Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You looking up at the stars with that big pipe of yours again, Megumu?”

Momoyo had a lowered eyebrow as she stared at the daitengu, who is leaning forward and looking into her telescope’s eyepiece. 

“Stargazing’s my favorite hobby, Himemushi,” Megumu replied. “Just me, my thoughts, my telescope, and the beautiful night sky.”

“What am I, then, a roach?” The oomukade raised her arms.

The tengu lowered the telescope in her hands as she answered, “No, you’re an oomukade.”, before putting the eyepiece back up to her right eye.

“That’s a rhetorical question!” 

And that caused Megumu to lower the telescope again. “And I’m glad that you learned how to even use them.” 

“Not- ugh.” Momoyo groaned. “What’s the big deal about looking through some small glass to see the stars, anyway? Can’t you just like, you know, use your own two eyes?”

“Not yet, actually,” The tengu raised a finger. “I’m still busy admiring the stars within the stars.”

“That makes no sense.” The oomukade folded her arms, tapping a foot on the rocky mountain surface below.

“It’s often believed in many cultures that when the famed, revered, or idolized pass on, they’d become recognizable in the stars above,” Megumu explained. “Their faces, their features, their bodies- they become constellations, formed by their spirits, who’ve exited their bodies.” 

“Uh-huh.” Momoyo nodded a little. “And why does this matter to you so much, exactly?”

“I want the tengu to see me when they look up at these stars, especially after I’m gone.” Megumu looked up at the night sky, without her telescope this time. “I want to be remembered as a great person- as someone who’s helped tengu society change, and especially for the better.”

“But aren’t you doin’ that already, Megu?” The oomukade raised the same eyebrow that she raised last time. “You’ve already put in so much work into all that politics and business and whatnot. If anythin’, you should be taking a break from all that- one even longer than this!”

“I apologize, but…” The tengu took a deep breath. “There is still so much to be done before tengu society as a whole can be truly improved.”

“Hey, birdie, listen here,” Momoyo dropped her arms as she walked over to be in front of Megumu, placing both of her hands on the daitengu’s shoulders as she stared into those shiny red eyes. “We both know that you’re doing more than your fair share here- even if other people may not see it at first. I know you’ve been working your absolute ass off, Megumu!”

“And yet-”

“Come on. You’ve got a good few hundred or even thousand years to make your kind even better.” The oomukade’s hands now go to her own waist. “You really need more breaks.”

“...oh, alright. But only because you’re here with me, Momoyo.” Megumu concedes with the shake of her head, showing a small smile. “But now what do we do? The night’s still young.”

“Eh? It feels like we’ve been up on this mountain for hours!” Momoyo turned around, looking towards the horizon. “No way we haven’t gotten past midnight yet!”

“What if we just lay on our backs and try to look for some constellations together?” Megumu proposed. “After all, you don’t need a telescope to be able to look at the stars when finding ones that make shapes together, don’t they?”

“Good enough, I guess!” And on a dime, the oomukade was suddenly relaxing on the ground, with the crow tengu slowly going down to join her as they both stared back up at the glowing, twinkling night sky.

Chapter Text

Kyouko Kasodani opened the three-person conversation at the izakaya with a plea: “I need your guys’ help.”

“With what?” Wriggle asked, picking up her glass and taking a sip of the drink in it. 

“I need to figure out what to get for Byakuren’s birthday. It’s like, a few days away.” The yamabiko answered. 

“Huh. You had all year to figure it out!” Mystia yelled from behind the counter, over the sound of food being grilled. “Surely you could’ve found something by now!”

“I’m not preparing that early in advance, Mysty.” Kyouko sighed. “It’d look really weird if I did.”

“But the alternative is finding a gift so close to the birthday,” Mystia answered. “Which is gonna cause stress and desperation!”

“Maybe you could get her a nightstand light. I can help with that.” Wriggle proposed.

“Ichirin already got her one a year ago.” The yamabiko countered. 

“Maybe some new cutting tools for the kitchen?” The busily-cooking night sparrow drummed up aloud.

Kyouko looked over at Mystia with an exasperated look. “That’s what Mamizou’s getting her this year.”

“How do you know that?” Mystia inquired.

“Nue.”

Both the night sparrow & firefly youkai went silent for a moment as they tried to figure out how the chimera could deliver such an answer to the yamabiko. They both came up with something in their respective heads that’s not really worth explaining in text here, so they simply nodded at Kyouko.

“So…where does that leave us?” Wriggle piped up after their moment of silence. 

“Maybe…Choujuu Gigaku show tickets?” Mystia considered aloud.

“Byakuren takes the whole temple out to see us when we play, Mysty.” Kyouko retorted.

And again, silence; none of the three have a good idea in mind, and the time certainly didn’t help as they still hadn't gotten a good idea by the time the night sparrow had finished a plate of beef skewers for the three of them to eat.

“You know,” Wriggle spoke up once again. “I don’t think Byakuren’s aware of the relationship.”

“What do you mean?” Kyouko raised an eyebrow, as she grabbed a skewer by the handle.

“She knows that you and Mysty are a thing, for sure,” The firefly youkai also grabbed a skewer. “But I don’t think she’s aware of the three of us being together.”

“She isn’t wrong…” Mystia poured herself a drink as she concurred.

“I don’t think she knows, either.” The yamabiko took a bite out of the meat on the skewer stick. “Maybe the revelation of us being a polycule might be enough?”

“Byakuren would accept literally anything for a gift, wouldn’t she?” Wriggle theorized. “I mean, you came out to her as lesbian a few years ago on her birthday as well.”

“I still don’t understand why you had to wait for her birthday to do that, Kyouko,” Mystia sighed, taking a sip from her cup. “We have been an item for over a year at that point.”

“I know, I know…” Kyouko took another bite. “...and it’s not the worst idea. You know, confessing that you’re equally in love with two people at once.”

“It’s definitely something you can try,” The night sparrow added on as she nodded her head. “But maybe we can do something about the delivery of it this time around.”

“Last I checked, blurting something out ain’t really a birthday gift.” The firefly youkai also added to the point.

The yamabiko gave it a bit more thought. “How about a group photo? I think I have plenty of thos-”

“NO, NOT THOSE PHOTOS!” Wriggle & Mystia both shouted at once, their faces becoming red as the latter spoke. “How about we take one right now…?”

“I’m down. Anyone got a phone? Mine’s dead at the moment.” Wriggle asked.

“Got mine here…” Kyouko quickly searched her pockets, as she found a relatively near-mint but old touchscreen phone, holding it up horizontally and setting the camera to have it be the one aimed at the three of them. “Alright, say cheese!”

“Cheese!” All three spoke at once as Kyouko pressed the button.

Chapter Text

Yuuka Kazami, and her lovely, ghostly wife, Mima Kazami, both sit together in a field of flowers, the youkai’s left hand firmly grasping the spirit’s right.

They stare into each other’s eyes, warm & blooming red meeting cold & haunting green. The smiles on their faces speak more than if they ever have to use their voices at that moment. A time to themselves, a time of serenity, and they’re making the most of it right here, and right now.

Their hearts beat in unison, always in a rhythm, with a cadence that’d make a distant redheaded drummer blush and gush. Their bond, at this single point of the day, where the sun is at its apex, is pleasantly illuminated, showing all without needing more. Here they were, in each other’s presence, as the calm wind drifts around them, over their clothes and through their hair.

They would lean backwards, resting themselves upon the soft, verdant, and sun-kissed grass, staring up at the clouds up ahead of them. Yuuka would begin to imagine the clouds that crawled through the bright blue as different shapes; Mima would raise her left hand and make those shapes a reality. The ghost had no need for telepathy to read her beloved’s thoughts, for her heart told her everything that she needed to know.

Strip away the terror, strip away the fear, and leave just two elegantly imperfect women sharing a loving moment together under the brilliant light of day-time. They’re notorious and very much dangerous, but they don’t show that here, for instead this is where they confide. Mima reaches for a nearby sunflower; Yuuka’s eyes furrow and mouth straighten for a moment, before they soften and curve.

Mima then uproots the flower in a single tug, giving it a nice glance and inspection. She twirls it in her hand, then carefully inserts it into Yuuka’s hair. The sunflower’s head was small- likely a recently-blooming one, and its size was perfect enough in the spirit’s eyes.

The uprooted flower rested on Yuuka’s right ear, nestled within using the hair to keep its place. The flower youkai blushed at this little gift, earning a short snort from the spirit that widens both of their smiles. With a single handwave, Yuuka would use her own magic to replace the flower now in her hair, sprouting a new one in the old one’s place.

They stared at each other once more, their gazes going past one another as if they were fated strangers passing each other on a busy urban sidewalk. They saw into each other’s minds- again, no telepathy needed -and saw visions of their highest highs and lowest lows. Memories that they both cherished, both loathed, and both keep close to themselves and to each other, may those memories be made as recent as now, or back to when they first met all those years ago.

Yuuka Kazami, and her lovely, ghostly wife, Mima Kazami, both laid down together in a field of flowers, the youkai’s left hand still firmly grasping the spirit’s right.

And they both liked the peace that it brought them.

Chapter Text

The only reason why I even fight Kaguya anymore is because it’s just a hobby now.

It used to be about revenge and all that, but that’s kind of been dying down as of late. We’re both immortal, as in, immortal-immortal, as in ‘we can’t quite literally die no matter what happens’ kind of immortal. So that means we can always just pick up the grudge if we feel like it, but neither of us want to, for the best.

Lately, I’ve been taking the princess out to explore Gensokyo during the day, and you know, when she’s not all cooped up at her house, she’s not that bad! She gets along pretty well with everyone she comes across, and doesn’t hesitate to get social if given the opportunity. I have to make sure she is properly disguised whenever she goes, however, as the last thing I want is some extra Lunarians on my ass because I’m “harboring a fugitive”.

I mean, that’s what Kaguya tells me whenever we go out, but the real reason is because she just wants a different wardrobe instead of all those pink-and-red dresses she always wears. She wants to show herself off, not just with her beauty, but with her personality as well, and going out at night means nobody’s really there to see it all, you know?

Honestly, I’m just glad that I’m by her side whenever she’s out doing those things, you know? If she ever gets a bit too…well, much, I know how to reel her back in. After all, she can’t resist a good fight; it’s what’s ingrained into our minds at this point, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

The only reason why I even fight Mokou anymore is because it’s just a hobby now.

After all, why should I? She’s a girl whose mind was only set on revenge for the better part of a millennium or so, and she can’t do anything to me. I suppose she’s more…tempered, now, and as a result she’s begun to open herself up. That’s good! I do enjoy seeing people progress from the watchtower that is my eternity.

So instead of the usual brawls and beatdowns that we partake in every night, I instead invite Mokou over to Eientei to play all kinds of games. She cannot for the life of her truly understand video games to the degree that I have, but hand her play pieces, a game board, cards, or even a pen and paper and she’s got it down-pat. Nightly routine has now been three hours of a homebrew tabletop RPG followed by three hours of various other boardgames.

This is also why I’ve asked her to take me outside at daytime- to look for more of them to buy, take home, and play with! I mean, after all, it is refreshing to draw real blood every once in a while, but there are better ways to spend the rest of your eternal life in this transient world.

Chapter Text

Click. Click. Click click. Click click.

“Hey, hey, Sumireko!” Hatate spoke into her headphones’ mic, as she switched tabs from her virtual community app tab to a document editor tab, which has an article that she’s busy typing up. “How are you?”

“Doing great, babygirl,” Sumireko answered from the other end, her voice being transmitted through the headphones. “I suppose you’ve been busy as of late, yeah?”

“Sure am,” The tengu nodded as she clacked away at the keyboard, inputting new words on the document. “How about you?”

“Doing alright.” The esper spoke. “I’m on like, what, my second playthrough of Silksong already?”

“Third?! Dude, didn’t the game come out like, under 24 hours ago?” Hatate asked with light exasperation. 

“I mean, yeah. Chronic gamer type shit.” Sumireko answered with a deadpan that is better heard than said.

“You got no life.” The tengu sighed, only to seize up lightly when the response that the human gave was “You give it to me in bed!”

That caused Hatate to keysmash a bit in frustration, “D-Dumbass! Be for real right now, dude.”

“Ha-ha!” Sumireko laughed at the other end of the call. “Sorry about that, babe. Can’t help myself.”

Groaning, Hatate kept typing before a random pinging noise persuaded her to click off of her document and go back to the previous tab, scrolling through hundreds of servers to locate the one that had the message where the ping originated. She sighed upon seeing what she was pinged to, and returned back to typing at her document, breathing in and out of her nose a little.

“Got another at-everyone ping,” Hatate told Sumireko while she got back to typing. “Some drama regarding some tengu on a server for shogi just went public.”

“Oh, shit, what’s it?” Sumireko inquired. 

“Nothing for you and I to be worried about,” Hatate scanned her document with her own eyes, making sure that there were no typos or other mistakes. “Just a dumbass trying to coerce staff into some stupid shit.”

“Damn, thought it’d be worse,” The psychic seemed to also sigh at the other end. “Canmt be any worse than those accusations that you faced last year.”

“About how I was blamed for rigging the newspaper election? LOL, cannot be further from the truth.” Hatate let out a hearty laugh as she kept on typing. “That shit was stuuupid. Got the higher-ups in a knot over something that one of their own did, then pinned the blame on ME because I was a lower-rung dung!”

“If I were there, I’d have beaten the shit out of them for thinking of you like that.” Sumireko sounded irate from the other side. “You don’t just slander someone’s GF and get away with it, huh? Caste system be damned, respect is respect!”

“That’s past news now, Sumi-mi-mi.” Hatate would smile a bit. “Right now. I’m just crankin’ out a new article regarding that yamanba-yamawaro territory deal. Megumu’s orders and all that.”

“Whoa, that’s cool! I mean, the article itself, not the fact that Ms. Starbird told you to do it.” 

“Yeah,” The tengu answered. “But I would really rather be playing Silksong over this.”

Chapter Text

Reimu Hakurei often had visitors, who may or may not be freeloaders- and when she slid her front door open, on a calm summer afternoon, one of her newest was right there.

“And what the hell are you doing back here again?” She asked the vengeful spirit that had been sitting at her porch for what seemed to be while, having a smoke with some cigarettes.

“Oh, you know, lamenting.” Mizuchi answered, not bothering to look back at the shrine maiden that’s behind her. 

“What do you mean…lamenting?” Instead of just attacking the spirit outright, Reimu merely raised an eyebrow as she walked over and sat down next to Mizuchi, still looking at her. “What’s going through your head now?”

“I had feelings. Deep ones.” The ghost answered, as she took a drag out of her cigarette, glancing down and to her right at a box that’s half-full of them. “Now all I have is them.”

“What are- what are you talking about?” The shrine maiden seemed lost, unable to understand what Mizuchi’s going for here.

“Her.” Mizuchi responded- but it was one that left Reimu still asking. “I’m talking about her, Hakurei.”

“What do you mean by ‘her’, Mizuchi?” She asked the spirit, trying to get a specific answer out of her. “Who is ‘her’, exactly?”

“The miko. The last to be served by the Miyadeguchi clan…and the very first one to serve Gensokyo.” Mizuchi exhaled a long sigh, smoke leaving her mouth and ghastly lungs. “And someone I couldn’t bring myself to say that I loved.”

“...be serious.” Reimu deadpanned. However, her expression became one of surprise when Mizuchi didn’t answer her in kind- she was serious about this.

“I loved her, I loved her so damn much…I did everything I could, to be the best servant a Hakurei ever could have…” The spirit stammered a little as she spoke. “But my advances, my hints…they were rarely picked up on. The world kept pulling her away from me.”

“Oh.” The current shrine maiden had now shut up. 

“All that’s left of her presence is this damned shrine itself, another building passed down from generation to generation,” Mizuchi took another drag of her cigarette. “And only I really remember her. That face, that smile, those eyes…”

Speechless, Reimu herself thought over what she wanted to do next; after a bit of thinking, she settled on reaching an arm over Mizuchi to rest upon her, then leaning right on her.

“Huh?” The ghost looked over at Reimu, comforting her.

“Don’t resolve your grudge because of this, you know,” The shrine maiden reminded the spirit, looking up at her very briefly. “I’m just here to support you. Holding in all that love just for it to not be released sucks.” 

“You’re alright, really…” Mizuchi sighed, as she put out her cigarette as she leaned against Reimu. “I may have hated your lineage, but you and her are the ones that I hate the least, and in the case of her…

…the one that I loved the most, you know?”

Chapter Text

“Right hook!”

I weaved to the right.

“Left lunge punch!”

I reached a hand forward slightly to palm down the incoming punch, stopping it early. 

“Right reverse!”

I did the same thing I did to the left lunge, this time to this new punch.

Afterwards, I threw two quick hooks- one with my left, then with my right, both of those being dodged by my opponent moving backwards, with the second one being done by a backhop.

Taking a sharp breath, I’d try to make a lunge forward with a short leap of my own, putting my arm out for a blitzing punch. However, my opponent took another step backwards, and before I knew it, I felt a foot flatly imprint itself into my gut, and I was suddenly knocked back.

“Don’t forget to watch the feet, Sakata!” My opponent shouted at me as I got back onto my feet with a groan.

“Apologies, sanctuary-master Chirizuka.” I scratched my back, taking a few moments to catch my breath. “Still trying to get used to not fighting with my cleaver, heheh.”

“One, please call me Ubame while we’re out here,” My opponent clarified. “And two, it’s important that you learn how to fight with your bare hands, for having to approach children with your cleaver to accept into the sanctuary is definitely one that’ll not give ‘em fond memories as they grow older.”

“I understand, Ubame.” I would sigh again, walking over to a nearby tree to sit down and continue catching my breath. “I’m just…not used to this whole ‘martial-arts’ thing. It just doesn’t feel like something that would suit me.”

“Don’t worry about it, Nemuno,” Ubame reassured, walking over to sit next to her fellow elder woman. “At least you’re expressing how you feel about this training in its entirety, without having to change anything about your opinion, you know.” 

“Us yamanba are meant to be honest women- otherwise, we cannot tend these children to our fullest, after all.” Nemuno spoke. “And we have to be strong, too; Gensokyo ain’t the easiest place to live in, even within this very sanctuary that we created within it.” 

“That’s true.” Ubame ran a hand through her hair. “Danger always lurks around every corner, so you have to be prepared to defend yourself, and those you care for.”

“Like you?” 

“I mean- well, yes,” The chief of the yamanba was caught off-guard by Nemuno’s brief but impactful response. “I am someone you care for quite a bit, don’t you?”

“Much more than I’d care for this very sanctuary,” Nemuno answered. “Of course, the kiddos are first on my priorities, and then it’s you, you know.”

“Ahaha- you’re good for an old flower, Nemuno.” The blue-haired woman gave her pale-haired peer a light tap on the shoulder. “Still know your way around those words of yours.”

“I’ve been picking up some older Outside kids as of late,” Nemuno explained. “The words and way they speak puzzle me, but they seem effective. They’re still good kids, though; they just need a home for a bit like all the others we’ve saved.”

“Mhm.” Ubame nodded in approval, then would then speak a specific phrase. “Le ni kaettekita.”

“Le ni kaettekita.” Nemuno repeated, as she and Ubame looked up at the sunset sky.