(So I decided yesterday to just force myself to write again. I should be doing a lot of things, but screw that. Thanks to all of you for the encouragement.)
?For the last time, we are not moving the mansion,? Remilia stated firmly, setting down her tea on the table in front of her. ?The Scarlet Devil will not turn tail and flee like some helpless little mouse faced by a rat. Our pride is at stake, and the pride of the Scarlet Devil Mansion is a thing to be preserved.?
The little vampire narrowed her eyes at the woman seated across from her, who sighed in response and crossed her legs beneath her long, purple dress. She rested an elbow on the arm of her chair, gently laying a cheek on that same hand as she eyed Remilia with her bright violet eyes.
?You know,? she began, her voice mature and almost sultry, ?you?re really lucky. I don?t usually come to other youkai like this. Usually I just let them find the place for themselves and slide in. But no, here I am, giving you the best offer of your life, and you?re just going to turn me down?? The woman clicked her tongue, shaking her head in disappointment. Patchouli, lying on a nearby sofa, looked up from her book for a second to shoot the woman a somewhat irritated glance. She said nothing, however, and returned to reading a moment later.
Remilia leaned back in her chair, interlocking her fingers together contemplatively in front of her mouth as her wings rested over her shoulders like a shawl. She closed one crimson eye, eyeing the woman in front of her with the other. ?I?m sure you know that we have a new member of the household. A human, in fact. She?s been here a month now, but she?s slowly acclimating to this new environment.? Slowly, she closed the other eye, measuring her words carefully. ?She would have no place in this?Gensokyo, was it? You keep pitching it as a youkai paradise, but it seems there is no place for a human there.?
The woman giggled, a light and airy sound. ?Of course there are humans as well. Gensokyo is a place where humans and youkai can coexist. A haven for anyone who believes in us, so to speak.?
The vampire considered this for a moment. She reached for her tea once more and took a sip of it, savoring the bloody taste. Finally, her eyes slid open again as she looked straight at the woman. ?I must continue to decline. For now, the mansion will stand its ground. The Scarlet Devils have lasted for centuries here, and we will remain for many more hence.?
The woman just shrugged, sighing in resignation. ?All right, if you?re going to be so adamant about it??
As she stood up and retrieved the parasol that lay against her chair, a jagged crack appeared in midair next to her. Fingers from several hands slid through the crack and shoved it open with a sound like the splitting of an overripe melon, creating a portal to an open dimension colored like rotten flesh and filled with thousands of staring red eyes. The woman took this all in stride, and as she was about to walk through she turned to Remilia one last time, smiling mischievously. ?The offer still stands, though. Maybe one day you?ll see my side of things. I can wait.?
The vampire narrowed her eyes at the woman, but remained silent. Once the woman passed through the portal and the fissure resealed itself, Remilia let loose her irritation by slamming her fist on the arm of her chair. ?Damn that Yukari,? she growled, her eyes burning with frustration. ?Who does she think she is, waltzing into my home and insulting my integrity? I have half a mind to go over to that damn Gensokyo of hers and teach her just what happens to those that disrespect the Scarlet Devil.? Taking a moment out of her monologue, she turned to glare at Patchouli, who was still calmly reading her book. ?And why did you just sit there and let me take all that? You could have helped, you know.?
?The affairs of the mansion are yours to handle,? Patchouli replied, her tone one of boredom as she refused to look up from her reading. ?You are the head of the mansion, after all. I?d think you would have adapted to that after the last couple of centuries.?
Remilia just glared at the librarian for a moment longer. Eventually she relented, sinking into her chair as she massaged her temple. ?Ridiculous?simply ridiculous??
She winced as someone knocked on the door, grating further on her nerves with the irritating sound. ?Come in,? she snapped. In response, the door slowly opened as Sakuya entered the room, looking around the door warily. ?Am I interrupting anything,? she asked, looking at Remilia with concern.
Patchouli raised a hand and motioned for the maid to enter, still focused on reading. ?No, no. We were just having a meeting with someone. Come in. Have you reached a decision yet??
Sakuya nodded, entering the room and closing the door behind her. ?Yes, I?ve decided. I will stay.?
Remilia suddenly perked up at that, letting her hand drop as she looked up at Sakuya. Realizing her own excessive enthusiasm, she quickly composed herself, clearing her throat and sitting up straight. ?Well, I?m certainly glad you decided to stay. You?ve been quite helpful around the mansion.?
?Koakuma has expressed her gratitude, by the way,? Patchouli chimed in. ?She?s much less pressured now, working only in the library.?
Sakuya just nodded in appreciation. After a moment of silence spent fidgeting with her apron, she spoke up again. ?Well. I should return to work.?
?Yes, yes, go ahead.? Remilia waved her hand to dismiss the maid. ?Take care. I?ll call for you if we need anything.?
Once Sakuya curtsied and left the room, Remilia sighed in relief, falling back into her chair again. ?Well, I suppose that?s some good news to counter that minor annoyance. We won?t be losing our maid anytime soon.?
?I get the feeling she?s a bit more important to you than just being a maid, Remilia,? the magician droned. ?Admittedly, she does hold some resemblance to your mother-?
?I know, I know.? The vampire hid her face in her hands, partially out of embarrassment and partially out of building irritation. ?Is it wrong for me to want some memory of my family??
Patchouli defensively raised a finger, though her eyes still never left her reading. ?I never said there was anything wrong with it. Just pointing it out.?
For a minute, Remilia just looked at her. Then, slowly, she slid off her seat, walked over to the sofa, and warmly embraced the magician. A small, pleasant smile grew on Patchouli?s face as she rested her cheek on Remilia?s head, putting an arm around the vampire?s shoulders.
