Backstory
During her childhood, Kemu was used to living in different households, being a sole youkai girl without any family since her creation. Youkais in general stuck together and supported one another (when not brawling), especially those in Former Hell when scorned by those above. Kemu enjoyed her sheltered life for the most part, comfortable in a rowdy place, but there wasn't anyone she felt particularly close to.
She had more than one parental figure growing up, many acquaintances who'd see her as a sisterly figure, but she always kept a level of distance between them. For as long as she could remember, Kemu would leave soot behind when touching things with her hands. One caretaker gifted her a pair of gloves, but she'd outgrow them and continue getting more as she grew up. Her attention to not making a mess left her wary of touching other's things as well as her own in fear of tarnishing, and it reflected in her neat and meticulous personality.
Of course, she'd wish that she could touch many things without a barrier. She loved feeling soft things, feeling textures, feeling details. One thing she didn't know she was missing was physical connections with others; when was the last time she'd hugged someone, held a hand even? Since she wasn't conscious of the experience, she just continued as is, and obtained affirmation through her endeavors and hobbies. A favorite past time of Kemu's was singing. The beauty of it was that she could do it herself, alone, or it was her way of harmonizing with the presence of someone else's. To her, it was one way to feel a connection. Her voice had always been pleasant enough when speaking, soft spoken and silken, but singing let her voice become more impactful and noticeable. Early into her childhood, she'd settled on the idea of becoming a singer.
Acknowledged as a freelance singer in Former Hell, Kemu spends her days singing and keeping to herself most of the time. Recently she's gotten into flower arrangement as a hobby, knowing she has the long lifespan of a youkai to perfect her abilities. While she wouldn't dare to visit Gensokyo's surface on her own, when she one day met a certain Tengu, heading to the surface became a new fixation for her.
During one of Former Hell's many festivals, rowdy and rushing as usual, Kemu decided to rest after a stage performance earlier that day. Having caught the eye of a visiting Tengu from above, Marmoris, she was asked to show her around Former Hell as it was her first time underground. Piquing Kemu's curiousity when she noticed the tengu searching for a quiet space, rare given where they were, Kemu asked if she wanted to leave the festival as well when she had been singing. Marmoris admitted she liked the quiet so she can work properly, but Kemu's voice was a sound she'd like to hear leisurely.
Allowing the tengu to stay in her home during her trip to the underground, the two shared stories of their vastly different homes. Marmoris was an editor from above, an evidently proud tengu with large wings, but getting to know Kemu seemed to humble her; in comparison, she knew nothing of the "renowned" tengus, and was curious about the mundane life of those from the surface. Charmed by her interest, Marmoris figured it'd be a good idea to thank her for the tour with one of her own. No matter how many times Kemu had been in the glare of danmaku, she had trouble adjusting to the brightness of Gensokyo-- still, it was more lovely than illustrated in her collection of paintings. She wasn't able to get a thorough walkthrough in one trip of course, but in her time with Marmoris, the two became enamoured with one another. It was subtle briefly, but soon enough they'd become starcrossed long distance lovers watching the other's successes through the years. One particular memory that Kemu recounts from time to time is when she had misplaced her gloves. While she hoped she wouldn't trouble Marmoris with the smoke she'd create, Marmoris assured her that she wouldn't mind it. Of course, flustering her instigated the smoke emission, so their early relationship was full of coughing and frequent trips to do laundry...
Familiar with many more sceneries than before, Kemu continues to sing at more gatherings when prompted, often praised for the work she does. Still having a terrible eye for color combinations and flower arrangements, she sends bouquets to her favorite Tengu every so often. When they don't plan trips to see one another, they communicate by letters and spontaneously mailed gifts, although sometimes Marmoris doesn't receive anything back when she sends Kemu a letter critiquing her bouqet choices.
Sometimes they'll spend months with one another, not having concrete schedules for their work, or very financially demanding lives, and sometimes they don't visit for months. There are a few occasions where trips to surprise one another overlap and they visit the other's empty homes, but they always meet midway and laugh about it. It's easier for Marmoris to see Kemu underground, since Gensokyo's weather varies terribly depending on the latest incident. Since they both tend to be out and about usually, they fear running into the Hakurei shrine maiden, so living together sounds like a good idea in theory. Still, they also adore sightseeing mutually, so it's an idea they've put off for at least 100 years. Personally, Kemu doesn't mind it if she can collect love letters and souvenirs from above, and the distance frankly makes every surprise of each day all the more pleasant.