[Open] Upon a Sunbathed Hilltop

[Meira]

Alone - Where memories of the lost and abandoned drift wearily across white flower fields as far as the eye sees. It neared only an hour after the stroke of noon when the samurai came to rest and to lose herself beneath the sun's warmth. There were few better places to be alone, she felt, that one could simply approach on two feet. She sat with her legs neatly folded beneath the skirt of her robe, her eyes half-lidded and concealed under woven straw. Although the encroaching afternoon sun nourished her like a warm embrace, she found the light catching her eyes to be too distracting. The straw jingasa she had made only days before left little to be seen of her face, save the flute protruding between her thin lips.

Just as her head piece appeared woven around her head, the lilies appeared as if they were woven around her lower body; nearly coiling across his impression within the valley. The notes drawn from her delicate fingers and the wind through her lips carried across the air. The sound lingered as it ran through the valley far and wide, following the wind as it swept across the lily field like a gentle hand across a head of hair.

There was a time when Meira would never have ventured to this cruel, broken place. She was already well versed in the old stories of the deadly beauties lining the ground; the lily's fruit was deathly poisonous, despite their bright red color. Unwanted children would be left here - abandoned by their parents who either could not take care of them or were simply unwilling to take the responsibility. It was assured that the poisoned berries would kill them, who were too young to resist such beautiful bits. The samurai reminisced over these tales, finding a sort of twisted connection with the hill: She too was unwanted - rejected by her father.

Three months had past since this change had come over her, she was steadily learning these strange and new abilities she gained. But her goals had hardly changed, she still keenly remembered the shrine maiden who humiliated her nearly two years ago. Meira desired, no, craved redemption and the chance to regain the honor that was taken from her. Yet even as her thoughts return to the Hakurai girl, she doesn't miss a note, nor sully the subtle flow played atop the sunbathed hilltop.

[Kogasa Tatara]

She was already well versed in the old stories of the deadly beauties lining the ground; the lily's fruit was deathly poisonous, despite their bright red color. Unwanted children would be left here - abandoned by their parents who either could not take care of them or were simply unwilling to take the responsibility. It was assured that the poisoned berries would kill them, who were too young to resist such beautiful bits.

How ironic then, that this was very place to give birth, not death, to an abandoned object. A discarded doll, if the stories were to be believed, not only came into life here, but had been accepted by the wicked berries, taking on their poisonous attributes. A place that rejects abandoned humans but embraces unwanted objects, could Nameless Hill be the Valhalla of tsukumogami?

Kogasa wasted no time making her way to Nameless Hill after overhearing a story of the cursed doll who was blamed for claiming yet another victim. Even if the field of poisonous flowers couldn't live up to the naive karakasa's wildest imagination, the heterochromatic umbrella was more than excited to meet with a fellow tsukumogami. Kogasa wasn't sure she had met once since crossing the border, and everyone who ever met the umbrella could at least tell that the poor girl could really use a friend.

Unfortunately, as Kogasa was finding out more and more, nothing ever goes like you expect it to. She had found the place with little trouble; even if poison did not affect the cursed umbrella, descriptions of the flowers were too vivid to have any doubt of mistaking her location. Really though, who names a place 'Nameless Hill'? Doesn't naming it defeat that purpose? Kogasa couldn't help but let her mind wander over trivial details such as these as her search wore on, anything to push back the sinking realization that the story she heard probably was too good to be true.

People wouldn't make up stories like that, would they? Humans may fear the unknown and be quick to blame youkai due to their overactive imagination (and are not always incorrect); the monster hiding in the well, the reanimated dead, the abandoned umbrella who was unloved... Kogasa might be naive, but even she was sure that a poisonous doll, of all things, was a bit beyond the usual capacity of human imagination without there being some precedent. Maybe the doll was laying down in the dense foliage that covered the entire hill like a blanket, waiting to spring up and catch intruders by surprise. How big could a doll get anyways? Or she could just be away on some business. Yeah, there were plenty of plausible explanations...

"Oh who am I kidding?"

Kogasa stops where she is, taking a seat in the field. Even the half full glass feels a little empty at times. The domain of the poisonous flowers didn't extend all that much. Kogasa had certainly covered it all by now. And even if her would be friend had been hiding under the flowers unseen, she would have certainly spotted the karakasa by now. Would she have not come out to greet her, as a suspected intruder or otherwise? And if this was a tsukumogami paradise, why would one ever want to leave it?

"I guess I really am all alone here after all."

Burying her head in her knees and clutching her umbrella half tight, the cheery forgotten umbrella can't help but cry as she is unable to deny her feelings any longer.

(Note to Meira: Yes, Kogasa managed to miss Meira despite her 'thorough' search. Interpret it however it makes the most sense to you.)

[Meira]

Meira played in rhythm with the ebb and flow of the wind; a slow pattern of low notes when the breeze calmed, and high as it picked up. A part of her connected in a kind of instinctive way, mirroring the air’s presence, sounding to the movement of the lilies, and reverberating along the incline of the hill. The samurai’s half-lidded eyes follow the sheath length to her sword, set in front of her and slightly to the right. As a part of her manipulates the whistling flute, another looks into her recent past and the meaning behind this object before her.

She was not so distracted by her thoughts, however, as to not notice a nearby presence approaching her little spot. Movement preceded the soft rustling of the lilies, which Meira could differentiate even in the presence of her own music. The samurai made no move against the stranger though; her bore her no malice, this she was keenly aware of. It was all a matter of understanding and reading the body’s language which, even for something as foreign to human nature as a Youkai, told her there was no real danger.

For Meira, understanding such as thing was easy, as it came with harsh life lessons and training. Most individuals are ignorant of the subtle nature which lies within, choosing to accept the world on face value alone. But this creature walked with a casual stride, the slight shifts in her muscles hinting at her head and body turning to look around; which was more often than not a case of wonder and bemusement, telling the samurai that this ‘girl’ had never been to the hill. What was special about this moment, though, was the seemingly clairvoyant manner in which Meira could pick up on the stranger’s intentions.

Before her change, it would require that Meira be able to see or distinctly hear another person; see into their eyes and read their expressions. But with so much changed within her, she could feel the subtle shifts from the creature’s movement merely by sharing the ground with her. Every touch from her dress skirt brushing against the lilies, every casual strep across the soft earth, and every strand of the slow gust passing around her body could be read. And Meira was content to ignore her, not that it was her land to be giving orders anyway.

Oh who am I kidding?

This was, until, she spoke aloud to herself; and suddenly the whistling flute became a quick cry as Meira’s attention was snapped back. Her dark violet eyes opened to the back of the girl’s head, the first clear sight she had of this strange creature. Regardless, there was little doubt in the mind of the samurai that this was a Youkai of some form or another. Meira sighed, inhaling deeply to return to her music, closing her eyes.

I guess I really am all alone here after all.

Meira abruptly blew into the flute, her eyes opening wide as she went oh so way off key again. With a huff, the samurai lowers her arms, directing a fierce glare towards the girl. This would not be tolerated, “If it is so much trouble being ‘alone’ here, than by all means leave.” She said, “Or at the very least cease interrupting my playing with your mouth noises.” Her tone was a bare, as to not betray any emotional connection; a simple statement relaying information.

[Kogasa Tatara]

“If it is so much trouble being ‘alone’ here, than by all means leave.” She said, “Or at the very least cease interrupting my playing with your mouth noises.” Her tone was a bare, as to not betray any emotional connection; a simple statement relaying information.

Water is a funny thing when you put it into a glass like that. You almost always see the same half that's there. But sometimes, when you feel your eyes begin to betray you, that water has a way of making a fool out of its observers. This, in of itself, might be hopelessly optimistic, but the sudden voice wasn't about to do anything but deny Kogasa's previously creeping fears.

A quiet gasp would render the strange girl quiet again, her 'mouth noises' stopping as suddenly as they started. Standing herself once more, the karakasa surveyed her surroundings for the owner of that voice: first to her left, then to her right. Finally, looking up, Kogasa would find her answer.

A purple haired girl, dressed in clothing that the cursed umbrella was unfamiliar with, sat amongst the lilies near the crest of the hill. A wrathful, no... closer to an emotionless expression graced the girls face, and in her hands there appeared to be some kind of flute? How could Kogasa have missed her? Now that she was aware of her, the woman stood out in plain sight. Whatever the explanation, the bizarre umbrella creature couldn't help but return to her usual cheery old self, smile beaming as she approaches the woman for a closer look.

"You seem rather big for a doll."

Close enough for a much better look, Kogasa plainly makes her statement out loud, stopping to raise one hand to her chin and looking up into her umbrella half as if in thought. Rude, abrupt, and very likely annoying, the karakasa doesn't know any better but to act like a child, complete with the abundant energy, intense curiosity, and plain naivety that comes with it. In addition. all of her time spent in solitude has only encouraged the habit of speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Hmm, do you live here?"

While Meira can't hear the tsukumogami's internal whirlwind of thoughts, which could quickly drive the most restrained of satori to madness, she wouldn't need to in order to detect a tinge of doubt and confusion in the karakasa's question. It's clear that Kogasa was looking for someone this entire time, but it's doubtful that she gives the impression of having any business with a shamed samurai.

[Meira]

“You seem rather big for a doll.”

For a doll? The thought ran through her mind, causing the samurai to lift her eyebrow towards the strange ‘girl’ in front of her. “That is because I am not a doll.” Meira replied plainly, her eyes lingering; unfazed by the bluntness. Such things did not come as surprising to her when in the presence of other Youkai. She took the brief pause after her statement to more thoroughly examine this peculiar two-color-eye type girl.

“Do you live here?”

“Hm.” Meira paused again, contemplating the simple question; which made things clearer to her. “I am not the doll from the fables. But-“ she lowered the flute from her face slowly. “-To more precisely answer your question, I do not live here. I am on my way to the mountains north-west. I stopped here to relax, before you began your chatter.” Her lips curled a little into a frown, “Mm, I did not appreciate being disturbed, but I suppose it is something that has already happened now.”

She waited, her violet eyes lingering down the girl’s form to size her ability up. Meira gained a sense of the creature through observation, seeing more than merely the body but also the faint vibrations of the air, the energy flowing through the creature itself. It was nothing something she tried too hard to determine, though; as again it was clear there was nothing aggressive or malicious about her intent. “Ah…” Meira spoke up, her eyes stopping on the little ‘foot’ at the end of the stranger’s parasol, “-You are Tsukumogami, an object-youkai. Hmph-“ she huffed, blowing air through her nostrils.

“-To think-“ Meira said, folding her arms. “-There was a time when running into you would be a moment of tension and unease.” She says, glancing away towards the field, then back to her. “Well, since you have disturbed my quiet time, I think it is only fair I know why it is you are seeking that particular doll.”

[Kogasa Tatara]

"Oh..."

There was a distinct tone of disappointment from Kogasa upon learning of the aloof girl's non-vengeful-doll state.

"Hm." Meira paused again, contemplating the simple question; which made things clearer to her. "I am not the doll from the fables. .."

It's a short-lived disappointment at that, for on the coattails of disappointment comes yet another glimmer of hope, "So you have heard of her too? That means she must exist!!" Yet another brash and naive conclusion from the strange heterochromatic youkai; it isn't hard to see why some call her the 'cheery forgotten umbrella'.

“Ah…” Meira spoke up, her eyes stopping on the little ‘foot’ at the end of the stranger’s parasol, “-You are Tsukumogami, an object-youkai. Hmph-“ she huffed, blowing air through her nostrils."

"Not surprised at all to see a living umbrella? No one ever is..." Just like that, Kogasa's spirit is turned back upside down as she is reminded of her life in Gensokyo so far.

“-To think-“ Meira said, folding her arms. “-There was a time when running into you would be a moment of tension and unease.” She says, glancing away towards the field, then back to her. "

The not-doll-lady only further drives this home, herself seeming to remember a time when tsukumogami could feast upon frights merely by moving. "You and just about everyone these days. No one bats an eye at me anymore," Kogasa, looking like she's about to cry again, hides her face behind the cover of her umbrella's tongue, "It didn't used to be that way. I work so hard... and...and..."

There's an obvious quiver in her tone now. A few moments of awkward silence pass, but she manages to suppress her tears. Now wasn't the time for that. The karakasa had a goal to keep in mind, and being a crybaby about things wasn't going to get her anywhere.

“Well, since you have disturbed my quiet time, I think it is only fair I know why it is you are seeking that particular doll.”

Uncovering her face, Kogasa glumly looks back at the fallen samurai, kicking her feet idly.

"I heard about a living doll that hates humans; I knew she had to be like me. A tsukumogami, I mean. I haven't actually met any one like me since coming to this place, and I figured we might have a few things in common..."

There were a lot of reasons, many far more complex than even the karakasa herself realized. Regardless, anyone with even the slightest bit of empathy would be able to tell that the umbrella girl was looking for a friend, as surreal as this behavior might be to witness out of a youkai.

[Meira]

Meira’s expression goes unchanged, as she listened to the strange creature hyperactively switch from one mood to the other. Just as the form of the Tsukumogami would suggest, she had an energetic constant about her; leaving Meira with hardly a word in.

"So you have heard of her too? That means she must exist!!"

“Well yes bu-“ Meira opened her mouth, nearly about to confirm the… Parasol’s excited words and add her own thoughts before the conversation was overtaken by the girl once again.

"Not surprised at all to see a living umbrella? No one ever is…”

Meira closed her mouth back up, going over in her mind a moment how to react to that. Suddenly sadness, the samurai is faced with the girl’s depression as she lays out her problems.”But what is left to surprise, in this place?” Meira thinks to herself as the tsukumogami laments over her failures.

Although she took in the sorrowful words, her expression remained an unchanged and indifferent one. It became clear to the samurai, though, that she would have no more time to herself. Resigning to this fact, Meira sighs and reaches back to slip her flute into a small open space on the back of her attire.

The samurai shifted herself, reaching casually toward her chest, slipping her hand in to draw from it a tied white cloth. When opened, she revealed a set of white and pink rice cakes, Daifuku, no larger than the palm of her hand each. She took a short pause after speaking to eat one, allowing the tsukumogomi to answer.

"I heard about a living doll that hates humans; I knew she had to be like me. A tsukumogami, I mean. I haven't actually met any one like me since coming to this place, and I figured we might have a few things in common..."

“Mm.” Meira replied, pausing to swallow. “I see.” She offered a single nod, “So it was your intention to seek companionship of some sort? You are a… Parasol?” she asked, having long observed the strange umbrella the ‘girl’ carried. “You would seek another possessed object – “ Meira lowered her head, leering, “ – To better comprehend yourself?” her expression was not malicious, but stern, as if intent on reading through the girl. “But could you not find the same answers with any Youkai? Truly, we all once were something else, at one time. And there is a mountain full of others, that is where I am headed, in fact.” She states.

[Kogasa Tatara]

“So it was your intention to seek companionship of some sort?

"How'd you know?"

Kogasa looks genuinely bewildered; it was like this weird girl could read her mind! A bit ironic considering she had actually met a mind reader before, but just didn't realize it.

"Well, it's not just that," the karakasa continues thoughtfully, "the stories say she's pretty successful at scaring away humans, a lot more than me..." Stories also spoke more of the many she's made 'disappear'. The wording of 'scaring away', makes it pretty clear where the umbrella's priorities are, if not being telling of her overall innocence.

"A-anyways, I thought maybe we could team up, or something..."

"You are a… Parasol?"

Kogasa pauses to give Meira a funny look upon hearing this. Was the girl that dumb; did she miss the part about her stating she's a tsukumogami or that no one fears living umbrellas these days? Or maybe, maybe...she really surprised this girl after all? Did the karakasa-obake finally meet someone in this day and age who had a hard time believing a parasol could actually spring to life and move like she does? Probably not, but this youkai could always dream!

Perhaps part in testing the theory, but more in her own genuine curiosity, Kogasa answers by sending her umbrella half to float up to the fallen samurai for closer examination. Hovering and moving around her at various angles, it'd be hard to believe that unflinching eye on her umbrella half isn't taking in some form of information.

"So if you aren't the doll, you must be a pretty strong youkai or something."

Even the naive karakasa noticed the overall lack of life and activity beyond the abundance of flowers and foliage and could put two and two together. The poisonous nature of this field couldn't just be a rumor. To stand here unaffected, you either had to be something poison has no effect on, like Kogasa, strong enough to stave it off, or...

"Oh, are you a ghost?!"

To be fair, Meira's strange, if not oddly cool demeanor wouldn't make it hard to jump to this conclusion. Just like that, the heterochromatic parasol of yesteryear found a new tangent to focus on, completely missing/ignoring the girl's suggestion about other youkai and the mountain.

[Meira]

(( For the purpose of smoother organization I’ve recently decided to color my dialogue text to give it a bit more pep and make my dialogue more noticeable for Meira. ))

The samurai hadn’t a very good reply to give away for ‘how’ she knew. ’This one… So energetic, how can explain…?” she thought to herself, considering that perhaps even attempting to tell the Tsukumogami how one reads a face, or picks apart pieces of information from a conversation to come to an extended conclusion well… Might be pointless for someone who could not dedicate themselves to a single subject for very long. Instead, she kept quiet, letting her talk about wanting to scare people and even regarding this doll youkai making people ‘disappear’.

“Mm-“ Meira murmured lightly, staring at one of the little pink puff in her hand. “Do you seek a path of bloody intent?” she asked, adjusting her violet eyes onto Kogasa. “Are you aware?” she paused, “The reason this youkai doll is so frightening is because she poisons those she does not like, so they say. Those who disappear, I would surmise, do so because they have been killed.” Meira takes another pause, observing the slowly approaching umbrella of the creature; ’Its ‘body’ then? Tsukumogami are so strange…’ she thought to herself, staring hard at the umbrella. “However… Such a thing seems unfitting for you. Scaring individuals is one thing, but I do not feel a violent presence from you-“ she looked down to her puff, bringing it to her lips and biting into it.

”So if you aren’t a doll, you must be a pretty strong youkai or something. Oh, are you a ghost?!”

Meira winced a little, darting a brief, annoyed glare to Kogasa; she then closed her eyes with a huff. “Ah, don’t say foolish things.” She says, placing the other half in her mouth and finishing up the puff before picking up another one. “I am a Youkai, but nothing so incorporeal as a ghost; that should be obvious.” Meira states in a matter-of-fact manner, eating the next puff. “Actually, I was once human if you must know, but I was changed by what I can only assume was a youkai tree; so it would be more accurate to say I’m now a plant of some sort.” She continues, regaining her composure to stare towards Kogasa. “Anyway, if your goal is to scare someone, you should come up with a trick to surprise them with, you’re never going to scare anyone just being friendly like this.”

[Kogasa Tatara]

“Are you aware?” she paused, “The reason this youkai doll is so frightening is because she poisons those she does not like, so they say. Those who disappear, I would surmise, do so because they have been killed.”

"Hmm." Kogasa's umbrella half returns to her human half's side, finally satisfied with the survey of the samurai, "I've never really thought about it, you know. But would they really even disappear then?" The karakasa thinks back to her encounter with a certain rotten girl, as well as a half ghost gardener, "I've seen all sorts of things people become after dying, is it really a bad thing?" The naive umbrella blinks, very clearly lacking any real concept of life or the consequence of death. To be fair, when so few seem to really disappear in Gensokyo, but in fact Gensokyo is the place where many who disappear end up, death does lose a bit of its profoundness.

“However… Such a thing seems unfitting for you. Scaring individuals is one thing, but I do not feel a violent presence from you-“

"Well, if it means a new friend..." Again, it's hard to tell if the tsukumogami is really understanding what Meira is getting at, or even listening at all. To be fair, the purple-haired oddity was asking some pretty weird and deep questions.

“I am a Youkai, but nothing so incorporeal as a ghost; that should be obvious.” Meira states in a matter-of-fact manner, eating the next puff. “Actually, I was once human if you must know, but I was changed by what I can only assume was a youkai tree; so it would be more accurate to say I’m now a plant of some sort.”

"Huh, so you disappeared too then?"

Unfortunately, whatever train of thought the previous comment may have alluded to clearly never made it back to the station.

"Oooh, did the doll get you? How fun!"

Yep, definitely got hijacked by fun-robbers and steered away into overactive imagination land.

"She lured you here and turned you into a poison-plant youkai, didn't she?"

Nevermind completely missing the part about an actual tree being involved and there not being a single one within eyesight for miles from the hill.

"And now you spend your time making other people disappear with her, don't you?"

It doesn't really matter anyways, the umbrella's overactive imagination was far too busy plundering the profound thought train and filling it with surprises and fun instead. Hopefully magical plant samurai are a patient type, else Kogasa is in for another one of those hard life lessons...

[Meira]

Meira opted to finish her next puff, rather than address the naïve Youkai’s suggestion. While it was true death was often not an end, and few if any died in these strange lands; the samurai had the strong intuition that this creature didn’t fully comprehend ‘death’ for what it was. Her expression read indifferently again, in order to suppress her annoyance.

”Huh, so you disappeared too then?”

“Ah…” Meira nodded to the Tsukumogami in response, “In a sense, I did.”

Oooh, did the doll get you? How fun! She lured you here and turned you into a poison-plant youkai, didn't she? And now you spend your time making other people disappear with her, don't you?"

Meira’s face suddenly contorted, and she glared at Kogasa. “Tsukumogami cannot be this dense.” She nearly snaps it out, a twitch in her right eye. “I have never met this doll, I was turned in the forest of magic by a tree; and I am most definitely not poisonous.” She huffed, closing her eyes. “Furthermore, death is not something to be taken so lightly. As someone who has come very close, I know it is not something to lightheartedly dismiss. And as I said before, I am here on this hill because I am on my way to the mountain up ahead.”

(( Sorry it is not much of a post, Kogasa. I will work on more of one for my next. ))

[Kogasa Tatara]

“Tsukumogami cannot be this dense.”

Kogasa reels back a bit when Meira finally snaps. Here she was, thinking things were going along just fine when the samurai ups and insults her intelligence!

"I'm not stupid you know!"

Stamping a foot and swinging her umbrella half to her front, almost like some sort of comical looking sword, the karakasa meets insult with indignation. From such a reaction, it's not hard to tell this is a sore spot for the naive tsukumogami.

“Furthermore, death is not something to be taken so lightly. As someone who has come very close, I know it is not something to lightheartedly dismiss."

"How should I even know that? It's a stupid subject anyways, forget I said anything at all..."

Kogasa turns so that her backside is facing Meira; her parasol floats back overhead to its more natural position, as her humanoid half crosses her arms. It's not like she hasn't thought about the subject before. If anything, she's a living testament of how human-like youkai can be sometimes; she very much shares in common human apprehensions of the unknown when it comes to the subject of death. Certainly she's very naive about the concept, but undeniably, this is partly due to willful ignorance. It's easier just to not think about these things and assume they're not worth dwelling on. Even so, that doesn't drive away creeping apprehensions from time to time.

In other words, a change in subject would be nice. There is a moment of awkward silence before Kogasa speaks up again. Turning back to face Meira with an almost sheepish expression, the karakasa takes the opportunity given to her.

"You said something about that mountain up ahead?"

[Meira]

”I’m not stupid you know!”

The samurai… Refrained from responding to the other Youkai; feeling it more prudent to let it be. As was to be expected, Kogasa was not particularly happy with what Meira had said. But it was not for this samurai to soften her blows, such things were not a part of her nature. It had occurred to Meira, however, that perhaps the Tsukumogami was avoiding the truth of the subject, more so than just being ignorant of it. The thought ran briefly through her head, and she could not help but sympathize.

”Avoiding death does not remove it from the equation, though. However… She was no different, was she? Reality is just harder, for some…” Meira thought to herself, thoughts trailing off as a face from her past briefly outlines itself within her memory. The samurai could not help but feel pity for Kogasa, but also a strange somber feeling which her face would never reveal. Her thoughts shifted away though, when the Tsukumogami changed the subject, addressing the issue of this ‘mountain’ she headed toward.

“Ah… Hm, yes, the mountain belonging to the Youkai is off in that direction.” She said, turning her head into that very same direction, looking off into the distance; it was easy to see given the hill had no trees of its own. “I have only heard rumors and speculation, and that was before I became what I am now. It is truly a mysterious place, to human kind; but maybe it is also a place to find answers, and better understand what I have become.” Her head turns back, returning the purple gaze onto the parasol-type-creature. “As the name would suggest, it is a place which Youkai exclusively live and control, I have heard there is even a shrine at the top. Hm-“ she broke in mid-sentence, holding up the small white cloth with the rice puffs. “Daifuku? Even a non-human can enjoy sweet foods made by humans.”