Blossom of Bodhisattva (Touhou)
- Thread starter Erien
- Start date
- Fantasy
[X] [A ghost, quite amused]
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Cirno quest would just be
Options:
Be sneaky
Ask a Question
FIGHT
.... ... welp this will be fun when she arrives!
[X] [An oni, an old companion]
- Location
- Ohio
I didn't realize that choice was for everyone. I am very glad we did not go for the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Not because Myouren would not let Cirno fight Buddha, but because such a thing is physically impossible.
B-but I love all these options! Why must I choose between such wonderful options!?
You might not have told us to pick only one, but I'm pretty sure you don't want us to pick all of them.
But you also didn't say we couldn't add anything!
[X] [A hermit… not in the classical sense]
-[X] [Pet Aunn Komano some more]
As much as I love Suika, I am far more interested in Myouren's opinion on Kasen's attempts to make up for or distance herself from her past misdeeds. There is also the wonderful irony of a formerly Evil
- Location
- Newer England
I mean if you were planning to renovate the whole place anyways you may as well turn Cirno lose against the gaudiest Buddha statue in the area. What's the worst that could happen?
I appreciate the commitment to the bit Myouren but the least you could do is help carry the wreckage to your proposed spot.
If I realized this would lead directly to making Aunn sad I never would've voted for it, you better keep those headscritches going for the duration of the stay.
So they're just kinda floating midair on an invisible wall? That honestly sounds more likely to draw outside attention than just ignoring the hole.
[X] [A hermit… not in the classical sense]
Kasen having a chat with Myouren sounds philosophically interesting. Do people already know she's an oni at this point? I assume the Bodhisattva senses would ping that immediately.
Based on what's been stated in the story, it seems to currently be between Urban Legend in Limbo and Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom. Cirno mentions Byakuren's Turbo Granny getup, but Ran also notes that the Lunarians have yet to invade Gensokyo. Assuming the manga chapters roughly correspond to the point they were released irl, Kasen Ibaraki is still a totally normal and not at all shady Hermit who is definitely not an Oni as the story of Wild and Horned Hermit is only at Chapter 28.
Chaosbrain
The End comes beyond Chaos...
- Location
- Between East and West, North and South.
[X] [A ghost, quite amused]
[x] [A hermit… not in the classical sense]
Speaking of Cirno and the Buddha, I am just imagining the latter sitting lotus position, serene and one with the universe, when Cirno comes along. She just kind of looks at and around the meditating man, then shrugs before sitting on his lap or against his side for a nap.
Buddha's expression turns to a small smile/a slightly larger one.
[x] [A hermit… not in the classical sense]
Speaking of Cirno and the Buddha, I am just imagining the latter sitting lotus position, serene and one with the universe, when Cirno comes along. She just kind of looks at and around the meditating man, then shrugs before sitting on his lap or against his side for a nap.
Buddha's expression turns to a small smile/a slightly larger one.
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WHISPER
IS VERY TRANQUIL!
I must say I really like the idea of the buddha... a being above anything, technically "greater" then anyone but yet the most humble being in existence and anyone no matter the status can strive and succeed to be him and also become a buddha.
Tho to be fair buddha kind of exists beyond Strengh both literally and mentally.
Tho to be fair buddha kind of exists beyond Strengh both literally and mentally.
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Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Don't spoil the next 300 chapters.
[X] [A hermit… not in the classical sense]
1.8 - Drunken Tales
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jp-fy1iHfE
Thanks to @Armoury for the beta! He's a monster at the fighting games!
[An oni, an old companion]
—
*Erien Section*
Making your way around the back of the shrine, you notice a minor commotion, the ostensible "Buddhists" bunched up away from… Ah. You knew she was still alive, but you weren't aware she was here, delightful. You smile, your shoulders becoming more relaxed, and you gain… almost a spring to your step as you walk up to, then past the group.
"Good morning, Shuten." You say, lowering yourself so that you are looking the oni eye to eye.
The oni, who had previously been half-grinning/half-glaring up at Byakuren blinks. She looks towards you, then blinks again. She looks towards her gourd full of sake, stares at it, tilts her head, looks down the spout. Then back to you. "Tightass?" she says in recognition.
"The one and the same." You say with a grin. "Do you fancy yourself a shintoist now?"
"Naaaah," Shuten slurs. "Jus' poke her a biiiit. The… tha shrine maidens that is. Used to be more, now's just the… tiny one." Suika squints her eyes, trying to remember. "I thoughts ya died?"
"In a fashion, yes." You reply. "But I have some unfinished tasks to perform."
"Dat so?" Shuten asks, then takes a long swing from her gourd. "We…well thiiings must be fuuuuucked den."
"Partially," you admit.
"How…" a new voice interrupts, and you both look up to see Byakuren staring down at you, saying the first words she has in quite a while. "Brother, how do you know Suika?"
You tilt your head, then look back towards the oni. "Suika?"
'Suika' shrugs her shoulders. "Taaasty." Then she focuses on Byakuren, all five of her that she could see at the moment likely. Then she grins.
—
*Redshirt Section*
"Ohhh… he dinnent tell you the story? Thass… thass sad. Brothers and sisters… they shouuuuldn't hide things from essh other." Shuten reaches back and cricks her neck, then rolls her shoulders, before leaning forward, her voice taking on a cadence of a well-worn and often-retold story.
"Shoooo lemme tell ya, then… it was a dark an stormy night in Kyoto - the "City of Peace and Proshperity" wasn't so peaceful, hahaha. The kids were cryin', the mothers were lamentin', and I had gathered an mustered alllllll my strong- my strength, and I…" She adopts a vicious grin, dropping her voice to add emphasis, "I escaped my prison."
"Seeeee… I had to use my head, to escape - thass a joke, all I had was my head, but it's soooorta true too. I used to just… just smash and break and take whatever I wan-ned, but thass… that's no way to live, yanno. Being trapped, an weak… it reallllllly gave me a kick in the ass, to finally start usin' that head of mine, haha."
Byakuren blinks, looking confused for a moment. "But… when…"
"Right, right, yer brother. So I'd fig-fiige- found a way to focus my strength over tiiime. It took yearsh, but I had nothin else to do, ya? And I juuuuust kept making my powersh more and more and more and more… dense. Con-cen-trate it in a single pooooint. Didn't let any - any! - of it leak out, every itty bitty bit I kept and sho they didn't even notish I was doin' anythin. And the bindings on meeeee…" Again, that vicious grin. "They jusht couldn't match up."
"And sho one stormy night, the buddha-buddhist temple in Kyoto - it all bursht into flames, and a thousand - no, a millon! - spirits cry out, because the great evil was free once more!" Shuten closes her eyes and leans back, basking in the imaginary terror for a moment, before refocussing. "So, I wash free, sure, but I knew they was gonna be lookin for me - and they took me down once, when I was strong an' had an army. And now they were huntin' me and I had nothin'. So I took the scenic route, an went hikin up Mount Ibuki - ya know they - they named the mountain after me, yeah?"
You chose that point to interject. "That 'scenic route' you took was quite indistinguishable from sneaking and hiding. And it's quite interesting to consider how they might have named a mountain after you, so long before you were born."
She smiles at you, memories of your old arguments neatly slotting back into place as if mere weeks had passed since you last bantered, instead of centuries. "An' after all this time, ya still can't let that go, huh?"
"Right - so - after that great and mag-magni- great display of power, I wan-ned to rest, so I made a bed in a pile of thistles, an went to sleep. And as I slept, this bozo crept up on me. I thiiiink he was entrac-entram-entranced by my beauty, since when I woke up he wash just staring at me."
"I was attempting to discern if you were alive." You comment.
"So I see thish Buddhist priest, and I'm thinkin that I need to beat him up, but he's smart, yeah - he's seen how strong I am, and he doesn't want any of that business. So he jusht asks if I'm the greeeat evil, and I say yeah, and he backs waaaay off."
You're smiling as you reply. "She was so diminished in strength, that I could not believe that this was what the legendary Shuten-doji had been reduced to - at that moment, she was weaker than any common oni."
"Cuuuter though," Shuten counters, with a wink.
"The answer is still no," you reply dryly.
Shuten snorts. "Oh come on… live a little!"
"I did, then I died, I have finished with that portion of my life."
"Thaaat's why yer tightass."
Byakuren's attention is snapping back and forth so quickly between the two of us that she nearly threatens to tear her head off. "Brother… did you, with her?"
"Naaah," Suika replies. "I playeds hards to catch!"
"You attempted to get me drunk on numerous occasions, then eventually started approaching me in the middle of the night naked."
Suika snickers. "Dats subtle for an oni." She blinks a few times. "But yeah, thish guy just started hanging around as I hiked back upsh the mountain, went to check on all my old places. Everything changed a lot while I wash sealed away, so he was reaaaaal helpful to getsh me back up to speed - thats why I let him live, ya'know."
"I followed her up the mountain to ensure that she did not bring danger to the people there - but she refrained from that entirely, to my pleasant surprise."
"Welllllll, I spent a lottttttta time thinkin' when I was sealed away, ya'know. And all of that raidin' and destruction… what did it really bring me, in the end? And then thish guy comes along and starts talkin about what brings people satit-statis-makes people happy, and a lot of it… it makes a lotta sense to me. He'sh - your brothersh a smart guy, you know dat cowtits?"
"Cowti-" Byakuren starts to hiss, only to pause as you raise your hand in front of her face.
"Shuten, behave."
Shuten, or, perhaps Suika you suppose. Rolls her eyes and takes another swig. "So, just comin' ta visit da shrine?"
"No," you reply. "Reimu destroyed the Myouren temple shortly after I arrived in Gensokyo. So, in fairness, we shall be borrowing her shrine for the time being."
Suika blinks, slowly, then slowly starts chuckling. The laughter builds, until she's truly howling in mirth up to the sky, a deep belly laugh that belies her small size. "Y-you're just gonna take over - ahahaha - you're just taking tiny's shrine for a bit? That's amazin', see, this is why I kept you around - you act like such a tightass, and then ya pull somethin like that." She laughs again. "Man, I can juussst imagine how mad she's gonna be - it's - it's gonna look…" She blinks, slowly, looking past you. "Yeaaah! Exactly! It's gonna look exac'ly like that!"
The voice from behind you is filled with malice and ill-intent, washing over you practically like a wave. "Explain yourselves."
It seems that Reimu Hakurei has returned to her shrine.
*Erien Section*
Reimu did not look angry, that would be a disservice to the word. She instead looked rather like an Asura, or, at the very least, someone who would soon reincarnate to be one. "Hello again," you greet warmly. "I find I am quite impressed with your shrine. It is plain, but very lovely and well put together."
"Why. Are. You. Here?" Reimu 'asks'.
"Ah yes," you nod your head. "You destroyed the Buddhist's place of residence. While I was not overtly fond of what my sister did to it, I did not wish for it to be completely destroyed either. As it is now, they have no place to live." You then clap your hands together over your staff, bowing your head slightly towards the priestess. "To that end we shall be temporarily lodging here until we can repair it properly."
Reimu stares at you, she stares at you for a good long while. Her eyes drifting from person to person, until she finally lands on Aunn, the koma-inu standing just beside her. They lock eyes, and Aunn quickly looks away to focus on you once more. "He's nice…" Aunn whines.
Reimu's glares at you once more. "Why would I let you stay here?"
"Because it is proper to do so, you have, after all, destroyed their home. They were not involved at all with what you took issue with, you merely found me there and unleashed your anger and rage." You explain. "Now you leave them homeless and without most of their belongings. Is that fair? I am not asking to stay within your building, but to instead use your grounds."
Reimu's eyes narrow. "Don't care."
Suika hiccups. "Ahhhh come on, he's an ooooold friend of mine."
"You stay out of this," Reimu snaps. "Buddhists, shrine, out."
"We can pay." Mamizou offers.
At once, all heads turn to the tanuki who pulls out a small stack of money from the inside of her robe. "Ten thousand yen."
Reimu's eyes flit to the money, then Mamizou's face. Her gaze then narrows. "If that money turns into acorns."
"Then I shall take her over the knee myself," you reply. "Have we come to an understanding shrine maiden?"
Reimu walks up, rips the money out of Mamizou's hands. Counts it, then nods. "Behind the shrine, some old storage buildings and houses. I want you out of here by the end of the week."
"... We shall discuss that," you reply. "But I thank you for your charity in any case."
Reimu glares at you once more, then stomps off into her shrine through the back door.
You watch her leave in silence, then turn your attention to Suika. "She's certainly friendly."
Suika giggles. "She's fun!"
You suppose, to her, she would be. You pause for a moment to allow Cirno to once again clamber up your shoulders. Then you make your way past the back of the shrine towards… a decently sized clearing. Well, perhaps 'clearing' would be a poor word. It was filled with refuse, old banners, flags, and what appear to have been portable shrines, all left abandoned. In the center of it was a decently sized… what you would imagine to have been once an arena or practice field. It was surrounded by various buildings all in various states of disrepair, some were houses, some were entirely for storage, all would be suitable for your purpose.
You did not know Reimu's shrine as it was, it did not exist when you were alive. But the Hakurei did. And while their past as exorcists remained in the past, their legacy could, at least, be of some use to you. You surveyed it all, there was more than enough space for all the Buddhists… and Cirno if she chose to stick around. You turn your attention then, to your sister. "Your followers are your own, I would suggest having them see what buildings remain useful for the purpose of shelter. I myself shall be taking the smallest one." You point off towards a small shed a good distance from the rest. It was a wooden thing, with several holes in the side and a ruined tiled roof.
Leaving them behind, including Cirno who immediately ran off to explore, you make your way towards it, pushing open the door to reveal… what was indeed a shed, with little more than several discarded boxes and what appeared to be a large metal locker against the far well. That bore investigating, if for curiosity if nothing else. But your thoughts were halted however, as a figure shoved you into the building, and closed the door.
You blinked, then turned around to find yourself facing-
—
[] [Byakuren]
[] [Mamizou]
[] [Murasa]
[] [Shou]
—
Erien: I hate writing drunk dialogue.
Redshirt: Suika's account of what happened is 100% objectively true with no inaccuracies or exaggerations, and should be taken as literally as possible.
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- Location
- Florida
[X] [Byakuren]
- Location
- SomeWhereElse
And so Reimu was temporarily defeated with the power of capitalism donations the only reliable known method.
[X] [Byakuren]
This is a conversation that's bound to happen at some point.
[X] [Byakuren]
This is a conversation that's bound to happen at some point.
[X] [Byakuren]
The time is now, I guess?
The time is now, I guess?
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Missing a line between the paragraphs.
The thought of Myouren being described as 'the guy who wears an ice fairy scarf' is slowly growing on me.
[x] [Mamizou]
A show of appreciation to the go-between.
I like the idea of Byakuren not being ready to approach us yet, and her followers picking up the slack.
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