~~~~~~Foreword~~~~~~
Sonder
n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own
a.k.a.
Even side characters have lives.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
The next day, it was as if nothing at all had changed.
Tradition's End opened early and served its regular customers as it always has. There were no hiccups, no disasters, and no problems to speak of whatsoever.
For a certain employee of the cafe, oblivious to what had occurred the day before, it was all astoundingly normal.
Normal, that was, until after closing time.
Sekibanki waited with bated breath for a certain boss of hers to make his way over to a certain supply closet.
When, after wiping down the bar element, Eric announced that he would be getting a head start on the sweeping, she knew that it was time.
Sekibanki braced herself as her boss reached for the door handle and gave it a twist.
…
"Boo!"
"Agh!"
A surprised yelp and the tumble of cleaning supplies signaled that her most dastardly plan yet had come to fruition.
Out from the supply closet flew a head. With red hair, red eyes, and a large blue bow, it was practically a mirror image of Sekibanki's own head. It held a mischievous grin, like it had just executed the perfect prank.
She lifted a hand and ruffled the scarlet locks of her second head. There was no particular need to do so, but it just felt like the right thing to do.
In Sekibanki's opinion, she had, in fact, just executed the perfect prank.
Hiding one of her heads in the closet early in her shift, ensuring that Eric wouldn't need anything out of there during operating hours, and finally allowing him to be the one to go for the broom and dustpan…
The planning was all worth it. She had successfully scared her boss.
She could sense a spike of fear, small and intense, and in that moment it was exhilarating.
More objects clattered to the ground as Eric dug his way out of whatever mess he had tripped into. By the time he had stepped back into the cafe proper, Sekibanki and her head double were waiting for him.
He didn't appear to be angry with her, but he was certainly shaken up. Frazzled, rattled even. Her boss opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it just as quickly. He looked from her, to her second head, and then back to her before he finally found his words.
"You can make more than one head!?" he cried out in surprise and disbelief.
"Yeah, if I really want to," came the straightforward reply.
The head wasn't real, per se. It was more like an illusion made solid. All of her heads were like that.
She could make ten, no, twenty of them at once if she had both the energy and the preparation time. Extra heads were useful, but difficult to control in large numbers. They were beyond conspicuous, too. Not great for hiding her true nature as a youkai among humans.
The real core of her being was her body, anyways.
The rush she had experienced from Eric's fear began to ebb. Her second head snickered again before she dispelled it. Everything, including the bow, faded from existence.
Eric took a deep, steadying breath, and then he held his forehead. "What the hell… I was not expecting something like that today. I almost leapt out of my skin!"
Sekibanki, at the very least, had the courtesy to look a bit sheepish. "Sorry boss, I just couldn't resist."
He took another deep gulp of air. "Yeah, I… hah… I get it. Scaring people… It's a youkai thing."
Eric glanced around before finishing his thought. "Just, uh, try not to do it too much around here, alright?"
Sekibanki chuckled. "Sure thing. I'll try."
He fixed her with a dry look. "Fair warning: If you give me a heart attack, I'm taking it out of your paycheck."
…
After that, the final leg of her shift came to an end without further incident.
As she collected her pay, Eric seemed… off. His rather skittish demeanor was a significant departure from his typically friendly disposition.
Had she truly frightened him that badly?
Fortunately, his next words quickly dispelled that notion. "Hey, um… Be careful out there, okay?"
Sekibanki tilted her head at that. A human, telling a youkai to be careful? That was strange.
In fact, Eric had been acting a little odd all day. Slightly nervous. Somewhat on edge, it seemed. Perhaps that was part of the reason that she had given him such a large fright.
"Um… okay? Is something wrong, boss?"
"No, it's just… Lots of weirdos out there lately." He rubbed the back of his neck before glancing away. "I'd just… i'd keep an eye out."
Okaaayyy, that clears up nothing.
"Anything specific?"
"I… I think that the anti-youkai crowd is getting louder." He rubbed the back of his neck again, before appearing to backtrack. "Er, it's just a feeling. I'm not trying to worry you."
Anti-youkai… Huh…
For several moments Sekibanki said nothing. Then, she bobbed her head. "Yeah… I'll be careful."
A small relieved smile appeared as he breathed out an expression of gratitude. "Thank you."
…
Sekibanki turned to leave. She had places to be and people to see.
Besides, she was a youkai.
What did she really have to worry about?
…
…
…
Sekibanki took a deep breath as she strode down the wide path that wound its way towards Misty Lake. The fresh, lakeside air somehow filled her lungs and bestowed upon her a feeling of liberation.
She was, at the moment, headless, with nothing but a cape collar from the neck up. Her primary head was, instead, drifting alongside her, the handle of a small wicker basket in its mouth. Within the basket lay several small bottles of sake.
While it certainly might have seemed odd to anybody else, Sekibanki was actually more comfortable with her head detached. She was a rokurokubi after all. It was how she was meant to be.
It was emancipating, not having to adhere rigidly to the human 'normal' to avoid rousing suspicion. It was relieving, not being under constant scrutiny as others tried to determine from a distance whether she really was a youkai or not.
It was really only out here that she truly felt free.
…
…
…
"Hey Banki, what's the Human Village like without rain?" Wakasagihime, the mermaid, asked with genuine interest, clad in her elegant green leaf patterned kimono.
"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing over here," said Kagerou Imaizumi, the werewolf, with a similar level of curiosity. Her long white, red, and black dress rippled slightly in the light breeze.
Sekibanki's body reclined, stretching out along the hard-packed earth and adopting a relaxed pose. Her head, however, remained where it was, hovering in place as she chatted casually with her friends.
Kagerou knelt at the edge of the lake, occupying a space that was right next to Wakasagihime. The mermaid, on the other hand, lay half-submerged in the cool lake water with her elbows resting on the shoreline.
At the center, three empty sake bottles lay discarded on the ground, one for each youkai.
"It's… not much different. They've got their canals and wells and stuff, so they're fine on water."
She glanced around. The foliage immediately surrounding the lake was almost healthy looking, a far cry from most of the plants in Gensokyo that were dry and sickly.
"I think everyone's blowing this way out of proportion…"
Sekibanki really didn't worry about things like that. Why should she? Even if she did, it wasn't like she could do anything about it.
She was a simple village rokurokubi, and it served her far better to focus on the issues that affected her on a daily basis. Rent, food, clothing, friends… Scaring the occasional human villager so that their fear would directly sustain her existence as a youkai…
All of that was far more important than a drought that really only seemed to be affecting the vegetation.
Farmers were still able to irrigate their crops. People still had water to drink. The sun wasn't any hotter than previous summers.
Gentle waves lapped at the shoreline, mixing the rhythmic sound of water with the ceaseless drone of cicadas. It was simple and steady. Relaxing.
Just how life should have been.
Wakasagihime shrugged her shoulders. "Stuff happens, I guess."
"Shit happens," corrected Kagerou.
The mermaid buried her face in her hands. "Zumi… no… that's inappropriate."
The werewolf cracked a grin. "Come on, Waggy. It's okay to swear sometimes."
"When it's appropriate, maybe!"
"When it's appropriate? Okay. But, then, when is it appropriate to be inappropriate?"
"When… When, uh… …Huh…" Wakasagihime trailed off, giving her time to seriously consider the question.
However, Kagerou wasn't about to give her that time. She quickly leaned in close and, in a loud mock-whisper, said, "because I really want to be inappropriate with you."
"Gah!" Wakasagihime yelped, retreating as a scarlet blush erupted across her face. "Not with Banki here!"
Sekibanki simply watched, a poorly concealed grin crossing her face. She didn't dare interrupt. Her friend's antics were far too entertaining.
Kagerou howled with laughter, eliciting a pout from Wakasagihime. "I hate it when you tease me like that…" she muttered, punctuating her sentiment with a light slap of her tailfin upon the water.
"Come on, you know you love me."
"Ugh," the mermaid groaned, but she didn't deny the assertion. The blush had yet to leave her face. "I ought to yank your furry little ears off…"
Kagerou stood and backed up a few paces, feet scuffing the dusty ground. "You'd have to reach me first. Oh wait, that's right. Fins, not feet."
Wakasagihime rose out of the lake, the blue-gray scales of her lower half glistening as sunlight hit the water rolling off of her. "I can fly, you know?"
Kagerou's stance lowered. The dark fur around her ears prickled in anticipation. "I know. I was counting on it."
A small tension lingered in the air as the two youkai stared each other down. An outside observer might have felt mildly uncomfortable, but to Sekibanki, this was just another day.
The rokurokubi sighed. "Just duel already. Skip the posturing."
Two pairs of eyes turned to Sekibanki. Their owners stilled before deflating slightly.
"Okay…"
"But… But, that's part of the fun…"
Sekibanki didn't acknowledge their mild protests. Instead, her head simply floated its way back to where her body was laying and settled itself onto her stomach.
How can they stand to be in a relationship with each other when they bicker so much?
It was a question that occasionally crossed her mind. That mystery, however, would not be solved today.
The mermaid and the werewolf soon found their energy once more, locking eyes and issuing challenges.
"So, do you wanna duel?"
"Oh, you're on!"
…
In no time at all, Sekibanki found herself gazing skyward at her friends, watching with mild interest as they flitted about over Misty Lake, slinging danmaku and banter at each other.
'Opposites attract,' as the old saying went, and apparently that still held true. What they forgot to mention, however, was how often opposites clashed.
Sekibanki raised an eyebrow as Kagerou made a daringly close approach, only for Wakasagihime to drive her away with a well-timed burst of scale-shaped bullets.
They were always like this. They would disagree, squabble, or otherwise rile each other up. Then, when tensions were running high, they would direct that energy towards a duel or some other form of competition.
"Roar: Strange Roar!"
"Water Sign: Tail Fin Slap!"
And, after all was said and done, they'd kiss and make up, often literally.
Sekibanki… didn't really understand it. In fact, it was a small wonder that she had ever fallen in with the two of them in the first place.
She was more of an outsider by nature. An observer. It was really only by chance that the three of them had met.
"If only you could fly as well as you swim!"
"At least I know how to swim!"
"Y- I know how to swim, too! I just don't like wet fur!"
…Still, she couldn't deny that she was happier now than she was before encountering them.
The edges of her lips quirked upwards as the duel over the lake progressed.
…
The soft patter of footsteps alerted her to the arrival of another individual. The light footfalls halted momentarily, before quietly beginning to creep closer. Deliberately, surreptitiously, they approached.
Sekibanki sighed. This was all too familiar.
"Boo!" came the sudden cry from directly behind her.
…
Sekibanki slowly turned her head, and only her head, to face the newcomer. "I don't think scaring youkai is really gonna work out for you."
"Aw, man!" Kogasa whined, slumping her shoulders and sagging her umbrella towards the ground. "I really thought I was gonna surprise you this time!"
"You're late," Sekibanki responded simply
It wasn't difficult to determine why. Smudges of soot and tracts of dirt speckled her loose teal skirt and blue and white blouse. The very same contaminants were also smeared across her forehead and along her cheeks, contrasting her bright, heterochromatic blue and red eyes. Even her fluffy turquoise hair had not been spared, sporting awkward spots where errant strands stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Hehehe, sorry about that. I came straight from work."
Even skilled blacksmiths still get dirty, huh?
A fellow youkai villager, Kogasa Tatara was her closest confidant within the Village's walls. She considered her to be a friend in the same way that Wakasagihime and Kagerou were her friends.
They had met one evening while Sekibanki had been idling beside one of the willow-lined canals that flowed near her home. The umbrella youkai had attempted to frighten her, much like today, only for her endeavor to fail.
In fact, it was Kogasa that had been surprised, as Sekibanki had suddenly spun her head around backwards to address the one who had attempted to startle her.
'Who the hell are you?' were the very first words exchanged between them.
After that, Kogasa had wasted no time in attaching herself to Sekibanki. And Sekibanki, oddly enough, never seemed to mind.
The karakasa obake was nearly her polar opposite; she was bubbly, energetic, and outgoing, a far cry from Sekibanki's own taciturn and somewhat distant nature. Instead of attempting to hide her identity, she was completely open about being a youkai. And, for whatever reason, she was more or less accepted because of it.
…Not that she could have hidden it very well in the first place. Her umbrella half, the huge, one-eyed, eggplant purple umbrella with a long tongue that she always carried with her, would have been incredibly difficult to explain away.
In fact, Kogasa was generally seen as practically harmless. That was not to say that she was powerless; she could still sling around danmaku just as well as anybody else. Rather, it was her personality that made others perceive her as a benign presence.
Her greatest sin was simply that she needed to surprise others on occasion to survive. It was a task that she was laughably bad at, but that only made each success all the more meaningful.
She was even trusted enough by certain village mothers to babysit their children, a job that she excelled at.
Sure, her liveliness made her difficult to deal with at times, but some of that energy also tended to rub off on Sekibanki.
"Sit down," Sekibanki ushered. "There's still plenty of sake left."
"Oh!" Kogasa perked back up. "There's nothing like a good drink after a hard day's-"
*Ker-sploosh!*
A huge splash from the lake, like something large had fallen in, drew the pair's attention. They turned just in time to catch the last of the spray of water drizzling back onto the water's surface. Large ripples raced outwards from what appeared to be the point of impact about thirty feet out.
A glance upwards revealed only one figure still airborne.
"Yes! I won!" Wakasagihime cheered as she pumped her fists to the sky. Then, she hovered her way back down to the surface of the lake where something small and dark emerged from beneath the waves.
"Ugh, damn it! Now my fur's all wet!" Kagerou groaned.
"Aw, but you're so cute like that, Zumi," the mermaid cooed. "Besides, the sun is strong today. You'll dry out."
"Yeah, yeah. It still sucks." Kagerou turned and began to doggy-paddle her way back to shore. "You win. Now let's go drink some more."
…
Following Kagerou's impromptu swim, everybody gathered once more at the edge of the lake. More sake bottles lay discarded before them, happily consumed now that all four members of the Grassroots Youkai Network were present.
It was rather funny to Sekibanki. What had started out as a genuine effort to connect weaker and more docile youkai quickly turned into a simple nickname for their little friend group.
Kagerou shook her head vigorously for the fourth time since settling down, scattering droplets of water across the other three and causing tufts of fur to stick out above her ears.
"Ah!" Kogasa yelped. "I wasn't even in the duel and I'm getting drenched!"
Sekibanki nodded. "You're like a dog."
Kagerou took exception to that. "Am not! Don't compare me to those low-tier canines!" Then, she gave Kogasa a look. "Besides, you looked like you needed a good washing."
Kogasa glanced away in embarrassment. "Ehehe, I didn't have time to wash up after work. We were totally slammed with orders. It was kind of hard to keep up."
"Blacksmithing sounds really hard," Wakasagihime chimed in.
"Only if it's busy. Otherwise, it's actually really fun!"
Kagerou sighed. "Eh, if you want it easy, you could always make a living as a water dispenser."
Kogasa shot her a look of disbelief. "I'm an umbrella, thank you very much. How would that even work?"
Three sets of eyes settled on her. She shrank back slightly at the sudden pressure.
"Are you serious?"
"Have you seen how often it rains when you're around? It's like you're an omen or something."
"But…"
Kagerou nudged Kogasa with her elbow. "You can rain on the other ones, but don't rain on me, okay?"
Wakasagihime giggled at that. "Why do you care? You're already soaked!"
"Yeah? And whose fault is that?" Kagerou shot back.
"B-But, it hasn't rained around me at all lately…" Kogasa weakly protested.
"...To be fair, I don't think it's rained anywhere lately," Sekibanki deadpanned.
"Hey," Kagerou interjected. "If you try hard enough, I bet you could make your own little rain cloud."
"That would be so cool!" Wakasagihime enthused.
"Yeah, then you could start charging people to water their plants or something. Maybe the farmers?"
Sekibanki nodded along. "You wouldn't even have to do anything. Just stand around."
"But… But…" Kogasa wilted further at the thought. "I'm supposed to keep people dry. What good is an umbrella that makes rain?"
The other three let out short chuckles. "With this weather? Priceless."
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Hours later and a mile away from the perpetually chilly waters of Misty Lake, a single food cart opened its metaphorical doors for business.
Though the haze of twilight lingered stubbornly near the horizon, the moon and stars had effectively completed their conquest of the sky, firmly ushering in the veil of night.
Where the hustle and bustle of the Human Village may have been winding down, the Forest of Magic swelled with activity, relatively speaking. The mostly nocturnal nature of the youkai of the Forest ensured that it was never truly quiet.
One such youkai had found their way to the counter of this particular food cart, drawn in by the rich scent of freshly prepared food and the warm lighting of paper lanterns.
They were an unusual sight, as their species was rare in Gensokyo.
They were, in fact, a kirin.
Noble, well-respected youkai, kirin were considered to be a great deal wiser than most and rumored to be symbols of good luck. Indeed, one had to be quite fortunate for a kirin to consider patronizing one's establishment, as they were notoriously picky eaters.
Mystia was, of course, aware of this hearsay, but she didn't really care about all of that. She was simply happy to have another customer.
Even if they were exceptionally long winded.
"-and that was before the Taisho Era had really even gotten started."
"Mmmhmm," Mystia hummed, really only half listening to the tail end of a twenty minute digression about fashion, food, and entertainment from a century ago.
"Ah, but where was I? I suppose that I let my meandering words get the better of me, hmm?" The kirin chuckled kindly, creasing the jade green skin around their eyes.
Mystia straightened up a bit, lightly twitching her wings. "It's fine, really. It's better than staring off into space waiting for the next customer to drop by."
Even though I don't know a thing about what you're talking about!
"Ha! I suppose it is. I suppose it is…" They gingerly took a sip of their sake, seemingly savoring the taste of the alcohol upon their tongue.
"What I mean to say is that food carts are so nostalgic~" The kirin sighed. "Back on the Outside when I was younger, I would always sneak my way over to my favorite ones. As you can imagine, some attempts were more successful than others."
"You don't seem like much of a troublemaker to me. Believe me, I know some real nuisances." Cirno, of course topped that list in Mystia's mind.
"Not anymore, I suppose. Time has a way of maturing us all." Their golden antlers glimmered brightly, despite the fairly low lighting.
The kirin trailed off after that, allowing Mystia to fill the void with a question about something that had piqued her interest.
"You were born on the Outside?"
They hummed. "Mmm, yes. But that was centuries ago, and it's been decades since I last set foot out there. I wonder how it has changed since then?"
The open ended question hung in the air. The night sparrow was too young and too inexperienced to even hazard a guess. She had never been to the Outside, after all.
"Ah, well…" the kirin began once more. "Thank you for the food. Edamame was always one of my favorites. Eating here was quite the treat."
Mystia quickly puffed up at the compliment. "Good! Make sure you tell your friends, too."
The kirin chuckled again. "Ahaha, I'm sure that I will. Keep doing what you're doing, and thank you for giving me a little taste of home."
They eased themselves off of their stool and gave a light stretch. Their scaled, one piece dress shimmered elegantly as they walked away.
"Thank you! Come again!" Mystia chirped.
After a few moments, she sighed. Long conversations never held her interest for long, anyways.
…
…
…
Mystia simply had to wonder.
How did my night come to this?
Standing in front of her izakaya, Mystia Lorelei glared, hands on her hips, as she stared down a ragtag group of no less than eight human villagers.
Human villagers armed with torches, farming implements, simple weapons, and far more bluster than they really ought to have had in the middle of a youkai-infested forest in the dark of night.
"I'm telling you to get the hell out of here before I beat you all down! You can't just walk up and threaten a youkai in her place of business, damn it! I bet that not a single one of you can even dodge danmaku, let alone shoot any!"
"And I'm telling you that we're here to drive all of you youkai scum out of Gensokyo! Or kill you! Whatever is easier! Who cares about danmaku? We've got numbers, weapons, and confidence on our side!" shouted a man at the front of the group.
All Mystia wanted to do was have a normal night running her food cart. Then these morons show up, weapons drawn, looking for a fight? It pissed her off. "How are you gonna do that? You don't look like you even know how to fight!"
"Hey!" Another man spoke up. "My brother is in the village guard! I've trained a little bit with him!"
"Yeah! It can't be that hard to stab a youkai!"
Mystia sighed. She wasn't worried, but she really preferred for this to happen elsewhere. Not next to her izakaya..
Where was their motivation coming from anyways? Most humans were scared of their own shadow at night, yet these people were willing to fight hand to hand with a youkai.
It was… odd.
Still…
"Fine." She stretched her wings proudly and flexed her sharp talons. If she was going to fight them, then she was going to enjoy it. "It's been a while since I've tasted human fear, anyways. I'll make you so night-blind that you'll never even see me coming!"
"If we kill you, then we put everybody you've killed to rest. That's how it works!" the head villager rallied.
Neither side seemed willing to back down. Blood would certainly be spilled tonight.
…
However, just before the fight could erupt…
"Lamprey~ Lamprey~" A familiar voice cut through the tension in the air.
Mystia glanced away from the rabble of humans to see a short, blonde youkai drifting her way into the clearing. Her arms were stretched out to the side as always, a sort of crucifixion imitating gesture.
Mystia couldn't help but momentarily gawk at her friend.
What is with your perfect timing, Rumia?
A small smile curled the night sparrow's lips.
They're really in for it now!
"What's this?" One of the villagers asked incredulously. "A child youkai?"
Mystia fought the urge to laugh at that assessment. Underestimating Rumia was often one of the last mistakes that humans ever made.
Rumia might have looked like a fairly normal child at first glance with shoulder length, disorderly blonde hair and bright, excitable eyes. However, it only took one grin for others to see that she sported the razor sharp teeth of a carnivore and had an appetite to match.
Clad in her black vest and skirt, she was a youkai of darkness, a predator, and humans were her preferred prey.
At that moment, however, curiosity was all that sparkled in her crimson eyes.
"Wow Mysty! I've never seen so many customers here before!" She swept her gaze over the small group before adding, "Do you like lamprey, too?"
Mystia hardly had a chance to respond before the man at the head of the villager bunch cut in.
"Customers? Are you crazy? We're not here to eat; we're here to fight!" He looked back at his people for encouragement. "Right guys?"
The squad of humans gave various signs of mild agreement. Though, they appeared to be decidedly less sure of themselves now that the number of youkai they were dealing with had doubled.
Rumia's head tilted inquisitively. "Is that so?"
"It is so! We know you've been killing people out here in the Forest, and we're not gonna let that slide! We're ready to put you monsters in your place!"
"Well, I'm here to eat, not fight, so…" Rumia trailed off before appearing to become lost in thought.
Mystia exhaled, still put off by the idea of this confrontation occurring directly in front of her place of business. "Can you just… not? Just go back to the Village like the good little humans you are."
Rumia, on the other hand, simply stared at them as her face scrunched up. It was as if she was piecing together a puzzle that only she could see.
"No! For all of the villagers and outsiders you've killed, we claim vengeance!" The villagers struck a pose to show their resolve, crude weapons and farming implements flickering in the lantern light.
"Outsiders…" Rumia muttered the word, seemingly key to her thought process. Then, a wide, sharp smile appeared as if she'd just had an epiphany.
"Ooooo! So, are you the ones that are okay to eat?" Rumia asked as she drifted forward, closing the distance between her and the humans.
"W-wait…" one of the villagers stammered, paling as realization washed over her. "I know that one! She's the Youkai of Darkness!"
The group's focus broke, with multiple villagers murmuring questions and glancing between each other.
"What? Huh? Who?"
"She eats all the Outsiders!" the woman exclaimed. "They say that nine out of ten Outsiders die because of her!"
"Huh!? What!? Are you serious!?"
Rumia turned back to Mystia with what might as well have been stars in her blood red eyes. Dark mist began to seep out of her body. "Hey, Mysty! Can I eat them? Huh? Can I? Can I?"
"E-eat u-us?" The group of humans shrank back, bravado immediately doused. Instead, they allowed themselves to be intimidated by the intense interest and increasingly predatory aura of the notorious blonde youkai.
Mystia paused, considering her options before sighing dramatically. As little as she cared about the humans before her, rules were rules. "Sadly, no. They're villagers."
Rumia appeared to deflate, her outstretched arms drooping in disappointment. "Aww…"
"Buuut…" The night sparrow wasn't about to leave it at that. An impish grin cut its way across her face. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if they were missing a couple of fingers, would they? They won't die from that, right?"
"Our f-fin-"
"B-but I need those to-"
Rumia perked right back up. "Really!? I love finger foods! So crunchy~"
"S-screw this! I'm not dying out here in the fuckin' Forest!"
In a flash, the entire party scrambled to get away, dropping many pieces of their equipment in a desperate attempt to run faster.
Rumia giggled with obvious glee. "Ready or not, here I come!"
She struck a menacing T-pose before hurrying after them, smiling all the while.
Mystia simply watched as both human and youkai departed, leaving her alone at her stand once more. An idle thought crossed her mind as they all disappeared from sight.
I wonder if Rumia's actually going to catch them…
She wasn't entirely sure whether she wanted her to or not.
On one hand, it felt sort of bad to have her izakaya's reputation potentially sullied because it got tangled up in some idiot humans' ridiculous plans, but on the other hand…
If humans get too bold, it could end up being bad for us youkai…
…
Mystia hummed sweetly as she returned to her work. A fresh lamprey skewer found its way onto the grill. When Rumia returned, she deserved a treat for her help.
I guess they just need to be put in their place every once in a while, don't they?
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
In a dimly lit room, within a small, unassuming house, sequestered away in a quiet corner of the Human Village, sat a woman.
Fair of skin and keen of eye, she smoothly lifted a sake dish to her lips before sipping at the fine brew. Tacitly, she reveled in the drink, enjoying one of her favorite small pleasures in this world.
It was of no consequence for her to indulge. Time was no object. Neither, it seemed, was space. She could be anywhere at once if she so desired.
…
Suddenly, she was no longer alone. Something, no, someone appeared in the doorway.
The small figure approached, taking short strides as she entered the room. She took a deep bow, plain blue kimono rustling at the movement.
Short, dark hair cut into a somewhat uneven bob framed her youthful face. Really, her entire appearance suggested that she was nothing more than a mere child, but that was simply the way that the zashiki-warashi presented themselves.
Living with the humans of the Village, helping out with menial tasks and minor chores, and gathering intelligence under the guise of innocent curiosity.
In reality, she and her kin have played their role far longer than a human lifespan.
"Mistress," she began. "It appears as though the situation in the Human Village is growing more serious by the day and may soon reach critical mass. The Human Liberation Movement is becoming bolder with their activities, and we have reason to believe that approximately ten percent of households are sympathetic to their cause.
"What's more, there are troubling reports that blacksmiths across the Village have been inundated with orders. There is high confidence that the group is seeking to arm itself for an inevitable confrontation.
"Such open hostility will surely disrupt the balance of Gensokyo. The peace you cherish so much is at risk. What shall we do? How shall we act? What are your orders?"
The 'Mistress' took a long sip from her sake dish before obscuring the bottom half of her face behind her ornate paper fan. A sly giggle shook her frame and swept her blonde locks before she spoke. "Why, nothing, of course."
The visitor's eyes went wide, shocked at the woman's words. Indignation swam just below the surface, threatening to spill into her voice.
"Nothing? Are you certain?"
She giggled again. "Why, of course I am certain. I am always certain."
Certain? Certain about doing nothing? When she and all of her kin were among the closest to the danger?
"When will you stop playing around and take this seriously?" the zashiki-warashi muttered under her breath.
"Hmm?" the blonde youkai hummed. "I didn't quite catch that."
She shouldn't have said that. She was overstepping by admonishing the woman sitting before her, but she couldn't help it.
There was a real and present threat taking shape within the Human Village. Her and her brethren were at risk. Gensokyo was at risk. The audacity of the woman before her, a Sage no less, to simply ignore it and do nothing…
It spawned an uncharacteristically raw streak of anger within the diminutive messenger.
"So, what? You wish for us to wait and see? Will you truly sit idle as upstarts from the Village work to tear down the tenuous peace that you have built? The paradise we all share? Forgive me, but there must be something that we can-"
"Stop." It was a simple command, but it was one that others knew better than to ignore. It caused her voice to die in her throat and made the hairs prickle at the back of her neck.
The woman's gaze hardened. "Remind yourself of your role here. The zashiki-warashi are the eyes and ears. Not the hands, and certainly not the brain. You fail to see the benefits being presented here."
"B-benefits? I am sorry, but I see only dangers."
The blonde sighed. "Chitose, how many years have you served me? How many years of history have you seen alongside myself? Do you honestly believe that there is cause for concern? That humans and their fragile toys have any chance of tipping the scales in their favor? Hmm?"
"Well, no… Not in a direct confrontation, at least…"
There was no real contest when it came to strength. Gensokyo's stronger residents were more than capable of obliterating the entire village if they desired it.
Even so, such an open rebellion would certainly lead to chaos, and chaos was bad for Gensokyo.
Bad for the zashiki-warashi.
Her eyes stared at the ground, dark hair shielding her face. "But there is too much uncertainty. It all feels as though it is primed to spiral out of control.
Another sigh. "Have you looked closely at their followers? Exactly the right sort of people are being drawn to their movement. The unruly. The rebellious. The ambitious."
"You mean-"
"Like moths to a flame." A satisfied grin cut its way across her face, mostly obscured by the paper fan. "Could you even imagine the satisfaction of eliminating all of the troublemakers in one fell swoop?"
"So… So, it's a plan, then… I… see."
That… Honestly, that was relieving to hear. If the mistress had a plan, then it would all work out.
It always worked out.
"Gensokyo's long-term well-being is always my top priority. Do not forget that, Chitose."
"Yes… I… I-I apologize for my earlier transgression."
The woman's left hand disappeared through what resembled a crack in the air, only for it to emerge above the zashiki-warashi. Firmly, tenderly, she pat the shorter woman's head
"You are dismissed," she said with an air of finality and a hint of gentleness.
You are forgiven, were the words left unsaid, yet the message came across clearly.
"...Thank you mistress…"
Chitose shuffled her way through the doorway, leaving the blonde woman alone once more.
…
Well, not truly alone.
"Speaking of Gensokyo's residents…"
The woman turned her head as another figure, one possessing nine illustrious tails, emerged from the darkness.
"Ran, I believe that it's time to pay our 'friendly celestial' another visit. Her little tantrum has gone on long enough, don't you think?"
The fox woman bowed deeply, before sighing. "Yes, Yukari-sama. As I've said before, something should have been done about her months ago. Allowing her whims to lead to this sort of unrest was rather unbecoming of a Sage like yourself."
Yukari Yakumo wilted slightly, a small pout forming on her face.
"You're no fun…"
…
…
…
Humans… They have such short memories; they forget how truly dangerous a youkai can be when unbound from danmaku and spell card rules.
When they strike, and they will strike, retaliation will be swift and severe. Even without my involvement, I doubt that their little revolution could survive longer than a single day.
The residents of Gensokyo are strong. They are resourceful. It will take far more than a disorderly mob to bring them to their knees.
~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~
Hello again. I had some writer's block in the worst way for a few weeks there. But we're back.
This is probably the last 'side story' type chapter for a while. Everything is in place for us to well and truly move forward.
I really wanted to flesh out Gensokyo just a little bit more and expand on both Sekibanki and Mystia. They have lives too, ya know? And, I figured that it never hurts to clarify their perspectives on things. Sort of deepening their characters, I guess.
To that end, I also introduced a few more minor characters related to them. The Grassroots Youkai Network has the potential to have some very fun dynamics, especially with Kogasa thrown into the mix. Then, there's Rumia. I know she's memed extensively, but she's also kind of fun to write, especially with Mystia sort of playing the 'straight man' to her 'loose cannon.'
Y'know, I hadn't initially intended to include Yukari, but a comment really made me think 'What is Yukari doing in all of this?' Like, surely she knows what's going on. The zashiki-warashi live with the humans in the Village, and they are basically Yukari's little spies.
She really does strike me as a 'master plan' type. I guess this is just her way of weeding out the bad influences in the Human Village and reinforcing the subservience of humans as a whole. They're getting too big for their britches and need to be knocked down a peg or two, I guess.
We'll see if it all shakes out like Yukari believes. I just thought it would be neat to include that little scene.
I can't seem to escape from the idea that most youkai really enjoy their alcohol, lol. It's probably a cultural thing.
Look forward to the next chapter! We'll be right back on track with Alice and Eric.
Who knows what they're going to do next?
Thanks for reading! Review or comment if you want! Have a great day!
~~~~~~Extra Note~~~~~~
Honestly, getting into writing has been one of the best things I've done in a long time. It's still surreal to me that there are people out there that read and enjoy what I put out. That there are people that look forward to each new chapter and are happy to see this story updated.
It's all more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I've been brainstorming heavily lately, and, as it turns out, I have a lot of ideas for future chapters and arcs. Like, if everything I've written so far (and through to the end of this arc that's about to start) could be considered 'Book One', then I have a rough plan with enough ideas and story beats to fill out a 'Book Two' and maybe even a 'Book Three.'
I… know that one important aspect of writing is to know when to let a story end, but I think I'm in this for the long haul. There's so much left to explore, so many interactions left to consider, and so many good (and fluffy?) scenes that I haven't even begun to write.
Having said all of that, I end this off with a question. How would you like to see the story formatted? Should it all be one fic, or should each 'Book' be its own fic?
I feel like if I keep it all in one fic, the tags will end up getting messy, I might eventually change age ratings, and the high word and chapter count might be daunting to some people.
But, if I break it up into multiple fics, that could put people off that haven't read the first fic, I'd have to do some rehashing of information, and it'll be a bit harder to call back to earlier information.
IDK, let me know what you think :)
~~~~~~Reviews~~~~~~
I've been meaning to start responding to reviews again!
James Birdsong: Thanks for keeping up with the story! Glad you're liking it so far!
Guest: It feels like this chapter took 84 years to write, too. Lol.
sid99: I figured that this sort of unrest would sort of freak the average person out, Eric included. Also, the villagers really aren't thinking straight, I guess xD. They're pretty much asking to get stomped at this point!
Crio Yaroi: Oops! Sorry to hear that that sort of character flaw is a turn off for you. Does it make it better if I say that he grows and develops as a person as the fic goes on? Tbh, given the circumstances, I think it fits. I'd imagine that most human villagers are relatively weak and cowardly when confronted by dangerous youkai.