~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library
Some Sodalicious Short Stories!
(1/1)
Schneeless:
The wind blew back Aya?s hair as she zipped through the air, her hands wrapped around her beloved camera. With a loud whoop, she spun mid-air and began to descend into the vast expanse of trees beneath her. Finding a small opening where she could enter without hitting any branches, she dived down, causing some of the leaves and branches near her to be blown back. A wide grin split her face as she maneuvered around the forest with a recklessness that would catch even the most rash denizens of Gensokyo off-guard. A second didn?t go by where she wasn?t millimeters away from running face-first into a tree. After a few exhilarating moments of traversing the forest, she burst into a clearing and came to a stop near a rather ordinary house housing someone anything but.
Taking her fan out, Aya began to wave it in front of her as she walked towards the building, her ever-present smirk growing wider with each step. She probably could?ve just found the clearing from above and flew down, but there was no fun in that. Seeing the windows covered by curtains and the locked door in front of her, the tengu briefly considered breaking in and taking a surprise picture. After a moment?s hesitation, she sighed dramatically and put away her fan, replacing it with a pen and notebook. She was here for an interview this time, and from many painful experiences with a certain miko, Aya learned that surprising people tended to make them less than eager to answer questions about themselves.
Giving three quick knocks on the door, the tengu began to brainstorm some questions to ask. To be honest, she didn?t know too much personally about Marisa, besides the reputation she?s gathered. Thief, loose cannon, and a general nuisance, the magician has nevertheless stepped up to every incident that has hit Gensokyo and solved them alongside Reimu. She had written several articles on Marisa?s numerous burglary attempts, and encountered her in the middle of incidents. But Aya wasn?t here to squeeze what little more she could from the girl. The human magician had withdrawn from public eye for a week, and that was something that caught her attention. Marisa was almost always out getting into her usual antics.
It was definitely not because there was nothing else going on and she really needed something to report on...
?Ayayaya?? she muttered under her breath. Tapping her foot, she turned her head to the side and listened to see if she was approaching. ?I wonder what?s keeping her. I know she?s not at the shrine since I was just there. Perhaps she?s off ?borrowing? something again?? Aya mused.
After a few more moments, the tengu reporter shrugged and decided to enter. She gave the magician fair warning, and she wasn?t about to back out just because she wasn?t answering the door. Not expecting too much, she reached down and twisted the doorknob.
It opened.
Laughing at the irony, it was cut short as a strong odor passed by her and almost made her gag. Pinching her nose with her pen hand, she slowly pushed the door aside and peered in. The various books, objects, and magical ingredients on the ground were to be expected, but it was something else that caught her eye.
Opened sake gourds laid strewn across the floor at random spots. The reek of excessive alcohol made Aya?s eyes burn as she tip-toed across the minefield, trying not to gag. It smelled almost as bad as the one time she went to interview the oni while sober. After a quick once-over of the room, she set her eyes on the person responsible.
?Whosh there?? the girl slurred, her hand slamming the desk she was at as she turned around. ?Store?s closhed, leave me alone.?
Aya would?ve laughed if she didn?t risk inhaling more of the smell than she wanted, so she settled for a smirk as she raised a finger and pointed out, ?It?s not like you sell much of anything anyways. I?ve never seen you actually run the store.?
Marisa spun around the second she heard the tengu speak, her eyes narrowing immediately. ?Aya? Hell are ya doin? hare? Not in the mood fer ya right now, so ya better git out before I make you.?
?Sorry, as the foremost reporter of Gensokyo, I must investigate any and all events of interest to better inform the general public.? Aya cheekily replied, taking the time to get a better look at her soon-to-be interviewee. Her hair was disheveled, with loose strands sticking out all over and the golden mane reduced to a bird?s nest. The witch hat that defined her look was lying on the ground, in the middle of the heap of items on the ground as if it were carelessly thrown away. Stains appeared all over her clothes, and judging by how the smell got infinitely stronger the closer Aya got, the tengu assumed she hadn?t washed herself ever since her strange disappearance. Marisa?s normally bright golden eyes were rimmed in red, and a scowl was directed in Aya?s direction. Aya would be lying if she said this didn?t surprise her, as her smirk dwindled to a grimace as she realized just how bad of a shape Marisa was in.
The magician didn?t seem to notice, as she put down her sake dish and scrambled for something on her desk. ?Don?t give a damn about the public. I?m serious. Git out of here, now.?
Realizing how quickly everything was escalating, Aya held her hands up and gave what she hoped looked like a reassuring smile. ?Hey, I?m not here for any... racy pictures this time,? she said. ?You?ve just been scarce the past week and I decided to find out why. Normally I would?ve heard at least one story of you robbing someone already.?
??I?m just borrowing. Dey?ll git it back once I die,? Marisa defended. For the moment though, she calmed down and picked her sake dish back up before standing up to face Aya. After staggering for a few moments and spilling some of the contents on her dress, she looked warily at the tengu, still cautious as to what she was up to.
Aya bit back a witty retort, wanting to maintain the momentary truce the two had. The tengu brought her notebook up and readied her pen before trying to think of a first question to ask. Wanting to save the question of why she came for later when tensions were a bit calmer, she started off with saying, ?Others have noticed your absence and expressed some concern on your well-being. Should they be worried, or is this some one-time drinking binge??
Marisa sighed and closed her eyes, talking in a more calmer, coherent manner, ?Guess I was worrying them, though Reimu would probably never admit it. Tell em? I?m fine once you see them again. It was just something that came up. No need to put this on the headlines.?
The reporter nodded, jotting what she said down. Aya knew this wasn?t some random drinking binge judging by how testy Marisa was being, but didn?t want to delve that deep so soon. Despite what some might think, she could be subtle and aware of a delicate situation if she saw it. Right now she needed to act professional and make the magician more comfortable.
?Right. I knew you drank Marisa, but there?s enough sake here to take down an oni. How?d you come across such a huge supply??
?Heh,? Marisa gave a cocky smirk, ?Suika?s got nothing on me, ya hear? And how I got it isn?t important and none of your business.?
?Hmm?? Aya hummed, unconvinced but not challenging it. Jotting down a quick sentence on how the thief probably stole some sake, most likely from the vampire?s mansion or the human village judging from the quantity, she lowered her hands and looked at Marisa with a serious expression. Hoping she was feeling a bit more open now, she decided to get to why she came here for in the first place.
?So,? Aya began, ?you?re normally an outgoing human who influences much of Gensokyo?s current events. Your sudden disappearance has sparked many questions, the most common of which being why. If it isn?t too much to ask, why have you secluded yourself in your house the past week??
Marisa shuffled uncomfortably. ?Eh? it?s nothing much,? she evaded, taking a small sip of sake. Aya watched as she placed a hand on her desk and leaned on it, putting on a casual air around her. Her eyes seemed to tell a different story however, even as she turned away from the reporter to hide it.
?If it?s nothing important, then surely you can tell me about it right?? Aya pressed.
?Well?? Marisa sighed, muttering something under her breath. Pretending not to hear the curse words no doubt directed towards her, Aya waited patiently for the magician to respond. Pressing further might make her more reluctant to answer.
?Fine,? she relented, looking Aya in the eye, ?but this is something personal, and I don?t want the whole story to get on the Bunbunmaru. Ya hear??
?But-?
Marisa raised a finger, ?No ifs and buts about this. I swear if I find anything about this on it, I?ll blast you straight into your mountain.?
Aya sighed, ?I?ll see what I can do. At the very least, I?ll try not to go in detail about whatever this is about.? She put away her pen and notebook and began fanning herself, putting on an irritated front but was still quite curious. If the reason why she was gone was so serious that she drank heavily for a week and explicitly asked her not to report it, then it must be something good.
?Guess that?s the best I?ll get from you. Might be good to get this out of my chest anyways.? Marisa said, turning around to put down her sake dish. When she turned back, Aya saw her eyes close as she thought about what to say.
?Ten years ago around this time, I still lived with my folks back in the Human Village. Dad was an ass like always, but Mom?? she trailed off for a bit, lost in thought before continuing, ?she was the best. Tucked me in at bedtime, cooked some of the best food in the village, and always played with me whenever I wanted.?
?She also practiced some magic, though it was mostly with mixing magical ingredients together. Didn?t fire lasers like I do, but she was still pretty damn cool. She played it safe and didn?t try to throw random stuff into a cauldron like I do without trying to research it first. Worst that should happen at that point is when the mixtures make a really bad smell, or simply evaporated and wasted materials.?
It was at this moment Marisa stopped, allowing Aya to digest the information she just heard. Rubbing her arm awkwardly, the tengu had a pretty good idea of where the story was going. Even if Marisa had not asked her, Aya doubted she would write up a story on this with her usual style.
?It was an honest mistake,? Marisa blurted out suddenly. ?Anyone could?ve made it, even me. The two plants were so similar looking, the only real difference was the amount of magic in each. Magicians can usually sense this when isolated, but like all magicians, she was surrounded by magic. Couple this with working late in the night and??
?When she mixed the ingredients together, it created a huge explosion that set our house on fire. She didn?t even have a chance.?
Looking as if she aged ten years, Aya watched as Marisa yanked her chair back and collapsed on it, too weary to even drink from the sake dish. The tengu had never seen the magician so defeated and lost in the world. It looked wrong. Felt wrong.
Was wrong.
?There, you happy now Aya? I know you don?t really care about us human?s lives because of how short it is.? Marisa said, voice barely above a whisper.
That snapped the tengu out of her reverie. Without even thinking, Aya stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around Marisa.
?What-?
?Shh?? Aya hushed her, rubbing the shocked girl?s back. ?The loss of a life, a mother isn?t something I scoff at. Even if I cannot relate to it, I recognize the pain and loss of those left behind. I?ve written a few obituaries for the Bunbunmaru, and I would never think of making light of death.?
After a few seconds of shock, Marisa leaned into the embrace slightly and sobbed, not caring that she had revealed a secret part of herself to the person most able to reveal it. At this time, Aya saw that she was not the feared magician that sent a laser at every youkai that stood in her way. She was not the remorseless thief that stole books, magical artifacts, and sake from wherever she could get them.
She was just a girl mourning her mother.
?Feeling better?? Aya asked once Marisa pulled back.
?Yeah, I think so.? Marisa responded, eyes redder than before but with a wide smile on her face. ?Thank you. I?d thought my day would be getting even worse when I saw you, but I guess I misjudged you. You really helped.?
Aya smirked and removed her arms from Marisa, standing back up with a prideful tilt to her chin. ?No problem. The best reporters always do their best to make their interviewees as comfortable as possible.?
?By taking surprise panty shots??
The tengu pouted, but there was no sadness behind it. ?Those are not during interviews, so it doesn?t count!? They both laughed at that, with Marisa almost falling out of her chair doing so.
?Alright, I?ve got to get back and pick up Reimu?s slack at the shrine. Who knows how much work has piled up while I was gone??
Aya giggled, ?Too much, I?m sure. I?ve got to get back too and do a write-up on this.?
Picking up her hat, Marisa fixed it on her head and gave the tengu a serious look, ?Hey, I was serious before though. I don?t really want all of this to get on the paper.?
?Don?t worry about it,? Aya gave a two finger salute as she stepped back. ?I?ll just tell the truth and say you were passed out drunk on your desk for a week from stolen sake.?
?Good- hey, wait!? Marisa exclaimed as Aya dashed out of the house, the door taken off the hinges from the amount of force her speed picked up.
?Damned tengu?? She muttered, a smile on her face nevertheless. Just as she was about to turn around however, she saw Aya dart back in with a cheeky grin.
?Oh, and you better wash yourself and your clothes. You smell!? With that, Aya snapped a quick picture of Marisa?s indignant expression before flying away again.
---
Hey, I?m back. I?ve changed my name a lot and wasn?t too outgoing back then(think my first name was Dragonstake?), but I wrote the Dissoluteness of Vengeance story a while back. I lost both motivation and didn?t like what I wrote, but my attempt at rewriting it kinda got put on the backburner. Drifted away from Touhou into other games and fandoms, but there?s been many times where I?ve longed to get back to one of my first obsessions.
I admit, I?m out of touch with a lot of Touhou stuff. The only thing I?ve kept up to date with was the music. So after futilely trying to decide what I should write about and with which characters, I decided to just use a randomizer and wing it. Since the only randomizer I could find was a pairing one, I clicked it and prayed I would get two reasonable characters. Luckily, I got two characters that I remember somewhat and didn?t seem too farfetched in meeting each other.
As always, I accept any and all constructive criticism on my writing. I?m not so sure I want to continue this and wrote it so that it can be a one shot or a chapter-based story. I?ll have to see if I can figure a plotline out for this. Posts probably won?t be frequent, but I won?t wait two years this time.
Schneeless:
A hooded woman gritted her teeth as she reached her hand out to the wooden surface of the balcony. At over hundreds of feet above the ground, she fought to maintain her footing on the wall of the mansion. Her outstretched hand inched closer and closer, shaking the closer it got to its destination. The moment it felt something solid, she took a moment to secure her grip around it before leaping away from the wall and getting her other hand on the balcony.
With her legs dangling in the air, the woman suddenly felt lightheaded as she stared down at the drop below her. The hard part was behind her, yet her breath became short as her head began pounding. Forcing herself to look up, she steeled her nerves before clasping her hands on the railings and pushing herself up. Grunting from the exertion, she managed to swing her right leg onto the balcony, followed shortly by her placing her hands on top of the railing. She brought her other up before standing up and stepping over the railing.
Panting, she allowed herself a short rest and leaned against the bars of the railing. She did have all the time in the world, after all. The full moon shone in the night sky, silently watching over the surface. Everything lay still, from the leaves on the tree and to the bats in mid-flight. The woman could?ve stayed a millenium in that position if she wished, yet she shook her head and pushed herself off the railing to do what she came here to do.
Young. Innocent. Harmless. That was what her first impression was as she eyed the figure sitting down near the table. With a garish pink mob cap and dress, the small girl looked out of place with a wine glass nestled in her hand. Legs crossed and a calm and composed expression adorning her face, she seemed completely unaffected by the stoppage of time.
She drew out a knife.
She had heard the tales. A vampire who lived in the abandoned mansion not far from the town. It never ventured far, but those who wandered too close rarely returned. Those who did came back with a wild look on their faces, screaming about the claws and fangs. It was one of those she cornered and forced to cough up some information. Most of it was the blabbering of a mad man, but she learned enough to find her way to the mansion and investigate.
Like she suspected, the rumors were true. The vampire?s wings were in full view in front of her, and she had no doubt that the red liquid in the wine glass was blood. As she placed her knives in the air around the vampire, she found herself staring right into a pair of scarlet orbs. For a split second, the woman thought the girl was staring right at her, but quickly shook her head and dismissed the thought. The only thing that lived, breathed, and moved right now in this world was her. Nothing else. Not the bats in the sky, the grass down below, or the humans back at the village. Certainly not this creature, who would not be doing the first two actions anyways, and the last would be one she herself would soon stop.
So why won?t her hands stop shaking?
The vampire hunter tore her gaze away from those damned eyes and moved on, taking extra care to position them so as to prevent any chance of escape. Still, she couldn?t get rid of the anxiety rising inside of her. There was no possible way the vampire could see her. Even if that were the case, there were enough knives surrounding her that no matter where she went, silver would find its way to the vampire?s flesh. It was with this that she tried to reassure herself as she took one last final copy of the knife she previously placed, keeping it in her hands. Clenching it tightly enough to make her skin go white, the woman stepped back a few meters, her eyes never leaving the vampire?s form. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and relaxed her mind, releasing her control of time.
Glass shattered on the floor.
Snapping her eyes back open, she barely had enough time to scream before something slammed into her back. Sent sprawling towards the floor, the woman only managed to roll over before she found herself gasping for breath. The little vampire who had a second ago been sitting calmly in her chair now had her hand wrapped across her throat.
A smirk formed on the vampire?s face, ?Now, now? what have we here? Another fool looking for wealth and fame??
The woman, still holding her knife in her hand, attempted to stab down at the hand squeezing the life out of her. Laughing, the vampire?s remaining hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, eliciting a choked scream as the knife fell from her hand and clattered onto the floor.
?How amusing! The arrogance of humans never fails to make me laugh.? she leaned closer into the woman?s face, ?Do you even know who I am??
In too much pain to process the question, the woman?s hands pried weakly at the vampire?s, her strength dwindling rapidly. Black spots began to form in her vision, but just as her head began to loll to the side, she felt the iron grip being released from her throat. Gasping, she only had a second to recover before the vampire picked her up by the collar and slammed her into the railing.
?My apologies. I forgot that you humans needed to breathe. Since you seem to be laughably unaware of me, I will introduce myself.?
?I am Remilia Scarlet, the Scarlet Devil. I am the terror of the night, and all who know of me tremble at the thought of me. I am descended from Count Vlad Ţepeş Dracul himself! And you, a tiny, insignificant human, believe yourself able to slay me??
?You?re nothing but a monster, an abomination taking the form of a little girl!? The woman spat.
Remilia?s smile widened, ?Awfully brave, aren?t you? You?re lucky that I?ve had my fill today, or you would not be alive right now. What is your name, human??
?I?ll never give it to a monster.?
?You might want to watch your tongue if you wish to keep it, human. You?re hardly in any position to pose a threat to me. Still? you?re an interesting one. No human should have been able to sneak up on me and throw that many knives.?
The vampire stroked her chin as she sized up the vampire hunter in front of her. Her hood had fallen from the scuffle to reveal a rather unusual combination of short silver hair and grey eyes. More interesting was the lack of places to store the amount of knives thrown at her. Certainly, there were a few pockets and pouches here and there, but they weren?t near enough to hold dozens of blades.
?Well?? the woman spat, ?Kill me already.?
?Hmm? I think not. Little happens on these premises, and you?re by far the most interesting thing to have come by in at least a decade. In fact, I believe I will keep you around for the time being.?
The vampire hunter laughed, ?That will be your last mistake, monster. The second you let me go, I?ll kill you.?
?We will see.?
For the first time in what felt like forever, Remilia felt excitement build up inside of her. Smirking, she released her hold on the woman and stepped back.
?Come on then, try and??
The woman wasted no time in going back into her world. Massaging her neck, she glared daggers into the vampire?s cocky expression, hoping to wipe it off her face. Taking the knife she was forced to drop, she began thinking of the exact placement of her knives before another idea popped up.
Obviously simply throwing the knives didn?t work, even when the vampire didn?t know she was there. Stepping towards the little monster, she knelt down to her height and laid the tip of her knife where the vampire?s lifeless heart lay. Her dress and flesh would be ripped apart like soaked parchment, and a gurgled scream would be all the beast would manage. Looking straight into the monster?s bright red eyes, the corner of the woman?s lips turned up. Oh, she was going to delight in the fear in this arrogant vampire?s eyes. She would show it that it was not the predator it thought it was, merely prey.
Taking a deep breath to calm down her excitement, the vampire hunter focused her mind on the target and steadied her hand. Keeping her eyes peeled, she resumed time and immediately thrusted forward.
?? kill??
In an instant a swarm of bats replaced the little girl that was once there. The knife sailed through thin air as the woman yelped in surprise. Falling over due to the momentum of the thrust, her attempt to get back up was quickly thwarted by the vampire transforming back and pressing her knee onto the woman?s back.
?Better, but still not good enough. A bit disappointing, but I supposed it can?t be helped. You are just a human, after all. However, I believe I have an inkling on how just you are able to perform these impossible feats??
Sakuya growled, ?Damn you... ?
?Already am, human. You are still quite a mystery to me, but I believe I will sate my curiosity at a later date. It wouldn?t do to tire of you in a day, now would it??
Remilia eased her knee off the woman?s back and stood back up. Dismissing the human for now, she walked backed to the table and sighed at the sight of her broken wine glass in the midst of dozens of knives.
?Clean that up for me, will you? You caused me to drop it, after all.?
?I am not your servant! I?ll kill you, monster!? The vampire hunter screamed.
Remilia sighed again, ?One thing I am certain of, however, is that you are not a very interesting conversation partner. Can you speak about anything other than killing and monsters? Test my patience further, and you may find my interest in you waning. Clean it up, or you?ll be tomorrow?s dinner.?
Seething in anger, the woman eventually realized she was powerless in her situation. She could not kill the vampire as of right now, but if she followed orders, she would be able to have another attempt at the vampire?s life. Clenching her fists, she swallowed her pride and stood up. Walking towards table, she knelt down and began to stiffly pick up the pieces of glass first.
?It seems you know your place now. Good. Follow me inside and I will provide a tour of my mansion and a place to dispose of the glass. A maid should know about the home she will be taking care of.?
The woman paused. The vampire was letting her inside the mansion? More specifically, she was allowing her to live and work here? The thought of serving a monster disgusted her, but it would open up limitless opportunities and avenues of attack. Not to mention that she would not have to travel through the woods and sneak inside the mansion. Still, the sheer arrogance of the vampire made her seethe even more.
?I tire of sitting around and doing nothing for months on end. Your attempts to kill me will provide some manner of entertainment. Do try not to bore me.?
?I won?t. I?ll be the one who has the last laugh as my knife pierces your lifeless body.?
Remilia laughed, ?How amusing. I believe that something has brought us together. It is almost too convenient that you showed up just as I was about to meet my wit?s end and snap. Tell me, do you believe in destiny??
Destiny. The belief that there is a predetermined course of events that a person will go through, unable to stray from the path. The woman scoffed, ?No, and you are a fool if you believe so.?
?A fool, hm? At least it isn?t monster. We will see, human. There are many forces in this world which act upon the world, unseen by many of which they affect. But that is enough of that. Tell me your name, so I do not have to call you by your species.?
?No.?
Remilia tsked, ?So resistant to merely telling me your name? I suppose it is just one more thing for me to figure out. Fine, I will give you a name to call you by for now. For now on, you are Sakuya. Sakuya Izayoi.?
The woman?s eyebrows furrowed, ?A strange name. I have not heard it before.?
?I have recently become interested in the cultures in the far east. Though I am certainly no expert on their languages, I have picked up a few words and names. I simply thought them fitting. Until you tell me your true name, I will have to refer to you by that.?
Sakuya shrugged, ?It is fine. You may call me what you wish, vampire. It doesn?t matter in the end.?
Remilia grinned, ?Oh? So it will be no problem if you call me your mistress??
?W-what? What makes you-?
The vampire suddenly appeared in front of the new maid?s face, flying to even out the height difference. ?Do not forget your place, Sakuya. I can kill you before you could even scream. You will serve me. You will entertain me. You will do my every bidding. If you want the chance to kill me, you will accept this. Do I make myself clear??
The woman gritted her teeth. ?Yes.?
?Yes what??
Sakuya closed her eyes and forced her pride and dignity down. She needed to do this. It was only temporary, and she would never have to force herself to stoop to this level after she gutted this arrogant vampire. Slowly, she unclenched her hands and calmed down, her anger muted for the moment. It was only after she let the rage past that she realized she cut herself on the glass. Stupid, stupid. She needed to stay calm and collected. She would never be able to kill the vampire otherwise.
Opening her eyes, she caught the vampire in question staring at the cut, eyes glinting at the sight of blood. Remilia quickly recovered and looked back expectantly at the vampire hunter, but it was enough of a reminder to Sakuya of just what she was up against.
?Yes, mistress.?
---
Well. 7 months is better, I suppose. As always, I'm open to any criticism. This is a story that I might actually want to continue, since there's a lot I could do with it. Who knows? Maybe I will. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed!
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