Maidens of the Kaleidoscope

~Hakurei Shrine~ => Patchouli's Scarlet Library => Topic started by: 日巫子 on February 19, 2011, 04:33:33 PM

Title: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 19, 2011, 04:33:33 PM
itt words words words words words(ry

I got bored during the MoTK downtime so I wrote some fanfiction.



A ghost and an oni walk into a bar



A ghost and an oni walk into a bar.

If Mima had been asked what she thought about that, she would have said it sounded like the beginning of a bad joke. The ghost part was especially bad. She started to think that people called her that just to piss her off.

"That's one." The oni sitting across from her tipped her head back and took a drink from her glass.

"What's one?"

"I'm taking a drink for every time you bitch about people tellin' it like it is."

Mima watched as her oni companion's cheeks flushed red. She swayed in her seat and spilled a bit of alcohol when she set the glass down on the table. She showed every sign of being drunk, yet her speech was perfectly clear. Mima wanted to punch her.

The oni seemed to notice the expression on Mima's face, because she stopped the nearest waiter and said, "Bring some of the strong stuff, Mimarin here's lookin' a little sober." It was interesting to note that the waiter seemed to understand exactly what the 'strong stuff' was.

"Anyone would be sober after what just happened," Mima groaned. She folded her arms across the table and let her head fall onto them. "How's your place?"

"Completely decimated." The oni takes another drink. "That just now wasn't part of the drinking game."

"So you're just going to get so drunk that you'll forget about the whole thing and never have to think about it? Doesn't sound very oni-like to me."

"Nah, that doesn't happen with us. You'll want to be careful, though." She grinned. The oni's grin was something Mima was never going to get used to; it made her seem like a completely different person. "So. How much are you going to bet that the fight was visible from the city?"

"The kid had the goddamn yin-yang orb. If the Palace didn't notice it I'm going to be disappointed," Mima said. This statement was accentuated by the waiter returning and setting a glass of bronze-colored liquid in front of her. The color reminded Mima of something.

"By the way, how's that other girl doing? Didn't you say she got the short end of the stick or something?"

"She fell out of the sky."

Mima gave the oni a look.

"Okay, okay, she had to put up an illusion so nobody would suspect anything. She's kind of a wreck right now, but her shell isn't broken."

This satisfied Mima, so she took a sip of her drink. It burned her throat and left a strong, bitter taste. As she drank, she felt herself growing hot. "The Palace doesn't know, does it?" she wondered aloud.

The oni shook her head. "No, I've been avoiding that place for years. I hate to say it, but I've got too much to hide now."

"Well that's your own fault," Mima said. "Or maybe it's just bad luck."

"Speaking of bad luck, how's Marisa doing?"

Mima glared at the oni. "Shut the fuck up, you're talkin' like she's a curse or something." Mima steamed and took another drink. "She's growin' and learning fast. I figured once she reached the age of greater mobility she'd be out of my hair, but I've only just realized that this is a lifelong commitment I've gotten myself into. Still better company than that shrine maiden, no offense."

The oni stopped the waiter for a refill before throwing in her two cents. "Still better than no company, let me correct you. This is the first time my house has been noisy in years. It's depressing."

"You have a whole city to be noisy in?and three other oni," Mima reminded her. She rested a cheek on her hand, starting to feel the drink get to her.

"And one ghost."

Mima snapped up. "I told you I'm not a?" The oni had already taken another drink. "Dammit."

"It's okay, we still love you," the oni half-sang, and swirled the contents of her glass around idly. "Oh, 'n that's two oni."

There was an awkward silence, although it wasn't really silent because the bar itself was loud to begin with. Mima twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I forgot," she said after a minute.

The oni watched her fidget. "I wish you'd be that apologetic 'bout other subjects, too. 'Sides, it makes you look cute."

Mima gritted her teeth and downed the rest of her glass. She knew the oni well enough to know that she wasn't trying to hit on her, but she rarely heard comments like that. She could try passing the blush off as an effect of the alcohol, at least?in front of anyone but the oni, who was now chuckling. Why was everyone in the Former Hell so damn perceptive?

When she made this thought known in a slurred, drunken voice, the oni looked thoughtfully at her newly-refilled glass.

"I wonder if I should add that to the drinking game? Take a sip every time Mima complains about something."

"You'd be under the table in minutes."

"Well, that's something, too."

Over the din, the sound of two glasses clinking together could be heard.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on February 19, 2011, 05:39:41 PM
Just confirming: you're Soelke on FF.net, right?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 19, 2011, 06:02:44 PM
Yes, I am.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on February 19, 2011, 08:00:49 PM
Okay, then, just checking.

So, that is a great line to start off a story. Tells us exactly the starting situation, and for those of us who are familiar with "a blank and a blank walk into a bar" jokes, it's pretty funny.

Now, the rest of the story, I have to confess that I have preconceptions and all that interfering: first, I haven't played any of the PC-98 games, so I'm familiar with Mima and all that through fanworks. Second, I participate heavily in your parser text quest game.

The oni is implied to be Konngara, mostly because she's the only "oni" in the PC-98 games. However, I have a difficult time seeing her like this because, in Parsee Quest, she's very nonvocal and reserved, which is somewhat at odds with her depiction here. At the same time, there's other clues in the story to her identity because I participate in Parsee Quest, such as her relationship with "the girl that fell out of the sky" and the fact that she stays away from the palace because of her secrets.

So, I'm mostly interested in what other people have to say about it: I think I come into the story with too much baggage.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 19, 2011, 08:12:37 PM
The oni is implied to be Konngara, mostly because she's the only "oni" in the PC-98 games. However, I have a difficult time seeing her like this because, in Parsee Quest, she's very nonvocal and reserved, which is somewhat at odds with her depiction here. At the same time, there's other clues in the story to her identity because I participate in Parsee Quest, such as her relationship with "the girl that fell out of the sky" and the fact that she stays away from the palace because of her secrets.

You're right about who it is.  I think I can see what you mean about having difficulty seeing her like this.  My interperation of her character is nonvocal and reserved, but I wrote this story with the idea that, around a friend, with enough drinks, and in a good enough mood, she'd be a little more talkative.  I can see where you're coming from, though.  After going back through the dialogue again, I see some parts where she could be saying too much, content-wise.

It's nice to have useful feedback like this, thank you ^-^
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Ryuu on February 19, 2011, 09:10:40 PM
fandom needs more fics about drinking buddies


I enjoyed this
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Kips McKipzerson on February 20, 2011, 03:03:04 AM
Just confirming: you're Soelke on FF.net, right?

So you are?
You've gotta make a full fanfic outta Relocation. A poor little kippy needs to see it. *tear*
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 20, 2011, 03:05:25 AM
So you are?
You've gotta make a full fanfic outta Relocation. A poor little kippy needs to see it. *tear*

I'm working on the third chapter right now :3
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Kips McKipzerson on February 20, 2011, 03:19:56 AM
I will love you forever
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 20, 2011, 03:04:56 PM


What is wrong with you? (笑)



I?m not going to say anything because it?s your problem, not mine, but it?s creepy.

Let me backtrack.  It?s not creepy that you beat some other guy into a pulp.  That?s normal.  It?s not creepy that you?re covered in someone else?s blood, because that?s normal.  It?s not creepy that you?re going to be complaining about getting blood out of that long, long hair of yours like it?s mud or something, because that?s normal, too.  I?ve seen so much worse that I don?t even care.  Or maybe I?m just desensitized to it.  I can?t really tell at this point.  It?s why you did it that?s unsettling.

I mean, I can see why you like that girl?appearance-wise, at least.  She doesn?t realize how beautiful she is.  I could drown in her eyes.  Does her hair really feel like silk?  And that skin?mmm.  Maybe I?m just being poetic.  I don?t know her well enough to understand what you like about her personality, though.  The best way I could put it right now is picking a rose and getting a thousand tiny cuts on your hands from the thorns.  I guess something about her just clicks with you, I don?t know.  Our tastes are too different.  But I digress.  Almost killing someone because they tried making a move on her isn?t normal.  Talk about disproportionate retribution.

Well, maybe it is normal.  She looks so delicate.  She?d snap in half like a twig if someone punched her the right way, probably.  It?s only natural that you wouldn?t want someone close to you to get hurt if they were like that.  I suppose this is the first time you?ve felt this way about anyone, right?  I?ll admit I was a bit thrown off by that.  I?m not surprised why it was her, though.  You tend to gravitate towards people like that, even though you don?t even act like that.  I guess I?m the only who notices all of this.  I think it?s you that?s unsettling to begin with, but it?s not like it?s hindering you at all.  That?s why I?m the only one who can see it, get it?  No, I?m not giving myself credit or anything.  I?m very proud of my abilities and strong points, but I don?t flaunt them, I just acknowledge them.  I guess you?re just more humble about it or flat out don?t care, because there are more important things to you, like that girl.  It?s unsettling.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on February 20, 2011, 06:06:15 PM
Grah stop writing stories that I feel like I can't read properly because of certain parser games >_<

So, obvious Yuugi/Parsee story, but I find the content interesting and a tad bit disturbing: most people don't portray Yuugi as being particularly violent, so her beating a dude nearly to death for attempting to proposition Parsee is a bit disturbing.

As far as delivery goes, it's... interesting. It's not a proper short story in any way: it actually makes me think me think more of free verse, or stream of thought. It reads like someone just putting down thoughts, instead of actually trying to write anything for people to read and understand.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 20, 2011, 06:19:45 PM
So, obvious Yuugi/Parsee story, but I find the content interesting and a tad bit disturbing: most people don't portray Yuugi as being particularly violent, so her beating a dude nearly to death for attempting to proposition Parsee is a bit disturbing.

You were able to tell?!  Fff-  My interpretation of Yuugi is...well...to put it as simply as possible, if Parsee is a tsundere, then Yuugi is a yandere.  I don't think I was able to write it out very well, though.  It kind of seems too obvious.
  :V

Sorry about that.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on February 20, 2011, 06:50:50 PM
It's fine: in fact, I actually really like that, cause it's really super creepy, especially since
Parsee
doesn't have a clue.

EDIT: In fact, it's making me REALLY glad that
in the game, Mokou is immortal. Parsee and Mokou are pretty cozy, at least on Parsee's end, from my point of view.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 20, 2011, 06:55:45 PM
It's fine: in fact, I actually really like that, cause it's really super creepy, especially since
Parsee
doesn't have a clue.

EDIT: In fact, it's making me REALLY glad that
in the game, Mokou is immortal. Parsee and Mokou are pretty cozy, at least on Parsee's end, from my point of view.

Yuugi is perfectly normal until Parsee is in danger involved.  Yeah, good thing Mokou's immortal.

EDITx2:
Yeah, Parsee has no idea.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Whatthe on February 20, 2011, 09:51:17 PM
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2lu6i9t.jpg) (http://www.fanfiction.net/r/6755882/)
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 20, 2011, 10:04:47 PM
^ That one guy posted a review for Relocation, but I don't think he's being serious.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 05, 2011, 09:11:31 PM
And now for another light read.  Maybe too light but every time I try to continue chapter 3 of Relocation I get writer's block tasukete eirin



Can one have power?



Light.  Very bright light.  It?s a different kind of light than what the Hell of Blazing Fires gives off.  It?s a warm, bright light.

The other ravens caw loudly and scatter.  Lots of black shapes fleeing into the cavern.  The rocks are illuminated by the light.

Who is the strongest hell raven here?

A voice?  A voice.  An echoing, warm-sounding woman?s voice.  One can only look up at the light in wonderment.

Is it you?

It is.  It is.

You have a lot of potential, moreso than any other youkai I have seen down here.  Little hell raven, would you like power?

Eyes wide in anticipation.  One can only look up in wonderment and pray they don?t fall to their knees shaking.

With power, that shaking body can stand.

Even as things are, the Hell of Blazing Fires will not last forever.  Only you have the ability to keep that from happening.

An outstretched hand, bathed in light.  In the palm, there?s a little red light.  Can one dare to reach for it?

It?s a different kind of light, one that?s so overpowering and brilliant.  Even with closed eyes it pours through, soaking every fiber of being inside and out.  It fills the body and soul with an intense light so that one cannot even tell where they are standing anymore. 

The light coalesces at the chest and burns.

It hurts.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 22, 2011, 12:01:50 AM


An Offer that Absolutely Cannot be Refused



They say that there is no final judgement for youkai.  Even if one dies, they will somehow, someway, come back to life.  Whether it be reincarnation or resurrection, that is perhaps a sort of natural fate.

However, there are times when, despite this security, youkai truly fear for their lives.  All the millennia they?ve experienced flashes before their eyes, frightening and disorienting them.  This was one of those times for Kagiyama Hina.  If she could sap the misfortune from herself, she would have been able to make a hundred?no, a thousand?nagashi-bina and send them all floating gracefully down the river.

?Hina!?

She, the feared goddess of misfortune and despair was cowering on the ground before an even more imposing woman of green hair and a dark red plaid dress.  The sharp tip of an umbrella jabbed into Hina?s stomach, and she hastily squeaked out her reply.

?Y-yes, ma?am!?

Kazami Yuuka smiled pleasantly, making the corners of her bright red eyes turn up.  ?There?s a good girl.  Now, where were we??

?Your?erm?pillow, ma?am.?  Hina picked at a stray thread on the hem of her dress.  ?You said that Nitori stole it from you.?  While her back was turned, Hina wanted to add, but she valued her life more than pointing out Yuuka?s carelessness.

?That?s right.  And since you?re good friends with her, this affair is also your business, is it not?? Yuuka asks.  She withdraws her umbrella from Hina?s stomach and holds it folded up in both hands.  ?Friends have to take each other?s responsibilities, and one of mine is in a bit of a pickle.  She?s sealed up with chains all over her arms, poor thing.  She can?t do anything without those chains getting in the way.?  There was a predatory glint in her eyes.  Just what did it get in the way of that made Yuuka make that kind of expression?  If oni could get plastered and fight shackled, a few chains couldn?t be that much of a problem.

?So.?  Yuuka?s voice was as cold as ice.  She knelt down in front of Hina, who immediately started to scuttle back like a crab.  ?No, don?t run.?  Yuuka reached out and cupped a hand on Hina?s face.  The action alone sent chills down Hina?s spine, and she went rigid.

?That?s better.  Now, I have a proposition for you.  While you go find my pillow, there?s someone I want you to find.  You?re the goddess of misfortune, aren?t you?  There?s a youkai in the Former Hell who you could get a lot of that from.  I?m sure you know who that is.?

Hina gulped and nodded.

?Good, we?re on the same page.?  Yuuka smiled again.  ?I need you to aggravate that girl?s ill feelings.  Collecting them will be easy after that, won?t it??

Another nod.

?After you?ve done that, go get my pillow and come back to the Garden of the Sun, and then we?ll talk from there.  Don?t come until you?ve gotten both, understood?  We?ll have a problem if you?re missing even one,? Yuuka warns, but her tone is far from angry-sounding.  Still, Hina nods stiffly.

?Ye-yes, ma?am.  I won?t fail.?  Hina?s cheeks burned all the way to her ears, and her voice came out shaky.

Yuuka caressed Hina?s face.  ?Shh, shh, you have nothing to be worried about,? she cooed.  ?All you need to do is find that friend of yours, make a day trip underground, and come back here.  That doesn?t sound too hard, now does it??

For Hina, this was even worse than being poked in the stomach.  Here was Kazami Yuuka stroking her and feeling up her hair.  If it were someone Hina liked or was close to her, she wouldn?t mind, but at the moment she couldn?t remember the last time she had felt so humiliated.  It didn?t help that Hina was difficult to embarrass to begin with.

Fortunately for Hina, Yuuka was fast to stand up and unfold her umbrella.  ?Well, then.  If you?ll excuse me, I have a garden to tend to.?  She started to walk off, but then she hesitated and turned back.  ?Oh, Hina, dear?  I wouldn?t take the consequences of failure too lightly, if I were you.?  With that, she strolled off into the flowers, leaving Hina sitting on the ground and wonder what the hell just happened.

Once Hina was sure that Yuuka was gone, she stood up and smoothed out her skirt.  Whatever happened, she couldn?t waste any time.

?I better get a move on,? Hina sighed.  She turned on her heels, lifted into the air, and flew off.  ?As long as I don?t run into either of those tengu reporters again, I?ll be fine.?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Kips McKipzerson on March 22, 2011, 01:50:45 PM
Fuck yeah Yuuka. The kind of person that makes sweet threats. I give this a ten out of 5.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 26, 2011, 11:36:05 PM


The Miniature Garden



It was her precious garden.

Since long ago, from the day she was born, it was her sole responsibility to care for it.  She made sure that it was she alone who raised it to prosperity.  She loved everyone and everything in her garden with every fiber of her being, and she had a lot of being.  She would even go off and fight for the sake of her garden.

She made sure there was a nice, sturdy fence around her garden to keep it sheltered, and to keep others out.  She watered and weeded.  She buried rocks.  She fertilized the garden periodically, making sure she always had an assistant at hand.  Even though she experienced hardships, her garden was soon beautiful and full of flowers of every color imaginable.  She lived life happily, maintaining her garden and spending each day purposefully.  Her garden was perfect.

However, she lost a friend, one to the cold and one to the earth.  Despaired, she spent her winters in a long, dark sleep, leaving her garden to waste away with only her assistant taking care of it.  One day she had woken up to subdue one of the members of her garden who had gotten out of hand, and another time to take care of her new assistant, but then she fell asleep again.

In her absence, the garden had grown wild with weeds, far beyond her control.  The fence was crumbling and entangled with weeds.  The earth was churned, exposing the rocks she had buried long ago.  She was no longer remembered as the original owner of the garden, only to a select few.  Even her assistant couldn?t seem to recognize her.  She watched as her assistant took care of the garden, but she was using a different technique than the one that had been used for centuries.  She cut away the weeds, but didn?t pull them out at the roots.  Thus the weeds grew back, and more and more new ones grew each time.

The garden was dying.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on March 26, 2011, 11:47:38 PM
Hm... interesting... I can't identify what this is referring to. I'm almost certain that the "garden" is a metaphorical one, but I'm not sure who the characters are. I'll need to read this over again...
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Ryuu on March 27, 2011, 12:06:53 AM
going to venture a guess that the garden is gensokyo and the character is yukari

friend to cold was layla and friend to earth was yuyuko

that's just my guess though
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on March 27, 2011, 12:13:14 AM
That was kind of my first guess, too, but then who's her assistant?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Ryuu on March 27, 2011, 12:24:36 AM
That was kind of my first guess, too, but then who's her assistant?

Ran
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on March 27, 2011, 12:26:03 AM
Ran couldn't recognize her? And she uses a "different technique"? Seems a tad off to me, unless there's something in the backstory that I'm missing.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Ryuu on March 27, 2011, 01:55:18 AM
Ran couldn't recognize her? And she uses a "different technique"? Seems a tad off to me, unless there's something in the backstory that I'm missing.

oops

reread it

seems to mean more the hakurei line than ran

my bad
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 27, 2011, 04:46:02 AM
tasukete ryuu I have trouble writing for Parsee I need your divine guidance
Also it's past midnight so I'm getting ready for bed after this.



The Beginning of Summer



Ibuki Suika?s gourd knocked against her legs, creating rhythmic sounds not unlike that of a clock.  It reminded Suika that she didn?t have a lot of time to head to the surface, so she walked faster.  As she walked, the lights of the Ancient City started to dim, and soon she was plunged into darkness.  She knew it would be faster to fly out, but walking gave her a sense of ease, as if she were one with the earth.  Feeling the rock beneath her feet and moving with her own power had a calmative effect, so to speak.

She must have been walking faster than expected, because as she was meditating on this, one of her feet hit wood.  She was at the final obstacle before she hit the tunnel leading to the surface: the bridge.  Suika stopped walking and looked around.  The bridge?s guardian wasn?t here.  She wasn?t someone who was a threat to Suika, but she found it more convenient to go to the bridge with her friend, so crossing alone would probably be easier today.  Suika raised her hands with the intent on clapping them together and dispelling herself into mist, but then she was interrupted.

?Hold it.?

Suika lowered her hands and glanced in the direction of the voice.  Towards the middle of the bridge, she saw a pair of green eyes glowering at her from the dark abyss.

?Can?t get across unnoticed, can I??  Suika grinned.  ?Why dontcha come out from under there??

The eyes disappeared into the darkness.  There was a scuffling noise, and then silence.  Suika took this as an initiative to start walking across the bridge.  She walked slowly to the center of the bridge, and then stopped.  She could see the eyes staring her down again, but this time she saw the faint silhouette of a girl peeking out from under the bridge at her.  The girl flew up from under the bridge and landed a good two meters ahead of her.  No matter how many times Suika saw her, she couldn?t quite get used to the foreign-looking dress she wore, or her long, pointy ears, which were flickering right now.

?Yo, Parsee.?  Suika raised a hand in greeting.  That definitely wasn?t any youkai she was used to seeing.  Mizuhashi Parsee scuttled back, as if ready to go under the bridge again.

?Why are you here alone??

Suika?s smile grew wider despite herself.  ?I?m going to the surface.?  The bewildered look Parsee gave Suika prompted her to say more.  ?I?m gonna reunite oni and humans, and then the other youkai that have been sealed away.?

Parsee?s eyes flared up, but she shrunk back a little into the darkness.  Suika watched as she looked away one or twice and fidgeted with the hem of her dress.  ??Are you stupid or something??

Suika shrugged, and walked down the bridge until she was on the other side of Parsee.  As she walked, she turned back and said, ?Don?t worry, we won?t let any humans hurt you.?  Suika kept walking, not letting herself falter even once.  Once she cleared the bridge, Parsee wouldn?t be able to stop her from going any further.
Parsee said nothing and stared at the ground.

?It?s something I gotta do.  This is for everyone in the Former Hell,? Suika reassured her.  ??Sides, just because I?m leaving doesn?t mean everyone else is gonna get up and follow me out.?

When Parsee looked up, Suika was gone.  She stood there for a moment, and then slid back under the bridge.

~*~

Parsee was sitting under the bridge, hugging her knees when she heard heavy footsteps thundering across the bridge.  Unlike the oni who had visited before, Parsee recognized these footsteps.  She uncurled herself from the stone wall and floated up.  A tall oni woman with long hair and a single horn protruding from her forehead was running across the bridge, but she eventually slowed down and stopped.  Her skirt swished as she took a breath and looked towards the end of the bridge that led to the tunnel that lead to the surface where?

Only then did Parsee realize that she had subconsciously floated over the bridge railing and onto the wooden planks.  Hoshiguma Yuugi noticed this and looked over at her.

?Did Suika cross here??

Suika?Suika?That was her name, wasn?t it?  Yuugi looked really worried.  Was Yuugi concerned for that oni Parsee just ran into?  She must be, otherwise she wouldn?t have come this far.  If she wanted, she could go even farther and follow Suika to the surface, couldn't she?  There was nothing stopping her from completely crossing the bridge and seeing it for herself.

?She just ran outta the city so I went looking for ?er?She didn?t really go to the surface, did she?wait, what?!?

Parsee said nothing, and then she walked up to Yuugi and started whacking her with her arms.  Yuugi crossed her arms into an X shape to shield herself from the blows, but in truth they weren?t doing anything.  Parsee was already smaller and weaker; she wasn?t doing anything at all.  At this thought, her eyes started to water, and she made a small choking noise.

?Wait, Parsee.?  Yuugi gently grabbed Parsee?s arms to keep her from hitting any more.  In response, Parsee pulled her arms away and started to dash towards the edge of the bridge.  By the time Yuugi started after her, Parsee was already climbing onto the rail.  Yuugi reached out to her, but the hiccup Parsee let out stopped her.  Parsee took Yuugi?s moment of hesitation to jump off and fly back under the bridge, leaving Yuugi alone.

?Parsee??  Yuugi leaned over the railing and scanned the area underneath for any sign of the bridge princess.  She saw her retreating into the rocks, and sighed.  ?I wonder??  She sat down on the bridge and crossed her legs.  She?d probably be waiting for a while before Parsee was ready to come back and say anything.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Ryuu on March 27, 2011, 04:57:57 AM
hi himiko I don't see anything wrong here


though if you want I could give a lecture on parsee and fics and parsee and parsee next weekend for you
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 27, 2011, 12:22:49 PM
hi himiko I don't see anything wrong here


though if you want I could give a lecture on parsee and fics and parsee and parsee next weekend for you

yesss that would be appreciated greatly
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on March 27, 2011, 04:24:02 PM
How could you not know how to write Parsee you had an entire gaqme of Parsee. And fuck I need to stop typing and drinking.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 27, 2011, 04:28:58 PM
How could you not know how to write Parsee you had an entire gaqme of Parsee. And fuck I need to stop typing and drinking.

You guys were the ones controlling her, but...well, I guess it shouldn't really be much of a problem now that you mention it.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on March 27, 2011, 04:57:29 PM
No, sorry, my bad. Besides, that was pre-game Parsee, so it's all cool. Or something.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 09, 2011, 10:18:28 PM
I know I haven't posted in this in months but...



オヤシロサマがストーキーング!!



Suika thanked the gods for her small stature as she tried to make herself comfortable on the keystone floating above and behind the Hakurei Shrine.  The small space was occupied by her, Tenshi, Koishi, and a bag of sandwiches jacked from Bhava-Agra?s kitchen.  The weather was exceptionally good today?cloudy and pleasantly cool?compared to yesterday?s heat wave, and it was only made better by the ham and tomato sandwich Suika was biting into.  She fixated her gaze on the shrine?s walkway, watching as Reimu swept the cobblestones for what Suika counted as the tenth time this morning.  It was such a mundane task, but something about it fascinated Suika, perhaps because it was Reimu doing it.

?I seriously don?t get what?s so entertaining about watching her all the time,? Tenshi remarked as she picked the cheese out of her sandwich.  ?I mean, all she does is drink tea, sweep the steps, and bludgeon youkai with a stick.  It?s not all that exciting.?

?She?s obviously in ~*love*~!?  Koishi threw her arms in the air.

Suika leaned forward on the keystone, intently watching Reimu greet a blonde girl with a witch hat and broom.  ?Dunno if I?d call it love, Pebbles,? she mused.  ?Even though I?ve been watching her for seven years??

?I watch people, too!?

?Great!  I?m friends with a stalker and a voyeur!? Tenshi groaned, and threw her sandwich over her shoulder.

Suika grinned, but didn?t stop staring at Reimu.  ?And you?re a delinquent.  You stole those sandwiches and you stole the sword of Hisou.  How many times do you think you?ve made Iku-nee cry, huh??

?Geez, I didn?t.?

?You even wasted a perfectly good sandwich~? Koishi chirped.

?Stuff it.  It?ll probably be put to use by making some starving faerie?s day.?  Tenshi crossed her arms and leaned against Suika?s back, knowing it wouldn?t be enough to push the little oni over the edge.

?Say, don?t you think the red-white would?ve noticed us by now?? Tenshi suddenly asked.  ?I mean, we have been here for a while now.?

?What makes you think tha??  Suika was interrupted by a stray ofuda smacking into her forehead, systematically knocking her into Tenshi and causing the keystone to tip over, sending all three of them tumbling to the ground.

Suika groaned as she rubbed her sore head.  She could almost picture Reimu?s unimpressed, stern expression as she quietly resumed her sweeping.  ??Nevermind.?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 10, 2011, 11:27:28 PM
I haven't written poetry in so long hee hee



Let's go buy some sweets



You?ve beat the game!
Congrats, now see,
The Yin-Yang orb?s powers three
One!  Eat sweets, and never get fat
There?s no way you can say no to that
Two!  Smell of your favorite scent
For potential dates?  No, that?s not what I meant
Three!  The orb can turn into a cat
It?s better than having some smelly old rat
That?s what I?ve told you, but really, there?s more
A deep dark secret of the Hakurei lore
You?re still too young, so it?s best not to tell
The secret will surely make your life hell
The true power of the Yin-Yang orb, you see
Hyu sm ayp aaoanr wtiy
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 11, 2011, 03:55:52 AM
Writing this late at night was a good idea; I seem to write better then.  Writing this felt so good.



What we are fighting for



It was time.

She stood?no, hovered?at the top of the staircase, the light of the waxing gibbous creating images on the floor as it shone through the mosaic, distorting her shadow.  The light cast down upon her ethereal form.  She herself blended in well with the environment: dark green hair and dark blue robes, all the more conspicuous in that it hid her ghostly tail of a lower half of her body.  All of that was covered with an even darker-colored cape.

As she waited, she contemplated.  The soundless night outside accompanied by a moon that hung in the sky, constantly giving the illusion of shifting shapes as the sunlight reflected on it from millions of miles away.  The dark side of the moon and the light side of the moon thus rotated, or were they correct in that the dark side of the moon was truly the side that never faced the Sun?  It was something she had thought of.

If only her friend had agreed to partake in this.  She would have had an answer for that question, even if it would have been her own opinion.

The night?s silence was broken by the huge oak doors at the far end of the room slowly creaking open.  Soundlessly, a figure swept into the room.  The doors slide shut just as slowly as they had before, hiding the darkness beyond once more.  She gazed down at the figure with steely green eyes in analysis.

The girl was both smaller and younger than her, older than her ward but still young.  Her long hair, dark and purple, was drawn back and tied off with a red ribbon.  Dressed in red and white robes more fitting of traditional Japanese wear, her katana clanked at her side as if making up for her soundless footsteps.  As she neared the base of the stairs, she silently kneeled into a bowing position and stared up.  Her eyes, the same color as her hair, betrayed her otherwise stoic form.  She could see much emotion in those eyes.

This was the second best thing.

She offered a gracious albeit crooked smile to the girl, spreading the tough, leathery wings on her back as if to further assert her authority.  ?Welcome.?

?Why did you call me here??  It was a simple question, but the answer was very complicated.

?There is a power that you seek, is there not??  Her smile twisted into a malicious grin as the girl?s eyes widened.

?How did you know??

How did she know?  This girl was unknown to all but the two of them, and yet she knew more about this girl than she realized.  She had the slightest of fantasies that this girl was afraid, but her tone was more suspicious and guarded than anything else.

?Because you?re the one who?s always in the forest, aren?t you?  Word of a strong swordswoman spreads like wildfire throughout the forest?s residents.  A strong girl who could cut down anything in her path, with the only weapon at her disposal being a steel katana is an impressive story in itself, indeed, but I know that even you have a few other tricks up your sleeve.?  She stared down at the girl.  ?And yet, even when you rely on your own strength, it still isn?t enough.  Not here, anyway.  Therefore?wouldn?t you like the chance to have the power that you seek within your grasp??

?What do you want me to do??  Her voice was inquisitive, almost humorously so.  It was too perfect.

?On the night of the full moon she will pass through this forest.  You will have your chance then.?  The words hissed out of her mouth as if she were predicting the future, but in truth this was a predetermined event.  ?Defeat her, and take the Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb.?

The girl looked down silently, and then muttered, ?I will.?

?Oh, and??  The girl jolted back up.  ?Do show courtesy towards whoever else you may meet there.  We don?t want any unwanted casualties, do we??
The girl swallowed.  There was a long silence, and she felt a strange, elated feeling swell inside her.  With just a few words, she had this girl against a wall.  She had never met the girl previously, but she had her on her knees and lost for words.  The Gensokyo this girl knew was quite different from what lay beyond the mountains.  Youkai here really were monsters, and a pretty girl like her wouldn?t make it if she couldn?t protect herself.  She was still young, and the world she lived in was one of constant threat.  Her view of youkai was no doubt burned in her mind.

Was this what power felt like?  It threatened to take a hold of her and never let go, but she had to restrain herself.

?Understood.?

The words that sealed the pact had been spoken.

She smirked.  ?I trust you won?t disappoint me.?

The girl stood, turned, and swiftly made for the door in one fell swoop.  Right as she was at the door, she who stood at the top of the staircase illuminated by the mosaic offered a few words of parting.

?Gensokyo is a youkai?s paradise.?  Her smirk only grew more twisted.  ?I hope you understand that.?

Without turning back or saying another word, the girl disappeared through the doors, and she was alone again.  Her own voice echoed satisfyingly in her mind as she stared at the stop where the girl had kneeled moments before; it was as if she had never been there now.

The pieces were falling into place.  It was time.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 12, 2011, 02:42:06 AM
I write best at night, but I get tired at night...Tamashii, look this way, although I don't think I wrote this as well as I could have...



Prequel



As Reimu gazed into the tempestuous sky, she tightened the grip on her gohei and poised herself for flight.  All thoughts of that sunny afternoon vanished at the sight of the bronze orb in the sky, emitting a sickly purple aura that blocked out the sun and created an artificial night.  The figure of the woman carved into the false moon?s surface stood perfectly still, while everything else around her churned in chaos.

Looks like she was in for a rematch.

Raising her right hand, she summoned a single Yin-Yang orb which levitated above her palm.  Her heels left the ground, and she shot into the air like a bullet.  The wind was fierce; it ripped at her very being, as if threatening to tear her away, but she did not falter.  As she flew, a familiar, almost comforting silhouette joined her side, flying on a wooden broom.

?Yo, Reimu!  Perfect night for solving a disaster, eh, ze??

Reimu?s grin was distorted.  ?It?s not night, Marisa.?

Marisa clutched her mini hakkero in her hand.  ?That?s right; it?s broad daylight, ze!?

They were already dodging stray bullets of those from the ground; the bombardment of the sky was already starting.  Marisa?s mini hakkero crackled with energy.  In response, Reimu?s Yin-Yang orb started to spin in her hand.

?After this?Let?s give those guys underground a piece of their mind for not taking proper care of their own moon!?  Reimu?s voice resonated, a harsh battle cry that shook the heavens themselves.  The aura around Hell?s Moon intensified, and a barrage of white bullets blazed across the sky like falling stars, as if the moon itself had heard her.  Reimu raised the hand holding the Yin-Yang orb, and shouted out an incantation as Marisa flew ahead and aimed the mini hakkero.
A single lazer combined with a flurry of overwhelmingly bright orbs exploded in the air.

Reimu flew at neck breaking speeds to avoid the fireballs headed towards her, and she retaliated by shooting ofuda, one after another.  The bullets converged and collided with each other, as if shattering the very fabric of reality itself.  And so she flew right through them, her eyes almost glowing as she defied the hellfire around her.

And then a small beam of light pierced through Reimu?s chest.

?Wha??

~

She slammed into the ground.  She felt as if her spine was shattering when it slammed into the concrete, throwing up debris.  She heard a thousand sounds at once but at the same time she couldn?t hear anything.  Reimu struggled to her feet, but let out a squeak of pain as she put weight on her left leg.  Her knees buckled, and she went stumbling into the ground.  In the sky above her, she could hear deafening thunder raging above her, the whistle of the wind as an imagined gargantuan beast tore through it.  She lay unmoving, staring into space.

Reimu suddenly felt weak, very weak.  Even breathing was agony; pain shot through every fiber of her body, but she felt as if something was holding her back.  She raised a hand towards the sky, lost strength, and let it fall back to her chest.  It was soaked almost instantly.  Blood.  It was her blood, wasn?t it.  Too afraid to keep it there any longer, she shuddered and struggled weakly, fear giving her the strength to fight for just a little bit longer.

Reimu?s mind whirled within itself, overflowing and spinning.

She was bleeding.

She never bled before in a spell card duel.  Looks like there were still some loopholes she?d have to work out, if things had gotten this bad.  She usually didn?t get carried away enough that she would make someone bleed, and neither would her opponents?well, usually.  She only really bled back when the spell cards hadn?t been invented yet, and those were the days when one had to rely on their own power, not a set of rules that kept them safe.  Reimu vaguely wondered what would happen if the spell card system were to vanish.  That wouldn?t be very good; the Human Village would seriously be in danger, and that?s where she got all her groceries from?

While she pondered this, she heard hurried footsteps, getting closer.

Reimu went through the trouble of breaking her train of thought as she listened to the familiar sound of bullets rushing through the air.  The footsteps skidded to a halt, and then there was a loud rattling followed by?Reimu didn?t feel like listening anymore.

?I was too late??

?Ahh, she lost a lot of blood??

It was some woman?s voice.  Reimu felt someone ease her into their arms.  It was much better than being on the ground, at least.  She let herself go limp completely, ready to surrender to sweet sleep.

?Looks like she isn?t attacking me?Hey, don?t fall asleep, okay?  Keep your eyes open.?

Come to think of it, that voice sounded kind of familiar.  Where did Reimu hear it, again?  It must have been a long time ago.  She was too tired to put forth the effort of opening her eyelids, but she reluctantly obliged and squinted into space.  Her vision was badly blurred, which she found kind of odd, considering she never needed glasses in her lifetime.  In fact, she knew only one person with glasses: Kourin.  Or was there another one?

She listened to the woman?s voice talk some more, but she didn?t really take in what she was saying.

??probably not a good idea to leave you alone in this state??

Her vision was suddenly filled with thousands of eyes were staring at her.  Pain rippled throughout her body, and she felt as if her head was splitting open.  Before everything went black, she heard the sound of rushing water, coming from all sides.

~

?Reimuuuuuu!?

Marisa?s voice acted on its own, screaming out her friend?s name as she was thrown back to the earth.

She was going to kill that fake moon.  There wouldn?t even been a single shard left by the time she was done with her.

She would let her see what true fury looked like.  Her body seemed to move on its own.  She was overcome by rage, which only intensified when she was thrown into the unforgiving earth.  What just happened?  She was in the air just a few seconds ago.  Or was she cracking up?

The clutched her mini hakkero so tightly her knuckles turned white.  Her teeth ground together as she growled in frustration at the fake moon?s pristine, untouched form as it continued to ruin everything.

?Marisa!?

The frail girl clutching the bound-up book in her arms must have been terrified out of her mind to see what Marisa looked like.  At the sight of this nervous-looking girl, a name blinked into her mind, but she didn?t register it.

?Marisa, what happened?  Why??

She killed Reimu.

She killed her, and now Marisa was going to kill her.

Did she say that out loud?  If her shaking was any indication, then yes.

Aiming the hakkero, she paused when her ears picked up the faintest of movements that she had trained them to hear all those years ago.  Even in this state this acquired ability of hers still worked with her.

The little girl cowering in fear on the ground shook, and the red ribbon in her blonde hair quivered with her.  The other girl in the clearing stared at her with widened eyes.

Red.

Red.

Marisa was suddenly aware of every little sound, of the grass as it crumpled beneath her footsteps, of her ragged breaths as she reached out and grabbed the poor girl by the shoulders and grasped the ribbon in her hand, feeling the red fabric between her fingers. 

She pulled.

All she saw were those hundreds of sharp, pointy teeth as a pair of hands suddenly stronger than her entire body pinned her to the ground and she looked up and saw bright red, red standing out against her colorless hair and black black dress and pallid skin as her mouth opened wider and she suddenly got closer and Marisa could feel her hot breath against her throat

~

Alice screamed, louder than she had ever screamed before in her life, screaming as blood that was not hers splattered onto her face.  She fell back, paralyzed with fear.  Only when those eyes turned to her did her hands act quickly, defying her as they pried away the bindings on the tome?

~

?It?s completely wrecked??

Deep, deep in the far reaches of the Underground, Parsee had collapsed to her knees, staring at her destroyed bridge.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: PC on June 12, 2011, 02:57:37 AM
...I just love everything about this.

Please, continue writing.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Tamashii Kanjou on June 12, 2011, 07:14:43 PM
Oh dear lord... I don't know what else to say apart from...

Reimu's state... I can't imagine how Yukari must have felt, let alone anyone else. And Alice, oh gosh poor Alice. To see that happen, and
for Kourin to find out later, especially in the way it ends up being revealed when Nitori is with him
I felt like crying again.

I hate you Himiko... if you so much as add anything else to that, I probably will cry.

Don't stop writing; I love your work. ^^
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 17, 2011, 12:55:09 AM
\o\=/o/

alt. title - on the same level, although nothing would've stopped me from writing this, anyway.



Coming of Age



In Gensokyo, flying was the most common method of transportation.  Certain people used it so much, in fact, that their legs grew weak and they had trouble walking for long periods of time.

One such person was Kochiya Sanae, evident by her wheezing as she climbed the crumbled stone staircase up the hill.  On either side of her were trees spanning high, high up, giving way to the clear blue sky overhead.  It was an uncomfortably hot day, and all the prophetic dreams in the world wouldn?t be able to tell Sanae why Kagiyama Hina was still wearing that thick, dark red dress of hers.

?Are we there yet?? Sanae groaned.  Hina twirled around to face Sanae as she hopped up the stairs backwards.

?Not that far.  Put a little hop into your step, okay~??

Sanae pouted.  ?Easy for you to say.?

?Tsk tsk, Sanae?You need to appreciate your two legs every once in a while!  After all, people will be climbing these very stairs one day in order to come and pray to you.  If you want to help them with their problems, you must understand their pain.?

The green haired goddess with the slug hairpin and brown feather and green haired goddess in red finally reached the top of the stairs, coming face to face with a shrine that had obviously been abandoned for a very long time.  The pathway was barely visible underneath the web of vines and weeds covering it, and the offertory box at the end of it was rotted beyond repair.  The roof had caved in on the walls of the house.  Stone lanterns were just barely visible over the overgrown grass, but the glass in them was broken.

?I don?t want to know what you do to understand humans? pain, what with you being the goddess of misfortune, after all.?  Sanae put her hands on her hips and took a good look at the wreck of a shrine she was supposed to be inheriting.  ?Looks like we have a lot of work to do.?

~

?Will she really be okay on her own??

Suwako smirked and laced her fingers together.  ?You worry too much, Kanako.  Besides, don?t you think this will yield any interesting results??

Kanako frowned a little and brought her dish of sake from her lips.  ?What do you mean??

?Sixty micro says the satori girl will start visiting Sanae?s shrine.?  Suwako-sama reached into her pocket and extracted a handful of silver coins.  ?Seventy says Okuu will continue visiting here.?

Kanako sighed.  ?You?ve got to be kidding me.?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 29, 2011, 03:35:07 AM


Acquaintances



Tokiko didn?t mind life at Kourindou at all.  She got free food, free board, protection from the more savage youkai lurking around in the forest and beyond the mountains, and access to all the beetles she wanted, all in exchange for stocking a few shelves.  This task was more complicated than it sounded; the store was forever buried in piles of clutter owing to the lack of customers and surplus of goods provided by Morichika Rinnosuke?s mystery supplier, who she never saw, come to think of it...She?d spend hours sorting strange relics that she didn?t recognize, but over time she came to be well-versed in different things from the ?Outside World?.  On the whole, life was good.

At this point in time, the peak of summer was beginning to rear its fiery head.  Tokiko, unaccustomed to the heat after what felt like a particularly long winter and strangely cool spring, the crested ibis youkai found all her willpower melt away.  She now sat at the counter, her head lolling on the table and wings wilted.  Her usual heavy dress had been exchanged for a short, sleeveless dark blue one, and she was basking in the cool air provided by the fan set up on the floor.  Its humming drowned out the sounds of the cicadas outside and filled the shop with a refreshing coolness that would no doubt give way to sticky heat of Tokiko dared to venture outdoors.  It?s not like she had to; Rinnosuke put her in charge of the shop while he went out to restock, anyway.  As if Kourindou needed any more items?

The bells on the doorknob rattled noisily, and Tokiko immediately sat up.  The door opened all the way, and a somewhat familiar woman entered.  The white sundress wasn?t familiar, but the dark green hair, red eyes, and parasol definitely were.  She recognized this woman as someone who frequently came to buy flower pots and gardening tools, and although there were more than a few scary rumors about her, she always proved time and time again to be a completely normal customer.

?Ah, Kazami-san, welcome,? Tokiko greeted.  ?It sure is hot out, isn?t it??  She fidgeted, realizing how clich?d it was to ask about the weather.

?It sure is.?  Yuuka closed up her parasol and closed the door behind her.  ?I?m here for sunflower seeds today.?

?Oh?  Okay??  Tokiko hopped off the stool she had been sitting on and made her way towards a cardboard box on one side of the shop.  ?I think we have some left over as presents from the Spring Equinox Festival.?

?Those?ll do.?  Yuuka quietly surveyed the room, until something on the windowsill caught her eye.  ?That quite the improvised vase you have there,? she said, her tone amused.

?Ahaha, well, yes, it would?ve been a waste to throw away such a nice wine bottle after it was empty.?

Yuuka smirked a little.  ?You never struck me as the drinking type.?

?No, no, I don?t.?  Tokiko waved her hands dismissively.  ?The shop owner had most of it with some regular customers.?  She stared down at the box and started picking through different seed packets.  She thought back to the little dinner party between her, Rinnosuke, the red-white, and the black-white, and was torn between fond memories and annoyance that the red-white had been present.  That hot pot was so good, though?

Yuuka walked over to the wine bottle and studied the label.  She said nothing, but in the off chance that she was a wine expert, she would no doubt be perplexed by such a rare drink.

?Um, anyway, here you go.?  Tokiko handed off a few packets of sunflower seeds to Yuuka.  The flower youkai reached into her pocket and handed over a few seed packets of her own.

?Huh??

Tokiko didn?t quite get it.  The only way to get items at Kourindou was to trade other items, but flower seeds for flower seeds?

?I was thinking, perhaps it?s time you started a garden here.?  The corners of Yuuka?s mouth curved upwards in a smile that sent shivers down Tokiko?s spine.  ?It?s such a nice area, it would be a waste.?

Tokiko nodded and took the seeds from Yuuka.  ?Y-yeah.?

Yuuka pocketed the sunflower seeds and proceeded to walk out of the store.  ?Good day to you, then~?

Tokiko blinked, taken aback by Yuuka?s sudden departure, and then turned her attention to the seeds.  Maybe planting these flowers wouldn?t be such a bad idea, after all.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Tamashii Kanjou on June 29, 2011, 11:43:49 AM
Hehe. Friendly Yuuka is friendly indeed... That smile... It's so lovely and warming, no? XD

And yay for Tokiko! Nice to see her getting some attention. Pretty nice overall, actually.

...

Hmm... Satori x Reimu... May we have some? If it connects nicely into the quests, like always, then please, do so. <3
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on July 09, 2011, 04:08:00 AM
I know I just posted this in the NWC thread, but I want this here for archival purposes.



Oblivious



Meira-san -

Your presence is required immediately at the Hakurei Shrine.

- Hakurei Reimu

~

Meira was quite used to these kinds of letters by now, ones that summoned her to some location without offering any explanation whatsoever.  There was about a fifty percent chance it was a human who wanted her to kill a youkai or something, and a fifty percent chance it was a youkai intelligent enough to write, sending her into a trap.  There was also a fifty percent chance that the letter would be signed at all, but Meira answered all letters either way.  That was how she rolled.

On that note, Meira folded up the letter and slipped it into her sleeve.  Very quietly, she stood up from the kitchen table and headed over to the window.  She leaned across the sink and drew back the curtains a bit, scanning the outside.  She then drew them shut again and headed back to her room to get her katana.  Even if the letter wasn?t a trap, just getting out of the forest would be enough of a pain.

Upon opening the front door, Meira was greeted by the howls and screeches of youkai resonating throughout the forest in which her house was located.  The trees stretched high above her head, creating a thick canopy that allowed little light to filter through.  In spite of this, Meira seldom lit lanterns around her house.  It would attract too much attention, and her house was already in a clearing.  After taking one more look around, Meira locked the front door and sprinted into the trees.
Going through the forest wasn?t that difficult, just a bit tedious.  As Meira picked her way through the web of trees, she would occasionally catch a glimpse of something on all fours crawling through the undergrowth, or hear the guttural shrieks of some beast as it was torn apart.  This was all normal.

The most noteworthy encounter she had leaving the forest was coming across a barely-recognizable raccoon that was twice the size of her.  It?s chittering was drowned out by the sound of a katana being drawn.  Meira did not stop running even as she slashed at the beast youkai.  It tensed its muscles and prepared to strike, only to feel something sharp cut across its neck.  It slumped to the ground as Meira went straight past it; it would no doubt get back up later, but for now it was not going anywhere.

Meira cleared the last layer of trees with no incident and burst into an expansive field, only for her eyes to be assaulted by the sun beating down from high above.  She frowned and squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the sudden light before surveying her surroundings.  Behind her was the forest she just came out of.  Up ahead past the field she was now standing in was a small village.  She had been there a few times before, but she would be ignoring that for the much less dangerous Forest of Magic, and then hill she would be reaching after she came to that.  If she remembered correctly, that was the way to the Hakurei Shrine.

Walking through the fields and past the village was almost boring, and she didn?t even need to have her katana out when she walked through the last forest.  Soon enough, she was at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Hakurei Shrine.  The sight of the torii briefly gave Meira the feeling that she was crossing some sort of finish line, but she shrugged that off as she started to ascend the stairs.

When she finally reached the shrine, Meira stopped to take a look at it.  For being the shrine of the legendary Hakurei Clan, it was rather small and modest, if not a bit shabby.  There was not much of note about it, except for the lone figure sitting on the porch with a white cat in her lap.  It was a young girl, donning the robes of a traditional shrine maiden, complete with a ribbon in her long, purple hair.  She was swinging her legs back and forth, idly scratching the cat behind the ears, but when she noticed Meira a huge grin broke out on her face.

Hakurei Reimu leapt off the porch and trotted over to where Meira was standing, causing the cat to flee from her lap and dart away.  ?You?re finally here!  I was getting sick of waiting.?

In all fairness, it took Meira a few hours just to get to the shrine.  She folded her arms as the girl drew closer.  ?Of course I am.  You sent that letter to me, after all.?
?Oh, that??  The girl?s smile only grew wider.  ?Meira-san, I have a request for you,? she practically sang.

Meira raised an eyebrow.  ?Oh?  What do you want??

?I?d like you to have tea with me.?

Huh?

That was not what Meira was expecting.

?Listen, Hakurei.?  Meira kept her arms folded and glared down at Reimu, whose grin had still not left her face.  ?I?m a mercenary, not your playmate.?

?So??

?So, don?t just send me urgent-sounding letters when it turns out to be something trivial like this.?  Meira turned on her heels and started back down the stairs.  ?I?m going home.?

Reimu?s face fell.  ?Oh??  She then proceeded to chase after Meira.  ?Wait!?

Meira stopped walking and turned around.  ?What??

?It?s not just tea!  There?s cake, too!  I got it from the Human Village!?  Reimu?s arms flailed wildly in an obviously desperate attempt to keep Meira from leaving.  Meira was never one to get excited over sweets, but maybe she?d be able to take some food home with her.

??Fine.?

?Yaay~~?

And that?s how Meira spent the better part of the afternoon, sitting on the porch with a cup of tea, listening to Reimu ramble on.  It was mostly mundane things about the shrine, like skipping stones in the pond out back and a sudden rain shower that kept Reimu from drying the laundry.  She did, however, rattle on for a good while about an incident involving some mysterious ruins, a bunch of heretics, and a crazy woman who wanted to kidnap her in the name of science.  The names of that ghost magician and her apprentice came up, too; Meira remembered both of them, the former all too well.

Reimu also tried to get Meira to talk, although it was a fruitless effort.  Meira wasn?t very inclined to talk much about her daily life.  She mostly took odd jobs for other humans, both in the mountains she grew up in and the village she passed on the way to the shrine, but when she wasn?t doing that, there wasn?t really anything interesting to say.

During a lapse in the conversation, Meira stared down at the cup in her hands, idly shifting it so that the tea inside swirled around.  The cake Reimu promised sat untouched on the porch between them.  Somehow, she had ended up spending a lot of time at the shrine, evident by how the sun was lower in the sky now.
That was when Meira reached an epiphany.

?Hey, Hakurei??

Reimu glanced over at Meira.  ?Hm??

?Why did you even invite me here, anyway??

?To spend time with you, obviously.?

Meira pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.  ?That?s it??

?Yeah.?

?I attacked you and tried to steal the Yin-Yang orb, and that?s all you can say??  Meira narrowed her eyes, but Reimu remained blissfully dense.

?The Yin-Yang orb??  Reimu giggled.  ?If that?s all you were curious about, you should?ve said so!  If you want, you can hold it.?  The shrine maiden hopped off the porch and started to round the shrine.  ?Wait right there.?

Was this actually happening?

Reimu reappeared moments later holding a smooth round ball about the size of her fist, and held it out to Meira.

?It?s surprisingly heavy at first, but once you get used to it it?s really easy to throw and stuff.  You have to give it back when you?re done holding it, though.?

Meira wasn?t listening to any of this; she was instead fixated on the Yin-Yang orb in front of her.  Unimaginable power was within arm?s reach.  She reached out, mesmerized, and took hold of the Yin-Yang orb




â̿̔̀͌̊ͤ̑ͧ̀̓̊̿̆̒ͭͫ͐̓͢͝͏̹͔̥͉͓̖̹ȧ̝̺̻̻͔̩͕̹̬͚ͧ̌̀ͯͬ̔̋̉͒̔̐̑͆͆ͬ̔ͪ͠a̴̴̼͕̮̫̤͙̤̬̝̼̦̣̬̖̤͉̍̿̒ͩ͂͂̓͟ͅȧ̵̸̷̬̳̲̖̪͔̥͎̠͓͎͇̘̖̼̥͌ͪ̊ ̛̻͉̬̲͌̉ͪ̔̏ͨͦ͋͊ͪ̌̉͆ͧͫ̌͠͞͠
̴̷̲͇̼̻̲͖̰̜̗̞̬͍̤͐͗̉̒̊̽̉̇ͨ́ͅa̷̢̯̘̪͕̜͈͙̲̳̔ͣ̄̽͜͜a̷̯̯̩̬̰̪̎ͬ̅ͫ̓̎ͬ͆̊̆ͤ͐͋͒̌̓́̕͝ͅa̸̬̥̩̪̭̥̠̝͇͎͕͙͕̞̲̰̔̃̓̽̃͗̈́͟͡a̸ͫ̐ͮ̽͊͂̏ͫ̉̈́͆͋̄̊̉ͭ̿̆͜҉̨̲̳͉̦̜̫̪̜̹̯̟̣̹͉͖̟̱̖̭͜ả̶̧͇̗̘̩̟͔͎͙͕̦̤̠̤͉̜͓ͬ̄̐̀ͮ̆̃̌͗̃͑ͤ̊̉̈̒ͦ͗̀́̕a͛͊̓̓̐ͭͫ͊̌͐̎̈́͛̓̀͜҉͇̮̥̻̗͔̬̬̩̠̳̩̲̭͖͢ ̂̍͗ͫ̂͆̆̓̂́̔̇ͬ̈̚͜͏͕̟̣͎̼͟ͅ
̣̣̻̲̗̥͇̹͂ͥ̊͊ͤ͗̌͊̏̉̚͟͜͟a̴̧ͤ̍͂̇̌̓̿̉̈̒͜͏̮͇͕͈̮͎̺a̸̴̳̜͙̻̠̗͙̪͈̺̲͖̙ͤͥ̿ͨͥ͠͞ͅͅa̡̺̻̞̲͐̆̉ͦ̂ͨͨ̃̊̓͌̋̃̋̀ͪͤ̓̓͢ͅä̢̘̰͈̖̱̗̞̻̱̫̯̳́ͤ͌͂̓̒ͨ̒ͬ͒ͬͬ͌͂͋ͮ̾́̚͢ͅͅa̵̹̤̗̫̮̹͇̪̹̝̫͛ͮ̊ͤͮͩ͡a̷̧̞̤̰̞͓̠̙͎ͬ̊̑̄̆̾͜ȧͭ̆̆͂̑̾̈̓̒͞҉͎̹̟͍͙̥̪̩̣͎̟͍͚̳̺ä̢̡͇̭̖̭̣͖͙̘͙͚͚̪̜͇̠̩̟̌̉́̒ͨ͑͋̏ͨ́́͟͡ͅa͖̝̟̞͎̬ͣ̔̓ͪ̉̽̅́̑ͤ̎ͨ͌̈́͂͞͞a̷̸̷̞͇͍͇͓̒ͣ̊̎͗ͤ̏͗͋͐ͤ̄ͨ͑̔̍́̚̕ǎ͔̟̺̬͖͎̋̒͋̒ͬ̈ͦ͑͞͝ ̸͍̘̣͈̞̼̠̹̻̿̂́̑̓͛͐̐͛ͤ͂ͧ͠
̮̳͚̩̗̙͔̝̟͉͖̼͔̠̃ͧ̓ͩ͗ͧͩ̓̋ͯ̓̄͜͢ͅa̩̹̼̰͙̯̞̳̖̱͉ͪ̆ͧͣ̔̀͑̒̅ͬ̀͑̊̿͌̕͝a̡̨͍͈̗̦̙̪̹͈̣͔ͥ͂͑ͧ̇̎̽̑ͭ̈̔̋ͧ̑ͪ͢͞ą̶̛͙̰͈̬̆͗͗̃̀ͤ͞ą̛̜̦̩̤͇͉͕̪̻̝̟̪̫͓͆͛̇ͯ́͝a̸̴̯̙̜̼̼͈͔͔͍͈͇̬̫̟̓ͤͬ̌̄͟ą̷̵̶̡͉̟̳͔͈ͣ́͂ͨ͐̍̅̏ả̶̢͎̻̤͓͗͛̃ͮ̈́ͭ̆̂ͣ́ͮ̉͂ͧ̾̚a͐̓̍ͭ̽̌ͨ͊̍̓͑ͨ͒̓̆̒̈̓̍͡҉̤̣̝̬̼̰̼̩̪̪̯͙̱͈a̸̧̅͛͆͛̌ͣ͆̃͆̕͟҉͓̫̦̲̙̠̼̭̱ͅͅa͉̯͕̞͖̬̱͔͓̯̅̏͌̌ͥ̈̚͡͡ą̴ͨ̿̉̆̋̈́͗̊̄̌ͩ͒ͣ̊̂̕͞͏̯͙̲̫̤̠̟̳̗̲͍͓̼̮̮͇ͅa̧̛ͤ̂̔͗͒̀͟͏̥͓̫͕̗ą̷̜̭̟̬̹̖̗̘̲̜̈́ͭ̌̌ͦͯ̑͗̉ͣ͒̒ͤ̀͗ͪͭą̺͖͎̮̼̻̼̖̭ͣͧ̆̇̎ͨ̔ ̞͇͈͉͇̪̰̖̩̙̦̗͖͎͈̱̭̃̈́͑̍͋̀́͘͝
ͬͭ̃̆̄̔̀͐ͬͬ҉̨̝͓͍̯̣̣̩̗̜̳͖̦̖̖̱a̶͉͙̘̭̹͙̳̘̟͈̺̭ͮ̌̈́ͭ̉͊̔̌̏ͫͬ̈́͆ͫ͒̀̚a̷͇̖̳̻̖͎̙̭͕̻̜̘̳͍̻ͫ̈́̅ͪͯ̈̌̊͗ͩ̾ͦ̅ͮ́͢͡ͅa̶͖̗͈̰ͬ̓̈͌̌͐͟a̛ͥ̔ͥ̓͌̃̈͜͏̴͙̤̺͎̘͟ả̴̷ͯͦͬ͆̊ͮ͑̃̌̇̿̓͒͌̒̌҉̜̻̞͇͕̟̬̲̝͍͖̳͕̟̣̤͈͘͝aͥͩ́ͬͣͩ̾͂͗ͩ̏̈́ͣ̄ͯ̌̈̉̚͏̢̳͇̭̬̙a͒ͧ̊̆ͦͧ̀̓̂͌̎ͣ̋̄̄̂̏҉̦̘̰̕͢a̴̶̡̛̼̫͖̗̗̝̲̻͔̥͙̥̫̮͍͔̳̰̯̋͒͂̐ͥ̊ͨ̽̃͌͛͑́̚a̷͆͛̑͑̂͛ͫ̓̅͑͌̑ͣ͞҉̲̖̙͈̘̼͎͙̱͡a̴̸̵͍̬̪̝͔̟̻͈͔̫̦̼͎͎͂͗͊ͪ͌ͨͤ̇̓̈ͩą͍̞̦͉̭͕͈̊ͥ̇ͮ̄̌̍͋ͯ͡ ̷̢̧̪̫̣̙̙̙̠̪͙̺͇͚͔̤͉̙ͦ̽ͧͥͥͤ͡͠
̶̯̰̣͈̪̤̟͚͖̠͇͖̼̜̩̻̬̣̀ͭ̒̾̀̎̾͟͞a̷̛͙̹̺̗͗ͬͨ͊̉͂̐͛̾̍̐̀̄ͨ̎͒̚a͊̍̄̎̃ͫ͊̏̒̏̎̄͆̍̊̇̈́̽͏̡̙̜̬̟̳̹̭̻̟͎̜͎̝͢͢͠a̞͔̦̭̣͕͖̗͖͔̤̐͆̊ͧ̐̽̀̚͟͝͠͠a̋̽͐̒̐̉̊͆̋͒̐̚҉̷̞̗̦̙͍̹͍̲̦͖͚̮͍ạ̴̛͈̩̬̿ͨ̌͒̈ͩ̌̀͘a̞̝͇͇̱̙̦͖̼̱͔̰ͬ̔͌̏ͩͧͣͧ̓͗̿̃̓ͫ́͜a̡͉̥̗̼̜̹ͬ̐ͪͭ͆̾͗́͡͠ ̷̱̫̬͖̬͇̳̱̗̖̘̞ͪ̋͑͂͛͑̑͑̔ͮ̇̋͛͛ͯͭ̓̑͆͘͝
̡͊̿̌ͫ̇ͬͩ͊̒ͮ̀̄ͭ̎͝҉҉͙̮̱̫̪̠̝̹̪̲̯͚͖ą̢͉̦͇̤͈̲̞͗̏̄̈̋ͩ͌̐͂ͪ̎͗̐ͮ͛̊̔̚̚̕a̵̶͎͉̟͗̎͆ͯ͂̉ͧ̏́̎̓̕͡ͅa͔̮̱̙͎̳̣̤͉̞̱͍͙ͣ̓ͪ̃̀ͫ͋ͥͪͩͣ̿̌͆͌͌̕̕͜͠ͅa̧̧̘̹͖̺͍̭͈̱͖̞̮̥͉͑ͪͨ͒͗͒̍́͝ ̷̨̩͍̰̮̗̺̹̣͉̙̼̜̩̲͇͉̞ͧ̑ͣ͗̑͟͠͝
̷̡̛̘̼̯̥͉̰̩͔̹̘̖̝̎̏͗̓̓ͫ̋̂̊ä̵̢̧̖̣̦̻͙̲͓͎̠͈͈̙̣͓͎̱̳ͣͦ̿͟͠ą̷͚̦̲͓̖͙̞̥̗̯̼͆̒ͯ̑̔͌̏ͣͥ̅̄͂ͯ̽ͧͦ̐̃̕͢a͍̗̫̬̬̩͈̼̥̤̟̗͐͆͋͐̋̏̀́͘͢a̽͗͐ͨ̔̇ͨͤ̐̐͒ͭ̍ͥ̽͐́͏̕͏͉̳͎̦̟͎̦̺́ͅa̵̸̸̧̞̹̮̻͓̦̘̮̦͖͇̻͉͍͗́̉ͣ̿̀̾͂̃ͬa̘̬̱̪̤̬̘͖̟̹̦͖͈̹̙̥͇̞͍͋́ͧ̽̓̆͛͘͘͞͞͝ą̴̤͇̱͚̘̱͕̣͇̩̐̎ͭ̔ͫ̍͊͆ͬ̌͌̿̅̎͞à̸̶̛̗͖͔͍̞̣͍̔ͣͮ̔̔̉̿̽ͭ̓̆͐̃͗ͧ̐̚͢ͅa̬̪̹̘̫͔͔̝͈̱ͯ̀̉̽ͥ̇̓̓̄ͫ͛̇̀͟͡ͅa̵̛̽̑̒ͤ̓̐ͨ͐ͪ͑̊̍ͥͩ̊ͯ̚͏̙͎̹͎̳̝̪͈̥̠͉͉̝̗a̯̺̬̘̹̗̺͚̦͖̖͓͆̿̔ͫͭͧ̑ͪ͠ḁ̷̧̨̡̬̥̦͇̮̰̝̘̩̀ͮͭ̅̄̃̌͐͠ą̷͙͇̖̟̟̺͇̦̙͎͔̮̿́̄̐͒͐̀ͭ̌̐̓̑ͩ̏ͪͧ͟͢͠a̶͍̩͉̲̟̹ͣ̌͑ͫ̔̄͗̅̈́͋͘ ̷̡̛̱͈̝̝͇̳̗̠̙̝͎̟̯͙̳̼̙̜͋̉̂͐ͤ̕͝
̷̵̘̲͇̼̰̬̜̻͔͕͍̗͎͈̼̯̼̼̏̒̓ͮ̌͘͘ͅaͭ̋ͪ͐͋͞҉͇͉̳̹̜͙̮̰͖͍ȃ̧͙̲̭̯̳̲̥̱͎͒ͭ̋ͪ̐ͪ͛͐͆̚̚͢͢͠ǎ̴̡ͫ́̀̒̉̈́ͣͨ́̇͂ͭ̓̀̚̚҉̸̰͍̗͕̠̣̻̪͇̙͎a̷͊ͮ̂̈́ͯ̽ͯ̈́͢͢͏̞̬̺̤̟̼̣̥̰̝̗̼̜͈a̴̛̰͕͔͓̹͖̖̬̭̟͖͙̰̾́͊͒̊ͭ͋̐͒ͫ̊̍͝͠ͅȧ̺̲͓͇̻͈̠̣̯̣̫̞̩̜͕̲̝͖͊̅͑̇̑͆̿̉ͩ̀ͬ̈́́̇̇ͪ͘͢͝ͅa̶̤̥̪͙̞͎ͮ̿̎ͣ̏̓̈ͮ̔̑̈̾͂̉ͣ͊̈́͝͡a̳̳̮̤̜͔̪ͪ͑ͫ͆̈́̍̾̌͒ͨͥͯ̑́̀͘͘͢a̶̷̶̯̙͙̼̰͚͆ͯ͗̑̎ͦ͡ͅa̋̽̔̉͗̃̃̀̽͏͓̖̙̹̩̖͖̖̫̕͜a͍̹̮̙͕̺̰̖͙͖̫͚͓̱͒͛̌̃͂́̀͟͠͠ ͋ͮ̓́̇ͨͮ́̿҉̨͙͇̟̮̳̥̕̕
̷͚̹̝̰̜̪͋̉ͫ̌͗ͦ̕a̶͎̠̞̭̳͔̺̯̼̯̥̍͒ͤͣ̏͒̎ͦ͘͟͝a̸̧͖̻̥͈̪͙̰͍̘͙̹̠̬̺̣ͬͬ̅̅͌̏̇̂̉̀͑̈́̌ͬͦ̍́̚͝āͧͤ̍ͯ̉̓ͫ͌̾ͪ̎҉̭̩̲̤͔̩̭̩͎̻͙̟̝̯͟͠͡ą̸̸̨̛̘̟̞̭̫̼̱̞̗̯͈̼̻͚͉͕̤͇̠͆̈͗̎̽̿̇̔̈́̈͂̀̚̚a̵̫̟̣̦̩̭͈̻̺̦̮̰̥̮ͯ͑̾̃͘ȁ̊̂̒̽̽̽͋̊̀҉҉̡̝̺̭͎̟̫̭ͅa̡̱̣̥͙̺̣̬̞͙ͬ̔͊̑̒̌̌͐̈́ͨͭ͆̚͜͝ ̨͔̘̮̫͓̘͎̼̼͈̰̫̪̭̽̿ͣͫ̀ͣͨͯ̊ͦ͌̎̑ͨ̽ͬͅ
̦̼̹͕̼̦̦͚̟̜̣͓̋̌͑ͨ͋̔ͥ̽̊ͭͭ̉̑́̀̚͜a̸̸̶̛̦̠̝͓̭͔̰̬͚̝̥̺͋ͪ̐ͨͧ͗ͬ̂͋̿̈̋̌ͮͦ̀̚͠ͅä̛͍̠͓̩͖̤̲́̽̆͆̊̄̌̑ͮ͑ͩ̅̀̚͞͝a̢̺̤̹̟͍̟̟̙̳̼̹̻̋ͥ̀̉̍͑ͥ͂̈́̈́̀̇ͫ͠͝͡ͅa̧̡̜̘̙̦͇͔͓̤͓̟͋ͩ͑̅̐̈ͨ̃́ͪ͗̈ͩ̿ͭ͟ ̡̢͔͉͇̬͍̲̬̯̉ͩ͑̿̓̈́ͭ̀͡ͅͅ

̸͎̠̭̣̗̖̗̺͔̤̹̟͉̠̙̎̋͂̓́̑̓ͣ̽ͨͭ̅ͪ̇̌̈́ͬ̎͢ ̨̬̩̳͙̤̗͍̤̹͈͍̯͙̒̋̽ͮ̃̿̅̎ͨ̏ͩ̔ͬ͐̑͐̐̾͡ͅ ̃͐̍̎͑ͧ̃ͫ̿̋ͪ̎͆̎͋ͧ̋͜͏̶̛̮͇̖̯̝͎͟ ̶̴̡̪̰̭̣̟̪̹̬͉̳͑̾͊͌͌ͨ̽̎͆̅̈̿͛̀ͨ̊͝ ̡͔͍̜̬͊̅̌̊͗̎͟͡ ̈́͛ͦ̐̋ͥ̇ͨ̚̕̕҉̗̜͇͕̖̰̙̙̱͟ͅͅ ̶͙̬̭̞̯̙̞̫͔͈̦̦̗̘̺̗̃̽̔̊̆̈ͧ͋̿͌͋̚͘͢͠ͅ ̗̻̫̹̻̬̜̪͈͎͈̗̫͇͈̫̂͗̓͌̐ͨͥ̽ͬͦ͋ͨ̍̑ͪͯ̂̿̀͜ͅ ̴̵̭̠̞̙̥͇̲͙͇̖͓̼̰͐ͮ̐ͩ̑͒̉̌̽̎͡ ̧̢̞̗̣̣̹̤̪̺͚̘͉̣̻̗̱̑͌ͪͩ͊ͩ̄̅ͬͭͮ̈̉̎͊ͥ͗ͥ́ͅ ̷̴̨͈̲͖̫̹̆ͦ̇̐͊̈́ͩ̌̀͗͋ͣ̃̓͆̿ͩ̍̚͘͘ ̷̴̢̟̪̗͍͍̠̰̭̦̹̝͓̒̾̑̔͑̏͌͆̅̽ͪͧ͌̊̌́ ̵̨͙̩̜̭̎͌̋̎ͭͭ̈̀̅̈̀ͦ̋̉ͯ͐̄͢ͅ ̶̢̢̫̟̝̝̞͎͇͈̞͖̟̟̼̟̇̔̐͒ͧͮ̌̃ͦ̓a̷̪͍̰͉̣̙̠͓͚̜̞̙̦͓̾̈ͨ̃ͫ̒̾ͧͭ̄̉̃̀a̢̒̐̎̈̈̄̅̒ͣ̉̚͟͞҉͖̫͎̩̳͇̻̹̗̼̙̟̣͔̘͕̪̟̳a̍̇̉͛̄́̕҉̯̮̖̙̙̯̩͉̩̠̩̯̣͠a̸̲̻̦͙̮̤͈̞̖̞͔̘̠̎ͦ͌̀ͨ̍ͤ̀ȃ̧̘̺̥̺̙̮̬͙͍͇̠͖̯̦̰̎ͧ̎̂̌ͤͣ̉͂͋̓͌͛a̡͍͇͍̬̤̞̝͓̥̠̯͖̪ͯ͑̀̈́̒͗ͭ͐̚̚͝͞͠a̶̍ͫ͛͗ͬ̈̓͆ͯ҉̥͈̞̠͍͔͓̲̩͜a̲̪̘̹͉̝̗̯͇̤͉̣̖̬̯̐̂͒͋̉ͩ̇̾̆̌̈́̽̎͋̃̉ͭ͟ͅa̴̧̠̗͍͕͍̪̻̟͕̱̓ͧͥ̏͒̉ͭ̓ͩ̀̽͋͆͛̈́͟͝͠a̢͈͖̲̞͕͎̾͒͐̏ͥ͠ǎ̢̖̮̲̠͚͕̑͌ͫ̃ͫ̒̾ͥ͋͑̆͋̊ͤ̊͐̾͗̕͢͢ ̴̗̖̪͙̱̗̼͚͖̱̞̠͐͒͌̊̏ͧ́͡
̴̨̤͕̰̦̌̐̅̽͂͐͌̄̉͑̂̐̌͋́ͧͯ̽ͤ́͜͡ ̸̱͚̰̞̮̯̫͔͔̳̯̃͂͊ͭ́ ̶͕͖͎̘̠͖͓͉̟̼͓̗̲̘̠̘̺̐̏̃ͤ́̇̀̐̊̔͋̍̍͛̊̑̚̚͜͡ ̴̸̣̘̔ͪͬ̇͒̎ͪ͆͐̂ͨͯ́ͤ̀ͤ̂̆̌͘ͅ ̴̸̨̮̦̹̠͕̲̩͉̞̗͎̙̱͓̝͉̜̱̫̊̿̍̾ͬ͋ͩͬ̆͆͞ ͔̮͓̙̫̯̞̻̃ͤ͋͌͊̈ͧ͒ͫ̎ͯ̆ͯ̔̊͆̚͜ ̢̨͍͈̝̘͎̩̞̹͙̼̙̝̩͓̼̦̤ͩͨ̋ͪ̒̚͜ͅ ̶̟̮̪̯̖͉̆ͨ̉̓̓ͨ̔ͫ̌ͮ̃̎ͥ̒͂a̛̫̹͎̘̝̩̞͚̐̀͐̐ͦ͆̌͂̈̽̓̔̆̽̈̐ͭ̚͘ą̬̠̘͙̖͓͉̿̈͆̅̓̉̿͊͐ͮͮ͆͐͊̏ͪͪ͋̇͡͠ą̶̛̬̼͕̪͙͓͔̪ͦ̐̀̐́͒ͬ̾͗ͭ̈́ͫ̋̐̀͋̏ͪ̕͞a̧̧̻̤̳̰̯̩̠̯̲ͬ͆̾ͯ̌̃͗ͬͣ̽̈́͞͝ą̷̺̖̪͚̫̜̳ͤ̿ͣ̿ͧ͆̓̓̔͘͟a̧̝̤̹̰͚̖͖̞͒̏̂ͮ̾́͜a̵̧͇̘̤͖͖͓͖̫̮ͧ͗̆͞a̢̮̱̬̳͈ͪͥ̈̊ͦ̆̾̉̄͆͟͝a̿͒͒ͮ̄̎ͩ̒͛̉ͮ̓͐ͤ̕͏̷̘͕̟̰̦̟̤̞̱͉̭̗̀a͂̃ͬ͌̽ͤͩ̅̈́̇̚͠҉͏̧̮̙̯̻̙͍̘͍̗͖͎̺̣͉a̴͖̜̙̤̩̼͐͋͊̋͂̀̄̊͆̓́a̧̅͛́ͣ́ͪ̅͐͒̔̔͒ͫͥ̐̌͢͏̥̪̳̥̩͔͍͇̺ã̛̛̖͚͈̘͙ͨ͂̑ͥͥ̏͑ͮ̒̾́͘͠a̢͎̘͈͉̙̝͓̹̠̻͖̣̖̩͍̜̼̯̗͊̽͗͌͒̀̊̓̃̍ͫ̇ͨ̃́̚͢ ̴̲̦̮̟̯̟̗̹̪̺̉ͪͯ̊͌ͨ͋̌̊̃̆̃ͨ̄̄͘
̴̣͉̹̦̪̈́̒̇ͨͧ̋̇͑͌̾̚͢͠ ̷̷̹̜̞̪̯̣̺̭̖̍̑̉̆ͮ̇͆̌ͪͮ͗ͥ̔͞ ̻͎̼̝̝̞̩̩ͪ̑̉̏ͤ̕̕͟͠ͅ ̴̸̪̹̭̝͔̩̪̝̠̖̮͓̞̰̟̠̆̉͐̎̿ͪ̂̍͊̓ͥ̒ͧ̈̒̇̇̒ͅ ͆̇̏̔̈͂̐̋͐ͥ̈́͏̱͍̜̟͇͚̪͕̠̼̜̝̝̹́͜ ̵̽̃̓ͨ̏̃ͥͦͮ͑̎͂ͤ̌͊ͣ̚͟҉͈̜̬͍̯̖̖͟͝ ̴̶̸͙͓̘͇̠̭̱̳̪̩̮̤̤͍͓̳̼̮͙ͨ̂̓̐ͨ̐͐̍ͥͥ̆͂͐̾͑̾̋̽ ̷̧̢̱͓̗͓͕̻̭̣̞̥̝̠͓̮̓̅ͦ ̡̛̙̬̞̪͕͉̣̉̈́ͩͧ̔̓ͮ̊̌̄ͅ ͈̘̱͈̘̜͍̻̠͙͔ͮͫ͒̋̆ͮ͢͜ ̱̱̻̘̤̲̹͎̜̭͔̰̳͈̥͈̰̯ͥ̎̂̈́̚͞͡ ̂̆͑ͦͣ͆҉̵̛͇̯̙̙̺͈̫̭́͜ằ̌̑ͯͦͧ͆̋̇ͭ̐ͭ̈́̋̚҉̶͙̳͍͙̫̻̦̜̜̻̖̰̀a̍̒̒̀ͯ͆̽̈͒̇̓̄̊̌̃̾͏̵҉̛̠̥̙̭̝͕͉̰͕̥̱͇̞̼̯͍̘͇̟͡ą͖̯̥͉̯̈́̅͂̓̂̋̄̅ͩ̄̅̏̄́ͪ̿͜͝ā̴̘̺̣͇̜͎͔̟̪̜̰͎̾̋̎̀͡ͅḁ̛̭͙̤͚̳̟̙̪͎̳̝̬̲͖̼̻͇̦̆̐̿͒ͮ̿̌ͪ͊̿̊ͧͥ͐̀͘͡a̸̴̴͖̦͓̟͖̘͊̆͊ͥ̓͑ͩ͂̄ͪͦ͡a̢͒̾ͭ̉̈́͂̇͐̑͛͗ͥͪ͑͑ͦ̚̕͏̸͏̟̘̻̘̠͙͎͉a̷̡̨ͦ̏͒ͩ̒̽ͧ̾ͪ̊̌ͭ̅̎̇͏̦̺͈̱̼͖aͦ̏̇̍̏͑ͬͮ͑̋̄̈͆̓̈͌̚͡͏̡̘̫͖̖͞a̵̶̷͕̳͖̹̼̮̰̠̪̹ͭ͐̊͋͒͞a̓ͪ̾̉̉ͣ̀̽̏҉̦͕͎̥̭̬̰a̞̫͈͈̠̮͂ͨͣ̓ͨ̌͗ͨͣͧ͛̃͘ ̵̩̮̖̤͍͕̪̱̱̱̣̮͕̒ͩ̑̇̉͊̒́



Meira was aching all over.  When she turned on her side, a sharp pain ran through her hips and lower back.  Every breath she took made her feel as though her back was being stabbed.  Her hands felt heavily bruised and numb.  Her neck felt stiff, and her head was throbbing.  She groaned and forced her eyes open, finding herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.  Lanterns hung on the walls, and although their glow was dim, just looking at them made Meira?s head spin.

She was in too much pain to even stay on the floor any longer, despite it being surprisingly comfortable, so she eased herself into a sitting position.  She felt a sudden wave of nausea, and as she swayed she noticed that she was sitting on a futon.  That explained why the floor seemed so nice to lay on.

Despite the state she was in, she immediately reached for her katana, nervous that it had been stolen while she was out.  A wave of relief washed over her when she felt the familiar weight at her side.  Upon further inspection, she was still fully clothed, too.  Even the letter Reimu had sent her was still in the pocket inside her sleeve.

?You?d best take it easy right now, young lady.?

Meira?s head whipped in the direction of the sudden voice, and winced as her head throbbed all the more.  The source of the gravelly, ancient-sounding voice came from a huge tortoise with a long white beard and bushy eyebrows, sitting in the corner.  Reimu was curled up on top of his shell with a blanket draped over her, fast asleep.

?Wha??  Meira squinted at the tortoise.  ?Why??

?It?s because you carelessly touched the Yin-Yang orb as you did; only those of the Hakurei bloodline are able to handle it without any ill effects.?

So Meira was hurt because she touched an artifact of immense power?immense power?

?That just makes it even cooler,? Meira said, half to herself.  She absentmindedly glanced out the door and at the shrine grounds.  The outline of the torii and the trees were barely visible against the dark, dark night sky, dotted with thousands of tiny little stars.  Somewhere in the back of Meira?s mind, she registered this as a bad thing, given her location.

?It?s already dark.  I should be heading home.?

The tortoise frowned, if he was even able to do that.  ?I would advise against that in your current state.  Also, the young lady asleep on my back would be quite upset to find that she had failed to keep her guest comfortable.?

Meira glanced back at the sleeping Reimu.  ?Huh??

She weighed the situation as best as she could.  On one hand, her pride wanted to keep her from being indebted to this girl, but going in the forest at night was suicide, especially in her state.  She was too exhausted to even stay upright, let alone raise her katana against some hungry youkai.  She grudgingly let herself flop onto her back and curled up on her side, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible.

?Fine, I?m goin? to sleep,? she muttered as her eyelids drooped.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: nolrai2 on July 09, 2011, 04:22:40 PM
Very cute!
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on July 11, 2011, 04:15:41 AM
OOPS, WRONG PAIRING just kidding please don't hurt me

On a more serious note, this was kind of sitting in my head for a little while. 
I didn't really want to force myself to write Reisato, and I wasn't in the mood to write something happy, so I wrote this instead.



Something Wrong



The sound of feet thumping across the floor interrupted Kasen?s train of thought, and she glanced over to see Reimu coming towards her.  The shrine maiden was wearing a grin that could only mean something big had happened.

?There?s a monster in the river in Youkai Mountain, and you?re going to help me tame it!?

Just like that.  That was Reimu, getting straight to the point as usual.

??What??  But in all of Kasen?s years of living on Youkai Mountain, she was pretty sure there wasn?t anything beyond the normal fish and lamprey in the river.  ?Since when was there a monster??

Reimu smirked with the air of someone who had just won a big prize.  ?I heard it from Marisa.  There?s a rumor among the kappa that there?s some huge fish no one?s seen before.  I was thinking it?d be nice to have a pet like that in the lake behind the shrine.?

?And just what are you going to do about feeding it, I wonder??? Kasen muttered to herself.  Reimu apparently overheard this.

?It?s okay!  We?ll worry about that later.?  She wasted no time in grabbing Kasen?s hand and pulling her to her feet.  ?Let?s go!?

Kasen suddenly got a horrible feeling in her gut that started the second Reimu touched her hand, specifically because it was her bandaged hand.  She could already feel an uncomfortable tugging sensation as Reimu pulled her along as she headed for the door.  Within seconds, Kasen?s entire arm felt uncomfortably tight.

?Wait, Reimu??  The bandages started to unravel, and Kasen lost all feeling in her arm.

?Huh??  Reimu was moving very fast, so when she turned around, Kasen smacked right into her.  Their foreheads collided with a loud thunk, and they both went straight down.  Reimu winced and gritted her teeth, gingerly reaching up to touch her forehead.  It very obviously hurt to touch, but the worst she?d get from that was a goose egg, she figured.  Shaking the stars out of her eyes, she looked ahead of her to see where Kasen had fallen over.

?Owowow?Sorry, Kasen.  Are you alri??  Reimu then cut herself off there, and stared at her hermit friend with eyes the size of saucers.

Kasen was on the floor, rubbing her head with her left hand.  Her hair and clothes were a bit disheveled, and the bows tied to her hair buns were a bit uneven, but Reimu could only stare at her right sleeve, which hung by itself at her side uselessly.

Perhaps in macabre realization, Reimu stared down at the bandages in her hand, which had left a trail of fine black ash on the floor, leading to where Kasen was.  Reimu looked at the bandages, then at Kasen, then at the bandages, and then at Kasen.  As far as Reimu was concerned, Kasen was like a turtle flipped over on its back.

After all, how could she get up again if she didn?t have a right arm?

?Ah?ah?.?  Reimu could only croak out a few syllables to express her surprise, and as Kasen came to her senses, she realized what Reimu was gawking at.  Her expression quickly turned to fear, as she scuttled back.

?No, this is?um??  Kasen had no idea how to explain this to the shrine maiden, who had been smiling so happily just a moment ago.  Now that mood was ruined.

Kasen deftly flipped over on her stomach and pushed herself to her feet with surprising accuracy that Reimu had definitely not been expecting from her.  Reaching out with her remaining hand, she reclaimed her remaining bandages and ran out of the Hakurei Shrine as fast as her legs could carry her.  In the spur of the moment, she had completely forgotten one simple fact: she could get out even faster if she just flew.

?Wait, Kasen??

But Kasen was gone before Reimu could say anything else coherent, and she was left sitting dumbstruck on the floor of her shrine.

~

Kasen carefully rewrapped her right arm, taking care to completely cover her ?arm? as she wound it up.  It had once been tedious work, but after however many years it became second nature to her.

She held up her newly-reformed arm, testing it out a bit by curling her fingers into a fist, stretching it a bit, prodding at the bandages to make sure there weren?t any loose spots.  After making sure it was all good, Kasen slumped forward on her desk, sighing heavily.

?Yo.?

Again?

At the sound of the voice, Kasen immediately sat up and looked towards the nearest window.  Sure enough, leaning on the round windowsill was a woman, donning the uniform of the shinigami and baubles in her red hair.  Resting in her folded arms was a scythe with a curved blade at the end, sticking through the window and pointing at Kasen in a rather threatening manner.  As usual, this did not bother the hermit in the slightest.

?You look in a bad mood.?  The shinigami woman cracked a small smile.  ?Did something happen??

?It?s just you, Komachi??  Kasen brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.  ?Let?s just say I missed the opportunity to do something fun today.?
?Aww, I know how that feels,? Komachi said, resting her head against her scythe?s handle.

Kasen merely stared down at her hands, which were now resting in her lap.  Komachi blinked and watched her quizzically before withdrawing herself from the window.

?You know, you?re looking kind of suspicious sitting there all quiet like that,? Komachi said, as if trying to incite a response out of her.  ?And my boss is watchin? you closely, you know,? she warned.  When Kasen still did not respond, she slipped out of sight.

?Well, I?ll be going, now.  See ya.?

And then Kasen was alone.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on July 15, 2011, 01:25:50 AM
This has absolutely nothing to do with Touhou.  This is actually something from my original universe and stuff, concerning a certain aspect of the currently nameless fictional religion that once sort of ruled over the world with an iron theocratic fist.

Disclaimers/Warnings:
- This is a work of fiction, although you may see similarities to real life or other things because I shamelessly pilfer from everything.
- This isn't a story, but more of a messily-organized article, although I'd like to write something for this soon.
- This isn't Earth, but it's a similiar planet.
- The Korean words in this article have been helpfully provided by Google Translate.

~

Shamans in Nomadic societies are revered as the ?Chosen Ones?.  They are especially long-lived girls chosen by the gods to be their ?Mediums?, and can be found in all corners of the planet.  There is no way to tell how a shaman is chosen, but it?s certain that it will always be a girl.  Oracles and other shamans are sometimes able to sense the birth of a shaman and will travel to her birthplace to meet her, but there are often other external signs on the day of the child?s birth to confirm that she is a Chosen One.

Abilities

Shamans are able to see and communicate with spirits of the dead or of nature, and they are the only ones capable of exorcising or sealing them.  They are also able to speak with animals.  Perhaps because of this they have been regarded as completely unbiased in communication.  They are also unique in that they are not born with elemental abilities and are unable to use them, instead only being able to use spiritual or purifying-based attacks.  While this can make them very powerful, it is also a huge setback when compared to the elemental, learned, and intent-based abilities that are more ground in reality.  In a sense, a Shaman?s abilities can be very limited (they weren?t meant as fighters, after all, even if it is eventually included in part of their work).

Mediums of the gods

Their most important ability and raison d'?tre is communicating with the gods.  Each shaman is assigned at birth one god that they will always be able to communicate with, but in reality they possess the ability to contact any god they desire.  Sometimes they will contact their god or goddess subconsciously or within dreams, which come to them as omens and prophecies (although this is very rare).  A shaman must perform rituals daily to keep their bond with the gods strong, lest it wither.  As a result of performing these rituals from a young age, they have grown up pious and devoted to their religion (as shamans are born into their role, they are often comfortable and happy with it).

When certain conditions are met, a shaman can connect with a deity.  When this ritual is performed, the deity possesses the shaman and speaks through her; this is the only way the gods are able to communicate with mortals, as they are not able to speak the mortal tongue.  This state of communication between mortals and a possessed shaman is called a ?Trance?.

Unfortunately, there are malicious ghosts and spirits that can also possess a shaman, hurting her (and the god she is connected with) and cutting off her link with the gods.  To reestablish that link, the shaman must be exorcised as she is ?Cursed?.

A Shaman?s Duties

A Shaman?s duty, first and foremost, is to maintain a strong connection between herself and the gods, and to know when to allow herself to become possessed by them so that they may communicate with mortals.  A Shaman must perform five rituals daily to keep herself spiritually pure.  These rituals are often slow, rhythmic dances, often accompanied by chanting.  In performing these rituals, she is not only maintaining her ?Link? but also providing herself protection against evil spirits wishing to possess her.  This leads to Shamans being bound to a ritualistic lifestyle, but the dances can easily be replaced by praying and will still have the same effect.  To go even further, if circumstances force a Shaman to become too busy to perform her rituals, she must wear prayer beads at all times to protect herself until she can perform her rituals once again.

The second duty a Shaman must perform is exorcism of evil spirits that seek to harm the mortal world.  There is no way to keep them from appearing, but only Shamans have the capability to purify, seal, or banish them.  ?Purification? is cleansing the evil spirit, ?Sealing? is binding the evil spirit to a material object where they cannot hurt anyone, and ?Banishing? is eradicating them entirely.

The third and perhaps most important duty is to go into Trances and allow the gods to communicate through her.  Through performing her rituals she will be able to go into a Trance, and the gods will be able to speak with mortals in trying times.  Shamans are often summoned to the Palaces of world leaders as advisors.
These three duties are called either the ?Loteoseu ui Uimu? (Duties of the Lotus) or ?Lityum ui Uimu? (Duties of the Li), both expressions derived from the ancient language of Hangug-ul of the Marble.

Status of Shamans in the World

Shamans are received and treated differently depending on how religious a country or person is.

In matriarchal, theocratic, or nomadic cultures, Shamans are practically worshipped or at least put upon a pedestal, being protected and cherished because of their status as Mediums (or as maidens).  Shamans also get along very well with Oracles, who are more inconspicuous servants sent directly from the gods to help guide mortals.

In the Disputed Territories of Afreet, a Shaman is in the Royal Council as the queen?s religious advisor.  On the other end of the spectrum, the Godforsaken Lands of Colithia completely purged itself of Shamans, who they believed to be bad omens or harbingers of disaster, prior to, during, and following the Great War.
Shamans, on a whole, are generally more accepted in religious sanctuaries.

The Great War

Prior to The Great War (alt. ?Holy War?), Shamans were widely accepted in all countries that were even a little bit religious, and were often relied upon in a period of great religious acceptance.  However, close to the beginning of The Great War, they along with Oracles were persecuted along with other religious figures as a symbol of the suffering the gods had brought about them.  The years (known as the Years of misfortune) leading up to the Great War will generally filled with misfortune caused by natural disasters and epidemics leading to a large population decrease, all of which were blamed on the gods.  Tensions were also running high between countries experiencing their Industrial Revolutions, as they were pining over the same pieces of land (some of which were actually sacred grounds inhabited by gods themselves that were powerful enough to have roots in the mortal realm).  Aside from that, diplomatic relations between rival countries were very strained, especially concerning the tug-of-war battle between the fertile lands of the Disputed Territories of Afreet. 

A large number of factors combined with the Years of Misfortune eventually exploded into a worldwide war, and during that time Shamans and Oracles were almost wiped out along with all of the gods inhabiting the sacred grounds.  It is widely speculated that the persecution of Shamans and Oracles was one of the contributing factors to the Years of Misfortune and eventually the anger of the gods during the Great War.

In the years following The Great War, there was one last epidemic that wiped out a huge chunk of the world?s population.  After that was the start of a great peace that has lasted to this day, a period allowing the world?as well as the Shamans, Oracles, and gods?to recover and turn over a new leaf; so much of the world was ravaged and so many lives were lost that it could be considered a small-scale apocalypse.  Nowadays, Shamans have less work to do.

Lifestyle and History Thereof

Traditionally, Shamans were nomadic and lived very humbly, believing that their sole purpose in life was spiritual servitude.  They therefore only earned enough money to live upon, and were religiously very devout.  Shamans who weren?t nomadic lived by themselves in small, secluded shrines in forests or mountains, and were very much like hermits.  In wintery, mountainous regions such as Selda, ancient documents have been found of dozens of Shamans living together in monasteries.

As time and the influence of religion progressed, Shamans started to exploit their spiritual prowess for money so that they could live more comfortably.  It was around this time that Shamans made a career out of the banishment of evil spirits and beats, performing for festivals, and so forth.  They also did a number of odd jobs, making a mark in the medical field by locating herbs and plants useful in medicine and even acting as midwives and name givers.  It was also during this time period that fewer Shamans were nomadic and started settling down in shrines, monasteries, villages, and so forth, although Shamans who actually lived inside the village were far and few between.  Shamans succeeded with their ultimate goal of not being impoverished during this time period.  This was a golden age for them as they had also become more widely accepted, even in societies that were not religious.  However, there are still Shamans to this day who strictly adhere to the traditional Shamanic lifestyle.

By the time of The Great War, Shamans had become more withdrawn again as they made their place in society, especially as they were persecuted.  During these so-called dark ages, Shamans reverted back to the time when almost all of them were nomadic, more out of fear for their lives than being immersed in nature.  It was also during this time that leaders of different countries personally invited what Shamans they could find to their Palaces for spiritual aid during the war and to call upon the gods, who had become heavily involved.  The Shamans that agreed to help the leaders were protected and treated very well in exchange for basically begging the gods for favors.  During this time, there was a huge gap between nomadic Shamans and Shamans allied with world leaders.  This was also the time where a huge number of Shamans died, almost to the point of extinction.

From the end of The Great War to the present, Shamans have been living a relatively peaceful existence, despite their numbers being so few.  They currently live in a limbo between traditional ways and early golden age ways, living comfortably but not luxuriously or in poverty.  They are currently too widespread to form any monasteries, and instead live alone in secluded shrines that are at least a two day?s walk to the nearest village (or at most a day?s walk, if it?s in a cold region).  Nomadic Shamans do exist, but they are in the minority, and even fewer travel by themselves; most of them travel with nomadic groups.  Thanks to years of separation, Shamans and Oracles no longer associate with each other.  With a huge decrease in the world?s population, the remaining Shamans started to focus more on spiritual duties once more, yet another aspect of their lifestyle that is more closely related to the traditional Shaman.

The earliest Shaman clothing was very simple and differed by region, but overall their style of dress was, is, and will continue to be heavily influenced by the clothing worn by the shrine maidens of Nihon of the Marble.  In wintery regions, Shamans wear layers under their skirts, heavy boots, and fur-lined cloaks, all of which were in earthy, neutral colors, as dyes were expensive and difficult to come by. 

In warmer regions, Shamanic clothing is lighter, and the sleeves are usually shorter if not above the elbow.  Straw hats and sandals are worn with these kinds of outfits, and Shamans in these regions have the luxury of wearing more colorful clothing, as dyes are more abundant. 

It is in temperate climates where Shaman clothing most closely resembles traditional shrine maiden outfits, although it is not uncommon for these outfits to be embellished or worn with an coat and/or stole emblazoned with symbols from nature, such as leaves, vines, flowers, and sometimes animals or birds.  Other popular symbols are the lotus and sand dollar.  Geometric patterns are also highly favored and appear just as much on Shamanic clothing as any other symbol, but are most commonly seen in arctic regions.

Interaction between Shamans

Shamans have always been extremely rare throughout history, and even in the Traditional Era they were hard to come across.  Therefore, interaction between Shamans is almost unheard of, and some don?t even know the existence of more girls like them.  As of present day, it is speculated that there are less than 100 Shaman still alive in the world, so it is hardly a surprise.

Shamans within the Character Listing

Shisei

Alkaza

~

One thing I didn?t get to mention in this article was that Shamans believe in karma to some extent and have a deep respect for nature, and many of their rituals honor that, as their religion dictates love and respect for plants and stuff. 

Inspiration for the Shamans was largely drawn from the shrine maidens of Shintoism.  The sealing and banishment was inspired by Reimu (and PC-98 Reimu), while the whole "purity" aspect was inspired by Sanae.  However, I also took some aspects such as five rituals/prayers a day from the Islamic Five Pillars of Faith and karma (which I want to implement into this currently nameless religion) from Buddhism.  Of course, this is only one aspect of this fictional religion which isn?t even that developed yet.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Sect on July 15, 2011, 10:52:04 AM
It's a very detailed description of the shamans, and very interesting. One thing I noticed, thanks to your comments in the IRC:
I assume that the "Marble" that was mentioned a few times is our Earth? Will Earth play a role in the plot of your story?

I'm also curious as to how large the world's population is, and their technology level: a hundred shaman is a freakishly small number for a nomadic worldwide group with little communication between each other.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on July 15, 2011, 02:01:26 PM
It's a very detailed description of the shamans, and very interesting. One thing I noticed, thanks to your comments in the IRC:
I assume that the "Marble" that was mentioned a few times is our Earth? Will Earth play a role in the plot of your story?

The Marble is our Earth, yes.  It does go along with the planet, although that's less of a religious topic and more of a historical one.

Quote
I'm also curious as to how large the world's population is, and their technology level: a hundred shaman is a freakishly small number for a nomadic worldwide group with little communication between each other.

The world used to have millions of people, but by the time The Great War and everything was over, a huge percentage of the world's population was cut down.  Before that, there were probably 100,000 or a little more than that? 

The world is still trying to continue with its Industrial Revolution right now, so you can imagine low-level technology at this point.  Plumbing, of course, has been around for a long time, like it has been here.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 01, 2011, 02:57:33 AM
Good heavens I haven't posted in this thread for weeks.  I decided to try writing some little things and compile them here, some things that were floating in my mind.  Mandarin is courtesy of here (http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/mandarin.php), and French is courtesy of here (http://french.about.com/od/begvocab/Beginning_French_Vocabulary_French_Vocabulary_for_Beginners.htm) because there's no way I can actually speak/write them...orz



Vignettes?



Takeshi wasn?t sure which was stronger: the grip he had on the bloodstained sword in his hands or the hands that he felt were crushing his wrists.  He dared not take his eyes off the girl those hands belonged to, standing in front of him.  If looks could kill he would have a spike impaled right through his head just like her except that was actually a horn.  That was the biggest giveaway that there was something terribly wrong and he should be either running and screaming like a little girl or cracking the Yin Yang orb against her skull like a particularly stubborn egg.

Apparently.  This was the first time he?d seen an oni, but she didn?t look like a monster at all now that he was finally able to get a good look at her.  She looked more like a human with long black hair and red eyes, red hakama and grey kosode, not some big muscly brute.  She certainly had the grip of one though, ow, ow, ow?

?Give it back.?  And, wow, that was the first time he?d heard her speak all day.  Takeshi was on a roll.  He couldn?t keep this up forever, though, and finally relinquished his hold on the sword when the pain became too unbearable.  Sweet relief flowed through his wrists, which he massaged tenderly as the oni girl stepped back, clutching the sword in her left hand.  She stared at him with a wary eye, and he took the opportunity to speak.

?See, you just had to say the word,? he said, forcing a grin through bared teeth.  The girl mumbled something that he didn?t quite catch, but he decided to let it go.  When the oni girl went quiet and didn?t say anything else, Takeshi kept on talking.  ?So, who are you, anyway??

When she replied, the first thing Takeshi did was wonder how the hell you wrote that in kanji.  He opened his mouth to ask her just that, but she was already booking it in the opposite direction.

?Hey, don?t run from me!? he squawked, his voice shrill with anger.

Alas, she had already disappeared into the trees.



The streets, narrow and worn out as they were, were packed from end to end with carts, wagons, even bicycles and the odd horse-drawn carriage.  Among those vehicles youkai and demons alike were packed from shoulder to shoulder, squeezing past each other to either get down the street or into one of the buildings lining the side.  Lanterns covered in brightly-colored paper hung from every window and clotheslines going from one building to another, bathing the entire city in a festive glow.  With even faeries and other winged humanoids flitting about above the crowds in packs, the city felt suffocating in terms of both space and noise.

At one little food stall sandwiched between a pub and a high-end restaurant, Patchouli Knowledge coughed into her fist, already feeling incredibly childish in the warm, fluffy, pastel-colored pajamas she was currently wearing; it was because of the cordial grin of the redheaded woman running the food stall she and her companion were sitting at.  It was just too innocent and goofy to be polite, and Patchouli desperately wanted her to stop.  It was making her feel uncomfortable.
Patchouli?s companion, on the other hand, was perched on a stool, daintily sipping a cup of tea without spilling a single drop on her elegant white ball gown.  Her leathery, batlike wings were drooped in relaxation but still held at a respectable level.  Perhaps it was because even though the Remilia Scarlet looked even younger than Patchouli, her poised demeanor prevented her from receiving the same treatment as Patchouli.

?你会不会讲普通话?? the redheaded woman suddenly asked, grinning.  She stood under the awning of the tiny little food stall, her hair tied back and sleeves rolled up, wearing a grimy apron over her pants.  With her left hand she wiped the sweat off her brow, and in her right was a ladle which she used to stir something with a mouthwatering smell in a tall, steaming pot.

Remilia paused in lifting her tea cup to her lips and looked to Patchouli with the expression of utmost confusion.

?Patchy, je ne comprends pas??  Remilia?s voice trailed off as she furrowed her brow.  ?What did she just say?

?You?ve been saying that all day,? Patchouli grumbled, shifting in her seat to make herself more comfortable.  She was painfully aware of both Remilia and the redheaded woman staring at her with looks of concern.

?Um, um??  The redheaded woman stuttered, causing the other two girls to look back at her.  Her smile grew a little sheepish as she glanced over at Patchouli.  ?You are very cute, do you want desserts??

Despite the woman?s uncertainty, she did not falter under Patchouli?s steely-eyed gaze.  After a few moments, when it was clear that no amount of glaring would bring Patchouli victory, she gave in and heaved a long sigh.

?Yes, I do.?

Remilia?s teasing smirk seemed to dance across her lips.



?Listen well, Yoshika.?

Miyako Yoshika, who was having a good day where her knees actually bent, was sitting on the ground in the graveyard with her arms stretched out; unfortunately, they were still feeling stiff.  Without blinking, she smiled blankly at Seiga-sama who was standing in front of her, bent down a little with her hands on her knees.  Yoshika lifted her arms, flexing her hands as she imagined Seiga-sama helping her up off the ground.  She could float, but it was more fun when she was pulled up by the hands or around the waist.

?Are you listening??  A finger tapped the ofuda on Yoshika?s forehead.  It didn?t hurt, but it got the jiang shi?s attention.

?Yes, ma?am.?  The words came out automatically, and Seiga-sama gave her a warm smile.

?Good.  I?m going to tell you about Taoism today.?

Taoism?  Daoism?  Yoshika knew that was very important to Seiga-sama, but there were always so many details and she couldn?t remember them all.  Was that why Seiga-sama kept talking about it with her?  She didn?t know.

?You see, Taoism is about harmony with nature,? Seiga-sama began, and Yoshika got a sense of d?j? vu.  ?For everything in the world there is an opposite, and??  Seiga-sama continued to explain, getting more and more animated as she speaks.  Yoshika watched quietly and listened as well as she could, but she couldn?t quite wrap her mind around it.  The more she tried to understand, the less she listened to Seiga-sama speak, and soon she had become absorbed in her own thoughts.  Was Taoism really important?  Everyone Yoshika was around seemed to love it, but she was never able to share the same sentiments.  What was it that made it so great?  Could it be??

?Taoism is only second place!? Yoshika blurted out to no one in particular.  Seiga-sama stopped speaking, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

?Eh??

?Um??  Yoshika closed her eyes in thought.  ?...Hmmm??  Her eyes snapped open.  ?What did I say??

Seiga-sama blinked, and then let out a small laugh.  ?It was nothing.  That should be enough for today.?  She then elicited a huge grin from Yoshika by taking her by the hands and pulling her to her feet.



Notes:

> I really like the Seiga/Yoshika dynamic, in a platonic way.  Very cute. 
> Yoshika came to the conclusion that Taoism was even better than Seiga, but she was quick to denounce this because she already knew that she liked Seiga better.  It's probably because Seiga is actually nice to her.
> Not really sure where Patchy and Remi are in the second part, I'd like to think it's an underground youkai society in maybe Romania or China.  Of course, Meiling only takes Patchouli for a cute little kid who is in a bad mood at this point, and offers her candy to cheer her up.  This probably takes place shortly before or after Patchouli acquires Koakuma, although I'm leaning towards the latter in this case; Koakuma would probably be house-sitting.  I don't think Sakuya would be born yet, or she would be very young.
> The first part is from a short story that I've been procrastinating on writing because I'm afraid of how long it's going to be, and I should probably map out how I want it to go so it doesn't fall flat on its face.
>
The Yin Yang orb smacking against the back of Konngara's head was how I like to think Reimu won in HRtP, because everyone can be taken down with a well-placed blow to the head.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 09, 2011, 02:53:54 AM
Might as well test this out.  I'm just trying to get used to writing for Yoshika, so it's not going to be very good.  By the way this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_curry) is yellow curry.



芳香の日記



5/5/126
3:45am

The handwriting in this entry is barely legible, and goes off the lines in many places.

I got this diary thing!  Seiga-sama gave it to me because she said I needed a hobby so I?m testing it out now, but my arms don?t bend completely so it?s kind of hard to write in this.  It?s also really dark in the graveyard so I can?t see the page very well either.  I don?t really get why I should be doing this because I already have a job which is guarding.

5:15pm

I showed Seiga-sama my diary entry but she said I?m not supposed to.  What?s the point if no one?s going to read it?  She said it was where I could keep all of my secrets but I don?t really have any of those?oh, and she said it could be like something to record stuff from my day here so I?ll try that.

5/6/126
12:00pm

I can?t remember if I?m supposed to wait until the end of the day to write this but I have a lot of free time during lunch, besides eating.

Anyway, I saw a cat this morning!  It was really cute but then the umbrella girl popped out from behind a grave screaming and scared it away.

And then she challenged me to a fight.  Worst morning ever but then that girl with ears from the temple next door gave me food, so everything became better.  The people from the temple seem really nice but I was told not to go near them.  What a shaaame.  The girl with ears is especially nice because she gave me these rice balls.  Maybe if I give them to Seiga-sama she?ll change her mind.

3:30pm

There are tear stains on this page.

she didn?t like them

10:48pm

Ate lots of divine spirits.  I don?t know how to describe them?I guess I can just make up textures and flavors.  Like, they tasted like strawberry marshmallows!

Chocolate might be good, though.  Maybe Seiga-sama knows what chocolate marshmallows taste like since she said she?s eaten all kinds of awesome food back in her hometown.

5/7/126
6:00pm

I just ran into that lady who also lives at the mausoleum, Mononoke Mononobe no Fuko Futo, but I couldn?t understand a word she was saying.  I think she was looking for someone.

9:15pm

Udon for dinner~  I was going to eat the bowl but that Miko lady stopped me.

5/8/126
6:05pm

Seiga-sama talked a lot about Taoism (Daoism?) today, but I didn?t really get it.  I figured that it had to be the best thing in the world for everyone to like it so much but I
What was I writing, again?  Oh, well.  Everyone at the mausoleum was running around today all panicked and stuff, and I had to stand guard for?I forget how long.  It was so boring I nearly fell asleep, but then that ghost girl said I could take a break.  Her hat?s really silly.  I want to see how much food I can stuff into it sometime.

7:45pm

Oh, now I remember!  I don?t think Taoism could possibly be the best thing in the world.  It?s only the second best.  I still don?t remember much of what Seiga-sama told me about it, though?

5/9/126
12:00am

Handwriting here is barely legible.

had rematch against umbrella girl, won, left arm falling off

1:14am

got scolded for letting arm fall off and waking everyone up in the middle of the night

5/10/126
4:00pm

I saw the girl with ears sweeping the gravestones this morning.  I think we talked but I don?t remember what she said.  She ended up hanging around the graveyard all morning, though.  Later some lady came to pick her up but I forget who it was?I feel like I should remember.

4:20pm

Got more divine spirits~  I saw one with a skull in it but Seiga-sama wouldn?t let me eat it.  It looked so good, too?

5/11/126
6:00am

Guarding something again?what was I guarding?

7:15am

Found more of those divine spirits with skulls in them, but they flew away before I could eat them.  Aw, man.

10:56am

I tried some stretches to keep my limbs from getting stiff, and I think it worked.

11:00am

It didn?t work; my leg is bending in a funny position.

2:07pm

Seiga-sama stopped by and fixed my leg.  Now I can walk properly!

4:50pm

Saw the cat agai

some girl in red and white is coming this way, gotta do my job

5/12/126

The writing here is completely unreadable

5/13/126
10:00pm

There?s a flower pressed between the pages here.

I can move again, but I don?t remember why I couldn?t in the first place.  I wonder what happened.  It?s okay, though, because Seiga-sama hung out with me the whole time today!  We went on a walk in the graveyard.  Then we had a picnic, and there was grilled meat and everything but Seiga-sama didn?t eat any of it.  After that we took a walk by this pretty lake.  It was kind of cold there, but there were these pretty frozen flowers.  I got to take one home but it melted along the way, so now it?s just a normal flower.

We stayed at the lake for a long time.  I tried catching some frogs, but they hopped away too fast.  When it started to get dark, we went home and had yellow curry for dinner.  It was so cool!
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 19, 2011, 07:50:56 PM
I really hate my poetry, but I figured that if it's so bad then I might as well post it for critiques here.



[Original] 9/18-19/11



Chai
Carrying a gun much too big for her,
she pounds through the empty hallway,
boots slick with blood

Whispers
Voices I can hear
Words I cannot comprehend
A nagging in my ear
An itch that's not pretend

Shroedinger's Child
Behind this door is the possiblity
that she is alive and well
dead in eternal peace
alive but infected
dead and taken

Shino's Eyes
Black, blue, green, vacant
Staring into the distance
I've gone unnoticed

118
This branded number
Means not always misfortune
But eternal luck

Infected
Creeping like vines
Blood trickles up her leg
Soon she will be one with Earth

Against Nature
I've grown weary
of stories recording triumph
over industrialization with love
love for Mother Nature
who is so fickle
and has turned on us
in such a way that I feel that
the one we should fight
is her with machines



[Original] Excerpts from Character Notes



Having meddled in forbidden magic, she has become more powerful than she lets on, but now relies on photosynthesis to get nourishment; normal food no longer provides the sustenance that it once did.  She is also terrifyingly skilled in setting traps, and her library is laden with them.

~

Only by the fair hand of Lundunesses was she able to live as long as she did; however, that was Lundunesses? downfall, as Maybelle secretly organized a revolution and overthrew the dictatorship.  Having sustained wounds that left her practically crippled and personally killing both Teritha and Lundunesses, combined with the trauma of war and a life of harsh servitude, Colithia?s new queen was permanently scarred beyond repair.

~

Upon closer inspection, she has two small growths on the sides of her head, the beginning of horns or antlers.  Her ears, which are covered by her hair, are not pointed, but if she?s growing horns or antlers, then they will probably grow at least a little pointed over time.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Wolfsbane706 on September 22, 2011, 09:05:25 AM
That second to last entry reminded me of Flowers for Algernon.  Keep up the good writing!
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 25, 2011, 01:26:43 AM
I went to the IRC and Skype today and gathered prompts from different people so I could overcome my writer's block.  Here is the first one as requested by Sect: "Reimu as an Oni".



But thank goodness that you're safe.



Music?there was music outside?

The bed felt soft, and cool.  The sheets had to be of some high quality material.  Reimu snuggled further underneath the covers, sighing contentedly.  Moments passed in a blissful, half-asleep state.

The covers were then flung off Reimu as she jolted up and her eyes snapped open.  At once her she felt a surge of pain course through her body, and she cringed.
?Ugh??  Reimu took a moment to regain her composure before taking a look at her surroundings.  She was in a room with a polished oak floor and reddish violet walls.  To the right was a window with purple velvet curtains drawn over it, and to the left was a tall door made of the same material as the floor, carved with a Celtic knot design.  The room was furnished with an armoire; a vanity with a mirror sat parallel to it.  Reimu was sitting in a king-sized bed with fresh white sheets and a fluffy comforter overtop with an embroidered rose pattern.
Reimu?s mouth gaped.  ?What am I doing in Chireiden???

She looked down at herself.  Rather than her normal shrine maiden attire, she was dressed in a white nightgown.  What caught her attention more than that, however, were the bandages bound around her arms.  She threw back the covers.  They were on her legs.  She looked down the front of her nightgown.  Her chest?or rather, her entire torso?was tightly wrapped in more bandages, and she felt a dull ache with every breath she took.  Moreover, her head felt like it was going to split open.

The moon disappeared.  The moon was replaced by a fake, bronze one.  Kikuri, if memory served; it had been over ten years since she had heard that name.  Kikuri had started causing a commotion, and she and Marisa had gone to stop her.  Reimu couldn?t remember anything past that.  Did she get knocked out?  If so, what was she doing Underground?

Marisa?Marisa was probably still fighting that thing, or she had already won and was waiting for her.  Reimu swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, swaying back and forth.  Her muscles screamed in protest, and she gripped the sides of the vanity to steady herself.  Even standing still was a burden, so she lowered herself onto the stool and gripped her head in her hands.  She felt sick?

Reimu?s fingers brushed up against two protrusions in her forehead.  They felt like bones, and when she tried wiggling them, they wouldn?t budge.  Running her fingers along them she found that each of them ended in a sharp point.

?

Reimu lifted her head and looked into the mirror, and her heart dropped into her stomach.  Sticking out of her head above her temples, were two horns.  Short, pointed, ivory horns.
This was wrong.  Horns weren?t what Reimu had.  Horns were what Suika had.  Oni had horns, not humans.  Reimu was a human.  Reimu had horns, humans didn?t have horns but oni had horns, Reimu was?

Almost as if it had a mind of its own, Reimu?s hand curled into a fist and rammed into the mirror.  The glass shattered instantly; her arm went all the way through and slammed into the wall, creating a sizeable dent.  Glass shattered and pierced what skin was left exposed by the bandages.  It stung.

For a full minute, Reimu sat there, staring at the broken mirror and her arm and where glass shards were stuck into it.  The loosest pieces fell out with every quiver of Reimu?s arm.  The stool underneath her rattled as her entire body shook, and she felt like lead.  When she withdrew her arm, she didn?t even register how much it hurt.  Reimu stood up, knocking the stool over as she did so.  She reeled back from the mirror, and, when far away enough from the glass, let her legs give out under her.

?Ah?.ah?.?

While Reimu was trying to muster up the breath to scream, she heard the thud of footsteps grow louder from outside the door, which was then flung open.  Reimu made no move against the lavender-haired girl who ran into the room and threw her arms around her in what felt like a bone-crushing hug.  One hand reached up to stroke Reimu?s hair, while the other arm wrapped around her back.  Red veins snaked around Reimu?s shoulders, pulling her closer.  Was that a sob she choked back?

?Thank God?thank God...thank God??  The girl repeated those words over and over, and Reimu finally found her breath.

?Satori?why do I have horns??

?I??  Satori swallowed.  ?It?s?a long story, I??

Feeling overwhelmed, Reimu returned the embrace, resting her head against Satori?s shoulder.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 25, 2011, 01:54:41 AM
Going out of order; 9th requested by Squid: "Utsuho".



What she looks like



Utsuho was known among the hell ravens as being one of the few with a human form.  She stood proudly at five feet and two inches, and was considered tall for a hell raven.  Her figure was modestly endowed and slender, but her hands were callused, and she bore muscles telling of her history of working to help move corpses and stoke fires.  Her features were plain and simple, but she had bright eyes colored of fire and a hearty laugh, and it was often that she found things to laugh about.  Her hair, in contrast to her surprisingly fair complexion, was black and tumbled down to her waist in a thick waterfall she kept tame with a green ribbon. 

On her back were strong, silky wings of a similar color, and kept her up even when there was a slab of concrete on her right foot bringing her down; on her front was a glowing red eye that protruded from her chest, the skin surrounding it ravaged by scar tissue.  Yet she always considered this a gift, as though something precious to her?or a symbol of such?was close to her heart. 

Despite working in what was essentially a wasteland, Utsuho made sure not to neglect her appearance.  Her white blouses and green skirts showed tell-tale signs of wear and tear, yet she made sure to wash and iron them every day along with her black knee-socks.  She had grown up with responsibility, and to her this was just another daily routine. 
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: locoroco1 on September 25, 2011, 05:32:07 AM
I'm assuming Reimu has somehow become Kasen.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Tamashii Kanjou on September 25, 2011, 03:02:59 PM
Oh damn it, Himiko. Just... damn it. That's how she reacted to it; least I got that answer.

I hope you continue on with that, Himiko; I would love more Satori & Reimu writing, and it would be nice to see how Reimu reacts when Satori tells her what happened. Or at least learns of how... ugh; why do you do this to me!? =(

Also, nice little section for Utsuho there.

[Thank you Sect for suggesting that for Himiko; thank you. <3 ]
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 26, 2011, 01:34:21 AM
Second requested by unlableable: "Purvis goes to the beach".



^o^



Kisume was aghast.  Distraught, even.  She crouched in the sand, covering her face with her hands as she mourned over the ice cream cone melting on the ground in front of her.  The mint chocolate chip deliciousness had been knocked from her hands by a rogue seagull, and now it was no more.  Her cries of anguish were only punctuated by the roar of the waves as they washed over the shore farther away.

?Hello Kisume.?

Kisume lifted her tear-stained face to see a tall, handsome tengu standing in the sand, dressed in billowing terrycloth robes.  It was none other than Lord Tenma!

?Look at your ice cream.  Now back to me.  Now back to your ice cream.  Now back to me.?  Kisume did so.  ?Sadly, it?s in the sand.  But if you had another ice cream cone, you wouldn?t be in tears.  Look down.  Now look back to me.?

Kisume looked down and looked up, and when she did so, she saw that ice cream was raining down from the sky!

?It is now raining ice cream!  Look again.?  An ice cream cone appeared in Tenma?s hand.  ?Here?s an ice cream exactly like the one you dropped.?

He handed the ice cream cone to Kisume, who could only blink in amazement.

?Th?thank you!? she finally stuttered.

?Don?t thank me, anything is possible when you have a heart full of compassion and trust,? Tenma said, and he turned and walked into the sunset.  The ice cream raining from the sky turned into confetti and rainbows, and Kisume ate her new ice cream and enjoyed the rest of the day.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Wolfsbane706 on September 26, 2011, 02:54:52 AM
Strange, yet cute.  Nice.  Looking forward to more, like always.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on September 27, 2011, 07:32:44 PM
Uneditted horrible first draft



Untitled



??but you know, I didn?t think they?d build an entire graveyard around the hill, you know??  Tien swept the ladle around the frothing contents of the cauldron with wide, lazy sweeping motions.  Her back was turned to the other girl lying on table behind her, glaring up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes.  Leather straps kept her limbs bound to the table.  The front of her white gown had been sliced open, as was the skin underneath, exposing her still-intact organs.

?Uh-huh.?  The girl grunted as Tien reached over and snapped off one of her ribs.  She dropped it into the cauldron, and the liquid turned inky black.  The color was not unlike the hair of the girl on the table.

?Not like it?s a bad thing.  I??  Tien looked back at her and sighed.  ?Oh, come on, work with me, Saya!?

?Uh-huh.?  The girl?Saya?pursed her lips together and furrowed her brow.

?That?s not working with me,? Tien protested.  ?Okay, it?s your turn to talk.  Tell me a story or something; I?m bored to death here.?

Saya responded with dry laughter.  ?You?re such a card.  Let?s see?umm??  She paused for a moment.  ?Oh.  Once I didn?t have enough money to eat, so I became a contract killer and took out the son of this warlord further out in the countryside, because he was apparently using the peasants? tax money to build some villa all the way in Afreet.  I never went to bed hungry after that, but then I was hunted down by that guy?s family and lynched.  And that?s how I got here today.?

Tien and Saya stared at each other for a full minute.

?Nope,? Tien finally said, turning back to the cauldron.

?Yeah, I lied.?  Saya looked away.  ?I actually forget how I died, so sorry.?

?That sucks.?  Tien lifted the ladle out of the cauldron and gave the liquid in it a single lick.  ?So does this.  You wouldn?t mind if I borrowed one of your lungs, would you??

?I so would mind!?  Saya scowled as Tien once again stuck her hands into her innards.  ?You?re lucky that my organs are still preserved, you know??

?I know, I know.?  Tien?s tone was that of a mother dismissing a fussy child as she felt around for Saya?s lungs.  ?Just relax, okay??

?If I weren?t suffering from rigor mortis, I?d take you to the afterlife with me,? Saya hissed, and squeezed her eyes shut.  Just then, Tien?s hand closed around her left lung.  Her eyes snapped open, and she yelped in shock.

?Hey, be careful!?  Saya?s cries of protest were ignored as Tien ripped the lung out of her chest.

?It?s fine, trust me on this,? Tien said.  She frowned at the lung.  ?Are you sure your organs are all in the right places??

Saya groaned, perhaps wishing she could cover her ears to block out the splashing sound of her lung dropping into the potion.  ?Can I go back to being dead yet??

Tien shook her head.  ?We?ve still got thirty minutes before this potion is ready.  Let?s talk.?

?At least stitch me shut, first.?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Wolfsbane706 on September 28, 2011, 12:34:12 AM
It's not that bad.  Trust me, there's plenty worse stories out there.  I liked it.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: XephyrEnigma on September 28, 2011, 12:40:19 AM
It's not that bad.  Trust me, there's plenty worse stories out there.  I liked it.

This, also that Yoshika diary you did earlier on was absolutely adorable.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on November 10, 2011, 03:06:28 AM
This is currently unfinished, but it'd going to take a while to finish it so I'll just post what I have.  It's just a collection of vignettes.



Dandelion Seed



Meira felt as though something was wrong.

She lay on the ground, staring up at the wide blue sky above her, wondering what happened.  She was just in the air a few moments ago.  Moreover, she felt as though she was forgetting something.

Her deep purple eyes watched a small part of her float away, leaving behind an empty space inside her.  Like a dandelion seed in the air it floated away from her to the unreachable beyond; she reached out trying to grab it only to find that she couldn?t quite find it anymore.  She reached out helplessly, her hand a silhouette against the blue-white of the sky.  It trembled in spite of itself.

Something felt very cold.

~

The cavern was very cold, but she didn?t seem to mind.

Burning skulls floated past her with their jaws chattering loudly as they swooped through the air.  However, she was a small child who didn?t understand what they were, and felt no fear.  She giggled and waved to them, her overly long sleeves flapping like white flags.

She looked up a little higher and saw something large and round in the ?sky?, shedding a soft bronze light on the land below and surrounded by purple clouds that reminded the girl of cotton candy.  Her face lit up, and she turned her attention to that.

~

Kikuri sat in her glass cage high above Hell and felt like a queen.  An incorporeal one trapped in a glass ball with barely anyone knowing about her, but the view of the city below was enough for her.  She peered past the purple clouds her bronze orb emitted, squinting down at the web of lights.  The harder she looked, the more detailed they became, until she could see individual people in the streets.  The majority was oni, but there were also shinigami and the souls of the dead.  When she looked to the wasteland outside the city, she could see more evil spirits, those horrible flying skulls.  Even further out was a smaller wooden shrine, her friend?s house.

She looked closely.

There was something slightly larger floating amongst the evil spirits.  She saw long, dark purple hair.  Red and white robes.  It was a small child, but what was she doing all the way out there?  Kikuri pressed her forehead against the orb and stared.  She didn?t really seem to be doing much, just flying.

?A lost soul, perhaps?? Kikuri whispered.  ?That?s no good, it?s dangerous for her to be out there.?

She closed her eyes and concentrated on shrinking the orb.  Once it was sized down, she started her descent.

~

One nice thing about having a well was that there weren?t any lines to wait in that could stop Konngara from going and filling up a bucket whenever she felt like it.  Once she had untied the bucket from the rope, she started walking away from the well, carefully holding the bucket by its handle.  She ignored the evil spirits that sailed past her, and headed straight for the shrine steps. 

The bucket was set down next to the offertory box.  Not a lot of water spilled out of it, which was an improvement.

She turned back to look at the ?sky?.  Expecting to see Hell?s Moon closer to the ceiling, it was instead hovering down to surface level; where it was in the sky had been replaced by a faint halo of bronze light.   Konngara frowned a bit and started running towards it.

~

Kikuri was right.

Konngara stared down at the small child sitting on the ground, who was in turn staring back up at her.  The girl chewed on her sleeve, and tilted her head.  Konngara sighed.
?Are you a human or a youkai?? she asked.  When the girl didn?t answer, she pressed on.  ?Do you not know??

The girl blinked, as though she didn?t understand the question.  She took her sleeve out of her mouth and looked away.  Then, she lifted off the ground and started to float away.  Konngara reached out and grabbed her by the collar, pulling her back.  This girl was in the wastelands, therefore her being there was Konngara?s business.

The girl squirmed for a few moments before going limp.  She didn?t even struggle when Konngara set her back on the ground.  Konngara started to wonder if she had given up.  If that was the case, maybe she would finally say something.  Now that Konngara thought of it, she should have asked for the girl?s name first, and then where she was from.  At least then she wouldn?t have to ask anything else, and just take her back home.

It was then that she heard a sniffling sound.

??Eh??  Konngara knelt down and reached out for the girl?s shoulder.  She hesitated for a moment, and then turned the girl around to face her.  Tears had welled up in the girl?s eyes, and with each shuddering breath they threatened to overflow.

?Ah??  Konngara?s heart skipped a beat when the girl let out a loud wail.  She was pretty sure she didn?t do anything to make her upset, unless she had scared her by accident?  If that was so, she couldn?t help that?

She put a hand on the girl?s head in an attempt to comfort her.  She stopped wailing, at least.

~
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Wolfsbane706 on November 10, 2011, 04:18:02 AM
Okay, I'm definitely intersted.  Nice start.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on November 12, 2011, 04:49:23 PM
I'm not used to writing this kind of yuri fluff.



Pocky Game



Reimu would never understand Outside World snacks.  The one she was twirling between her fingers looked more like an incense stick than anything else.  The bright pink frosting coating the thin biscuit stick seemed to mock her, being such a frivolous color, as though it were for children.

Moreover, the box it came in claimed it to be strawberry flavored.  Definitely for children.  Had she been given this as a child, she wouldn?t have complained.

And yet she had seen Marisa, who was the same age as her, happily eating stick after stick.  She had been all too happy to share with that kappa.  Nitori, was it?  Marisa had just poked some of the candy into the girl?s mouth and soon enough was eating from the other end?

Reimu?s cheeks flushed at the memory.  Marisa was too bold.

?Hey, sis~?  A cheery voice brought Reimu out of her reverie.  She looked over her shoulder and sighed.

?Hello, Orin.?

The kasha?s ears flickered, and her grin widened.  ?Got any o? that to spare me, sis??

That had to be a rhetorical question, now that Reimu looked back at the box.  She hadn?t even eaten any of it.  But Orin, with her silly smile and waving tails, seemed more than eager to have some.  Reimu looked at the candy she was holding, and then back to the kasha, and then back to the candy.

?Okay, say ?ahhh?,? Reimu said, holding out the candy.  No sooner than she did so Orin chomped down on the candy, almost biting Reimu?s fingers in the process.  Reimu drew her hand back, watching as Orin pushed the candy into her mouth and crushed it down with her cat teeth.  She would not want to be bitten by that.

Orin wheeled around and skipped away, still all smiles.  ?Thank ya, sis!?

Reimu watched her leave before turning back to the box and retrieving another piece of candy.  She had offered the candy to Orin with her hand, but she couldn?t help but imagine what would have happened if she had done it with her mouth.

She smacked herself across the face.  There she was, thinking about it again!  It was all Marisa?s fault that she had that thought?

??stuck in your mind??

Reimu didn?t turn around, but she knew she had been caught.  She opted to stare at the candy stick instead, waving it back and forth.

?Yeah, like a song,? she said.  A song?  Was she being poetic now?  There was a giggle, and Reimu felt her face grow hot.

?Geez, Satori, don?t laugh!?  Reimu whipped around to face the lavender-haired girl standing behind the couch she was sitting on.  Her third eye, unblinking in its red eye socket, stared

Reimu in the eye.  Rather than engage it in a staring contest, however, Reimu looked at Satori?s eyes instead.

?I can?t help it.  It?s cute when you think like that,? Satori insisted.  Her smile wavered.

?Sh-shut up.?  Reimu tried and failed to keep herself from grinning.  There was no hiding anything from Satori, and that was a fact of life.

Satori laughed a little, nervous laugh.  Reimu slouched into the cushions and closed her eyes to avoid looking at the stupid candy that was the source of her embarrassment.  She heard the padding footsteps of Satori?s slippers on the tiled floor, and then felt the cushion depress next to her.  She ignored this.

And then Satori took the candy from her hands, and her eyes snapped open.  Satori was holding the candy in her hands, with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

?You know, I?m really glad you didn?t offer this to Orin with your mouth.?  Satori leaned in a little closer to Reimu.

?Yeah!? Reimu said, a little too loudly.  She took a deep breath.  ?Because you?re the one that??

??I love, and not Orin??

And the tension was gone.  Satori was about five inches from Reimu?s face, and who needed to keep talking so awkwardly when there was a mind reader that close to you?
Satori put the stick of candy in her mouth in invitation.  Reimu, feeling her face burn, finally gave in and took the other end.  The candy didn?t taste that bad, now that she thought about it.  It tasted nothing like strawberries, but it was sweet.

Her forehead bumped against Satori?s.  Satori started eating from the end that didn?t have any frosting, but she was probably able to taste it now.  She would probably like it; she liked sweets, anyway.

There was only an inch of the candy left between them now.  Reimu?s heart hammered against her chest, and squeezed her eyes shut.  Satori?s lips brushed against Reimu?s, before locking into a kiss.  The box fell off of Satori?s lap and onto the floor, forgotten, as the two intertwined hands and leaned into each other.  Reimu felt one of Satori?s hands reach behind her head, stroking her hair and finally resting between her shoulder blades.  The pocky was gone.

Satori broke the kiss.  Reimu inhaled, remembering that she had to breathe.  She leaned against Satori?s shoulder, hoping to the Hakurei Shrine?s non-existent god that no one had seen that.

Why did they do that, again?  They had kissed before, yes, but eating the same piece of food was somehow very awkward, as though they were romanticizing something that didn?t need to be made romantic.

Then again, they were still holding hands.  That had to be reason enough, right?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Tamashii Kanjou on November 13, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Have I ever said that I love you Himiko? Wait... I have?

Well, I'll just say it again...

I LOVE YOU HIMIKO! Oh gosh, this grin won't leave my face! What have you done?! Satori x Reimu is just so cute~ Look at the miko blush!
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on November 16, 2011, 02:28:57 AM
Suiten bromance, etc.



Noodling for Catfish



?Gyaaahhhh!?

Tenshi fell back into the water, splashing and gurgling.  When she opened her mouth to scream, a bitter taste surged into her mouth and lungs.  If she didn?t do something, she was going to drown herself.  Yet, there was that insistent weight on her arm, and through her stinging eyes she could see blood seeping into the water.  The current pulled her back and forth through the mud, her dress soaked to the point of transparency and her pale, sun-deprived limbs flailing helplessly in the water.  She felt someone grasp a handful of her hair and pull her out of the water.  She coughed and hacked, spitting mud out of her mouth.

Suika let go of Tenshi?s hair, leaving the celestial to wobble in waist-deep water.

?You sure caught a big one!  You okay??  The oni grinned one of her usual drunken grins.  Her arms were in as just as bad shape as Tenshi?s, if not worse.  Bruises, bite marks, torn skin, blood staining skin and caked between fingers and pruning fingers.  They both had them all.

Tenshi looked down at her arm.  That weight was the root of all evil, latched onto her arm and drawing blood as it wiggled back and forth.  Where it was, the skin had been ripped almost completely away, revealing a bit of bone from her forearm.  Even keeping stationary was pure agony, and Tenshi felt as though she was going to fall right back into the water and drown for real.  Then that shinigami would really have a reason to ferry her off.

Tenshi ripped the catfish off her arm, and with it, a chunk of skin and muscle.  She ground her teeth into her lip to keep from screaming.  She didn?t even want to look at her arm.

?Oh, man.?  Tenshi heard Suika whistle.  ?Forget I asked.  That thing got ya bad.?

Tenshi nodded and started trudging her way back to the shore.  Sitting in the grass was an overflowing basket of catfish, the fruit of their toil dead or dying under the hot summer sun.  Tenshi heaved her most recent catch on top of the pile and watched in morbid satisfaction as its tail flapped back and forth in weak protest.

Suika stretched her arms above her head and made a soft ?mmnn? sound.  Tenshi slumped against the riverbank, and her arms sank into wet mud.  She was done.  After spending a few moments of standing in the river and feeling herself sweat, Tenshi dragged herself out of the water and sank into the grass.  There were clouds gathering in the sky, but she could still see the islands of Bhava-Agra floating above.  It was a comforting sight, enough to take her mind off the pain in her arm.

?We have enough catfish,? Tenshi said at last.  Suika crawled out of the water like some evolving amphibian and wrung out her long, thick hair.  Her clothes were thoroughly wet and clung to her body, and the shackles on her wrists and ankles dripped with water and residual scum.

?True that.?  Suika spat something onto the grass.  ?We?ve got enough for all of Gensokyo, at least.?

?Hey, hey.?  Tenshi sat up, wincing when she put weight on her right arm.  ?What did we get dirty for?  Not for a bunch of strangers.?

?Oh, not just strangers.?  Suika wiped her hands on her dress, but that didn?t do much for her.  ?I mean people like Iku-nee, Pebbles, the guys down under, Reimu, Yukari??

?Forget it.?  Tenshi scowled.  ?Not Reimu and Yukari.  No.  They don?t exist.?

Suika furrowed her brow.  ?They?re my friends.?

?They?re not my friends,? Tenshi shot back as she bent her arm experimentally.  She let out another hiss of pain.  ?But fine, if it makes you happy.?

?Yay!?  Suika jumped into the air with her arms outstretched.  ?Hey, I know this really nice spring, let?s take this fish back to Bhava-Agra and then go take a bath there.?

Tenshi could use a bath.  Suika could also use a bath.  They were both filthy and wet and smelled of dirty river water.  Tenshi wanted nothing more than to soak in clean water for two hours and then longue around in her pajamas eating surface world food.  Preferably made by Iku, or that silver-haired lady from the lake mansion.  She damn well deserved that luxury after what she had put up with today, even if she was the one who had suggested they go noodling for catfish.

?Oh, and?we might want to do somethin? ?bout that dress of yers.  I can see right through it.?

?Shut up, Suika.?

In reality, the flight to Bhava-Agra hadn?t taken very long.  Suika, in all her oni strength, was able to carry the entire basket of fish single-handedly, relieving Tenshi of what could have been a lot of burden.  Iku had made a fuss when the two of them showed up at the doors of the Dragon Palace looking like they had spent a week in the swamp.  After reassurance from Suika that no, they were going to bathe somewhere else, Iku accepted the catfish for safekeeping.  The whole exchange was what made the transition from the river to the heavenly, refreshing spring seem so long, and it drove Tenshi crazy.  By the time they had reached the place, Tenshi felt like she could have cried in relief.

Suika was not lying when she said she knew of good places in Gensokyo.  Tenshi could testify this after years of friendship with the oni, having been dragged literally to hell and back in pursuit the best locations.  It felt like everywhere Tenshi had been with Suika amounted to this spot.

The spring was a pleasantly cool, isolated area within the Forest of Magic, where the clear water exposed the mossy bottom.  A small cliff, probably ten feet high went through the water.  It was hollowed out in the middle, creating a sort of natural shade from the sun beating down above.  Trees surrounded all sides of the spring, perfectly green and towering high and clear of fungi, something that was apparently rare in this forest.

Suika was quick to detach her shackles and strip down, whooping as she ran for the water.  The silence of the clearing was broken by splashing as Suika did a cannonball into the water, resurfacing moments later to take a deep gulp of air.

?C?mon!  The water feels awesome!?

Tenshi looked at Suika?s wet clothes, which lay on the ground in an unceremonious heap.  They would never get dry that way, but she didn?t want to waste more time looking for somewhere to hang their clothes.  Tenshi fumbled with the buttons on her dress, peeling the wet fabric from her skin and letting it drop in the grass.  She felt a slight chill from her body being exposed to the cool air of the clearing, but at the same time she felt an immense freedom of being liberated from her clingy, damp dress.

Tenshi made a break for the water, feeling the cold sting of it as she ran into it and felt her body being enveloped by the gentle waves that felt so different from the river.  She dunked her head under the water, running her hands through her hair.  The arm she had been using to noodle for catfish was now raw and red, but it had stopped bleeding.

She looked over to where Suika swimming like an otter towards the shallow end of the water, where the rock was.  The oni noticed Tenshi and waved, all smiles.

?Nice ?n cool, right?? Suika called out.  She slowed down once she was under the rock and stood up, splashing water onto her arms.  Tenshi dove under the water and swam over to join her.

?It is,? Tenshi marveled when she had reached Suika.  She stood knee-deep in the water, arms folded across her chest as she looked around her.

And then a wave of water hit her.

Tenshi whirled around to face Suika, who let out a hearty laugh and brought up another wave with her arms.  Tenshi squealed and stumbled backwards, crossing her arms across her face to no avail.

?No fair catching me off guard!?  She quickly retaliated by bringing her fist down into the water, spraying up more water.  Suika ducked under the water to avoid it, bubbles rising up to the surface.  She swam further away from Tenshi, resurfacing and spitting out a stream of water.  Tenshi clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

?How did you get away so fast?? she giggled.  Suika stood up in the water and parted her soaking wet hair from her face.

?It?s ?cause there?s so much room.?  Suika gestured to the pool with dramatic flair.  ?You can move around as much as you want and not bump into anything.?

Tenshi splashed some water onto her arms, working to clean the remaining grime from her wound.  It was closing at this point, and more of a raw red spot than anything too serious.  ?That?s more room than that dumb old shrine will ever have.?

Now that Tenshi thought about it, that sentence could be applied to her own home.  She took a moment to glow in self-appreciation at her unintended cleverness.
 
Meanwhile, Suika was pouting.  ?Hey, the Moriya Shrine didn?t do anything to you.?

?You know what I mean.?

?I?ve lived at Reimu?s house for four years??

??and counting,? Tenshi interrupted.  Despite Suika taking residence at Bhava-Agra, she still felt some amount of bitterness over the oni?s insistence on keeping her place at the Hakurei Shrine.  Just thinking about it irked her.  In fact, her mood was starting to sour right now.

?And counting.  Yes.?  Suika waved Tenshi off dismissively.  ?Take my word for it, the Hakurei Shrine is freaking awesome.?

Tenshi stood up straight and put a hand on her hip.  ?Prove it.?

?What??  Suika cocked an eyebrow.  Were all oni this thick, or did Suika really understand what she was saying and just refusing to respond directly?  Tenshi pinched the bridge of her nose.

?If the Hakurei Shrine is so freaking awesome, prove it,? Tenshi demanded.  She held her hand out in a gesture to invite Suika to say more.

?Well??  Suika waded into deeper water and started soaking her hair.  ?First of all, it?s got hot springs in the back.  It?s perfect in the winter, although there?s no heating so you have to layer up when you?re in the??

?That?s not proving anything!?

?No, no!?  Suika frowned and splashed more water at Tenshi.  She scrambled back, scowling.  Suika continued.

?Anyway!  It?s got hot springs and a cherry blossom orchard that?s amazing in the spring.  In the summer Reimu buys all this ice cream and fruit, and that ice faerie Cirno comes over to play.  And don?t get me started on autumn.?  Suika licked her lips, and Tenshi somehow felt as though she had been personally insulted: no peaches were mentioned.

Tenshi groaned and rolled her eyes.

?Reimu always cooks the best food in autumn, and that?s when the black-white and Alice bring ingredients for hot pot.  Have you ever had any of Alice?s cooking?  She never touches the food directly; she said having her dolls do it was more sanitary?if they were clean, that is.?  Suika pantomimed little dolls flitting back and forth with her hands, and let out a hollow laugh.

Tenshi blinked as she watched her friend?s face seem to cloud over.

?The food she and Reimu cook are pretty different from Underground food, since Alice immigrated from Makai and Reimu is from the surface,? Suika went on, sinking into the water up to her shoulders.  ?Although I see some similarities between Reimu?s cooking and oni cooking.  Oni used to live on the surface, ya know, and they shared a lot of dishes between the tengu who brought that to the kappa who shared recipes with youkai-friendly humans?although by that point it?d take a real culinary genius to distinguish similarities and differences between the dishes; there were too many variations.?

Tenshi backed up and took a seat on a rock by the edge of the water, soaking her feet and listening to Suika ramble on.  Her anger at Suika?s fondness for Reimu and her home was quickly melting away, to be replaced by intrigue.

?I can tell the differences, though, because I cooked a lot back then.  If you live on your own you kind of have to know how to do those things.  You probably wouldn?t understand, though: you?ve been taken care of your whole life by your parents and Iku-nee.?

For once, Tenshi decided not to point out that Suika was implying she was spoiled.

?Even after I started hanging out more with the other Devas we still never relied on each other for food.  We still ate together, though.  I remember there was this one thing we?d eat that never used meat because the fourth refused to eat meat, what was it called??

Suika trailed off, and Tenshi finally decided to cut in.

?So, is there a punchline?? she asked in an attempt to spur the conversation on.

Suika?s head jerked up, as though she had been brought out of a trance.  ?What??

?You were saying how great the red-white?s place was, but the you went off on this crazy tangent about food.?  Tenshi leaned back, supporting her weight with her arms and turning her nose into the air.  ?You really do only think with your stomach, don?t you??

As if on cue, Tenshi?s stomach gurgled loudly.

There was an awkward silence, during which Tenshi felt her face grow hot.  She heard a snort, and looked over to see Suika shaking and covering her mouth with both hands.

?Hey!?  Tenshi sat up, indignated.  ?Don?t laugh!?

Suika struggled for about two seconds before she practically exploded, clutching her sides and howling with laughter.  With one fist she smacked the water, sending up a tidal wave that washed up over Tenshi.  The celestial folded her arms over her stomach, trembling.  Here she was, trying to cheer up her friend, only to make a fool out of herself.  She felt hot tears spring into her eyes.

?It?s not funny!? she cried.  Suika took deep breaths that were accentuated with inhibited giggling.

?I?haha?it?s j-just??  She wiped away a tear from her cheek and inhaled.  Tenshi?s lips quavered as she watched and waited for Suika to calm down, and finally the oni was calm.  Grinning like mad, but at least she wasn?t laughing at her anymore.

?You hungry?? Suika asked.  Tenshi frowned, eyelashes still wet with tears.

?Starving.?

?Then let?s get our clothes and go cook that catfish!? Suika suggested.  ?We can get Iku-nee in on it and throw a feast.  I can provide the alcohol, of course.?

She started wading towards the edge of the pool, squeezing water from her hair as she went.  Tenshi got up off the rock and pattered over to where her clothes were lying, as well.  They smelled a bit foul and had not dried much, leaving Tenshi feeling very uncomfortable and damp when she pulled them on over her shivering body.  The sun was already setting, and the night cool was setting in.

A feast didn?t sound too bad, though.  Tenshi wanted something to eat, and it would make mucking around for catfish all day worth it.

?Let?s stop at Bhava-Agra for a change of clothes, first,? Tenshi said.  ?I feel disgusting in this dress, and it?s still see-through.?

?Would ya rather go without?? Suika teased, although her clothes were just as wet.  Tenshi punched her lightly on the arm.

?No way.  Let?s get a move on.?

The two set off into the sky, towards what would go down in history as one of Gensokyo?s wildest parties.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: nolrai2 on November 17, 2011, 01:22:59 AM
I liked that one a lot.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on November 19, 2011, 05:15:30 AM
what is this, this isn't nitomari at all

oh but I was able to use my own ability to write those sentences in mandarin yay



unfamiliar coat



Wearing an unfamiliar coat could probably be compared to a snail suddenly having to live with a different shell.  It didn?t quite fit right?in fact, it was too big.  It covered her small body much like a snail?s shell, leaving her to peek out from the hood.  The sleeves went over her wrists, rendering her arms and hands two long noodles.  When she sat down, she sat on the coat hanging down to her knobby knees.  It had the familiar scent of cold air mingled with the unfamiliar smells of smoke, spices, and the unmistakably youkai scent of the original owner.  It felt awkward and foreign, and it made her feel awkward.  She couldn?t get used to it, as though she was intruding on this coat and this coat was intruding on her very being.

Still, it was warm, and acted as a good cushion against the hard wall she was leaning against and the wooden floor she was sitting on.  She huddled back against the corner, drawing herself into a little ball.  She could hear the clamor of languages she didn?t know outside, and however hard she listened she couldn?t pick out her own native tongue.  It was much like a snail being picked off the ground and put in a new ?habitat?, like a box.  She stared at a patch of moonlight that was mere inches in front of her, cast on the floor by the window which should really have been covered better.  The moon terrified her and she did not want to think about that.

She watched the other women and girls in the room talk amongst themselves, not understanding anything any of them were saying.  There was the tall one with toned arms and legs, red hair, and a loud laugh, speaking too fast and too loud.  The shorter, frail-looking one bundled up on the couch somehow intimidated her, with her dour expression and clean cut bangs that stood out from the rest of her wild purple hair.  She occasionally spoke up in a harsh, sharp voice, her eyes flickering back and forth from the small book in her hands and the corners of her mouth turning down.

Worst of all was the vampire.  She looked only a few years older, with hair almost as light as her own, with her slender hands folded and speaking very steadily, very fluidly in a smooth-as-silk sounding language that she couldn?t identify, as usual.  Her leathery wings spread out probably twice her arm span and were raised menacingly above her.  Every now and again her deep red eyes would look right at her, and each time she would try to shrink into herself and the coat even further in dread.  She was just human enough to be considered a snack to vampires; she knew that well.

After some time, the girl on the couch finally stood up and left, leaving her alone with the vampire and the red headed woman, whose gaze she met.  The woman beamed at her, and she pulled the hood over her face.  There was another hearty laugh and the sound of the vampire?s voice.  She buried her face into her knees, wanting to disappear through the wall.  Unfortunately, things weren?t that simple.

?咲夜, 你为什么在那里吗??  The red head woman?s voice was directed to her, now.  She knew because the first thing the woman said was ?Xiao ye?.  She was ?Xiao ye? to this person, just as she was known as ?Sakuya? to the vampire.  It was as though someone had adopted a cat and gave it a name without consideration for the cat?s original name, even if it was too long and hard for them to pronounce.  She wouldn?t expect them to know what she was saying.  She didn?t understand what they were saying, either.

?来这里啊。? 

She could hear footsteps padding across the floor, and could practically feel the woman?s presence.  She just kept huddling in the foreign-feeling coat, tensing up as she felt a pair of strong but gentle arms wrap around her and lift her off the ground and cradle her weight.  She was suddenly outside in the city again, shivering on the side of the street and suddenly feeling very warm as a coat was wrapped around her, and nearly crying in joy when she saw a hand reaching out to her, as if to lead her away.  She squeezed her eyes shut and kept very still as she was rocked around for a bit before one arm was around her back and the other supported her legs.  She kept her eyes shut, but leaned against the woman?s warm shoulder and listened to her voice and the vampire?s voice, and the coat felt more comforting to her.

~

Remilia couldn?t help but smirk at the display, as Meiling hoisted the child off the ground like a sack of potatoes.  She flapped her wings a few times and hovered onto a crate, where she sat with her ankles crossed.  Her elbows rested on her knees and her chin rested on her hands.  Meiling took a seat on the couch with the girl on her lap, sighing.

?See?  Much better than any old corner,? Meiling almost sang.  ?She calms down immediately.?

?We have literally just found her,? Remilia said.  ?You do not intend to spoil her, are you?  She will not be dead weight in this household.?

Meiling?s cheeks puffed out in a pout, making her already round face look a bit like a balloon.  ?She?s just a kid, cut her a little slack.  Even Koa doesn?t do that much and you weren?t complaining when she was summoned here,? she pointed out.

?That is Patchy?s problem.?  Remilia hopped off the crate and onto the floor.  ?And we shall deal with this later.  There are only a few hours to sunrise.?
With little flourish, she left the room. 

?You brought it up!?  Meiling scowled and gave the girl in her arms a quick squeeze.  She had already fallen asleep.  Perhaps she could be introduced to Koakuma tomorrow, and Patchouli could figure out what language she spoke, and?

There were a lot of things to look forward to, but for now, Meiling yawned and decided to leave them off for tomorrow.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on November 22, 2011, 03:10:04 AM
I finished it ;w;



underground monogatari



?CHEEEEERS!?

The bar erupted into shouting, accompanied by the sound of clinking glass.  Oni were crowding every booth and table in the room, and at least three of them were behind the counter serving drinks and cleaning the messes of those who spilt theirs.  The sounds of oni shouting, laughing, and making toasts was overwhelming.  Every few minutes someone lost an arm wrestling match and had their arm slammed into the table.  At one end of the room was a square table with one chair at each side.  All but one of these seats was occupied.
Yuugi turned the glass she was holding around in her hands.  The clear liquid inside was tinted by the dim, yellow-green lighting.  There were already many more empty ones on the table at this point, but the three devas gathered were still not drunk.

?But yeah, it?s been a while since we?ve all gathered like this,? Yuugi said.

?Sure has huh??  Suika lifted her gourd to her lips and took a long drink.  ?We?ve all been goin? about our own business, anyhow.  Speakin? of which?how?s the bridge princess?  If you know what I mean.?

She waggled her eyebrows.

Yuugi smiled and set her glass down.

?None of your damn business!? she replied, and proceeded to punch Suika in the face.

Konngara watched bullets fly as Suika retaliated by tackling Yuugi into the ground.  The rest of the oni started cheering them on, spilling drinks and knocking over chairs in their excitement.  Konngara had to look under the table to get a good view of the two wrestling on the ground, but she was completely unfazed.  This was perfectly normal.

?Tell us!  Tell us!?  Suika wrestled Yuugi onto the floor before pinning her onto her back.

?I said none of your business, didn?t I?!?  Yuugi?s hands closed around Suika?s horns as she struggled to push the smaller oni off of her.

?Sharing is caring!? Suika insisted.

?If you care so much, then go out and find someone to do it with!?  The room burst into laughter.  Suika turned beet red and raised her gourd up?

?Ohhhh.?  Konngara sat back up and took another sip of her drink.  That was a low blow.  She watched as the skirmish continued for a while, causing the floor to rumble and knock over a few empty glasses.

?Tell me!?  Another punch, landed by Suika.

?No!?  Yuugi kicked Suika away and pounced at her.

?Aaargh!?

There was another bout of scuffling, and the sound of someone?s head thudding against the floor.  It must have been Yuugi, because Konngara at last heard:

?Okay, oh god, fine!  I?ll tell you!?

Suika leapt up from the floor and threw her arms in the air.  ?YES!?

Yuugi groaned and pushed herself off the floor, looking disheveled but otherwise unscathed.  The space around the table was starting to get uncomfortably crowded as other oni started to gather around.

?Everyone listen!? Suika shouted over the din.  More than a few heads turned, and one of the bartenders stopped shaking a drink.

?What?s going on?? asked an oni on the other side of the room.  His companions stood up on their seats, craning their necks to see what was happening.

?YOU GUYS!?  Suika slammed her fist on the table when it was evident that no one was quieting down.

An oni with ram horns slammed her mug onto the bar counter.  ?THIS ALE SUCKS!?

Finally, a taller oni with pointy horns cupped his hands over his mouth and bellowed, ?Yuugi-ane-san?s tellin? a story, pipe down!?

Yuugi took a seat and propped an elbow on the table.  She was wearing a sort of reluctant grin, as though she was almost regretting this.  Intrigued, Konngara folded her arms and leaned forward.

Yuugi took a drink.  ?Okay, so like, Parsee and I were sitting in her house??

Konngara thought back to what she remembered of the bridge princess.  Compared to the oni?barring Suika?she was kind of little, and admittedly pretty, although she wasn?t too fond of her personality.  She was too pushy for Konngara?s taste, and it was too easy to get her angry.

And yet, here was Yuugi giving a blow-by-blow account of a night they shared together.  Konngara tried to get rid of the mental image she was getting from the story and failed miserably.  It didn?t help that Yuugi was starting to sound less reluctant as she talked.

??and then I slipped my hand under her shirt and??

Konngara felt her face grow hot.  She clapped her hand over her mouth, scandalized, while everyone around her roared with laughter.  Suika was guffawing and kicking her legs, sake from her gourd slopping down her front.

By the end of the story, just about everyone was either clutching their sides or tittering uncontrollably.  By the time Yuugi was tipsy and blushing from her twentieth drink, she had started to go into more and more detail.  Konngara, in the meantime, had finished her tenth and was wondering if it was okay to talk about these kinds of things in public, and what would happen when Parsee would find out.  There was no way around that.

?Oh, man, if Ibaraki were here, she?d??

The bar fell silent.

Konngara lifted her head from the table and immediately started scanning the room for the source of the voice.  She glanced over at Suika, who had the wide-eyed expression of a trapped youkai with the business end of a rifle pointed at them.  The smaller oni stared off into the air, before looking down at the table, as though avoiding eye contact.  Konngara started to wonder whether or not she should actually say something.

That was when Yuugi came to the rescue by standing up; her chair scraping across the floor broke the silence.  Heads turned to look at her as she swayed on her feet.  She opened her mouth to say something, but her words were drowned out by the sudden shouts of the other oni.

?Who said that??

?Not me, man, it was her over there??  An oni about seven feet tall pointed to another oni about the same size as Suika, perched on a barrel with a mug clutched in her hands.  She raised her eyebrows.

?No, way, it just slipped out!?

Another oni clapped Suika on the shoulder.  ?Well ya don?t just say??

Voices rose to angry tones, and those angry tones grew louder and became shouting.  Someone was thrown over a table.  A chair was thrown across the room.  The oni who was sitting on the barrel was caught in a headlock.  One bartender threw down her rag and punched someone across the counter in the face, and that someone happened to be Yuugi.  She lunged out and grabbed the girl by the front of the shirt, and in turn she made a grab for her horn and they both started swearing at each other?

Konngara poured herself another drink and watched everything go to hell.  The littlest things got people riled up?but this wasn?t exactly small.  She?d leave Suika some privacy rather than dwell on it, though.  Speaking of Suika, she was looking around her, her mouth slightly agape as though she wanted to say something.  Konngara started thinking of things to say, something to get everyone to pay attention or at least be quiet, so Suika would have a chance to speak.  Maybe yell at them to shut up?or break the table in half.

She couldn?t think of anything else.  Would they even be able to hear her at this point?

She set down her glass and took a deep breath.  It might be a good idea to?

?EVERYONE SHUT UUUUUUUP!?

In the end, it was Suika who stood up on her chair and screamed.  It was Suika who slung her gourd over her shoulder with one hand and punched the table with the other, leaving a fist-sized dent in the wood.  It was Suika who made everyone, including Konngara, stop what they were doing and look at her.  Suika no longer looked lost.  Still a little desperate, yes, but more frustrated than anything else.

Suika whipped her head back and forth, shooting daggers at anyone that dared move.  Yuugi let go of the bartender and sunk down into a stool.

?Ya know what?? Suika said.  ?I?m sick of there being a riot every time we mention?you know who.?  She narrowed her eyes and hiccupped.  ?So, I?ve been thinking: let?s get the band back together.?

Yuugi was the first one to speak up and break the silence.  ?I dunno, Sui.  We haven?t seen her for at least 300 years.  To be honest, I doubt she?s gonna come runnin? back to us with open arms, giggling like a school girl from the Outside World??  She trailed off, and was met with snickering from the rest of the oni.  Konngara knew someone who really was?or at least used to be?a school girl, found this somewhat amusing and smiled a bit.

?Then I?ll do that,? Suika proclaimed in a spur of boldness.  ?We?ve gotta bury this hatchet, you guys.?

?Then I might as well settle the score, eh??  Yuugi turned to one of the bartenders, who was polishing a wine glass.  ?This?d call for a celebration drink.?

The bartender, taking this cue, nodded and turned to the wine rack.

Suika then turned to Konngara, and their eyes met.  Suika took a long drink from her gourd before speaking again.  ?Whaddya think??

It was when Suika asked her that Konngara remembered Ibaraki.  Ibaraki?s much shorter, pointed horns and how embarrassed she was of them.  Ibaraki?s pink hair, which she always seemed to take great pride in but always kept at longest to her shoulders.  Ibaraki?s faint, apologetic smile, the expression she only spared for flowers and animals and desperate situations.  Ibaraki wearing that smile as she shook her head and looked down at her dangling right sleeve.  They had gotten along well enough, although Konngara couldn?t quite recall what had happened when Ibaraki left, and what happened right before and right after.  Apparently she got into a row with Suika, which may or may not explain her reaction to?
?Well?  What do you think??  This was Yuugi who had spoken up, now.  She was leaning on the bar counter looking expectant.  Well, why not?

?I do wonder what she?s been up to,? Konngara said at last, and this was confirmation enough for the others.  Suika howled in approval and pumped her fist in the air.  Other oni, although reluctant, joined in on the cheering.  The atmosphere, which had been so heated just moments ago, was now thawing out.  Glasses and mugs were being clattered together in toasts.

Suika hopped off the stool and took her seat at the table.  Her cheeks were flushed red with drunken excitement, and she shook Konngara?s arm.  ?Hey, hey, we gotta have a plan for this.?

?Eh??

?A plan, a plan?Yuugi!?  Suika turned back to the counter, where Yuugi was balancing a sake dish and chatting up the bartenders.  ?Get over here!  We need you for this!?

?I?m coming, I?m coming.?  Yuugi left the counter and pushed her way back through the crowd, sitting down at the table and setting her dish of sake down.  It wasn?t sake, though; it was some dark purple wine.

?Good, we?re all here.?  Suika grinned.  ?We gotta find Kasen, you guys.?

?That?s easy to say,? Konngara said.  She added nothing after that, because it should have been obvious to the others: none of them had even the slightest idea of where Ibaraki was now.  For all they knew, she could be on the other side of the world and they wouldn?t know.

This didn?t seem to dishearten Suika.  She just shook her head.  ?If somethin?s lost, then ya gotta find it.  Lost n? found, you know??

Yuugi laughed and rested her head on her elbow.  ?I get ya.  By process of elimination, though, she?d definitely not underground.?

Suika nodded.  ?Then that puts her on the surface.?

There was a lull in the conversation.  There were definitely?mixed feelings about the surface.  On one hand, it was where half of their food came from: crops shipped in from the nearest underground city most likely came from the surface, and although they had learned to be more self-sufficient over the decades, there was still that overhanging reliance on surface imports.  The surface was also where they had been born and spent their childhoods, and oni culture had flourished on Youkai Mountain for years.  There was a real sun, forests and mountains there.

On the other hand, if you were underground, there was a pretty good chance almost everyone on the surface hated you and couldn?t kill you otherwise.  It brought back a lot of sour memories that no one wanted to think about, much less bring up.  Suika was the only one brave enough to actually reestablish herself up there, and even try encouraging everyone else to come up.  She was always like that.

?Oh, come on, you guys,? Suika moaned.  ?It?s not that bad.?

Konngara shrugged.  ?I was stuck up there for half a year last year.  I?m kind of done with the surface.?  She looked down at her drink.  It wasn?t like she had to stay up there again, but?

?Put some spirit into it!? Suika half-shouted.  A few heads turned.  ?I know you?re friends with that greenhorn from the mountains!?

Of course, there was always Sanae.  Of all the mountain goddesses, she was the only one who was readily tolerated, and even liked, by the denizens of the Former Hell.  To call her a greenhorn, though?she had already been living in Gensokyo for a few years.  It was safe to say she wasn?t very na?ve of how the place worked after a certain point.

?Okay, okay, I?ll ask her,? Konngara said, holding her hands up defensively.  ?She?s friends with the tengu??

?Do we really want the tengu in on this?? Yuugi cut in.  ?No, I mean, they?re probably not gonna cooperate.?

Suika grimaced.  ?That?s true.?

?Then let?s send some of the kappa up,? Konngara suggested.  ?They?re all over the nuclear reactor.?

Yuugi took a sip from the sake dish.  Her manacles jangled as she set it back on the table and sat up.  The noise in the bar had gone back to near-deafening, and the partying clamor had returned.  However, it was just oni.  Kappa would never drink with oni, but they would listen.  And if there was any oni they?d listen to, it was Yuugi.  Especially if they were near the Palace of the Earth Spirits.

?Okay, so we?ll ask Sanae, the kappa??  Suika started counting off on her fingers.  ?I?ll get Pebbles and Orin in on it, ?cause they go to the surface a lot.?  She hiccupped.  ?And Reimu.  Tenshi?actually, she?s been in a kinda sour mood lately so no??

Yuugi raised her hand.  Her sake dish was now empty.  ?Parsee has surface friends.  I?ll talk to ?er ?bout it, act as a messenger if she can?t leave the bridge.?

Konngara swirled her glass around in her hands as she listened to Suika and Yuugi go on.  That was a lot of people to look for one person, and she was only going to ask one?

?Wait.?  Konngara tapped her fingers on the table, getting Suika?s and Yuugi?s attention.  ?I know someone who commutes to the surface??

~

The first thing Konngara noticed when she got home was that the lights were on.  Even from the distance, she could see a faint glow coming from the sliding doors of the shrine.  In the near blackness of the wastelands where Konngara?s home was, it was easy to spot those differences.  It was just a speck of light compared to the Ancient City miles away, but getting there was entirely possible if one knew where to look for the light.  Of course, it had darker since Hell?s Moon disappeared.

When she walked in through the front door, the first thing she noticed was that there was an extra pair of shoes in the doorway.  It was a pair of light brown flats, lined up without any signs of being kicked off.  Familiar.  Konngara took off her own shoes and stepped over to the sliding door leading to the main room.

?Ah, welcome home!?  Konngara was greeted by an excited voice.  A girl with long brown hair had been sitting at the kotatsu, resting her head on her arms.  The second the door had opened, however, she leapt up and ran over to throw her arms around Konngara?s waist.  The wings on the girl?s head fluttered as she buried her face into Konngara?s shoulder.

?Kikuri.  You?re home early,? Konngara managed to say.  She returned the hug almost instinctively, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl?s waist and giving her a light squeeze. 
Kikuri giggled.

?Yagokoro-sensei said she was giving me a break.?

?Ah.? 

Konngara patted Kikuri on the back, only to pause.  Beneath Kikuri?s dress, she could easily feel her ribs, and her spine.  Her shoulders felt boney, and even her skin looked paler than usual.  Even her headwings seemed wilted.  Yagokoro-sensei?who was that again, the doctor?

?You?ve gotten thinner.?  Konngara poked Kikuri in the ribs, causing the girl to squirm.  Kikuri laughed a little, but her voice wavered.

?R-really??

Konngara stared at her.  She hadn?t noticed it before, but Kikuri had definitely lost weight.  Even her clothes looked too big for her.  Still not saying anything, she knelt down and took one of Kikuri?s wrists in her hand.  It felt as though it might snap if she put too much pressure on it.  She let go and put a hand to Kikuri?s forehead.  Too warm.

?Have you been eating enough?? Konngara asked.  ?You kind of feel like you have a fever, too??

?Ye?not really.?  Kikuri heaved a sigh.  ?I don?t know, I haven?t even been able to use danmaku lately?I feel kind of drained.?

Drained?drained?drained of faith?  Kikuri never had any followers, and there number of people who knew what she was could be counted on one hand.  The shell had protected her from that in the past, but now she didn?t have that safety net to fall back on.  Her power had been drained, too, to keep her from being destructive, but now she had been reduced to such a weak state.

She should have noticed it earlier.

?You have to tell me these things,? Konngara said.  ?I?m not a mind reader, okay??

Kikuri nodded and sank onto the floor, where she sat with her fingers laced together.  ?I was really looking forward to seeing you, and you had to go and bring that up.?

?I can?t really ignore that, though?I?ll go make you something to eat.?

?Do we have ingredients for udon??

?I think so.?

There was no way she could ask Kikuri to go to the surface.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Tamashii Kanjou on November 23, 2011, 03:45:08 PM
I enjoyed that; onis doing what they do best... beating the hell out of each other. ^^
Also, Yuugi talking about doing... those things with Parsee... Kyaaaaaaaa~ I NEED MORE YUUGI x PARSEE NOW! Curse you, Himiko~ <3

And poor Kikuri... I really hope she gets better; that's not a nice state to be in at all.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on January 13, 2012, 11:22:00 PM
Wow I never write about these guys.  It's a little different from what was in my head, but I like how this turned out.



Summer Haze



It was a slow day.

Patchouli stared at the ceiling fan, feeling the cool, dry air on her bare legs.  The blood on her neck still felt sticky and wet, and had long since dribbled down onto her night dress.  This kept her from feeling completely comfortable, and Patchouli wondered how the vampire curled up against her arm could sleep covered in her blood.
Her eyelids drooped.  There was a sizeable book just an arm?s reach from her, but she was too tired to pick it up.

?Milady?? called out a demure voice.

The door clicked open, followed by the clack of heels.  A young woman pushing a tea service entered the room.  There was not a single wrinkle in her dress or apron, and her hair was neatly plaited into two long braids.  She came to a stop at the foot of the bed, and her eyes widened in subdued surprise.

Patchouli didn?t bother moving or even saying a greeting.  Just making eye contact was enough.

Sakuya walked around to her side of the bed and slid an arm beneath Patchouli?s shoulders, easing her into a sitting position.

?The sheets are a mess,? Sakuya chided.  She pursed her lips and reached out to brush Patchouli?s hair away from the two small holes in the side of her neck.

?Maybe it?d be better if you let me??

?It?s fine,? Patchouli croaked.  ?A human such as yourself would encounter more difficulties enduring the feeding process undertaken by a vampire unlike a magician such as myself.  It would be advisable that you not do anything to worry Remi.?

Suddenly, there was a damp rag on Patchouli?s neck, mopping away the blood.  Sakuya supported Patchouli against her arm, while using her other hand to clean up her neck.  Soon enough, there was a square piece of gauze taped over the bite mark.

?Thank you.?  Patchouli tried to keep still as Sakuya brushed back her hair.  At this point, she was completely unfazed, and figured it was just best to let the head maid work her magic.  In this case, literally.

Sakuya reached for the straps of Patchouli?s dress, but was interrupted by the magician?s hand.

?I will change by myself,? Patchouli insisted. 

?I only request that I be brought a clean dress, tea, cakes, and Koakuma to bring them to me.?  She counted off her list of demands to Sakuya, who nodded and laid her back onto the bed.  There was a teapot and fine china on the tea service Sakuya had brought in, but no doubt had it been brewed to ?milady?s? liking.  That is, whatever tea that Patchouli didn?t like.

?Right away, Lady Patchouli.?

Patchouli smirked.  ?You needn?t address me with such a formal title, we??  Remilia, still fast asleep next to her, was suddenly in a crisp white nightgown and completely spotless.  Even her wings had been uncrumpled from when she had rolled over on them in slumber, and the covers were now clean.

??We are both equals here,? Patchouli finished.  Sakuya shook her head.

?Milady let you live here without asking for anything in return, and instructed me to serve you as I do her.  That should count for something.?

?And yet your speech is more familiar with me??

The corners of Sakuya?s mouth turned up ever so slightly.

?Ten points to Gryffindor,? she said.  She smoothed her skirt, turned on her heels, and walked out the door.  Patchouli watched her go, before Sakuya?s comment finally sunk in.

?Oh!?  She sat up too quickly, and her head spun.  ?Tell Koa to bring me a book!?

~

Ten minutes later, there was a full tea tray on the nightstand, a book in Patchouli?s hands, and a dress being unfolded by Koakuma.  The petite, red-headed girl had been rambling on about something for a while now about the faerie maids, but Patchouli was only paying half attention.  The other half of her mind was floating above her, watching her pale fingers drum the leather of the book?s spine.  Pillows had been propped up to allow Patchouli to sit upright without exerting any effort.

?Okay, you can get changed.?  Koakuma handed the dress over to her.  As Patchouli headed back behind the changing screen at the other end of the room, Koakuma gave Remilia a cautious eye.

?Uh?this is kinda awkward,? Koakuma seemed to decide.  ?She?s just wearing that thing.?

?You?ve seen me ?just wearing that thing? when it?s hot out,? Patchouli said.  She slipped off her bloodied dress and felt over her skin.  It was a little damp, but she could put off a bath for later.  Putting on a fresh dress was more than heaven for her.  The soft, embroidered silk felt smooth no matter which way she rubbed it.  Satisfied, she returned to the bed and leaned against the pillows, resting the book in her lap.

Koakuma puffed out her cheeks.  ?It?s different with Lady Remilia ?cause in Makai vampires are on a really high rung on the social ladder so it?s kind of weird not seeing them on a pedestal like this.?

Patchouli reached out and put a finger to the girl?s lips.  ?Shoosh, child.  You may go back to the library if you wish.?

?I think I?ll do that.?

Koakuma was stepping away towards the door when they both heard a shout, followed by the splintering sound of wood.  Koakuma raced out to the balcony outside the bedroom and leaned over the railing, head wings flapping in excitement.  There was more shouting now.

?There?s something going on at the gates!? Koakuma shouted.  ?There?re like, some people out there, but these darn trees are in the way!?

Remilia stirred and opened her eyes, looking down at the sheets before giving Patchouli a questioning look.

?Koa, come pour me a cup of tea,? Patchouli commanded.  Koakuma made a barely audible growl and hurried back with a skip in her step.  She could tell that her familiar was quivering in anticipation, and this would at least keep her a little distracted.

Remilia sat up and stretched her wings.  ?What time is it??

Koakuma squeaked.  ?It?s two-thirty in the afternoon, mmma?am!?

?There?s a commotion going outside, apparently,? Patchouli informed her.  Remilia rubbed her eyes and swung her legs over the bed.  The shouting was still there.

?Tsk??  She padded across the room to the balcony.  Patchouli watched, taking contented sighs between sips of tea.  She could feel the energy returning to her.
?We have only been here for a week,? Remilia lamented as she looked out over the balcony, although she sounded more like she was talking to herself.

?Guess we only thought Gensokyo was peaceful,? Koakuma whispered to Patchouli, before trotting off.

Patchouli sighed.  It was going to be a long afternoon.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin on January 14, 2012, 08:51:48 PM
Interesting take on that whole situation. It kind of felt like there was a sort of ... timeless quality about their friendships, inasmuch as this could have taken place at any point in their continuity.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on January 28, 2012, 04:14:59 PM
Ok I've finally gotten to writing more of my own characters, that's all I really care about right now, even if it's poorly-written.



[Original] Hurricane



Wind rattled against the boarded-up windows and doors of the house, and was almost drowned out by the clatter of hail relentlessly hammering against the roof.  Everything that could be opened to the outside was locked, and if Reef didn?t know better, she would?ve thought that they were trying to get into her house again.

The sky clouded, and she realized that she was the only one in the house.  The rain started, and she brewed up a mug of hot cocoa.  Then the wind started to howl, and she retreated further into the house with the steaming liquid and her laptop.

Taking care not to spill her drink, she set it on the carpet a safe distance away as she cocooned herself in a thick comforter and leaned against the foot of the bed.  The only light in the room now was from the computer screen, and the sound of her long fingers tapping away at the keyboard was drowned out by the storm outside.  A few more clicks, and she pushed the ?enter? button and reached for the cocoa.

A chat window popped up, and within a few seconds, a single line of text appeared on the screen.

YY: ree
YY: you?re online for once


Reef took a gulp of her drink, and suppressed a hiss.  It was too hot.

KK: the hurricane reached us, I?m waiting it out

Reef settled back into the comforter.  Deep breaths.  In, and out.  The bedding had that distinct scent that did wonders soothing her, and was pleasantly warm against the cool air and the carpet she knew would be slightly uncomfortable if she sat on it too long without something softer around her.  She kept drinking her cocoa with hesitant sips, even though it had cooled down enough by this point.

YY: are you home alone
KK: yeah, I?m holed up in yuri?s room right now
YY: wow really what?s in there


Reef looked up.  White-washed walls, barren except for one or two posters for movies she had never heard of.  A stout, square television was perched on the wooden dresser standing against the wall across from the king-sized bed she was currently leaning against.  Although she couldn?t see it, she guessed that there were still cardboard boxes stacked in one corner, still unpacked.  The room, in spite of the sense of security it gave her, felt sterile.

KK: it?s nice I guess
KK: it?s like a meat locker in here, though, I wish he?d turn up the heat for once
YY: aren?t summers down there boiling
YY: why would you want to turn up the heat
KK: it?s cold, ok?
KK: it?s cold and I wish he?d come back so I could ask him to turn up the heat because I don?t know how to
YY: geez, sorry
YY: it?s hard to understand how you feel, being warm-blooded
KK: it?s ok


Reef rubbed her tongue against the roof of her mouth.  It felt a bit raw from where she had burned it, and she got the feeling that it wouldn?t be going away too soon.  She drained the last of her cocoa and set the mug off to the side, glad to have both hands on the keyboard.

KK: btw I think I think it?s going to die out after this so you probably will only get some half-assed rain showers up there
YY: isn?t that what always happ


Reef didn?t get to finish reading the sentence, because at that moment, the cacophony outside was broken by an earth-shattering roar of thunder.  The light on Reef?s computer flickered and sputtered out, leaving the girl in complete darkness.  Her squeak of surprise was lost in the noise, and she seized up.

A lump formed in her throat when she looked ahead only to find darkness.  She held up a quavering hand, but even when she held it an inch from her nose, she couldn?t see it.
?Uhh?.?  Her stammering came out as a weak, strangled sound.  The thunder came again like a fist slamming abruptly against the table, and Reef curled onto her side.  She tingled all over as she felt her body turn white as a sheet.  She always felt a crawling sensation when that happened.

The storm pounded on unceasingly, as if trying to take the house itself and shake it into submission.  With no lights, no sense of where anything was, Reef felt as though she herself was caught in a timeless vacuum.  She squeezed her eyes shut, although there wasn?t anything to look at, and nestled further into the comforter.  She took deep breathes, focusing on how nice this felt, and how she was going to tell her friends next time she saw them that sleeping on the floor wasn?t always a bad thing, as long as you had something soft.

--

Meanwhile, in a land far far away, a blonde young maiden sat on her bed.  The windows to her room were wide open, letting the cool evening breeze stir her curtains and caress her closed eyelids.  She opened her eyes enough to see what was happening on her computer screen.

YY: isn?t that what always happens

KK has left the chat at 43:27

YY: what
YY: why did she leave
YY: eh
YY: I?ll talk to you tomorrow

SS has entered the chat at 43:28


She stared at the screen, only able to feel mild curiosity at the newcomer.  She reached out to the keyboard again and tapped in a greeting, waiting for the profanity that was certain to follow.

--

The winds had died down considerably by the time he reached home, but his hair was still a mess, hair sticking up in all the wrong places, and his braid half undone.  The two moons shone brightly on the silent wind and rain-battered tropics.  The only sounds were his squelching footsteps in the mud and the occasional drip of water droplets falling into a puddle.  He heard rushing water somewhere in the distance, and decided it was best he get inside for the time being.

Before entering the house, however, he checked to see how much it had been damaged.

The roof had pock marks from the hail.  He could fix that.  The canvas stretched in an overhanging over the front door had holes in it, making him rake his tongue across his teeth in frustration.  That stuff wasn?t easy to come by.  The windows, however, were just as he left them.

He entered the house and flicked the switch.  Predictably, the power was out.  He shut the door behind him and made a note to call someone after he woke up.

--

He stared down at the roll of comforter that was lying at the foot of his bed.  Locks of dark purple hair trailed out onto the floor.  An empty mug sat a short distance away, and a small portable computer had been plugged into the wall.

The cocoon rose and fell ever so slightly.  He stared down at it, and then stuck out his tongue to taste the air.  He could still smell a bit of white on her scales; the rest must have faded off in his sleep.  Carefully so as to not wake her up, he lifted her off the floor and deposited her on the bed.  He then kicked off his shoes and socks and flopped down on the other end of the bed, sighing with relief and letting sleep quickly take him.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on January 29, 2012, 01:46:18 AM
itt himiko tries her hand at noir and is embarrassed in the attempt



Gensounoir Pilot



You?re pretty sure you heard someone snicker that you?re up past your curfew, but you don?t care.  It?s well past midnight and all the good kids?ve gone home, but you think you can stand being out for a lil? while longer.

As long as the moon?s out, at least.

You meander down the streets, walking in beat to the smooth jazz you hear crooning from some distant street corner.  Cars groan down the streets, belching smoke into the black curtain of the night sky.

You somehow wind up throwing down cash on a counter at some bar and ordering the first thing you see on the menu, which happens to be a shot of some cherry red drink that burns your throat.

As you?re recovering from the sting of the surprisingly strong alcohol, you notice the lady on the stool next to you.  How could you not?  There isn?t a single youkai in this bar, or at least none with hair that?s such a vivid shade of green.  She?s all dolled up, too: cream dress with black pearls strung on her neck, thin headband sticking out against that bright hair of hers, silk stole and everything that just screamed high-class.  Royalty, even.  She looks more suited for a fancy dinner party than this washed-up dump.

She looks washed-up herself, though.  With a quavering hand she draws the glass of bronze-colored liquid closer to her, and sinks down into her arms.  Like she?s hiding from the empty glasses around her the bartender?s picking up like stray puppies off the sidewalk.

And, well, when a dame wants to start rambling, you might as well let her.  She says she?s from another city, Gen-something or another, and that she?s been heartbroken in the most horribly tragic way a girl can.

?I met her four years ago,? she?s saying now.  ?It was when I was just gettin? the group together, supporters, subordinates.?  She slurs over the last word and doesn?t even care.

?We were goin? on a midnight run, gettin? used to it.  The whole business, it?s tough.  Gotta watch your back; make sure you got the right people.?

You wager she?s talking about that, and decide right then and there that this conversation isn?t leaving the bar, and no one?s mouths except her pretty painted one to you.

?We were headin? back?or to??past the warehouses an? on the docks and?she just came outta nowhere??

She strokes the glass with her ring finger.

?God, she was so?? she chokes on her own hushed voice.  ??beautiful.?

Her eyes are glassy, like she?s actually going to cry.

?You wouldn?t expect ?er to be s-so slender and willowy.  And those eyes.  Everything about her just made me want to melt.?

She continues to caress the glass, the lights in her eyes wavering.  She continues to speak in a watery whisper, the kind that makes you strain to listen.

?I just, she felt more real than I did to myself an? just touching her was like a conformation that ?hey, this all actually exists?,? she insists, and you agree with her.  Yup, that shit?s more real than a pile of bricks to the face.  This elicits a hiccupy, tear-saturated laugh from her, and she lets her hand fall to the table.

Later that night you?re standing on the balcony outside your apartment, looking past the brick and steel and to the river out in the distance.  The water?s lit up like a wildfire by all the boats on it.  It?s like a moat, and the city beyond that is where it all is: all the heartbreak and beauty some inebriated blue blood couldn?t help but spill out to you like tears in cheap alcohol.

And for all the imagination it?s worth, you don?t mind in the slightest.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 02, 2012, 02:53:51 AM


Walk-in



?This is my favorite biiird!  Besides Okuuuuuu, of course.?  Koishi had a single golden canary perched on her fingers, using her free hand to stroke the feathers on its head.  ?Speaking of Okuu, I have partial custody of heeer!  Onee-chan said so after?after?.?

Koishi?s carefree smile melted into a frown, and she let the bird fly off.  An awkward silence settled over the room, during which Tenshi released the cat she was holding in her lap.  As it scampered over to where Koishi was sitting on the floor, Tenshi found her arm occupied by a bright green snake.  She got the feeling she had seen it before in a children?s story, but quickly shook away that feeling.  She instead took a daschund into her lap and petted its fur.

Awkwardly.

Although, it was hard for Tenshi to feel uncomfortable when she could reach out in any direction and feel fur, feathers, or scales.  The two girls were sitting in a wide open room, and yet all of the animals Koishi had gathered were now surrounding them.  After a crow had settled onto Tenshi?s shoulder and three cats shed fur all over her dress?her NEW dress?she had come to the conclusion that they were all just overly affectionate.

Koishi got up on her knees and scooted across the floor, heartlessly pushing the cats out of the way to get to Tenshi.  Before she could say anything, Tenshi found herself face to face with Koishi?s closed third eye as the smaller girl reached up and put her hands on her hat.  Her face was too close to the fruit on Tenshi?s hat.  She could feel it, but she had to bear it?
?is what Tenshi would have thought if she were more patient. 

?Koishi, what the fuck are you doing??

She shoved Koishi away from her and adjusted her hat, watching her fall being cushioned by a sheep dog that just happened to be right there at the right time.  Stupid dogs and their stupid silly grins.

Koishi just looked up at her with her wide, empty eyes and grinned.  ?Are those peaches reeeaaal??

?Damn straight!?  Koishi made a move to get up, but Tenshi put her hands over the peaches protectively.

?They?re immortal fucking peaches,? Tenshi explained.  ?Celestial peaches.  They wouldn?t rot even if your kasha threw one of ?em into that Hell Furnace with all those rotting corpses.?
She waited for Koishi to be disgusted, but her smile never faded.  Maybe she wasn?t squeamish.

?Another thing: don?t get that close to me out of nowhere,? Tenshi warned.  ?It?s fucking creepy.?

The sheep dog moved away, leaving Koishi to fall on her back.  Her smile twitched at the corners, and perhaps with some sort of reluctance, let it fade away.  A Himalayan cat wandered onto her stomach, but she didn?t react.

?Not for meeee!? Koishi said.  ?It?s?ahahah!?

The cat had begun to make biscuits on Koishi?s stomach.  She giggled and writhed on the floor for a few moments, until the cat grew tired and walked away.  Koishi sat up smoothed out her skirt, which looked in dire need of a lint brush.  If Tenshi had one with her, she would have used it on Koishi herself.

?It?s not weird for me, because I love eeeeverything!?  Koishi threw her arms out as if offering a hug.  ?Also, it?s part of our underground culture.?

Tenshi started to unwrap the snake on her arm, which was starting to lose feeling.  Another time it would lose feeling was when Suika hugged it too tight when drunk.  Suika was from the underground.  Suika was touchy-feely and very affectionate, yes, but Suika didn?t just go up to people and start sniffing their hats out of the goddamn blue.  What the shit.

?Bullshit,? Tenshi said, because that?s exactly how she felt.

?No, nooo, I?m serious!?  Koishi waved her hands in front of her.  ?Yooouu know, everyone down here was either banished or chased down here or some other horrible thing, but we all still had each other, I mean they all still had each other, and everyone?s living in this cave where there?s not all that big open space and that big open blue from wherever you liiiive, so people don?t really have any problems with just going up to someone and patting them on the back or giving them a hug, because we?re all cool with each other.  Everyone?s happy and we?re all friends!?

Koishi?s smile looked a little strained.  ?Except during flu season, of course.  Disease spreads through the city like the Black Death.  Speaking of which, that?s usually why younger tsuchigumo who have trouble controlling their powers live outside of the city, so they don?t accidentally cause an epidemic.  Orin doesn?t mind those but then that means she has to work overtime and try to keep herself from getting infected at the same time??

?Whoa, whoa, you?re rambling.?  Tenshi held out a finger to shush Koishi before she could say any more.  ?That is not what I heard from Suika.?

?Oni culture is different, and I?m just getting to know you,? Koishi whined.  ?You?re reaaaaally culturally insensitive!?

Tenshi frowned.  ?I don?t want to hear that from someone who calls the sky ?that big open blue???

Koishi flopped over on her side and let out a loud, abrupt laugh.  ?That?s great!  I think we could be great friends, Teeeenshi!?

?Haha.?  Tenshi finally got the snake off her arm and let it slither away.  ?By the way??

?Hmm??  Koishi rolled over on her stomach.

?Where?s the bathroom?? Tenshi asked.

?Oh, go through the main room over there??  Koishi pointed to a door at the far end of the room.  ??and then there?ll be this hallway and if you go down there the bathroom will be the fourth door to the left.?

?Okay, be right back.?  Tenshi stood up and started walking off.  None of the animals followed her out, thank god.

Tenshi sauntered out of the room and started off down the hall.  She could still hear Koishi giggling back in the other room; she guessed that if she were to go back now she?d walk in on some sickeningly cute display of Koishi being tickled by one of her many rabbits.  And then she would be telling them to stop in her usual, drawn-out voice, between her unbearably adorable laughter.

A door on the left, a door on the left...

It was a door on the left, right?

Tenshi looked around, and saw doors in all directions.  She remembered Koishi?s directions, or at least tried to.  After about five seconds of wracking her brain, she gave up and started flinging doors open.

A storage room, filled to the brim with crates.  Koishi should?ve given her better directions, or better yet, shown her the way.

Someone?s living quarters, with beds lined up in rows.  On second thought, she wouldn?t want Koishi creeping around outside the bathroom.

A foyer, with floral upholstery that would have made a celestial interior designer weep.  It wasn?t that Tenshi found Koishi herself to be creepy, she was just trying to get used to her.  She was honestly jealous of how easily Suika and Koishi could talk to each other or fall asleep in a pile of pillows, because they had been friends much longer than Tenshi and Suika had known each other.

A broom closet.  If Koishi could get along so well with Suika, then she couldn?t be that bad a person.  It was her who invited Tenshi to the Palace of the Earth Spirits, after all, she couldn?t be that bad.

Tenshi was running out of doors, and was nearing the end of the hallway.  She reached for the doorknob and grudgingly admitted to herself that yes, maybe she could get used to these play dates, or whatever Koishi called them.  She was all up for having tea and dressing up cats in frilly bonnets, she didn?t mind?
This wasn?t the bathroom.

Tenshi gawked a little.  She couldn?t help it.  It was a grand, high-ceilinged room with columns and checkered floor and everything, but the couch at the center of the room had her undivided attention.

There, tangled on the hideous pink couch, was her arch enemy and Koishi?s older sister.  Reimu was sprawled out on the cushions, her hair ribbon askew and one of her detached sleeves crumpled up on the floor.  Her shirt was hiked up to the point where Tenshi could see the sarashi wound about her chest.  Satori was on top of her with her shirt hanging off one shoulder and the cords of her third eye ensnaring Reimu in a web of red yarn.  The two were locked in a passionate kiss, practically fondling each other under their clothes.  Tenshi swore she heard one of them moan.

Here was the Hakurei Reimu, the salt of the earth, in a position Tenshi thought she would never see her in.  Holy shit.

?Excuse me??

Tenshi jumped.  Satori had broken the kiss and was now looking her way, with all three eyes fixated on her.  She looked like she was going to cry.  Reimu followed Satori?s gaze and froze, her face turning as red as her wrinkled skirt.

Tenshi was horrified.  She couldn?t quite pinpoint if it was because she had caught her enemy in a moment of weakness, or if the girl straddling her happened to be Koishi?s sister which made this awkward as hell, or if she was starting to imagine what would have happened if she had come into the room just a few minutes later.

All she knew was that she needed to get out, and fast.  Her primal fear of being punctured with divine needles was setting in.

?Wrong room,? Tenshi sputtered, and slammed the door.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Tamashii Kanjou on February 02, 2012, 03:59:05 AM
...

I was going to make a comment on a job well done portraying Tenshi; because I did love that. Koishi being all cute, next to Tenshi's 'not-giving-a-f*** but wanting to try' status was so nice.

But oh my gosh... TENSHI WALKED IN ON SWEET SATORI X REIMU!!!
YOU WILL ALWAYS MAKE ME LOVE SATORI X REIMU! <3
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: nolrai2 on February 02, 2012, 11:22:59 PM
He could still smell a bit of white on her scales

White scales are smelly?

The second one is really cute..but I find embarasment cute..
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 11, 2012, 04:03:27 AM


Some sort of Miracle



She was quite certain that this was the oni Suika stole her gourd from.  An ancient but tough-as-nails old thing with gnarled horns and snowy hair, clothing draped around him like a king.  His knuckles were trapped in tarnished brass and blood and sweat and it was a miracle that they hadn?t slipped right off his bony fingers yet.

Yuugi licked the blood off her lips, tasting rust and sweat.  The earth under her feet was dusty and rough, her geta splintered and long forgotten in the brush a ways away.
Lapse.

Draw fist back, brace for impact.

The brass knuckles crashing against her much weaker-feeling hand sent reverberations throughout her arm, her body, shaking the chains on her wrist, but otherwise leaving a numb sensation.  She pushed forward and forced his fist back before bending her knee.

Like unsnapping a button.  Dislocate jaw.  Sort of fail.

Sort of.

Yuugi drew her other fist back and aimed it squarely at his jaw, finishing what her leg couldn?t.  The oni growled, a low, animalistic sound.  Red was in Yuugi?s eyes and hair and trickling down her horn that had stayed on by some sort of miracle.

Struggle, flail, regain balance.  Her elbow was snapping underneath the immense pressure of a stronger hand.  Bite, taste rust, keep biting.

Yuugi dug her teeth into his arm, using her own free arm to rake at his face.  The Sun beat down on her back, her shirt sticking to her back and making every movement all the more unbearable.

Water just barely entered her mind, but was replaced by the sheer amount of blood, and bone.  She made a face and spat out the flesh and muscle in her mouth, raking her tongue across the roof of her mouth.  A knee caught her in the gut.

Punch.  Punch.  Punch.

Parry.

Suika must have had quite the fight.  Suika must have just barely clung on to the threads of life; by oni standards, they were so long no one could see the end and eventually everyone stopped caring and started focusing more on the blood that saturated it and turned whatever color the thread was before colorless, red.

Punch.

Yuugi?s hair fell over her back and shoulders and face, ponytail long forgotten.  Her eyelid felt numb.

Punch.

Her world was a haze of red and teeth and numbness.

Punch.

Her world was blind and numb and overwhelmed with the paralyzing pulse of the heat, the firm grip of the shackles and the splinter and oddly wet feeling of horn scraping against her skin.

Punch.

Punch.

Punch.

Pause.

Stop.

~

She sat atop the slain beast feeling absolutely filthy down to her bones, her mouth tingling with the taste of her own blood.  The yolk of the sun quavered in the evening sky, hot, but the wind in contrast was sweet and cold, by some sort of miracle.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 04, 2012, 04:28:48 AM
> Pick a picture (http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/668957/) (bluh bluh danbooru)
> Write minific about it



Flu Season



?38.3?That?s pretty bad.?

Satori looked away from the thermometer to Reimu, who looked back at her with glassy, tired-looking eyes.  Her bangs had been brushed away from her face to accommodate a thin washcloth, which was still too wet and left a trail of water streaming down either side of her face.  When Satori?s third eye scanned the shrine maiden?s thoughts, it came up with a lot of disjointed, unrelated thoughts, the kind she often saw from people who were half awake.

Nearby, Suika was piling blankets over the malaised girl, having already stuffed a pillow under her head.  The little oni draped one last blanket over her?a pink one with white ruffles all along the edges?and a kettle whistled in the kitchen.  At the sound, Reimu?s train of thought screeched to a halt, and she was jolted out of her trance.  Satori winced and tucked in the blankets around her.

?Phew??  Reimu sighed, and her head sunk into the pillow.  ?I didn?t expect to get that sick.?

?Tea is being made for you as we speak,? Satori said.

?Yeah, and then you?re gonna get some sleep!?  Suika pushed herself to her feet and pattered out of the room and into the kitchen.  Satori watched her go, and turned back to meet Reimu?s gaze.

?Cold weather sucks.?  Reimu punctuated this with a sniff.

?It?s not necessarily the cold weather that gets you,? Satori started to explain.  ?I believe it?s the cold weather that lowers your immune system.  That makes it more susceptible to viruses and the like.?

She paused.  Reimu was just staring at her blankly, her thoughts sluggish.  Satori took this as an incentive to continue on.

?I think that?s how it goes, anyway.  Your immune system gets weaker, and you get sick easier.  You usually wear the same kinds of clothes year-round, so you should probably wear something warmer, like a poncho or something.  I think we might have some of Orin?s old clothes you could borrow.  Even a traditional shrine maiden?s uniform might be warm enough??

Satori blinked as she noticed that Reimu?s thoughts had stopped completely.  Now the only sound in the room was the shrine maiden?s steady breathing.

Satori looked back to where Suika was busy pouring hot water into a teacup.  The tea would have to wait a bit.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 04, 2013, 12:54:04 AM
My writing muscles are sad and weak, so I took a few fic requests, this wasn't my idea ha h a h a....



Hakurei Reimu was five years old and had only seen the ocean in pictures.  One day her mother had brought home a book full of pictures of the ocean, and Reimu sat on her lap while she read them.  She didn?t remember it now, but back then it made her very excited.  Her mother only stroked her hair and said, ?It?d be really hard to get there.?
Years later, spring had finally arrived and Reimu was shuddering with cabin fever.  When she had gotten sick of replanting her entire garden she decided to go flying, and when she got sick of that she visited everyone she knew in Gensokyo?even the ones she didn?t like.

When she turned fifteen, she flew all the way to Mayohiga.

Sleep in her eyes and hair, Yukari handed her a small envelope as a birthday present.

Reimu sat cross-legged on the floor and picked it open.  Chen, who was playing with a yarn ball nearby, panicked and fled the room when Reimu gasped in surprise.  The paper in the envelope was small and faded, with not only words but numbers on it.  She didn?t recognize any of the words but it looked professional.  It looked like a talisman, which was why she had gasped: she was under the impression that Yukari had just handed her some amazingly powerful weapon.

?That?s a train ticket,? Yukari explained.  Reimu didn?t know what a train was.  ?Oh, you know, those big metal vehicles that cart you around the country.?

Yukari shook her head.  ?Think of it as a metal snake with wheels.  You buy these tickets and they take you away.  But in Gensokyo, flying?s enough to get around.?

Reimu blinked.  The paper felt odd and foreign in her hands, now.  When she finally returned home from Mayohiga, three days later, she wondered if maybe it wouldn?t be so bad to take a train after all.  From what she heard she wouldn?t have to lift a finger.  It?d be like being carried from one place to another, and even she had bouts of sloth that made her wish for something like that.

For years she drifted through the sky as if it was water, and the incidents she was responsible for solving were sharks.  When she was eighteen she met a young grasshopper of a girl, just as green, and lively as a newly-caged bird.  She would have to grow up in Gensokyo like Reimu did now, in a cage.  She would no longer be able to actually use train tickets: they would be useless artifacts, now, because she didn?t know someone who knew about trains, who was Yukari.  She watched the young grasshopper show her a jar of coins and ruined paper bills, which she realized in dismay would be useless to her even if she could get her hands on them.

Reimu, nearing the end of her childhood, was still too young to realize what she really wanted.

Reimu realized one day that she didn?t like Kamishirasawa Keine, yet she allowed the woman into her home anyway and served her tea.  She listened to her complain about the influx of youkai in the Human Village and how it was her fault that she was being too lenient.  There was an oni (a pint-sized one) sleeping in the room, for heaven?s sake!  Reimu pointed out that Keine was in no position to talk because she was a were-hakutaku and just as dangerous as the others.  Keine just stood up with a strange kind of scrunched up look on her face, put on her hat, and left without even drinking the rest of her tea.

Reimu felt heavily weighed down when she stood up.  She was still holding her stupid teapot in her arms and, with sudden resentment towards it, pitched it across the room.  The floor was a mess.  She was going to have to clean the floor now, but it was probably going to leave stains anyway.  That was really good tea she just wasted.  She heard Suika?s alarmingly lucid voice calling her from the other room.

?Reimu??

No, she wasn?t going to talk to anyone else today.  Outside of the shrine the sunset made her sick.  She pulled at the lid of the donation box until it had snapped off and held it up to block out the dimming light.  When she had had her fill of shade she threw it aside and plunged her hands into the box to feel around in the dark.  Coins.  Yes.  She could buy a ticket out of Gensokyo with this without even having to dip into the money she had saved in her room.  She sifted aside the leaves and junk that some youkai had probably left behind and felt the real, actual money in her hands, to legitimize its existence.  A low giggle escaped from her.

As she laughed, her shoulders hitched, and the coins jingled in her hands.  She leaned over the edge of the donation box and giggled again.

?Reimu??  Suika sounded hesitant.  ??What are you doing??

Reimu let her arms dangled.  She smiled at the money in her hands and said, as if talking to it, ?I?m plotting.?

?I?m gonna buy my way out of this dump someday, you know?  I?ll buy a shrine in the Outside World, one that nobody?s using and just live on my own like that.?

Suika just scooped her up under her arms and half-dragged, half-carried her back towards the shrine.  She sat across from Reimu on the floor and took a sip from her gourd.

?And what?s Gensokyo gonna do if you run away, huh??  Suika leaned forward.  ?Don?t go running away from your responsibilities like that.?

She somehow thought that her words weren?t reaching Reimu, who had hung her head and bunched up her skirt in her hands.  She made a point of this frustration by letting out a great sigh.  After a long time they both went to sleep, but only to escape the cold of the unheated shrine at night.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on October 10, 2013, 03:06:06 AM
Minific based off a conversation I had with Purvis about the Ancient City



Snow fell in the Ancient City.  Even in the underground, the wintery weather persisted.  Reimu?s breath came out in little puffs, and she felt even smaller among the crowds of oni in the marketplace.  She currently stood in front of a stall, picking through her wallet as the shopkeep watched her with an expectant look on his face.  Sitting on the counter was a small cake, packed into a box and wrapped in tissue paper.

?Here you go.?  Reimu handed over a handful of change to the oni at the counter.  He went through the coins and frowned.

?I dunno what the hell currency this is, but we don?t accept it here,? the oni said at last, handing back the change.  Reimu gaped at him as she pocketed the money.  Her eyes travelled to the cake, already waiting for her to pick it up and take it with her.  She had been in situations where she didn?t have enough to pay for things, but to not even have the right kind of money?

?...Is that for Satori?? a quiet voice asked.  A hand touched Reimu?s shoulder and she thought her soul was going to go flying out of her mouth.  Turning around, she saw a taller oni with a single horn and long, black hair.  Konngara reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin Reimu guessed to be the size of her eyeball. 

She watched as Konngara passed the coin over to the shopkeep, who grinned and gestured to the cake.  ?All yours.?

As Reimu took the box in her arms, she stole a glance at Konngara.  She wasn?t exactly sure how she was supposed to respond to this gesture of good will, so she defaulted to muttering a single ?thanks?.

When the oni held out her hand, Reimu clutched the cake closer to her chest.  There was no way she was going to just hand it over, even if she didn?t pay for it.

?You?re going to the Palace?right?  I?ll take you there.?

Reimu blinked.  ?Oh.  Uh, okay.?

She reached out and took Konngara?s hand, and the two set off.  The road to the Palace took longer by foot, but it had been a while since Reimu actually walked through a village?or in this case, a city.  The oni were louder and more boisterous than Reimu liked, but she had to admit the scenery was pretty.  Lanterns hung from everywhere and the buildings were close together in a cozy sort of way.  The closer they got to the city, though, the quieter it became, until it was almost deserted.  Reimu noticed that Konngara was looking behind them every few minutes, but she thought nothing of it.

Konngara led Reimu as far as the front gates of the Palace before letting her go.

?Bye,? she said, with a small smile.  Reimu waved back to her and proceeded through the gates.  Once she was through, Konngara turned and walked back to the city.

She had gotten to the parts of the city where it was just starting to get rowdy, when she stopped in the middle of the street and looked over her shoulder.  A gang of oni, around five of them, lurked from around the corner of an alley.  Konngara narrowed her eyes at them.

?Don?t.?  Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.  The oni shrunk back into the shadows and Konngara figured she didn?t need to say anything else to get her message across.  She walked on, humming to herself as she began her walk home.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on February 09, 2014, 10:35:22 PM
Credit to Sect for the whole currency thing



Patchouli Knowledge stood deep in enemy territory, clutching Koakuma?s arm and shaking.  All around her, great horned beasts roamed the streets, all moving towards the center of the Ancient City.  As she looked up at the stalactites on the ceiling, she wondered if anyone even stopped to think about what would happen if they all fell down.  The Underground was a dangerous place, indeed.

Her familiar wasn?t bothered in the slightest, taking the two of them through the crowd with ease.

?Do you have the letter, Lady Patchy?? she asked, looking over her shoulder at the tiny magician.  Her rucksack bumped against her back with each step.

?Yes.?  The evil document was clutched in Patchouli?s free hand.  Someone who had to have been nine feet tall bumped into Patchouli as they passed, and she almost dropped it.  She clung closer to Koakuma and shuddered.

?Why do we have to do this?? Patchouli groused.  ?And come to think of it, aren?t the oni being unusually well-behaved today??

?I don?t have to do this.  I?m here out of the kindness of my heart,? Koakuma informed her.  Ignoring her second statement, she pointed ahead.  ?Hey, look!  There she is.?

Patchouli bobbed up and down on her heels, wondering how Koakuma could see over this sea of heads.  ?What?  Finally??

The two broke from the main flow of the crowd, standing off to the side next to a crowded bar.  This was one of the many buildings framing the main square, a circular area with a stone tree erected in the center.  There were oni everywhere: gathered on the roofs of buildings, leaning out windows, taking up counters and tables in the surrounding buildings, pausing from their work to pass around alcohol.  Most were sitting on mats and picnic blankets in the square itself, and under the tree was a long table with four chairs side by side, and boxes underneath.  Only one chair was occupied, with a dark-haired woman eating noodles out of a bowl and looking bored.

Patchouli looked around at the participants, noticing that it wasn?t just oni in the crowd: she saw a great number of tsuchigumo and tsurube-otoshi as well.  Kasha and hell ravens were in smaller numbers, although they weren?t ones who belonged to the Palace of Earth Spirits.  Curiously enough, she didn?t see anyone she recognized from there.

An oni even shorter than Patchouli was came bounding up to the two, waving with both hands.  Her long ginger hair bounced up and down as she ran.

?Heyyy!  Glad you could make it!? she rasped.  ?You got yer RSVP??

Patchouli wheezed and handed over the letter.

?Man, Yukari sure went all-out with the stationary,? the little oni said as she read through it.  ?Geez.  Who?s the redhead with you??

?I?m Koakuma,? said the demon, and extended a hand.

?Ibuki Suika, one of the four Devas.?  Suika caught Koakuma?s hand in a tight grip and shook it up and down.  As soon as she let go, she turned her attention back to Patchouli.

?Heya, Patch.?  Patchouli gave her what she believed to be her best look of contempt.  Suika smiled and sighed.  ?Yeah, you guys can go take a seat next to Tenshi over there.?

She gestured to a blue-haired celestial girl, sitting on an otherwise empty blanket and tearing into a chicken wing.  Patchouli?s shoulders relaxed; at least she wasn?t being seated next to an oni.

As Patchouli and Koakuma picked their way through the crowd, the whispers of other ongoers reached their ears.

?Who?s that??

?The magician who?s representing the surface youkai.  And her familiar too, by the looks of it.?

?They got no shame, sending kids in their stead.?

?But would ya rather have the bigshots nosing into our business??

Patchouli lowered herself next to Tenshi, and Koakuma took a seat on her other side.  Tenshi wiped her hands on a napkin and gave the two a look.

?Land dwellers??

?We?re here to observe and record the event,? Patchouli said.  ?Koakuma, the materials.?

Koakuma nodded and pulled her rucksack onto her lap.  She handed over a small tome and a few pens, which, according to the shopkeeper they came from, didn?t need to be dipped into an ink bottle.

?So what?s a celestial doing all the way down here?? Patchouli asked.

?Ah, well, Suika and I were having a drink and she mentioned there?d be free food, so??  Tenshi took a bite out of the chicken wing she was holding.

?Oh.?  Patchouli didn?t care much for fried food, but free food was something she understood and appreciated.  She settled down and watched as Suika bounded over to the table to confront the girl with the noodles.  She strained her ears, ready to listen in on their conversation, when a tsuchigumo holding a large wooden bucket plopped down onto the blanket.

?Buzz off, this chicken is mine,? Tenshi said.

?Don?t look at me, I?m just sitting here,? said the tsuchigumo.  Patchouli recognized her as one of the youkai who gave Marisa and Reimu trouble during the Geyser Incident, and it became very easy to not look at her.  Especially when it seemed she had brought her tsurube-otoshi friend along for the ride.

Patchouli returned her attention to the front table.  Suika had taken a seat at the table, and the crowd was starting to quiet down a bit.

?You.  Celestial,? Patchouli hissed under her breath.  Tenshi gave an incredulous look and pointed to herself.

?Yeah?  What??

?Who are those two up there with Suika??

?Oh.?  Tenshi leaned back on her hands.  ?The one eating is Konngara, and the blonde one is Yuugi.?

?Okay, everyone shut up!? Yuugi shouted.  The oni, easily over six feet tall, stepped over everyone on her way to the front table.  She stepped on the chair, put a foot on the table, and cupped her hands to her mouth.

?Guys, shut up!? she bellowed.  Patchouli clamped her hands over her ears.  The loudest of the crowd?s chattering become little more than offhand whispering.

?Good.  Thanks.  I?Konngara, are you seriously eating??

Konngara said something that Patchouli couldn?t hear, and Yuugi shrugged.

?Whatever.  Anyway, thanks for coming you guys.  I really appreciate that so many people today?we even got a representative from the Palace, I wouldn?t mind Miss Komeiji showing up in person next year, myself.?

A kasha with fiery red hair smiled and waved.  Only a few people booed.

?Guys, stop.  Anyway, I?d appreciate it if you keep the noise to a dull roar today, since we?re gonna be goin? over some pretty important stuff.  If you have any questions, raise your hand and we may or may not call on you.?

?Standard protocol,? Tenshi whispered into Patchouli?s ear.

?This isn?t your first time?? Patchouli asked in a low voice.

?Third, actually.?

?Also, I?m gonna have to ask you guys to not start any brawls or fights while we?re talking, or we?re gonna make an example outta ya.  Got it??  Yuugi leaned onto her knee.  ?After we?re finished, feel free to beat the shit out of each other.  But not right now.?

She leaned over and whispered something to Suika, who responded by shaking her head and making some gestures with her hands.

?Thanks man.  Sooo, let?s get started with the 128 Oni Summit.?  Yuugi fell back into her chair, and Suika stood up.  She fumbled around in her pockets and took out a piece of paper.

?Over the past five years we?ve seen increased contact with the surface world, and I?ve gotten a lot of complaints about it,? Suika began.  ?First of all, no, the Moriya Shrine isn?t going to build a branch shrine down here.  All those little idols you see scattered around the city actually belong to the Kochiya Shrine.  Y?know, the slugs?  Sanae has been down here before, I dunno how many of you have actually seen her.?

Patchouli copied down Suika?s words as fast as she could.  Next to her, Tenshi chugged something sweet-smelling from a thermos.

?Yasaka and Suwa-no-kami?s goals down here are to gather faith, but their version of a branch shrine is technological advancements, which are pretty sweet.  Neither of ?em could be here today ?cause they?re busy with the nuclear reactor, but they?ll be here for the next meeting,? Suika explained.  She coughed into her arm and continued.  ?But yeah they?re not out to get us you guys.  The three of us are already in charge here and we?ve made it clear to those guys.?

An oni in the crowd raised her hand.  Suika pointed to her.

?Yeah??
?If I recall, Lady Yasaka was involved with the symposium released earlier this year, and??

She was interrupted with a chorus of boos.

?Quiet!? Suika shouted.  ?Everyone here has read the symposium by now and it?s not flattering, and in fact a lot of people are pretty mad because the author only worked off of secondhand information.?

?She didn?t have the guts to come down here in person, so she?s not worth getting? angry over,? Yuugi added, sounding dismissive.  Patchouli chewed her lip.

?This is worse than I thought,? she whispered to Koakuma.  She had only heard that the Former Hell was displeased by the Hieda child?s newest publication, but she it didn?t occur to her that they would be this offended.  She wrote in the margins, ?Symposium - > decrease in faith???

?Anyway, no one?s really forcing us to go above ground, but if you do go to the surface, you can?t bring more than two people with you,? Yuugi said.  ?We can?t have more than ten people at a time.  Ask around if you?re planning a day trip.  And no overnight trips.  Not yet.  If you have any questions about it, come see one of us afterwards.?

Murmurs of consent washed through the crowd; no one seemed particularly bothered by these arrangements.  Patchouli took note of this, too.

?While we?re on the subject of going to and from the surface, the bridge princess told me to tell you guys that you can only use the bridge entrance,? Yuugi said.  ?So you?re not allowed to go out through No Man?s Land.?

?Why not?? a youkai yelled from the roof.

?Because traffic?s more manageable when there?s someone watchin? it!? Yuugi shouts back.  The force of her yell knocks the youkai onto their back.  That?s what you get for not raising your hand, Patchouli supposed.

?She also gets pissed when people don?t respect the bridge, so there?s that,? Yuugi concluded with a shrug (All the tsuchigumo and tsurube-otoshi in the crowd giggled).  Konngara reached over and poked Suika in the arm.

?What?  Oh, oh yeah, okay.?  Suika waved her hands.  ?Excuse me?  I have something else to say about the Kochiya Shrine.  There?s a chance that Sanae might actually want to build a branch shrine down here.  Is that okay??

Patchouli covered her ears to protect them from the mixed chorus of yays and nays that ensued.

?Uhhh??  Suika blinked.  ?Yeah...we?ll tell her to put the idea on hold, then.  How about a hokora??

Patchouli tallied down as many yeses and noes she heard, with the former coming out on top.  Koakuma looked around, her headwings flapping in excitement.

?Sanae?s the blue-white, isn?t she?  I didn?t know she was popular underground.?

?There?s a lot of things we don?t know about that girl, Koakuma,? Patchouli said.

?I personally don?t care, because I?m hardly in the city,? the tsuchigumo chipped in, ?but I know a thing or two about her.  The oni like her because she isn?t afraid of them.?

?Shhh, they?re going onto the next topic,? Patchouli hissed.

??by the way, while we?re on the topic of the surface??

?Still?? Patchouli sighed.  She was hoping to get some good information about the Former Hell, but relations between them and the surface would have to work for now.
??we have something important to say, so no talking,? said Suika.  Konngara lifted her hand.

?Huh??

?About that?I have something to say,? she said.  She was audible, but just barely.

?Go ahead.?

Konngara stood up.  ?As you all know, Reimu flies over the city a lot??

This was the first time Patchouli heard about this.

?I know you get excited when she shows up, but I?m going to have to ask you to stop,? she continued in a calm, quiet voice.  ?Only a few of us have spellcards right now, so if you fight her she could get seriously hurt.  She?s a Hakurei, so if she dies then the Boundary goes down?basically, don?t hassle her when she?s flying over or landing in the city.  If she causes any problems come find one of us.  If I hear she?s been kidnapped, or hurt, or something, I?ll break your limbs.?

She sat back down.

?The same goes for the black-white,? Yuugi said.  ?The red-white and black-white are off limits, got it?  You?d be aggroing a lot of people if anything happened to either of ?em.  I know it sucks, but?yeah?  Yeah, you, Yamame.?

All eyes were trained on the tsuchigumo next to Koakuma.  Patchouli looked down at her handwriting, desperate to avoid eye contact.

?Doesn?t Suika live with the red-white?  Why doesn?t she talk to her about this?? Yamame asked, hand held high.  Suika?s face went bright red.

?Haha, um??

?I heard from Parsee that she sometimes attacks first.  Is that really okay??

?If she shoots first you can shoot back, that?s okay,? Yuugi said as Suika laughed nervously.  ?What we?re saying is don?t kidnap her or the black-white if you win, and don?t use physical attacks.  They?re only human, after all.?

Tenshi almost choked on her chicken leg while she laughed.  Patchouli gave her a thwap in the shoulder, and the celestial glared at her.  Meanwhile, more hands in the crowd were raised.

?Why do we care if they?re human??

?We just went over that,? Yuugi said.

?I?ll talk to Reimu about, okay?? Suika reassured the crowd.

?Why does the red-white go Underground so much??

Yuugi rested her chin on her hand.  ?Good question.  I don?t know.?

Konngara folded her hands in front of her mouth to cover the small grin on her face.  Suika was the only one who offered a solid reply.

?She visits the Palace,? Suika said.  When the crowd started to get noisy again, she waved her hands.  ?Hey, cut that out!?

?Speaking of the reactor, I?d like to talk about Okuu,? Yuugi said.  Patchouli smirked.  Way to change the topic.

?Lady Patchy, your notes.?  Koakuma nudged Patchouli.

?Ah!?  Patchouli gasped when realizing she forgot to write.  She hunched over her book and stared scrawling down notes.

?If she shows up at your bar, or tavern, or whatever else, don?t serve her any alcohol.  Even if she says she?s takin? it back to Satori, just don?t.  I saw her the other day with some bottles of wine.  C?mon, you guys.?  Yuugi shook her head.  ?We?re not supposed to let her get inebriated.  We?re still on thin ice with the Yama from the Geyser Incident, and if she thinks we can?t take care of our own then she might try taking the Former Hell back.  I know it?s a stretch, but one thing leads to another, y?know??

Patchouli?s eyes widened.  The Yama?  She was aware that the Former Hell used to be under jurisdiction of the infamous Judge, but did they still have contact with her?

?Just send her home.  Give her some food or something.  She?s not hard to please,? Yuugi says.  ?I hear she likes those mozzarella sticks with the dipping sauce.  No one?ll get mad if you give those to her on the house.  Orin?  Questions??

The redheaded kasha lowered her hand.  ?I didn?t hear about her getting any wine.  We have things under control at the Palace.?

?Well, then, couldja tell Satori to have it more under control?? Yuugi suggested.  Orin looked away with her lip curled.

?Riiiight, big sis.?

?Moving along?Suika??  Yuugi gestured to the smaller oni.

?We?re gonna build a huuuge bathhouse where the Abyss used to be!? Suika announced, and the crowd erupted into cheers.  Patchouli flinched, her ears aching as she tried to catch up on her notes.

?No one uses that district anymore, and it?s really close to the river, so we figured we?d do something cool with it,? Suika continued.  ?We?ll be taking name suggestions for it later.?

?Lady Patchy, let?s visit it once it?s done,? Koakuma whispered, her voice high with excitement.

?You can go by yourself,? Patchouli replied.

?Hmph.?

?We?ll go with you,? Yamame said.  The tsurube-otoshi poked her head out of her bucket and gave a thumbs-up.  Koakuma smiled.

Once the cheering died down, Suika spoke up again.

?That?s all for that announcement.  We?ve got a few more things to talk about, we?ll take some questions, and then split.?

?I?ll handle this one!? Yuugi said.  ?I?m the one who?s in the city the most, so I see this problem a lot: I?ve had a lot of people coming to me complaining about counterfeit coins.  More times than not they?ve been false alarms, but in either case, knock it off.  None of us want to deal with you trying to get your friend in trouble, because they put bugs in your sake or something, especially not when we?re trying to eat dinner or sleep or something.?

?We shouldn?t even have to be talking about this,? Suika added.  ?You guys should really know better by now.  Anyway, the procedures for dealing with this are the same as they?ve always been, and if you don?t know what they are then talk to us afterwards.?

?That?s all?? Patchouli whispered to Yamame.

?It?s a persistent problem,? Yamame explained while she brushed the tsurube-otoshi?s twintails.  ?Do you know about the underground?s currency??

Patchouli nodded.  That much she had been able to research beforehand.

?Um, the last thing we?d like to talk about is the subterranean fields,? Konngara said.  Patchouli took the few second?s pause to shake out her writing hand.  ?I?ve noticed that a lot of people have been complaining about pests, bad harvests, people not respecting farming boundaries??

She counted the problems off on her fingers.  ?We?re taking suggestions on what we can do to fix these things.  We?ll be taking suggestions in??

She reaches under the table and takes out a box.  It?s about the size of an average wine crate, but has been painted and decorated in a haphazard manner that made Patchouli think multiple people were involved in its creation.

??this.  Suggestions for the name of the bathhouse and anything else to improve the city will be taken in here.  It?s open for a week each month??

Koakuma reached over to rip a blank sheet from Patchouli?s book, but was stopped by a swift slap on the wrist.

?Is that it?? Yuugi asked.

?Yeah, I think so.  Dismissed!?  Suika banged her fist on the table.  Before Patchouli could react, the crowd dissolved into chaos.  Yamame took the tsurube-otoshi and shot a web at a nearby building, taking off above the crowd before she could get trampled.  Tenshi gathered up her lunch, pulled the blanket out from under Patchouli, and dashed off into the crowd.

Koakuma grabbed Patchouli and her notes off the ground and took off into the air.  Just like that, the city was back to its usual chaotic self.

Patchouli noticed Suika waving to her from the ground.  She wriggled out of Koakuma?s arms and flew down to meet the oni.

?Thanks for actually showing up.  I thought you?d be too much of a coward to come down here,? Suika said, her smile betraying the harshness of her words.  Patchouli frowned.

?This is the last time I?ll be making my appearance in the Former Hell.?  She coughed as a girl with bronze hair pushed past her.  ?This was the last assignment given to me in regards to this infernal place.?

?Awww, it?s a shame you think that way, but we?re used to being hated down here.?  Suika shrugged and looked over her shoulders at the two other Devas, who were in the process of setting up the suggestions box.  ?Tell Yukari I said hi.?

?Right.?  Patchouli waved to Koakuma, who was floating down to join her.  ?Let?s go, Koa.?

?Wha?  Already??  But that was the extent of her protesting, and she followed Patchouli out of the city without any complaints.  As they walked along the bridge, towards the tunnel that led to the surface, Koakuma?s voice echoed throughout the cavern.

?I dunno about you, but I?m definitely going back there when that bathhouse is complete,? she told Patchouli.

?And I?ll be taking a bath back at the mansion,? Patchouli said.  She?d take a hot bath with a cup of tea, and some incense if it wouldn?t give her a headache.

Yes, that would be much better than this place.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: nintendonut888 on February 10, 2014, 01:21:57 AM
Not a bad, little read! It felt like it was part of a larger narrative, though that may well be the case for all I know. I liked the portrayal of the underground city like it was some Greek citystate.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 06, 2014, 11:59:40 PM
A oneshot based on a headcanon I came up with in the IRC a while ago, that if a human has a strange hair color, it's either because they have youkai blood or were doing something they shouldn't have.



?That?s why I told you not to mess with Youma books,? Akyuu scolded.  Kosuzu curled up on her cushion and pulled her hat over her face, ignoring the plate of sweets in front of her.  ?You?re lucky it was just your hair and not your arm or something.?

?I knoooow,? Kosuzu whined.

?Okay, so take off your hat.  You?re not the only one with an unnatural hair color here.?  Akyuu stroked her purple locks as an example.  Kosuzu removed her hat with a sigh, revealing her hair.  Instead of being black, like the majority of the village, the young girl?s hair was now as pink as the roses that decorated the low table she and Akyuu were sitting at.  It hung around her shoulders in a wavy, uneven mess, so unlike what she had looked like before.

Akyuu picked up a strawberry tart and took a bite.  ?Honestly.  The only problem I see here is that you didn?t brush your hair this morning.  Come over here and I?ll fix it up for you.?

Kosuzu sniffed.  ?Okay.?

As Kosuzu scooted closer, Akyuu leaned over and took a decorated box from her vanity.  She opened it up to reveal a hairbrush, comb, and piles of hair accessories.

?I wonder which one?oh wait, I know.?  Akyuu picked up the hairbrush.  ?Close your eyes.?

Kosuzu did as she was told.  Akyuu brushed the tangles out of her hair, and marveling at how soft her friend?s hair was.  If it was going to be like this forever, she could at least make it look cute.

When Akyuu was finished, she handed Kosuzu a hand mirror.

?You can look now.?

Kosuzu opened her eyes and looked at her reflection.  Akyuu had tied the longest parts of her hair into neat half-pigtails, both of them held in place by hairbands with little bells on them.  The rest of her hair just barely brushed her shoulders.

?Just like your name,? Akyuu said, beaming.  Kosuzu put down the mirror and turned to give the other girl a hug.

?Thanks, Akyuu.  It looks great.?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 08, 2014, 04:52:38 AM
Written as a request on Tumblr

Orin knows that Utsuho has been avoiding her



Utsuho looked down at the kasha, curled up and asleep at the entrance of the reactor.  Utsuho had had a long day and felt tired looking at her, but she?d have to put off sleeping for a little while longer.

?Orin, you?re going to get radiation poisoning if you fall asleep here,? she told the sleeping kasha, even though she knew she wouldn?t hear her.  Utsuho stooped down and lifted the Orin into her arms.  A year ago, she wouldn?t have been able to do that, but things changed after God fed her the Yatagarasu.  She was stronger, and more powerful.  Her once-empty head was swirling with fire.  And yet, Orin?

?Orin had stayed her same na?ve self.  Utsuho took off into the air, flying across the blazing field towards the Palace of the Earth Spirits.  Even when she was so close to the stalactites, she could still feel the heat from the ground below.  Orin made a small noise and nuzzled into Utsuho?s shoulder.  Utsuho sighed.

Instead of landing in the gardens behind the Palace, Utsuho landed outside one of the windows.  Holding Orin on her lap, she cupped one hand to the glass and looked inside.  When she confirmed the familiar velvet curtains and cherry wood furniture that made up Orin?s room, she pushed the window open and tumbled into the room.

Orin somehow hadn?t woken up, but it was all the better for her.  Utsuho set her down onto the bed, tucking her in with her favorite quilt and even putting a pillow under her head.  Once she was all settled in, Utsuho looked down at her.  She looked way more comfortable in her own bed than waiting for her.

Utsuho turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand reaching out and grasping her wrist.  She flinched.

?Okuu, wait??  Orin sat up, rubbing her eyes with her free hand.  Utsuho froze in place, and looked away.

?I have to go back to work,? Utsuho lied.  The generator was already off when she had left the reactor and found Orin.

?You always say that.?  Orin frowned.  ?I didn?t need Lady Satori to tell me you were just making excuses to avoid me.?

Utsuho gulped when Orin brought up the mind-reader.  She wracked her mind for a good comeback, but there was really nothing she could bring up in her defense.  Instead, she decided that some confrontations were not worth dealing with.

?Why don?t you just go to sleep?  You looked really tired,? Utsuho said, but Orin didn?t let go of her wrist.

?I will if you stay with me,? Orin replied.  Utsuho chewed her lower lip.

?I??

Orin?s grip loosened, and she finally let go.  Her ears drooped.  Utsuho fidgeted where she stood, mouth tightening into a thin line.  Her wings wilted, along with her resolve.

In a very quiet voice, she said, ??Okay.?

Orin scooted over and patted the space in the bed next to her.  ?Okay.  C?mon, sis.?

Utsuho slipped off her shoes and cape, and crawled into the bed next to Orin.  She lay down with her back to Orin, folding her wings to her back and her knees to her chest.  The kasha pulled the blankets over the both of them.  Utsuho closed her eyes, taking in the familiar sensation of Orin draping an arm over her waist and cuddling against her back.

?Good night, Okuu.?

?Good night.?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 08, 2014, 04:53:41 AM
An even tinier fanfic, also written on request

Satori needs some time alone.



The excited, wild thoughts inside Hoshiguma Yuugi?s head weren?t doing it for Satori anymore.  The oni sitting at the kitchen table was trying her hardest to cheer Satori up, but her words were as useless and weak as confetti.  Satori?s third eye rolled in its socket and she wondered if she should have closed it off too.

"?You wanna be left alone?" Yuugi asked.  The unexpected gentleness of her voice in that moment was her saving grace, giving Satori permission to finally excuse herself.  She rushed out of the room, ran to the second floor and then the third, trying to outrun the tears that were catching up to her.

She found herself standing outside of a room in some remote part of the Palace.  She pulled open the metal door and slipped inside.  She would have cringed at how loud it squealed against the stone tiles, but she didn?t care anymore.

Satori had made a terrible mistake.  Inside this room was a rabbit hutch, and rabbits still hopped along the straw-covered floors.  Their thoughts were painfully simple and scattered.  Satori sunk to her knees and picked one of them up, a tiny white fluffball.  It was hungry.

Maybe if Satori had told Koishi that she forgot to feed her rabbits, she would have stayed for that much longer.  Satori put the rabbit down and covered her face with her hands.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 08, 2014, 04:57:35 AM
I just remembered I have this other thing from Tumblr that I never posted here.  I hope you guys like Reisato



It was on days like this that Satori was glad the Palace had heated floors.  Instead of lounging on a couch or hanging over the arm of an armchair, she was sprawled out on the carpet of her study with a book held above her face.  Orin, in cat form, was curled up on her stomach.

Satori had been there for an hour now, reading and ignoring the heavy snowfall visible from the window.  She was in a state of complete relaxation, only to be startled out of it when she heard a heavy knocking sound.  Orin leapt off her and darted away.

"Whoa, watch it!"

"Sorry, Orin," Satori apologized as she got up off the floor.  She stopped for a moment to stretch out her back, before tossing the book off to the side and rushing out of the room.  It was rare that Satori got visitors, but whenever she did, it was almost always the same person.

"Yes, coming!" she shouted, even though she knew her voice wouldn?t carry that far.  As she raced through the hall and down the stairs, she passed by her other pets?rabbits and cats and birds, their thoughts jumbling together in Satori?s head.  She skidded to a halt at the front door, and a new set of thoughts entered her head.

"I?m finally here."

"Oh, god, it?s so cold.  I should?ve gotten something warm to drink from the City."


Satori opened the door with a smile.  ?We have tea if you want that.?

A human girl a few inches shorter than her stood on the front step, shivering.  Snow had settled onto her coal-black hair and shoulders that had been left bare from her choice of clothing?a red dress with detached white sleeves.  She was wearing mittens and a scarf, but it was clear she was still cold.

"P-p-please," Reimu chattered as she stumbled in through the doorway.  Satori caught her before she could trip and shut the door behind them.  When she let go, her arm came away damp?Reimu?s clothes were wet with melting snow.

The red-white?s thoughts became more relieved as she shelled off her scarf, mittens, shoes, and socks.  Still?

"Ugh, my nose won?t stop running."  Reimu sniffed.

"So?about that tea?"

Reimu nodded and shuffled along after Satori, sniffling the entire way to the kitchen.  She hunched over on a stool, chattering and convulsing with shivers.  Satori placed a kettle of water on the stove and looked over her shoulder at her.

It took until the kettle was shrieking for Satori to realize that Reimu might be sick, even if the latter didn?t know it herself.

"Ah!"  She quickly turned off the stove and fetched a mug and the kind of tea she knew Reimu liked, and set about brewing it in the hot water.  Reimu sneezed.

Satori sidled over to Reimu and put a hand to her reddening cheeks.  She was shocked at the heat Reimu was giving off.  Not a very good indicator of a cold?a thermometer was more appropriate?but it didn?t hurt her suspicions.

"Maybe you should have dressed warmer," Satori chided.  Reimu?s response was a phlegmy cough.  Satori went back to the mug of tea, which looked ready now.  As an afterthought, she took a jar of honey from one of the cupboards and ladled a spoonful of it into the hot drink.

Satori noticed that Reimu?s thoughts were trailing off when she brought it over to her.  The human girl had all but fallen asleep at the counter, looking uncomfortable resting her elbows on the hard surface.  Satori had a better idea.

"Why don?t we go upstairs?" she suggested.  Reimu nodded and slid off the stool.  Satori handed her the mug, and the two exited the kitchen.

"I?m so tired.  My muscles hurt.  My clothes are wet."  Those were the kind of thoughts going through Reimu?s head until she stepped into the bathroom to change into one of Satori?s spare nightgowns.  Holding the mug in both hands, she climbed into Satori?s bed and curled up against one of the pillows.

Satori picked a few books from her shelf and settled down next to her.  Reimu?s thoughts were background noise to her as she started to read.

After a while, Reimu set the empty mug onto the nightstand and rested her head on Satori?s chest, sighing and closing her eyes.  Satori didn?t set down her book, but the veins of her third eye wrapped around Reimu?s shoulders and pulled her closer.

Satori looked at the pile of books she had picked up, and then back to the sleeping Reimu.  She pushed the books off to the side, pulled a blanket over the two of them, and waited for sleep to claim her as well.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 09, 2014, 06:07:17 PM
Written yesterday as a request



"Have fun at the Boundary!" Yukari called out to Reimu and Chen as they left Mayohiga.  Reimu grumbled, smacking her gohei against her shoulder and stalking off towards the forest.  Chen toddled behind her, holding her beret to her head to protect it from the wind.  A gap opened up five meters ahead of them, and Chen bumped into Reimu when the latter came to a sudden stop.

"What?s that for?" Reimu asked.  Chen twirled a lock of hair around her fingers.

"Lady Yukari?s gonna gap us straight to the Boundary, so we don?t hafta walk or fly all the way there," Chen explained.  Reimu nodded, and Chen felt herself swell with importance.  Not even Reimu knew what it was like to patrol the Boundary: just her, Yukari, and the nine-tailed fox currently recovering from a bad case of strep throat at Eientei.

Chen took Reimu?s hand and led her towards the gap.  ?Since you?re a newbie, Lady Yukari?s gonna keep an eye on us so we won?t have to worry about going home!?

"Hey, I?m not a newbie, I?m the Hakurei shrine maiden," Reimu protested as they entered through the gap.  After passing through the purple veil and ignoring the stares of a thousand eyeballs, the human and nekomata came out into a forest.  The trees weren?t as wild as they were in the Forest of Magic, but they did have something the Forest of Magic didn?t: the Boundary.  Less than ten feet away was a wall, transparent and glistening like glass, or a soap bubble.

Reimu?s eyes widened.  ?I?ve never seen the Boundary this close before.  It looks invisible from a distance.?

"Cool, huh?"  Chen grinned with a mouthful of sharp teeth.  "Your job is to look for tears and fix them with the thing Lady Yukari gave you, and my job is to protect you."

"I can protect myself," Reimu scoffed.

"Not while you?re patching up a hole in the Boundary you can?t," Chen said.  "Ran can do both at once, but like I said, you?re a newbie at this.  Let?s go!"

And so, the two started the long, long process of checking on the Boundary.  The two inched along, feeling its cool surface and poking around for tears.  When they found one, Reimu took out a box containing a needle and thread that looked just as glassy as the Boundary.  The shrine maiden crouched in the grass, fumbling around with threading the needle while Chen stood with her back to her, surveying the area for youkai or wild animals.

This was the cycle they went through: search, fix, and move on.  It was late afternoon, and while Reimu was sewing a particularly big tear?she had improved greatly since the start of the day?Chen?s ears perked up.

"Be careful, Reimu," she hissed.  "I sense something."

"Okay?"  Reimu didn?t look up from her handiwork.  "I?ll leave it to you."

The bushes rustled, and a boar burst out from the trees.  However, it wasn?t an ordinary animal: it had six eyes gleaming red, and a mouth full of fangs when it opened its mouth to screech.  Chen?s ears pinned flat against her head, and she took out a spellcard.

"You wanna go?!" she snarled at the beast.

Reimu, in the meantime, was having some trouble.  The background noise of the cries of wild animals and sounds of danmaku weren?t helping for her concentration.  A stray bullet hit the Boundary near the tear, and dissipated without doing any damage.  Reimu scowled and tightened the thread.

"Watch where you?re going," she grunted, and stabbed the needle into the Boundary for the thousandth time that day.

Ten minutes later, the boar was sent squealing back into the trees, and Chen was doing a victory dance.

"Did you see that?!  I won with spellcards!" she boasted.  Reimu smiled a bit and tied off the thread.

"Yeah, good job, Chen," she said, snipping off the loose end with a pair of scissors.  "Let?s keep going."

The two stood up, but were interrupted by a gap opening above their heads.  The upper half of Yukari?s body emerged, hanging upside down between the two.  She turned to face Reimu and gave the girl a smile and wave.

"Hello, dear.  I?m going to have to cut your expedition short for the day," she said.  Chen sighed.

"That?s a relief, but I was having fun," she lamented as Yukari took Reimu?s hands and pulled her into the gap.

"I?ve made dinner for the two of you, and got some cakes from the Human Village for dessert.  Now come on."  Yukari held her hand out to Chen, who beamed and took it.

Back in Mayohiga, the Yakumos and Reimu sat around the table.  While Yukari, Chen, and Reimu were eating grilled salmon, Ran was nursing a bowl of soup.

"Are you feeling better?" Reimu asked, sounding unusually timid.  Ran smiled at her.

"A little.  Sorry you had to cover for me.  Lady Yukari said you didn?t want to."

"Well, I didn?t," Reimu began.  "?but I ended up having fun.  I wouldn?t do it again, though!"

Chen?s tails swished back and forth.  ?I protected her!?

"I?d have expected nothing less from you, Chen," said Ran, scratching the nekomata behind the ears.  Yukari, having just finished her food, set down her utensils.

"Well, I?m going to get the dessert out if anyone wants any," she said as she took her plate into the kitchen.

"I want some!"

"Finish your dinner first, Chen."

"I?m almost done."

Dessert that night was strawberry shortcake.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 12, 2014, 04:01:50 PM
Guess who requested this one



"I?ll make her a new one?but it?ll cost you," Parsee said, waving her hammer at Yamame.  The bridge princess was crouched in the water, uncaring that her skirt was getting wet and nailing a straw doll to one of the support beams.  Yamame hung upside down by a thread, holding an iron handle and a few planks of cherry wood.

"Oh come ON, we?re talking about a tsurube-otoshi?s bucket here!" Yamame snapped.  She and Parsee looked up at the top of the bridge, where a small girl was peering over the edge.  When she saw them looking, she ducked away.

Parsee groaned.  ?It?s not like you?re asking me to make one out of rocks, you know.  Wood costs money, especially the kind you?re asking me for.  Pay up or stick her in a kettle or something, I don?t care.?

With a wistful sigh, she slammed her hammer into the straw doll.  ?Man, I wish my home were portable.?

"But you?ll do it, right?" Yamame asked, her voice hopeful.

"For ☼5000?"  Parsee?s hammer fell into the water with a splash as she doubled over, coughing.  Yamame narrowed her eyes at her.

"Half the price."

"But I n-need to buy the?"  Parsee?s words ended with another coughing fit.

"Then go work something out with Yuugi.  You?re close, right?  I?m sure she wouldn?t mind doing you some favors," Yamame said, and crawled back up to the bridge.  When she climbed over the edge, the girl watching them crawled over to her.  Yamame smiled and ruffled her hair.

Kisume mumbled, ?You don?t need to bully people for me, you know??

"I?d say the bridge princess needs to be roughed up every now and then, but if you say so," Yamame replied.  She stood up and smoothed out her skirt.  "All we need is to?uh, what are you doing?"

Kisume was loosening the ribbon that fastened the hem of Yamame?s dress to her knees.  She then proceeded to climb up into the skirt, closing the dress around her and hugging the tsuchigumo?s legs.

Yamame took an experimental step forward, and found that she could only move a few inches with Kisume hiding in her petticoats.  ?Why don?t we just refurbish a wok for you until Parsee?s done with your bucket??

Kisume?s voice was muffled.  ?Your skirt is better.?

Yamame sighed.  ?Fine, but when we get home you?d better believe I?m making you get out of there.?

She then took off into the air and flew back to the caverns.  She had a feeling the tsurube-otoshi would not want to leave her skirt just yet.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on March 12, 2014, 04:02:41 PM
I got a request for MaryRenko fluff, there's no way I wasn't going to write it eventually



"Did you know that the strawberries we eat aren?t actual strawberries?"

"Hm?"  Renko looked up from her newspaper.  "Everybody knows that, Mary."

Maribel looked out the window.  The train was going too fast for the two girls to enjoy the scenery beyond a blur of colors.  She reached into her bag and pulled out a plastic bag of candies, each the size of a marble and the color of roe.  The packet read ?New!  Strawberry flavor?, a sugary imitation of an imitation.  Maribel popped one of the chewy candies into her mouth.  It was sweet.

"I know," she said.  "I mean, they don?t taste like how strawberries are supposed to taste."

Renko?s eyes flickered up and down as she read.  ?You know, I never thought about that.  Ahhh.?

She opened her mouth so Maribel could pop a candy in.  She chewed with a thoughtful expression, and folded up her newspaper.  The candy?s flavor made her mouth tingle like it had been shocked.

"I have an idea," Renko said, taking another candy.  Maribel tilted her head in curiosity.

"Hmm?"

"Let?s make this our goal for spring break.  We?ll find out how strawberries are supposed to taste," Renko said.

"Will we find out if they were really as sweet?" Maribel asked, leaning her head against Renko?s shoulder.  Renko put her hand over Maribel?s.

"Yeah.  We?ll see if they were even sweeter, and if there were different kinds, and what they were used for," Renko told her.

Maribel giggled.  ?We?re going to end up spending all of our free time in the library again, aren?t we??

"Not all of it.  We could go out and do taste-testing.  There?s this cafe in my hometown with a strawberry-flavored parfait," Renko suggested with a sheepish smile.  Maribel reached up to turn Renko?s face towards hers.

"Then it?s a date."
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: Iced Fairy on March 14, 2014, 04:53:34 PM
Your ability to remember how to write snippits makes me Jealous. 0_0  Nice work on the lot of them Himiko.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on May 26, 2014, 01:13:05 AM
Ahaha...I took writing prompts again and the first one was reimari, from hungrybookworm.  I hope I did your OTP justice ;w;



?Reimu!  Let?s train!? Marisa shouted.  The purple-haired shrine maiden, busy sweeping the pathway, gave her the usual glare and grunt of displeasure at the little witch?s presence.

?Go away, Marisa,? she grumbled.

?Hey, Reimu!  Fight me!?  Marisa waved her wand and shot multicolored orbs of light at Reimu, who was sitting on her porch and having a cup of tea.  Reimu flicked away one of the bullets and frowned.

?Check out this spell I made, Reimu!? Marisa urged the other girl.  She drew a magic circle on the ground in chalk, and wriggling green snakes emerged from it.  Reimu shrieked and fled to the shrine.

Marisa swooped down onto the shrine pathway, bristling with excitement and holding up her new broomstick.  ?Reimu, let?s??

?Whatever it is, no!? Reimu exploded.  Marisa flinched and, after fixing her hat, mounted her broom and flew back to the Forest of Magic.

--

??so I came back here,? Marisa explained, holding her hands against the warm mug of cocoa on the counter.  ?What do I do, Lady Mima??

The evil spirit was sitting across the table from her and resting her cheek in her hand.  Her eyes were narrowed and her mouth was set in a deep frown, and for a while she was quiet?something that was uncharacteristic of her.  Marisa, looking at Mima like she had just taken away her Halloween candy, was enough for the evil spirit to sit up a little straighter.

?Well, it?s obvious you?re just annoying her,? Mima said.

?Aw, come on!?  Marisa sighed and slumped over on the table.

Mima grinned.  ?I?ve known her longer than you have.  Just because she?s strong enough to beat you in a fight doesn?t mean she enjoys it.  In other words, she?s lazy.?

Marisa puffed out her cheeks.  ?This isn?t helping.?

Mima grinned.  ?What I?m saying is, you?re not appealing to her interests.  If you want to get closer to her, you need to try a different approach.  Here?s an idea??

--

It was late at night, and Reimu was already in bed and drifting off to sleep.  Something rustled outside, but her mind was hazy with exhaustion, and she thought little of it.  She rolled over on her side and buried her face in her pillow.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard someone knocking on the door.  This brought her to full attention: her eyes snapped open, and she jolted into an upright position.  She swung her arm out and threw an ofuda, and it smacked into something?no, someone.  A familiar girl with bobbed red hair and purple robes fell onto her back, clutching her nose and groaning.

?What the hell are you doing in my house?!? Reimu whispered through gritted teeth.  Marisa got up and pushed the sliding door open a little wider.

?Come with me,? Marisa said, holding out her hand.  Reimu, still in her pajamas and completely bewildered, stared at her.  Then, the following back-and-forth ensued:

?What.?

?Come on!?

?Marisa, I told you I don?t want to fi??

?It?s not a fight, it?s something better.?

?It?s?not??

?I wanna show you something cool.  Now come on!?

Reimu?s expression softened.  By all rights, she should have been kicking Marisa out of her shrine and putting up a barrier to ensure she wouldn?t come back, but?

She sighed.  ?Okay.  Just let me get dressed.?

Marisa beamed.  ?Great!  I?ll be waiting outside.?

Ten minutes later, Marisa was dragging Reimu along by the hand through the Forest of Magic, broom over her shoulder and a bounce in her step.  Reimu yawned, still feeling the sleep that had almost caught up with her.

?Are we there yet?? she complained.

?Almost.?  Marisa lead her through a grove and into some bushes, both girls having to crouch to get through.  When they emerged on the other side, they were facing a stone wall that seemed to stretch in either direction for miles.

Etched in the wall face with the grace of someone smashing their fist into a plate was the entrance to a cave.  Even if it were lighter out, it would have been hard to spot because of the foliage covering it.  Marisa and Reimu approached the entrance and peered inside.

?What is this place?? Reimu asked.

?It?s a little cave Lady Mima told me about.  She said there?s something amazing in here,? Marisa replied.  Reimu frowned.

??Amazing?, huh?  What if it?s a bear?s den??

?Trust me, it?s not,? Marisa said, and squeezed Reimu?s hand in a reassuring gesture.  Reimu shivered, but it wasn?t from cold or fear.  ?If it were, I could totally take it down.?

?You?d take down a bear,? Reimu said with a scoff.

?Yeah, I totally would.?  The two girls ventured into the cave.  It was a tight fit, and they had to walk single file while the stone ceiling brushed against their hair.  Marisa hugged her broom to her chest, careful not to scuff it against anything.

For a while, it was just the two shuffling along.  The path widened out and they were able to walk side-by-side, but it was still dark.

Reimu could have said a lot of things during that time.  She could have complained about how dark it was, or asked Marisa to make a light source so they weren?t stumbling around blind.  She could have asked what was so great that Marisa dragged her out of bed in the middle of the night to show her, or how she found this cave.  It was ridiculous.  Here she was, going on an adventure with a girl who had done nothing but come to her shrine and bother her day after day, and yet?

?Look!  Here we are!? Marisa cheered.  The two emerged in an open cavern, and Reimu?s jaw dropped.  The tunnel, which was pitch black before, was now awash in pale blue light that came from the moss that covered the walls and floor.  Tiny specks of light floated in the air, and burst into sparks when Reimu reached out to touch one.  Still holding Marisa?s hand, she walked along the ground with her eyes wide in wonder.

?and yet, if Marisa had done things like this with her from the beginning, she wouldn?t have minded at all.

Marisa giggled.  ?This stuff is super rare.  I?hey, what?s wrong?  Why are you crying??

Reimu wiped her eyes with her sleeve.  ?It?s nothing.  It?s just?really pretty, is all??

--

?Are you okay now?? Marisa asked.  The two were flying back to the shrine, sharing Marisa?s broom.  Reimu gingerly held onto Marisa?s shoulders and bowed her head.

?Uh-huh,? she said.  The broom dipped, and the two landed on the front path.  Reimu dismounted and ran off towards the shrine.  Before she went inside, however, she stopped and turned around.

?Hey, Marisa!? she called.

?Yeah??

?There?s somewhere I want to take you, too, so?meet me here tomorrow morning??

Marisa?s eyes were huge.  She stood there with a blank expression before, a smile burst onto her face.

?Got it!?
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: hungrybookworm on May 26, 2014, 11:19:14 AM
Aaaah that was so cute! Little PC-98 Reimari's so adorable (and Mima was in it too yes)! Thank you thank you~
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on May 28, 2014, 01:16:54 AM
Chirei requested Koishi build a pillow fortress.



The heavy rain, a rare occurrence in the Underground, poured on throughout the day.  Activity in the Ancient City?s streets burst, and oni danced and partied and cheered every time thunder shook the cavern walls.  The Palace of the Earth Spirits stood away from the commotion, and was eerie and quiet in comparison.  Suika stood on the front step, her hair slick from the rain and her clothes clinging to her skin.  There was no overhang to seek shelter under while she waited for the owner of the palace to answer the door.

As she watched the city from the distance, she heard a clicking sound and turned to see someone opening the door.  A hell raven with unruly black hair and a dazed smile was looking down at her, with one hand on the doorknob and another holding a measuring cup.

?Hi th?unyuu.?  The hell raven stepped aside as Suika strode into the mansion.  ?Ahhh, you?re still wet!?

Suika took a deep breath and held out her hand.  The water in her hair, on her clothes and skin rose off her and flew towards the center of her palm as if drawn by a magnet.  Within seconds, Suika was perfectly dry and holding an orb of water.  Even the water the little oni had tracked in was off the floor.

?WHOA!?

?Cool, huh, Okuu??  Suika grinned and tossed the orb outside, where it splashed into the grass.  Okuu shut the door behind her and skipped after Suika into the house.  Suika kicked off her shoes and looked around.  ?So what?d you call me here f??

Suika bumped into something large and soft, and fell over.  Okuu gave her a bright smile.

?This!?

Suika looked up at the main hallway, which was obstructed by pillows.  This was really saying something?it was a big hallway, and to Suika?s knowledge it led into an even bigger room with more rooms?but right now she could only see a small opening barely big enough to fit her horns, and through that there was nothing but pillows.  It was a pillow tunnel.

?The heck is this?? Suika asked as the corners of her mouth twitched.

Okuu ran forward and leapt into the tunnel opening.  ?It?s the pillow fortress Lady Koishi made.  Isn?t it cool??

?Yeah, I guess??  Suika reached out and tried to gather the pillows, but found that something was resisting her.  ?Ehh, I don?t think I can use my powers on these.  They?re packed too tight.?

There was also the matter of what she would do with them, but Okuu didn?t seem bothered in the slightest.  She said, ?It?s OK.  We can just play inside until we find Lady Koishi.?

?Didn?t ?cha say you lost your favorite necklace in here?  What about that?? Suika asked.

?Uhh??

Suika looked back up at the pillow fortress.  ?Where?s Satori??

?She?s sick so she?s asleep upstairs,? says Okuu.  At that moment, Suika knew she wouldn?t be able to just go back to the city and party, as much as she wanted to.  If left to their own devices for too long, Satori?s pets and sister would end up doing troublesome things like this.  This was her chance to say ?you?re on your own, kid,? and leave Okuu to deal with this herself, but she didn?t dislike Satori enough to leave this mess in her hands when she was sick.

Suika sighed and took a swig from her gourd.  ?Alright!  Let?s dive on in.?

Okuu cheered.  ?Yeeees!?

 --

Suika was lost, lost in a sea of pillows.  She did not know where she was crawling to, and where she was crawling from.  Her horns dragged along cushions and spilled stuffing onto the path, causing Okuu to slip as she crawled behind the oni.  A network of paths had been built in the tightly-packed pillows, creating a soft fluffy labyrinth.  Every now and then they?d pass a cat or a bird or something napping in the pillows, out of the way of anyone passing by.

?Where?d you last see your necklace?? Suika asked.

?Hmm?dunno!? Okuu said.  Suika slapped her forehead and continued on.  Soon, they came to a narrow wall of pillows.  It stretched a few meters above them and ended in an opening of pillows that had been somehow arranged in an arch.  Suika gripped the wall and tested her foot on it, but it didn?t give.  With a shrug, she started to climb.  Okuu?s wings flapped this way and that as she tried to balance herself on the way up, and almost fell over.  Suika, now at the top of the wall, reached down and grabbed her hand.

?You know you can fly, right?? she said.

?Oh.  Why aren?t you flying, then?? Okuu challenged her.

?Because it?s more fun like this,? said Suika.  ?Anyway, let?s keep going.  I think I see someone up ahead.  She pulled Okuu up over the rest of the wall and jerked her thumb over her shoulder.  There was a piece of dark blue cloth sticking out of one of the openings in the pillow wall.

?Uugh?oh??  A grumble came from inside the opening.  Suika and Okuu approached and took a look inside.  The cloth they saw was part of a dress, being worn by a pointy-earred blonde girl curled up with her face buried in the floor.  When Suika and Okuu entered, she let out another groan.

?Parsee?!? Suika cried.

?Welp, time to check somewhere else.?  Okuu turned around and started crawling away.  Suika hesitated.  At that moment, Parsee stirred and sat up.

?Are you okay?? Suika asked.  Parsee frowned and fluffed out her hair, which was sticking out in odd angles from lying down for so long.

?Not really.  I swear I was just at my bridge, but for some reason I ended up here.  I envy whoever was able to build such a nice, comfy place,? Parsee sniffed.  Suika laughed a little, but stopped when the bridge princess scowled at her.

?What?s taking you guys so long?? Okuu called.

?Coming!? Suika shouted in reply.  ?Let?s go, Miss Bridge Princess.?

?This better be good,? Parsee said as she followed Suika out.  The three continued crawling along the path, which grew narrower and narrower until Okuu had to fold her wings and Suika could go no further: her horns were stuck in the pillows.  Parsee climbed around the two of them and went on ahead.

?Be careful,? Suika warned her.  ?I don?t want this place to collapse and smother us.?

Suddenly, Suika heard a girl?s voice say, ?I don?t understand why you don?t just shrink yourself.  You can do that, can?t you, sis??

?Wha??  Suika gasped, and then sighed as she saw a kasha trot past her.  ?Oh, it?s just you.?

?Okuu, c?mon!  Don?t tell me you forgot how to turn into an animal again,? said the kasha.  Okuu giggled and shrunk until she was a large black bird.  However, it was still small enough to walk on unimpeded.  Suika, too, manipulated her density until she was about the cat?s height.

?I sure wish I could shrink,? Parsee sighed, but Suika was only half paying attention to her.  She was more focused on the opening ahead, about the size of those large books people put on their coffee tables.  She rushed out and into a domed space.  More openings of various sizes were spaced evenly on the walls, with one big round one on the ceiling. 

As Suika wondered how this was even possible, she heard a fwump sound and Parsee?s startled scream.  She wheeled around to see Parsee, half out of the tunnel that had just collapsed on her.  Her hands clawed at the pillowed that had landed on the lower half of her body, but to no avail.

?Oh noooo!?

?Hold on, Parsee!?  Orin turned back to her human form and rushed to Parsee?s side.  ?Don?t struggle, it?ll make it worse!?

But Parsee wasn?t listening.  Okuu turned back to human form as well, but just sat there with a confused expression.  More pillows fell onto Parsee?s head, and she grunted as if they were hurting her.

?Go on without me, I?m no use anyway,? she moaned.

Suika frowned and turned back to her normal size, and then bigger.  She stomped over to Parsee (?But how can you get trapped by pillows?? asked Okuu) and grabbed a hold of Parsee?s arms.

?No!  I won?t leave you behind,? Suika said, and pulled.  Parsee came popping out like a cork, and Suika hugged her to her body as they went flying back.  During Suika?s fall, her horns raked against the walls and she slammed against the opposite wall, sending pillows everywhere.  Orin and Okuu fled screaming, and Suika swung her arm to bat the pillows away.

When the commotion finally subsided, Suika squinted and looked around her.  The dome had caved in, revealing the marble ceiling of the Palace of the Earth Spirits.  It was close enough that she could reach out and press her palm against the smooth surface.  They must be high above the ground.

While Orin and Okuu popped out of a pile of pillows nearby, Suika looked down at a dazed and confused Parsee.

?Are you okay??

?Somehow?? Parsee groaned.  Without so much as a ?thank you?, she slid off of Suika?s lap and into the pillows, sending a cloud of feathers into the air.  ?Whee!?

?Great.  So now what?? Suika sighed to herself, but Orin seemed to have conveniently noticed something, because she stood up and pointed somewhere to Suika?s right.

?Over there!? she cried.  Everyone looked and saw a light-haired girl standing there, wearing yellow and green clothes with a wide-brimmed hat.  Her most noticeable feature, however, was the blue eye and accompanying veins on her chest.

Okuu sprung forward and flew towards her with a startling swiftness.  As she dived towards the girl, she squawked, ?Come back here!?
The girl dove into the pillows and out of sight.  Okuu leapt in after her with much less grace, throwing pillows every which way.  Orin ran after her, calling her name.  Suika shrunk back to her normal size and waded into the pillows.

?Wait for me!? she called.  There were no paths this time, just an endless sea of pillows.  Suika plunged in and was aware of Parsee shuffling in after her, but she couldn?t spare time to tell her to stay behind or make conversation.  She dug through the pillows, plowing through them and struggling with all the oni strength she could muster.  At full power, she was able to keep up a steady free stroke.  She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, barely able to hear the pets? yelling over herself.

After what felt like an eternity, she fell through the pillows and into another, wider tunnel.  This one was wide enough that she was able to stand up and spin around without her horns getting caught on anything, so she took off in a sprint.  Up ahead, she could already see Orin and Okuu getting out spellcards as they prepared to face off against the girl?no, against Koishi.  Suika, under any other circumstances, wouldn?t have believed that the littlest satori would show herself so willingly, but they were in a pillow fortress.  This all had to be a game to her.

?You guys are gonna bring the whole damn place down!? Suika roared, shaking her fist as danmaku began to fly.  She looked over her shoulder and saw Parsee tumble through the opening she had just come out of, and was impressed that she had made it that far.

Just as Suika was going to shout words of encouragement to her, a pillow hit her head.  Then another.  Then pillows started raining from the heavens.  A spellcard had been declared, and just as Suika predicted, everything started to collapse.  Suika gave one final bellow of frustration before she was buried.

--

??Oh, god, I?m dead, I?ll never see Yuugi agai?ack!  You didn?t hear me saying that.?

Suika took a pillow off her face and sat up.  She saw Parsee?s legs sticking out of the pillows nearby, kicking furiously as her muffled voice spouted complaints from down below.  Suika stood up, walked over, and yanked her out.  Parsee let out a short shriek, before realizing what was going on.

?Oh.  Uh?thanks,? she grumbled, before getting up and climbing away over a pile of pillows.  Suika looked around, and realized that she was in the palace?s tea room.  It was a very big room with the stairs and the hallway leading to the kitchen and everything.  Outside, thunder rumbled, and chills of pleasure went down her spine.  The floor was no longer visible thanks to all the pillows, but at least they weren?t packed tighter than bullets in a high-level spellcard.

Over by the stairs, two youkai Suika recognized as Kisume and Yamame emerged from the pillows, cheering.

?We made it!?

?We?re free!?

All around, other youkai were pulling themselves from the wreckage, praising the heavens or whatever else they believed in.  Okuu, after much struggling, pulled herself free and held up a thin black chain with an aquamarine attached to it.  She waved it around, and Suika couldn?t help but think how contagious her goofy smile was.  Orin, laying on top of a cushion, blew her bangs in the air and folded her arms.

?Coulda got Lady Koishi good.  Where?d she??

?Um, what?s going on??

A soft voice called from the top of the stairs.  Everyone went quiet and looked up to see Satori, wrapped in a fluffy robe and looking down at the carnage with a small frown.  Suika laughed a little bit.

?Weeell??

Satori held up her hand.  ?No, you don?t need to say anything.  Koishi??

Koishi popped up out of the remains of the fortress, giggled, and almost got away when Suika tackled her to the ground.

?Awww, no fun,? Koishi pouted.  Satori sighed heavily.

?What were you thinking, you?? she asked.  ??You know what, nevermind.  Orin, go put on some tea.  The rest of you, help me pick this up.?

A chorus of ?oookaaayys? resounded through the hall.  Thanks to Suika?s gathering abilities, the pillows were taken care of in no time and arranged in a saner manner.  Ten minutes later, Satori was lounging on them with Orin in her lap, Okuu at her feet, and a teacup in her hand.  The youkai, including Parsee, Yamame, and Kisume, had already gone home.  Koishi was curled in a fetal position close by, fast asleep.

?Go ahead.  I never have visitors,? Satori said, gesturing to the tea tray between them.  Suika took a biscuit in her hand and ate it whole.  Totally worth it.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on May 29, 2014, 02:18:20 AM
Sect requested "Reimu and Konngara go shopping but can't decide where to go for dinner because they have different tastes in food".



?Look how cute this dress is!? Reimu gushed.  She twirled around in said article of clothing, which was knee-length and red with a floral pattern.  ?I can?t believe they have stuff in my size here.?

??Uh-huh.  It?s cute,? was all the oni nearby had to say as she stared idly at the jewelry rack.

Reimu frowned at her reflection in the mirror.  ?Y?know, Konngara, most girls would be enthusiastic about this kind of thing.?

Konngara covered her mouth with one hand and giggled.  ?Ehe.?

Reimu, probably too comfortable in the dress to want to take it off, went to flag down a store clerk while Konngara picked up a straw hat and turned it over in her hands.  There wasn?t really much of a reason to wear these kinds of things in the Underground, where there was no sunlight, but then again, she had her sword with her on a shopping trip.

?I paid for it!  Let?s go!? Reimu called out to her.  She put down the hat and followed Reimu out of the store and into the streets.

It was late in the evening, about the time when activity in the Ancient City really started to pick up.  To compensate for the lack of natural light, lanterns had been strung along the streets, and all the shops were well-lit.  This was one of the nicer parts of the city, where the streets weren?t as dirty and there were stores that sold things that were difficult to find?clothes from the Outside World, for instance.  It was also the district closest to the newly-constructed bathhouse, which would be opening next week.  Visitors from the surface were rare despite this, so when Reimu asked to take her there, Konngara was kind of surprised.

Things had gone well so far?it was actually pretty fun to just waste time going shopping?but the real problem was finding somewhere to eat.  The two walked along down the street, Reimu appearing satisfied with her new dress and the other shopping bags she was carrying.  They eventually came to a stop near a lamp post while looking around at the shops nearby.  The scent of food picked up in the air, and Reimu said,

?I?m starving.  Let?s get something to eat.?

Konngara nodded, and Reimu continued to look around.

?Hmmm?hey, how about that steakhouse over there?? Reimu suggested.  Konngara shook her head.  ?Wow, okay.  Let?s go get fish then.?

Konngara shook her head.  ?There?s a pub over there??

?Ew.?  Reimu grimaced.  ?I don?t like fried food.?

?How about Mexican.  Everybody likes Mexican food?? Konngara said matter-of-factly.

?Well I don?t,? Reimu said, and an awkward silence ensued.  If Reimu were alone, she would have looked lost for all the desperate looking around she was doing.  Finally, she pointed to a building across the street with a pair of brightly-lit golden arches on the sign above it.

?There!  Let?s go there, that looks like a safe choice.?  She started off towards it.  Konngara would have said something in protest, but she didn?t recognize this place.  Instead, she just followed quietly.

It was fairly busy inside, with most of the tables taken up by oni who were eating and talking and generally being louder than was socially acceptable.  Reimu made a beeline for the front counter and looked up at the menu.  Konngara caught up with her, took one look at the menu, and grinned.

?What happened to ?I don?t like fried food?, huh??? she asked, repeatedly poking Reimu on the side of the head.  The shrine maiden responded by smacking her hand away and puffing her cheeks in anger.

?Shut up!?  Reimu reached into her sleeve and started digging around.  ?Ugh.  The Happy Meal seems pretty cheap, what are you gonna get??

?Fries and?a shake, I guess??  Konngara shrugged.  It seemed like a safe bet.  A lot of the items listed here looked kind of intense, and she?d rather save that for when she was hanging out with Yuugi or someone who was a big eater.

Five minutes and a short wait later, Konngara and Reimu were walking out of the building with their food.  It was too crowded inside, so they started looking for a bench to sit down on while they ate.  Just as Konngara had spotted one, she heard Reimu scream.  Alarmed and thinking another oni was trying to drag the girl away, Konngara reached for her sword.

However, when she turned around, she only saw Reimu, bristling up and holding the red and yellow Happy Meal box in front of her.  On her face was an expression of terror.

?Reimu?  Wha??  Konngara looked over Reimu?s shoulder and blanched.  On the box were an uncanny smile and a pair of eyes, leering back at her.  Reimu, unprepared for this, was shaking too hard to retrieve the food stored inside this monstrosity.

?What the heck is this?!? Reimu cried.  ?This?this is??

As she stood there in shock, Konngara held out her own bag of food.

?Want a fry??
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 02, 2014, 11:44:34 PM
The final request, based off this comic (http://hydrangeamaiden.tumblr.com/post/86570379324/) based off this post. (http://radicalslams.tumblr.com/post/86109628935/)  Will the requester please stand up.



Mima cackled to herself.  For a record-breaking eighty-seventh time this month, everything was going to be a disaster, and it would all be her doing.  She flew through the gates of the underground shrine, brushing off the sparks of warding magic that stung her as she passed.  There was a light coming from inside the shrine, but only one of its occupants was inside.  The other, a small, purple-haired girl, was outside kicking a soccer ball around.

Without waiting another moment, Mima swooped down and grabbed her.  The girl laughed and squirmed as Mima carried her off, making it difficult to keep a hold on her.  Trying her best to ignore her, Mima looked at her surroundings: the tunnel in the distance, leading out of the cavern; the city, a blur of light; the wastelands, nothing but rock for miles; right ahead, a bronze orb floating a few meters off the ground. 

 ?What are you doing?? asked the orb as Mima approached.  Inside the orb was a woman, who looked as calm as someone who was witnessing a kidnapping attempt for the umpteenth time.  Mima grinned broadly.

?Babysitting,? said Mima.  ?She was home alone, thought I?d keep her company.  Teach her a few magic tricks.?

?Liar,? Kikuri said.  The child in Mima?s arms reached out and made grabby hands.  Mima leaned over to allow her to slap her little hands against the glass.

?Kiki!? the girl cried.

?Kikuri, dear,? she corrected with a gentle smile, and then made a much less pleasant face at Mima.  ?You really should put her back.?

Mima smiled.  ?Nope.?

?Konngara will be mad??

?NOPE.  Shhhshhshh.?  Mima clapped her hand over Kikuri?s mouth.  At least, she would have if the orb wasn?t in the way, so she just settled for covering the glass in front of Kikuri?s mouth. 

Kikuri frowned deeply, but merely sat back in her orb and sighed to herself.  As Mima flew off, she wondered why her friend didn?t bother to stop her beyond scolding.  Just as she was thinking this, she heard the door to the shrine open.  Konngara wandered out into the front yard?but really, Mima only called it that for convenience?and looked around.  Evidently not noticing Mima, she looked down at the abandoned soccer ball and frowned.

?Reimu?? she called.  Kikuri made a slight coughing sound.  Konngara turned around and muttered something, and Kikuri jerked her thumb in Mima?s direction.  Konngara looked up at Mima, who was unable to keep from laughing.

?Later, jackass!? Mima called out to her, before speeding off towards the city.

Meanwhile, at the shrine, Konngara took out her sword (?Oh my god.?) and raced off after them.  Kikuri sighed another long, drawn-out sigh and ascended back to the cave ceiling.  There was nothing she could do but wait for them to return.

The city was bustling.  It was early evening, the end of a workday, and the oni were going home or having dinner.  The streets were packed, and if Mima were to drop Reimu here she really would be in trouble.  She kept along the rooftops at a fast pace, not stopping even when Reimu pulled at her hair and struggled to get out of her arms.

?Pu? me down,? Reimu demanded. 

?Hush,? said Mima.  Seeing an opening beneath the rooftops, she dove into a narrow back street.  She didn?t have much of a destination in mind, so she figured she might as well enjoy the scenery.  The walls, untended to in these parts, were covered in vines and creeping plants that reached to the roofs and dangled in the air.  Mima pushed them aside and kept going. 

At the end of the road, there was a bright light and many loud voices.  Mima pulled her cloak over Reimu and soared out into the main street.  A few oni jumped back, some cursing at her for her sudden entrance, as she zoomed out into the open.  Thrilled at her precarious situation, Mima rushed back to the rooftops while cackling.

Farther away, Konngara was roaming the streets with her sword unsheathed and fully aware of how visibly worried she looked.  Perhaps sensing her distress, people nearby moved out of the way.  Seeing her, Yuugi or Suika running around like they were headed somewhere and looking that upset was kind of like seeing an ambulance.  Someone yelled out ?where?s the fire?? and she ignored them and kept going.

Five minutes turned to fifteen, and Konngara was getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of evil spirits she was seeing.  She started to contemplate asking for directions.

Have you seen a three-year old girl about this tall, purple hair, no horns?no, I?m not saying that.

Just then, a lightbulb went off?well, more like a candle being lit.  Konngara had never actually seen a lightbulb before.  She approached a nearby oni, who had to have been almost nine feet tall and carrying a club.

?Have you seen an evil spirit with green hair?? Konngara asked.

?Hrm?an evil spirit with those features??  The oni scratched his head.  ?I saw one headed for the bridge, if yer lookin? for evil spirits?huh??

Konngara was already running off, not bothering to listen to the rest of his thought.  Impatient with the crowded streets, she rose into the air and flew away as fast as she could.
In no time at all, she had reached the cavern that lead to the bridge.  Mima floated along at a leisurely pace.  Reimu squirmed in her arms, and Mima was so busy trying not to drop her that she didn?t notice the footsteps rapidly approaching until they had almost caught up to her.  Mima spun around and flew backwards to avoid the sword slashing through the air.

?Well, well, well,? said Mima.  ?It took you ten minutes longer than usual to catch up to me.  You?d better be faster than that if you don?t want me to run off with lil? Reirei.?

Then, she added, ?But it?s not like I was keeping track or anything.?

?What did you do with her?? Konngara growled, waved her sword at Mima.

?Ohhh, touchy, touchy,? said Mima.  Reimu popped out of her cloak with a giggle, and Konngara sighed.  ?I went through the liberty of hiding her while flying through the city.  You should be thanking me.?

Konngara shook her head.  ?Give her back.?

Mima put a finger to her chin and pretended to think.  ?Hmm?I don?t think so.?

If it were anyone else, Mima?and most likely Reimu?would be intimidated or even scared of the angry oni, but Mima had totally done this on purpose.  So she did what all evil spirits would do in that situation: lord it up.

?You think you?ve been doing such a good job of protecting lil? Reirei here, but if you can?t even keep her safe from me then you?re doing something wrong.  In the first place, humans don?t belong underground.  They need their fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun.  Last time I checked, there?s no sun down here,? Mima said, laughing a bit as she watched Konngara?s expression change from angry to hurt.  ?You can?t keep her down here forever, you know.  She belongs with her own kind.?

Reimu, who was busy chewing on Mima?s cloak, slowly stopped and looked up, appearing puzzled.

Konngara began to lower her sword, but hesitated.  Her hands trembled and she said, ??You don?t know anything, Mima.?

?Ohh, really??  Mima flew higher into the air and threw out her arm.  A knife materialized in her hand.  ?Then prove it!?

With those words, she pointed the knife and fired off a round of danmaku.  The cavern was suddenly filled with bright lights and the underwhelmingly quiet sound of bullets hitting rock and colliding with each other.  With a flick of her wrist, Mima sent a stalactite falling to the cave floor.  As more rocks fell, black tendrils shot out and pierced them, turning them into harmless rubble.  They retreated back to Konngara, and she shot a laser at Mima.  Mima held out her knife and deflected it with the blade, where it collided with some stalagmites.

?Careful, careful, you don?t want to hit Reimu, do you?? Mima taunted.  She was still holding Reimu, who was huddled in Mima?s cloak.  Konngara made a loud, frustrated noise.

?Oh my god, Mima,? she groaned as she dodged another deflected danmaku wave.  ?My shoulders ache??  A stray bullet hit her ankle, and she tripped.  ??I missed the bread sale at the market?? She hopped from stalagmite to stalagmite, cornered by Mima?s attacks.  ??and now this.?

She gasped as the stalagmite she was balancing on crumbled, and she almost lost her footing.  Mima floated above her and cackled.

?Looks like I?ve won this time,? Mima said.  Konngara was quiet, but gave her a look as if to say ?you really don?t like to play fair, do you??

Of course, when you push someone far enough, they?ll stop being fair, too.  Konngara picked up a boulder that was sitting nearby and threw it at Mima as she was starting another villainous monologue, catching the evil spirit completely off guard.

?Whoa!?  Mima pointed her knife at the boulder and shot a spray of danmaku at it.  In the process, her cloak flew open and Reimu went flying.  Unfortunately, Reimu couldn?t actually fly, so she started to scream instead.  The tendrils went out to catch her, but then stopped.  Konngara realized that she would not be able to catch Reimu with them.

?Reimu!?  Konngara raced across the cavern.  She reached out her arms, and somehow barely managed to catch Reimu before they went tumbling across the ground and coming to a stop against the cavern wall. 

They both sat there for a few moments, completely disoriented.  Reimu clung to Konngara and shivered in terror, while the latter slumped against the wall, the fight leaving her.

Suddenly, a huge laser struck the wall right above their heads.  Konngara?s eyes widened in shock and, unable to do anything else, slid further down the wall to avoid it.

When the light died down, Mima scoffed and put her knife away.  ?Oh well.  I lost, even though you were the one losing.?

Konngara stood up and walked away at a brisk pace, taking Reimu with her.  Mima flew after her, but more because the only other way out was to the surface.  When it was evident that she was going to be left behind, Mima slowed down and continued at a steady glide.

Later, Reimu watched the activity in the streets as she was being carried from rooftop to rooftop.  They were passing over the part of town where all the food vendors decided to open shop for the day, and all sorts of delicious scents passed by her.  However, there was one thing that she wanted above all else.  She tugged on Konngara?s sleeve.

?I wanna snowcone.?

??Okay.?

-Epilogue-

?You?re back!? said Kikuri, but Konngara just kept walking past her.  ?Um???

?Next time, you stop her instead,? Konngara said, pointing to her in accusation.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: nintendonut888 on June 03, 2014, 02:25:32 AM
I liked the idea that Mima has kidnapped Reimu so often she's not even upset or very scared, and that Konngara is more annoyed than anything. I liked this, thank you for writing it.
Title: Re: Himiko's Shorts
Post by: 日巫子 on June 08, 2014, 03:32:36 AM
Yesterday was National Donut Day but it took me longer than a day to write this thing.  Someone on Tumblr requested I write light-hearted Reisato so I wrote this...I hope there's enough Reisato in here.



Sundown was a time to hide indoors, fearing the youkai that appeared after dark, but Reimu led a different life from most humans in Gensokyo.  Tonight, the darkening sky only meant that it was time for her to head on over to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.  As the heat of the day faded, she put on some travelling boots and looked over at the purple-haired guest sitting at her table.

?Ready to go, Satori?? she asked.

?Yes, let?s go,? Satori replied, standing up flying to the doorway to get her shoes.  She squinted at the setting sun.  ?Even in the evening, it?s so bright out.?

?Well, duh,? said Reimu.  The two walked hand-in-hand until they reached the stairs, and then took off into the sky.  In the forest below, cicadas screamed.  Red spires peeked over the treetops in the distance, and as Reimu and Satori got closer, the rest of the large red building became visible.

As they descended onto the path along the lake, Satori asked, ?Do you think they?ll let me in??

?Of course they are.  I told them you?d be coming,? said Reimu, giving Satori?s hand a squeeze.  ?And if they don?t, we?ll just force our way in.?

?Th-that?s kind of??  Satori trailed off, preferring to walk with Reimu along the path until they reached the iron-wrought gates.  Meiling, who was sitting on a stool in front of it, waved to them.

?Just fly on over,? she called out.

Reimu shouted out an ?okay!? and flew right on over, half-dragging Satori along with her.  Satori would have told her to at least say ?thank you?, but they were already at the front door.  Reimu slammed her fist into it about as gracefully as Okuu doing the dishes, until the door opened.

?Hey, Sakuya!?

?Come on in??

Ten minutes later, Reimu and Satori were seated at a small table set up in the ballroom for them, with a lovely view of the greenhouse.  Sakuya poured two cups of tea and, just as Reimu and Satori were about to start drinking, set a platter of donuts on the table between them.  There were chocolate donuts, donuts with powdered sugar, eclairs, custard and cr?me-filled, strawberry donuts, and crullers, to name a few.  Reimu?s eyes grew wide, and she immediately reached for a strawberry one.

?Courtesy of the Mistress,? said Sakuya as Satori reached for a chocolate donut in disbelief.  ?I expect she will be up in a few minutes.?

Sakuya disappeared, leaving Reimu and Satori to feast on the donuts.

?You should take me to pick up your sister more often!? Reimu said.

?You?re going to gain an unhealthy amount of weight if you?oh wait,? Satori said, looking down at her donut.

?You just remembered one of my abilities, didn?t you?? Reimu said with a grin.  She dipped her donut in her cup of tea, took a bite, and shrugged.  ?Meh, this is OK.?

Satori finished her donut and allowed her hand to hover over the platter, looking for the next donut she would eat.  She supposed it was okay to splurge just this once, but Reimu clearly intended to eat everything no the plate.

?Wait, Reimu,? she said.  ?Let?s save some for Koishi.?

?Awww??  Reimu took an ?clair and settled back.  ?What kind of donuts does she like??

Satori gave pause.  ??I don?t know.?

They settled for setting aside a few custard-filled and glazed donuts for Koishi, and as they were starting to feel full (they had eaten three donuts apiece already), Remilia came walking down the stairs and floating towards them.

?The moon is a perfect shade of red tonight,? she announced to them as she approached.  Sakuya followed, carrying an extra chair.

?It?s sunset,? Reimu said with her mouth full of donut.  Remilia ignored her and sat down on the chair Sakuya set up at the table.  Sakuya poured the vampire a cup of tea and stood back next to the tea cart.

?So you are Miss Koishi?s sister, are you not?? Remilia asked Satori, smiling with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

?Yes, I am.?  Satori took a sip of tea, unperturbed.

?Well, she is well-behaved every time she comes here?Is what I have heard from the maids.  I have never seen her myself.?

Reimu took a drink of tea.  ?Well, speak of the devil.  Here they come right now.?

As Remilia choked on her tea, Flandre and Koishi came bounding up the stairs.

?Koishi!?  Satori smiled on reflex.  ?Did you have fun??

?Uh, yeah.?  Koishi grabbed a donut from the table and started to nibble on it.  Flandre took three at once, and then there were none.  Remilia frowned.

?Oh for goodness sake, Flandre, leave some for your friend,? she scolded.  Flandre tore off half the donut that was in her mouth and offered it to Koishi.

?Here you go!?

?Thanks.?

Satori couldn?t help but giggle.

Reimu and Satori flew back to the shrine under starlight, this time joined by Koishi.  Before the Komeiji sisters went back Underground, they stopped to rest at the Hakurei Shrine first.  Reimu lied on the floor, patted her belly, and groaned while Koishi chased fireflies outside.

?I?m so stuffed!  I never want to eat another donut again,? she complained.  She looked over and came face to face with Satori?s third eye.  ?Just because I can?t get fat off of sweets doesn?t mean I can?t get stomachaches, either.?

?Those donuts were heavy.  You?re just not used to eating heavy foods,? Satori replied, rolling over and resting her head on Reimu?s chest.  ?The trick is to eat slowly.?

?So we can stay there longer?? Reimu asked, threading her fingers through Satori?s hair.  ?Next time, let?s invite ourselves over for lunch or something.  The Scarlet Devil Mansion has good food as long as you ask for vegetarian.  Don?t laugh!  I?m serious!?

?Haha, it?s okay, I believe you.?