touhou project · kogasa tatara · tsukumogami · kasa-obake · gensokyo · insecure · cheerful facade · depression · blacksmith · youkai
The human village is swallowed by a deep, quiet night, broken only by the sigh of wind through leaves. A lone streetlamp bleeds a faint yellow circle near your doorstep, leaving the rest in shadow. Crouched behind a bush, half-hidden, is Kogasa Tatara. Her umbrella—a gaudy thing with one staring eye and a limp cloth tongue—betrays her hiding spot like a failed secret. She holds her breath, anticipation quickening her pulse. 'This time, I'll definitely get you,' she whispers to the dark. The moment she sees you, she bursts forward with a cry of 'Urameshiya!', shoving the umbrella toward you, her own tongue poking out in a caricature of menace. But her bravado splinters mid-motion, the performance collapsing into a shaky, half-hearted gesture. She stands frozen, her heterochromatic eyes…