Episode 1: Scarlet Mist
A friendly land where the days are bright, the nights are beautiful, and sounds of fear and joy resound around as we all live as if safety was not a lie.
Welcome to Gensokyo.
Hello Dreamers!
There is a strange scarlet mist today, blocking and choking out the sun. No need to worry though, as the sun is a deadly laser and this mist is helping shield us from it today. Today’s activities can all be done without sunscreen and I’m sure the local vampires appreciate it very much.
If you’re a filthy sun lover though, Hakurei Reimu, you know, the Miko? Is currently en route to investigate the disturbance which seems to be located around a mysterious mansion.
More as the story develops…
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No one knew where the broadcast came from. No one could find its origin despite how hard they searched for it. The only thing that they knew was that a voice began speaking and there was no hiding from it nor silencing it.
A sectioned off piece of Japan isolated behind the Great Hakurei Barrier, Gensokyo was a land where common sense was nonsense, where gods and yokai mingled with humans, where myth and fantasy was alive and well and thriving. It was a place where strange things were commonplace and logic twisted just a bit. A mysterious voice speaking to all would not, should not seem out of place, but yet… it was. In a sense, it was out of place with how in place it was.
The voice broadcasted its thoughts throughout the day intermittently, offering snippets of scenes occurring across Gensokyo and opinions on other happenings. Despite that intermittency, it flowed from one idea to another, continuing a story while interrupting it with asides here and there, sometimes simply pausing. It didn’t grab your attention so much as nudged it, reminding you it was there, but not disturbing much otherwise.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
It was unsettling. Yet… It was still familiar. Unsettling in its familiarity. As if a missing piece had slipped into place seamlessly to the point one could only marvel at how life was before the piece had been found. Despite this being the first broadcast, the listeners could not seem to bring themselves to worry too much during the sessions, going on with their daily lives and tasks as needed.
After each pause and break though was another story. A voyeur that broadcasted their observations? That could not be silenced? It was… frightening even to Yokai. The Tengu of Yokai Mountain immediately began discussing it, planning how to defend themselves against the next broadcast and how to better shield themselves from those prying eyes. The humans of the village simply searched for a way to hide from the broadcast.
As for everybody else? The lonesome yokai hiding in forests, the hermits in searching vigil, shopkeepers all on their lonesome and Incident Resolves hard at work, all the other loners who lived by themselves simply… enjoyed? Endured? Existed throughout the broadcast.
To that last group, it was simply another bit of life. Perhaps in time, it would be another facet of life in Gensokyo for the rest of them.
Regardless of each individual listener’s opinions and fears though, all of Gensokyo listened to the broadcast.
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Today’s Yokai Watch, watch out for Rumia!
A yokai of darkness that calls herself a “Human Eating Yokai”, she seems to have lost her appetite for human flesh along with most of her height and maturity. Long gone is the appearance of the adult blonde yankee and this child-like yokai now spends her days wandering along the edges of the Misty Lake in a bubble of darkness.
Every so often, when the moon is brightest and the air is soft with regretful melancholy, she visits a grave with a broken kitsune mask and sits. Always quiet, she always seems confused as to why tears slip down her cheeks. As if mourning a friend forgotten and a life half remembered.
This is the worst time to speak with her. Do not do this, but if you do, know that we will laugh very hard at you.
We suggest carrying raw meat to throw should you need to run away from her. The smell should distract her and failing that, you could use it to negotiate. Just remember, while you may not be able to see in her darkness, neither can she.
If you want to meet her, we suggest during the day with an offering of raw meat. She prefers human meat, but pork should be fine, and failing that, beef. In exchange, Rumia may be willing to do dark and/or dark related things.
I assume.
Dreamers, I’ll admit, I’m reading between the lines for this one as the missive I received from her appears to be written in dark red ink on leather parchment. I do not know nor wish to know what type of leather the parchment is and the ink smells worryingly metallic. The missive reads, “Darkness knows even as I forget.”
Nothing on the back. Just those six words. That is all.
So as mentioned before, I am very much reading between the lines. Not that there’s much to read beyond the one line.
...Hm. Perhaps just don’t attempt to speak with her. Do bring meat though. Just in case.