. That is why I inspire to the Great Cause, where people can all be friends with each other, or at least help each other and not kill each other. That weakness..... is a great sin that I will bear with me until the day I die. I must move forward though. Her death cannot slow the Great Cause, for she would not want me to give up on it. She would never want that. She would want me to progress forward for her. And I have, with the help of all my comrades. Thanks to my comrades, from Reimu, to Mima, to you, Shinki, I can, no, WE can move forward into the Bright Future that lies ahead. Some have paid the price for Freedom. It is a dishonor to not value and treasure the Freedom they have given us.”

Shinki appears much better now. In fact, around the time you had said we, Shinki’s hand was in yours, and her color had returned to her face, in full force might you add. Well, you’ve talked plenty to both Mima and Shinki, and you’re pretty intimate with one of them already. Well, You should probably should check up on the Sacchin. Or on Yuyuko and Yukari. Or Eat...Lunch? Wow, you spent quite a bit of time fighting, flying, giving speeches, and talking if it’s already around noon. Or, perhaps you should go to Reimu, who’s looking straight at you. Mima’s already disappeared, but since Shinki doesn’t have much of a place to go, so she’s still holding you hand, as if waiting for you to take her somewhere. She’s quite beautiful and cheery up close, smiling, blushing, and even giving out what seems to be a music note. What should you do?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shinki has joined Party!
Alek has learned: Limited Flight I!
Alek has gained: Danmaku PPSH!
Alek lost TT33 and gained: Danmaku TT33!
Alek has gained: Spellcard - Liberation’s Sign: 「SHEDDING THE CHAINS: REDEMPTION」

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choice One:
What to do?
[ ] Check up on Nitori and Sacchin
[ ] Check up on Yuyuko and Yukari
[ ] Eat Make Lunch (Specify what)
[ ] That. Reimu. Sends shivers down you spine
[ ] Date with Shinki
[ ] Mystery Option

Choice Two:
While walking, you:
[ ] Converse with Shinki (light heartedly)
[ ] Converse with Shinki (about deep issues)
[ ] Converse with Shinki (about topics like love and marriage)
{ ] Instil True Communism in Shinki
[ ] Instil Speech Patterns of Communism, Comrade.
[ ] Let Shinki speak about whatever she feels like
[ ] Ask Shinki more about Makai
[ ] Ask Shinki about her past
[ ] Ask Shinki about (write-in)
[ ] Stay silent
[ ] Write-in

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
grammer mistakes, too lazy to fix it myself or get proofreader, the usual. Sorry for taking Shinki, LSL 2 probably not compatible with this story, story is screwed up, writer is screwed up (because he's running on two hours of sleeeeeeeeppp) and parallel universe might happen despite my hardcore attempts to try to fit it together. and of course, retcon is driving me insane here, as well is the fact that I'm taking Shinki (I can't help it, I already like her! And Satsuki! And Reimu! And Yukari! And I need sleep!).

>establish their targeting locks after the hiatus if at all

We were technically on the Suika targeting lock, but That stupid writer (Hey Me!) derailed that for now so we are now on variable lock, or no lock. Not saying we can't get the Suika route. Remember, nothing happened in the real world. The Motherland is Free from Chains and Locks. Unfortunatly, The Motherland is not immune to nice looking boats....or lack of sleep and bad grammer.

back to the regularly scheduled Sleep! Hooray!

And yes, there is a wall of choices again. And I'm not quite sure what I wrote at this point.

Picture kinda related

Anonymous 2011/10/23 (Sun) 07:13 No. 33591

[x] Check up on Nitori and Sacchin

I think this is the first thing to do.

Choice Two:
[x] Ask Shinki about her past

If you want to talk with Serial ATA, there's always IRC, though to be honest he's prone to coming on at 1am CDT and such.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/23 (Sun) 13:12 No. 33592

[c] Check up on Nitori and Sacchin
[c] Ask Shinki about her past.
- [c]And then ask her to go out with you.

>Shinki’s been claimed by LSL 2 (?)
That will have to be a no, since I already had someone else in mind when LSL2 was conceived. There will be reference to her and/or Makai, though.

>
“You stumbled when stating the rank of your brother, Alek. Why is that?” Shinki inquires. You’re relieved she isn’t mad you cut her off. But before you can answer, you land abruptly on your bum.
I wanted to know, too. Don't mind me.

Regarding LSL, blame my hectic real life for any delay in the update getting posted.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/23 (Sun) 18:01 No. 33593

>>33592

This is from a long time ago. (Or if I'm doing this right, about ~9 hours into the future from where Alek is right now) (Thread One)

>“Who are you calling little soldier?” you retort. “Pvt. Yuri Ivanov, Third Guards Rifle Division. I have fought in Moscow, Stalingrad, Kiev and Kurland. I have trained in the Siberian wilderness for the entire winter, Miss Saviour, so you may find me not the... little soldier you’re so hoping to make fun of.”

In the next thread (Thread Two)

>To your irate, Tewi merely smiles and wags her finger, as if telling you she’s in charge. 'Captain, believe me; you’ll use that gun more than you can imagine.'

>'I already have slain lots of those fascists with this gun,' you tell her. 'Don’t you ever dare underestimating my skill.'

>Her smug widens. 'Why so serious, Captain? This is Gensokyo, not the Motherland.' You swear you want to drive the rifle’s butt-stock into her face right now. Now she’s the second person after Yukari who’s making fun of Motherland. 'Though if you want to compare, it’s one heck of a battlefield.'

>You bat an eyebrow. 'I don’t get you.'

>Tewi chuckles. 'You will, Captain. You will.'

And thus, This writer was lost and assumed that Yuri had gotten a recent promotion if he blurted out that he was a private before remembering that he was really a freshly minted Captain.

I wanted to know the real reason, too.

>If you want to talk with Serial ATA, there's always IRC, though to be honest he's prone to coming on at 1am CDT and such.

Not good with using this 'IRC'. I've give or take just bummed on it by leaving it open and reading the other's peoples conversations. Not sure if I'm supposed to use name or not. And not sure how to do anything on it, really. Also, 1am CDT would cause even less sleep than I have right now. But that aside, I'm not good with figuring out things without instructions. HOw do I use IRC? Just type into the box and off it goes? Is there private chat or something? Is there a way to post pictures in IRC? And for the record, this is the only imageboard that I've used, and this IRC is the only one I've even touched. Read: This Newfag needs help that's not listed in the 'how to survive' thread. Actually how to use this site or IRC is not listed in that thread. That still confuses me. In short, can someone please explain how to use it, rules, formailty, etc?

Sage for being lazy bum. Voting open until next weekend. Probably.

Votes so far:
Choice one:
[2] Check up on Nitori and Sacchin
Choice two:
[2] Ask Shinki about her past.
- [1]And then ask her to go out with you.

Anonymous 2011/10/23 (Sun) 18:56 No. 33594

>>33593
It's okay to use a name in chat, and all you have to do is type in the text area and press enter, and you can type links in it.

And there's folks in IRC willing to pass along messages to Serial ATA and back and forth.

As far as rules, no emotioncons unless stated, no internet short hand (No lol causally, no plz, etc), and it'd be a good idea to check your spelling and grammar as there's a sizable amount of grammar nazis in it.

So I see LSL has updated.... ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/25 (Tue) 00:46 No. 33595

And that means I need to get back on the fast lane.
Calling votes for:

Choice one:
[X] Check up on Nitori and Sacchin
Choice two:
[X] Ask Shinki about her past.
[X]And then ask her to go out with you. (?) You'll just have to wait and see

You'll have to make a pretty important, heavy weight choice next post.

Writing now.

Part of the Past ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/25 (Tue) 03:42 No. 33596

Choice one:
[X] Check up on Nitori and Sacchin
Choice two:
[X] Ask Shinki about her past.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You decide that it is quite clear that letting the genius Kappa alone with your plane has been fairly nerve wrecking up to this point. After all, what unauthorized modifications might she have already done? Furthermore, it seems like a good idea to introduce Sacchin to Shinki, after all Shinki is now at least temporary resident of this shrine. She should meet her comrades that share food and bunk in at this command post in the Glorious Land. Yukari...Well, if you don’t find Yukari, you are sure that she’ll find you. Reimu shall simply have to wait if she truly wants to talk to you. Lunch can wait as well, so the operation to check on Sacchin is a go.

“Comrade Shinki, I shall take you to meet a resident of this shrine that you probably have not met yet.”

“Someone that lives at this shrine that I haven’t met? Sounds fun!” Shinki says, with her ever endearing smile

And thus, you two begin walking towards that place where Sacchin had crashed into the earth. About thirty seconds into the walk, however, you notice that both of you have been fairly silent. Thus, you decide to talk to Shinki.

“Comrade Shinki, this silence is unbearable. May I ask you a question?"

"Sure!" Shinki replies with enthusiasm

"Can you tell me more about your past, your kingdom, and how it all came to be?” you ask. This is a large question that has been on your mind. While she had given you the basics, you'd like to know more.

Shinki suddenly stops walking, stopping you as well. She stares you directly in the eyes. Her smile is gone. Now, you aren’t looking into the eyes of a cheery Shinki, but eyes of seriousness.

“A long time ago, I had created Makai and many of its residents out of a portion of the entirety of Hell, a place that seems to have existed for all eternity. Makai was True Hell back then, however. The residents were all lawless, forming bands and tribes instead of listening to the state I had created. Eventually, this discord and sinning broke out into all out war, with many deaths and casualties. Life was different back then. Many brave people died for an assortment of causes. They all ended up back in regular Hell, unable to return to Makai until after the war. Eventually, I, the Original Ruler and Creator, reunited Makai’s entirety. My subjects had started to become moral people after the war, knowing that killing and sinning in Makai would lead to exile in addition to their painful reincarnation in another area of the afterlife. The unchanging sinners would be sent to regular Hell and not to return save for special permission from me. I allowed those that I judged redeemable from Hell to rejoin Makai. Many of the people that had died in the war, however, being the self-centered glory-hounding killers they were, decided to stay in the lawless lands of Hell. From that point onwards, The People that remained in Makai gradually became more moral and more prosperous, and Makai entered a new era of prosperity. It is during this time I adopted a human, an orphan of a brutal human war not unlike that of Makai’s, as my daughter. That was about sixty years ago, I believe. Save for one incident, we’ve had constant prosperity. That incident....." Shinki appears lost in thought about this 'incident'. You're about to nudge her when she realizes that she has left the conversation open ended.

"Oh! Sorry, ummm.... Anyways, Makai is now considered the major representative of Hell in general, while that mind reader and her pets and considered to be part of the Old Hell community. While our influence on the living world has waned recently due to parts of Makai being sealed, we’ve come back in full force from that temporary loss.” Shinki says to finish her summary on the history of Makai

However, she did not elaborate on the incident. In fact, she did not say much at all other than saying that there was one. That piques your interest, but you are not sure if you should press it, for it was a dip in the prosperity of her land, something that is depressing. On the other hand, if you don’t learn about it, and The Truth remains hidden, it will come back to harm you at a later date. Also, during the entire conversation, you’ve felt uneasy. Not like the time when you thought you were talking to Suika but really wasn’t talking to her; more like the time in Stalingrad where you thought there was a German sniper hiding in the rubble. You feel uneasy about something in your surroundings. Shinki notices that it appears as though you have something to say about her past, but doesn't seem to notice your uneasiness.

You...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ ] Ask about the incident. If Shinki has truly put her support in you, you can ask her about it. You need to know your comrades when fighting with them on the frontlines some day in the future. You need to be like brothers and sisters, with few secrets hidden from each other. Even if this risks your relationship, you will do it. For The Truth!

[ ] Do not ask about it. You’d rather preserve you relationship now and ask later, when you feel closer to Shinki.

[ ] Address whatever is the source of the bad, creeping feeling

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting open for some amount of time. Short update because important choice is very important.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/25 (Tue) 06:40 No. 33597 ▼

Image Source

File 131952483543.jpg - (210.61KB, 972x1359 , c35ab8adef8870c57314e49cff32b2e8.jpg)

[c] Ask about the incident. If Shinki has truly put her support in you, you can ask her about it. You need to know your comrades when fighting with them on the frontline some day in the future. You need to be like brothers and sisters, with few secrets hidden from each other. Even if this risks your relationship, you will do it. For The Truth!

But of course, we need not to press her about this too much or she'll view us as a hindrance. I really started to like this Shinki, so yeah.

Anonymous 2011/10/25 (Tue) 09:06 No. 33598

[x] Address whatever is the source of the bad, creeping feeling

As much as I'd like to talk to Shinki, I feel we have to nip this in the bud ASAP. Then we can ask about the incident in peace (as to mend whatever tears exist now)

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/26 (Wed) 02:23 No. 33599

Please work THP..... Please don't give me another error.....

Well, if this gets through, then Letting you know that I called it for:

[x] Address whatever is the source of the bad, creeping feeling
[X] Ask about the incident. If Shinki has truly put her support in you, you can ask her about it. You need to know your comrades when fighting with them on the frontline some day in the future. You need to be like brothers and sisters, with few secrets hidden from each other. Even if this risks your relationship, you will do it. For The Truth!

Will be writing in a few days. Life's hectic untill the weekend, as per usual.

Why I am writing this story. ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/26 (Wed) 02:55 No. 33600

So I read through LSL, then there wasn’t much I had interest in. I occasionally lurked /shrine/ for comrade moral’s story that appears to be on infinite hiatus or SLDT’s AoS. One fateful day, I saw some person necro’d Ace combat in Gensokyo. I read through it, saw all the references to it in LSL. The Great Flames couldn't die to the laziness of one comrade. Remember comrades, so long as one man has a place for justice in his heart, the revolution cannot die. Comrade Alek's Great Words inspired me to keep writing, to keep the flames of the story alive, to Strive Forward into the Great Unknown and light it up with The Great Ideals. There is no fatal wound, except to give up. The Motherland requires these updates as much is it requires the Bread, Air, and the Great Guns that keep us safe from the Fascist hordes. The People had cried for The Motherland’s return. How could I just turn my back on them and let this necro be the end of the journey. Giving up is a weak thing to do. The Motherland does not want me to mourn for the Death of The Great Story, but for me to take upon its torch, TO STRIVE TO GLORIOUS FUTURE AND RESSURECT THE THREAD! So, Comrade, I took action and Brought Glory and life, or at least a little, at least a spark, back to The Glorious Thread. And that is the tale of how I came to rekindle the Great Flames Of Paperboy’s Glorious story.

- Asked by people on IRC.

Suprise! Training on the run ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/29 (Sat) 00:04 No. 33603

[X]The Feeling

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Instincts. At Stalingrad, they told you too many times that there is an enemy watching you. You’ve learned to trust them. Now your instincts tell you that something is wrong. Something is very, VERY wrong. You instantly turn around and fire your PPSH at the bushes. You are rewarded with the sight of Hong Meiling falling out of the bush. What? Why is Meiling hiding in a bush? Why is she even here at this time? Before you can talk however, two people descend from the skies in front of you.

You are greeted with the sight of Reimu and Remilia. Remilia is smiling deviously.

“An observant one, aren’t you?” Speaks Remilia with a slightly peeved voice

“Is there something you need me for, comrades?” you reply. You keep your gun raised, for you don’t like where this is going.

“Well, you said your training was ruined, so we’ve prepared.... A small training exercise for you. It starts now.” Remilia replies with a smirk of sorts.

Before you can react, hordes of danmaku start flooding the few precious meters between you and them. Screw this; you can’t let Shinki get involved. You grab her hand and start running in the same direction as the danmaku, away from Reimu and Remilia. Not like you can take on that many bullets flying at your face. There is a point between bravery and stupidity. It would be stupid to attempt fighting two of Gensokyo’s finest without any magic, unprepared.

“What’s happening Alek!?!?”

“Something that shouldn’t have involved you, that’s what, comrade. If you want to not get hurt, then follow my orders. Keep running away from the danmaku. The Motherland will not fight a needless battle just to appease some people.”

Shinki just nods and continues running, with your hand in hers. Well, that’s a good thing, to know that her hand is in yours and that she won’t get lost or left behind. You take a quick peek behind you. Are they pursuing you? It doesn’t seem so. Are they just standing there? They are. That’s strange.... Why are they smirkin-

“Wsssssh” goes a danmaku by your head.
“What? Danmaku Snipers? Keep your head low Shinki!” You shout to her. She quickly follows your example. Bloody snipers? What kind of training is this?

Your misconception is cleared when you spot a fairy on top of a tree..... With a danmaku MG 42. Or at least what seems like and MG 42. It sure as hell fires like one. The bullets start to rain on you and Shinki, but thankfully the fairy’s trigger control and training must be close to zero considering that she’s missing like no tomorrow and has some of the worst trigger control and stance you’ve ever seen. You then see a few teams of riflemen fairies. They start firing bullets that are somewhat more accurate, but you still only get grazed by the danmaku. Still, that’s not good. Your mind starts racing against the onslaught of Danmaku. Chances of getting shot in a vital area are close to 100% if you stay in the open. You see a crater in the earth, and by instinct alone jump into it while pulling Shinki with you. Both of you hit the deck in the hole, and just in time, too. The danmaku machine gun had grazed Shinki’s beautiful dress on its last shot. Now there’s a damn hole in her beautiful dress.

Too bad you don’t have time to go and admire her dress. Your attention quickly turns to the sounds of exploding shells of danmaku artillery that had started littering the course with various patterns on danmaku after each explosion. You spot a line a bit further down the side yard of the shrine you’ve been running down. It looks almost like a finish line. This must be a running course. If only you could get to that line.... The dirt ditch isn’t going to hold for long. Shinki most certainly notices that.

“LIUTENANT, WHAT’S THE PLAN?” Shinki shouts over the constant bombardment of danmaku artillery.

“Go make a dash for the trench up ahead through the maze of Danmaku as soon as I give you my mark?”

“WHAT?” Shinki yells as a Danmaku shell hits right next to your ditch, producing deafening noise.

“DODGE THE BULLETS, AND ARTILLARY FIRE. I’LL KEEP YOU COVERED AND THE FAIRIES DISTRACTED! RUN ON MY MARK!”

“WHAT ABOUT YOU, ALEK?!?”

“SAFETY IS ONLY FOR YOU, SHINKI!”

“I’M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!”

“THEN GO TO THE CRATER NEXT TO THE FINISH LINE AND GIVE ME COVERING FIRE ONCE YOU GET THERE! HERE! TAKE MY PISTOL! NOW ON MY MARK!”

You wait for a hard part in the giant pattern to pass. Or so you wished. There was no pattern. It was Reimu, Lady Remilia along with artillery and firing squad fairies unleashing madness. You don’t know how Reimu’s not going to be mad after this if she was pissed after a small crash in her backyard. Her side yard of her Shrine is littered with craters. There is no lull. You will just have to trust in Shinki’s dodging skills.

“MARK! COVERING FIRE!” You shout at the top of your lungs as you begin to fire at Reimu and Lady Remilia, definitely getting their attention. You wish you had another submachine gun or pistol in this situation. You don’t need accurate shots at all. You need to aim in the general direction of the enemy and spray walls of danmaku. Nonetheless, you will make do with what you have. During The Great Shortage, You didn’t have bread or water. Now you have a gun. You shouldn’t be greedy.

They start firing at you, until they realize that Shinki’s gone and is already at half way through the course after they realize the trick. By the time their danmaku reach Shinki, she’s already in the crater next to the end of the course.

The only problem now is that you’re pinned down. And now that they know Shinki can leave at any time, they’ve all turned their attention to you. Well, if you can’t beat them in volume of fire, you’ll have to beat them in marksmenship. The fairy on the MG is producing the most volume of fire relative to how tough she actually is. You switch the PPSH to semi automatic and you make your shots count. You double tap her, once in the chest and once in the head, knocking her out. Then you duck under cover as the rifle squad fires on you. You notice that a lot less Danmaku was fired than you had expected, until you see Shinki firing danmaku from the TT33, taking out the fairies. She’s actually a good shoot considering that she’s never held a gun before. But just when you think you’re safe, you spot Remilia personally picking up the game and going hardcore on you. Reimu on the other hand, continues to be lazy and sloppy with her patterns. Remilia has started charging your position, and you almost feel honored that she has decided to take the matter of training personally. Unfortunately, you like your brains and your stomach where they are. Screw hiding in a ditch. Shinki’s now pretty safe. You’re facing Lady Remilia head on. Not a single step back, now that you are truly fighting and not getting massacred.

Danmaku fire ceases. You see Shinki flying above you, dropping you a rusty, but magically enchanted old sword. As soon as you grab it, a scarlet mist of some sort blocks out the sun, and a magic barrier comes up around both Remilia and you. So this is a regulated battle, eh?

No time to think about that, as you continue to charge straight at Remilia with the sword in hand. It’s a longer, thinner blade. You see that Remilia has also taken up blade, a western blade nevertheless, and is charging at you. You sling you gun on your back, and you clash blades with Remilia.

The way she fights is interesting. She keeps her sword out in front of her, and attacks with thrusts. You instead go for swings, parrying her attacks. You should learn from her sometime. You see the value in the technique.

The battle’s going to go indefinitely at this rate. You need to end it soon, because you still need to talk to Shinki. You feint an attack and instead sweep kick and trip Remilia’s feet, causing her to drop her sword and start to fall, but you catch her in what you believe the capitalists called the “princess hold”. You wouldn’t want Lady Remilia to get dirty, after all, it was just training.

The barrier dissipates along with the mist. Remilia weakly reaches for her umbrella. That’s right, she’s a vampire weak to sunlight. You shield her with your body, and lower her down so she can grab her umbrella. She opens the umbrella above the both of you. Sakuya seemingly appears out of nowhere, which a face of disapproval on her face.

“Mistress, I had told you that you can’t go all out in the middle of the bright day!” Sakuya scolds Lady Remilia. You’re not going to stand here and watch your comrade get ripped to pieces.

“Actually Sakuya, I’d like to take responsibility for this. I’m not quite sure what in Shinki’s name they were trying to do, but it sure did keep me on my toes with their training.” You say, still carrying Remilia in your arms. She turns her head and gives you a smile. A sense of maturity and elegance radiates from her. While she doesn’t look near a full grown adult, she is far from a child, both inside and out. You would say that she is in her teens physically. Around the age of you in your trip and then war in China and Japan. Well, teenage by human standards at least. You’re not sure how Youkai and such age. Nevertheless, she looks elegantly beautiful and charismatic as a proper lady ought to.

Shinki gives you a slap on the back, letting you know that your staring was obvious. Sakuya gives you a look of disapproval as well. Reimu’s just standing there with a look that screams ‘you should have not ignored me’ and Remilia doesn’t seem to mind too much. Better clear it up anyways.

“Well, I was looking at Lady Remilia here because of her utmost elegance and Charismatic Lady-like behavior and energy that is simply brimming, no, overflowing with grace and refinement. My brother could learn a thing or two from her charisma.” You state, with utmost respect for the leader of your comrades in the Red East.

Sakuya is almost taken aback from your tone of voice. There’s no way that Lady Remilia doesn’t command or at least deserve the amount of respect you gave her, is there? Shinki covers her mouth but ends up giggling anyways.

“We’ll be taking our leave now. If you have any questions, go ask Reimu” Says Sakuya, who takes Lady Remilia and leaves in no time at all. The Fairies all disappear as well, but they leave behind all their equipment. Something in you makes you suspect that a Kappa was watching this affair as well. Well, it is time to......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part two later tonight. Hopefully.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/29 (Sat) 01:07 No. 33604

Damn it, Remilia, stop taking example from the books and ruin our glorious time with Shinki.

That said, looking forward for part two.

Part Two: Shinki ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/10/29 (Sat) 02:27 No. 33605

[X] Address Shinki First

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You need to talk to Shinki about her past. If Reimu wants to play the interruption game, then she’ll just have to wait longer. You give Reimu a quick promise that you’ll be back, and then you pull Shinki over to a private room in the shrine.

“Are you alright Shinki?” You ask her.

“I’m fine. I believe this is yours.” Shinki says as she hands you back your gun. “However, I find it entertaining that you think Remilia deserves so much respect.”

“I only gave the proper respects to a comrade of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and a fine swordswomen as well.” you reply.

“Shinki, the real reason I took you over here was that I need to know about the incident”

“The Scarlet Mist Incident?’

“No, the one involving you. How are you out of your kingdom right now without worry? Where is your daughter now? What happened to the livelihood of Makai? This incident is a gaping hole in my understanding of you.”

“The incident eh...., well, it’s a long story. Let’s go back to when I met and adopted my daughter, Alice.”

“So the war of Makai ended with a decisive victory by me. The times were cooling down and all the war hawks had left Makai and all the peaceful ones returned. While it was much better without the war bound people, Makai was quite a bit emptier. And while I could will things into existence in my realm, there is a limit to how much I can simply force into existence. Souls in particular were not easy to create, and I had expended a considerable part of my magic at that time on winning the war. Thus, I turned to the outside world, with help of Yukari. I wasn’t going to abduct people, but rather lend a helping hand to those that were willing to take it. There was only one. That was Alice. In ruins of a city in the bleak winter of 1942, where in the city laid mountains of dead soldiers and rivers of blood, where brave men held out against a better supplied, better trained, and better armored army. In the streets of the city, I had found a child that had survived a bloody massacre by the invaders that had killed her parents. It was war, she told me, and that she had to expect it. She told me that she wanted to leave this world, that she wanted me to put her out of her misery. She said that her life had no hope, that there was no one there for her. So I asked if she really wanted me to take her out of that world, and she stared at me in the eyes with the flames that had told me nothing less than a decisive yes. Once in a while, a human will have spectacular magical talent. In the outside, it is near useless. But when it is in Gensokyo, it manifests itself. Alice had such a natural talent. She didn’t have a place to stay, so I took her in and adopted her as my own.” Shinki tells the tale with a sad tone

“Before you continue, was that city, by chance, the city on a river that is bled red, the city that the Great Defense was made on, the city of.....Stalingrad?” you ask. You remember seeing a girl named Alice in the war. An expert craftswoman, gifted as a child. However, when leaving Stalingrad at the liberation of it, you could not find her. You knew that inside your heart that she was dead. She had given you something of great value of hers after the fight to protect her street block. Since you were technically on a mission to collect supplies from The People on the second time, you had gathered Alice’s few personal belongs and put them into your bag. They actually were all at the air force base. You regret not carrying them in your bag. It could quite possibly that all of this is just coincidental, however. Even if Alice that is Shinki’s daughter is the Alice you knew, would she remember you? It has been sixty years to her, after all. Heck was the place even Stalingrad?

“Yes, it was Stalingrad. Have you met her by chance?” Shinki asks as if she had read your mind

“I may have. The War was hectic back then. This could all be coincidental, comrade. I don’t even know my brother’s rank.” You reply
“Anyways, back to Alice. I raised her up, and taught her magic and danmaku. There were no spellcard rules back then. The Strong ate the weak. Makai had to be strong. She and Yumeko, my maid that has been by my side, got along well. Makai was nice, prosperous and strong. Then The People wanted to see the overland of Gensokyo. I let them go up and see the land. After all, many where created by me in Makai, and had never seen the Sun nor green plants. I knew that this could possibly lead to conflict, but I never thought that it would lead to full scale destruction. Apparently, Reimu, Marisa, Mima, and Yuuka went into Makai because they thought that the tourists were invading their land, and went into Makai, destroying and hurting everyone. In the large scale panic, Alice was sent up to the front lines. That was the last time I saw her. I can only assume that she is lost out here somewhere or worse, wandering somewhere in New Hell. I should’ve stopped her. I should’ve stopped her ... I should’ve stopped her......”

Shinki starts to break down in front of you. You give your comrade a hug. She needs it badly.

“Wha-wha-what are you doing? Can’t you see? I’m The Devil Herself, I sent my very own daughter to her death! Leave me alone!” Shinki sobs at you. You’re not going to stand for the self depreciation she is showing. You hug her tighter.

You hug her quietly for a good few minutes. She quiets down.

“It’s ok Shinki, it is alright. This silence is broken. This inaction is broken. This mourning is broken. We together shall find her. As in Life, As in Death, As is our Dreams, As in our Reality, we are all united. Your bond to her is not so weak that she will forget you. She is probably out there, out here, looking for you as well. You might have already met her and not know it. We live in the land of dreams. There is no fatal wound, Shinki. No Bullet, No Failure, No Missed Chance, Not even death itself can stop a man. The only Fatal Wound that exists is that of giving up. So long as we never give up, we will emerge victorious. We. Will. Find. Her.” You state with absolute resolution. You let go of Shinki.

“Now lift up your chin, comrade, and open your eyes to The Truth. Not everything is as bad as you make it out to be. Progress requires that you look out to the good and not just the bad. Yes, we may travel through darkness, for what may seem like years. Yes, The Great Cause is not built upon the will of one, but the action of many. But remember this: We may have big shoes to fill, but this is OUR CHANCE to do something. We Must Seize The Moment. We will pay the price to secure and ensure our Glorious Future” you say, as Shinki beings to stand.

“No more will I languish beneath my past faults. No more. We are moving forward, Alek. Come on, I bet Reimu’s waiting for us. And the guest I haven’t met.” Shinki states in her serious tone, but seems to be loosening up underneath it. You know that the holes in her morality, the tears in the fabric of her soul, and the pain that Shinki once had is now gone. In those spots lies hope. Hope for a brighter future. After all, in Chinese and Japanese, tommorrow is truly called bright day.

“Shinki”

“Yes Alek?”

“Remember, you are never alone. I have your back.”

“Thank you Alek” Shinki says with a smile as you take her hand in yours and walk out of the Shrine.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Might write more later tonight, but don't expect a post. Hopefully did not mess this up too badly

Anonymous 2011/10/29 (Sat) 03:23 No. 33606

Reimu and Remilia were lucky that Shinki didn't try helping him out.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/10/29 (Sat) 03:54 No. 33607 ▼

Image Source

File 131986045327.jpg - (178.24KB, 1046x994 , 9e2c826eb2d797294f2e633eaa8edc80.jpg)

>>33606
True that, as this Shinki IMO is now an advocate of peace. That being said, I think I'm going to make reference to "Alice + 1942 + Stalingrad" in LSL's next update.

So Writer 2011/10/31 (Mon) 20:06 No. 33614

I got no power, no food, no internet, no phone line, not much of anything. Typing from The Great YMCA Free Internet. Yeah, so if you are wondering why I've not been on IRC or writing (which I have been), this is why. Darn snowstorms.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/10 (Thu) 23:44 No. 33621

[x] Suprise option
------------------------------
You walk outside the shrine’s side entrance. Before you can react, Reimu grabs you by the sleeve, rips you from Shinki, and drags you back into the private room. Before Shinki can react, Reimu slams the door shut and locks it. You brace yourself for just about anything.

“Alek” says Reimu with dead serious eyes

You reply by staring her in the eye

“Do you know why I am doing this? Or why I gave you surprise training?”

Without waiting for a reply, she continues, “You need to stop ignoring me. Especially when it looks like I need to talk to you. I’m pretty sure you’ve become proficient at reading my face. Now answer this question: Do you know who Shinki is?”

“Yes. She’s the Devil. However, from personal experience, the devil is much more like a wonderful god than an evil one. Just because she holds such a crucial role in this society does not single her out as an evil person. The Great People are hollow without all of its crucial members. The Great Cause for fairness and cooperative prosperity is incomplete without the acceptance of The ENTIRTY People. The Devil in this land is actually quite nice to contrary of stereotypes. Let us open up our hearts to everyone. Let us all being accepting of one and another. Shinki herself has never had prejudice against humankind, so why must we antagonize our fellow comrades of a different role in the world?”

“That fine by me” Reimu states with a firm voice, “but that might not run so well by some of the people.”

“What?”

“Yeah. While she’s done nothing wrong since unexpectedly sending up some tourists, and I worked that out with her long ago, she carries a stigma with her for simply being the leader of Makai. Most of the people of this land don’t mind her or secretly fear her, but there are a select few that hate her for no apparent reason and challenge her to duels whenever they see her.”

“I see that there is a group of people that needs to see the light of The Great Cause. Thank you commissioner Reimu”

“Alek.” Reimu states, without emotion in her voice. You turn around and look her in the eyes. Her eyes betray her. She seems to feel saddened.

“Yes, commissioner Reimu?”

“Can you call me comrade Reimu instead?”

“Does the position of Commissioner not satisfy you?”

“Comrade Reimu is something that someone else had called me before. We were equals. I feel that you and I are equals as well. I may join your trip to spread The Great Cause, but only as equals.”

“Then comrade Reimu you shall be.”

“Alek”

“Yes comrade?”

“I wanted to let you know that I’m not the just grumpy poor shrine maiden that kicks everyone’s asses and yells at everyone. That depiction of me is roughly as correct as Shinki being the Evil Devil“ says Reimu. Her hands are shaking.

“Comrade, I already knew that. You’ve shown me your more temperate side before. Is there something wrong?”

“I’m fine.” She says. Her sad, sad eyes, however, betray her.

“You aren’t fine. Something is wrong. If you do not stop what issues you have now, comrade, then they will come back to haunt you. Please speak your heart.”

“There is a man....... There is a THING in the human village that hates Shinki. This THING also hates me and anyone or thing from outside the village. He hates me, you, Shinki, Suika, Yukari, everyone that wasn’t born in the village or doesn’t align with him. He’s a rich aristocrat, who recently inherited his father’s power. No one in the village likes him. In fact, they fear him. He’s insulted me. He’s made me out to be a demon. He’s made everyone, me included, question my own humanity. He’s called be a demon in my face in front of all the townspeople just because Youkai can be themselves at my shrine. He’s called me a demon. He wants me and the townspeople to thing that I am a demon that lives in this shrine. A demon. “ANGRY DEMONIC BITCH” he had said to my face. Alek, please tell me that I’m not a demon. Please give me a sign that I-I-I’m not a-a-a-“ Reimu sobs before she starts crying, and she falls down to her knees. Whatever this ‘man’ has done, he must be stopped. But you must help Reimu out of the hole that this ‘man’ has made.

“Reimu, do not cry. You not part of any of their lies they spout. You are yourself. You are The Shrine Maiden of Paradise, the protector of this land. Those that do not appreciate what they have will lose it. You are among the most valued of the people. You are no demon; you are the guardian angel of this land. Only those that fight without just cause and enjoy it, only those that oppress others, only those that degrade those above them are the TRUE demons. We will have this man see The Truth of his vile insults. There is no need to run away from the problem. I shall face this ‘man’ head on. This is our chance to seize the moment, to liberate The People from oppression. We shall move on from that. We can’t spend our lives waiting to live.”
Reimu stops crying. You know, you’ve made a lot of girls cry recently. Your misfortune may be at large right now, but it is no match for the Great Flames of The Great Cause.

“Now lift up your chin, Reimu. You are better than this. You are better than that trash. When they see the Great Flames of The Truth, The Great Flames of your Heart and Spirit, then they will regret what they have done. Let this man’s last feeble thought in their wretched existence as trash be beholding your Glorious Flames that can never be extinguished. This man is but a pebble under the boots of The People. The People of the village shall be free from his Xenophobia, as you will be from his lies that shroud The Truth.”

You offer your hand to lift her from her knees and on to her feet to join the rest of The People. Or rather, you would if it wasn’t being held by... Shinki? What? When did she get in here? Furthermore, why is she crying as much as Reimu?

“Alek....That was beautiful. Reimu, I know what you have suffered. See Alek, Reimu and I are not so different. We are women with unjust prejudice. We are women with enemies for no reason. You have this undying spirit to never give up on people like us. In your eyes, we are equals; we are ok to be who we really are.”

“Comrades, that is because we ARE equals. We are ALL part of The Great Cause. You may have been called unjustly The Devil or the Angry Bitch before, but that was then. And this is now. Now we are the Great Path to the Bright Future. This is now more than just a Great Dream. Dreams can become Reality. This Great Cause and our Great Dream IS reality. This is a path that we pave out ourselves. This is a life that belongs to us. And should anyone try to take it from us, take the equality and freedom that belongs to us, with shall fight them to the end. Now stand up. Arise from the chains that are the lies and insults that they have bound to us! We have nothing to lose, only our Liberty to regain! Let us be who we are! Let all of The People open up their hearts to everything! Let us continue on this glorious path!”

You take your free hand and grab Reimu’s hand, which reaches out to meet yours. You pull both women from the ground onto their feet, and then all three of you walk out the shrine, hand in hand, through the hole in the wall where the door once was.

-----

As soon as you walk out the shrine, you notice that the battle’s damages have been mostly cleaned up. Nitori is inspecting the danmaku weapons. She seems to be pleased as she takes notes on the MG42. It seems on first glance that all members of SDM had left, until you looked over to the bush. You notice that comrade Meiling is still there, forgotten by The Scarlet Devil. You walk over there, and Shinki and Reimu follow you happily. You almost think you see a light blush on both of them, but you dismiss it as them being happy that they will soon be set free from the despondent oppression. You go to greet Meiling, who is dusting herself off.

“Greetings Comrade Meiling, I take it that the Scarlet Devil has left you here for a reason?”

“Actually comrade, I talked to her yesterday and she said after today’s training that I ought to take a break, so I am free for the rest of the day.” Says Meiling as she brushes the last bit of dust off herself.

“All is good and well then, comrade.” You reply. You take minor note that she has already picked up the term comrade.

“I see you got Reimu and Shinki following you happily. Where are you guys heading?” inquires Meiling

“I was going to show Shinki here to see comrade Sacchin in the back of the shrine. Not too sure what I was going to do after that.” You reply to your comrade

“Oh? There is a new resident at this shrine besides you? Would you mind if I tagged along?” asks Meiling

“Of course you can join comrade! The Great Cause welcomes all!” you reply with great enthusiasm.

Meiling just gives you a big grin and your party heads toward Nitori and the site where Sacchin crashed

------

Nitori is waiting for you. She is holding the Mg42 in her arms. It seems to be the last of the guns that the fairies were using. She must’ve put the other guns away somewhere. She seems to have an elated face once she sees you.

“Comrade Nitori, what is it that pleases you?”

“Well, other than refitting your plane to operate like a boss on magic, shoot danmaku turrets and cannons, drop danmaku bombs, have a slot of summoning spellcards, and be nice, clean, and shiny; I’ve also taken great amounts of data on your battle skill and on various weapons. I must say, today is a great day for me!” says Nitori with as great enthusiasm as you have for The Great Cause.

“May I see my dear Sacchin?” you ask. You hope that the modifications didn’t ruin poor Sacchin.

“Sure, carry this MG” she says as she hands you the danmaku MG42.

Your group walks over to the back of the shrine. While walking there, Shinki strikes up a conversation with you.

“Sacchin? Who is she?” asks Shinki

“She is the resident of the shrine that I wanted to show you.” You reply

“What is she?” asks Meiling, who had decided to join the conversation

“She is an airplane. She and I fought in the Kursk together, until I had ended up in here.” You reply

The group turns the corner of the shrine.

You marvel at the sight. The Sacchin looks as good as the first day of Air Force training. Actually, it looks better. You can only hope that it flies as well as it did back then.

“Is that Sacchin?” whispers Shinki into your ear

“Yes, comrade, yes. That is the marvel that is Sacchin”

Nitori turns around to face you

“Do you like the repairs to the airplane?”

“I like the repairs that you have done to the airplane visually, but I’d like to fly it before I make any judgments”

“Ok, you can fly the plane, but put the Mg 42 over there with the rest of the light machine guns. Also, you might want to check the danmaku gun range first. Feel free to shoot any guns down range.”

You walk over to the piles of guns that are organized neatly, in front of a basic gun range with targets down range. You go to place the MG 42 down by the pile of light machine guns, but Shinki picks it up immediately from your hands. She seems particularly fond of the machine gun.

You notice that the time is actually much earlier than you thought it was. After all, you were not hungry and you thought that it didn’t feel like it would take so much time to do basic flight training. Nitori informs you that her clock says that is still a ways before noon. You must’ve had your cardinal directions backwards if you thought it was in the late afternoon. Well, this extra time benefits you. This means that you have plenty time to train at the shooting range and fly your plane before heading out to the village to confront that ‘man’.

Shinki picks up the light machine and starts to fire it down range. You notice immediately that she’s shouldering it quite easily and properly, and uses it as if it were a submachine gun as opposed to going prone and using the bipod. When she starts firing down range, you see that she’s actually a very good shot.

“Good shooting, Shinki!” you tell her as you watch her hit a few bull's eyes

“Thanks Alek” Shinki replies with a slight blush on her face.

You turn your attention to Meiling, who has picked up a strange looking gun. It looks like the magazine is in the stock of the weapon for some reason. It also seems to fire rifle or carbine sized rounds in the unmodified version judging by the size of the magazine. Yet strangely, it seems to be firing in fully automatic. What has the future done to firearms?

“Comrade Nitori, what is the gun that comrade Meiling is firing?”

“That’s a Chinese qbz-95. Why?”

“It seems to be firing in full automatic, yet its magazine’s dimensions would indicate that it fires a rifle or carbine round of sorts. The only automatic small arms like that in my day were submachine guns, which fired pistol rounds, and machine guns which fired from a belt or large magazine and were very heavy to say the least. That gun looks like the weight of a standard soldier’s rifle. Also, it has a magazine in the stock of the gun, and that only makes it look more alien. Care to explain what that gun is?”

“Oh yes, I had forgotten that you had come from the era before assault rifles. That is what the gun she is holding is classified. An assault rifle fires a round not as strong as a rifle’s but not as weak as a pistol’s. It fires an intermediate of the two, and has selective fire for single and fully automatic. It may have an additional burst mode, and it typically has a safe mode as well. As for the magazine in the back, well, that’s call a bullpup gun. The gun has a longer barrel length and thus more accuracy when it has the magazine in the back because the gun’s barrel starts from the magazine and ends at muzzle. Also, thanks to various advances in technology in the past 60 or so years, the rounds got more powerful and guns got smaller. The smaller guns of the modern day technology are able to fire at faster speeds than that of the longer barreled submachine guns of World War 2.” Explains Nitori

“Ah. So I take it that most guns on The Outside are now bullpup assault rifles?”

“Actually it is not so. Bullpup is popular among some armies, but the majority of the firearms produced are actually variants of a weapon from your country. It is a conventional assault rifle.” Nitori says, as she walks over to a family of assault rifles

“This is an AK-47. It is durable like a tank. It is simple to clean and maintain. And now with it being converted to danmaku, its accuracy is fixed as well. Not like it was that inaccurate anyways. People tend to exaggerate how inaccurate it is. Here, try it out.” Nitori tells you as she hands one of the numerous AK’s in the neatly arranged group on the floor. She hands you the one all the way on the left, which seems to be something that your Motherland would create. The one all the way on the right seems to be made of some synthetic black material and not out of wood and steel.

The first thing you notice when you hold the gun is simply how ... right it feels. Russian wood. Russian Steel. Russian durability. Now, the only thing you want left is the Russian Performance.

You step up to the firing line. You see Shinki is holding and wielding the MG42 like a submachine gun while shooting it with the accuracy of a rifle. You focus on the sights of your gun. You were not a top marksman with the rifles at home, but you weren’t a recruit. This feels much more like a light machine gun or a submachine gun than a rifle anyways. You aim down the sights, and with a clear sight picture you fire down range on full auto.
All of your danmaku shots hit the target, but you can’t hit the bull’s eye. Well, it doesn’t matter too much. Hitting an enemy’s head from 500 meters is plenty good. You decide to take on the closer targets and practice a different skill: target acquisition.

You see that they’ve all been conveniently numbered for you. You switch from targets on the left to targets on the right and shoot them in a number sequence you had came up with in your head.

Your marksmanship with the AK47 is satisfactory, so you decide to check on your comrades.

Meiling’s doing well. She’s driving nails into her targets.

You check up on Reimu. She seems to have returned to a somewhat more calm state than before. However, she doesn’t seem to be interested in firing anything.

“What is wrong Comrade Reimu? Why do you not part take in the activities of The People?”

“I....I do not know a thing about firearms.” Says Reimu to her embarrassment, which is visible on her face.

“Well then, comrade, I shall teach you now.” You say as you take her hand in yours.

You pick up a semi automatic pistol off the ground and give it to Reimu. You help her hold the gun, and you tech her to lean forward and take an aggressive stance when shooting.

“The worst thing to do when shooting is to be submissive. You need to be aggressive with the gun and strong in your hold and stance. However, you don’t want to fight the recoil, you want the gun to recoil on a pivot that is your wrist. Hold the pistol out in front of you. You see the sights? Line up the post in the middle of the ditch in the back. Now line up the top of the rear sights with the top of the front sight. Good. Ok, see those big plates over there at 50 feet? I want you to hit one.”

Reimu follows your instructions and manages to hit one of the plates relatively near the center.
“Good job Comrade Reimu! Now keep practicing that, progressing to farther distances and smaller targets. I must attend to a certain guest that has arrived.” You say as you move to address Marisa that has just flown in on her broom.

“What’s this? You’re setting stuff up and shoot them down and no one told me?” asks Marisa in a cheery voice

“My apologies comrade. I thought that since you had left with Alice that you had pressing matters to attend to.”

“Well Alice was in a depressed mood and mumbled about her mother and other depressing stuff. When she got home, she was so depressed that she didn’t want me there. So that’s why I came back.”

“Her Mother?”

“Yeah, she was all depressed. She kept mumbling things like ‘I should’ve have told her’ over and over again, the whole trip back, and it was starting to scare me. She’s supposed to be the sensible one. But let’s not talk about such depressing things. I came up here to shoot stuff up.”

You grab a large caliber revolver and hand it to her. She seems to have used guns before and she starts firing. She seems pretty disappointed with the power, but you can only assume that you’d be too if you could fire massive lasers out of a wood block in your hands.

“Do you guys have anything here that’s more powerful?”

You remember that you spotted some rocket launchers while walking through the piles of weapons. You walk over to where you thought you saw it, and to Marisa’s benefit, you pick up what you recall to be the American “M1A1 Bazooka”.

You give the bazooka to her. She fires it and at first is still not satisfied, but changes her mind as soon as she sees the clouds of danmaku the rockets release upon impact.

“Wow! That’s actually pretty cool!” She exclaims with her eyes as bright as the danmaku.

The training on the gun range continues. You go over to Shinki to teach her some of the more advanced techniques. Marisa left while you are shooting with Shinki, and she left with a bang. You return focus to Shinki who is not only willing but is motivated to learn how to shoot better. You are sure that Shinki can all fight with the normal spellcard rules and whatnot, but you decide to teach her the advanced techniques for shooting. You two also try out various types of guns. Somewhere along the way Reimu, who was now a decent shot, joined your tour of the weapons.

During the training, however, the fact that Marisa explicitly stated that Alice had worries about her mother and that fact that Shinki’s missing adopted daughter is named Alice sits in the back of your mind.

“Is there something wrong, Alek?” asks Shinki, as she notices your anxiety

“Yeah. There is something that we must address before.... ‘that man’. Do not worry about it right now. We shall solve it in due time.”

After you shot them all, you see Nitori waiting for you. You only used around half an hour because you were not interested in all the guns. For example, you skipped over most of the semi automatic pistols and the submachine guns because you have your trusty PPSH and your TT-33 and thus you have no need for anything to replace them.

“How do you like modern firearms?”

“They are ok, but I still prefer the PPSH over all those small machine pistols that wish they were Russian Made submachine gun that won the Great Patriotic War.” You reply. That small black one in particular.... The Micro Uzi you think it was called, did not even seem like a submachine gun with proper ability to shoulder and aim.

“Well, how about the rifles?”

“The AK family was glorious. Undeniably Russian Origin for design. Even synthetic metal hybrid black one wasn’t so bad. However, I wish I could say the same with the plastic black rifle that jammed after I dropped it on the dusty ground. It just feels like cheap capitalist piece of crap. Some of the bullpups were good rifles, however, contrary to my expectations. Like the olive colored one with its preinstalled scope. Also, Nitori, may I ask where you got these guns to convert?”

“I got them from Rinnosuke down by the forest-village border. Don’t go there now though, I hear that his inventory got messed up recently. I had to sift through all his stuff to get the guns I wanted. Eventually, he just dumped a bunch at my doorstep, without regard of what type they were. That's also why I have converted firearms of all eras and types here.”

“Ah” is all you can think of as a reply. You notice that Shinki has returned to carrying the MG42 around.

“Shinki, you seem particularly fond of that MG42. You’ve picked it straight out of Alek’s hands. Would you like to have it?” asks Nitori. She doesn’t seem to be the one to give things away, but she gave you the PPSH that she claims is perfected and she also did repairs on the Sacchin for the lone cost that she got to learn how things fly without magic.

Shinki nods enthusiastically. For some reason, you know that deep in your heart that she’s probably taking it as a limiter in a danmaku fight. You have a weird feeling that if she chooses to, that Shinki could simply will a being into Makai. Or Lawless Hell.

“Well then, you can have it. Alek, you too can pick out another gun if you want to. I’ve gotten plenty of data from my monitors from you guys shooting. Reimu, you can pick one too, but you probably don’t need one. Anyways, you probably want to check out your plane. It should be fully functional and ready to fly.”

You head over to where you plane had crashed days ago. Now there lays a crude air strip of sorts, and on top of it, a beautiful Sacchin. You take out a good luck charm from your pocket and wear it around your neck. This charm was something that you had received as a gift. You fought the entire Great Patriotic War with it. Your missions in the sky have been with it. You are ready to enter the plane once again. This time you will not be alone in the skies with Sacchin anymore. This time you will be flying with the Wonderful Goddess and The Great Guardian Angel. Now the time has come. It is time to take to the skies.
---------
Reimu has joined the party!
Meiling has joined the party!
Shinki has obtained MG42!
Alek has equipped his good luck charm!
Reimu has earned the title: The Great Guardian Angel!
----------------------------------------
More updates coming in really soon. So don't worry SLDT. That was just week without power.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/11 (Fri) 02:25 No. 33623

You walk over to your glorious plane.

“Sacchin” you call out its name out loud as you put your hand on it. It seems to shudder in acknowledgement. You honestly have a sinking suspicion that it is alive. Or possessed.

Nitori shouts to you that you should pick someone to train against to test the limits of your plane. You agree to that as you haven’t flown in days.

Nitori quickly explains the modifications she’s done. She’s reinforced the plane so that it could probably physically survive a crash and still be in shape to fly. She’s magically reinforced it so that it could survive most spellcards and danmaku onslaughts. It now runs on magic, so you no longer are bound to the need for gasoline and it fires danmaku machine guns, shoots danmaku cannons and drops danmaku bombs. She even said that you could make a spellcard with it, allowing you to summon it and even having preset attacks like a spellcard. You see the benefit of having such a spellcard, in particular for air raids and strafing runs. It can also accept usage of other spellcards when you are piloting the plane. But besides being updated internally to match Gensokyo standards, it otherwise remains and functions just like the plane that you had crashed a few days ago.

Well, you prepare yourself to start flying again. You decide to train against:
[ ] Reimu
[ ] Shinki
[ ] Nitori
[ ] Mima
[ ] Suika
[ ] Multiple (Specify who)
[ ] All of Them

If non-spoiler person, ask them:
[ ] to go easy on you
[ ] don’t ask them anything/ let them do as they normally would
[ ] to give you a hard challenge
[ ] to give it their all

Anonymous 2011/11/11 (Fri) 03:02 No. 33626

[x] Shinki

If non-spoiler person, ask them:
[x] don’t ask them anything/ let them do as they normally would

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/11/11 (Fri) 13:56 No. 33629 ▼

Image Source

File 132101977964.jpg - (77.20KB, 299x299 , Generals_Angry_Mob.jpg)

>AK-47
"AK-47s for everyone!!"

[c] Shinki.
[c] Don’t ask them anything/let them do as they normally would.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/12 (Sat) 00:14 No. 33632

Calling it for:
[x] Shinki
[x] Let them do as they normally would.

Writing in ~10 minutes

Anonymous 2011/11/15 (Tue) 23:57 No. 33639 ▼

Image Source

File 132140146393.png - (174.23KB, 292x518 , 1317852787280.png)

10 minutes, eh?

Anonymous 2011/11/16 (Wed) 01:49 No. 33642

[x] AK
- [x] Normal AK. An AK47 with wood and Steel. Work horse gun of all non-NATO forces.

It has a reputation of being a good reliable weapon and it's russian too. I think this should could the moderate power needs as no point having both an Assasult Rifle and a Semi-automatic one.

[x] M1A1 Bazooka. American made rocket launcher. Less effective than the Panzershrek, but does not require a shield and has a better aiming system.

If possible, as sometimes you need a bigger punch. I wonder if a Danmaku rocket launcher fires mini Sparks or Magic missiles.

As for Semi-Auto rifles, just to be through (and for a later time)

[x] SKS. Soviet made Semiautomatic carbine. 1945. Lighter and shorter but less powerful than its preceding Semiautomatic Russian rifle, the SVT40.

[x] Try to eat lunch from whatever is left in the Shrine

As much as I'd like to get started on business, there's the phrase "Can't wage war on an empty stomach".

Wasn't satisfied with the update ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/16 (Wed) 02:35 No. 33643

So I edited parts of it.
>>33639
Starting to write and finishing are two different things, comrade. Patience, my friend.

[X] Train with Shinki
- [X] Do not say anything/ Let her do as normal
-----
“Shinki” you call to her, “I would like train against you. Land when you want to call it quits or when I land the plane.”

Shinki gives you a nod to acknowledge your statement. You’ll leave how hard she goes up to herself. You must strive to build trust in your teammates, and this is such a time. You put faith in her that she won’t accidentally blow you up.

You hop into the plane. It feels just like old times. You start up the plane, and it starts up better than when you first flew it. Yet it still feels the same in that it feels like you are working with the plane as opposed to it being a tool of your will. Well, it is time to fly back to the skies with Sacchin.

You start the plane down the newly built “runway”. Your plane starts speeding up, the propeller spinning around rapidly. Your plane begins to approach the end of the runway, and you pull it skywards. You take off without hitch. You start flying in the sky, and it feels great to be back in the pilot’s seat. You check to make sure that the system’s operations normal. They are all operational and running optimally. Your take off was smooth, and so is your current flying. You make a few turns to the left and a few turns to the right. The plane runs just fine, so you prepare yourself for a danmaku barrage.

You see Shinki fly in front of you. Or rather, you saw. She was flying rather fast, so you can only assume that she’s about to initiate the battle.

Your guess is confirmed when you see her stop far out in front of you and volleys of Danmaku at flew straight at you. You quickly pull the plane upwards to dodge the attack. She continues to fire at you, forcing you to a loop to dodge the attack. Only that you never learned how to do loops. You put your trust in the plane, and pull up, hoping for the best.

The loop succeeds without fault, and Shinki is momentarily surprised by the aerial maneuver. You return fire with you machine guns, but she quickly evades with her superior agility.

The battle continues in a similar manner. You keep putting your faith into the plane which keeps pulling off maneuvers that you didn’t think you could pull off in order to dodge the waves of fire that Shinki is firing from her MG42. You’d return fire, she’d dodge with her swift speed, and the cycle would repeat. You were hoping that Shinki would use a spellcard so you could try dodging it, but Shinki doesn’t use one. The battle will never end if you do not take the initiative, thus you decide to make a spellcard.

Shinki fires at you once again with her MG. This time, however, you don’t pull an aerial maneuver. Rather, you put faith in the plane and in the reinforcements that Nitori made to the plane as you drive your plane straight in the clouds of danmaku fire.

You go forward while pulling slowly up through the clouds of danmaku to gain the needed elevation to perform the spellcard you have in mind. Your plane takes quite a few hits in the process of ascending within the bullets, but it doesn’t seem to be damaged. When you reach about half way between where you started and where Shinki is, you decide to start your counter offensive. You draw a blank spellcard out from your pocket, and cry:

Summon Sign: 「SACCHIN」

You being accelerating your plane in a dive straight towards Shinki. Your plane starts going into overdrive upon the usage of the spellcard, and it starts speeding up rapidly. Once you enter acceptable firing distance based on your effective range of your danmaku, you start firing the machine guns. As you close in the distance, you open fire with your cannons, which adds to the fierce assault. Finally you drop the danmaku bombs upon where Shinki was, causing a massive explosion with a radius that your plane just manages to be outside of.

The explosion is deafening and would be blinding had you not be flying away from it. You had only shot half heartily, for you didn’t want to actually hurt Shinki, yet the destruction power was immense. So immense that you estimate that it would level an entire factory of tanks, factory included. Now you regret using the spellcard. You look back, and you see that if you had used that on a ground target that the target would be completely obliterated. You were about to despair at the thought that you just sent Shinki back to Makai when you hear a nice knocking sound on the roof of your plane. Shinki’s hanging on to the roof of your plane. She gives you a smile to let you know that she’s ok, and she points down to say that she wants you to land the plane.

You comply with her immediately. You’ve had enough practice. The next time you drop a raid like that, you’ll be “practicing” with the enemy.

------
The plane touches down and comes to a stop. You see quite a few people waiting for you.

You apologize to Shinki as soon as you open the cockpit. Well, at least, you were planning to, but she jumped in the tight cockpit with you, instantly making all breathing room nonexistent.

“Wow! You have to operate all this stuff to make that kind of fire power! Alek- Alek...?” exclaims Shinki until she realizes that you are nowhere to be seen

“Right here” you say under Shinki’s body, but it comes out muffled. It is very awkward for you to be in this position under her.

Shinki notices that she has landed on top of you, and gets out of the plane.

“Alek, your plane is really neat!” she exclaims with a smile. You’re not sure how she’s not mad that you just used the power to destroy a soviet sized factory on her.

“Shinki, are you alright? I didn’t mean to hurt you when I used the spellcard.”

“Oh? Your spellcard? That was fun! I got to ride on your plane with you after all!” She just smiles at you. She truly is the devil, impossible to hurt.

She lends you her hand to help you out of the cockpit, and you gladly accept it even though you don’t need it.

You both get off the plane. You tell Nitori that the plane flight was a success, and she quickly agrees with you and her numbers that it was indeed a success.

Reimu, who had been watching the entire fight unfold, walks over to you, and doesn’t look in the least bit surprised of the amount of power you used. You duly note how much it will take to fight anyone in this realm.

Reimu doesn’t hold your hand, but walks uncomfortably close to you. Closer than Shinki who actually is holding your hand. You decide to hold her hand, which causes her to stop breathing on your shoulder and distance herself reasonably.

Yuyuko, who was talking to Mima, floats over to you. She seems like she has something important to say.

“How was your flight?” asks Yuyuko, who seems to have been watching the “training” and waiting for you to finish.
“It was great. The Sacchin flew fine. I still feel like something is a bit off with it. Perhaps you have an answer?” You inquire. You don’t remember learning any of the aerial dodges you used today at flight school. You are very suspicious that the plane REALLY IS possessed.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” she asks you in an abnormally serious voice in deep contrast to her typically carefree demeanor

“Yes. Of course I do believe in ghosts. It is the ghosts of my masters that got me through two wars. And if I’m not mistaken comrade Yuyuko, you are a ghost princess yourself.” You say as you take a knee for her. You did not believe in royalty, but if royalty is willing to be among the benevolent rulers to lead The People along the Great Path in support of The Great Cause, you have no qualms with them.

“Oh! No need to be so tense then. I just wanted to let you know that your plane is possessed” Yuyuko says is a half-cheery half-creepy voice.

The plane shudders upon being pointed out. You raise an eyebrow. You feel like that if it were physically possible, the plane would produce a lone drop of sweat.

“So?” is all you can ask. You honestly are more intrigued by the ghost than frightened

“Aren’t you supposed to be spooked out?” asked Yuyuko, who seems disappointed at your lack of reaction

“Is this ghost of malicious intent?” you say to try to see if there is really any need to get rid of the ghost. If the ghost hasn’t done anything wrong, why be a Stalin and Purge it needlessly?

“Well...no....but IT IS A GHOST!” Yuyuko exclaims in a poor attempt to spook you. She ends up laughing at herself. Good Shinki, when will Youmu come back to entertain her more than bored princess? Well, best explain why you, an average Soviet soldier, are not afraid of ghosts

“Comrade Yuyuko, I’ve fought with beings of all walks of life and death. If this friendly ghost has saved my ass more than its fair of times, then I am thankful for it. My life depended on it more than a fair share of times, and its soul on me.” You reply. You have no qualms with working with a ghost.

If the plane could display relief, you are sure that it would.

“Comrade Yuyuko, is there anything that the plane wants to tell be my chance?”

“It says....Paper....Get what is on paper....and that its name is....Sacchin....and she’s been with you since Japan?”

Sacchin. She’s haunted you since Japan. Well, that’s fine, after all, The Great Cause welcomes all with big arms. You figured something was strange about your dreams and about the plane. You take out the paper from your bag. It is glowing with additional runes. This time it seems completed. It looks like something you remember in the back of your mind. Probably in some temple in your trip to Asia.

“Oh? You actually have the piece of paper?” Yuyuko asks as she floats over to you to see what it says

“Do you understand what it says?” You ask the ghost princess. It vaguely looks like Kanji, but not at all. More like really fancy kanji. A lot more squiggly to say the least.

“You probably want to ask someone like the school teacher or the monk both of whom live down in the village.” Yuyuko replies. She seems to have a vague understanding, but not the complete comprehensive one you need.

“Anyways, Lieutenant Ivanov, I actually came over here to tell you that Yukari has left.” She says with a rather bored face.

“Is there a reason as to why The Great Benefactor has left us without conversation?” you ask. You are somewhat worried about what Yukari had to do that was so important that it required her to leave you without a word

“She said that she had to go find somebody in the bamboo forest of the lost or something like that. But don’t go trying to find her because in Gensokyo, Yukari finds you. Don’t worry though, if you hang around Reimu enough, she’s bound to show up.” Yuyuko says, hinting to something that must have happened repeatedly in the past.

“Yeah, she shows up to bother me. If she shows up, Alek, I’ll make sure that you have a good talk with her. Can’t guarantee that she won’t have a Fantasy Heaven stuck in her throat. That Yukari can be SO frustrating and annoying at times” Reimu says, already clutching said spellcard in hand. That isn’t the Yukari you know. Sometimes cryptic, yes, sometimes bothersome, maybe. But does it deserve Reimu’s hostility?

“How is The Great Benefactor, Yukari really that bad?” you ask. You don’t see the reasoning.

“What? You of all people should know! She put you in a deathmatch for your soul! She’s always so goddamn cryptic about things, and she always shows up at the most inopportune times!” Reimu says in a fit of rage. This calls for resolution. You will not let the Great Benefactor be attacked without defense.

“Well, comrade Reimu, I am sure that there is justification to her actions, that there was good cause and meaning. There was good cause in her action to bring me to this land and to test my abilities to adapt The Great Cause to a new situation, to a new battle system, and perhaps a war that she sees ahead. As for being cryptic, well, I suppose that she herself chooses how much she deems necessary. She acts as a filter of what we need to know. Comrade Reimu, perhaps the reason she bothers you is because she wishes to be friends with you, no? What if she just wants to inspire friendship and love among the people, particularly you? I can rest assure that she wishes no harm upon you and that she, too, has the good of The People in mind when she acts the way she does. If she truly bothers you that much, I shall see to it personally, as head of the True Communism Party of Gensokyo, that your qualms with her are resolved. Yukari is not unreasonable; rather, she has been rather forgiving. She has forgiven me for being a careless soldier and given me a chance, which I seized, to redeem myself by fighting against my shadow. I shall see to it that we come to a peaceful and harmonious end. So lay down your spellcard, comrade, and give Yukari a chance.” You reply to Reimu, who calms down. Well, she at the very least puts away her spellcard.

“I agree with Alek. I’ve met with Yukari quite a bit, and she can be quite friendly! You need to cheer up, Reimu!” Shinki chimes in. This brings a smile to the faces of both Reimu and Mima, who seemed to float over to join the conversation

“So, Yuyuko, have you told them about our trip to The Netherworld yet?” Mima says

“Well, I haven’t gotten around to that. And anyways, it won’t be for a few days. Since I came all this way, might as well sight see a bit. Now only if Youmu would come back with all the food....” Yuyuko seems to be lost in thought about the food.

“Speaking of which, where IS Youmu? She left a quite a while ago, shouldn’t she be back now?” asks Reimu, who also seems rather intent on eating the food.

“I guess that she is lost somewhere, comrade. Let us keep an eye out for her, comrade.” You reply. You need to get moving on your trip to deal with ‘that man’ soon.

“Oh? Planning to go somewhere? Care to hear more about our trip we are planning?” Asks Mima

“Sure, comrade, but quickly” you reply. You see Nitori waiting eagerly to talk to you in the corner of your eye. You take quick note that it is around noon now.

“Well, we’re heading out to there in a couple of days, and you’ve been conscripted as my drinking buddy to come along. Plus, from what I gather, you’ll have quite a few shocks on which people you’ll be seeing. Also, bring whoever you want with you. I’m sure your Oni will be eager to jump onboard once drinking is mentioned. See? She’s already stumbling her way over here.” Mima says as she points out Suika walking in a rather clumsy fashion to the group.

Well, you wait for the Oni to join the group. The Oni pronounces as soon as she arrives, “I’m going on that trip” in a surprising intelligible way despite her drunken appearance.

Mima quickly explains that she’ll tell you more about the trip when you get back from going to town. You give her a nod and are about to join your comrades that have been dragged off by Nitori to talk about the guns as she waits for you. Suika’s also seemed to have joined Meiling, Reimu and Shinki with Nitori for so reason. You say your farewells to Mima and Yuyuko as you start to walk over to Nitori. But before you can take more than a few steps, Yuyuko says something rather strange, “Oh, I forgot to mention that Yukari would have appreciated you sticking up for her. It is rare that anyone does, and never has an outsider or anyone outside of her close circle of friends. You’ve set something new.”

“I am just doing what I know is right. Is it not right to give someone a second chance? Fairness is a justice.” You reply. Yuyuko just opens her fan to cover her face and Mima gives you the motion to leave. You will never understand this peculiar paranoia and hatred of Yukari, Shinki or Reimu.

As you walk towards Nitori and your party, you know that you will need to answer two important questions: What guns are you to acquire from Nitori’s arsenal, and are you even going to try to eat lunch before heading out?

-------------------------------------------------------------
Choice one (Choose one of each section. Other portion is Optional):
Semiautomatic Rifles
[ ] SKS. Soviet made Semiautomatic carbine. 1945. Lighter and shorter but less powerful than its preceding Semiautomatic Russian rifle, the SVT40.

[ ] SVT40 Soviet made Semiautomatic Rifle. 1940. You’ve used one of these before in The Great Patriotic War. Longer, more accurate, and more powerful than its short lived successor, the SKS carbine, but is also less wieldy due to length and heavier.
- [ ] AVT40. Rare Selective fire SVT40 variant. Semi and fully automatic.

[ ] Gewher 43 German made semiautomatic rifle. 1943. A rather rare gun, but you managed to shoot it in the Great Patriotic war as well. Performance wise, it is similar to the SVT40 as the magazine and the round it fired pre-conversion were full sized rifle rounds. Slightly shorter than the SVT40, but longer than the SKS.

[ ] M1 Garand. The Semi automatic rifle that the Americans claim to have won them World War 2.

Assault Rifles
[ ] AK
- [ ] Normal AK. An AK47 with wood and Steel. Work horse gun of all non-NATO forces

- [ ] Romanian AK. A Romanian AK has a wooden vertical grip from its handguard and a folding stock. The folding stock enables the gun to become shorter if need be while the wooden vertical grip increases comfort.

- [ ] Modern AK-105. Ak made of black plastic and metal. Lighter than normal AK, but hollow plastic stock means that it cannot be used as a last ditch melee weapon without risk of breaking it.

--- [ ] AK with Rail System. A modern AK with a rail system as the front handguard for a various accessories.
[ ] AUG. Austrian made bullpup gun. Built in 1.5x zoom scope. Olive color. Interesting two stage trigger, where a half pull is semiautomatic while a full pull is fully automatic. Also has a built in folding foregrip.

[ ] FAMAS. French bullpup gun. Gives you a vague feeling like a certain vampire would cherish it, but otherwise is quite similar to the other assault rifles.

Rocket Launcher
[ ] Panzershrek. German made rocket launcher. Kills tanks with ease, but requires a heatshield from how powerful it is.

[ ] M1A1 Bazooka. American made rocket launcher. Less effective than the Panzershrek, but does not require a shield and has a better aiming system.

Other
[ ] Write-in

-----

Choice Two:
[ ] Try to eat lunch from whatever is left in the Shrine
[ ] Try to cook/ make a lunch from whatever is left at the Shrine
- [ ]Write-in as to what to cook
[ ] A True Soldier feeds on his passion for the Great Cause! Begin Long March to Alice’s house and in thus to ‘That Man’

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/17 (Thu) 04:02 No. 33644

Only one vote? Well, I can only assume that some folks are really busy as of now. Well, I'm giving another day or two for voting.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/11/17 (Thu) 05:43 No. 33645 ▼

Image Source

File 132150859341.jpg - (154.06KB, 600x900 , Cookcampfire.jpg)

[c] AK
- [c] Normal AK. An AK47 with wood and Steel. Work horse gun of all non-NATO forces.

Attachments and whatnot can wait later.

[c] Try to cook/make a lunch from whatever is left at the Shrine.
- [c] Write-in as to what to cook: find any meat and vegetable leftovers and make hotpot soup.

Does Alek know anything about/has done outdoor cooking?

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/11/17 (Thu) 05:50 No. 33646

>>33645
Forgot to add:

[c] Gewher 43 German made semiautomatic rifle. 1943. A rather rare gun, but you managed to shoot it in the Great Patriotic war as well. Performance wise, it is similar to the SVT40 as the magazine and the round it fired pre-conversion were full sized rifle rounds. Slightly shorter than the SVT40, but longer than the SKS.
[c] M1A1 Bazooka. American made rocket launcher. Less effective than the Panzershrek, but does not require a shield and has a better aiming system.

voting closed ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/18 (Fri) 02:49 No. 33647

Votes called for merger (as per usual)

Guns:
[x] AK
- [x] Normal AK. An AK47 with wood and Steel. Work horse gun of all non-NATO forces.

[x] M1A1 Bazooka. American made rocket launcher. Less effective than the Panzershrek, but does not require a shield and has a better aiming system.

As for Semi-Auto rifles you can have both the:

[x] SKS. Soviet made Semiautomatic carbine. 1945. Lighter and shorter but less powerful than its preceding Semiautomatic Russian rifle, the SVT40.

[x] Gewher 43 German made semiautomatic rifle. 1943. A rather rare gun, but you managed to shoot it in the Great Patriotic war as well. Performance wise, it is similar to the SVT40 as the magazine and the round it fired pre-conversion were full sized rifle rounds. Slightly shorter than the SVT40, but longer than the SKS.

...But you will need to make a choice later down the road.

Choice Two:
[x] Try to eat lunch from whatever is left in the Shrine
[x] If possible, try to cook something
- [x] Write-in as to what to cook: make hotpot soup.

>I wonder if a Danmaku rocket launcher fires mini Sparks or Magic missiles.
As of right now, It fires a danmaku rocket that explodes into a pattern of high powered danmaku (such as a star, a flower, etc.) upon impact, but an person such as Nitori can modify it to fire mini sparks or magic missiles if you so desire.

Anonymous 2011/11/19 (Sat) 11:40 No. 33648

[x] Try to eat lunch from whatever is left in the Shrine

Because I know nothing about cooking

Cooking ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/20 (Sun) 06:33 No. 33676

Choice One:
[x] AK
- [x] Normal AK. An AK47 with wood and Steel. Work horse gun of all non-NATO forces.

[x] M1A1 Bazooka. American made rocket launcher. Less effective than the Panzershrek, but does not require a shield and has a better aiming system.

[x] SKS. Soviet made Semiautomatic carbine. 1945. Lighter and shorter but less powerful than its preceding Semiautomatic Russian rifle, the SVT40.

[x] Gewher 43 German made semiautomatic rifle. 1943. A rather rare gun, but you managed to shoot it in the Great Patriotic war as well. Performance wise, it is similar to the SVT40 as the magazine and the round it fired pre-conversion were full sized rifle rounds. Slightly shorter than the SVT40, but longer than the SKS.

Choice Two:
[x] Try to eat lunch from whatever is left in the Shrine
[x] If possible, try to cook something
- [x] Write-in as to what to cook: make hotpot soup.
------------------------------------------

You arrive at the scene and you spot your party and Nitori. You immediately notice that the weapons are grouped into neatly organized piles based on what class of weapon they are.

Nitori immediately asks you what guns you want to have. She has extended her offer to take a gun from each weapon class, so you pay her extra respect in her selflessness in supplying The Great Cause.

“Comrade, I shall take command of The AK47 and the M1A1 Bazooka that you have given for the Glorious Cause.” You say to her, and she nods her head as you take them from their respective groups and move them to the shrine. You are certain that you want those armaments to be added to your section of the Great Cause, because the AK47 is the next glorious evolution of Russian Weaponry, and the American M1A1 is good enough for the extra firepower as a rocket without being too bulky, but you are rather conflicted on what rifle to pick. This indecision most likely stems with you being more of a close quarters marksmen, practicing with accuracy with submachine guns and pistols as opposed to rifles. And while most of the fundamentals remain the same, and you have fought many times with a rifle, even spotting for a sniper shot you thought impossible, you are still not too terribly keen on picking out the differences between the rifles you fired. The ones that stuck out the most where the semiautomatics, in particular the G-43 and the SKS. The SKS was much like the AK. Unfortunately, it is almost too much like an AK with only a few but critical differences in that is only semi automatic, without a pistol grip, but fortunately has slightly better accuracy and ranges than its assault rifle peer. If you could easily rely on your AK to the 500 meter mark, you can rely on the SKS to about the 600 meter mark. However, as untrained as you are as are with the G-43, you can see the colossal amount of sheer raw potential in the full sized rifle. While you were only able to hit around the same distances as the SKS, you were able to place the shots much more accurately in much tighter groups, which tells you that the maximum effective range is much greater. While it might require some training, you could be hitting man sized targets at 800 if you had enough practice. And that is only with the iron sights, with a basic scope and sufficient training, you have the feeling that the rifle has the ability to hit up to 1000 meters and quite possible further.

“You seem rather distraught as to what rifle to pick. If it helps at all, I can lend you two for a while and you can return one of them later after you’ve had more experience with them.” Nitori says, which relieves you for now of the temporary decision between familiarity and thus requiring less training or raw potential, abet more training and proficiency needed.

“Thank you comrade Nitori. I would like to borrow the G-43 and the SKS then.” You say, with thanks to the fact that she continues to be more generous than she appears.

“Ah, don’t sweat it. I’m getting data from whenever you get use the danmaku guns anyways, so it benefits me as well.” She replies. You assume that she means that she is using internal sensors of sorts.

“Well thank you nonetheless, comrade Nitori. I’ll leave the other choices of weapons to Comrade Reimu” you say. Shinki’s perfectly content with the MG, and Suika shows little to no interest to firearms in general. Meiling’s also not interested in any guns at all, and you can only assume that her duty as a gate keeper does not require one. It is almost a shame considering that she was such a good shot with the assault rifle, but you assume it is personal choice. Perhaps she prefers martial arts, considering her Chinese background. In any case, Reimu is the only one to show want for another gun, and in all fairness, you are already well enough supplied to be sharing with your comrades. After all, you fought many times in China and Russian with swords, fists, martial arts, and rocks. You are pretty sure you won’t be able to carry it all at one time.

Reimu seems to pick out the pistol that you first gave her as the pistol, and a small submachine gun that Nitori calls the MAT-49.

Well, that settles the issues of the weapons, and now The People are well equipped for whatever obstacle lays in The Great Path. Nitori begins to pack up her weapons, but when you go to help her, she just replies that you don’t need to help because she has a highly technical way of doing it. Thus, you move on to the next objective: Food. The Red Army grind to halt without food. Passion for The Motherland and Great Cause may be indeed Great, but there is a limit as to how far the passion can last and sustain a physical body. You have seen it at China. People starved to death under the heel of The Oppressors. That is one of the reasons you are thankful for your Capitalist Comrades in the West: While they are not the brightest of people, willing to avoid the harsh choice for quite a bit of time, they will do the right thing once all other options are exhausted. They decided to support The Motherland with shipments of Food and other supplies. Speaking of China and food, you could quite possibly cook up a quick Chinese Hot Pot should the supplies you find in the Shrine meet what you need. Well, you will not find out what supplies this shrine has if you just stand around waiting.

“Alek, what are we going to do?” asks comrade Shinki, who has returned to her spot beside you

“Comrades, we will be starting a journey to the Human Village. However, we shall eat first.” You reply to her. You take lead of the party again, and begin the search for food supplies.

After a good ten or so minutes of your team splitting up and searching the shrine for food, you come up with rather dismal results. You’ve asked Princess Yuyuko as to where all the food has gone, and she says she had ate it all save for a few things. You refrain from inquiring further as to why something that is a ghost needs to eat so much, if at all. Well, you’ve quite obviously found what the few things Yuyuko did not eat were. Some onions, a few greens, some already cooked noodles, some spices, some leaves, and a can of soup broth. Luckily, there is some leftover cooked meat from whatever Youmu made. You also note that most of the spices are curry. There are also some mushrooms, and you managed to pick out some wild green plants that you identify as safe to eat and nutritious, if rather bland tasting. You are quite sure that Comrade Yuyuko is not overtly fond of Curry. Or perhaps she was so fond of curry that she left it for the end, and did not have the stomach to eat it after eating virtually everything else. Well, on the bright side there’s also plenty of hot water, given that the shrine is by a hot spring. Reimu also found a box of matches that she got from Yukari a while ago.

You set up a proper contained fire outside with some firewood from the shrine that Reimu took out, and use a stand to place the pot on. The water came straight from the hot spring, so it is already boiling. You add the leaves, curry spice, greens, noodles, and the mushrooms to the pot of boiling water, and watch it closely. It appears to be going well, but needs to be stirred to mix the flavor evenly. You are about to go look for a stirring utensil when you realized how dumb such a thing would be. You are working with an open flame here. Don’t screw with fire. Luckily, Shinki, who was now apparently dressed in an apron, came over to you with such an object and started helping you by stirring the soup, with both of you having one hand on the stirring rod. After about three minutes, you add the meat to the pot. After about another three minutes the food is done. You extinguish the fire and use some of the hot pan gloves to remove the pot from its stand onto the table that Meiling seemed to have carried from the kitchen to the outside, along with chairs and tableware that seems to have been set up by Reimu.

You serve the food to your party, along with the drink of hot water.
Everyone begins to eat. Shinki eats gracefully, Meiling practically, and Reimu quickly. Suika eats in between drinking wine. You eat the food like Meiling, effective and practical. You close your eyes for a moment as you drink the soup. You take a quick note on what you need to do. You’ll be heading from the shrine to the forest. At the forest you will talk to Alice and figure out if she is the Alice you protected at Stalingrad and/or if she is Shinki’s daughter. Then you will make your way to the human village and confront “that man” and make him see the errors of his narrow views and his xenophobia. Finally, you’ll need to see Keine or go to the Buddhist temple. Hopefully you can visit both if time allows, but seeing as the day is already halfway through you will most likely need to push one of the visits to a later date.

Upon finishing drinking the soup and thus the meal, you open your eyes and put the bowl down. You see that Shinki has shifted closer to you, as well as Reimu. Since some people are still eating, Shinki decides to talk to you.

“Wow Alek! Your food tasted really good! I didn’t think that you’d be a cook!” she exclaims with a certain enthusiasm unique to her.

“Nah, this is just what I learned back in my trip to China. Quick, simple, effective, and tasty food.” You reply.

“It is some of the best food I’ve eaten in a while.” Comments Reimu, who seems to be trying to fish out the last thing in her soup.

You chat with the others a bit more about general topics until Meiling points out your good luck charm.

“Say Alek, where did you get that charm?” she asks, as if she knows something about it.

“I got it from my old friend, a fellow comrade, back in China during my fight north to Russia through Japanese occupied Manchuria. I believe he got it from his old martial arts master, who had also taught me as well. Master Wong, I believe our master’s name was.” You reply to Meiling, who seems to become alert at the name.

Meiling seems to acknowledge the fact ans appears to be thinking about it. She seems to know more, but you decide not to press it.

You stand up, and seeing that everyone else has finished, you help move back the table and the chairs with Meiling. Shinki and Reimu go and clean out the bowls, the pot, and the utensils. The People work together as a team for one cause, and the job is quickly completed. The entire thing might have only taken an hour. You quickly debrief the plan of action to your party, and then you begin your march onwards to Alice’s house. You take quick note that Shinki seems to have wrapped the apron round the barrel of the MG42, as if it were a camouflage wrap of sorts. You decide that Shinki must have good reason for such, and continue on to decide on what guns to bring and what to leave at the shrine.

Equip (pick two):
[ ] AK47
[ ] PPSH-4
[ ] G-43
[ ] SKS
[ ] M1A1 Bazooka

Already Equipped (cannot unequip):
[X] TT-33
[X] Shinki’s magic sword

----------------

In the forest, Alice lamented about the fact that she did not tell her mother that she was alive and well. Then she returned to working on a commission for that boy that lived on the outskirts of the village. “Hmmmm... He wanted a sickle and a flower? My, I haven’t made that since that time....But that was decades ago. Why would he want that? The man that was crafted for died, and so did his sons. But his son didn’t have it with him back when he protected me back at Stalingrad.....Why? Why did this symbol have to come up now? That Communist party at the shrine.....There’s no way that.......The name’s the same. They are both pilots. They are both the same rank. They are both patriotic to such a Great extent. The newspaper that Shinki brought back from the Outside had listed him as M.I.A. and they never found his body or his plane, not even to this day. Nor his brother’s body. Ah you’ve got to be kidding me.....” Alice thinks to herself as she face palms herself before she resuming work on the uniform.

------------------

Somewhere else in Gensokyo, someone else was also heading for Alice’s house, firing his Thompson at attacking fairies the entire way.

-------------------

Note: when votes are closed, they are closed. However, I’ll try to keep them open longer next time because it seems like we’ve got a third voter on board.
I usually don't write on the weekdays, so do not take panic if I go M.I.A. between Monday and Friday.

Votes will either be closed tommorrow or Tuesday. Most likly the latter. Also, There will be a side story going up really soon, and it will be merging directly into the main story.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/11/20 (Sun) 07:50 No. 33677

[c] AK-47
[c] PPSh-41

>Somewhere else in Gensokyo, someone else was also heading for Alice’s house, firing his Thompson at attacking fairies the entire way.

I wonder who this guy is.

Anonymous 2011/11/20 (Sun) 08:34 No. 33678

[x] AK47
[x] PPSH-4

A balance between general use and speed.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/21 (Mon) 22:52 No. 33690

Votes called:
[X] AK-47
[X] PPSh-41

Also, writing now. And editing side story. Going on a blitzkrei- er writing.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/22 (Tue) 21:07 No. 33695

Also, here's an Inventory/ Status check
---------------------

[TO DO]
- Talk to Alice. If she isn’t the Alice, hopefully she can point you in the right direction. You have a sinking suspicion that this Alice, however, is The Alice.
- Keep an eye out for anything suspicious
- Spread the Truth to other parts of Gensokyo
- Human village, "that man"
---Ask your team what "that man's" name is
- Drop by the temple (?)
- Drop by the school (?)
- Drop by the mountain

[STATUS]
Pilot Status
Name: Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov
Rank: Lieutenant of Aviation
Unit: 1st Guard 240 Fighter Division
Allegiance: People of the Soviet Union Pre-1946; True Communism Party of Gensokyo; The Great Cause

Health: Good (95%)
Magic: Recharging (5%)
Stamina: Good (90%)

Skills:
- Basic Outdoor Cooking I (New)
- Basic Machinery I
- Basic Firearms I
- Aviator Operation III
---- Aviation Ghost Bonding I (New)
- Charisma IV (Level Up!)
- Vodka Conjuration I
- Russian Sprit MAX

Inventory:
- Travel bag x 1
- Clean clothes x 1
- Diary x 1
- Pens x 2
- American notes (Total value: 100 USD)
- Wrinkled photographs x 3 (Including 1 signed copy of the Great Architect)
- Unknown, Important piece of paper with all the writing from Sacchin on it. Looks like ancient, absurdly fancy Kanji from one of those temples you visited back in your trip to Asia. Hardly recognizable as Kanji.

Weapons:
- Tokarev TT-33 [Equipped]
- Shinki’s Magically Enchanted Sword [Equipped]
- AK47 [Equipped]
- PPSH-41 [Equipped]
- M1A1 Bazooka
- SKS (Lend)
- G-43 (Lend)

[AIRCRAFT STATUS]
Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik “Sacchin”
Role: Ground Attack Aircraft
Maximum Speed: 257 mph (?)
Range: Infinite (?)
Service Ceiling: 18,000 ft (?)
Rate of Climb: 2050 ft/min (?)

Operational Status: Fully Functional
Physical Status:
- Wings fixed
- Airframe fixed
- Fuel tank Magically run
- Powerplant Mikulin AM-38F converted and operational

Aerial Armament:
- 23mm VYa-23 Cannons x 2 (Danmaku converted)
- 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns x 2 (Danmaku converted)
- 12.7mm Berezin UBT machine gun x 1 (Danmaku converted)
- Danmaku bombs available for use

[PARTY]
Shinki (MG42 w/Apron wrap Equipped)
Reimu (MAT-49, pistol, and Ofuda Equipped)
Suika (Gourd of seemingly infinite sake Equipped)
Meiling (Chinese Fists are always ready)

[RELATIONS]
Close Friends:
- Shinki
- Reimu
- Suika

Friends:
- Meiling
- Youmu
- Yuyuko
- Mima
- Suwako
- Alice
- Marisa

Yukari Tier
- Yukari

Other:
- Friends with most of the people of Youkai Mountain
- Alliance (?) with SDM
- Home base in this shrine

[SYSTEM]
Midday (~1300)
Day 2 ACiG
Thread 4

-----

Hold tight as I proof out the update.

Alice and Stalingrad ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/22 (Tue) 21:55 No. 33696

[X] AK-47
[X] PPSh-41
[X] Flashback
-----------------------
You quickly pick up the AK47 and the PaPaShaw from the pile that you have made of all your weapons in the center of the Shrine’s lobby. As much as you would like to bring all your weapons so you could switch as appropriate to the situation, you feel as if though the AK is as close as you are to getting an all purpose gun, and the trusty PPSH is a fucking PPSH. You are an expert marksman with it, and anything within 250m of you with the PPSH in your hands can be hit within the area of a German head. This is the gun that you fought the war with most of the time as your primary weapon, except that one time in that building. Alice. Her fighting her best. You screaming at you cowardly commissioner. Shellin- Fuck, you can’t dwell on that now. If you really must dwell, do so as you progress to meeting Alice again. Alice, the one that readily opened her doors to you yesterday. Shit, it has been one hell of a day since then. Like experiencing Great Gap Forward in a single time span of 24 hours. Well, you suppose that is a good thing. Such radically new and progressive ideas and also undergo rapid change to meet times. 70 years in 1 day. In one day, submachine guns went from long barrels to pistol sized, the carbines turned automatic and called themselves assault rifles, and you went from shooting hot lead to shooting hot colored balls of magic. Fascists from people that destroy Russia to People that will become part of this Great Cause for equality. Welcome all people with open arms, but you shall not take one moment of hesitation to defend the Great Cause from invaders, with violent means if need be. The Great Cause has been in more dire straits before than it is today.

You dust off the weapons, and ensure that they are properly working before slinging them over your back as you head out the Shrine entrance. Everyone else is ready to go, and so are you. Well, except Suika, who jumps on your back as soon as she sees you and out of sheer excitement of doing something interesting, she commands you to give her a piggyback ride down. Well, you have decided that she should then carry your guns for you, and she does so while seemly make them lighter somehow. You are about to ask if you should bring more guns when you realize that even if you could bring another gun into combat, it would be hard to switch between more than two weapons, and you can only assume that whatever effects that Suika has on the weapons now will wear off as soon as she lets go of the weapons, so you decide not to dwell on it. After all, you have two weapons. Back in the war, you had fought with somwtimes as little as a shovel or even just your fists.

You begin you long journey down the shrine steps. The wind in your hair is soothing, and you think that it almost too calming. Wind in your hair. Wait what? Aren’t you wearing your Ushanka hat? You look around, only to notice that it is being worn by Shinki, who seems to have got it from your oni after figuring out that it isn’t made for people that have horns on their head. Your destination is Alice’s house, and it will be one painfully long journey. You are heading straight into a battlefield of misconceptions and painful memories. Even with Shinki and Reimu in hand, this will be painful. All your dead comrades, all of those battles. And that DAMN COWARD of a Commissioner.

Reimu is the one to notice your rather visible grimacing.

“Time for a story about The Great War, Comrade Alek?” says Reimu, who you make mental note is rather well at catching and making facial cues.

“Yeah. Time to expose The Horror that The People had to endure, The Great Sacrifice that was made, voluntarily or involuntarily, by every last man, women, and child to stop the Mustached Man’s barbaric conquest of all Europe. Those times.... Stalin had made the wrong people bear the burden of Progress. It was to be men like I who where to die for The Great Cause of Freedom. Yet he made ordinary civilians, without proper warning, pay the ultimate price. It is time to expose this to Great Truth, to stop Stalin and Hitlerites from bathing in their filth of injustice and status quo. Time for me to reveal what I know about the Alice I had met.” You reply. Just the thought of that day makes your blood boil with righteous RAGE.

“Time for a story?” Asks your Oni companion.

“Time for a grim, dark story, comrade. A long, dark night. And it was that day my heart died. That was the day That I SWORE to avenge The Great Cause, to make sure that it NEVER fades away into the background. That is why while I greet all people with open arms for redemption, if wolves come to our door, I shall greet them with the rifle. And Defeatists, Cowards, and Traitors as well. That was a cold, cold day in The City of Stalingrad....”

“’FUUUUUCK! WE’RE GETTING SHELLED BY OUR OWN ARTILLARY!’ cried one of my comrades as a shell tore a hole in the roof, causing great piles of rubble and concrete that had once formed the building’s glorious Soviet roof to begin caving in and causing Great Panic.”

“Comrade Alek, I think you went too far.” Says Reimu with a flat, unamused face as she nudges you. Not like it was to be amusing it the first place.

“Ah fine, I’ll start at the beginning” you reply.

“That was a cold day. The Germans had been constantly fighting over a building. My squad was ordered to take back the building, and defend it from the Invader. But they said to use whatever means necessary. However, this building held a special significance to me. It was the home of one of the greatest rising artisans. That person was none other than a girl named Alice. She was a glorious worker of the common man, someone to inspire to be like. She had lived in Stalingrad at the time of the invasion. No one had expected the Germans to drive so deep into the heart of the Motherland, and I had thought that she would be safe so far behind lines. Yet she wasn’t safe. The war had moved to Stalingrad, to her very home. Our group had agreed to fight to not only to control the building, but to protect the civilians.”

You are holding your PPSH-41 in your near frozen hands. Your Pistol is holstered in your side to be used at anytime it is needed. You goal is to protect the building from the further Fascist encroachments and protect Alice and her family from harm. They should have never been this close to the war. You had thought that she would be safe. You were dead wrong.

Your squad enters the building with plenty of ammunition and supplies for civilians trapped inside. The Fascist murderers have retreated for now, but you know that it is but a matter of time before they regroup and try to take the house again.

Your squad sets up antitank rifles, machineguns and snipers from all over the building. The commissioner seems to put up a brave front right now, but it was only when it was too late that you found out that it was but an act. Your squad has been assigned to sniper duty and helping out the Margatroid Family. You gave your commissioner a funny look for assigning you to sniper duty with a submachine gun in your hands, but he just ignores your reasoning. Well, you decide that your comrades will have to do most of the sniping, and you will try to help out the Margatroid Family. You give them their ration of supplies, and they are grateful for what they have. The daughter, Alice, is the one that had crafted the necklace you have given to your Chinese Comrade back in your trip to Asia. You knew it was them immediately for the Father immediately mistook you for your father, who had bought the necklace. You told them that your father was dead, and that you are his son. He asked you if you had Alice’s first necklace on you, and you told them you had given it to your Chinese Comrade. He looked disappointed, but he accepted the facts. He was rather somber after living in a building with scare resources while being under constant German Attack and Russian Liberation. You promised this time, however, things were different. You pledged that you would not take one step backwards, for your life was less than those who had yet to experience true life, such as Young Alice. The father pleaded to you to make sure Alice lives if he were to die, and you promised that unless you die, you would protect her. While you no longer have the necklace that she made, the bonds between the two families are strong. You feel a rather special connection to Alice in particular for some reason, but before you can think any further, the sound of rifles and Machineguns let you know that the grim war has returned. You know that you won’t be protecting anyone if you sit around and talk, so you grab you submachine gun and go to a window that is on the second floor of the building you are on.

You start by firing your PPSH at the worms that have dug their way deep into The Motherland. You make quick work with your accurate use of the PPSH within its effective range. The battle, however, is Stalingrad. There are no reinforcements for you. The German Hordes keep pouring in, determined to take the building and the lives of the innocents inside. And you don’t have any support, nor any ammo other than the few magazines you took inside. You are going to be running out of ammo before the German Hordes give up, and you cannot risk going out to get ammo, for German snipers cover the area like vultures.

“THEY’RE OVERRUNNING THE FIRST LINE! WE CAN’T HOLD IT MUCH LONGER! WE’RE ALMOST OUT OF AMMO!” Cries one of your comrades from the floor below. You reply to that call by unloading around ten bullets into the germans about to enter the trenches. However, that doesn't slow down the rest of the seemingly endless amount of Germans.

“RETREAT! RETREAT!!” Shouts your cowardly Commissioner, who would willingly abandon the lives of innocents for his own, filthy life.

His shouts cause panic among the ranks, which a plenty go outside and retreat while covering each other with a few of the machine guns they ripped from the sand bag lines surrounding the house. You shout in an even louder voice than your pathetic commissioner, with righteous fury in your eyes, “NOT. ONE. STEP. BACK! TRAITORS! WILL! BE! SHOT!”

This causes a chain reaction from a few other groups to shout them same, and a few squads stay behind to continue the defense of The People. You will not sacrifice Alice to the pathetic whims of one commissioner. The Commissioner, of course, didn’t get away, for you grabbed him by the neck and looked at him in the eye. You could see nothing but pathetic cowardice and defeatism in his pathetic eyes. You speak harshly into his face, “Commissioner, we hold the ground, the soil of The People, the soil for The People, The soil that belongs to The People. Why do you ask us to retreat? This war bleeds on, so we must fight for every last building, to defend every last person. If you were really a patriotic Commissioner, you would tell me traitors, defeatists, and cowards would be shot. You are all three should you retreat. This girl, Alice, is no more deserving of death than you, in fact, she does not deserve any of the horrors of war to her innocent white heart. Yet the war is here, so we must defend this position. If I see you retreat, commissioner, then I will not hesitate to put a bullet through your pathetic skull. There are German Generals more deserving of life than a leader that betrays his own people."

You believe, no, KNOW that Alice is much more deserving of a life than the hypocritical leader. The leader just smirks at you and says, “This building was just a decoy. Our armies are advancing in around the German lines that we are holding up here. Stalin said himself that when the time was right to retrea-”

“GREAT COMRADE STALIN SAID NOT TO TAKE ONE. STEP. BACK! DO NOT GIVE A SINGLE INCH TO THE FASCIST PLAGUE! THAT WAS HIS FINAL ORDER! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘THE ARMY’ IS MOVING AROUND HERE? THIS PLACE IS WHERE THE ARMY IS! THIS PLACE IS THE HEART OF THE MOTHERLAND, WITH CIVILIANS, WITH THE PEOPLE! THE PEOPLE AND ARMY ARE ONE! THE MOTHERLAND IS NOTHING WITHOUT ITS GLORIOUS PEOPLE! WHAT BULLSHIT ARE YOU TELLING ME? THAT THIS WAS JUST A PLOY? BULLSHIT, YOU PIECE OF TRAITOROUS TRASH! GO AND RUN! RUN FOR YOUR PATHETIC EXISTANCE. THAT’S RIGHT, JUST BECAUSE YOU BREATHE DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE ALIVE! AND IF YOU MAKE IT TO BASE, TELL THEM THAT THE PLATOON OF PEOPLE HERE ARE NOW ALL M.I.A., SERVING THE COUNTRY AS GREAT COMRADE STALIN HAD ORDERED THEM TO!” You spit into the commissioner’s face as you push him away. You don’t want to see his pathetic face ever again.

He makes a threat that he’ll tell command on you, but you didn’t have to worry about it. As soon as he took his second step outside the house, his head was blown off by a German Sniper. His death revealing the German’s sniper was probably more useful than any of the things he ever had done in his life.

“You sent your commissioner to the death.” Said Alice’s father, who was still shocked to see death up close.

“Welcome to war. The Traitor tried to sacrifice your life for his own. He tried to claim that we were all sacrificial lambs for some greater plot, and that it was okay for us, the armed soldiers of The Motherland, to retreat and sacrifice The Innocent. He is a traitor and a defeatist to The Motherland. And True to a commissioner’s words, he was shot. I promised that I would not give away Alice’s life for a pathetic reason, and I stand true to my words.”

Alice’s father is still shaken up, but agrees to help in defending the building until help arrives. You take command of the platoon at the lowly rank of corporal, for there were only privates in the remaining soldiers. Just goes to show that the common man is many times more heroic and patriotic than some of their leaders.

The ammo problem is somewhat alleviated, for there are fewer shooters. Unfortunately, this also means that the volume of fire produced is much smaller, thus there needs to be much more accurate fire and better use of what ammo remains.

You assign everyone roles and do some reorganizing of positions. Alice’s father was left to use a machine gun in a position near you, near his family. You hate to make him fight in the war, but if The People are to survive against the plague of Fascism, they must fight.

However, everyone is reluctant to go to their positions, for the next German wave has not started and there are snipers in the windows. You pick up an abandoned Mosin Nagant with a scope, and get ready to counter snipe.

----

You set up your sniper rifle on the second floor of the building. You know which building the German sniper is in, so you zoom in on it.

You see him coming out of a window, and you quickly put the crosshairs on his face and pull the trigger.

Too late. He shot your gun’s scope and it bounced of the top, making it useless for aiming, and very hard to use for simple spotting. Shit.

You take a much more cautious approach to the battle. You fire at German with your iron sights, miss, and he fires back, grazing your uniform. Shit. You are not a sniper, you are a close quarter combatant. The air hangs heavy with many signs that show that the Germans are going to mount an offensive. You don’t have that much time. You look desperately around you for any snipers. Nope, bunch of mediocre shots and machinegunners. Well, you are in between the German Hordes and a German Sniper. Not a good situation.

Out of all the people to answer the call to duty, it is Alice that notices your despair and walks over to you, she grabs your pistol. You know that there is no way in hell the pistol is effective to how far the sniper is, but you let little Alice literally give it a shot.

She aims down the sights. You know that the blade of the sight is bigger than the sniper at this range. You are ready to take the bullet for Alice in case what she does gets he shot at. You brace yourself for the worst.

Alice shoots a single bullet, with pinpoint accuracy, straight at the German sniper’s face. The bullet, as if guided by a supernatural force, does not slow down over distance, does not waver in the wind, and does not drop over time. It lands straight into the sniper’s wretched face, blowing it to million pieces and painting red square over his body with his own blood. Obviously Alice can’t tell because she isn’t looking down the scope, so the person was but a small blur to her. She asks you one question.

“Did it hit?”

“Yes, comrade, you have stopped the invader. That is one small bullet for man, but one Great Leap for Soviet Freedom” you say, before jumping over and pushing Alice out of the window’s view. Just in time, as German machine gun fire envelopes the space she had just occupied.

“EVERYONE, THE SNIPER IS DOWN! TO YOUR POSITIONS! INVADING GERMANS!” You cry out as platoon heads to take positions.

You switch back to your PPSH. While not close to as accurate as the rifle at the range you see the Hitlerites coming in from, it is useful for clearing out anyone that gets within 250 meters.

------

The fight continues, Alice has adopted your pistol to continue doing some rather magical counter sniping, but you don’t question why it works. Weird shit’s happened since you saw that purple dressed lady back in Manchuria that spoke freaking German. Tons of weird shit. So why question it?

You continue to stop the Germans from taking the house. Alice is but a child but takes out grown men who have trained to snipe their entire life with the pistol. You can only pray to, well, you suppose the Purple Dressed Lady, that Alice won’t be scared by the kills she is not able to see. This is the brutality of war. The Brutality of the Fascist Hordes. Children must fight for their lives. Just like China.

-----

The Germans are shelling the area surrounding building. Luckily, they haven’t hit the building, perhaps because they want the building. The amount of Germans per wave is thinning. Perhaps the end is in sight?

------

The Germans are retreating! The leader is leading the Hitlerites out of the place!
“Glory! The day is won! We can get the Civilians evacuated out of this house!” you cheer, as does everyone else. You had not given a single step to the Fascists, and it had succeeded. Alice and Family were safe. This is a true hard earned victory. You even see the Soviet artillery moving in, so it seems as if support, that the help that was on the way finally came.

Alice returns you your pistol and takes out a crude but still well loved doll.

“This is the first doll I made, and I want you to take good care of it and love it. Alek, It is a gift of my appreciation of you not betraying us and running for your own life, but rather staying here and rallying others to stay and protect us.” Alice says with a smile. This is the only time that you ever saw her smile. This vision is still burned within your memories. This is perhaps the one time that you felt...happy? in the war. And what would come next would make that scene go horribly wrong.

You put it away deep into one of the pockets of your trench coat that is over your uniform.

“Thank yo-“ is all you got to say out before all hell broke loose

The building shook as it got hit by an artillery shell.

“WHAT THE FUCK?”shouts one of your comrades.

“SHIT! SOMEONE GET OUT THERE WITH THE FLAG! IT IS FRIENDLY FIRE! SHIT! SHIT! SHIIIIIIIIIIITTT!” you command as the building begins to shake on its broken foundations. You quickly decide to change the orders, “EVERYONE, GET OUT! THIS PLACE IS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE!”

Everyone starts going out the building, with guns or valuables in hand. You want to be the last one to go out, but the Margatroid Family refused to leave, saying that their lives were in the building and that leaving the building was equivalent to dying. You quickly convinced them that they had to go out, promising that they could recover their things after the war, and so they followed you out. You stated running out of the building, and only when you had gotten out did you turn around to check if they were following you. How could you have been so arrogant? You turn around, and you see that they are making their way down the final flight of stairs, and that the father is carrying Alice in his arms and the mother is right behind.

That’s when Hitler himself must have personally and deliberately screwed your life over. The ‘Soviet’ artillery shell hit the building again, causing it to collapse on top of the father’s legs, crushing them. The Mother was instantly killed by the rubble, for it had encased her. You’re going to rip the throats out of whatever fucking ‘Soviet’ decided to shell your own building. That is, when you notice that Germans have been closing in on you, within viewing distance of Alice and that they probably saw Alice’s parents die. Those Heartless bastards. Yet they seem to ignore you, as if you were not there. Oh, because you weren’t after about five seconds after thinking that. You were sent flying by an artillery shell that landed at just behind you, where you where before you started your run to protect Alice from the Fascists. Shit. The world’s closing on you.

You struggle to keep your eyes open in midflight. Time seems to slow down to a crawl. Alice’s father has seemed to have died after saying his final words to Alice, who is bawling over the loss. Crying a thousand rivers. You are flying in the middle of the air after nearly getting instantly killed by a direct artillery shot. The Soviet Artillery? No longer firing, not when there are Nazis all surrounding and approaching the house, with guns in hand. You spot the infamous swastika on the Artillery, on where the Red Star once was and spot a blanket with the Red Star on it beside it. Your platoon was set up by the Nazis. There was no support. The German retreat was fake, and they masqueraded as support artillery so they could get a good shot and blow you up. And frame the Soviets for killing their own civilians. Why? Why did this happen? Why was it Alice’s family that had to die? Die by the hand of Germans masquerading as comrades? They were innocent civilians. You’d gladly take their place and pay for all their sins and crimes. You are a soldier, an impure human, but your ideology to sacrifice yourself for The Great Cause is pure. Why then, why is it when the corrupt wage war it is the pure innocents that die? Why is it that you will now die a vain death in the middle of a God Forsaken Battlefield in the middle of Mother Russia, unable to keep true to your word that you would protect Alice from harm once her father dies. No, he is already dead, and you will shortly join him. You are experiencing the last moments of your life. Alice will shortly join you and her parents. Unless the Germans have mercy.

You quietly whisper to yourself, as you near the end of the fall,“ Yukari, please have mercy on Alice’s poor soul. She doesn’t deserve a cruel death on a battlefield like this. She doesn’t deserve this woe and evil. She is innocent. Put her sins of sniping to protect the people on my card of blacks and whites, Yukari, for It is of my incompetence that she had to do what she must.”

Yukari? So you’ve named the purpled dress women you met in the middle of Manchuria that spoke German a Japanese name for Purple. Ah Fuck it. You looking into the late afternoon sky, as you are about to hit the ground, and notice that the sky filled with clouds. The last live thought into your head as was simple. The Motherland was not avenged. Alice had gone unprotected. The Fascists had still yet to be driven out. “Today was a shitty day to die.” You think to yourself as you hit the ground, as you exhale your last breath from under the cursed heel of the putrid disease that is Fascism.

------

“Alice....my time left here is short......speak German to the German’s and they’ll let you go......Please stop crying, darling.....Papa’s going to be leaving soon....leaving to a better place.....don’t worry, I’ll always be watching you.....yes, from beyond the stars....Papa loves you.....but please keep living......don’t die......yes, Mama loves you too... don’t worry about us, you have a life to live....a life to lead..... I’m sorry that I won’t be there to help you anymore.......I’m sorry Alice, so don’t be sad.....Goodbye....Alice.....Stay.....Stro...n......g” Said Alice’s father as he left Earth for a better place.

Alice cried. She cried holding her father’s hand. In proper, unaccented, native sounding German, she screamed in front of all the German Soldiers, “WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??????????”, as if to ask the German soldiers why they had killed her heart inside. The German captain decided against bothering or disturbing the girl. To the soldiers, she was a German child caught in the crossfire. She didn’t deserve the pain, the loss, nor the greif.

------

Later that day, after dusk had set, Alice was still crying. She had survived, for the Germans had given her mercy. After all, they had killed her parents, and her family had yellow hair and blue eyes, close enough to a German and spoke German like her mother tongue. She was still crying, still holding her late father’s cold, dead hands.

A Prussian man, a veteran and rather high ranking officer came in to the German occupied building. He knew that a Real Soviet armored division was ready to smash through the German lines and retake the ruin that was the apartment that she once lived in. It took a great convincing, but the traumatized girl finally let go of the corpse. The German soldiers removed the rubble from the bodies of her parents and gave them a burial next to the building they once lived in. They hastily chiseled out two grave stones with the names and dates of the two that died. Slightly less saddened, but still quite traumatized, the girl followed the Prussian’s lead.

-----

You wake up in the midst of clouds. There are peach trees and peaches everywhere. There is a girl with blue hair wearing a hat with peaches on it and a girl with purple hair....wait what? What? People don’t have those hair colors or wear such frilly costum-

-----

You wake up again in a cold sweat. Good Lenin, that Dream was scary. Dream? Does that mean you’re alive?

You take a look around your surroundings. You are in a hospital gown. You don’t appear to have any visible injuries except being a freaking bruised wreck. You see your winter uniform and your stuff by the desk. You take a quick look through all your stuff to make sure, and it all is, including Alice’s Doll. Her Doll.

“I swear to take good care of this doll, Alice’s doll, and to never ever let it become neglected or get damaged. I promise to keep her name and legend alive.”

A nurse walks in and is surprised that you are finally awake, for you have been out for many days, perhaps a bit over a week, and that you were somehow just appeared onto the front steps of the hospital. Stalin has also taken great interest in your actions, and has awarded you a medal and the offer to join any other branch of service for your heroic actions. You decided that you would take Alice’s dreams to the sky, and that you would become a pilot. This decision was also influenced by the voices of a girl you dreamed of in your sleep, of a caged and injured girl. One that sounded like you had heard it back in Asia, but you can’t quite but your finger on it. War had made Asia seem like lifetimes ago. You let the nurse know of your decision after a couple of days more in the hospital recovering. You also let her know that you wouldn’t be going in until after the battle of Stalingrad. You still have unfinished business.

------

The battle ends. All battles end. On the graves of the Innocent, of those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice when they were not called to, can we finally raise our flag above the city, the city that is little more than rubble. You take a few flowers you traded for your rations and plant them into the soil of the graves of Alice’s parents. Alice’s grave is nowhere to be found. You climb up the ruins of the building in which they once had lived. You arrive to their room. Inside, there are drawings and photos of Alice and her family. There are also other crafts and her sewing kit. That is all there is left in this ruin that people once laughed and lived in. Such a happy family, ruined by war. Not ruined, no for that states that something remains. Annihilated. Obliterated. Cessation of existence. Termination. You take the valuables, the only things of worth in the ruins, with you. If one day you see Alice, you will give them back to her. One day, you are still holding out hope, you will see her again. You can give her back her doll, her memories, her life. And the medal that is the embodiment of her parents’ lives.

Part II ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/22 (Tue) 21:58 No. 33697

“I still have that medal to this day. This Медаль За отвагу. But I am not courageous, no; it was Alice and her family that were courageous. I am hoping that one day I can give it to its proper owner, Alice, or place it upon her grave. It is the least that I can do. I am ashamed of that day. I got into the air force at the price of Alice. I didn’t deserve to go in. A voice of a caged girl in my dreams told me to go out of desperation, and so I went to ensure the girl would not needlessly suffer. But I will never forget. Never forget. I couldn’t protect her and her family. Forever M.I.A. Until I see their grave, or Alice’s face again and apologize, I am forever Missing In Action." You conclude your story of Stalingrad, which brings Shinki, Reimu, and Meiling to tears. Suika is uncannily depressed. You notice that you are deep in the Magic Forest. You think you hear the sounds of Danmaku flying and guns shooting.

-----

[ ] Investigate. You must help those in need!

[ ] Do not investigate. You must reach Alice’s House. This Truth can no longer wait!

------

Time to work on proofing the side story that will be merging into this story. Split into two parts because I somehow managed to exceed the character limit. On Thanksgiving break starting tommorrow, so going to be writing a lot to try and get through the rest of this day and hopefully the next (Nearly impossible goal is nearly impossible, but Red Army Will Give it a Shot!).

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/11/23 (Wed) 01:14 No. 33700

[c] Investigate. You must help those in need!

Of course!

Anonymous 2011/11/23 (Wed) 02:16 No. 33702

[x] Investigate. You must help those in need!

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/24 (Thu) 02:08 No. 33707

Calling it for
[X] Investigate. You must help those in need!

Memories ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/26 (Sat) 08:04 No. 33721

[X] Investigate. You must help those in need!

-----

This is not the time to mourn the past anymore. This is not the time to abandon your inner guide of justice for impatience. You know that patience is vital to The Great Cause. The Truth will need to wait. The People need your assistance!

“Comrades, there is a battle being fought, and people being exploited! We must investigate this immediately!” you shout to your comrades. You must take decisive actions to help the oppressed straight away.

Without any hesitation, everyone snaps out of their state of sadness into their state of action. The time for duty has called, and you are all ready to answer its call.

You and your team make your way to where you hear the sounds of battle. You go off the trail through a few bushes into an opening where you are greeted rather confusing scene.

At the center of the opening, there is a horde of fairies and one man in the middle that is alternating between using martial arts and firing a Thompson submachine gun at the fairies that keep on harassing him. He’s wiping about anyone that goes within a 5 meter perimeter with ease, but whenever he cuts a hole out of the horde of fairies with his submachine gun, more go to fill their place. You catch a quick glimpse at the person, a teenager, as he finally manages to break out of the encirclement and dive into a bush, only to be followed by the swarm. He keeps shouting at the fairies to stop bothering him, but the fairies continue to relentlessly do what they claim is ‘playing danmaku’ with him.

His gun overheats at an importune moment, and he resorts to using it as a melee weapon before slinging it over his back and going completely martial arts. You immediately recognize his style and technique. It is without a doubt Master Wong’s technique. Any fellow pupil of Master Wong is a sure comrade. With sides clear, you must help the surrounded and oppressed.

“That man surrounded by the hordes of fairies is a comrade! We must help him! Now! Open Fire at the fairies! CHARGE!” you command as you start covering the fellow pupil with your AK as you run forward. Meiling jumps straight into the fight. Shinki uses the MG and begins mowing down the fairies. Reimu begins a plain and simple beat down next to Suika, who’s smashing heads together. The horde looks like it is beginning to waver, with some fairies retreating. You join in with Meiling and the man in that was surrounded in fighting with martial arts. You remember that there was a unison attack if three pupils came together, that if you performed three techniques in quick succession that each would be more potent than if done without unity. You have a feeling that you are all pupils of the same great man, so you decide to give it a shot.

“Beginning!” you shout in Chinese as you deliver the roundhouse kick to a section of the fairies. This seems to immediately cause memories to spark in the other two.

“Continuation!” Meiling follows with a ferocious Fists of Dragon technique into the face of another group of taunting fairies

“Finale!” The Chinese comrade replies as he does a Hurricane Spin Kick through the air above Meiling and your heads, from one side of the swarm to the other. This Glorious technique knocks out most of the fairies. You could’ve sworn that the Hurricane Spin Kick was a theoretical technique, but then again many things that exist in this land are of fantasies and theories.

The fairy swarm dissipates as many of them promise not to bother wandering human travelers again. Justice has been completed here.

Reimu informs you that the fairies that were knocked out and the ones that ‘died’ will also stop bothering humans that wander into the forest, at least for a while. The ‘dead’ ones apparently respawn given enough time, abet with great pain. She also informs you while they are mischievous little fairies, that they aren’t a huge threat to a person’s life, but more of pranksters that need to be put back into line every so often.

You walk over to your comrade you had just saved. He seems to have been talking to Meiling while you were assessing the battle results with Reimu.

They seem to have a hug of sorts right before you were about to speak up. Not the romantic hug, but the kind of hug on has after meeting a long lost sibling. The way they fought, you know that they are all students of Master Wong. You are all long lost comrades.

“Comrade Meiling, I never thought I’d see you again. I have more questions, but we ought to tell our Officer Comrade” says the new comrade. You finally get to clearly see his face and a necklace he’s been wearing. He finally gets to see you with your good luck charm. You rub your eyes to make sure you aren’t hallucinating. It is him. You best buddy. They guy that never sent you a letter and assumed dead. He’s still wearing the necklace made by Alice you gave him years ago. It’s YeHuoHua ‘Peter’ Song, the teenager you fought together with against the Invading Japanese as a teenager back in Manchuria. But he only looks a year or so older than he did back then. You’ve grown into your early twenties since then. He seems to be attempting to match the teenage you, still without the scars and desperation of battle, to the war hardened, time traveled, and college attended, pilot you. You had been slightly older than him back in Manchuria, but the gap has widened another five years. However, you feel as if you are back in your teenage years, after using techniques and fighting like it was 1937 all over again.

You give your Chinese Comrade a Great Soviet Bear Hug. Manly tears of joy go down your face. He’s not dead. After all these years he is not only not dead, but thriving in Gensokyo, the land free of most Oppression, the New Mighty Motherland, The Place that The Great Ideals and The Great Dream lives on. He seems to finally understand that you are his Russian Comrade by the time that you let go.

“Comrade Alek? Comrade Alek....So you cheat death as well! I see that time has not weaken your Martial Arts, nor The Great Dream!” he replies, seeming to accept that you are a young man while he is still a teenager.

“Yes comrade, I have arrived to this glorious land as well, far into the future. But that matters not, for time and age does not wither nor drain the Great Dream or Great Ideals. Such things are immortal, for so long as one man has the will to continue, The Revolution can never die!” you reply to your Chinese comrade. It is still hard to believe that after all this time that he is alive, and not only that, but he has barely aged in comparison to you since you last saw him. It matters not, however, for The People cannot be stopped by a gap in time.

You briefly debrief him what happened to you in the last few years and you arrive in Gensokyo and how you are now on a journey to go to Alice’s house. He brief explains how he continued to fight the near hopeless war of resistance against imperialism after you had left, but it was hard to watch all of his comrades die before him. He had walked from Shanghai all the way to an unknown place in China where he ended up in Gensokyo. He also briefly summed up his experiences in the last month or two of living in Gensokyo, mainly helping Keine and Akyuu in the Human Village. When you asked for the name of ‘that man’ who was disliked by everybody and was extremely xenophobic, he told you that the person was most likely a man named ‘Kaiba’. You also have him meet Reimu, Suika, and Shinki, who had came to listen to the summaries on what happened back in the late thirties and early forties.

“This is Reimu, the head of the Red-White Party and The Great Guardian Angel of all Gensokyo. This here is my associate and comrade, the ever cheery Suika Ibuki. This is Shinki, The Friendly and benevolent Goddess of Makai. I’m sure that you’ve already met Comrade Meiling, the hard working gate keeper of The Great Scarlet Mansion that has given up on Dirty, Abusive Capitalism. Our Comrades in the Scarlet East now treat their workers with fairness and justice. The Great Red-White Party of True Communism in Gensokyo would never ally itself with anyone that supports the abuse of The People for personal material gain, so we are proud to be in an alliance with The Scarlet Devil Mansion which has given up on such practices with the proper means of giving breaks and rewarding their hard laborers, such as Meiling herself who is currently on a day’s leave from our ally’s home base. Welcome to the family, the Great Family of The People that strive to make this land a better place by pursuing The Great Ideals and The Great Dream for all!” you say as you raise Peter’s hand into the air. He seems to share similar enthusiasm to be rejoining such a just cause.

The Party begins its walk to Alice’s house. Peter speaks to Meiling about the Scarlet Devil Mansion and how a girl named Flandre and her sister, Remilia, were doing. You don’t remember meeting anybody named Flandre in the mansion, but that basement had given you bad feelings the first time you went in. It is not like there would be a vampire girl in there blowing up the entire room in a ‘playdate’ with the embodiment of an Imperial Japanese battleship, right? Your hopes are crushed but intuition confirmed when Meiling states that in the past years Flandre has been locked up in the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but a few years ago some Japanese ships had grown old enough to have spiritual embodiments, and one of them was powerful enough to ‘play’ with Flandre.

Peter seems rather dissatisfied at the fact that Flandre has been locked up in a basement, but seems to calm down slightly one Meiling explains that it was for the safety of The People, and that things have changed since 2006. She also furthers that things will become better once Peter arrives and fulfills a promise he made to Flandre to meet her again. Meiling states it is not because there is nothing wrong with Flandre, it is just that her power is too great and her control of it too elementary, causing great amounts of power to be leaked when she’s playing, not to say anything when she goes into a temper tantrum. This causes Peter to begin pondering if there is a way to help Flandre control her powers. Meiling also notes that Flandre is usually let outside of the basement, but occasionally is in her room that is the basement, which she happened to be when you, Alek, had visited yesterday. She also begins to say something about sexual innuendos and suggestive terms leaking into Flandre’s vocabulary and speech, but Shinki cuts that short by saying that they are within seeing distance of Alice’s house and that they need to be talking about the serious problem at hand.

You don’t see Alice’s house, but you assume that Shinki’s vision as the Goddess of Makai is far superior to yours as the average Soviet soldier. You don’t know who Alice will respond to seeing Shinki. You decided to go with Peter’s advice and your instinct that this Alice is the Alice you seek, the one that crafted the Great Works of artisanship, the one that was orphaned at Stalingrad, The one that is Shinki’s adopted daughter. Based on the evidence you provided Peter, he concluded that the first two are certainly the same person. The last one fills in the gap for why she disappeared without a grave. It also explains why she had glorious объектомата , an invention of Mother Russia, for she is of Russian heritage. Shinki also notes that Alice was but a child when she came into Makai. Shinki also mutters something about Yukari being her friend and helping her adopt Alice, but you can’t quite make out what she says and decide not to press the issue. The key that is missing is her aging. Goddamn it ageing, you almost made it impossible for Peter to tell that you are you and it has made it impossible for you to tell on first glance that Alice was The Alice that you seek and you’ve failed to save. Well, The Red Army never backs down from a problem. And you shall not back down against the shame of essentially dying on Alice when she needed you most.

You finally see Alice’s house in the distance. You see the western European style house you had visited but yesterday. But yesterday you had thought it was 1943, that the Great Patriotic War was still raging, and that the Scarlet Devil Mansion was a Rotten Capitalist estate. Now things have changed. You’ve made new friends, but you’ve kept and found the old. You have had the memories of your trip to Asia sent through your brain. You’ve fought and held your ground against the Scarlet Devil, and found that she really isn’t such a bad person or a diehard capitalist after all. Such Great Revolution that can occur in the time span of a mere twenty four hours!

Your team moves ever closer to the house. It seems like it is about a hundred or so meters away. The details of it become clearer and clearer. You stop thinking about what has happened, and instead look forward to The Bright Future. You take Shinki’s hand in yours. It is you and Shinki that are closest and owe Alice the most. Shinki for losing her daughter and you for letting her become an orphan in the first place. As you approach the door, you have no doubt in your mind as to who Alice is. Yesterday she had asked you who you were. Now you must confirm who Alice is.

About ten meters from the doorway, your bag suddenly becomes heavier. You halt the group and take a look. It is your trench coat that you had left back in base; it has randomly appeared in your bag. You decide to wear it and search its pockets. You find Alice’s first doll, in pristine condition, Alice’s pictures and her first sewing kit, her other valuables that you collected at Stalingrad, and a piece of paper that reads “You can thank your savior, Yukari, for this timely delivery” with a heart at the end of the sentence. You wish that you could somehow send a return message, but you decide to be happy with the fact you got the last piece of the puzzle in your hands. You have everything that you can return to Alice in your hands, a medal, a doll, and an adoptive parent. But you can never return Alice’s blood parents. You can only give her apologies. Your deepest apologies.

You knock on the door, with you and Shinki at the front of the group. The door opens as readily as it did yesterday.

This time, however, instead of a calm Alice, an Alice already at tears comes out. This time a motherly Shinki is there to hug here. This time, you are aware of your shortcomings and are ready to apologize.

“Mother....Mother....I’m sorry I used the grimoire! I’m sorry that I’m a youkai now! I’m sorry I never contacted you and made you worry! I’m sorry.....” She says as she bawls on Shinki. She cries a thousand rivers. This is no doubt that this is the Alice that has had a devastating past, and is having an undeserved sad reunion. Shinki decides to comfort her daughter.

“Hush now Alice, it’s alright. You’ve done nothing wrong. Mother still loves you. There is nothing wrong now, we’re back together now. It’s okay Alice.....It’s okay now.....We’re finally together again.....It’s okay Alice.....” Shinki says whilst hugging and gently stroking Alice.

Alice keeps crying, but it is not of sadness anymore. It is of extreme happiness of being embraced by her mother with open arms, being forgiven, and simply being loved after all this time.

A tear of happiness wells up in Reimu’s eye, as well as yours. This scene is priceless. This scene is Glorious. This reunion was too long delayed. A mother and a daughter finally reunited after all this time.

After a silent embrace that seems like forever, they finally let go enough to speak. Alice is the first to speak.

“Mother, I love you.” She says while looking directly in Shinki’s eyes.

“Alice, I love you too. Mother will never abandon you again, I promise.” Shinki replies directly into Alice’s eyes. Alice cuddles up with Shinki. It is quite heartwarming to watch. Even a soldier like you, who has seen war and many deaths in front of you, can finally cry unrestrained with the rest of your comrades.

After about five minutes of embrace and quiet talking, Alice has finally recuperated from the reunion. All the sadness, grief, and guilt for all her actions have finally left her. She was never guilty, but she felt that way. In the end, everyone was forgiven and all the misunderstandings between Alice and Shinki were cleared up. Shinki was not mad at Alice for becoming a Youkai or using the Grimoire. Rather, Shinki was happy to see her daughter grown up into a splendid, independent woman. Alice also forgave you for that day where you got shelled and couldn’t save her.

“In the end, I remember being evacuated to safety by a German officer and his Soviet fellows. I owe them my life, for they got me out of the nightmare that was Stalingrad. I wish to see those heroes again one day, as unlikely as that is. Then again, I’m sure that Mother thought I was dead and I thought that you were dead when I saw your body out cold on the ground. Well, after some changes in hands with Yukari and Mother, I finally ended up in Makai with Mother.” Alice concludes the story of her painful past over a cup of tea in her living room. It intrigues you that there was actually a Nazi and Soviet would group up for a greater good. It also intrigues you that she saw your cold body lying on the ground well over a few hours after being shelled. Just like how her bullets flew like sniper shots. How did you get to the hospital? How and why did the bullets fly like sniper rounds? You almost thought you heard a small giggle in the back of your mind. Yukari’s giggle. Ugh....she must’ve giggled a lot while you were drinking barrels of vodka yesterday at the party. Well, no time to worry about your drinking problems, you should present the things that belong to Alice now.

“Alice, these things belong to you.” You say as you present her the doll, the pictures, the sewing kit, the other valuables, and the Medal of Courage.

Alice is as first shocked, as is the rest of your group at the fact that you have so many things to return to her, but the shock wears off on Alice, who accepts her things back, except the medal and the doll.

“Why do you not accept the doll and the medal, comrade Alice?” you ask her. Alice is most certainly the rightful owner of both.

“Because Alek, I believe that you have rightfully earned both. You stayed behind to protect me and my family until the very end. I thought you had died when I saw your cold, limp body. You had great courage to stay behind and protect us to the very end of your ability. You have earned the two things, Alek. Have faith in yourself.” Alice says, to your surprise.

You decide that there is no reason to go against Alice’s wishes, so you will take care of the two items. Alice says that she needs to talk to Shinki in private for a bit, so you and your group heads out the house to give Shinki and Alice their private time.

-----

After about five minutes of discussing random things with your teammates, some of it about the residents of the Human village, Shinki comes out of the house, as cheery and happy as ever. Alice also looks rather happy. Alice calls you over and she has something in her arms. It is a Russian Uniform, but it is slightly too small for you. More like the size of teenager.

“Alice, comrade, I cannot wear these clothes” you tell her

“These clothes weren’t made for you, they were made for Peter. I actually used it as a reason to call you over.” Replies Alice

“Ah. What is it comrade?” you ask Alice

“I just wanted to tell you to have good luck with Shinki, and that you have my approval” replies Alice. You can only wonder what she has given her approval on, but she shoves the clothes into your hands and tells you to give it to Peter and be on your way.

So you deliver the clothes to Peter, and hold hands with Shinki and Reimu as your party walks to the Human Village.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/26 (Sat) 22:51 No. 33723

As you approach the village’s outskirts, you notice that there is a dispute of sorts already going on in the town center. Peter scopes in with his sniper to give you a recon on the situation.

“Comrade Alek, to be blatant, a great dispute has broken loose in the village. People are crowded around the center of town around a stage and podium of sorts, my Russian Comrade. Ah Shit, there is Kaiba on stage.... it appears as if he has captured and tied up Keine, Byakuren and Youmu!” Peter shouts.

Well, a problem has arisen, and you must figure out a way to solve it. Quickly, for time is running out.

“Comrade Peter, do you have a plan for this? They have comrades Keine, Youmu, and....Byakuren? held as hostages, so we can’t just shoot him down.” You ask your comrade. He had gotten your army of six through Manchuria and back with pure intelligence.

“I have a plan, comrade Alek. It is risky, but it is our only option here to make sure that the hostages get out safely.” He replies as he quickly details the plan.

He’s going to liberate and free the victims as you face off the hippopotamus in a debate. Perfect plan. Liberate the Oppressed and crush crony capitalism and oppression in one blow! You knew that your Chinese Comrade would be able to come up with such a genius plan.

“So, will anyone try to defend these filthy vermin? Or do we have the consensus that we shall put an end to these filthy things, these liars?” asks Kaiba to The Chained People as you reach the stage. Kaiba, this ‘man’, must be stopped.

“I. I SHALL STAND AGAINST YOU!” You shout as you jump from the audience onto the stage.

The audience gasps as you stand to face the punitive, short, and stubbly most surely overweight ‘man’. This radical idea of disobedience and revolution must be new to these people. These people do not know that they cannot have liberty while still chained to the ground by this oppressor! You must enlighten them before their oppressor can attack!

“Comrades, today we are gathered here. We are not gathered here to execute our fellow garden, teacher, and shrine runner, but rather here to realize WHAT A SAD STATE WE ARE IN TODAY! Our equality has collapsed, the People, YOU, are being led by fear of one man! Let this blind man lead the blind, because in his world he believes that he is superior. It is eye for an eye in his pathetic existence. If we live this way, under the thumb of one man, under the oppression of one man, under the will of one man, then we are not close to free or equal. Do you want to live chained to the ground? For if you don’t then your own chain must quiver in your own hands, and its links must be shattered the will of The People! We must fight to be equal and free! We will take action to the streets, OUR streets. We will take action on the farms, OUR farms. We shall take action in this village, OUR village, not this lone man’s village! And should he continue to try to oppress, we will fight him in the forests. We will fight him on the mountaintops. We will fight him on the beaches. And we will end we will have our equality. And we, We, WE, WILL. HAVE. OUR. JUSTICE!”

“See now, this man is trying to incite class warfare-

“Class warfare? Of Course this is ‘class warfare’ because there are still social classes that bind The People to the ground! There are two classes, The Worker and the Oppressor! This is class warfare, and we are proud to overthrow the Oppressor! So try to push us down, for we will come back right up!”you shout. The crowd remains silent. They still must not have realized the greatness of The People’s Will. You decide to try again. Staring in a very soft voice you speak,

“Are you out there? Are you listening? Do you still not understand what we are missing? Equality has fallen, and Freedom is chained, yet can we not understand this sad state that we are in? Will continue to make believe that everything is alright? We will stand here and surrender out wills to this trash here one by one? Is this the point where we give up on freedom and equality now? Is this the point where you give into the corrupt filth of his oppression now? Is this the time where you turn your hearts and souls into the Yama now and live as an empty shell? OR is this the time to question the corrupt Oppressors? OR is this the time to seek The Answers, Seek the Truth? OR IS THIS THE TIME TO OVERTHROW THIS OPPRESSOR NOW? WILL YOU FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM NOW? WILL YOU BREAK OFF ALL YOUR CHAINS NOW? WILL WE FINALLY STAND UP NOW? WILL WE ARISE FROM THESE ASHES THAT WE’VE BECOME AND UNITE TOGETHER NOW? YES! THIS IS POINT WHERE WE STAND UP NOW! THIS IS THE POINT WHERE WE TAKE BACK THE UNREVOCABLE BIRTH RIGHTS OF FREEDOM, LIBERTY, AND EQUALTIY GIVEN TO EVERY MAN, WOMEN, CHILD, YOUKAI, GOD, GHOST, TO EVER EXIST! THIS IS THE POINT WHERE WE TAKE BACK THE THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING US FROM BEING FREE!

Teachers, Farmers, Artisans, Workers, Shopkeepers, Youkai, Humans, Gods, Spirits, WE ARE ALL EQUAL; WE ALL UNITE! We Shall NOT CRY For the Oppressor, We Shall NOT BOW to the Oppressor, We Shall NOT CRAWL for the Oppressor, AND WE SHALL NEVER GIVE UP ON OUR FREEDOM! ARISE, VICTIMS OF LIES AND OPPRESSION! ARISE, FOR THIS THING FEAR OUR MIGHT! ARISE, FOR YOU HAVE NOTHING IF YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS! LET THIS OPPRESSION, LET THIS RACIAL IGNORACE, LET THESE LIES BE ENDED, HERE AND NOW! YOUKAI AND HUMAN, FREEDOM AND THE PEOPLE, NOW AND FOREVER, WALK HAND IN HAND!” You declare to the crowd, which arises to fight Kaiba’s armed guards head on. Or so it seemed, for the guards turn around and join their brethren. The Angry Mob, The Angry Masses, The ANGRY People encroach on the oppressor’s last stand.

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Hear me out for a second! What does this man have to say about Yukari? How can we be equal with Youkai if this man cannot justify Yukari’s antics that annoy us all?” The rat says as a last ditch desperation. No matter. The Great Benefactor’s actions are easily and clearly defined and just. This man’s punitive brain does not understand the Greatness of her actions. Sometimes. However, his rotten words instill hesitation in The People.

Everyone goes silent as they listen for your response to the question. Goddamn it Yukari, what did you do to terrorize the People. You WILL see to it that her faults are laid out before her. But not before you defend her from The Oppressor.

“Simply because you can breathe through your wretched throat, it does NOT mean you are alive, that you really live. You, and because of you, WE exist on our KNEES because of your WRETCHED OPPRESSION, not LIVE as we should, would, and WILL without you. Such an existence has taken its toll on the will and courage of all people. Yukari just doesn’t know how much more she can give to The People who remain chained to the ground from your Oppression. Yukari believes at heart and acts at heart for the greater good of all residents of Gensokyo, Youkai and man alike. Without her, none of us would exist. We would all be consumed by Greed and Selfishness. Nor would we physically exist. It is without her and Reimu, The Great Guardian Angel, not the ‘Demonic Angry Bitch’ as you so claim that we can exist in peace in this world and not exist in a state of chaos and constant war. But no one thanks them. They can only see the fake sides that you have created to make yourself look better. You have twisted their words and actions to attempt to appear as a better person. But your fake appearance may change, but your rotten core stays the same, in shame. But Yukari, while she may be mired in a coat of dirt and lies, is a good person at heart. She, while her methods may sometimes be disagreeable, is truly a just comrade that I am proud to stand by. And Thus, Yukari, The Great Benefactor of all our lives, is now our friend. No, she was always our friend, we just never realized it. But now we can. The Need for Revolution has been called; it rises through the coffins of dirt, lies, and oppression. This Revolution to break free of your wretched oppression has begun today.” You say, to the man’s face

“Do you have a response to this? Because if you think your words of Oppression can make a difference now, then you are wrong. There is Great Strength in the wills of the people. This is hope in the pleading cries for justice of a thousand people! Can you feel this truth beginning to unravel? The People are finally free!” you cry out.

You await his response After a good minute of silence, you declare what you have heard.

“This Sound, of his tongue, being bitten is all I hear.” You declare to the people.

However, before they can cheer, you hold your hand out to silence them. You walk over to Youmu, Keine, and Byakuren and seeing that Peter has untied them all and that they are all unharmed, you continue your speech.

“These are the people that are now your brothers and sisters. We are all equal now. They are not liars, they are not filth. The only filth there is in this land are the Oppressors. But even that can change. There is still hope for everyone. But the Oppressors must change themselves. This man, Kaiba, I still hold out a hope that you can be saved. That maybe one day, even you can find redemption. Perhaps spread the wealth you have earned, start accepting the others that as equals for they are, treating your workers better, maybe even starting a charity with all the money you have accumulated. Perhaps comrade Byakuren can help you with leading a better life. But We, The People, have no more need for your Oppression, for your racist ignorance. We are finally past that. This is racism’s last nail in its coffin, its coffin, grave and existence to be extinguished from the hearts of the people.” You conclude. The People cheer to the end of the Oppressor’s supremacist views, and Kaiba tears up, but refuses to cry. The man apologies to The People and to the people he bond up, in particular Byakuren, and afterwards leaves for his house. The People disperse from the scene and return to their everyday lives. After about five or so minutes, there are only you, your team, and the three people that were captured.

You go over to Byakuren, Keine, and Youmu who are standing by your team.

“Good job Alek!” cheers Shinki from the group when you are about a few meters from the group.

“Thanks Shinki” you reply before going to talk to Byakuren, Keine, and Youmu

“Are you guys alright?” you ask, for the well being of your comrades is deeply important to you.

They affirm that they are all okay.

“So, Alek is your name?” ask Byakuren. That’s right, although Peter had told you about her, this is your first time meeting her

“Yes, comrade Byakuren. We both stand for the same things, peace, love, justice, equality, and freedom.”

“Indeed, Alek, you speech was quite moving. Protecting Yukari and forgiving a man that I thought you would at the very least beat up, but instead giving a speech and a chance at his redemption are quite heroic things of you to do. You speak with vigor and passion, but stand by your beliefs of redemption and equality for all. A person like you should visit mine shrine sometime.” says Byakuren. You make a mental note to visit there, like you made a mental note to visit the Moyria Shrine and revisit the Scarlet Devil Mansion with Peter and go to visit Keine. You got lots to do.

“So, I’m going to deliver the groceries to the shrine now, so I’ll see you later Alek” says Youmu, who breaks your train of thought and speeds off with a mountain of food in a bag that was hiding behind the stage. Good Shinki, she can run fast.

“So I think you’re wondering why we got all tied up and didn’t just break out with our superhuman strength. Well, that’s because they captured Byakuren first, who decided to be a pacifist unless her life or way of life was endangered, and started a peaceful protest. So When Youmu and I got captured, we decided against ripping out Kaiba’s throat out in favor of being civil and joining the non-violent protest.” States Keine.

“Ah. That makes sense.” You reply to Miss Keine. You didn’t notice it before, but her glasses look.....fitting on her.

“Peter spoke highly of you, and now I can see why. I’m sure that Keine agrees. Of course, we thought that you were dead back then. It is a happy day to know that another advocate of peace and equality is still out there” says Byakuren with a smile. You’re glad that they are all safe.
Well, Byakuren and Shinki exchange regards, as they seem to be old if unlikely friends. They also both seem to be friends with Yukari, but you won’t press. Keine has business left over to take care of at the school, even if she doesn’t have classes today. Byakuren also must attend to her temple. You should probably accompany one or the other, as you still need to find out what those markings mean. You look at the sun and you think you might have enough time to visit both, but you are not quite sure. You should probably plan the place you are going to as the only place you are going to in the human village today, and most likely for a while because it seems as if the Moyria shrine visit and the Scarlet Devil Mansion visit will be taking up most of your time before your trip to the netherworld which will take up a lot of time. Who should you accompany?

[ ] Keine. You promised her first after all back at the shrine. Plus, a school teacher’s knowledge and friends’ knowledge would be most helpful to your comprehension of the Gensokyo and its system of power. You’ve vaguely remember the term powerhouse to describe the groups of people in this land. This may be critical to your knowledge. You feel that she will be able to answer your question about the runes on the paper, but it might not be comprehensive as if Byakuren did it.

[ ] Byakuren. She’s a temple saint and is important because she most likely knows more about the runes that have appeared on the paper. Not to mention, she’s Shinki’s old friend. You’ve already briefly met Keine, but barely know Byakuren. You feel like she might be able to answer your question about the politics of Gensokyo and the People of it, but not even close to as comprehensively as Keine.

Anonymous 2011/11/26 (Sat) 23:43 No. 33724

[x] Byakuren. She’s a temple saint and is important because she most likely knows more about the runes that have appeared on the paper. Not to mention, she’s Shinki’s old friend. You’ve already briefly met Keine, but barely know Byakuren. You feel like she might be able to answer your question about the politics of Gensokyo and the People of it, but not even close to as comprehensively as Keine.

'Tis was a hard choice but I went with my gut.

Serial ATA !umMKyLfC5. 2011/11/26 (Sat) 23:57 No. 33725

[c] Byakuren. She’s a temple saint and is important because she most likely knows more about the runes that have appeared on the paper. Not to mention, she’s Shinki’s old friend. You’ve already briefly met Keine, but barely know Byakuren. You feel like she might be able to answer your question about the politics of Gensokyo and the People of it, but not even close to as comprehensively as Keine.

Getting to know Shinki's old friend is always good. If we have time after that, visit Keine at the village.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/11/27 (Sun) 22:53 No. 33726

Calling it for:
[x] Byakuren

Don't expect an update until next weekend though

Anonymous 2011/11/30 (Wed) 01:35 No. 33731

>>33726

Hooray!

Update ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/04 (Sun) 09:58 No. 33758 ▼

Image Source

File 132299271721.jpg - (250.55KB, 561x500 , 14208760.jpg)

[X] Byakuren
[X] Surprise
------

You decide that you should go with Byakuren. After all, Shinki’s good friends are your good friends. Plus, she is a communist at heart, even if she does not call it that. Perhaps she is much more peaceful. You thus in turn decide that you will have to meet Keine and her companion that is Peter’s employer, Akyuu, later. Byakuren also may have the key to meaning behind the characters written on the paper.

And thus, you set out with Byakuren and head towards Myouren Temple.

“So, how do you and Shinki know each other?” you ask Byakuren on the road to the temple.

“Well, I was sealed up by racist humans a long time ago to a corner of Makai, and Shinki was the only one able to visit me. She too was misunderstood and hated by the ignorant humans of the time. She and I have many things in common. We’ve been friends for hundreds of years, for it was but recently that I have been released from Makai and Makai itself has been unsealed after years of complete sealing. She has taught me how to defend my cause and the lives of my students and me. In a way, she is both a teacher and friend of mine.” Replies Byakuren as she is suddenly hugged by the ever cheery Shinki.

“So now that you know our relationship of being good friends, I need to pull her aside to talk about a few private matters, Alek. Don’t worry about it though~” says Shinki cheerily as she drags Byakuren off to the side of the road. Byakuren says that the topic is a long one after Shinki tells her in a whisper that you cannot make out, and Byakuren tells you to go to the temple before her. She quickly lets notifies you that the temple is down the road and that her disciples while welcome you in before she is dragged to the edge of the rather wide road you are on.

-----

As you continue the rather long walk to the temple, you notice that Reimu is still holding you hand. Suika seems to have dragged Peter ahead to the temple, leaving you alone with Reimu to walk down this path with lush green trees on either side.

“Alek” says Reimu as she shifts her body uncomfortably close to you.

“Yes Reimu?” you reply to her.

“You......You aren’t going to leave me just because you’ve stopped that man....right?” she asks with uncertainty in her voice. A cold breeze passes through the both of you. She tightens her grip on your hand, as if afraid you will let go. You respond in like kind.

“Of course I won’t leave you. I’m here for you, Reimu. Always.” You reply to Reimu, who has a light blush of sorts on her face. She’s very cute when she shows her soft side and blushes. Not that you mind her harsher side.

“Alek.....do you mind me holding on to you?” asks Reimu with even more uncertainty.

“No Reimu, I don’t mind at all. You needn’t worry so much.” You reply to her, but it doesn’t calm her down.

You and Reimu continue to walk a bit further in silence, with Reimu holding on to your hand tightly, before Reimu asks you another question.

“Alek......do you have anyone .....special?” asks Reimu, with weak, watery eyes.

You stop walking, and Reimu does to. You’ve stopped under a lone, large tree on the top of a green, grassy hill. The wind blows through the field of grass you are in, and the grass rustles in response. It seems as if you have strayed off the path. But that matters not. You look up to the cloudless, seemingly infinite, clean, blue sky as if there was an answer.

“Special?”

“Yeah, like you....love.....” Reimu replies with a fierce blush on her face.

“I.....I do not know what love is anymore. I thought I once knew. Then that person I had once loved died from the hands of men, whose hands will forever be stained with the blood of an innocent. Am I still capable of love? So I deserve love? A war killer like me? I am not sure. But I know that you deserve love. I know that you deserve a future. I know that you should not be abused by some drunkard soldier like me. You deserve better than some alcoholic Russian Soldier that may die for his cause and his dreams any day. Reimu, you are worth then times my own life. You shouldn’t feel bound or tethered to me simply because I made a stand for you.”

“Then tell me...what I am supposed to do with all these feelings for you? Tell me....what I am supposed to do once this nightmare has ended?” asks Reimu, as she leans over to your ear as she tightly hugs your entire body to whisper quietly in your ear,” What if......what if I......I love you? Simply for who you are?”

“Reimu......I.....” you can’t say anything. You are choking now. You are not good at things like love. You’ve been fighting bloody wars for years. You can’t remember your peaceful childhood.

“It’s alright Alek. I know that you can’t speak your mind. It’s because of Shinki, isn’t it? She’s tying you down with her powers, isn’t she?”

“No Reimu, it’s not like that....she truly loves me and has been misunderstood and hated just like you. I am the one that is there to accept her love that she can finally express-

“Then why won’t you accept my love? What does that MILF have that I don’t? Big Boobs and-

“It isn’t like that. She truly loves me like you do-

“Then why won’t you accept my love?”

“Because it isn’t right for one man to tie down so many women that are infatuated-

“I’m more than infatuated with you...”

“Still, I refuse to oppress women as lower than I by having more than one wife-

“So why can’t that one person be me?”

“Because I can only pick one and Shinki was first-

“So my love was too slow? Can Love, Dreams, Hopes, and Causes be too slow?”

“Of course not-

“Is it truly that great of a burden on you to have more than one wife?”

“Of course it is! How can I be equal to my fellow female comrades when I, for lack of a better term, ‘womanize’ and monopolize so many of them and their beautiful hearts and souls? I am an honest and down to earth, if a bit proud, Soviet Soldier, not a womanizer. I respect the peoples, regardless of age, race or sex. I stand firm by the idea that I shall not oppress many women with such false promises of love of only them when I know that my heart is split. In the name of-

“In the name of Equality?”

“Yes, comrade Reimu! See even you see why-

“If we were equal and you were not oppressing me, then I could be free to choose my life, right?”

“Yes?”

“What if I believe in the freedom of my expression of love? What if I feel like you are oppressing it by not letting me love you? What if I don’t mind....sharing...you....?”

You are shocked. Gaping mouthed, shrunken pupils. While the whole damn revelation is a rather large surprise to begin with, but the fact that she not only told you that she loved you when you swore that it was mere infatuation, she has gone has far as to reduce the Soviet Strong argument for her own freedom and make an argument using the same ideals for you to have multiple wives. You would be less shocked if you got hit by a thunderbolt, or even some legendary mythical oarfish thing that probably exists in Gensokyo. You are so shocked that the only response you can come up with, said in a dumbstruck voice that matches your thoughts, is a mere, “What?” The very thought of this plan actually going through makes your cheeks burn of embarrassment.

“I’ve been isolated, mislead, and unloved all my life. Bullied, taunted, hurt. My heritage as the last Hakurei, the last one to maintain this border that allows Gensokyo’s very existence, put me in a hard situation with the other students and their families. It doesn’t help that my parents died when I was really young. Keine and Genji became my guardians of sorts until I was old enough to live on my own. That is why I got stronger. So they would stop hurting me. But no one would be my friend. It wasn’t until Marisa and others came about did I finally have friends. I thought that I had found what I was missing after all this time. But that was a mere illusion, for my heart was still hollow. But you came along. You’ve showed me what I was without. I don’t care if you must satisfy others like Shinki, Yukari, or Suika, but you are the only one for me. You don’t need to tell me your decision now......just promise that you will never abandon me” says a teary-eyed miko as she looks up to you in her hugging of you.
You. You may be close to a filthy womanizer, you may not know who you truly love yet, you have so much that you have yet to find out, but you can promise that much. You are not that low as to abandon your comrades.

“Reimu......I promise not to abandon you. This is what I am. A fogged symmetry, a man that has seen little more than war and death from his life. But I will never abandon you. Never. Until I die, I will be here for you.” You say as you hug Reimu back. You can feel her warmth on your body and the warmth of her breath on your neck. It truly warms your heart. Now that you think of it, this is the only time you’ve had to spend time with Reimu alone besides that time in the courtyard under the starry sky. But that was different then, for you were about to witness a great revelation then, and your time with Reimu was limited. Now, there is no limit. Now, everyone else will have to wait. You will come clean with Shinki about this. You are not a deceitful womanizer; you bring Truth and Hope, not deceit and fraudulent love.

Glomp.

You feel another person hug you and Reimu at the same time.

It’s Shinki. You see Byakuren over Shinki’s Shoulder, smiling happily away. Is this how they give the moments before a sinner’s death in Gensokyo?

“Shinki, I’m sor-

“Don’t worry Alek, if I wanted you dead for something like this, then I’d have you in Makai the instant that you where left alone with another woman. I don’t mind that you like Reimu or that she loves you, because she willing to share with me!” Replies Shinki with a cheery vigor that you feel is completely mood breaking.

“What about you, Byakuren? How can you just stand there happily as Shinki and Reimu are trying to shove polygamy down my throat? Surely this must go against one of you beliefs?”

“It would go against my beliefs if one of them was selfish and controlled the love. It is not wrong for True Love to be expressed. In fact, back in my day, true love was encouraged. Things that are ‘taboo’ today were normal, encouraged even, back in the day if they were for pure reasons. Polygamy is bad if the male dominates the unwilling women, but if it used by the women to share a man in true love together, while preventing one of them from losing out, than that is a pure cause.” Replies Byakuren, who then continues, “You meant every word you said to these people that you love, right? Because if you are not considering them seriously......Then Only Awful Damnation Awaits” finishes Byakuren in a rather intimidating voice.

“I.....I am not sure if this feeling I have for them all is love....but I do know that I stand by every last word an promise I have made to them. All of them. I care for them all deeply. But love is something that comes in days, weeks, months, and years, not hours. However, the promises made will be kept. Until the day I die, I will be there for them.” You reply to Byakuren, who seems to take it as a confirmation.

The hug dislodges, and Reimu seems to look and feel a lot better. You all set out for Myouren temple, with Reimu and Shinki in hand. Now it means something. You hold their and ant their hands hold yours, not because you are there to protect them or enlighten them, but because you are there to fill the holes in their hearts.

-----

When you reach the temple, you see Suika and Peter in a dispute with....
A Nazi.

You tell your group to hold up and wait at the place you were at, a good distance away. This is your battle.

You suppress your trained reaction to turn the Nazi into a bloody smear on the wall, after all, the soldiers did nothing wrong. It is their leaders that deceived them that had done great wrong. You approach the group and they notice you.

The Nazi seems to be making fun of Peter and praising Germany. Peter seems to be replying calmly to the insults. However, he is making a bold stand against Fascism. The Nazi soldier begins humming the anthem of his wretched Reich until Peter slaps him in the face.

WHAT SHIT IS THAT? YOU SHOULD SING THIS! THIS GLORIOUS TRUTH, DECIEVED GERMAN COMRADE! shouts Peter before singing in counter. Not you like understood a single word of German.

It roars through the world,
their powerthirsty shouting!
On their traces is fire and death!
Slavery follows their hordes,
and gallows, destruction, and death!

With deceit and fraud!
With treacherous murder and blood!
They dishonoured The Fatherland in front of the whole world!
They robbed and plundered goods,
and sent millions into the battlefield!

You, peoples of the world!
Arm yourselves with guns,
Smash the fascist brood!
You, German soldier, liberate
your country, break fiery rage, stop the bloodbath!
Strike the dogs which sent you into this war dead,
and the peoples will be happy and free!

Turn the rifle, deceived soldier!
Criminals govern the Fatherland!
To follow such leaders is high treason,
and pointless death at the Volga beach!

Come over if you're no worker's enemy!
It's not a betrayal, if with will and action,
for a free Fatherland, people unite themselves,
and put an end to Hitler state!

You, peoples of the world!
Arm yourselves with guns,
Smash the fascist brood!
You, German soldier, liberate
your country, break fiery rage, stop the bloodbath!
Strike the dogs which sent you into this war dead
and the peoples will be happy and free!

And thus Peter ends his song, and background music stops emanating from what you believe is called a ‘CD player’.

The Nazi is in sheer awe. Whatever Peter had sung must have struck the Nazi to his very core.

You walk in to the ‘conversation’. This is where you will deliver the final blow to the Nazi’s illusion of The Fascist Reich.

“Would Byakuren bless a murder of the innocents? Would Byakuren bless a war based on racism and pride? Would Byakuren bless your Fatherland’s power-hungry Dictator? NO!” You speak to the Nazi as he shakes.

“Would Byakuren bless your nonexistent court system? Byakuren bless the human furnaces you burn? Byakuren bless the corruption of your political system? Byakuren bless the sweatshops and concentration camps you run? Byakuren Bless Nazi Germany? NOOOOOO!”

The Nazi then shakes so violently that she...... turns into a girl with asymmetric wings as she bursts into laughter? What?

That is, until Byakuren walks over and taps the Nazi on the shoulder, who then drops into a cold chill.

“Nue, didn’t I tell you not to go around and ‘troll’ people?”

“But....But it’s so fun to see their overreactions.”

Byakuren just sighs and gives ‘Nue’ a smile. Not the happy kind of smile, or the ‘you’re-going-to-die’ smile, but the motherly, abet tired and disappointed smile.

Byakuren leads you all into the temple for tea. As you are walking in, Peter gets over to you and whispers, “Just because Reimu and Shinki are vocal about their feelings doesn’t mean you should forget the quieter ones”

Quieter ones? Does he mean.....Suika? Ah shoot, you haven’t gotten to spend time with her either. You’re day’s just been a whirlwind of events. You notice the little oni in the group walking in, and you pick her up and give her a piggyback. She seems to cheer up, and on that note, everyone enters the temple.

---------------
Time to Sleep

Anonymous 2011/12/04 (Sun) 10:06 No. 33759

How interesting...

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/12 (Mon) 00:36 No. 33789

Due to unforeseen circumstances of sickness and other matters, there will be no update this weekend nor the next. Well, don't expect an update.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/15 (Thu) 05:50 No. 33792

So I'm slacking off from an essay due tommorrow, so I decided I'd like to clarify some things.

1) The Yukari POV is scrapped, but a Yukari scene or three are in the works

2) The year of this story is 2008. The year of LSL is 2010. The year of LSL:Side Story is 2006. The year of ACiG: Side Story ends its historic portion in 1938 and ends the brief summary of life in Gensokyo in present day ACiG.

3) >>33713 The SDM Crew was looking for a way into Gensokyo, for according to Perfect Memento in a Strict Sense, it is thought that Remilia and crew snuck into Gensokyo during the 'Vampire Incident' (The one mentioned in Reimu's profile in PMiaSS, which is not the same as the Scarlet Mist incident). Therefore, their search for a way into a land where Youkai are not persecuted took them to China.

In case you don't know who Peter is ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/19 (Mon) 05:31 No. 33794

I know this is a pretty late notice, but You should go read the Side Story Thread here: >>33708

And Yes, I promise I've been writing recently and I haven't burnt out. If all goes well, I should have the update by next weekend

I Updated ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/24 (Sat) 06:14 No. 33798 ▼

Image Source

File 132470729418.jpg - (73.98KB, 450x334 , 1868.jpg)

Every strike of the keyboard is a strike against The Oppressor and for The Neglected!

-----

You watch as Byakuren, your ever friendly host, places the tea on the table. It has been fifteen or so minutes since you entered the temple, and not much has happened save for Nue being sent to her room with the promise of scolding. Besides that, the preparation of tea was the only action of notable importance.

Everybody sits around the table. You take a quick person count. You have Peter, Suika, Reimu, Shinki, Yourself, and Byakuren. Strange... you feel like you’re missing someone.

“So, I assume you have a reason for coming all this way?” asks Byakuren as she sits down herself, taking a sip of the tea.

“Indeed Comrade Byakuren. Princess Yuyuko directed me to you for help with reading this.” You say as you pass the piece of paper with the symbols to her.

“These... I haven’t seen these in a long time” Byakuren replies as she takes out a pen and some blank paper from a drawer beside her.

“What is the origin of those symbols?” you ask, hoping to find out a general timeframe.

“These are ancient ancestors of modern Chinese and Japanese Kanji. Even though the characters are all able to be ‘translated’ back and forth on a one to one basis, the stylistic changes make it hard for a person in the modern day, even if they are a native speaker and writer, to read characters older than the Han Dynasty about 2200 years ago. That is the point where the clerical script began to come into use, replacing the much more stylistic seal characters that are mostly unintelligible to the vast majority of modern readers. These characters’ style is that of the seal script, making them unintelligible to anyone here besides me and Shinki. That is, unless we have anyone here that studies seal script and calligraphy in their free time.” Byakuren replies, as she neatly arranges the blank paper on her side of the desk and begins transcribing the symbols into modern script.

“Actually, I’ve skimmed over a few books on Calligraphy and Seal Characters,” says Peter.

“Well Peter, you don’t really count because you’ve mastered four languages and are attempting a fifth while juggling school, swordsmanship academy, self martial arts sessions, collaboration projects with that Kappa, the occasional mediation session with Byakuren here, learning about the two religions that are in Gensokyo right now, not to mention having time to spare hanging out with Alice and Marisa. Heck, you even built your own house and grow food in the forest. All of this while working for and with Keine and Akyuu. And you didn’t make an incident like the average outsider would. Seriously, what’s wrong you?” Reimu asks and states the question as if it was normal for incidents to occur when there are outsiders.

“There is nothing wrong with me, Comrade Reimu. One of the most basic tactics is efficient use of resources. In this case, I’ve made quite effective use of my time. Also, not trying to get off track, but how do you know so much about me?” Peter asks as he is definitely curious as to why Reimu knows so much about him. You’d like to know why too.

“Eh, Yukari likes to keep tabs on her Outsiders and make lots of offhand comments on them. I used to keep a weekly check on you, because Outsiders have a tendency to cause incidents within the first month or two of their arrival in Gensokyo. That is assuming they survive that long, because many don’t make it past a few days.” Reimu replies apathetically to the question, as if this was just another day as The Hakurei Priestess. She then proceeds to comment, “Also, it’s pretty hard to miss a house being built on the human village and Forest of Magic’s border, especially since I fly through that area quite frequently.”

“Are you telling me that Comrade Yukari is stalking me?” asks Peter, who is most certainly bothered by that thought. You are as hell bothered by the thought of Yukari always watching you too. If true, Yukarin’s being more paranoid than Stalin on a bad day.

“Yeah, didn’t you learn about that in all those textbooks or history lessons with Keine?” replies Reimu as if Peter of all people should know.

“Yeah, but I assumed that was in the past. Surely she must have changed by now?” Peter asks with a positive view of Yukari and her possible reformation from her past self. Hopefully, for both Peter and yourself, Reimu shall instead claim that she was merely teasing you in saying that Yukari is still ingrained with mistrust and disbelief in The People. If Reimu confirms the other, Peter’s image of Yukari being a changed person will be shattered, along with his positive attitude towards life. You know this firsthand back in China, for when things didn’t go the way his positive view of life thought it would, he had the tendency to drop into full blown paranoid cynic mode. Not that such is a completely bad thing, for you can attribute your skin being saved more than once because of such paranoia. Perhaps a better description would be that his brain goes into overdrive, calculating possibilities, and he prepares for the worst.

“Yukari? Changing her antics? Yeah, maybe she’ll change when she gets a lover that actually loves her.” Reimu replies to the question in a tone that is partly serious and partly making fun of Yukari. Peter’s image of Yukari is clearly shattered back into what you can only assume is the textbook version of Yukari in which she is depicted as nothing less than an incompetent leader and a villain. You’re officially expecting the tactician to go into overdrive mode. Well, at least he normally remains calm when entering such a state, as when he created his counter plans in the middle of firefights back in China. Then again, Yukari herself is far from a normal ‘adversary’, and such a difference could incite a different reaction from Peter.

“Uuuu— Reimu, why are you so mean to me?”

Speak of the Fascist, it’s Yukari.

“YUKARIN!!!!!” You shout, hoping to get her attention, because you have so much that you wish to discuss with her.

“Oh, my little ace is here? I figured that’d he’d be back at the shrine cleaning his plane. Well, looks like now is when I make my exit~” Yukari says as she opens a gap and begins to step into it.

You dive to the spot where Yukari was at the moment that the gap closes. You don’t understand why she is so unwilling to have a nice, pleasant chat about all the things that have happened.

“Needed to talk to Yukari?” asks Reimu, who helps you up.

“It would be nice if Comrade Yukari stopped running away long enough for me to ask her a few questions.” You reply to Reimu as she helps dust you off.

“Don’t worry then, she’ll be back soon enough. She probably wanted to talk to you alone for privacy reasons if she refused to talk here, in this temple that is filled with only her friends that she can trust. Yes, even Reimu who makes fun of her.” says Byakuren, who continues. “I suppose that we should get back to the topic of the characters on the paper now, no?”

“Yes Comrade, let us finish what we came here for.” You say as you and Reimu sit down at the table again.

It seems in the time that Peter and Reimu had been very busily discussing about what Peter did and about Yukari’s antics, Byakuren had been diligently writing down the old characters’ modern counterparts on the blank sheet of paper. You vaguely recognize these characters.

“This part, all the way to the left (イ), means ‘human’ or ‘person’; the one to the right of it (言) means ‘words’ or ‘language’. Combined, they make Xin (信), which means ‘belief’ or ‘trust’. The other character is made up of a standing man (イ) again, and the character for ‘high’ or ‘high-priced’ (卬), making the character Yang (仰), which in turn means ‘to look up to’ or ‘to admire’ but can also mean ‘to rely upon’. Together, the two characters make the term XinYang(信仰), or in Japanese, ShinKo, which means ‘faith’,” Byakuren elegantly explains to the people sitting around the table.

Faith? Belief? Believe? Sacchin..... Sacchin said something about that. Believe in her. Sacchin was pretty good at calligraphy as well. Hmmm...

Peter chips into the analysis of the paper, stating, “Also worth noting that while in Chinese, god or goddess (神) is read as ‘shen’ and 信 is read as ‘xin’, both characters can be read in Japanese as ‘Shin’, as in Shintoism (神道) for 神 and信 in Shinko. Just thought I would throw that possible connection in given the religious and believing nature of both terms and all the characters involved.

“Furthermore, given the nature that she wrote the two characters down, which would most certainly require a greater presence in this dimension than if she were to let you know by talking to you in your sleep, when we are least connected to this dimension and closer to the realm of spirits. This therefore brings up the question, ‘Why did she write it down?’, which is only furthered by the fact that I suspect that she DID tell you in a dream.”

“Yeah, she told me in my dream to believe in her, Comrade Peter” you say to confirm that information as you remember Sacchin saying to believe in her.

“Now with our suspicions confirmed, there would be no reason in writing down the message simply for the superficial meaning of ‘faith’ or ‘believe’. There is a greater meaning to this. And that meaning lies within the parts of the characters that Miss Byakuren kindly explained to us. Many times, a character or two can mean an entire prophecy. I think this is such a case. I’m sure you already know what the overarching theme of the term, faith, means to you, even if just partially of the whole journey. We can assume that the standing man (イ) radicals mean that the faith is related to mankind in some way, the man in question most likely being you, Alek. Yan (言) is easy as well, for we know that it is words and language that are used to convey our feelings, our thoughts, our ideals, and our beliefs into voices, shouts, and cries. Even the failed attempt at simplification of 信 into 伩 changed the right side into 文, which still means language and words. The subthemes on this presumed journey involve things like 'trust' and 'relying on something we have yet to find out'. I base the conclusion of what the subthemes would be based on the fact that those are the meanings of the characters which are the subparts of the larger term, thus their meanings are most likely parts of the greater theme. What bothers me is what we do not know. What is it that you will rely upon? What is the high price that you will pay? And while I may be over-analyzing this, I still do not like the fact that goddess is a homophone of trust. Are we to trust a goddess? Or will trust of a goddess be our downfall? Or is trust not related to goddesses, but goddesses are nonetheless important to the journey? We do not know. And speculation will not help. We cannot let this silly prophecy be our downfall. A prophecy is merely a prediction of the future based on current circumstances. I, the growing teenager, you, the inspiring progressive Soviet, Reimu, the shrine maiden that protects the land, Shinki, the ever benevolent goddess of Makai, Suika, the cheery oni, and finally Byakuren, the Savior of the Skies; we are not those that stand still in the midst of flowing time, heading to a predetermined fate. We are those that believe that a better tomorrow exists. We are the ones that work, labour, and toil towards a better tomorrow. Even in the darkest days of Racism, Hatred, Imperialism, War, Shanghai, Nanjing, KIEV, MOSCOW, AND STALINGRAD[u], we stood united with a single cause: to fight for a better tomorrow. Now, we have come to a land of peace. Now, we rebuild the work that haters and Oppressors have undone. Here, at Gensokyo, is where we stand to the very end for what is right.” Peter says. Byakuren blushes when she hears herself being called the Savior of the Skies.

“Indeed, Comrade Peter. This ‘prophecy’ is a piece of shit. Even if The Great Yakumo decreed me to be bound in some form to the prophecy, what these terms state are not specific. We can change it. We can bend the prophecy to our own future that we strive towards. We are better than petty words. We decide our fate, our life, our future. Not Gods, Not Vampires, Not Ghosts. But We, The People, regardless of race, regardless of gender, regardless of age, decide our own fates. We do not pass the right to decide to some authority. We have learned from that. We have learned from the betrayal of Stalin’s Great Purges and Gulags and the idiocy of Mao’s Great Fail Backwards. We move onwards. We may walk on wounds, but these wounds seldom prove to slow us down. So long as one man has the will, not even the strength, but just the will, to continue on this path to a better future, then the revolution of the thought that we are bound to a predicated fate into the [u]truth that we choose our own fates can never, ever, be stopped.” You say in response to the entire analysis. You feel like you’ve said something similar to the last sentence before...

Byakuren is crying tears of joy on Shinki’s arm, and Shinki is comforting her. Reimu is so moved by your speech that she has moved closer to you. Well at least you hope that it was because your speech moved her is why she moved closer to you. Suika, however, is the one that really perked up after the speech, coming over to you and saying “So you remember!” with a big grin on her face.

Remember? What did you forget from yesterday? That distant yesterday in which you drank more than twenty times the amount of vodka you are supposed to? You make a mental note to not binge so much.

“He’s definitely the one for you, even if you have to share. He is just so moving and caring!” says Byakuren to Shinki in the distant background.

“See, I knew that you’d agree!” replies Shinki to the elated Byakuren.

Suika. You’ve forgotten Suika. That’s definitely it. In the wake of the events of this morning up to now, you’ve barely interacted with her. You had one hell of a fucked up dream or illusion about her. You wonder if Yukari turned that immense hangover you never had into that illusion as punishment instead. No time to dwell on the past. You’ll need to make it up to Suika.

“So Alek, I give you my approval!” says a cheery Byakuren in your face, which startles you out of your inner monologue and onto your bum.

“Thanks,” is all you manage to answer in your slightly confused state. Once again, this 'approval' thing came up again. It must be some notion that everyone else seems to understand but you, a Soviet Ace from 1943, do not. You’ll investigate this later, but you owe Suika. You’ll repay Suika first before searching for the meaning.

Shinki goes to help you up, but Suika is instantly at your side to get you on your feet. You’re rather thick-headed, but based on the things Marisa said yesterday before the party, you assume it is safe to conclude that your future relationships will be complicated.

Relationships of deep caring and possibly even love? What are you even thinking of? You’re still a soldier. You must be ready to die any day if The Great Cause demands sacrifices to be achieved. If you fall in battle, what will the people you care for think of you?

------

After saying your goodbyes to Byakuren, you head out.

The first thing that happens about a minute after leaving the temple is that Meiling comes down from the sky.

“Comrade Meiling, where have you been?” you ask Meiling as she lands on the ground

“Ah, she was on a request from me” replies Peter.

“What kind of request?” you ask him.

“Just get to draw a semi-decent map of the area between The Human Village, The Forest of Magic, The Hakurei Shrine, The Scarlet Devil Mansion, The Misty Lake that surrounds it, and the Youkai Mountain upon which the Moyria Shrine sits upon.” Peter replies.

“Peter, I’ve drawn the map and gave Alice the message. Here,” Meiling says.

“So, where’s the book?” asks Meiling, who seems to have been expecting a book as a reward for mapping out the region and working as message delivery.

“Here’s the book I promised.” Peter says as he takes out a book entitled ‘The Art of Meditation’ by ‘Saint Byakuren’ out of his bag. Funny, you were pretty sure that he didn’t have a bag when he entered the temple.

“We should be back at the Hakurei shrine at around nightfall or a bit later. Make sure to be there by then. Otherwise, feel free to using the clearing behind my house for mediation and training and what not. Remember, Good Meditation is the first step to Good Martial Arts.” Peter informs Meiling, who flies off in the direction that you can only assume is towards Peter’s house.

----

You all decide to fly the rest of the way to the Human village. Well, you don't think you can sustain that long of a flight, and Peter can’t fly at all, so Reimu flies Peter and, despite Shinki’s wishes, Suika flies you. It is nostalgic, flying over Gensokyo with Suika. Reminds you of yesterday, when you spent the entire day with her. Wait, didn’t that day end with-

You instinctively swing your body to the right to avoid the top of a tree.

“Suika, pull up! Trees! THERE ARE TREES! TREEEEEEEEEEEE!” you shout to Suika, but it is lost in the wind.

You quickly shift you weight to the left on your way back down to avoid the second tree by swinging like a pendulum.

Luckily, those were the only two tall trees in Suika’s flight path. The other trees where shorter, so you didn’t need to dodge them. Well, in a way, you did bring this upon yourself, frustrating Suika by barely talking to her and instead getting lovey-dovey with Reimu and Shinki.

-----

You all land safely in front of the Human Village’s School. It’s a well-maintained single story building. Given the rather small population of the village, they would not need a massive, three or four story building.

Peter instructs everyone go inside and talk to Keine, telling them to say that they are with him. You are about to enter last, but Peter pulls you aside from the entrance, before letting go and motioning you to follow him far away from the school building onto the playground. Good thing, you wanted to ask him a few questions of your own.

“So comrade, why the hell are you telling Meiling to draw maps, where the hell do you pull out random bags with things in them, what the hell did you mean about ‘the quiet ones’, and who the hell do you think you are by playing the game of life?” you say in an unexpectedly angry tone in Russian. You didn’t realize that you were so frustrated with all the unknowns happening.

“Well, my Russian Comrade, the map drawn contains the geography of all the places that are most likely to be critical to us. The first step in tactical planning is knowing the layout of the battlefield. You told me quickly about your encounter with Suwako last night when we were waiting for Shinki to finish talking with Alice, and while Suwako is not an ill willed goddess, given our apparent allegiance with the Hakurei Shrine, Suwako’s companion Goddess and currently the official deity of the Moriya shrine, Kanako, is not so friendly to those of the rival shrine. Like it or not, I’m being a realist here: The Power System in Gensokyo is fractured between Rival groups, and yes, it is one hell of a capitalist dogfight out there for followers. Well, some are isolationists, but Keine will explain more about the politics of this land inside. As for the random bag of stuff, well, I visit Byakuren’s temple semi-frequently, so she was a kind person and let me leave my stuff there. I’ve still got some things back there, like my other bag with my personal copies of all of Byakuren’s books with notes by both me and her and some other stuff I can’t remember off the top of my head. For your third question, as if it wasn’t obvious enough, Suika’s the quiet one that’s been watching you get all lovey-dovey with Reimu and Shinki, and seemingly with Yukari as well, even though you barely know her. You know, it’s not like Suika might feel, you know, SLIGHTLY ABANDONED that after spending a whole day with you that the next day you barely talk to her and let Shinki and Reimu hold your hands the entire day. Heck, I’m pretty sure that more than once that the pressing of Shinki’s large, healthy breasts against your arm were intentional. And you just stand there and go along with speeches of the Great Truth and Ideals when you are oblivious to the suffering happening right next to you. Honestly, you’re thicker than me, and I’ve done nothing but train for war and fight a war my entire life up until a few months ago. I’ve already set a plan in motion to distract everyone in ‘The Party’ as you so aptly named it from you except Suika after this meeting with Keine. I’ve informed Alice, via Meiling handing her a blind message while she maps, that I’m sending over her mother Shinki in about a half an hour or so. The reply message just was a confirmation, to both that the message was unopened and that she is ready to do a good job at occupying her mother. I’ve also verified that her return message was not opened by anyone until I opened it myself, showing that Meiling is a trustworthy comrade. But that’s besides the point. Shinki’s going to be occupied by Alice, Reimu will be occupied by her former guardian Keine, Meiling’s already occupied by Meditation, and I’ve already mobilized my friends, the shop owners, to be receptive of you and Suika. I personally recommend heading to the Tea shop, considering we left all the tea on Byakuren’s desk out to cool for eternity, but the bakery and music store are fine places as well. The school playground, if a bit childish and cheesy, wouldn’t be a horrible place either, but you’d need to make sure that you don’t make Suika feel like you’re treating her like a child. Despite her looks, she is over 1000 years old and despite being in a happy drunken stupor most of the time, she is very capable of serious emotions and adult thought processes and analysis. Don’t screw this up. As for me, the last person in the party, I’ve got logistics, plans, tactics, armament plans, artillery and cannon inclinations, and other things to work out, not to mention a bone or five to pick with Comrade Yukari for fucking up your love life and mine.” Replies Peter in a calm voice.

“Peter, comrade, I love your Great Plan, but why didn’t you tell me any of it before you set it into motion?” you ask

“You know, it’s completely not like you where dragged onto a tributary trail off the main road to the Myouren Temple by Reimu or anything so she could confess to you. After Suika whispered to me in a tone unbefitting of the textbook versions of her that she would like to be alone with you, I knew that something was wrong. That’s why I had to set in motion this plan immediately, when I could still have time to sufficiently distract Meiling for the rest of the day and simultaneously get the message out the Alice that she’d need to be the one having a nice, long chat with her mother. It benefits them all anyways, for I’m sure that Keine and Reimu need to have a private talk about Reimu’s relationship with you and Shinki needs more private time to catch up with Alice than 15 minutes. Regarding, Meiling, not to be mean, but honestly has no business in your relationships and she would rather be training. Plus, it gives me time alone to think out my thoughts better and plan ahead. One step ahead of ‘The Great Stalking Yakumo’ in my small, pitiful human mind is equivalent to 200 Yojana ahead of the rest of the world, especially now that I have to do it all in my head, where Yakumo is less likely to intrude if she has any sense of decency or want for sanity. Any questions?”

“Why the hell do you think that you can just plan and dictate my life for me?”

“I’m not trying to plan your life for you, I’m trying to give the Oppressed, Abandoned, UNLOVED Suika a fucking fighting chance. And if you haven’t fucking noticed already, Yukari’s toying with us. Yukari’s playing with us. Yukari looks at all of us as pieces on a chess board, doing her bidding. Now before you go all fucking Soviet on me, I’d love to give her a chance, and I still wish to. But I can’t. Why, you ask? Yukari won’t give us her logic, her definition, not even the words she twists to justify her position, of dropping Shinki and Reimu into your life at the expense of Suika. I know you’ve had a pretty rough day, and you’re probably still suffering slightly from the hangover of ten thousand gallons of vodka, but give Suika a chance. Although she looks happy and cheerful, on the inside she’s bleeding. She’s bleeding out from a wound to her heart. And You, Alek, are the person that inflicted the wound. And it is You, Alek, and Only You, that can stop the pain, stop the bleeding, and let Suika heal. You must redeem yourself here. This is your only chance to redeem yourself to Suika. I’ll work out the sharing with Reimu and Shinki. This isn’t a game, Alek. That is what Yukari doesn’t understand but I do. This is real. This land, Gensokyo, is the land where dreams become reality. This is reality for the people that live here. These are people that you hold dear. Their emotions and hearts are the ones at stake! Shinki and Reimu won’t mind too much, especially after that heartwarming threesome hug under the lone tree.”

“You saw that?” you ask in a state of disbelief.

“Remember my rules to live by? Rule #1 : The Enemy is always watching. Rule # 2: The Sniping Soviet Reigns Supreme. “

“You’re not a Soviet, comrade, I’m a Soviet. And didn’t you just poke fun at how we give patriotic and emotional speeches so much?”

“The Chinese Communists were Soviets back in my day. And if you think this is a Soviet grade speech, just wait until I go Soviet in the heat of battle. It won’t be pretty.”

You’ve been thoroughly beaten in this argument. It IS your fault for not caring for Suika all day today. No use in denying that. You should probably thank Peter for telling you what the heel the plan is and making time for the less assertive Suika. But there is still one thing bothering you.

“If I can prove to you that Yukari is actually working for a better world for The People and shares the same thoughts for a better land as you do, will you take back all those words that you’ve said about her?”

“I cannot take back words that I have said. That is a pathetic excuse and cowardice. But I can be sorry for such words. I can regret such words. And I can ask for The Great Yakumo’s forgiveness for those words. I long for the day where I receive her forgiveness, for that day would mean that she truly did care for us all and that she simply misunderstood that I am not her opposing tactician, nor her mine, but that we simply misunderstood each other. I keep a line open to her to get that call from her that we both want what is best for humankind. But she never gives me a response. It is infuriating to not get a response no matter how much I attempt to communicate with her. I doubt she even gives a damn I’m here in Gensokyo anymore. There is only one thing worse than being Lost. And that is being Forgotten.”

“But Yes, if she is as your tales tell her to be, and not as the cold, impartial textbook views her as, then I will gladly change my views on her, and forgive her if she even wants my pathetic human forgiveness. Come on; let’s head inside the school now. I’m sure that Keine and The Party is getting tired of waiting for us.”

And on that note, both of you entered the school.

-----

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/24 (Sat) 06:16 No. 33799

Part 2 because the post was too long.

-----

‘Everybody’s waiting for you two in the history classroom’ reads a note on the front door of the school.

You walk down the hallways. Peter’s quite clearly working out a plan B, C, and D in case something goes wrong.

You walk silently as you get closer and closer to the history classroom. You have a bad feeling about this...

As you are about to turn the corner-
Nothing. Just Keine and an unknown, purple haired young teenager giving a history lesson about firearms to Suika, Reimu, and Shinki. You’d say the young girl would be about 13 or so years old, about two or so years younger than Peter.

“Peter!” exclaims the purple haired girl as she runs over to him and grabs his whole arm. You almost think you saw her press her petite breasts against Peter’s arm, but you dismiss that thought.

“Lady Hieda, how many times must I say that it is unbecoming of a scholar like you to hold a laborer and soldier’s arm like mine so intimately?” Peter replies to ‘Lady Hieda’

“Peter, don’t be so silly, you’re a scholar just like me. And how many times have I told you to call me Akyuu?” pouts Akyuu playfully as she readjusts Peter’s arm in her grasp.

Peter just shakes his head as he gives up hope on convincing Akyuu that a war is brewing and that he will most likely die in it. Peter instead just asks, “Can we just get to the lesson on Gensokyo’s political structure now?”

“Sure, Peter. Where do we start?” says Keine as she pulls Akyuu back into the teaching.

“Let’s start with the Scarlet Devil Mansion......”

After about half an hour of explanations of the various places and residents of Gensokyo, your head is spinning. Afterlife? Check. Judge of the afterlife and the river you cross? Check. Lost mansion place where Yukari lives? Check. Understand that not terribly much is known about the misty lake region, the flower fields region, or the bamboo forest of the lost region? Check.

“So in short, Gensokyo is divided into powerhouses that influence events and ‘incidents’.” You conclude everything you’ve learned in a short aphorism.

“To simplify it to the point of oversimplification, then yes. Have any questions about it?” Keine replies.

“Actually, I’d like to know more about the Moyria-Hakurei Shrine relationship. Peter says that they are rivals, but I haven’t heard anything about such from Reimu, nor do other things add up to such a conclusion.” You say. You’re not quite sure if Peter’s statement that the Moyria shrine is a rival of Hakurei Shrine entirely correct. After all, if that is the case, why did Reimu tolerate Suwako and Sanae at The Party? Besides the fact that Reimu was dead drunk?

“Well, some people claim that they are rivals based on the appearance that it turned into an incident over it, but they are in fact not rivals. They are in fact friends of sorts, and I’m sure that Reimu can attest to that.” Replies Keine, who expects Reimu to confirm such.

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing against them now. After all, we’re all going for peace and prosperity for all of The People, no?” says Reimu

“Also, Peter have you been reading those tabloids again?”

You expect to see an expression on Peter’s face that reads ‘busted’, but he stays calm. He must have three back up plans for everything. Does the guy even go to the washroom without a backup plan?

“Miss Keine, yes, I have been reading those Newspapers again, and no, it’s not a tabloid. Aya and Hatate are quite clearly trying their best to provide accurate information, but it seems that, as unfortunate as it is, more often than not that the information is skewed through misinterpretations and perception error. And so what if it is a little ‘sensationalized’? So what if it is a little ‘inaccurate’? Such inaccuracies and sensations keep us Alive, sentient beings and not mindless sheep following the words of a dictator that creates a falsified reality and presents it to the masses as nothing but the pure truth. The newspapers never mention anywhere that they are 100% accurate nor do they say that they have accounted for the natural error of perception. Sacrifices will be made to get the news out to The People. Plus, the reluctance of the combatants themselves to be interviewed and clear up such misunderstandings is a problem as well. I’m glad that The Great Hakurei has bestowed me with her presence long enough to reveal the truth that Aya’s newspaper was incorrect on the ‘fact’ of the rivalry. Hey, I get a textbook fact mixed with an Aya fact every so often. What do you expect from a guy that is learning just about everything? What was the name the called me back in this classroom, ‘The Walking Encyclopedia’? Plus, the paranoia from the homophone of the term ‘goddess’ and the first character in the term ‘faith’ are wearing thin on my nerves.” concedes Peter. So that prophecy was still on his mind, eh? He’s probably trying to figure out a plan to reverse what possible crisis that could come from the prophecy and turn the prophecy into a good thing somehow.

Keine just sighs as she shakes her head. Akyuu is the one to speak.

“Peter, you need to take it easy. Stressing so much about unknowns and reading a tab- err Newspaper isn’t good for your health.” Says Akyuu in a caring voice. Peter just nods his head as he walks out of the classroom with a short statement, “Yeah, thanks Akyuu. I’m not sure what the hell got into me recently. I sure was mellower before. Ugh, I need sleep.” says Peter, who definitely looks high strung.

“Peter, are you burning the midnight oil to finish translations? Because those aren’t that urgent.” Says Akyuu to Peter in a tone of concern.

“Yeah, I’m losing lots of sleep to that. I’ll keep your generous offer in mind next time my sliver watch reads four in the morning. See you guys later.” Peter says as he opens the door to the classroom and begins to walk out the door, but he doesn’t walk all the way out before adding, “And by the way, Shinki, Alice wants to see you soon. Like ASAP.”

“Oh? If you excuse me then, I’m going to see Alice. She wouldn’t call me over unless it was something important. I’ll see you back at the Shrine around sunset, Alek.” Says Shinki as she walks out the door.

“If we’re leaving right now, I’m going to stay behind with Keine a bit longer to discuss...private matters. So I’ll see you back at the Shrine at around sunset as well.” Says Reimu.

“Oh, Peter, you’re still here! I was worried that you had left for a second, but here’s the long overdue payment I owe you for the last set of translations.” Akyuu says to Peter, who is still hanging in the doorway.

Akyuu hands Peter a sizable amount of money. Peter in turn splits it into quarters, and gives a quarter to you and a quarter to Reimu.

“Reimu, here’s the long overdue donation that I owe you for protecting the glorious land of Gensokyo and dealing with Yukari. Alek, I want you to make them happy with this money. Buy them something nice. Enjoy a trip to a place with them in the human village. Whatever, just make them satisfied. I’m dead beat, so I’m heading home. I might turn up at the shrine later, but if I don’t it is because I’m sleeping.”

Reimu looks shocked at the amount of money she just got as a donation. She really is a poor impoverished Shrine Maiden. You decide to leave and give Reimu and Keine their private time. Akyuu also leaves, noting the want for privacy, while making an offhand note about visiting Peter later.

You and Suika are alone for the first time since yesterday. Where do you head?

[ ] The Music Store
[ ] The Tea Shop
[ ] The Bakery
[ ] Costume shop
[ ] Let Suika Decide
[ ] Write-in

-----

Credits to my proofreader. He knows who he is.

Anonymous 2011/12/24 (Sat) 06:22 No. 33800

[x] Let Suika Decide

Because you'd be damned if you don't. Suika deserves to choose where she wants to go. Spoiling her won't make up for the time you didn't spend with her, but it'll be a good first step.

Anonymous 2011/12/24 (Sat) 09:43 No. 33801

[x] Costume shop

I want to see other outfits bring out Suika's charms.

Anonymous 2011/12/24 (Sat) 10:53 No. 33802

[x] Let Suika Decide.

Well, of course.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/25 (Sun) 08:32 No. 33803

If there are still any people that read this story that wish to vote, please vote now! The Author feels Like No-Good Lazy Pig for playing games all day and telling himself to leave votes open. But Now I have realized that if I have free time and have the will to write, then not updating is CounterRevolutionary! And Alek is about to progress on his Revolution for The Freedom to express True Love! The Revolution only waits for those that chase and strive after it. And this story must strive to progress The Revolution. And to do that, we must seize this opprotunity of the writer being on holiday recess to begin updating and writing to march forward. After all, Opprotunities multiple as they are seized.

I'm going to call the votes (and hopefully start writing) as soon as I wake up. For the record, The author's timezone is GMT-5.

If no one votes in the next 9-12 hours, then consider

[x] Let Suika Decide

to have won.

Hint: The Revolution is not made up of One Man and his will, but the wills, thoughts, and choices of The Entire People

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/25 (Sun) 18:51 No. 33804

Called for

[x] Let Suika Decide

Good Choice Comrades. Even in the midst of The Glorious Revolution of Love, you have decided that all deserve a voice. That every last Man, Ghost, Vampire, Youkai, and Oni deserves a voice. An Equal Voice. That The Revolution is not comprised of a single man, of a single will, but that of the entire People.

Will start writing as soon as headache subsides.

Anonymous 2011/12/29 (Thu) 07:52 No. 33808

>>33804

Hooray!

Anonymous 2011/12/30 (Fri) 11:22 No. 33811

Holy mother of god I have just read this story and it is amazing. Kudos to you for hijacking a story that was great and improving on it, as a writer and the story itself.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/30 (Fri) 21:36 No. 33813 ▼

Image Source

File 132528098756.jpg - (0.98MB, 800x1251 , Suika in a costume.jpg)

[X] Suika
[X] Let Suika Decide
- [X] Costume Shop

-----

Suika. She is the very Heart of The Party and The Revolution. She is the embodiment of True Communism, free from the chains of logic. Yet, you just left her behind. You’ve done nothing short of abandonment and neglect! Neglect of The Very Heart of The Revolution! Neglect of Suika. You swear that you will make it up to Suika somehow. You will set things straight. You always do. So long as you live, you’ll never give up on your comrades that you care deeply for.

"Alek?" Suika pokes you in the arm. "Hello?" Her ever-cheery face meets your gaze as you turn to face her. But you see right through it. There’s simply no way that she could be this cheery, especially after your relationship with Reimu and Shinki have spiraled out of control. She’s only cheery on the outside because she’s finally alone with you. On the inside, she is still bleeding. You see right through the façade. This is exactly like Peter predicted. You should start with a much overdue apology.

“Suika, I–” you begin to speak before getting cut off by Suika.

“Alek, where do you want to go?” It seems that Suika isn't ready to listen to your apology just yet. You will have to tell her eventually, but it seems as if though now is not the time. Such is an unfortunate occurrence for you, for you wish to be forgiven as soon as possible. You do not like holding back The Truth, but for now, you must do so. Suika’s well being comes first.

“Suika, I wish to follow you to the ends of the world,” You say without thinking. Upon noticing Suika’s feverous blush, you realize your mistake. You quickly fix it by adding, “You are the inspiration of The Party, a fellow Beloved Child of The Great Dream. You are a co-founder of The Party and The Revolution of Gensokyo. Suika, you are a critical component and essential comrade of The Great Dream.”

Suika’s blush thankfully dies down. You were never good at talking with women on a one-to-one basis, especially since Sacchin’s death. Sacchin...you shake your head. No. You do not have time right now to mourn the past. You must continue onwards to the future. You can mourn the past on your own time, not on Suika’s.

“Come on Alek, let’s roll. The Revolution is always marching forward, right?” Suika urges you to follow her, which you gladly do.

-----

You stroll through the village's marketplace with Suika, who casually looks at the various items on display. You purchase a few things from various store owners, but you still have a ridiculous amount of money left over because of deep discounts the owners cut you and the ridiculous amount of money Peter earned. You would start a market revolution, but this is currently more of a feudal society than a capitalist society. Capitalism is an intermediate step from feudalism to Communism. Capitalism makes people rich, and Communism spreads the wealth. If you attempt to jump straight from a feudal society into a Communist Society, you are not spreading the wealth; you are only spreading the poverty. Unlike in Mother Russia, where such a large jump was still possible because of The Unity of The People and The Abundance of Natural Resources, there is a lack of such here. The Power is not nested in the hands of a lone Oppressor, of a Tsar, but in the hands of many not as oppressive Leaders. These leaders can instead be changed. The Tsar, if he had given up on his power, laziness, and excess wealth, and had instead joined and led from within The People instead of Above, he could have retained his leadership over the country. But he did not care. He did not care for The People, only for his own well being like the self-serving tyrant he was. And thus, when The People were forced into war for another nation, he was overthrown, and when the provisional government was unwilling to listen to the demands that The Motherland not fight a war on behalf of Leaders and not for its People, that government was also thrown out.

You are now carrying about two bags full of an assortment of items. Most of the items are related to party, such as colorful squares of paper, colorful strings, and various other colorful bits and pieces. But your mind isn't with the moment right now. It's thinking about a lot of things, such as Love. Love is such a strange thing, isn’t it? You thought you loved Sacchin, but you lost her to crazy cult-like Imperialists. You thought you loved The Motherland, and you still Love the Motherland in Spirit, Cause, and Dream, but your image of her ruler during your time, Stalin, has also been shattered. The Great Architect was inspiring and at least somewhat just in mobilizing The People against the Fascist Bandit Hordes in protection and love of The Motherland, but his cruel terror of Purges were not simply unjust, but against the very foundation of Communism itself. Let Racist Ignorance be ended, for Respect and Equality makes the Emperors Fall. That was one of the most basic, most principle Ideals of The Revolution. Yet Stalin managed to gain control of power, against Lenin’s final words, and tarnish The Glory and Righteousness of True Communism. Stalinism is truly nothing more than another face of the same barbaric coin of Fascism, only that Stalinism tarnishes Great Ideals, while Fascism only tarnishes its already dirty Racial Supremacy, its Self Perpetuating Corruption, and its Obstruction of Justice, Dreams, Love, and Freedom. Your love for The Motherland can never be the same, but you can still trudge onwards with her Ideals and Dreams. But Love? Your ability to Love again has been scarred. Sacchin was lost. The Motherland, from the inside, was lost. Perhaps that is why you are so afraid of love. Your love has brought the target of your affections nothing but disaster and sadness.

As you're about to enter another store, Suika stops you. “Hey Alek, you’ve been pretty quiet. Is this boring you?” Suika's question pops you out of your monologue and back to the time you were supposed to be spending with Suika.

“Not at all, Suika. I’ve just been thinking about...a lot.” You reply to Suika.

“Alek, I want to spend time with you. I want you to be here with me instead of being alone in your own little world. The Revolution may be immortal, but you are not, Alek. If you spend all of your time thinking, you’ll never spend that time with others, and while something like that may be worthless to you, it is dear to others. Time is like sand in the palm of a human’s hand, if
you are not paying attention to it, it slips away into the dark abyss. However, memories, dreams, and bonds are immortal, and they stand the test of time, unlike issues that you are thinking about. I want you to be here with me to forge these bonds and memories. I want you to enjoy these moments together with me, so that we can remember them together in the future. After all, you’ve spent your precious time with others wide awake, so why won’t you do the same for me?”
Suika words, in addition to her gaze, would pierce the heart of even the coldest Nazi. Stalin himself would break in front of the adorable Suika and her guilt-inducing eyes.

“Suika, I’ll do my best to make this up to you.” Suika seems satisfied, and turns to look at more wares, but you curse inwardly for that slip-up. Suika’s right, now isn’t the time for inner monologues; now is the time to make it up to her.

-----

You enter the store with Suika in hand. Based upon the surroundings, you conclude that it is a costume shop.

Fuck. You are a Soviet Soldier from The Great Patriotic War that supposedly ended over 60 years ago. You don’t know anything about fashion that has arisen in those years, nor about the fashion of the Old East, from which this land was carved out.

Well, you’ll just have to go based on instincts. Instincts got you through tough times on the Eastern Front, instincts will get you out of here. Suika’s already dragged the both of you to the first aisle of costumes. You browse down it and a few others with Suika, who is picking costumes out of the rows upon rows of them. You’re fairly sure that there is simply no way that a mere human resident of Gensokyo could acquire so many things from ‘The Outside’.

After going through all but one of the aisles, Suika tells you that she’s done picking out costumes. Suika asks you to wait in front of the changing rooms as she goes inside them to change into the various costumes she chose. You take a very quick look a few feet from where she told you to wait to glance down the military aisle. You see everything from the first Western Colonial Era in the 1500’s-1600’s all the way to uniforms that seem to be past your era. You even note how there are ‘costumes’ of the sides of a war and other times. You’ll need to take a better look later, but for now you focus your attention back the changing rooms. It seems Suika's ready to come out.

“How does this look,” Suika asks as she comes out of the changing room, wearing an elegant, purple dress. You’ve always thought that Suika looked incredibly adorable, but what she's wearing looks good in a different way. She honestly looks...beautiful? Is that the word you are looking for?

“You’re stunning, Suika. You would make the women back in The Motherland jealous of your beauty,” you tell her. Wait, did you really just say that? Well, there’s nothing wrong with being honest about your feelings. Suika blushes at the comment before heading back into the dressing room to try on another ‘costume’. She picked out the more normal ‘costumes’ that don’t compare to some of the crazier costumes in there.

Suika lets you know right before she enters the dressing room that she’ll need a long time to dress into the next costume, so you can go browsing.

You head for the military aisle. You look mainly at the Uniforms from the 1930’s and onwards. If you have extra money after buying Suika’s dresses and costumes, you hope to buy a few sets of camouflage uniforms and Russian Winter Uniforms, to properly dress The Party at the Shrine for Training.

You do some quick calculations, and after counting the money Peter gave you, you’d have enough to buy Suika every outfit she took out from the racks and still have enough to buy 5 sets of woodland camouflage, 5 sets of this ‘urban digital’ camouflage, and 5 sets of good old Russian Uniforms. Even after buying all those uniforms and Suika’s dresses and costumes, you’d still have a decent sized amount of money to spend on other things Suika could want. You’re about to wonder how Peter earns so much money and why the prices of the clothing in the store is so cheap when Suika calls you back to the changing room.

You immediately report back to Suika, who is in an old-fashioned dress; a Kimono, you believe, is what this is called. It’s a fairly large change in terms of style from the previous western style dress, but the effect is similar. It makes you see Suika not as just an adorable Oni, but also as a beautiful woman. The Kimono is colored a cheerful red, and has a good share of flowers upon it. The sleeves are rather large, but you can only assume that is by design. Suika also has a blue ribbon tied around one of her horns. A large red ribbon of sorts ties the majority of her hair in the back. A lovely flower is prominent in Suika’s gorgeous hair as well.

This is stunning. Not only is the Embodiment of Communism adorable and thus irresistible, just like The Glorious Truth, she is as beautiful gorgeous as The Red Sun itself.

“Alek, what do you think?”

“Suika, you truly are the embodiment of Communism herself, in all of her Glory and Beauty.”

As if emboldened by the dress, she smiles and hugs you. You hug her back in the embrace, and stay there for a few tender moments before letting go.

Something’s not right. Why is there nobody else in the store? Why are the prices so low? You have had nothing against Yukarin up to this point, but if she is going to troll you in the middle of your date with Suika, you will have to reevaluate her ability to change.

"Suika," you mutter softly, causing her to look up. Your smile meets her gleaming eyes, which return a soft gaze to your war-hardened face, softening it as if you were in your youth all over again. Regardless of the possibility that this is a trap set by Yukarin, you will focus only on satisfying Suika. Suika shall no longer be trampled by the boots of Progress. She will join the march of Progress. And if Yukari’s going to screw you over later for it, then The Motherland will overcome her challenges and emerge stronger.

You hold Suika tenderly, and slowly and smoothly brush some of her hair behind her ear with your hand before returning it to her waist. This isn’t some fucking game, Yukarin. You honestly have had a place just for Suika in your heart, right beside the place you have for Justice and Revolution.

Before Suika can respond more than a blush, a clearly distorted voice talks from behind you.

“This isn’t the place to be spending those kinds of moments with your beloved.” A Person that appears to be the shop owner speaks. The shop owner is in a costume in which it is impossible to tell the gender, age, or even shape of the shop owner. Beneath all those layers and accessories, the person might as well be a mobile mountain of clothes for all you know.

“Ah, this Child of The Motherland apologies deeply. I did not know if there was really anyone else in this store because during our browsing, we encountered not a soul until you appeared,” You say to the shop owner as you disengage from holding Suika around the waist. Suika decides to take upon your hand with hers immediately afterwards.

“Well, this place is rarely open here, and you guys are the only visitors, so you are forgiven. I need to close the store soon because I have things to do. The place won’t reopen for a long time. So, have you guys picked out what you want?” says the shopkeeper as he or she fumbles toward the counter. You help the shopkeeper up. Despite the nice weather outside, the storekeeper is wearing gloves.

“Suika, have you picked out everything you want?” You ask Suika.

“Yep Alek!” Suika replies to you as she takes out her costumes and dresses from the dressing room. You’re sure that they’ll all fit Suika, so you can view her in them at another time.

Suika returns to the dressing room to change back into her usual clothes. You head over to the counter to pay with money. It hurts you to add to the perpetuating circle of capitalism, but this is a necessary sacrifice for Suika’s happiness, so for now you will have to abide by the rules of Capitalism. Socialist Revolution will come in due time, after The Equality and Freedom Revolutions.

“So, how much is the total, comrade?” You say as you place all of Suika’s clothes on a desk by the cash register.

“Free. And you can have those military uniforms you were eyeing as well. You’re Peter’s friend after all~” The Storekeeper replies as she is taking off the ski mask that was covering her face. There is no doubt that the storeowner is a female, but the voice was still decently muffled. Furthermore, her smile looks strangely familiar. Eerily familiar and happy, like something out of your nightmares...the ones that weren’t of Sacchin. You shake that ominous feeling from your head, and proceed to thank the shopkeeper. Her smile continues to bother you, and she refuses to take off any more of the pile of ridiculous accessories hiding her identity. She’s wearing large shades and some weird mask that covers the top half of her face, making her mouth and her lips the only thing that is exposed for you to see.

The storekeeper then puts the ski mask back on, causing her voice to be muffled again. She tells you that she’ll deliver all the things and your other items you bought from the other stores to the Hakurei Shrine for you by the end of the day, so you won’t have to worry about it. Suika emerges from the dressing room in her normal clothes with the kimono in hand, and you place it next to the rest of her clothes after explaining that the store owner will deliver it to the shrine. Satisfied, the both of you leave the store.

You forgot to ask for the shop owner’s name so you could write a proper thanks letter later, so you go double back into the store in less than a minute of leaving it. You peek into the store, but all of the clothes and uniforms you picked out with Suika are gone. On the floor where the shopkeeper was when you left her store, there was the pile of costumes and a blonde strand of hair. You walk in to the store to pick up the strand of long, blonde hair and you stuff it into your pocket of your overcoat, next to Alice’s doll she had given you and the medal that you still think you don’t deserve.

You then check for any signs that the storekeeper was still around, and upon confirming that she was no longer in the store, you exit it with Suika again. You exit the front door, and it slams shut behind you and Suika. When you try to open it, you find that it is locked.

“Strange Shop and keeper. Let us move onwards, we have no business here.”

----

You finish strolling through the last few shops, and there is nothing of interest to Suika. Suika directs you to a park, and you follow her with your hand in hers.

---

The park is a rather large park on the side of a small mountain, going from newly established and very humanized to much more nature-like and old, as noted by the grass growing between the cracks of the cobblestone path and the seemly abandonment of this side of the park by humans. Suika holds your hand, and you talk about trivial things. Eventually, you reach a stone bridge with a small river beneath it near the top of the mountain. The sun is still a good amount above the horizon, giving you plenty of time to spend with Suika.

When you reach the middle of the bridge, Suika stops, and you follow. She looks over the side of the mossy stone arch bridge, and you look over the side as well. You see a clear view of the human village from this position, with the tree line having a gap down the mountain because of the river.

“Alek.”

“Yes Suika?”

“Do you know what this bridge is to me?”

“I do not, comrade.”

“This is a place where I spend alone, watching as society changes. When I’m lonely, when I’m hurt. This is a place where I like to spend time to heal my wounds.”

“Then why have you shown me this place?”

“Because I know that one day, Alek, you’ll help heal my wounds. Heal these deep wounds that still scar me from times long past. I have this undeniable feeling that you will be the one to help me move onward, Alek.”

Profound. Despite her appearances of being a child, Suika’s quite deep with her thought process and her emotions. She truly is an oni that has watched the decline of youkai before the formation for Gensokyo, the formation of The Hakurei Border, the evolution of society. She is quite clearly far more intelligent than her appearances, and wiser than most human adults. She’s seen too much in her life that she should never have had to. You comfort her.

You hug Suika from behind, and gently caress her cheek.

“Suika, mourn the past no longer. We have a future that awaits us. So long as we strive for a happier future, we will one day reach it. We will reach it together. Everyone will stand and greet the dawn beside us. Suika, I care deeply for you, and to see you in such a sad, lonely state pains my very Heart and Soul. Please Suika...mourn no longer. For everyone’s sake. For my sake.” You say as if Mother Nature herself mourns over her scars as if it were her own. You touch her hand soothingly and softly, to fully experience every part of its soft warmth. Suika responds by holding you hand tightly, as if she never wants to let it go again. You respond with a tightened hold on her hand as well, but you make sure that you do not hurt Suika. Even if she is an oni that could very well smash a mountain into dust, you’d prefer not to risk hurting your beloved little oni.

You stand there with Suika for a while, Suika enjoying your warm body and overcoat. You look at the village. You imagine what it would have looked like as a simple field, without buildings or humans. How it was in the old days that you were not around to see. It is still but a small village, but you can only imagine how it was like for any youkai to watch as the forest and plains gave way to little houses and buildings. It would only be their natural fear that humans would be set to exterminate them out of their last place in which they can exist. Thankfully, most humans are not bent on oppressing the poor youkai for no reason. Of course, there are those that need to be set upon the right path. And there are those that, upon refusing to even the most generous offers of redemption by both you and The Great Benefactor, being tied to their Oppression to the very end, that must be removed. But the majority of the humans do not wish for bad relationships with the youkai.

Suika finally makes a motion to begin going back to town, because it is getting colder as the sun approaches the horizon. She takes your hand, never letting go of it, and drags you into the sky as you two fly back into town.

-----

Suika takes you to a teahouse, which has a warm, inviting atmosphere to it. This certainly brightens Suika’s mood, which is a good thing. The ‘date’ had taken a rather depressing turn with the mossy bridge, and could really use something like warm tea to brighten the mood.
You enter the tea house with Suika and order some tea. The hot tea is quickly given to you, and you sit down at a table. This teahouse is much more casual than the ones you visited back in your trip, but that’s fine. The spirit is still the same, warming spirit. It is very much like a sweater, a companion that makes even the coldest warm again, and makes the warm warmer.

You and Suika talk about many trivial things. You found out that she has a stake of land in heaven itself, and that you two should visit it sometime.

The topics that you speak about are not as important as the simple fact that you are finally able to spend time with Suika. She’s quite happy now, from being able to talk and open her heart to you without fear of almost anything. Something nags you in the back of your mind. And that is that you never got to explain nor apologize for being so close to Reimu and Shinki without her. What will she think? Are these happy moments just the final party of your relationship, like the final party of a rotting empire, before it collapses?

You can only hope for the best in that Suika will accept that you do not know who you love, but only that you deeply care for them all. You are with faults. A Soviet should know what to do in his love life based upon The Great Ideals. But you are truly lost. You are not a perfect man, you are just a former soldier and ace of the skies. You are not without your faults, and it seems that ever since the tragedy of losing Sacchin, handling relationships of love is your biggest fault, rivaled only by the fact that you are but a wimpy little human in a war of tanks, mortars, artilleries, and machineguns, or now you are but a human in a land of youkai and deities that could blow up the Gensokyo, if not the whole universe and fabric of space-time in a flash. You are not as strong as your ideals need you to be, and have only made such great progress on The Revolution because of the acceptance and support of it by people like Suika. The Revolution would be best if it is a bloodless struggle, but there will always be those arrogant and ignorant of the cries for equality. And thus, war is something that you must be ready for. But you are not ready for a war that could possibly end up against gods. You are still but a human. A healthy, dexterious, and decently strong human, but still but a mortal human being. Your faults are few, but large. Your fault of being unsure of your love is something that must be resolved. You can only hope that Suika accepts you for who you are.

Your casual banter with Suika continues through the evening, until the sun is far lower in the sky and the lanterns have come on outside in the streets of the village.

Suika finishes her 3rd cup of tea, as do you.

“Alek, let’s go somewhere quieter,” says Suika as she takes Peter’s money and pays for the bill.

“Heading out already? Take care!” The shop owner, who is one of Peter’s friends, says to you and Suika as you two depart from the Teahouse.

And with that you walk out the door with Suika leading your hand. But the happiness of the scene begins to recede as you leave the shop and give way to the coldness of the evening.

-----

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2011/12/30 (Fri) 21:39 No. 33814 ▼

Image Source

File 132528116790.png - (1.67MB, 1500x1500 , f33cb92ff5a47251fc77a6a253d404d9.png)

By the time you reach the place Suika wanted to go, the Sun’s progress toward downward came ever closer to reaching the horizon. Suika’s smile has long since faded away, and in its place is a cold expression that matches the frigid temperature of the approaching night. Perhaps one could say that her serious face that is more befitting a person of Suika’s age, but it most certainly does not fit to her looks or personality that she usually displays.

When you finally stop moving you see that you’ve come to the top of a green grassy hill. This gives you nostalgia of an old world that you were not around to see. You see from the elevated high of the large hill the infinite grassland, the clear blue sky, the animals running around freely, free of square, burning buildings and corpses that litter the rubble filled streets of your past. You can breathe non-polluted, clean air without fear of bullets. You take a seat down next to Suika at the at the top of this hill, a reminder of the past before industry and war. From here, you have a perfect sightline of the slow moving sun that will soon set. However, Suika’s expression is rather grim, especially considering that this is most likely one of the few secret places she shows only to those close to her. Well, her expression is not as grim as it is....whimsical.

“So, I’m guessing you’re wondering why I brought you all this way out here?” asks Suika with a sense of uncertainty in her voice.

“Not really, comrade Suika. We’re just holding on to the simple things before they all disappear. I don’t mind simply spending time with you.” You reply to her, trying to reassure her. Still, she remains uncertain.

Suika puts her small, warm hand on yours. A few minutes pass in silence in the seated position on top of the hill as you both watch the sun begin its descent. Suika leans slightly on your shoulder and holds your entire arm. Come to think about it, this scene would be romantic had it not been for the emanating sadness in the atmosphere. Had it not been for your failure at braving your issues with love, Suika would not be in the uncertainty she is in now. This is, without a doubt, your fault, and it is a fault that you must fix.

“Alek, what do you think of me?” Suika asks the question with a certain sense of whimsicalness and longing in her voice.

“I think you are a kind, trustable, honest, good-willed, down to earth, mature, and genuine comrade and fellow child of the Glorious New Motherland.” You reply to Suika with your honest opinion of her, only to get bombarded with another question.

“What about how I look?” she asks you, as if wanting a different answer than your last response.

“How you look is not important. Who you are, the kind person is like on the inside, is what is truly important. Why are you so worried about these things?” You ask her. You care not about superficial things such as appearance. You do not disguise communism or who you are, you pride yourself on them. Suika needn’t conform to what other people think nor say so long as it doesn’t infringe upon the liberties of others. And Suika most certainly has not.

“Alek... I...when I saw you this morning holding hands with Shinki and Reimu like you’ve been going out for years, and it seemed as if you completely forgot about me, I was worried. No other human had ever spent time out of their day to hang out with someone like me. With Marisa’s comment last night, I thought that we might have been.....a couple. But then I see Reimu and Shinki come along the next day, also wanting you. And suddenly, my goal seemed so far away from where it was but last night. After all, what hope does a flat oni that’s only good at drinking and smashing things like me have against a shrine maiden that’s strong and independent but a dependable housewife or the seductive but caring and motherly ruler of Makai and war hero of Hell itself? Even Yukari is a rival, because despite that her antics annoy many people; you still have hope in her, not to mention that she has the ‘perfect body’ that she can change to suit any man’s taste to seduce them further. I don’t have anything. How can I expect to win in this race for your heart when I have no perks, nothing desirable, nothing that makes me valuable?” Suika tells you, much to your dismay. The last sentence could not be further from The Truth. This is your fault. But you will not cry over a fault, over a problem. You must fix the problem.

“Don’t say that Suika, you are valuable to me. You are dear to me. You have perks and characteristics that I, no, everybody enjoys. And that’s all that matters,” you reply with The Truth, but Suika doesn’t calm down.

“But am I as valuable to you as Shinki? Or as valuable as Reimu? Who is it that you love?” Suika asks you with such sheer desperation that sends chills down your spine. However, she brought up the hard question that you honestly cannot answer. And you cannot tell a lie to a fellow comrade, for that is a betrayal of trust.

“Can I love or hate? Am I alive or dead? Is this reality or a dream? Too many times I have been asked these questions, by others, by myself. I have no answers. I am but a wee Russian Soldier that has been intoxicated with fascination and love for this land that holds a Great Dream. A cynic could say that I love nobody. But perhaps I love my comrades too much to choose, to prioritize one about another, to make them unequal upon my personal favor. I don’t know what love is, and I might never know what it feels like. But I know that I deeply care for you, Suika. I honestly do, from my heart-” You're cut off by a Suika who is almost in tears.

“Alek, have you ever considered my feelings? That I love you?” Suika cuts you off, about to cry from frustration. Frustration that you won’t commit to your love. Frustration that you ran off with a shrine maiden and a goddess and in her view forgot about her. Frustration that you are just as lost in love as she is.

Saint Byakuren, what the hell is wrong with you? You can’t deny Suika of her rights to express her love. You don’t personally like the idea, but perhaps sharing is something that is necessary-

Saint Byakuren.

Wait a second. What in her name is she doing here and when the heck did she get here?

“Suika, did you know that love for one person doesn’t need to be mutually exclusive?” Byakuren asks the question as she walks up to Suika and pats the distressed oni that is on the brink of tears on the shoulder, calming Suika down.

“W-W-What do you mean by that?” Suika asks back to Byakuren in a tone of slight confusion mixed with hope.

“Well, you can always share the man you like, no? You don’t have any motivation to be selfish and take him all for yourself, after all, you already live with Reimu and I, as a close friend, can ensure you that Shinki has no ill will against sharing Alek with someone like you,” Byakuren says with a genuine smile on her face.

“R-Really?” Suika asks the saint in disbelief. Even after the pain and grief from the prospect of losing her once-in-a-lifetime chance, she realizes there is still hope for it after all.

“Of Course!” Byakuren exclaims to Suika as she smiles at the little oni, who seems to have finally recovered from the breakdown.

“Alek, if I share you, will you promise to never forget about me? Will you promise to care about me as deeply as you care about Reimu and Shinki?” Suika asks you expectantly. Byakuren looks expectantly at you as well.

Without even a shadow of a doubt, a lingering thought of cowardice, a trace of non-commitment to them all left in your head you speak, “Of course, Suika. I will never abandon you, for deep in my heart, I’ve always cared for you as deeply as I care for them.”

You hug Suika, who is blushing deeply. She takes great comfort in your arms, as you take in hers.

You just enjoy the moment with her in your arms, standing on the hill as the sun sets slowly.

You release from the hug for a moment, and turn to see a happy Shinki and Reimu.

“Suika,” Shinki states as she walks over to you and Suika, still holding each other’s waists, “welcome to the family!” she says to everybody present as she hugs both of you. Reimu joins in as well, bursting into tears of happiness.

When you all finally disengage from the group hug, you all say parting goodbyes to Byakuren and fly back to the shrine, hand in hand. This is a truly happy moment, for all of you. No longer will there be any major rifts between the residents of the shrine that you care for. No, at the end of the day, you all toward a brighter future in which everyone is happy. All of you.

This update has votes in it ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/01/08 (Sun) 18:53 No. 33834

You land at the shrine with your fellow comrades. After a brief talk, everyone went to do their own thing. Shinki took back her sword, saying that she needed to do something with it, and you gladly gave it back to her. She then left to meddle with the sword, while Suika went off to chill with Mima and Yuyuko. As the group disperses in the time before dinner, Peter appears from the shrine steps, hauling quite a few rifles. You’re sure that whatever Peter was doing, it wasn’t resting, given the exhausted look on his face. He sets down the rifles on the shrine grounds, along with a bag of his other stuff. Peter tells you that he’s going to set up the shooting range in a bit, but he seems more than a bit tired. He’s exasperated and looks as if he was recently frustrated, and seems like he’s only conscious right now because of meditation.

Reimu gives you a hand in this situation by saying she’ll set up the rooms you and Peter will be sleeping in. You help carry Peter’s things into the lobby with the other guns, and follow Reimu to the rooms. You leave your bag inside and close the door, and Peter leaves his bags in his room. He says something quickly to Reimu about something you can’t quite hear from your distance, and Reimu just nods.

You remember that you should leave Alice’s doll and medal of courage in your room where it won’t be subjected to the abuse of training, so you leave them on a dresser. Looking at the doll more closely, which you never had time to do in the rapidity of the war and its desperate training, it seems as if the doll resembles both Alice and her current doll, Shanghai. You ruffle the doll’s hair as you place it on top of the well crafted wood furniture, before noticing a pile of clothes neatly stacked in the room’s closet. You take a quick glance at the top of the pile and confirm that these are the uniforms that Suika and you ‘bought’ from the kind, if a bit strange, costume store owner. You find it slightly strange that the shop keeper would go so far into the shrine to place it in a guest room’s closet, or how she knew that you’d be in this room specifically, but you decide that random guessing and speculation is pointless. You admire the tidiness of the room, and how it is completely free of dust. Reimu must work hard to keep her shrine clean, despite her appearances of being lazy. Just like how true communism is actually a good thing, despite the image of it being a rotten, oppressive Stalinism or Maoism. Underneath her appearance of being a lazy ‘bitch’ monster, she’s truly a diligent, kind shrine maiden that works hard to maintain her shrine for her goddess and to protect her homeland of Gensokyo.

When you walk out of the door again, Reimu is nowhere to be seen, but Peter is waiting for you. You decide that you need a break from women for a small time: this Child of The Motherland is neither comfortable nor patriotic when being so intimate with women. You need some time to recover from the flood of love that they bestowed upon you. It is not a bad thing; it's just that you’ve only been here for a few days, and two love confessions and a presumed third relationship in a mere day is far too much for a simple Soviet like you. Soviets were only good with low maintenance things, which is why the bolt action Mosin Nagant, which fired even the lowest quality, corroded, barely functioning cartridges, was more popular in the army with the raw soldiers, who trained by fighting the war, than the superior quality but higher maintenance semiautomatic SVT40. Thankfully, you were accepted into college where you learned more about every textbook subject and mandatory basic training, giving you a large advantage against the enemy during the war. This crucial information was something you shared with your fellow comrades, who were not as lucky as you to have formal training, whenever the squad or platoon was in a lull and there where people that did not know how to properly take care of their rifles. Still, if something like the cleaning a semiautomatic rifle was hard for the majority of the Red Army, how can you, a member of said armed forces, take care of something as intricate, complex, and fragile as a woman’s heart? And not merely one of these beautiful, pure hearts, but at least three? And to add on to this issue, you have been scarred by failing Sacchin and The Motherland. Worst of all, you are truly unsure if they love you as a person, or if they love The Great Cause you bring forth upon this land. If anything, you need a small break from this situation to relieve your tension about the issue. You will do so with some target practice and training with Peter, before returning to confront the inner issue of whether you can truly satisfy them all, and whether you can truly uphold equality for women if you take more than one.

You shake those thoughts from your head as you follow Peter back to the lobby. The numerous, winding halls would be confusing to navigate if you ended up alone, but you are sure that your pathfinder instinct would guide you through. It got you through the Kiev encirclement, and it got you through the bloody streets and rubble of Stalingrad; these halls are nothing in comparison.

You help Peter carry the guns, both the ones he brought and the ones you got earlier from Nitori, to the backyard of the shrine. Peter hustles the both of you along, and it makes you remember how you used to train every day by running while carrying heavy equipment. Of course, it was only partially training, because the equipment actually had to be delivered in a timely manner.

When you reach the backyard, you notice something. The interior of the shrine is somehow well lit despite there being no candles. You decide to ask Peter about it, seeing that he’s lived in this land for a decent amount of time.

“Peter, how is it that the shrine is well lit, yet there are no candles and no electricity?” You ask the question to your best, non-family friend. He merely waves down the question and flatly replies.

“The shrine probably has lights that run on magic power,” Peter says, before changing the topic back to the training. “So, do you want to start with the SKS, the G43, or the bow?” Peter points to the carbine, the rifle, and then the bow and arrows that were at the firing station before you got here. Upon closer inspection, the bow has markings engraved upon it, and the only one you can really make out reads ‘Great Hakurei Bow’. You decide that you will start with the...

[ ] SKS. This carbine is decently similar to the AK47 and to the PTRS in that it uses the same original round and sight system as the first, while having the general gas system and design, if a much more scaled down version, of the latter. You’ve used the AK to the point where you are comfortable with it, and you’ve killed a few tanks before with the PTRS in Stalingrad. If you’re supposed to be comfortable as you train, this is the most familiar and thus the best option at the moment. It fires an intermediate round and its danmaku equivalent, limiting its effective range to around 600 meters maximum.

[ ] Gewher 43. You’ve used this gun briefly at one point in the war, and you were a better shot with it than the SVT40 for some reason. It is most likely because the charging handle is on the left side of the gun, and is thus somewhat less obstructive, and the sights are somewhat more appealing to your personal taste. This fires a full sized rifle round, and thus its danmaku equivalent, enabling it to reach out to over 800 meters, and in the right hands even to a kilometer.

[ ] The Great Hakurei Bow. You know the least about this weapon, and it isn’t even a firearm. However, marksmanship is a timeless skill, and you having a sinking suspicion that the weapon is magical. Much more magical than some simple danmaku converter or magic powered lights. The range and power of it is unknown.
----

Midterms coming up, updates slowing down until around late January/ early February. Also, I promise that the next thing going up is the update for the side story that is concurrent with the Suika date.

Anonymous 2012/01/08 (Sun) 19:10 No. 33836

[x] The Great Hakurei Bow. You know the least about this weapon, and it isn’t even a firearm. However, marksmanship is a timeless skill, and you having a sinking suspicion that the weapon is magical. Much more magical than some simple danmaku converter or magic powered lights. The range and power of it is unknown.

Anonymous 2012/01/09 (Mon) 03:23 No. 33837

Anonymous 2012/01/10 (Tue) 02:38 No. 33838

[c] The Great Hakurei Bow. You know the least about this weapon, and it isn’t even a firearm. However, marksmanship is a timeless skill, and you having a sinking suspicion that the weapon is magical. Much more magical than some simple danmaku converter or magic powered lights. The range and power of it is unknown.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/01/13 (Fri) 22:21 No. 33855

Calling votes for
[x] The Great Hakurei Bow

Making edits to the Peter POV, then writing this ASAP. However, don't expect anything. 300 years of American History going into my brain, after all. Only if that could have been 300 years of Russian or Chinese History...

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/01/24 (Tue) 20:38 No. 33867

Status update: Alive, I am writing but progress is slow, update soon, hopefully before the end of the month.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/02/15 (Wed) 22:19 No. 34053

[X] Great Hakurei Bow

----

You silently pick up the bow, and Peter easily understands your intentions. He silently watches you and just nods in approval of your decision.

How long ago has it been since you wielded a bow? You remember your father started training you with toy bows from a young age, but you’ve never shot a full sized bow before. You remember Sacchin was good at archery, and that you had watched her at the range, but you had never practiced with her. You try to envision her motions, but you end up over-thinking how to shoot and fumble with the arrow instead, having it land in front of your feet.

Peter is not amused by your actions, but shows no disappointment either. He merely observes with his cold, tactician eyes at your shooting. You take small note as to how different Peter acts when he is stressed out and when he is simply tired.

You take out another arrow and decide to try something completely different. You push out all the other thoughts in your mind. You push out the love situation, the Sacchin situation, the Dead Brother situation, and the Yukari situation. In fact, you don’t even think about the target you are aiming at. You focus solely on yourself.

You imagine Complete Darkness as you try to focus. However, as you try to think of nothing, a Cascade of Light pours into your mind, flooding it with bright, white light. A hazy figure approaches in the distance. As it gets closer, you notice that it actually not one, but two figures. They stand beside you while you are still yet to notch the arrow.

You hear a quiet whisper in the back of your head from both of the hazy figures in unison.

“Do you Believe?” Both of the hazy figures have a feminine voice. However, even at this distance, even though it is in your mind, you still cannot make out their faces.

“Of course I ‘Believe’, if that is how you wish to put it. But my conviction is stronger than belief, for that can mean otherwise. I know. I know this undeniable truth that both of you are real,” you reply to the hazy figures. You have more than a feeling that the one on your right is Sacchin, but you are curious as to why there is a second person.

“Then let us help you.” The figures help you by correcting your posture and fixing your arm position. You didn’t realize it, but if you had attempted to shoot the bow with your arm in the position that it was in before, it would have hit and bruised your arm greatly and probably tear away a good chuck of your uniform.

“Pull back the string, like this,” one of the still hazy figures tells you as she gently guides your arm.

You pull back the string of the bow smoothly, and it seemingly glides back with your arm, as if there was no resistance, despite the fact that it might was well have been a 120 pound bow.

“Envision the target in your head and where it should be. Believe in your ability to hit it.”

You aim your bow, without opening your eyes, at where you believe the target is. No, where you know the target is. There is no doubt in your mind. There is no hesitation to release the arrow at the signal. No, for you are sure that this arrow shall pierce the bull’s eye of the target.

“Release.”

Without hesitation, you release your hold on the string, shooting the arrow. You have demonstrated your faith, and your belief, and your very trust into these people by following their orders. You have such strong, deep belief in both of them, even though you cannot even see as little as their faces, because you already know the identity of one of them.

You look at the hazy figure to your right, and thank her. Thank her, not only for what she has just done, but what she has been doing for years now: guiding and protecting you.

“Thank you, Sacchin,” you tell her, as her slightly blushing face and her beautiful pigtails seemingly come into focus, as your memories of her come back into the forefront of your mind.

Sacchin, however, can only give you a very meaningful look in her eyes, reading as a ‘thank you’. No words are needed between the two of you. Furthermore, you are not sure if she can speak to you now that you’ve revealed her identity. If Sacchin is someone close to you that died, that implicates that the other figure is someone else once close to you that has also become a ghost. You stay calm, however, knowing that the other person, whoever she may be, is a comrade, and if she is a ghost that means at least she hasn’t completely disappeared yet.

You turn to the other figure. You are unsure of who she could be. Her voice was unfamiliar, unlike Sacchin’s, which gave you a feeling of who she was from the very start.

“Who are you?” You question the other spirit while Sacchin takes comfort by hugging you.

You can only make out a vague smile on the spirit's hazy face as she whispers quietly to you, “A dying goddess that needs your faith.”

“How can I give faith to you should I not know as little as your name?” You question the hazy figure. You are only putting trust in this figure because she seems to be trusted by Sacchin. You had not ruled out the possibility that she wasn’t someone you knew, and now given the information that she is a goddess, you highly doubt that you had known her. The only goddesses you have met are Suwako and Shinki, and you would recognize them immediately. You have heard about Kanako in name, but you highly doubt that this is her. You have blindly trusted before, blindly believed in Stalin, only to find that both you and The Revolution were betrayed. You will not let that happen again.

“Believe in me as a person, not as a name. And take good care in this bow. This bow was blessed by me while I still had enough power and faith to exist physically, a long time ago. You sure look strange, but if it is in your hands, you must be the heir to my lineage. A small part of my power was put into this blessed bow back when I was mighty, but I am no longer. I barely exist as a spirit now, and it has been a long time since I could greet my descendants or even see what has happened. I used up the last of my power to bless a descendant of my lineage about a decade or two ago, thus this bow is among the few last links I have tying me to this world and keeping me from falling into the afterlife. And I am now entrusting this blessing to you,” the goddess tells you with a tone of melancholy in her voice.

“Why do you trust me so much?” You are very confused as to why a dying goddess has come to you of all people. Great Lenin was sure that the church was an enemy of The People, as it supported the corrupt Czar and owned the most amount of land in Russia besides the royal family. Yet now, a goddess stands beside you, helping you and asking for your help. Communism embraces all, but it is not as unguarded as to let former enemies in without some reasoning, some proof that they have changed or try to. Furthermore, heir to her lineage? What in the world is that supposed to mean? You are a Soviet Russian, a Soldier of The Red Army, a Child of The Motherland. Not from Japan, Not from Gensokyo, Not Magical, Not a Shrine Maiden. Just a Soviet Soldier fighting for his motherland, and now, for The Great Dream.

“As I said, if you are holding this bow, the one and only Great Hakurei Bow, you are probably the heir to my lineage. I’m actually surprised you don’t recognize me, consider how much a shrine maiden or priest ought to know about their own god. Actually, who are you?”

“I am Aleksandr Ivanov, Pilot and Ace of The Soviet Union and co-founder of The Revolutionary True Communist Party of Gensokyo, brother of Yuri Ivanov, Soviet Sniper that is capable of sniping men from 700 meters with mere iron sights,” you introduce yourself and your brother. “You may call me Bob if you want to,” you follow up, remembering the cherished days in which you and your brother would call each other nicknames that made no sense. You inwardly laugh from how ridiculous sounding Bob is, as you remember the last time you did it with your brother you were Bob and he was John.

And then you remember that he’s dead.

“Wait, so you aren’t a Hakurei Shrine priest?” The goddess asks you in a great shock that you can tell even though she is still a blur. She also seems confused about “Communism” and “Revolution” and “iron sights”. She then hangs her head as she figures out the hard truth, matching your head that you hang low at the remembrance of your brother’s death.

“I think you would call me ‘Outsider’ in simpler terms,” you reply, taking into account that this Goddess, if barely conscious and only minimally tied to this world for quite some time now, may not even have been conscious enough to hear about Communism, Soviet Union, The Great Patriotic War, or even guns and bullets. Short and long in deity terms are massive inflations of the human counterpart.

“Still, I put my trust into you, Aleksandr. Still, I grant my final blessing and ask my final request to you.”

“Why? Why would you trust this soldier, this sinner, this killer to protect your legacy? Your Heritage? Your very existence?” You feel very guilty as the thoughts of who you are come back to haunt you. You are a soldier; you have killed many Germans, not just fascists. Mostly fascists, yes, but there are those you are certain that were conscripts in the German army by their rotten leaders. And your love issues, while everybody else seems fine with it, are frustrating to you. What about Sacchin? You know, the girl that was actually your girlfriend? Actually, since you never broke up nor had any intent to, still IS your girlfriend?

You turn to Sacchin to question her when Hakurei responds and shifts your attention back.

“Because I have talked with Sacchin and I know who you really are. Because while I don’t understand the names you put on it, that your ideals fight for the same things I do, for freedom, for equality, for justice. Because, Alek, you are my last hope.” The goddess says as she places her hand upon yours. Your sin committing, murderous hand. How can so many take comfort in that hand? That hand that has only brought others harm, regardless of intention. Your love has brought only disaster and pain.

You push those negative, self-loathing thoughts aside. You will have to brave them again another time. Now is not the time to be a coward, a defeatist, for the goddess demands you to bear her grief. A Soviet does not spread his grief; he bears the burden of others’. But you must make sure of one thing first.

“Can you promise that you shall not rule over man and youkai from above when you return, but instead help The People from within? That the age in which gods and goddesses decided the fate and future of The People, when it is The People’s lives, The People’s Freedom, The People’s Future has ended and given way for justice in that The People can be Free to choose their own future?”

“I was one of the forerunners for equality and peace between youkai and humankind. I never wanted to be above my fellow friends and believers. I needed their faith as they needed me. It was a mutual relationship, as equals. Or so I wished it to be, but simply because I was a goddess, personal...cultism arose around me. If I come back, I want to start over. I know for certain my believers have dwindled to the point that I can no longer be with them unless they are holding my last connection to this world, so long gone is the inequality that was created. If anything, the relationship is the other way around; I need the believer, you, to survive. I need you to Live again.” The goddess sheds tears on you, and you turn hug both her and Sacchin. Whosever’s goddess is dying doesn’t deserve to have her die. The believer doesn’t deserve to suffer anymore, nor the goddess to the hands of inequality. This goddess is truly a comrade of The People, a fellow in the struggle for a better tomorrow.

“Then I shall not disappoint you. I will bail you out of hell itself if I need to, comrade,” you reply with conviction burning in your heart to bring her back.

Sacchin and the goddess just smile at you. Your heart, however, is heavy with the thought of your love tangle.

“Sacchin, I wish to tell you that Suika, Reimu, and Shinki all-” You begin to speak, but Satsuki silences you, and just smiles.

“She says that she still loves you after all this time. Also, I’m afraid this brief amount of power we’ve managed to conjure up is fading, so please remember to...believe...in....us,” the goddess says as she and Sacchin disappear from your mind.

Peter taps you on the shoulder, waking you back to the shooting range.

“I see that you’ve mastered the art of standing meditation.” Peter jests at your blanking out.

“Very funny, comrade," you reply to Peter.

-----
I promise that the next part of the update will not take over a month to create, and is on its way soon.

Anonymous 2012/02/23 (Thu) 11:37 No. 34141 ▼

Image Source

File 132999704379.jpg - (34.93KB, 270x216 , confused reimu.jpg)

Howdy folks! Came across this one when I got bored and decided to look through Story List page for something that was still active. (Quite a shame how many stalled stories there are out there.)

First off, I'd like to thank ComradeWriter for taking the time to pickup where PaperBoy left off.

Second, I'm gonna be keeping an eye on this thread for updates. :)

Third, a question: why have you not started a new thread? Pretty sure this sucker's hit autosage by now, and I'd think that you'd want it to gain more attention. (I'm only saging my post on the off-hand chance that this thread -isn't- autosageing and I respect the author's decision to sage his own posts. I'm just curious as to why.)

Anonymous 2012/02/23 (Thu) 23:42 No. 34148

>>34141
he still has about 90 or so posts to go, auto sage is 250 (or "247 posts omitted")

Hey, I'm not dead ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/06/18 (Mon) 05:37 No. 34696 ▼

Image Source

File 133999782453.jpg - (596.53KB, 940x768 , In_America_Yukari_Hits_On_You_In_Soviet_Gensokyo_Y.jpg)

I'm a lying bastard about the time, but I never gave up on this story. However, I will be on a trip to see my grandparents in a country that may or may not look like a communist chicken and will most likely not return until around mid-July. Sorry.
Well, here’s the update, Sorry for the long delay.

---

“Anyways, you hit a bull’s eye, so congratulations. More importantly, there are things I must tell you about Yukari.” Peter speaks without giving any hint towards his view on The Great Benefactor while he shifts a few rifles to the firing line.

“Yukari?” You instantly have a sinking feeling in your chest. Peter doesn’t like people looking over his shoulder, so you doubt that he likes Yukari’s stalking. You can only assume that conflict has opened between them.

“To put it frankly, I pissed her off because she was obstructing The Great Dream.”

You facepalm. How can Peter be so calm when he just screwed with The Lady of Borders? “And just what was so vital to the Great Dream that you had to piss off Yukari to do it?”

“T’was for comrade Reimu. I had limited time to pave the way for her freedom to express her love to you.”

You merely sigh in response. Your relationship with Yukari just got even more complicated.

“I suppose you have some tactical reasoning behind this act,” you say with resignation.

“No, but I have made it into an opportunity.”

You pause for a moment, thinking up a response, but decide that it would be best if you did not interfere with Peter’s plans, assuming that they are not extreme in a fascist direction.

“I’ll just leave you to your crazy plans then. Come on, we came here to shoot,” you say with a certain level of enthusiasm in your voice. Although quite morbid, the thought of shooting after a dealing with an exhausting day of these ‘relationships’ almost excites you the way flying in your plane does. Except shooting is certainly far more... ‘serious’ than the liberated feeling and freedom of simply flying with Sacchin.

...And that shooting is also far more necessary to protect the Communist Revolution from the Reactionary Bourgeoisie Counterrevolutionaries.

And so, you both return to firing. You shoot the bow a few more times, and you notice that the arrows it fires shine with bright, colorful light in the dark of the night, as if coated in a layer of magic.

Peter takes out a plain bow, smaller than your grand one, and joins you in firing. His archery is slow, but elegant and accurate. Your archery, on the other hand, is cruder, but faster and more passionate. Peter’s style most certainly matches who he was back in 1937: unruffled, perhaps to the point of being cold to others; calm, to the point you aren’t sure he’s aware of the severity of the situation, even though it’s most likely that he understands it the most; and collected, knowing exactly how he must approach the situation. Between each shot, he moves his body just enough to obtain slightly more power, adjusting the arrow’s landing by a few centimeters.

Bull’s eye. Bull’s eye. Bull’s eye. He moves from target to target, hitting the center again and again each time.

However, as his wartime comrade, you notice something’s wrong with him. Although he seems calm, small things give him away. His ear twitches slightly every so often and his brow furrows in such an otherwise insignificant measure that it would pass as normal by other people.

You reach into the deep recesses of your mind of all those repressed memories. What did a twitchy ear and furrowed brows mean?

Right, it means he is rather surprised. Or anxious. Or worried. It was something along those lines.

You note that this range behind Reimu’s shrine was set up this morning, so there’s no way Peter could have practiced shooting this setup and arrangement of targets before both of you arrived here. While it is within the realm of possibility that he took potshots at targets in his own backyard, you highly doubt that he mastered archery to this extent in the few months of time he’s been in Gensokyo.

“You tired of bows and want to move on to firearms, or are you blanking out on me again?” Peter asks, pointing out that you have been staring at him for a while.

“I’ll fire a few more arrows with this Glorious Bow before we move on.”

“Okay. This time, I’ll watch you, because it seems quite obvious you’ve only fired seven arrows.”

“You counted?”

“I counted my own shots. I fired ten, and there are 17 arrows in all of the targets combined. Simple math from there. But anyways, back to your shooting,” Peter explains as he puts away his bow.

“Peter, before that, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he replies.

“Does your own bulls-eye streak surprise yourself?”

“Did I really become that easy to read in the last 2 or so months?” Peter sighs.

“Yeah, it’s been bothering me. I can take potshots at tin cans in my backyard and nick them with a few solid hits, but this is genuinely ridiculous, even by my standards,” Peter continues with a tone that is a mixture of slight confusion and disappointment.

Peter then mumbles something about not putting in the effort or time needed to achieve this level.

“Look, I love archery and all, but I suck at it. Some greater being is clearly at work here,” Peter ominously tells you.

He silently stares at you, as if you hold the answer.

You decide to break the silence.

“Comrade, I think the Great Benefactor has helped you, whether you want it or not. She is genuinely looking out for you and trying to help you, even after you bloody spited her. It wouldn’t kill you to be a bit friendlier to her.”

“I don’t think so Alek. Why would she help me? I mean, seriously—”

You stare Peter in the eyes and then hold him by his shoulders.

“I’m not sure what kind of reactionary crap the GuoMinDang taught you, or what kind of purely violent, undemocratic, pseudo-Maoist crap you think is ‘communism’, but do understand,” you take a deep breath as you face Peter with a serious look on your face and grave tone in your voice.

“Communism...Violent Revolution, yes. But you, privileged with information of both the ‘future’ and of the Stalin suppressed history of the past, should have known this of all of us: ‘violent uprising against the Oppressors’ does not equate to ‘destroy your leaders and betray your comrades’. A traitor to his proletariat comrades—”

“Yukari’s not a proletariat, she’s among the bourgeoisie. Can’t you tell by her mannerisms, her view of everyone else as inferior, her bloody clothing stained with the blood of the proletariat who, enslaved by her and her bourgeoisie business partners, forged the cloth but still cannot feed their families despite working three jobs?” Peter cut you off and counters.

“Remember...Argh, I don’t remember his name, but he was against the Russian Revolution but was readmitted to the Communist Party after the Russian Revolution because he was such a significant political non-Tsarist figure? Well, Yukari’s like that except her cloth isn’t made from the blood of the prolet nor is she really a wealth obsessed person on the aristocratic-bourgeoisie axis.” You had attempted to counter with specific examples from Peter’s beloved history, but you forgot his name.

“I’m quite sure that she got ‘wealth’ either through the expropriating of the real aristocratic-bourgeoisie axis, or, more likely, via the manipulation of the border between thought and reality,” you rationalize to Peter. He seems to understand as well that Yukari, in his negative point of view, would at least be too lazy to manage a business or curry the favor of rulers to get simple material wealth.

“So can’t you see that Yukari isn’t this evil, putrid fascist you think she is? Are you so blind as to be unable to see that maybe, just maybe, she wants a friend, a comrade?” When you conclude, you let go of Peter and let him sit on that. He needs some time to process these things. You sure aren’t too terribly inclined to get into others’ affairs, but, although he attempts to justify it for Reimu, his arrogance towards Yukari is simply too much for you.

As Peter contemplates about Yukari, you return to shooting the bow.

You work with the bow, and it works with you, as if the goddess were there helping you again. The string is, once again, not drawn back by your will alone, but instead glides backwards with your arm and the arrow, cooperating with you.

You release your hold, and the arrow flies and pierces the center of the target.

You start firing the bow faster and with more passion, but don’t become reckless, continuing to hit close to the center with each shot.

Still, it doesn’t feel natural to you. It’s as if something else were moving your limbs and helping you along as you shoot. You despise the feeling; true Communists do not like being controlled, despite what all those silly westerners think.

When you finish, you gently lean the bow against the shrine, along with the bucket filled with arrows. You make a mental note to ask for a quiver, as well as a sling for the bow, or whatever its equivalent is.

You have been rather...rather...tense recently. Archery does not really help you relieve such tension. In fact, it continues to remind you of her, only exasperating the problem that causes your tension to worsen.

Taking a deep breath, you let all your tensions dissipate.

Instead, you think about the things that went well today. You’re not completely magic ‘illiterate’, not only did you make a half decent ‘spellcard’ thing, you managed to fly, if just hovering a few inches above the ground. You are sure that they were all exaggerating when they said your ‘spellcard’ was awesome because you were just some beginner who they’ve never seen, but it is still good to know that you are on the right track.

You should talk to Comrade Youmu a bit more. Although you had forgotten in the midst of the madness of this day, you know her sword style and she definitely knows a bit more about your last mentor. Mima also appeared to know something about him, making you her drinking buddy regardless of your input. Your last mentor in Eastern Asia...

Youki Konpaku.

He was like another father to you. Definitely seems like he’d be an acquaintance of your father, but you are almost certain his name was not on the list when you left and that no one human besides you ever held your list. Only no one human, of course, for you do have your suspicions that a certain blonde haired, purple dressed Lady of Borders had her hand in your trip. Possibly the suppression of those memories as well, but you don’t blame her too much. You’re probably going to have a nightmare about her tonight...

Best lay off the Vodka tonight.

Thinking about her, you should finally take that flight you always wanted to: a flight without any imperative combat objective, but rather just a flight to let her breathe and be free in the sky with just her and you.

You also need to ask someone more adept in magic about this whole ‘form item out of magic’ crap ability you have. Is this by some chance related to your ability to magically produce vodka out of seemingly nothing? Thinking about that, you were never able to do that back in Mother Russia.

And then there is her, the OTHER, more purple dressed her and the S-S-R Triumvirate. It is imperative that you let them know...that you technically still have a girlfriend. No, more than just ‘technically’. Sacchin has been beside you, is still beside you as you think this very thought, and will remain by your side. Whether or not she or Hakurei can perceive anything in this dimension besides your own mental ponderings, if that, is another question entirely. However, there is absolutely no doubt in your heart that they will come back.

In the end, you were unable to think only about the things that went well, but the reflection on the day was well enough for you not to feel so uptight about the relationships.

You feel like you are forgetting something though...

“Hey, Alek,” Peter speaks, breaking your mental train of though.

“Yeah?”

You notice that Peter has cleaned up the course while you were thinking to yourself.

“Take these gloves, keep them safe, and return them to Nitori ASAP,” Peter says as he takes a pair of gloves off his hands.

You hadn’t noticed them before, but now that you do, you remember that he didn’t have them earlier in the day.

Peter shoves them into your hands, and you tuck them away in your bag.

“I suppose I shouldn’t ask about those gloves, Comrade Peter?”

“If they disappear, we have an answer. If they change into something else, we have another answer. If they stay the way they are, we have yet another answer. I don’t know the answer, Alek. Not yet, but we will soon.”

“I see. Tell me, should I be using them, or just keeping them safe?”

“Use them as you see fit if they change, don’t if they don’t, and if they disappear, well, you won’t be able to use them to say the least.”

You sigh. Once again, you have been dragged into Peter’s crazy schemes.

“As you can clearly see, my Russian Comrade, I am clearly and by far the junior ‘partner’, really just assistant, to Nitori, Gensokyo’s local super genius. If you think I’m smart, well....the difference between her and I is equal to the difference of a 3rd grader that comprehends the four basic operations of math and a rocket scientist.”

“Rocket? As in what a Panzershrek, Bazooka, or my Sacchin fires?”

“That’s right, you don’t know anything past nineteen fouty...?”

“Nineteen Fourty Three, Battle of the Kursk. M.I.A., assumed to have been Killed In Action.”

“1943? Wow, you never even got to hear the Soviet anthem!”

“Comrade, I know the Internationale by heart,” you reply. The Communist international anthem, one of your favorite songs.

“Not that one, there’s another one, the one that blared over Berlin and the Red Square in Moscow in 1945, it came out in 1944. This one’s dedicated only to the USSR and not to the Global Communist movement. Eh, I’ll show you later.”

You are once again surprised by all the things you miss. Imagine that: a Soviet Anthem. You find it interesting, but also slightly disturbing: how many praises of Stalin taint it? How much Russian only nationalism that strayed from Lenin’s self-determination taint it? You love Mother Russia, but The Proletariat Revolution and the Great Patriotic War against Fascist aggressors was a world wide effort.

“Wait, you’ll show me later on your ‘CD’ player thing? Would there be a chance that you have a Red Choir disc as well?” You ask Peter in hopes of being able to listen to some Russian Music again.

“Yeah, actually the Soviet anthem’s on that pair of discs that make the ‘album’.”

Peter did explain to you his portable music playing machine, a ‘CD’ player. It is like a phonograph except ‘digital’ with the use of lights on the player ‘reading’ the ‘coded’ information on the disc. He also told you that there are next generation music players, called ‘pods’ made of apples and ‘i’ as well as ‘disks’ made of ‘san’.

More ominous was, despite telling you that there have been significant developments in the field of aeroplanes, he refused to tell you what. If it is anything like small arms, where the assault rifle is a noticeable improvement over the submachine gun and rifle squad combination (in which the SMG seem to have actually gotten worse over the past 60-70 years), you are rather...bothered. Did they find a way for propeller planes to break the speed of sound? What if it is like small arms, where the submachine gun is essentially replaced by a combination of short assault rifles and automatic, ‘tactical’ pistols?

Is there still a ground attack role for aircraft? Or is Sacchin an antiquated aircraft in an obsolete role?

No matter. You can shoot down the Fascist Scum in the skies with your ‘ground attack’ aircraft. You’ve done it before, what...3 times? Yeah, in the last battle you managed to shoot down one, in your first ‘training’ mission you managed to take out the bastard on your commander’s tail, mostly because of Sacchin, and the other was in another ‘training’ flight. Training was really fighting fascists in squads of trainees paired with trainers. Obviously, Soviet war machine can’t spare valuable resources to flying around aimlessly.

Besides your trio of air kills, you were relentless on the Fascist Steel Coffins. Anti-tank rifles did indeed become more and more obsolete as the war went on, because as much as you hate to admit it, the Fascist machine was quicker at implementing newer tools of Death, in particular the updated Panzer tanks. However, the Fascist ‘tanks’ became tanks of fire to Sacchin, the Nazi tank destroyer.

You vividly recall your bombing and strafing runs, raining death on the tanks...

“As a demon, it uses its power to rain death upon the land”

Wait, who said that?

You look around. Peter, tired of trying to communicate to you lost in thought, seems to be tinkering with the ‘CD’ player. He doesn’t seem to notice anyone saying anything, and of all the people that should have noticed a cryptic message, he should have.

A feminine voice giggles in the background.

“Oh, so it is just you, Yukari,” you mutter to yourself, hoping she hears it without alerting Peter.

“What? Yukari? Yukari! Where? Hide! Must take cover,” Peter exclaims, the very word being a red flag to him. He jumped as soon as he heard the name and dived behind one of the sandbag bunkers that litter the shooting course.

You hear a shout from Peter in the direction he tried to go.

“I’m right here, Alek~” Yukari speaks as pops out of a gap, holding Peter by the collar.

Peter looks at you with pleading, defeated eyes.

“Awww...isn’t my little Peter so cute when he’s about to be screwed~”

“Was that really just a horrible English pun with my name, Yukari? Also, don’t screw me. Seriously, don’t. I mean physically. Don’t. Go physically screw Alek or Yuyuko if you need to satisfy your sexual urges. You don’t want me, no, no, no, no. Be logical with me here, Yukari. Don’t be a rapist, trust me, Alek would NOT approve. He never got to Berlin or Budapest.”

“Hmm~” Yukari eyes you with lustful eyes. You make a mental note to slap Peter in the back of the head for whatever he just did.

“Well, I certainly DO like Alek.” Yukari continues to look at you funny, as if though appraising you like a piece of jewelry.

“Commissar Yukari, please stop looking at me like I am some item, some material for your sexual pleasure. Your staring is far beyond obvious, and I have enough complications with the United Suika, Shinki, and Reimu group. Just for your information, even appearing to be acting like a promiscuous harlot tends to give The People a negative image of you.”

“All business with you, my Alek? Well then, a few things before Yukarin makes her grand escape: One, that line’s from a poem, I’ll send the rest of it to you later. Poem really means prophecy in this case. Peter, you can rip its rhetorical devices to shreds all you want, but that won’t really help you.

“Next, Peter, I know what you’re thinking. Or rather your state of confusion. Is Yukarin your enemy or is she your friend? Well, let’s just say I manipulated the gloves that were actually intended for Alek, to ‘help’ you shoot some nice shots with the bow, yes? Let’s just also say I am about 99% of the reason you are here in Gensokyo, safe from the war, safe you’re your step-parents, and safe from Flandre. Be pragmatic with me here, Peter. Here-”

Yukari waves her hand over Peter’s head, inducing some strange occurrence that may or may not have involved the manipulation of the border of knowing.

“Wha-”

“You understand now? She only has feelings, not this crazy full blown love crap you spout. Notice the charismatic, personality, and physical difference between you and Alek here, the kind, fun, loving communist Russian that only wants you to help out a bunch of poor people get back on their feet, and romantic things like freedom, justice, and equality. He’s a great person to be around because he makes our lives and that of his so called ‘People’ better.

“Now look at the filthy things you demand, all this ‘complete change of ‘The People’’ and ‘destruction of the old world’ crap. See how Alek has none of your, ahem, ‘fascist’ humans-first crap. It doesn’t matter if you are consciously thinking about it that way, but it manifests itself in your ridiculous demands for concessions from people like me to ‘help’ humans. ‘Help’ humans have no moral punishment and moral consequence for bringing upon war. You are the cruel but ‘pragmatic’ ‘Stalin’ to the idealistic ‘Lenin’ over there called Alek, you of all people should understand that the murder of women and children in the Outside’s current society is one of the strongest deterrents to war there is. That’s why I can not save them, the humans must save them; the humans must be able to save themselves. I can help, but to let madmen wage war without recourse is simply wrong. Plus, what the heck happened to Communists that don’t want concessions but real change? And I thought you liked the Buddhist Byakuren, too! She, Keine, Akyuu, and even the entirety of the SDM are part of your so-called ‘Old Society’ that you intended to destroy. Add that to the fact that you’d ‘get Red Square painted on your chest’, as Alek would say, if you met Flandre again the way you are now assuming she’s merely over-enthusiastic... You’d be dissolved to particles if she’s angry or sad, you must be able to see where I’m coming from in not letting you know, no?” Yukari’s tone is strangely and vaguely...motherly, a far departure from the promiscuous looks before. She acts as if though Peter was her child in a strange way. Her combination of scolding, eliciting sympathy, and use of Peter’s own logic is has all but silenced the poor kid.

“Also Peter, I did choose you for a number of reasons, among which includes your ability to create tactics. Consider this your ‘by’, your ‘homework pass’ if you will. You need to be better than this to outsmart the real enemy, Peter. 36th Stratagem of Ancient China, Peter, ‘走爲上’. You need to know when to retreat, Peter. You can’t beat me, no offense Peter, I love your effort and your furious lil’ pouting, but being agitated by a ‘more-friend-than-enemy’ just wanting to play? Then you threw a bunch of insults? That’s quite a poor strategy, Peter; especially since I am quite sure you know the extent of my power. I do commend your ability to ‘pave the way for Reimu’ though under time constraints while being thrown into someone else’s relationship issues.

“However, solving other peoples’ social issues isn’t your domain and won’t of much use on the battlefield. The Battle forced Communists and Capitalists against the Fascism even though the West still did have anti-Bolshevik feelings up to the Invasion of the USSR, The War can force a bunch of disparate groups in Gensokyo together.

“Do you understand me Peter?” Yukari notices a small red can of a capitalist beverage sitting by Peter’s stuff. Upon inspecting it, she has a look of disgust on her face.

“Peter, you’ll get cancer if you keep drinking New Coke without getting it filtered by magic. Seriously, you like that stuff, raw nonetheless? Try some real cola at sometime. Jeez; I can gap you some right now.”

Yukari catches a red-colored box from a gap and finally puts down Peter and hands him the box.

“Look Peter, I can’t hold your hand every step along the way from here on out. In The War, I’ll be fighting, so you’ll have to make your own decisions and choices. If you decide to meet Flandre as is, I won’t stop you. If you need to train, knock on the door of your dream tonight. Also, drink the Classic Coke already, Peter.”

Yukari opens the square end of the box and takes out two red colored cans, handing one to Peter.

“BEHOLD! This is Real Soda for The New Coke Enslaved People!” Yukari performs an extremely overdramatized imitation of your enthusiasm in speeches before breaking out into laughter. You can not help but laugh a bit at it as well. Since she is not making fun of Communism or its ideas, you have no qualm with her poking a little fun at politicians and speeches to relieve The People of the stresses of daily life.

Peter, who has been docile and listening this entire time, took a sip before chugging the entire can of liquid. As he does that, Yukari finally turns to address you after her mixture of caring and scolding to Peter. After gapping five or so more boxes of the beverage, Yukari speaks to you.

“Cola for all Comrades, right Alek?” Yukari gently smiles at you. This time, she isn’t parodying you or your style. Her gentle smile is quite pleasant and gives off an aura of happiness. She smoothly moves your hand to her face and gently guides you in stroking her cheek.

“Alek, Yukarin really likes you, so please just let me know whenever you want to spend some time together!” Yukari is extremely cheery and happy, almost on the level of Shinki.

You shake the thoughts out of your head.

Focus.

Like a politician, you change the topic and avoid answering the question. First, you still need to inform the SSR Union about Sacchin in some greater form than that she is a plane and that she is actually a person.

“Yukari...I...my relationships are screwed up beyond recognition right now, but I promise I’ll spend time with you at some point in time, as comrades.”

“Alek, tell Peter when he’s done with his cola box to ‘communalize’ the rest and also that I’m sorry about his step-parents and his scars.”

You somehow didn’t notice, but Yukari’s holding your both hands and her lower half is in a gap already.

Wait, scars?

“And tell him that yes, I do read his diary-”

Peter glares over at Yukari while going through his second can.

“Excuse me, I meant journal with a ‘mole of NaCl’, so tell him he can’t make a bad chemistry joke, mm’kay?”

“Comrade, why don’t you just tell him yourself? He’s right next to us. Actually, he should have overheard this conversation,” you point out to Yukari, who shrugs.

“Alek, there’s about a 50% chance he’ll collapse within the next 10 minutes. Tell him when he has had a bit more sleep. Anyways, just also tell him to get a semi-automatic rifle to replace his sniper rifle I broke, and to stop wearing the Imperial Japanese Uniform he’s been wearing for the last... 2 years? I don’t care how many times he washes it; he needs to let his old war things rest.”

Yukari yawns gently.

“Alek, it’s long past Yukarin’s bed time and curfew-

“You have a curfew?” You ask Yukari, finding that such a thing is quite strange.

Yukari frowns.

“Yukarin’s a 17 year old girl! Of course she has a curfew! Plus, Yukarin’s getting sleepy too!”

Yukari lets go of your hands and gaps in another of this strange new type of beverage, but this time it’s in a gold can and reads ‘no caffeine’ on its label. Popping the can open, she takes a sip before finishing her thoughts. She whispers quietly to you while holding the still mostly full can of ‘soda’.

“Finally Alek, I want you to know that I want to have Reimu too~”

“What,” you ask in confusion before everything goes chaotic.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/06/18 (Mon) 05:43 No. 34697 ▼

Image Source

File 133999823770.jpg - (0.98MB, 1754x2480 , Yuyuko.jpg)

Meiling suddenly descends with a flying kick toward Yukari, who effortlessly dodges without spilling a drop of soda or retreating into her gap.

“Commissar Reimu told me to practice the flying and kick techniques over here, but I don’t see anything special about this place,” Meiling says, looking around but not noticing you or Yukari.

You are about to call out to her when Yukari hugs you from behind and silences you.

Yukari is most certainly intentionally pressing her soft, large breasts against your back as she hugs you in an extremely tight embrace.

“Ah, Peter!”
“嘿, 美鈴”
“Did you see a suspicious Yukari around here?”
“ehhh? Yuu *hic* Kaarrrii?”

‘psst, Yukari! Did you drug the bloody drinks?’ You whisper with a harsh tone to Yukari. Is this what she meant by ‘collapse within the next 10 minutes’? Also, you assume that Meiling has yet to notice you or Yukari because of some strange manipulation that is Yukari’s doing.

‘Only the 1st box with a little alcohol, nothing a 60 year old Youkai or a normal 13 year old human can’t handle, why?’ Yukari whispers back.

‘Peter’s an alcohol ‘virgin’, per say. He has had no experience with alcohol! He knew he had crap alcohol tolerance!’

“She’s right over there, silly Hong!” Peter seems to have recovered from the slurred speech already, but his inhibitions seem to still to be burning away in a fire. You take note that Peter is able to see through whatever illusion Yukari put up while he is ‘drunk’.

Meiling, however, just blushes at being called by her first name by a former classmate and fellow pupil under Wong.

“Whenever you need to get something done right, you have got to do it yourself,” says Reimu as she appears, heading straight at you and Yukari, ignoring Peter and Meiling. She also seems capable of ignoring Yukari’s manipulation of borders in this case. Perhaps there was no manipulation in the first place? Or perhaps Yukari is simply too tired and lazy to actually completely manipulate the borders to make the both of you invisible.

“Yukari, I know you’re right behind Alek, so stop pressing your...your slutty mountains against his back! Alek, stop just standing there, DO SOMETHING! YOU WILL HAVE TO BE FASTER AND MORE PRO-ACTIVE THAN THAT TO CRUSH THE FASCIST!”

She throws a few seals at you, to which you quickly duck under and Yukari gracefully dodges without spilling her coke. The seals attach themselves harmlessly to the wall of the shrine.

“Shoo, Yukari! Shoo! Shoo!” Reimu chases Yukari around, attempting to chase her off.

Yukari looks at first happy as if it were some kind of game between them, but then upon getting hit by Reimu’s ritual stick, her expression is a mixture of a bit of pain and a little disappointment and loneliness before gapping herself out of there.

“Alek, you weren’t fornicating with that whore, now were you?”

“Whore? What? First, I am not ‘fornicating’ with anybody, and secondly, The Great Yukari isn’t a ‘whore’, she is a critical part of The Revolution! She is a core part of what will become our Central Committee! Commissar Reimu, you have no authority to slander a fellow comrade as a ‘whore’, regardless of their rank!”

“... It’s comrade...It’s comrade Reimu,” she says as she looks at you sadly.

You remember this morning and how you and Reimu...

You give Reimu a hug to apologize and hold her soft body gently between your arms.

“That’s right...Comrade, and equal, a familiar person and friend, a person that would die for you and you would die for. I’m sorry Reimu, Comrade Reimu, it’s just that you shouldn’t be so critical of Yukari or call her such names...”

Reimu gently places her ear against your chest. She listens to your heartbeat and relaxes. Reimu’s already comfortable being around you. You personally are not this comfortable yet, but you decide that this is an opportunity to help out Yukari’s relationship with Reimu and ensure that the Friendship of The People is a strong, Indivisible Bulwark.

“Do you feel relaxed right now?”

Reimu slightly nods her head.

“What if I told you that all Yukari wants is to be able to be close to you like this, to be able to hold you and listen to your heartbeat softly?”

“I...”

“Don’t worry about it now, Reimu, it’s just something to think about.”

Reimu softly reaches up and ruffles your hair before holding you, returning your passion.

-----

After a bit of time, Reimu felt well enough to leave the warmth of your chest. She left as she informed you that she also needs to speak with Shinki and Suika.

Peter then approaches you, with a still slightly embarrassed Meiling nearby.

“Alek, I don’t know really what the heck happened in the last 25 or so minutes. I remember there being Yukari, her talking to me, possibly reconciling with her, then drinking Coke and then suddenly I’m here, almost half an hour in the future with a still somewhat embarrassed Meiling here and I don’t even know what the hell I did to her. Good thing my clothes are still on, otherwise I might have had a panic attack to the tenth degree. But yeah, she’s still embarrassed, she won’t tell me what the heck I did, and far as I know, nothing of great importance happened to me. Care to explain?”

“Long story comrade, but don’t worry about it, just one of the eastern naming conventions and crap like that. I think you called her by her first name.” You speak in Russian as to make sure that you do not offend your other Chinese Comrade.

“Ah. Still, even calling her by her first name should not have caused this much of a reaction from her. Well then Alek, you might as well go take a bath; I doubt any of the gals want to see you caked in dirt and sweat. I’ll take care of this mess because I still need to pick out a replacement sniper rifle,” Peter tells you with a reasonless grin. Damn it Yukari, why did you drug the bloody coke?

“A replacement?” Peter never mentioned anything about this.

“Ah. Forgot to tell you that Yukari broke my old one. I’m just a kid, so be prepared if I end up with some gun that's a bit too modern, or from our World War 2 view, futuristic, for your tastes. I do love wood and steel rifles, and I’m not ruling them out, but if a better weapon is available, I won't hesitate to arm myself with it. We guerrillas must arm ourselves with the best of what's available without hesitation. If the modern rifles disappoint, then I’ll stick with our era. If it’s a tie, well, then it's just a tossup at that point. Anyways, go and take your bath in the hot springs now; I’ll head in after you're done.”

And with that, you head off for the hot springs.

-----

Damn it! That’s right; you forgot to ask Yukari to be kinder and less intrusive to The People, as well as figuring out why all the humans in the village disdain her. Well, at least you got to the other side: you got Reimu to contemplate being less mean to her, the first step in Revolution, and utilized the Populist movement against racism and hatred of all youkai. You are not pro-youkai, but rather pro-equality: there are sentient, civil youkai that are comrades and part of The People as there are sentient, civil humans, and there is feral youkai scum...as there is the feral, racist, elitist, self-profiteering scum of humans.

You note that you need to find out more about both the human village and about the youkai - human relations, however, you note that most youkai that you have met so far are ‘humane’ (you hate to be human centric, but you genuinely lack another term to explain the quality of being... ‘civil’ and having common emotions such as ‘sympathy’ as well as the ability to use diplomacy before necessary violence). Furthermore, you know that a large amount of the humans here could probably take on a youkai, which makes sense that they would have to be strong enough to fend off ferals.

You sigh. There is nothing you can do about the situation as of now; you just have to hope you see Yukari sometime soon.

As you pass the main entrance of the shrine on the way to the hot springs, Youmu comes up to you along with Yuyuko.

“Hello there, Alek,” Yuyuko calls, motioning you over.

“Greetings, comrades,” you say, walking over to sit by them on the front porch.

“I have something of great importance to tell you, Alek.” Yuyuko speaks with a certain quality in her voice and a seriousness in her eyes that chills you to the bone, causing the warm atmosphere of the shrine to dampen. But you must brave the grave matter, for the Revolution.

“What is it?”

“Your dark side... was only suppressed temporarily by your fight with Youmu; it has not shrunk or been destroyed. From what I’ve seen since your return, you seemed to have an okay grip on it, but it recently seems to have festered and grown worse.” Yuyuko’s stare peers into your very soul. But you do not turn away. You will not turn away; you will not cower at this challenge; you will not give up in the face of difficulty. You will never surrender. You won’t back down, you won’t run or hide. You will respond with the flames of the Revolution, and fight for what is right!

“Then I shall brave it again and defeat it in Glorious Battle!” You raise your fist into the air with renewed vigor and enthusiasm for the Great Cause.

“Alek, fighting it will not defeat it for good. While your previous fight weakened its power, you also weakened your suppression of it in using up such... ‘suppressive energy’ in the fight. Even if you were to fight it physically without it obtaining a medium, it would be much harder to defeat, and you'd risk being consumed by your inner darkness. And even if you managed to win, it is still but a temporary solution. You cannot destroy your darkness; it will always be there.”

“Are you saying that this is a fight I cannot win? That I must give up and accept my darkness?” You begin to speak, opening with rhetorical questions that you soon overturn.

“I am a Soviet. I am one of the millions of torches in the night, but one fellow comrade in the Revolution to enlighten the world to The Great Dream and Ideals. Only a defeatist will say that he must accept the evils within him.” You put emphasis on defeatist to show how low one sinks if they do nothing to change and merely accept their faults, their wrong doings, and continue to do them.

“I acknowledge that I am far from a perfect man, if anything, I am a sinner, a killer, a murderer, and a failure at all I do,” you say, remembering bitter memories in which your failure at being the last man to leave a building and your carnal, subliminal selfishness in rushing out the building back at Stalingrad that killed Alice’s Parents. You should have been the one to die, for you were the soldier, and they but civilians. Where your love has done nothing but cause pain and hurt to those that receive it, killing Sacchin and toppling True Communism and The Motherland. Where your hands strangled the life out of a Nazi that came within centimeters of stabbing your heart, simply because you were on different sides of the war.

“But I am not a defeatist. I do not accept the darkness within as is. I illuminate the night in this Blaze of Glory, This Blaze of Righteousness, This Blaze of Equality and Freedom. I strive forward into the darkest parts of my heart, and I illuminate the night. I fight to breathe clean air, to breathe justice, freedom, and dreams. I fight to live on my feet, rather than die upon my knees.” You pause briefly, to let the emphasis of the last sentence sink into the minds of Yuyuko and Youmu.

“And if I must face myself to do so, time again and again, then I shall do so. I do not expect to beat my dark side, to change myself from it in a day, just as I do not expect Yukarin to have changed her trickster and stalker ways after but a few brief conversations. The Revolution is an ever-changing, ever-marching, ever-progressing movement that never halts. It may not be perfect, but it shall not be vilified. One day, we shall all see the Glory of Cooperation, Freedom, and Dreams over domination, hierarchy, and hatred. One day, this hatred of people like Yukarin and Shinki shall cease. But until that day, we must strive towards reaching it.”

“You are playing a dangerous game in rejecting your dark side, Alek” Yuyuko warns you with good intentions, but you have not rejected your dark side.

“I have not rejected my dark side, for I am not a coward that runs away from himself. This dark side is a part of me as of now. But that is now, that is the past, not the future. This dark side is different from faults, for all people have them, for that is what makes us alive. This dark side is something that I must face, in my heart, without assistance. This is something that I must change with my own will, my own action. Yukarin cannot help me, and neither can you beyond here. This is my battle. But thank you, Comrade, for informing me for the battle ahead.”

“Alek”

“Yes, Comrade Yuyuko?”

“Stay safe. Not for me, but for Reimu, Yukari, and Shinki. I’ve had my quarrels with Reimu, but we’re all friends at the end of the day.”

“I answer the Call of Revolution. It is my duty. If it requires I sacrifice my life to achieve it, then it is a small price I must pay to bear the burden for everyone else. It is the least I can do to repay for my sins.”

Yuyuko just gives a tired sigh upon hearing that, as if she had figured out that you will not give up on The Revolution for safety and that her words to convince you otherwise are useless.

“I suppose I’ll have to talk with Shinki about this.”

“Don’t worry so much, I don’t plan on dying soon. Also, can I ask you a question, comrade?”

“Depends,” replies Yuyuko. Youmu glances in your direction, but you are not sure whether it was out of hostility or because she is nervous.

[ ] Press the issue of Youki Konpaku, you need to find out what happened to your former teacher. You fear not the truth.

[ ] Drop the issue of Youki for now by dismissing with a ‘nevermind’ and be on your way to get clean quickly. The state of the Suika-Shinki-Reimu triumvirate bothers you.

[ ] Hold the issue of Youki Konpaku, for Youmu looks either nervous or ready to punch you in the face,
----[ ] ...and instead ask about your strange ability to forge matter out of magic and inquire if it is by some chance related to your ability to produce vodka out of seemingly nothing.

----[ ] ...and instead ask about the netherworld. People were planning for a trip, no? You wonder how that is coming along.

-------

Sorry about the massive delay and the two-week trip that's coming up. Things should get better when I return and recover from Jet Lag.

Anonymous 2012/06/18 (Mon) 05:55 No. 34698

[x] Press the issue of Youki Konpaku, you need to find out what happened to your former teacher. You fear not the truth.

As much as other things concern me, I feel dropping the matter would come off as indecisive.

Anonymous 2012/06/18 (Mon) 06:23 No. 34699

[x] Press the issue of Youki Konpaku, you need to find out what happened to your former teacher. You fear not the truth.

Back, Votes Called ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/07/04 (Wed) 05:48 No. 34756

Just got back from Capitalist China a few hours ago.

"[x] Press the issue of Youki Konpaku, you need to find out what happened to your former teacher. You fear not the truth." is the unanimous choice. Will begin after some sleep. Jet Lag and all that.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/07/16 (Mon) 23:14 No. 34793 ▼

Image Source

File 134248047937.jpg - (1.22MB, 1920x1200 , 704b2d458288413d3cbf48e074f86e4ac0f96b38.jpg)

Sorry for the delay

----

[x] Press the issue of Youki Konpaku; you need to find out what happened to your former teacher. You fear not the truth.

“Tell me about Youki Konpaku,” you say with confidence and determination in your voice. A communist must not fear the truth, for that is counter revolutionary and against the will of The People and The Great Dream of Justice and Truth. A mere bath can wait for The Revolution.

Yuyuko, however, just looks at you bewildered and surprised at your request. Youmu on the other hand looks agitated, rapidly tapping her foot against the ground, as if ready to explode from a mixture of anger and anxiety.

“Comrade Yuyuko … might I ask what is the cause of your surprise?”

“Alek Ivanov… Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov, correct?”

“That is my name given to me by my parents, yes,” you reply with a hint of suspicion. After all, why would she ask for a confirmation of your name?

“Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov, a human with either such bravery or idiocy and foolishness to ask such a question right to the face of the Princess of the Netherworld.”

Upon hearing such words, you brace yourself for whatever twisted and cruel play action that may befall you. You continue to stand firm, ready to withstand whatever she might do. However, you prevent yourself from otherwise tensing up or acting with hostility, noting that such an action would send a poor message to whom you believe is still your comrade. Albeit, a rather displeased comrade if her tone is any indication.

“I think I’m starting to like you,” Yuyuko states casually with a slight smile, a far departure from her previous demeanor.

“Uh… thanks comrade?” You are slightly perplexed at this sudden change of attitude, as her emphasis on the derogatory term as well as of her own rank implied that she was displeased with you. However, you dismiss your previous, false impression of her and make a note to avoid misjudging Yuyuko’s character. That is, of course, after you assess the servitude of Comrade Youmu under her. You do not like any servitude at all, but you will accept it so long as it is fair and voluntary. You must make allies in this land before you can enlighten them with the glory of Communism and Scientific Socialism. Furthermore, a Communist’s words and actions must help unite the people, not divide and weaken them.

An awkward silence passes between Yuyuko and you. Even Youmu, who seems to be uncharacteristically impatient because of some personal significance within this issue, has momentarily halted the incessant tapping her foot. She nearly holds her breath as she waits, drenched in apprehension, for her mistress’s real answer.

“Unfortunately, I cannot provide the answer you are searching for. Youki retired around 70 years ago to be a hermit, and while it is quite possible that he is somewhere in the netherworld, it would be a great mishap for me to interrupt his retirement. He has earned his freedom to exist as he pleases after years of voluntary servitude and loyalty,” Yuyuko states, without breaking eye contact with you.

After taking a momentary pause, Yuyuko continues to speak just as you are about to ask for an explanation about ‘earning one’s freedom’. Freedom is a natural right that is inherent to all People; it cannot be ‘earned’ for it always belonged rightfully to The People.

“Much like how humans in the Outside world, even in your beloved ‘socialist’ society, ‘earn’ their ‘freedom’ to no longer work and contribute to society in retirement after working for so many years,” Yuyuko states, addressing your concern as if though she knew what was on your mind.

“Thus, it is not my place to take from him what is rightfully his. A better question, Alek, would be: What do you know about Youki?”

You explain to her your meeting with him in China on your way back home to Russia and your brief but effective learning of the Konpaku style.

“I see… the old man’s been more active than I thought. That must have been Yukari’s secret assignment for him.”

Interesting. Yukari seems to have been manipulating the course of your life from as far back as then.

Actually...

“Yukari can speak German, can’t she?”

“I’m pretty sure she can. We all have the time to learn a couple hundred languages, but she can also take ‘shortcuts’ with her ability.”

You give Yuyuko an understanding nod. It makes sense now, she was that person, the lady in the last house back in the small, nameless Manchurian town. Thus, it also makes sense that she was the one that knew about Youki while the rest did not.

“Did you figure out something,” Youmu both questions and exclaims with anticipation as she nearly jumps toward you and Yuyuko.

“Well, I figure that you may have known this already, but there is no doubt that in my mind that Yukari knows where he is. I also estimate about an eighty percent chance that he is actually somewhere in the Netherworld as we speak, but Yuyuko and I cannot be sure.”

“I see,” Youmu tells you as she paces slowly.

“Youmu –” Yuyuko attempts to address her before being cut off by the most ridiculous chain of compliments and titles.

“Yes, Lady-Commissar-Mistress Saigyouji, Princess-of-the-Netherworld, how may I help you my Excellency?”

Had you been drinking a fluid at that moment, you would have spewed it all over Yuyuko. Fortunately for the both of you, you were not. From Yuyuko’s reaction, she seems to agree with you in how absurd Youmu’s chain is. You silently wonder to yourself if Youmu is trying to impress you with her loyalty. While it is a highly notable and valuable thing, she takes it to an unnecessary extreme.

“Haven’t I told you that you don’t need to say ridiculous chains of titles and honorifics? In fact, we’re intimate enough for you to just call me my first name” Yuyuko tells Youmu after a rather exhausted sigh.

“I would never dare to be so impolite as to call you such,” Youmu cries out as she shoots you an angry glare.

Noting that you have indeed paid little to no attention to Eastern naming conventions and honorifics, you just shrug, hoping she understands such a body motion and that shrugging as a gesture is not also lost in translation between the two cultures. Naming conventions that implicate inequality are against the will of the Proletariat and The Revolution. Naming conventions that implicate respect are different however, so you make an endeavor to rectify your mistake of potentially offending her any further.

“I suppose I should call you Commissar Saigyouji, then,” you inquire, hoping this much sates their hunger to be properly respected with names. Commissar is probably the only title that is truly acceptable to you among the ones Youmu spewed out with such great passion and vigor.

“Perhaps I should be calling her Comrade Konpaku as well,” you muse in a quiet voice to yourself.

“No need to call us either, Alek,” Yuyuko remarks, having better hearing than you expected.

Youmu, however, disagrees as she shoots up from the sheer shock that she experiences from hearing such words from her beloved Commissar.

“Mistress, don’t just let him push you around!”

Yuyuko shakes her head as she replies, “Stand down, Youmu. I foresee that Yukari has Great Plans from Alek. Plus, we call him by his first name, it’s only normal that he would reply with our first names.”

“But that’s because he’s a westerner!”

Yuyuko gives Youmu a caring yet tremendously disappointed gaze and gently places her hand on Youmu’s shoulder. Lowering it slowly, Yuyuko's hand guides Youmu to a sitting position beside her.

“Youmu... I thought I’ve told you not judge people based on where they come from...”

Yuyuko’s statement seems to affect Youmu deeply and she quiets down.

“Anyways, didn’t you have something you wanted to ask Alek?” Yuyuko gently nudges the suddenly shy seeming Youmu towards you.

“Well...”

“Go on now, Alek won’t hurt you,” Yuyuko continues to nudge Youmu towards you. Comrade Youmu seems to have retracted far further than you expected from her exploding and vocal self because of Yuyuko’s disappointment.

You almost make a comment about how Yuyuko isn’t very convincing considering you are still in full military uniform and armed to the teeth, having arrived here straight from the shooting range, but you decide against it.

“I wanted to ask about your training with...Master,” Youmu states, with a brief hesitation as she figured out a way to circumvent revealing her familial relation with Youki.

You explain your training with her in great detail, from your inability to land a hit on him to his incredible speed.

“Clearly, he let me hit him at the end. I hit him with my strongest punch, and not only did Youki not budge, but my fist was rather sore when I woke up. I might as well have punched a tank. I’m actually surprised that I didn’t break all my bones from my fingers to my shoulder,” you tell Youmu as you run your left index finger from your knuckle along your arm to your right shoulder.

“Have you punched a tank before?” Youmu, who apparently does not know too terribly much about mid 20th century warfare, inquires.

“Well, I slammed my fist against a burnt out tank carcass in frustration once...” You trail off, recalling the lugubrious landscape and disheartening events during your days on the Eastern Front.

“Alek, you shouldn’t underestimate your potential,” Yuyuko speaks whilst breaking your mind away from The Great Patriotic War.

“Excuse me Comrade Yuyuko, could you please repeat that?” You ask Yuyuko, having been lost in the horrible memories of war.

“Never mind, Alek, I’m sure you already know what I said. Didn’t you have something else on your mind?”

Knowing Yuyuko, there is no use in pressing for what you missed. You trust comrade Yuyuko’s judgment, so if she thinks that you already know whatever she said in your heart, then there is no need to verbally repeat it.

Anyways, you should...

-----

Choose one of the two:
[ ] Make a comment that Mima might know something about Youki. This might lower your relations with her, but it saves you the time of finding her yourself. Time is limited.

[ ] Instead of making a comment, you’ll go find out from Mima yourself at some point in time. It might take up time, but at least you don’t send an over eager half-ghost after her that she might consider bothersome. Plus, you won’t distract Youmu from whatever duties she has and thereby increase her productivity.

-----

Choose as many of the following that do not conflict, but beware of the looming dinner that will cut short the latter activities. (Feel free to assign priorities if you feel like something ought to be tackled first/ before something else.)

[ ] Converse with Yuyuko & Youmu
--- [ ] Ask about your strange ability to forge matter out of magic and inquire if it is by some chance related to your ability to produce vodka out of seemingly nothing.
------ [ ] If they ask you to demonstrate...
---------- [ ] ...produce vodka for them. Your magic should have return to sufficient levels by now.
---------- [ ] ...attempt to produce (Write-in) instead.
---------- [ ] ...tell them that you still need to conserve your magic because it is still at a novice level and not produce anything. This might impede their ability to conclude anything about your ability, but it saves your magic for another time.
--- [ ] Ask about the Netherworld. People were planning for a trip, no? You wonder how that is coming along.
--- [ ] Inquire if they know anything about why Yukari choose you in particular to bring to Gensokyo
--- [ ] Press Youmu about how she feels about her job. Does she like her job? Is it really voluntary? Or does she feel like she has no choices? Does she feel her job and her opportunities are fair?

[ ] Search for Suika/Shinki/Reimu
--- [ ] Yellow
--- [ ] Red
--- [ ] Black

-----
Recommendations + Conflicts

Conflicts:
- Can’t produce vodka and not produce anything, since such is simply impossible.
- Can’t attempt produce write-in option and not produce anything for the same reason that the first prevents the latter.
- You CAN choose all three colors

Recommend (Don’t read if you don’t want help from writer, hence why it is in spoilers):
- I recommend against choosing all three colors if you choose to search
- I recommend against attempting to materialize more than a single item, whether it is vodka or the write in. Definitely against attempting to materialize something difficult, like a tank, car, airplane, etc.

Anonymous 2012/07/16 (Mon) 23:32 No. 34794

[x] Converse with Yuyuko & Youmu
--- [x] Ask about the Netherworld. People were planning for a trip, no? You wonder how that is coming along.

[x] Search for Suika/Shinki/Reimu
--- [x] Yellow
--- [x] Red

The only reason I left out "Black" is because I figure we'd run into her easily enough in the future while one's the first love interest and the other is a visitor.

Anonymous 2012/07/19 (Thu) 04:58 No. 34799

[x] Converse with Yuyuko & Youmu
- [x] Inquire if they know anything about why Yukari choose you in particular to bring to Gensokyo.

[x] Search for Suika/Shinki/Reimu.
- [x] Red.
- [x] Yellow.

ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/07/22 (Sun) 05:50 No. 34806

Vote Called for:

[x] Converse with Yuyuko & Youmu
- [x] Ask about the Netherworld. People were planning for a trip, no? You wonder how that is coming along.
- [x] Inquire if they know anything about why Yukari choose you in particular to bring to Gensokyo.

[x] Search for...
- [x] Red.
- [x] Yellow.

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/09/23 (Sun) 08:04 No. 35001 ▼

Image Source

File 134838746584.jpg - (97.18KB, 500x711 , dbfdce89fc58abb8e85d5ab1839c4b95.jpg)

Sometimes in life, you remember you had a duty to fulfill.

---

[x] Converse with Yuyuko & Youmu
- [x] Ask about the Netherworld. People were planning for a trip, no? You wonder how that is coming along.
- [x] Inquire if they know anything about why Yukari choose you in particular to bring to Gensokyo.

[x] Search for...
- [x] Red.
- [x] Yellow.

----

You should continue to converse with your ghostly comrades, after all, how could you ignore the comrades in front of you?

“Comrade Yuyuko, may I ask you some questions?”

“Why not?” Yuyuko responds with her carefree and slightly cheery attitude, but you silently wonder if that is just a superficial emote she wears at all times to make others underestimate her. Regardless, she is a comrade and of no threat to The Revolution!

“I’d like to know about the Netherworld trip you had planned with...Mima.” You stumble over Comrade Mima’s name as if though you had forgotten the Charming Demon completely. Yuyuko pretends to have not noticed your stumble. Instead, she nudges you, as if asking you to be more specific.

“I’d like to learn about what I’d need to know about trip and the location, such as where we would be taking temporary residence. In addition, it would be beneficial to be informed about the culture, customs, politico-economic systems, and holidays at the destination; and the local culinary arts and traditions,” you tell Yuyuko to supply her with specific examples of topics she should delve into, before pivoting at the end and adding in the last part to see how she reacts.

“Culinary arts and traditions?” Yuyuko asks with genuine curiosity in her voice. You smile on the inside as you proceed, knowing that you may be on route to creating a… bond. Yes, a glorious bond to defend The People’s Revolution against the Fascists!

“Why, of course! A Traveling Gourmet like you must know how painful it feels when the people of the land you visit misinterpret your wish to sample their food so you can share it with The People! Under the Revolutionary Union, every person will be educated, and not just of the culinary traditions of their foreign comrades, but wholesomely,” you speak with confidence brimming in your voice that such education WILL be achieved. Yuyuko seems to be pleasantly surprised at the title and your understanding of issues that she had faced while traveling. Developing upon this initiative, you further grow your empathetic bond with Yuyuko.

“We all know that an unskilled toiler or even a highly skilled cook cannot immediately take on the job of State administration, but with proper education, urgency, and discipline, every person, of all species and genders, should be able to run the State.

You pause briefly; making eye contact with Yuyuko to ensure that she is paying attention. You are pleasantly surprised that she is engaged in what you have to say.

"In addition, The People will also relate to and understand each other better than under Bourgeoisie Oppression, finally able to express their thoughts without threat of wage cuts or punishment.
“This is, of course, only possible with your help and commitment to The Party” you conclude, having stated your new impetus. Haranguing is starting to tire you since you’ve done so many today, and you’d honestly prefer to take action over verbal speeches. Still, you press onwards, for knowledge of The People and the consolidation and unification of The Party.

“Hmm...Traveling Gourmet...People understanding me better...”

Yuyuko softly contemplates whether or not to deepen her commitment to The Party.

“I think I am starting to like your...society,” Yuyuko replies with a slight smile on her face, although still slightly reluctant to speak the name of The Party’s Ideology. Although seemingly aloof, Yuyuko masterfully dodges the question… for now. You shall press this front again later. For now, your will temporarily divert your attention to the original question.

You ask Yuyuko to inform you about how she runs her realm, and she briefly explains The Netherworld to you.

Because everyone has died, The Netherworld is a laid back society since there is no ‘time limit’ to their existence. To prevent boredom, ghosts do an assortment of productive yet seemingly pointless things, such as constructing entire cities and other massive terraforming projects as a form of art, amongst other things. When they have eternity to exist, doing frivolous things to fulfill wishes they could not in their life becomes paramount.

“How much control do you have over the denizens of your realm?”

“Theoretically, over the ghosts that actually belong to The Netherworld, having reached it after the Yama’s judgment? A control so complete and absolute with such loyalty and pro-Yuyuko dogmatism that Hitler and Stalin can only fathom at,” Yuyuko states in a purposefully accented tone that matches Stalin’s so closely that you swear that if she had a moustache, she would be stroking it right now. Since, however, you have dealt plenty with ex-comrade Stalin; you are neither impressed nor intimidated by her words.

In fact, you find her imitation hilarious and are unable to resist letting out a small laugh at it. Yuyuko bursts into laughter, prompting even Youmu, with traces of her the militant disposition still left in her, to laugh a bit too.

“That was a good joke accent, comrade.”

Yuyuko smiles before she replies.

“I’ve never needed to actually use that authority. Usually my guidance and suggestions, both completely voluntary, are enough to mobilize the masses for any project or event. I ensure that there is no disparity by design.”

“Yet your leadership is the centerpiece of the Netherworld’s ruling body?”

“Yes, but as I’ve told you, I haven’t needed to force anything onto the populace. As you’d say, the ghosts are already very ‘communal’ and will, with or without my leadership, ‘fanatically’ fight to the last wisp in order to protect their peaceful society, ‘fanatically’ help each other, and ‘fanatically’ work to make the Netherworld a better place...”

Yuyuko looks at the two spirits floating beside her and seems to somehow communicate with them before continuing as they float away into the night sky.

“...if only aesthetically,” she finishes.

You are unsure why Yuyuko thinks you’d use the word ‘fanatical’ to describe love for one’s work to make The People’s existence better, but you digress.

That is, until you feel as if though such terminology has arisen from a misconception of Communism.

“‘Fanatical’?”

“Yes, isn’t that the opposite of diffident?”

“No, I believe the word you are looking for is ‘confident’ or ‘patriotic’, comrade. I digress, so long as such terminology did not arise from the misunderstanding of Communism.

“Anyways, The Netherworld is inherently free from necessity, continues to progress, advance, and add to its superabundance of material and produce, classes have ceased to exist, and you, the closest thing to a governmental body, only guides and suggests courses of action unless a time of crisis arises,” you summarize.

“That’s what I’ve been telling you this entire time!” Yuyuko is extremely cute as she pouts.

“Glorious!” Your face beams at hearing this confirmation. You can almost hear the trumpets, the bells, and the voices of the Ансамбль Александрова salute the Glory!

“Wha-?”

“Glorious, Comrade Yuyuko! Your Realm has already reached Stateless Communism!” With Great Enthusiasm, you give your pink-haired comrade a Great Bear hug at this discovery. Stalin can ruin the Russian Revolution, but it just continues in the afterlife!

Yuyuko is actually slightly surprised by your sudden hug. A light blush on Yuyuko’s face is present, although it is just barely tangible.

“Thanks, Alek...” Yuyuko whispers softly into your ear.

“You should be congratulating yourself, Yuyuko! This, Yuyuko, calls for another celebration of The Party,” you declare, raising her hand with yours.

Releasing her hand and the hug, you remind Yuyuko of something very important.

“Remember though, that this is just the beginning of The Revolution and The Revolutionary Vanguard Party still needs you. Your state, the Netherworld, has reached Pure Communism, but there are still brothers and sisters that toil under the oppression of the Reactionary..." You point at the distant mountains along the horizon, and then motion your hand along the horizon to signal the entire world.

"...unable to learn about your culinary habits or culinary greatness. There are still states that need our revolutionary leadership and liberation. There can be no ‘Socialism in One State’, for this is a Worldwide Revolution. In fact, this has surpassed that. In the same way Leninism is the logical deepening and extension of Marxism, this new form of Multi-realm Communism is the logical extension of the Revolution itself!”

The thoughts of blazing the path of Communism past what Marx and Lenin had even thought about excites you immensely, the same way starting The Party did and the Inevitable Revolution does.

By seizing the opportunity, you have cunningly maneuvered Yuyuko’s position in the new Revolutionary Party and forged an allegiance made of Steel. A natural smile appears on your face. Securing this alliance is the first step to securing a base in the party in case any inner party circle gets out of hand and attempts anything counterrevolutionary.

---

After more detailing about the trip, you feel sufficiently armed with knowledge about the Netherworld, but it seems like the details of the actually trip have not been planned out past flying over a gate with a flimsy barrier to get into the Netherworld and staying with Yuyuko at 白玉楼. Apparently, more details were to be planned at a meeting tomorrow.

Despite raising concern over the weakness of the barrier, Yuyuko dismisses it as nonessential. You decide to let her determine the security of her realm and not press that issue further.

“So, I’ve sufficiently covered my realm and what we know about the trip. Surely this wasn’t your only question.”

“Right. I’d actually like to ask if you knew why Comrade Yukari picked me to come to Gensokyo.”

“Hey! I never said you could spew your questions at me. I answered your question, so you should answer mine!,” Yuyuko pouts again ever so cutely. You wonder if this cute, playful ‘mode’ is some kind of trait that is hidden in more ... physically mature women like Yukari, Shinki, and Yuyuko. Logically, Mima would have this ‘cute side’ too, but she certainly seems like she has tried to become the very antithesis of cute. Before you can ponder about Mima's trouble-making for the Hakureis, Yuyuko breaks your train of thought.

“Anyways, I wanted to ask you, Alek: How did you get out of Stalin’s USSR to go China and Japan that ended up with you meeting Youki? I thought the Stalinist regime took away everyone’s passports, and that the border guardsmen wouldn’t let people out unless for exile, in which case the exiles would never come back,” Yuyuko asks, curious about the abnormality about you in your time period.

“Stalin’s signature gets you very, very far in Stalinist Regime. When that didn’t get me through, all it took was one angry phone call for the checkpoint people to be so battered that they were quaking in their boots all the way until I came back. They were so afraid of Stalin that they let my Chinese comrades cross the border into The Motherland and back into China without any trouble: they’d rather let my comrades move freely than to risk racking up any more of Stalin’s ire by calling him.”

“But why did Stalin give you his signature in the first place?”

“That...I do not know,” you confess. You do not know why your father had such good connections with Stalin or why Stalin took such great interest into you and your brother Yuri.

Yuyuko smiles, before saying, “Perhaps he saw something in you that set you apart. Stalin had at least one son, but he was thrown into a gulag for surrendering to the Nazis. What if he had wanted a backup successor to his State?”

“Hah,” you laugh, “Me, Stalin’s successor? The Soviet system works by passing the leadership to another well established politician, or between competing politician alliances, not to whoever the current leader chooses. Under the Stalinist regime, even Khrushchev is more likely to succeed Stalin than me, and Khrushchev is less likely to succeed Stalin than there being People on the Moon with advanced technology,” you scoff at the ridiculous claim that you were considered even a back up successor, heck, even the 100th in line to succeed Stalin.

“There are people on the moon with advanced technology, and Khrushchev succeeded Stalin,” says Yuyuko in an extremely serious tone, a stark contrast from her carefree tone, to emphasize that she is absolutely not joking.

Without a desk nearby to facedesk, nor a solid enough wall to hit your head against, you settle for a facepalm upon hearing this news.

“That still doesn’t answer the fundamental question as to why Stalin chose me: He may have seen something special, but what?”

“Hmm...” Yuyuko ponders while you return to your attempt to process the image of people on the moon.

“When was your trip to Asia?”

“1936 to 1937?”

“My memories’ kinda fuzzy, but Stalin may have shielded you from the Great Purge.” You silently wonder how Yuyuko just managed to sound so cute while discussing the Greatest Waste of Human Life, or so Peter coined it.

Wait, did she just say fuzzy? You have the sudden impulse to put Yuyuko in a warm, fuzzy, and soft sweater...

You wonder if Yuyuko is capable of inducing death by cuteness.

“Hey, you there?” Yuyuko gently knocks on your forehead.

“Oh, sorry. Nope, the Great Purge was 1937-1938. I was there.”

“Oh,” Yuyuko replies blankly.

“I still believed in Stalin’s words then. I thought that the counter-revolutionaries had infiltrated The Soviet Union and that Stalin was wiping out these fascists... I... I... I still trusted and believed in Stalin and his words.”

“Stalin’s paranoia wasn’t totally unfounded... but his twisted and cruel mind blew it out of proportions that lead to the mass murder of innocents. His 'Five Years Plans' and rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union stemmed out of the correct portion of his paranoia, but The Great Purge was when it started spiraling far out of control...”

“What?” You ask Yuyuko, for this interests you greatly.

“Mistress, don’t tell him that! That isn’t our battle anymore!” Youmu, who had been silent this entire time, cries out in hopes of preventing something catastrophic.

“Oh Youmu, you cute little white ball of fun! You need to take it easy! Alek knows that he’ll find the answer soon enough!” Yuyuko jumps Youmu and snuggles against her.

Based on the sheer rate of blood rushing towards Youmu’s face from the shock, you silently wonder if Youmu’s human half will die from embarrassment.

“I’m not allowed to tell you, Alek, but you know who to ask already.”

“Yukari?”

Yuyuko just smiles as you give out a sigh. Unable to figure out whether she is smiling from hugging Youmu or from your understanding, you focus your attention back on to Youmu and note that she is partly relieved now that Yuyuko has navigated The Netherworld out of any entanglement... yet she is still embarrassed as she remains in embrace with her leader.

“Well then, I best get going. Thanks, comrades.”

You manage to walk a few meters into the shrine before Yuyuko speaks again.

“And to answer your question, Yukari sees in you what Stalin saw and more,” Yuyuko answers your question as to why Yukari brought you in particular, before returning to making Youmu edge towards death from embarrassment.

“I assume I’ll have to figure out exactly what myself?”

You can feel Yuyuko’s warm, caring smile from here. Her smile is quite similar to that of a mother watching a child grow up. You aren’t sure if it intended for you or Youmu, though.

You are only able to walk a few more steps before Meiling comes into the shrine, dragging an unconscious Peter along with all the guns, arrows, bows, and even the boxes of Capitalist syrup-beverage.

“Do any of you know where the beds are?” Meiling asks you, Yuyuko, and Youmu.

Yuyuko points Meiling in the right direction, finally letting go of Youmu, who has fainted from sheer embarrassment. You never thought that such was possible.

“Thanks,” Meiling rushes off in that direction.

“You best go and help out your comrade.” Yuyuko nudges you toward the same direction that Meiling ran off.

“You’ll be able to take care of Youmu?”

Yuyuko just smiles. The next time you refer to her in a speech will be as “Comrade That Always Smiles”.

---

You catch up to Meiling, and the two of you pass the dinner table and kitchen, only to find that they are both barren.

“I guess Youmu isn’t here to cook since she—“

“Since she voluntarily joined Yuyuko in a exploring the meaning of embarrassment for The Scientific Advancement of The People,” you say to maneuver Meiling’s view of the two to a positive one. If Youmu did not enjoy or at least accept the hug, she would have made some attempt to struggle.

“Also, what happened to Peter?” You point out that Meiling never explained why he’s knocked out.

“Had one too many of Yukari’s concoctions. Speaking of which, he told me that you knew what to do with them before he passed out.”

“Yukari told me to share it with The People, but considering Peter’s a wreck, it would be best to write that they are alcoholic on the box of this... Capitalist syrup.” You mentally note that it might even be better to destroy them completely, but then imagine Suika’s reaction to destroying alcohol, even this bubbly, sugary, Yukari-manipulated, capitalist kind.

Meiling gently places the boxes on the table. You take a pen out of your bag and write ‘Box contains beverage that is alcoholic to an unknown degree and has been tampered by Yukari, use at your own risk’ on all the boxes.

“So, any ideas on this dinner problem, Alek?”

“Well,” you begin, as you look through the cabinets and pantries, “it seems like Youmu stocked up on so much food that any half-competent person could cook up something edible.” Reimu even seems to have a ‘magic icebox’ with food in it.

Meiling, noticing your staring, speaks up, “That is a refrigerator, it’s like the ‘icebox’ of yonder but it doesn’t need to have its coolant retrieved from the mountains. Pretty cool, eh?”

“Science for the advancement of The People is always Glorious, Comrade,” you reply.

“Since there isn’t much that we can do about dinner with our hands full with guns and... a knocked out Peter, it’d be best if we came back here later.”

The both of you leave the kitchen and dining room and continue on to the bedrooms.

---

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/09/23 (Sun) 08:06 No. 35002

“So Alek, you never explained why you’re helping me.”

“Simple: it is my duty to help my comrades first.”

Having entered the guest room in which Peter is staying, you help Meiling lay Peter on the bed.

Finally able to take a moment to observe the unconscious Peter, you notice that he is clutching a very old Mosin rifle of the original 1891 infantry pattern design, with its spike bayonet, hexagonal receiver, and iron sight graduated in the old Imperial Russian arshins. The rifle is long compared to the firearms you use, a bit longer than the slightly more modern Mosin rifle 91/30 version Soviet Snipers use in The Great Patriotic War. The rifle’s beat up quality is proof of its experience in a war... or four. Your father liked to say he fought in four wars with a rifle like that: The Russo-Japanese War, The Great War, The Russian Revolution, and the ensuing Russian Civil War. Little did he know that he would fight a fifth, The Great Patriotic War.

You signed up after your older brother, Yuri, to join the Great Patriotic War because he had finished college; you had not. On the day you went to sign up, your father came along. You thought he was sending you off, but it turned out your old man, ‘veteran of four wars’, came to sign up as well, having been widowed by your late mother who died ‘of natural causes’. He was furious when the registrar denied him from signing up. You wished that registrar would have let him into the army proper. Your father was a rifle sharpshooter, a natural born hunter just like his son, your older brother, Yuri. You were the oddball in the family, having focused on becoming a marksman with the pistol, and later submachine gun, but merely mediocre with the rifle from neglect.

Your father died, giving his life for The Motherland, for his capital and birth city of Moscow in 1941 as part of an improvised unit. You were there, by some cursed occurrence, holding your dad as he died in your hands. He died, believing he had played a part in the pivotal battle of the war and that The Nazis would be on the run home from Moscow like Bonaparte’s Grande Armée in 1812. He died, believing that the back of the Nazi War Machine had been broken and that Mother Russia would crush the Fascists and return to focusing her efforts against her real rival: Japan. He died, clutching his old Mosin rifle to protect Mother Russia in his hands as tightly in death as he had in life. You remember that day clearly.

The snow was falling. It was one of those brief, light snows showers that materialize locally then disappear. His blood was on your hands, the blood the Nazis had spilled. Your father and his improvised unit valiantly drove them back, ‘For The Motherland!’, he said. He never commented about nor fought for Stalin, unlike all the propaganda bullshit about people crying ‘For Stalin!’. All soldiers knew that in those brutal fights, Stalin was the last thing you thought about. Your father told you that after the war with Germany, The Motherland would join our newly allied American comrades and defeat the Japanese, repay their humiliation of the Russo-Japanese War in the same way The People of The Soviet Union would repay the humiliation of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty in The Great Patriotic War. OF course, not with the same brutality was treaty to the Germans. The Germans were the enemy to be crushed without remorse for invading Mother Russia; the Japanese the more honorable rivals to be defeated.

Staring deep into your eyes, with a final, lonely gaze longing for your mother, he died.

You buried him on that snowy hill with the spade he was carrying as a weapon, since he knew he’d use up the pitiful five rounds given to him. You buried him with his ‘obsolete’ rifle. Only you were there to salute his death; his comrades having been killed, and your comrades having left you alone for this solemn occasion. A shallow grave was all you were able to dig into the frozen soil of His and Your Motherland with you best efforts. Your father died a Hero’s death, but all he got was a shallow, unmarked grave. Had this been another war, he would have received full military honors. He should have received full military honors and a twenty shot salute for his valiant sacrifice. He deserved better.

But better he did not receive, for he, like many other comrades that died to stop the Fascist Plague, would lie in shallow, unmarked graves if lucky. The rest lied in mass graves or were left to rot.

Their sacrifice, your Father’s sacrifice, was in vain when Stalin squandered it. Stalin underestimated the Nazi War Machine and sent in suicidal attacks against the entrenched German ‘meat-grinder’. The Nazis, learning their lesson like Franco, decided against another attack on the capital of the freedom fighters, first Madrid, now Moscow. The following year they instead went south for the Caucus’s oilfields, and for Stalingrad.

While your father did play a role in a pivotal battle, Moscow was only the first point, the beginning of the pivot, by showing that The Nazis could be stopped. It would take years before the Soviets gained the upper hand and began to push back against the Nazis.

But your father... your father remains amongst the dead and forgotten. He deserved better than that. They all did.

“Hey Alek, are you okay?” Meiling says as she notes you had blanked out.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks comrade, I was just reliving a...bitter memory. Did something happen?” You ask before noticing Peter’s face contortions.

“Well, there is that...” Meiling points at Peter’s grimacing.

Peter then beings thrashing in bed, yet he somehow remains unconscious.

“... and that,” Meiling says as she points to Peter, who seems to be bashing an invisible enemy in the air above him with his rifle butt.

“I assume this is what took you so long to get Peter in here?”

“Bingo.”

Peter suddenly sits up, as if possessed by some demon.

“This didn’t happen before!” Meiling shouts at you and raises her arms into a combat stance.

You hang your hand over your pistol, ready to quick draw it and shoot whatever evil has possessed your comrade. Your pistol is merely an extension of your hand, akin as to how your aeroplane was almost like an extension of your body and mind and soul.

Opening his eyes and awakening, Peter merely searches his pockets.

Meiling lowers her arms, but you keep your hand hovering next to your pistol.

“Are you okay?” Meiling has a look of compassion on her face.

“Eh? When the hell did I get here?”

“You drank too much,” you reply.

Peter dramatically crumples over, and Meiling rushes to his side.

“What’s wrong?” Meiling asks, with a strange hint of...fear? Desperation?

“...my liver...”

You casually walk a few steps closers and speak, “If she is true to her word, your liver will be fine. You’re not going to get Liver Hepatitis from that much.” You attempt to reassure your comrade that he will make it through. You also purposely avoid speaking Yukari’s name, knowing that any wrong move could spark a backlash from him.

“If she was true to her word, I wouldn’t have blacked out from drinking that little either!” Peter is clearly frustrated at Yukari and her antics.

“Before I go rage more, take my money,” Peter tells you, having finally found his pay in his pocket

“What?”

“SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY, FOOL!” Peter shouts at you in a voice that is almost certainly an imitation of his stereotype of The Lady of Borders. You wonder why.

Shoving his capitalist filth into your hands, Peter wobbles around in the sitting position.

Wobbling does not deter him as he continues, “Also you forgot to...”

Losing consciousness, however, does terminate Peter’s demands.

“You forgot something, Alek?”

Thinking back to the mayhem back on the shooting range you remember Yukari wanted Peter to stop being a stick in the mud when it came to guns and uniforms.

Looking at the gun pile, a rifle immediately catches your eye.

Taking hold of the unloved SVT 40, which apparently had a scope mounted, or rather, remounted on to it at some point, you inspect its quality by flipping the fire selector and cycling the white colored bolt. The 3.5x zoom scope is plenty for any real Soviet Sniper, and the backup iron sights are usable. With the bayonet made of blued steel attached, a good rifleman would be unstoppable with this weapon. Of course, your rifle skills could use some practice.

“Um, what are you doing?”

“Making sure that this is a genuine Soviet Sniper rifle and not some capitalist knock-off.”

Looking at the marks of the gun, you see it was manufactured in 1941 in Tula. Stripping the rifle as easily as any experienced veteran of the rifle, you inspect the rifle’s serial numbers and parts, ensuring that the former match and the latter are clean.

Reassembling the SVT40, you cycle the bolt one last time, noting the magic sparks that harmlessly fly out each time the bolt is manually cycled as the magic not used as danmaku is dissipated in the air.

Prying the Mosin rifle out of Peter’s hands, you place the SVT where the Mosin once laid.

“Why’d you do that?”

“Peter just got upgraded to Soviet Semi-automatic Sniper Rifle.”

“Isn’t the bayonet dangerous? He’s asleep, he could poke himself.”

“Do not use common sense when dealing with Comrade Yukari. Avert your eyes for the moment.”

Having modernized his rifle by half a century, you take off Peter’s uniform that reeks of a stench of blood and sweat. Underneath, he’s wearing a rather ‘modern’ undershirt and pants, and looks like a normal, gun-loving citizen going to the range that unfortunately got knocked unconscious.

“Okay, he had the sense to wear clean clothes underneath. It’s okay to look now,” you say as you turn back to Meiling.

“Where did he go?”

“What?” You turn around to the bed, only to find that Peter is gone and there is a small note.

You hand it to Meiling.

“Please read it,” you say, noting the whole damn thing is in kanji except the end and you are kanji-illiterate.

Meiling seems to look it over before speaking, as if mentally translating it. It is now that you realize that it is entirely possible that it was written in Chinese, which uses only ‘hanzi’.

“I have taken him hostage out to train. He will be back tomorrow,” Meiling speaks before showing you the message and pointing at the end.

“I can’t read that part.”
She points to the end where it reads,

« À tout à l'heure. ».

“I have no clue either, comrade.”

The message then ends with a signature. From your crappy, broken German, you can recognize enough of the Latin characters to make out Yukari’s name.

After Meiling hands the note back to you, you place it in your bag.

“Any clue on who—”

“Yukari, she even wrote her name in Latin characters”

“Figures that the person who Master would call a ‘slimy old grandmother’ would be at the root of this,” hisses Meiling as she kicks a gun against the wall.

“Those are harsh words, comrade, for a very important Revolutionary. And that,” you say whilst pointing out the scuffs and scratches on the gun she kicked, “is why we do not abuse The Great Guns that keep The Motherland Safe from The Invading Fascist Hordes. I suggest you save your anger for the real enemy. The Real Enemy that Yukari is training Peter for.”

Dusting off the rifle, Meiling apologizes. She leaves, promising you that dinner will somehow get prepared.

Taking a moment to see to that the rifles are sufficiently stored away in Peter’s closet, you cross the hall and place your AK-47 and PPSH-41 in your closet. You also place the Great Hakurei Bow in there as well, but you make sure to hide it in a corner of the surprisingly clean closet. As you do so, you briefly inspect a small and rather suspicious looking hole in the back of the closet’s paper and bamboo wall. Peering through, you can see through the wall into the room next door. You take note of this and remember to tell Reimu that she needs to fix the hole.

Keeping your pistol on you, you begin your search for the Troika of Suika, Shinki, and Reimu.

Because since that day, you’ve never travelled without your pistol.

---

You decide to go look for your other comrades to see if they will assist in cooking dinner for the people with you and Meiling. Sweeping the shrine, hall by hall, room by room, you can’t help but recalling the illusionary trap you fell into last time. This paranoia keeps you on your toes.

Boxes, lines, boxes, lines, right angles, corridors, boxes.

You crouch-walk and check your corners.

You are about to pull out your pistol out of instinct when you realize that you’ve unconsciously returned back to Stalingrad mentality.

You shake that thought as you open another rarely used room, filled with boxes and religious books, scriptures, and other material. Although the dust free nature of the room is proof that the room has been cleaned by Reimu recently, the perfectly stacked boxes of religious material are evidence of an otherwise undisturbed room.

The empty nature of the shrine strikes you in particular. The shrine is definitely the size to accommodate a large, multigenerational extended family. Even a nuclear family would feel small in this traditional house.

Reimu lives here alone.

You frown as you can’t help but think about how lonely Reimu must be here, all alone.

You almost consider pulling out a text from one of the boxes to read, but instead continue your search, thinking disturbing these unloved texts without Reimu’s knowledge would be disrespectful to your comrade.

Continuing along, you think about the colours Red and Yellow. Yellow is the colour of Glorious shining light, the symbol of Freedom and Truth. Red is the colour of passion, the colour of love...and the colour of Revolution! Red embodies everything The Revolution stands for, Freedom, Justice, Equality, Communal Action, Glory, Dreams... Most certainly Dreams...

You open another door to find another empty room, one of the many dispersed between storage rooms, religious rooms, and empty bedrooms. You continue onwards without entering.

...Both Red and Yellow are parts of the Soviet flag. The Yellow of the flag forms the tools of the Proletariat while the Red forms the majority of the actual flag. Red is the most important colour of the Flag of The Motherland, for while all communist parties do not have the symbols of the Red Star or Sickle and Hammer, Red is universal. Red is the colour of the blood of Proletarians the Counterrevolutionaries have spilt, the embodiment of Revolution, and the symbol of DEFIANCE against the Oppressors.

The Red dominates the flag, since it is unquestionable the most important part. The Yellow is indeed glorious, but is surrounded, yet protected by the Red

You wonder which of your comrades could be symbolized by colours. Suika could easily by the Golden Yellow, but who could Red be?

After a brief moment of pondering, you conclude that Red must be capable of representing multiple people, thereby allowing both Reimu and Shinki to be represented by the Glorious colour! Red, nor any colour, need be horded and owned by a single person...

You note that the real shrine is very similar to the one in the illusion. Where there should have been a staircase, however, there is now a room.

Sliding open the door, you stumble into that room, noticing that the light inside is on.

Without any warning you are suddenly hit with a gust of wind. You struggle to hold your ground, but you somehow manage to not fall over.

The wind dies down, and you look in front of you. It seems that you’ve reached the rear entrance to the shrine. Moreover, the back door was left open. Looking at the sky, you can see that a thunderstorm is brewing in the distance of the night sky.

Bad weather....

Sacchin

You rush out of the shrine. Not only is she an important comrade, she also wields The Great Guns that keep The Motherland safe!

You sprint out of the shrine, no longer encumbered by piles of firearms and make a dash to where Sacchin should be.

Reaching Sacchin, you catch your breath for a moment before looking at her.

It is only now that you realize that you didn’t plan what to do after getting here: there is no hanger in which to shelter her from the weather in.

“Chyort!” You swing your arm in the air in frustration.

You look around: dirt, grass, and trees. No steel bars, no sheets of metal, no Great Machinery to make the production of a hanger possible.

Rather than wallow in anger, sadness, or despair, you take action.

Trees. Trees are good for wood. Wood is good for primitive building.

Unfortunately you lack even a basic axe to chop wood.

Just as you are about to return to the shrine to obtain tools, you spot Suika in the distance approaching you.

“There you are!” Suika cheerfully jumps onto you.

“I was actually looking for you, comrade.”

“Huh? Shinki, Reimu, and I were looking for you, Alek!” Suika responds.

Strange. You should have run into them or heard their footsteps depending on how they searched the shrine...

“So, what’cha doing out here with your plane?”

“The weather will soon turn bad. I need to give Sacchin shelter.”

Suika thinks for a moment, before replying with something that would only come from an oni.

“Just uproot those big trees and use them as shelter.”

“I am human here, comrade. Do you know if Reimu has an axe?”

“An axe? Maybe somewhere in all of those boxes she has all over the shrine.”

You frown and shake your head. Searching those boxes would take too much time; the thunderstorm would drown Sacchin in mud before you got through a tenth of them.

“I’ll build the shelter for you,” says Suika, knowing that she can uproot trees with ease.

“It is my responsibility to take care of Sacchin and not let her fall into neglect. I’d feel guilty if I let you do all the work.”

You and Suika think hard for a solution.

“You learned Konpaku’s style, didn’t you? That’s fast enough to cut down trees,” replies Suika after a few moments.

“I don’t have any swords on me either, Suika”

“Let’s head back to the shrine then.”

Suika jumps off your back, and grabs your hand. Suika jogs to the shrine, bringing you along. Entering the shrine and closing the back door, the two of you continue towards the kitchen at a similar pace.

“Does comrade Reimu mind if we run in the shrine?” You ask while running with Suika to the kitchen.

“So long as you don’t damage anything!”

Suika speeds up, now half dragging you along.

When you reach the kitchen, you are exhausted, and take a long moment to inhale oxygen.

You are greeted to the sounds of cooking food: sizzling pans, running ovens, washing and cutting of food, food containers and packages being opened.

“Alek!” An apron wearing Shinki excitedly glomps you, pinning you on the ground as she presses her soft, ample bosom against your body. Her sudden entrance, however, separates you and Suika momentarily.

Taking a page out of Yuyuko’s book, you hold Shinki’s hand and smile. Your eyes lock and Shinki lightly blushes as she smiles.

“Come on Alek, we came to work.” Suika pulls Shinki off you, much to her disappointment, and takes your hand in her place as she helps you up. You can only offer Shinki a quick whisper of ‘I’ll spend time with you later’ before getting up yourself.

Shinki returns to cooking and quickly takes upon a cheery appear as she cooks, with a smile as she does so.

Looking around, you see that The Party is hard at work in making this a glorious feast.

You approach Youmu, who, after a brief moment of surprise and confusion, gives you an uneasy salute.

“Mister Ivanov!”

“Take it easy, Youmu.”

Youmu loosens up, and looks at you expectantly.

“Could I use your swords, Youmu?”

Youmu is unsure on how to answer. On one hand, she wants to do as Commissar Yuyuko wishes her to by helping you, yet on the other hand, they are her precious swords, most likely inherited from Youki.

For some reason, Youmu blushes fiercely as she gently hands her sheathed swords to you.

“Please...Take care of them...”

Youmu embarrassedly returns to cooking her dish.

“Thank you, Youmu.”

Youmu pretends to not hear you. You pretend to not notice that there could somehow be any sexual innuendo in asking for tools of war. Swords were made to kill, and regardless of just killing of the guilty or unjust killing of innocents. Surely Youmu must simply have a deep connection with her swords.

Poking you on the shoulder, Yuyuko points you in the direction towards the back door. You spot Suika beginning to run off to the plane, having seen that you’ve obtained the swords. After hastily done thanks to Yuyuko, you run after Suika.

---

Suika reached the site before you, and has already marked the area around the plane for which the hanger would be built.

You stand a few feet in front of a large tree, and then place your hand on the sheathed sword’s handle.

You momentarily close your eyes and calm your mind.

Opening your eyes, you envision a horizontal line along the bottom of the tree, and swing the sword straight from the sheath in a lightning fast strike.

You completed the slice on the tree, but it remains standing. You sigh, knowing that you must have missed the tree. While a perfect swing would also have no resistance, you doubt—

“AWESOME!” Suika has a massive smile on her face as she takes hold of the trunk you just swung at... only to pick it clean off its stump along the line you envisioned.

“That was a good swing, but your form and speed could use a boost.” Youmu surprises you as she seems to have followed you.

Youmu notions for you to return her swords, which you do.

“Watch.”

Suika places the log among the pile of trees she’s already uprooted and moves out of the way. You’d think about how outclassed you are if you weren’t so focused on Youmu.

Youmu takes upon a calm and deadly mood, as she closes her eyes and places her hand on the re-sheathed sword. You notice that she leans forward and bends her knees, as if getting ready to charge forward. On that note, you also notice the greater distance between her and her target than you and yours.

As soon her eyes shoot open, she becomes a blur as her whole body moves multiples faster than your arm in the technique.

Your eyes, however, are surprisingly able to follow her for most of the time. She charges and does running slices in a perpendicular fashion, presumably so the logs remain useful as building material and not a pile of asymmetrical, uneven wood chunks.

The technique is over in less than a half a second. You silently doubt that the technique Youmu just used was her fastest. Still, this technique, limited to two directions and limits Youmu put on herself, would be extremely deadly.

You realize just how outclassed you are by the residents of Gensokyo in terms of sheer power.

Youmu cleanly cut all the logs into rectangular prisms, with the cut off semi-cylinders falling off.

Suika pulls out all the beams and stacks them neatly on top of each other, before giving Youmu a disapproving look.

“You 1up’d Alek.”

“1up’d? What in the world is that, Suika?” You ask Suika, as this terminology is unfamiliar to you. You wonder if you didn’t learn enough Japanese...

“To outdo at the expense of another,” replies Suika.

“Youmu wasn’t outdoing me in spite. Youmu was using her abilities and talents for the betterment of The People. Hardly what I would call ‘1up-ing’. Also, we need nails and hammers, or some other adhesive material to attach these beams together.”

You all look at each other, as if the others held the answer.

“No adhesive, comrade? Well then, we have yet again reached an impasse.”

Suika suddenly perks up, as if though she thought up something in genius.

“Alek!”

“Yes?”

“This!”

Suika walks over to Sacchin and Suika places her hands on Sacchin’s hull. Suddenly, Sacchin begins shrinking, and shrinking, and shrinking, until she is not more than the size of a toy plane.

Suika picks up Sacchin in her hands, and gently places the miniaturized Sacchin in your hands.

You are in both awe and shock. While Suika’s ability to manipulate size is amazing, you hope Sacchin doesn’t think poorly of you for not stopping Suika.

“Alek, are you okay?”

“You should ask Sacchin that.”

You gently stroke Sacchin’s chassis and whisper that you’re sorry to her. The plane shudders in your hands.

A rain drop falls on your head. You gently cup your hands with Sacchin inside to protect her from the rain.

Looking up at Suika, you notice her concerned look.

“It had to be done, comrade. There was no other choice,” you tell, her, trying to reassure her… and yourself.

Youmu seems to have stacked the beams against the shrine as you and Suika conversed.

You, Sacchin, and Suika hurry to the shrine’s outer wall. Alerting Youmu, the four of you head inside as a drizzle began.

---

Inside the shrine, dinner continues to be prepared. Youmu finished her dish before coming out, but it was eaten by Yuyuko, who couldn’t resist Youmu’s ‘Great Cooking’. Thus, Youmu begins anew, this time endeavouring to make an even better dish.

You should help out instead of cooking something new, considering the sheer amount of food already partly done. You won’t be able to help multiple people in this situation...

---

Pending Actions (LOCKED):
- [x] Red.

Choice: One main choice, one sub choice where applicable.

[ ] Help...
- [ ] Youmu. She just started cooking her dish again. For the dinner to be served as quickly as possible to The People, you should help her, since she is attempting the biggest volume of foodstuffs yet at the beginning of the preparation process.

- [ ] Shinki. You know that she would enjoy your company.

- [ ] Reimu. She looks like she’d be the type to struggle with cooking.

[ ] Observe...
- [ ] Meiling. She appears to be cooking something nice, you could learn a thing or two from her...

[ ] Take it Easy with...

- [ ] Mima, you wanted to ask or do something with her, but you seem to have forgotten... Helping her would grant you an opportunity to ask her.

- [ ] Yuyuko, you’d like to get acquainted better... as comrades, not just as political partners.

- [ ] Sacchin

[ ] Daydream

Anonymous 2012/09/23 (Sun) 20:33 No. 35005

[x] Help...
- [x] Shinki. You know that she would enjoy your company.

Anonymous 2012/09/26 (Wed) 12:25 No. 35025

[Φ] Help...
- [Φ] Shinki. You know that she would enjoy your company.
- [Φ] Sacchin.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/09/30 (Sun) 03:25 No. 35030

Closing the votes

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/10/05 (Fri) 00:58 No. 35032 ▼

Image Source

File 134939868098.jpg - (60.65KB, 450x600 , 06bb5ac34934b6e40db85f43dc1230c1.jpg)

[x] Help...
- [x] Shinki. You know that she would enjoy your company.
- [x] Sacchin.

---

As you scan the room, you make accidental eye contact with Shinki. She smiles and gently brushes her hair back as her eyes meet yours, and you are so profoundly embarrassed you can’t help but blush. You do not understand why you are embarrassed at this simple locking of eyes.

You quickly avert your gaze by looking into your hands where Sacchin lies. As you examine Sacchin, you notice that her landing gear has been pulled up. It seems that her landing mechanisms still function appropriately. And, that she is undeniably in control of the aeroplane. Or, she is the aeroplane, and the aeroplane is living.

Searching the room for a suitable spot to place Sacchin, you come up empty handed. For lack of a better location, you balance her on your head. After a few cautious steps, the position is surprisingly stable.

Deciding to help Shinki, you approach her.

“Alek!” Shinki excitedly exclaims as she notices you have come to help.

You smile to her and proceed to ask how you could help her.

---

“Wow, Alek, you really helped out! The dish is great!”

The collaborated dish is one made of Makai brought vegetables and rice. Although seemingly simple, the redolent dish gives off a particularly pleasing scent, especially to a starving soldier. Cooking with Shinki was an enjoyable experience, as her unbridled enthusiasm went well with her style of cooking. It seems that she has also greatly enjoyed cooking with you.

Although you offered tips here and there, and also retrieved ingredients, you actually brought a minimum amount of help to the dish and thus to the dinner. Feeling slightly guilty at Shinki’s remark that you both worked equally on the dish, you make a comment.

“I actually wasn’t as much of a help as I wanted to be, comrade. The majority of this dish’s Glory comes from your cooking. I merely suggested that you not go overboard with the salt and spice.”

“I think you were a great help, Alek. I don’t think that this dish has ever come out this well before. You shouldn’t undervalue yourself,” Shinki cutely smiles at you.

You ponder that thought. Shinki has been cooking for millennia, yet somehow... Perhaps this is what they call a “morale boost.” Shinki may have never cooked with someone else before.

Shinki softly holds your hand and looks deep into your eyes.

“Alek... it was fun cooking with you. Let’s do it again some time.”

You smile back.

“Yes, let’s.”

---

After placing the dish on the dinner table, you have a few minutes to spare with Shinki. The two of you sit by the window, and you watch rain pouring outside from the storm clouds.

Shinki has something on her mind and speaks up, “Alek... Would you have any interest in coming home with me?”

“Eh?” You certainly weren’t expecting such a question.

“You... I...” Shinki is cutely flustered as she lightly runs her finger in circles around the center your palm, but quickly composes herself. “I know that you gave me shelter here, today in the shrine... but you don’t have a permanent place to live, right?”

You contemplate that notion. The shrine is The Revolution’s base of operations and your temporary place of residence. However, when The Revolution succeeds, you’d be embarrassed and find it inappropriate to force yourself upon Reimu’s residence. If this was ‘The Outside’, you would go back to your own home until there was another call to arms, but your home could very well belong to someone else now that so many years have passed. When The Revolution succeeds, sending yourself back in time to the 1940’s would only serve to induce a time paradox. Yukari’s manipulation of time to bring you forward, however, did not...

You mentally applaud her genius in forcing you to stay in ‘the future’. Although you disagree with her method of killing your brother by preventing you from making a last ditch effort to save his line, or the fact that she made it seem to your family who you will never contact again that you perished, she is brutally efficient with what she did. Without a home or family, you’ll have nowhere to go once the Revolution is done.

Homeless.

You have been in worse shape before during The Great Patriotic War, but being homeless is a significant blow to you. Perhaps even worse would be your inability to provide shelter for Sacchin, big or small. Sacchin is depending on you to take care of her, as she takes care of you in the skies.

Shinki hugs you and her soft bosom is gently pressed against you.

“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to bring up any painful memories...”

She tightly squeezes you in her warm embrace.

“Shinki...”

You don’t know how to answer her. Part of you wants to hug her back, to go with her to Makai, to settle down with her and forget the pain of the past. However, the other part remembers Sacchin in your hands, the comrades that have died in front of you for Freedom, and the Motherland you once fought for. You know better than to say some crap about how the people of your past will always ‘live on in your memories’. Memories fade, people and things are forgotten with time should one shamelessly leave the past to rust.

“I...”

Your personal love with Shinki is just that: love between two. It is but a small sacrifice for the liberation of all People. Others were not as revolutionary as you, nor did Mother Russia need them to be: they fought when called to battle. No one would or should think poorly of a person who has fought such a brutal war, then laid down his or her firearms for peace and love after it was over.

But you are different. The Revolution calls for your sacrifice. So long as there is a lower class, you are a part of it. So long as there is a man unjustly in jail, you are not free. So long as the people are oppressed, the capitalists build their gold mountains on the corpses of workers, and the Fascists persecute based on class and race, your work is not done.

“I will go wherever the Revolution calls.”

Shinki frowns. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

She lets go of you, only to stare deep into your eyes.

“Then I shall go with you,” Shinki says. You can tell from her voice that she is completely serious about traveling with you wherever The Revolution calls.

“Alek, this shrine is your home, you needn’t leave. You are always welcome here,” Reimu jumps in.

Shinki pouts at Reimu. The white haired goddess must feel like she has been ‘1up-ed’ by the Red-White who offered you permanent residence in the shrine before Shinki could in Makai.

You smile at the benign, lighthearted pouting, then gently comfort Shinki.

Unfortunately, Reimu only further agitates Shinki.
“It’s okay Shinki, I understand that you also wanted me to feel as welcome in Makai as if it were my home,” you say in an attempt to calm her.

“But I wanted to tell you! Then Reimu ruined it!” Shinki then produces a puffing sound. You do empathise with Shinki’s lighthearted frustration, but you can’t help but notice how adorable she is while pouting.

Reimu aggravates the situation by making some sort of laugh that is reminiscent of Yukari’s. It would best be described as a cross between ‘hohoho’ and ‘hahaha’.

You wonder why people continue to imitate Yukari around you. Could it be that people think that she has some sort of authority or high standing with you? Her position is no higher or lower than that of her imitators, Peter and Reimu. Just because you shamelessly flattered her with a title does not mean that a new caste system of oppression is coming to play in The Party. No, The Party is here to Crush Castes, Crush Classes, and Crush Capitalism! That is what Communism is all about: destroying Capitalism, for it is nothing more than the shameless profiteering for one’s selfish greed at the expense of others.

“Anyways, dinner is done, so we should all go eat,” Reimu changes the topic before you respond.

You comfort Shinki once more, and she responses positively. She seems to be more interested in you than Reimu’s unsavory tactics.

As you approach the dinner table, you see that Mima, Yuyuko, and Youmu are already seated.

You must figure out where to sit.

---

Locked Pending Actions:
[X] Red
[X] Sacchin

Sit in between...
[ ] Reimu + Mima (Across from Suika)

[ ] Reimu + Meiling (Across from Yuyuko)

[ ] Shinki + Suika (Across from Mima)

[ ] Meiling + Shinki (Across from Youmu)

[ ] Yuyuko + Suika (Across from Reimu)

Optional:
[ ] Give Speech

-----

I got/ am sick.

Anonymous 2012/10/06 (Sat) 01:09 No. 35033

[x] Reimu + Mima (Across from Suika)

Anonymous 2012/10/06 (Sat) 10:54 No. 35035

Tough choice is tough.

[x] Reimu + Meiling (across from Yuyuko).

Anonymous 2012/10/11 (Thu) 04:50 No. 35037

[☭]Shinki + Suika (Across from Mima)

An excellent story thus far, Comrade!

Split Duma Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/10/22 (Mon) 04:56 No. 35070

Unfortunately, The Duma has been split into thirds and no majority reigns! As a result of this deadlock,

[X] Mixed Compromise

involving Reimu, Mima, Shinki, Meiling, Suika, and Yuyuko has been enacted. Resulting choice may turn out far different than what was anyone expected, sadly mirroring most compromises.

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/10/31 (Wed) 02:35 No. 35121

[x] Mixed Compromise

You have a hard time deciding whom to sit next to. Reimu must feel severely neglected if she resorted to such an underhanded and counterrevolutionary tactic of exploiting Shinki to further her own goals.

Reimu is a quagmire. On one hand, Reimu is neglected, and it is your responsibility to help the poster girl of The Revolution. Propaganda is a powerful instrument in uniting the people and a strong symbol to rally around. Reimu and Gensokyo’s Communist Revolution are irrevocably intertwined.

Yet on the other hand, Reimu has shown her shameless exploitation of the situation for her own benefit. Going with her now might make her believe that her tactics were successful and encourage her to continue them. To the others, it might make you seem rudderless, easily seduced, and lax on counterrevolutionaries.

You look to your sides, then ponder the symbolism. Shinki is on your left, while Reimu is on your right.

Shinki has given everything for The Revolution. She has committed her realm, showed utmost allegiance to you, and gave up all the righteous grudges she could have held against you. Shinki could have launched a massive campaign against you for being an atheist, she could have held a righteous grudge against you for your failure to protect Alice, and she could have extinguished The Revolution’s small embers in its sad state merely days ago.

Instead, she forgave you. She supports you. Shinki is a true comrade, and all she really wants now is peace. She has seen enough war and murder, enough bloodshed and death. She deserves a peaceful future. She deserves to settle down with someone that isn’t as ‘irresponsible’ as you. You would butt heads against a youkai, against an oarfish, and even against a god. You have a certain ineffable disregard for your own life. It may have been the war, it may have been the culture Lenin left behind, it may have been Stalin’s disregard. Regardless, you do not fear death anymore.

Death shall come. Why fear it?

You look to your left. Shinki doesn’t deserve to be worried about you. She should have a happy, peaceful life. You would love to live and be with her, but you would be a burden on her. You would drag her to the right with elements you will have to implement in order to accommodate the situation. You find it bitterly ironic that you, the communist, would pull someone else to the right.

You look to your right. Reimu should not be rewarded for counterrevolutionary action. Nor should she be burden by you and your fate. You will die. You know you will die. When you signed up for the army, Death was guaranteed.

Shinki seems happy just to spend the moment with you, holding your hand. Reimu seems to have receded from her aggressive self, perhaps realizing that interfering with Shinki’s designated quality time was exploitation.

This dichotomy between the two supposedly ‘allied’ people brings up one of your greatest concerns: the Troika of Shinki-Suika-Reimu already seems to be collapsing in on itself. The alliance was unstable to begin with, and you feel like it was devised simply as a collective claim on you against the greater perceived threat of losing you all together. It seems to be on the verge of imploding from the bickering and exploitation. As World War 1 was proof to Lenin that Imperialism would self-destruct, you hold Reimu’s exploitation of Shinki self evident that a non-monogamous relationship simply cannot work with you. Shinki would be left behind as Reimu exploited the silver haired goddess’s kindness. Exploitation is the antithesis of what Communism strives to be, and thus non-monogamous relationships would lend itself susceptible to the destruction of Communism!

Perhaps reading your mind, Shinki looks at with understanding eyes as she lets go of your hand, before smiling.

“I’ll always be waiting for you, Alek,” Shinki says with a closed eye smile.

You, however, know that Shinki is anything but happy to see you go, and it wretches your heart to watch her give an ‘I’m-happy-if-you’re-happy’ look.

Without opening her eyes, Shinki nudges you toward Reimu. The way she said that lone sentence is disheartening. Shinki’s always waiting, always hoping. Eternity is a long, lonely time. She has always given, but never received. The corny line is that ‘it is better to give than to receive’. Shinki, however, has given, and given, and given. She has given so much that it seems like everyone has exploited her kindness. Shinki had expected kindness from others once: she simply expected that people would accept her children like any other youkai in Gensokyo. Instead, her realm was razed to the ground for ‘launching an invasion’. Are people stupid? If it was an invasion, why isn’t Gensokyo set on fire? That is the injustice and prejudice she faces.

Reimu, rather than cling or have a fit of anger, actually lets go of your hand as well.

“Alek... she deserves you more...” Reimu meekly mutters to you. She seems disheartened upon coming to the conclusion that you are opposed the current hegemony and thus polyamorous relations.

You understand that you do not reach the standards of the ‘new soviet man’ and thus cannot accomplish something as idealistic as equal polyamorous relationships alone. Shinki is someone that is so selfless as to qualify as an exemplary model of the ‘new soviet woman’, or rather, ‘communal sentient being’. Shinki is selfless and cooperative, hard working, incorruptible, non-materialistic, believes in equality between all sentient beings capable of upholding the same standard of equality, and even extends help and sympathy to those yet to reach such a state. Shinki is truly a goddess, and she could uphold equal polyamorous relationships.

The greatest issue with your situation is that you dominate the emotionally weak and clingy Reimu. If only Reimu could meet you in the middle in attempting achieve this goal together! While she has bouts of strength, and even flirtation, she is indeed a few years younger than you. Despite your own relative inexperience with love, you can tell that Reimu is even more inexperienced and emotionally vulnerable than you. She is a capricious and innocent teenage shrine maiden that lives alone, and it is only natural that such a circumstance would cause her to seek emotional refuge somewhere at some point. You want to help her, but if she relies solely on you, it will no doubt turn into a very lopsided relationship.

To say nothing of Suika or Sacchin, the situation is already in grave danger.

You look over to Reimu. She seems to have receded into herself with depression and gloom. She is the image of a Communist child that has been exploited. Despair. Sadness. Pain. Suffering.

These... injustices... define exploitation.

These injustices, define Reimu.

Is this what The Revolution is wants? Pain? Suffering? All for some ideological rigidity?

No, this is not what The Revolution wants.

While non-monogamous relationships makes Communism vulnerable, this ‘betrayal’ of one’s comrades is high treason! You shall bear the burden of love, until in the Hakurei Goddess’s good time, the shrine maiden grows strong and independent again, her inner fears alleviated.

However, you must first insure that the relationships between the girls do not collapse on each other...

A great idea strikes you. You take hold of Reimu’s hand and Shinki’s hand. Stepping back, you guide them toward each other.

Reimu comes to life as you take hold of her hand. You see what appears to be a tear fall out of her eye as she looks up at you. Shinki’s smile recedes into a more natural one in which her eyes are open and can meet yours.

However, both their faces show varying degrees of surprise when their hands meet each other and yours retreat.

Reimu is astonished, while Shinki only gives a slight smile of acknowledgement.

“Uuuuu...Alek...” Reimu’s face is beet red.

“I think you two should get to know each other better. After all, if we’re going to be living together as a family,” you suddenly stop as you realize what you have just said. The feeling of embarrassment is quickly replaced with the urge to pursue this thought.

“If we are going to live in a family, a community of people and nations, we must have relationships between everyone. It should not be a web of relationships centered around one person in which that person must act as the broker between parties. Everyone must talk, work, and live with each other. That, is communism.”

Shinki smiles and picks Reimu up as if though she were her child. Shinki sits on the opposite side of the table, most likely understanding that if she and Reimu were near you, the bonding between them would not be as wholesome as it could be for Reimu would be distracted by you.

You awkwardly go to take the last vacant seat between Meiling and Mima. It would seem as if thought the two of them do not have much social overlap, as they refuse to speak to each other despite your vacancy.

Before you get to sit down, Mima lightly pokes you with her staff.

“Hey, aren't you going to give a speech? You spent 5 minutes just standing there and thinking.”

“Unlike some people, communists don't just stand around and talk about change, sometimes we just do it.”

“Oh come on! Just give the Communist spiel!” Mima prods you repeatedly with her staff. She seems to be blushing...or intoxicated. Most likely the latter.

Regardless, Mima appears to be posing a challenge to you. You accept.

“At the Battle of Stalingrad, I met a sergeant,” you begin, making eye contact with the members seated at the table. If you were sitting at 6 o’ clock, the clockwise order of the table would be Meiling, Reimu, Shinki, Suika, Yuyuko, Youmu, and Mima. You affirm that they are all paying attention. Mima seems to be paying special attention to you, for some reason or another. Perhaps jumping straight to the point was more effective than you thought it could be.

“I do not quite remember his name, but I remember what he told me: ‘Every Journey, my friend, begins with a single step’,” you fondly recall that revolutionary as you quote him.

“Together, comrades, we have taken this first step on our journey towards realizing The Soul of The Revolution.

“Historical Doctrines shall fade, but the meaning, the Fire of Our Souls, shall never fade! Tonight we dine, and tomorrow, we prepare for The Revolution!”

You allocate a small moment of time for people to say anything ranging from simple Japanese table manners to a legitimate prayer from Reimu to her goddess before sitting down and signaling everyone to eat.

“Well, that was shorter than usual,” notes Meiling in an indifferent voice as you sit down.

“Sometimes length is a deterrent to people,” you reply in a similarly stoic voice.

You look at the food presented in front of you. You feel unworthy of such work and dedication, and feel as if though you did not do your fair share. You do know, however, that you shall be able to pull your weight later during training tomorrow. Today they have learned how to shoot. Tomorrow, they shall learn how to work together. Ranks will be given, and order shall be instilled onto the incoherent group of soldiers to turn them into a team.

Despite your hunger that would in many cases drive you to fight a bear over a fish, you suppress it and only take a small portion of plain rice. You only need enough to tide you over for a bit, for you wish to socialize first.

You quickly finish eating as much and begin social exchanges with the people sitting next to you.

“Were you satisfied with that, Mima?” you say, referring to the short speech.

“You could have spoken way more than that!” Mima states in a slightly slurred voice as she slams a mug of frothy, dark liquid onto the table.

“Already indulging in alcohol, comrade?”

“Thhiisss isshht alllco *hic* hollic!” Mima slurs in her drunken stupor, while you take the raided box of soda and present where you clearly wrote that it was alcoholic.

“*Hic*, Sooo, maaaayyybbbeeeee iitz a witttle allccoohhollic, I’mmaa nooott tipseee attt alllll”

Mima is thoroughly plastered. You know that Mima has an incredible alcohol tolerance, probably just below Suika’s, so you question the alcoholic content. You question if there is alcohol in the soda at all, or if there is some other chemical multiple times more potent in it.

You tell Meiling that you will briefly excuse yourself from the table in order to bring a bucket of water to help sober Mima. Of course it won’t actually sober her up, but nevertheless, it will help her be more coherent.

As you stand up however, Mima grabs a hold of your shirt.

“Wheeeerrree dooo youuu thiiinkk youuurrr ggoooooinnnnn?”

“I’m going to get water to help you, comrade.”

“Dooonnntttttt leeeeaaaavvvvvveeee meeee!”

Mima then beings sobbing. What in the Hakurei goddess’s name did Yukari put in those cursed sodas?

You squat next to the sobbing Mima. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Rather than calm down, Mima instead starts bawling. Your scientific assessment asserts that in the battle between Charisma and Drug, Drug won....

...until Charisma used hug!

You hug Mima. Whatever was in the drink reduced her emotional capacity to that of a child, so perhaps a hug will work as well on her as a child?

Mima stops crying and rubs her head against your chest.

“Aleek...” she murmurs softly.

“Shhh....There’s no need to cry now.”

“Alwek isst miiine....” Mima’s voice is softer now. She then falls asleep in your lap.

Well then, this poses a problem.

You excuse yourself from the table yet again, this time to place Mima in her bed.

Actually, you don’t know where her bed is. You decide to walk over and ask Reimu.

“Excuse me comrade, but where does Mima sleep?”

“I wish I knew,” shrugs Reimu, before adding, “just leave her in one of the empty beds.”

---

Navigating your way through the hallways to an empty bedroom, you tuck Mima into bed. Looking at her makes you realize that she looks awfully similar to a corpse, and it occurs to you that you never checked her pulse or breathing.

You quickly do so, and find that she’s not breathing. Checking her pulse, you feel nothing.

The momentary panic passes when you remember that she is a ghost spirit, and thus does not need to breath nor have a pulse.

Mima softly snores in bed. Well, it seems she breathes out of habit.

Staring at her in bed, you confirm your earlier theory correct: Mima can be terribly cute, like the rest of the...mature women in Gensokyo.

“Sleep well,” you say as you pat her shoulder, before leaving the room.

---

Returning to the table, you see that Shinki and Reimu are getting along quite well. You also find that Suika has taken Mima’s seat beside you.

Sitting down, you notice that Alice’s doll has found its way to the section of the table in front of you.

You must decide what to do....

Choice:
[x]Eat (pick one) (You are starving! Soviet War Machine Grind to Halt without supplies!)
---[ ] Shinki’s Dish: Nice and simple. Homely. Made with motherly love. Slightly spicy.
---[ ] Reimu’s Dish: Wait a second, those are just plain rice balls!?
---[ ] Meiling’s dish: Chinese dumplings. You are familiar with them, and have enjoyed them before.
---[ ] Youmu’s dish: Finely produced masterpiece by an adroit chef. Appears to be noodles with an exotic taste.
---[ ] Dish of unknown origin: Seems to be buckwheat porridge, the kind you used to have back home...

[ ] Interact with Shanghai doll? (pick as many as you like)
---[ ] Talk to her
---[ ] Play with her
---[ ] Have her greet your fellow comrades

Impending actions:
[x]Talk to:
---[x] Meiling: You’re sitting right next to her, and she organized this! It would be rude not to talk to her
---[x] Suika

Locked Pending Actions:
[X] Red
[X] Sacchin

Anonymous 2012/10/31 (Wed) 02:55 No. 35122

[x]Eat (pick one) (You are starving! Soviet War Machine Grind to Halt without supplies!)
---[x] Shinki’s Dish: Nice and simple. Homely. Made with motherly love. Slightly spicy.

[x] Interact with Shanghai doll? (pick as many as you like)
---[x] Talk to her
---[x] Play with her
---[x] Have her greet your fellow comrades

Anonymous 2012/10/31 (Wed) 03:02 No. 35123

[☭]One should not show favoritism by choosing but a single dish. Partake lightly of each.

[☭] Interact with Shanghai doll? (pick as many as you like)
-[☭] Talk to her
-[☭] Play with her
-[☭] Have her greet your fellow comrades

Anonymous 2012/10/31 (Wed) 03:03 No. 35124 ▼

Image Source

File 135165259911.png - (718.12KB, 1558x677 , 5289fa10ce73d27da393d3a021283494.png)

[x]Eat (pick one) (You are starving! Soviet War Machine Grind to Halt without supplies!)
---[c] Shinki’s Dish: Nice and simple. Homely. Made with motherly love. Slightly spicy.

[c] Interact with Shanghai doll? (pick as many as you like).
---[c] Talk to her.
---[c] Play with her.
---[c] Have her greet your fellow comrades.

One does not simply resist Shanghai.

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/11/02 (Fri) 02:03 No. 35125

Calling it for a mixed compromise again (A compromise that is representative of the entire voting populace)

[т]Eat
-[т]One should not show extreme favoritism by choosing but a single dish. Partake lightly of each.
--[т]However, it is only just to reward the hardest working comrade by savoring her dish
---[т] Shinki’s Dish: Nice and simple. Homely. Made with motherly love. Slightly spicy.

[т] Interact with Shanghai doll?
---[т] Talk to her
---[т] Play with her
---[т] Have her greet your fellow comrades

товарищ, never forget the revolutionary spirit of glorious write-ins

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/11/06 (Tue) 05:36 No. 35127

[т] Talk to Meiling
[т] Talk to Suika
[т] Eat
-[т]One should not show extreme favoritism by choosing but a single dish. Partake lightly of each.
--[т]However, it is only just to reward the hardest working comrade by savoring her dish
---[т] Shinki’s Dish: Nice and simple. Homely. Made with motherly love. Slightly spicy.
[т] Interact with Shanghai doll?
---[т] Talk to her
---[т] Play with her
---[т] Have her greet your fellow comrades

You take a moment to stare into the soft, blue eyes of Alice’s doll. The doll’s hair is proportionally longer than that of the creator, yet this additional length somehow seems appropriate and natural on the doll. If you recall correctly, the names of her other dolls were ‘Shanghai’ and ‘Hourai’. You know not the name of this one, this survivor of your pocket, but such does not deter you from attempting to civil interaction.

You suspect that the doll itself is just as 'automated' as the one you saw in the forest, considering that it managed to transfer itself from you room onto the table before you.

“Hello there, tovarish,” you greet the doll. You hope that you do not look insane in attempting to communicate to a doll that has been mute since the Battle of Stalingrad and had been scientifically proven to not be alive in 1942.

The doll remains silent. Her unblinking eyes stare at you. Perhaps she only responds to a real name?

You ponder possible names for a doll. ‘Shanghai’ is a coastal city in China. ‘Hourai’ is the Japanized version of ‘Penglai’, another coastal city of China. Sadly, you no other coastal cities in China come to mind as particularly doll sounding names.

“Are you named after a city in China?” You ask the doll. To your great surprise, the doll responds with a shake of head. You hope that such a gesture means ‘no’ to Alice. Culture gaps of all sorts have already lead to unintentional disrespect.

You managed to elicit a response from the doll. Now you must continue to develop this line of communication.

“Are you named after a city?”

The doll nods. That must then mean yes, since it would be impossible for her to be named after a Chinese city yet not be named after any city. Of course, this is assuming nodding and shaking of the noggin refers to yes and no.

You ponder a good moment on possible names. Berlin? Budapest? Vienna? Bucharest? London? Copenhagen? Warsaw? Constantinople? Rome?

“Moscow?” You finally ask. Since the doll seems to have been made in Russia, this seems like a good guess. The various names and historical names for other important Russian cities seem terrible for the name of a doll: Stalingrad, Tsaritsyn, Leningrad, Petrograd, St. Petersburg, Kharkov, Minsk, and Kiev aren't particularly well known outside of The Motherland, and even then many cases would result in the doll being named after a city named after a person.

The doll nods. You swear it even smiles a little, but as soon as you pick it up for closer examination, it merely gives you her same generic, emotionless face.

You start to play with Moscow. She flies around you in a dazzling fashion, and you can’t help but appreciate her magic.

She softly lands on your right hand and sits down. You can’t resist softly petting her head with your left index finger.

You are absolutely sure that she is smiling down there.

“There’s no need to hide your feelings,” you tell Moscow. You bring her closer to find her grinning. You can feel a new relationship blossoming between the two of you.

She flies up and sits on your shoulder. Pointing to your empty plate and making hand motions toward your mouth, you can assume that she is insisting that you eat.

To be sure, there was no need for her to insist. You are starving, and scientific reason will triumph the petty guilt of feeling indebted, since you know that you can pay your comrades back later through other means.

You decide to lightly sample every dish, starting with one of Reimu’s rice balls. Although plain in form, it produces a warm feeling in you. You can tell that a lot of effort went into making it, despite its extreme simplicity. As you come to the conclusion that Reimu could have really used your help in cooking today, your heart sinks slightly at the thought that you effort in ‘helping’ Shinki was comparatively wasted since the goddess knew how to cook well.

Reimu, however, seemed to have noticed that you ate one of her rice balls and smiled at you before returning her attention to Shinki.

You next sample one of Meiling’s dumplings. Her dumpling is well crafted and has a hearty, meaty taste to it. Her work and effort is commendable and exemplary. Without being forced, Comrade Meiling has given her all at cooking, and is an outstanding comrade.

Meiling, like Reimu, notices that you ate her food, and Meiling uses this to engage in conversation with you.

“Do you like it?”

“I do, comrade. It has a filling quality to it, yet its taste is still well done,” you reply.

“Actually, I’d like to give you my thanks for organizing this. I will make sure to send a positive word to your leader,” you add to your previous statement. You cautiously refer to Remilia as the leader of the SDM faction as opposed to the bourgeoisie term and position of ‘master’ or ‘mistress’. With careful manipulation and maneuvering, you have no doubt that you can install...loyalty in the SDM towards The Revolution. You suspect that the deciding factor will be negotiations and through such charisma. Stalin was able to convince you, an apparently charismatic man. It will be up to you to convince Comrade Remilia to be more wholehearted about The Revolution.

“Eh, I’d rather you not. Such a impression will cause more trouble for me than it’s worth,” Meiling replies, without a worry about her 'leader' overhearing you.

“I see. Then I shall respect your decision, comrade,” you reply. You suspect that Meiling wishes to keep something unessential to The People yet unique about her to herself, as it is part of her personal life separate from her job. It is not the Revolution's purpose to police other people's average, non-counterrevolutionary activities like cooking. If no one knew how to make bread, and only one person knew, then things would be different. This, however, is harmless. There can be individuality within communal efforts to live and work together, and this is one of them. While that conversation turned out differently than expected, it seems that you have Meiling’s trust that you will not betray her. Meiling feels safe here in the headquarters of The Revolution, as she should, and such is a good thing. The Revolution is properly being learned, supported, and applied by the supporters.

You go to try the exquisite noodles by Youmu, before you are stopped by Yuyuko.

“These noodles might kill you. You’re but a mortal human,” Yuyuko speaks in a caring tone. You highly suspect that Yuyuko may just enjoy having Youmu’s cooking all to herself, but you take the leap of faith and trust in Yuyuko’s judgment. Dying over noodles would be terrible and counterrevolutionary: It would show gluttony and the inability to restrain oneself at the request of a comrade.

Instead, you move on to the last dish, or rather, small bowl of buckwheat porridge. All the other dishes seemed to be well cherished by the people, but this one seems neglected.

You ask Meiling if anyone has interacted with the bowl during dinner, and she tells you that no one has made any motions of having any interest in it. Due to its small size, you decide that you might as well take the whole thing, for it would be extremely awkward to split it into parts. Pragmatism takes precedence over negligible amounts of symbolic communism. Larger things are worth sacrificing for, but not this. Plus, you have a feeling in your gut that this was made solely for you.

The porridge reminds you of home. Of Mother Russia. The memories are clearly depicted in your mind. The sergeant and you having a brief reprieve in Stalingrad, having been relieved momentarily by Operation Uranus. Eating the rationed porridge while telling stories. The porridge also reminds you of your mother’s cooking. You wonder who made the porridge.

You are snapped back to reality by Moscow flying into your face.

Floating in front of you, she seems concerned about your well-being.

“Thanks, but I’m okay. I was just reminiscing my old life back in the Soviet Union.”

The doll takes upon a pondering pose, with her hand holding her chin, before returning to sitting on your shoulder. You gently hung her with your hand, calming her down. You silently wonder to yourself if she is mute. If she is, you’ll want to ask Alice as soon as possible for a method of communication. Perhaps something along the lines of a miniature pen and notepad?

You finally eat some of Shinki’s rice. Savoring Shinki’s steaming dish, every morsel of it fills you with inexpiable joy. The rice really had a certain quality of perfect balance to it: it is well coated in the sauce of the dish, yet not soupy. It is neither grainy nor soggy, but simply a wonderful mix of slightly spicy and uniquely flavored rice with a seemingly uniform texture. No two grains of rice are exactly alike, yet they all meld together perfectly to form a dish. The dish itself is made of communist glory, each of these qualities work together to form a perfect dish that no part alone could accomplish.

Finishing your portion of Shinki’s dish, you no longer feel hungry, yet not particularly full either. You decide against indulging in further eating. You have eaten your share of food; it will soon be your turn to do your fair share of work.

You decide to play with Moscow a bit more. She seems to be happy to be with you, but you wonder if she’d be happier with her creator who understands her better, and is a caring young girl.

Moscow tugs your shirt towards Suika. That’s right, you had forgotten that you wanted to talk to her.

Unfortunately, your little oni comrade seems to have fallen asleep in the chair. You take note that it is getting later into the night, and that you ought to catch up on sleep.

You tell Meiling that you are going to place Suika into a bed before picking up the oni. In her blissful sleep, Suika is extremely cute. Not to say that she isn't so when she’s energetically awake.

Asking Reimu once again for the slight chance that she might know where anyone sleeps, you are greeted with the same answer of placing the person into a ‘guest’ bed.

While you are certain that this shrine was meant to accommodate some visitors over night, the copious amounts of empty beds only serve to support your thought that at least some of them must be bedrooms of the Hakurei family, bedrooms long abandoned by the dwindling number of Hakureis. This almost bothers you in a way: Reimu is the last Hakurei, and she therefore must have a child lest Gensokyo collapse. Reimu has opened her heart to you, however, your heart is confused, as is your brain. You do not want to just know them all superficially, you want to establish a lasting friendship with all of them. However, you also want to create a permanent love with one of them so that your child may live in a stable family. While you support others in their quest for free love, you yourself still have the right to choose how you want to love. Love is something that must be mutually agreed upon, and while you try to be as selfless as possible, you will stand for your own rights. You are not a doormat, and while you are fighting for The Revolution and all People's Rights, you are also fighting for your own equal rights.

Wait, Children? Children? Why are you thinking about children? You’re too young—

No, you’re not. This is the cruel truth. This is scientific fact. If Reimu does not have children, Gensokyo is doomed. The truth is cold, but you must face it head on.

You can actually take all of the people you have met and postulate the terrible truth to their lives/existences.

Suika has been exploited, abused, and discriminated against for her child like behavior. No one takes her seriously in love as an equal.

Mima may have tried to get revenge on humans, but why? What drove her to such extremes? You theorize that Hakurei, whether last generation or this generation, perhaps with some help from Yukari, managed to guide the misguided spirit away from mutual destruction, but what grim circumstance drove her there in the first place?

Youmu...has no relatives. Her only constant in Yuyuko, to whom the half human is technically bound to for eternal servitude. In addition, the half ghost's...Grandfather? Uncle? Father? Her family member, Youki, is M.I.A.

Yuyuko is the ghost princess of the Netherworld. What got her there? What tragic death? What pain, misery, suffering, cynicism, and sacrifice could place her in such a position?

Meiling. Why is she in the entourage of 2 vampires and a Time manipulating maid? Was it willingly done? What are her feelings towards Peter? You lack adequate information regarding the relationship between Peter and Meiling, but Meiling certainly has at least a "Big Sis" sort of caring towards the other Chinese resident of Gensokyo.

Yukari. Being treated as a promiscuous harlot. Never given a chance. You want to give her a chance, but you yourself are too confused without her in the equation, and she herself is made of mystery.

Shinki... you already know. Civil War. “The Devil”.

Alice. By Lenin’s mother, she needs no explanation. T̵̸͞H̀͠͠͞Ę̸͘͝ ̴̢͘͢T̴̡͟͟É̷͘͝A̶̶Ŕ̵͟͡Ś̀,̨́̀ ̴̀͞͝͝T̡́͘̕H̸͏͘Ȩ ̸̴S̴͝C̡̀͜Ą̡͜͡R͘͟͝Ś,̴̸̢͢ ̢͏̢T̴́͘H͞Ę́͟͜͞ ̧B̢̛̀͝L̷͘͞͏͡O҉͡͏́͡Ơ̕̕͠D̀̕̕ ̢̡͢T̵͘͞H̶̀́E͝Y̵҉̨̨͝ ̵̨͞Ṕ͏̡Ŗ̴͜͝O̶̸̢͜͡V̢͟E͢͝!

Sacchin. That day.

You stare at the Suika in your hands. Her peaceful sleep is calming, and reminds you that despite the seemingly deeply rooted problems, there is still enough hope to maintain happiness everyday.

“The Worst is behind us now,” you mutter. The Revolution will set things straight and secure your liberty and future.

You enter a guest room and tuck Suika into bed.

“Sleep well.”

----

As you enter the hallway, Moscow pulls your ear to get your attention.

“Yeowh! What was that for, Comrade Moscow?”

She sticks her hand out in front of your face, telling you to stop.

She flies up to your head and lightly knocks on Sacchin.

She then flies down and points downward.

You take Sacchin off your head and place her on the ground, hoping that is what Moscow is getting at.

To your disbelief, you see the propeller blades beginning to spin and soon enough, Sacchin begins to take off. Moscow takes off after Sacchin and you run after them.

Chyort! Your losing sight of them!

You’re going to lose them at this rate!

Choice:
[ ] Trust in yourself. Attempt to push yourself further physically.

[ ] Trust in your ability to innovate. Attempt to fortify your physical running ability and energy with magic.

[ ] Trust in Yukari. Attempt to make something that will help you catch up.

[ ] Trust in Shinki's teachings. Attempt to fly as fast as you can after them.

[ ] Let them go. You can’t catch up, why try?
---[ ] Instead, go back to the dining hall.
------[ ] Meiling is probably waiting for you
------[ ] You should check on Shinki and Reimu
------[ ] Another chat with Yuyuko and Youmu would be fine
---[ ] Go to sleep. You are exhausted.

Massive Hint: Don't be a defeatist, lazy, unmotivated, unpatriotic Dog! The Revolution must take risks. The Revolution may fail many times, as in 1905, but so long as The People preserve, the Revolution will eventually succeed!

Anonymous 2012/11/06 (Tue) 06:02 No. 35128

[x] Trust in Shinki's teachings. Attempt to fly as fast as you can after them.

All I can say is that this calls out to me. That and flying is a must in gensokyo.

Anonymous 2012/11/06 (Tue) 06:10 No. 35129

[XY] Trust in your ability to innovate. Attempt to fortify your physical running ability and energy with magic.

Anonymous 2012/11/06 (Tue) 20:03 No. 35131

Hmmmm...Sacchin is running away?

[☭]Summon Sign: 「SACCHIN」

If that would be innapropriate to use indoors, however, then:
[☭]Trust in Yukari. Create something that can help you to keep up.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/11/08 (Thu) 04:13 No. 35135

Votes closed.

Onward ComradeWriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/11/13 (Tue) 03:33 No. 35139 ▼

Image Source

File 135277761633.jpg - (339.78KB, 708x1000 , 796bfc7f1382edc747366b8d39c9c914.jpg)

[x] Trust in Shinki's teachings. Attempt to fly as fast as you can after them.
[XY] Trust in your ability to innovate. Attempt to fortify your physical running ability and energy with magic.
[☭]Trust in Yukari. Create something that can help you to keep up.
[☭]If possible, use Summon Sign: 「SACCHIN」

Sprinting after the doll and miniature plane, various random thoughts spring through your mind as possible solutions to catch up. There is no time to go with convoluted logic rants to pick a choice, you need to catch up to them now!

Actually, can’t you just summon Sacchin back to you?

You struggle with your trench coat to take out your spellcard. Fuck, you are tiring way too fast. You would be dead in a battle if you were trying to pull out a grenade. You must retrain this weak body of yours to adapt to this new environment, as it seems that you have become too complacent with the environment of Mother Russia.

Finally getting the card out of the pocket, you stare at it with only one thought in mind:

“How the heck do I use this?”

You look at the card in your shaky hand as you continue your chase. A sinking feeling strikes you in the gut as you see the card colored grey, devoid of its magnificent blue color. It is inactivated. A wasted effort.

“CHYORT!” You shout in great anger, blood boiling in your veins. You couldn’t really afford this increase of distance between you and the pair of Sacchin and Moscow.

In hindsight, wouldn’t having control of Sacchin with something like a card be nothing more than a form of slavery? You are silently glad that Sacchin is not bound to something as trivial as a card. It must be a team spellcard in which requires both people consent to its use.

This, however, does not solve the problem at hand.

“WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY?” You beckon down the hallway towards the flying doll and plane. You do not even understand why they decided to fly away from you.

Remembering that one is a mute plane and the other a mute doll, you understand that unless you catch up, there will be no communication.

How else can you catch up to them?

Yukari. For some reason she pops into mind. Yukari being drunk. Vodka. Yukari and Vodka! Creating Things!

Simple. Simple Thing that is very helpful. You need something that will enable you to catch up without any complicated mechanisms that you know you cannot replicate.

Wheels! Wheels make humans go faster. Wheels are rather simple! A Board with wheels attached to it with... metal axes! Wheels and axes on a board of wood!

You imagine a blueprint of something like what you envision, and attempt to gather magic to form what you want.

Board with wheels attached to it! Great!

You throw it down in front of you and promptly hop onto the device, only to have it snap under your weight.

You continue running after the duo despite the failure of the contraception and the widening gap. You had a gut feeling that your creation would not hold. Looking back, you see the device dissolve into the air as magic, before disappearing.

Focusing on the hall before you, you see that Sacchin and Moscow make a turn towards the direction of the courtyard. You pursue them at full sprint, despite the widening gap.

You are forcefully exhaling gasps of air as you push after them. Your lungs feel like collapsing, your heart feels like exploding, and your vision begins to darken. How did you grow so weak? You are certain that you run faster for much longer in the Battle of Stalingrad. It is as if the magic in the air is inhospitable to you and rejects your usage of it. Furthermore, it seems as if though it were oppressing you, preventing you from even expressing your maximum amount of physical strength.

To use a hyperbole, it feels as if though you were slogging through an atmosphere made of molasses.

As the gap widens, defeatism exploits your mind. This was a futile pursuit, just like your love. Moscow must represent Gensokyo, and Sacchin both herself and The Revolution. You pursue both, yet it is meaningless, you efforts cannot overcome cold truth. Unable to focus on one, you merge them together, only to obtain none.

Defeatist thoughts impress themselves into your soul as you collapse physically on the floor of the hallway. You can’t catch up. Your love life is too complicated and will only create sadness or hierarchy, your revolution is not supported by the masses but rather the leaders, the masters, the bourgeoisie. That may be in line with the concept of a vanguard party, but it is not in line with the concept of Revolution from below, Revolution of The Workers. The entire premise of your time in Gensokyo has been flawed from the start. You can’t even catch up to your girlfriend. Girlfriend? She’s probably now an ex-girlfriend, who righteously decided that you are a sick and terrible womanizer for failing to implement the equality of The Revolution to your love life yet still pursued multiple lovers in an unequal and misogynist fashion.

You have made mistakes.

You feel...terrible. Just Terrible.

You cannot change the past.

But you can change the future.

Getting on your knees, you being crawling forward and slowly continue after the duo, who are far in the distance, yet just barely visible. You look up from the ground into what is in front of you. You continue after them, crawling forward. The Fire in your heart still burns. The Fire burns away the venom of defeatism that poisoned you in a weak moment.

“One day, things will change,” rings the voice of your comrade.

That man, he gives you new-found vigor. He reminds you that this Revolution is not just for your ideas, nor is it ‘unpopular’.

You stand up.

Tens of Millions have given the ultimate sacrifice for it. Tens of Millions more have worked years to protected it, to build it. How could you betray them?

You run.

That man, he probably died in Stalin’s gulags. He deserved better. He was a True Hero.

You run. You run. You run.

Perhaps he was more than that. He was not just a hero himself, but the creator of legions of heroes.

You run Forward.

Yet he took particular measures with you. He already knew that you were patriotic and ready to die, and that you were among the ones who would gladly be the leader marching in front, leading into the battle. Perhaps he saw his younger self in you. Perhaps he wanted to pass the torch of not just being a revolutionary, but being responsible for creating the next generation of revolutionaries, as he had to your generation.

You continue Running.

You do not know. Perhaps heroes, like him, need not question their actions. Heroes, must press onward to what is righteous!

You continue running, to Great Glory!

Time seems to slow as you continue the pursuit. You think about what was wrong with your methods, and then attempt to come up with a solution.

You shouldn’t be using magic, or Gensokyo to your own benefit, by taking from the land’s magic and using it to create items for your own selfish use. If you want to use the magic, you must become one with Gensokyo, for only then shall it enable you to control it. A magic-less, atheistic person such as yourself must continue to welcome magic before it fully welcomes you.

You must become one with Gensokyo.

You infuse the magic in the air with yourself. The Fear of Failure and Betrayal of The Revolution is dispelled and the defeatism is crushed under a new-found vigor.

You will catch up to them.

Your muscles have tired, your chest pains from pounding, but you press on. The Fire in your heart has been oppressed by the forces of the world, and many times it has seemed like it would go out. However, it shall never fail. It shall continue burning, and The Revolution will March Forever Forward, into the next dawn that awaits.

You have a knack for collecting magic in the air and centering it towards you. This time, however, you’ll be centering it inside of you. The magic gives you strength to carry out your actions, strength to create dreams into reality.

That’s what Gensokyo means, right? Where the forgotten, lost dreams, things, and people become real again.

Communism may be lost in the sea of sectionalism on the outside, but you will never let this flame perish. You shall find a way for them all to be happy. If they learn to love each other, would that not fix the issue of inequality? You must press the initiative gained this dinner between Reimu and Shinki. Shinki’s cordial relationship to Yukari is the springboard in which you shall use to bring Reimu and Yukari together. This program shall also include Suika and possibly Mima.

The strength of magic builds inside of you as you run, faster and faster. You never thought you would ever run this fast, especially not in this condition. The feeling of oppression, the weight on your chest, is lifted as you run.

You make up lost ground and begin closing the Gap. This Gap of inequality. This Gap of oppression against The Revolution.

You pick up steam like a train: You seem to go faster and faster, almost unable to stop.

And you embrace it. You embrace the speed, the magic, the fervor!

You know this feeling, of embrace. This feeling of Revolution. This day may have seemed like a lifetime, but this feeling is not foreign. It is the same feeling you had when, over choosing a single person to bring yourself to fly, you choose everyone.

What caused you to fall down such a path where sectionalism, personal antagonism, and favoritism took over the choices you made?

Whatever it had been, it has been smitten by the trains and tanks rolling from the East, from the Revolution being fomented in your heart, from the Revolution being spread into Gensokyo.

Despite your remarkable speed for a running human, you are still unable to fully catch up as the two in front of you speed up. They exit through the open air courtyard into the stormy sky.

You pursue The Revolution.

Like an airplane taking off, your use your gathered speed and magic to propel you into the air after the doll.

Into the storm sky they went. Luckily, Moscow has a certain glow to her that makes her easy to spot in the dark and stormy weather. Are they guiding you somewhere?

They fly towards the Forest of Magic. Why would they want to go there in the middle of the night during a freezing storm?

You do not know, but you press on after them.

Moscow and Sacchin start speeding up, and Moscow almost seems to be have an aura of magic around her similar to that of a comet. It burns and lights the way, with a glowing tail of colorful magic behind it.

You increase your pace as well, determined to follow them.

You finally notice you are flying. You heart is relatively calm, and you can breathe. Despite the terrible weather, you have survived worse weather and remain undeterred.

You feel as if though the three of you have exceeded what used to be Sacchin’s top speed of approximately 400 km/hr. Rather than expending the little magical energy within you, you feel as if thought Gensokyo itself was giving you the magic to fly.

The pair heads toward a small lit house in the middle of the forest. Wait, isn’t this...?

As you near the ground, you begin to slow down, however, your comparatively large mass makes it harder for you to slow down than Moscow or Sacchin, and your landing ends up producing quite the shake of Alice’s House.

Despite the impact crater or the fact that you are soaked, you don’t feel half bad.

Recomposing yourself, you find that Sacchin has landed right in front of you and that Moscow is floating in the air waiting for you.

The front door creaks open, and your eyes meet Alice, who holds her hand out to help you up.

“Thank you, tovarish,” you begin, as she hurriedly takes the three of you into her house to bring you out of the rain. Alice has once again proven that she is a friend and comrade of The Revolution with her unquestioning hospitality.

---

A small puff of steam floats in the air in front of you as Alice pours you a cup of tea.

Without even asking for your motivation, she has shown her hospitality by giving you towels and shelter without a second thought.

Likewise, without being asked, you explain to her that you followed Moscow and Sacchin into the stormy weather. She helped you without asking, she deserves to know the truth.

Instead of showing surprise Alice seemed to have expected the story.

"I think she likes your name," Alice tells you as she plays with Moscow.

"Huh? Didn't you name her Moscow?"

"No, I never gave her a name. She was my first doll. She was she, and I was I." Alice softly hugs the doll, giving you the impression that she'd like Moscow back. Moscow seems to feel reunited with her creator and seems passively joyful.

"I'm glad to see a happy reunion," you say as you stand up to leave. You do not understand why you came here in the first place or why you chased Sacchin and Moscow. Without any crucial need to speak with Alice that would warrant a trip at this hour, it would be impolite to interrupt Alice's night any further.

Alice is puzzled, before she stands up and shoves Moscow into your hands.

"You Forgot...no...Here's...no" Alice stumbles at a loss of words. She seems intent on giving Moscow to you, yet you do not understand why. Moscow is happy and reunited with her gentle, kind creator; they should live happily together.

"It's dangerous to go alone, so take her with you!" Alice blasts a semi-coherent sentence in your face.

"I shouldn't ruin your intimate relationship with my love affair with death, now should I?" You point out that if you get obliterated, so would Moscow.

"It's fine if you like mommy!" Alice blurts out. It seems that the complexity of the fact that you came back from the dead 65 years later only to be in a relationship of sorts with her adoptive mother all while you are now numerically younger yet physically by human standards older ye almost comparable is confusing to Alice.

Everything falls silent for a moment. Alice seems to have misinterpreted your metaphor and took 'death' as the devil, as Shinki, as apposed to your intended meaning that death 'loves' to visit you often.

"That's not what I meant or what I was trying to get at, Tovarish."

"That doesn't matter. I still don't mind!"

You need to come up with a less arrogant way of saying that since love is free in Communist society, agreement is only needed between those in love and that you could give two shits less about other people's approval. You're slowly coming to the conclusion that this whole 'approval' bullshit is regrading Shinki's ability to be in a relationship. It makes no sense... unless... someone is in a relationship with...

That thought is blown out of your mind as Alice addressing you once again. You'd prefer not to make any hasty conclusions anyways.

"Here, if you're leaving already, take Moscow with you." Alice pushes Moscow towards you.

"It would seem to me that Moscow would be happier with you." You push Moscow back.

"She's happy with you, too. She wants to see the world." Alice pushes Moscow back to you. Moscow has a plain, pretend doll face on her that is nothing more than a really fake, yet innocent smile.

"All She will see with me with war, blood, death, and misery. She's seen enough." You push Moscow pack to Alice.

After a brief silence, Alice speaks up, looking you in your eyes.

"Moscow wants to be with you."

A simple yet powerful sentence, but you have a counter.

"You can understand Moscow's feelings and thoughts. Aside from nodding and shaking, I have no clue what Moscow wants."

Alice thinks for a while on that. Moscow meanwhile finds her spot on your shoulder and refuses to leave, dropping the lifeless doll act.

It is honestly hard to tell if Moscow has her own soul or if she's being controlled by Alice. Alice seemed to know you were coming, suggesting that Moscow and the other dolls are Alice's eyes and ears, but Moscow seems to be independent of Alice's mental will, given the cuddling between them. There is a line that is drawn between narcissistic and lonely, and Alice falls clearly in the latter rather than the former.

Taking a miniature blank poster, about the half the size of a flashcard, out of a drawer, Alice hands it to Moscow, who magically shrinks it to fit inside one of her dress's pockets.

"That should suffice until you and Moscow develop...a mental bond."

The thought of others being able to read your thoughts bothers you. You like being able to think random things in your head without actually saying them to anyone else. Jokes that only you'd get, memories that ought to remain to yourself, and the like. Even Stalin respected your memory and personal thoughts, as long as you respected him vocally.

Alice seems to notice your concern about such an invasion of privacy.

"Don't worry, Moscow won't know everything about you and what you think. You can be very selective in what you tell her, so she won't know about your personal, internal struggles with love."

Alice seems bolder than you thought.

You feel a light tingling on your shoulder, and you find Moscow trying to get your attention. She holds up a sign in which you manage to read "or your wet drea-" before Alice swipes it away. Moscow giggles as you turn red after your brain processes what she just said. Moscow is certainly well informed about the adult world.

"I told you to be nice to Alek!"

"Teasing him isn't being nice!"

Alice seems rather frustrated with Moscow before calming down.

"Hmm... I suppose you are right."

Alice gives Moscow back her card, which is magically blank again. Magic must be used to temporarily imprint a message on the card, and as the magic fades away or is wiped away, the card is blank again.

"Tovarish Alice, I feel like I am on one side of a radio call," you comment, referring to the fact that Moscow is somehow mentally chatting with Alice, who verbally replies.

"Oh. Sorry about that. Well, basically, she has reasoned that if you can't take a bit of teasing from a doll, then you're unsuited to be privileged to a lack of teasing as you need to get over your sexual...fears," Alice tells you, giving you Moscow's reasoning.

"There is nothing wrong with being embarrassed over other people knowing your subconscious sexual fantasies that one has no control over," you counter, defending your embarrassment. You mentally also reference the quotation that those who'd dare give up a drop of liberty for any amount of security deserve neither.

As Alice realizes and comprehends the superiority of your logic and how she got tricked by Moscow into giving back the card, Moscow holds up a sign reading "Got yah!" and dodges Alice's incoming swipe by flying off your shoulder. While you could easily dodge Alice's incoming hand, you'd prefer not to cause any damage to Alice's house by rolling into and under furniture. Instead, you gladly take the slap to the face for the sake of The Revolution.

The loud slapping noise cracks throughout the house. The slap hurts far more than you had expected.

"Oh Shinki! I didn't mean to do that!" Alice slightly panics as she's realized that she just slapped you.

You softly touch the area of your face to find it slightly inflamed and extremely painful. The skin is tender and even broken in some places.

"Don't worry about it," you say, ignoring the pain.

With not much else better to say, you take a seat, and motion for Alice to do so as well.

"It would be a shame for this tea, the hard work of The People, to go to waste now," you remark as you take a sip of tea.

---

After a friendly chat over hot tea about your lives, Alice appears posed to pose a difficult question. Up until this point, it had been mostly about life after that fateful day and Alice's decision to stay in Gensokyo. The latter question was hand-waved with a 'personal reasons' response, and you decided against pushing it further. You have your personal theory that it might be related to another magician in the Forest of Magic, but you keep that thought to yourself.

The light banter gives way to seriousness as Alice poses a difficult question to you:

"So, what do you think of...mommy?"

"Shinki is a friend," you begin with a thoughtless comment, before rectifying your mistake.

"She is more than a friend. She is a comrade. A tovarish. She is important to The Revolution. She is important to The People of Makai and the improvement of the afterlife. She is the standard upon each man and woman, human and youkai, and all things in between, ought to strive to reach. She has reached the standard of selflessness required for True Communism.

"Above all, she is important to me. I still cannot make sense of all my feelings in this tidal wave of new experiences, but I would gladly die for her."

Alice smiles at you. As she projects her warm, soft smile onto you, you cannot help but think how she looks so alike to her adoptive mother.

"You should go back to the shrine. They might be worried about you," Alice remarks. You suddenly remember that you ditched dinner to follow Moscow and Sacchin.

After saying goodbye, you leave for the shrine.

As you depart from the warm, western-styled house, you can't help but feel as if thought Alice led you to her house and that Shinki was somehow involved in getting you to fly.

In any case, you depart into the rainy night, with Sacchin and Moscow by your side.

---

Moscow guides the way back to the shrine with the her illuminating glow. It is a rather useful ability, but you worry that, being human and all, that it might attract something like a feral youkai that would want to eat you. Something far below the intelligence of even the childish yet definitely sentient, low-power youkai such as the average fairy. As there is the scum of humankind, you conclude that there must be the scum of youkai-kind.

As you fly, you think about how useful the radio was in communicating during missions. The eerie silence as you fly into the night is alarming, since you are used to radio chatter during combat missions. Even more aggravating is the fact that you know you have comrades beside you with information to say, rather than being on some lone stealth mission in the night. A lone mission in silence would be more tolerable, since that would indicate that it would not be some normal bombing run.

Despite your concerns and aggravations, you make it to the shrine without incident.

Entering the Shrine, you are greeted with a mixture of reactions to your soaking form.

You, however, are too exhausted from all the flying and the magic-intensive things you did on the chase to notice all of them. Your attention is drawn to Reimu's response, and Shinki's response.

Reimu immediately rushes you, hugging you in your soaked state.

"Alek...you had me worried."

"Sorry, Reimu."

Shinki is slower but more composed. She takes out a towel and begins drying you off.

"I'm glad you returned," Shinki remarks with a smile.

Shinki lightly runs her hand over your inflamed cheek, and it feels better immediately.

Unexpectedly, she kisses you on the wound as if though she were your mother, and it heals up.

Surprised and in disbelief, you run your hand over your now smooth and healed cheek.

Reimu turns red at Shinki's kiss, and you do too when your brain takes in the fact that she kissed you on the cheek.

"Oops, I kissed Alek on the cheek~" Shinki remarks with a joyous and certainly not apologetic tone. She smiles as she tries to make the best out of the situation, and her cute love makes you feel happy inside.

Reimu clings tightly to you in response. You assume that Reimu is jealous of Shinki until the shrine maiden looked up into your eyes.

Reimu's smiling. You can't help but smile back to the Shrine Maiden and embrace her as tightly as she embraces you.

Letting go, Reimu begins to comment on your soaked condition. Despite Shinki's attempts at drying you, you are still stuck in wet clothes. In addition, Reimu is now soaked in the cold water because of her hug. While these temperate rains do not deter you from your duties or cause you to feel unreasonably cold, you worry that Reimu might catch the cold if she doesn't dry off and change clothes soon. Unfortunately, Reimu is more worried about you.

"You need to dry of and put on some dry clothes, Alek."

"The same goes for you, Tovarish."

"I've been in worse conditions before."

"I have swam in the frozen lakes of Russia. Naked."

"That doesn't matter! You're still human!"

"So are you, comrade. We both should go dry off and change clothes," you logically reason, hoping that this solution will solve her anxiety while getting her to dry off.

"You first," Reimu comments, making her stance clear that she won't budge until you dry off.

"Do you not trust be to uphold my commitment, comrade?" Lack of Trust will destroy the party from within, so you immediately address this issue.

"You went outside into the night without telling anyone! There are youkai out there that would love to eat you as a snack! You come back, and you don't even tell me what you did or why!"

"I followed Comrades Sacchin and Moscow into the night. They guided me to Alice's house. Why? I do not truly know. However, they had a point to make, a message to get across, whether it be teaching me how to fly or teaching me how to overcome my fears. Despite their muteness, it would be a betrayal of The Revolution to disregard them."

Reimu falls silent as you crush her third point, before finally replying,

"I'll give you a second chance, but don't do this again!

"......a maiden's heart can only take so much..."

Reimu aggressively asserts her point in you face, before suddenly backing off into a meek, innocent Shrine maiden. She is truly a capricious girl. You smile for some reason, perhaps at Reimu's own way of expressing love and care.

Before you two separate, however, Shinki, who seems to have diligently dried off Sacchin and Moscow, proposes another way.

"Why don't we all go bathing together? I'm sure you both would benefit from warming up in the hot springs."

"Comrade, mixing bathing-" You attempt to say something about the absurdity and decadence to cover up your own embarrassment before you are cut off prematurely.

"There are swimsuits in that closet of yours."

"You went through my stuff?" You ask, not with anger, but with slight curiosity as to why.

"There wasn't anything you needed to hide from us. We're all the same Party here. It belongs to all of us."

Shinki smiles mischievously as she leans over to whisper into your ear.

"Though I didn't know you were into that, Alek. I'll make sure that your needs are satisfied~"

Rather than freak out or be embarrassed, you directly assess the situation and answer it with an objective standpoint.

"Comrade, there is a fundamental misunderstanding: I did not put those costumes into the closet. A person that was suspiciously similar to Yukari delivered them here, and I did not have time to go through the pile to purge any decadent, hedonistic, woman-objectifying, sexual-izing, or plain offensive material off the face of Gensokyo. While I do have trust in the gap youkai to mend her ways, as of right now, I do not trust her current taste.

"Oh." Shinki seems slightly depressed, at hearing this blunt confrontation of the truth. She seemed really excited over her misconception that whatever was in your closet reflected your tastes, and this seems to have been a blow to her confidence.

"Hey, it's okay. I like you the way you are," you say to cheer Shinki up. She promptly resumes her ever happy outlook and relieves your heart of any guilt for making her feel depressed.

"So, what do you want to do?" Reimu asks you for the course of action.

[ ] Go bathing. A hot water bath would be nice right now. Plus, you'll get to spend time with Reimu and Shinki. You'd invite Sacchin and Moscow to bath, but Sacchin would rust and Moscow seems like she'd not be stuck in another humid situation when she doesn't need to. You can drop them off at your room when you go pick up these...bathing suits.

[ ] Go dry off individually. You need some time to thing about stuff. Plus, you'll get spend time with Moscow and Sacchin. You also are wary of the amount of 'suit' in these so called bathing suits.

Anonymous 2012/11/13 (Tue) 03:51 No. 35140

[x] Go bathing. A hot water bath would be nice right now. Plus, you'll get to spend time with Reimu and Shinki. You'd invite Sacchin and Moscow to bath, but Sacchin would rust and Moscow seems like she'd not be stuck in another humid situation when she doesn't need to. You can drop them off at your room when you go pick up these...bathing suits.

Let's see hot bath, time with Shinki and Reimu in swimsuits. What's not to like?

Anonymous 2012/11/13 (Tue) 04:15 No. 35141

[c] Go dry off individually. You need some time to thing about stuff. Plus, you'll get spend time with Moscow and Sacchin. You also are wary of the amount of 'suit' in these so called bathing suits.

Anonymous 2012/11/13 (Tue) 05:41 No. 35143

[x] Go dry off individually. You need some time to think about stuff. Plus, you'll get to spend time with Moscow and Sacchin. You also are wary of the amount of 'suit' in these so-called bathing suits.

Anonymous 2012/11/16 (Fri) 07:44 No. 35148

[☭] Go dry off individually. You need some time to think about stuff. Plus, you'll get to spend time with Moscow and Sacchin. You also are wary of the amount of 'suit' in these so-called bathing suits.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/11/17 (Sat) 06:13 No. 35150

Called for:

[x] Go dry off individually.

Slowly but surely, it continues Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/11/24 (Sat) 23:52 No. 35151 ▼

Image Source

File 135380112288.jpg - (643.59KB, 1280x1024 , c5b7885c97cd38902e6b9228de98d63c.jpg)

“We should dry off individually, since it would be quicker and more efficient. That way, we can have more time to spend together,” you decide.

“Of course, if you feel a need to go bathing, you may go ahead. I’ll be waiting in the lobby once I’m done.” You motion towards Reimu, since Shinki is completely dry.

“No, I’m fine,” Reimu replies with a flat face. You hope she is not sarcastic.

“Can we play a game?” Shinki asks you as she gives you an irresistibly cute expression.

“Well, you all have done well in today’s training,” you say as you contemplate. How can you resist such an adorable face?

“A bonding game of sorts is in order," you state as you come to the conclusion that the more palatable and accessible you make communism, the better off it will be.

“It will commence after we dry off. I want you both back here ASAP,” you order.

You part ways and walk toward the rooms. Reimu accompanies you while Shinki stands in the lobby, waiting for your return. Knowing that it would be impolite to make a comrade wait for unnecessary amounts of time, you begin speeding up your pace.

“Aren’t you exhausted?” Reimu asks as she runs to catch up to you. She appears to be heading in the same direction as you, so you conclude that her room must be in the same general location in the shrine.

Then the notion that perhaps she wants to walk with you comes to mind as an alternative reason, so you slow down to let her catch up.

You let Reimu set the pace, since it would be un-communistic to be an arrogant ass and make all the decisions, especially one involving both of you like this one without her input.

Reimu briefly stops walking and boldly takes hold of your hand, taking you by surprise.

The Red-White Hakurei shrine maiden interweaves her fingers with yours. Despite making eye contact, You do not melt into her arms as you are steeled by your iron will. Reimu begins pulling you slowly forward in a slow paced walk.

Women and beauty can be deadly. You must be on your guard and vigilant! It was foolish to let your guard down, even among your comrades. They will constantly test to make sure you are on the lookout, if nothing else.

“So Alek, how do you like the Shrine?” Reimu softly bumps you with her arm to get your attention.

“This Shrine is the Glorious Headquarters of The Revolution, and for such I enjoy it very much,” you begin with the Revolutionary interpretation, before adding, “However...its vast size makes one feel small...insignificant...empty, even.” You taper off at the end, trailing off with a hint of sadness.

You walk in silence for a while before Reimu ceases her walking and replies.

“It was...lonely in the shrine at times but that’s not a problem anymore since you’re here.” Reimu smiles as she looks into your eyes. You smile back at Reimu.

Reimu then unexpectedly hugs you.

After a momentary daze passes, you reciprocate the hug. Reimu is notably shorter than you, but that is because you happen to be a rather tall fellow, whereas she is around average. Her breath is warm and almost tickles the fine hairs on your neck.

“I love you Alek,” Reimu softly whispers into your ear.

“I...I-" You choke on your own words. You don’t know what to say to Reimu. You do have those kind of feelings for her, but you can't tell her that you love her when Sacchin complicates this.

“I...I understand, Alek,” Reimu confronts the truth with a sad smile, already knowing about Shinki and Suika. She breaks away from the hug and turns away from you. She walks away from you.

In a flash, the world drains away from you as you are torn from the setting of the shrine.

Reimu departs into a dark alley in an impoverished slum in the midst of a city.

You run after her, but she somehow gets further and further away while only walking.

She stops. Turning around, she faces an old grizzled man. Reimu seems to have de-aged and is no more than a young girl about the age of 8 now.

Reimu has a tense expression on her face, before cheering up. Turning around she continues walking forward.

Although you cannot see his face, you can tell that he is smiling, smiling a wicked smile.

“THE WORLD HAS NO PLACE FOR YOU UNSCIENTIFIC MAGICAL GIRLS!” The man unleashes a scream of hatred and anger.

The sound a of trenchcoat flapping is quickly muted by a deafening explosion.

Reimu’s pulverized heart is plastered onto the walls of some shitty slum as she is shot in the back.

Her corpse collapses to the ground, briefly kneeling before faceplanting into the trashy alley.

The man cackles a wicked laugh.

You recognize the sound.

A T-33 round.

You are still running towards where she was. It is as if though you had been running in place.

You are too weak.

He sneaks up to another woman. Shamelessly spitting into her face, he withdraws his murderous weapon again and presses it against her face. The red clothed, silver hair woman stands strong, unfazed by the weapon.

She is smiling.

“RELIGION IS OPIATE FOR THE MASSES!” He shouts.

Birds once perched on a rooftop fly away as the loud, ringing sound of the gunshot echoes through the slums.

The woman’s brains splash against the dirty walls.

Her corpse falls flat on the ground.

It is as if though you are still running in place.

You are still too weak.

Nothing has changed.

The man then turns around to face you.

It is you.

You feel a weight on your shoulder.

“View the world as you’ve created it. View the pain and misery that you have inflicted. First on to your first lover, then to the rest,” hisses a cold voice infused with death.

Yukari is half out of a gap and watches you with a deathly, chilling glare. Revealing her true colors, you understand how Yukari has managed to maintain Gensokyo and keep it safe.

“Hey,” the other you says to you, before he spits on Shinki’s cold, lifeless body.

“YOU BASTARD!”

Charging at him with the momentum of a train, you drive your fist into his face, slamming him into the ground.

He grabs your arm and throws you against a wall. You push yourself off the ground and slide into his ankle, knocking him back down to the ground.

Quickly recovering and standing up, you stomp on his hand and throw the pistol down the alley.

You beat on yourself over and over again until your anger is exhausted and your body is sore. Your other self does not resist the pummel.

Exhausted of strength, you collapse next to yourself.

As you fall to the ground, the other you snickers.

“All you have done is prove that we are the same person. You are a murderer that resorts to violence. You are an illogical bastard that speaks no reason at all. You can’t face up to the truth!” The other you taunts you and makes fun of you.

Although too exhausted to stand up again, you manage to roll over and look yourself in the eye. Both of you are covered in blood, bruises, and the grime of the slum.

“The Truth?” You glare straight at yourself.

You take a deep breath into your sore lungs, a deep breath of the polluted air that fills the slum, before going on.

“The Truth is... we are... two sides of the same coin. I was you. I am you," you say unafraid of the Truth. You gasp for air between each phrase, your lungs tired, as if though they had burst through your chest cavity.

“Yes," you suck in a large breath of air, "I killed Satsuki Yumizuka. I shot her with that pistol. Her blood stains that pistol, her blood stains that plane, her blood stains my hands."

Your lungs seem to be recovering, so you continue, "Run away from that, I have. Run away from that, I no longer. I will take responsibility for killing her. I believe that I set her free from the torture that the abomination and its disease inflicted on her. However, she never verbally consented; we both know that. Her eyes, I interpreted as a plea for release. It may have meant something else."

You overestimated the health of your lungs and in turn cough up blood. A trickle of the same red substance trickles down your forehead.

Forcing yourself forth, you continue your bloody struggle, “If she hates me, then I will take full responsibility. An eye for an eye, a life for a life.”

“You know that she loves you,” the other you interrupts, referring to the Hakurei goddess’s last words.

You notice the other you has turned into a blob of white energy. A soft piano plays in the background.

Is... Is this your grave?

Does it matter?

The only thing that matters right now is finishing this struggle.

“Are magic girls really unscientific? Perhaps in the realm from which we herald from. But in Gensokyo? I can see Reimu, I can feel Reimu, I can hear Reimu, I can smell her soft and slightly pleasant odor, and if I get to kiss her, I will tell you that I will be able to thoroughly taste Reimu,” you say, unembarrassed and unfazed.

Blood drips from your brow onto the ground.

“Only a solipsistic or nihilistic being can deny the fact that Reimu is a real person, a sentient being," you say before gasping again. Your lungs are failing.

You don't care.

The soft piano music crescendos and pushes you onward.

“The same is true of Shinki. She is real. I have felt her soft hand. I have seen her smile, the twinkle in her eye. I have heard her soft whispers and her joyous cheers." You reminisce the good times that you had, now fading away with your life.

You must face your other self. You have made a place for magical girls. Now you must counter the second point before you die.

“Religion..." you begin, before hacking up more of your internal organs.

“My contempt is not toward God, but towards corrupt churches that gather power to shove religion down other's throats. God of the Abrahamic religions, the gods of Hinduism, and The Buddha all may as well be real things in their own independent realms, hoping their morals would supersede the direct meaning of the words inscribed in the texts. I do not know. Such is beyond my mortal comprehension," you manage to set up the exposition before having another bloody coughing attack, pushing you bit by bit towards death.

“But we both know that deep in my heart, I believe in a supernatural power greater than humanity. When gods are real, they are not drugs and illusions that misguide The People. They are real beings. The Shintoist gods have legitimacy now that I’ve interacted with some of them. This incarnation of them is real, is provable, and is what we must adapt Communism to,” you say, getting a second wind. You are determined to continue.

You know that you've won. You have accepted the other side of you.

“But then how does one deal with the sheer inequality between goddess and man?" The other you poses a tough question that has been lurking in your heart.

“We get them to follow Shinki’s lead. I cannot personally manage every task, so we must decentralize some responsibility. We need them to lead and to teach morals, but not with specific examples that will grow reactionary with time. Paying silver to the father of a rape victim and taking her as one’s wife was a step forward back thousands of years ago in getting the rapist to take responsibility, but is seen as counterrevolutionary today because women are treated as property of the father that can be compensated with money. The moral is important, not the example,” you respond, growing stronger. You still have mixed feelings toward religion, but neither fear nor hate it. It comes to you that all encompassing hatred of religion is no better than that same kind of hatred in parts of religion.

The other you is now a female version of you, clothed in rather tight fitting short, short jeans and a loose, white t-shirt.

“It seems that the coin metaphor is now real,” you remark, with nothing better to say.

Two things come to you gradually as you stare at your other self.

When placed on a flat surface, only one side of a coin can be seen at a time. Does that mean that by existing, you prevent her existence?

Her clothes are certainly a testament to your internal...lust. You have not addressed that, the final grand issue that prevents your inner self from being at rest.

“Your clothes... Yes, I am lusty inside. I won’t deny that my dick would love to have an orgy. However, it is not the time. After the Revolution. After the War. After I, you, we, settle down. But not now,” you speak.

“Do you know why I did this to you?” Your other self cuts in. You lack an answer as to why the blood of your comrades were shed, so she goes on.

“So you would notice me. So you would stop repressing me and accept me. So you would set me free, as you set free Sacchin,” she explains. A tear wells up in her eye.

She moves your hands to her heart.

“So set me free!" She cries. Tears roll down her face.

The slum and city has given way to a beautiful, clean grassland. Shinki and Reimu are standing next to you, alive and well. They smile over you, nodding you to go forward. You have been able to avoid the terrible fate that awaited you.

The piano has passed from sad into an almost playful tone, pressing towards its climax, urging you forward.

“I hereby set you free!” You declare to the world. You do not know what this will do, whether she will merge with you or become her own person. It matters not. The life she chooses is her own path now, and it is not for you to decide anymore.

Yukari smiles at you.

Everything turns to white in your vision.

“Revolyutsiya!” You shout as you arise with your fist raised up, startling Reimu and Shinki.

You find yourself back in the shrine. Was that all a dream? Did you pass out? What happened? You don’t feel lusty or conservative, and remain a male, so you are still unsure of what setting her free did.

“Alek, you passed out,” Reimu remarks, cutting through the crap and letting you know the situation.

"I was worried!” Shinki cutely pouts at you.

They both smile at you. You suddenly notice that you are in new clothes.

“Did you change my clothes?”

“Yes,” reply both of them. Reimu blushes, but Shinki does not. You suspect motherly experience explaining the reaction of the latter.

“I’m glad the both of you realized that my health was more important than illogical embarrassment. Thank you.”

“So, can we play a game now?” Shinki inquires.

“I want to play some music to you, Alek,” Reimu says, while motioning towards an antique piano.

“I want everyone to go to sleep, it’s late,” reads Moscow’s sign, pulling the cloth on your shoulder before flying in front of the others.

“We should do this democratically. We each get one vote, including Moscow. Simple majority rules,” you announce.

Well then you should vote...

[ ] Sleep. You are tired. You’ll defiantly be able to catch up with Moscow and Sacchin in your room. You’ll make sure of it this time. A game can wait until tomorrow, and music might put you to sleep.

[ ] Game. It’s what you promised Shinki. The game will wake you up whereas the music will cause you to fall asleep. You have already rested, so you should be able to get through the game.

[ ] Music. Reimu wishes to show her abilities to the people, it would be best to listen to her request. You are unsure whether the music will be soft as you have been assuming or active and lively, possibly waking you up.

Anonymous 2012/11/25 (Sun) 00:12 No. 35152

[x] Game. It’s what you promised Shinki. The game will wake you up whereas the music will cause you to fall asleep. You have already rested, so you should be able to get through the game.

Anonymous 2012/11/25 (Sun) 10:23 No. 35153

[X] Music. Reimu wishes to show her abilities to the people, it would be best to listen to her request. You are unsure whether the music will be soft as you have been assuming or active and lively, possibly waking you up.

Can we do music and game? If we can, I vote for that. If not, then this

Anonymous 2012/11/26 (Mon) 01:41 No. 35154

[x] Music. Reimu wishes to show her abilities to the people, it would be best to listen to her request. You are unsure whether the music will be soft as you have been assuming or active and lively, possibly waking you up.

Reimu, Reimu.

Anonymous 2012/12/01 (Sat) 03:35 No. 35168

[x] Game. It’s what you promised Shinki. The game will wake you up whereas the music will cause you to fall asleep. You have already rested, so you should be able to get through the game.

Actual majorities in voting seem rare. Let's not break that trend.

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/01 (Sat) 04:26 No. 35169

Voting Closed

When it Rains, it Pours Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/09 (Sun) 08:49 No. 35175 ▼

Image Source

File 135504295831.jpg - (417.83KB, 1600x2031 , Alone.jpg)

Reimu’s piece - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrNWbRNubWk
Rain effect for the entire update (set to 1 (lowest audible setting) for optimal effect)- http://www.rainymood.com/

---
[x] Conflicting vote
[x] Music is first to reach majority
---

While you contemplate your options, Moscow decides against waiting any longer. She lands in your hands before falling asleep.

Unable to decide between Reimu and Shinki, you instead end up voting for sleep in order to represent Moscow.

The vote the predictably ends up in a three way draw, unable to form any sort of majority.

“It seems as if though democracy has failed to reach a consensus,” you say, before attempting to figure out another way.

“Shinki, do you mind if—“

“I’m changing my vote to music, Alek,” Shinki cuts you off. She seems slightly distressed (albeit cutely so) that you voted to go to sleep. You realize that voting to go to sleep may have led her to the false conclusion that you are disinterested in both of them.

“Let it be known, comrades, that I voted 'sleep' merely to represent Moscow’s vote. I was going to suggest that we enjoy some music before playing a game,” you state, grasping Shinki’s hand tightly.

“Oh! That sounds a lot better and a lot more fun! I’m switching my support to that,” Shinki happily says, glad that you are not attempting to avoid her. Your heart hurts because you know you made Shinki feel abandoned.

“I’m fine with that too, Alek,” Reimu notes, slightly smiling.

You slowly sit down on the floor with Shinki, while grasping tight her hand with yours. She shouldn't have to feel abandonment. No one should.

Reimu takes her seat on the piano bench.

The room seems to darken around the piano, forming a spotlight of sorts around her. The sound of the rain softly yet gloomily tapping against the ground is all the more eerie in this moment of silence.

Reimu begins playing. The song starts out softly, in a repeating, yet breathtaking manner.

The soft treble notes of the piano are accompanied by a mellow string instrument, then another, higher-pitched string instrument. The spotlight darkens and it is as if though the very spirits of the Hakureis, who could not move on, accompany Reimu in this musical art.

The strings become silent as Reimu plays the piano alone.

Alone.

The sorrow in each note is burdensome. It is as if though Gensokyo itself were collapsing around you.

The song is so beautiful, so serene and peaceful, yet...

It feels as if though you were being buried alive in sorrow. It is as if though grief was physically manifested in waves of this torrent of sadness. Breathing itself becomes a labor, as you you drown in the sorrow.

The strings rejoin in a crescendo of sorrow and pain, as if though the entire Hakurei lineage was beautifully screaming out Reimu’s sorrow, Reimu’s burden.

Chills are sent up your spine. Shinki hugs you, but you feel your heart shattering to the cries of the music.

It continues, returning back to Reimu playing alone. Despair. Tragedy. Sorrow. Loneliness. Eternal Loneliness. Eternal Loneliness for the Eternal Shrine Maiden.

Each Hakurei. Why? Why did they die? Why is Reimu the only one? What really happened to her parents?

The spiritual strings return adding reintroducing their sorry in this sorrowful symphony of ineffable melancholy. The very roots of your heart are torn with each depression of the piano’s keys, each pull of the violin’s bow.

The song is silent for a few moments, before resuming.

Repeating an earlier part, the sorrow is all the same. Alone again, Reimu continues.

The piano’s notes slow as it draws closer to an end.

The song ends, yet it feels as if though a final note was missing. The last, fleeting note is accompanied by the sound of thunder rolling softly yet ominously in the background.

The room slowly brightens. Your flesh is cold.

Shinki hugs you from behind and warms you up.

Suddenly, Reimu collapses, falling off the bench and onto the floor.

“Reimu!” You immediately stand up and run over to her.

She rolls over and looks at you weakly.

“Alek...I...”

“NO! Don’t die on me!” You scream, both angry at the world and depressed by her sorrow. Your brain jumps to the worst case scenario as the sadness lingers in the air.

“I...love...you...”

Reimu closes her eyes and speaks not another word.

While overcome with immense grief, you immediately check for her heartbeat.

A weak heartbeat. She’s still alive.

You aren’t sure what she did to push herself so close to death, but you quickly pick her up. She needs to rest, rest somewhere warm and safe, not on the ground.

---

You’ve tucked Reimu into bed with the help of Shinki. Reimu’s heartbeat has returned to normal, and so has her breathing. Shinki tells you that Reimu’s magic level has returned to normal levels as well. Mima woke up some time ago, and she told you that the ‘Hakurei’ essence in Reimu is stronger than ever before, whatever the hell that means. You are simply glad that Reimu’s going to recover.

“You can go to sleep, Shinki. I’ll keep watching her to make sure nothing goes wrong,” you absent-mindedly say.

“I don’t need sleep, Alek,” she replies.

“Oh,” you blankly reply.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to play a game together,” you add after a few minutes. Your eyes and mind are still fixated on Reimu. You hold her soft hand. Although tough on the outside, Reimu has languished, languished beyond even your comprehension.

“Alek, can I ask something of you?” Shinki asks. She seems worried, perhaps because you are refusing to get rest.

“Sure,” you say. Your mind silently adds ‘I’m sorry’.

“What happened to your past relationship? Who is Sacchin to you?” Shinki must be asking because she didn’t expect you to jump to the conclusion that Reimu died. She is rightfully suspicious of your previous relationship.

“Sacchin was my girlfriend. Our future marriage was implicated by her parents. I...I killed her. Her soul remained and still remains by my side. I did not and still do not appreciate her enough... just like Reimu.”

Although you turn away from Shinki’s gaze, you know that she is disappointed in you, if not angry, for keeping something like that a secret and deceiving her. Your perception of her reaction burns a hole in your heart. You kept it away from a friend. From a comrade. From your comrade. Your heart sinks further into the abyss. Is...Does...Why...

Confused, you can only put your thoughts into a jumble of words along the lines of ‘Alek love even possible or only pain cause?’

After a brief silence, “Why do you think that?” penetrates the tense atmosphere. Shinki must be referring to Satsuki. You’d best tell the whole story now. It is the least you can do for your comrade.

"I was returning from my trip around Japan, back to near where I landed on the island country. Sacchin lived in a small, rural, and nameless town, situated in a valley, and her house was located on the outskirts of said town. It was a lone cabin with a cozy interior, and was rather distant from the town center, especially for a town of that size. I would estimate that it was about half of the distance between this shrine and the human village. When I climbed over a hill on my path to reach the town, I noticed something was irregular with the...balance of the atmospheric energy; it was as if though all the energy was being concentrated into one spot. Had I not undergone the training of my journey, I might not have noticed. I began running, running as fast as I could, towards Sacchin's house," you begin the story, recalling the days suppressed by your brain.

"The house was on fire when I got there, and I the ran into the flaming wreckage. Inside of what was once the happy residency of the Yumizuka family, I found a cultist, a crazed man, who was trying to enslave Sacchin for his own twisted beliefs. He boasted that he had set her house on fire and murdered her parents in cold blood. The parents' corpses were laying at my feet, denied a proper goodbye and a proper burial. Overcome with righteous anger, I charged at the scumbag. After a brutal physical struggle, I killed him; I strangled him with my bare hands. That, was the first time that I killed another 'sentient' being," you retell the story, looking Shinki in the eye to emphasize the inhumanity of the situation.

"When I walked over to Sacchin, I found that she was horribly mutilated and burned by the cultist. She looked at me with pleading eyes. I went to untie her, but she groaned and shook her head as I tried to do so. With her ruined vocal cords, she was only able to whisper my name. I asked if she wanted me to ‘set her free’ from the life of bullying, of pain, and of persecution she had faced her entire life, culminating in that moment of genuine anguish. She nodded slightly, then looked at the pistol in my holster before giving me a pleading look," you stop momentarily knowing full well that your actions were less than heroic, that what you did not nothing that a valiant Socialist hero striving bravely into the future would have done. You were afraid, confused, are horrified. Death was a stranger to you then, but no longer.

"I shot her in the heart, and she smiled before she dissolved. I did not and still do not know why her body dissolved. I can only postulate that it had something to do with the strange ceremony the cultist was performing. Exhausted from the physical struggle and emotional burden, I collapsed in the burning wreckage. A circle of ash-less ground surrounded me when I woke up, which leads me to suspect that Sacchin protected me then and ever since. The villagers claimed that it was a miracle, that I had survived a ‘natural disaster’, and that some shintoist god saved me. They did not accuse me of arson or murder, believing that I was protected, that I was a victim. When asked about the Yumizuka family, they acted as if though they had never existed. I cared not, and understood not. I wanted to be as far away from there as possible. After that, I traveled back to Russia, trying to forget everything. However, deep in my heart, I knew. I knew that this is a burden that I will have to carry with me for the rest of my existence.”

Shinki embraces you in a warm hug and presses her motherly bosom against your face.

“Now, Now. There’s no sense in blaming yourself like that,” Shinki softly soothes you.

“But—“

“Sacchin has twin tailed, brown hair, doesn’t she?”

“How did you know?”

Shinki softly smiles before answering, “She is glad that you released her from the pain. She was able to protect you and travel with you, and even though you suppressed your memories, you still had her in your heart. That’s why you named your plane after her, no?”

You don’t respond. Instead, you continue to take comfort in Shinki’s arms.

The white haired goddess continues to softly smile at you.

She always brings a smile to your face.

“We can all be happy together, Alek. I’ll find a way. We’ll find a way. Together.” Her eyes meet yours and you gaze into her beautiful eyes.

“Right,” you affirm, “The path won’t be easy, but we’ll make our dreams come true.”

You withdraw from the hug and clench your hand. “This,” you raise your fist to the air, “is The Revolution. We will all find a happy future together. One People. One Family, One Union. One Future. Together.” You lower your fist.

“Oh,” Shinki dejectedly remarks.

'Oh'? Why is Shinki suddenly unenthusiastic about The Revolution? About Love and Freedom and Collective Security? About Peace, Land, Bread, and Vodka?

“What’s wrong?” You hope to reassure your comrade and see to that whatever led her astray is rectified.

Shinki takes about a small red pamphlet with a golden sickle and hammer emblazoned onto the crisp, paper cover.

“Religion is Opiate for the Masses. Communism is incompatible with religious faith," Shinki coldly states as she reads directly off the pamphlet.

Her hand is trembling. Each word, every syllable rolling off her tongue, sounds like a death knell.

“Alek...I was hoping that you’d find love of the people in front of you greater than some abstract idea. That you would give up on The Revolution,” Shinki says as she looks at you with begging eyes.

Your heart sinks as you hear her. She seems to have haphazardly researched into your ideology with good intentions, only to find the lone part that even Marx was arrogant of. The possibility of real goddesses, Socialist Goddesses. A Goddess that is an anarchist communist with a realm that is prospering.

“I...I know that you won’t give up on your Revolution. I liked your Revolution, too. I really did. But now...” Tears start welling up in Shinki’s eyes. You are paralyzed with depression at Shinki’s sadness, shock at this sudden upheaval, and anger at your own ignorance. How could you have been unable to realize that this would be a problem and thus fail to preempt it?

“Just answer my question... are we really incompatible? Is there no place for a goddess like me in The Great Dream?” Shinki’s eyes plead for you to reassure her.

You choke on your own words and sorrow. How can it be that you are so good at speaking, but can never fucking speak when you need to most?!

“I guess... There’s no place for a relic of the past like me to be in a revolution...”

You seize your own neck and squeeze it. GODDAMN IT! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LET SHINKI FUCKING SUFFER!

Shinki gasps as she is horrified at what appears to be you attempting to suffocate yourself.

Letting go, you take in three deep breathes.

“No. Yes. How the am I supposed to answer those questions when they have differing answers? We are compatible, Shinki, and there is a place for you in The Great Dream as there always has! I have said it, and I will say it again: You are essential to The Revolution! Without Comrade Shinki, there could be no Revolution. Without Comrade Shinki, The Revolution would collapse! Comrade Shinki is Makai's means of production, the very definition of Антиимпериализм! Comrade Shinki is nothing short of The Great Goddess that keeps us safe and the Revolution alive!”

“But what about—“

“Historical doctrines regarding racial, religious, and other social groups will fade with time and are inherently counterrevolutionary when applied to times and places outside of the general vicinity of the creation! Everything Revolutionary will fade if not renewed, if one does not progress.”

“But—“

You firmly take hold of Shinki’s hand.

“Eh?” Shinki blushes bright red.

“Is your hand not real? Does scientific observation not favor you?”

Shinki is still stunned by your aggressive hand holding. You let her recover before continuing.

“We shall forge the future together. Orthodox Marxism is a paradox in itself, something that those whom rest are their laurels are content with, oblivious to the suffering and true inequality. That is why people think that Communism is all about ‘some people are equal, but others more equal than others’, a blatant Fascist Lie. So long as the will to progress towards a just and equal society pushes us forward, we are still Revolutionary, we are still just. This is our form new Communism, of—“

“Alekism!” Shinki softly bounces as she raises her fist in the cutest communist cheer. She’s so irresistibly cute that you find yourself hugging her.

“See? The Revolution, love, and religion are not mutually exclusive,” you say as you reassure Shinki. With Shinki’s motherly statue, however, it feels as if though she is reassuring you.

Shinki smiles at you. You are glad that you where able to get solve this problem now before it spiraled out of control. You would feel...empty without any one of your comrades...

Still smiling at you, Shinki asks for something important. “ Alek... would you mind making a bond with me?”

“A bond?” You contemplated speaking about how you already had a bond with her, but this greatly interests you. Why would she want to form this specific kind of bond?

“It’d give you citizenship status in Makai and allow me to officially add you as part of my government and military.”

“Government and military? Care to explain more, comrade?”

“Well, that’s really just me right now, but I hope that someday Makai will be so strong we’ll never have to fear about invaders again!”

“Is this reversible?”

“Well no...”

“Does this bond do anything else?”

“Well...It makes you stronger when I...and... gives us a spiritual bond and... umm...” Shinki smiles at you with a hint of cute, playful distress on her face. She pokes her fingers together, expecting a decision.

Part 1: (Mutually exclusive)
[ ] Yes. How could you turn down a comrade who wants to help you? You trust Shinki, to the point that you are willing to put down your life for her. What information she is withholding must be with good reason, and you trust you comrade's decision.

[ ] No. The effects of this are irreversible. You enjoy having your freedom as you do right now, not being committed to anything or anyone too deeply besides The Revolution. The irreversible nature of this bond could put you unintentionally or intentionally against what you believe in.

Part 2: More here means less time for Part 3
[ ] Ask Shinki about the sword she lent you.

[ ] Ask Shinki about her realm. Is it a theocracy? A dictatorship? A democracy? All of the above?

[ ] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.

[ ] You should check for Yukari's prophecy poem thing she said she'd give to you.It is probably in your room somewhere.

[ ] You should check Peter's dirty capitalist money for any messages he might have left for you.

Part 3:
[ ] Stay up. You’re not going to let Shinki be lonely all night. Plus, you want to make sure that Reimu’s alright.

[ ] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[ ] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.
--—[ ] Ask her to cuddle with you

There is a reason the milk option is there.

---

Sorry for being late.
Sacchin part subject to retconing

Anonymous 2012/12/09 (Sun) 08:52 No. 35176

[x] Yes. How could you turn down a comrade who wants to help you? You trust Shinki, to the point that you are willing to put down your life for her. What information she is withholding must be with good reason, and you trust you comrade's decision.

[x] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.

[x] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[x] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.
-—[x] Ask her to cuddle with you.

Milk is good for settling one's stomach and thus easier sleeping. That and I for one trust Shinki

Anonymous 2012/12/09 (Sun) 10:37 No. 35177

[X] No. The effects of this are irreversible. You enjoy having your freedom as you do right now, not being committed to anything or anyone too deeply besides The Revolution. The irreversible nature of this bond could put you unintentionally or intentionally against what you believe in.

Doing something this important is always a bad idea if you don't know anything about it.

[X] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.

[X] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[X] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.

Anonymous 2012/12/10 (Mon) 09:23 No. 35178

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/13 (Thu) 04:32 No. 35180

Tiebreaker and Sata needed.

Anonymous 2012/12/14 (Fri) 20:40 No. 35181

[X] Deliberate. A permanent bond is not something to be leapt into after a minute's discussion. You trust that she means well, and you appreciate her good intentions, but only fools make permanent, irreversible decisions without all the relevant information. But you'll think about it, and give it an honest consideration.
Favoring one side over others is not good communism...but if Shinki's willing to provide more information on what that bond implies...

[X] You should check Peter's dirty capitalist money for any messages he might have left for you.
Let's give it a go, who knows...

[x] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[x] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.

Now that I've voted, I'd like to address a few gripes of mine (Yes, I know I'm years late for it, forgive me).

Firstly, Sacchin
The information given in the inventory description implies that our beloved IL-2 is of the two-seater tailgun-equipped variety (12.7mm Berezin UBT) yet the story air combat portions imply that it's a single seater early version.
(One would think Alek would have a gunner with him on that ground attack run, since it would defeat the point of a modified IL-2 otherwise).
Another thing is the 2x23mm cannon configuration - while it's certainly deadly, it doesn't seem like something very useful in cracking open tanks.
One suggestion I have is either retconning it for NS-37 cannons (present at the battle of Kursk) or adding the unguided rockets (RS-82 or 132) to the payload - that'll show that armor! Alternatively, you can change it to the non-mass-produced NS-37 single seat version (tested in battles near Stalingrad), though that might be a bit of a stretch.
Or Sacchin's capabilities as a plane might not even show up in the story anymore, making the above paragraph meaningless. P.S. "Shturmovik" isn't a plane's designation, it's the purpose. I know it's pretty much an accepted name in the West after a certain flight sim came out, but my Russian heritage compels me to try regardless. Same for the 'AK-47', the correct name is Avtomat Kalashnikova. A simple Kalashnikov will do as well. AKM or AK-74 need their designations, however. [spoiler]I'll shut up now.

Secondly, while cursing Stalin at every opportunity is more-or-less justified, maybe we should cut the man some slack - while he certainly played a major role, the majority of post-Stalin Soviet leadership (and if applicable, one post-Soviet president) have certainly done a great job of ruining the Soviet Union for everyone, and deserve a mention. Granted, Alek doesn't really know that, but maybe if he meets someone who does...

Now that that's done, I'd like to commend you on your work, this story has been a very enjoyable read.

Well, thanks for listening, time for me to sign off. Bears to feed, Tanks to clean, Balalaikas to play...work never ends.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/15 (Sat) 06:28 No. 35183

>>35181
Are you Soviet Anon in disguise?

>air combat portions imply that it's a single seater

Although I did not write those sections at the beginning of the story, Sacchin is indeed a single seat model. There is no rear gunner hiding out in Gensokyo, and Alek is not as forgetful as to forget his own rear gunner's existence.

> Implying that Alek is using the 23mm cannons to kill tanks
Wouldn't Sacchin's PTAB bombs be capable of destroying tanks? If I had incorrectly referred to Alek as using the 23mm cannons to destroy tanks, this error most likely came from the Communal Encyclopedia's (Wikipedia's) sentence, "Although the Il-2's RS-82 and RS-132 rockets could destroy armored vehicles with a single hit, they were so inaccurate that experienced Il-2 pilots mainly utilized the cannon.[17]". In order to find out if these 'cannons' refer to 23mm or NS-37, the book referenced by citation [17] has been purchased via capitalist means. Remember, it is to further the goals of the Revolution.

>Unguided Rockets
Would these be in addition to the 23mm cannons and bombs?

>NS-37
I assume that these cannons would replace the 23mm cannons, is that correct?

Historical Plausibility:
Would it be possible to have a leftover, unconverted single seat Il-2 chassis later thrown into production with NS-37 armament on the basis of being resourceful because of the need to increase production as part of the Kursk Salient build up?
Also, would it be possible for an Il-2's configuration of guns/cannons to be changed over its service life?

Although historically by the time of the Battle of Kursk Il-2's were being produced as 2 seaters, Alek's is an exception.

The People's Assualt Rifle shall now be referred to by its proper name, Avtomat Kalashnikova.

Shturmovik will be moved for the next inventory,

[AIRCRAFT STATUS]
Ilyushin Il-2 “Sacchin”
Role: Shturmovik (Ground Attack Aircraft)

>Alek doesn't really know that

He has much to learn about post WW2 life, technology, history, etc.
Hell, he doesn't even know about the new American invention that ended the war with two mushroom clouds

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/15 (Sat) 06:39 No. 35184

Also, update seems to be shaping up to be:
[T] Deliberate.

[T] You should check Peter's dirty capitalist money for any messages he might have left for you.
[T] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.
-[T] Warm it up too, for maximum tranquilizing effect.

[T] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[T] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.
-—[T] Ask her to cuddle with you.

However, I'm going to hold out a bit longer for Sata

Anonymous 2012/12/15 (Sat) 12:38 No. 35185 ▼

Image Source

File 135557511264.jpg - (20.35KB, 355x200 , shfk37.jpg)

>>35183
>Wouldn't Sacchin's PTAB bombs be capable of destroying tanks?
They would. PTABs were extremely useful when they first appeared, due to the large area they could hit and German horizontal armor generally being weak. So useful, in fact, that German command hurriedly ordered a change in their tank formations to something less vulnerable, but apparently getting one or two tanks with a PTAB attack was still possible, if not particularly cost-efficient. Standard bombs, on the other hand, didn't have much of an effect against armor, due to them needing a very accurate hit, and the bomb's fuses being delayed to avoid harming following ILs (Bombs either bounced off the ground/tanks and away, or German tanks just quickly drove to safety). Early in the war, white phosphorus bombs were used to some effect, but their use were rather limited.

>Would these be in addition to the 23mm cannons and bombs?
Yes. Apparently early ILs carried 8 rockets, and 400-600 kgs of bombs (usually the 100 kg variety, IIRC), however 600 kg was considered an overload. IL two-seaters carried 4 rockets.

>I assume that these cannons would replace the 23mm cannons, is that correct?
Yes, those were installed replacing the 23mms. 7.62 MGs were present in every version.

>Historical Plausibility
I suppose it's possible, with a number of early ILs left, some might have been refitted for bigger guns.
>Also, would it be possible for an Il-2's configuration of guns/cannons to be changed over its service life?
I'm not a big expert on the subject, but I think it's possible. The very first versions started with 20mm ShVAK cannons, later replaced by VYa 23mm cannons. Though, I think some hull modifications are required for the 37mm cannons (I've added a picture) and that might be impossible to do in the field.

>Notes on the planes
Apparently they were armed with a different gun, a ShKF-37, as I found out recently, and 9 of those planes took part in battles near Stalingrad, from 27.12.42 to 23.01.43.
Also, apparently RS rockets weren't used on 37mm-equipped ILs, but that picture I posted (that's the IL-2 ShKF-37, I believe) has something that looks like rockets under the wing, but it's difficult to tell.
One of my sources also mentioned two-seater ILs having air-grenades (excuse the possibly incorrect translation). This particular surprise had a small parachute was tossed out of the gunner seat at the chasing fighters. It's curiously not mentioned in the German pilot memoirs. People are guessing that either no one complained, or didn't get to complain about them. It's not particularly relevant to our discussion, but I though I'd mention it anyways.

>Notes on the cannon effectiveness
From what I know, the 23mm cannons were very effective against the unarmored targets, but had difficulties with frontal armor of tanks like Pz. II and Pz. 38(t), though they were vulnerable at the sides/rear. Tanks like Pz. III and StuG III were pretty much unaffected by 23mm shots. 37mm cannons, on the other hand, could destroy light tanks with ease, but were stopped by medium tank's frontal armor. Thin side and rear armor didn't offer much resistance, however. I'll assume tanks like Pz. VI Tiger were vulnerable to bombs only.

As for when ILs were tasked with intercepting bombers, both 23mm and 37mm were very deadly in that role. Generally, bomber gunners weren't able to do a lot with their 7.92s, while ILs were sending 4 kgs of lead per second their way... if they were lucky and it was the 23mm version. 37mm might have lacked accuracy, but one or two hits were enough to give the bomber crew a lot of things to worry about besides their bombing run, if they managed to remain in the air.

...man, that's a whole lot of text I've written, hope this helps.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/16 (Sun) 06:19 No. 35186

>>35185
Very interesting and informative. I will probably be retconning Sacchin for NS-37 cannons.

[AIRCRAFT STATUS]
Ilyushin Il-2 “Sacchin”
Role: Shturmovik (Ground Attack Aircraft)
Maximum Speed: 414 km/h (257 mph) (?)
Range: Infinite (?)
Service Ceiling: 5,500 m (18,045 ft) (?)
Rate of Climb: 10.4 m/s (2050 ft/min) (?)
Carrying Capacity: 1 Person
Operational Status: Fully Functional
Physical Status:
- Fixed
- Fuel tank Magically run
- Powerplant Mikulin AM-38F converted and operational

Aerial Armament:
- Нудельман - Суранов НС-37 37mm Cannons x 2 (Danmaku converted)
- 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns x 2 (Danmaku converted)
- PTAB-esque Danmaku bombs available for use

Anonymous 2012/12/25 (Tue) 04:26 No. 35209

I was wondering if voting time's over already. If not, here's mine.

[X] Deliberate. A permanent bond is not something to be leapt into after a minute's discussion. You trust that she means well, and you appreciate her good intentions, but only fools make permanent, irreversible decisions without all the relevant information. But you'll think about it, and give it an honest consideration.

That aside:

[X] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.
-[X] Warm it up too, for maximum tranquilizing effect.

[x] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[x] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.
-—[x] Ask her to cuddle with you.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2012/12/25 (Tue) 05:42 No. 35210

[T] Deliberate. A permanent bond is not something to be leapt into after a minute's discussion. You trust that she means well, and you appreciate her good intentions, but only fools make permanent, irreversible decisions without all the relevant information. But you'll think about it, and give it an honest consideration.

[T] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.
-[T] Warm it up too, for maximum tranquilizing effect.
[T] You should check Peter's dirty capitalist money for any messages he might have left for you.*

[T] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[T] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.
-—[T] Ask her to cuddle with you.

*There will no time penalty for this action, but there will also be a less comprehensive look. This is because only one person decided in favor of said option, and it would both be wrong to leave it out completely or to let it hijack sleep time.

I'm alive Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/01/08 (Tue) 03:46 No. 35221 ▼

Image Source

File 135761680112.jpg - (76.84KB, 640x480 , Shinki.jpg)

Time for a long overdue update

----

[T] Deliberate. A permanent bond is not something to be leapt into after a minute's discussion. You trust that she means well, and you appreciate her good intentions, but only fools make permanent, irreversible decisions without all the relevant information. But you'll think about it, and give it an honest consideration.

[T] Get a drink of milk. Parched Communists make for bad Revolutions.
-[T] Warm it up too, for maximum tranquilizing effect.
[T] You should check Peter's dirty capitalist money for any messages he might have left for you.*

[T] Sleep. Without good rest, a soldier cannot properly function. Revolutionaries need to sleep, too. You already know that Reimu’s going to recover, and she wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself over her.
-[T] Ask Shinki to go to sleep, too.
-—[T] Ask her to cuddle with you.

----

“Shinki,” you affirm with a strong look in your eye.

“Y-Yes?” Shinki stutters, anxious for your answer. Perhaps she was not expecting such a forceful response.

“I will consider your bond; I shall think about it deeply and with great concern to its implications. However, I cannot jump into such a bond without knowing everything, for such would be foolish in this permanent and irreversible bond,” you reply in what should be a decisive response.

Shinki, however, does not simply accept such an ambiguous answer.

“But... is not the Revolution’s success not uncertain in itself,” Shinki questions as she boldly stares into your eyes, determined not to back down.

“Yes and no. The difference is that The Revolution’s base, The Communist Manifesto by comrades Engels and Marx, is solid and steady. It can only be changed with scientific evidence. The revolt’s success is uncertain, yes, but not The Revolution. It will succeed,” you counter.

“Oh? The Revolution’s base is steady?” Shinki coldly poses a question. A shiver is sent running down your spine, and your body turns into an immobile ice block. Is..is this fear? You have felt fear before, however, it was not like this. This...feeling must be made of the purest and darkest of fears.

Your body does not even respond to the crude urge to run for your life.

“You tell me... that you will bring the truth. You tell me that you will bring friendship and trust. I have trusted my entire existence on your ideology, an ideology hostile to my simple existence. I trusted. I trusted you, Alek. When times were uncertain, when I found out that your former leaders would love to burn me on a stake and call it peace, I stayed. I trusted in you. Do you trust me?” Shinki’s eyes darken as she speaks. Her voice is filled with a mixture of pain with a hint of sadness. Her dark, serious tone reminds you that Shinki is indeed nothing less than the Devil, the Empress of Demons, and that she has survived as such since time existed.

However, her words remind you that you failed to extend to her the same benefit of doubt that she extended to you. She reminds you that to many people, your words have been nothing but empty political gesturing.

Shinki is wounded by your lack of trust.

“Yes,” you speak at last, finally able to shoulder off the fear.

“Really?” You cannot clearly make out Shinki’s tone as she asks the simple question. You can only hope that a blunt, forward answer will help dispel her discontentment.

“I... I trust that you have good intentions, but I can’t simply make a decision like this. You must consider the feelings of others, Shinki,” you say as you point to the unconscious Reimu.

“I see... So Reimu makes a bond with you and it’s okay but I try to make one and it is not? Because I asked, I must consider the feelings of others while those that obtain their goals through deceit and treachery are rewarded?” Shinki dejectedly replies. Unable to stay angry at you, Shinki recedes into sadness and sarcasm.

“Wait, what do you mean that she made a bond with me?” You ask with a quizzical expression. How could such a thing have happened without your knowledge?

“I did not notice until you held my hand, but there is definitely part of the Hakurei Goddess inside of you,” Shinki replies.

“And that constitutes as a bond how...?” You inquire, wanting to understand if this is somehow linked to the part that Shinki did not reveal.

“Well, the part that I left out at the end was that in a bond between a goddess and a human, the goddess ends up putting part of herself inside the human...” Shinki blushes profusely.

“Does it hurt you?” You ask, your sleepy brain fumbling the social situation, not comprehending why Shinki is embarrassed.

“Wha— No, of course not! Goddesses are still growing as long as we have faith, so you don’t need to worry about my health,” Shinki replies, before adding, “Thanks though...for caring about me...” Shinki continues to blush as she idly pokes her index fingers together.

Damn it all, Shinki might be slightly scary at times, but you realize that such is only because the lovely and exceptionally cute goddess has been neglected and wants to be loved.

“Alek...I’m sorry I was cold towards you, I...” Shinki looks down at the ground.

“Hey, it’s okay. You called me out where I fell short,” you say as you try to smile and you lift Shinki’s chin up.

“I... made a big mistake tonight, too. I shouldn’t have ask you so early...”

“Shinki... stop beating up on yourself. You were only excited, and that’s alright. I’m sure we’ll make the bond in the future. It’s just that right now, I want to enjoy our time together. There is no need to rush our relationship, for you and I...,” you drop off the sentence, lacking a way to properly explain your feelings. Always be together? Always love each other? Always find a way to fulfill your love? None of those really fit exactly what you want to say.

“Alek...,” Shinki softly moans your name as she interweaves her fingers with yours.

As her perfect, round eyes stare into yours, time itself seems to stop for this perfect moment.

“Alek, you better keep this promise!” She cheerfully exclaims, as time seems to resume.

You can’t help but genuinely smile as you think to yourself, “Now there’s the cheerful comrade I know.”

---

After standing together for a few minutes, watching over Reimu, Shinki prods you.

“You should really get some sleep now,” she comments, nudging you towards the door.

“I’d actually like to get a drink of milk, if you don’t mind,” you reply as you softly pull Shinki with you, out of Reimu’s room.

“Oh! Warm milk is the best in helping humans go to sleep, you know,” Shinki helpfully suggests.

“Thanks, but I’m not sure if there’s any way to warm up milk without making a fire, and I don’t want to wake up everyone and everything around the shrine just so I can warm up a drink of milk,” you reply, unsure if fire might attract hostile, feral youkai towards shrine. You may have your pistol on you, but your survival instincts tell you to avoid a fight in your current condition.

“Don’t worry about that Alek, I’ll get the warm milk for you, just wait right here!” Shinki speeds off before you can get in another word, leaving you in the middle of the hallway outside of Reimu’s room.

You decide that it would be best to figure out where your own room is in relation to Reimu’s, so you drop you bag as a place marker and open doors.

Luckily for you, the room right next to Reimu’s is the room the shrine maiden has generously let you occupy. As you walk in you notice that your uniform has been cleaned and is resting, neatly folded, on top of your bed. You also notice your hat is resting on your uniform. Noticing that you’ve been keeping poor track of your hat all day today, you decide to take an inventory of what you have,

You return to your bag and sit down next to it; you open your bag to see what is inside.

- Travel bag x 1
- Diary x 1
- Pens x 2
- American notes (Total value: 100 USD)
- Wrinkled photographs x 3 (Including 1 signed copy of Stalin)
- Important piece of paper with all the writing from Sacchin on it.
- Vodka

Noticing the American money, you take out Peter’s capitalist money and add it to the pile.

- Peter’s Gensokyo / Japanese currency

With not much else to do but wait, you pick up the diary and a pen and begin a new entry.

---

Comrade Reading This Journal,

If you are reading this, I am most likely dead. However, know that I lived a good life. Survived the Fascist assaults on Kiev, Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk. Sent forward into time and survived the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discovered a Sealed Magical Land. Found that True Communism exists in the afterlife. Found a communist goddess and a communist netherworld queen. Found...what is closest to love in a perfect, white haired goddess, a dark haired shrine maiden, and a lovely, cute Oni. However, I know that I will die. This journal has so far kept the records of my cheating of death. However mortal my life may be, The Revolution has already won. It already exists, and will from the base of the afterlife and the base of This Shrine it will spread and liberate The Proletariat from the chains of Oppression.

However, The Revolution’s approaching success has me more focused on my personal life, my meaning in life after The Revolution (if I live, which I doubt). I suppose it is to find love, to live a life that all the other comrades of The Soviet Union sacrificed their lives for in The Great Patriotic War.

Reimu, the shrine maiden, and Suika, the Oni, have already openly acknowledged their love for me.

However, Shinki seems to be more modest about such a thing, and did not. If she wishes to take it slow from here on out, I’m alright with that, for it is her freedom to do so.

But still..

If I die...

If I never get to say it,
I love you, Shinki

---

You quickly smudge out the last part. It would be best for such a thing to remain secret, for if Shinki were to find and read this journal, she might feel pressured to say those words because of peer pressure.

Noting that Shinki still has not returned, you take a look at Peter’s money.

As you flip each bill, you notice a wall of text on one and a few smaller text blotches on some others.

Ally yourself with Lady Hieda, Alek. As adorable as she is, she can be scary when provoked. She is extremely generous to her comrades, and brutal to her enemies, just like The Soviet People. As a comrade, she will only be adorably scary (don’t ask) at you, and not genuinely angry. She is a real commander. I can only admire her courage and ability to pull strings.

You find it interesting that this was written in Russian. You duly note ‘Lady Hieda’ as a person to take a deeper look at, and as a potential comrade if played right. Such qualifications also remind you that you need to visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion sometime soon and ‘bargain’ with ‘Lady Scarlet’.

You find using honorifics leaves a disgusting taste in your mouth, and note that you will henceforth continue to refer to people solely by their given names.

Upon another capitalist note you find the words Do Not Trust Me When I Get Back. Judging by the stray blobs of ink and the terrible handwriting, it appears to have been written hastily.

Finally, you find a bill upon which a few numbers and words associated with names are written.

Reimu = 100000円 * ?
Keine = 10000円* Teacher
Hieda = Rest円* Mortgage

These messages might as well be Peter’s will, so you tuck them safely into your bag and add those capitalist delivers to the list of things you must do.

You mind turns back to the milk. Where could Shinki be? You are fine with drinking cold milk or even no milk at all, and you’d prefer to spend your time with Shinki instead.

You are about to start searching for her when you spot her coming down the hallway with two glass cups filled with milk.

Handing you a glass, she gives you a warm smile.

“I put a lot of love into these, so please enjoy!” Shinki joyously smiles as she begins drinking from her own glass.

“Thanks.” You take a sip of the warm liquid only to be surprised by the pleasant sweetness. The milk’s warmness invokes feelings of safety and of being cared for.

“How did you like it?” Shinki asks as you finish your glass.

“It was great, but that wasn’t cow milk, was it?” You ask in return, knowing that such sweetness is unlikely to come from a cow, or a cow raised by humans at the least.

“That’s a secret~” Shinki playfully teases. You feel no need to press the topic, as the milk is not going to kill you nor is the question essential to the security, liberty, or prosperity of The People.

You feel drowsy as you begin walking towards your room. Shinki takes your glass and returns it to the kitchen, presumably washing it as well.

Although tired, you wait at your door for Shinki to return.

Shinki is slightly puzzled when she returns.

“Why didn’t you go to sleep? You need your rest, Alek,” She kindly guides you toward your bed.

“I wanted to remind you that you should go to sleep, too,” you speak.

“Thanks Alek, but— ”

“I also wanted to ask if you would... like to cuddle tonight,” you boldly say, only to remember that you shouldn’t rush Shinki moments too late.

“Oh Alek...” Shinki closes her eyes as she hugs you tightly.

“I’d love to.” The white haired goddess smiles as she opens her eyes.

---

Shinki crawls into your bed, now changed into her nightwear. She blushes profusely as she slips in. You notice her nightwear is modest and loose-fitting.

“Shinki, if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to,” you say, trying to reassure her that her choice is still the most important thing. You want to make sure that you aren’t pushing her into anything she doesn’t want.

“No Alek, I trust that you won’t try anything funny tonight. You’re not the type to exploit others. Instead, we’ll just be cuddling. Cuddling is fun, loving, and safe,” she says as she adjusts herself in the futon. You notice that your futon is rather large and seems to have been made for two people.

Laying on her side and facing you, Shinki holds your waist before pulling you in and giving you a big, tight hug.

You hug back and enjoy the moment. You’ve never cuddled before, so you’re actually unsure of what to do.

Shinki then rubs her head against yours. You can feel your face burning bright red, and you bet that Shinki can see it, even in this dark night.

“Alek, what do you think of women with...gifted chests?”

“I do not judge a woman by her chest size,” you reply calmly. To be honest, you’d say you have a slight personal preference, but not big enough to be of any impact.

“So you don’t think my breasts are disgusting?”

“What? Where did that come from? Of course they’re not ‘disgusting’, they’re beautiful! Your...mountains of faith are beautiful, and would be beautiful regardless if they were like the munificent grain fields of the Ukraine or the majestic Ural mountains,” you whisper into Shinki’s ear.

“You see, Yukari told me once that my chest was ‘uncultured’ unlike hers because I always covered mine up...”

“Yukari ought to speak for herself. Most people think that being modest is a virtue, not a vice.”

Shinki moans into your ear as she presses against your lower body.

“You know, when Alice was young, she’d mistake my chest as a soft pillow and she’d always fall asleep while rested in between them. I hope you don’t mind.” Softly snuggled up to you, Shinki presses her motherly bosom into your face.

Strangely not suffocating, you rest in her soft, soft pair of lovely breasts. Buried deep in her soft, caressing warmth, you quickly fall asleep.

------

As you sit up, a humanoid shade passes in front of you. You observe a crowd of similar human-shaped shades clustered around you.

You seem to have entered a strange, dark world deprived of color. Could this be a strange dream of sorts?

A single, female-shaped shadow shouts something unintelligible and all the other shadows seem to gravitate towards her. The shadows seem to merge into her, but rather than grow in volume and size, the female seems to grow darker as the darkness around her grows denser.

The humanoid figure absorbs the very darkness of the realm into herself, peeling away the darkness from the fabric of this dimension. This action reveals that you seem to be standing in the white realm of your mind.

The female turns to face you, and seems to smile at you before collapsing. You rush over to her side, recognizing her face.

“I thought I set you free,” you remark as you pick her up and help her onto her feet.

She merely touches your face as you are sent to another scene.

---

A seagull cries loudly as you stand on the harbor’s dock. The Sun is high over your head, and shines gently upon the seaside town. You look into the water and see the clean, unpolluted liquid wash and splash against a few docked boats.

A slight tug on your shirt draws your attention to the other you, who still remains by your side.

“Hello there, did you want something from me?” You ask as politely as you can, in hopes of trying to get information out of her. If you set her free, why did she choose to stay with you? Why is she nothing more than a shadow, when the last time you saw her she appeared as a flesh and blood human?

She mutely pushes you in the direction of the ships and sinks into your shadow.

After a few attempts of trying to coax her out of your shadow, you give up and head to the nearest ship.

Upon the arriving at the first ship, a grand wooden vessel that most likely made a long voyage, you find a group of dark-haired Japanese people dressed in relatively old-fashioned clothing disembarking. A few notably have purple color hair. They seem to be a religious group of sorts, and their ship seems to have been badly damaged.

Although you are no expert in naval vessels, you doubt that the ship will ever sail again. Only with extensive repairs does it have even the slightest of chances to ever leave this harbor.

As you reach the group, however, all the members seem to dissipate, save one. Was this some sort of advanced illusion? Or was it a lingering memory?

The last remaining person has a mixture of purple and dark black-brown hair. She turns to face you, as if expecting your arrival. You, however, are still unable to make out her face as it is covered by the shade of her naval cap.

Taking off her cap, she greets you as you near.

“Hello, Aleksandr Ivanov,” the Hakurei Goddess remarks.

“Greetings,” you reply as you examine her up close. You can’t help but notice the extreme similarity of looks between her and Reimu, after disregarding the hair color.

“I hope you don’t mind that my ‘ship’ and I take refuge in your ‘harbor’,” she nonchalantly states.

“Of course I don’t mind, comrade. Your ‘ship’ is in no state to set sail until it is repaired, and I would never throw a comrade needlessly to their demise,” you reply, understanding now why the Hakurei Goddess ‘bonded’ with you without your explicit permission. If she didn’t, she would cease to exist.

“Thanks, Alek,” she replies as she returns to her ship, continuing repairs. It seems as if though the repairs had just been started, but progress seems steady.

As you walk along the deck, you notice another ‘boat’ between you and the shore. This one, however, seems to be similar to a small life boat. The boat is battered, and seems to have endured many makeshift repairs.

By the small boat’s side stands...

Sacchin.

You run over to her and give her a hug.

She squeezes back tightly as she buries her head against your chest.

She, however, remains silent. You do not understand why she cannot speak.

Sacchin holds you hand and smiles as she pulls you forward, toward the shore.

“Hey, wait!” You try to get Sacchin to slow down so you can ask her questions, but she instead giggles and drags you along faster than before.

Upon reaching the shore, she stops and turns to face you.

Noticing an opportunity, you ask her a question that you have wanted to confirm personally.

“Do you hate me, Sacchin?”

She smiles and shakes her head no.

You let out a big sigh as she hugs you. Momentarily closing your eyes to enjoy the moment, you are surprised to no longer see her when you reopen them.

Feeling someone poke you from behind, you turn around to find Sacchin standing beside the Hakurei Goddess and your-other-self.

“Dearest Hakurei Goddess, do you know what may be on the minds of the other two girls?” You ask the goddess, knowing that at least she can speak.

“You can just call me Hakurei, Alek," says the goddess as she playfully rubs your hair. She takes a good look at your face before continuing.

"And yes, they and I want you to never forget us, to forget those that are docked within the harbor of your soul,” she replies as she and the others pick you up.

“Wait! What are you doing comrades? Is the dream already over? Damn, I had so many questions! HOLD ON DAMN IT! WAAAAAIIIIIIIITTTTTT!” You shout as you get tossed, face first, into the water.

---

Shinki is washing your face with a wet cloth as you wake up. The sun is shining through the window sill.

You groan miserably as you ask, “What time is it?”

“0900,” Shinki replies as she hands you your uniform.

“9 o' clock?!” You bark as you jump out of bed and quickly change into uniform.

“You needed to rest, Alek,” Shinki replies calmly, while turning away as you change your pants. Although you are still wearing underwear, you appreciate her humble and considerate action.

Notifying to Shinki that you had finished changing, you march out the door with the goddess in tow.

You spot Meiling at the end of the hall, and vaguely recall that she needed to return to the duty of Comrade Scarlet, the provincial leader of the Scarlet Devil Mansion region. This also reminds you that you should be paying Remilia a visit yourself.

You’ll...

[ ] Make a 180, and go back and get your weapons. Defending The Motherland with brooms was heroic, but still ineffective
[ ] Check on Reimu.
[ ] Check if Peter has returned.

Then..
[x] Breakfast

Daily Objectives:
[x] Visit Scarlet Devil Mansion for negotiations

[x] Start whipping training your comrades into shape. Although you have no doubt in their individual prowess, teamwork and collaboration are...questionable.

---

[ ] Full meta-game Inventory & Status?

-----

Note that you still have your pistol and spellcards on you.

Anonymous 2013/01/08 (Tue) 03:52 No. 35222

[c] Make a 180, and go back and get your weapons. Defending The Motherland with brooms was heroic, but still ineffective.

[c] Full meta-game Inventory & Status?

Anonymous 2013/01/08 (Tue) 04:03 No. 35223

[x] Check on Reimu.
-[x] Then get your weapons while you're at it

Since our room is by Reimu's it shouldn't be that long of side trip.

[x] Full meta-game Inventory & Status?

if the second note was peter's then he might suspect something amiss going on.

Anonymous 2013/01/08 (Tue) 21:43 No. 35224

[X] Check on Reimu.

[X] Check Inventory and Status

Tiebreaker needed Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/01/10 (Thu) 04:00 No. 35226

Votes so far:
1x Reimu
1x Weapons
1x Reimu then Weapons

3x Status and inventory

Anonymous 2013/01/10 (Thu) 20:49 No. 35227

>>35224 here. Changing vote to break the tie and to let you write.

[X] Check on Reimu.
-[X] Then get your weapons while you're at it

[X] Check Inventory and Status

Votes Called Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/01/12 (Sat) 21:39 No. 35231

[X] Check on Reimu.
-[X] Then get your weapons while you're at it

[X] Check Inventory and Status

Morning, Day 3 Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/02/02 (Sat) 19:03 No. 35278 ▼

Image Source

File 135983178820.jpg - (391.10KB, 1000x751 , cute_reimu.jpg)

Being sick and having exams tend to cause delays. Sorry.
---
[X] Check on Reimu.
-[X] Then get your weapons while you're at it
[X] Check Inventory and Status

You march over to Reimu’s room. The key to success is to take action, and there’s no better time than to start than the morning!

The door softly slides open and you enter the room with great enthusiasm in your heart. However, you restrain yourself from shouting over to Reimu, knowing that your comrade is ill.

You quietly approach the bed and find that Reimu is still fast asleep. You place your right hand on her forehead, and feel that her forehead’s temperature is relatively normal. It still mystifies you how she fell ill after playing the piano. Was the song cursed? Or was the Piano? Or was it something else entirely? Regardless, a chill runs up your spine at the thought of that musical piece.

With your hand still on her forehead, you stare at Reimu’s face. How old is she? You’d guess around 15, give or take a year or two. Since the time when she was but a child, she was forced to fend for herself in this world… It’s of no wonder that she would ‘cling’ on to you. Underappreciated, Overworked. Destitute poverty. Unloved, and alone. Misery. All those things describe Reimu’s life to you.

The light peeking from behind the shades seems to dim rapidly. Clouds must be moving in; a storm is brewing. You instincts tell you rain will follow.

The song plays in your head again. It is best described in a single word:

Despair.

You try to shake it out of your head, but it leaves you not.

A fist is made from your clenched left hand. Staring at Reimu now, her pale face against the white covers makes it appear as if though this were her funeral. The cursed music continues playing in your head, making it all the more anger inducing.

As the song ends, you lift your hand from her forehead. You remember why you fight. The People have nothing to lose but this despair and sadness. It was because Reimu was rejected by the townsfolk that she suffered this hatred. And it is was only because of the bourgeoisie manipulating the townspeople did they reject Reimu for her uniqueness.

Reimu groans slightly as she opens her eyes. Damn, you must have woken her up.

“Alek…” She smiles as she takes hold of your right hand.

“Sorry for waking you up,” you softly whisper back.

“No, it’s okay. As long as I have Alek beside me, I’m happy. I’m not alone anymore,” Reimu smiles sadly.

“Reimu…” You said with a hint of sadness. Ex-comrade Stalin really did put the truth into cruelly true words: 1 death is a tragedy, 1 million is just a statistic. You thought that you might never feel emotions again after Stalingrad. The only other person to make you feel this gut wrenching sorrow is…Alice. She appears to be the same age as Reimu and Marisa, and they all seem to be peers of sorts. The younger generation living in this misery makes you sad at your failures. Your failure to prevent The Revolution from being subverted, and your failure to prevent Alice’s family from death. This situation and these failures, however, remind you that no amount of defeatism and burden can force you to stop now. Either The Revolution will succeed and the people will be free, or you will die trying.

“Alek…you’re thinking about dying again, aren’t you?” Reimu comments as she tugs on your hand.

“Wha—”

“I can see it in your eyes. Every time you think those sad thoughts, the fire in your eyes goes out. It makes me sad, Alek. Why can’t you just be content with life?” Reimu sincerely asks you. Have you become this easy to read, or is Reimu just good at reading people’s faces?

“How can I be happy and satisfied with life while there are still tragic stories like yours? You were orphaned, alone in this world, and surviving on meager donations. These tragedies define the oppression that is the cause for our uprising. Until The People can be happy and free, accepted and loved, there will be a cause for Revolution. If the Revolutionary State is subverted by counterrevolutionaries, it is a call for another Revolution to topple the corrupt government,” you rebuke.

“I’m sorry, Alek… I didn’t mean to be counterrevolutio—” Reimu is cut off by her own coughing.

Suffering from a massive coughing fit, you try to hold and help Reimu, but she flails her arms to shoo you away, making it impossible.

“Reimu, I didn’t say you were—” You try to assure Reimu before she cuts you off.

“All I wanted, Alek, was to be with you. However, I know you want your ideology far more. I couldn’t care less if I was cannon fodder in your eyes, Alek. At least then, I’d be with you until the end,” Reimu says as she sadly smiles as she gets out of bed in her pajamas and hugs you.

“If you died, Reimu, because of me, the Revolution would lose all validity. I would never send a comrade in as cannon fodder. I’m not Stalin,” you reply to Reimu, before silently hugging her close.

“Alek, please promise me you’ll never abandon me,” Reimu asks as she looks up into your eyes.

“I will never abandon a comrade if not necessary,” you reply without hesitation.

“Alek…please promise that you’ll never abandon me,” Reimu pleads.

“I…” You hesitate for a moment, not wanting to make an impossible promise.

“I can’t lie to a comrade. However, I can promise you this: If I die, I will make my every effort to come back to live with you. If it’s a fight through Hell against all the cycles of life, the Judge of the Afterlife, and the Lord of Hell, I’ll still fight my way back. If it takes me months, if it takes be years. I will see to it that if The Revolution fails to spread out of the afterlife that at least you are happy, that I at least made a difference in your life. The same goes for Shinki and Suika: I will give it my all to see to it that they reach a happy ending even if I die,” you say.

Reimu sighs and relaxes in relief as she hears this.

“I’m glad that you didn’t exclude them, Alek. I…I actually…like them too, you know…” Reimu smiles.

Suddenly, the unexpected occurs and you find Reimu claiming your lips. In an innocent closed lips kiss, she tries to push as hard as she can against your lips before releasing.

“Reimu, what just happened?” You ask in a slight daze. Excluding kisses on your cheeks, that was your first kiss, as innocent as it was, for you had never gotten past hugging with Sacchin.

“Even though I’m not as soft, I wanted to cuddle with the both of you, too!” Reimu playfully teases.

“Reimu, don’t devalue yourself. I think you are quite beautiful in your own right,” you reply. You strongly believe that women shouldn’t be valued by physical appearance, and when it comes to hearts, Reimu’s is hard to match.

You’ve been so engaged with Reimu that you jump when you get tapped from behind.

“Alek! I’ve been looking for you,” Suika comments.

You also notice Shinki and Mima standing/ floating in the background, watching. Shinki’s face is bright red.

“WAIT A SECOND, HOW LONG HAVE YOU ALL BEEN WATCHING?” You bark at the small crowd that’s gathered.

“Well, we were wondering what was taking your bum so long to come down to the breakfast table, so we ended up searching for you and finding you. Shinki didn’t want to disturb your little romantic time with Reimu, so I patiently waited, but only for Shinki. Enjoy your little kiss? ” Mima jeers.

Shinki, on the other hand, is glowing with love and passion.

“See Alek? Now you don’t need to worry so much about us not getting along!” Shinki exclaims as she quickly rushes in and gives both you and Reimu a tight squeeze. You can feel your face burn up as Shinki squeezes you. Similarly, it is hard to tell whether Reimu’s fever flared up or if she’s really that embarrassed.

When Shinki finally lets go, you defuse the situation from devolving further by leading the group to the belated breakfast.

---

On your way to breakfast, you make a quick detour into your room and arm the people with guns. The one thing about Soviet People is that they can starve for a short while, but they cannot go without their weapons!

You take extra care when handling the Great Hakurei Bow, and hand it to Reimu. You dole out the Kalashnikov assault rifle to Meiling, while Shinki and Suika pick out the G43 and Bazooka respectively. You notice that Shinki and Reimu also have their other guns on them as well, the MG42 and the MAT-49.

You also pack a few sets of clothing from the stack, for you never know when it might come in handy.

You don’t forget to get Sacchin and Moscow on your way out. Moscow lands on Shinki’s shoulder, while Sacchin takes off and joins the group.

---

You finish your breakfast quickly, for you don’t want to keep the rest of your comrades waiting for you. You eat rather lightly, not feeling particularly hungry. You try to urge Reimu to take today off, given that she is still ill, but she refused despite your best attempts to convince her.

“You need to rest, comrade. Without rest, you won’t get better!”

“Says the Russian that drowns his liver with kegs of vodka and insists on waking up early the next day for training,” Reimu shuts you down.

“Fine then, but promise me that you won’t complain when we get to training,” you reply with a thinly veiled threat.

“Gladly, you’re going to have to try to keep up with us gals!” Reimu smirks, brimming with determination.

“Okay, it’s settled then. I’ll just check the weather now,” you reply.

You make your way to the door and take a look at the weather and the grounds. Damp terrain, with pockets of mud. Good training grounds for conditions similar to, say, Ukraine in распу́тица. Obviously less intense in terms of mud amounts, but there’s still enough to make the conditions challenging.

The sky is cloudy, and the wind blows coldly, but it seems as if though rain won’t come for a few hours. You consider this not bad weather. After all, in the summer heat, a cold breeze is actually rather comforting.

You turn around to address your comrades only to find that Suika was standing right behind you.

“Alek, Meiling wanted me to tell you that she really needs to get back to Remilia now,” Suika tells you as she tugs on your shirt urgently.

You think for a moment, before replying, “Well then, we shall just have to accompany her back to her provincial leader Scarlet, no?”

“She also said that Remi would be livid at how late she was...”

You pick up Suika and bring her to eye level.

“I’m sure the reason our comrade didn’t send someone to get Meiling is because she wants to use it as leverage. Comrade Scarlet and I will be discussing many things, and anyone familiar with backdoor Stalinist discussions knows that the smallest leverage is of use. However, the key is knowing how to use the information as leverage on your side,” you state with confidence. You have played Stalin’s game; you can crack Remilia’s.

---

You’ve gathered everyone, save for your MIA Chinese Comrade. The next time you see Yukari, you’ll have loads to say to her.

“I will now announce today’s first mission: we are escorting Comrade Meiling to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, where I will be undergoing talks with comrade Scarlet,” you speak.

“Yo, Yuyuko and I are going stay in the shrine and talk about the Netherworld trip, so go on without us,” Mima shouts as she drags Yuyuko and Youmu away from the group.

Acknowledging that someone needs to do planning for that event as well as watch over the shrine, you continue.

“Is everyone else ready to go?” You ask your team. You see Shinki, Suika, Reimu, and Meiling. With a support gunner, 2 melee combaters, and an all around danmaku fighter, it’s not a bad make up. You also have Sacchin and Moscow in your squad, though you’re not counting on Moscow to fight because of her mischievous behavior. You’ll need to see Sacchin’s effectiveness in her miniaturized state before casting a judgment weather or not it is worth sending her in.

You get a strong and sound confirmation from your team, so you proceed out the door.

---

First choice:
[ ]Walk to the SDM

[ ]Fly to the SDM

Second choice:
[X] Strike up a conversation with...
---[ ] Meiling. She’d have something to say about the place you’re going and Remilia’s temper, both pieces of useful information for the mission.
---[ ] Reimu. You wonder why she fell ill. Perhaps she’d have some inkling as to why?
---[ ] Shinki. You wonder what she did while you were asleep.
---[ ] Suika. You haven’t talked to her in some time. Perhaps you should try to approach her?
---[ ] Moscow. One does not simply ignore Moscow.

Anonymous 2013/02/02 (Sat) 20:17 No. 35279

[x]Fly to the SDM

Second choice:
[X] Strike up a conversation with...
---[x] Suika. You haven’t talked to her in some time. Perhaps you should try to approach her?

Anonymous 2013/02/02 (Sat) 20:41 No. 35280

[X]Fly to the SDM

[X] Strike up a conversation with...
---[X] Meiling. She’d have something to say about the place you’re going and Remilia’s temper, both pieces of useful information for the mission.

Intel gathering gaems

Anonymous 2013/02/02 (Sat) 20:58 No. 35281

[x]Fly to the SDM
[X] Strike up a conversation with...
---[x] Suika. You haven’t talked to her in some time. Perhaps you should try to approach her?

Inventory and Status Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/02/02 (Sat) 23:46 No. 35282

[SOLDIER STATUS]

Name: Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov
Rank: Lieutenant of Aviation
Former Unit: 1st Guard 240 Fighter Division
Former Allegiance(s): People of the Soviet Union (1922-1945)
Current Allegiance: The True Communism Party of Gensokyo

Health: Rested (99%)
Magic: Recharged(99%)
Stamina: Refreshed(99%)

Skills:
- Basic Outdoor Cooking I
- Basic Machinery I
- Basic Rifle I
- Skilled Pistol I
- Aviator Operation III
--- Aviation Ghost Bonding I
- Charisma IV
- Vodka Conjuration I

Traits:
- Russian Sprit: Patriotic
You Endure
Inventory:
- Travel bag x 1
- Clean set of olive drab clothes x 1
- Diary x 1
- Pens x 2
- American notes (Total value: 100 USD)
- Peter’s Gensokyo / Japanese currency (How did he get so much money?!)
- Wrinkled photographs x 3 (Including 1 signed copy of Stalin)
- Important piece of paper with all the writing from Sacchin on it.
- Soviet Uniform [Equipped]
- Soviet Ushanka (hat) [Equipped]
- Soviet Trench coat [Equipped]
- Vodka

Weapons:
- Tokarev TT-33 [Equipped]
- PPSH-41 [Equipped]
- Kalashnikov (Meiling)
- M1A1 Bazooka (Suika)
- SKS (Nitori’s Lend-Lease) (Stored in closet)
- G-43 (Nitori’s Lend-Lease) (Shinki)
- Great Hakurei Bow (Reimu)

[AIRCRAFT STATUS]
Ilyushin Il-2 “Sacchin”
Role: Shturmovik (Ground Attack Aircraft)
Maximum Speed: 414 km/h (257 mph) (?)
Range: Infinite (?)
Service Ceiling: 5,500 m (18,045 ft) (?)
Rate of Climb: 10.4 m/s (2050 ft/min) (?)
Carrying Capacity: 1 Person
Operational Status: Fully Functional
Physical Status:
- Fixed
- Fuel tank: Magic Based
- Powerplant Mikulin AM-38F converted and operational

Aerial Armament:
- Нудельман - Суранов НС-37 37mm Cannons x 2 (Danmaku converted)
- 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns x 2 (Danmaku converted)
- PTAB-esque Danmaku bombs available for use

Current modifiers:
Miniaturized
Autonomous

[PARTY]
Moscow (Equipment unknown)
Sacchin (Armaments listed above)
Shinki (MG42; G43)
Reimu (MAT-49; Great Hakurei Bow)
Meiling (Kalashnikov Assault Rifle)
Suika (M1A1 Bazooka)

[RELATIONS]
Close Friends:
- Shinki
- Reimu
- Suika
- Sacchin

Friends:
- Meiling
- Youmu
- Yuyuko
- Mima
- Suwako
- Marisa
- Alice

Acquaintences:
- Nitori
- Aya
- Sanae
-Cirno and Company

Complicated Tier
- Yukari

Other:
- Current Home base of operations in the Hakurei Shrine

[SYSTEM]
Morning (0920)
Day 3 ACiG
Thread 4

Anonymous 2013/02/04 (Mon) 04:02 No. 35285

[c]Fly to the SDM
[c] Strike up a conversation with...
---[c] Suika. You haven’t talked to her in some time. Perhaps you should try to approach her?

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/02/04 (Mon) 22:16 No. 35286

Called for:

[x]Fly to the SDM
[x] Strike up a conversation with...
---[x] Suika. You haven’t talked to her in some time. Perhaps you should try to approach her?

Late Morning, Day 3 Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/02/18 (Mon) 06:16 No. 35304 ▼

Image Source

File 136116821241.jpg - (185.33KB, 397x560 , Remilia watching rain.jpg)

[x]Fly to the SDM
[x] Strike up a conversation with...
---[x] Suika. You haven’t talked to her in some time. Perhaps you should try to approach her?

The wind blows in your face as you walk out the front door of the shrine. As you walk out, you notice the donation box. You rub your pocket to make sure that you still have Peter’s money, knowing that you will redistribute his wealth later. For now, you must focus on the mission.

You take a look at the sky. The weather’s rugged, but not unbearably bad for flight.

Your team blobs out the door, clumping behind you. The disorganization of the group is appalling; you regret sleeping in. Had you awoken earlier, there would have been time to drill military formations and tactics. You hope that they can learn quickly.

“I’m going to set a few ground rules for whenever we move as a group: Don’t bunch up, and keep formation. For the flight there, we’re going to fly in diamond formation: I want Reimu to take point, Shinki to take rear guard, and Meiling to take the right flank. Suika and I will take the left flank,” you address the group as you take hold of Suika’s hand. Knowing that you fly at a terribly slow speed, you decide to let Suika fly you there lest you drag down the group.

“Suika, I’m counting on you to fly us over there safely,” you say as you tighten your grip.

Suika remains silent as she looks away from you.

You are momentarily confused by her response when you realize that she must be focused on the mission. Thus, she must have shut out her personal feelings to avoid having them compromise the collective objective! Suika’s professional behavior impresses you.

“Alright, Reimu, lead the way,” you declare as you all take flight.

---

The first few minutes of flight go by silently. The flight itself is somewhat rocky, due to serious gusts of wind, but the operation itself goes smoothly. No enemies or unexpected things...yet.

You look to Suika. She seems to regard you without emotion, only responding to commands that you shout out on the occasion. The only communication you have managed with Suika are two simple commands, one to speed up and another to slow down.

You are rather bothered that Suika hasn’t attempted any sort of conversation with you. You try to take the initiative.

“Suika,” you say her name in an attempt to get her attention.

She looks at you silently before looking back towards Reimu.

As much as you are inept with women, you can tell that Suika’s probably mad with you for something or another. Perhaps ‘disappointed’ would be more appropriate. Your gut tells you that it has to do with the fact that you and Shinki cuddled in bed last night. News sure travels fast.

“If you’re ‘mad’ at me, I’m letting you know that you’re welcome to cuddle with me,” you say bluntly. This get’s Suika’s attention.

“R-Really?”

“Of course comrade! Furthermore, after this successful operation, we will have a Party and toast to our collective accomplishment!" You smile at Suika, who is beaming at you.

"Now cheer up, my little petrushka! Glory awaits!” You urge Suika to speed forward.

“Yeah!”

---

You land outside the mansion’s gate. Suika is particularly happy, knowing that there will be drinking after the operation. You, on the other hand, mentally sharpen yourself for a battle of maneuvering, a struggle of charisma.

The silver-haired maid stops you at the entrance, as she appears right before you.

“Welcome back Meiling,” the maid speaks with a firm yet warm intonation.

Turning her gaze to you, she addresses you quite laconically, “Mistress would like to speak with you alone. You have no choice in this matter.”

“And my other comrades?”

“They may wait outside the gates,” she coldly replies. You see she distrusts you greatly.

“Is that the best accommodation that this mansion can provide? Thy mistress, so noble and refined, cannot provide this humble guest’s companions with a mere shelter as a rain-storm approaches? I dare not think that it be your leader’s fault that my comrades could not be better accommodated than waiting outside in the rain.” You raise your arms to the dark, cloudy sky. Thunder rolls in the distance.

Izayoi looks flustered as you eloquently imply they it is her fault if your comrades end up waiting in the rain.

“In addition, comrade Meiling is forced to stand outside in the rain as well? The most intelligent and munificent leader of this mansion would not dare to treat her fellow comrades in such a manner! Aye, she would see that no one dare attack the mansion in this monsoon, and might even place her servant Meiling on duty within the mansion. I wonder—” You are unable to help your Stalinist impulses from diplomatically insulting Sakuya.

“Your friends can wait in the entrance room of Mistress’s mansion and Meiling is on duty in the Voile,” Izayoi shakily says as she clenches her fist, looking at the ground with her eyes shut tight. She looks like she’s about the breakdown and cry.

“Thank you, dear perfect maid, for making our stay pleasant,” you say as you walk by. You steel yourself and ignore the possibility that Sakuya might start crying as soon as you leave. You must not show any weakness, as this could be a ploy by Remilia to make you drop your guard.

“W-Wait! I need to t-take you to the Mistress’s chamber,” Sakuya says, having recovered slightly but still shaky and prone to stuttering.

In an instant, you are in Remilia’s chamber.

Some people get their game on. You get your Stalinism on.

---

Remilia is stilling at a desk, drinking a cup of what appears to be blood tea.

Sakuya places a chair across from Remilia, urges you to sit in it, and then disappears.

Remilia gives you a smile with her fangs out. You instantly reach for your pistol, only to find your holster vacant.

“Missing your guns? You’ll get them back after our little talk. Why don’t you just take the seat your host kindly set up for you?”

You grudgingly sit down. You don’t like how you are exactly eye level with Remilia, knowing that you are by far the taller person. You suspect space time manipulation at play, or at the very least, that Scarlet is sitting on an elevated stool.

“Greetings Miss Scarlet,” you say, attempting to be as formal as you can be.

“No need to be so formal. Alek, was it? Did you even notice how beautiful my eyes are,” Remilia asks.
You look at her eyes. They’re scarlet red.

“So, your revolution could use a real leader, you know. You’re not bad, but you’re new here. You lack the experience of dealing with the factions in Gensokyo, and you’d be best off appointing me as your leader.”

You continue look into her eyes. Intriguingly, Remilia reminded you of one of the key places to look for an enemy’s weakness.

“You should appoint me as your leader. I am your leader. Say it with me. Remilia is the leader of the Revolution.”

You glare into her eyes. She’s somewhat nervous. Time to exploit this opportunity harder than Stalin exploited the proletariat. A Stalinistic smile forms on your face.

“Why would a refined noble like Remilia want to be the leader of the entire Revolution? Leading the Proletariat Revolution would dilute your majesty as you interacted with the peasants and workers, and thus is unfit for someone as sophisticated as you. No, it would be best if you acted as a benefactor for The Revolution from behind while I lead the masses toward glory.”

“But then I’d be no different than that old hag!” Remilia cries out, presumably against being similar to Yukari.

“Nothing could be further from the truth! You participate in this Revolution, while she only lies in the shadows. You and your Scarlet Devil Mansion will take part in initiating the Revolution from above! For example, you lead your personal group of comrades extremely well. Izayoi selflessly obeys your commands, yet is well educated as well. After all, what perfect maid could be uneducated? Yet despite having the ability of free thought and speech, she remains dedicated to your cause. This embodies the voluntary nature of Communist Leadership, that in spite of being free to do as she pleases; she chooses unity and the collective over self-profit. In addition, you are an exemplary leader of organizing such unity at a provincial level: you rally your comrades that you know personally. Yukari is far less adept and has a far smaller pool to rally, thus instead resorts to using her individualistic power in the shadows far more often to compensate. The SDM on the other hand is sufficiently large to play its part in The Revolution. I merely unite the leaders to a Gensokyo-wide Revolution.” You gesture your right arm into a raised fist.

“Should I be such a good leader, I ought to be the one to unite the leaders, no?” Remilia retorts.

“Ah, but you must see that the other leaders are rather jealous of your status! They secretly admire your elegance despite trying to downplay it as ‘arrogance’ because of such jealousy. Furthermore, if you changed your position, then you would have to share your glory with everyone, whereas if you continued to focus on leading the SDM faction within the greater Revolution, then all things attributed to the SDM can be linked back to you,” you say as you give your best efforts to convince the Scarlet Devil.

Remilia thinks for a moment before conceding to your leadership, “I’ll accept your leadership, but I expect great things from you. I will mobilize the mansion to support your Revolution once you’ve gotten the support of the other Great Powers of Gensokyo.

“However, I expect compensation from this. I figure that I won’t be gaining any power from this with all your idealism, so I expect you to repay me. Even if you fail and the embers of The Revolution are smothered before you do your job, I’m expecting you to fight your way through the afterlife to come back and repay me,” Remilia continues.

“How would I repay you?” You inquire. ‘Repay’ is far too ambiguous for your taste.

“With a honorable sword duel, without sweep kicks, of course. Your style was amusing and interesting, to say the least,” Remilia replies with a glint in her eye. She seems to be looking forward to it.

“I won’t disappoint you,” you reply.

“Good, that’s the kind of answer I want to hear,” Remilia says as she gives you a...friendly smile? It certainly seems as if though she doesn’t want to suck out your blood or soul anymore (at least not in the same fang-flashing manner as before), so you’ll take that as a step forward in your relationship with her.

You get up and turn to leave when your hear Remilia speak up.

“What’s your opinion on Germans?”

“German people are fine. Nazis are not. Those forced into the German Army are grudgingly respectable if they did not commit any atrocities themselves,” you reply.

Although you are not looking at her, you can tell that Remilia is smirking.

"Is there something I should know, Remilia?"

"Nothing, Nothing... come over here, will you?" Remilia's voice tampers off at the end.

You walk around to the desk next to Remilia, who seems to be searching through a drawer.

She picks out a ribbon and pins it onto your uniform.

"May I ask what this is, comrade?"

"Just a small token that represents your affiliation," the vampire replies with a slight tinge of warmth.

"I see. Thank you," you reply. A communist is not afraid of showing his or her political associations. Regardless of the previous implications, those that stand with The Revolution are revolutionaries, those that oppose it are counterrevolutionaries. Remilia is thereby clearly a revolutionary.

She walks over to a window, and motions you to follow. As you walk over, she pulls up the blinds and reveals a terrible storm.

"More rain," you state as you stand beside Remilia.

"I like it. It's the only time at day when I can open my windows without getting my face burned," she replies.

You stand there silently, watching water pour from the sky.

"You know, it gets lonely in this mansion," the Scarlet Devil continues.

"But you have Izayoi to keep you company, no?"

"Sakuya...? That...is true. I haven't really appreciated her as fully as I could have."

"I'm sure that she'd be happy to listen to what you have to say," you add on, smiling.

"I see... I need some time to contemplate this turn of events. If you wouldn't mind, please make your way to the front entrance yourself," Remilia speaks with a hint a melancholy.

You begin to walk towards the room's exit, and make it halfway there before stopping. "The future... will always hold happiness and sadness. The Revolution does not seek to build a utopian society, but rather to make the world a better place my marginalizing the sadness and expanding the happiness. There is nothing we can do about the past, about lives lost and time wasted. All we can do is look towards making a better future, and appreciating what we have now."

Remilia remains silent as you continue walking.

Reaching the door, you stop again, "You already know who is in your heart. Whether you choose to pursue her or not is not up to anyone but yourself. Whether you long for friendship or companionship, is unknown to this mortal, but it is best that I not interfere. Regardless of your decision, please take care, Comrade Remilia," you say as you finally exit her room.

Sakuya is waiting for you, as you had expected. Some things are too tempting to not be eavesdropped upon.

"I apologize for earlier, Izayoi," you state.

"Oh that? Don't worry about it," She lightly dismisses your initial bad blood with her.

Izayoi quickly grabs your hand. You instant reflexes cause you to immediately pull you hand out of her hold.

"Whoa there, what are you trying to do?" Surprised by the sudden motion, you take caution.

"Merely trying to take hold of you so I can transport you back to the lobby. I am surprised by your reflexes." Sakuya replies with... happiness? Perhaps she was hoping to get closer to her leader yet was afraid of being unprofessional as a result and you inadvertently helped both sides overcome an invisible social barrier... interesting.

You put such postulation aside as you let Sakuya hold your wrist and warp you to the lobby.

---

"Mistress has let me know that you may choose to visit the library or leave. Miss Knowledge would certainly like to have an interview with you for your historic value, Mister Ivanov," Sakuya informs you after depositing you in the lobby.

"The Voile is right down the hallway. If you need anything, feel free to ask any of the nearby fairy maids. I must attend to my mistress now," Sakuya says with a bit of happiness mixed into her voice.

You collect your belongings, holstering your trusty pistol, and...

[ ] Head to the Library. You can't deny The People's Archives an interview, no?
[ ] Head to the human village and carry out the Redistribution of money to Akyuu and Keine. It would be best that you carry out Peter’s will.
[ ] Head back to the Shrine. It is going to rain soon, and It would be best if you didn’t get everyone caught in the rain.

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/02/18 (Mon) 06:19 No. 35305 ▼

Image Source

File 136116835922.jpg - (286.59KB, 800x600 , Remilia and Sakuya rain.jpg)

Sakuya silently stands besides Remilia as she watches the rain fall outside through the window.

Remilia turns to her companion quietly and, without words, takes hold of her hand.

For a moment, the world is calm and a smiles forms upon the silver haired maid's face.

---

[SYSTEM]
Time: 1100
Day 3

The Slow March onward continues

Anonymous 2013/02/18 (Mon) 06:23 No. 35306

Tough choice to be made.

[c] Head to the Library. You can't deny The People's Archives an interview, no?

Anonymous 2013/02/18 (Mon) 08:12 No. 35307

[x] Head to the Library. You can't deny The People's Archives an interview, no?

This doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Anonymous 2013/02/18 (Mon) 14:02 No. 35308

[X] Head to the Library. You can't deny The People's Archives an interview, no?

The end to our second SDM excursion Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/03/01 (Fri) 00:57 No. 35337 ▼

Image Source

File 136209943283.jpg - (281.38KB, 800x728 , Patchy.jpg)

[x] Head to the Library. You can't deny The People's Archives an interview, no?

Now that your main goal for the day has been accomplished, you have a decent amount of free time. Looking outside, you note that the rain has already begun to pour. You decide to keep your team dry and pay the library a visit.

“Let’s head to the Voile. If The People’s Archive is requesting an interview for the sake of recording the past, it ought to be done,” you calmly motion your comrades to follow you.

You notice composition of your party has changed. Both Shinki and Meiling are gone. Suika gives you a big jump-hug while Reimu, having been through the hallways of the SDM before, assumes lead position again.

Moscow flies in front of you with a sign that informs you that Shinki went to visit Alice again. You honestly wonder what is happening between the mother-daughter pair, but dismiss it as normal for Shinki to want to spend a lot of time catching up with her daughter after being separated for so long.

Suika climbs on to your back and you end up giving her a piggyback ride. She’s surprisingly light, even for her small size.

“Hey Alek, look at that!” Suika points to a trio of fairies dressed in maid costumes approaching you. Suika hops off your back before the fairies arrive.

Your prior knowledge about fairies led you to believe that they were very small, but like the ones you had encountered right before the Party, these ones are comparable to the size of a human.

The auburn-haired girl leads the group, while a red haired fairy and silver haired fairy flank the leader.

“It’s him!” The leader exclaims as she barrels straight into you. Expecting the fairy to stop in front of you, you feel the wind get knocked out of you.

The auburn haired fairy gets off of you, letting you stand up. All three fairies seem to be staring at you intently.

“Greetings comrades,” you speak before getting cut off by another fairy.

“It really is him! The ‘Border Breaker Bringing The Best Drink To Gensokyo!',” exclaims the red haired fairy with much joy. The silver-haired fairy silently smiles, and you suppose that she must be the quiet one of the three.

It seems that Comrade Aya went through with notion of making an article about you. The Revolution demands that you turn this... recognition to your own advantage.

“Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov is my name, comrades. Lieutenant of Aviation of the Soviet Air Force, at your service,” you introduce yourself to the comrade fairies.

“Hello! I’m Anastasia,” redhead says cheerfully as she then points to the auburn haired fairy, “and that’s our leader, Captain Ekaterina.”

“Hello mister! Captain Ekaterina at your service,” the auburn haired girl says proudly.

You take her hand and give it a firm shake.

“Captain at such a young age? Your comrades ought to be proud of having such a skilled leader!” Ekaterina seems slightly dazed as you let go of her hand. You silently hope you didn’t shake her hand too hard.

The redhead laughs as Ekaterina blushes profusely from embarrassment.

“Ekaterina’s just our captain, she’s not the captain of an army or anything,” Anastasia finally says as she stops laughing.

“She may look young, but she’s probably three or four times older than you,” Reimu whispers into your ear.

“One day, I’ll be a captain of the SDM! Just you wait!”

“I’m sure you will be if you keep up your work.” You smile as you note to talk to Remilia about this.

You turn to the quiet silver haired girl, only to find her happily communicating with Moscow...silently.

“She’s Sasha,” Anastasia points to the quiet girl. Upon hearing her name, Sasha turns to face you.

“I’m really glad to have met you all, comrades,” you say as they all stare at you expectantly.

“So, do you have the magical drink?” Anastasia asks kindly. She doesn’t seem like a desperate drug addict begging for alcohol but rather merely a young ’un interested in this mystic liquid.

Disregarding Reimu’s advice that they are all somehow above drinking age, you decide against giving vodka to the three fairies.

“I do not—” You say to the disappointed faces of the three fairies, “but I do have another gift to bestow upon you,” you smile as you softly nudge Reimu to start walking towards the library.

The three eagerly begin to follow you as you all begin walking towards the Voile.

“I shall teach you all a song. It is called ‘Katyusha’, the name of a Russian girl.” You must educate the youth through the songs so that one day, they may understand the hardships of the past that they will hopefully will not have to endure firsthand.

Расцветали яблони и груши,
Поплыли туманы над рекой.
Выходила на берег Катюша,
На высокий берег на крутой.

Выходила, песню заводила
Про степного, сизого орла,
Про того, которого любила,
Про того, чьи письма берегла.

Ой ты, песня, песенка девичья,
Ты лети за ясным солнцем вслед.
И бойцу на дальнем пограничье
От Катюши передай привет.

Пусть он вспомнит девушку простую,
Пусть услышит, как она поёт,
Пусть он землю бережёт родную,
А любовь Катюша сбережёт.

The trio of fairies all happily sing along, even Sasha, who hadn’t spoken a word up to this point.

By the time you reach the library, your comrade fairies seem to have memorized the song quite well.

You stop walking as they finish one last verse. Catching on to the fact that the library was your destination, the leader speaks up, “We don’t want to stall your visit with Miss Knowledge, so go on now.”

“We’ll meet again one day, after all, we are comrades now,” you reply as you resist all urges to pat Sasha on the head.

“Of course we’ll meet again, soon too! We’ll see you later!” Anastasia flies off down the hall and the other two follow, with Ekaterina shouting something about being the leader. You wave them goodbye as they disappear out of sight.

A smirk is visible on Reimu’s face. You do your best to ignore it and motion for her to enter the Voile with you.

---

The mansion is much larger on the inside than the outwards appearance would seem to indicate. The library is massive and seemingly endless bookshelves occupy it. The entire place is dark and hazy, and the mood is rather depressing.

You spot a purple-haired girl with a sleeping cap reading a book. Thinking back to it, Remilia was wearing a sleeping cap as well. The sleep schedules of supernatural beings must be quite interesting.

Reimu approaches the purple haired girl and greets her. Reimu’s relationship with whom you presume to be the librarian is rather cordial.

Reimu motions for you take a seat by her. Sacchin lands beside you, but the librarian ignores her.

“Aleksandr Vassiljevitj Ivanov, Lieutenant of Aviation?” The librarian asks you.

“That is correct, comrade...?”

“You can call me Patchouli, as I for one do not mind western naming standards.”

“I see, comrade Patchouli.”

“You have an interesting wartime experience: first a ground soldier then a pilot in the Second World War. Let’s see... care to talk about Stalingrad?” Patchouli gets straight to the point.

“Brutal,” you summarize the entirety in one word.

Patchouli looks at you, as if though she was expecting more.

“I was there. Infested with lice, part of the brutal street by street struggle, fighting on a half-bar-of-chocolate per day ration, with my back against the Volga. I was there, with the guts of my comrades splattered all over me, and survived the death which lurked behind each and every corner, sandbag, machine part. I was there; I fought the Nazi Hordes and my heart and soul died in the Great Sacrifice of The People. Twenty two years old was I then, and each death of a fellow Soviet soldier or civilian drove my hatred to kill the Nazis. Each death was repaid in blood. I will never forget the murder of parents in front of their children, the tears and cries of that child... I...”

You are at a complete loss of words to describe the sorrow. But you can describe your feelings toward yourself.

“I... I... can never forgive myself. If we had fought harder, the Nazis would have never reached Stalingrad. Millions of Poles, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, and Russians died from Hitler’s plan to eradicate Slavic people and replace it with Germans. A plan of Evil. Pure Evil. Those were dark days. When I heard that Operation Uranus had succeeded and that we had been both relived of Nazi pressure and were now besieging the Fascist scum, it was the happiest day of my life. I had no pity for the murders of men, women, and children. But revenge can’t bring back the lost lives, and that child remains forever separated from her mother and father...”

Patchouli seems to attempt to reach out to you when you stop her.

“I’m fine. This is why I must live. I must live to ensure that thus never, ever happens again to my homeland. I may have been evicted from Russia by Yukari, but wherever I finally settle down will be my homeland. There I will build up the defenses and prepare the nation for an invasion against foreign aggression so that the next time the imperialists come, hungering for our homeland, we will crush them in one fell strike without a single civilian death. With the iron fist of The People onto a cause made of glass, the Imperialists will shatter.”

“I see. That’s good enough, thank you. If you don’t mind, I’d like a moment with Reimu alone. Feel free to look around the library. If you need anything, just ask my assistant,” Patchouli speaks.

You stand up and walk away. Suika doesn’t follow you, but instead sits down by another desk and starts reading. You begin walking down an alley between two bookshelves. You wonder if there’s any good material on hand-to-hand combat or rifle-shooting...

---

“So Reimu, your...”

“Friend, for now.”

“Your ‘friend’ Alek is quite an interesting character. He seems to actually believe in the whole Communist Revolution in the Stalinist sense. He’d definitely jump on the bandwagon for turning Eastern Europe into a satellite state barrier.”

“He would not! He just wants to keep his friends safe. He saw Alice’s parents die in front of young Alice, and he can’t forgive himself for that. He’s been through a lot,” Reimu replies to Patchouli.

“I’m afraid that he’s about to go through more. His journey has just begun.”

“What? The war has been won for over half a century. I’m sure I can convince him to settle down now.”

“Do you see socialist banners and People’s Factories springing up everywhere? Do you see even as little as a united Gensokyo? Sure, magic more than compensates for much of Gensokyo’s technological backwardness, but if it wasn’t for you, we’d be vulnerable to a foreign threat. The more you let Alek see Gensokyo, the more he’s going to realize that, if he hasn’t already. If he wants to protect Gensokyo, he’ll need to make an alliance that would activate in any foreign-Gensokyo conflict that would also supersede any inter-Gensokyo conflict. That, I’m afraid, is basically impossible without you.”

“Why do you keep excluding me?”

“Because you’re the vessel of the Hakurei Goddess. Once she comes back to reclaim your body, whatever being resembles you will no longer command the respect of the human villagers.”

“But that hasn’t ever happened! Sure it’s in the religious texts, but as far as I’m concerned, my goddess has all but forsaken me!”

“It hasn’t happened before because there wasn’t only one Hakurei shrine maiden left alive before. And if you really didn’t believe in your own goddess, why do you pray and live and swear by her every single day?”

“I...”

“Go off and find your ‘friend’ now, I think you’ve kept him waiting.”

Reimu runs off into the sea of bookshelves.

“Oh dear,” Patchouli murmurs.

---

You look through the bookshelves for a book relating to combat training. Surprisingly little dust can be found, and despite the immense size of the library, it is well kept. Unable to find a book about the topic you are searching for, you instead search for Patchouli’s assistant.

As you walk past a bookcase, you feel as if though you are being watched.

You turn around to find... no one. Strange, you swear that someone was...

If this was Stalingrad, you would have started firing you PPSh-41 down the valley between the two book cases, but since that isn’t the case, you’ll refrain from destroying the library. You gut tells you something isn’t right at all when you turn back to your original direction.

You find a red-haired girl dressed in a black vest staring at you.

Reflexively, you jump back and assume a combative melee stance.

“How did you sneak up on me?”

The girl, which you assume to be Patchouli’s assistant doesn’t reply, but instead hands you a book.

You take a look at the book and read its title.

“History... no author? I think a book like How to stealth in shadows or even a cardboard box would be more helpful,” you reply.

The ample chested girl shoves the book into your hands and pouts, or at least pretends to.

“Hey, if it’s that important to you, I’ll read it. Just tell me, which pages?”

The girl happily spins over to you and opens the book to the correct page. She then points you over to a chair and a desk. You sit down and begin reading.

“Just one page?” You ask before you begin reading. She nods as she urges you read.

{The Soviet Union fell in 1991. As Gorbachev instituted reforms toward [openness] and [restructuring], the hardline ‘communists’ attempted a coup, which ended in failure. Boris Yeltsin, who stopped the coup, took control of Russia.

The Soviet Union broke down into its constituent SSR’s with a great loss of pride to Russian ego as the Baltic States, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the central Asian states all left the union.

Boris Yeltsin, despite attempts to cooperate with the West, failed to implement western style democracy, with corruption spiraling out of control. His successor, Vladimir Putin, is returning Russia into a rival of sorts with Western Europe.}

“How accurate is this book?” You ask the girl.

She shrugs and rotates her hand, indicating ‘somewhat’.

You look back on to the page and notice a small asterisk.

{*May be an over simplification. Must verify information.}

It is strange that someone would write a book without verifying the information. Regardless, you hand the book the girl and give her your thanks.

You try to ask for her name, but to no avail: she remains silent.

“If you’re the silent type, then I’m not going to try to pry it out from you. Anyways...” You can’t help but imagine how... nice other girls would look in her outfit as after all, she does look amazing.

“Do you have extra outfits you could spare? You look amazing and I’d bet other girls would look good too—” You ask without realizing it, covering your mouth too late.

“Sorry comrade, that wasn’t what I meant to ask. I meant to ask you if you could you take me back to Miss Patchouli?”

The girl leads you the librarian. You see Suika waiting for you, but not Reimu.

“Comrade Patchouli! Where has Reimu gone?” You call out as you approach her.

“She ran off into the library, but she’ll be back soon enough. I’m surprised you made it back on your own.”

“What do you mean? A red haired girl led me back—” You notice that the girl is no longer standing beside you. In fact, she’s standing beside Patchouli.

“Koakuma? She’s been standing beside me this entire time. Anyways, she insists that she gives you a gift.”

Koakuma, the name of the red haired assistant that has helped you this while, hands you a stack of... her outfits. You stow them safely away into your bag.

“I’m not sure what got into her mind, but she wants you to have it, and considering that we have so many spares of the wrong sizes I’m not opposed,” the purple-haired book worm continues. You notice that many of her books relate to magic. You wonder...

“Patchouli, are you a magician, by any chance?”

“Yes,” she simply replies as if though it were no big deal, before adding, “I don’t sense Reimu in the Voile anymore... or on SDM grounds for that matter. I suggest that you go pursue her. I hope you know how to fly, because the quickest way out is through the window.

Koakuma grabs you and then throws you out the Voile through the window.

You can’t help but wonder why flying out the SDM at extreme speeds feels so sadly familiar.

---

Suika grabs you in midair. The rain has stopped...for now. The stormy clouds still loom overhead and threaten to pour at any moment they please. You must hurry!

Sacchin and Moscow catch up to you, and knowing your party well enough, all people left are accounted for.

“Head to the Hakurei Shrine! Full speed ahead!”

Suika pulls you to the shrine in no time. When you land, she hides away into the bushes, as do Sacchin and Moscow. They must all be able to read the gloomy atmosphere of the shrine.

You approach the front of the shrine. You call Reimu’s name, to no avail.

An idea strikes you, and you take out the capitalist money. Counting out 100,000 yen, you place it into the donation box.

A chill runs up your spine as you turn around to see Reimu in a very gloomy state.

“Why... Why did you do that?”

“Because,” you reply with no particular reason in mind. You slowly approach her.

“Because?”

You hug Reimu.

“Because...

[ ] ...you’re Reimu”
[ ] ...I love you”
[ ] Remain silent
---[ ] Let go
---[ ] Keep hugging
---[ ] Kiss her

---

"He was not the least bit interested in my womanly features," says Koakuma as she rests beside Patchouli.

"Well, he was considered a secret successor to the Joe nicknamed 'The Man of Steel'. I believe that would make him second ‘Man of Steel’," replies the librarian whilst writing in a book titled History.

Koakuma thinks for a moment before chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Patchouli asks.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Koakuma smiles as she remembers how Alek considered cardboard boxes legitimate tools of stealth.

---

Anonymous 2013/03/01 (Fri) 02:28 No. 35338

>"He was not the least bit interested in my womanly features," says Koakuma as she rests beside Patchouli.

oh he was, just didn't make it obvious.

>"Nothing, nothing at all," Koakuma smiles as she remembers how Alek considered cardboard boxes legitimate tools of stealth.

Oh but there's been men to make it work: Naked Snake, Solid Snake and Raiden.

[x] ...you’re Reimu”

The others seem too risky/unbelievable.

Anonymous 2013/03/02 (Sat) 09:03 No. 35351

[X] ...you’re Reimu”
---[X] Keep hugging

Anonymous 2013/03/02 (Sat) 12:29 No. 35354

[X] ...I love you”

Your Reimu scenes have reminded me of a certain drawer that loves to do super depressing stories about Touhou. Please, don't pull off a "Reimu dies and setting goes grimdark" move.

Anonymous 2013/03/04 (Mon) 03:47 No. 35363

[c] ...you’re Reimu”
-[c] Keep hugging.

Just because.

Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/03/05 (Tue) 05:08 No. 35364

Called for:
[c] ...you’re Reimu”
-[c] Keep hugging.

>Please, don't pull off a "Reimu dies and setting goes grimdark" move.
She won't die, she has plot armor that supersedes this story.

Live Comradewriter !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/04/15 (Mon) 03:09 No. 35445 ▼

Image Source

File 13659953818.jpg - (299.22KB, 850x850 , Reimu.jpg)

... You’re Reimu.” You silently keep hugging Reimu, holding on to her soft, fragile body. Your feelings for her are both too deep and too complicated for mere words to describe, and the action of donating the money was born from the impulse of your heart. Perhaps the amount was dictated by Peter’s message, but the method of deliverance and the meaning behind it was completely your own.

Reimu holds you tightly, clenching your body as if though it were a life raft in the midst of a stormy sea. You continue to silently hug; no words are needed between the two of you. Both of you have suffered immeasurable pain and grief; both of you are survivors of the cruelty of the world.

You lift your right hand slightly from Reimu’s back and run your hand through her soft, dark hair.

Reimu, however, immediately asserts herself, pushing you off her to arm’s length. She keeps her grip on you, and raises her face to meet yours.

“You like me because I’m Reimu?” The mysterious taint of anger is present in Reimu’s voice. You are left somewhere between awestruck and dumbfounded. Did Reimu take what you had to say in the wrong direction?

Before you are able to respond, you feel your back impact the floor of the shrine. Reimu has you pinned against the ground, inside the shrine, no less. How the hell did she throw you over ten meters without you noticing her movements?! You are left completely bewildered.

“That means... this morning... you liked it didn’t you?” A half cautious and half uncertain smile forms on Reimu’s face as her legs straddle your lower body.

“Wai-“

Your cries are muffled by Reimu’s lips. Reimu’s soft mouth presses vehemently against yours as she takes hold of your hands, pressing them down. She fervently kisses you over and over again, while pressing your back against the shrine floor. Not to be regulated to a passive role, you begin kissing back forcefully, lifting your head so that your lips meet hers with each impassioned kiss.

Reimu ends the burst of kisses with one long, blazing kiss, in which she squeezes the enjoyment and satisfaction, the comfort and love, out of each second and moment of the kiss. She takes hold of your head, as you do of hers, and as a pair you press together in the final kiss.

Exhausted, or at least pretending to be, Reimu slumps upon your body.

"Alek, I... always want to be able to do that with you,” Reimu softly whispers into your ear before she proceeds to softly lick it.

You are left slightly dazed, only able to nod in response. The kiss certainly wasn’t expected, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

“I... I want to always be with you,” Reimu states calmly as she nuzzles up to your neck.

“Reimu...” You softly pat her head. You swear that Reimu’s cuteness is going to give you a heart attack one day. Her soft yet vibrant blush, the way she looks to you for inspiration, and her soft, dark eyes make you feel... warm inside.

“If I turned into a— ” Reimu hesitantly speaks up regarding the cause of her distress, but you can already infer from the fact that her goddess’s return means that events are going to start cascading into her life that may be deemed undesirable to some.

“You’d still be Reimu, and Reimu is Reimu,” you softly hug the shrine maiden in your arms.

“But— ”

“I’d still be with you. After all, you’re my comrade; I’ll stand by your side until the end,” you admit your sentiments freely.

“You dummy... You really don’t know a girl’s feelings...”

“That’s true, I don’t understand many things, but I know this: I can’t stand to see another innocent, another comrade, suffer unjustly. No matter what Alice says today, I cannot forgive myself in the same way that Alice then probably could never forgive me for what was done. In the same way, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you suffered.”

Reimu softly moans as she curls up next to you. She softly strokes the palm of your hand, delicately running her fingertips over it.

“Why...Why do you like me for being Reimu?” Reimu whispers quietly as she tenderly squeezes your hand.

“Reimu can never be replaced; she’s a special girl in my heart. There is only one Reimu, and she’s right next to me,” you reply, smiling.

“... you idiot...” Reimu blushes flush red as she turns away, clearly ‘mad’ at you for making her embarrassed.

“Being an idiot is my specialty,” you reply teasingly as you give her a big hug from behind.

In your current position, it’s hard to believe that Reimu was asserting such a dominant position mere minutes ago. You enjoy the moment with Reimu, until she falls asleep in your arms.

Carrying her back to her room and tucking her in, you wish her a good sleep before continuing on to fulfill your duties to your other comrades.

---

The little oni approaches you, having been waiting for you outside the shrine. You are unsure what to say to her regarding what just happened, but it matters not as she speaks up first.

“Where’s Reimu?”

“She’s in her room sleeping. It seems like she’s still sick in some way, so don’t wake her up,” you reply with hope that Suika won’t disturb Reimu’s rest needlessly.

“I’ll wait at the shrine until she wakes up then. I need to talk to her. Alone.” Suika’s speaks with a serious tone unbefitting of her. You reach over the her head and pat it, your body subconsciously concluding that it would be better for Suika to cheer up.

“Hey! What’s that for?” Suika cutely tries to get you to stop, but to no avail.

“You need to lighten up, comrade; I’m sure if you asked her kindly that Reimu would gladly kiss you, too!” That must be it! Suika must be dissatisfied with Reimu’s unequal distribution of her love.

“How—“ Suika’s face turns bright red. It seems as if though you had tackled the issue of the social awkwardness of womanly love with real Soviet damage to the weak spot.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of comrade! Now go and find Reimu, and wait for her to wake up!” You urge Suika along, into the shrine. Judging on her dazed shuffle, it will probably take her about the time Reimu needs to wake up for Suika to get to her.

You feel something land on your shoulder, to find Sacchin flying beside you and Moscow blushing bright red on your shoulder, holding a sign reading: “Do you support Reimu and Suika?”

“I support the notion that they have the freedom to pursue whomever they wish, and love whomever they wish so long as it is consensual among both sides.”

Moscow seems to blush even redder than before. When you think about it, you’ve never seen a doll blush before.

“We’ve got things to do, so let’s roll out,” you say as you hold Peter’s money.

You look at the things written on the bills of money again. It seems like you ought to find Hieda no Akyuu, Peter’s employer, and Keine. In short, you need to get to the human village.

Considering your pitiful flight abilities, you decide on the one and only logical choice: on foot.

---

You rush down the dirt paths through the Forest of Magic. The key to moving on foot is to go through the shortest route possible while negotiating with the obstacles in between you and the destination.

The sound of leaves crunching under your feet make you stop to take a look around. You notice two trees, facing each other across the dirt path, that have already gotten yellow leaves, some of which had already fallen. The rest of the trees in the area remain in a summer green.

Feeling a presence behind you, you turn around, PPSh-41 at the ready.

A mysterious yet young, blonde haired lady in a full length dress is all you find.

You lower your weapon and greet her, given her appearance as a humanoid and the fact that she hasn’t attacked indicate that she isn’t a feral youkai.

“My apologies, comrade, I was just trying to be cautious in the forest,” you say as you cautiously lower your submachine gun.

“No, the apologies are mine; I came up behind you suddenly like that. The road is dangerous up ahead if you’re heading to the human settlement,” she responds while giving you a curtsy. Her actions and clothing gives you the traditional and old fashioned impression, similar to the rest of Gensokyo.

“I see, thank you.” You stand there for a second, looking at her. It occurs to you that if she referred to the town as a separate entity rather than ‘my town’ or ‘our town’ or ‘the town’, it implies that she doesn’t live in it. Furthermore, why is she out here in the middle of seemingly nowhere, next to two half dying trees?

“Excuse me comrade, but do you happen to be a plant youkai by chance?” You give the classification a guess based on the fact that she seemed to go over and tend to the trees.

“Oh, still here? I thought you were in a rush,” she says as she returns her attention back to you, while also having missed the question.

“I am, but if my postulation that you here to tend to these trees, which seem to be dying prematurely, is true, then you’d be in need of help. A comrade is always there to serve his or her fellow comrades for the greater good of The People,” you state solidly.

“Oh, are you what the other humans call a ‘social-common-ist’?” She inquisitively examines you, like commissar examining a recruit’s fitness.

“Something along those lines, I suppose,” you reply flatly, noting the mixture of terms communist and socialist.

“Well anyways, I don’t care for human politics, but I could use your help healing these trees. These trees have a history of being sickly ever since the last Hakurei passed away, but the condition is easily cured with lots of water, say, by a good magic water spell straight to the roots. Problem is, I’m not a magician and I don’t know any nearby magicians or water sources. Last time this happened was a few years ago now, about a couple of years after the previous Hakurei finished her final incident. A young girl happened to walk by at the time but... I’m not sure where she is. You know, she was carrying a doll like the one on your shoulder.”

You turn to Moscow, who replies on the sign, “Yes, that was my former master Alice, and before you ask, she’s on her way here now.”

You turn back to the lady and explain that help is on the way.

“Really? Thank you! You don’t know how much keeping these plants healthy means to me,” she elatedly gives you a squeeze. For some reason, the hug makes it hard for you to believe that she’s a plant youkai.

“So, are you a plant youkai or...?”

“Nope, just a human.” As she states the simple fact, you come to notice a rather sharply pointed umbrella in her hand.

“Is that umbrella your weapon for warding off feral youkai?” You point to the light purple colored umbrella.

“Well, I suppose so, but I’d prefer the term... instrument of inducing delight. The youkai always look so happy when I smack them with the umbrella or fan.” She takes out a mostly white colored fan with small purple symbols. You are taken slightly aback by the statement. Is this girl a sadist by chance? You won’t pry further, but rather you’ll change the topic.

“What brings you all the way out here then? Just tending to the trees?”

“Every month I make a pilgrimage up to the Hakurei Shrine to make sure the her daughter up there is doing alright. I give her a donation large enough so that she can get by without having to eat weeds. Along the way I always pass this spot, which is where the last Hakurei and I first met.”

“Wait, wait. Are you related to Reimu or the Hakurei family? Were you Reimu’s mother’s friend or something?” Her visit is something Reimu never mentioned to you.

“I wouldn’t say friend as much as admirer. She rescued me when I was young and foolish, running off deep into the forest alone as a child. I was attacked by feral youkai, but she sent them packing after coming to my rescue. After scolding me, she helped me up and I made the promise that I would repay her in some way. She reasoned that it wouldn’t be fair if only I made a promise, so we both wrote our own promises on 2 charms and we buried them. We then planted the seeds that turned into those trees on top of our respective promises. I had written that I’d promise to help people in the Hakurei’s steed, and made the mental promise that I’d get strong like her in order to help people, but it turned out that I simply wasn’t as strong as a Hakurei. When she passed away and left an orphan, I saw to it that the orphan had enough to eat and fitting clothes, but I was unable to fully take care of her, partly because I was but a young teenager at the time and also because Yakumo was her legal guardian and she prohibited me from staying too long. Sometimes I wonder if Reimu knows me or just sees another donation, but there’s nothing I can do to help that. I am content with knowing that she’s at least not dying, which at this point is all I can and am allowed to do.”

You feel a hand rest on your shoulder and see a hand rest on the lady’s.

You turn to see Alice and Shinki, along with the now healthy trees in the background.

“What’s your name?” Alice asks unsteadily, having been touched deeply by the story. You also see Shinki wiping tears with a handkerchief.

“My name is Astrid Konstanze. As you could guess, I’m not from Gensokyo. On the night I ran away from an orphanage in the night, I somehow ended up from the worldly earth forest into this magical land.”

“I assume Yukari brought you here?”

“I’m quite sure that was so, but she seemed disinterested with me after Hakurei saved me, as Yukari just dumped me into Miss Keine’s care.”

“Hm... there must be more to this story than we know. Since we’ve gotten the tree healed though, we really ought to get going to our respective places, no?”

“That is true, I don’t want to keep Reimu starving,” Astrid teases.

You ask Alice to fly Astrid to the shrine, which Alice gladly does. She seems particularly happy for some reason or another.

Before they leave, however, another question comes to mind.

“Where do you live Astrid?”

“I live on the edge of the forest. Recently a new house was built nearby, a bit closer to the village, but the person is an antisocial and refuses to acknowledge me, but what can you do?” She smiles as she makes fun of the situation.

“I see. I’ll visit you someday, if that’s okay with you,” you reply.

She looks at you expectantly, waiting for more. After a good minute or so, she speak up, “Isn’t it impolite not to tell me where you live? You certainly don’t seem to be from around here either.”

You smack yourself in the face. Of course it was impolite to not tell her what she has told you!

“I’ve taken up residence in the Hakurei Shrine for now.”

“Oh! How is Reimu?”

You turn slowly to Shinki, who nods slightly.

“She’s sick and sleeping... Suika’s at the shrine taking care of her. If I didn’t owe a basically deceased friend, I’d be watching over her, too.”

“Oh. I’ll hurry to the shrine then. Please make haste with your task so you may swiftly return back to the fair maiden’s side.” Astrid seems to command an aura of authority around herself. Combined with her sadistic comments, Astrid seems to be the strict and punctual type yet, also loving in her own way. She is a truly strange dynamic.

You give her a brief farewell, before Alice and Astrid fly off to the shrine.

You stand there with Shinki for a moment, not sure what to say.

“Where to, Alek?”

“The Human Village, we’re trying to find Keine with-a-really-long-last-name and the purple-haired girl that is Peter’s employer,” you direct Shinki, while mentally acknowledging how terrible you butcher their names. You’re glad that Shinki doesn’t have... Actually, does Shinki have a last name? You won’t pry at the moment, as you have other, more important things to contend with, but the thought floats around within your head.

---

The few minutes of flight pass without conversation. You end up staring at Shinki the entire time, wondering why she really decided to leave you to talk to Alice. The more you think about it, the more it bothers you that she didn’t tell you before she suddenly left. Did you offend her in some way?

“We ought to walk from here, the school is not too far away,” Shinki remarks emotionlessly as you touch down near the single story school building. You arm’s actually somewhat sore from the flight, and you are slightly worried that your right arm might distend and become longer than your left.

You remain silent for the moment and decide to tighten your hand’s hold with Shinki’s hand first. You smile as you look up from your intertwined hands to Shinki’s face.

“Eh?” Shinki blushes profusely as your eyes finally meet.

“I’m not sure if I did something to anger you, but I don’t want you to stay angry,” you say as you gaze into her eyes.

“W-What? I’m not angry at all, Alek; I’m just worried...” Shinki looks away, averting your gaze.

“What are you worried about, Shinki?” You softly pat her head in hopes of calming her.

“I... Please... Why are you so happy?” Shinki replies uncharacteristically, appearing to be somewhat distressed. She avoided the question, but you feel a certain sense of disappointment coming from her.

“Silly, it’s because I’m with you of course. I can relax when I’m with you; I don’t have to worry about supporting someone else. In fact, your kindness puts me at ease, and your joyous, youthful personality just makes me,” you pause for a brief moment, attempting to come up with the right word before setting with, “happy.”

You reaffirm your hand and kiss her softly on the cheek.

“Alek...” Shinki’s entire face turns a bright red, but she smiles happily. She unexpectedly seizes your lips with her own.

“Mph.” You are rendered speechless by the kiss. Shinki’s tongue softly pries open your mouth and your tongues intertwine in a brief but passionate kiss.

When Shinki disengages, you are left dazed. You first open mouth kiss...

“We’ll be able to do it some more somewhere more secret~” Shinki teases as she softly locks her arm with yours.

“Come on, we shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Shinki kindly urges, and the two of you begin walking.

---

The conversation with Keine goes smoothly. After a brief explanation, she understands that Yukari has decided to intervene and hijack Peter’s existence.

“I see... that’s a disappointment. I was hoping that Yukari would’ve been more lenient with him. He was smart, if dramatic and slightly rude at times,” Keine speaks as you count the capitalist money. You properly distribute Keine’s allocated amount, which is no small sum. Based on the amount of money, obviously obtained from the employer, you can tell the power of the next person you plan to meet, Hieda.

“He’s probably... alive... in some form or other. There’s nothing we can do about it now, only hope for the best,” you reply to the teacher and you lift up your bag and get ready to leave.

“I predict you’re next on Yukari’s list to manipulate or to scrap. I’d suggest being cautious from here on out. If you need help or advice, or just want to pay me a visit sometime, I live down the small path from the school in the stone building,” Keine says, whilst insinuating that you’d best pay her a visit sometime soon when not on other business.

“Thank you...?”

“Just call me Keine,” the blue haired teacher replies, understanding your difficulty with Japanese names.

“Thanks Keine. I’ll try to visit you soon.”

“You’re heading to Lady Hieda’s residence next, aren’t you? It’s on the opposite side of town. Send her my regards, and be wary of her unassuming power,” Keine leaves you off with a warning of sorts. You recall Peter left you with a warning as well.

“Thanks,” you say as you exit the building with Shinki.

---

“Lady Hieda sure is a towering figure in terms of backroom politics, isn’t she?” Shinki nudges you as soon as you get outside.

“I sure hope she doesn’t see this situation regarding Peter too poorly,” you reply. Shinki softly takes off your hat and Sacchin, and pats you on the head.

“What are you doing that for?” you ask as Shinki continues to pat your head.

“You seemed distressed, Alek. Whenever you pat my head, I feel calm and...” Shinki, now flustered, blushes but continues patting.

You know, Shinki’s right. You, too, feel calmed and your worries wash away as Shinki softly pats your head.

---

You finally stop Shinki after a while because you have to go on to meet Hieda. However, with your pillar of strength beside you, you feel no anxiety as you enter the Hieda mansion. The fact that Akyuu enters the conference room with what you believe to be a maid bodyguard doesn’t faze you. So long as Shinki is beside you, you feel inspired. Shinki tightens her hold on your hand, and you do the same.

“Добрый день!” She greets you cheerfully, in a manner almost inviting you to drop your guard.

“Greetings, Comrade Hieda,” you reply in an equally energetic voice.

“No need for such formalities, you’re Peter’s friend after all.”

“About that...”

You explain to Akyuu the situation regarding Peter being abducted by Yukari, first mentally then completely. You give her your condolences and Peter’s sum of money he left behind.

“The money is inconsequential; the house was a gift. He never learns, does he? Well, I guess that is what Yukari is trying to do in a sense, to teach him...” Akyuu ponders off, contemplating the situation.

You take a look at the bodyguard instead as you wait. She seems professional and serious about her job; you doubt that she’s just a normal maid. Her movement seems less elegant than a normal maid’s, and more fit of someone that has seen combat.

“You’re next. Do not trust Yukari; she’ll be your downfall,” Akyuu finally replies. Didn’t Keine warn you about this too?

“Yukari’s manipulating outsiders, isn’t she?” Shinki bumps in to the conversation.

“Hm... I think so. I don’t know why, but she took Peter by force because he wasn’t cooperating with her scheme, and you’ll be targeted next, Aleksandr, if you go too far outside of her plans,” Akyuu says rather cynically. Akyuu’s logic is well beyond her years.

“I won’t let them take away my Alek,” Shinki replies firmly, squeezing your hand. You feel you face flare up in embarrassment as Shinki does so in front of Akyuu.

“Oh, so that’s how it is? Well then, don’t get abducted, but I doubt that’ll be a problem while you’re next that her,” Akyuu smiles as she and her bodyguard escort you out. Her hospitality was rather nice, considering the hasty conditions.

“Perhaps next time we’ll be able to sit down and drink tea without such sad news,” Akyuu says as she bids you farewell.

You say your goodbyes as well and depart. Despite all these warning against Yukari, you feel like something doesn’t click.

“Where are we going?” Shinki asks as you walk aimlessly away from the Hieda’s mansion.

You take a look at the sun and see that it is about noon.

“We’re heading back to the shrine. We should check up on Reimu to see if she’s better.”

---

You and Shinki enter the shrine to find Reimu having tea with Suika and Alice.

“Welcome home, Alek!” Reimu greets you with warmth and enthusiasm. You notice she’s changed up her head gear and is wearing a cute bow to the side.

“Astrid went back to her home,” Alice comments, before taking another sip of tea.

“I see, thanks,” you reply.

You ought to...
[ ] Prepare Lunch
[ ] Chill out with Reimu
[ ] Listen to what Suika wants to do
[ ] Ask Shinki for advice
[ ] Take it easy with Yuyuko and Mima
[ ] Play bonding games
[ ] Relax and read books
[ ] Ask Alice about Moscow

Longer term goals:
[x] Visit Keine
[x] Visit Akyuu

---

I haven't died yet.

Anonymous 2013/04/15 (Mon) 03:18 No. 35446

[x] Play bonding games

This choice, it calls out to me. Then maybe ask Alice about Moscow.

Anonymous 2013/04/15 (Mon) 15:41 No. 35447

[X] Take it easy with Yuyuko and Mima

Updates!

Serial ATA !n7aMCKsvzM 2013/04/16 (Tue) 03:30 No. 35448

[c] Listen to what Suika wants to do.

Anonymous 2013/04/16 (Tue) 13:56 No. 35449

[X] Play bonding games

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/05/06 (Mon) 21:05 No. 35481

Called for:
[X] Play bonding games
[X] Take it easy with Yuyuko and Mima
[c] Listen to what Suika wants to do.

Don't expect anything until late June.

Not dead Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2013/07/01 (Mon) 03:41 No. 35768

There will be a new update within 168 hours. I promise.

Comrade 2013/07/07 (Sun) 06:35 No. 35874

Computer has been crippled; update will likely be delayed.

Sorry Comrade !HD3p724BbE 2013/10/30 (Wed) 02:10 No. 36909

Issues came up. There shall be an update before January 21st, 2014.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2014/01/21 (Tue) 04:31 No. 37390 ▼

Image Source

File 139027870226.jpg - (225.03KB, 757x687 , ded.jpg)

Bloody midterms. Come back in 1 week.

Comrade !xFlrIQYtzE 2014/02/03 (Mon) 06:32 No. 37486

If anyone is actually reading this, I will come back after school stops trolling me so hard.

Which probably means no update until at least the end of February, and in the worst case scenario it means no update until summer.

Though based on the lack of complaints, it is pretty clear that everyone either a) already knows shit happened in my life or b) thinks this story is dead and has moved on.

Status Update - Meta Struggle Session Edition ComradeFailure 2015/05/03 (Sun) 11:40 No. 38271

"We Will Be In Berlin By Spring"
Comrades, they tell us of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Grand Triumph of The People over the Fascist Aggressors! Let us prepare to celebrate with a synopsis of the story thus far!

Okay, seriously though, I made the promise to never give this up and I gave it up. I gave Touhou (and also Visual Novels, Light Novels, Anime, Manga, JRPGS, etc.) up to academics, work, and work (did I mention work)? I fucked up.

In the words of a greater man than me,
"I have resolved never to start an unjust war but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies"

This person may have been an enemy of the Russians and a zealous monarchist, but at least he died bravely on his campaign and with his unwavering belief. That is more than I can say.

I will be done midterms on Thursday. Since the story has been more-than-half dead over the past few years, I'm going to do a summary of the story up to the point we left off. While we may remember the core tenants of the Revolution, many details have been forgotten over the passage of time. There might be slight retcons (but then again, remember that in a lot of ways this is a giant walking retcon. An inherited story from times long past must be updated; the revolution needs evolution).

I will try to get a summary/synopsis thingy out by Sunday. Sage because no guarantees (may or may not jump into river after midterms), but I want to let people know, if a single other soul out there remembers this story, I'm not completely dead yet. We started from a dead story, and despite a brief, brave period of revolution, we have failed like 1848. This time we will try again, and learn from our previous mistakes, and succeed like Glorious Lenin did in the Red October [November] of 1917.

A big reason for previous failure was that I am either:
a) assuming the average readers know way more history/linguistics than they do or
b) Trying to shoehorn the explanation into the actual story.
All the literature considered great by scholars, educators, etc. all have the stuff about symbolism and references to common history/the bible because they used to assume in Western Literature that everyone and there mother had read the bible. I want to put in references, symbolism, etc. to relevant Russo-Soviet history, but I could never and should never assume that everyone and their mother has read and watched documentaries and books on the Eastern Front of WWII or know a lot about general Russian history. This is especially true since this is an English language site targeting English speakers.

Sometimes stuff will need to be explained in the story to the characters at hand (Marxist interpretation of History Stronk like Marxist interpretation of Genetics.... whose study was banned for quite some time in the USSR; also 1943 knowledge means that to the common person, a computer is a person that calculates things like log tables and trig function tables, not an electric machine). This should be fine, every story has contextual explanations within the story.

However, things that are common-ish knowledge/ would be common knowledge to a Soviet soldier or the party members / are excessive detail (seriously old me, fucking STATISTICS?) should be left for a meta footnote or pre-story information (i.e. if the understanding of some historic symbolism is important for the update to make sense easily, then it will be explained before the actual update).

The other big reason for previous is that I am long winded, and went on essentially rants way too much. This meant two things. Firstly, I am a shitty writer and storyteller. I will try to get better, but that's about it. Becoming a less shit writer is a process that will take time. The first step is to recognize how shit my writing is (or at least was years ago when this was actually active).

This also facilitated the transformation of this story into somewhere between a revolutionary manifesto, a slice of life, and a harem story. I can't tell how stupid (childish?) I was when I wrote some of this. There is nothing wrong with appropriate usage of Revolutionary speech. More than average number of quotations is fine, but this crossed the line into excessive (this story should not be a research paper). There is nothing wrong with slice of life for a high schooler. Mr. Ivanov is not a high schooler or college student (though he is effectively an undergrad dropout): He is a battle hardened veteran that has participated in devastating, era-changing battles. Perhaps once the conflict is resolved may he settle down into peaceful slice of life. But not now. This has been the calm before the storm. The battle is won, but the war has just begun. Harems definitely have their place, and they are great in many ways. No matter how much he believes in Communism, and thus how marriage/families are/can be an exploitative economic unit, he still accepted what is effectively a betrothal to Sacchin. I will let you know that this is not a route lock secured by writer fiat before the story technically even started, but this issue must be resolved before going forward. Harem ending still not ruled out, however.

Fundamentally, however, I have betrayed the original nature of the story.

"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another."

I have lost direction of the story. Where is the glorious action and battle? We maintain vigilance, and there was a little training, but there is quite seriously no threat. I had plans, but never got around to implementing them. Now it is time for us to face the fight, for the intrigue plots to fire, and for us to hope we don't get blown up by manure by a certain blonde's OP Intrigue level.

"Whomever sides with the revolutionary people in words only but acts otherwise is a revolutionary in speech. Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense."

We have had plenty of talking. We have had our calm before the storm.

It is our time to act; it is our time to rise.
For The Revolution.

[+]Posting and postbox

[+]Images

[+]Thread and post appearance

[+]Thread watching and updating

[+]Miscellaneous