Just seeing the port, so ill-maintained and rickety, gave me second thoughts, and drawing closer the musty odour of human waste and rotting fish was enough to clear my nose as well as my stomach. The port itself was littered with with a motley assortment of ragamuffins in various states of malnutrition, all unkempt and maladorous. What beauty could there possibly be in a place like this? First impressions are everything, after all, and if nothing else this terrible sight was quick to sear itself across my impression of this place.
I thought to explore a bit before settling down for the night, perhaps to see if I could find some individuals of substance with whom to have a lively conversation, and it was at the tower that I first met a properly-dressed individual, nicely kitted out in the smooth and luxurious Prince Charming Outfit. I was little startled to discover that it was actually a woman, indeed, a sprightly young lady by the name of Suwako Moriya whom I had first encountered, but she seemed friendly enough in introducing me to the sights, sounds, and subtle delights of Gensokyo Island. Perhaps things mightn't be so bad after all...
Wait, are those eyes on top of her head??!!
Think of it this way... at least she's not a misanthropic psychopath.
Perhaps it was this unsettled feeling in my stomach, perhaps it was the hypnotic stare of her extra pair of eyes, perhaps it was the miasma of this place worming its way up my nose, but eventually I grew drowsier and found it meet to retire for the night. Setting up my bivouac at the camping grounds, I was soon after greeted by an ill-dressed ruffian of a lady who introduced herself as Okuu's Look-alike, the owner of this island. Judging by the reek of cheap alcohol, wet fish, and some other musty herb-like smell, I could have sworn she was just another of those hooligans wandering the place.
Actually meeting her explained everything. The smell of wet fish was exuded by the caviar she brought with her as a welcome gift, being preserved in alcohol makes it not exactly the top quality that I'd prefer but it definitely exceeded the offerings of some other islands. It's a shame that she didn't seem educated enough to understand its true value, constantly referring to it as "fish poop" or something along those lines, how rather plebeian. But she was a rather entertaining host nonetheless.
A short time after Okuu's Look-alike left. I was approached by two suspicious-looking characters in oddly-familiar garb. Their air was nothing like the dysfunctional oddball residents of this island, and while they looked like fellow travellers, their uniforms seemed to be modified somewhat, wearing dark glasses, an armband, and each carrying a folder of documents. Both men, or rather both appeared to be men, until one distinguished herself as a female by the pitch of her voice upon speaking.
"Hey, rich boy. Welcome to Gensokyo Island. You won't be leaving any time soon, so we've come from our boss with a deal for you that you'd do well not to refuse."
... rich boy? Who are these people, and what do they want? What do these peasant-folk mean by addressing me in such a condescending tone? The other, clearly a boy, was next to speak.
"Come with us, and make it snappy. My raid starts in 15 minutes and I'm not holding my party back just to wait on your sorry ass."
"I say, it's rather rude of you to ambush me like this," I protested, "What manner of a ruffian are you who's unable to respect the privacy of a fellow traveller?"
"Ooooh, privacy. Hey, Agent K, the rich kid knows!" snarked the female, "So I guess you won't be needing these photographs of you with your pants around your ankles, eh?"
What did she say? How uncouth! And coming from a lady, as well! My face flushed red as a rare mignon steak. Did they... after all, I did avail myself of the facilities at the campground, however primitive they may have been
"All right, what do you want, you bounder?" I spat. It seemed that I didn't have a choice in the matter in order to preserve my dignity as a gentleman.
"Our boss has a little... job proposition for you, lasting for as long as your stay on Gensokyo Island. Think of it as a little work experience."
And that's the story of how I, Yugen Zoku Makaron, became a "junior reporter" for the Bunbunmaru News.
Famous last words, rich boy.
A musty plantlike smell, tinged with a hint of ash, wafted through the air as I entered the office of Aya Shameimaru, my erstwhile boss for the duration of my residence on Gensokyo Island, to receive my first assignment. Pinned on the walls were photographs of individuals from all walks of life, but what stood out most was a row of younger persons clad in a traveller's garb. There were six in all, and I, Yugen, was the last in line. It was a photograph of me in my tent, cuddling my lifetime companion Viscount Theodore Fluffles-Bearikins...
Mortified, I listened only half-heartedly as I was instructed on my first task. It would be a challenging baptism of fire, or so I was told. A grand experiment would be taking place today at the docks, and I was to record the proceedings. As the traitorous travellers who had ambushed me yesterday had warned, I was unable to proceed to the docks to prepare for departure, not that I wanted to spend more time there than necessary considering its filthsome, squalid state.
But an experiment there on a grand scale? What could possibly be taking place? The thought, or perhaps the pervasive stinging scent in the air which set my head into a spin? Nevertheless, I grudgingly accepted a notepad and a grubby, old-fashioned camera and set off to my destination overlooking the port.
By the time I reached the vantage point, my head was pounding almost as violently as my heart. The air itself seemed heavy and oppressive, pinning me to the ground with its weight. As the appointed time at which I was supposed to capture the results of the experiment drew near, I felt or perhaps even dreamed the blue sky was now swimming in a sea of colours, such was this sudden stupor that had washed over me. I squinted and prepared my camera, feeling as if... no, I could swear, that a mysterious dark mist settled over the harbour.
Struggling to maintain my concentration, I stared intently at the port through the lens of my camera, and then it happened...
A ship, no, several ships arrived. All of them gartered in a myriad of different colours, their flags and markings bearing no common code, as if they had been drawn from a smattering of locations. Ignoring of the suspicious origins of these strange boats, the travellers who had been waiting at the docks blindly hurled themselves forward on their decks, apparently heedless of how these boats seemed to wink out of existence with the traveller upon them as they left the port and passed through the fog once more.
And out of the corner of my eye, I was certain I saw a solitary dark figure leap from one of the mysterious boats, darting towards the immigration checkpoint and vanishing...
Perhaps we should all be glad that the camera can't zoom in any closer than it already has.
As the fifth and last boat coursed through the fog, it seemed to draw the miasma along with it, suddenly filling my field of view with light, a brightness which highlighted a gaping vacuum on the port where five ragged travellers had previously stood. And as the haze lifted, the suppressing heaviness around me which held me prone suddenly lifted as well, flooding my body with a multitude of sensations - a coursing wind with the force of a hurricane, the blazing sunlight which scorched and raged, and above all, an overpowering, dank stench of sap and crushed herbs. I blacked out.
This has been the worst trip of my life.
BUNBUNMARU UPDATES, 20th April 2015
Traveller Updates
A boat from (star) Island arrived. Samael departed.
A boat from de Caliméa Island arrived. Junzo departed.
A boat from Pepper Island arrived. Layla of Tayburger Island alighted, Rafa departed.
A boat from Cinnabar Island arrived. Pochi departed.
A boat from ??? Island arrived. Kyrie departed.
Children
Bertrand was born to Recette Lemongrass and Armin Arlert. It's their sixth child! He is an Easygoing Dreamer.
Tabitha was born to Shanghai Margatroid and Kanako Yasaka. It's their third child! She is a Confident Adventurer.
Yuriko, daughter of Youmu Konpaku and Drake Kitazawa, grew up. She was made to leave Gensokyo Island and become a traveller!
Salvatore was born to Tia Arlert and Tadakichi Mihama. It's their third child! She is a Confident Designer.
Bruce, son of Desco Kazamatsuri and Mitsukuni Haninozuka, grew up. He was made to leave Gensokyo Island and become a traveller!
Aya Shameimaru announced that she was pregnant with her and Shou Toramaru's fifth child!
Gensokyo Gourmands
Mister Kimura tried a Salisbury Steak today. It's his All-Time Favourite food!
Gensokyo Gourmands
Mister Kimura tried a Salisbury Steak today. It's his All-Time Favourite food!
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