Chapter Text
Twas the first evening of many in a set of peculiar days in Gensokyo. Brought on by the civilization past the Great Barrier, this new holiday demanded that normal routines they must forgo. For a new festivity implanted itself into the hearts of many, celebrating which requires preparation. Tonight, we shall focus on one duo's plans, which seem to involve sating the masses’ starvation.
The sun begins to take its leave as the moon reestablishes its dominion over the night sky. The passing of time suggests most people hang up their hats at this hour, but it only marks the beginning of Mystia Lorelei's work. Running her Izakaya with her menagerie of meals is not an easy undertaking, but it’s work she holds dearly, work that she has mastered down to a tee. Before any good opening demands sufficient preparation, and Mystia’s routine always starts with the food. After all, it would be a waste to turn away any customer finding themself drifting to her by her song before opening, and having them end up empty handed with nothing to send them on their way with would not do. This night is fairly different from her standard, however, as evidenced by the huge cauldron, almost twice her size, before her. She picks meat off the bone as part of her meal prep with uncanny accuracy, her vision sharper under the approaching moon. A cut there, some force to rip the meat from sinew…
“YAHALLOOOO! Mystia, I'm here!”
The sudden barking from the Yamabiko disturbed many souls in the Youkai Trail, but not the Night Sparrow. She has grown accustomed to Kyouko Kasodani’s eager greetings but what is interesting is that she was here remarkably earlier than usual. Curiosity got the better of Mystia, who still maintained her steady pace of prep whilst addressing Kyouko.
“Good evening, Kyouko. You’re here early, what gives? I don’t suppose you’re running away from your duties at that temple…”
“Oh, nothing of the sort! The temple sermons concluded early tonight on Hijiri’s orders, so I decided to come here!”
“Are you certain you’re free for a chat, Kyouko? There’s still plenty of time before opening and your shift, I don’t want you getting in trouble…”
“Absolutely! It’s usually super serious when Hijiri calls off sermons early like this, so she probably needs as much space as she can get! Though that does remind me, on the way here there was a lot of strange decor at the Human Village that I saw… Is something happening?”
“There is something brewing, Kyouko. Good eye! I’m not sure who brought over the word, but a festival from the Outside World found its way to the humans over there. I think it’s rather western and far from the norm, but I’m not one to be picky over these types of things.”
“It is around the time they start harvesting before winter, so it’s probably based around that! Ah, winter… Just thinking about it makes me cold! Anyways, what’s with that great big pot?” Kyouko stands in awe of the giant cauldron before her, as Mystia wraps up her meat prep, stores away her tools, and flies above the pot.
“When that new festival found its way to the Human Village, some of my friends in there deluged some tales of note to me, I figured since it’s popular right now, it would be best to appeal to that audience.”
“Wow, Mystia! You’re always on top of this business stuff! Though what does it do, is it just a decoration?”
“Actually, here, this may be a better spot. Can I lift you up for a moment, Kyouko?”
“Go ahead!” Kyouko lifts her arms up high, ready to be swept off her feet by Mystia and to leave the cold, hard Earth. Though on a double take, she realizes something.
“M-Mystia, if you’re thinking about it, don’t drop me in that pot!” Upon hearing Kyouko’s protest, Mystia responds strained, but hastily.
“I wouldn’t do that, not in a hundred years, Kyouko! You’re in good hands!” Mystia lifts Kyouko from the ground to set her atop the stall, where the view inside the giant pot is much more clear, which reveals a boiling mix of bones and juices.
“Thanks for the lift, Mystia! You were pretty warm… Huh? Is that just bones in there?” Kyouko speaks what comes to her mind over thinking twice, and the slip of the tongue leaves Mystia a little flushed.
“Aha, that warmth is probably just from the cauldron, Kyouko. Inside is simmering broth. Believe it or not, bones still have perfectly usable juices in them.”
“Really?! Then why is the pot so big? And why are there so many bones..?”
“Ah, that. Last night while you weren’t working, a whole score of youkai strolled on over and ordered nothing but meat. Just slabs of meat, bone out, for everyone in the group, nothing else. I tried to insist that they order something more sophisticated, but they refused the suggestion. What the customer wants is what the customer gets, I suppose.” Mystia laments that last portion, seemingly recalling the stressful work of having to deal with that much food for one order.
“At least they know what they like, right, Mystia? Beats someone who’s super indecisive about what they want!” Kyouko tells a joke to try and keep the mood light-hearted, in which Mystia responds with a chuckle in response.
“I guess you could say that, Kyouko. They were a bit of a strain though, I needed a magician to come over and make my pot bigger just so I could deal with the excess of bones here. Though I’d imagine I’ll still have extra after everything…”
“You could always give it away!”
“That is true, I’m sure someone in the village could use the spare, plus it’d build support. Enough getting sidetracked though, your other question Kyouko, what was it again?”
“Oh yeah! Why does the pot look so different?”
“That… So, part of the festival I heard pulls from lots of elements in our lives. Witches, ghosts, you know the likes. So I figured if people were going to get swept up in the craze, I might as well make everything look the part, too. Allow me one moment…” Mystia takes this opportunity to give a quick wave to Kyouko, before swooping under the roof to retrieve something…
“You really did think of everything, Mystia! I’ll wait right here!”
The sun by this time has fully parted, leaving the young night in its lonesome. Most everything is dark, except for the illuminating flames underneath the pot. The steady simmer of the cauldron radiates warmth and provides a soothing ambience, piercing through the cold stillness of the night. If not for its large and imposing stature, it would be a rather homely addition to the Izakaya. Kyouko ponders the possibilities of what such a grand display could serve, what kind of rituals do the humans from the outside have? Inside the stall, Mystia prepares for her big reveal. She’s had to decipher a lot from fliers, hearsay, and whatnot, so what she’s put together is her interpretation of what transpires. The information about exact details on this new cultural phenomena are spotty, and the true culprit of who brought this forth to Gensokyo is a question she isn’t exactly concerned with. To her, it’s a way to let loose, have fun, and drive up a little business on the side. After finishing her preparations, Mystia flies up yet again to the roof of the cart, with something new both atop her head and in her hands.
“Woah! Mystia, what’s up with that hat? That’s way too big for you!” Kyouko is pleasantly surprised by Mystia’s new headgear, as it was very low on her list of expectations.
“This is a magician’s hat, Kyouko. It signifies that you practice magic to an onlooker, as a point of status. Now, I don’t practice, and unless you want to come clean…”
“Absolutely not a spec of magic here! All of what Hijiri teaches me is based on spirituality!”
“Then for the both of us, it's to dress up, just for playing the part. Here, put it on.” Mystia hands the spare hat to Kyouko and prompts her to put it atop her vacant head. She follows suit, giddy with energy as always.
“Now that you look the part, we can continue. According to the traditions, witches perform spells through their boiling cauldrons, with reagents thrown in to alter the effects. This is what the pot is doubling for, Kyouko.”
“Wow! So like, we dress up and pretend to be magicians, like that Marisa girl?”
“Exactly! That’s a more succinct way to put it. Now that we have both the pot and ourselves ready, we must recite a chant. Any kind of chant, and the effect of the spell will change based on the quality. You have to speak from the heart.”
“Ooh, chants! I’m good at those!”
“Then we will do it together, as two witches on this auspicious night! Ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be, Mystia!”
“Then, on three. One, two, three!”
“Under the starlit sky, hear my will. The harvest festival is nigh, allow me strength for the people’s needs I must fulfill. So mote it be.”
“It is like a great king of trees growing in the rocks and sand of a barren wilderness. When the roots get water, the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits will all flourish. Let this, too, flourish. Svaha.”
The clashing interpretation of what type of chant causes the latent magic in the air to fizzle into a harmless burst of colors upon the completion of the spell, much to their surprise. A pretend spell, carrying some spark of energy? Perhaps being a witch isn’t as tricky as it seems.
“Mystia, did you see that? We made colors, something happened!” Kyouko practically jumps up in excitement, her hat flying off her head and almost fluttering straight into the cauldron if not for the alert night sparrow.
“Yes, I did, Kyouko! Our interpretations were a bit off, but it seems as if we manifested some magic there! I should take more from the Outside World, it looks like they know what they’re doing.” Mystia ponders for but a moment, before remembering an important detail.
“Oh, I hope that spark didn’t affect the broth…”
“I’ll taste test! Don’t worry about it, Mystia! Just toss me a bowl!”
“That’s a bit much, Kyouko. Broth isn’t usually meant to be eaten by itself…”
“Hit me with it!” Hearing Kyouko’s insistence, Mystia sighs before grabbing a bowl from the stall, swooping in and scooping a portion of the broth for the bowl, and handing it over to her.
“It’s hot, Kyouko. Don’t burn yourself. I’ll be finishing prep under here in the meantime.”
“Gotcha!” Mystia retreats to the kitchen, getting ready to work whilst Kyouko remains atop, pondering the spell she made with Mystia.
And so, the night’s commotion comes to a pause. The witch’s cauldron bubbles and flows endlessly, its steam breaking the blackness of the night sky. Combined with Mystia’s song, it is an alluring combination, attracting those deaf to the song with a beacon of light. The witch attire remained for the night, and upon request, they recreated the spell the duo made together with varying levels of quality. They made duds at first, but eventually turned it into collages of colors as the pair became competent witches. The pale moon shone on this night, but the next eve may be more clouded than before…
“Bleh. Tastes like the food at the temple.”