umihara

Umihara is a small town by the western sea. The town is rumored to be a place in flux between the human and supernatural, owed to its proximity to the ocean sea and the mountains to the north east. But these are just rumors. The town is a peaceful place, with a bustling fish market, shopping district, and downtown financial district being hallmarks of urbanization. Many in a position of power in the town, like the mayor, and the business moguls in the financial district, prefer to keep the more natural history of the more rural, inland town intact. Land development is sparse outside of along the coast. This is to the chagrin of many interested in expanding into this town, but this attitude of preservation is owed to many of those in power being of families dating back centuries. Families that took part in intense civil war, as the land surrounding this town served as the backdrop for brutal military skirmishes in the Edo period.

There are many walks of life in town. The ordinary blends seamlessly with the extraordinary, and those who live on the edge of both worlds don't seem to have much issue mingling between the two. While the Gods of the land are quiet, many youkai, particularly Henge, blend in with the humans of the town. While there are some secrets best kept, many of the older folk and spiritually attuned have accepted these supernatural beings as members of the community. Let's have a glimpse into some of the stories, both big and small, that live and breathe in the town, shall we?

Kaede & Kagami

A pair of sisters are a fixture of the town, both in Umihara proper and the Onsen Village atop the mountains. The older one, Kaede, is the manager of a convenience store that is part of a chain, leading outside of town. Kagami, the younger sister, is the propietress of a rustic, historic general store in the mountain village. Both are headstrong and just can't help but spread gossip about the latest ghost stories and supernatural happenings nearby. Rumor has it that they have something to do with Foxes-- after all, Inari statues are kept outside their respective stores. But these are just rumors, of course. It's just a coincidence that both their stores have an odd fixation with Kitsune Udon, right?

Natsu, Yuri, Mia & Himawari

Listless days are the norm for most of the residents of Umihara. Natsu, alongside her father, own the Cyberia Internet Cafe. Internet is a bit hard to come by-- it's only the early-mid 2000s, after all. Anyone in between workers needing to check their email in off-time and aspiring Contrast-Attack players make this place a second home. But that is perhaps literal to some people who choose to stay parked in one of the cubicle rooms in the back. Yuri, Natsu's best friend, prefers to spend her time with her camper van. After all, there's plenty of countryside to enjoy in the town and its surrounding area. Younger folk like Yuri's little sister, Himawari, and her best friend Mia, find more joy in simple pleasures like playing tag and eating from street food stalls by the fish market.

Riko

Although some of the elders bemoan it, many of the younger folk in town love that there's a WcBonalds that doesn't necessitate a 30 minute long train ride to the neighboring city to eat at. The service is a bit... lacking from the manager, but a particular worker, Riko, has been behind the counter for some time and although a bit demure, she seems to love her job with a fervent zeal and passion. Rumor has it that she's been seen dating a mysterious girl that's out of town, and while that is to the disappointment of many as suitor, one must consider that they'd need to go through the manager for his approval before anything else.

NEUROSIS-SENSEI & MADAME EUTHANASIA

Of course, with the reputation of Umihara being that of a town with active supernaturally activity, there are some who gravitate more towards this aspect of town. In particular, the town vet, Neurosis-Sensei and his assistant, Madame Euthanasia, tend to ask about it all the time (but its mostly the former's obsession with the latter). What he doesn't seem to notice is that his dog, Maru, suspiciously goes missing everytime his assistant is next to him. People tend to stay away from the good doctor outside of working hours, as he has a tendency to lack in respect for personal space, and there have been reports of restraining orders being put on him for his tendency to crawl up to people on all fours and start sniffing people to see if they are a "henge" or not, whatever that might mean.

Inoue Ojii-san & Minato

There is a story of a mermaid and a fisherman that permeates throughout the folklore surrounding the town. Legend has it that a fisherman rescued a sea turtle from a net, only to be taken and transported to become betrothed to the heiress to an underwater kingdom. But that's just folklore-- it certainly has nothing to do with the Fisherman Ojii-san who lives by the ocean sea. This fisherman is also a groundskeeper for the Shinshima Jinja-- the ocean shrine on an island. He's said to be a powerful exorcist and to have strong spiritual attunement, but... It's hard to tell if that's the case when all he really cares about is his next catch. Lately, he's been absent, but those close to him, when queried, just say that he's off spending time with his wife. That is something that is news to most, as a lot of the town thought this man to be married to his job first and foremost, especially with how often he'd bring a bouquet of flowers with him whenever he'd set off to sea.

Midori, Shion, & ...?

On the topic of exorcists, a prominent family manages the Kawayama Shrine. There are two Shrine Maidens who have become the face of the town in this respect. Shion, the heir to the family, and her best friend, Midori. Shion often gets hired to deal with exorcisms, and does so all the while filming it-- she makes quite a name for herself on MeTube. Strangely, more often than not, a lot of these visitations just end with some sprinkling of salt and an "all's well." Midori, on the other hand, does her job earnestly and mostly tends to the shrine grounds. Some people say that Shion is a bit of a hack and that Midori is the one who actually has contact with spirits one way or another, but there's no way that's true, right...?

Suzume, Makoto, & Tsukiyo

There's a story that has found itself amidst the rotation of legends that people in the town like to tell to others, in regards to a particular happening in the Summer of yesteryear. Some people remember this like it was yesterday, but others don't believe it at all. A flock of sparrows flew in the middle of the day, blocking out the Sun. A terrible omen. The weather grew violent, and there was a sickness in the air. What is said, is that a group of youkai held a banquet in the mountains. After a disagreement, the host of the party, a huge head honcho sparrow, fell into a fit of rage and threatened to block out the Sun. The contents of this argument are up to debate. Some say it was because there were disagreements among the youkai, some who were shapeshifters, about how the land should be reclaimed. Others say that it was over there being too much umami flavor in the miso soup. It's impossible to say unless we hear from one of the ones who was there, but... it's not like we'll find any youkai to ask, will we?

Iyako & Konoha

Another legend tells of a Tanuki, who, failing to control her powers of transformation one day, got stuck transformed into a food cart. Some people speak of a food cart roaming about at night, sprouting legs and running off if anyone were to question its presence. This Tanuki had a particular storied history with an Inugami, bound to live by the one human who cared for it, a humble street vendor of ages past, and perhaps it was a sign the two were meant to be together. A fox, hosting their own dilapidated Inari shrine, living deep in the Mountain woods, said to have been a master of transformation, was the only hope for this Tanuki to return to normalcy. As to whether this happened or not...? Who knows. All the townspeople know is to stay away from the woods at the foot of mountains at any cost. The insurgence of this story lines up fairly ironically with a chef with a dog-shaped mascot costume and a bandaged girl beginning work at Kaede's convenience store, but that's just a coincidence, right?