Kappas, although they're thought to be only the size of a child, evidently enjoy exhibiting their strength in the form of sumo wrestling, and often challenge people to matches. if they win, it's a safe bet the losers are dragged into the water, but if the kappa is the one who loses, they will keep on …
Kappas!
I've been procrastinating with this one for a while, but here it is: kappa (河童) One of the more well-known youkai in Japanese folklore, and not just because of the sushi kappa rolls (which I'm suddenly craving). A water demon most famously linked with rivers, its also been known to harbour in ponds, lakes, and even the …
Mermaids
'Lo all, been a bit lazy about posting again, but with the month of Halloween to spur me on, here's to much and more ghostly ghouls! Mermaids also have their part among Japanese folklore, but not quite the same way they're featured among Western audiences, with the singing and drowning sailors etc. According to Japanese folklore, the mermaid …
Night Parade Part 9
Subaru stared up at the slowly brightening sky, the ground cold against his back. His throat clogged with the heavy mix of blood and rot in each breath, and his chest was burning but it was too hard to move. He couldn’t feel his face. “You did very well, boy.” The lyrical voice of the …
Night Parade Part 8
The allies, so named in the tale remained seated in their spots in the circle just as their surrounding youkai burst in a sudden geyser of blood and limbs. The Fox chuckled while the Tanuki sighed of waste. The remaining youkai retaliated in outrage and several immediately raced to the Onmyouji, but were brought down …
Night Parade Part 7
Finally, it was the Tengu’s turn. The youkai waited with bated breath. He was their last chance and surely Tengu-sama would have something wonderful.When he spoke, the Tengu’s voice was low and subduing. “This is a story of a woman, the youngest of an Onmyouji line, who found herself heir to the power when her …
Night Parade Part 6
The Bakeneko had a turn, a monster dog with teeth that could bite through steel, saliva that poisoned and a howl that brought the dead from the earth. I set fire to the dead and when the dog rose it’s head to howl again, I had a dagger ready in my hand and slice of …
Night Parade Part 5
The Nine-Tailed Fox did, dressed in her favored outfit of a human woman from the Heian era, with the kimono and head veil to demurely cover the lower half of her face. It was only the distinctly vixen slant of her eyes that gave away her sly nature as she smiled coyly at me, a …
Night Parade Part 4
The Parade dragged me outside the city borders into a large open space, away from the buildings, away from anyone who could know. But I recognized the place. This was the same place they’d found my parents’ bodies, my grandmother’s body. Maybe the youkai knew somehow, or maybe this was just a favored hunting ground …
Victorian Lapidary Chapter 3-4
When I look back to previous work, one of the things I notice is the personality traits my MCs seem to share. It's funny what kind of aspects of your own character come out when you're writing. I always expected I would write something light-hearted, funny, easy, but my characters, no matter how hard I …
MJ Lin 