I came back out with the watch. “This brings back memories. His clothes in the picture remind me of the ones we wore when we were younger, when we had to help around the shop. The ones with the itchy collars.”I could almost hear Kenneth’s mind working.“If he wasn’t born in the slums, what’s a …
Author: MJ Lin
Victorian Lapidary Chapter 3-2
Murders made all sorts of sensational news, but that boy at the harbor - my crystals hadn’t guided me there and I’d paid him little mind, deeming it unnecessary. “When was the boy in the harbor found again?” I asked casually. “The tenth. Just a few days ago.” He finished the tea in two large …
Victorian Lapidary Chapter 3-1
My modest venue in Clerkenwell was located between a milliner and a printing shop. A small bricked block with hundreds upon thousands worth of pounds in gemstones and jewelry behind the casing of glass and drapes. A bell tingled lightly as I pushed the doors open. Through this opening was a world of riches. The …
Okiku
One of the more popular stories featuring an onryo, is the story of Okiku and the Nine Plates. There are several versions of the story, one is where Okiku is a beautiful servant, who rejects the advances of her master. He tricks her into believing she has lost/broken a plate from a prized ten-plate set, …
Victorian Lapidary Chapter 2-2
In Fleet Street, death was an Event. It was the one certainty people had, and they watched it all with ill-concealed excitement, especially when the circumstances were suspicious, then it became the subject of eager speculation. And for some, death was also an opportunity. The sky was clouded and gray, the sun hidden like a …
Victorian Lapidary: Chapter 2-1
Feeling a little under the weather, so here's another snippet. The omnibus was crowded full of young clerks and other business people off to an early morning’s start. The low din of chatter was almost soothing as we passed carriages and cabs and the odd bicycle amongst the streets. There weren’t many who stopped at …
Yurei
Here's a topic we've all probably heard in one form or another: Yurei (幽靈) or simply, a spirit or ghost. In Japanese folklore, this spirit can apparently be divided into two categories: Goryo (御靈) is a vengeful spirit of an aristocrat. In general, vengeful spirits are referred to as Onryo (怒靈), the stronger the sense …
A little diverging with a Victorian
With some stuff happening at work, I took a little break for Easter and decided to delve into the mess of documents that is my writing collection. It's a weird trip down memory lane. I laughed, I cringed, I was mystified, but all in all, a good time was had. One of these days, I really need …
It’s time to Rokurokubi!
Here’s a youkai that you might have seen, it’s something of a classic. The long-necked woman, also known as Rokurokubi (轆轤首). Rokurokubi looks completely normal during the day, but at night, during the relaxed state of sleep, she will show her true self. The youkai with the ever-stretching neck. The direct translation of her name …
I’m back with Zashiki
Hello old…blog-friend, it's been too long! *ducks flying fruit* Basically, RL took over and though I never stopped writing (yay me!), my blog did take a bit of a back-burner. I am going to try to be much more diligent with writing and the like, just as a personal sort of resolution. I kind of …
MJ Lin 