Lesson 1: Cirno

Hello, and welcome everyone. This is the first colloquium I will be hosting for my research into the ecology and lives of youkai and related beings. Thank you to the village elders for sponsoring this research. Before I begin with the first lecture, there is some organizational topics I need to discuss.

First of all, each lecture will be some fifteen to thirty minutes, maybe more depending on the amount of content I’ve prepared, and the number of questions asked. Please ask questions, I have not covered everything. Each lecture will be held here in the public school on Saturdays in the early afternoon by announcement, so it will not be every week. I thank Miss Kamishirasawa for allowing this to be held here. And no, I’m not technically a teacher yet, so I don’t have the right to come in here on my own authority.

For those of you that do not know me, my name is Tanner Regas, an outsider who wandered in. I’m attempting to make a curriculum for the public school that is more focused on some basic sciences and mathematics. Reason for this is that I was a high school physics teacher… someone who taught young individuals their basic curriculum, and I saw that there was an opening for such a position here.

A: “How come you aren’t dead if you’re from the outside?”

I was left in the village proper. I don’t know why I was in the village proper to begin with, but whatever.
So I went for the position, after I got dumped here, that is.

Any further questions about me personally can be held until after the colloquium. Transcripts of which will be recorded by the servant of Lady Hieda present. Thank you for your hard work.

Onto important topics, the class itself; this course will be describing the life, physiology, and general attributes of whatever research subject I have been working with before each lecture. Some cursory observations on things like their daily routine, or inductive hypothesis on a species as a whole will be given at my own discretion. I will be sure to write whatever sources I used as peripheral here on the board. Importantly, I made sure reference Lady Hieda’s own effective youkai encyclopedia, the Per

"It's kind of weird looking, ain't it?"

It found the final, coveted vestiges of its slumber cruelly wrenched from its weary mind, as its senses were filled with uncomfortable heat and the varied din of a surrounding mob.

"I've never seen a lizard get this big, do you think it's some kind of youkai?"

"Of course it's a youkai! There's no way a lizard could grow to this size."

"You don't think it eats flesh, do you?"

"What else could those teeth be for?"

"I hope it isn't dangerous.."

"How did it even end up here, anyway?"

The last question was accompanied by a slightly forceful prod against the beast's nose, it huffed in irritation and tried desperately to reclaim its lost tranquility. This would prove to be fruitless, as evidenced by a startled cry.

"Don't poke the damn thing! Do you want it to wake up?!"

"Well, it might have been dead for all we know! how else was I supposed to check?"

"Keep poking it and you might be dead the one!"

"No one should do anything until the Head Priest gets here!"

"That's right! Lady Byakuren will take care of everything!"

"For the record, if this thing tried to eat me, I would just run."

"Oh? And do you really think that you could outrun a monster like that?"

"I don't have to outrun the lizard, I just have to outrun you~"

"Why, you-!"

It chose this moment to discreetly open its left eye. It winced and rectified the action, regretting the decision as the sun's rays seemed adamant on worsening the dull ache in its head. Momentarily forgetting about the crowd of unknown voices, it hissed irritably as both its eyes opened and slowly adjusted to the light. Near immediately, someone noticed that it was waking up.

"G-get away from it! It's awake!"

"Wha-?! Gyaaaah!!"

Faster than any living thing it had ever witnessed, the creatur

Depending on who you ask. You’d get a lot of different opinions on this fantasy land called, ‘Gensokyo.’

If you were to ask the folks in the Human Village, they’d say that the land is nice so long as you stay inside the walls of the village. But if for some unfortunate reason you’d have to travel out of it, they’d still say the land was mostly fine so long as you’d stay within the well-traveled roads.

And avoided the enormous Forest of Magic.

Stayed away from any large fields of sunflowers.

Kept your distance from any large patches of spider-lilies.

Took care not to attract attention from the Tengu from the mountain

Made a large detour around the lake and avoided the scarlet mansion.

Oh and if you somehow had the ability to do so, stayed away from the big hole in the sky over yonder unless you want to visit the netherworld early.

Among other hazards.

‘But it is a nice place regardless!’ So they’d say.

If you were to ask the question to a youkai who was more willing to make conversation and not gore you for a snack ‘just because,’ They’d have a higher opinion of the land as a whole. But also mention some, if not a good chunk of the same hazards the villagers mentioned.

Then you’ve got the individuals that are practically the center of these hazards who’ll tell you that Gensokyo has no issues and will stare at you blankly and/or oddly for even suggesting that there might be some issues with this little land of fantastical paradise.

But who were you to think? You were just an outsider dropped into this hot mess out of nowhere. A case of ‘Right place, wrong time,’ that you quickly found out was all too common for something seemingly uncommon.

Months went by, through multiple strokes of luck and will. You had somehow managed to carve out a little niche for yourself as another ‘problem-solver’ of sorts. Taking cases from the village and, on the rare occasion, the more sophisticated youkai.

Luckily for you, the majority of cases were just small-time stuff. ‘There’s a weird noise coming from the attic!’ that would turn

Thread 1: >>41094
Thread 2: >>41628

[x] A stroll somewhere exotic. We could compare our philosophies and spells.

“Perhaps a trip to some dark, mysterious forest?”

“A dark forest, really?”

I pulled away from her. Clasping my hands behind my back, I strolled toward the gate. “Why? Are you afraid I’ll do anything… inappropriate?”

“What? Why would I even think that?”

Still clasping my hands, I shrugged. “Why, indeed?”

And yet, after a few steps, she fell in line beside me. “Surely, there’s somewhere better we can go.”

“Hm.” I chuckled. “Why yes, I think I know just the place.”

“Oh? Where is that?”

“Let’s allow it to be my little surprise, darling.”

She pouted. “Very well.”

Waiting barely until we left the gate, I unhooked my hands, grabbed one of hers, and dragged her toward the lightning-singed tree I’d come from. With a hop and skip, we’d returned to the infinite void and, from there, come out from another damaged tree, this time by a coarse dirt pathway, winding in switchbacks up a mountain face.

She frowned. “A dark forest on a mountain. Your wisdom impresses me, dear.”

“Oh, hush. You’ll see its beauty soon enough.” I offered her my elbow. She glanced at it, a mask of uncertainty flickering across her face before she shook her head and linked her arm with mine. Together, we began a trek up the mountainside.

I breathed in the thin but crisp, mountain air, feeling its chill touch on my skin. “So, how was your temple today.”

She sighed. “For some mysterious reason, your presence has them rattled. Perhaps we should spend our nights at your place, instead.”

I gasped in mock shock. “Why, you’re not trying to kick me out, are you?”

“Oh dear, no. Why, I believe you had to lose to accept sleepi

(A short outside of /shorts/.)

A loyal host of Mononobe men-under-arms made midnight march for Iware.

[u]Sup Anons, had this idea for a while now and after some years of just reading stories here and being a part of the cyoas.
I figured I'd try to take my own swing to it as well![u/]


The sun rises, some bird chirps and as far as you can see there are no intruders in the sky or on the ground,
though you aren't certain if any are hiding behind the gravestones or trees surrounding you

But if they are then you won't spare them your wrath!

You are an Jiangshi, you are to PROTECT the graveyard from INTRUDERS.

Why is that? Because the master told you to. See even your talisman says so

[b] -Do not allow anyone to enter the graveyard
-Do not allow anyone to steal from the graveyard [b/]

So far you've been doing a good job because you are a good boy!..or good girl! your neck is too stiff to look down and check!

"Bzzzzz" Ah what is that? a foul yellow creature has slipped beyond your guard Unforgivable. it is yellow and small and yellow and it's small yellow presence is not allowed to be small and yellow here!

[] Show it your wrath!
[] Calm down, give it a chance to surrender
[]Leave it be
[] Whatever else you think works better (write in)

He apologized first to the girl. “Sorry,” Kigaku mouthed to Kyouko.

“Sorry,” she echoed as the prophet bowed in shame.

“No—um. It’s alright. Really.” The book-girl shrugged in resignation. “I’ve memorized the contents, more or less. And it was only a matter of time until something like that would burst into flames, so it was only inevitable.”

“And why would that be the case?”

“Because,” she said, her orange eyes falling onto the yamabiko. The girl was half a word into her next sentence until she cut herself short, instead muttering to herself. She hunched over, and, as if the prophet and his companion didn’t even exist, she circled around, mumbling non-words all the while.

“Um. Hello?” Kyouko took a nervous step back and retreated to behind the prophet. “I’m not liking this, Ametsuchi.”

The man silently agreed. It was not just her demeanor, either: Both the prophet and the youkai sensed malintent. And though the book-girl seemed innocuous at first glance, a spell of malevolence took to the air around her.

Kigaku nodded to his assistant. “Excuse me. Miss?”

Kyouko relayed, though her voice barely carried over—she was busy pressing her face into the prophet’s back, cowering all the while. But no amount of decibels would have swayed the orange-haired girl: She was entranced. This was an unfortunate setback for the prophet—he had prior business with the bookkeeper, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

The prophet opened his lips. ‘Miss,’ he mouthed.

The girl stopped in her tracks, her glazed eyes turning to the man.

‘Forgive me, but I’ll be intruding.’ He took a step forward, and, delicately, the prophet put a hand to her left shoulder.

She recoiled, jumping back at the man’s touch. The girl looked like she was a moment from screaming, but instead, gray haze was forcibly expelled from her mouth. It materialized into a shape, vaguely human,

The ominous gong of the church bell sent vibrations through the slim, tensed body of the blonde heroine. Her journey would end inside the cathedral before her: one of black, spike-like towers and cold, metallic trusses — a holy place captured and twisted by the legendary demon, Melog. It was a fate she had been prepared for ever since she took up the blessed sword, Fortuna, said to slice through all probability. There was always a price to be paid for defiance.

A firm hand slapped her back, sending a wave of force through her leather armor and into her shoulder blades. She steadied herself and looked up at the offender: a man whose shell of gray plate armor revealed only his cold, dark eyes.

“Don’t lose your nerve,” he said through his visor.

She forced a smile as her heart fluttered in her chest. “You should know by now that my nerve has only ever faltered once: when we first shared a bed, and I gazed upon your—”

He turned away. “That’s precisely what I mean.”

She silently apologized. Even as a heroine, inappropriate humor seemed to be her only talent. Perhaps if she had any real skills — sorcery, medicine, peddling, or even farming — she would not have been forced to take up the holy sword. He would also have been spared.

Her legs pushed her forward, to the large double-doors. There were no locks, no barricades. She placed her hands on the door and struggled against its size.

Then he appeared beside her, adding his own weight to her efforts. “I have never regretted my decision.”

The heroine smiled, took a breath, and shoved against the door with all her might.


###


The foreigner erupted from his slumber and jolted upright. His light kimono had allowed the cool night to seep into his bones, and his head felt as if it were swimming in the open air. The alcohol had been unusually strong tonight, or perhaps he had drank an unusual amount — he could not remember.

“O Fortuna of purity, my body be cleansed.”

His spirit called upon his homeland’s goddess of probability, but the drunkenness didn’t subside. The alcohol’s haze was so potent, no parallel self of hi

Rice and Rain >>/shorts/2209

Inspired by, or shamelessly stolen from. Take your pick. Mibya wrote that (>>/gensokyo/15535).

Thread 1 >>41060

Previous thread: https://www.touhou-project.com/shrine/res/38956.html

It's been a while, but I'm back with a sequel to the Hakurei Apprentice. Enjoy!
_________________________________________________________________

Leaves blow in the cool wind. The red blends with the yellow, sticking to the grooves and cracks of the stone pathway leading to the shrine. A familiar sight each and every autumn morning. It was as much of a part of my routine as making breakfast and doing laundry. It’s what my Master often called ‘shrine maiden training’ when it was just daily chores. I’ve done this so many times, it’s as if the days bled into months bled into years.

It seemed like only yesterday that Yukari brought me across the barrier into the Hakurei Shrine. Despite my life in the outside world, I’d like to say that, overall, coming here was an improvement. I’ve been able to form relationships with people that I would have never dreamed of meeting. Well, people being the operative word, but… they’re still ‘people’ all the same. Thoughts, feelings, hardships, desires.

Humans, youkai, gods, fairies, spirits -- all of them are different, but they can still exist in the cut-off world of Gensokyo. Despite their eccentric personalities, I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

Master hasn’t let up in the years that I’ve been here, always being hard, always expecting more out of me than she was going to get. I know that should be encouraging, but I’m just not as gifted as she is. Tapping into her innate powers as the Hakurei shrine maiden seems as easy as breathing for her. For me, it’s a struggle -- considering I’m still having a hard time grasping the basics even after four years.

I struggle with the thought that Reimu might not be a good teacher. I’m still not entirely sure myself, but the fact remains that I live here, that she’s helped me, and that because of her, I’ve found a place to belong. There are moments where Master’s intuition and guidance are something to be admired, truly. I wish that I--

Crack.

A wooden box smashes into t