It's 7:24 PM on a Saturday night. One might wonder why I cared enough to define the time specifically.
Well. No reason. I was looking at the time. It's not exactly late by my standards, so I could be doing stuff.
I stand outside my house, browsing the internet on my phone, bored.
Walks in the evening are nice. Even if the town is full of nothing. Something about the remote nature is nice, at least. It's a compromise. Not one I chose to make myself.
Not looking forward to my homework. I could choose to actually think about it right now… but I'd really rather not.
We're going into the Fall season, so it's night. Probably can't go too far. As dead as this town is, certain storefronts and homes look like poorly-disguised crackhouses. Considering the people who probably live there, they may as well be.
People idealize rural towns, but they haven't seen this rural town. It's quite a quiet town. Too quiet. So quiet you'd think everyone was dead. They might actually be dead, I don't think anyone's ever checked. I don't think there's anyone to check.
...I'm exaggerating, obviously, but it's pretty far beyond quiet and small. Everything is really far apart, people go to different towns for store goods, and no one likes each other. The community is basically just the school, because the government at least attempts to govern.
Well, whatever.
I idly stare into the night, letting it calm me.
Near me, a bug floats through the air. It crashes into the door nearby. It falls to the floor, and doesn't move.
"...Good job." I compliment it. It was friendly while it lasted.
I'm tired. The world is dull.
Let's get that walk started.
Navy blue sky. I forget if the stars might be out around eight. I kind of want to wait until much later, but… I don't exactly trust this town at night.
Not really one to get outside much. Especially here. So much nothing.
I'd describe my surroundings, but… hmm. I suppose the entire world isn't as nothing as this, so I might as well describe how much 'nothing' there really is.
My house is positioned amidst rundown suburbia. Derelict vehicles occasionally dot lawns, and houses look… while not uncared for, certainly not refurbished in some time.
Our main roads are framed by abandoned storefronts, even the manned stores appearing everything except for maintained by the living. Paint peels up the outer walls, dereliction splashing up from the floor, climbing up the sides as dust, dirt and decay.
During the golden ages, this town may've been an outreaching beacon of prosperity in the name of advancing civilization. Alas, the communication technology was not there, and the thinking minds to use it, and to be happy with living in this town… even less so.
Besides the abandon, there are trees. Many trees. Unremarkable forestry, far as the eye can see. Rolling plains of woods. Endless black.
It's kind of cold. Not too much, fortunately.
Walking along, I close my eyes. Only briefly.
Something entices me to frown and freeze. I heard someone. Someone is present.
Pivoting around, I feel at my beige shorts. It's unwise to go out at evening without at least a weapon, so I'm prepared. My hand rests on a concealed blade.
I don't really expect to see anyone. The noise wasn't really enough to actually be someone.
"Oh!" And yet, there they were.
I was expecting a hoodlum. Some guy in a hoodie with a blade of his own, likely.
Instead, the surprised face of a purple-eyed blonde woman. She looks pleasantly surprised, in fact. "I see I've been spotted…" Slowly, she lowers her gloved arms.
Her intricate dress is, by the standards set around here, amazing. Absolutely amazing. I don't care for her physique, but she's undeniably… something strange. I'd say exemplary, but I'm getting a weird feeling.
"Hello, Matthew." She greets me, a hand held above her bust. "I'm sorry for startling you." Her eyes are abnormally… focused.
There's a level of intellect behind her gaze that's alarming. I haven't seen anyone like this in person before, much less this town of all places.
"Oh, don't look at me like that…" She pouts at me, puffing her cheeks out some. "You look like you've seen a monster."
That mob cap atop her head… is unmistakable. Yet, it's also just impossible to believe.
Her being here makes no logical sense. Unless-...
I haven't heard from Brad, aside from that one conversation a day or two ago. Not even online at all.
Maybe that's why she's here. It's not out of the realm of possibility. Her being here at all throws all logic out the window.
"You're-..." Despite my thoughts, finding words is hard. It's the situation some people probably dream for- but I'm unarmed. I literally just got turned-around in the middle of the road.
"A cousin of yours." She lies very blatantly. "Your fellow highschooler, Yakumo-... Yukarin, rather." She even just misspoke and accidentally used Japanese naming convention for a brief second.
I take a single glance at her full chest. "...Bit much for a highschooler."
"Oho?" She beams. "I've been getting lucky with the young men today…"
She steps closer. I step back.
"Oh, don't be afraid." She licked her pink lips. "What's wrong?"
I don't even know what to say. I'm excited- but also, actually being in this situation… feels wrong.
"I've got candy in my van." Yukari does a bad job at comforting me. "...Oh? Is that a smile I see?"
"What- do you want?" I feel like I'm fucked regardless.
"You may have already guessed it," Yukari reached between her breasts, "but…"
She drew a 3DS, apparently. "I figured I'd hasten your little conversation. The one with you and that one friend of yours."
What the actual fuck did he do?
She floats the 3DS over to me. What the fuck.
I claim it, and the video selected inside starts playing the moment it folds open.
...I know that ugly mug. It's surreal seeing Yukari willingly cuddle up to his side. I bet she has experience hugging ugly bastards.
"Mmn. Don't be mean…" Yukari replies as if she knows what I'm thinking. I think that's against the rules. "No, no. I don't know what you're thinking. That'd be silly. I'm not a satori."
Pft. "Ex- explain, then." Explain why you can read my thoughts.
"You've already answered your own question." Yukari smiled. "...I'm reading them right now. I can't know what you don't think intently enough to be described in text. I don't know your life's story, and I don't know your ideologies. I don't know what you fear, or what you love. I don't know you. Well… not much."
...The video on the 3DS is bright amidst the evening's street lights. Brad and Yukari sailing through a grey, rainy sky, in a totally different land.
Brad has a fat lipstick mark on his cheek, likely Yukari's fault.
"Would you like one too?" Yukari is dangerously close.
Whore.
"Pfth." Yukari chuckled, her serene expression faltering with mirth. "Awh…"
"Are we here to fulfill the template?" I suppose.
"Mmn, perhaps." Yukari resigned herself to the idea too. "Really, it's only because I was growing curious about that outsider. Spent an hour or two finding out what he was about. He's… unique. Quite human, but still, pleasantly human. Filth among your kind- more prevalent than vermin- isn't uncommon. I'm interested in seeing how his story develops.
"Gensokyo is, after all, an anthology of fantasies."
She points at me. "And I found you, dear Matthew. Another enigmatic, plain but nonetheless interesting human."
I wonder. "Am I getting my own manga?"
She snorts. "Feel free to think of yourself as a protagonist." Yukari nodded at me. "Just don't forget that everyone else feels the same way. Well… everyone who's anyone. Which is to say, no. You'll get some special treatment, in the vein of connections, but nothing beyond yourself.
"There's no such thing as bestowing power or skills, magic or understanding. Your story is very much your own to write. As are everyone else's."
...Then, she sighs. "I'm getting ahead of myself. I suppose, simply put: no, you will not be given crazy magic powers. You will not be handed anything. You are not guaranteed romance or even a peaceful death."
"Gensokyo was built on cruelty and brutality. Such is the nature of Earth. Though I love the idea of peace, I can't deny the way things are. If you decide to go to Gensokyo, you should know this."
Does this mean I don't get my own Sharingan? Super Saiyan ten? Edgy alter ego?
Yukari shook her head. "I'm trying to say, you're just a human, and if you want to make yourself special, inhuman, or collect power, you will have to do it yourself. I may be extending an invitation to you, but I'm not adopting you.
"I may, however, forward you to some people who… may be able to help you out."
I nod. "If I were to refuse?"
Yukari's smile grew again, and she shrugged.
Well... what the hell. "If I don't enjoy it there?"
"We'll see." Yukari shrugged again, this time with half as much effort.
Whatever. Abandoning my things here… is going to hurt. But…
"I'll go."
Click. Yukari snapped her fingers. "Perfect. Alright." She expected this. I just get the feeling. I feel like she's seldom been turned down, either.
Wh- aah. I begin to fall… into a void. Within the street- then into infinite black. I'm surrounded by those eyes; and they're far more real than in illustrations. You can see them shift and move, the subtle elements that make them real. The glistening of a distant purple light upon the black-purple irises.
"Welcome to fantasy." Yukari's grin could be heard through her voice. "Remember, Matthew. It's sink or swim."
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
For a while, everything is black. My eyelids are so heavy.
Then, I'm allowed to open them.
I find myself on stone. A pathway of stone, to be exact. And, it's cold. So fucking cold. It's like a wall, because my neighborhood was not that cold despite the season.
There's the lush green of trees and brush, beautiful pink cherry blossoms, and…
Snow. Lots of snow. Yeah, probably why it's so cold. There's snow everywhere.
It's carefully shy of the stone path. The sky is filled with a somber, grey overcast which feels almost eternal.
...On second thought, the cold isn't so bad. There's no wind to amplify it. I can warm up just by being still.
This realm is very… plain. Strangely comfortable, and very… exciting, I think. Yeah, it's exciting. It's different. It's not my neighborhood, that's for sure.
And, as a plus, it looks Japanese. Japanese culture is at least interesting.
Strange mountains and hills dot the far distances, partially caked in snow.
...When I turn back around, I see something interesting.
A gate. Beyond the gate's bars is a void of black, framing the stone stairway. The stairway itself seems to be a descent into hell.
I wonder if this is how people are actually sent to hell. By volition, that is.
...There's no getting that gate open myself. Probably. I'm not tempted to try. This gate is from an era that is not my own, which scares me. Back, vile thing.
Instead, I'll approach the oriental manor in the distance. ...I have a feeling many things will be 'oriental' considering where I am now. Perhaps I should just call it a Japanese manor, in this case.
One might say this mansion is also not from my era, but the distinction here is that it was made for me to traverse. The gate looks suitably, awkwardly paranormal and even older than the manor in question.
...I suppose for clarity I'll just say I'm joking. Regardless, I'm probably not supposed to touch the gateway to hell right now.
At the end of the stone path, there's a bridge. I cross it, over a small square stream running before the manor. The water is frozen, despite it being… forty degrees outside, I'd say. How unfortunate.
Oh, right. Farenheit, for all of you who aren't into that sort of thing.
shoof. I slide open the front door. Sliding doors exist now. I'm going to say I prefer them just because I hate the town I came from.
Ah. On the other side, someone was reaching for the door before I'd opened it.
"Wh- ah…"
She's a girl with semi-bobby, white hair that came to… somewhere around her neck. Said hair is straight, obviously; I don't think we're going to be seeing much curly hair over here in Japan.
Her outfit is green-white… but mostly green. Not sure how to describe it. And-
swish. In an instant, she seems to flick an arm out. Something cut the air.
She's drawn a small katana. I feel uneasy as I look at it- but then, somehow… good.
Better than usual. Way better than usual.
Letting out a sigh, I feel at myself. Yeah, I seem to be all in one piece. Guess she didn't actually cut me.
My inhibitions temporarily eased, words awkwardly spill from my lips. "You didn't- do that thing, where you cut me in half, did you…?"
"You're- not a spirit, huh…" The white-haired girl sighed too, relaxing. "Don't scare me like that. What are you doing here? You…" She looks me up and down, before laxing. "You're an outsider."
I guess so. "I'm an insider." This whole Gensokyo thing made me cease to give a shit, and whatever she did made me give even less of a shit.
"You're... very obviously an outsider." She retorts. "...If I'd used the wrong sword, you would have died. What are you even doing here?"
Literally beats me. "Mmh." I just hum. I don't know what to tell her.
"...I guess, um…" She doesn't seem to know what to say herself, now. "You are an outsider. I guess I should see you inside. You wouldn't know what you're doing around here, after all. Do you, um, know where you are?"
"Yes." I nod.
"...Ooh." She purses her lips, perking up. "Do you?"
"I do."
"Where are we, then?"
Uh oh. "You tell me."
Her gaze becomes unenthused. "You tell me."
"You tell me."
...Shaking her head, she smiles. "I-... I guess you don't know then."
"I can't believe you don't know where we are." I shake my head too. "We're both lost."
"Ahah…" Her unenthused gaze gained a smile. "Well. We're in Hakugyokurou."
"Gesundheit." A what now.
"Good one." She must have heard that one a million times by now. "It's the realm of the dead. You're not dead, by the way."
Huh. "Disappointing." Can't believe Yukari didn't just kill me outright.
"...Right." Pft. I like how she tried to ignore what I said. "Uuh. If we don't prepare you special provisions- it won't be good for your health to stay here for too long. This isn't exactly a realm where humans can just live."
I have nothing to really say to that. What even decides cosmic rules like these, anyway? I suppose that's the same as asking why electricity can only be translated out of kinetic energy and not just made from thin air, or directly summoned from heat without the need for steam, or something.
"In terms of afterlifes…" Oh, god, she has to go into detail. I've stepped into a shitty obscure anime. "We're not Heaven, exactly. We're not Hell, either."
"Purgatory?" I guess?
"We're not that, either." She dismissed the idea. "We're… a heaven for artists, technically. But, often, this is place is used as a middle-ground both so Gensokyo residents can, um… like, meet with their loved ones. But also for artists, yeah. Artistry can be a really broad thing, so… it can include a lot of people. As such, it's kinda… big here."
She held up a finger. "Not to say we at the manor get into any of that. Lady Yuyuko knows more about that stuff than I do. I just manage the garden, and fight on her behalf. We kinda keep to ourselves, and watch the gate."
...Smiling, she nods at the air. "I think that's a good summary. What did you think?" Huh?
"I'm confused." Hopelessly and utterly lost. I hurt myself in the confusion. "What is-... what is anything?"
She slouches. "I'm getting tired of your attitude…"
"I'm tired."
She snorts, still slouched. "Yeah, same."
She starts to move further inside. "Follow me. I'll take you to Lady Yuyuko- and she'll help decide what to do about you."
"Am I going to die?" I'm probably not, but I want to appear as confused as possible.
She pauses, looking wounded. "Um… nn- no? Why-... whatever." Shaking her head, she kept going. "Just follow me…"
Also, let it be known that this place is… not necessarily huge, but it's big.
There are three floors, but we do not travel to any of the upper levels. We stick to the halls.
Manor Hakugyokurou is wide, and has two huge buildings to either far end of it, and one large palace-like, oblong structure to the center.
However, because it's so wide, this short hall leads us surprisingly quickly to the backyard.
Back here, there's a huge stone path leading up to a colossal dead tree in the distance. Framing the massive path are a plethora of beautiful cherry blossoms, caked in snow.
I've just realized the impossibility of snowy cherry blossoms. They only bloom once in the spring, don't they?
"Oh, um…" She spots me staring at the garden. "Um. Garden." She gestures.
"Yes. It's a garden." Thank you for your overwhelming knowledge.
She nods, and keeps going. Good conversation.
We proceed around the back, having seemingly made a circle around the midsection of the manor, before coming to some remote-feeling area of the mansion…
Oh. It's a kitchen.
"Not in this one…" After looking inside, the white-haired girl shook her head. "Then- this way." She does a u-turn and goes around me.
We backtrack to that area before the garden again. I continue to stare out into the void of snow, hills, and that huge tree.
"Hey." I was quiet in the outside world, so announcing my intent to speak is kind of awkward. "Why is that huge tree dead?" I can't help but wonder, however.
The white-haired girl takes pause, and looks at it, then me. "...Oo- oh, nevermind that." She waves my inquiry off. "We, um, just haven't thought to take it down yet. Yeah."
...Well, it's none of my business as it is anyway. I get the suspicion she's lying, but I don't know her well enough to actually say that for certain.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
She continues forward, finding another hallway that cuts through the entire length of the mansion. Taking a left into it, she continues a little, and then takes another left.
"Lady Yuyuko~..." She cups a hand, and calls. "Where are you~?"
I advance into this other kitchen behind her.
Question. "The point of-... what is the point of two kitchens?"
The girl exhaled, and faced me. "...Different kinds of food. Also- this is more like a servant's quarters kitchen. The last was connected to a banquet-... dining, eating room thing." I'm sure that's the proper name for it, yes.
I shudder violently.
"Brr- rrh-" Gasping, my air leaves me, and an unbelievable chill caresses me. That must be twenty degrees- or below.
"Hello, hello~." A playful voice came through my left ear, and I froze. "Young man."
The girl takes pause, whirling around. "La- ah… Lady Yuyuko."
Softness presses firmly into my back, jolting into me. It's also overwhelmingly cold. It'd feel nice if only everything wasn't already cold.
I twist ninety-degrees. At the same time, the woman snakes around the side of my torso to face me.
Her eyes are deep, gaze immediately recognizable as aloof but gentle. Pink irises, by the way. Same as the cherry blossoms… and her hair.
Her fluffy pink hair is contained in a blue mob cap. It's… different than Yukari's, but that's not saying much. Maybe it's fluffier. Her hair, at least, is definitely shorter.
That paper triangle-with-a-red-swirl on it marks the front of her hat. Something I don't remember about ghost symbology, maybe. I've seen it before, in anime and manga media. Probably.
"You must be Matthew." Goddamn it. How awkward. "Yukarin told me all about you." Why is she so close?
"...Di- did she, now?" I'm unsure how to address her.
"Lady Yuyuko…" The girl behind me exhaled. "Why weren't you where you said…?"
"Something came up, Youmu-chan." Yuyuko gave a smile past the side of my head. "I was confronted by our good friend. She told me all about our new outsider here."
Her breath smells like… flowers. Somehow.
"...Oh. I see." Youmu's her name, it would seem. She seems resigned to her lady's whim already. "I see how this is gonna go…"
"Anyways…" Yuyuko closes her eyes, and turns around. "Come with me. We have a lot to talk about…"
Can I say how fucking frilly her dress is? Her dress is absolutely, abysmally frilly. The front has a long white seam that may as well be a huge untied present ribbon. Her blue waist sash is elaborate, and she's got a ribbon keeping her kimono together at the top, around her collar.
I'm not sure what turns through the mansion she even took me for, because we're already at the room she wanted to take us to.
It's some empty room with a kotatsu in it.
"Why is this room empty?" It looks unnatural.
Yuyuko moved to sit under it, the side opposite of where we entered. "Hmm? The room's not empty, though…"
Looks empty to me. Unless…
"He means of everything except for the kotatsu, Lady Yuyuko…" Youmu interjected to amend communications. Oh.
"Oh? Ooh." Yuyuko took pause. "Oh, I get what you mean. ...But, if we looked at any room with the same lens, we'd always ask that question, wouldn't we? And, we so often do..."
Youmu looks exasperated, as she moves for the side left of me and the entrance. "I- I don't-... think that's the point, Lady Yuyuko…"
I immediately break it down for her. "I mean very specifically why this particular room has nothing in it aside from a single furnishing: the kotatsu."
"Ooh." Yuyuko seems disarmed from whatever massive philosophy tangent she may've decided to go on had I not interjected. Just a hunch. "...Well. That's 'cause it's the kotatsu room."
Absolutely perfect.
Just like how we have the chair room in my house. No TV, no windows, no tables. Then, we also have the opposing table room, with no chairs. Just tables. Chair room, table room.
...If I was being more fair, this 'kotatsu room' could be equivocated to a single room with just a random table-chair station in it. Similarly pointless, similarly baffling.
"When you have this big of a mansion, and only live in some of it, filling in every room is, uhm… not easy," Youmu illuminates the situation. "... But, when we have guests, or parties, these rooms come in really handy. Nothing gets broken, stolen, or misplaced. Aside from the one kotatsu, maybe."
...Okay, it's all starting to make more sense.
"But, these spots also make good hang-outs… or picnic places." Yuyuko slouched, such that her breasts would sink into the kotatsu top. "Myself, I love how big the mansion is…"
"Mnm." Youmu seemed neutral, simply humming to the idea.
...This kotatsu blanket has a similar design to Yuyuko's dress.
"So…" Yuyuko clapped her hands together. Those sleeves are unnecessarily long. "The reason why you're here!"
"I'm going to be killed." I'm a real shitter today, for some reason.
...Yuyuko blinks innocently, before smiling incredulously. "That's- a little rude, don't you think…?"
"I think he's just out of sorts." Youmu, for some reason, has become a bastion of observation compared to her lady Yuyuko here. "He's not really thinking that hard. He's just being facetious."
Yuyuko sank further into the kotatsu, somehow. "Oh, phooie." Who the hell even says that. "I know, Youmu~. If there's anyone who'd know that, it'd be me…"
"Oh. So, you wanted to toy with him." Youmu monotoned.
Yuyuko pouted. "You're ruining my evil scheme. Youmu, gimme- get us some tea. I can't have you poking holes in my great super masterplot."
Youmu snorts. "Heh. Alright..."
Gently, she raises, and starts padding out of the room. Why is she only in socks? Wait, Japan. Right.
shoof. The sliding door into the room shuts, as Youmu departs from us.
Yuyuko sighs. "She gets so much more perceptive and sassy, when she's on-guard 'cause of strangers. Or, maybe she's just feeling weird today. I don't know~..."
...With that, we become quiet. I don't decide to say anything. Just kind of sitting here.
Yuyuko stares at me, and soon finds a gentle smile. It naturally fits her face, really.
"I know today's kinda grey…" Yuyuko spoke. "But…"
Reminds me. Why doesn't this room have lights? None of the manor does. The ambient grey from outside hardly helps. Things are barely illuminated by the dimness that emanates from the sky outside.
"Why are you so troubled?" Yuyuko wondered.
Hmm. "Am I?"
"You are." Yuyuko nodded.
Cool. "And?"
Yuyuko smiled. "Well… often, when I invite outsiders here, I like to talk with them about their lives. Their woes, their dreams, their fears, even little problems."
"It's a little selfish of me, kinda. But people like to talk about themselves too." Yuyuko figured. "So I think it all evens out!"
"...I mean… there's not much for me to talk about." I suppose. Not anything I think that would be worth it. I don't have a big huge tragic backstory.
"Tell me about it anyway." Yuyuko requests. "Even if you think it'll come out awkwardly. I'll try not to judge."
Hmmh. Is it… really worth thinking about?
"Well…" I sigh. "I guess life's just boring. My parents aren't interesting. Not exactly... nice, either."
"Ooh." Yuyuko tilted her head back. "It's not… you know, physical, right?"
I snort. "Pfh. No." Like I'd put up with that shit.
"That's good…" Yuyuko nods. "I do often hear that life's really… just not stimulating, on the outside. And, I can kinda get where it comes from."
She gazes around the room for a moment, before returning her eyes to me. "I can't help but think that a lot of people on the outside feel like ants. So much of life just revolves around getting up, going to work, and… repeating that. Until they die."
"I have to admit," Yuyuko closed her eyes. "I'd never be brave enough, to suffer through such a life. I'd rather die young." ...Then, she beamed, and gave me a wink. "So I did!"
...I'm not sure how to respond.
"To be fair… I probably feel like that 'cause I've had a lot longer to be disappointed at the outside, than any human has had time to live," Yuyuko reasoned. "Ignorance is bliss."
Can't really argue. "Does seem that way."
The retarded often forget what made them angry the previous day. They'll continue to get pissed at the same thing over and over again, but they'll never learn how to avoid it. In that sense, they always live in the moment, with no regrets. It's like they never got slighted by their mistake in the first place, even if it's happened hundreds of times.
Not sure if that life's better or worse. I like being aware that I exist. I also like to remember things; it helps me more often than not.
Yuyuko shapes up, sitting up. She gives me a flatter, softer look. "You've been raised very… artificially. It's something I've seen in outsiders I've met out of curiosity... but never has it been so prevalent."
...What does she mean? How would she deduce something like that?
"Am I wrong?" Yuyuko actually asks for confirmation.
Strange. I have to ask, "are you just guessing?"
I'm not going to drop all my cards just yet. She's not totally wrong; I've spent most of my life on my computer, and my family and locale is… less than desirable. Not abusive, but detestable at worst, and negligent at best.
"I can read it in your soul." Yuyuko retorts. "Your demeanor. Posture. Expression. Everything about you exudes qualities of people I've met before, in different strokes."
My soul? ...Considering this is some kind of afterlife, perhaps that sort of thing is possible after all.
"A person is a canvas, and though as canvases they are all typically unique… they can quite easily be painted on, and over."
She held up a hand. Within the hand, a pink, ethereal butterfly formed, catching my eye. "Life is fleeting. I can tell when someone hasn't lived. I wanna know about why you haven't."
...I've lived more than you'd think. I don't know if she knows about technology. Probably not.
I have 'lived less' than any of my ancestors, but simultaneously have more knowledge, entertainment, and porn at my disposal than any of them combined.
But I can't talk about that. No. First rule of fight club: don't talk about fight club.
It's ironic. I've probably seen porn of her before while idly browsing.
But, also, telling anyone who doesn't know about technology about technology is a heavy-handed exchange that I don't really have the energy for.
"I lived enough." I think that's a good answer. "Maybe I'd have lived more if my parents weren't retarded."
Yuyuko pursed her lips. "Hmm~..."
"Do you know about computers?" I suggest the idea to her in passing. Perhaps her intuition is sharp enough to pick up.
"Aah." She does. "I see. Because the life around you is so boring- you stow away in a computer!"
Whelp, we did it. Backstory solved. We can go home now.
"Y'see, it's kind of hard to tell by soul- when someone's done a lot of computer browsing." Yuyuko amended. "At least, for me. Computers are a very recent, unnatural technology…"
Fair, I guess. This soul shit sounds vague enough to be random guessing anyway.
That's great and all, but also... "Why am I here again?" Aside from the fact I happened to be dropped off here.
"Oh." Yuyuko takes pause. "Well… it's so I can learn more about the outside! Basically. And, I like asking lots of people about it. Yukarin pro'lly had her own reasons for humoring your visit, too. But, I don't know anything about that."
I see.
"...Is there anything to do?" Looking at the visuals is going to be nice… but no matter how pretty the environment is, I'm going to go insane if there isn't anything to do.
"We got books, in all languages." Yuyuko asserted. Huh. "Crafts stations, instruments… board games. And, me and Youmu are here most of the time. Well, in my case, almost all of the time."
Hmh. More to do here than I thought. Although, will it keep me entertained?
...Probably not, let's be honest. It's safer to assume that it probably won't.
Well. That's nice.
Shoof. That's when Youmu arrives with the tea.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
We don't talk much over the tea. It tastes pretty good, though. Sweet, just like I like… everything. I like my sweets.
"Hey, Matthew!" Yuyuko is too sweet, however. "Do you have tea in America…?"
"No." Youmu answers outright. Pfht. That's- actually incorrect, but it's also almost correct as far as most people are concerned…
"No, but actually yes." I decide, through memes. "We have it. Everyone just drinks bottled fake tea instead."
Yuyuko looks wounded. "Oo-... oo- oh…" She somehow looks ten times as somber as when she was trying to grill me about the outside earlier.
Youmu sighed. "Lady Yuyuko- every time you invite an outsider here to have a chat, you just end up getting depressed. I don't think we need this much confirmation that the outside world's… well, the outside world."
Yuyuko held her sleeve up to her own lips. "You were gonna say something else…?"
Youmu seems disarmed, for a second. "...Uu- um. Well, I was gonna say, 'it didn't age well', but then I thought about it. It kinda always sucked, didn't it…? The outside."
...Yuyuko nodded. "I think so!" You think?
"It always sucked." I confirm. It sucks. Life sucks. It has good parts, though. It's not so much depressing, as it's just really annoying and full of stupid shit.
Not sure if this is one of the good things or not. It's a highlight of some kind, but I'm not sure what. It's at least exciting.
You know what? This might be what I wanted after all. It's at least different. It's really exciting, actually.
"Well, the point's not entirely for me to learn what I already knew." Yuyuko wagged a finger at Youmu. "If I'm guessing correctly… Matthew here just internalized the dissonance between where he is, and where he came from." Oh. Wait- "An important thing to better internalize. He's only been here an hour or two…"
Youmu tilted her head back. "That's, uh, right… sor- um, sorry for my attitude today, Lady Yuyuko. I'm just… tired."
"It is a real sleepy day…" Yuyuko stared at the air, looking wistful. "I've felt out of sorts, as well. The atmosphere's really rainy, but it's not raining. It's good energy, but… it's got me feeling cynical. You know?"
"The grey's thicker than usual." Youmu nodded in agreement. "...Well. I'm sure it'll pass." She looked at my expression, as I just kind of watched them blankly. "Um…"
Clearing her throat, she sits up to address me. "Not that, you know, grey is uncommon here or anything, but sometimes it's brighter. Not as… dark, I guess."
Yuyuko suddenly smiles wider. "You're cute when you're sassy, Youmu."
"I'm not- cute." Youmu almost certainly intentionally becomes cuter in order to gaslight me. That's clearly what's happening. "I'm rude."
"Rude can be cute!" Yuyuko beamed. "The icy Lady Konpaku, stood tall atop her mountain perch. That's when the love of her life stepped up."
"Oh, gods." Youmu's forehead slowly met the kotatsu top. Kotatsus are nice. "Nngh."
"Lady Konpaku, her intelligent eyes like a blade's frosted edge, twisted to leer at him. She saw the katana around his waist. He came to challenge her, and she couldn't deny a challenge.
"Hand on the hilt of her blade, she narrowed her eyes. The fair-haired man was blushing, as he kept his gaze level with hers. Though so scrawny, so feeble, so mediocre, and so unassuming…
"Lady Konpaku found her heart aflutter.
"And so, with a sneer, and a few blinks amidst her icy glare, she asked:
"Do you want me to step on you?"
"Please die again." Youmu had heard enough.
"Efu- fufufu~!" Yuyuko became bubbly. "...I- I admit, it needs a little work, but I think that could be really good!"
"It's cheesy!" Youmu barked back. "It's stupid!"
Oh. So that's what that sounds like vocalized, and not over text. 'Fufufu', I mean. The F sounds are more like Hs, but seeing it typed or written as 'huhuhu' would look retarded. That, and the mouth articulations you'd use to say 'fufufu' are about correct.
It's a very jovial, womanly expression. I can't help but wonder if it's literally always intentional, or if it actually comes naturally to them.
Yuyuko becomes smug. That's actually dangerous. "Truth… is stranger than fiction, dear Youmu. And, if you ask me, there's something endearingly whole and powerful about sudden love. It's so certain, so simple. Though it may have room for error, I mean… everyone should try to love. No matter what."
...Yuyuko meets my gaze, and sits up, all excited. "You too! Even if one of us won't take you, you'll find your one! Don't give up!" When the hell did this happen? How did we get here?
"Lady Yuyuko- stop it…!" Youmu gave her an intense grin. "You're embarrassing us…!"
"Don't go into the light!" Yuyuko holds a hand out to me. Then, she becomes smug again, and starts singing. "She was, bli~nded by tha' light. Rev- up like ah deuce, anotha' runna' in tha' night." Um.
I think some kind of translation magic is at work, because when she started singing that stupid song that's been on the radio for ten thousand years, her English became really, really broken.
Yuyuko shook her head. "Anyway! I'm doing a bad job at capturing what I'm trying to capture. But… like, let's just say, anyone would love, to be unconditionally loved. Uu- unless it was by a stalker. People love to be loved and love in return, I mean!"
...Youmu seems to have mellowed out. "So, when I was gone, what'd you guys talk about? Personal stuff?"
"I tried to interview him about his life's story." Yuyuko reaffirmed her smile. "It just wasn't a very long one. I thought there'd have to be more foreplay, 'cause he was skittish at first." Wait- huh.
Youmu nods. "I'm- gonna pretend you didn't say that." Pft.
Yuyuko shrugs, and has a big sheepish smile. "...Hey, in fairness, I don't get to talk to a lot of dudes these days. My mind's in the gutter. Do- don't look at me like that…!" Youmu's getting progressively more disappointed.
thump. Yuyuko flops onto the kotatsu, out of energy. "I don't wanna get up…"
Youmu closed her eyes. "You're a ghost, Lady Yuyuko."
"Ghosts can be lazy, too."
"...I guess."
...We take in the dark grey of the day. It's quite grey. Observation: one hundred.
"We got a special room, for you." Yuyuko speaks more levelly to me specifically, half-lodged into the kotatsu. "It'll keep you from turning into a ghost." What if I want to turn into a ghost? "It's low-capacity, so it'll work for you. Unfortunately, it has to be empty of all but a really plain futon."
Very weird, but whatever. At least it won't be in the sunlight dimension, or anything absurdly retarded to sleep in. I don't know who- or what- makes the rules, so that kind of thing could very well just be reality.
"Uuh…" Yuyuko scratches at the back of her pink hair. "Oh… yeah- Yukarin told me about your stay. It's as long as you want it to be, but also as long as we want it to be."
So you can keep me here forever, or kick me out instantly because I'm annoying. Seems legit.
"There's not too many rules other than that. You're still an outsider, so if you get lost and someone tries to gobble you up, unless we end up really caring about you, you're kinda in trouble…"
Then, Yuyuko looks pensive. "But that feels kinda bad. I don't want you to die. Although, if you did, you could come live with us!"
Youmu looks dead. "Don't encourage suicide, my lady…"
Yuyuko purses her lips, blinking. "...Um? Ooh. Yeah- don't do that! It's bad!"
This is under the assumption that dying just to go here would be a good idea, and that you're both that attractive. Which, well… it'd be dumb to say they weren't. Especially Yuyuko. I don't think I consider looks to die for.
...Considering the outside, however? Yes, that's exactly what people would do. I'm not that retarded, however. Be it fortunately or unfortunately so.
"Maybe we'll have you help Youmu with the chores…" Yuyuko considered. "I mean, it is something to do, isn't it? Do the laundry, clean the cats, wash the lawn, shop for groceries… work on the siding. Shop for groceries..." She said shop for groceries twice.
"Speaking of shopping…" Youmu's brain matter was rustled, and she brought a hand to her own chin.
Yuyuko points at me, smiling dangerously. "And from now on, you're my boyfriend."
...I don't register what she said until a couple seconds later. "What."
"Joki~ng." Merrily, Yuyuko waved a hand at me. "Just checking if you were paying attention."
I'm going to make you dead: the sequel.
"Haa~h." Youmu just sighs. "Lady Yuyuko~..."
Cue Seinfeld theme. Fade to black.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
"Are you cold?"
I shiver. "No."
Yuyuko has her lips pursed, as she now sits with her arms propped behind herself, head leaned back. Her eyes centered on me, for some reason.
It- feels like I've just been getting colder. Do I have a fever? It would be a supremely suboptimal time if I did, but also totally believable.
"You should scoot under the kotatsu more…" Yuyuko insisted. "You're hardly under it. Aa- are you under it at all…?"
Not really, no. It felt awkward. You're also under it. As is Youmu. Is there even much room under there, anymore?
"No." Youmu snitches, revealing that I am not under it, since she can just lean and check.
"That's no good." Yuyuko pats the kotatsu. "Get under the blanke~t. It won't bite…"
"...Do I have to?" I express that I'd rather not.
Yuyuko beams at me. Youmu looks as stand-offish as usual.
Whatever. There is a lot of blanket here. Feels awkward in my shoes. Hmmh. Probably one of the many reasons the Japanese prefer socks over shoes indoors.
Somehow, it's really warm, even though Yuyuko emits cold ghost energy. I guess it's all Youmu, then.
Yuyuko still smiled easily. "I don't take up much room in a pinch. Perks of being a ghost. Oh..." She took pause. "Did I tell you I was a ghost, yet…?"
"I think he figured it out…" Youmu deduced.
"Oh." Yuyuko blinks idly at the kotatsu. "I guess he would have… I did hug him and everything."
It didn't feel like being touched by a human, no. Also, sometimes you let your arms just fall through the kotatsu. The first guess was that you were a ghost. ...The fact you actually are a ghost is mildly surprising, actually.
"Oh! That's kind of interesting, actually…!" Yuyuko says this in response to literally fucknothing. "Matthew!"
Let me stop you right there. "It's Matt."
...Yuyuko gives me a stink-eye. "Ooh, you whippersnapper." There's… something surreal about her that I can't place. It's not the gently pink hair either. "Anyways- I wanted to ask you about something."
Huh. When I say nothing, she continues. "Have you ever seen a ghost before?"
Pre-programmed visual novel answer one: "I didn't think they existed. I guess they do."
...Silence. Very interesting line of discussion, Yuyuko.
What's Youmu been doing, anyway? ...Oh.
Next to me, Youmu polishes her sword, very deliberately, broadly stroking one face of the blade with a clean-looking, mint-colored cloth.
"Isn't it interesting?" Yuyuko really wants to grab my goat, here.
"I guess."
She pouts. "Whaddaya mean, you guess? Nnn… you outsiders're all so jaded. I oughta start asking Yukari to fetch me younger guys..." That's a very interesting way of putting that.
Hold on. "Why guys?" I can't help but wonder.
Youmu snorts, looking up from her blade-washing activity.
"Well… I mean…" Yuyuko had a huge smile. "Youmu, um-"
"Don't you go dragging me into this." Youmu began to grin back. "I told you, it'd probably be a good idea to get, like... women from the outside too, and not just young guys. Me- men, I mean. Young men."
"But young guys are the funnest." Yuyuko exudes a strange energy. "I've met so many girls from Gensokyo already."
"I know you're trying to learn more about the living again in general, but…" Youmu slowly worked up a very strange looking smile, "maybe you could be less biased about your sa- samples? Besides, if you really wanted to go around teasing men, the Human Village would probably be a more reliable place to do it…"
"I- I don't wanna just be a weirdo!" Yuyuko beamed back at her. "I just wanna talk with people…! Real talks! The flirting on the side's just fun."
"But-..." Youmu looks so lost.
"Ooh, you." Yuyuko shook her head. "Some day, Youmu. You too will learn the joys of teasing."
...Her calm snapping, Youmu shook her head twice and pointed at her, beaming awkwardly. "Stop trying to find me dates! Especially stop trying to find me ones that're your type…!"
Unfazed by the outburst, Yuyuko folded her arms, accenting her breasts by inadvertently holding them. "I mean… I think a good guy's a good guy, if you know what I'm saying. I think I'm a good judge of character…" You think?
"There! That's the problem…" Youmu held a hand out towards her. "You're acting like you're gonna date him. Nn- not him, the- the theoretical him." She gestures to me. Good.
Innocently, Yuyuko shifted her shoulders around, brows curling up. "Well, maybe if the right guy came along, mmnn…" What was that aroused hum.
Youmu palmed her own forehead, leaning into the kotatsu. "Lady Yuyuko-... I- I don't think you can just-"
Yuyuko snapped her fingers. "I can if he's a dead guy!"
...Still partially facepalming, Youmu just gives her a stare. Yuyuko slowly shies back from the sheer presence Youmu exudes.
"Eheheh…" Yuyuko held her hands up. "Sorry~. Yeah, things- can get complicated… on account of being dead and all..."
"You need to control your inhibitions… La- Lady Yuyuko." Youmu seemed somewhat awkward saying 'lady' before her name all the time. "I can get coming to grips with the humanity you've slowly forgotten over the years, and I get… lu- lust- and romance… are a part of it, but… can't you save that for your wr- writing, or- so- something?"
Yuyuko looks absolutely adoring, in a mildly condescending way, somehow. "...It doesn't have to be so scary, Youmu-chan. I may be a lady, but I like to live. No one said we had to be really perverted, either. I don't know what exactly you were thinking."
Youmu looks dead and done. Yuyuko's smug slowly gives way to general mirth.
"Well…" Yuyuko leaned back onto her hands again. "You do remind me. Your mentor's said similar things to me, before…"
Youmu smiled. "Yeah. I think you've said that at least sixty times. I think I agreed with him every time, too."
thump. Yuyuko flops onto her back. "You're mean, Youmu…"
"I'm not being mean. I'm just being… sane."
"So mean…"
...Well. That happened.
The shoji walls are hard to make out. It's so grey. The only luminescence comes from the ghost apparition that hangs close to Youmu, and their eyes. Yuyuko's pink eyes glow in the dim, as does Youmu's green eyes.
Youmu gives me a smile. "...Lady Yuyuko's kind of a handful, but she's a nice person. She's not always this awkward. You're one of the lucky ones, actually. She's given people massages and taken them on dates before. Her teasing's endless, if you let it be."
Then, Youmu let her eyes drift shut for a moment. "I would know."
This situation intimidates me, and therefore I have no opinion.
"Boohoo~." Yuyuko monotoned from the floor in response.
...Youmu gains a sort of peaceful look. "Anyway, um…"
I feel like I've stepped into the first episode of a really shitty harem anime. Not that I'm complaining. Cheesy romance anime existence is ten hundred times as forgiving as real life.
Only weird thing is how very dark this Hakugyokurou is. Can't see shit, captain.
"Do we have any actual lights?" I can't help but wonder.
"Yea~h…" Yuyuko drawled from the floor. "I just- thought it would look nice all dark, today…"
This Yuyuko chick's also marginally insane.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
The kitchen is flooded by clean light from white candles, almost scarily reminiscent of fluorescents.
Likely for clarity. Youmu retrieves a bowl from one of the cabinets, and starts hunting around for some form of snack to fill it with.
Yuyuko wanted snackage. I went with Youmu to save myself the mildly molesty one-on-one with Yuyuko that would inevitably result in her absence.
"Ah." Youmu finds the rice crackers quite plainly. "...Alright."
Fwiish. She fills the bowl, spilling some rice crackers in from a larger bag. Modern chip bags…? Must be from Yukari. "Now, for... more tea."
The tea's the real deal, however. She begins the procedure of heating back up the large pot she'd previously boiled, and sets aside some of the needed ingredients. Namely, the tea bags.
...Idly, Youmu gives me a look as she adjusts the tea bags. "...This- must all feel really awkward for you, right?"
"Nn... yes." Not only am I somewhere new, and my entire perception of reality altered, but Yuyuko is… strange.
Now that I'm not predisposed to being annoyed by how airheaded Yuyuko seems, I'm… not sure how to feel about her existence. Perhaps I was just uncomfortable about being confronted.
"Well. It's alright." Youmu gave me a big smile. "Lady Yuyuko is just… in need of a few things. You see… she's over a thousand years of age now, on the human spectrum. She's long since lost touch of the woman she used to be. And, with her passion for art and literature… she'd like to retain certain qualities."
"Namely, the human element." Youmu could manage the tea as she gave me a lecture on things I don't care about. "When it's just… me and her, and her previous retainers, she kind of… forgets things. Interacting with regular society. Reading certain books. Seeing certain sights. Being ageless yet cognizant is, really… kind of a curse.
"Other spirits here in Hakugyokurou exist isolated in their preferred dream or fantasy. Lady Yuyuko can't be left to dream like that."
"...How does that work?" It sounds like stupid symbolic bullshit. "Do they live in a town?"
Youmu shook her head. "No way. Well, if some dream of towns, then maybe. But no. Everyone lives- be it with the spirits of loved family or alone- in a small pocket-realm of, um… I don't know, bliss? Happiness? Satisfaction? Being here, they're not quite enlightened, but Hakugyokurou is quite spacious…"
"Enlightened?" It just keeps going…
Youmu smiled awkwardly, recognizing my… lack of following. "Um. It's complicated. But, an enlightened spirit will return to the cycle of reincarnation."
That's actually a thing too? "Reincarnation?"
...Youmu gave me a tired look. "I… don't know enough about the overarching stuff to tell you. But, that's all I need to know."
She placed a hand on the hilt of one of her sheathed swords. "...The Hakurouken can enlighten any spirit. In combat with spirits, it's basically cheating. To cleave a spirit with this blade, I end their wandering, and return them to the cycle."
Oh. That's the sword for death number two, then. "...The other sword?" I like swords.
Youmu smirked.
Shing. She drew it, and showed me the glimmering steel. "This… is the Roukanken. Forged by youkai, that which it can cut- cannot cut is noth- next to nothing." Nice flub. "Wait-... ye- yeah, that works either way..."
Ah. That's the sword for death number one. She can kill you instantly, then instantly kill your ghost. That's not broken or overpowered at all.
"...I- I'm really proud of it." She seems to realize how weird she's being, putting in so much effort to show me the blade. Sheathing it, she gives me a nod. "It's been in my family for generations."
My family owns a shitty house they bought for stupid reasons. We have nothing sacred to us. I'm pretty sure no one in my state could even take a ring heirloom seriously, let alone anything important.
"Good." I have nothing to say about Youmu's situation, however. What do I say? Cool sword?
...Ignoring my lack of comment, Youmu goes to finish the tea-brewing procedure.
Those fluorescent candles are weird.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
Yuyuko looked peaceful. In the table's midst, the basket-woven bowl of rice crackers sat, and we all had more tea.
"Didn't you have a shopping trip today…?" Yuyuko pursed her lips, facing Youmu.
"Which I was about to go on, when I ran into our new friend." Youmu met my gaze. "So…"
"Oh. Oops." Yuyuko snorted. "Well…" Then, she looks at me. "Matthew. Would you-"
"Matt." I think you have marshmallows in your brain.
"Would you like to spend time with me?" She smiled harder. "Or Youmu?"
Considering you're going to be all over me at some point, and I'd like to not get trapped in your web of strangeness just yet… "Youmu."
"Ooh. The icy, lovely ghost gardener." Yuyuko held a sleeve over her lips. "She's young and vital. Cold and calculating… but I can tell you, at heart, she's serenely soft."
...Youmu looks encumbered.
Also- I just realized. Yuyuko's dialect is peculiar because she's fuckin' old. One thousand years old.
Yeah. Things are complicated for her indeed. I'm not even a tenth of her age. I'm also not dead. I'm also not an artist. Also, I'll probably die way before her. If that even matters, considering where we are. Is programming art? Who makes the rules? I'd like to speak to their manager.
"Um…" Youmu came up to me as I moved to stand, and spoke. "There's outside-styled water bottles in a fridge… across the manor. I can lead you there. We have a room specifically dedicated to modern amenities."
How… weird? Not complaining.
"I'm gonna haunt you until you go~." Yuyuko gets up, and takes the rice crackers with her. "I'm spooky~..."
Youmu cast her eyes at the ceiling for a moment, smiled, then beckoned me with her arms, moving across the 'kotatsu room'.
We leave promptly, and begin the shuffle across the mansion.
I'm still in my shoes. Surprised no one asked me to take them off, but I guess we'll be hitting the road soon anyway.
"Anyhow…" Yuyuko instills a sense of foreboding in me. "Matthew…"
She's gonna keep talking anyway, so I don't say anything.
"What can we do, to get you to open up? To be comfortable?" Where's this coming from?
She snakes up to my left side, and her face is right there. "You're tense. Is it 'cause of my questioning earlier? ...Is it me?"
Stop talking into my ear. And-
Yuyuko hugs me from behind, slowing my progress. "You can trust me. Really." The basket of rice crackers drifts in the air beside us. That's- really fucking surreal.
"Words spoken- like someone who is quite trustworthy." I comment on the irony.
Yuyuko snakes her head around my right side, and-
"Fuu." She blows into my ear. My eyes screw up a little.
"St- stop that." If you wanna make me tense, it's fuckin' working.
"Was it something at school? There's school in America, right?" What the fuck is this line of questioning?
Youmu snorts ahead of us. "Ye- yes, Lady Yuyuko, there is."
I feel like I'm trapped in a cartoon.
"I- can't walk." You're trapping me.
"Oop. Sorry~." Yuyuko releases me some, but keeps an arm around my shoulder. "Drink beer?"
Huh? Oh… "No."
"Hu~h?" Yuyuko was surprised. "You should give it a try!"
"Lady Yuyuko~..." Youmu looked back at us. "You sound like a hostess right now. Also- don't- encourage people to drink! It's his decision…!"
"I am the manor's princess…" Yuyuko's expression is very… deliberately soft. "Is it that different? I host."
"No you don't. I host." Youmu counters very boldly. "Wait-"
"Oh!" Yuyuko beams. "Would you like to take Matthew's arm? Whisper in his ears?"
Stopping, Youmu pivoted around.
"Not that kind of host! Not every house host is a hostess!" Youmu's face is growing redder. "Aa- and, a hostess usually has the implication of being a-... you know." She felt at the back of her own neck. "That's- too weird."
Carefree. That's probably how I'd describe Yuyuko's expression. "You know I'm just having fun."
Yuyuko starts to lead- pulling me along with her arm. "One day, Youmu. You'll find a guy you like, and I'm gonna be surprised outta my mind. You'll be doing what I'm doing, except it won't be just for funsies."
"Nngh…" Youmu takes physical damage. "I- I don't think… I'd be so shameless."
We're eventually led into the room.
Yuyuko doesn't let go of me as I idly move for the fridge. This feels… unprecedented. She also fulfills the trope of shoving my left arm between her breasts.
This room has lamps, a fridge, a conventional kitchen countertop, a TV, and… a kotatsu, appropriately. A radio is sat upon it. Like anyone uses those.
"Water's, um, yeah." Youmu eyes the fridge. I think I know what a fridge is.
Ah, yes, the device from 2015 AD. Little did they know, I am from 3015 AD. What is this prehistoric bullshit? We use cryofreezing technology on our food now.
Yuyuko's probably just trying to make sure the fridge does not leap out and kill me spontaneously, as is known to happen in 3015 AD.
Why is the counter beside the fridge so cluttered? Knives, boxes, disorganized plates and napkins just kinda sit there. I think it's all just stored here.
I eye the metal scissors around the fridge's corner.
"Fuu… fu." Stop blowing air into my ears goddamn- "Fufufu!" She giggles at my cringing.
"Why…?" Why do you do this?
"I don't know~."
shoof. I open the fridge. Ah. They have other nice things, like juice and milk. Somehow.
Hold on. Wait… if the bacteria in the milk die, do they-... where do they go? Where's bacteria go? What the fuck.
"Does it make you uncomfortable?" She speaks quietly into my ear. "Am I too close?"
...Yes.
I take the steel scissors beside the fridge.
whish. In a single motion, I hook it backhand into Yuyuko's funbags. As expected, the steel and my hand just phase straight through.
She doesn't react at all, at first. Then, she smiles. "Hehehe. Not really an answer, but…" She looked down at her breasts which I'd attempted to attack. Then, her pink eyes leer up at me. "Something bothering you?"
Youmu exhales. "I think action is an answer…"
"That's right. It is." Yuyuko gives me a deep smirk. Then, she closes in on me.
shoof. I close the fridge, and look her in her luminescent eyes. My breath holds itself inadvertently…
"Boop." Yuyuko pokes me on the nose.
"Please don't make him scared." Youmu, you underestimate me. You have not seen my final form. "These outsider visits always go weird, one way or another…"
"Humans are weird." Yuyuko distances herself from me, moving into the room's midst, all cheeky and cheery. "I was once human. I would know."
Yuyuko pans to me, and reaffirms her smile. "Well… I look forward to your stay. When you get back, we should play, um…" She purses her lips. "Othello." What in the fuck is an Othello.
"Yeah, whatever." Something to do.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
Rain. Fierce rain.
A grey fog like in the video Brad took on his shitty 3DS flowed over the land. I'd say it rolled, but I wasn't here when it began.
That, and it's not heavy fog, not over here at least.
I'm… not sure how we got to the village. Youmu had taken me to the front gate of Hakugyokurou, and when we stepped through it onto the stairs down, we were… down here. Inside the village already at that.
"This…" Speaking over the rainfall, Youmu gestures to the open village roads. "This is the Human Village."
Each house was stout, of low quality. The sky was full and visible because of it… and the town itself, very exposed to the elements.
Instantly, I feel even rawer than in the sheer cold of Hakugyokurou. Wind, albeit gentle, pierced my shitty red shirt and khaki shorts.
"Be careful." Youmu's voice is firm. "Not just 'cause it's raining. This village… it's not what I've heard it used to be. Try not to lose me, okay?"
How… eerie. People live here? Well… of course they do, actually.
There's actually a large amount of people on this road. Especially by my town's standards… which is 'zero people, at all, ever'. This town seems to have at least a hundred people out and about at any given time, likely more.
And that's my first guess from seeing it for ten seconds. In reality, there may even be more. Or less. We'll see.
"We're gonna head to the market in the square." Youmu basically confirms that we're not even in the center of town. If this isn't the square… "Ahead." Ah. She points.
Oh. It's right there? It's up the road. There's even more people there. Almost everyone has umbrellas.
...Why do we not have umbrellas?
fwoof. Oh. Spoke too soon. Youmu does. I… well, didn't think to bring one to Gensokyo.
Youmu gives me a plain look. "...Co- come on, get under."
If you insist.
There's something refreshing about the rain's striking sheets. But I'm also not retarded enough to just stand around in it. It does that thing, where the wind's so fierce that sheer wetness is projected from the floor and air and seeps into your being through it.
Absolutely wet, raw, and grey. Almost makes Hakugyokurou's azure-cast snow feel like a fireplace.
"Um…" Youmu seems awkward, mostly due to the rain's intensity. "Yeah…" Nice speech.
I assume we're going shopping. At least, that was the intent going in. Maybe we'll just hold our mouths open and drown instead.
Ahead, at the town square, there's even more people just there. Despite the rain, everyone is here to buy and sell. It's really something.
"Um…" Smiling strangely, Youmu looks around. For some reason, her floating marshmallow seems hidden for now. "Hmh." She seems to be giving the umbrella a frustrated look.
After about five minutes of slowly walking, we reach the midst of the town's square.
"Um." Youmu looks at me. "If you don't mind getting a little wet… you could go look for things you like. You don't have to stick to me if you don't want to. I have enough yen for a couple snacks."
...Good point.
"I say this- 'cause some outsiders get really clingy. It's like they've never gone to stores on their own before. It's really weird." Youmu shook her head. "Not to say that you're them, but…"
"I shall now go toss myself into the nearest ravine." Having to raise my volume because of the rain is slightly awkward.
"Um…" Youmu gives me a clueless smile. "You do that?"
An anime girl has told me to go kill myself. Shameful display.
I decide to run from the battlefield. By that, I mean I start browsing some stalls of my own volition.
It's fucking cold and this sheeting rain isn't making it any easier, but…
Ah. The villagers are not completely retarded, it would seem. Some vendors have established awnings before their goods. Awkward, yet practical.
I crowd under one of the stalls with like, eight other people. Wonder if I'm going to spread disease inadvertently and kill this entire village by accident. ...Considering how Youmu regards outsiders, if that could've happened, it would've happened by now.
As such, I'm huddled under a cheap awning with eight other people.
"Mmh…" There'd a red-haired man here with one arm. Why, though.
"Uuh…" Apparently, the one being served right now is a brown-haired kid. Short brown hair. "Um-... oh, no…" He's feeling himself, apparently missing something. "Oh, dang it… I have to have- nnh…"
There's a very tall, very loud man here too. "Get a- fucking- move o~n!" Holy shit.
"Geeheehee~!" The 'boy', maybe a young man, leapt onto one leg, apprehensive.
"Oi, Yoroi, calm the fuck down, yea?" The red-haired guy practically muttered. "Gonna have a bloody heart attack."
...The grey-haired tall guy sneered at him. "Fuckin'..."
Some woman sighed. She was in quite plain brown clothing, and had long-ish brown hair.
...When she caught me sizing her up, she gave me a tired smile. "These people…" Compared to them, she seems like literally just some somebody.
I wonder. Youmu gave me a comment about not wandering off.
Maybe I should wander off. These stores are... interesting, but getting a scope for this place might be nice. Considering they know Yukari, they should just be able to find me.
Panning my gaze around, I see Youmu over trying to attend some different stall.
Yeah, whatever. Let's get our bearings of this village.
I part from the crowd.
In order to keep myself protected from the wind and rain, I default to the seemingly bare alleys beside the roads. Or-... hmm.
Actually, they're not so lonely. Some people stand idly down some of them, although each alley near the town's heart seems both… not expansive, but long. You can see almost three buildings down from most alleys.
"This rain…" Some people speak idly, as I progress down the alleys.
"Just achin' 'bout it ain't gonna do anything."
"What'm I supposed to do, hmm? Talk to the sky gods?"
"What, the Moriya? Well, if their shrine maiden happens by…"
"Pft. As if that'd do anything. The Moriya scam you."
"Do they really…?"
I'm not interested enough to keep eavesdropping, so I just meander by them.
Despite the town being extremely more packed than the one I came from, it's… a lot safer, somehow. While I could just be jumped in these very incorrect-feeling alleys… there's also enough people to reassure me that there is at least life around a short sprint from wherever I choose to go.
Comparatively, my neighborhood had no life to speak of anywhere except for whoever you talked with. A very one-on-one endeavor that was usually stacked against you, because you were likely talking to a crack addict or a retard.
...Again, I exaggerate slightly, but it wasn't good.
I'm not getting stopped for 'trespassing' in any particular alley, so that's good. ...The tradeoff seems to be that none of these houses have lawns to speak of. I'd imagine actually defending your property is quite awful.
There backroads houses… all look like shit.
No, it's not just the grey lighting. They look like shit. Thin walls, obviously not insulated in any way I know of. It seems as if these wood walls are the same material both inside-and-out, as in, there's nothing between the house's exterior and interior in terms of walling. It's just… wood. Cabin-tier construction.
It all feels more temporary than permanent. What the fuck is with all of these shanties?
Taking pause, I see some blue-haired obviously-a-cat-man squated near some trash. I idly meander up to him.
On second thought, he's doing something. Let's maybe not bother him-
"Mmh?" He turns, sensing my approach. Right, cat. "Oh, hey. Outsider. Fuck're you doing back here?"
"I-... I don't know?"
"Yeah?" Standing, the cat man sneered at me. "Fuck off."
I see the youkai are pleasant. I don't really have any business with that corner he was staring at, so I'll let him keep staring at it. I like how he's not wearing an undershirt beneath his jacket, even though it's winter and raining.
He just returns to whatever it was he was doing.
Wonder if there are any abandoned houses. The main reason I wanted to talk to that guy is to ask about all the shitty architecture. This doesn't feel like Japan- it feels like… Africa, maybe? Except with Japanese people?
Well, that, and there's obviously greenery around the town. The trees are visible past the border walls. It's hard to see because of the rain and fog, but it's there.
How many people live here? I need to get a scale of how big the town actually is…
I can't tell which house is occupied or not. I don't think electricity is a thing.
Maybe I'll knock on a door. Not what I typically do, but… you know, world of fantasy. Time for some changes.
I come up to some door.
Knock, knock. It doesn't feel sturdy when I knock on it.
...Creak. Some guy in a beige business suit opens it. "...Who're you?" He gives me a hard look, and frowns.
Already, my instincts flare; this is horribly awkward. "...I, um, just wanted to ask you about some things."
"What things?" He nodded once, as if beckoning me. "You an outsider?"
"I am." I affirm. "And-"
"I'm not a tourist guide. Beat it."
click. He shuts the door promptly.
Productive. Maybe I ought to ask someone on the road instead.
No. I must realize the vision of the door-to-door American salesman. Eventually I'll find the ideal comfy family who will answer all my questions with only mildly retarded habits that influence the conversation.
Next house. It's horrifyingly tiny. It must only have one room, or three really shitty tiny ones. Or four. Or, somehow, more.
Coming up to the back door, I knock on it-
Knock- reek. Oh. Oh.
It's not locked. The door swung open from one knock.
...The floor is dirty. The walls are wet, not fully protected from the elements. Among these shanty houses, some are better fortified than others. Some have wood walls, yet solid wood walls. Not the dinky shit this house is made of.
It's amazing how much distinct difference in quality there can be in shanty shacks.
There's no light in here. There's just one decrepit-ass looking table. Two doors. Three rooms: confirmed.
Maybe I did find an empty home. Seems empty to me. Anyone who lived in this tiny of a hellhole would use as much space as they possibly could.
Well, it may just be Skyrim time. We'll see.
Creak. I push into the inner, elongated room.
"Sally? S'that you?" I'm fucking retarded, this was a bad idea. "Boy! I'm glad ta see-..."
There's three candles set up on a table. To my left, an unlit fireplace, with the embers of something about to spark, but unable to.
The man stops, arms held out. His announcement is loud. "You're-... not Sally!" No shit.
"Um." I make my voice louder than usual. "Hey."
That's when the man moves.
From the wall nearby, beyond another small, shitty table, he draws a European sword. The man doesn't look Japanese, either; he's English. Western, at least.
"Get out!" He yells.
Yeah let's just go.
In the dark, I turn for the exit-
CLACK! Oh- fuck. The wind claps the door to the outside shut. I enter that backroom, and fumble for the knob.
Taking pause, I notice the man round the doorframe, practically running in after me.
I'm not dying like this.
I draw my steel scissors from my pockets.
That sword is too big for this room, by far. He won't be able to wind it up for a good swing. He doesn't look stronger than average either. At least, not bafflingly so.
"What're you doing in my hou~se!?" The high-pitch that slips into his yell conveys that, like me, he's not used to yelling all the time. Oh, I know his game.
"I di- didn't think anyone lived here." I affirm. "I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry. I'm new here."
...He seems to lax the grip on his sword, lowering it. Scowling, he looks over my apparel. "...Outsider. Even on the outside, you don't go into people's homes. Not unless you're lookin' for trouble."
"Things are different." Not much else I can say.
...Frowning harder, he turns away. "You're staying with me. Wait… do you have anywhere else to go?"
"...Ma- maybe?" I'm not sure.
I follow him back into the 'main room', since it seems like the violence has de-escalated.
Nearing the fire again, the man knelt down. "They'll be picking you up from the town guard, once this storm blows over." The man affirmed.
"...Why them?" I wonder.
He took pause, and gave me a look. "'Cause you can't just go around actin' like this. Maybe they'll turn ya to Keine. Maybe they'll jail ya. Not my problem. But outsiders gotta learn somehow- especially the slow ones. Isn't our problem they don't include common sense on the outside."
To think I got in this much trouble within ten seconds of walking out of Youmu's cone of vision.
"Can't I just say sorry? And, like… leave?" I don't particularly believe in 'sorry', but it's convenient in this scenario.
"Sorry doesn't mean anything comin' from you." Oh. "You're an outsider. What do you care 'bout our way of living?"
...I nod. "If I leave? What would you do then?"
He gave me a firmer look, and a deeper frown. "...I mean, I'm not one to make enemies, but I'm not forgettin' this either. I'll have an eye on you. I gotta let the guard know, too. With a town this small, we all gotta do our part t'keep stupid crap on the low."
Not really a good outcome for me. "...Could I convince you to not do that?"
...He gives me a solid nod. "That all you can think about?" Then, his attention was back on the fire he was failing to light.
"It seems… excessive, on your part." I have to admit.
"Because-..." He seems exasperated now. "Oh, hell. No it ain't. You're just afraid. You're afraid of order. Don't get a lot of that wherever you came from, I bet."
"Way to assume." I affirm my stance. "This is all a misunderstanding. Ruining my reputation over it is foolish."
He gave me a glare. "Just shut up. If you're such a good person, prove it. Prove it to the guards and Kei-... teach, while you're at it. I'll admit I misjudged ya later. Don't got the time, myself. Or the shits to give. An' I'm just one man. I can't speak for the village too well."
I have to wonder. "What makes you think you can speak for me?"
This is irritating. I don't want this to make my time with Yuyuko and Youmu any more complicated. Or anyone else, for that matter.
He gives me another look. "'Cause I know your type. Just-... ugh." He centered on the unsuccessful fire again. "Look, dude. You ain't on the outside anymore. All your buddies back there won't give a crap. If anyone does, whatever, sucks. Shouldn't'a walked into my house. Damn thief."
I swallow.
For a few moments, we stand here in awkward silence. I would really like out of this situation.
Ideas run through my head. How would Yuyuko and Youmu react? Would they be disappointed? Would Yukari actually care that I caused this kind of commotion? ...Can she even see what's happening right now?
This also feels so retarded. Just an hour prior, I was talking with Yukari and Yuyuko, such seemingly powerful beings, on… while not equal, respectful footing. Now I'm being judged by this hick who doesn't even belong here either.
"I'm leaving." I'm just going to go. "Thank you for the hosp-"
"Just stay." He commands me. "Look, if you run off, this'll just be worse. Outsiders… ones that start real trouble, they say ta send to Keine or the guard. So I'm doin' that. No way am I letting you just go."
"See ya." I start to move.
The man gets up. Grabbing his sword, he comes after me. "Hey. Buddy. Hey."
This guy… will be a thorn in my fucking side no matter what, won't he?
Coming up, he laid an arm on my shoulder. "Just sit down. Nap or something. I got a bed… but, nevermind. You ain't using it." Why did you even fucking bring it up then? "Don't make me follow you. The right thing ta do here would be to just- take it. Like a human being."
Idea.
"I have someone I have to meet." I kind of actually do. "You won't stop me, will you?"
He snorts. "That sucks. You scared they'll be mad? Maybe not trust you, after this? Shouldn't have broken into my fucking house. I'll tell them in person, too. See what they think then."
...I'm sick of this. Absolutely sick.
"This doesn't have to be hard." I sigh. "Just let me go."
"It has to be." He counters. "I believe-... you know. The town."
Ah, yes, I know. I would totally know, after you just made a point of me not knowing.
The rain outside makes this all even more annoying.
This is it. Run or get caught up in this retarded bullshit. Maybe even have it bite me in the ass for no reason if I run. A sour, permanent mark on my first day here, one which may also harm my image of competency and my graces amidst the people I've actually taken a liking to.
...There's no crime investigation technology, is there? Well, there could be. Whatever. I'm fucked anyway.
"...Name's Mark." Mark just now introduced himself to me, hand still on my shoulder. "Come on. What's yours?"
Those steel scissors? Still in my right hand. He's behind me, to the right.
It's now or never.
It's self-defense.
Yukari isn't watching. No magic could detect what I'm about to do. There's no fingerprint scanners. My hairs won't be traced.
Shink. I open the scissors, jab either end into his neck, and-
shuff. The blades snip, cutting through what I hope to be the vocal chords and whatever-else is stored in that neck region.
"Ghk-" Mark, for all that he was worth, was not a fighter. I knew his game. He talked loud, but once the pressure was on, the disadvantage was serious. He didn't even notice the blade I had ready all this time. In my hand.
Untrusting he may be, but not untrusting enough.
He drops his sword, lashing out at me- but if I keep snipping his neck- he should just fucking die soon.
Shk- shk- shsh- shk. He hits me in the face, pushes me, grips at my arm, kicks and eventually-
Thud! He falls back, with me on top.
"Ghkaa-" Gasping, teary eyes. The writhing of his limbs, jittering with unbridled pain. I always knew- if I wanted to inflict pain in spades, I could.
In a way, this is release. All those morons on the outside… all those idiots who I didn't entirely wish death on, and death wasn't appropriate for the tradeoff, or for their mishaps.
The ease simply clicks. Cutting through his neck, watching his eyes roll back. I'm… if I do not simply get away with this, I am beyond fucked.
I'm still afraid. Murder is complicated. He spoke of a Sally- will she track me down? Can she? No one's seen me do this. Only that one cat knew I was coming here.
...Mark's eyes are finally dimming. His limbs, his hands, losing fight and going limp.
It's somewhat regretful. That's probably a gut feeling anyone gets. The death of a person.
I just killed a man. I killed a man because he was in my way. I killed a man because he chose to place himself in my way. I killed a man because it was more convenient for him to die than for me to be arbitrarily inconvenienced by his simple nature.
The worst part, however?
All this fucking blood. When it's on your hands, it's a disgusting worry. There's not a lot- but my left hand is stained, the one I used to further drive the blade in once it was stuck there. I'd shoved it in with my right, jabbed my left into it and kept pushing until it was done.
I am, quite literally, red-handed. I'd like to, you know… not be caught red-handed. That would be the epitome of 'I should just kill myself right now'-tier moments.
I shake with nervous energy. I just killed a man.
Standing from Mark's corpse, I… do I take his sword? No. I don't.
His wallet is what I take. Just a pouch of coins. Doesn't look unique. Fuck- my bloody hand. It got a smear or two on the thing.
I-... no, wiping it on the floor would be a bad idea. Ugh.
Precariously holding the bag and the scissors in one hand, I clumsily walk out of the house, leaving it as-is.
It's all or nothing. My adrenaline runs high. It's time to make myself innocent.
Creak. I push out of the house.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
My head aches. The rain can't chill me anymore.
My body emits a strange, adrenaline-fueled heat. The now-blue sky gains a somewhat sickly, yet satisfying feeling, when I don't shiver from the cold while beholding it.
I am shivering for a lot of reasons. I don't know, cold could be one of them, but if it is, it's far beneath my anxiety and adrenaline.
I did it. I killed a man. I really can't fucking believe it.
I can't go straight back to Youmu like this. Instead…
The Misty Lake. I know it exists. I'm not totally ignorant of what Touhou is. If I cannot find a sink, I'll use the fucking lake to clean my dirty hands. Something something, nature's sink.
I found a gate, asked the town guard where it went, and then went to find the actually correct gate.
Guess what I'm doing now? Yeah, leaving. Heading to the Misty Lake.
The rain pours down in sheets, the dense grey ahead appearing… less than promising overall.
I pass the Hakurei Shrine. Maybe they have something I could use…?
No. My gut tells me that's a horrible, awful idea. We do not need an introduction to Reimu like this.
Forward, through the rain, and mist. With any luck, I will be eaten by a grue. That's probably what fate's decided all along.
This feels like a horror game. Me, stumbling through the cold after committing homicide, in an unknown land full of monsters.
Boy, I wish it was a game. I wouldn't actually be freezing my ass off if it was.
There's something… good, but also horrible, about this entire situation. These visuals, this moment, it could never happen again. It will never happen again. Yet, here it is.
I am soaked to my core. Yet, I still feel… warm, in a way.
It's actually not that far of a walk to the lake. Well- it's far by the standards of it's fucking cold and my hands are soaked in blood but not that far by typical standards.
Coming up to the shore, I peer down at the… bog, mud, and overall churning of rain-spattered lake water.
...From here, I can see a fucking chunk of ice float by. What-... what kind of lake is this? Is it really that cold? Am I developing superpowers? Or, am I actually dying and just can't feel it?
I kneel in the mud- because I have to. I'm in shorts, it's whatever. The rain will take care of the worst of it.
Hands, into mud. Blood, scrubbed away by smelly, green-brown crap that forms along the lake's very edges.
Nature really is something. It's… overwhelmingly what it is. Whenever I look at nature, it's easy to conceptualize doing things in it. Then, going to actually do anything in it… can be overwhelming.
Plopping your hands deep in the mud. Committing homicide. Trudging around in sheer rain. Fuck it's cold.
...I think the blood is as cleaned as I can make it. My hands… mmh. Not sure which is worse. This mud, or the blood. Ugh…
My hands are 'clean' enough, for a definition of clean. Regardless, I've no longer obviously committed murder.
I let out a breath, and…
In the distance, I see it. Across the lake, through the fog.
Warm lights, and the mighty silhouette of a clocktower.
...Then, to my right, I see it. An orb of black drifting through the aether, devouring light. A monster. A monster that can probably smell blood, and sense fear.
When I look at it, it stops.
Turning, I sprint.
PLAP! PLAP! PLAP! I run in part through the boggy border between water and land. I may make noise, but something inside me randomly guesses that this is the superior option. A quick take-off, and a messy escape with the option to dive into the waves if I need to.
...I look back-
SPLASH! The black orb dived straight into the water.
...SPLASH! Then, it re-emerges! "Co~ld! I'm so co~ld!" Um…
Oh- shit. It… hmm.
The black orb with the voice of a young girl darts right past me. "Haa~h!" She yells into the rainy evening, spiralling off through the air. "I'm freezi~ng!"
...Okay. I guess- that works?
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
I progress towards the mansion's walls. As I near, the vague, varying obscurity provided by the fog eases.
Red brick walls. These walls are an outer fence, defending the estate from intruders.
If I remember rightly, this is where Meiling resides. Standing guard, and all that. I don't really care about her.
Also, she's not there right now. The gate's even open. I guess the whole strangeness of trying to talk with her with my hands covered in mud will never get to happen. I'm glad.
I just killed someone, and now I'm going to get to talk to anime women. Perfect. This Gensokyo thing is shaping up to be one of my better decisions.
"Ach- uuh…" Nevermind. If I get a cold from this I'm going to-... kill someone? Ahah. Those hyperbolic jokes age poorly after you've, you know, already killed someone.
Splap. Splap. Splap. I feel like I'm walking on fuckin'... duck feet, with how often a stupid splash is made by me stepping through this path. Would it have killed Remilia to pave the fuckin' thing?
I step through the front gate.
...What's that big fucking thing? Oh.
S.S. BONER. I see. A big thing lodged into the front of the mansion, titled S.S. BONER. I'm going to hazard a guess… hold on.
In that shitty 3DS video- was this what Yukari showed me? This was the ship thing Brad and her were on.
...Maybe I'll be finding answers after all.
I sprint through the front yard, and come up to the front porch, which, very mercifully, has a fucking roof.
I am free from the rain.
Holding out my arms, I behold the front door of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, taking in the feeling of… being wet, but no longer eternally getting more wet by the second.
Creak-... CREAK. This door is fucking heavy. But, with a few good pulls-... nngh…
CREAAK. It's open enough for me to advance.
Slipping through the gap, I stumble around, dripping everywhere. However, my muddy tracks are nothing new. There are already plenty.
They lead up to a series of half-broken tables laid around a small campfire in the floor.
Remilia and Flandre sit on one table, supported by bricks, hands out before the fire. Some cyan-haired fairy maid, and some short orange-haired one both observe the flames too.
Meiling gives me a casual look, noticing me. This- is more of a welcoming party than I expected.
Then, I see him.
Brad.
That fucking mop of dishwater-blonde hair. It's not as retarded when all wet and flattened-out. Normally, he looks like a fucking clown.
He's standing, staring straight at me, smiling. He's got that pink lipstick mark on his cheek, smeared from the rain, likely.
I huff, exerted from my adventure. I come up to him.
Brad steps up to me. He beams at me. I stare.
"Yo." Brad can't contain his mirth. "Leego!"
Motherfucker.
/ / / / FREAKIN HAKUGYOKUROU / / / /
END OF CHAPTER 10.5
PROTAGONIST: Matthew, the Debatably Sane Outsider
PRIMARY WEAPON: Bloodied Steel Scissors - Stained lightly with fresh blood from a young human male. Sharp, shiny-ish, and to the point!
INVENTORY:
Nothing. (3 slots remaining)
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
rewrite of the first mattmania chapter
slightly unwieldy now that matt himself isn't part of the creative team, but i like the liberties i could take so far
if i was more collected earlier in development, i probably could've framed this more as a creative endeavor than a joint-RP thing to him, but y'know, live and learn dananunununuh
like this, i can better orient matt according to where i want him to be in the plot and for thematic reasons, even if more than likely i've made some decisions that matt probably wouldn't have
however, my writing style still lets the work breathe for the sake of spontaneity, so there's still a lot of that liberty taken
still, this time i strived a lot more for accuracy, because matt's first chapters were basically just big memes because neither of us took the story very seriously
i wanted to actually do some justice to yuyuko and youmu's characterizations, too
that said, i had an awkward time with their segment of this chapter because, honestly, i haven't worked much with either of them, and i want to avoid most of the typical character interaction cliches they share outside of a few cheeky moments
originally, i wanted matt to be more resentful to yuyuko's presence, before i went back on that and made their interactions overall more pleasant. i think that kind of drama and related elements to matt's life and identity is better reserved for later matt chapters, instead of out of the gate here
yuyuko's also kind of hard to pull off without some solid planning! she's got the real 5D chess brain; she's a jokester, but she's supposed to have piercing insight when she wants to, and i'm trying to find a way to elegantly pull that off
making them have less contention this early i think is a good idea, 'cause the one thing yuyuko probably shouldn't be doing is forcin' it rather than letting things flow into her grasp
mostly, i think i'm both just not used to using her more seriously, and i think matt can be unwieldy to use since i'm also focusing on trying to make sure he remains as accurate and human as possible despite no longer having matt himself help with the work
overall i still think this is easier, 'cause the live-roleplaying method we kind of used to develop his chapters became less and less effective over time, and also really strained my ability to adapt the progression to his desires while maintaining the core theme of what makes this story this story
on a somewhat unrelated note…
these matt chapters are not something people like - w -
people often skip them because i make it easy to if they don't enjoy its themes, and despite their themes and commentary, it's not what they came here for
and, while i may kinda shrug at such practice, i can respect it, similar to if someone simply turned down one of my stories; some things are just a matter of taste
what annoys me more is that, when i develop certain non-matt-related themes later, people have disliked them enough to bargain their readership over their presence
i scoff heavily at people like that, because i think having limited tastes is all-in-all inferior to having broad and adaptable interests; although i can understand being unable to like something you just can't resonate with
however, i also expect patience, just as i was patient when i first consumed fanfiction, and just as i was patient when i experienced different video games, themes, art styles and characters
i think people willing to drop something they've enjoyed for a while over such occasional themes is just, baffling to me, and also kinda retarded, but sometimes people work in really strange ways that they can't control
guess i'll just say, this work's very much about experimentation and adventure, and if you're not into that, y'came to the wrong place!
==== BATCH CHANGELOG ====
chapters 7-11 totally rewritten, for the most part
they largely subscribe to similar plot beats, but the execution is largely different
while 5-6 were somewhat strangified to correlate better to the OG 7-11 (and not entirely rewritten), since this batch included more serious elements, i felt it more appropriate to just take it hands-on and redo everything
not sure how much attention i'm gonna pay to more chapters going forward, 12 needs some adjustments after this one, but the next revision is surely a long time away
i'm likely gonna touch on 12 before the big publishing, is what i mean to say! because right now it really doesn't line up with this chapter that well, and it needs a couple hot-fixes
by large, the biggest removed thing is the random weird visits to reimu's shrine that lasted like, one or two paragraphs before brad (or matt) fucked off somewhere else. that's a CONSISTENT thing for all of these chapters, and it uh… really violated the pace!
should be moderately less jarring now, even if 12+ probably kinda do it
in the OG chapters, characterization actually got like, worse from 1-6, somehow! alice had some seriously OOC moments, which were casual, but… very weird. things feel a lot more correct now.
i tried to maintain a lot of the fever dream-esque progression of various events; i think the execution of that sort of thing is a lot stronger in some areas; random happenings should have more impact now that remilia and others have more believable reactions to things
my biggest problem with the OG 7-11, was that characters felt pre-disposed to be baffled by a brad who hardly had to try to be surprising to do it
now, although there may be less frequence, i think whenever brad does succeed, he's a lot more successful when he does, and i think that adds a lot
that said, i don't think i captured how absolutely chaotic the pace used to be; because where it was chaotic and confusing and baffling to the reader, it was also not conducive to doing the characters justice, or making any serious commentary on anything
undeniably, anyone who came for the original chapters in their entire essence are probably sorely disappointed: see "they changed it, now it sucks"
but i think these new executions have some powerful moments, and myself, i really enjoyed rewriting it, even if it took an ungodly amount of time doing it
INCONSISTENCIES IN MATT CHAPTERS GOING FORWARD:
x matt has the Quick Scissorang and Flame Scissors items. he got them from alice in the previous version of the chapter and they did not make it into the part of the continuity
x along with a spare pair of scissors
x and some alloy string
x and a fluffle
x characterization of youmu, matt and yuyuko may become way cheaper feeling going forward
the matt chapters are the most in need of revising because of the nature of how we originally did them
matt treated them like a live RP, i treated them like actual chapters just with his input for his character; this lead to creative complications later because yeah, we just had no way to effectively communicate anymore after awhile and matt does not forgive as you may quickly come to notice so rip that - w -
as always, see you all next time!
