Touhouventure 9.Z

[20:50]	Zeke	[After the breakfast cleanup is done (Zeke helped!), Sanae has a few errands to run “down there”, leaving Zeke to his own devices. He spends some time alone in the rocky plains, taking in the emptiness around him and the clouds below....]
[20:53]	Zeke	wanders about, hopping from boulder to boulder, revolver in hand. It's unloaded right now, but he just wants to get a feel for it in his hands...
[20:55]	Zeke	sits down on an outcropping, giving him a fabulous view of the upper cloud canopy. It's so odd, this feeling of being so detached from the rest of the world...
[20:56]	Zeke	"So... It's like this."
[20:57]	Zeke	sighs, tapping the revolver against his knee. He knows he's not a very good shot, but he can't afford to waste even one bullet on target practice.
[20:57]	Shingy	"Hey, Zeke!"
[20:57]	Shingy	doesn't feel sneaking up on a guy with a gun is a wise move.
[20:58]	Zeke	spins around his head.
[20:59]	Zeke	"Ahh, hey! You found me."
[21:00]	Shingy	"Were you planning on training with that today?"
[21:00]	Zeke	looks at the revolver and shrugs.
[21:01]	Zeke	"Can't. Don't have shells to waste."
[21:01]	Zeke	"Just... Getting a feel for it."
[21:06]	Zeke	"Did you want something, or...?"
[21:07]	Shingy	"Well, I was thinking you might be able to use danmaku with that. You should have enough magic now to conjure at least weak bullets."
[21:08]	Zeke	looks at the gun again, just out of reflex.
[21:10]	Shingy	"It shouldn't be difficult. You kind of know what to expect when you use the gun, so when you use it, imagine it loaded with magic instead of bullets."
[21:10]	Zeke	"All right, just... Before you start, because I know you're going to, let me go first, m'kay?"
[21:11]	Zeke	"Page One. I'ma just tell you what I've picked up so far. You fill in the holes."
[21:12]	Zeke	"Sooo... Danmaku, is like... magic bullets someone invented to use instead of real bullets, so when people have to solve problems with violence they, like... Do it without really hurting anyone, or something?"
[21:12]	Zeke	"Which makes sense, I mean... War games, next step of an intelligent society, blah blah blah."
[21:13]	Zeke	"But... I mean, what are the rules? Are there rules?"
[21:14]	Zeke	pulls out his blank spellcard from his pocket.
[21:14]	Zeke	"And this. Where does this fit in?"
[21:16]	Shingy	"That's basically it. The spellcards are basically a form of contract. They specify the form of the attack."
[21:18]	Zeke	tries to think of it in his terms.
[21:19]	Zeke	"Are we talking about, 'Ten paces, turn and fire'?"
[21:20]	Zeke	"No, wait... You wouldn't know about that..."
[21:21]	Zeke	taps his card on his leg, trying to put it all together.
[21:22]	Zeke	"Look, I'm... I'm sorry about all these lame questions, because they ARE lame, believe me."
[21:22]	Zeke	"It's just, NO ONE asks them. And it gets them in trouble later on in the story when they forget a simple rule any idiot would know about."
[21:24]	Zeke	"To live, one must first survive."
[21:24]	Zeke	shrugs again.
[21:25]	Zeke	hops down off the rock and approaches Shingy.
[21:25]	Shingy	"I understand."
[21:26]	Zeke	"Well... Let's just start in preschool for now."
[21:27]	Zeke	"How's it work?"
[21:27]	Zeke	"Wait, no... Don't answer that. Magic. Crap... And I say I'm adaptable..."
[21:28]	Zeke	kicks himself internally.
[21:29]	Zeke	"Common sense... But damn if I'm going to listen to her and get rid of it."
[21:39]	Shingy	"The spellcard? To put it in simplest terms... It's a contract with Reimu and with the youkai who helped her devise the spellcard system, probably Yukari. It says that you will refrian from using your full power in combat, instead using the form specified on the card, and in return, if someone interferes with you in an unapproved way, Reimu will intervene on your behalf."
[21:42]	Zeke	"Huh... Sounds complicated."
[21:43]	Zeke	"I actually just meant the bullets."
[21:43]	Zeke	mimes firing the gun.
[21:43]	Zeke	"Pchoo~"
[21:44]	Zeke	[Obviously, nothing happens]
[21:45]	Shingy	"Hmm. Do you mind if I help you?"
[21:45]	Zeke	gives her one of "those" looks.
[21:45]	Zeke	"I thought that's what I was asking you."
[21:46]	Shingy	"Well, I meant in a more direct way."
[21:49]	Zeke	gives her a different look.
[21:49]	Zeke	"...Go on."
[21:54]	Shingy	"I'd basically get behind you, take both of your hands in mine while you hold the gun, and form a magical circuit with you."
[21:55]	Zeke	is suspicious of the many, MANY scenes where this leads to things.
[21:56]	Zeke	"But, hang on... Don't I need to do it myself if this is about me defending myself?"
[21:56]	Zeke	"I can't keep relying on someone ELSE'S magic. Isn't that the point of all this?"
[21:57]	Zeke	is really just trying to avoid the cliche :|
[21:57]	Shingy	"Yes, but it's easier for me to show than to tell."
[22:00]	Zeke	rolls his eyes. So she's being difficult. Direct confrontation, then.
[22:02]	Shingy	"Would you prefer a different method?"
[22:02]	Zeke	sort of rolls his head, then nods.
[22:02]	Zeke	"Yeah.  One that might not involve you coming on to me."
[22:03]	Shingy	"Very well."
[22:03]	Shingy	floats into the air, then casts a small barrage of danmaku at Zeke.
[22:03]	Shingy	"Defend yourself!"
[22:03]	Zeke	"Ahhhhh crap..."
[22:05]	Zeke	runs backwards, moving away from the point of origin; more time to react. He's PLAYED shmups before... He's just not good at them.
[22:06]	Shingy	"I am a fearsome youkai! If you cannot defeat me, you will suffer!"
[22:09]	Zeke	heads for cover behind a boulder for now, getting his bearings and trying to draw up a plan.
[22:09]	Zeke	"That works!"
[22:11]	Shingy	She swoops over the boulder, getting a bead on Zeke again. The barrage is denser this time.
[22:14]	Zeke	jukes and jives; not very elegantly as he's stuck in that floppy hakama. He feels a number of bullets graze his skin; it's like standing too close to an oven, or a light bulb.
[22:15]	Zeke	dashes away from Shingy again; got to stay away from the origin of fire... got to have more time to react...
[22:17]	Shingy	sends a spray of bullets into the air, where they curve downward and start raining down on the area Zeke is in.
[22:17]	Zeke	doesn't bother asking how long she'll keep this up; this is the school of hard-knocks. Not the way he would have preferred, but better than talk.
[22:21]	Zeke	is still holding the revolver, but he's a little more concerned with defense at the moment.
[22:22]	Zeke	"This is why I hated these games!"
[22:22]	Shingy	"Oh, you think this is a game?"
[22:22]	Shingy	ups the volume of fire.
[22:22]	Zeke	"How can anyone find time to AIM in this mess?!"
[22:23]	Zeke	attempts just trying to hold his gun even REMOTELY in Shingy's direction. It is a miserable failure.
[22:24]	Zeke	"See what I mean?!"
[22:24]	Shingy	throws another barrage, then fires two lasers, starting behind her, but sweeping slowly forward, so if Zeke can't fly, he'll get scissored.
[22:24]	Shingy	is also standing conveniently still.
[22:27]	Zeke	is starting to get a little winded. All this quick movement reminds him of tennis.
[22:28]	Zeke	"And how--hwah, hwah--how do you pay attention to 360 degrees at the same time anyways?!"
[22:29]	Zeke	starts attempting to always keep his weapon arm raised in her direction despite the aches in his muscles. Learning the hard way...
[22:29]	Shingy	isn't talking right now, instead shooting a couple of bullets at him to pay attention. The lasers now encompass an angle of 180 degrees, and are closing in with increasing speed.
[22:32]	Zeke	can't find a blind spot in those beams; it's your basic walls-closing-in scenario. No escape.
[22:32]	Zeke	starts looking for a high rock to climb onto to dodge them.
[22:34]	Zeke	"Ahhhmnmnn... Seriously?! Already, with the--hwah--insta-kill attack on the noob?!"
[22:36]	Zeke	finds a higher elevation to buy him some more time until Shingy gets wise and moves the lasers up.
[22:37]	Shingy	cuts the lasers through the rock, causing it to collapse under Zeke's feet. They rotate backwards and start on another go.
[22:37]	Zeke	drops to his knees and rolls in the dust, rubbing his shins.
[22:38]	Zeke	mimes getting a few potshots off on Shingy by pulling the hammer back and pulling the trigger, hammer and pull, hammer and pull, hammer and pull.
[22:40]	Zeke	"Pew... pew... pew..."
[22:42]	Shingy	"It's not a reflex yet!"
[22:42]	Shingy	abandons her lasers and swoops over him like a B-52 on a bombing run, dropping curtain fire on him the whole time.
[22:43]	Zeke	strafes perpendicular to her to avoid the main attack, still "firing" at her. That hammer pull is surprisingly heavy when it's a REAL gun.
[22:43]	Zeke	"You expect--hwah--expect it to be after five minutes?!"
[22:46]	Zeke	is still taking plenty of ancillary fire from random danmaku bullets. He can tell that, while it doesn't exactly seem physical or even very energy-enriched, it's still burning his clothes.
[22:48]	Shingy	"You're held back by your disbelief!"
[22:49]	Zeke	tumbles onto the ground after taking a bad step.
[22:50]	Zeke	"I'm a little busy right now! Can you call back later?!"
[22:50]	Zeke	"Little distracted, y'know?!"
[22:50]	Zeke	is certainly getting a good workout, whether or not this is actually helping him magic.
[22:52]	Shingy	finally pulls out a spellcard, and Zeke knows his day is going to get worse.
[22:52]	Zeke	shakes his head and stands back up. What's she trying to prove anyways, that he sucks?
[22:53]	Zeke	"Hwah... Hwah... How can you pull one if I don't have one?!"
[22:53]	Zeke	"You said--hwah, hwah--contract!"
[22:53]	Zeke	keeping miming with his gun anyways, conspicuously free of danmaku.
[22:53]	Shingy	"Duality [Mottled Dove]!"
[22:53]	Shingy	[It's the same attack Shingy used on Keine, and as before, he sees a black aura form around him, which means that currently the black bullets won't hurt him.]
[22:55]	Zeke	was totally not paying attention during that dual. As far as he knows ALL bullets hurt probably hurt him and this is just an omen of death. Yup.
[22:55]	Zeke	"Fine, fine, bring it!"
[22:56]	Shingy	[A spray of black and white spirals shoots out, and then two lasers scissor again, but one is black and one is white.]
[22:57]	Zeke	actually takes more time to aim good shots, getting a little sick of all this. If he were shooting anything, he'd probably be doing pretty well for a beginner.
[22:59]	Zeke	shakes his head. Like being stuck in the middle of a car crash you can't stop, he knows he can't dodge this, and he's too tired to try any more.
[22:59]	Zeke	plants his feet firmly on the ground and keeps his imaginary assault up on Shingy, looking her square in the eye and not even bothering to look at the fast-approaching lasers anymore.
[23:03]	Zeke	thinks of a few poignant phrases he could shout at her, but he holds off. None of them seem right. After all... he's the one about to lose. He shouldn't get a witty last word.
[23:08]	Shingy	The first laser hits him, with no effect, then the second laser burns through his clothes. She stops after she sees him stop.
[23:09]	Zeke	tastes BURNING!
[23:13]	Zeke	is amazingly still standing after the laser washes over him, though sans even the saddest scrap of clothing. His skin itself is full of sweat and dust, but shows no sign of a wound.
[23:13]	Zeke	"Hhmmmmnnn.... Hmmmmmnnnn..."
[23:14]	Zeke	wasn't really sure what to expect after getting hit. The heat from the laser slowly leaves him, though the heat radiating from his body due to all his running masks it somewhat.
[23:15]	Zeke	"Love-Fifteen... Your serve... Heh."
[23:16]	Zeke	shakes his head, now realizing he's in the nude but not really caring, though he collapses to the ground to rest, shielding himself somewhat.
[23:16]	Zeke	"Well... that was fun."
[23:17]	Zeke	is not sure if he was being sarcastic or not, but it sounds to anyone else like he was.
[23:23]	Shingy	"I'm sorry. I was trying to inspire you to act."
[23:23]	Zeke	chuckles, causing him to cough and gasp for breath.
[23:24]	Zeke	"Hehhhackough-Uhhgghh... You did."
[23:25]	Zeke	"N' you were prolly goin' easy on me too."
[23:26]	Shingy	"You sound... less than inspired."
[23:28]	Zeke	smiles and shakes his head again.
[23:28]	Zeke	"I sound like some guy who just got his ass whooped."
[23:29]	Shingy	"I didn't mean to!"
[23:29]	Shingy	sounds distressed.
[23:29]	Shingy	"I would have stopped once you fired at me!"
[23:29]	Zeke	milks her guilt juuuuust a little bit.
[23:29]	Zeke	"You didn't teach me how~"
[23:36]	Shingy	"I was hoping you'd forget your gun wasn't loaded, shoot me with the desire to stop, and that would turn to magic!"
[23:39]	Zeke	nods, getting her drift, and understanding pretty quickly why it didn't work.
[23:40]	Zeke	"Mmm... Fighting spirit, you mean. Willpower."
[23:41]	Shingy	"Basically."
[23:43]	Zeke	"Right, right...  Nope, not my style, ma'am. Damn overused cliched piece of garbage cop-out of a solution if you ask me."
[23:44]	Zeke	"You don't fight by WANTING to fight. You fight by FIGHTING."
[23:44]	Zeke	"I just wasn't tryin' to. I think for a practice round there's more important things to learn than winning, y'know?"
[23:44]	Shingy	"Okay. So how should I teach you, then?"
[23:45]	Zeke	shrugs.
[23:46]	Zeke	"Iunno, point my face in the right direction and let me walk by myself as far as I can, until you see me walking into a hole, or you can't stand my patheticness."
[23:47]	Zeke	"I learn by repetition, s'long as it's something I think is worth learning."
[23:50]	Shingy	"Okay. So what I was going to do before, kind of, basically."
[23:50]	Shingy	"You need to get cleaned up and something to eat, though. I've kind of worn you out."
[23:51]	Zeke	"Oh, yeah... Damn it, I'm back down to one pair... Clothing stores must make a killing here."
[23:51]	Zeke	"That or your learn to dodge REALLY fast."
[23:52]	Zeke	's adrenaline high is wearing off, and he folds his legs together to hide his groin, blushing a bit.
[23:55]	Shingy	"Let's get you inside. You can relax there."
[23:55]	Shingy	takes him by the arm and leads him into the shrine.
[23:55]	Zeke	[And we'll call it a session.]