So, this happened.

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 Why in Dende's name do I have a blog? As though I don't have enough crap to write? Well, I think that the way I come up with stories is pretty interesting. Of course, I could add an Author's Note to the end of my stories...but frankly 99% of my readers don't care what music I listened to, or what scene specifically made me think this plot was good. So, this thing is probably mostly just to give me a place to pretend to talk about the creative process. Maybe, unlikely but possible, it's to write something interesting about how I write. If that sounds interesting, enjoy!

Kitsune Chapter 2 - Risshū

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(If you haven't yet, make sure to read the intro.)

Easter Eggs from Chapter 2:

Risshū, part 1/2: Japan has a rich tradition of poetry. Haiku, of course, is the most well known but is hardly the sum of it. Many of the forms of poetry focus on invoking the natural world, which in Japanese culture is heavily tied in to the seasons. For every season, and often for each sekki, there are a set of words that are meant to specifically evoke that time of year. I have woven these words, or kigo, into as many places as I can in this story. Some you will find here: 

-The Milky Way is most visible in the fall in Japan. There is even a folk tale and related festival, Tanabata, that relates to two celestial lovers separated by the "heavenly river." These days it's usually celebrated in July, but it is sometimes (and was more often) celebrated at the beginning of August, which is the beginning of autumn (Risshū). The moon is another celestial symbol of autumn, especially the full moon.
The story of Tanabata

-Pampas grass, bush clover, and crickets are all also symbols of autumn.

Risshū, part 3: Japan didn't have the same view of marriage and divorce as Europe of the time. While divorces were uncommon they weren't unheard of either - one estimate I read said that in the upper eschalon of the samurai class, the divorce rate was around 10%. However, just as marriage was not for love but for family power, divorce had a severe impact on the whole of both families. Dowries given by the bride's family were expected to be repaid, and both marriage and divorce were subject to approval by the ruling lord.