Marisa's Magically Magnificent Maktaba (Touhou)

[twin blade]

So yeah, this is something I've been working on. It's a CYOA style thing, but since it's been going on for a while, there won't be any votes for you guys for a while. Or, well, at all - counting votes from multiple sites is a pain, and I'd get accused of cheating on one site or another.

If you guys DO want to vote, I'll show you guys a link to where you can.


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"Welllll..." Reimu begins by settling onto the porch with tea in hand. "The Human Village totals roughly 100,000 people, and lies in the geographic center of Gensokyo. A good amount of the population is dedicated to working the surrounding farmland, but there's only so much you can do before all you can do is wait, so the village still has a bustling commercial district."

The lecture pauses as Reimu sips from her steaming cup, with her pale lips open just slightly, to seal themselves against the ceramic. Her eyes close as she tastes the bitter brew, a small hum escapes her lips, and the poor shrine maiden seems to glow with happiness.

"This is a really good brew, Marisa. Where did you get it?"

"Ah! It's Kourin's special blend. He made an extra batch this time, so I helped myself!"

Reimu catches my smirk of course, but since she smiles and shakes her head, she's not chastising me like usual. I guess she doesn't mind so long as she benefits. How mercenary of her! But I could use this.

"Riiiiight. Anyways - the wall is manned by a rotating militia. It's mostly just for show now that the Spellcard System is in place, but sometimes younger youkai get frisky. Keine's been trying to teach the younger kids about danmaku, but it never was her best subject, so..." She shrugs. "Outsiders usually come to me to head back instead of staying, and those who do stay usually just... go native, I guess. Why are you asking me, anyways? You were born and raised there, so you'd know more than me."

"Eheheh... well!" I take a drink from my own cup - but the tea's still steaming hot, and it burns me on the way down. I wince and cough a bit while Reimu just looks on with amusement. How she drinks it this hot, I'll never know. "I, uh. I got into a bet. With Patchy."

There's a pause in the conversation, although actual silence never descends upon us. It's spring again, and we can both hear Lily's screams echoing in the distance, accompanied by birdsong and the swaying of branches. The shrine grounds are clear of leaves and sakura petals - they were all swept up into some forgotten corner.

"...And what was the bet about?"

"Wait, you're not interested in how it happened?"

She shakes her head, setting the cup aside to better look at me. "I know how it happened. You sneaked into the Voile library to steal some books again, Patchouli caught you again, you dueled her again, you - "

I snap my fingers and a bullet ricochets off her forehead. "Hmph! Fine, fine, Marisa, I give."

I can't help but grumble as I put my own cup aside, and pull out my hakkero. I bring it up to the sky at an angle, letting the sunlight reflect off the polished metal and illuminate a small circle on Reimu's porch. The magic reactor gleams in the light, and it's warm, as always, to the touch. Well, to my touch at any rate.

"Long story short, she insulted Mima." Reimu winced - it was a sore subject, after all.

"Short story long, she... she said Mima couldn't have been that great if Mima had ended up kicking the bucket. And the fact that she taught a talentless hack like me instead of someone worthy of magic meant she had to scrape from the bottom of the barrel just to pass on what she knew."

My fingers clench around the reactor; it pulses in my hand, singing notes only I can hear, desperately wanting to be used. Shame I can't just blast Patchy some more.

"So...we made a bet. I said I'd prove her wrong, that Mima was the best teacher ever, and I'd make Patchy eat her words. Literally. Once I win, I am going to get the dirtiest, most repulsive piece of paper to ever exist, write on it with the most foul tasting ink ever, and force it into her mouth."

Reimu just nods, rubbing my shoulder with her free hand as she grabs her cup and takes another serene gulp of tea.

Ahh. It's cooled, a bit. I put the hakkero away and take a sip from my cup, focusing on the flavor, the bitterness and the heat, the herbal fragrance of the tea, as I watch the pink petals falling slowly and gently towards the ground.

"So..." Reimu speaks up again, placing her empty cup back on the tray. " I suppose the Human Village has something to do with your bet?"

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. The dregs of the tea still have a weak scent, but the breeze just... blows it away. The air just tastes crisp, now. Clean.

"Uhm, yeah. See...I, uh...kiiinda want to start a library in the village, and teach everyone there. Teach 'em magic, I mean. Because Mima taught me and I'm from the village, so the best way to prove Patchy wrong is to do the same thing. The library thing is really just so I can say I have a better library than Viole. I mean, what kind of library doesn't let you check out books? It's ridiculous."

Reimu just keeps smiling as I ramble on about the unfairness of Voile, about how it has so much Knowledge and yet only Patchy gets to see it, and how my library would be awesome, and homey, and - and she starts talking as soon as I run out of things to say. "You know, I think this is the first time anyone has asked for my permission to start an incident."

I burst up from my seat, glaring at her; there's probably a flush on my cheeks. "Oh, come on! It won't be that bad, I promise!"

"Ah, of course, my mistake!" Reimu smirks as she stares at me, eyes half-closed. "I am positive it will never come to blows! You teaching a bunch of humans how to handle phenomenal cosmic power in an itty bitty space absolutely will not cause the village to blow up in a storm of magic, and Keine and the Buddhists and the Taoists will never react to our very own Ordinary Magician returning to the village like the prodigal daughter she is. Nothing could possibly go wrong!"

Now Reimu gets off the porch as well, and three ofuda slip down from her sleeves into the space between her fingers. They're glowing, and she's grinning. And while on a regular day I could absolutely blast her away, the duel with Patchy had left me exhausted.

"Quite frankly, Marisa, I should probably nip this in the bud right now. So I, Reimu Hakurei, will just have to challenge you to - "

"I'll let you put your donation box in front of the library."

That puts a stop to her melodramatics - and we both glance over to the front of the shrine, where her giant, empty donation box lays. The poor thing 's all beat up - give it another couple years and it'll be a youkai, running away from the mean, cruel shrine maiden who never fed it any coin.

Reimu just hums, looking back at her rickety old shrine and taps her chin in thought. "But that would mean going into the village. Flying back and forth every day would be a waste of time, and the villagers don't exactly like me anyways."

I shove my hands into my pockets, whistling the jauntiest tune I can think of...and charging my hakkero inside said pocket just in case negotiations don't pan out. "Well, I like you, so there's that. And you'd need to check on me to make sure I don't start an incident, right? And if I get popular, I can convince the people there to help donate. And since they don't need to walk so far, they'll donate more often! They'll think, 'Oh, that poor beautiful shrine maiden, all alone in the mountains! Maybe I should listen to my wise and all-powerful teacher, the Great and Powerful Marisa, and donate money to help her best friend!'"

Annnnnnnd Reimu stares at me like I'm crazy. Well, I'd stare at me like I'm crazy, so I can't blame her.

"That is - that is definitely a convincing argument, right there." She brings her hand to try to stifle her laughter. "Very well, then. Why not? I will cut you some slack, if you bribe me with donations."

Hook, line, sinker. "You're the best, Reimu! I promise you won't regret it!"

She laughs, waving me of as she sits back down on the porch. "So, does that mean you already have books and a building for your new library?"

"Weeeeeeeelllll...I have books! Lots of books. Some of them are even mine! But - er, Reimu, I was kinda hoping you'd help me figure out where to actually get the building. To, you know, put the library in."

Reimu just shakes her head, hiding another smile with her palm. "Let me brew some more tea, then."

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One fresh pot later, and we're sitting back down again and enjoying the breeze.

"Well, Marisa, I'm not too sure you have the money...or the time, really, to commission a new building. Space is at a premium, and you will want a building close to the center of the village for foot traffic."

The tea is burning hot as usual, so I leave mine on the tray as Reimu enjoys hers. "Exactly, so I was thinking about renting a place out, maybe charging a small fee for the books or something to stay afloat. Do you think Kosuzu would be willing to help me out? Oh, or Keine! Getting kids at their youngest means they're the most malleable or something like that, right?"

"Hmmmm... either of those two would work, I think." Reimu smiles as she thinks, looking into her cup. "Suzunaan is getting pretty popular, and Kosuzu's ability would help make those magic books more palpable to everyone else. And she already collects some, right?"

"Yeah - books written by youkai. If we add my own books to the mix, we'd have enough to start an actual magic section in Suzunaan. I could offer free magic lessons outside or something."

"But, Marisa... If you're focused on teaching, wouldn't Keine be a better idea? Your students would come to you every day, assuming Keine approves."

"Right, but...see, I love Mima to death, but she always got frustrated when she first took me under her wing, yannow? Since, well, I was just a kid - it's hard to simplify complicated stuff for a bunch of tots to understand."

There's another peaceful lull in the conversation as Reimu lets me mull things over. If I went with Kosuzu, then I'd get students who actually wanted to learn. The problem would be finding a space to teach them, and...getting people interested in the first place. With Keine, I'd have students by the dozens and could, I don't know, convert a classroom into an atelier for the kids...but Keine would have to give me a crash course in teaching.

I break the silence. "And that's assuming they'll let me start this idea in the first place."

But Reimu waves that objection off. "Just bribe them like you did me. You'll think of something. And if they both say no, you could always go to Senkai or the Myouren Temple."

"...Why would Miko or Byakuren help?"

Another shrug, another sip of her tea. "Well, they are teachers of a sort. And they're always talking about how to best better oneself. Do that thing with your tongue you always do, make it sound like it would benefit them as well. It probably would not even be a lie. You would help interested believers learn more, and that should make the faith stronger. With Miko or Byakuren sponsoring you, you would have willing students, to boot."

I pick up my own cup now, blowing on the tea to cool it down. The steam wafts away from me and into the yard, rising to the sky. "Yeah, but if I side with one group, the other won't exactly be chummy with me. Not to mention they might pressure me to convert, or shove all sorts of religious text in the library..."

"But it would still be better than losing the bet." As always, Reimu cuts to the quick. "And, if everything else fails...you could always go back to your father's shop and ask for help."

I squeeze reflexively around the cup - but, luckily, it's cooled to the point where it doesn't burn me... too much. I've been burned worse by my own brewing, at least. "I don't think that's the best of ideas."

"...Very well."

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The sun's high in the sky when I finally leave. With spring's arrival, Reimu had some cleaning to do in the shrine, and she needed to be on her guard in case Suika came around to party. Or drink. Or really just to be in the general vicinity of the place.

I leave some notes in the donation box - Reimu, did, after all, give me a consultation - wave to Genji in the back as I rise into the air, and ride the ol' broom towards the village.

Riding at... a leisurely pace, I suppose. I'm flying towards the sun, so I have to adjust my hat to shield me from the worst of the glare. On top of that, I...want to savor the feeling, I guess. The anxiety and the curiosity and all the anticipation.

Reimu's right; one way or another this is definitely going to end up as an ncident.

But, for now, I should head to...

[ ]Kosuzu. She probably has the most experience on running a library, and we know each other already. Just bribe her with some books from my collection and we're set~

[ ]Keine. She's already a great teacher from what everyone says, and teaching the way Mima does might not be the best of ideas. Plus, Kirisame-Sensei has a really nice ring to it!

[ ]Miko. That girl has a lot of panache, and we talked for a bit after Akyuu's group interview thing. Having her on my side would mean Taoist magic on my shelves too, and Feng Shui brings good luck!

[ ]Byakuren. Buddhists are supposed to help people in need, right? And learning's one of the first steps to Enlightenment! She's sure to help me out, and it'd give her a place to store all her sutras or whatever.

[ ]Pops. Not happening.

And, as for the library's name...

[ ]Kirisame Library. If it isn't broken, don't fix it!

[ ]Write in.

 

[twin blade]

[X]Kosuzu. She probably has the most experience on running a library, and we know each other already. Just bribe her with some books from my collection and we're set~

[X]Kirisame Library. If it isn't broken, don't fix it!

With savoring done and destination at hand, I suddenly blast through the sky, using my charged hakkero like one of those booster rockets they strap onto spaceships Outside.

It's incredibly wasteful, incredibly dangerous, incredibly crude and oh so incredibly fun. Aya might hit the highest top speed, but I definitely have the fastest acceleration!

I cackle with glee like a proper witch of the night as I speed off like a bullet towards the Village! Buuuuuuut... even after all the practice I've had, it's still really hard to control this thing!

The wind angrily whips around me, cutting into my skin and screeching past my ears. Like this, I would never hear the sounds of danmaku, people calling my name, or even the rumbling thunder of angry gods.

I'd never try this during an incident, but even though my eyes are watering and I'm blasting past both flocks of birds and fairies galore... I feel free.

But the problem with going so fast is that you can never enjoy it for too long. Also, slowing down without hurting yourself is a pain.

The hakkero stops flaring out power, but even then I don't exactly have a way of braking that doesn't include a large, painful, expensive crash. So, instead of cutting through the Village I'll have to make a few circles around the walls to bleed off the speed. I... suppose Aya's ability to stop on a dime is a bit more impressive now.

The first, oh, five laps have me still going too fast to make out anything. Luckily, I'm also high as a kite, so no one actually notices me. For once, I don't want to make a big ruckus - that's for later.

By the sixth run-around I start descending, and soon I can make out the huge throngs of people that inhabit my childhood home. They're like ants, scurrying around and toiling under a meaningless regime, while I view on like a holy goddess from above, mwahaha.

Or at least, that's what Mima would have always think and say. Word for word, in fact, and she would even do the laugh too; it always made me giggle. Even now, her habits as a self-styled 'vengeful spirit' bring me a small smile.

But in reality, the overlooking view isn't bad at all. There's a magic in just watching so many stories unfold. People: so very small from up high, so very big hopes and dreams, inside. But now I'm just getting philosophical. And maybe a just a teeny bit sentimental.

As I make my final descent, I can see a gaggle of children leaving Suzunaan, en masse. I'm still too high up to make anything out, but Kosuzu does do that storytime thing every once in a while. I'll have to ask for a schedule.

Ahh~ It seems the little tots have seen me. Well, in that case...

I let myself fall. Now, a few books will tell you that flying is just falling and missing the ground, or just falling with style, but that's a load of dung. Flying's like swimming and falling - hoo boy, falling.

My hat whips off me as gravity takes me into her cruel, sadistic embrace, and I can feel all my clothes pressing into the front of my body. I can hear - or at least imagine hearing - the kids start pointing, and yelling, and fleeing far, far away from my projected landing zone as I dive towards the ground.

But with the top of my head facing the earth - and with lots and lots of magic, like you wouldn't believe - it's not hard to do a flip -

And rapidly punch gravity in her bitch face repeatedly until she lets me go.

I end up stopping just a couple inches above the dirt road. And silence descends, as I:

Float down the last few centimeters -

Stick my hand out -

And catch my totally radical hat, putting it back on my head.

It ends up with me having to take a few curtseys for everyone to realize it was a show. The kids all surround me, delight at the impossible in their eyes as they beg me to tell them "How you did that super awesome thing, Miss," or "Is it true you're a Youkai Exterminator," or "Where did you get that totally radical hat!?"

The older kids - and some of the adults - just sigh or grin at my antics, and at least a few of them give me a couple claps before they head off.

"Now now, everyone. I have to talk to Kosuzu for a moment. I'll tell you all about magic once I'm done, alright? You guys should head off for now."

Gensokyo tends to raise good kids; at my encouragement, they all disperse, back to their regular schedules.

I notice that more than a few eyes are gleaming at 'magic'! This won't be hard at all~

----------------------------

It takes only a quick peak inside to realize that Kosuzu's a bit busy with Mamizou, and so I wander the village a tad for something to snack on. So two soft, weighty, pale-white meat buns later, I head back to the bookstore -

And realize those two are still talking.

Riiiiiiiiight. This displeases the Great and Powerful Marisa, and so I make my way in. Those two are actually so into it that it takes a while for Kosuzu to notice me.


" - actually a big problem since Mister Rinnosuke's place is only able to stock books that fall into Gensokyo and if Youkai are really as rare Outside as you say Miss Mamizou than I don't think you'll be able to find one and even if you do just giving it to me is just too much so I can't exactly not charge you a proper price on such a rare and valuable book but I don't think I actually have that much money saved up." Kosuzu finishes explaining, and takes a few breaths to center herself. The bells in her hair jingle as she moves, and the red-white kimono makes her stand out in the dusky gloom of Suzunaan. Seriously, not even a single window in here.

"Kosuzu, please." Mamizou smiles gently, adjusting both her glasses and her little leaf hair-clip. Or, at least, it looks like a hair-clip. "It's to be your birthday, and you've been quite wonderful to me. It gets to the point where I would daresay you give me priority service... and, in fact, there's another customer right next to us; you've ignored her completely." With that gentle chastisement, she steps back a bit, and Kosuzu finally notices me.

I wave. "Hi there, Kosuzu. Just chatting up a storm, huh?"

She blushes, not quite as red as her hair or her kimono but definitely close enough, and clears her throat to compose herself. "Ah! Hello, Miss Marisa. Miss Mamizou was just asking me about foreign Youkai books. We don't have any of those, and when I asked her why she said she wanted to get me a birthday present."

Oh man, this is really my lucky day. I look out of the corner of my eye, rubbing my chin as if lost in thought.

"You know..." I drawl out, as though I was without a care in the world. "I actually have a collection of Western Youkai books. 'Goethe's Faust,' 'Waiting for Godot,' 'Paradise Lost'... if you help me with a teensy favor, I'll give one to you."

Mamizou immediately brings her hand up to her mouth, cradling her chin just so, somehow managing to look interested without immediately guffawing. Well, she is from Outside, so she's probably heard of them.

Kosuzu, though, is immediately enraptured. "And you'd let me have them, just like that?"

"Juuust like that." I put on my best smile, all gleaming teeth and dazzling eyes, attacking Kosuzu head on. "How about it?"

"Ah - of course! You're not carrying any books on you, so they must be at your home, right? Let me just tell Father and we'll be off!" Without a moment's hesitation, she's throwing her apron onto the chair and rushing towards the back. Girl must love her books.

"So, Marisa...where did you hear about such famous 'Youkai', hmm?" Mamizou grins, nudging my shoulder and winking while Kosuzu yells in excitement a few rooms away.

"Oh, well, you know. Mom was an Outsider, and she fell through with just a giant pile of books. She even let me keep some! I trust you won't tell her?"

The tanuki just smiles. A leaf falls from her side to the ground, breaking the magic hiding her bottle of sake. She gestures it to me, offering a sip... but it's one of those polite offers the offerer doesn't want you to accept. I start making a move to accept it anyways, but I'm too slow - she's already gulping the alcohol down. She all but chugs it, and finishes with a rather unladylike smack of the lips. "Nah; I love good pranks too much. Kosuzu will just have to learn how to see when someone's pulling a fast one on her. Besides, she's far cuter when she's angry." She slaps another leaf on her bottle, hiding it away, and leaves without a goodbye.

"Father, I'll see you later!" Kosuzu yells over her shoulders, jumping towards me on one foot as she hurriedly puts on her overcoat. "Ah - Miss Marisa, I'm ready now! Let's be off, we can discuss the details on the way... ah? Where's Miss Mamizou?"

We both head outside as I get my broom ready. I toss it into the air with a small flourish, and let it slowly float back down to pick us both up. "Oh, she said she had something to do, and didn't want to take any more of your time." With a small jump, I straddle the broom, leaving enough space for Kosuzu to sit however she pleases.

The young shopkeeper nods in understanding, and joins me rather quickly. Luckily for the both of us, she's used to this kind of transportation, even if she can't fly herself - though the poor girl still has a death grip around my waist, and her small, perky breasts are pressed tightly against my back.

Soon enough we're off, though now there's no need to hurry. After all, it's time for ~negotiations~!

It's a somewhat slow ride, slow enough that the wind won't make it impossible to talk, but fast enough that Kosuzu's bells jingle quite merrily. "Now, Miss Marisa, what sort of favor do you want? I can't do anything too much, but I'll try my best for a Youkai book!"

Time to reel her in! "Well, I came to you because of your work with Suzunaan. See, I want to start a library of my own, and I was hoping I could rent a space from you to stock my books."

Though she doesn't say anything, and though I can't see her, I can feel her merchant's analytic eye start working. "Sorry, Miss Marisa," she begins, and I immediately know this is going to take a long while. "But you're still a known thief, and I have a lot of rare books. I can't let you store your books on our shelves - that'd just give you a reason to 'accidentally' mix some of my books with yours. I mean, you even tried to steal my Necronomicon right in front of me!"

"I only wanted to borrow it for a bit! Besides, I'm making it up with a new Youkai book, aren't I?"

"Miss Marisa, please, you're offering one book for this really, really big favor. Make it four and I'll reconsider." I can already imagine her smiling impishly, and maybe batting her eyelids for me.

But one of the perks of flying like this is that I don't need to worry about face or body language - just our words and our wills! "Two books and my guarantee as a Kirisame I won't steal."

"Pffffft. Miss Marisa, you're disowned."

"Well yeah, but I still got to keep the name! I mean, I already run the Kirisame Magic Shop, so we're still affiliated! And besides, my pops disowned me for a totally illegitimate reason anyways, so it's fine."

I speed up a little, to throw her off balance juuuuuuuuuust a bit. She grips harder, and places her chin on my right shoulder, her eyes probably shut tight. Jingle jangle, her bells ring into my ears. Such a pretty sound~

"Actually - Miss Marisa, if you don't mind, how did you get disowned?"


"Oh, you know how it goes. Pops wanted a boy instead of a girl, I became the cliché rebellious daughter, and then he was like 'I HAVE NO POINTY HATTED DAUGHTER!' and I was like 'OH YEAH? WELL I HAVE NO BERET WEARING FATHER!' and then I left."

"...Really?"

As we talk, we soon approach the Forest of Magic. Everything hums with life here, and the sounds of a hundred thousand creatures all echo about. Even from this distance, my house is easily seen - you can't miss the giant potion flask that rests on my roof!

"Ohhh, yeah. Hats are serious business in the Kirisame Household. Did you know that Dad used to wear a top hat? And he disowned me because of my totally radical witch's hat. Feel it! It's one hundred percent silk!" And also loaded with hypnotic enchantments that'll enrapture anyone who touches it.

Kosuzu giggles, and I slow down enough for her to let go of me and play with the brim of my hat. If I know my fabric - and I do since Alice would kill me otherwise - I'd say it's as soft as Kosuzu's delicate skin.

"Oh, you're right, it's quite... quite, soft..." Success!

We touch down in front of my door, and Kosuzu quickly gets off - though she's still mesmerized by my hat. "So, Kosuzu, do we have a deal?"

"Ahhhh... Yes, of course, Marisaaaaaa..." Oooooh, yes, I can definitely get used to this. I'm set. "Alrighty, then. Come on in, and we'll pick a book out for you!" I tell her, yanking off my hat and handing it to her before opening the door.

Unfortunately... this is where my messy habit comes and bites me in my tush.

The sea of books that rests on my floors instantly snaps Kosuzu out of her hat-(and magically-) induced trance. And she stares, she stares with her judging eyes. "Ehehehehe...whoops?" I mutter, smiling at the angry, angry girl. "I'll, uh, I'll just... "

"You monster! You, YOU BOOK ABUSER!"

And so Kosuzu throws my hat at my face and rush in, rapidly picking up my books and setting them aside.

"Oh come on, I'm not that messy!"

Kosuzu rapidly spins around, and even her bells sound ominous now as she points at me. "But you are! You so very clearly are! The deal's off, I can't trust you with my books - I can't trust you with YOURS! I'm taking all of these back to Suzunaan!"

"Wha - you can't do that, that's totally theft!"

Kosuzu's arguing as she cleans up now, rapidly chucking old bags and clothes out of the windows and tossing aside all my knick-knacks to make room for book stacking. "It's not theft, it's rescue!"

I toss my hat onto the couch and float over my books to try and stop her. Already she has one of my thieving commandeering sacks in hand and is stuffing my books inside. I grab the bag, gripping it shut, and Kosuzu stares coldly, with those judging eyes. "Look, Kosuzu, calm down, I ward all my books, there's no dust or stains on any of them, see?"

Kosuzu's cheeks are burning red, and her whole body's shaking with barely contained passion. Her eyes are aglow with wrathful fire, and her bells hum constantly due to her shaking form.

...Mamizou's right, she is cute when angry.

--------------------------------

The sky's already orangish-red with the setting sun by the time we finally clean up my house. Kosuzu and I are both impossibly sweaty, our clothes sticking to us and outlining our bodies like second skins. Dirty, salty second skins. Kosuzu's standing on my shoulders now, gripping the top of a bookshelf with one hand, reverently sliding in my books with the other. "Ahh, Miss Marisa, please move closer!"

Yeah, that's right. I'm reduced to a footstool. "Hurry uuuuuuuup!" I grumble at her, as she shifts her weight back and forth on me. Kosuzu took her boots off, at least - hooray for small mercies.

"Annnnd - there!" Last book's in place, and we both collapse onto my (somehow sparkling clean) couch. "So, Miss Marisa," Kosuzu says, before taking a deep breath. I notice, a bit belatedly, that her eyes still look firey. "I am willing to reconsider my disapproval for the Kirisame Library - if you give to me all of your book collection indefinitely for safe keeping."

"Oh come on, I wasn't that messy!" I try, a bit pointlessly, to defend myself. "My books were all protected from damage, there wasn't a single stain you could find, and the only problem I had was my lack of a filing system, which you just taught me, so I'll make an awesome librarian with your amazing tutelage!"

Kosuzu flushes a bit at the compliment, but I can't tell if it's real or if she's just really good at faking. She is a shopkeep after all, and Kourin's managed to outbluff me more than once.

"Not all your books then," she concedes, and I let out a sigh of relief. "But! In exchange for my cooperation, up to and including free fliers for the Village, I need you to offer me something of equal value!"

I raise an eyebrow, leaning forward to look at her. "Well, then... define 'equal value'."

But Kosuzu shakes her head, smirking right at me. "Nope! That's your job. I'll know it when I see it."

I grumble melodramatically, stepping off the couch in a fit of annoyance to take a glance at the clock - it's late, and we haven't eaten, so...

With a snap of my fingers to start the fire in the kitchen, I turn to point at her. "How about dinner with a lovely lady?"

Kosuzu laughs. "Okay, that's a start."

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Since we're both hungry, and I'm in no mood to cook, I end up just reheating a pot of stew. Luckily for me, Mima had to make sure I knew my way around the kitchen, since she never ate herself, and grasping stuff is hard as a ghost. Upshot of all this is that even though it's been sitting since morning, the stew still tastes boiling fresh.

Kosuzu's all smiles as I ladle out bowls for the both of us, and she puts aside my copy of 'Paradise Lost' as we get ready to eat.

"Uh, aren't you worried you'll spill the soup?" I ask, as I sit myself down and take a quick sip.

Ahhhh, nothing like freshly harvested mushroom and veggie soup! They're double-nutritious too, since they're grown in the Forest of Magic. The best time is to collect at night, like right now - and if I wasn't entertaining a guest, I'd be out and about and grabbing all the reagents I need, instead of using up my candles like this.

Kosuzu's abandoned most pretenses of politeness, it seems, and a bit of the candlelight reflects in her glasses as she drinks and reads. "Not particularly. You said the pages were all protected as well - if I end up ruining this, then that just means the deal's off. Better hope I don't spill~"

I chuckle, and leave the girl to her reading as I glance around my spring-cleaned home. I'm honestly a bit surprised I have so much variety in magical subjects. Geomancy, Necromancy - and that's the divination stuff, not the zombie raising - magical healing, elemental control... I'd say that more than half of my own library consists of books from Voile.

Hmmmm. Now that I think about it, maybe it's time to do more than a quick skim of some of these. Explosions are my specialty, but I know firsthand that you don't want to mix that kind of magic with books.

So, in that case, what should I start teaching? I only want to get my feet wet, and Suzunaan's already packed with books, so I should probably stick with one subject. But which one?

[ ]Alchemy. It's just like folk remedies, except Magical, so most adults won't really mind letting their kids know this. It's simple enough that it shouldn't be too hard to teach, and I'm already good at this! It's probably the most peaceful of magics as well, so outside of some spills I should be fine.

[ ]Geomancy. You can do some crazy stuff with the earth, and knowing a bit about Geomancy would be enough to help the farms around here a good amount! At the very least, it'd be much easier to till and plow through all the dirt. It might attract some of the Taoists too, but that might be a good thing or a bad thing.

[ ]Divination. Not the bone-using kind, that'd just get me lynched, but tea, cards, and the stars could be used to give a quick second opinion on a course of action - everyone likes a sure thing, and it'd let the kids know when a pop test is coming up! The tea and the cards would be a bit of a hassle to supply, though, and I don't think I have enough clout to do night classes.

[ ]Write in.

As for what to offer Kosuzu... well, one of these should be enough, and two will definitely earn me brownie points. Three's too much of a bribe, though, and she definitely wanted 'a fair trade.' Being in debt's a terrible thing.

[ ]Warding. Technically most of these books have been warded by Patchy, but I know enough to do a decent job. Books that can't be damaged or collect dirt would make Kosuzu's job easier, as well as provide a cheaper price for lending her books out.

[ ]Magic. Kosuzu's definitely a smart enough girl to pick up the tricks 'o the trade, and you just can't beat magic! It's quite the varied skillset, and I could use a personal assistant when I start teaching others!

[ ]Energy. Gods know I've stayed up late studying, and a bibliophile like Kosuzu must want to read every chance she gets - especially if she's reading and eating like this right in front of me. A small supply of my famous mushroom-derived energy drinks would make a good deal, especially if I give her a discount once her first batch is gone.

[ ]Write-in.

And, lastly... it's pretty late now, and flying by night's always a hassle. Not to mention the Youkai flying about. What should I do about Kosuzu?

[ ]Let her stay the night. Kosuzu said that she got permission to go out as long as she wants while we were cleaning, and I'm sure she'd rather stay up reading than go home and go to bed. We could have a book reading... thing!

[ ]Escort her home. Permission or not, her father's going to get worried regardless, and night flying has its own kinds of charms. It shouldn't take too long to get there and back, and I must admit that my bed is comfier than my couch.

 

[twin blade]

[X]Geomancy. You can do some crazy stuff with the earth, and knowing a bit about Geomancy would be enough to help the farms around here a good amount! At the very least, it'd be much easier to till and plow through all the dirt. It might attract some of the Taoists too, but that might be a good thing or a bad thing.

[X]Warding. Technically most of these books have been warded by Patchy, but I know enough to do a decent job. Books that can't be damaged or collect dirt would make Kosuzu's job easier, as well as provide a cheaper price for lending her books out.

[X]Magic. Kosuzu's definitely a smart enough girl to pick up the tricks 'o the trade, and you just can't beat magic! It's quite the varied skill-set, and I could use a personal assistant when I start teaching others!

[X]Let her stay the night. Kosuzu said that she got permission to go out as long as she wants while we were cleaning, and I'm sure she'd rather stay up reading than go home and go to bed. We could have a book reading... thing!

I'm not particularly used to dinnertime conversation, so the fact that Kosuzu's too entranced with her new book to talk is quite the relief. It lets me just... focus on the meal, and feel the warm, savory broth run down my throat.

I'm usually eating while running an experiment, or just skipping dinner outright. So, eating at the table... it's nice. Relaxing, even. Just a simple candlelit dinner, with all my worries and projects put on hold.

Well, almost all my projects. There's still Kosuzu to take care of.

"So... Kosuzu, it's getting late. Why don't you stay the night?" I ask after finishing most of my bowl, stretching a bit to get all the kinks out. Early to bed, early to rise and all that, and I'm far too lazy to bother with bringing her back to the Village.

But Kosuzu's too into the story to pay much attention to me. Hell, her bowl's still fulled to the brim. It's a bit insulting - I am a damn fine cook, thank you very much!

So I'll just scoop up the rest of my soup, caaaarefully bring it over to Kosuzu...

And pour it all over Paradise Lost.

"AHHHHH! No! Towel, towel!" Kosuzu literally jumps out of the chair, knocking me down onto the floor on her way to the kitchen. By the time I get up she's already back with one of my clean rags, hurriedly dabbing them on the book and soaking up the soup from the paper.

"Why would you do that, Marisa? I was reading... it?" She berates me angrily, but it turns into confusion as the rags soak up the spilled broth - and reveal dry, unblemished paper underneath.

"So, Kosuzu, I was thinking..." I continue, getting up like it ain't no thing, "You have a lot of books, right? And I bet they're not as durable as my books. But I, being the wonderful person that I am, can make them just like this. See?" I reach over the table to my waterproofed book, holding it open from the top and flipping the pages with my other. "Waterproof, crease-resistant, you can't even get the pages muddy - sauces and dirt just wash right off!" To make my point, I wipe some of the dirt off my apron and smear it riiiiiiiiight on the page, over what I presume to be Satan's name. I can't actually see it from this angle.

Kosuzu stares in dumbfounded horror as I just utterly desecrate everything she holds dear. Her face, contorted in a pained, agonized visage, doesn't change as I get to work cleaning the mess I just made, using the rags she grabbed earlier to gently wipe the book clean.

"See? Good as new. I'll personally ward every single one of your books - " And here I die a little inside at the prospect of so much menial work - " in exchange for your cooperation. In fact, sign right now and I'll be your personal tutor and guide to the woundrous world of magic! Phenomenal cosmic power, to do with as you please! Change the distance of the stars, in any way you like! Revive your dreams, revise your stance, color them to life! All this and more under my wise and gentle guidance – if you help me out with this teensy little library thing."

It takes a moment for Kosuzu to, well, recover from her disorientation, and a minute longer for to her actually process my ranting. She slumps back onto her her chair, pitifully rubbing her temples, her bells quiet and still. “That's...frankly, Miss Marisa, you seem like you would be a terrible teacher. Or at least a terrifying teacher. I'd much rather you just... ward my books?”

Oh, no. I'm going to have her under me whether she likes it or not.

“But what about Reimu? Or Mamizou?” And she stares, she stares with her... oh, good, they're just curious eyes.

“...What about them, Miss Marisa?” It's an obvious tactic I'm about to use, but it doesn't make it any less effective!

“Well, they worry about you. We all do; collecting Youkai Books is fine and all, but it's always so dangerous. I mean, remember the Night Parade Scroll you have? Or even that Ennera youkai that escaped over the winter!”

“Yes, but I've been getting better! There haven't been any escapes or anything for at least a few months!” Poor, flustered Kosuzu is desperately trying to defend herself. Perfect.

“Ah... no, no, that's not what I meant. You've been doing a great job already, Kosuzu. You're probably the only human Reimu and Mamizou would trust to take care of those things. But... you can always do a better job, yannow? And I know for a fact that they'd feel a little better if you knew how to defend yourself!”

Kosuzu bites her lip, hard, almost chewing it as she thinks things through. And for good reason – magic's just like any other trade, and she's a bit too old have an apprenticeship now.

And yet, the colors, the sounds~ I can already picture Kosuzu with her very own witch's hat – perhaps a good, light purple, to compliment her vibrant red hair; not robes, those are just too unfashionable. And a tad childish. Heck, Patchouli looks like she's wearing pajamas all the time. A mantle's a must for Kosuzu... or maybe a capelet? Her shoulders can't be bare, of course, but a leotard would be perfect for her! Just a tad clingy to show off her body, and make it easier to focus her magic...

Well, now I see why Alice likes dress up.

“Uhm, Miss Marisa?” Kosuzu asks, gently prodding my shoulder to get my attention. I jolt at the touch, letting the 'Youkai' Book slip from my hand and drop to the floor.

“Whoops! Sorry, Kosuzu, I got lost in thought.” I pass the blush on my face as one of embarrassment, but I don't think Kosuzu quite notices. Or if she does, she's not saying anything about it.

“That's, uhm – that's quite alright, Miss Marisa...” Kosuzu mumbles out, just as red as I am. She distracts herself by picking up the book and dusting it off – though it's not like there's any scruff marks on it. My wards are thorough, and the way Kosuzu's examining it, she knows it too.

“...So, warding my books, and teaching me magic?” She offers a brave, cautious smile. “When do we start?”

--------------------------------------

My little training ground, which is really just a small clearing in the Forest of Magic I spent weeks cleaning up, is littered with makeshift lampposts that cast a reddish glow upon the land. It's buried deep inside the heart of the forest, and both flora and fauna have mutated with the magic that dances upon the air, that soaks into the soft, fertile soil below. A small circle in the center's been fenced off, for me to practice growing my own mushrooms, but the rest of the land shows furrows and scars from spells both accidental and purposeful.

“Uhm, Miss Marisa, is this really necessary?” poor Kosuzu murmurs, too focused on rubbing her arms for warmth to really give much notice to her surroundings. Her two elbow-length gloves are on quite snugly, and the velvet fabric twists and flexes nicely as her fingers dance upon her skin.

“That's Mistress to you, Ko-su-zu~” I reply, stepping over to gently brush her pale, slender shoulders. I couldn't find anything to cover them, but it adds to Kosozu's appeal in its own way. The wind is fierce and cold tonight, whipping Kosuzu's hair about and causing her bells to dance and sing. I'm used to the windchill, thanks to experience and a few helpful spells, but Kosuzu has neither of those, and she's left curling into herself. Her shivering, the way her nipples press into the rubbery leotard that hugs her body – well, let's just say it's quite clear on how she's dealing with it all.

“But... but, Miss, Mistress, it's so cold! How can I concentrate like this?” Another wind comes by as if to punctuate Kosuzu's statement, and the chill finally gets the best of her. She takes one step, two, and she's buried herself into my chest, desperately hugging me for warmth. And, well, I'd just be a terrible teacher if I left her to suffer.

With a serene smile, I pull on the edge of my cape, wrapping it around Kosuzu like a makeshift blanket. It's terribly thin, however, and not exactly what you'd call long. In fact, all it really does is cover half of her back, leaving her bare ass and thighs exposed for the cruel wind to ravage her with sharp, stinging slices.

Indeed, the air seems to grow thicker, heavier, as though it was herald to a storm. Kosuzu's bells grow silent underneath my tender care, but the savage wind does nothing for intimacy. Indeed, branches are snapping and being thrown aloft, and the lamps I've hung amongst the trees have grown cold, the paper shielding too weak to oppose the wind. With no moon, the clearing plunges into darkness, and I can feel Kosuzu stiffen and shake as I guide her to a nearby tree.

My new apprentice sits in my lap, her soft, plush butt gently rubbing against my own thighs. Kosuzu's just so soft, and adorable, and malleable~ As my new apprentice grinds against me for just a little more warmth, I can't help but brush my knuckles against the back of her neck, and -

“Pffffffffffffft. 'I'm going to have her under me whether she likes it or not'? Good Golly Miss Molly, Marisa; you do sure suck at this.”

And my awesome sex dream is ruined.

Oh, sure Kosuzu and 'I' are still necking in the woods at night, using each other to satisfy our need for warmth and pleasure, but it's like the difference between watching someone do it and doing it yourself. That and I'm too distracted to actually pay attention to the world-shattering sex I'm supposed to be enjoying.

"Oh, come on Mima! These dreams only come like twice a month! And the last time I had one I was off killing an evil caricature of Alice! You didn't wake me up then!"

“I just want to point out that that particular dream was after your break-up thing which still makes no sense considering you two were never officially in a relationship, and also you were having the time of your life stabbing zombies in the gut.” Dream-Mima waves me off, still skimming through the book of my memories. Thoughts. Memory-thoughts.

Or at least I think it's Dream-Mima. The 'real' Mima had left me with this spell that ensures either good dreams or dreamless sleep, though I can't figure out the mechanics and it seems to lean towards the latter. She apparently modified an anesthesia spell for human sacrifices, but whatever. This Mima in my head acts just like I remember, and she certainly isn't telling if she's real or fake or something in between.

I settle down in one of those fancy reading chairs as walls sprout up around Mima and I, a fireplace providing all the warmth and light I'd ever need. I grumble a bit, tossing my hat to the side as I let myself have a little pout.

Mima doesn't give a damn, of course. Doesn't even have the decency to sit down. And she clearly has legs even though she's a ghost, since I can see the outlines of her knees whenever she crosses them. Like right now.

She's just floating. A few centimeters off the chair. She's even in a sitting position too, and catching up on the Life and Times of Marisa Kirisame.

“Oh, don't look so upset. It's a teacher's prerogative to give their students all the shit in the world. And whatever did happen to Alice? Or Miss Hakurei herself? I mean, just who is this pretty new thing who's caught your eye?”

I try watching myself undress Kosuzu through the television, but it's not exactly like I can play with myself when Mima's right there. So all I can do is grumble. Grumble in spite. “Alice is great in bed, but we just clash too much. And I'm not even sure Reimu swings that way.”

Mima absentmindedly waves her hand, increasing the flare of the fire and dimming the volume of the, well, porn. “Yup, like that's ever stopped you from fantasizing. So, what's this about defending my honor? I'm not sure I approve.”

I snort. “You told me, and I quote, 'I don't give a flying fuck on what you do with this knowledge, so long as you use it.' So, yannow, I'm using it. And glorifying your name in the process, so you can't even accuse me of being ungrateful.”

“And your response was, and I quote, 'Oooooooh, you said sweaaaaaaars~' So you'll forgive me for not trusting your comprehension.” The book snaps shut and vaporizes into so much smoke, as Mima finally sits down and stretches her arms. There's a smirk on her lips.

“So, want to woo the Motoori girl, eh? She certainly seems your type, all delicate on the outside, all fire and passion on the inside, yadda yadda yadda.”

I conjure up a book to throw at her, but she just blasts it out of the air with a laser. Hmph.

“Oh come on, it's just a fantasy. One you woke me up from, I might add! Didn't you cast this spell for, you know, good-dream having?”

“That I did, Marisa, that I did.” She responds, nodding sagely. “But I'm also a vengeful spirit. Barging in on you like a mother catching her child red handed? Far too tempting.”

“You didn't stop me from dreaming about Reimu or Alice!”

“That's because I thought you'd settle down with one of them, Marisa dearest!” Mima's suddenly hugging me from behind, through the chair. “You have the down to earth, stable, and pretty Reimu as bride one, and then there's adorably feisty, passionately angry, ice-queen-on-the-surface Alice as bride two! It's the pefect love triangle!”

“And, well,” she adds after a moment's pause, still embracing me. Somehow. Her hands and arms don't have any physical weight, but I can't seem to move through them. “Watching you stab zombies in the gut with a knife was pretty awesome. Anything that led to that is retroactively the best choice.”

“You were turned into a doll made of stitched-together human flesh and forced to dance on a hundred-meter-tall Alice's strings, who was also made of stitched-together human flesh and also had entrails and feces coming out of every orifice.”

And now she phases through me, giving me a chilling jolt, before floating over to the television and sitting on it.

With her legs crossed. In front of the screen. And she's smiling.

“Yes, but it was awesome and so all is forgiven. Now – Kosuzu. Spill.”

Gods. If the real Mima ever comes back, I will hug her or strangle her.

“Okay, then. Kosuzu. She's cute, she's going to help me run my new library, and I'd be able to use her as teaching practice. Keine's too busy to go to for help with this, and Miko and Byakuren are landmines at the moment.”

Mima waves her finger at me, in that tut-tut motion I'm never actually sure how to describe. “I meant romance, dearest. You have Love Sign spellcards, come on now.”

I'm positive I've asked this before, but the whole dream malarkey makes everything... unsure. “Why do you even care, Mima?” I groan at her.

“Because I'm a terribly old woman who enjoys being a gossipy busybody. Also because you're my only student, and I want to root my pride and ego into you, like all great and powerful teachers.”

...And she says this with a pleased grin.

I surrender. “Oh, fine. I'm interested in Kosuzu. I'm also interested in Reimu. Alice... not so much, these days. Miko was kind of disappointing when I realized that she wasn't actually you, but she's fun enough to hang around with. I don't know too much about Byakuren, but with a body like that, who wouldn't be curious? And everybody who's lived in the Human Village has a crush on Keine, so.” I also list them all tonelessly, carelessly, topping it off with a shrug.

Not that she sees it, since she's too busy looking at her nails. “All acceptable wives, then. And your choice?” Mima shoots back, without even taking a glance at me.

“Ehhhhhhhh. I'll figure it out as I go along. Hell, I might just focus on teaching and stay single.”

“A sensible choice, I suppose. But speaking of teaching... how do you plan to do that?”

Oh good, she's done discussing my love life. I let a smile grace my lips, and let myself relax just a bit.

Although I must admit, the television screen's still a bit distracting.

-----------------------------------------

Birds. Hateful, evil, obnoxious birds. They chirp, they screech, they wake me up.

It takes me a moment to actually get up and rub the sleep from my eyes. With only one arm to do said rubbing, I don't realize why I only have one arm to rub said sleep from said eyes until I yawn and look down.

My first lesson was pretty light, if a bit makeshift. Just some reading homework really, and a few scribblings on the floor for Kosuzu to practice her seal-making. I must have fallen asleep, watching her draw pentagrams and perfect concentric circles again and again – and she must have crawled into the couch with me, if her grip on my arm's anything to go by.

Heh. Kosuzu smiles when she sleeps. That delicate tidbit in mind, I dilly dally, shilly shally my way out of her grip, and head on over to the bathroom to freshen up.

Or I would have if someone hadn't just knocked on the door. Luckily for me, my house is actually clean and orderly for once, and so I don't trip on anything as I walk to the door.

Ahhhhhhh damn it it's Alice.

The door opens and I give her a tired glare. My hat's all jaunty too. “Morn', toots.” I drawl.

Now, how should I describe her, as she appears before me? Her golden locks gleam as always in the sun, a shock of red from her headband adding to the fairy tale image. Her clothing is immaculate, her eyes, passionate, and -

And I am far, far too tired for this. She looks like a porcelain doll, with all the beauty and unreality that description entails. And implies. And states.

And those 'passionate' eyes roll at me. “Good morning to you too, Marisa; you're quite surly today. Did you spend last night cleaning, for once?”

I smirk and let her step inside, letting my beautiful home speak for itself. And Alice just blinks. “Ah – so you did. And who's that child on your couch? I wasn't aware your thievery extended to cradle robbing.”

There's no malice in her voice. There never is. I really have to see if I can't learn that trick one of these days. “Oh, that's just Kosuzu. We were discussing some business yesterday, and it got late enough to where she had to spend the night.”

“Ah. Well, I'm sure you discussed all sorts of contracts and had incredibly rough negotiations and some other terrible double entendres.” She lets herself into the kitchen to make breakfast.

We might not be all that close, but we're not like some mages, who have a maid to wait on them hand and foot. It's easier to manage the food bills by eating together; magic doesn't pay all that well in the scheme of things.

I mean, granted Alice doesn't actually neeeeeeed to eat these days, but I presume there's still a sense of fullness and pleasure involved. Who knows.

Regardless! I'm not to disturb Alice while she's cooking, and Kosuzu will probably be out of it for a while longer. A glance at the clock says we've slept in late, which means I have a few hours to kill. Alice's meals are the best, but her micromanagement means she takes an incredibly long time in the kitchen. Like, “calls it breakfast but it's really lunch” long.

So... where to now?

[ ]The Hakurei Shrine. Reimu'd probably appreciate a good meal, and we need to move her donation box to its new home anyway. Seeing Kosuzu react to her hero would be good for a laugh, too.

[ ]The Schoolhouse. Classes should be in session, which means I can get a quick glimpse into the how-tos of teaching. Mima just reminded me firsthand of why her teaching style might not pan out, and there's a big difference between specialized training and teaching a group.

[ ]Suzunaan. Kosuzu's father would probably appreciate knowing how his daughter's doing, at the least, and getting started on the Warding would probably score me some points all around. Plus, I need to scope out where to, you know, put all my Geomancy books.

[ ]Write in.

 

[twin blade]

[X]The Hakurei Shrine. Reimu'd probably appreciate a good meal, and we need to move her donation box to its new home anyway. Seeing Kosuzu react to her hero would be good for a laugh, too.

Reimu's place is actually kind of small for a shrine, when you get down to it. I mean, she has this huge mountaintop all to herself, and a lake to boot, but there's only three bedrooms and a kitchen in there – I can't even tell if there's an actual place to worship or not.

Although, I guess for Reimu it's probably way too big. Genji's a nice turtle, but he gets boring to talk to, and Suika and Yukari are assholes. Like, the biggest. Suika's constant partying did at least as much damage to the Human Village's stockpiles as Yukari's everlasting winter. Things were terribly touch and go for a while. I like a feast as much as the next guy, but come on. Everyone was all partied out for the next month, and it ruined the Shooting Star Viewing they had planned!

I was looking forward to that, damn it!

I'm left shaking my fist at imaginary oni and gap hags as I touch down in the Hakurei Shrine's backyard. Silently, of course. Old Genji's snoozin' at the hotsprings and soaking up the heat; it'd be rude to wake him up. So, I'll just slide open the weathered doors and let myself in.

The clinking of chopsticks on ceramic echoes loudly throughout the shrine, and it's a peace of cake to follow the sound all the way to... Reimu elegantly eating a bowl of plain rice, with a touch of soy sauce.

The rice is probably cold, too. Not that I'd actually know but it seems... fitting. But regardless, this can't stand!

So I rap my knuckles against the wall, and let myself into the room. Not that Reimu actually reacts, but it's the thought that counts.

Indeed, she just continues to add more soy sauce to flavor her meal, as though I wasn't there at all. “Good morning, Marisa. I still have Rinnosuke's tea leaves, if you want to sit for a spell.”

She doesn't stop eating as I walk up to her and sit down. Her eyes are closed, almost thoughtful, though her furrowed brow breaks the serene image she was trying to go for. She doesn't notice – or at least, care – about my scrutiny as she pops a small bit of brown rice into her mouth. A small hum escapes her as she chews, as if treasuring every bite.

I take the moment to brush my knuckles against the rice – yup, cold.

“Uhm – actually, Reimu. I was thinking we could go over to my place for breakfast. Kosuzu's over there too, so we can iron out the details while we eat.”

Silence. And when Reimu opens her eyes, there's a terrifying, hungry sheen.

“You sure about that, Marisa? I'd hate to be a bother...” Her voice is slow, soft – and yet I can hear Reimu struggle to keep the excitement out of her voice. She's not completely successful, either – her pitch wavers just a tiny bit, and she gently bites on the back of her lip.

“Of course! The more the merrier, and all that.” And then she moves. The rice's done, the bowl's in the sink, and Reimu's outside.

“Hurry up, Marisa! I'm waiting~!”

Waiting my ass! She doesn't even 'wait' for me to get outside before she's in the air, flying towards the forest. 'Course, with my speed it's a breeze to catch up with her. “Don't you want to talk about the donation box, first?”

“What's there to talk about? You came over and mentioned it, so clearly everything's fine on that front.”

“Well, yeah, but don't you want to... spruce up the box? That thing's taken a beating.” Mostly from Reimu kicking it in frustration. That box abuser.

But Reimu just shrugs her shoulders. “Too much money to fix it. And if people don't donate because of that, then I'll just have to keep living like this. Or stop you from taking my extermination work.”

“Hey, I need to eat too!” I overtake Reimu before spinning around and looking her in the eye. Not that this actually stops her from accelerating , so I'm forced to keep flying backwards lest I receive a shrine maiden tackle. “Not my fault you're a lazy bum. You're the heroine everyone wants, but I am the heroine everyone settles for. Advertise, be flashier, and you'll get all kinds of requests!”

“Yes, and that's the problem. All kinds. The hundred-thousand yen service was bad enough; it's the Hakurei Shrine, not the Hakurei Brothel. Miko and Byakuren have snatched up all my wedding and funeral money, too!”

There's this terrible urge within me to ask just what, exactly, a hundred-thousand yen service actually involves. Because she can't possibly be implying what I think she's implying. But for once, my sensible side wins out and I totally and casually continue. “Couldn't you just... move the shrine over to the village?”

Reimu's too hungry to notice my... trepidation, and shakes her head, sighing as we descend into the forest. “I've tried. For one, Yukari won't let me – the current location of the Shrine is tied to the Hakurei Barrier, so I need to stay there to maintain it. And even if she was fine with it, the villagers aren't. Remilia, and Suika, and Yukari, and the Fairies – the Hakurei Shrine's too popular with youkai for the Village to be comfortable with me.”

“What about those hot springs?”

She gives me The Look. You know the one, that exhausted glare you always get when you give out a totally reasonable suggestion or ask a completely legitimate question and the other person just thinks you're full of crap.

“You mean the hot springs that my giant pet turtle regularly sleeps, eats, and defecates in?”

...Ooooookay, maybe Reimu does have a point.

------------------------------

We eventually resolve to stop talking about Reimu's monetary situation, and head for breakfast. Or rather, she stops talking about it, and I don't really know how to continue the conversation.

Regardless, we touch down at my house soon enough, and are... well, assaulted is kind of a bad word to use, because it implies the smell we're... smelling, well... smells bad. Not like warm, toasted bread, the faint sweet-sour twinge of oranges, and – wait a tic.

Reimu's eyes are closed as she steps through the doorway, her head angled high to sniff out her next meal. I can almost see the wafts of steam lead her, ever so gently, by the nose. “I thought oranges were out of season now,” I hear her murmur.

And yet, there they are when we enter – three plates piled with a modest assortment of food. Scrambled eggs collected from Alice's chickens, toasted bread with butter and jam, oranges.

“They are, but Miss Kazami has taken to the habit of growing and selling out of season go – ah. I see Marisa has brought another guest. Will you be dining with us as well, Miss Hakurei?” Alice's voice echoes from my kitchen, and it takes me a moment to realize she's, once again, placed some of her dolls around the place to keep watch. Hourai's sitting on the bookshelf, and happily waves at us when I notice her.

Cheeky little thing. Wish Alice was more like this. I wave back, floating up to pull Hourai off and set her somewhere safe. The blond doll struggles in my hands a bit, but all the magic in the world can't stop someone fifty times your size squeezing her hands around you.

...Well, all the magic Alice knows, at any rate. I could totally break out of someone fifty times my size squeezing the life out of me. But Horuai's just doomed, though it doesn't stop her from kicking me with her little adorable feet. She tosses me an angry pout as I place her on my coffee table, crossing her arms and glaring petulantly – but, she stays still, which is good enough for me.

By the time I turn around, Reimu's already sitting on the table, talking to – Kosuzu in an apron?

“ - so it's not too hard to grow a garden of your own, Miss Reimu. That should help with some of your food problems; since you always help the village with youkai, I'm sure a few of the farmers wouldn't mind giving you seeds if you ask for them – and I have a few books on gardening too, if you want to check them out!” Kosuzu happily informs Reimu as she slides a fourth plate onto the tabletop. A few of Alice's dolls, equipped with tiny spoons and aprons, are still busily scrambling the eggs on the hot plate, only stopping to glare at Reimu and wave those wooden sticks around when she tries to get an early bite.

Reimu harrumphs, getting a giggle out of Kosuzu and making the egg-splattered dolls roll their eyes. “Well, Marisa offered to place the donation box in front of her library, if I gave her my sponsorship. I'm sure I could look around the village while we bring the box there – ah, if that's alright with you, Kosuzu.”

Kosuzu beams, and her merry bells jingle as she takes off her apron and sets it on one of the clothing hooks. “Oh, that's perfectly fine, Miss Reimu. Anything to help you out!”

“Mmm. I never pictured Marisa to be responsible enough to run a library,” Alice says as she glides out from my kitchen. The dollmaker has one of her handkerchiefs in hand, and her cooking dolls line up behind her her, waiting to be cleaned. Flours, crumbs and dobs of jam... her cooking utensils are all quite dirty, and incredibly high maintenance.

I can't really fault her peculiarities – though I do double check to make sure she hasn't left the fires on. “Oh, well, you know. Mima was good to me, so I gotta do her teachings proud. And since she was all for the spreading of magic, figured the best way to do that was, well, teach.”

“Yes, I'm sure the best way to ensure the continued survival of Mima's magic philosophy is to offer weekly lessons in your home neighborhood,” I can hear her scoff as I bleed out the excess magic in my kitchen out the window. “Dilettante.”

“Hey, there's nothing wrong with learning what you want to learn. What's the point of magic if you never use it?” I return to the living room, where Kosuzu and Reimu are already seated. And eating – the scraping of metal on ceramic is the only real accompaniment to my talk with Alice. That's a small relief – Alice is a damn fine cook, and this way neither of my guests will need to butt in. Or feel awkward.

“I've no problems with you using magic – it's your attitude I have trouble digesting. Such a mystical, powerful force, and you treat it so... mundanely. It's insulting, really. Like a chef who slaves over fine cuisine versus, say, you, or a artist's masterpiece versus a toddler's scribbles. What, pray tell, is the point of creating if you don't create something worthwhile?"

Alice is still cleaning her dolls when I sit down and take care of my own growing hunger. The jam is sweet but not overly so, and adds a touch of moisture to the crispy, savory toast. I chase the bread down with a small gulp of milk, and shrug.

“My cooking is perfectly fine and you know it. And parents hang their kids' drawings on the wall, like, all the time.” I'm not exactly giving all my attention to Alice, but once food's before me I'm far too uninterested in philosophical debate. Reimu's the same apparently, if the way she's shoveling her food down is anything to go by.

Kosuzu's slowed down her eating, though, and I can almost see her ears perk up at the conversation. She's been glancing between me and Alice, too, and she flushes a bit when I manage to catch her eye.

Alice doesn't quite notice, however. Once her dolls are clean, they all float off to who knows where, leaving her to finally eat. Normally, that'd be the end of the conversation, but...

Well, it's good to give a student more things to think about, right?

“And anyways, 'something worthwhile' is totally subjective. Like those kid drawings – we might think they're just a bunch of scribbles, but the tot's parents are going to be the proudest folks in the world.”

Alice doesn't quite dignify me with a response at first, instead cutting a piece of her toast with a knife and gently adding some eggs onto the piece. “But you do not deny that there's no real technical aptitude in the child's art. If it had no family or caretakers, the child's art is just so much trash in the wind.”

“What about the kid's teachers?”

“I did say 'caretaker', did I not? A teacher safeguards their charge's health, both physical and mental. If you plan to teach them how to use magic without any real principles to restrain them, Marisa, then I'm going to enjoy watching this all blow up in your face.”

“They're perfectly good kids, Alice. And I totally have a guiding philosophy in mind – but those are really more like guidelines than rules. If my students end up doing something I didn't plan, then oh well.”

“Your 'guiding philosophy' is 'do whatever you can get away with'!”

“And that's a perfectly fine philosophy!”

“Seconds, please!” Reimu's voice knocks both of us out of our argument. We both look at her plate – it's empty, crumbs at all. The only thing left is the orange peel, which still has a bit of its citrus scent on it.

“Ah... of course. Marisa, do you terribly mind helping?”

“...Not at all.”

I can see Reimu hide a smirk behind her napkin, and Kosuzu can't help but sigh in relief.

----------------------------------

“Wait, hold up, you can't be serious.” I take a few steps closer to my 'library', pinching myself to make sure I'm not still asleep. Alice is doubled over, and her dolls are busy helping her stifle her laughter - though it does nothing to stop her tears. Reimu's not helping either, with the way she leans against her donation box, almost shaking with the effort to keep a straight face.

Kosuzu flushes, and her bells ring morosely as she tilts her head in apology. “I'm sorry, Miss Marisa, but... it's only been a day. It takes time to get new bookshelves.”

“But. It's a tent.”

“More of an awning, really,” Reimu points out. “The canvas doesn't even touch the ground."

Kosuzu's dad must have strung this up while we were arriving - a thick, brown canvas is now tied to Suzunaan's roof now, and stretched across to two tall wooden poles. Two dusty, waist-high bookshelves sit in the shade, one of which is supposed to double as a desk if the chair next to it is any indication.

“We... we don't have any room, Miss Marisa. And if you're going to be teaching magic, it... it wouldn't really be in anyone's best interest if you did it... inside. With the books. It's cramped! And dark. And our floors are wood, not dirt. Terrible place to teach geomancy, right?”

Kosuzu's getting far too flustered, and her babbling's making me look really bad. With that and Alice's laughter, we're gathering quite the crowd, and I can feel some of them staring at me.

But... where there's a crowd, there's an audience.

“Well~! I know a way you can make it up to me, Kosuzu. Why don't you help me make some new walls?”

Some of the villagers lean closer in interest, although Kosuzu's a bit confused at first. “But... how? We don't have any wood, just some dirt, and – oh, oh! Absolutely, Miss Marisa!”

“I'll be grading you on this, okay~?” I tell her, and she smiles and nods in response. Of course, since it's her first practical examination, I make sure to give her as much space as she needs, and the villagers know enough to step back if the Great and Powerful Marisa is being cautious.

Alice has wiped away her tears by now, though she's still breathing a bit heavily from all the laughter. Reimu's much more relaxed... after she moves her donation box far, far away from Kosuzu.

“You've already taught her something?” Alice asks me, as we watch my apprentice. Kosuzu's taking her first steps as a magician, and already she's doing a fine job; geomancy requires a lot of, well, geometry, and drawing perfect circles and rectangles without any tools is damn hard.

She starts emitting a magical hum as the spell gets to work, and the energy escaping her body is cooking up a slight breeze. Her hair's starting to float as she concentrates, and her bells jingle almost in time with the magic. It's quite the show, and it does a lot to lighten the monotony of watching a girl bend down and draw shapes in the soil.

Said soil is already starting to coalesce into a pile, though; the villagers all gasp when they notice the ground surrounding Kosuzu sink a bit, as her magic begins collecting the loose earth and forming it into a wall. It's not quite a dance yet – Kosuzu's movements are too deliberate and jerky, and the dirt responds as such. Quick spurts of progress are diminished by dirt falling away, revealing jagged cracks, while pebbles and grass continue to disrupt the flow of magic, making one half of the dirt lag behind the other.

It's her first time, and she hasn't developed the feel of things quite yet, which means she pauses more than once, one hand on the almost crumbling wall to keep the spell going, to take breaks. Her right hand is always busy, though, adding a bit of mundane effort to the magical construction – pulling out weed-roots and rocks, filling in the gaps of cracks with hand-compacted dirt, and redrawing lines and marks with a slender, glowing finger.

The sun travels along, beating a heat into Kosuzu as she works on the finishing touches, hardening the dirt around the wooden poles and on top of the canvas, trying to reinforce the wall as best she can. More and more people start to gather to watch – it's hard not to notice the constant humming and chiming of bells, after all. Even her dad's come out of Suzunaan, crossing his arms and looking upon his girl with pride.

It's about an hour when Kosuzu finishes, and the panting, sweaty, dirt-encrusted girl takes a step back -

“Ahhhhh!” And falls into a newly made ditch.

That breaks the magic, figuratively and literally, and the ringing in all of our ears finally stops. The wall, miraculously, holds – except for a square in the middle, which just crumbles apart, the globs of earth falling away to leave a hole.

A lot of the villagers start clapping while I pull Kosuzu up from her fall. The poor girl's heaving from exhaustion, her face flushed and sweaty and her hair so dirty it's brown instead of red.

Kosuzu ends up leaning on me for support. “How... how did I do, Miss, Miss Marisa?” She asks. With all the magic and adrenalin gone, Kosuzu's shaking all over, both her body and her voice, and this time her brass bells are too clumped up with dirt to ring.

She definitely needs a bath. And maybe some sleep on an actual bed. “You did just fine, Kosuzu,” I tell her, loud enough for everyone to hear, and the crowd helpfully clears a path for us to limp on.

Not that it matters; almost as soon as she's up on her feet, her pop's already in front of us, picking her up in his arms. “Good job, honey – with this, we can save on renovation costs!”

Kosuzu groans at the teasing – or maybe the thought of doing this on a regular basis. Still, though... she looks as proud as I feel. Biggest shit-eating grin I've seen outside a mirror.

“So, everyone!” Kosuzu's dad spins around to look at the audience, cradling Kosuzu with one hand while the other's pointing at me. “I hope you enjoyed that little demonstration! The Kirisame Library will be open tomorrow, with the best selection of magic books you'll find in the Village! Pay a little extra, and I'm sure Marisa here wouldn't mind teaching your kids how to do this as well! I'm certainly pleased with her results!” He laughs, deep and loud, loud enough to probably get half the Human Village to notice.

Of course, if it's that loud, then the ones closest to him are gonna get their ears hurt.

That includes us. Owwwwwwwww.

“In the meantime, my Kosuzu needs some rest – which means Marisa will be taking over for the day. Please go to her if you wish to purchase anything.” And just like that, the man heads back inside. Bastard didn't even give me the option to refuse!

The things one does to ensure a profitable relationship. I choke back a sigh and put on a smile of my own, waving to everybody before ducking into Suzunaan. Alice must have slipped away in the crowd, since I don't see her, but at least Reimu's here with me.

Here to read those mystery novels and not help me at all, that punk, but here all the same.

There's already a huge line by the time I get behind the desk – and now I really do sigh. Customer service sucks.

“Hi!” I begin with false cheer. “Welcome to Suzunaan!”


---------------------------------------------------

“You're holding your first lesson now?” Reimu asks as she pages through another... well, page turner. “I thought you wanted to advertise a bit first.”

“Word of mouth's the best way to do that, and I already have four kids.” It's only been a day, and considering how conservative most of the Village is, four kids is a lot. But, they're not set to show up until noon, which leaves me free to plan how to approach the lesson.

Well, free to ward all of Kosuzu's books. There are just towering... towers, of books surrounding me, all sorted by alphabetical order and genre. As for Kosuzu, she's busy reading another storybook to the kids.

She has most of them paying attention, but, well – they're kids. Their eyes wander. One kid in particular's been staring at Reimu all day, though I don't think she's actually noticed. Two others – which I'm guessing are my students – are more enraptured by the flying books, and the small flashes of light they make whenever I finish having my way with them.

“Ah – hey, Reimu?” I make sure to whisper, leaning just a bit to the side to make the message travel farther, without actually whispering into her ear.

“Hmm?”

“Mind if I use a Spellcard as a teaching tool? Kosuzu was fine since she's an adult, but these kids are still growing.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Reimu's too distracted to give it much thought, and waves me off as she continues her read.

All the better for me – and a good, proper lesson should give her enough donations to forgive this bending of the rules.

But, the town bell's about to ring, and we're going to start as soon as Kosuzu's story is done. How should I approach this...?

[ ] Mima's methods – that is, let 'em learn mostly on their own. Kosuzu's proof that it works just fine, so long as you don't start reaching for the stars. Plus, all of the books in my new ~Library~ are perfectly safe, so none of my students will be able to hurt themselves on accident. Whether they can actually figure it out on their own is a whole 'nother matter.

[ ] Write In.

 

[twin blade]

[X] Write-in – Teach 'em the basics! Keep it nice and slow, simple and clean, all that jazz. Well, maybe not clean.

Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, because that herald tolls for me.

It continues to ring, and I can hear Kosuzu leaving Suzunaan to do some chores for her pops. Reimu and I however, are relaxing in the newly christened Kirisame Library – though really it's more Reimu who's resting. I'm busy peeking out the curtains to see the horde outside. “They all want to watch, don't they?” I mutter.

Reimu's yawn, and the pops of her stretching body, make me turn around. It's still terribly dark – you don't want to light too many candles in a library, after all – but I could still see the teasing smile on her face, right before she speaks. “Of course they do. They have to make sure you won't blow their kids up.”

…And even though it's still terribly dark, I guess she can see the frown on mine. “It's not like you to be so jittery. You taught Kosuzu perfectly fine.”

“Yeah, but... I don't like the idea of screwing up in front of an audience.” This feeling isn't quite fear, or nervousness. Just... a hint of dread.

I move to take another peek out the window – can't really start without all my students – but before I can waste any more time, Reimu's up and placed her hands around my waist.

My shrine maiden leans over my back, resting her chin on my shoulder. It might just be the lack of air conditioning, but Reimu's incredibly warm, and everything in me just... unwinds. I can picture her smile as she whispers into my ear. “You'll be fine, Marisa. And if you're not, I'll make sure you pay for making me lose out on donations. So no pressure.”

And before I can react she shoves me, stumbling, out the door.

The sun's shining bright as always, so the flush on my face can easily be excused. I still take the time to readjust my hat, though it's more to buy time to center myself than it is to keep the sun at bay – my shirt and dress already have cooling charms on, after all.

The parents and the passerby all shush as I get ready, giving a wide berth for me and my... three students?

A check of the list assures me that yes, there are supposed to be four people here. Huh.

“Okay, well – I'm Marisa Kirisame, and I'm going to be your magic teacher from now on! Pleasure to meet you all, and let's do roll call for now. Kiyoshi?”

“Here.” The oldest of the trio raises his hand and speaks, just a mite nervous. He's only a bit taller than the other two kids, though he's definitely from a farming family. The slightly muscular frame and the calluses on his hands give it away; plus, there are still flecks of dirt on his black hair and his tanned, round face. His clothes are a bit ragged, with patches sewn on to mend the cloth. It looks durable enough, however, which means it probably won't be destroyed during the lesson.

His mental state's a whole different story. I mark his name with a glowing fingertip, and jot down a note as he puts his hand back down. ”Kiyoshi – terribly shy.” The poor boy is just constantly fidgeting, and he's always just a tad hunched over, looking anywhere except at me. His parents must have put him to this lesson; I can't imagine why else he'd be forcing himself through this.

But learning new things is supposed to increase confidence, right? I'm sure Kiyoshi will learn to handle himself.

“Right – Hideki?”

The second boy nods and waves – he's dressed similarly to Kiyoshi, but he definitely doesn't look as... worn. His skin, for one, is a lot less tan, and he's definitely scrawnier, too. Almost... twig-like, really. He's as messy as Kiyoshi, with dirt on his clothes and scrapes on his skin, but that's probably more from roughhousing than from work.

What to write down, what to write down... hmm. Well, he's definitely the only one smiling; Kiyoshi's nervous, the girl's irritated with the wait, and everyone watching is keeping a straight face.

Well, whatever. He's energetic enough for my tastes! Better a poor student who wants to learn than a lazy genius, right? I scribble a bit about his enthusiasm, and it's time to move on.

“And that leaves...Riko, right?” And the girl just seems to shine at the recognition.

“That's right, Miss Marisa! I'll be in your care, so please take good care of me!” It's a little embarrassing to see a little girl bow so deeply to me... though watching Hideki and Kiyoshi flush at being socially upstaged by an seven year old is hilarious. Riko probably isn't doing it on purpose, but that will certainly change with time, if I have anything to say about it.

Although I wonder if she can handle the magic training. It's a toss up if she's as well bred as Akyuu; I was never really interested in the Human Village's nobility. But Riko's still quite pale, and she's young enough to have a bit of baby fat on her cheeks. Large round eyes, button nose... the works, really. Her yukata is in fine shape too, with nary a speck of dirt on the red cloth; even Kosuzu had dust on hers. It's not natural for little kids to be so clean. I really hope her parents realized that magic involves getting your hands dirty.

“Don't worry, Riko, I'll think you'll do just fine.” Because I plan to abuse spellcards to hell and back, but she doesn't need to know that. “But, I think we're missing someone.”

“No, no, your wayward student is right here.” A young, clear voice rings out, from no particular source. The parents are all glancing around in confusion, oblivious to the rapidly accumulating magic that's collecting in front of them.

I can't blame them, though. Most magic in Gensokyo is flashy as all get out, and living here means they're already accustomed to the hum of energy that permeates everything.

My students, however... they all take a few, instinctive steps back. They've noticed.

They retreat just in time, too, because a second later everyone's blinded by a brilliant flash of light. And when the spots finally clear from my eyes, I...

See a cape? Long and billowing, even though there's no wind at all today. It's a gorgeous purple, too, deeper and darker than my leotard, and it just radiates a regal presence. There's only one person with such a fabulous cape.

And indeed, one Toyosatsumi no Miko, with her half lidded eyes and her pixie face and those totally radical headphones, reveals herself. Her presence is so eyecatching, I almost lose don't notice the little kid right next to her.

At first glance, he's probably about Riko's age. Shivering in anticipation, with bright red hair and brighter... green eyes? Huh. Maybe he has some Outsider ancestry.

Not that it matters; attitude's the most important thing! I toss a quick wave to Miko, who waves back, and bend down to look at – Daichi, I presume, eye to eye. “Nice to meetcha, Daichi. So, what was it like, teleporting with Miko?”

And with that he opens up. “It was so cool! Mistress Miko's magic is usually a lot less cool, because you don't really see anything happen, but just now it was like 'VWHOOSH!' and 'BANG' and here we were!”

“Vwhoosh and bang, eh?” Daichi nods, and before I can say anything else, he runs off to the other students to introduce himself. They're chatting up a storm by the time I head on over, and Miko's already stepped into the crowd to watch.

Girl does a damn good poker face; She stares on at me without a hint of humor at all. If Daichi's one of her students, then I guess that makes sense – Miko has to be here to make sure I don't screw anything up for him.

But it's already been a few minutes, and I'm tired of waiting. “Alright everyone, gather around.”

------------------------

“So, normally I'd be asking you to introduce yourselves and ask you why you wanted to learn magic. But, frankly, I don't have that much time. Once a week is too short to really teach you like how Keine, er, Miss Kamishirasawa would do it.” Not that I actually know how Keine would teach something like this.

And now that I think about it, I haven't even assigned any pre-reading to do. So they're all going in blind. Crap. “So, please wait to ask questions unless you're really confused, okay?”

Four hesitant nods... which is better than nothing. So I'll just smile and nod, smile and nod. “Thanks a lot, guys. Now, because we're doing geomancy, I need you four to do something first.” I take a step back, and gesture to the ditches and holes Kosuzu made during her spellwork. “You've all played in the dirt, right? Well, I need you to uproot all the weeds and pebbles for me.”

Annnd I've lost them. Hideki already looks a bit put off by the busywork, and Daichi's almost begging to ask a question. If it was just us, I could probably force them to do it, but I need a gentler touch when everyone's watching. “Yes, Daichi?”

“Miss Marisa, why aren't we going over Qi, or the Eight Directions? I thought geomancy was more, uhm... subtle, than this? More... 'thought before action', not 'action before thought.'”

It takes me a moment to realize that Daichi's talking about feng shui. Geomancy and feng shui use the same symbols in Japanese, but... Well, I only have a few translated texts about western geomancy, so I'll just have to make do with those. As for Daichi's question...

Let's see if this pans out. Focusing magic through the feet instead of the hands is a lot trickier, but for a magician of my caliber, it should be fine.

“Ah, see – Daichi, there are different kinds of geomancy. The one Miko teaches really is more subtle and slow. It's about taking advantage of the magic in the earth and surroundings to help build good luck and stuff. My geomancy, though, is tons cooler.”

I stomp the earth with one forceful boot -

And three dirt pillars rise up behind me, high enough to block the sun.

But only for a moment. I'm still pretty new to geomancy myself, so as soon as I stop the spell the pillars come tumbling down, and end up coating the kids in a slight film of dirt. My hat – and my orientation – keeps the dirt out of my eyes, but seeing Riko's pretty red kimono turn brown makes me wince all the same.

The dust clears soon enough, however, and I end up taking my hat off to brush the dirt of the brim. The kids try cleaning themselves up too, hopping and shaking their clothes to at least get some of the soil off them. It takes a while for everyone to get settled, but I launch into my lecture again as soon as they're ready.

“See, western geomancy is pretty simple. You just use magic to move the earth. And, by messing around with the dirt, you get more familiar with it. It's like a cook tasting ingredients, or a carpenter feeling the wood. You have to know how the earth feels and moves before you can try geomancy.”

Daichi seems to mull it over, probably comparing what he knows from Miko to what I've told him. “I... guess that makes sense.”

“Doesn't it? So go dig around for a moment, while I talk to your parents, okay?”

Daichi nods, and is about to rush past me when Kiyoshi raises his hand. “Uhm, Miss Marisa? A lot of people say you need to be born with the talent for magic, otherwise it won't work.”

Luckily, I was expecting someone to ask this question, and I don't need to come up with something off the top of my head.

I start by whipping my hat off of me again, and begin spinning it around by the brim. One loop, then two, and it starts shooting out sparkles and little yellow stars; with the way my kids are watching, I know I've got them entranced.

“Well, whoever told you didn't know all of it... You do need a little bit of talent, Kiyoshi,” I begin the small lecture by walking over to my students; they take a step back at first, as if to avoid the sparks my spinning hat's giving off, but stop when one star bounces harmlessly off of Riko's arm. The girl even giggles, and begins to zone out while she tries to catch more.

“But you only need a little, and everything else is just practice. Things like wands or books can help you focus your talent, too – that's why Miss Reimu's Spellcards work so well; they do some of the hard parts for you. In fact, I got Miss Reimu to make a few practice cards, just for this lesson!” Daichi's eyes light up at that – but the rest of the kids are too unfamiliar with real magic to understand just what that means.

“For now, though... I wanted to keep this a secret, but I guess it's okay. Hideki, you saw how my hat was shooting out magic, right?”

“Ah – uhm, yes! A few of the stars hit me, but it just felt kinda ticklish.”

Man, I really hope this works. “Good. You see, even though I'm a magician, I cheat just a little tiny bit. My hat's super magical, and just touching it can help you learn how to be magical, too. Since you're my students, I'll let you have a feel, okay? It's really soft and cool, too~”

If you make something seem rare or valuable, people will want to mess with it. Just like that, I have four little kids touching the brim of my hat – and being put into a hypnotic trance.

It's... probably not required, but if nothing else I'm the kind of gal who'll hedge her bets. It's important to either be super relaxed - or frightened for your life - when accessing magic your first time. Every little bit is going to help. But, as is... I'm a bit too focused on making sure the hat doesn't overload my students to look up at the crowd, but I can clearly hear the crowd muttering to themselves.

“Everything's going to go just fine, okay guys? Just listen to me, and start cleaning up the yard.” I gently pull my hat away from their fingers, and they follow my every word, like Alice and the Mad Hatter.

Or was it the rats and the Pied Piper? I need to go over my fairy tales.

Regardless, I can finally deal with the parents while the kids are working. I head into the street a bit, and snap my fingers to make sure I have everyone's attention.

“Okay, everyone. I have a few questions to ask. First, do all of you watch over your kids while Keine is teaching them?”

Their hesitance is all I need. “Alright, that needs to stop. If I'm going to be a teacher, I need the respect you give Keine – and that means trusting me with your kids. Kiyoshi, Hideki, Riko, and Daichi – they can't learn and I can't teach if we're performing in front of an audience. The families can stay, and so can people who are actually interested in letting me teach their kids, but everyone who's looking for a show, please leave.”

Firm, but polite. Serious about my role. If I want any respect from the Village, I'll need to change their public opinion of me.

And thankfully, my words have an effect. Most of the spectators leave - however reluctantly - which ends up with a group of five or so – not including Miko, who's been standing separately. While the parents look bored, Miko seems... fascinated, really, by children playing in the dirt.

I can talk to her later, though; for now, I have to give the parents some bad news.

“First, my thanks for trusting me with your children. Second... this might take a while, so you might want to get lunch or something.”

 

[twin blade]

“So, normally I'd be asking you to introduce yourselves and ask you why you wanted to learn magic. But, frankly, I don't have that much time. Once a week is too short to really teach you like how Keine, er, Miss Kamishirasawa would do it.” Not that I actually know how Keine would teach something like this.

And now that I think about it, I haven't even assigned any pre-reading to do. So they're all going in blind. Crap. “So, please wait to ask questions unless you're really confused, okay?”

Four hesitant nods... which is better than nothing. So I'll just smile and nod, smile and nod. “Thanks a lot, guys. Now, because we're doing geomancy, I need you four to do something first.” I take a step back, and gesture to the ditches and holes Kosuzu made during her spellwork. “You've all played in the dirt, right? Well, I need you to uproot all the weeds and pebbles for me.”

Annnd I've lost them. Hideki already looks a bit put off by the busywork, and Daichi's almost begging to ask a question. If it was just us, I could probably force them to do it, but I need a gentler touch when everyone's watching. “Yes, Daichi?”

“Miss Marisa, why aren't we going over Qi, or the Eight Directions? I thought geomancy was more, uhm... subtle, than this? More... 'thought before action', not 'action before thought.'”

It takes me a moment to realize that Daichi's talking about feng shui. Geomancy and feng shui use the same symbols in Japanese, but... Well, I only have a few translated texts about western geomancy, so I'll just have to make do with those. As for Daichi's question...

Let's see if this pans out. Focusing magic through the feet instead of the hands is a lot trickier, but for a magician of my caliber, it should be fine.

“Ah, see – Daichi, there are different kinds of geomancy. The one Miko teaches really is more subtle and slow. It's about taking advantage of the magic in the earth and surroundings to help build good luck and stuff. My geomancy, though, is tons cooler.”

I stomp the earth with one forceful boot -

And three dirt pillars rise up behind me, high enough to block the sun.

But only for a moment. I'm still pretty new to geomancy myself, so as soon as I stop the spell the pillars come tumbling down, and end up coating the kids in a slight film of dirt. My hat – and my orientation – keeps the dirt out of my eyes, but seeing Riko's pretty red kimono turn brown makes me wince all the same.

The dust clears soon enough, however, and I end up taking my hat off to brush the dirt of the brim. The kids try cleaning themselves up too, hopping and shaking their clothes to at least get some of the soil off them. It takes a while for everyone to get settled, but I launch into my lecture again as soon as they're ready.

“See, western geomancy is pretty simple. You just use magic to move the earth. And, by messing around with the dirt, you get more familiar with it. It's like a cook tasting ingredients, or a carpenter feeling the wood. You have to know how the earth feels and moves before you can try geomancy.”

Daichi seems to mull it over, probably comparing what he knows from Miko to what I've told him. “I... guess that makes sense.”

“Doesn't it? So go dig around for a moment, while I talk to your parents, okay?”

Daichi nods, and is about to rush past me when Kiyoshi raises his hand. “Uhm, Miss Marisa? A lot of people say you need to be born with the talent for magic, otherwise it won't work.”

Luckily, I was expecting someone to ask this question, and I don't need to come up with something off the top of my head.

I start by whipping my hat off of me again, and begin spinning it around by the brim. One loop, then two, and it starts shooting out sparkles and little yellow stars; with the way my kids are watching, I know I've got them entranced.

“Well, whoever told you didn't know all of it... You do need a little bit of talent, Kiyoshi,” I begin the small lecture by walking over to my students; they take a step back at first, as if to avoid the sparks my spinning hat's giving off, but stop when one star bounces harmlessly off of Riko's arm. The girl even giggles, and begins to zone out while she tries to catch more.

“But you only need a little, and everything else is just practice. Things like wands or books can help you focus your talent, too – that's why Miss Reimu's Spellcards work so well; they do some of the hard parts for you. In fact, I got Miss Reimu to make a few practice cards, just for this lesson!” Daichi's eyes light up at that – but the rest of the kids are too unfamiliar with real magic to understand just what that means.

“For now, though... I wanted to keep this a secret, but I guess it's okay. Hideki, you saw how my hat was shooting out magic, right?”

“Ah – uhm, yes! A few of the stars hit me, but it just felt kinda ticklish.”

Man, I really hope this works. “Good. You see, even though I'm a magician, I cheat just a little tiny bit. My hat's super magical, and just touching it can help you learn how to be magical, too. Since you're my students, I'll let you have a feel, okay? It's really soft and cool, too~”

If you make something seem rare or valuable, people will want to mess with it. Just like that, I have four little kids touching the brim of my hat – and being put into a hypnotic trance.

It's... probably not required, but if nothing else I'm the kind of gal who'll hedge her bets. It's important to either be super relaxed - or frightened for your life - when accessing magic your first time. Every little bit is going to help. But, as is... I'm a bit too focused on making sure the hat doesn't overload my students to look up at the crowd, but I can clearly hear the crowd muttering to themselves.

“Everything's going to go just fine, okay guys? Just listen to me, and start cleaning up the yard.” I gently pull my hat away from their fingers, and they follow my every word, like Alice and the Mad Hatter.

Or was it the rats and the Pied Piper? I need to go over my fairy tales.

Regardless, I can finally deal with the parents while the kids are working. I head into the street a bit, and snap my fingers to make sure I have everyone's attention.

“Okay, everyone. I have a few questions to ask. First, do all of you watch over your kids while Keine is teaching them?”

Their hesitance is all I need. “Alright, that needs to stop. If I'm going to be a teacher, I need the respect you give Keine – and that means trusting me with your kids. Kiyoshi, Hideki, Riko, and Daichi – they can't learn and I can't teach if we're performing in front of an audience. The families can stay, and so can people who are actually interested in letting me teach their kids, but everyone who's looking for a show, please leave.”

Firm, but polite. Serious about my role. If I want any respect from the Village, I'll need to change their public opinion of me.

And thankfully, my words have an effect. Most of the spectators leave - however reluctantly - which ends up with a group of five or so – not including Miko, who's been standing separately. While the parents look bored, Miko seems... fascinated, really, by children playing in the dirt.

I can talk to her later, though; for now, I have to give the parents some bad news.

“First, my thanks for trusting me with your children. Second... this might take a while, so you might want to get lunch or something.”

----------------------------------------

Thirty minutes and a few sticks of yakitori later, the yard outside the Kirisame Library is thoroughly upturned. The packed, dry topsoil's crumpled apart, revealing the moist, fertile dirt beneath. The kids have all dutifully followed my instructions to the letter, and there are weeds, roots, and pebbles scattered all around outskirts of the yard.

“Perfect – good job, all of you. You guys can take a little break while I get things ready, alright?”

As if on cue, all of my students sit down in a line. The hypnotism shouldn't be too strong, and sure enough Hideki and Daichi start getting along immediately, talking about soccer. It's a bit of a relief – having them blankly stare at me while I blew away the debris would be a bit unnerving. And suspicious.

But all that's left now is a fresh field of overturned dirt. So all I have to do is pull my spellcards out.

The paper's still crisp and pristine, unlike the ones I use regularly. Sharp red borders, yin-yang sign at the bottom. 'Course, I don't think anyone here's actually seen a spellcard – except for Miko, who leans forward just a bit, to get a better look.

“Right. Like I said before, I have these spellcards for you. Now, you probably won't be able to use these in any real duels, because they're just to help you get used to feeling the magic inside you.” I hand them out in order, and I get a little chuckle from how they all react. Kiyoshi's still a tiny bit nervous, even despite the hypnotism, while Hideki's all pumped up and rearing to go.

Riko, though... it's like she can't take her eyes off it. The girl's enraptured, fingering the spellcard like it was a flower – delicate and deliberate. Daichi's the same way, with faster breaths and widened eyes.

Daichi, I can understand. He's been trained by Miko... pretty well, if my gut has it right. Even if he's never used magic himself, knowing the theory makes it easier the first time through. But, Riko? Little seven year old girl, never touched magic in her life?

Either she has a lot of untapped talent... or she's simply that entranced by magic.

I give them a minute to snap out of it, but no dice. The two are just too busy toying with their cards, feeling the tingle and warmth of magic for the first time. I probably won't have any problems with those two, but right now I need to keep a quick pace.

“So... Kiyoshi, Hideki. Why don't you try and use those cards at me? Don't worry about messing up – just do what comes natural.”

The two young boys dutifully nod, and I take enough steps back that they... shouldn't hit anything besides me. I get out my own notes as they take a couple deep breaths, lighting my finger to get ready to scribble things down.

No one's ever given spellcards like this, so it'll be interesting. Time to see if this plan will work at all.

But... the first test run actually goes pretty smoothly. No big explosions, no roaring magical energies. The boys might be sons of farmers, but it doesn't seem like they have any particular affinity to earth – which means the spell should be just fine. Everything going right as planned is quite the refreshing feeling, I must admit!

I make sure to jot down what I see and feel: the cards rapidly dissolving once my boys hold them up, and the fragments of light gently tugging on their magic to kickstart the spell. It's a small nudge, more a reminder on the duelist to power the spell than anything forceful...

But Kiyoshi and Hideki are young kids, barely teens. Years of daily chores, a quick refresher on the nature of dirt – and a malleable mind, placed into a hypnotic trance. Moving the earth isn't just familiar, it really is natural for them – as natural as breathing.

The golden fragments coalesce around their hands. And, synchronized -

They smash their fists into the ground -

And launch a few globs of dirt at me.

I don't – actually need to move at all. The aim is off and the velocity is terribly slow. The bullets of packed earth aren't so much thrown at me as they are lazily floated over, their grasp on the magic too weak to make their shots do anything more.

But, Hideki and Kiyoshi realize it – the surge of glorious power, however miniscule, however transient. The ache in the chest and the pain in the head and all the pride in the heart as they feel the magic course through their fingers. My little hat-trick can't stand up to that kind of emotion, and I can feel it break as their feelings well up inside.

It's such a simple, simple spell; no tricks, no power, not a single drop of elegance.

But no one would ever deny the beauty of those slapdash, proud shots.

All the same, though – the ache in the chest and the pain in the head and all the pride in the heart make for terrible, terrible concentration. Hideki's already lost his hold on the spell and fallen onto his knees, and Kiyoshi's not too far behind. The dirt in front of him is forming into furrowed rows, but he can't quite fire a second volley, despite all the ammo he's managed to collect.

The quiet hum of first-time magic finally gives out, and Kiyoshi's quick to join his fellow student on the ground.

“Mom, did you see that!?” Hideki yells out. “That – I did that!” Kiyoshi doesn't say anything, but he does look around for his parents – and beams like the sun when he sees them smiling back.

I walk back to them, ruffling them both on the head before taking back the borrowed spellcards. “Good job, the both of you. Using magic the first time is always super exhausting, so just rest until Riko and Daichi are done.” I don't need to hypnotize them to make 'em listen – before my words are done they're already straggling to their parents.

Riko's – either a parent or a servant – is a bit more stoic than his fellows, but he does give her a thumbs up at the least. Miko's the same way with Daichi – no smile, no real encouragement, because it's not needed. She knows he'll do it, and he knows she knows.

Or at least, I imagine that's why she's leaning against a wall, eyes closed like she's snoozing.

Daichi doesn't mind, either way, and I stash my copies of the spellcard before I face my other two students. “Alright, you two! Show me what you got!”

A moment. Two, three... and nothing.

They have their eyes closed, and their brows are furrowed in thought. Riko's keeping her hands by her sides, the spellcard held between her two fingers. Daichi, in contrast, has brought his hands in front of him, almost as if in prayer. I can see his lips moving too, though whether he's actually praying, or just thinking out loud, I could never say.

But they haven't declared their spellcards yet, and it doesn't seem like they're stalling for time. They're too... relaxed.

A moment. Two, three... and movement.

Riko's the one who wins the draw, and she thrusts her arm forward, fast and hard enough that she has to take a step to keep up. Her eyes are open and fierce, and I can hear the magic click into place.

Hear. The spellcard activates, like the clap of thunder.

And with a high, fierce voice, Riko takes her first steps. “Earth Sign! Quarrelsome Plough!”

She's all aglow with power. It pours out of her in waves, and now she's moving in a complete trance. Quickly, effortlessly, she bends to one knee, her free arm keeping her stable and balanced.

With pride in heart, she rears her right arm back -

Grinds her card against the rough earth -

And fires a shotgun barrage of dirt on the upswing.

But they're not actually, well, bullets. It's more of a... thick, high speed dirt cloud. I end up using the brim of my hat to shield my eyes, but I still end up stumbling back from the force and tasting dirt. When everything's finally clear, my front's all brown and heavy from the magically clinging soil.

It's not enough to truly bother the Great and Powerful Marisa, but – well, it's damn impressive. I try brushing the dirt off my apron, but the stuff refuses to let go.

I eventually give up, and look up to see the rest of Riko's handiwork. Or at least, I try to – the second blast of soil puts a hamper on things. Quite the trooper, that one!

But dirt tastes just awful, so I'm quick to float up and escape the confusion. But even that's not quite enough – Riko manages to keep track of me as I ascend, and I can see her rear her hand back for a third volley.

She's not like Kiyoshi or Hideki; affinity does matter quite a bit, and I'm guessing she could keep going for a long while if the spellcard hadn't timed out.

But she doesn't, because it has, and I drop down to check on my own little prodigy. The first thing I notice isn't her dazed giggling, or the shuddering body; that's pretty common when you're learning magic. No, the first thing I notice is that her kimono is red and vibrant again. Riko managed to force the dirt to just slough off of her, and there's a small pile of soil at her feet.

A small pile at her feet, and three long, furrowed ditches right in front of her. The earth's incredibly fluffy, too – I give it a few steps, and I can feel myself sinking in just a tad.

Riko and I are all smiles. “Alright, Riko, you did perfect. Why don't you wait with Hideki and Kiyoshi, and watch how Daichi does it?”

“Okay, Miss Marisa!” She gives me an adorable, proper bow, and then flounces on over to the others. The jaw-dropped, wide eyed others.

All of the parents are with their children now, and after a while to recover from the shock, I can hear regular gossip mixed with their thoughts about me. Only Miko's waiting for her charge... but it doesn't seem she minds. Really, all she does is give me a relaxed smile and wave me off.

Well, if she doesn't mind being last, less pressure on me. I hover back towards my starting point, and take a big breath. Let's see if we can't go four for four, eh?

Daichi's calmed down now, though his stance reminds me too much of Miko to not summon giggles. Back straight, eyes forward and closed, a long, thin object held betwixt the fingers.

“Daichi, whenever you're ready.”

He nods once, and sticks his hand out in front of him. I can feel the magic begin to well up – both inside him, and inside of the earth.

The young Taoist lets go, and the spellcard starts to flutter to the ground.

A clap of thunder.

“Earth Sign: Quarrelsome Plough.”

The spellcard bursts into light before it ever touches the ground, but the fragments don't glove his hands like Kiyoshi's or Hideki's did. Instead, they cross the remaining distance, and... imprint themselves onto the ground.

Six small rectangles, two rows of three - the trigram for 'Earth' in feng shui. Appropriate, I guess? It doesn't seem to be doing anything, though.

Sure, I can feel Daichi's magic interact with the dirt, but it's more, ah, efficient than effective. If I lie on my stomach, I can see the dirt in front of Daichi slowly... ripple, almost. He's relying on the magic already in the dirt to move it, instead of powering through like the other students.

He still manages to make a clean furrow, and the excess dirt is packed and floating, ready to fire...

But like Riko, Daichi's spell times out, and the bullets fall back down to earth.

It takes a moment for Daichi to shake off both my hypnotism and the spellcard's trance, but a few moments and he's all smiles.

He's holding the reformed spellcard close, and rapidly glancing back to a pleased Miko. “Mistress! Was that an adequate performance?”

Miko's opened her eyes, but they're still half-lidded. There's a coy smile on her lips as well, though her baton hides most of it. “Now now, Daichi,” she teases, “That's really something you should ask your instructor.”

Poor Daichi blushes at his mistress's admonishment, and he's rather subdued when he walks up to me, handing back the spellcard. “I'm sorry, Miss Marisa.”

I pluck it from him, adding it back to my pack, and end up ruffling his hair. It's terribly coarse and dry, but it still gets a pleased chuckle out of the boy.

“All's forgiven. And you did just fine, Daichi. In fact, since you did so well, why don't you and Riko teach Kiyoshi and Hideki on how to do it without spellcards?”

His eyes go wide, and he bites his lips as he mulls it over. “But, Miss Marisa, I only just started. I don't know enough to teach!”

“Nonsense!” I grab him by the shoulders and spin him right 'round, pushing him closer and closer to the others. “You can feel the magic now, so you'll be fine. It's only the first step that's hard.” I end up pushing him all the way to the others, and back away before he can retreat.

Miko's voice rings out, loud and clear – and yet, with my students so engrossed with magic, it's only the parents who end up hearing. “Miss Marisa, is it wise to allow self study at such an accelerated rate?”

Everyone's being nice about it, but I still feel the eyes on me. Time to milk this for all it's worth.

“Absolutely. While there are individual spells for geomancy, all of those are really just shortcuts to manipulate the earth. My plan is to slowly introduce new spells to them to broaden their mindset, but learning how to use geomancy without spells will give them a greater appreciation for the subject – as well as prevent them from charging too recklessly.”

My voice is clear and strong, but that's all pointless if I ramble; to capture attention, you have to be both swift and deliberate!

“As such, I hope that my students will incorporate their magic into everyday life. Quarrelsome Plough's just the most obvious usage, since Kiyoshi and Hideki help their families on the farms; being able to quickly get the fields ready will be quite helpful, since it's planting season, and Riko can use geomancy to play with others without getting dirty. As for Daichi – I'm sure a respected saint such as yourself can think of the possibilities.” Because I certainly can't.

But, the lecture was clear, and I can feel the acceptance from the parents standing behind me. I can't help but sigh in relief – and I can't help but grin when I see Miko smile and wink.

Sneaky minx fed me the question after all.

-----------------------------------

Not much progress was made after that, but that's to be expected; magic's damned exhausting. We make a full hour just in time, with the village bell's ringing keeping Riko from slumping over and napping away.

She's still yawning and rubbing her eyes though, so her pop grabs her and carries her in his arms. He offers me a bow – at least, the deepest bow he can do when there's a seven year old hanging on to him. The other parents start thanking me as well, and confirm that they'll be back in a week before heading off.

They, uh. They don't actually donate, though.

I never actually charged them for lessons. I literally couldn't afford it – with my reputation, I really needed a draw to get people to come. I was hoping that they'd donate afterward, but...

Luckily for me, Reimu's still in Suzunaan, reading. Which means she won't see me adding a few bills to the box. And start admonishing me for covering up the lack of donations like this.

I'm suppressing grumbles as the charms on my clothing finally go off, blasting the dirt and grime off of me. Thank heavens for small mercies, I suppose. And either way, I still have some savings stashed up, so this shouldn't hurt my wallet too badly.

“The humans here are just terrible, aren't they? My apologies on their behalf, Marisa – it's a slight for them to treat you as they do."

Whoops. Miko and Daichi are still here. Now I'm the one flushing, as Miko walks over to the donation box and dramatically sighs.

She does give me some time to respond, though, and I happily take it.“Ehh, what can you do? You know politics; neither my name nor Reimu's are that well recieved, so we have to take some concessions now to do more in the future.”

Miko doesn't look at me directly, instead focusing on the donation box. Her cape's still billowing, even as she sweeps her baton across the box's bars. The wooden clacking mingles with the birdsong, and there's even a nice breeze coming in.

“Perhaps,” Miko allows, before digging around in one of her cape-pockets. “But it is just as important to establish good alliances. No man is an island.”

And she brings out an incredibly large roll of bills. It's... almost obscene. Lewd, even! It's more a bribe than a donation, and she knows it.

But there's just a serene smile on her lips as she drops the roll into the box. Or tries to, at any rate – the roll is so thick that she has to force it through. “A token of my affection, Marisa. Give Reimu my regards.” She's already a few steps away with Daichi before I can come up with anything to say.

“Ah – of course, absolutely! And feel free to bring more students, Miko!”

The Taoist nods, and waves her goodbyes.

-------------------------------------

“That,” Reimu declares, as I show her and Kosuzu Miko's generous donation, “is incredibly obscene. Lewd, even. Why would she donate so much money? We're business rivals.”

The sun's setting, casting a warm glow to the twilit sky as we lean against the Kirisame Library's magical dirt wall. Lamps and candles are being slowly lit to get ready for the night rush, and the foot traffic for the nearby restaurants is increasing.

I'd wager that about half the crowd's heading to the red light district too, but that's neither here nor there.

Kosuzu yanks the roll out of my hand, undoing the cloth tying it together and flipping through the paper. “Well... they're definitely real, Miss Reimu, Miss Marisa. A hundred thousand yen total, I think.”

The air freezes.

I glance at Reimu.

Reimu glances at me.

And Kosuzu breaks the frigid chill. “Oh wait, I miscounted. Ninety five thousand yen. Sorry to get your hopes up!”

Reimu breathes out heavily, almost shaking from the relief – or the excitement, it's hard to tell. “In that case... I guess she just wants to smooth over relationships between Senkai and the Hakurei Shrine. Since she did cause some trouble with her mausoleum. I certainly wish Byakuren would donate to apologize. Or Remilia, Kaguya... or any of them.”

The shadows grow deeper, so I end up snapping my fingers for a light. “I don't think we can really expect much more help from Miko, though. She kinda hinted at wanting a political alliance between us and her... though if she's that popular, Reimu, I'm not sure why.”

“Oh, Miss Marisa, that's easy!” Kosuzu and her bells chime in as she hands over the donated cash. “Just because Miss Reimu lives so far away doesn't mean people don't think of her. Many families are still rather conservative, and much prefer any Hakurei representative over anyone else. That's why they all pooled their money together to pay her and break up Akyuu's Symposium.”

Reimu's quicker to the draw than I am. “If that's the case, taking the money would be a terrible idea. Especially when it's this much; I'd be seen as bowing down to her whims.”

I don't respond at first. It really is quite comfortable having Reimu and Kosuzu both lean on me, and the more I can rest like this, the better. But, I do see the flaw in Reimu's reasoning. “That's not quite true, Reimu. On the absolute surface, she had to give us a donation, since it's only proper. She could probably argue that she gave us extra since the other parents forgot, and it wouldn't have to be a lie, either.”

Kosuzu suddenly hums in thought, and I can feel her shift her weight off me to draw shapes into the dirt. “On... on top of what Miss Marisa said, by donating at all she's acknowledging you as, well, superior. I remember hearing about the Moriya Shrine going to the Hakurei Shrine and ordering you to close it down. That was really scandalous, Miss Reimu – almost everyone in the village was rooting for you then.”

Huh. I guess that's where all that faith we were collecting came from. “That might have been true, Kosuzu, but they're a lot more ambivalent about things now. My guess is that unless we do something big with Miko, the villagers won't change their opinion of Reimu or me. And, speaking of change? We need a way to get more donations. We really need a steadier cash flow if we want to keep this thing going.”

It's only now, in the dark of the approaching night, that I notice Reimu's smirk and Kosuzu's pleased grin. “Don't worry, Miss Marisa,” Kosuzu says. “I've just finished printing the fliers, so we can all go around town and advertise tomorrow!”

Reimu chimes in right after. “Yeah – you'll need to pick Kosuzu up and bring her over to the shrine tomorrow, but after we get ready we'll spend the rest of the morning advertising.”

They must have planned this while I was busy teaching. I certainly like it, but 'morning' tugs at my curiosity. “Just the morning? Wouldn't the afternoon give us more foot traffic?”

“It would, but I've been meaning to ask around for crop seeds, like Kosuzu suggested.” Reimu shrugs without a care in the world. “We don't have that many fliers, either.”

“I'm sorry, Miss Marisa,” Kosuzu says. “But paper still costs a good amount of money. Miss Reimu taught me a few tricks to stretch out my ink supply, but I think we'll need to rely more on word of mouth, even with all the advertisement.”

“Oh, don't apologize, Kosuzu.” I end up ruffling both my girls, and though Reimu ends up finagling with her ribbons with a pout, Kosuzu's happily eating it up. “I'll just have to figure out what to do with the rest of my day.”

And a booming voice destroys any intimacy we might have had. “Kosuzu! Dinner's ready! Ask your friends if they want some!” Kosuzu's dad calls out from the kitchen, and it's only now that I notice the scent of juicy, roasted chicken.

“Okay, dad! Uhm, Miss Reimu, Miss Marisa, would you like to eat with us?” Kosuzu quickly disentangles herself from me and stands up, offering a hand to the both of us.

Our response, well – that should be obvious.

------------------------

It's with a full stomach that I fly back home, wash up, and settle back in bed. I'll have a pretty light day tomorrow – and with my reagents still healthily stocked, I can use the afternoon however I like.

But, what to do...

[ ]Help Reimu collect seed donations. You wouldn't know it, looking at her, but Reimu doesn't do as well with strangers as you'd think. Having me there should keep her relaxed, and I might be able to buy some winter vegetables for cheap.

[ ]Teach Kosuzu some more. I probably won't be able to get Kosuzu in that leotard quite yet, but it's important to make sure Kosuzu's keeping up with her studies! Sticking around Suzunaan will let me finish up the book warding part of the deal as well, and the faster I take care of that the quicker I can focus on Kosuzu exclusively. Or, you know, just sit own and read.

[ ]Head to the schoolhouse. I... think I have teaching down well enough, but word's going to spread, and I could really use some help with group management. Plus, I'm pretty sure Kiyoshi, Hideki, Riko, and Daichi all go to school regularly, so learning how they normally act might be a plus.

[ ]Write-in.

 

[twin blade]

[X]Teach Kosuzu some more. I probably won't be able to get Kosuzu in that leotard quite yet, but it's important to make sure Kosuzu's keeping up with her studies! Sticking around Suzunaan will let me finish up the book warding part of the deal as well, and the faster I take care of that the quicker I can focus on Kosuzu exclusively. Or, you know, just sit own and read.

“The Kirisame Library is open for business!”

“Sponsored by the Hakurei Shrine!”

“Tell your friends and family!”

It ends up being a couple of days before we can actually do this little publicity stunt. Suika and Yukari ended up holding Reimu up one day, I had to collect some potion ingredients another, Kosuzu's dad fell ill... it feels like it's been weeks since we've done anything together.

But disregarding all that? Today is cold as hell. And breezy. And these uniforms, frankly, suck.

I didn't get any time to enchant Reimu's spare priestess robes, so the thin cotton isn't really doing much to keep out the breeze. It's a bit too tight around the chest area too, even though the long sleeves and the too-large collar and the billowing dress would make you think it's, you know, supposed to be loose.

Frankly, this would still have been good enough to keep the cold out. I've enchanted all my underwear too, so even with the thin cotton I'd be pretty toasty inside.

But – that's assuming I'm wearing any underwear. And according to Reimu, shrine maidens aren't supposed to wear underwear.

Which is bullshit since I've seen Reimu in her breast bindings when out doing shrine maiden-y things, but whatever makes us look more traditional to the rest of the village, I guess. My goosebumps are hidden underneath the outfit, and it's pretty flattering to my breasts, so I'll just have to roll with it.

But my commitment to the process does nothing to actually keep me warm. Hot blood and burning spirit can only do so much. I place my stack of fliers on the ground when there's a lull in the traffic, which leaves me free to desperately rub my arms for just some extra warmth. The sky's full of clouds today, so the lack of sun is really not helping matters.

“Reimu, how do you handle this?” I can't help but wail as I walk up to her, hugging her from behind for just a bit of extra heat. She's like a furnace, just radiating warmth, and it's insane. I'm even rubbing my cheek next to hers, and her skin just won't stop heating up.

“Because I'm used to it, Marisa. I'm not the one who walks around with enchanted clothes.” Reimu lets out a long suffering sigh, but she doesn't push me away. All the better – this girl is toasty, and I can feel my goosebumps vanishing just like that.

“So, you're weak against the cold, Miss Marisa?” Kosuzu puts her fliers down too, pausing to adjust her own dress. The red cloth, vibrant even in the cloudy light, doesn't quite fit Kosuzu, leaving the hem of the cloth to drag across the dirt.

Not that it particularly matters for Kosuzu. Just a few seconds of concentration, and all the dirt slides right off. I'm so proud~

But my sense of pride, much like my hot blood and burning spirit, is worthless against the spring chill. Another cool breeze passes us by, and I'm left shivering into Reimu's back.

“I'm not weak, it's just...unnatural, for people to like cold temperatures.” I murmur weakly into Reimu's neck, so soft that I don't think Kosuzu can actually, well, hear me. But at least Reimu can, and she gently pats my head before speaking.

“Actually, Marisa – your house was unusually warm. How did you do that? I didn't see any open fires.”

“Oh, that?” I pull back from Reimu to stifle a yawn – the cold and the early morning are just wrecking havoc on me. “I, uh, what was it... well, I used magic, that's kinda obvious. I have a few magical heaters around... somewhere, and I keep the walls enchanted to keep the heat in and the cold out.”

“...Ah. Is it terribly expensive?” Reimu's question is giving me a bad feeling, but I'm far too cold to think things through.

“Uh huh. First thing I did when I got the house. It only takes a couple hours for each wall, but since it keeps me warm I don't care.”

That's when Reimu pushes me off and turns around. There's that glimmer in her eyes again...

“Marisa, if you renovate my shrine, I'll teach you everything I know about borders and barriers.” And she opens with a bluff.

I respond! By running over to Kosuzu and pulling her into my arms. She squeaks a bit and tries to escape, but a few good neck nuzzlings calm her down – and heat her up. I can feel the blush on her skin, and she's tensing up like a rock. All in all, not as warm as Reimu, but any port in a storm will do.

With my arms wrapped around my new, stammering, warming blanket, I turn to Reimu – pulling Kosuzu with me as I turn – and glare.

“Nuh uh, you tried that last time. I already set up the automagic hot spring cleaner for you!” It was an amazing piece of work too, especially since Genji was constantly leaving filth everywhere. Reimu did end up telling me about borders... but since it was all bloodline and faith-based, there was no way for me to learn it.

Reimu doesn't give an inch. “Hey, you're the magician here. I thought you were just interested in the theory. What about a blessing?”

“I don't believe in Shinto, your gods wouldn't help me.” I mean, Kanako and Suwako prove that gods are totally real, but I can't say I feel comfortable putting my faith in someone not me. Self-sufficiency is the ideal of humanity, after all! To conquer the natural, the supernatural, and everything in between, by your own sweat and tears! But not blood, because losing too much blood makes you die, and dying is the exact opposite of conquering.

Reimu's voice knocks me out of my mental rambling, and I have to shake my head to clear my head.

“Sorry, Reimu, could you repeat that?”

And Reimu just smiles, and helplessly shrugs. “I said it's fine, Marisa. You believe in me, right?”

I don't want to give Reimu the satisfaction of seeing me blush like a young schoolgirl. But Kosuzu can probably feel the warmth of the blood rushing to my cheeks, and without my witching uniform, I'm not fast enough on the magical draw to hide the blush.

But my voice is in good condition, so I'm free to point something out. “I thought you said you were used to the cold.”

“And you said it was unnatural for humans to enjoy the cold. So come now, Marisa, help warm me up~!” Reimu turns around to collect her own fliers, since our bit of conversation's caused an audience to sprout up. Hooray for gossipers.

But I'm cold, tired, and just the worst emotional wreck right. My heart's all undone, and I feel like I could faint at any minute.

Well, I exaggerate. But good lord I am tired of passing out fliers in the cold. And getting my ass kicked in verbal sparring matches.

Luckily, in this time of pure, desperate need – I am saved.

“Miss Marisa!”

By a little seven year old girl, but beggars can't be choosers!

“Ah, Riko!” I finally let go of Kosuzu, pausing only to recast a small illusion – I can take my time now, so I might as well keep the 'cool, confident' look going. Reimu lets out a rather undignified snort, and Kosuzu has to cover her mouth to muffle her laughter – but out of sight, out of mind, and I'm too busy casually sauntering over to my student to pay them much more attention.

“Hey there, Riko. You're up early.” I squat down to look at her face to face – and I notice how especially dirty she is. It's only been a couple days, and the girl's already caked in soil and grass stains.

“Mhmm! I woke up super early today because I wanted to practice my magic some more! I did all my chores before mom and dad woke up, too!” Riko starts babbling about how she's been using 'magic' nonstop. A lot of what she says sounds, well, improbable, the stuff of daydreams... but who knows? Maybe she did create a rising platform and reach the top of some trees, and maybe she did go spelunking in her backyard.

“But, uhm...” Riko trails off, however, and it takes her a moment to compose herself again. “Mom and Dad get a bit angry, because I break too much stuff. Could you help me fix, umh, everything?”

Oh god. Ohhhh, god.

--------------------------------

I do have a way to help Riko, of course. No magician goes around without learning how to fix things. I can't, however, really go around fixing things for her. She has to learn to take care of herself, and that means abusing magic to hell and back to clean up. Self-sufficiency is the ideal of humanity~

Problem is, the books I used to learn repair magic, I sold. To Pops. And I don't feel quite brave enough to consider teaching it without those books. Or brave enough to steal them back. The man is way more scary than Patchy about protecting what's his.

Which means I have to talk to him. He'll probably sell them back to me. Hell, he'll probably be polite about it, too. At the least, we're both professionals.

I just...really don't want to talk to him. But my own wants are less important than my student's needs, so here I am, right outside the door to the shop.

My dad always claimed he had an organizational system for all his wares. It just didn't look like it, because everything in his cabinets was strewn so... haphazardly. Clothing would rest next to the kitchenware, and musical instruments would lie on the ground with old toys piled right on top. Hats would hang from the rafters, next to a few battered masks.

In all honesty, he was more like a public storage service than an actual shop. There were, of course, thrift shoppers looking for something simple and clean, but my dad's merchandise was rarely simple and never clean. In reality, most of his customers were folks who ended up buying back the things they sold to him in the first place. At a marked up price, of course.

And... I'm really no exception. I needed a lot of start up cash to start the Kirisame Magic Shop, so I had to sell my spellbooks to him. He paid a bunch of cash, since they were magic and all, and I had already learned all the spells I could from them. With any luck, the whole 'magic' issue will have scared away anyone otherwise interested.

And worse comes to worst, Pops probably remembers who he sold them to.

The door - and the bell that rings when I open it - are both new. The storefront looks a lot bigger, too. It's about noon now, and there are more customers in today than I remember ever seeing as a kid.

It's still as bright as I remember it, with a bunch of windows on every wall to let daylight shine in. Pops must have cleaned up some, since for once, none of what he's selling has any dust on it. The clothing's finally spotless, and the kitchenware sparkles in the sun. The music instruments are finely tuned, equipped with bows and picks and not random toys – which are now on a low shelf, perfect for a child to look and play with.

And the man actually found a rack for his hats and his masks. Holy shit.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same, and the book 'section' is still pressed against the right wall, next to a couple of chairs and a shelf of old calligraphy sets. Most of the books were here when I had left, and even though the bindings are new, the pages are still yellowed and falling apart. Finding my grimoires will be a snap, if they're in here.

They aren't, of course. I double check anyways, plucking book after book out of the shelves and skimming the pages, but everything feels so terribly... mundane. The other customers are giving me a wide berth, now, and I can't say I blame them. Or even that I mind.

Second verse, same as the first, and I come up empty handed. Which means either someone's bought them already, or they're in the back with storage.

...And either way, I'll have to talk with Pops.

The walk from the book section to the countertop doesn't take an eternity. My footsteps aren't slow or heavy, and the air isn't anything close to oppressive. It's just... the same, casual saunter over to my dad.

He's wearing a bowler hat today, but he doesn't have the boyish charm to really work it. He has a really... angular, almost chiseled face, with wrinkles and sharp eyes and... and it's honestly been so long that I almost don't recognize him without a beard.

He sees me. I know he does. But he's ignoring me all the same, focusing on his scissors and coupon clippings. Still giving me a chance to compose myself and think my words out. The asshole.

“...So, Mister Kirisame. I was wondering if you still had those books I sold you a couple years back.”

He doesn't bother looking at me, and just grunts out a ridiculous, impossible sum. Double what I sold them for. His manners haven't changed. Neither has the deep, almost gravelly voice. He's always sounded old, and now his face matches it.

But I digress, and I dig out my wallet to slam the bills onto the counter.

Not that my father seems to mind. He calmly gets up from his stool, folds the newspaper on the countertop, and ducks back into storage. Leaving me here with...

Well, with no-one, really. I take a look around, and all the customers are gone. I must have scared them away... or maybe they're just giving us some space. There was a lot of gossip about my family when I left, after all.

And it does give me time to skim through Pops's newspaper. Aya charges a bit too much money for my taste, and I'm usually part of the articles anyway. Why pay for a secondhand account when you have one literally first hand?

Sure enough, Reimu and I are on the headlines. “Ordinary Magician Teaches Extraordinary Magic with Shrine Maiden Sponsor.” Aya managed to snap a good aerial picture too, one of Kosuzu building up the walls for the Library while the rest of us stand in the background.

...But, there are a couple pieces of the article cut out. And a quick check makes sure the article clippings are in a pile, mixed in with all the ads and coupons Pops's yoinked.

A crash and a curse bring me out of my thoughts though, and a much dustier father appears before me, books in tow. In good condition, too – some of the magic still hums from the pages. He sets 'em on the table, and I, like any other customer, skim through to check for damages. The bindings are just as new as the books in the storefront, but none of the pages have a single tear or fold... besides the ones I made before selling them.

And then, when I grab them and turn to leave...

For the first time, in a long time, my father actually talks to me.

“I could have sworn I taught you how to haggle, Marisa.”

I don't respond at first – because I'm a bit too distracted pulling one of the stools on display over to sit on. And when I do try to respond... the words feel almost... rusty, old from disuse. “You certainly did. You also taught me that sometimes it's best just to eat a ridiculous price and flee, fleeeeeeeeee with the goods.”

And my dad scoffs, almost with affection. “Not when you can't afford it.” He gestures to the newspaper, tapping the headlines with the tip of his scissors. “You and the Hakurei girl need whatever you can get. Is Koga charging you rent yet?”

He lets me take the newspaper, and I glance through it. The article's... flattering, actually, and I'm left wondering what Reimu did to get Aya to not write her usual tripe.

“You mean Kosuzu's dad? Nah, he's been really hands off. Kosuzu's been giving me free everything, it's super nice. The power of good friends, eh?”

Pops nods, and starts going through the paper clippings. Some of them are really good deals... but he seems more focused on what he's clipped from the article.

“Your mom would kill me if I didn't do this much,” he answers the question I can't... quite put into words. “And it's always nice to hear how you're doing. You should write more often.”

And now it's my turn to scoff. I go hog wild, though, making a demented 'pffffft' noise and everything. “You're the one who disowned me.”

“And we both know it's unofficial, otherwise you'd be going by your mom's maiden name.”

I... I hadn't given much thought to Mom. There's another awkward pause before dad finally lets go of his scissors, setting them aside to count out the cash I've paid him. “How is Mom doing?”

“She still writes. She still tutors some of the kids at Kamishirasawa's school – she's with a student right now. And she still misses you, of course.”

“Is she purple?”

“Are you red?” He glances at my eyes, and I stare right back. My eyes haven't been red for a while. And that answers that question.

“Visit her tomorrow. I'll let her know you're coming.” He gets up from his chair, sweeping the cash into his hand and walking around the counter. I don't get up, not at first, and leave him to grab one of the books and skim through it.

“Will you be there too?”

“I tried learning some of the stuff inside this one, after you left. Ended up bedridden for days. Hammers and nails are so much easier.” And of course he ignores me. But not answering is still an answer... I guess.

I end up getting up to yank the spellbook out of his hands, before snapping it shut and tossing it onto the rest of the pile. But with my back turned, I don't notice him raising his hand up...

Until it's too late, and he's ruffling my hair, just like the old days.

“Glad to see the Hakurei Maiden taught you some fashion sense. You look terrible in that outfit by the way, but at least the hat's gone.”

But now I'm tall enough to jump up and snatch his bowler hat off him. It doesn't quite fit on my own head – and the dull, brown coloring isn't doing me any favors – but at least now he can't get at me. And I can get at him.

Ruffle, ruffle. “Dad, your hair's softer.”

We walk the rest of the way to the entrance like this. Well, he's walking, I'm floating a few inches off the air. And he only knocks my hand aside when we reach the door. “Yeah, well, your mom's shampoo's cheaper.”

The bell jingles out as he opens the door for me – and a tired Reimu is sitting on a bench, almost nodding off. Kosuzu's already out like a light, leaning her head against the older girl's shoulder. Riko's the only one still up and about, drawing pictures in the dirt with her geomancy – hell, she even has a small audience, other kids her age going 'oohh' and 'aaah' and asking her for requests.

Pops and I both suck at goodbyes, so I just walk out without saying a word, books in hand. And he lets the door shut behind me.

It takes me a while to realize he slipped the cash I paid him into my grimoire.

It takes me a while longer to realize we were both speaking English.

-------------------------------------

 

[twin blade]

I end up tossing the books, sans cash, over to Riko and sending her on her way. Reimu ends up flying off to the farms to trade prayers and blessings for seeds.

And Kosuzu ends up sleeping in my arms as I carry her back to Suzunaan. Girl sleeps like a rock... not that I can blame her. She had to wake up early so I could bring her to the Hakurei Shrine, and from what her dad's told me she was up all night reading.

A sleepy mind is in no condition to learn, so I'm forced to leave Kosuzu to her nap. As I help her into the futon, I notice that her room's terribly sparse; there's no furniture, nor knicknacks, nor keepsakes. There's just a drawer for clothes, and a few books lying against the wall. It feels... wrong. Disquieting. Worrisome.

Because girls Kosuzu's age shouldn't have such empty rooms.

Her library, her baby, does tell a different story. The sheer variety puts Voile to shame; Patchy only gives a damn about magic, but Kosuzu has a bit of everything.

There are mysteries and adventures. Old diaries and Outside textbooks. Introspective poetry, and factual records of times gone by. Be it mundane or magical, there's always space for another book, another story, another source of knowledge.

There's a lot of love and care put into Suzunaan... it's just that Kosuzu might not have much love and care in anything else. It's almost like she's a cuter, more mellow version of Patchy.

But I digress. Fact of the matter is, Kosuzu has a bunch of books. And I'm in charge of enchanting them all.

The actual warding is pretty simple; the issue is the sheer tedium. I already the enchantment circle a couple days back, and Kosuzu had the good sense to not wipe away the chalk. So, all that's left is to futz around with the details, like writing in the number of pages of the book, or the length and width of the scroll. Then I just... sit there. And power the ritual.

So there I am, just sitting there, cross legged. My magic's humming along, tracing the lines of chalk before being diverted into the book, which floats into the air, opens up, and bursts into light as it gets blasted with spell after spell. And then it plops back down onto the floor, and I grab a new book.

The monotony is agonizing. The warding process is simple enough that I can't really bother with giving it my full attention, but it's just complicated enough that I can't do anything else while everything's going on. If Kosuzu was up at least I could have had her... I don't know, practice flying. It'd be easier than keeping a ladder around for the top shelves. The place is terribly cramped; I can at least shimmy through the aisles to pull the books out, but the shelves themselves aren't really braced. On anything. The weight of books can only do so much; if people aren't careful they could knock them down, one after another, like dominoes.

But regardless - here I sit, in... quite the pickle. My legs have already fallen asleep, and the constant prickling, the first symptom of my magic starting to overheat, is driving me up the wall. My arms and hands are starting to burn up from the constant energy flow, and soon enough the muscles along my fingers are starting to spasm thanks to the magic bleeding out into my nerves. And if the fingers spasm, the magic's disrupted. And if the magic's disrupted I get to start over.

So when I cock up the procedure for the fifth time in a row, I give up and take a break.

I'd rather not leave, in case Kosuzu does wake up soon, but it doesn't leave much to look at – or do, really. Suzunaan's terribly dark, and unlike Voile, there's nowhere to really sit and read besides the floor. There's a spare chair next to the entrance, there's Kosuzu's desk, and that's about it. The room even smells cramped; there's a... a musk here, of paper old and new, mixing in with just a hint of dust. Despite her efforts, Kosuzu can't quite get rid of the smell – and to be honest, I can't say that's a bad thing. It keeps the place homey.

The girl could really add in some windows, though. Or – or a lamp. Or something. Half the time it's too dark to even read the spines of the books, and the only thing that catches any light is her gramophone.

Speaking of, I've never actually seen one of these played before. Mom used to mention radios from Outside when I was younger, and Kourin had a collection of them at his shop, but the whole spinning record with the needle? New to me.

So, how could I resist? It was so simple, too. Just crank the wheel a bit, and... well, I can't really describe it.

What I can do, though, is abuse some illusion magic. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZElMnVOOw

It's all really... soothing. It's certainly not like the music anyone in Gensokyo plays – and I'm left wondering where Kosuzu actually got the record for this. Kourin doesn't usually carry them, since the records tend to break when falling through. I'll have to ask her when she wakes.

But Kosuzu's not awake yet, and she never put up the closed sign out in front. Which, I suppose, is why someone's now coming in. It's too dark to make out anything beyond a silhouette, though – but my fiddling with the phonograph at least makes it look like I'm busy.

“Welcome to Suzunaan, how can I help you?”

“Ah – Kirisame. Is Kosuzu available? I have some books to return.”

There's a clear, soft spoken voice, and I cast a quick cantrip to muffle the phonograph's playing. It takes me a while for me to recognize the woman's voice – but when I do, I'm all smiles and on my best behavior.

Because Hieda no Akyuu has entered the premises, and I don't think I want to piss off my student – and my landlord – any more than necessary. So, not at all.

“I'm sorry, Ak – er, Lady Hieda. Kosuzu tired after... assisting me with some errands, so she's recuperating in her quarters at the moment. I can handle those books for you, ma'am!”

Dear /lord/ I need to work on my formal language.

Luckily, Akyuu's not too stuck up, so she just raises an eyebrow as she hands the books over. There's even some amusement twinkling in her eyes as she watches me skim the books for damages.

Frankly, the books aren't exactly the kind I'd expect Akyuu to read. The '46 Images of Mount Fuji' is a pretty book, but it's not exactly historical. The 'World Ocean Census' is just mind boggling, since Gensokyo's landlocked, and the 'Yosemite' photo book is... well, it's certainly pretty. Breathtaking, really.

Akyuu giggles lightly at the sight of my confusion. “Even I have some hobbies, Kirisame. I'll never have the chance to leave Gensokyo, so Kosuzu's books let me... explore.”

The purple-haired girl is a lot more... well, relaxed, then I would expect. She seems perfectly at home here, humming along to the music and reclining on the spare chair. I make a few half-hearted attempts to keep an eye on her while I'm re-shelving the books – and make a note to check out the oceanography book – but she doesn't do much.

In all honesty, I expected her to just leave. Kosuzu's probably not waking up for another hour or so, and Akyuu and I aren't particularly close. It's a bit... awkward, really, to watch the historian unwind, with her eyes closed and her head nodding to the beat of the music.

Like she doesn't belong. Or more like – I don't belong.

Watching someone be so at home in a place is... always a bit awkward, when you don't feel the same way. There's a reason why no one bothers Reimu and I when I'm at her shrine – it just feels weird, or wrong, to intrude on intimate moments like that.

But I can't exactly leave, so... I'm just stuck in Kosuzu's chair, doing nothing in particular – and being incredibly aware of the fact that I'm doing nothing in particular.

It only takes me a couple minutes to give up and get up to do something. And Akyuu probably planned my discomfort, because by the time I get back with that copy of the 'World Ocean Census' the music's ended – and Akyuu's pulled the other chair up to Kosuzu's desk.

And as everyone knows, “we need to talk” is the most horrifying phrase of any language.

I don't bother with any pretense – that'd just make things drag on. So I softly put the book on the desk, think better of distracting myself with the phonograph, and settle myself for a long, excruciating chat.

“What do we need to talk about?” I wish I had something to play with – a pencil, or a bookmark, or just something to distract myself with. And Akyuu, I'm guessing, is feeling the same way, despite the impressive poker face she has going on. She continues playing with her hair, twirling a lock or two between her index finger and her thumb.

“About Kosuzu. It would settle my nerves if you could inform me what your plans are with her.” Despite any possible nervousness, however, she states her intentions clearly and simply. No subterfuge needed.

Still, though. It's a weird intention. “Uhm – I'm not planning to do anything with her. She's helping me out with the library thing, and I'm just helping her man the store in the meantime.” There's no need for lies, since for once I legitimately have nothing to hide.

Akyuu, for whatever reason, isn't buying it, and her brow creases in irritation. “I trust you will understand if I do not deign to believe you,” she says softly, leaning forward to look me in the eyes. “After all, your reputation is built on thievery, deceit, and an enjoyment of casual violence.”

Oh, now it's on. “Don't believe in everything you hear, Akyuu. Reimu trusts me. Hell, you trusted me enough to mediate your Symposium.”

Akyuu just scoffs in response, and I'm kinda surprised she'd do something so... unrefined. “I trusted you to get violent if the need arose, and to provide the average human's perspective for the others to argue against. As for the Hakurei Maiden...” she shrugs in dismissal. “There's a reason why Miss Kamishirasawa is considered the protector of the Village.”

The amount of derision in Akyuu's tiny frame is actually kind of impressive. Especially since she doesn't wear it on her sleeve. Kosuzu must be a sore spot for her; I know that feel, but all the same...

“Well, if absolutely nothing else, I'm pretty sure Kosuzu can take care of herself. And her dad can take care of it if she can't.” It feels a bit unfair to demean Kosuzu like that.

But Akyuu clearly doesn't feel the same way. “Kosuzu, despite her bibliophile tendencies, is just a regular human, as is her father. You, however, are a magical degenerate with no morals, who, I note, is known for selling love potions.”

And I really don't like her implications there. The chair screeches against the wooden flooring as I step up, trying to tower over her. Akyuu doesn't react, but I certainly feel better. “Love potions don't work that way in the first place, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't slander me again.” Unfortunately, 'feeling better' isn't the same as 'feeling calm', and I'm kicking myself for hissing that last part of the sentence through clenched teeth.

“I respectfully apologize,” Akyuu blatantly lies, and waits for me to calm down before continuing. “But you must admit that Kosuzu is playing with fire. She still has not noticed that Futatsuiwa is, in fact, a youkai who's stringing her along for who knows what reason. She makes it a hobby to collect dangerous magical books, and is headstrong enough to believe that she can handle any consequences of reading those books. Lastly, Kosuzu puts her unwavering faith in a lazy shrine maiden who consorts with youkai, and yourself. I'd be a terrible friend if I did not worry, Kirisame, so please do not act as though you understand the situation.”

Given that I get into dangerous situations, I'd like to think I understand Kosuzu's predicament more than a worrywart historian that does fuck-all except read and write. So what if Akyuu and her reincarnations always die early? That just means she should live life, not... shut herself in to eke out more meaningless days.

Kosuzu wants to learn. That Akyuu can't see that is... frustrating.

But whatever. The lines are drawn, the positions are clear, and everything's at stalemate.

Now: What to say to Akyuu to make her back off?

[ ]Write-in

 

[twin blade]

[ ]Write-in

I end up taking a few minutes to compose myself, my thoughts, and Suzunaan in general. And Akyuu, for her part, respectfully gets out of the way, giving me all the space I need.

Respectfully. And damn it all, that's the key word here. Despite her views on me and my magic, Hieda no Akyuu knows when to push my buttons, and when to back off. Blasting her in the face isn't going to end things in my favor.

So I sit back, relax, and ponder my words a little longer.

“...Kosuzu wants to learn. Her father has no objections to this.” I need to be calm about this, I need to be secure. Akyuu'll rip me apart for anything less. “I am not forcing anybody to learn what I am offering to teach. Your opinions on this are noted, because I would like to rehabilitate the image of magic in the Village – but they're ultimately irrelevant.”

Even though the sun is shining, and the birds are chirping, Suzunaan itself grows terribly, terribly cold. “Irrelevant? Kirisame, I have every right to care about Kosuzu and her safety.”

“But you do not have a right to force her to stop what she wants to do.”

“I have every right if Kosuzu's desires will get herself killed. Even with the Spellcard Rules, people get hurt. People die.” Akyuu's voice is low, bland, filled with the nonchalant tones of someone pushing the lid down on a frothing rage.

Much like my own. “Kosuzu collects magical books for funsies. And you've benefited from her bibliophile habits, so clearly you're not gonna stop her. So the alternative to her not learning how to defend herself is her getting in way over her head and kicking the bucket. Messily.”

“As though you actually care about Kosuzu.” Akyuu leans forward in her chair, glaring at me with eyes that look terribly young, and terribly old. “You, Kirisame Marisa, are not one for charity. Do be honest for once in your damned life.”

“I have been honest to Kosuzu, and I have been honest to you. The Kirisame Library is a business endeavor. Kosuzu's giving me her space and in return I teach her magic. She wanted this, Akyuu, and all I did was give her the means to get what she wanted.”

Akyuu growls, her brow furrowing as she shakes her head in simple frustration. Good to know the feeling's mutual, then. “What Kosuzu wants? Don't delude yourself, Kirisame; isn't this about what you want?”

“Kosuzu's wants and my own coincide. Just because I get something out of it doesn't mean -”

“It doesn't mean you didn't cajole Kosuzu into learning something, didn't make magic sound like something that wouldn't kill her for the slightest mistake. What did you do, what did you tell her, and what do you 'want' so damned much that you'd risk her life for it?”
...I want to go Outside. I want to see the world, and bring Reimu with me. I want to be free, to have a future and do with it as I please. I want a pretty girl to dote on and love and wake up next to in the morning. I want some damn respect. I want to make my parents proud. And to get all that -

“I want to wipe out all of this damned prejudice. I want people like you, Akyuu, to look back and say 'I'm sorry, I was wrong'. I want it seared into people's minds that magic isn't evil, isn't a terrible, horrifying thing, nor is it some divine Art or the holy grail of reality. Magic is a tool, like a carpenter's saw or a chef's knives, and being a magician is just another profession.”

Akyuu's silent, but her glare never wavers. Fucking fine with me. “You're a historian, right? You collect information, you put it into writing. But the pay is shit and people care more about your name than anything else about you. But you do it anyways, because you think it'll make a difference. Someday, if not today. You do it because you think your work matters.

“Why can't I be the same way?

You don't have to like me, you don't have to agree with me right this second. You don't even need to think I'm human if it bothers you that much. But acknowledge me as a person. Acknowledge that I think my work matters too. I'm Kosuzu's friend, and she has a good head on her shoulders and a good heart in her chest. Don't I deserve this much?”

I... I end up slumping back into my chair, all my energy fading away. Akyuu's fallen back onto her chair, too, looking at me with... who the hell knows, some kind of feeling in her eyes.

And there we sat, and stared, until Kosuzu woke up.

“Ngh... oh, Akyuu, Marisa. I heard some loud... talking, I guess. Are you two okay?”

“Oh, no, Kosuzu, it's fine. Kirisame and I were just chatting politics.”


--------------------------------------------------------------

Akyuu never did give me an answer, in the end. We played nice all the same, managing to be polite, and civil, and all that good stuff that was far away from good old fashioned throat-throttling. But... even I could see that the two wanted some quiet time together. I ended up excusing myself, and headed outside to get a bite. The early morning, the chat with Pops, and now this? All of today was piling up on me, and I just wanted to go home and rest under the covers.

Which is, naturally, why I had the amazing luck of Toyosatomimi no Miko and Hijiri Byakuren waiting outside of my Library.

Glaring. Almost at each others' throats. Their breathing was slow, measured – deliberately so, to maintain the illusion of civility. But it didn't hide the sheer anger in their eyes, or the obvious frowns marring their faces.

Miko still looked the same as before, but now she had one hand gripping her purple cape, pulling it around her like it was a shield. And Byakuren...

Well, she certainly didn't dress like your stereotypical monk. Or like any monk, for that matter. The black 'robe' she wore looked more like a jacket than anything else, with laces that crisscrossed her bust and left the white dress below free to wandering eyes. Her arms were crossed in front of her, and I couldn't tell if she was rubbing her strong, toned arms for warmth, or to stop herself from wrapping her tanned fingers around Miko's slender neck.

Plus her hair was gradient. Even in the freakshow that was Gensokyo, having hair that went from purple at the roots to brown at the tips was weird.

Luckily, my presence broke the stalemate, and Miko took a step back to allow Byakuren to speak.

“Good afternoon, Marisa. I trust you are well?” Once Miko's out of sight, it's like she's out of mind as well. All the tension in the monk's shoulders evaporates just like that, and her bubbly, happy self takes over.

Her smile's dazzling, and I can't help but smile back. “I'm doing pretty well, actually. It's kinda fun hanging out in the village – I should do it more often. So, how can I help you?”

Byakuren smiles and clasps her hands together, the perfect image of a pious woman. “I came across one of your fliers earlier today, and I was hoping you could come to Myouren Temple to talk about allowing some of the youkai to join in as well?”

That freezes the smile on my face. “Uhm, Byakuren... not to be racist or anything, but my position is already really...tenuous. I don't think letting youkai interact with children is going to go over well with the parents.”

Byakuren nods, and has the decency to look a bit guilty. “I know. I apologize for putting you in such a precarious position. The Myouren Temple would be glad to do anything to help facilitate this cooperation, and we'd be happy to negotiate if you come with us.”

Miko snorts, dragging us both out of the conversation. Byakuren turns to glare down at her shorter rival, but Miko doesn't seem to give a damn.

“Miss Marisa. Though Byakuren's aims are a bit too foolish at this point and time, her methods are quite reasonable. You are already teaching my Daichi, and you've seen his potential. I was hoping you would accompany me to Senkai, where we could discuss the possibility of a... student exchange program, of sorts. You've done quite well with your few resources, and I'm sure your students and mine own could benefit from such a joint endeavor. What say you?”

“I say,” Byakuren begins, dragging our attention back to her, “That Taoist magic requires a great deal of studying and commitment. Requirements that, while not necessarily bad, would be unappealing to a great deal of people. The Myouren Temple, however, has a much more varied magical library, filled with both religious and fundamental magic. Furthermore, working with youkai will show that they are not all to be feared, and will help ease racial tensions.”

“Racial tensions that will get worse before they get better, Miss Marisa. Byakuren is dragging you into a cause that you may not be able to politically survive.”

“I am asking you, Marisa, to help champion a worthy cause. With your support human-youkai relations could soar to loftier heights!”

The conversation doesn't quite stop there, but it certainly devolves. It never comes quite to blows, but Byakuren and Miko won't stop sniping at each other. And if I don't make a choice I daresay I'd piss both of them off.

So, who should I make a deal with first?

[ ]Byakuren. I already have Miko's implicit support with Daichi, and it's not like she'd just force Daichi to stop coming if I tried to work things out with Byakuren. If human-youkai tensions mellow out, I'd get a lot of publicity for being one of the trailblazers. Plus, Byakuren's a good looking lass, and being in her good graces might be nice. If worse comes to worst, I really could just teach youkai and Kosuzu.

[ ]Miko. She had a point that Byakuren might be going too far, too fast, and losing all support would ruin me. Miko's well liked in the Village, and even though Byakuren's the better choice when it comes to the variety of magic, Miko probably has some basic stuff my students could learn. I could probably assuage Byakuren somehow, and, well... Getting to know Miko better could help out in the future.

--------------------------------

[X]Byakuren. I already have Miko's implicit support with Daichi, and it's not like she'd just force Daichi to stop coming if I tried to work things out with Byakuren. If human-youkai tensions mellow out, I'd get a lot of publicity for being one of the trailblazers. Plus, Byakuren's a good looking lass, and being in her good graces might be nice. If worse comes to worst, I really could just teach youkai and Kosuzu.

Miko, by all accounts, is the better choice. The safe choice. She's well-respected in the village, and she already has a couple students under her belt. Despite Byakuren's claims, Taoism does cover a decent variety of magical disciplines. I already have a friendly relationship with the Taoist Hermit, and she's been supporting me from day one.

And yet. And yet.

I'm a thief, a liar, and a scoundrel. And yet, in my heart of hearts, I've always wanted to be the hero.

“...Ah, Byakuren? Miko?” My voice, soft and more than a little hesitant, still manages to pull the two from their argument. They look at me with expectant eyes, though Miko seems... disappointed, a bit. As though she knows who I've decided on. How did she -

Oh, right. Mind reading. Desire reading if we're getting pedantic. Welp.

“So, I thought it over, and... I'm sorry, Miko. I'm gonna take my chances with Byakuren for now.”

The blond girl lets out an annoyed, resigned sigh, but before I can elaborate, Byakuren's steals all of my attention for herself.

“Wonderful, Marisa – just... wonderful.” The sheer relief in her eyes shines and dances; staring at her small smile, I can't for the life of me say I chose wrong. “If that's the case, would you like to accompany me to my temple? We can discuss the particulars during lunch.”

Her happiness is... infectious, and I don't resist the urge to smile back. “Does it have to be today? I must admit to some amount of exhaustion, and I'd like to, uhm, recuperate. It'd be unkind to our prospective students if I negotiated the specifics with such a clouded mind.”

Byakuren pauses a bit, and it takes me a moment to realize I've slipped into the formal speak Pops drilled into me. But still, it certainly fits, and being polite never hurt anyone.

If my change in lingo's surprising, Byakuren doesn't seem to mind too much. “Ahhh. Of course, Marisa. Would tomorrow afternoon be reasonable? I lead a meditation session in the morning, but I'll be free afterwards.”

“That's perfect; I have some errands to take care of as well. I'll see you tomorrow, then?”

The monk happily nods back, and her smile seems to get brighter by the second. “Absolutely. Just inform the temple guards that we have a lunch date, and -”

“Master Hijiri, Master Hijiri!” A young woman in a blue nun's habit rushes at us, skidding to a stop and kicking up a bit of dirt in the process. “There's been another fight, and we can't contain it!”

Byakuren doesn't react too much, other than clicking her tongue in dismay. With a quick apology for ending our little talk, she flees to the scene of the crime, her woman in tow.

“That's going to be you, Miss Marisa, if you continue walking this path,” Miko calmly explains, as soon as her rival's gone. I'd forgotten her completely, and her sudden voice makes me jump. Just a bit. “Trying and failing to fight for causes that aren't terribly worth the time and effort. Giving your all, sacrificing your dreams and hopes and life, all to the ravenous demon that is 'morality'.”

Her disdain... I'm not sure if it's because I chose Byakuren, or if she's just that cynical, but all the same, I don't like it.

“I don't know, Byakuren seemed pretty happy with her life. And she's trying to make things peaceful. Isn't that what Taoism's all about, living in harmony?”

Miko smiles, but it's not a pleasant one. She smiles like she's laughing inside, taking pride in the fact that she knows things others don't. Or maybe I'm overthinking it. “Spoken like a true dilettante. No, Taoism is certainly not about living in harmony. It is about living in accordance with the rules of nature. The wind blows, the rain falls, and youkai feast on humanity's fears. That is how things should be. The Three Treasures of compassion, moderation, and humility are the tenets all humans should live by, and the Lady Hijiri has none of those things.”

That. Is an incredibly bold claim. But Miko is nothing if not bold, so I ought to at least avoid dismissing her as being full of shit. “But Byakuren's basically Youkai Jesus here. She goes out of her way to avoid or stop fights, like what she's doing right now, so there's compassion. She lives off donations and cheap fees for her services in mediation, plus the entire Buddhist philosophy is based around moderation and avoiding excess, and she's a pretty good Buddhist from what I can tell. And while I don't get the abstinence thing she's basically got the whole 'spiritually pure' bit down to a science, and it's not like she rubs it in people's faces so, yeah, humility.”

But Miko just shakes her head, as though dealing with a particularly dense student. “While that is true, it's also all, how you say, 'surface'. Superficial. Things even a child could discern. But it is not who Byakuren is.”

Her cryptic comments, her slight chiding... she's a lot more formal about it, but dear lord, I'm dealing with a teacher here.

Damn. Wish I had the time to take notes.

“Well then. In that case, I sit under the bodhi tree. Enlighten me.”

I manage to get a light chuckle out of Miko, at least, and with a quick gesture, she invites me to head inside. Head inside my own library, but whatever. Miko's in the zone, and I don't want to interrupt.

“Very well. Let us talk of Byakuren's compassion. You are right, of curse. Byakuren could be easily seen as compassionate. After all, is she not destroying the chains of racism? Is she not promoting her peace and harmony for all?

“But therein lies the rub. Neither her motives nor her actions are pure. She is misliked by a majority of the humans here, simply because she is forcing her beliefs onto others.”

While Miko talks, I open up the curtains to let the light in. It shines onto the Taoist, illuminating her in this cramped darkness, and making her shine all the brighter. I don't sit down in awe... but I do sit down.

Though she's only lecturing to an audience of one, Miko gives it her all. “Not on purpose, no. For all of her faults Byakuren is not a mindless tyrant. But building her Myouren Temple here in the village, forcing the humans around her to confront what is literally the embodiment of all their fears...it is like teaching a babe how to swim by throwing thon into the ocean. By miracle of miracles, the method may work. But too often, the babe simply drowns. And what is compassionate about such a method?

“As for her attempts at moderation... yes, I suppose she does have that sort of aura. A holy woman, a blessed virgin, someone too pure for this sinful earth.” A light blush creeps into Miko's cheeks, and I can almost hear a hint of admiration in her tone. And then it's gone in a flash. “But I too have studied the Buddhist scriptures, and they make quite the distinction between moderation and complete abstinence. You remember the Lady Hieda's Symposium, yes? Her refusal to drink or eat meat was astounding to Hieda – and yourself, if I recall. By your own admission, you don't 'get' her focus on abstinence.

“That is simple. It is because, like many Buddhists, the Lady Hijiri has become too enamored with the letter of her tenets, and not the spirit. The Buddha – the original one, that is – ate meat and drank often. He further cautioned against the woes of dogma, of following so closely with the teachings of Buddhism that one loses sight of what the teachings are for. She has fallen into that trap, and mindlessly, excessively parades her beliefs about.”

Something... something feels wrong with her reasoning, but I can't put my finger about it quite yet. Not that my confusion stops Miko from her... I'd almost call it a rant, with how much passion she's putting into it. “And her humility... There is no pride in herself, that is true. For the Lady Hijiri, the things she does are simply the things she does. Action before thought; her achievement of such a state is commendable, and perhaps awe-inspiring.

“And yet, her pride in her brother is astounding. And worrisome. The Lady Hijiri has put her dear Myouren on the highest of pedestals, and worships him with an intensity and zeal that rivals any zealot of any faith. Her actions, she does in the name of her brother. Her hopes and dreams, to live up to her brother's good name. The temple itself, dedicated to her brother in every possible way. Did you know that Sir Myouren enjoyed lilies? It's telling that those are the only blooms that Byakuren keeps in her gardens, outside of the traditional cherry trees.”

She ends her lecture with a bow and a flourish of the cape. She doesn't expect me to respond, however; at least, not yet. There's something in there, something...not wrong, but off, with her statement, and if I could just find the words, find the right way to phrase it...

But you do it anyways, because you think it'll make a difference. Someday, if not today. You do it because you think your work matters.

And just like that, I am enlightened.

“Does it matter?” I ask her, mostly to buy me a few more seconds to word everything just so.

But Miko can hear my head, my desires and wants, and she gives me all the time I need to think things through.

“You've... you've been talking nonstop about her motivations. And yeah, those are important, I guess. Because why you do things tells people about what kind of person you are. I get that.”

“Then you 'get' that Byakuren is not, in point of fact, a Messiah figure to idolize?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the onslaught of holes Miko'll put in my argument. It's going to hurt, and I'm probably wrong in all the ways that matter, but.

But I couldn't call myself a hero, or a teacher, if I didn't try to wipe out ignorance.

“No. No, I'm pretty sure Byakuren's fucking awesome in all the ways that matter.”

Wipe out ignorance in my own special way, of course.

“'Cause, you see...who the fuck cares about her motivations? Despite everything, she is doing a good thing. Like, your entire argument was basically 'Well yes she's a good person, 'but.'' And the thing is, the 'but' part of that argument doesn't matter. Byakuren is a good person, end of discussion.”

The words fly out of my mouth so fast I almost forget to breathe. Now I'm the one lecturing, and it's like nothing else matters, is worthy of even one iota of my attention, outside of my lesson and my audience.

“So what if her methods are a bit callous? The humans in the village are free to tell her to bug off, and considering it's Byakuren, she'd probably listen. So what if she's missing the point of Buddhism? She's still striving to keep suffering to a minimum, which is absolutely in line with her religion's biggest goals. And so what if she likes her brother a lot? Familial piety is still a thing, last I checked, and Byakuren's free to do whatever the hell she likes to honor her brother's memory.”

A cold chill runs through me as I finish my rant, and it helps brings me down from the passion-filled high I was just on. Channeling my desires, my thoughts...my emotions and my self. It was just like magic, in all the ways that matter, and I'm getting the same shivers and giggles I get after a really good spell.

Miko, for her part, looks... contemplative. And unlike her, I can't peek into peoples' hearts, so I'm left with waiting warmly.

I manage to clean and sort through a bookshelf by the time Miko finds the words. “Miss Marisa, it seems I've forgotten that there's always two sides to a coin. My apologies.”

I turn around to wave her off, smiling gently to put the girl at ease. “Nah, it's fine. I mean, I don't think you're wrong about Byakuren, you're just missing the bigger picture.”

“And I believe that though you are right to some extent, the particulars about Lady Hijiri's situation deserve more than a simple brushing off. Shall we agree to disagree?”

“Only if you let Daichi stick around?” I counter-offer. In retrospect I shouldn't have been quite so obvious about my worries...

But Miko just laughs my worries away. “Of course Daichi will continue to learn from you. How else will he broaden his horizons?”

“Well, after I work things out with Byakuren, we could try a student-exchange program between us. I picked Byakuren first since I figured you could be patient.”

Miko sighs, shaking her head – but she seems a lot more pleased now. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Miss Marisa. Very well, I shall endeavor to live up to your expectations.”

---------------------------------------------------

The sun shines, the birds chirp, and I walk away from the clusterfuck without stepping on too many toes. All is as it should be.

So with little else to do, I end up staying in the Kirisame Library even after Miko left to catch up on some paperwork. Well, not paperwork per se, but I'm figuring out what I want from Byakuren, writing out plans to deal with her wants, and sneaking in a couple lesson plans while I'm at it. It's monotonous work though, and after an hour or two I figure Akyuu and Kosuzu should be done.

So I get up, get out, walk around the corner...

And find Kosuzu sitting in Akyuu's lap, blushing like a schoolgirl. In her arms is a book, and Akyuu is resting her head on Kosuzu's delicate shoulders, in prime position to do... well, many, many things.

“Hmmm... that's a correct reading, Kosuzu, but I don't think your ability helps with... the beat, shall we say.” Akyuu quietly says, soft and gentle, and if it weren't for magical enhancements there'd be no way for me to hear her.

Akyuu, dare I say it, sounds sensual, her voice sinfully slow and smooth as she literally whispers sweet nothings into Kosuzu's ear. They're so into each other that they don't notice me, and I'm too shocked to make a fuss.

“Oh? But I thought most poems came with a beat of their own,” Kosuzu playfully shoots back. “That's why you said they were better than songs; they don't need any accompaniment.”

Akyuu just giggles, and takes in a deep breath. I can't blame her – Kosuzu smells nice, like old paper and well worn leather.

Wait, of course I can fucking blame her, that's my Kosuzu she's hitting on!

“That's true, 'Suzu, but the reader's voice helps add a certain... je ne sais quoi to the poem. Especially for such a romantic one like this. Here, let me show you once more.”

Kosuzu's all smiles and pliant affection as she spins around Akyuu's lap, so that she's face to face with the young historian. Their hair and clothes are all ruffled, and Kosuzu's breathing so... passionately, that it looks like she just had a long makeout session instead of a long poetry reading.

And then Akyuu cups Kosuzu's cheek, and Kosuzu all but swoons into the other girl's hand. And like that, Akyuu begins.

”Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely, and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath far too short a date....”

With each line, Kosuzu melts further into Akyuu, voicing her pleasure with gentle sighs. And Akyuu, for her part, whispers the lines softer and softer, until even I can't hear them anymore.

I could, if I got closer, but I don't bother staying for the rest.

--------------------

“I swear, if you start writing shitty romantic poetry I will hurt you,” Mima says as soon as I start my dream.

It's the same dream 'location' as last time, with the warm crackling fireplace and the comfy recliners. I'm not inclined to do much reading, though, so I slump in my chair and hide my face with my hat. “I'd like to think I'm not that much of an idiot, Mima.”

“Ah, but you're the biggest fool of all, for falling so earnestly in love.”

But I don't need to see to shoot, and the light grunt of pain is all I need to confirm my shot. “It wasn't love. At least, not yet. Still stings though.”

“Awwww, is my little Marisa having love troubles? Come, come, tell Mama Mima what's the matter, sweetiekins~”

I aim up another shot, but Mima's above me and pulling my hat away and tossing it aside..Her voice changes at the drop of my hat too, from coy and teasing to something more... melancholy, I suppose. “But seriously. My apprentice is having love trouble. Least I can do is offer a Mystic Western Love Consultation.”

I look up and see Mima floating parallel to the ground, keeping her own hat on with the power of... ghost, I suppose. There's some earnest worry, in her eyes. And empathy. And for all of her kidding around, she's not smiling.

“I know how you feel. Love's great, love sucks. Two sides of the same coin, like that Miko girl said. So come now, Marisa. Let me in, at least a little.”

And what kind of monster doesn't appreciate when someone's willing to be sad with you?

“Well, a Love Consultation sounds nice. But why 'Western'?”

Mima smiles again, and with a snap of her fingers -

The room darkens, the bright colors changing to blue and purple hues.

The room chills, and the warm light of the fireplace is replaced with blue-burning candles.

The room shrinks, and now I'm in a fortune-teller's tent, complete with a crystal ball on a floating, satin sheet.

Mima's dressed to the fortune-telling nines, and all I can see are her bright, mischievous eyes.

“Because Mystic Oriental Love Consultations are boring as hell. No showmanship, no fun! Reimu just listens to your problems, maybe does some low key divinations. While I? I am going to delve deep into your soul and find out your true heart's desire.”

The chairs remain the same, thankfully, so I settle down and enjoy the show. Mima's really enjoying herself, so who am I to interrupt?

“Now, whisper to this crystal ball two names, and we shall see how their hearts may be won.”

Though playing the confused innocent isn't quite interrupting. “Wait, why two?”

Mima shrugs with utter irrelevance, and rolls the crystal ever closer to me. “Because one is boring, and she who chases after more than two hares shall never see a single one.”

“But the saying is -”

“You have magic. Chasing after two hares is totally in the realm of possibility here. Two at the same time, even more so! And if you decide to chase after hares number three, four, or five after this little game, well – you're young. You have time. You're not locked into anything, no matter who you choose here. You'll just get a little edge for those you do.”

Edge, huh? Well, in that case, I lean towards the ball, almost close enough to kiss it, and whisper...

[ ]Name
and
[ ]Name

 

[twin blade]

“Motoori Kosuzu.”

The young redheaded librarian, who walks around with chiming bells in her hair. The girl who loves knowledge in all its forms, and doesn't believe in Things Humanity Was Not Meant To Know. The pure, earnest girl who believes in heroes and fairy tales.

And I want her to believe in me. To look at me with adoration and simple, easy faith. The way she looks at Reimu, the way she looks at Akyuu.

The crystal ball glows orange as soon as Kosuzu's name leaves my lips. It floats away from me and into Mima's waiting hands; my mentor scrunches over it, using her billowing sleeves to hide the ball from my view. Her clothing isn't quite thick enough to hide the light. The blue mood of the dream tent's ruined by the orange light, and it even feels warmer. Happier.

“Well, let's see,.” Mima intones with all pomp and seriousness. I can't help but lean towards her, losing myself in the atmosphere. “Kosuzu. You could certainly do worse. And you already know why you like her. But love is understanding, in its deepest form – can you tell me who Kosuzu is fond of, and why?”

The words come out slowly, but naturally – there's no hint of resentment or jealousy. And I'm not sure if it's because of the dream, or... oh, I don't know. “She has a crush on Mamizou because Mamizou plays mysterious stranger really, really well. Mamizou has that cultured, sophisticated aura to her when she tries, and it helps that she's damn good with magic.

“Reimu... Kosuzu doesn't really interact with Reimu too much, but she grew up listening to stories of the Hakurei clan. Hell, I grew up with those stories, and Mom's from Outside. Gensokyo's a land where fairy tales are still real, and who doesn't want to get rescued by Princess Charming?

“And... if Mamizou is Kosuzu's version of a mancrush, and Reimu's the fairy tale lover... then Akyuu's probably the one she's actually in love with.”

The scene slowly changes, from the cramp and smoky fortune teller's tent to the homey gloom of Suzunaan. The dusty corners and small aisles between the bookshelves seem all the darker, because...

Because in the middle, Kosuzu sits on Akyuu's lap, and they're glowing. The only source of light in the room.

“Akyuu... I don't really know how their relationship got started, but they seem so... close. Whole. And I don't think I ever felt that with Alice. I don't know how I could compete with that kind of intimacy.”

I need to sit. It's... Remembering Alice exhausts me. Mima gives me a moment to rest, though she takes the time to move closer to Kosuzu, to take in the joy in her eyes and the faint blush that touches her cheeks.

“I think,” Mima starts, “that you should probably just ask her out on a date.”

What.

“No, hear me out. Kosuzu's hungry for knowledge, right? It's her raison d'être. She eats and breathes learning. That's why she likes Mamizou, that's why she likes Akyuu. That's the nature of their relationships – she learns from them. I mean, all the moves Akyuu was making on Kosuzu? They weren't making out or rutting on the desk; they were discussing poetry.”

I really have to wonder if Mima's seeing the same things I am. Because the hazy pleasure in Kosuzu's eyes certainly doesn't come from poetry.

“Okay, so they were discussing poetry rather erotically. That's fine. It's still just poetry, and it's not like Kosuzu has a ring on her finger.”

The image gets fuzzier now, the specks of dreamy blue seeping into the corners of this little snapshot. Kosuzu and Akyuu remain untainted by the color – though they do start to fade as the walls close in on me.

“And the thing is, you're one of Kosuzu's teachers too. You teach her magic. You're giving her a firsthand view of something she's only heard stories about, only read about, only dreamed about learning for herself. Marisa, you have her curiosity. Now get her attention.”

I allow myself the luxury of petulance, pouting a bit as we return to Mima's fortune-telling tent. She sits across from me once more, spinning the crystal ball on her fingers.

“It's... that simple, then?”

“Oh Heavens no. Love never is. But you don't know if it's love. So find out, and we'll work from there.”

With a snap of her wrist, the crystal ball pops up, and descends, ever gently, towards me.

“Your second paramour, Marisa?”

Kosuzu's name had came to me as simply as breathing. No worries, no hesitation. But now, three names – three amazing women – jump to the forefront of my mind. They battle for dominance, bringing with them flashes of fantasy, daydreams I've mulled over, a hundred 'what ifs' and 'maybes', memories.

It... it hurts, to realize Alice is one of those names. To remember our little dates; the times where we'd argue long into the night, and then hold each other in bed, no layers or lies to separate us. To feel her warm, gentle lips on mine, that tingle of lightning...

To see her glow with a love of life, and her distant, ice-blue eyes melt with pure affection. To see her honestly smile, and know that I was the one who made her happy.

Reimu was my first love. Still is. But Alice was my first relationship, and that means just as much.

It hurts. Remembering her. But I'm not sure if it hurts more or less than putting those memories and desire... away.

But I do. With all my will, if not all my heart, I put away the past, and look towards the future.

And Mima, bless her hateful, vengeful soul, doesn't judge.

That just leaves Reimu, and -

“Hieda no Akyuu.”

I know what I need to do with Reimu. In my heart of hearts, I surely do. The problem is just mustering up all the... will, to take that last step. And Akyuu, I know nothing about her, so if this'll give me an edge...

I look up. And now Mima's judging.

“Okay, why her?”

Her voice was cool, and patient. No sense of hurry – which is not the same as no sense of pressure. This wasn't Mima the magician, Mima the ghost, Mima my big sister. This was Mima the teacher, and unless I explained myself I'd be getting a failing grade in love.

“Because...because it'd be easy, wou -”

“Marisa. Because I love you, and you're tired, I'm giving you a warning. Rethink what you're about to say.”

There was no disappointment in Mima. Not yet. Because she allowed me my flights of fancy, always gave me a warning, if not a second chance.

So I dutifully shut my mouth, and do not ask Mima how to seduce Akyuu as a means to an end.

Loving Akyuu. Being with her... that has to be the end. So the question is, 'would I be happy with this outcome?'

Not being with Kosuzu. Not being with Reimu. Not... not being with Alice. But with Hieda no Akyuu, and only Hieda no Akyuu, the eighteen year old with nine lifetimes of experience. The prickly, quick to anger historian. The young woman who'd probably die long before we were old and gray.

The proud noble, who was secure in the belief that she was right, or at least 'not wrong', and made sure everyone knew it. The protective lover, who bared her fangs and attacked with all her fierce, tiny might, against the things that could harm what she loved.

The passionate young girl, who gave it her all every day, because every day was precious, and she had dreams to chase after, damn it.

“I want to see if I could fall in love with Hieda no Akyuu.” Despite all of my nervousness, I state my intentions cleanly and simply. No subterfuge needed.

Somehow, even through her veil, I know Mima's smiling. “Okay. Why?”

“Because... because she's like me. And Kosuzu's her Reimu.” I don't know that for sure, but it feels right to say. “And I know what it's like, to only hold... real affection for one single girl. Akyuu probably can't connect to her parents, or her family, because she's had nine of those already. I was jealous of Mom, since she knew what the Outside was like, and I would never get that chance. I was angry at Dad, since I didn't want to spend my days behind a counter and waste my time away.

“And I know what it's like, to give it your all, to carpe diem every single damn diem. It's exhausting. It's painful. Enthusiasm turns into desperation, and you never allow yourself a break, since then you feel like you're just a... a decomposing sack of meat otherwise. And you don't know what's worse, what's scarier, living with the ache and the fear and the desperation, or giving up completely and letting all those moments, all those chances... turn into ash. Because you're just too tired, just too burned out.

“You need people. People who'll pull you back from either extreme. Reimu was mine, and that's why I love her. Kosuzu is Akyuu's, and that's why she loves her. And...

“And I want to give Akyuu another person. I want to give her me, who can understand her. Because my Reimu and her Kosuzu, they don't understand. Not really. Things come easy to them. I mean, they work hard, they put in effort... but it's easy. Simple.

“But Akyuu suffers, and... and they always say misery loves company.”

My throat's dry as can be, and I rub my neck to soothe the irritation, prevent myself from hacking and coughing. But that's just the physical aspect to talking so much.

Because mentally, emotionally, I know. And there is no nervousness, no hesitation.

And Mima nods her head in approval.

“Okay, then. Well, if you want to win Akyuu over, you're gonna have to help her reach the same conclusions you did. You'll have to show her your serious side, you know. Prove you're a kindred spirit. After all, you - “

I wave her off, feeling surprisingly... light. Like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I still could carry more. “Yeah, I thought she was a coward and a pretentious, selfish jerk. Not my proudest moment.”

Mima reaches over, and ruffles my hair. Her fingers run across my locks, curling them around her fingers. She's... surprisingly warm for a ghost. “Eh, we all make mistakes.”

She doesn't stop for a while, and I don't try to stop her. She hasn't done this in years, and... I miss it.

“Uhm, Mima. You're just a part of my subconscious, right?”

I'm grateful she doesn't stop. “I don't think my answer would matter. You know what you know.”

Her warmth, her answer... it gives me some courage. “So you won't mind if I bounce ideas. Because, you said I could only choose two names, but... well, you know.”

I can't see her anymore – I can't see anything now, because those blue candles go out, leaving me in a gentle darkness.

“I know, Marisa. I know. Hakurei Reimu. Best friend, first love.”

Shrine Maiden. Peacekeeper. Miser. Fond of the drink. A tease. Cool under pressure, serious minded. Childhood friend. Heroine.

My... savior. A light in the darkness. When Mima was gone and I was lost... she was there.

No matter how I imagined my life. No matter my fantasies, or hopes, or whims... she always featured. Not always a lover, but...

She was there. We fought, we laughed, we drank and cried. We teased each other, argued and made up.

We grew old together.

And in the mornings, when I woke up. I'd fly over to the Hakurei Shrine... and she'd be there. Waiting.

“Reimu... Reimu's done so much for me. And... and if there's one thing I could do, one absolute, magic spell I could cast to make it happen... I'd want to ensure that Reimu's happy.”

Mima stops now, and drifts away to look at me face to face. I can see her green eyes, glowing in the darkness. Just like when I was young. “But, more than that, more than anything else. In any form... I want her to be happy, with me.”

First loves are heady things. Now and forever, Reimu would have a piece of my heart.

“If you confess early, you won't get a chance with anyone else,” Mima warns.

“And if I confess late, Reimu might find someone else.”

And with that melancholy thought, I wake up.

-----------------------------

Sunny days couldn't last forever. But the pitter-patter of rain is a bit... soothing, all the same. But then, water always was relaxing to me. Shame there's no ocean in Gensokyo. I'd move there and never leave.

But enough what-ifs. I get up from bed, stretch and do my morning routine...

And when I glance at the calender, I freeze.

With all my will, I try to put away the past, and look towards the future. But I can't do it with all my heart, and the past has a habit of catching up with me.

Today's my turn to cook for Alice. And just like that, all of the longing, all of the memories, come rushing back. Of the languid days of just being at peace, being together. Of encouraging Alice to stay in bed with me in the mornings, of Alice cajoling me to bed in the evenings. Of her smell, like fresh detergent, of her feel and taste during the nights.

I... I have to go. It'd be unfair if I didn't. Even after our breakup, we continued this... eating together. No man is an island.

But what should I do? What can I do?

[ ]Move on. We broke up for a reason. It was mutual, and simple and clean. And when she walked away, she didn't hear me say “Please, don't go.” The hurts are healing now, and I have new loves, new hopes, a new future to look forward to. And if it still stings sometimes, well. We'll always have Paris.

[ ]Linger. Despite our arguments, despite what I said about not feeling whole, Alice and I really did click. Not like two parts of a whole, but two people who became something that was greater than a sum of its parts. There's... there was enough there, between us, that she still feels some sort of obligation towards me. And maybe I want to know if it's still more than that.

 

[twin blade]

[X]Linger. Despite our arguments, despite what I said about not feeling whole, Alice and I really did click. Not like two parts of a whole, but two people who became something that was greater than a sum of its parts. There's... there was enough there, between us, that she still feels some sort of obligation towards me. And maybe I want to know if it's still more than that.


In the end... I am terrible at letting things go. And when I sigh, I'm not sure if it's relieved or exasperated.

But all the same, I really am hungry. And I'm sure Alice is, too. And while shoving all the ingredients into a thieving comandeering bag would usually take forever, Kosuzu's cleanup from before makes everything easy to find.

I'm clean, fresh, and ready to go. So with a bag in my hand and love in my heart... I go.

---------------------------------------------------

My house is just the place where I stash all my shit. Alice's house, in contrast, actually looks like a respectable home. The paint isn't flaking, there aren't any vines climbing up the walls, and none of the windows have cracks in them.

Also it's not made out of gingerbread and candy to lure unsuspecting kids. Anymore. But that's a story for another time.

The windchill and the moisture don't bother me much, thanks to magic, but the overhead clouds and the constant rain do. It makes things gloomy and mopey, and if I were a melodramatic gal I'd be saying that it reflects the state of my soul. But I'm not, and it isn't, because my heart is sure as can be.

A bit worried, a bit resigned, but sure all the same.

Regardless, it takes a while to travel to Alice's pad. The Forest of Magic has a habit of changing its treeline at the drop of my hat, and while the rain might not be chilling me to the bone, it's still making things a bit blurry. It's slow going, and I can't wait to take shelter – Alice tricked out her house with a front door porch a while back, and armed with enough magic barriers and charms to almost make it another room.

...She also installed a second story landing pad, complete with awning, while we were together. It leads right into her bedroom, so I never did use it after our breakup. It wouldn't have... felt right.

But as I start to descend, I still can't help but notice she's kept the landing pad in tip-top shape. She's turned it into a little garden of sorts, mostly vegetables like tomatoes and bell peppers -

But she keeps a few herbs as well. Like sage. And mint.

...Damn it, Alice. You don't touch alchemy, you don't even like herbs. You don't need to keep them around for me.

I grit my teeth as the wind kicks up, which almost knocks me off course, and definitely knocks me to the ground. It's a small comfort that Alice built her house in a forest clearing – small since without tree roots to keep things somewhat anchored, the grass is muddy as hell.. And mud, I'll have you know, does not cushion as well as you'd expect. With solid ground, I'd be able to roll a bit to reduce the impact, but instead I'm planted face first into the mud with a great big splat.

It's not that the air gets knocked out of me, it's that there's no air to breathe in mud. It's so thick and sticky that by the time I manage to free myself, I get a complimentary facial for my troubles. And I swear I could feel my pores open up as the rain washes it all away.

I could probably run a killer spa if I could make the Forest safe enough. But I can't, and my ingredients are still dry and clean, so there's no point in dilly dallying. A few knocks on the door, and...

The door opens, and I give her a tired glare. My hat's all jaunty too. “Morn', toots.” I drawl.

Alice always did wake up early in the mornings, and today's no exception. Her blue dress is immaculate as always, and given all the frills she adds to it, like the red ribbon 'round her waist and the spotless white capelet, I've have a mind to tie her up and dig through her spellbooks for a laundry-cleaning ritual.

Still, though; Alice has color, if not a colorful personality, and the blue tint to the world fades a tiny bit. And for a moment, as she stares at my dripping, muddy form...

I could swear she's smiling again.

But it's just a moment, or maybe a trick of the light, and Hourai dutifully floats towards me with a warm, fluffy towel. “Good morning to you too, Marisa. I half expected to be enjoying lunch with you, not breakfast. Come in, you're letting the heat out.”

And it was true. As soon as the door opened, it felt like all the water on me evaporated. It didn't do much for the inner bone chill, but Hourai pouting at me while wiping the mud off my hair certainly did. That towel was amazingly warm, and I let out a sigh as she rubbed the cloth against my neck.

“Mmmm... you're the best, Hourai. What would Alice do without you?” As Alice went to the dining room, and I headed to the kitchen, I reached out to pet the little doll following me.

“I'd fix her right back up. That should have been obvious, Marisa,” Alice says from the other room. And since poor Hourai's never used to praise, she blushes, and hides her face behind the towel. Which leaves her open to me wrapping her in said towel and bringing her with me to the kitchen.

I could feel Hourai struggle and kick at me, but, well. She's the size of my palm. She can't do much. It kinda tickles, actually, as I put her aside and get my ingredients out.

Eggs, semi-stale bread, oil and syrup. My mom missed Outside food often, and my dad and I learned how to make some for her to keep her spirits up. It helps that French toast, at least, is pretty simple to make. Dunk slices of toast in an egg bath, fry it on the pan, syrup to taste.

The fresh, floral scent of Alice's house, the sizzling of the pan, the cool rain... all of it's uncomfortably nostalgic, and I almost get lost in the reminiscing.

Cooking's a lot like alchemy. You can just memorize the recipes if you're not a serious student of the craft. But to experiment, and make things better, you have to know what you're doing. Like, for example, crisping a happy face onto the toast.

Okay that's more dicking around than actually making the food taste better, but to be fair it's hard to make French toast any better than it already is. Even Hourai's affected – as soon as she gets out of the towel, she's hit full force by the savory smell of Breakfast, and she starts hovering near the frying pan in order to get a better sniff.

And then she flies over to my bottle of syrup and applies... quite the generous amount to Alice's empty plate. And then she dodges my attempts to stop her from using all of said syrup.

Hmph. Fine, I like my French toast without any syrup, anyways!

Once the slices are properly cooked, I plate 'em in a jiffy and bring them over to the dining room table. Alice's ignoring me in favor of a book, in a language I've no heads or tails of, but at least she remembered to get the silverware ready.

Once I sit down next to her, Alice... 'wakes up,' putting the book down and taking up her fork and knife. I do too, forking a nice big slice and chewing it, but...

French toast without any syrup is incredibly... plain. The egg bath adds a bit of savoriness to the toast, and the toast itself is all puffy and soft but... there's no taste. It's like eating warm bread. Or plain pancakes. It's not inedible, just bland.

So I'm a bit relieved when Alice takes my portion and unceremoniously plops it onto her plate.

The relief turns sour when she cuts up a piece of the toast, soaks it up in her syrup, and gently raises it towards my lips.

Just like always, I open my mouth. And just like always, Alice feeds me. The syrup really makes the dish, and I can't help but moan as I feel the sticky sweetness soak into my tongue. I am a damn fine cook.

Alice and I never really did talk during our meals. We'd take turns feeding each other, just like this. I don't bother stopping Alice as she scoots closer to me, and I can't help but wrap my arm around her waist, and smile at her. It was years of habit.

No, Alice and I usually talk after eating. And Alice finishes first, using a napkin to hide the fact that she's totally licking up all that syrup on her lips and cheeks. “So,” she begins, only lightly muffled by the napkin, “How has your practice with my doll strings been going?”

I don't give Alice the benefit of a reaction. Absolutely not. I chew calmly, thoroughly, even as the toast loses all flavor and my anger starts to flare. “I haven't been,” I tell her, washing out the nonexistent aftertaste with a cup of water. “Practicing, that is.”

There's a long, awkward pause. And though I avoid looking, I can feel the hurt and disappointment rolling off her. “...Why not, Marisa?”

Her voice doesn't shake, and she only has a small frown tugging on her lips. And I still, somehow, feel like I just punted a puppy.

And – one way or another, we really need to make things clear. This... part-friends, part-whatever we are. Because for all that our breakup was mutual, and agreed upon, and all that other jazz, we never actually talked about it.

“Alice. Do you still love me?” And before I can stop myself, the words blurt out of my mouth.

And if things were uncomfortable before... Alice stares at me, her frown gone, her disappointment gone, her face completely devoid of emotion. And yet... her shoulders are tense, and it feels like she's forcing herself to meet my gaze.

There's a tension in the air, and... and it feels like we'll both end up choking on it. I can't breathe, I can't look away, and...

“Marisa, that's all water under the bridge. Why does it matter?” Alice always had a better handle on her emotions than I did. I can't hear any panic, any trepidation – hell, she doesn't even sound nonchalant.

So I don't bother hiding my emotions. I let the worry and the pain and the confusion run across my face. I can't look at her, can't bear to see that... blankness, so I look down.

“It matters. Because... because.” I offer lamely. When push comes to shove, I never find the words.

And when push comes to shove, it never matters that the words don't come.

“Marisa. You brought life into my life. How could I not love you?”

A part of me... tingles in delight, is sunshine and rainbows and sheer relief, that Alice still holds a flame for me. And a part of me rages, curses and screams at her, for daring to say those words, for trying to claim even a speck of affection after she fucking cheated on me!

And a part of me... is just dazed and confused.

“Alice? You're not making much sense there.”

And when I look up, I see my Alice again. The serene one, the quietly assertive one. The Alice who glows with the joy of life, instead of the Alice that just... existed.

“I'm a youkai, Marisa. I don't need to eat, or drink – I don't even need to sleep. Magic sustains my body, and that gives me twenty four hours a day, every day, to work with.

“So that's what I did. Work. I would sew my dolls, I would gather reagents, I would study and research and experiment. That was my life, Marisa. And even though it wasn't much of one, I didn't know any better.”

Alice summons up Hourai, and a few other dolls, to collect our plates. We don't talk as they come in and clean up after us. Me, because I don't know what to say. Alice, because she's trying to find the words.

She only speaks up after everything's clean, and I notice a melancholic smile gracing her lips. “I was living on my own. None of Mother's servants to pass the time with me, no Mother to come and check up on me. So I delved into magic - my only interest, my only hobby. And I let myself go.

“And then you showed up. Again. And again. You crazy, loud lunatic.

“I hated you at first, Marisa. Ye gods, you were insufferable,” Alice admits, laughing at the memory. It's a nice sound, her laugh – not particularly low or rich, but it had a... gentleness to it. A softness. “But you dragged me, kicking and screaming, to the Village. Again, and again. And when you didn't want to go to the Village, you stayed here, asking all these incessant, obvious questions. Again, and again. And Like a fool, I answered you, again, and again, because I earnestly believed that if I just satisfied your curiosity, you'd leave me be.”

I can't help but smile too, closing my eyes to better picture those... long ago moments. “You weren't wrong. I was curious. But your magic was really just a sidenote. I was interested...”

“In me,” Alice says, letting out a gentle sigh.

“In you,” I agree, joy and anger battling in my heart.

I should press her. I have to press her, if I want this to get anywhere. It wasn't our beginning that was flawed, it never was. It was the ending, rapid-fast and twice as hectic. I panicked, and she panicked, and...

And I really, really, have to get to the bottom of this. “Alice? Why did you offer to break up first? Usually it's the victim of cheating that calls those shots.”

Alice can't quite look me in the eye. And I don't have the heart to cradle her chin again, and guide her eyes to mine. It'd be... too much.

“Because I realized that...even though you brought life into my life, and I loved you with all my everything... we didn't really understand each other. Not in the way that matters.”

In the way that matters. That matters. Like years of loving each other, living together, being together didn't matter at all.

My temper flares, and my magic with it, almost physically shoving Alice away from the sheer force of it all. She gets up to do, something, but I don't pay attention. Because I hide my eyes with the brim of my hat, like hell I'd let her see me cry, and turn to -

“Marisa. Could you come visit me at work tonight?”

And turn back around, to glare and to hate her with all my hate. “To the Lotus Pavillion? What, so I can see you fucking another man again!?”

And Alice stops her reminiscing, and with it her smile. “The Lotus Pavillion caters to female customers as well, Marisa.”

“Like that matters!? Why do you want me there, huh? We broke up already! You're free to do whatever you want!” I scream at her, I yell and slur, my confusion and hate and pain coming out into a... pathetic wail.

And Alice stands there, not letting even a hint of remorse or guilt show. And that's the worst of it. More than anything else... Alice doesn't feel any, any kind of shame over her actions. As soon as she was caught she turned it around, and broke up with me, and...

And Alice didn't even try. Doesn't even try. To defend herself, to apologize, to salvage our relationship.

I'm left sobbing into my apron, chocking back hiccups and desperate gasps for air. I can feel my teeth chattering, my body flushed and shivering from all the adrenalin coursing through me. I'm all cried out, leaving my eyes red and puffy.

“Marisa...” Alice begins, and I just don't have the energy to resist her.

I don't have enough energy to raise my head up either, so Alice gets on her knees, her hands in my lap, to look at me.

“Marisa,” Alice begins again, and a shuddering gasp escapes me. “There...there has to be enough here, between us, for you to feel some sort of obligation to me. So please, just...come visit me tonight.”

And how could I refuse her, when she phrases it like that?

 

[twin blade]

I end up leaving shortly after that. Alice offered to clean me up a tad, but the faster I got out of that house the better.

'Course, it's out of the fire and into the freezer. My concentration's... nonexistent, after that argument, and I just don't have the energy to bother with keeping the magic up. So I end up flying through the windchill and the rain, and the only silver lining's that it won't look as obvious that I cried and sobbed earlier to Mom.

I do owe her a visit today, after all. Pops got a promise out of me. Or what counts as one between father and daughter.

The howling storm's keeping everyone inside, where it's warm and safe and the exact opposite of miserable, so the streets are clear enough for me to land right in front of my Pops' shop. Naturally, I barrel in immediately; rain is nice, but I am freezing my ass off and I'm far too tired to give a damn about the wares. I'll pay Pops for the damages when I'm rich and famous.

Luckily for me, Pops is gone as promised. And considering the time...

I slide over the counter, and head back into my childhood home. The storefront is pressed right next to the kitchen, and even before I walk through the door, I can smell the food.

Mom always ate breakfast late, and there she was, cooking up some French toast. She looked as young as ever, and already set to go in her purple dress and her crumpled-up hat.

“I'm home Mom,” I announce myself, still drained from... everything.

And Mom turns around, with a shocked expression on her gentle face. It's not quite looking into a mirror, but I stare into her golden eyes, and the curly, unruly blonde locks, and I can't help but think it's close.

And her shocked look turns into a relieved, ecstatic smile. “Welcome home, Marisa!”

----------------------------------

After that second breakfast, Mom and I retreat to the living room, cups of tea in hand. I haven't been in it for years, and more than a few things have changed – like the new pretty light blue color of the walls, the replacement of the old, secondhand recliners with a well worn, well loved leather couch, and a new window which got me a glimpse of a very new garden.

“So, how's my little girl doing, hmmm~?” Mom asks, before I even have a chance to sit down. Her eyes are... bright, and attentive, and right now I want nothing more than a hug.

But I'm a big girl now, and I'll hold my own. “I don't know, Mom, you tell me.” I smile sweetly, and gesture to all the articles Pops cut and framed over the years. “Am I doing well?”

“Bah! I only keep those things around because I don't have a first person account. You should visit more often, and bring one of your girlfriends next time, too!”

There's a pause. I very calmly set my tea down. “Mom,” I then ask, with proper pomp and seriousness, “How in the hell did you-”

And I get thwacked upside the forehead for my trouble. Mom's fingers are quick! “No swearing in this household, young lady!” Mom admonishes me, with the wagging finger and the tut tuts in her voice and everything. “As for how I knew, well... let's just say you're not the only one in the family who likes pretty little things~”

Ew. Ewww. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I drink a long, burning gulp of the tea, all the better to wipe out the image in my head with sheer pain. “That's... that's too much information, Mom,” I whisper weakly, massaging my throat to help ease the heat and the burning.

“You asked how I knew. And mothers always know these things – usually from experience.” And before I realize it, Mom's sliding over to me and pulling me into a hug. I can feel her longer locks rubbing my cheeks, and they're just as soft as Pops'. Guess they are using the same shampoo.

“Just like how I know that the border of your heart's all aflutter. Come now, Marisa. Tell me what's wrong?”

My heart catches in my throat, and I stiffen in Mom's arms. She doesn't react, though – she never does, and I'm always grateful. I calm down on my own good time, and she doesn't pressure me in any way.

I. I don't want to tell her. But if Mom has so much experience, then maybe I could ask for advice. Or just story time.

But what to ask? It's been too long.

[ ]Ask about Mom's love life. All terrible images aside, maybe I got my troubles with love from Mom, too. Asking why she chose Pops might help a little, get me some insight. And I always was curious.

[ ]Ask about the Outside. Right now, I have everything under control – as much control as there can be in a place like Gensokyo. So hearing some of my old bedtime stories again would really be a comfort, and comfort's what I need the most.

[ ]Ask about Mom's career. I've seen the textbooks Mom fell in with. I've never managed to make any kind of headway into actually understanding the damn things. How does someone so smart like Mom become satisfied with... teaching little kids basic math and reading?

 

[twin blade]

[X]Ask about Mom's love life. All terrible images aside, maybe I got my troubles with love from Mom, too. Asking why she chose Pops might help a little, get me some insight. And I always was curious.

My parents are definitely a weird case of opposites attract. Pops is...is gruff, and kinda cold. He's just a really typical conservative dad, with the quietness and poker-facing that entails. And Mom is the exact opposite of typical; she's bright, and bubbly, and wears her heart on her sleeve. And somehow, someway... they still manage to click, and keep the flames of love burning bright.

And I know it's love. If I had been a mistake, and they'd stayed together for me... Mom's smiles wouldn't have been so bright, or filled with all her heart and soul. And Dad...Dad would never have had that warmth inside, those wry grins when he thinks no one's looking.

But still... it takes time to get to that level of trust. And frankly I don't know how my folks got there.

“Hey, Mom? Remember Auntie Renko?” I ask, still in her arms.

I don't need to see the confused look on Mom's face to know its there. “Of course I do, Marisa. But I'm surprised you remember her; you were only four when she came.”

Has it really been that long? It doesn't feel like it – I can still picture Auntie Renko pretty damn well in my head. She had her angled trilby hat, for one, and brown bangs that did that cliché 'covers one eye' thing, even though her other eye was big and full of expression. Faint freckles dotted her cheeks, and I remember her blushing furiously when Mom told me they were 'angel kisses.'

I remember her breaking in from the Outside. It wasn't particularly eye-popping, or extravagant. She was just... like a whisper. Here in an instant, and vanished just as fast.

Well, maybe not quite as fast. She lived at our place for a few weeks, but... she left. And I was too young to think of asking her how the hell she managed to slip in and out of Gensokyo like that.

But my regrets are as deep as the sea, and there's no point in pondering over what-ifs. No, right now is the time to ponder hows and whys!

“Well, she left a impression, Mom. And, speaking of which...why did you choose Pops over her? It seemed to me like you loved her more than Pops.”

Mom suddenly pulls away from me, and I have to wince at the sight. A small frown pulls down on her lips, and her eyes flicker from gold to purple for the briefest of moments. I really crossed the line, and I start to apologize, but...

But Mom's eyes are stuck firmly gold, and she gently ruffles my hair to shush me. “I raised a perceptive child, hmmm? I wonder if that's from me or your father.”

“Absolutely Pops. He told me you didn't notice he loved you until a year after you two met.”

Either it's my words or her memories, but something gets Mom to chuckle and mellow a bit. She stops making a mess of my hair to drink from her teacup, sighing in relief as the drink's heat warms her soul. “Well, I suppose that's true. But in my defense, I still thought myself in a relationship back then.”

I got Mom talking about it, so now I just have to let the story unfold. Mom likes her tea a bit sweeter than mine, so once I finish my cup I don't pour myself another. But even without the tea, being in my old living room is soothing. Nostalgic.

It's pretty much the perfect setting to reminisce. And that's what Mom does, sighing gently and almost gazing off into the distance. “You have to understand, Marisa. Your Auntie Renko was more than just my college girlfriend. She was my life, in every way that mattered.

“The Outside... to me, it was nothing but a bore. Everything was explored, everything was discovered. I lived my life in complete ennui, Marisa. It was terrible, but I just didn't have the energy to change anything.”

I knew that feeling all too well; Gensokyo's pretty amazing from an objective standpoint, but for me... it's just my home country. Hometown, more like. There are maybe three or four actual outposts of civilization, and everywhere else is populated by wild youkai – or more commonly, nothing at all.

“Renko... she changed that for me, Marisa. We met in college, and... we clicked. Love at first sight; I had never believed in it until that moment. She showed me her powers, I showed her mine, and -”

Wait a damn second, that's news to me! “You have powers?”

And Mom nods, like it's totally normal to have supernatural powers. “I didn't think of it as anything special, Marisa. My ability was really subtle. Renko could look at the stars, and always know the time. And if she looked at the moon, she always knew where she was. My power was... well, let's just say it was a good intuition.”

Mom...Mom's lying, I think. Intuition can't really be a power, not unless you could prove it somehow, and how do you prove 'My gut's telling me to do this' is supernatural in origin? But she's already getting off the couch before I can say a word, and the teapot lies forgotten as I follow her upstairs, the gentle thumping of rain on our roof being our only accompaniment. “Renko was the one who convinced me to start exploring – for the supernatural, I mean. We'd spend all our free time traveling around, visiting haunted mansions, abandoned shrines, all sorts of sites.”

Mom and Pops have really gotten into interior decorating. The wall on the staircase holds a bunch of photos now; some of them show camping dates my folks went on, and there's two family pictures – once when I was young and Auntie Renko was around, and another right before I... left. I'd pause to reminisce, but Mom's not stopping.

But a brisk walk still gives me the time to take in some of the changes; like, for example, the squeaky floorboards finally getting replaced. Those damned things always gave me away when I tried to sneak out, and I get the feeling Pops only replaced them after I left because he, well, didn't need them anymore. The house's musk has changed, too – when I was growing up, it was all dusty and old, like the place was just rotting away. But now it smells... earthy. A bit sweet. All the chocolate Pops has made over the years must have soaked into the wood.

Mom ends up stopping at a cabinet that was, in fact, here before – but the wood's been sanded down a bit, and the beaten up thing's enjoying a new varnish for its trouble. It actually looks respectable, now. She bends down to open it, and over her shoulder I can see all of her photo albums lined up inside. Even in this dim light, I can tell she's grabbing the oldest one; the spine's all beat up, and unlike the others, it's labeled in English: “Husband and Wife.”

The hallway's a bit too cramped for us to look at pictures, so Mom and I both head back downstairs to make ourselves comfortable. She doesn't let me look at first, since she wants to skim through her memories again and pick out the best pictures for me to view. So, I busy myself with inconsequential things, refilling our teacups, rebraiding my hair, while...

While Mom chuckles, and sighs, and wipes a few tears from her eyes.

It's only when she stops tearing up that she finally puts down the photo album and lets me see. The entire binder is big enough to take half of the table space, so I have to move the tea tray to make sure it's not in the way. Mom starts by flipping the pages back, not quite to the first page, but close.

It's not my first time seeing Mom and Auntie Renko in a city, with actual skyscrapers, and cars, and... so many other things I don't yet know the words to. My mom, and even the other kids, grew up with fairy tales, of heroes and princesses, dragons and all sorts of youkai. But me? I grew up with sci-fi. So seeing the Outside, even if it's just a few snapshots...looking at the planes and the satellites in the sky, or the metal, titanic ships out at sea...

It's enough to drive me to distraction. Enough to make me forget about my fucked up love life. About Mom's fucked up love life.

But Mom just gently taps a different picture down in the corner. One of her and Auntie Renko, smiling together at the camera...with an old, beaten up shrine in the background.

"This is where she confessed to me, Marisa. Right here, in front of the Shrine." I could hear the capitalization, the sheer importance she put into the word, and I had to look up at her. Mom's locks covered her face, so I couldn't see her eyes... but it was obvious where they were focused. "It's...looking back, it's funny. We never really talked about love. It didn't need to be said. I knew how I felt, and she knew how she felt. But..." Mom chuckles, brushing back her bangs, and I can see the tears welling up again. "But your Auntie Renko, she was scared of losing me. My grades had been slipping, I'd been losing sleep... and all I could think about was the magic, the fantasy. The sheer want, the need for it to be real. It became my obsession.

"And Renko...in another world, in another life, she didn't say a thing. She cared more about my happiness than hers. So eventually... I left her. I left my home, my family, my lover and best friend." There's a surety in Mom's voice, like she's talking about 'what happened' and not 'what-ifs'. Mom, at that moment, feels just... terribly old, and terribly lonely. Like she's channeling the sorrow of eras gone by, and speaking with the weight of centuries.

My hands don't shake. I don't let them. But the warmth that soaks through the porcelain is a comfort, all the same.

And then Mom smiles, small and gentle, and she steps back into better times. "But not this world. At that time, at that place...Renko was selfish. More than wanting my happiness... she wanted me to be happy, with her. Oh, Marisa, your Auntie Renko was never more beautiful than in that moment. She didn't ask me to stop, she just... asked me to slow down, enough for her to catch up. And I couldn't deny her that."

But...but she did. Otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. And I try to hide my confusion with a sip of the tea, but I never could hide anything from Mom.

"I couldn't deny her... but in the end, it wasn't really my choice. We had a year, Marisa, a wonderful year, but then...one day, I woke up in the middle of the field." I can see the exact moment where her heart throbs with pain, and it's... unsettling. I don't want to see Mom like this. I really shouldn't have asked her, about Dad and Auntie Renko.

"I was lost, Marisa. If you ever manage to make it Outside, you rush over to Tokyo U and find your Auntie Renko. She'll take care of you. Because getting transported to an unfamiliar land isn't all it's cracked up to be. And maybe if I had abandoned Renko, and focused on my powers, then it wouldn't have been so bad. But I didn't, and I didn't, and so it was. This was before your Reimu made those Spellcard Rules, so...well, let's just skip this part of the story, hmm?"

Mom's putting on a stronger face, and it's the least I can do to match her. "I remember this part - Dad told me." He's told me so many times when I was younger that I almost feel like I was there, at that moment. "You came during the summer, a few hours after noon. You were crying, and your dress and hat were all torn up. And... and you were right there, in the middle of the road, and no one even asked if you were okay, because you were an Outsider."

"And then your father walked right up to me, and offered me his handkerchief." Mom breaks into gentle chuckling, the sadness and stress washing off of her. "After I was through with it, he had to toss it in the trash. He only threw it away when I wasn't looking, after he'd made sure I had a roof over my head. Marisa, I remember thinking, 'Whoever ends up with him is going to be one lucky girl... if they can get the stick out of his ass.'"

I was only holding my cup of tea for the warmth, so I manage to avoid choking as I laugh, and laugh, and laugh. It's only when I'm gasping for breath, with tears in my eyes, do I notice that Mom took my cup to make sure I didn't spill.

"You mean he was worse before, Mom?" Pops is... is gruff, and cold, and all kinds of stony. His smiles, and his affection... seem a lot more meaningful, sometimes, because it's so hard to make him proud. How could someone like that make Mom happy?

"Mmm... not worse, but... different. Your father's just shy, is all. Even when he was wooing me, he never said much." Mom smiles again, and begins to gently brush my hair. "You really are your father's daughter, Marisa... Both your actions speak so loud, sometimes I can't hear what either of you say."

That's... certainly a way of putting it. And now that I think about it, it does... fit. Despite all the bluster and anger, Pops never tried to bring me back from Mima. And just yesterday, after years of no-contact...Pops ruffled my hair, and cut out articles of my accomplishments, and gave me back the books I sold him, free of charge.

I need a moment to process things. And Mom, as always, gives me all the time I need. Even though the rain and lightning is only getting harder and louder, and the living room doesn't have a single candle... nothing feels gloomy at my parents' house. It never has. So... "So, what were Dad's actions? When you were younger."

Mom doesn't say a word, and instead taps on the photo album. I lean over to get a better look, and I see...

I see a younger Pops, and Kourin, studying right in our living room. Pops looks frustrated, and determined, pointing his finger at something in one of the many, many textbooks strewn over the table. And Kourin's trying to hide his smile, cleaning his glasses so that the frames and his hands would be in front of his tucked-in head. But his eyes betray him, they always do, and right now they're looking right into the camera.

"Your father learned a new language for me, Marisa," Mom says, in English, and in the photo I notice that Pops' mouth is open, just a tiny bit; I can picture him sitting right here, shaking the walls with his loud, gravelly, horribly-butchered Rs and Ls, and Mom sneaking a photo when he wouldn't notice. "Even when I was Outside, with Renko, I hadn't spoken English in years. And your father, he learned it, so I wouldn't be so homesick. He even learned how to say my name right, after a while. He made me correct him every time he butchered it. And on every attempt, Marisa, your father was so serious about it. It was a grand occasion when he finally got it right, more important than gods descending the earth.

"I still remember the first time he said it. It was a rainy day, just like this. I was crying, because I couldn't go back - back Outside, back to Renko. It had been months, and I was building a life here, with friends and a job, and...and I didn't know if that was what I wanted. It didn't feel...right, after what Renko asked, after what I'd promised her. And your father... he marched up to me and pulled me into a hug, and I cried in his arms. He felt so warm, and safe. And he said, while I was bawling, 'Maribel. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.'" There's a melancholy smile on Mom's face as she talks, and I can't help but think she really needs a hug.

So I hug her. What kind of daughter would I be, otherwise? "Mom, you don't have to tell me if it still hurts."

But Mom just wraps her arms around me, and gently rubs my back. "No, Marisa, it's fine. I'm just... trying to find the words for your next question, is all."

My next question...damn, Mom's intuition really is good. "Why you chose Pops over Auntie Renko, right?"

One of Mom's arms lets go of me, and the ruffling of faded pages fills the quiet room. "Yes. It's complicated. But love always is. Now take a look, Marisa."

I turn from Mom to look at the photo album, one last time. This photo's special enough to get its own page, and compared to the slapdash way the other pictures were put in, this is lovingly, gently framed.

Kourin took this outside of our house. There I am, four years old, with a witching hat that's so big I could use it as a blanket. I'm sitting down with the pointy thing held against my chest, staring at the camera like nothing's wrong.

Mom, Pops, and Auntie Renko are all sitting behind me. Pops is kissing one cheek, and Auntie Renko's kissing the other. And Mom looks joyously, deliriously alive.

"My relationship with your father was... different, than my relationship with Renko. And, for an example, I guess: I knew I loved Renko the second our eyes met. With your father... it wasn't until after Renko left the second time, that I was sure."

Wait. Waaaaait, hold up. "Mom, you had me before you were sure you loved Dad. That's. What. What?"

And Mom giggles, and says something about needs, and suddenly I'm imagining her just riding Pops and oh, god whyyyyy. Why have you forsaken meeeeeee.

It is only after, when I finish destroying the part of my brain that governs memory gagging that Mom continues talking. "Yes, I married your father, and had you, before I was sure. I still loved Renko, remember, and I didn't want to stay in Gensokyo. And your father knew that when he proposed. Because it'd make things easier for me, if I didn't have to pay to rent a room. Being part of the Village would ease some of the tension around me. Those were the reasons he gave me, and the reasons that appealed to me, but for him...

"He loved me, Marisa, and that's a rare thing. He knew about Renko, about me wanting to leave, and he didn't care. He just... loved me, and wanted to be with me. And hearing your father, this kind, reliable man, sing to me for his proposal... I can still remember the lyrics. 'Even if, the only thing that could connect the two of us, was but simple necessity, and nothing more; I would still want to be by your side, our fingers, then and now, intertwined.' He told me he'd understand, if I found a way Out, and took it... and I thought to myself, 'Maribel, maybe you should marry him. Just to see what it might be like, if you had met him first..'

"And when Renko came, found a way to get me back Outside...that was when I realized. It had been maybe six, seven years since I last saw her, since she saw me. I was a mother now, a housewife - and Renko was a professor and a scientist, researching all these great and wonderful things. We loved each other, Marisa, but we didn't revolve around each other. Your father isn't a consolation prize, or a replacement for Renko; I fell in love with him on his own merits, and Renko understood that.

"And even then... even then, I wanted to go, Marisa. I didn't love your Auntie Renko any less since that day at the Shrine, and she had spent so much time trying to find me. She did what I would never be able to do; she used her powers to force her way in, but she didn't want to stay, after all that effort. I'm happy here, Marisa, where there's no pollution, or corruption, or even all that much pain. But Renko... she didn't want to find a perfect world. She wanted to make the world she was in... better."

I can tell Mom's starting to feel dry, so I help her to some more tea. She kisses my forehead before drinking cup after cup, and in the meantime... I sit there, and look, and wonder.

It takes a few moments for Mom to compose herself, but when she does, her voice isn't so shaky anymore. "I didn't go with your Auntie Renko, in the end. I would have loved to visit, but this was my home now, and Renko wasn't good enough to do more than a single round trip. I wanted to raise you here, where you were born, and... well, after she had left, and you went to sleep, I walked up to your father, and kissed him, and held him, and told him this: 'Even if, the only thing that could connect the two of us, was but lucky chance, and nothing more... I would still want to be by your side, your hand, as always, holding mine.'"

----------------------------

Mom made me promise to visit them again more often before she'd let me leave. Good thing too, since the rain had finally faded to a drizzle in the half-hour our argument took. It'll be an hour or two before my appointment with Byakuren, so that gives me some time to figure things out.

Things like, "What in the world do I take from Mom's experiences?"

Sitting in the rain isn't quite my style, so I end up hopping on my broom and doing a few laps above the wet and empty streets. There isn't anything to see, and the only sound is the pitter-patter of the gentle rain, so I'm free to just... think.

I think of Alice, and Akyuu, and Kosuzu and Reimu. They aren't like Pops or Auntie Renko, and I'm not Mom. Trying to put the people I... like, if not love, into templates like that is a disservice. We're our own people, and even if there are similarities, relationships aren't that formulaic.

I think of Mom, and how she both... moved on, from Auntie Renko, and didn't. About how she let herself want... and, if I remember right, about how she let herself get what she wanted. I think of Pops, about how he gave himself whole-heartedly to a woman who he wasn't sure would love him back, and I think of Auntie Renko, who literally moved Heaven and Earth to get Mom back... and then just walked away, to pursue better things.

I think... I think there's no real moral to Mom's story, not one that's applicable to me. And even though I didn't say a word about my love life, I think I have a better idea of what I want.

But business before pleasure, and right now I have to get ready for Byakuren. The rain's refreshed me from the stress of the morning, but I'm still feeling antsy about the whole ordeal. So, what should I do?

[ ]Ask Reimu to help negotiate. They always say to speak softly, and carry a big stick, right? Well, Reimu has the biggest stick around, and I'd feel safe with her at my back if things went south. Plus, it is her donation box, so she'd definitely put in some effort to keep things smooth.

[ ]Ask Kosuzu to help negotiate. Kosuzu's my landlord, so she should have some kind of say. Plus, interacting with peaceful youkai might be good for her, to show her that they're not all that bad. Poor thing's a bit too sheltered for my tastes...though that does mean she might get too freaked out and hamper my talk with Byakuren.

[ ]Ask Akyuu to help negotiate. Akyuu might not like me, but she has her fingers on the pulse of the Village. More than anyone else, she'd know what would cause a riot and what wouldn't. Plus, she's the closest thing the Village has to nobility, and that kind of political clout would help smooth things over. And...well, like Mima said, I'd like to show Akyuu my serious side.

[ ]Just head in early. Byakuren didn't say I had to go alone, but it might put her at ease if I do anyway. It'd show her that I trust her, and even if I don't have anyone else's wits to help me, I don't think Byakuren's the type of gal to screw over someone in a business deal. And, well... going without anybody would make it easier to scope the place out for blackmail, if it comes to it.
[hr]
You don't need laws or armies to lead. You just need respect. If people think you have a good head on your shoulders, and you're reasonably charismatic, then they'll be willing to listen to you. Which is why, in addition to being historians and record keepers, Akyuu's family are also mediators-for-hire.

Which is a surprisingly lucrative profession. Disputes are a part of life, and the Hiedas make a pretty penny making sure arguments are taken care of efficiently and fairly.

But the point of all that rambling is - while the Village is filled with tiny houses, the Hiedas have an entire mansion. We're talking three stories, a courtyard, the works. I've never seen a fancier place... but then again, it's not like I have a particularly large sample size.

The upshot of the Hiedas owning a kickin' sweet pad is that their mansion doubles as a sort of... community center, for the Village. Keine borrows a side wing for her school, and other rooms can be rented out by pretty much anyone. Even the courtyard's up for rent - the streets have room for stalls and the like, but some people prefer to stake out a place in the Hieda courtyard, since the entire place gives it more of a... high class feel.

Not that there's a lot of foot traffic today. Or business in general - today's a weekend, so Keine's not teaching anybody, and no one ever opens a stall during a rainy day. While normally this unofficial town square would be teeming with life, right now everything is nice and serene. The only sound comes from the drizzling rain, dancing on the breeze and pitter-pattering off the gravel.

So when I knock on the front door, the loud rapping of my knuckles on wood ruins the atmosphere with an embarrassing amount of noise. I can't but feel a bit foolish right now, as the loud knocks echo through my ears. Pops always taught me the importance of looking good for business meetings, and right now I can't help but judge myself: soaked to the bone, muddy legs and boots, dirty, matted hair...

Cripes, Alice really did a number on me... and in retrospect, I'm kinda shocked that Mom didn't say anything about how I look. No time to pretty myself up though, because before I get the chance to cast anything -

Kamishirasawa Keine, head teacher of the Village's only school, opens the door. And when your old school teacher's surprise turns into pure, genuine worry, you start feeling self-concious. Just a tad. It's instinctual, I swear!

"...Marisa?" Keine's sad frown doesn't fit on her face - but frowns on pretty women never do. "Are you alright?"

In a way, maybe it's a good thing that I look like such a mess. My hair's all over my face, and the brim of my hat's kinda lidded down from all the moisture... which means I'm free to ogle my old teacher.

Keine usually wears this fancy, but frumpy, schoolteacher's dress. It's blue and white and terribly poofy, and it makes Keine look kinda... formless. But she's not wearing that today. instead, Keine has on this white and soft looking ribbed sweater, which looks a lot warmer than I'm feeling.

Seeing Keine in casual wear is kinda... dazzling. The sweater is a lot more flattering than her dress, and I can see just how... shapely, my old teacher is. She just looks so soft, and squishy, and huggable, that I almost can't resist staring.

But business before pleasure! I shake my head to clear out my thoughts - and the water from my hair. Keine's quick enough on the draw to block with her umbrella, though, so all is well~

"Uhm - good afternoon, Miss Keine! I wanted to ask for Lady Akyuu's assistance in a personal matter." Always speak politely to your elders, people! It'll save you so much headache.

Keine gives out that warm, proud smile of hers, and my young girl's heart is aflutter all over again. "Are you referring to your own little school, Marisa? Maybe I should be worried - between you and your mother, I'd be out of a job."

"Oh, please. If we had any idea of what we were doing, we'd hire you first thing. Mom had a handful dealing with me - I have a handful dealing me with me. Trying to keep twenty or thirty kids focused is beyond me." Babysitting duty? The worst.

But a familiar voice rings out from the hallway, and cuts our conversation off a bit early. "Kamishirasawa, who is it?" Akyuu calls out, from what I imagine to be her innermost domain.

Keine turns to call out over her shoulder, which does some amazing things to her body and terrible things to my train of thought. "It's Marisa. She wants your help with something."

"Which Mar - oh, who am I kidding. Let her in. And keep yourself warm!"

Keine helplessly shrugs, but for once I pay more attention to the amused smile pulling at her lips than anything else. She steps aside to let me in, and we wave silent goodbyes as she lets herself out into the rain.

Now that I'm safe from the weather, I can afford the time to make myself presentable. No self-respecting witch goes without an assortment of cleanup spells. A half minute later, my clothing's dry and my skin is a hearty pink. Hair's still a terrible mess, though- even with magic, getting all these knots untangled is a bitch.

It's a good thing Akyuu's hallways are so long; I finish my prep work just as I enter her... foyer, I guess? The jargon for huge buildings escapes me. Regardless, it's a large and empty room, with a small meeting table right in the middle. It even comes complete with flower arrangement and floor cushions for resting! So this, I obviously ignore, and instead walk straight over to Akyuu's tiny floor-desk, where she's... going over her family budget?

It takes me a while to process the paperwork, since I am reading upside down, but I hadn't realized just how loaded Akyuu was. Seriously, she's throwing around money like it's nothing, considering how much cash she's investing. Restruants, carpenters... hell, she's even investing in a haberdashery. That makes absolutely no sense, what would a haberdashery use the investment money for? Higher quality buttons? At some point you can't really make a business model any better.

...But maybe Akyuu doesn't know that.

"Uhm, Akyuu? You might want to cut back on your investing next month."

It's not like I shouted or anything, but the dulcet tones of my voice still make her jump like a rabbit. "W-what!?" Akyuu squeaks out, her face pale as a sheet.

...A bit over the top, but I'd probably get like this too, if some schmuck was about to blow my mind. regarding my livelihood. "You're overinvesting, Akyuu. Like, see here?" I reach over to grab her hand, guiding those slender fingers to her accounts. "A haberdashery is complete chump change. The place sells needles, buttons - small knick knacks. There's no room for growth; whoever you're investing in won't expand his shop, since it's a waste of space. Securing higher quality goods is also pointless, because the difference between a cheap needle and a fine one is miniscule. He's probably pocketing a slice of the cash for an early payday, and he'll just keep the rest to give back to you."

Akyuu's heartbeat is starting to slow down, thankfully; if it were pumping any faster, she'd probably have a heart attack. She's already gonna kick the bucket early, no need to stress her out. It takes her a moment to breathe, but when she does, it's a gentle sigh. "So long as he makes his payments on time, what does it matter?"

And she's right. Personal loans, commercial investments - so long as payments are made, Akyuu's getting money off the interest. But it's a matter of principles, damn it. "Because it looks inelegant on your budget, for one. For two, it breeds bad habits; you could mess up and donate to somone who won't pay you back. And lastly, because you could be investing in places that could use the money. There's this one place Reimu and I like to go, the Amber Teahouse, run by this sweet girl. Tiny storefront, only serves a couple different brews. And yes I am aware this is me gushing about my favorite places, but it's those kinds of businesses you want to invest in."

I end up moving her hand up a few lines up, drawing her attention to a small food-preservation place that's criminally underfunded. "A storefront like this? Much more worth your while. Food preservation's always going to be an issue, since we don't have fancy chemicals or fridges like the Outside. Your haberdashery is going to use your investment for nothing. A place like this can invest in better earthenware for jugging, or even a small warehouse for food storage. Your money's more likely to be wisely spent, and you'd also be contributing to a business that'll help the community. Stuff like that reflects better on you, and you can leverage that kind of reputation into securing better interest rates."

It's ony when I notice Akyuu's... almost amused look, that I realize I'm ranting. "Kirisame, how do you know so much about investing? I thought your passion was magic, not economics."

I have the decency to blush. No, scratch that. I have the decency to fake a faint, miniscule blush with the power of magic. I'm not embarrased of my knowledge at all! Just, uh... my habit of showboating. "Well, Pops wanted me to take over the shop. First rule of running a business - always know where your money's going. Doesn't your interview process go through that? 'Oh, Mister So-and-So, what will you be using my money for?'"

I don't think I've ever seen Akyuu so off guard before. She blushes bright red, looking down and away so that her bangs cover her eyes. "That's, uhm... we do, but whenever I was...in such a meeting, I rather... skimmed, if you will. I always believed that they would buy extra equipment, or expand, things of that nature.'"

The great Lady Hieda not following proper procedure? This was precious - but antagonizing her would do me fuck all. "Well, that's generally true, but the devil's in the details. Your ancestors - descendents? Past self? Well, they put in that kind of process for money-lending for a reason. And if you ever need it, I could always go more in depth for ya."

"...My thanks, then, Kirisame. I suppose one good turn deserves another." I can feel Akyuu repressing a drawn out sigh as I sit back down to face her. A part of me feels bad for her - it's only been a day since we had our little talk, but the woman before me looks... exhausted, plain and simple. And not the happy, 'I've just accomplished my goals and also impressed a pretty girl' kind of exhaustion.

"So. As you yourself said, you're a merchant's daughter... and I daresay that your mouth is more well-known than your penchant for explosives. So, Kirisame Marisa..." She leans forward to look at me, her hands steepled together in methodical thought. "Why do you need me to mediate?"

And this is where things get complicated.

"Because I'm brokering a deal with Hijiri Byakuren, and I'd like some backup."

It's a small mercy that lightning and thunder don't punctuate my ominouscompletely innocuous statement. But only a small one, because Akyuu is like two seconds from kicking me out of her house. "...And this deal has to do with your library, I imagine?" She doesn't actually snarl at me, but the way her lips are curling is giving me bad thoughts.

"Yup," I say, not even bothering to try to get more words in. Because sure enough, Akyuu's arguments are all ready to fire.

"Hijiri Byakuren, if you'll recall, was literally sealed in Hell. Her religious beliefs are a joke, and not even her followers, well, follow them. What could she possibly offer you?"

Well. At least this time she's not screaming. But just like before, I have to stay rational, if not entirely logical. I don't... I don't need Akyuu to agree, I just have to get her to understand.

"She was sealed on false charges. Reimu and I hashed things out with her, remember? And her religion doesn't really matter in this case; Byakuren wants to clean up her image some, and what she's offering to do that will help Kosuzu and me."

"Do enlighten me as to how this benefits Kosuzu at all, Kirisame." Akyuu doesn't let up an inch, and I can see her small body tensing for a long fight. Her pale skin's all flushed with hot blood, and she looks like she'll probably try to sock me one if things get heated.

Well. More heated, at any rate. I was feeling the pressure, too; diplomacy's exhausting. I can kinda see why Akyuu's willing to skim through those investment interviews.

"Kosuzu needs more experience with youkai. Even if I stop teaching her, she's still going to collect those books of hers, and even if you somehow talk her out of that she lives in Gensokyo. Trying to keep her away from things 'not-human' is going to end in tears."

Akyuu's scoffs, but scoffing's not screaming or any other kind of overt maliciousness, so I'll call that a win. "So I'm to trust you to keep her safe? I've heard tales of your fights, Kirisame, and you are no Hakurei Maiden. You return victorious, but also in tatters and bruises. She wins flawlessly, and without blowing up the countryside in the process."

"Which means I know exactly how difficult things can get in a fight, and that I have a better idea of what Kosuzu can handle." I wait a moment to allow Akyuu a rebuttal, but she's not forthcoming. More chances to press on for me. "And besides, I'm not the only one protecting her - why do you think I'm asking you to help?"

"To show off?"

... Akyuu's astute. And I can't really... deny her argument. It would have been a nice feather in my cap, especially with her.

But... "If I was only interested in that, Akyuu, I would have brought Kosuzu with me.

"No, it's because you are a thousand times better at politics than I am. I'm a dilettante - which means I know just enough to realize I'm about to mess with a powder keg. But you? You know how to stop the keg from blowing up in my face, you know how to protect me and the rest of the Village if the whole thing explodes, and worse comes to worst? You know how to clean up the mess and patch up the wounds." I look right in Akyuu's eyes, desperately hoping she can see the sincerity in mine. "I can take care of Kosuzu if things get physical. You can stop things from going that far - and if things play out nice, you can make sure it stays that way."

"And if I brought up the fact that she could go to Reimu or the Taoists instead?" Akyuu gamely counters. "They would easily catch her interest and also sidestep this whole... commitment, with Myouren Temple."

"Well, Reimu is with Kosuzu because of me. Once we get through basic magic Reimu and I could easily teach her some bullet play and warding. As for the Taoists..." I shrug. "They're human. Weird, quasi-immortal humans, but human."

"And that's not particularly conductive to helping Kosuzu get used to youkai." Akyuu concludes, letting out a tired sigh as she begins to rub her temples.

My throat is uncomfortably dry when I finish talking, and I end up leaning back from Akyuu to sit on my cushion like a regular person. Akyuu's mulling things over as I conjure up some water to drink, and she waits for me to finish my cup before she says a word.

When I look at her...she doesn't seem relaxed, but she doesn't look like the world's on her shoulders. Akyuu just looks... ready

My new partner in crime gets up from her desk, still shaking her head at what I've managed to talk her into. "Has anyone ever told you you talk too much, Marisa?" I can still feel the hints of malice from Akyuu's words... and I wouldn't have it any other way. There are things to be said for spiteful young women.

"Just imagine what else I can do with my tongue," I tease, and I only get a punch to the arm for my troubles.

 

[twin blade]

Though empty of people, the streets are neither silent nor still - the wind's howling in full force, rattling the doors and windows of all the buildings we pass by. It makes for a mind-numbing scene as Akyuu and I walk through the soaked streets - well, Akyuu's walking. I'm gliding; navigating through mud is a pain, as my historian's grunts of effort and mud-marred frowns can attest to.

I'm not sure how Akyuu still manages to look dignified even while she's getting her boots unstuck. There's a certain... je ne sais quoi about her, something that makes her most banal actions seem... prideful. Even when she stumbles through the mud and her face and clothes get dirtied... I don't think I could laugh at her. It wouldn't feel right.

All the same, going over to help her up feels wrong too. I could offer Akyuu a spell to help her balance on the mud. Hell, if she was adamant against magic, I could even just give her a piggyback ride. Akyuu puts up a strong front, but her lineage is predisposed to illness - and considering her status, I'd probably get yelled at if I let such a cute girl suffer through such shitty weather.

It's funny in a way. I'd absolutely push Reimu into the muck if it was her. And if it was Kosuzu... I'd probably baby her, despite myself. You know, make sure she has the spells to brush off the worst of things and even come out of it smelling like roses.

And I mean that literally - perfumes are far too expensive, and a quick spell to change your scent is a hundred times easier.

Ah, I'm digressing again. The point is... Akyuu doesn't have fire in her eyes. Not a lick of vibrant flame nor glorious heat. But, even without the fire, there's... a passion there. A rock-solid surety that I could only ever hope to ape.

Because Akyuu wears her responsibilities like an impenetrable armor. Insults are but the stifling breeze, and slanderers are as empty air. She'd suffer through any number of indignities, big or small, and keep going until she's finished the job.

I can't do that. Hell, Reimu can't do that. Life's unfair, and it's the prerogative of people with duties and responsibilities to bitch and moan. Because sometimes things get a bit too much, and people need some sort of stress relief, even if it's just complaining about life.

Akyuu has that right. She doesn't use it. Her pride... her pride would never let her pride get in the way.

And as I notice Akyuu staring at me with such an unamused look, I finally realize that I get lost in thought way too much.

"We're wasting time, Marisa," she coolly reminds me once she sees I'm paying attention. And I fall in love just a bit more.

I can't tell if the burning on my cheeks is from embarrassment at getting called out or the realization that I'm actually falling for this prickly young girl - but there's no embarrassment in owning up to my mistakes.

"Yeah, sorry. I was - I was thinking about you." And I realize, once again, that I'm a bit of a blabbermouth. Akyuu doesn't quite recoil from me, but she does... flinch a bit, taking a step back.

Her next words are cautious... and curious. "What about me?"

I can only respond with more of the truth. I... owe it to her, I guess. "Just thinking about how amazing you were."

And Akyuu gives me that 'Really? Really,' look that is universal amongst all women and just rolls on like it ain't no thing. I'm almost disappointed - after our arguments, I was hoping for more of a reaction.

She does mutter something to herself... but I can't make out the emotion behind them.

"Never thought someone like you would bother with someone like me."

-------------------------------

Myouren Temple was only built recently - and the Village, in contrast, has been here for maybe, oh, two hundred years? The downshot of all of this is that it takes a long ass time to walk from the center of the Village, where Akyuu's house is, to the outskirts. I couldn't tell you the actual distance, but that's more me not caring than it actually being uncalculable.

The upshot is that Myouren Temple has a ton of land to play with. It isn't quite an acre - not even half, really - but it certainly feels large. The compound's bordered with a gorgeous, stone-carved fence, polished enough to gleam in sunnier weather. At the entrance, you can see everything: the smooth stone staircase to the temple itself, the lilies that paint the grounds in a whirlwind of color - and the graveyard, looming at the end of a well beaten path.

The entire place feels incredibly spacious - and, in a word, peaceful. Maybe it's the rain, but...

Well, a lot of people complain about the rowdiness of the place. Youkai being incarnations of animal instinct and desire, said complaints usually ring true - even Byakuren didn't deny them during the Symposium. So seeing youkai act normal and calm and just shooting the breeze feels weird.

Now, two pretty girls gawking gets peoples' attention, but the temple-goers keep their distance from us. Or maybe just me, I suppose. Because some poor girl with dog ears and a broom is hesitantly walking towards us - there's barely veiled panic in her eyes, and she's shaking all over. And when I shoot her a ladykiller's smile, she drops to a dead faint. "Oh, come on, I'm not that bad."

I can't say that Akyuu's next line was a snark, but only because those require sarcasm. Or, you know, emotion in general. "Marisa, you looked like you were about to kidnap and eat her."

"Well, yeah, but not that kind of eating." It's a lucky thing that the rain isn't pouring anymore - otherwise the poor girl would be soaked to the brim. As is, Akyuu just keeps on walking towards the temple, wheras I pick up the dog-youkai and dry her off with a spell or two.

"Come now, Marisa - we've no time to waste."

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a sec to drop her off somewhere." Luckily for me, a fancy temple like this has more than a few benches for contemplation of the universe and such, so it's a cinch to rest my fainted fellow's forlorn fbody on a cool wooden bench and enchant her so she won't catch a cold.

Akyuu's already by the front doors by the time I finish rushing up the stairs. I can't help but admire how much Byakuren's magicked the wazoo out of the place - a couple friction charms to keep people from slipping is just so... her. Simple. And ungodly helpful.

The acoustics inside the temple are enhanced with magic too - we can hear Byakuren's smooth, soft voice ringing out from deeper inside. Her chanting almost... serenades us as we take off our footwear and look around.

The interior is wide and spacious, with an altar pressed to the back wall for - oh, who knows. What I do know is that there's a bronze statue of the Buddha right in front and a few other guys flanking his sides. In front of them sits a large, black ash container for incense - and it definitely looks higher quality than the one in Reimu's place. The paint's not flaking, for one, nor does it look particularly charred. Final verdict? Well-loved, and well-used - there's three sticks of incense lit in the thing, the sweet-smelling smoke swirling around the hall.

But, though there are cushions and prayer books resting in neat rows, Byakuren herself isn't here.

So, naturally, we wander. It takes a bit to work through the echoing of her voice, but we find Byakuren's... personal meditation chambers, I suppose? It's fairly secluded since it's situated at the very back end of Myouren Temple, and even the plain, ordinary hallway leading up to it has a touch of the divine in its bones.

Akyuu raps her knuckles against the double doors - but, whether Byakuren's straight up ignoring us or can't hear us over the sound of her own voice, there's no response.

So, naturally, I kick the door open.

And my first coherent thought as I gaze upon the room is that I'm definitely going to the Buddhist Hell for this.

There are no windows nor lanterns to cast light in - because it is unneeded. Byakuren's dazzling, shining with an inner glow, bright enough to light the room on her lonesome. The grey stone, and even the flower-vines twined around the pillars, seem pure and golden in the monk's presence. Like just being near her makes everything better.

Everything. Even my base, lustful soul. Even Akyuu's angry, hateful heart. Even the pool of muck and sin that stood betwixt the three of us.

Byakuren - well, she actually looks like a monk now, with a serene smile on her lips, and her body garbed in simple orange robes. There must have been splashing earlier since her entire front's soaked, but the trailing droplets on her face and clothes don't seem to bother her a bit.

It... bothers me, though. Without any sun or flame to keep the temperature up, everything feels... chilly. I'm almost shaking in my boots, and I'm clenching my teeth so that I won't chatter. Akyuu's still by my side, and out of the corners of my eye I can see her eyes widen and her cheeks tint with red. We've noticed the same thing, then.

Hijiri Byakuren gives no sign of discomfort - but the body is divorced from the mind. We can see Byakuren's face flush with a pretty pink as she meditates, and the water's made the front of her robes cling to her skin, outlining those full, yummy breasts of hers. The billowing, conservative robes have utterly failed in their duty, as we stare even at the imprint of her nipples, erect from the cold.

Her eyes are closed and her words are loud... and though her voice is strong enough to make ripples in the water, her chanting can't draw me away from her. Not for a second.

Everything is divine and clean, and I feel so terribly dirty.

A pulse of magic brings me back to coherence, and my eyes are drawn to Byakuren's pretty, pretty hands. They're clasped and palm-up in her lap, and I can feel the purple-haired monk pour all of her effort into... something. The tone and speed of her voice never changes, and her face is as still and soft as a marble statue, but...

But I don't think it's just spring-water that's trailing down her face, and the way her breasts jiggle, full and soft, makes it clear just how heavy she's breathing.

There's no flash of light or sudden crescendo of noise or anything so... gaudy. In an instant, her hands are empty - in the next, they cradle the most beautiful pearl I've ever seen. And, without a care in the world, Byakuren lets it slip from her hands.

The pearl tumbles off her lap and into the water. And as it sinks, the water... clears.

As Byakuren's purity falls, the mud around it just - evaporates. Slowly but surely, the pollutants vanish, removing a stench that I hadn't noticed from the air. And as the filth washes away, the water becomes - more than clean. It sparkles and shimmers under Byakuren's light, and white lotuses and lilies bloom from nonexistent seeds.

I could take a drop of water from this pool and revive a fire-ravaged forest.

I could take a drop of water from this pool and bring the dead back to life.

Byakuren steps into the pool as though it were nothing - and it's not, because she's purer and cleaner than the waters themselves. She pays no attention to me or Akyuu while she bends down to pick up the pearl and we're too transfixed to move.

Water trickles from her palm, and the pearl gleams under her care. With practiced ease, she wraps her fingers around it -

One breath, and her pearl glows through the cracks of her fist. Another, and the pearl is gone. She lets out a heavy sigh as she finishes her meditation, wringing the water from her robes with a spell and a flick of her wrist.

But it's only when she smiles that she takes my breath away.

"Good afternoon, Marisa. Lady Akyuu. I'm terribly sorry for making you wait - shall we have lunch?"

I have to admit, I'm a bit relieved when Akyuu's at a loss for words. It means mine's not the only breath the pretty monk's stole.

--------------------------------

Lunch... lunch is a daze for me. I don't eat much, considering the whole two breakfasts thing, but I still remember the temple's food tasting... pretty good. Vegetarian, of course, but whoever's on cooking duty is doing a fine job. Akyuu's pleased as a peach, too - the only reason her bowl's not licked clean is because she has manners. I, well... I don't.

"Miss Hijiri, that was... quite delicious." Even after an half an hour or so to collect her thoughts, Akyuu's still at a loss for words. "Where do you buy your produce?"

Byakuren blushes a little as she places her own bowl and chopsticks back on the table. "I... ah, I actually have you to thank for that, Lady Hieda."

"...how so?"

"Because you opened my eyes at the Symposium." It... amazes me just how earnest Byakuren looks. You'd need a vise and needles to get me to ever admit to a fuck-up. "I had not known that my disciples were breaking their vows - I am, it seems, a terrible judge of liars."

How curious. "So how'd you discipline them? You're not exactly the punishing type of woman."

Byakuren just smiles and shrugs and acts as if her next words aren't particularly insightful. Which, to be fair, they're not. "I made them do chores."

Akyuu just blinks. "Excuse me?"

"I had... forgotten that youkai are not the same as humans. It is in their nature to act - to want to act. And so my lectures and teachings were less than effective."

It's impressive that Akyuu can make scoffing in disbelief sound so posh. And I'm just as impressed that Byakuren's doesn't take any offense. 'Cause if it were me, I'd be slamming the table and demanding blood sacrifice to appease my wounded honor.

But Akyuu doesn't seem too interested in probing further, so I guess that's up to me. "So - what does that have to do with the awesome veggles?"

Byakuren doesn't exactly jump in her chair; it's more of a weird... surprise-flinch, I guess, and as she turns to me, I can see a faint blush on her cheeks. "Oh - I'm sorry. I get too caught up in myself sometimes. Part of their chores include growing crops for the temple. It's good, I think, to learn how to care for other things."

That... is way too simple a plan. "And this works. This - actually betters their understanding of Buddhism."

"It seems silly, but it is a matter of Upaya. Growing crops, tending to the gardens, even cooking meals; all of these things help train a person's diligence and appreciation for life. A farmer who raises livestock understands death better than those who routinely eat meat; so it is here."

Her logic's... a bit tricky to follow, but understanding still dawned. "So me taking on extra students for you..."

"Is also an expedient means of practicing Buddhism. I can instill discipline, but that alone isn't enough. Your magic lessons will, hopefully, get them to think and discover and search for clarity."

Akyuu doesn't have a pen or paper to write anything down, but I can see the gears in her head running at full steam. "This feels rather slapdash, Byakuren. Aren't you just foisting your problems onto Marisa here?"

"Yes, I am. This... method of teaching my faith is new to me; it's very much a case of throwing stuff onto a wall and seeing what will stick." And Byakuren states her intentions clearly and simply, no subterfuge needed.

...Ehen Akyuu grilled me, I came out swinging with ideals and dreams close to my heart. But Byakuren just... owns her motives, letting them stand tall and proud.

Even Akyuu seems impressed, with the grudging smile on her lips - far too different from the look she gives me.

...I'm not ashamed of my words. But maybe there's a bit of shame from why I said them.

But the pure and honest monk's noticed my frown, and she's quick to try to - appease me? Cheer me up? Getting her attentions suddenly feels embarrassing. "Ah - Marisa, don't worry! I'd be sure to pay any tuition you'd ask for. I understand that dealing with youkai would be much more difficult than working with children, so increased rates would certainly be understandable..."

I'm not sure whether she's deliberately tossing me a lifeline or if it's just a bit of luck - but I'm grateful all the same. My smile comes as naturally as my wink, and the only complaint is that Byakuren doesn't swoon. "I couldn't possibly charge you a tuition, not when I don't charge anyone else. I just want to teach and spread my craft."

"Though a few donations would not be remiss," Akyuu chimes in, and I can't help but notice the gleam in her eye. "Marisa teaches her students well, and word is spreading fast, but some of the less scrupulous parents are not giving Marisa her dues. Both she and Reimu would be quite pleased if you could help 'keep them going', as it were."

"Oh, is that so?" Byakuren asks - and, if it were anybody else, I'd be infuriated that I can't tell if she's being suckered or just humoring us. "I'd be happy to help in any way I can - though I must admit I do have a few requests to help smooth things over on my end. I understand that it has only been one class, but would you feel comfortable offering more than one session a week? That way more of my followers could enjoy your tutelage."

Teaching more than once a week isn't particularly high on my priorities... but how else will students learn, right? "I'll consider it - but, 'requests', plural. How else can I accommodate ya?"

She bites her lip, and I can already tell this is gonna be a doozy. "I was... I was hoping you could ensure that the number of youkai students would equal the number of human students."

Eternal gratitude swells up in my heart when Akyuu plays bad cop for me. "Impossible. Most of Marisa's students are children - having an equal number would ruin Marisa's standing amongst the human population and turn Kirisame Library into a youkai hangout in the eyes of the public. Separate classes would be much easier to swallow."

Byakuren closes her eyes, shaking her head in dismay. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept that. Separate but equal classes would do little to bring humans and youkai together - I would like my followers to get a better insight into humans, and socialization under Marisa's watchful eye seemed to be the safest method."

Akyuu doesn't give an inch, though, and while she's arguing, I'm free to plan out counter-offers. Byakuren mentioned her own magic books last time, so that's certainly something. And, if my classes get too big, I could always demand a small fee just to make it worth my while - or name an outrageous price to make Byakuren back off.

Decisions, decisions. Let's plot this out:


First, how to handle the number of classes:

[ ] Don't budge on the once a week schedule. This might be my laziness talking, but teaching is seriously exhausting work. Furthermore, even though the class itself is only an hour or two long, the prep and cleanup work easily eat up the entire day. Magic's really a self-motivated trade too, so it's not like forcing classes would help people learn.

[ ] Three classes a week seems reasonable. Magic might be self-motivated, but my students are going to be absolute beginners - or instinctual users at best. If people don't want to show up, then fuck 'em; I'll help the ones who actually want to learn.

[ ] A class every day! Ahahahahahaha, no. Not without some extra teachers.

[ ] Write-in.


Next, what to offer for class makeup...

[ ] Separate classes by species. This is easily the safest option by far - youkai don't exactly play in the same ballpark as humans power-wise. Last thing I need is for some over-energetic youkai to knock a kid into a coma. Byakuren will understand if I phrase it right - and Akyuu would probably be all for it.

[ ] Separate classes by age. It's pretty transparent that this is going to separate the youkai and the kids, but it's a face-saving measure for now. It won't stop Byakuren from giving me younger youkai to train up... but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Plus, if I make adult classes, then that might encourage some, well, adults to come join in.

[ ] Shove 'em all in and let the gods sort them out. A clusterfuck if ever there was one, but I'd only have to plan things out for the one class. Plus, if everyone's learning the same thing, the older students can help the younger ones - or vice versa, I suppose. A touch of humility never hurt anyone.

[ ]Write-in.


As for class size, let's see:

[ ] Keep classes small. One-on-one training's the best way to get serious about magic - and I can't exactly do that when I'm dealing with a small horde of students. I don't have the manpower to teach more than maybe 10 people at once.

[ ] Make classes bigger. My goal isn't to raise up an apprentice or anything - it's just to teach magic. If it's like that, then I can afford skipping out on individualized training. Plus, my youkai students will already have some experience, so with them it'd be more a matter of keeping them hard at work and playing nice. 15 to 20 students isn't too much.

[ ] Make classes Keine-sized. Lusty jokes aside, having 30 students or so would add some legitimacy to what I'm teaching. With Byakuren adding to the book collection, Kirisame Library would have enough texts to offer an entire curriculum! The main issue would be dealing with all the baggage that'd come with it - like homework and parent-teacher conferences and desks.

[ ] Write-in.


Now, what should I do about Byakuren's affirmative action?

[ ] Allow a 1-to-1 ratio of humans and youkai. This would make Byakuren pleased as punch, but Akyuu's right when she's mentioning the backlash. Actually allowing youkai in is already going to be a hassle; it wouldn't be too eye-catching if my classes were super-tiny, but even five youkai to five kids might land me in hot water. My goal's to teach magic to the Village, after all - I can't really do that if no human's willing to learn.

[ ] Keep a 75% human to 25% youkai proportion. This'll still get some parents jittery, but I'm pretty sure I can bank on my reputation as 'Youkai Exterminator Extraordinaire â„¢' to take care of any dissension. Plus, you know, Reimu would be backing me up on this. The main issue here's that Byakuren wouldn't be particularly happy; saying 'Oh, we'll take 'em all out if they get too uppity,' is kinda-sorta the exact opposite reception she's looking for. Maybe there's a better way to phrase it...

[ ] Write-in.


Finally, what should be my compensation? The more I acquiesce to Byakuren, the more I can ask for - but two 'rewards', I guess, makes for a good baseline.

[ ] Funds. This entire operation depends on me getting Reimu out of the gutter, so extra donations would be a godsend. Miko's huge roll of cash helped a lot, but I think Reimu would be more satisfied with an increase in quantity - just a few humongous deposits looks too much like...pity.

[ ] Advertising. Akyuu did a pretty number on Byakuren's reputation, but it's not like she's universally reviled. If I have multiple political authorities backing me up, then people are absolutely going to pay attention - and good publicity is always a strong currency to spend in business.

[ ] Buddhist Magic. Byakuren's basic magic books probably have little to do with her current specialty, so learning Buddhism from her might be worthwhile. I wouldn't be able to use most of the good stuff since I'm not a believer, but a few tricks and tips might be applicable to what I'm teaching. If nothing else, Byakuren's sure to grill me on the Ethics of Magic, and I could probably use a refresher course on that.

[ ] Go on a date. I mean, well... Byakuren's, nice. She's brave and wise... and so, so pure. She shines like the sun... and maybe I'd like to know her a little better. But mixing business with pleasure's a bad idea all around - and forcing Byakuren's hand like this might be a bit too much. I should be confident enough to straight up ask her out after I've earned her trust - and, if I want to impress Akyuu, then I shouldn't act like a total horndog.

 

[seitora]

Awesome stuff. I still have to read the last 4 posts or so, but still very nice. A++ would read again, will give my comment on current direction of the story once I wrap up (I have other things on my plate atm)

 

[zeebee1]

I haven't got though all of it yet, but I do have some questions. I really doubt the human village has anywhere near 100,000 people. And if it does just how fast was Marisa flying to need to circle it just to slow down?

 

[seitora]

TB already told me Reimu was pretty much making shit up.

 

[twin blade]

In story, Reimu doesn't actually know, and was pulling a number out of her ass. Marisa didn't know either, so didn't question it.

Out of story, this is a retcon that'll never be brought up unless one of the readers points out how unlikely it is.

As for Marisa's speed, we never get any real sense of how fast they're flying in the games, so I decided to take some liberties with the scene.

 

[zeebee1]

She made a jet powered out of the fire that began everything. Speed isn't a question, only her ability to survive.

You made Akyuu from a character I wanted to punch in the face into an almost likable one. The dimensions you put into them is astounding.

 

[twin blade]

It takes a while for me to really finalize everything in my head, but... it's a bit upsetting when you realize your reasons for an action are so terribly banal. Because I have to admit, the day-to-day has been... lethargic, to me. Sure, today has been hectic, but... that's how things usually go. Weeks or months of nothing, and then a few hours of heart-pumping action. I'm not saying it's bad; it's nice to have so much free time in my life.

All the same, having a bit more structure in my schedule wouldn't be too bad, either. Hell, Mima always had something for me to do every day, even when she wasn't around. And I remember Keine always assigning us homework too; repetition's the mother of learning, right?

But all the legitimate justifications and explanations doesn't wash away the fact that I'm adding more classes 'cause I'm bored. ...It's a bad taste.

"Ah, Marisa? Are you there?" Byakuren's gentle voice coaxes me out of my thoughts, making me realize that I'm staring like an idiot at two lovely ladies.

So it's totally natural that I try to save some face. It's instinctive! "Sorry, I was getting lost in your eyes," I shamelessly tell her, gently fluttering my lashes.. And if Akyuu's angrily sobbing into her hands, I absolutely don't notice. Neither does Byakuren, who demurely bows her head and looks away.

"My apologies, Marisa. I just seem to have that effect on people." Her voice is rich and warm, the low tones filled with gentle... accomidation, if not acceptance.

"No, that's all on me. I really should have been paying attention," I tell them both. And Akyuu's silent mutter of 'Yes, yes you should have' is sweet disapproval~

Still, I can't play the fool all the time, least of all with my students. It'd be a disservice to them, if they want to learn. But my head's still in a jumble, and I've always found it easier to write things out first.

It's a pain to actually carry writing implements in a dress like mine, so with a snap of my fingers I begin to bend reality to my unyielding desires. Time and space are torn asunder in my mad-frantic grasps for power, and with a spark of light I conjure them up onto the table. Paper's paper, nothing too fancy, but I still crack a smile at my pristine fountain pen, all black and gold all over~

Akyuu and Byakuren lean over with interest as I begin to put my words on paper, and ramble all the while. "Okay, so I'm thinking of three classes a week - one for humans, one for youkai, and one for both." The scritching of my pen echos as I talk, and I notice Byakuren walking over to my side of the table to get a better look. In big, bold lines, I sketch out a simple calendar while trying not to smear black all over myself. "I'm not sure which days would be best, though. Would weekends be okay? I'd rather not have angry parents yelling at me for distracting their kids from their homework, but I don't want to eat up the kids' free time, either."

The words are barely out of my mouth before Akyuu leans over, circling two weekdays and a weekend with a calligraphy brush she pulled from the nether. If she noticed the ink seeping through the paper and onto the wooden table, she doesn''t give a damn - which might be why Byakuren shoots me a grateful smile when I magic the excess away.

"Kamishirasawa's school lets its students out early on these days," Akyuu calmly states, pointing to the beginning and middle of the week. "There have been a few complaints of loitering, but Keine needs the time for faculty meetings. You obviously won't get all of the children - they're young and treasure their free time - but I don't believe anyone would complain about your scheduling. It's the benefit of running an extracurricular activity; if timetables don't match up, they'll just shrug and be done with it." Pfft, 'Faculty meetings'. Mom's the only other teacher; she and Keine probably shoo the kids out for margarita parties. I manage to stifle a guffaw as I scribble down the details, leaving Akyuu tapping her chin with the handle of her brush. "As for weekends, well - I don't think any youkai keeps to a particular schedule, so unless you have objections, Lady Byakuren...?"

The nun simply shakes her head. "No, weekends are fine. Most of my followers are laypersons, so the weekends are empty to let them pursue what they wish." Byakuren frowns then, however, tapping at the middle of the week with a slender finger. "But this would mean Marisa would be teaching the mixed group before working with the youkai. Even I understand that sort of delay would be unwise. Group lessons work best when everyone is on the same page."

"Ehhh, that's debatable. I'm thinking we wait a week to set this up; I'm teaching the kids the day after tomorrow, so I'll tell the parents, skip over the group session, and then teach the youkai... I don't know, potioning or something. Something analytical."

Akyuu only raises a fine eyebrow in response, but she still doesn't bother looking at me; her focus is on that brush of hers, where she's squeezing the wet ink from the hairs with a clean hankerchief. "Wouldn't that render the mixed group idea rather... pointless? It's rather hard to teach anything to such a, ah, heterogeneuous bunch when you are dealing with two subjects at once."

I take a glance at the nun, who's seemingly mulling it over in her head. "She does have a point, Marisa. I am grateful for your idea; Youkai are, inevitably, creatures of instinct, more so than humans. Giving them a task that must be done slowly and methodically would help train their focus.... but would such disparate disciplines help create tighter bonds? There is very little in one that would apply in the other. There's nothing that would help them connect."

Seeing them both draw up blanks makes me just a tad smug inside, but I just clear my throat and smile a bit. "Sure, if we're talking thoereticals. But nothing exists in a vacuum, and geomancy isn't just about flinging dirt around. Besides, humans and youkai are different, so way I figure it, the lessons should be more compIimentary, less... synonymous. Humans have trouble with using magic at all, so they get to practice something brute force. Youkai have trouble doing anything that isn't instinctual, so they get to learn magical chemistry."

I flip the page over and turn the pen into a pencil with a quick snap of my fingers - I don't want any ink bleeding through, after all. That Byakuren and Akyuu watch with far too much amusement makes me want to do many, many things, but I manage to swallow my pride while drawing some stick figures and trees. "To sum up, the 'heterogenous' lessons are going to be focused on the practical. I could teach lessons on regeant hunting in my sleep, and even make up a few competitions - like, say, keeping a potion going during an earthquake. The latter would even dovetail into Buddhism too, since it's a physical metaphor for finding peace through the chaos of life!"

"Assuming your youkai students don't become agitated and smash the human students into the walsl. And don't get hungry while searching for reagents and decide to... enjoy a meal." Akyuu's a buzzkill as always. She doesn't even care enough to look at me or Byakuren directly, instead staring off into space, her eyes only tracking the tip of her brush as she twirls it about. "Even assuming Byakuren's moral judgement is sound, parents will only imagine the worst-case scenario. It's what they do."

Byakuren shakes her head in response, listing names with her fingers. "That's only if they're not familiar with the youkai in question. I already have a few students in mind who would be... platable with the Village at large. Kogasa, for one; Kyouko, for another."

It only takes me a moment to connect a name to a face - Kogasa's the sentient umbrella with abandonment issues, and it's pretty hard to forget someone that surprising. But Kyouko...

"...Are you referring to Kasodani Kyouko?" Akyuu asks, and that's enough to catch my attention. Since when does she care about random youkai?

"Ah, yes. We've talked about her during the Symposium - she and that new friend of hers have been causing such a ruckus at night. I still haven't found the time to talk to either of them about that. I'm truly sorry for that." It comes back to me with Byakuren's comment: Kyouko started a rock band a few weeks back, and with her magic, they're loud enough to shake the trees in my forest. When they're, what, a couple kilometers away? More? Good thing I'm too far to actually hear them, because the pounding shockwaves they let out with every note are more than enough for me.

"Hmmm - yes, yes, she would make a good student, I think. She's not particularly savage looking - quite the opposite. And with that voice of hers, I'm sure she'd be quite charming during the day-to-day. It would rehabilitate..." Akyuu's more mumbling to herself than talking to us, but it's the... almost giddy smile pulling on her lips that makes us actually pause and stare at her.

Without any shame or embarrssment, the conservative historian with the stick up her ass just shrugs when she notices us. "Yes? I appreciate her work. It's quite riveting, once you can deal with the decibles."

"To each their own, I suppose," Byakuren shakes her head in amused bemusement, before finally sitting down and turning to face me. Thank gods - it was getting kinda awkard staring up at her tits. Fun, but awkward. "So, will two students be acceptable enough, Marisa?"

"Mmmm...I was hoping for a three to one ratio... two to one is a bit iffy, especially when I'm working with so few numbers." I take just a sec to confirm my math - yup. Four little kids, two youkai. Kogasa and Kyouko could devour two each and still have room for dessert. "All the same, we have about a week to get everything settled. I'll see if there are any new students next class, and we'll roll on from there."

Byakuren's not quite buying my train of thought, though - she's leaning on the table as she stares at my schedule, her hand covering up an obvious frown. "But maintaining such a ratio would be rather... difficult, would it not? You can't force your students to stay; what would you do if some, but not all, left? Would you simply leave my students at the wayside?"

It's a fair question, which deserves a fair answer. So I try to choke down the burning need to lie my ass off. "I think... I think we should worry about making sure my students don't just all up and leave first, Byakuren. The ratio's more of a rough estimate, anyways - if humans make up the majority, then parents won't freak out as much."

"Speaking of numbers - what will you do with class size, Marisa?" Akyuu cuts Byakuren off before the nun can press me further. I give it my all, but it's a bit hard to disguise my sigh of relief as anything else. "Suzunaan is quite a small place. Four students have already made it quite cramped."

"Mmm... that's a good point, actually. I hadn't thought of it." Magicians and witches only tend to teach one apprentice at a time. Sure, my house is pretty roomy now, but when Mima was teaching me I only had a little more breathing room than my students. At least I didn't have to share. And when things got too cluttered up, I could just add onto my room.
Oh. Hey. Hey! That's an idea right there~

"Problem solved! I'll have them build a secret underground magical dojo." Silence rings in response, and replaying it in my head, it does sound terribly stupid. Clearly, elaborating will dig me out of this grave. "Come on, don't look at me like that, Akyuu! I'm being serious. Give me a couple weeks and my kids'll be able to dig out a decent basement. I can ward it to protect it from earthquakes, and we'd have all the space we need. Individual sealable rooms for potionmaking, storage area for books... the works."

Akyuu's too refined to snort, but the little scoff she makes, like a small demented cough, isn't much better. "Well, there are worse plans. Not many, but I suppose Kosuzu wouldn't mind the extra storage space."

On the other hand, Byakuren's enjoying herself. "Oh, I've found building such training centers to be quite enjoyable myself! There's a joy in creating something so... lasting, and practical."

Wait, Byakuren's enjoying herself? "...Wait, these are lasting and practical? I just wanted to make an elaborate underground base."

I can see Akyuu's starting to nurse with the mother of all headaches, but Byakuren's sheer enthusiasm distracts me. "Absolutely! Of course, magic plays a big role in maintenance, but I'm sure your students would enjoy making that part of their daily training. I even have a few leftover blueprints I made while I was sealed in Makai - you're free to choose which design works best for you."

...Did she say what I think she said?

At the least, I heard what I thought I heard, because Akyuu's reacting too. "Lady Byakuren, you... you drew up plans for secret underground bases while you were sealed away for centuries." She repeats the statement slowly and carefully, sounding out the syllables as though talking to a child. Or someone mentally addled.

At least the nun has the presence of mind to blush. It's actually kind of cute, the way the light pink tinges her lightly tanned skin. "Well... even I get bored of prayer and chanting day after day." She even gets a bit defensive when we continue to stare at her, her voice getting just an edge of embarrasment as she speaks. "Hobbies help nurture a well-rounded mind!"

The idea of a Buddhist nun taking up architecture as a hobby just makes me giggle deep inside. I can picture it now - Byakuren with her hair tied up into a prim and proper bun as she hunches over graph paper, meticulously sketching and measuring the length of the walls for her temple...

Suddenly, I'm struck with a flash of insight. As I spin my head right 'round, I suddenly notice all the magic... emanating from the thin, wooden walls. Emanating, but not humming.

All magic has sound. Whether it's the brawawawa of a tightly focused laser, the quiet howling of the elements, the steaming hiss and bubbling of a potion, or the mighty thunderclaps of pure force and trained will... magic is inherently flashy and loud, and enchantments are no exception.

My home improvements were a volatile hodgepodge of vague ideas, and the place is packed from floor to ceiling with as many magical comforts I could fit because screw moderation, am I right? But the downside is a smog of white noise; crushed twigs, crackling fires and the coming and going of waves might sound like good ambient noise, pun intended, but I'm just as likely to wake up to nonstop clocktower bells, earbleeding screams, and birdsong.

Fuck birdsong.

Where was I? Right - Byakuren? She's good. My stuff's so roughshod that I have to bleed the lingering magic residue out of the window so my house doesn't blow up. Alice finetunes her enchantments on her dolls so that they'll at least sound pretty when things get fritzy. But Byakuren... she's set up her magic so that those side effects, the sounds and only the sounds, are complete and equal opposites, and just... cancel out completely.

All that effort, just to make it a bit more peaceful.

...Still, there's a limit to how hard one can fangirl, and even if Byakuren's thesexiest pretty decent at magic, I'm still under obligation to milk her for all she's worth. So I shake my head to clear out all the lingering adoration, and stare at her head-on!

"I'll definitely be taking a look at those blueprints later, Byakuren. Thanks for helping us out!" Doesn't mean I can't butter her up some more, but at least now there's a goal in mind.

"I should be thanking you, Marisa. I doubt anyone else would be so chartiable as to join my cause, let alone give all the help you have. I'm glad that Reimu is so receptive to more peaceful solutions as well."

Oh good, I didn't have to bring her up myself. Hiding my relief with an ugly frown, I make a show of biting my lip and looking away from her. "Uhm... Byakuren, about that..."

The older woman's sigh punctuates her feelings well enough. "Reimu isn't as... interested as I hoped, is she?" The soft sigh's followed by an exasperated click of the tongue, echoing just a bit in our empty room. "I suppose hope springs eternal, but even so..."

Before Byakuren continues, though, a hollow, repetitive thumming of Akyuu's fingers breaks up the peace and quiet. She's rolling her eyes as well when we turn to face her, but she stops at the sight of our disapproving looks.

She makes an attempt to explain herself, though. "The Hakurei Maiden isn't against peaceful solutions, she just worries for her livelihood. You've been quite the thorn in her side, Lady Byakuren; now people either go to you or Lady Miko for more spiritual matters, all that's left for Reimu are the... peacekeeping jobs."

"Oh. I... hadn't quite realized." A moment of vulnerability means a time to strike!

"Well... I had said you didn't need to pay tuition earlier, but maybe it would put Reimu at ease..." I cautiously offer her a way out. "Fact of the matter is, money's always tight for Reimu. Not having to deal with that stress anymore would make her more open to other things."

Byakuren nods in understanding, and I can already see her being the kind of gal to pay extra and tip well on top... which is moot since I've never actually established baseline prices for lessons. "The Myouren Temple's coffers have seen a surplus lately, so we definitely have the funds to spare. I certainly wouldn't mind redistributing our good fortune to Reimu."

Phew. I don't bother hiding my relief, the way I slump my shoulders or stretch my arms behind me. "Then everything's settled. I'll come back after the next session and we'll hash out specifics. That alright, Byakuren?"

But the nun blinks in surprise, before furrowing her brow with a confused frown. "What about you?"

"...What about me?"

Even Akyuu seems surprised at my comment, but she schools her emotions into a quick indifference as she speaks. "What do you mean, 'what about you'? It's your idea, and your name on top of it. The Hakurei Maiden enjoys diplomatic immunity, but you?" Akyuu gently shakes her head, those purple locks swaying with her movements. "You'd take the blame for all of it if things go belly up. Meanwhile, Kosuzu's getting free publicity from this, and if that underground base of yours does work out, then that'll just improve her property values." She counts my partners on outstreched fingers, gently crossing and uncrossing them as she talks. "Frankly, you're carrying most of the burden. It's within your rights to ask for some compensation."

"Lady Akyuu has a point, Marisa." Byakuren finally gets a word in edgewise, gently placing a warm hand on my shoulder. "Charity is only a virtue if one party is incapable of returning the favor. Please, let me pay you back, however I can."

Her words are soft and gentle, a slow murmur that puts me at total ease. It makes it easy for me to ask her for this little thing, because it feels like I really could ask her for anything, even... well, let's not go there.

"If that's the case, then... Byakuren, could you teach me some new magic? I can't promise I'll give my all to it, but it's not like I can only teach geomancy and potion-brewing forever."

"Oh, absolutely. I told you before you could visit me any time of any day. Did you forget?"

I have to force myself to keep looking at Byakuren, even when my cheeks tingle with a flush. "No, not really. It's just... asking for help is hard."

Byakuren, having a sense of decorum, allows me time to compose myself.

Akyuu, being a kindred spirit, does one better and keeps the conversation moving. "Marisa, if you're learning specific types of magic just to teach your students, wouldn't you be better served by just having Byakuren teach alongside you?"

The nun's ears almost with interest at Akyuu's bait, and her whole body leans forward to the two of us. "I would love to! Nothing too difficult, of course, but something useful like magical first aid would be a joy to teach!"

Akyuu's smile is more calculating than Byakuren's, but the hums that escape her lips seem no less... entertained. "We don't have too many healers in the Village, and there are always a few stubborn ones that refuse to go to that clinic in the bamboo forest. First aid wouldn't be much, but it'd be a start... maybe we could have a hospital in two generations or so."

"With spellcards in play, the Village is actually getting older now; a hospital would be nice." I let myself fantasize a bit, picturing the hospitals Mom's told me about: gleaming, high-tech buildings, each room sterile and cleaner than anything we could do here. The burning sweet smell of disinfect filling myself, like the potion-bombs Mima taught me to make.

But that's the future, and I'm in the present. I shake away the image clouding my head and turn to give Byakuren my best smile. "I would be honored if you wanted to teach magic with me, Byakuren, but we'd need to sort out a lot of other things first. Shall we talk about it during our first lesson?"

Her smile is just as pretty and gleaming as mine. "Of course. We'll pen in an appointment."

Hook, line, bullseye.

--------------------------------------------------


The weather's finally cleared up some, but the streets are still gunked with mud. So, naturally, I'm gliding just a few inches off the ground and avoiding the whole mess.

Less natural is how Akyuu is riding side-saddle on my broom. Her hands are gripped tightly 'round the shaft, making it bob erratically as we float towards her home. Little gasps and giggles escaped her as she bumbles along, and I end up guiding her along with a hand and gentle pulls.

"Thanks for playing bad cop back there, Akyuu. It really made things easier." We hadn't really discussed how to tackle Byakuren on the way there, which was kind of dumb on my part. I'm a bit surprised this panned out so well.

Akyuu hums a small tune I don't recognize, still... turbulating? Turbulating up and down as we turn a corner. "It seemed the most prudent action. I can claim all discomfort on my part as conservatism, which is quite excusable and understandable, considering my years."

"It certainly made me look better in comparison." I can't see her face when I turn around to face her - she's busy looking behind us, waving at a few kids playing in the sopping mud. "So. How should I pay you back?"

Akyuu only hums in response, twirling her locks as she thinks. It doesn't last a second before she sighs and shakes her head, turning around to face me. "While I'd love to have you under my thumb... You don't need to worry about payment. I... owed you one."

"You sure? Because I think you overpayed." I break my eye contact with her as I settle myself on the broom, my right shoulder touching her left. I can feel her sag just a bit in relief, the feeling echoing when I let go of a held breath. Face-to-face conversation is exhausting, sometimes.

"Maybe, but what could I take from you? I have no use for money, and we're not exactly on the best of terms." I can feel her shift her weight around as we crawl along towards her plac, saddling back and forth to find the sweet spot for balance.

So I help her, reaching around to the other side of her with my right hand, gripping the shaft of the broom nice and tight. I begin to ramble again as Akyuu flinches, then ponders, then decides to use the my arm as a backrest. "Well, we could change that, if you'd like. 'Cause, you know, that'd make Kosuzu happy. An as the prodigal daughter of the Kirisame family, I really should patch up my relations with you. You've been a great help with Byakuren, and let's face it, I'll probably be begging you for help. And I would like to get to know you better, Akyuu, so -"

"Are you asking me to be your friend?" Her voice is incredulous, confused, and for some terribly inexcplicable reason I want to pull my hat all the way down and hide from the rest of the world.

"...Yeah."

She leans back further against my arm, her body so light and airy that I still don't feel any strain. She's like a wisp, seriously. "Well, you certainly have a way with words."

It takes a while before I realize she's done with the topic, and the butterflies in my stomach all flop over and die. I take great care to casually dismount from the broom, urging the magic in the broom to go just a little faster; Akyuu's silent the rest of the way, and I feel just a teensy bit foolish.

But all the same, I rally my courage and will my heart to settle. And when I take her hand to kiss it after escorting her home, she doesn't try to slap me until I've gotten out of the way.

--------------------------------------------------

Still, as I get down from the high and the hormones, the sexual tension starts to remind me of things I'd really much rather forget. Alice's plea to meet her tonight echoes through my head, twisting my frayed nerves in all sorts of ugly knots.

I'm not sure if it's a repreive that I still have an hour or two before Alice's shift, or just some extra torture. All else being equal, I'd much prefer to distract myself for a little longer instead of just sitting there, waiting in front of the brothel. On the other hand... it's really just delaying the inevitable.

But that leaves me with a bit of time and quite a lot of choices. Where to now?

[ ]The Hakurei Shrine. I've enough speed to get there, hang out, and get back, so I won't be late for my meeting with Alice. I need to tell Reimu about things with Byakuren, too - and, I dunno, maybe she'll have some advice for me.

[ ]Suzunaan. I probably should tell Kosuzu about my new plans - she is my landlady, after all. Plus, looking good in front of her will keep me from thinking about what's ahead.

[ ]Food. I've enough coin for a meal, and if this thing is going to take a while, I could use some warm noodles in me before we start.

[ ]The Lotus Pavillion. Screw it, I can sneak in, or disguise myself, or... something. Let's just get this over with. Hell, if I'm lucky, Alice will... keep things short. Or I'll be able to get a drink or two to settle me some.

[ ]Write in.


--------------------

Glad you liked, Zeebee! Planning out all the romance options was a bit tricky, but I really wanted to flesh out all the interesting Human Village characters. Are there any other characters whose portrayals you enjoyed? Or dislike, for that matter.

And, since this update's fresh, anyone interested can vote! http://www.touhou-project.com/shrine/res/37498.html There's the link, and it's an imageboard, so it runs off 4chan rules, Anonymous and all.

 

[twin blade]

For most people in the Village, rain is an excuse to kick back and take the day off. Farmers don't have to tend to the crops, and other people would rather stay at home and watch the rain fall than take care of any errands. It just isn't worth the hassle, you know? We don't have any paved roads, so walking through rain also means walking for hours on end through the mud just to get anywhere - and it would be hours by simple virtue of mud being the biggest bitch ever. When the alternative is getting the same thing done in maybe five minutes on a sunny day, it's a no brainer.

Anyway, what all this means is that, rather than by word of mouth or day-to-day popularity, you can judge the best shops simply by how much business they get in bad weather. Because people will go through a hell of a lot if they thik the end result worth it.

And judging by the number of bowls sitting on the counter waiting to be cleaned, Sekibanki's little noodle shack is the best in town. She hasn't even had time to mop the floor - I see dozens of muddy footprints marring the wooden floor as I fly past the thick fabric that marks the entrance.

Sekibanki's is... homey. Apart from a few photos of the food and the regulars, the entire place remains unadorned and unblemished. Instead of cloying perfumes or sterile air, the smell of... well, food clings to the restruant, rich broths and fragrant garlic enough to make my mouth water.

Then the sound of rushing water catches my ears, and I catch a gleam of metal as soon as I sit down on a well-worn stool. "Is that a sink?"

"Yes. The...kappa, made it for me. I still need some water to run it, but the extra... pressure? Pressure, makes it easy to clean things. Can I take your order?"

I'm still too distracted to bother with actually looking at Sekibanki herself, but her voice still pierces through my thoughts. It's... well, it isn't soft or genteel, that's for sure. The redhead's voice is stiff, really, just this side of rough - like it hasn't been used for years. Her words are deliberate, and all conversations a process.

She stares at me expectantly, but I'm in a bit of a pickle, not having any sort of menu to look at. I try taking a glance around, seeing if maybe there's on on the wall or if I should just point at a photo of this and that noodle bowl, but... well, Sekibanki's is a small shop. And my eyes just keep darting back to her.

I don't think she intends it, but Sekibanki is one of those girls that just... stands out, with those vibrant red locks of hair and dull, uncaring eyes. You don't really see that combination often, and those dark brown and black clothes make her stick out like a sore thumb. Everything up to her mouth is covered by fabric; it looks like she's trying to stay inconspicuous, and failing miserably.

It's cute, in a shy girl kinda way. But my stomach is far more interested in eating food instead of eating... well. "Just, hmmm... I'm not really sure. I'd like something simple and clean, I guess. Not too oily, not too filling."

"Of course." And she's off with ease, grabbing a freshly cleaned bowl while dumping a bunch of flour noodles into boiling, salted water.

Watching someone working their craft is always a joy, and Sekibanki's no different. She moves with a... grace about her. It's like art, really, the way those slender fingers handle that knife, chopping up scallions and slices of lettuce. Cooking's a magic all its own, and the sound of boiling water and the stacatto chop-chop-chop of her blade combine into a simple, lovely tune.

The finished product isn't much to look at - a bowl of warm noodles, in a simple and clean broth, just like I asked. But the noodles are chewy in the perfect way, with a texture that's neither soggy and mushy nor stiff as a brick. The soup is flavorful without being overpowering, and all the veggies just give a nice, crisp feeling to it all.

She made the noodles long as hell, too. Which means... nothing at all from a nonmagical perspective. But sympathetic magic was the easiest thing to learn, and eating long noodles really did give you a longer life. Mima and I tossed the idea back when we were researching immortality - not because it wouldn't work, but because we would want to die anyway after eating nothing but noodles for a week, let alone forever.

Although if I had noodles this good, I could probably hack the immortality thing for a couple months. Compliments to the chef! "Man, these noodles are delish. What's your secret?"

"Hmmm. I do not... think, it is much of a secret. I just put my... no. How do I put this...effort? Yes, I put a lot of effort into my cooking."

A snort escapes me without permission, but for once I don't mind. "I dunno, I think a lot of people would find that silly. What about your competition, eh? They work hard, too."

She pauses, looking towards some far off distance that I can't see. "No. This is... different, I think. Others put in effort because of... necessity? Yes, they make their food because they have to support. Themselves, I mean. Trade service for service, and food for food."

"Which you don't need to do, because you're a youkai?"

There's nothing cliche about her reaction. No gasp, no flinch, not even a widening of her eyes. Instead, with a shrug and a sigh, Sekibanki flips her head right over; her hair ends up resting on top of her neck hole, and the frown she's showing me looks like a sad grin.

"How could you tell?" Sekibanki asks, and with her mouth no longer connected to her vocal cords, I promptly decide to never ask how that works.

"It's kinda obvious, Seki. You speak too awkwardly, for one. The whole pausing and starting thing makes people think you're a bit weird. Plus, you just said you weren't cooking because you had to. That kinda implies you're either super rich, which you aren't, or that you don't need money at all. Since only wild youkai are like that..." I trail off and shrug, deciding not to mention my other source of information. It's simpler that way.

The youkai chef just slumps onto her counter, her shoulders hunched up just a bit. It's kinda comical, really - though I'm a bit surprised she'd be so blatant about it.

"And here, I thought the Hakurei Maiden would be the most... difficult. No one except you has... discovered? Figured it out, Marisa. Please, keep it a secret?"

"Sure, sure." It's really no skin off my back, and anything to keep these noodles in existence. Despite my lackadaisical attitude, it's enough for Sekibanki to be relieved.

With a happy but stilted tune in her throat, Seki puts her head back on straight and goes back to washing dishes. The clanging of wood on wood and the rush pouring water keeps the shack from getting too quiet, and it leaves me free to ponder.

"So, why do you put in so much effort into making noodles?" I'm not complaining at all, but... it does seem odd.

"Because... because of..." Seki seems honestly confused, and she turns off the sink to concentrate on her thoughts. I stop eating too, trying not to distract her with the clonking of my chopsticks against the bowl.

"...Love, you could call it. Because 'liking' and 'affection' are not... vivid, enough." Once she stumbles on the answer, Seki seems a lot more sure, another small smile as she affirms the sentence in her head. "I... I am a youkai. Which means I am made up of humanity's... feelings. So it's not too odd for me to feel strongly, moreso than humans. Right?"

...I really shouldn't open my big mouth. "That, I'll grant you. But from where I'm sitting, a lot of those feelings are... well, short and fleeting." And maybe it's unfair of me to base youkai 'love' on just one person, but... "You get interested, then get bored. And so it goes."

"Perhaps. I do not foresee myself... making noodles forever. But I foresee myself making noodles for your descendants... and your descendants' descendants... and perhaps another generation more." And she flashes me the tiniest smile, like she's about to tell me a secret of the universe.

"Obsession. Obessesion, ob...sess...ion..." Sekibanki rolls her head around, slowly feeling the word in her mouth, taking apart the syllables and putting them back together. It's actually kinda entertaining, watching her clever tongue dart around her mouth. "With me, with noodles, it is... simple. It is a hobby, an activity that brings me joy. I am... eccentric, by any standard." She allows, nodding to herself, before suddenly bending down and pushing my bowl closer to me.

"But my cooking is above average, and it... satisfies, doesn't it? Human meat is too plain. Much more interesting to gain nutrition from other things."

It's pretty easy to see what she wants, so I oblige the crazy dullahan and eat up. Waste not, want not, and all that. And, as I eat, I feel... warm. It radiates outward, like... like the feeling you get when you make someone happy.

It feels, funnily enough, like love. Which is way different from obsession, last I checked. "Obsession and love are pretty distinct words there, Seki. Sure you didn't mean something else?"

But Sekibanki just shakes her head, and I shush when she begins to speak. "When a youkai loves a person, that is when things become... difficult." Sekibanki stops the rest of her chores then, floating over the counter to sit by my side. I've slowed down my eating by now - too much talking to focus. I'm more picking at the meal than anything else by now, but she doesn't seem to take offense. "So much... more, to consider, so much more to try and understand. Noodles? It is easy to love noodles. To know how the flour yields and rises, how the water cooks without making your ingredients limp... Worse comes to worst, I can, ah, follow. Follow a recipe. Learn from the past. But there is no recipe for love, now is there?"

And she's right. There isn't. I could read romance novels, I could ask Mom for advice... but nothing comes out exactly the same. That's the whole point of romance - it's unique, between any two people. Something rare, and... precious.

I drift to Alice. Of course I do - she's been on the forefront of my mind this entire time, and I don't know what will kill me first, the anticipation or the meeting itself.

But Seki's right there, and I'd be an idiot if I didn't ask for her two cents. "Then, if a youkai obsesses over a human... what should the human do? Just go along with it?"

I know the answer - no, that's a damned lie. I have an answer, and I'm desperately hoping someone will validate it. Anyone would do, even a stranger. How the mighty have fallen - Alice is terrible for my mental health.

"No. Of course not." And if that wasn't the most confident thing Seki's said all hour, I'd eat my hat. "Obsession hurts. A youkai could do things just to see how their human would react. They might not realize the pain they cause until it's too late. And even if isn't, such a relationship is a storm, a tornado of passions. It is not for everyone."

No pauses, no stuttering, not even a single ellipse. And it makes me wonder if she's speaking from experience. But, even I can see that would be prying, so for the rest of the meal I keep my head down and eat up.

The sun is setting by the time I finish, and people are starting to trickle in for an early dinner. If I wanted to ask her more, it's too late now - Seki's all but bouncing from bowl to bowl, cooking as fast as she can to keep up with demand.

Still, she's given me as much attention as she could. So it's only fair I pay my bill, and leave a generous tip.

----------------------------------

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I didn't blast the Lotus Pavillion to splinters the first time around. I mean, sure, civilian casualties and fines for destruction of propertly and Reimu's incessant nagging, but... nothing gives less shits than a woman scorned. If I had to bullshit a reason now, then I suppose my attention was too zoomed in on Alice to get angry at her workplace. The backdrop didn't really matter - it could have been black and empty for all I cared back then.

Which is a shame, because the Lotus Pavillion is actually pretty gorgeous. You wouldn't really expect that from a brothel - those things are usually terribly red and terribly garish, with bright enough lights that even the neon signs Mom talks about wouldn't be able to compare.

... Probably wouldn't be able to compare. Point is, the Lotus Pavilion doesn't need to advertise itself, and that's for the better. The only thing that could tip anyone off is the small red lantern that rests right beside the front door. It doesn't have the skeezy, oily feel of a brothel - if anything, it feels more like a high-class restraunt, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they actually do serve meals.

But just because the Lotus Pavilion is understated doesn't mean I'm at all okay with waltzing right in there. I have a reputation to maintain, and 'Kirisame Marisa, whoremonger', doesn't really have a good ring to it. So I find a small alley, ignore the drunk man just cozing up in a box, and cast a quickie illusion.

Ta-da~ I am now the picture perfect image of a demure, subtle Japanese woman with a burning need to get funky. I even have the ass-length black hair, too, and I can't resist the urge to give my silky locks a flip. Mph~

It's just a hop, skip, and a jump to get through the Pavilion's front door... and it's a lot more sedate inside than I thought it would be. The clean, laquered wood doesn't so much as creak when I step past the threshold, and despite the literally paper-thin walls, I hear neither whispers nor moans. A couple waiting rooms are off to either side of the... hostess's desk, which tonight is manned by a pretty but kinda unremarkable brunette. To top it off, warm lanterns hang from the ceiling, casting just enough light to see while keeping the shadows around for that sensual feel.

I'm not the first 'customer' here. Not by a long shot. But this is a place that makes its money off of privacy and subtlety, and the magic on the walls making everything silent just shows that the Pavilion knows how to invest.

"Ah..." I start, doing my best to act shy and way out of my league when I reach the hostess. "Has... uhm, is this the Lotus Pavilion? Miss Margatroid said she... she had a surprise for me, here?" My lower lip quivered, and my voice shook just a bit. Perfect.

"Yes, you've found the right place. Just let me check my schedule, ma'am." The hostess, in contrast, is entirely comfortable with her duties in this place. She's not wearing anything fancy, just a plain kimono. She looks young enough to be a... you know, but she's probably happy to just push papers and flirt extra money out of the clients.

In the magical silence, the small 'fwilp fwilp fwilp' of flipping pages is kinda... soothing. What with the screaming and crying and pounding my chest, it's nice to just... listen to the metronome. So I listen, and I blank, and I try not to think for just a little longer.

"Ah, there you are. And you'll be in Alice's company for the entire night, even! How lucky - Miss Margatroid is usually busy from sunset to sunrise." The pretty hostess flashes her pretty smile as her pretty words describe just how damn pretty everyone finds my old flame. Wonderful. "She'll be ready in just five minutes or so. Do you mind waiting in one of our side rooms?"

I don't - I can't trust my voice, not right now, so I just nod, and curtsy, and do whatever I need to do to get into that room and enjoy me my alone time.

I shouldn't have come. I really, really shouldn't have come. What the hell could I possibly expect from this? I'm just gonna get into an argument with her, we're not going to get a wink of rest, I'll break down into tears again, and...

And a minute passes, and then five, and Alice doesn't appear. Maybe she's busy, maybe she's got second thoughts...hell, maybe she's giving me time to compose myself. I'm grateful all the same.

The waiting room I'm in... well, it'd be good for a quickie, but nights at the Pavilion seem like they're more drawn-out affairs. So the fact that the couch is super tiny and there's only enough room for three people max isn't too odd once I think about it.

I take another look around to distract myself, but it doesn't pan out at first; it's a waiting room, after all, and those are always boring. Even trying to sense magic's dull - there's the typical privacy stuff, magical air conditioning...

It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I don't actually notice the everbloom flowers in the vase at first. They're lotuses, of course, and the gentle purple petals add a nice dash of color to the room. The scent's nice too, providing a hint of fragrance without being cloying. They're sweet and relaxing, and it's enough to stop me from wringing my hands and pacing back and forth.

But noticing the nightstand means noticing the pamphlet too. And when I pick it up, and feel the dust on it...it comes alive.

It's a simple piece of parchment. There's nothing written on it, there aren't any folds, and to anyone else it would like like I'm staring, slack jawed, at a blank piece of paper.

But to me, the illusion takes hold. Ever-changing pictures, movies really, of the Lotus girls appear in a flash of light. I can even hear their voices as I flip the 'pages', from Yuuka's throaty demands to Hina's quiet squeaks and giggles.

I...I know these people. And I have to say, I can see why the Pavilion's so popular. But what strikes me most is that... I know this magic. Because Alice asked for my help with this. She... she had told me she wanted her dolls to be able to record and play messages, and I had gladly, happily given my work to her.

I even recognize the dust on this thing, and rubbing the grains between my fingers only confirms it. Spore dust I made, spore dust Alice still buys from me, because they fuel simple magic like a charm, and... and I'm a bit flattered, because for all the shit Alice gives me about my magic, she still thought it good enough to steal and abuse.

What I gave to her for the recording magic isn't quite like this, and I can even see where my work ends and hers begins. What I did was slapdash and basic - I couldn't rewind what I recorded, and I didn't put much thought into the definition of the image. But Alice made it all... nice and crisp, and able to hold and display multiple images; there's enough pictures here for a photoshoot, and more than once I have to pause to... to stare.

Alice liked my work enough to make it her own. And I'm kinda embarrassed to realize just how much that means to me.

Of course, I'm not deep enough in la-la land to not notice Alice coming in during all this. But she's content to let me browse through her work, and I'm content to put the serious stuff off for a few moments more. But when I look up...

Well. Alice has always been beautiful. She's gorgeous no matter what she wears... and even when she's wearing almost nothing at all. In the dim lantern light, that ivory skin of hers almost shines, her soft and heavy breasts swaying with each breath.

But the rest of Alice's body is deliciously slender... though if I ever call her doll-like feel free to punch me. Alice is so much more than a doll; she has a warmth in her, little things about her that just... give her away. Like the way she's playing with her hair right now, antsy hands needing to do something, or the way she leans forward, only a bit, when she wants to help but doesn't know how.

And when she doesn't have a clue on what to do, she always lets me make the first move. So I toss the pamphlet back onto the nightstand and stand up to face her. There's no need to keep up appearances either, so I shrug off my magical disguise and turn back into my normal self.

"You should wear more," I chide Alice, taking her hand in mine and running the other across her silky detached sleeves. "You're freezing." And if my hand lingers on her bare, smooth shoulders, almost brushing down to the top of her breasts, well.

"That wasn't what you told me before." Alice's tone is as gentle as ever when she leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder. And when her body slumps, and her breath tickles my neck, I don't have the heart to push her away. "You still like it when I'm a bit chilly. It's refreshing."

I don't have an answer. Hell, I don't even know how to hold her now. Her soft breasts are rubbing against mine, only a thin, scratchy layer stopping us from reliving better days. I might not be able to push her away, but that doesn't mean I'm pulling her closer - my hands just sort of... hover, above Alice's back, my own arms just barely touching Alice's sides. So I'm left awkwardly standing there, paying no attention to the tickly pinpricks of my blush, ignoring the fact that Alice put on my favorite perfume, just enough to get a hint of mint with every breath I take.

...It's nice, holding her again. I want to tilt my head down and bite Alice's neck, or run my hands down her shapely back, until I can cup her ass and give it a needy squeeze. I want to lie down with her, rest my hands on her flat tummy, and just breathe her in as we doze off. Too many years we need to make up for - I could lock us in our home and not leave for weeks. Maybe months.

But I like to think I have some impulse control, so my hands and mouth stay right where they are. When Alice realizes I'm not going to do a damn thing to her, she finally pulls away with a self-mocking smile.

"Welcome to the Lotus Pavilion," she intones, acting like nothing is wrong. "Please, would you follow me to our room for the night?"

And I smile right back as she opens up a secret door in the back wall, gesturing to the dimly lit hallway beyond. "Absolutely. I want my money's worth, after all."

-----------------------------------------------------

The bedroom is rather classy... and unexpectedly Western in design. It has carpeting for one, soft and a bit ticklish, and the furniture's terribly pretty, smooth and lacquered with rich, brown hues. There aren't even any wood knots, and neither the table nor the chairs creak when I put all my weight onto them.

But the real kicker's the bed. It's huge and soft, with those four overhanging curtains that I've only ever seen while raiding Patchy's library. Blankets and comforters are all laid out, ready for all sorts of stains and heat-trapping and covering blissed out lovers.

And speaking of lovers... that's when Alice forces herself onto me. One moment, she has her hands on my shoulder. Another, I'm already spun around, falling backwards onto the mattress. A blink and she's on me, holding my hands and pressing those warm, pink lips against mine.

Gods, I've missed this. Each second lasts forever while I tingle and flush from Alice's touch. She's still cold, and she's still right - feeling her chill skin against me kickstarts my mind like nothing else, and already I'm kissing back just as fierce. I can feel her moan when I start sucking on her delicate tongue, and we're squeezing our hands so hard that I can feel her nails dig into me.

Alice only pulls away when we need to breathe, but she's not going to give me even the slightest break. Before I even have time to pant she's attacking my neck, peppering me with tiny licks and tinier bites. I... I squeal, a bit, and I let go of her hands to pull her in, even trying my damndest to wrap my legs around Alice's waist. And when I start to buck, she bucks back, our hips smacking into each other and making us ache, despite the lack of toys or parts.

...I have some impulse control. It's not a lot.

It's only when we come down from our peak, my dress all sorts of damp, that Alice starts to talk to me.

"I don't kiss my clients like this. And...and I don't hold them like this."

She doesn't look at me as she speaks, murmuring into my ear between warm, deep breaths. But she knows me well, and before I even say a word she has a finger on my lips to hush me.

And like all the other times she's done this, I purse my lips into a small 'o' and give the digit a gentle suck. I can feel her twitch it around my mouth as I give it all my attention, and the gentle, happy sighs are reward enough for me.

"Do you remember what I said in the morning? 'You brought life into my life.'" As she whispers, I can feel her start to curl into me, tucking in her legs until her knee is right between my thighs. Her voice is hoarse now, too, and I can't tell if it's from the earlier cries, or if she's just... tired.

"You brought life into my life, Marisa..." Alice repeats herself, her voice now muffled against my shoulder. I have to strain myself just to hear her, and I almost miss her next words. "But... without you, I had no life.

"Magic was my everything, before we became a couple. But after... I only kept up my studies because you expected it. You were my... my next project, my next focus." Alice's voice... warbles, as she... as she monologues. "I wanted you. I wanted you all to myself, and I would have given everything just to have another night with you.

"And that was scary. I love you, Marisa," she states, the surety in her voice drowning everything else out for at least a moment. "With all my everything. And even I could tell something was wrong with that. Because my life revolved around you, like it used to revolve around magic. And... and I wanted your life to revolve around me, too."

She even giggles, as she pulls her finger out of me, now wet and warm all the way to the knuckle. It's not a happy giggle - there's a mournful edge in there, something frantic and needy that's desperate to get out. "I loved the things you did for me. A picnic at the prettiest spot in Youkai Mountain, with a field of flowers under a starry sky. An entire day in the Underground City, when everyone was asleep and we could just... explore. Abusing everything you knew about magic just to make an underwater date."

She trails off, then, and with her hand gently rubbing my side, I'm free to ask the obvious question. "But?"

"...But I didn't love those moments because they were... amazing. I only loved what you did because you did them. And that just seemed... so wrong."

Alice is almost curled up into a ball now, shaking with each word she tells me. All of her focus is tuned to saying what needs to be said - so I say nothing, as her calm, steady voice escapes from a tired body.

"I didn't want my feelings to... to become a selfish love. I didn't want to be your ball and chain. You were worth so much more than that, Marisa. And that's why I... that's why all this happened."

With a small grunt, Alice finally gets up - her eyes are bloodshot now, and terribly dry, but I pretend Alice wasn't just crying on my shoulder. Without her dress, without her dolls, Alice just looks... limp now, like a puppet whose strings were cut.

She doesn't look at me anymore, instead staring at the wall, the stain we made in the comforter - anything but me. " I wanted to... to understand you, how you could love me and everybody else, when I couldn't possibly care less about them. I wanted to see what you saw, feel what you felt, when you brought me such miraculous things. I just... wanted to change. And I thought about what we've done together, what makes a relationship... and the best parts were when we made love. I could feel you, Marisa. All that love, and warmth, and gentleness... and I figured it was a good place to start."

Maybe it's the long day I've had. Maybe it's the endorphins running through my head right now. Maybe I'm just that much of a sucker... but right now, I'm not angry. Just tired. So I try to cut to the heart of the matter, in all its heartbreaking glory. "Did you change?"

And Alice paints another ugly smile on her face. It's a painful caricature, and I try to avoid my gaze. "We broke up, didn't we?"

"That... that doesn't really answer my question."

"... Well, not in the way I expected. I thought - I thought that sex was the best way to express yourself. And maybe it is, but... I just don't have a lot to express." She shrugs then, so sluggish and weak, and I have never, ever seen her like this. I've only seen the cool Alice, the happy Alice, the irritated Alice - and I'm starting to see why Alice said we never understood each other.

"I couldn't... bond with anyone. I didn't have regulars like my co-workers. Clients came to me because I was pretty or because they wanted a challenge." Alice smiles weakly, imagining some distant memory that I'll never want the details to. "But, the sex felt good. And I made special outfits for the other girls. And sometimes, if I was lucky, you stayed out of my head for an hour or so. And then, after a while, I got... better, at ignoring you."

It's only now that I get up, the butterflies getting replaced with a low, slow burn in the pit of my stomach. Alice just won't stop trying to avoid my gaze, so I have to reach up and tilt her chin, just so I can see those sad, tired eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I keep my voice gentle and calm, but it sounds like an accusation all the same. And Alice reacts as such, flinching and grinding her teeth and dying a little inside.

"Because I was scared, when you found out. You were crying, you were hurt... I just wanted to make it stop. And I thought - oh, who am I kidding, I wasn't thinking at all. I just..."

It's easy to venture a guess. "You thought that if you were the one who hurt me, the best thing to do was to go away?"

The gentle, mocking scoff is the first sign of life I've had since this damn talk started, and it's a sound for sore ears. "Maybe. Maybe I was scared you'd hate me, and just wanted to end it on my terms. My feelings were all... jumbled up. They still are."

"...Why didn't you tell me? Ask for help? We could have done something together if -"

And Alice doesn't even need to explain, not this time - because she's already told me. She needed time... not alone, but away from me, to figure things out. In a way, it's kinda flattering, that Alice would... focus on me, so much. We just really need to work on our communication skills.

...If I take her back. If I could handle taking her back. Just one little misunderstanding ballooned to something like this. It's been years since I've thought of Alice as a lover, and even if our chemistry's great, it's also... explosive.

Seki's words drift back to me. Maybe I'm just not cut out for a firewhirl romance. Maybe I've moved on... just a tiny bit.

But, first things first. "Alice?"

Our little impromptu break's done wonders for her composure. She's not red in the face anymore, and her eyes look clearer than they did moments ago. The trembling's died down a bit too, and she's willingly looking at me.

So I have her attention. Good. "Alice - I'm... not really sure how to feel about this. I mean... it's been a while, you know? I can't just take you back and... forget."

And Alice has enough sense in her to look insulted. There's even the faint hint of annoyance in her voice when she speaks. "I'm not that desperate. And besides, that wouldn't be fair to you. If you don't want me, I understand. But I wanted to explain myself. And..." She takes a deep, calm breath, as she slips off the bed and walks over to the table. I hadn't noticed it when I was messing around with the furniture, but...

There's another magical pamphlet there, same as the other one. And with a flick of her magical wires, Alice glides it into my hands. "I talked with some of my friends who work here. And it turns out you're rather popular. A bit of a pervert, but I knew that already."

The question asks itself, really. "Alice, are you trying to buy me off with... with free, high quality sex?"

This time around, Alice's blush actually looks kinda cute. "You're pent up. And even though I was a bit... carried away earlier, you're not that easily satisfied. And lucky for you, a few of our girls wouldn't mind a... what did you call it? Right, a 'roll in the hay' with you." She flashes me a gentle smile then, and at least for the moment, the world seems like a better place. "You don't have to if you don't want to. It won't change anything on my end."

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So as the old song goes - should I stay or should I go?

[ ]Accept the offer. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And, frankly, I've been pent up for a while. Toys are nice, but warm, pretty ladies are where it's at.

[ ]Decline the offer. I can appreciate Alice using her connections and all, but this is just a bit much. And she's probably telling the truth about this choice not really affecting her, but it's probably gonna affect me.

 

[grant]

Damn, no mentor-student Kosuzu sex dream. Well, this is a pretty fascinating fic so far, and shows nicely that you don't need to have the story be about something major and epic to be good.