Author Topic: hungrybookworm's Tasty One Shots - Warmth (Fluffy Reimu/Marisa)  (Read 21504 times)

hungrybookworm

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Time for some random shorts!


I'll probably turn this bit into a table of contents at some point, but first let's kick things off with something I just finished today.

(Contains spoilers for the recent popularity poll results... if you're afraid of being spoilt over that for some reason.)

Gratitude
(AO3 Mirror)

?Those donations won?t appear out of nowhere you know,? said Marisa as she strolled up to the shrine through the snow, her hands on her hips and a huge smile peeking out from under her scarf.

Reimu pulled her head out of the donation box and frowned. ?I?ve plenty of donations already, thank you very much. And what?s that on your dress??

?Oh, this?? Marisa patted the colourful sash draped over her shoulder. ?I found it outside my front door this morning. Check it out.?

Reimu narrowed her eyes. ??Congratulations! #2 in Gensokyo!?? Number two for what??

?I dunno. Anyway, what?re you doing if you?re not fishing for coins??

Reimu raised her arms out of the donation box and produced a small, round cake. ?Someone got a whole cake through the bars. I?m not sure whether it?s a prank, or if someone got confused over where to leave offerings, or what.?

The cake was decorated with simple white icing, and had ?Congratulations! #1 Forever!? clumsily written in red. Marisa almost felt jealous. ?Woah! Cut it up, I?ve been dying for some cake all week.?

?Who said I?d give any to you?? Reimu moved back inside the shrine and placed it on the table. ?And don?t you get plenty at Alice?s house??

??I?d like some cake.?

?Gah!? Both girls jumped. Reimu turned and glared at the new arrival. ?Koishi, don?t do that! How long have you been here anyway??

Koishi shrugged. ?I?m hungry.?

?Oh, you?ve got a number too.? Marisa glanced at her hat. There was a shiny new badge pinned to the ribbon. It was lime green with the number three painted in white.

?Yeah, I woke up and found it on my hat. I don?t know how it got there, but I don?t mind it.? She turned to Marisa. ?Aiming for number one next year??

?Well, eh?? Marisa looked away. ?We?ll see about that.?

Reimu finished cutting the cake into thirds. ?I?ll eat it all myself if you prefer staying out there in the snow.?

?You?ll get fat if you do that.?

?Who?s getting fat!??

*****
Remilia smiled, and pulled the vinyl record out from its sleeve. Beethoven?s Sonata Pathetique. Truly the best in western classical music. All she needed now was some piping hot tea to fully enjoy it. ?Sakuya! Sakuya, where are you??

?Um?? And in came Meiling of all people, in? a maid outfit? ?I?m sorry, but Sakuya-san decided to take the day off.?

?What!?? Remilia?s face went bright red. Sakuya? A day off!? ?Bring her back right this instant!?

?I-I?m really sorry, but she?s gone up Youkai Mountain, so??

?I don?t care; get her back right now!?

*****
Flandre opened her eyes and rolled to one side. Another day. Another morning spent staring at reinforced concrete and peeling damp paint off the walls. She rolled over again, listening to her wings tinkle against the floor, when her foot collided with something.

She shot up, her heart pounding unexpectedly fast. It was a ball, made of what looked like rubber, and there was a note attached to it.

Dear Flan,

Congratulations on finally beating your older sister and gaining fifth place in the poll. To celebrate, we pooled our savings together and bought you a present. It?s an indestructible ball, made from rare material available in the future. Hopefully it?ll brighten up your day a little.

Love, your fans.


Flandre picked it up and spun it around. She rolled the ball over and over in her palms, searching for its weak point.

But there wasn?t one. She wasn?t sure how it was possible, or where it had even come from, but suddenly her hands were damp and her vision blurry, and she could taste salt in her mouth.

Thank you?

*****
Sakuya sighed with relief. A mountain was no place for a human to be in winter, and stopping time had barely helped with the snow. But here she was, in front of the Moriya shrine, feeling horribly guilty for leaving her mistress all by herself for so long. But doing this would build ties long severed for the mansion.

?Oh, a visitor in this weather?? A familiar shrine maiden came out from the main building, half camouflaged in her white outfit.

?Yes, I?m here to see Sanae Kochiya.?

Sanae?s expression fell the moment she recognised Sakuya. ?Oh. You. Here to gloat again this year??

Sakuya had been a bit? rude during her last few visits, but this time was different. ?I?m here to share these with you.? She held out a large velvet pouch. ?There?s some shortbread inside.?

Sanae took the bag and peered inside, worried it was poisoned. ?There?s no? blood or anything right??

?No, it?s for humans.?

The snow silently fell around them, catching in their hair and melting against their cheeks.

?Um, why are you giving me these?? Sanae touched the tag attached to the draw string and turned it over. ??Congratulations on number four??? You still got into the top five?? Her cheeks went pale.

?I?m here to apologise. I?ve been very unladylike in the past.? Sakuya grimaced from the memory. ?And? I look forward to a time? where we can solve an incident together.?

?Together??? Sanae reached into the pouch and pulled out a biscuit. All morning she?d been depressed about her rank. She thought about the time she got number two, how much fun she?d had solving incidents, but now? ?Do you really want to team up with a loser like me? After all those mean things I said back when I was higher than you, and when Youmu was fighting alongside me??

Sakuya smiled. ?I wouldn?t come all the way up here if I didn?t.? And she reached in and took a biscuit too. ?Can we eat these inside? I?m sure your gods will want a few too.?

Sanae brushed the snow off her bare shoulders, and let herself smile a little.

*****
The next day?

?Reimu, there?s about five tons of raw sewage at the back of the shrine and a note from someone called ?your anti-fans?.?

?What!??

The End
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 01:25:49 AM by hungrybookworm »

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2014, 09:48:53 PM »
Longest one shot I've written in years.


Lunar Orbit
(AO3 Mirror)

A spider crawled along the shrine porch. Marisa scooped it up and let it scuttle over her palm, moving her hands in a slow circle to let it keep walking. Eventually she let it down, and it ran out of sight.

It?d been eight days since they?d returned from the Moon, and Reimu still wasn?t back yet. The shrine grounds were covered in a thick layer of frost, and white winter leaves swirled over the tatami mats indoors. A family of mice had taken up residence in the donation box. But despite the obvious signs of neglect, the shrine still smelt of incense.

It still smelt like Reimu, and that just made Marisa feel even worse.

She heard the leaves crunch. Someone was walking up the path to the shrine. Marisa immediately got to her feet, but the figure walking under the torii gate wasn?t the Hakurei shrine maiden. It was a blonde magician with a small doll hovering over her shoulder.

?There you are,? said Alice with a sigh. ?What happened to our weekly study session? It?s not like you to skip a chance to pilfer my books.?

Marisa couldn?t hide her disappointment. ?Oh, I was just lounging around here. I?m thinking of moving in.?

Alice?s expression didn?t change, but her doll twitched. ?That would be nice. I?d get some peace and quiet for once.? She sat down on the porch and placed her grimoire in her lap. ?But I don?t think running a shrine is very profitable.?

?Tell me about it.? Marisa sat down too. The trees hissed as the wind blew. She thought of Reimu peering into her donation box. The way her eyes lit up if she saw the coins gleam in the sun. ?Maybe I?ll turn it into a hotel.?

Marisa checked on the shrine every day. The first morning back had been great fun; she?d gone through the buildings, peeping through cupboards and doors she?d never had the chance to check before. She found a few valuables that were now resting safely in her living room, and a few silly knick-knacks that she?d never expected to find: rejected spell cards, newspaper clippings from a few decades ago (woah, Reimu?s mum was hot) and a collection of old, worn out ying-yang orbs piled up in the store room. Boy was she glad Reimu was away.

But as the days passed, she started getting impatient. It was silly, really. Marisa had plenty of friends, plenty of people to bother and hang out with, and yet every two hours she?d find herself back at the shrine, sitting around and pacing for about fifteen minutes, before getting bored and flying off again. This would go on until sunset. She couldn?t even focus on studying magic; her eyes would glaze over and her mind wandered endlessly. Maybe Reimu was back already. Maybe she came home that night. Maybe she was sitting around drinking tea. Maybe she was covered in bandages from all the lunar torture. Maybe maybe maybe. And then there was that.

*****
The journey had been fine at first. The rocket was spacious, and the different stages gave them privacy if they needed it. There were plenty of books to read ? Patchouli had selected a wide range of grimoires, fiction and novels from the outside world to entertain them. Marisa couldn?t do much practical magic practise, but the books kept her theory in shape at least. Reimu spent most of her time awake in front of the tiny shrine in the wall, her eyes closed. Outside the scenery was the same pale blue.

Marisa had spent whole days at the shrine before, but she?d never been around Reimu this much in the past. True, they didn?t talk much; Reimu had to concentrate, and was usually sleepy by the time she was done for the day, but they often sat together as she did her job. Once Marisa tired of books, she?d watch Remilia and Sakuya interact, or go tease the fairy maids. Then she?d lie down and have a nap, watching Reimu?s mouth move soundlessly as she dropped off to sleep.

Night never came, so for practical reasons everyone slept at the same time. Remilia got the whole upper stage to herself at first, with Sakuya and a maid sharing the middle. Reimu and Marisa shared the bottom with the other two fairies. Everyone had their own futon, and there was plenty of space to roll around and tiptoe to the allocated bucket if nature called. Marisa?s naps were playing havoc with her sleep schedule, and she?d often find herself awake after only a few hours, staring at the wooden ceiling and worrying if she was going insane.

They lost the bottom stage, and Sakuya was permitted to sleep in the same room as the vampire. Everyone else just had to make do. Marisa could still see the bottom stage falling down through the window as she closed the blackout curtains for the evening. She instinctively touched her pocket, making sure for the third time that day the mini-Hakkero was still with her. Her broom and hat were next to the bookcase. Everything was fine.

She woke up four hours later, and saw Reimu staring at her. The fairy maids were sleeping soundly, and the hum of the rocket rumbled gently through the floor. The shrine maiden?s futon sheets were coving her mouth, and her hand was lying upright on her pillow. Marisa stared back at her, wondering if it was some kind of game. Neither of them moved. Then Reimu?s hand twitched, and Marisa found herself reaching out. The sound of the sheets felt deafening. Finally their hands touched, and cupped together like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They couldn?t look away. They lay there, holding hands, afraid that somehow one of the maids would notice, or Sakuya would come down to check on them, or the other might pull away in horror. Finally, Reimu?s cheeks bulged with a smile, and she let go and rolled over. Marisa?s hand felt cold for the rest of the night.

*****
Living in the upper stage was hell. It stank of blood from Remilia?s meals, and they could all barely fit without touching each other. Going to the toilet required everyone in the room to look in the other direction, and the shower Patchouli installed had fallen away with the middle stage.

?She probably assumed we?d be close to the Moon by now,? muttered Remilia. ?But we?ll be fine. Sakuya can just sponge bathe everyone.?

Marisa nearly dropped the book in her hand. ?Are you serious??

?Done.? Sakuya was smiling, holding a bucket full of soapy water (wait, that wasn?t the toilet bucket, was it?) and a sponge. Marisa suddenly felt oddly clean. ?See? That wasn?t so bad, was it??

?Patchy sometimes forgets to bathe, so Sakuya has to give her a wash without disturbing her research,? explained Remilia. ?She?s had a lot of practise, as you can see.?

Marisa felt her face go red in humiliation, and reached for her pocket. ?I- I?ll blast you to pieces!?

?Can you keep it down, please.? Reimu?s voice was cold. Marisa glared at Sakuya, but the maid just kept smiling. It made her skin crawl.

Days passed. The room got hotter. At night Remilia jealously guarded her bed, and everyone else had to somehow fit on the floor. Reimu had been acting like nothing had happened since the night they?d held hands, and Marisa hadn?t exactly brought it up either. She was starting to wonder if it?d all been a dream.

On the sixth day upstairs, something changed. Sakuya and Remilia didn?t notice it, and the fairies didn?t either. There was sweat running down Reimu?s forehead, and her legs trembled in her kneeling position. Marisa had seen it happen once or twice recently, and Reimu usually corrected herself quickly. But it didn?t stop until lunchtime. It happened again the next day, and Marisa felt compelled to check on her. ?Reimu,? she whispered, ?shouldn?t you take a break or something??

Reimu shook her head once, and carried on.

By dinner Reimu was flopped on the floor, staring into space. Her work was over for the day. Sakuya came over with a plate of rice and eggs. ?Good work for today,? she said, placing it on the floor next to her.

?Hey, why?re the portions so small?? Marisa frowned at her own meal. It barely filled up the small plate. ?Are we running out of food??

?It seems we ate a bit too much last week. Don?t worry, there?s still plenty to keep us going.? Sakuya gave her usual professional smile.

?Sakuya, are you sure there?s enough blood in this thing?? Remilia poked her steak with her fork.

?I?m truly sorry, Milady, but if I add more blood then we may well run out later.?

?Hmph.? Remilia pouted, then looked at Marisa. ?Don?t we have emergency rations??

Marisa glared at her, and Sakuya shook her head. ?A magician?s blood has all kinds of toxins in it. If it comes down to that, then I shall have to be the donor.?

?What was the point in bringing her along then??

What was the point indeed? As Marisa lay in her futon watching Sakuya draw the blackout curtains, she hoped the Moon would be worth all this trouble. Her muscles were starting to ache from a lack of exercise, and she was itching to get back to her magic experiments. If she neglected them for too long, her magical power might deteriorate. Maybe she should have just stayed at home after all.

Darkness. She heard Sakuya step gingerly over the fairies, then get into her own futon. Even the maid was too bored to stop time for a kip. Marisa dozed. Reimu was fast asleep in the futon next to her. Remilia snored in the background.

When she next opened her eyes, Reimu was looking at her again. The sheets didn?t obstruct her face this time, and Marisa could see how worn out she looked.

Of course she was worn out. Reimu was spending hours every day keeping them up in the air, using techniques she?d only started learning properly a year ago. If she slacked off even once, they might fall out of the sky and burn up. It suddenly hit Marisa how easy everyone else had it, how her own boredom was a blessing compared to being a human rocket engine and meeting the demands of not one, but three gods. It was a miracle her friend was allowed to sleep at all.

Marisa reached out this time. Reimu didn?t hesitate, holding out her own hand in response. But Marisa didn?t clasp it; she tugged on the shrine maiden?s arm and pulled her in, over to her own futon. Reimu let her, moving like a limp doll. Soon the two of them were lying in the same bed, covered by the same sheet, barely centimetres apart and close enough to whisper without being overheard.

?What?s wrong with you? It?s not like you to show weakness. Why aren?t you asleep??

?I can?t sleep yet, there?s still things I have to do.? Reimu?s voice sounded croaky, even as a whisper.

?You were snoozing just fine earlier.?

?Did you notice anything about our speed??

?Huh?? Marisa frowned. ?No, what about it??

?We?re slowing down.? She felt Reimu sigh. ?And talking to the Sumiyoshi has been tougher these last few days. I?m worried they?re getting bored.?

?Seriously??

?Yes, so I need to think of a way to interest them again. I wouldn?t mind if the vampire got barbequed, and those fairies won?t stay dead so they?ll be fine, but I can?t let two humans in my care die.?

?You?ll die too, you know. We?re too high up to fly, and I doubt your power will help you in space. And stop being stupid, you?re having trouble because you?re tired out. I?m exhausted and I?m not even doing anything.? Marisa tried not to let the panic show in her voice. ?Just get a proper night?s sleep. I?ll even give you some of my food for breakfast, okay? You can pay me back for it once we?re home in Gensokyo.?

?Fine, fine.? Reimu didn?t sound convinced. ?Don?t tell anyone I told you that, by the way. Well, you?re a liar. They won?t believe you.?

?Exactly, you can talk to me in confidence.? Marisa smiled. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and placed a hand on Reimu?s head. Her hair felt soft and conditioned. Clearly Sakuya had been at her with the sponge. ?You?re Reimu Hakurei, remember? Lazy shrine maiden extraordinaire. Now go to sleep.?

?Yeah.? And Reimu moved her head forward, dislodging Marisa?s hand, and rested her forehead against her shoulder. ?I can?t wait for privacy again. I mean, look at me. This is ridiculous.? She touched Marisa?s forearm. Her palm was burning hot. ?I get all touchy-feely just because you?re being nice to me? This is a joke.?

?Are you like this when Yukari?s nice to you too?? Marisa tried to crack a joke to ignore the weird, lightheaded feeling running through her. ?Hey, Reimu? Oh.?

She was asleep. Crap, Marisa had meant to get her out of the bed before that. She?d have to move her herself.

Except she must?ve fallen asleep too, because she blinked and suddenly the rocket was full of light. The blackout curtains were drawn, and Remilia and Sakuya were looking over them with bemused looks on their faces.

?Well, well, well.? Remilia raised her eyebrows. Marisa looked down and saw Reimu still asleep against her.

?I?m not sure whether to be surprised or not.? Sakuya shook her head. ?I knew you two got along, but not quite that much.?

It took all day for Marisa to correct the misunderstanding.

*****
?What was it like on the Moon??

Alice?s question brought Marisa back to the present. They?d been sitting in silence for at least ten minutes, and Alice?s arms were crossed in irritation.

?Oh, um.? Marisa shook her head, trying to act normal. ?Well, getting there was awful. I nearly throttled Remilia.?

?Yes, but what about the Moon itself??

?There were these peach trees. Loads of them.? Marisa frowned in thought. It?d only been just over a week ago, but it felt like forever. ?And the sea.?

Alice?s eyes widened. ?A real sea??

?Yeah.? Marisa grinned, and exaggerated with her arms. ?It was huge! Way bigger than all the lakes in Gensokyo put together!?

*****
Marisa hit the water before she even realised the rocket had broken apart. She screamed, water flooding her lungs, her legs kicking wildly. Wooden debris scratched her skin, and she saw little trails of blood float up to the surface. She flailed her arms, desperately trying to move back up. Then the worst was over and her natural buoyancy kicked in, and soon she was rushing up to the surface.

She broke through, and immediately grabbed the first plank of wood she saw. She coughed and hacked, squeezing her eyes shut as water came up through her mouth and nose. Disgusting. Her eyes stung and everything smelt and tasted of salt. Her head hurt and her scratches throbbed. At least she was alive.

Her panic faded as oxygen flooded back into Marisa?s brain, and she took a look around. Before her was a vast body of water, far wider than anything she?d ever seen before. As a child she could remember being awed by the Misty Lake; now she knew it was a mere puddle. Behind her was a sandy shore several metres away, and what looked like a row of trees.

Where was everyone else?

She looked around, but the sea was deserted. Her hat was stuck to a large chunk of wood to the right, so she paddled over to grab it. Had the blast separated everyone? Reimu?s face appeared in her mind, and she wondered if shrine maidens were ever taught how to swim. Nah, Reimu would be fine. She didn?t need something to kick off against to fly, so she could just float out of the sea. Marisa placed her sodden hat on her head and started doggy paddling over to the shore.

She rolled onto the sand, feeling the grains move under the surf. She lay there for a minute, her hat partially covering her face, enjoying the fact that she was alive and on dry land. The sun beamed down, the waves hissed at her feet. Her wounds stung. Everything was perfect.

But she couldn?t lie there forever. Marisa was an invader, and there could be enemy troops surrounding her any minute. She batted the hat off her face and sat up.

?Oh, you?re alive,? said Reimu, frowning. ?I was just about to poke you too.?

Marisa laughed, and a smile appeared on Reimu?s face. The shrine maiden was sitting a few metres away, squeezing the water out of her sleeves. Her arms looked strangely naked without them. Marisa got up and sat next to her, smug with relief. ?I figured you?d drowned or something. That pond at the back of your shrine doesn?t look big enough to swim in.?

?Oh, well I?m sorry to disappoint you, but I had swimming lessons as part of my training. What about you? I didn?t know the village school?s curriculum included water sports.?

?I got a gold star in synchronised swimming actually.? Marisa looked back at the sea. Now that she was safe on dry land, she could admire its beauty. ?How big do you think that is??

Reimu started putting her sleeves back on. ?Bigger than Gensokyo. Maybe ten times the size.?

Marisa whistled. ?That?s crazy.? She reached into her hat and pulled the mini-Hakkero out from a hidden pocket. She?d been expecting a fight that morning, so she moved it back to its usual place. It was a miracle it hadn?t been lost at the bottom of the sea. ?Alright, it?s not damaged. Oh.?

?Oh?? Reimu looked. ?Oh.?

The mini-Hakkero was drenched. Salt water had mixed in with the fuel. Any Master Sparks Marisa attempted would be damp squibs at best. ?Well crap. That?s me at a handicap.?

?My amulets are drenched too.? Reimu grimaced. ?And the spell cards themselves are soft. I should?ve put a waterproof border around them.?

Marisa quickly pulled out her own cards. They were damp, and the ink had run in a few places, but they?d be useable. ?Maybe this is why we don?t have seas.?

They sighed. Did spell card rules even apply on the Moon? Neither of them were exactly confident in their hand-to-hand combat skills. ?Where?s the vampire and friends?? asked Marisa. ?Seen them anywhere??

Reimu shook her head. ?The maid probably rescued them.?

They sunk into silence after that, watching the sea. After spending so long in the clamour and noise of the upper stage, the gentle sound of the waves felt almost unnatural. Once Reimu started eating half of Marisa?s breakfast on the rocket, her concentration skills improved a little and they managed to get this far without issue. The crash landing was a bit unexpected, and nobody knew how they were going to get back, but at least they got there.

Yes, that?s right. They were on the Moon! There was the sea in front of them! How many generations in Gensokyo had longed to be in their place? Marisa reached down and scooped up some sand. It was dark brown and ran through her fingers like liquid silk.

?Oh, there you are.? Sakuya?s voice rang out from behind them. She looked completely dry. ?Have you seen Milady anywhere? I think she wandered near the peach trees.?

?Nope.? Marisa turned back to the sea. She saw Reimu shrug in the corner of her eye. ?Haven?t seen her or the maids anywhere.?

?Oh dear. Well, I?ll find her, and then we can decide what to do next.?

?Okay.? And she heard Sakuya walk away through the sand. Soon they were alone again. Reimu sighed.

?Hm?? Marisa looked at her.

?Oh, nothing. I was just worried it was only us.? She stood up, brushing the sand off her skirt.

?Yeah, that would?ve been pretty bad.? Marisa stood up too, feeling slightly disappointed for some reason. ?What should we do then? Fish??

?Fish?? Reimu laughed, and started taking her shoes off. ?I want a paddle.?

?You?re kidding. After all the swimming we just did??

?I?ll race you.?

?Fine, you?re on.? Marisa kicked her shoes off and tossed them onto dry sand. ?Hey, flying?s not fair!?

They ran into the sea, kicking water at each other and giggling like little children. The whole shore was their playground, and for the first time in weeks they could finally exercise.

?Not so fast!?

Reimu was already running ahead. ?Catch me if you can then!?

Marisa leapt forward and tackled her, grabbing the back of her friend?s legs. Reimu shrieked and the two of them tumbled to the ground, causing a huge splash. The wet sand got everywhere, turning their clothes a muddy brown. ?What was that for?? Reimu pouted, then scooped up some wet sand. ?I?ll get you for that!?

?Oh, sand danmaku, huh? You?re on!? Marisa used both hands to grab as much as possible. ?Take this!?

The huge ball plopped to the ground, missing Reimu by a long short. Marisa felt something wet and slimy hit her forehead. ?Hey!?

?Haha! Dodge this too!? Reimu was already grabbing more. Marisa dived for her again, aiming to knock her into the water, but Reimu just stepped to one side. The magician fell with another huge splash. ?Oh, is the gravity difference getting to you, Marisa??

But Marisa was already moving. Reimu?s hand was in grabbing distance, and she snagged it before the shrine maiden could react. Reimu was yanked forward, and the two of them suddenly collided, yelping, laughing, feeling the sea beat against them. They rolled to one side, a tangle of limbs, and Marisa was suddenly aware of how close they were. Reimu?s nose was touching her cheek. ?Hey, Reimu, um??

A hand grasped her wrist, and soft lips pressed against the corner of her mouth. Marisa froze, her brain barely registering what was happening. Her sense of smell, her sight, her mind was suddenly overwhelmed by Reimu. A cold hand touched Marisa?s cheek, and moved her head slowly to one side. Their lips overlapped.

Marisa shot up, as though a jolt of electricity had run through her. ?What are you doing!??

Reimu looked away, hurt. Marisa instantly regretted it. They sat there in silence, neither woman knowing what to say.

Eventually Reimu stood up, and started moving back to the peach trees. ?We should try fishing.?

?Y-Yeah.? Marisa got up too.

?I wouldn?t bother,? said a cold voice. ?That sea is dead.?

A woman moved out from the foliage. She held a long, thin sword, and had a patronising look on her face. A Lunarian.

Marisa felt her face go bright red in horror. ?How long were you there for??

The Lunarian looked deeply uncomfortable, and momentarily looked away. ?Ever since you took your shoes off.?

She saw Reimu rub her face before glaring at the stranger. ?Well, you should?ve come out earlier. It?s bad taste to spy on people like that.?

?I don?t want to hear that from an impure human.? The Lunarian?s voice cooled, and her mouth turned upwards in a sneer. ?Dirty animals you are.?

*****
?So what happened after you saw the sea??

Marisa couldn?t tell her the truth of course. ?Well, we tried to go fishing, then this scary Lunarian showed up, and we ended up having a fight.? She groaned at the memory. ?It was a joke.?

?As in, she was a joke?? Alice smiled.

?No, the whole fight was terrible. We were pretty shaken by the? rocket landing, so me and Reimu weren?t thinking straight. She was going to cut us to ribbons, but I managed to persuade her to try out a spell card duel.?

?Oh? Do they have spell cards on the Moon??

?No, and there?s nothing enforcing the rules either.? Marisa grimaced. ?We had to teach her a bare bones version of it, then we took turns trying to attack her with water-damaged spell cards and barely functioning weaponry. It was awkward as hell.?

?Sounds fun.? Alice glanced at her doll, undoubtedly wondering if she could?ve managed it. ?Who won??

?She ripped through us. Reimu managed a draw.? She felt her expression darken with guilt at the mention of Reimu. ?After that we got sent back here.?

?Except Reimu.?

?Except Reimu, yeah.? Marisa wasn?t given time to explain things after the battle. Reimu hadn?t looked at her as she was led away. ?They?re probably stretching her out on the rack as we speak.?

Alice shrugged, then looked back at the torii gate, deep in thought. The sun was starting to set. ?Marisa.?

?Yeah??

?What are you going to do if Reimu doesn?t come back??

The trees shook. A bird sang its evening call.

?I?ll go up there and get her back myself.?

Alice laughed. ?Well, good luck with that.? She picked up her grimoire and stood up. ?I?m going home. Coming??

?Nah, I?ll stay here a bit longer.?

?Suit yourself.? And Alice began walking down the path, not turning back. Once she was gone, Marisa stared up at the sky. The Moon had been out all day, and it was finally starting to glow. She covered her lips with one hand, and lowered the brim of her hat.

The End

hungrybookworm

  • Shipper On Board
Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles - Drizzle
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2014, 01:38:26 PM »
More ReiMari!

Drizzle
(AO3 Mirror)

She heard the rain before she saw it. She could tell it was coming from the way the trees rustled; from the soft roar in the near distance. It was a lukewarm spring day, cloudy and damp, and finally the atmosphere had given way. Reimu covered her head and ducked inside the shrine, clutching her broom. Moments later she was sitting in the main room, nursing a steaming hot cup of tea and watching brown pinpricks of rain covering the porch. The roof rumbled. The scenery outside blurred. For a moment the scent of vegetation and wet earth became overwhelming, amplified by the humidity.

And almost as quickly as it came, the rain thinned into drizzle, the grass glittering with puddles. The visible sky was still a deep grey. Reimu sipped her drink, wondering whether to go back outside. It wasn?t like she had anything pressing to do. On days like this it was rare for her to get any visitors at all, let alone worshippers from the Human Village. Everyone wanted to stay indoors if possible. She could probably close the shrine for the day and it wouldn?t make a difference.

It wasn?t like she got many visitors anyway. Sometimes Reimu wondered what the point was.

She placed her cup back on the table, and tried to think of something to do. Training was out of the question (she wasn?t that bored) but Reimu had finished most of the chores that morning. She glanced around the room, hoping to find a stray cobweb, but her eyes settled on the wall opposite. Behind it was the hall of worship.

Of course, that was always an option, but Reimu couldn?t see why this time would be any different. The Hakurei god never said anything. Trying to communicate with it was hopeless.

Oh she knew it was there. She could feel it residing in her whenever she performed her kagura dance, and the faint spiritual energy lurking around the building made it obvious it was occupied, but the god gave no hints to its true identity, its blessings, or even its opinions on how Reimu ran the shrine. All she had to go on was the surrounding architecture and the yin-yang orbs that lived in the sanctuary. Maybe it was for the best; Reimu would hate to be bossed around all day by an irate god. She valued peace and quiet.

She thought of the Moriya shrine. Sanae had invited her up just last week, and the difference between them couldn?t have been more obvious. There was a small, but steady stream of tengu and kappa visiting throughout the day, and once Suwako was lured out by the promise of booze they had a fun, fiery conversation about Shinto practices and danmaku. Reimu flew home before sunset, slightly tipsy and wondering if her own god referred to her as ?my Reimu?. (Probably not. She doubted her god had anything nice to say about her. Just as well it never spoke.)

A strong breeze blew cold, wet air into the main room. The rain was intensifying again, and Reimu felt strangely sad. She shouldn?t think about the Moriya shrine; it always left her wistful. She put her cup back on the table and let herself fall sideways onto the tatami mats, staring at the ceiling as though willing it to leak, to give her something to do.

Where was Marisa at a time like this?

The tatami mats crackled slightly as she rolled over. Marisa hated flying in the rain. Reimu didn?t enjoy it much either, and technically speaking you weren?t supposed to go up if there was a chance of lighting, but Marisa seemed perfectly fine flying to the shrine in most weather. It was going back home that seemed to be the problem. At the smallest raindrop Marisa would always sigh, shake her head and say, ?Guess I?m staying over tonight.? These days she even carried a toothbrush and a change of underwear with her. ?I sleep over at Alice?s sometimes too,? Marisa had protested when asked about it. ?And I?ve been stranded at Kourindou and Patchouli?s place in the past. I?m just being prepared.? She should bring a blanket and pillow with her too; sleeping on the tatami every time couldn?t be that comfortable.

Reimu wondered if she should buy a second futon, but it felt like she?d be admitting to something if she did. She could never work out whether she actually liked having Marisa around all the time. At first she?d found her really, really annoying. Some brat who dragged her left, right and centre for a bit of training, then pestered her with endless questions on how everything worked. What were those weird black and white balls? What about that funny stick? How many youkai did she fight every week? She?d follow Reimu around on extermination missions, and sometimes beat her to the culprit. It was infuriating.

And yet, somehow Marisa ended up being one of the few people she could relax around. As time passed and her hero worship of Reimu cooled, Marisa became just another friend who came round to drink tea, albeit a more welcome one than the endless supply of youkai eager to tease her and scare humans away from the shrine. Oh she was still annoying, though significantly less so than before, and Reimu always seemed to be missing one or two items after Marisa went home, but she had no desire to chase her away. Originally they?d have a danmaku duel or two, then chat for half an hour before Marisa headed elsewhere. But these days they spent less time playing and far more time talking. They never seemed to run out of topics: the weather, local gossip, anecdotes, silly folklore titbits, weird danmaku ideas, the odd moneymaking scheme... then before they knew it the sun was setting, and Marisa was holding her broom and waving goodbye. Another day successfully wasted together.

And once Marisa was gone, the shrine always felt larger, quieter, even more empty than it did before. Reimu would put the tea set away and wash up plates, then if it was dark enough she would begin closing up the shrine for the night. She?d lie in her futon, listening to the crickets chirp outside. The moonlight left grid patterns on the floor. She?d stare at nothing until sleep came.

Marisa made socialising look so easy it was unfair. Reimu had power, could beat up any youkai who looked at her funny, but could never get further than an awkward silence with other humans her age. A few had tried, had made an effort to invite her to parties and talk to her in the street, but it rarely went anywhere. The girls just wanted to complain and talk about boys, and the boys just wanted to show off. At gatherings they would all laugh and gossip about people in the village, or events Reimu didn?t participate in, and make plans amongst themselves. Reimu would excuse herself and head home early, back to her half-deserted shrine where Suika might be lying in a drunken stupor right in front of the donation box, or Yukari might have stolen the buns she was saving for dinner, or Kasen might be waiting to nag her about some part of her shrine maiden duty she was failing at. But Marisa would come the next day with some cake from Alice?s place, or a pile of books from the Scarlet Devil Mansion, or some wacky contraption she grabbed at a kappa bazaar, and Reimu would wonder why she didn?t just spend all day with Alice and Patchouli and Nitori. Why she always came back to her miserable shrine, time and time again.

If things were different, if Marisa had been born a Hakurei, then the god would definitely talk to her. Reimu was sure of it. A part of her wanted to try teaching Marisa a few shrine maiden skills just to see if it?d happen, but the other part of her knew she?d regret it. Marisa?s progress made her feel incompetent sometimes. (Of course, if it bothered her that much, then Reimu knew she should just train more. Marisa made it clear that she thought power was everything, but for Reimu power was just another part of her job. Training for the sake of it was a waste of time.)

Reimu rolled over again and gazed at the trees outside. Everything seemed darker, richer, more interesting. She briefly thought about going back out, just to wander around, but her mind was still on Marisa. How nice she always looked when she smiled. How her blonde hair puffed up in light rain. How she always invited loads of people to the shrine parties, and sat next to Reimu at dinners. Even though she had so many friends, so many other people she could devote her time to, Marisa was always coming over, throwing water in her face when she thought the shrine was on fire and finding reasons to stay over and make a nuisance of herself. Reimu had seen a second futon on sale in the Human Village just yesterday, and it was discounted. She could have bought it.

Reimu groaned and covered her face with her hands.

The first night Marisa stayed over had been a torrential downpour. Reimu could remember hearing the drainpipes gurgling, worrying that they might overflow. Marisa had been sitting opposite her, staring at the curtain of rain with a conflicted look on her face.

?I only have one futon, you know,? Reimu had said, in the hope that it might push her one way or the other.

?Will you be alright on the floor?? Marisa grinned, and Reimu nearly kicked her. In the end Marisa fell asleep on the other side of the room, and Reimu lay awake trying not to listen to her breathing. The next morning Marisa made breakfast, and they carried on like they always did. Reimu doubted either of them expected it to become a habit.

She should have bought that futon.

No, enough. Reimu sat up and smoothed down her hair. She had to find something to do. Anything. Once her inner monologue got going, all kinds of uncomfortable truths got dragged into the open. Yesterday afternoon Marisa had shown up with dumplings, and they?d shared them while lamenting the brown, crumbly piles of mush that used to be the cherry blossom. At one point Reimu had passed her a cup of freshly brewed tea, and their hands touched for barely a second. Outside the weather stayed cloudy, and as Marisa left Reimu bit back the urge to ask her to stay. That night all she could think about was touching her hand, kissing her cheek. But no. No no no. Having her as a friend was complicated enough.

Time to find something to do. It was still raining outside, but so what? Donations. Yes, Reimu should check the donation box. She got up and stepped outside. She was out for barely ten seconds, but the drizzle soaked her clothes, spraying raindrops on her neck and shoulders.

The sun stayed hidden until evening.

Tengukami

  • Breaking news. Any season.
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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2014, 02:14:51 PM »
Man, I am really enjoying Existential Crisis Reimu. Her whole purpose at her shrine, her relationship with her god (by itself a topic really worth exploring) and her comparing her shrine to Moriya's would seem like an examination of Reimu As Shrine Maiden. But her reflecting on Marisa's sociability shows us there's something else going on here; that this is more Reimu trying to get closer to her identity than her profession, which she seems to get are not one and the same.

I think the pacing could be tightened up a bit, but apart from that, this is a very promising exploration of some pretty big implications. I look forward to more!

"Human history and growth are both linked closely to strife. Without conflict, humanity would have no impetus for growth. When humans are satisfied with their present condition, they may as well give up on life."

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2014, 03:38:42 PM »
The hardest part of this fic was keeping Reimu's train of thought going in the direction I wanted it to, while also keeping it natural, so I wouldn't be surprised if the pacing's a bit looser than it should be. I'm glad you liked it though, thank you!

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2014, 08:18:06 PM »
I caught up with Japan on Forbidden Scollery, and this was the result. A bit lighter and sillier than usual, but still serious in places. Features the usual ReiMari, and some Kosuzu/Akyuu as well.

Midwinter Fieldwork
(AO3 Mirror)

Another quiet day in Suzunaan. The winter sun shone through the windows, the gramophone played Bach, and Kosuzu sipped some tea before an open book. The room smelt faintly of wood and dust, and in the corner two customers huddled together, scanning the shelves.

?Come on, Reimu. This is the wrong section.?

?Hold on, I want to check a few recipes.?

Kosuzu watched them nervously. The two most famous youkai exterminators in Gensokyo rarely came into her shop just to browse, but here they were, enjoying a lazy day together in the company of books.

?Hmm, maybe we should try making this for dinner.?

?Go rent the book out if you like it that much. I?m gonna get what we actually came for.?

A few minutes later Marisa approached the desk holding two books. One was a thick cookbook on Chinese cuisine, and the other a dog-eared paperback written in English. Reimu was waiting near the door, impatient. After paying (and confirming that yes, the discount had been applied), Marisa tucked the books under her arm, put a hand on Reimu?s shoulder, and they left the shop.

*****
?Um, Akyuu.? Kosuzu looked down at the floor, twiddling her fingers. ?There?s something I?ve been meaning to ask you.?

Akyuu glanced up from her book. It was evening now, and the shop was filled with a warm orange glow. ?What is it??

?Uh, well, it?s just...? Kosuzu paused, feeling her cheeks go red. ?Are Reimu-san and Marisa-san... going out??

Akyuu paused for a moment, then put a hand to her chin. ?I?ve been wondering that myself, actually.?

Kosuzu tried not to smile as she sipped her tea. So she wasn?t imagining it! ?I mean, they?re always hanging out and talking to each other, and if one of them was a boy the whole village would be gossiping over it, wouldn?t they??

Akyuu nodded. ?The few times I visited the shrine they were both there.?

?Marisa-san?s usually there when I go too.? Kosuzu was getting fired up. ?And when they came into the shop last week, they were standing really close! Like their clothes were sewn together or something.?

?Hm, well don?t get too excited.? Akyuu shook her head, blushing slightly. ?I mean, we talk all the time, but we aren?t going out.?

?W-Well yeah.? Kosuzu blushed too.

?But... it might be of interest to the Gensokyo Chronicle. It could affect the future of the Hakurei line, after all.?

?You?re right. Maybe we should investigate!?

Akyuu looked away. ?That wasn?t quite what I had in mind...?

?Why not? It?ll be fun!?

?I think spying on people is a bit tasteless.?

?What about all those bushes you hid in to research youkai?? Kosuzu crossed her arms and frowned at her.

?Those were special circumstances.? Akyuu grimaced. ?And my health isn?t exactly the best, so I?d rather...?

?Oh, right.? Kosuzu sank back in her chair, feeling a bit guilty. ?Sorry.?

?It?s fine.? Akyuu closed her book. ?It?s getting late. Maybe we can continue this conversation tomorrow??

?Ah, you?re right.? Kosuzu looked up at the clock. It was almost dinner time. ?I?ll check the book out for you.?

?Thanks.?

*****
Akyuu returned the next day around early afternoon, her eyes gleaming. ?I thought about things last night, and I think you?re right.?

?Right about what?? asked Kosuzu behind a large pile of unsorted books.

?As the writer of the Gensokyo Chronicle, I have a duty to depict Gensokyo?s current cultural and sociological attitudes for the sake of future generations.?

?Umm.? Kosuzu tried to remember that part of the conversation. ?Did we really talk about that??

?Due to the overwhelming gender bias among youkai and Gensokyo?s reputation as a more liberal-minded colony, there are plenty of same sex couples found around Gensokyo, but traditionally very few of them are made up of two humans.? Akyuu stepped further into the room. ?However, times have changed.?

?Uh, Akyuu.?

Akyuu seized Kosuzu?s hand, excitement burning in her eyes. ?And what could be a more perfect way to show that than a section on the current Hakurei shrine maiden?s love life??

?Oh.? Kosuzu smiled, and grasped her hand back. ?You?re right! It?s totally normal in the Human Village now! My uncle got married to his partner just the other day!?

?Precisely! I-I mean,? Akyuu calmed down slightly. ?I?ll ask permission before publishing it, of course, but it would be bad if I wrote the article before confirming the facts.?

?Yes, yes!?

?Are you free later this afternoon? The weather?s clear, so I should be able to walk safely to the shrine by myself, but some company wouldn?t go amiss.?

Kosuzu?s shift ended in an hour. ?Of course!? She squeezed Akyuu?s hand, and looked into her friend?s eyes. ?We?ll solve this mystery together!?

*****
The shrine was deserted. Kosuzu moved to sit on the steps, but Akyuu was already heading behind the main building, aiming for the woods. She wasn?t wearing her usual elegant outfit, but had switched to tatty, baggy brown overalls. Her hair was hidden underneath a plain hat. Kosuzu was still wearing her work clothes. ?Wait, Akyuu, what are you doing??

?We need to hide of course.? She smiled. ?We can?t get any accurate observational data if our subjects can see us.?

?I thought you didn?t want to spy on them.?

?It?s fine if it?s for the Chronicle.? Akyuu stepped into the undergrowth. ?Don?t worry, I?ve done far more dangerous things in my previous lives.?

?Oh, all right then.? Kosuzu had come this far, and the thought of playing spy was pretty exciting. She followed Akyuu into a thick, brambly bush. It was surprisingly snug inside, and they had a great view of the shrine porch.

?What if they go indoors?? asked Kosuzu. They couldn?t see inside the shrine building from here.

?Then we?ll try again another day.? Akyuu got out a small pair of binoculars. ?And now, we wait.?

They didn?t have to wait long. A few minutes later they heard voices, and soon Reimu and Marisa appeared carrying several large bags of rice.

?Do you really have to buy this much at once?? complained Marisa, wobbling slightly.

?It?s cheaper this way,? said Reimu, already heading into the main room. ?And it?s your fault for eating me out of house and home.?

Marisa grumbled and followed her inside. Kosuzu and Akyuu grinned at each other. Five minutes later they returned outside and sat on the porch, Reimu carrying a tea set. It was a clear, crisp afternoon, the blue sky clear of clouds.

?Another lazy day.? Marisa picked up the teapot and helped herself.

Reimu held out her empty cup. ?Just the way it should be.?

After that they sat around, stared at the sky, and chatted about all kinds of mundane things. Kosuzu changed her seating posture again, trying to stop her legs going numb. Akyuu was perfectly still beside her, her writing brush and notebook poised. Akyuu?s memory was brilliant, but she still benefitted from taking notes it seemed.

Half an hour passed. Kosuzu didn?t want to admit it, but she was getting bored. ?M-Maybe they are just friends after all,? she whispered, glancing at Akyuu.

?Indeed.? Akyuu looked uneasy. ?I?m starting to feel like a peeping tom, personally.?

?Maybe we should stop??

?Maybe.? Akyuu glanced around her. ?Though... I suppose we didn?t think this through.?

?Huh??

?They?ll notice us if we try and move from the bush.? Akyuu pressed her fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes. ?We can?t leave until they go inside.?

?Ah.? That?s bad. Kosuzu said she?d be back before dinner. And she was meant to help clean the shop later. ?Um, how long do they normally spend on the porch??

?I?m not sure.? Akyuu opened her eyes again. ?Do you have any water??

?Yes.? Kosuzu brought a water bottle and some snacks, just in case.

?Can I have some??

Kosuzu handed her the flask. A strand of Akyuu?s hair had fallen out of her hat, and she moved it aside as she drank. For a moment Kosuzu felt acutely aware of her friend?s fragility. Doing this in the summer would have been out of the question.

?Are you feeling all right?? Kosuzu had to check.

?I?m fine, just thirsty.? Akyuu grimaced. ?And uncomfortable, I suppose.?

They glanced back at the shrine. Marisa was lying on her back, her knees bent upwards. Reimu was sitting near her feet, her arms crossed. They were still deep in conversation. Kosuzu felt envious watching them. She and Akyuu couldn?t talk non-stop like that. The mysterious woman who visited the shop usually left before Kosuzu could strike up a conversation, much to her disappointment, and most of her friends from school had long grown distant. How lovely it would be to find someone like-minded, and just talk and talk as the hours flew by. Kosuzu was sure she?d fall in love with someone like that.

Reimu smiled and leant sideways, resting her cheek against Marisa?s leg. Her expression was full of affection. Kosuzu felt her face go red, and her stomach turned with guilt. They couldn?t stay here. They were watching something personal, something intimate. She grabbed Akyuu?s hand, and moved to stand up.

?Don?t,? said Akyuu, trying to pull her back down, ?we?ll be see-?

There was a loud clicking sound, like a camera shutter. Kosuzu and Akyuu froze. Reimu leapt away from the porch, startled, and Marisa turned over. The magician looked deeply annoyed, and was staring right at Kosuzu and Akyuu?s bush.

A chill ran through the air. Akyuu?s hand felt clammy with sweat. Kosuzu was too afraid to move, too afraid to even breathe.

?What was that?? Reimu picked up her gohei.

?A camera. It came from that bush over there.?

Kosuzu and Akyuu looked at each other. They hadn?t brought a camera, had they? Marisa was getting up now, heading towards their hiding place. It was all over.

?Ah, guess you caught me.? A voice rang out to the left, and the bush right next to theirs shook. A crow tengu stood up, leaves stuck in her short hair and a victorious smile on her face. ?But it?s too late. I?ve got the pictures.?

?Aya...? A dark shadow covered Reimu?s face. ?I should?ve known.?

?You know, the bookmakers up on Youkai Mountain have odds of three-to-one on Marisa confessing first.? Aya shrugged her shoulders in exaggeration. ?I had two thousand yen riding on Reimu, personally. This picture will cause quite a stir.?

 ?What kind of idiot puts money on Reimu outside a danmaku battle?? Marisa reached into her pocket, and pulled out her mini-Hakkero. ?I mean, come on. I?m a sure bet.?

?Oh, is that a confession?? Aya raised her eyebrows, and looked in Reimu?s direction. ?So have you already become an item??

?It?s none of your business!? Reimu?s face was bright red with anger. ?You tengu have some nasty hobbies, spying on us like that. Maybe someone needs to teach you a lesson.?

?By all means. I?m not giving you the negatives though, not without a fight.?

?Come on,? hissed Akyuu, tugging Kosuzu?s hand. ?We need to get out of here!?

Reimu and Marisa were distracted. Aya hadn?t noticed them. It was the perfect opportunity.

?I?m taking her on, Marisa. You stand aside.? Reimu stepped forward, her eyes locked on the tengu.

?What, after she didn?t bet on me? No way am I taking that lying down.?

?I?ll take you both on if you want,? said Aya. ?At the same time.?

Kosuzu was tempted to watch, but Akyuu was already heading out of the bush. They ducked, weaved through the foliage, then sprinted through a metre of open grass to the front of the shrine.

Success. They heard a shout of ?Fantasy Seal!? in the distance. Akyuu coughed, and shivered suddenly. Kosuzu noticed that they were still holding hands.

?Sorry,? said Akyuu, covering her mouth with her free hand. They had left the water bottle back in the bush. ?I should?ve known better.?

?No, it?s fine, it was my idea in the first place.? Kosuzu touched her friend?s shoulder, worried. ?Um, you?re not gonna... die or anything, are you??

Akyuu laughed. ?No, no, I?ll be fine tomorrow. This is normal.?

They stood in silence for a while, staring at the view beyond the torii gate. Yells, shouts and small bangs echoed far behind them.

?They are going out, aren?t they,? said Akyuu.

?Definitely,? said Kosuzu.

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles - Touchy-Feely (RenMeri)
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2014, 10:47:46 PM »
Who's up for some light and fluffy Sealing Club stuff?

Touchy-Feely
(AO3 Mirror)

Renko chose her words carefully. She placed her lukewarm teacup back in its saucer, and stared straight at her companion. ?Merry, can I ask you something??

Maribel Hearn raised her eyebrows. ?What is it??

?Well...? Renko had been meaning to ask this for a while. She twiddled her thumbs. ?I?ve been wondering, you see. Um... why are you so... touchy-feely with me??

?Touchy-feely??

?Don?t get the wrong idea!? Renko waved her hand quickly. ?I don?t hate it. I?m just curious. That?s all.?

It started a few weeks after they first met. Maribel would pat Renko?s arm when things didn?t go as planned, rub her shoulders whenever she complained about exam stress, lean forward and sort out her hair parting if it looked wonky... They were fleeting, sudden touches, and at first Renko hated them. She assumed it was cultural: Maribel wasn?t Japanese, and probably thought it was normal. Renko assumed she would stop after a while.

But as time passed Renko found herself not minding it, liking it even. Once or twice she even took the initiative, grabbing Maribel?s hand during club activities and pulling her along, smiling like an idiot the whole way.

?Hmm.? Maribel frowned. It was the same expression she wore when she saw a particularly hard kanji compound, and Renko worried for a moment that ?touchy-feely? was beyond her vocabulary. ?By ?touchy-feely?, do you mean this??

She put down her teaspoon, and placed her hand over Renko?s. She squeezed it.

?Yeah, that.? Renko smiled, and quickly glanced away. She was glad the cafe was mostly empty. ?I?m guessing it?s normal where you?re from, right??

Maribel didn?t say anything. Then she grimaced slightly, and moved her hand away. ?It?s not really normal. Maybe if I was American...?

?Ah.?

?It?s just embarrassing to say.? She sighed, and picked up her teaspoon again. ?I?ll tell you later, when we get home.?

Of course, after that Renko couldn?t concentrate. She shuffled her feet under the table, impatient for an answer. Finally Maribel finished her slice of cake, and they stood up to leave. It was darker than usual outside, thick clouds threatening the city with rain. Renko swung her umbrella like a pendulum, and it didn?t start pouring until they were safely under the bus shelter.

The journey felt longer and more rickety than usual, and by the time they finally arrived back at Maribel?s studio flat Renko thought she was going to explode. As soon as the door was closed and Maribel?s shoes were tucked away, Renko grabbed her arm and asked: ?Well? Why are you so touchy-feely??

Maribel laughed. Renko wondered if she?d been made a fool of. ?Sorry Renko, you just looked so funny there.? She reached out and took Renko?s hat off. ?I would have told you in the cafe if I?d known it was bothering you that much.?

Renko?s cheeks went red. ?I?m not bothered.?

Maribel tossed the hat onto the sofa. Then, before Renko realised what she was doing, Maribel leant forward and hugged her.

?M-Merry!?

?I?m touchy-feely because I want to make sure you?re real.? Maribel whispered into her ear. ?That?s all. Sorry it?s nothing big.?

?No, don?t be sorry!? Renko hugged her back. ?Of course I?m real, you idiot. I?m a living breathing human being.?

?I know,? she said. ?I just wonder, sometimes. You know.?

?You?re so silly sometimes, Merry.? Renko sighed. ?And even if I was just a part of your dreams, we?re working on making those real, aren?t we?? She pulled away, her hands still gripping her shoulders. ?So I?ll be real no matter what happens!?

Maribel looked relieved. ?Renko...?

The rain tapped against the window pane.

?Thank you.?

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious Drabbles - Rebirth (Akyuusuzu)
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2014, 08:48:36 PM »
And now for something 180 degrees in the other direction.

This is a tragedy with major character death. Consider yourselves warned.

Rebirth
(AO3 Mirror)

Somewhere deep in the Hieda house, a clock struck midnight. Akyuu rolled over, listening to its muffled chimes. Her room was pitch black, her attendants having long gone to bed, and her futon sheets were sticky with sweat. Akyuu slept fitfully nowadays, sometimes unsure if she was awake or asleep in the midst of fever. She had a permanent headache, and shivered constantly.

None of her servants could bring themselves to smile around her. The doctor just shook his head when he came to visit. Everyone knew the fate of the Child of Miare. Their brilliant memory came at a cost, and it would soon be time to pay it.

 Akyuu knew she should be thankful. Some of her previous incarnations left behind children and loved ones, and passed away full of regrets. Some of them died all alone, lying on bloodied sheets in a wrecked room. The Hieda family?s history was as varied and volatile as Gensokyo?s, and Akyuu was relieved that her ninth incarnation had gone so smoothly.

That wasn?t to say she felt at peace, however.

The clock fell silent. Akyuu smiled to herself, almost excited for a moment. She hadn?t felt this pleased since her reincarnation confirmation arrived last year.

For the first time in her long memory, she had reached her thirtieth birthday.

She heard a door opening somewhere down the corridor. Pain shot through Akyuu?s head, and she rubbed her forehead in an attempt to ease her headache. She?d asked to be left alone at night. During the day she was surrounded by people, always fretting over her, trying to make her comfortable, even accompanying her to the toilet. Akyuu would rather die unobserved in the witching hour than lose her last shred of privacy.

The footsteps got louder, and Akyuu?s head pounded in time with them. She hoped she was just imagining things, and it wasn?t a worried servant coming to check on her. She rolled over, annoyed, hoping they would go away. Her eyelids drooped.

When she woke up again, there was someone sitting next to her futon. She stared at the silhouette, trying to recall who it belonged to. Ten seconds passed before she realised it was an adult woman. Twenty seconds passed before she recognised the woman?s face. She shook in disbelief.

Relief flooded through her.

?I?ve been waiting for you,? said Akyuu slowly. ?I thought you weren?t going to show up.?

?Happy thirtieth birthday, Akyuu,? said the silhouette. ?I?m sorry I missed all the others.?

?Kosuzu...? Akyuu reached out a hand, to touch her. ?You?re really here, right? I?m not dreaming, am I??

?I?m here, I?m real.? Kosuzu Motoori grasped her hand. Her palm felt rougher than Akyuu remembered. ?Mamizou-san took me to the mountains to train. I?ve been with the tanuki all this time, in the outside world.?

Akyuu smiled weakly. ?Oh Kosuzu. All my lectures back then were a waste.?

?Sorry.?

Akyuu could see her better now. Kosuzu was wearing a simple kimono, and her hair was down. Her trademark bells were missing, and she looked thinner than before. Her smile was kind, but had a sinister edge to it.

Ten years ago, Kosuzu ran away from home. Her parents woke up to find all the youma books gone, money missing from the till, and an apologetic note from their daughter. The village looked everywhere for her. Even Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame couldn?t find her. But it was clear what had happened.

Akyuu had known for a while that Kosuzu was losing her humanity. She had a front row seat to the spectacle, and was powerless to stop it.

?Why did you come back?? Akyuu wasn?t sure where to begin. She had so many questions. ?Why now??

?I heard you were dying,? said Kosuzu. ?I wanted to say goodbye to you.?

?Are you going to eat me??

?I only eat humans when I have to.?

?Some youkai you are.? Akyuu squeezed her hand. ?I dedicated a section in the Gensokyo Chronicle to you: several pages on early human-youkai transformation stages with examples.? She had to rewrite it over and over, because her teardrops made the ink run. ?Your parents made information pamphlets out of it and passed them around.?

 ?Do you hate me, for becoming a youkai??

Kosuzu?s voice was weak, and full of remorse. It relieved Akyuu that she felt at least a little guilty about it.

?I do hate you, a little.? Akyuu didn?t want to lie. This was her last opportunity to be honest. ?You were my best friend and you treated me like a normal person. I thought we shared all our secrets together. You might as well have slapped me across the face when you left.?

?I?m sorry.?

?Your parents almost went mad with grief. I couldn?t work on the Chronicle for months because I missed you so much. We held a service for you at the shrine, and Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame wouldn?t look me in the eye. They told me later that you?d been messing around with some bakedanuki and probably ran off with her.?

?Mamizou-san?s a good person.? Kosuzu spoke quickly. ?She?s... she?s really intelligent, and kind, and...?

?And she pretended to be a human to gain your trust. She didn?t tell you her name for years! How could you trust someone like that??

?Don?t, Akyuu.? Kosuzu covered her face with her free hand. ?You wouldn?t understand.?

Akyuu felt annoyed. ?Understand what? How many times did I tell you that youkai are the enemies of humans? Why did you feel so drawn to them? Why did you have to become one?? She felt tears well up in her eyes. ?Why did you have to become my enemy??

?I did it for you, Akyuu.?

Akyuu was taken aback. ?Excuse me??

?Listen, okay?? Kosuzu?s voice shook. ?I was really lonely back then. So lonely you wouldn?t believe it. You were my only friend in the whole world. My parents left me alone in the shop all day, and I got so bored reading the same books over and over. The few regulars we had were rarely the same age as me. Your visits made my life so much brighter. I never wanted them to end. I knew you wouldn?t live long. I knew you were going to die in just over a decade, and then I?d never see you again. I?d die before you reincarnated. That thought was pure torture to me.?

Akyuu opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything.

?I thought... if I became a youkai, if I threw away my humanity... then I could see you again, Akyuu. In your tenth incarnation, and your eleventh, your twelfth... And I knew I was already losing what made me human. I was too sympathetic to youkai. I loved youma books too much. And then one day, Mamizou-san finally told me her name, and her true identity. She said she?d help me become a monster, if I wanted. I knew I couldn?t miss that chance. I worked harder than I?ve ever worked before, with her.? She sighed. ?I?m so glad I managed to get back to Gensokyo before you died.?

?Kosuzu...? Akyuu didn?t know what to say. ?Kosuzu... oh, you idiot...?

?I?m sorry for being immature, and selfish, and running away without telling anyone. I?m sorry I hurt you so much. I?m sorry I couldn?t come back earlier.? She looked into Akyuu?s eyes. ?I don?t regret any of it though. You?re my best friend. I love you. I can stay with you for centuries now, if you want me to. Only... if you want me to.?

Akyuu?s emotions were a complete mess, but her darkest feelings had long faded. She couldn?t stay angry at Kosuzu. ?Of course I want you to. I mean, it won?t be like before. You?re a youkai now, and I?ll always be human. But... Kosuzu, you really did all that... for me??

?Really really.? Kosuzu smiled, just like a decade ago. ?You can rest easy now. I?ll be waiting for you.?

?Can you stay here? Until morning??

?Yeah, until dawn.? Kosuzu looked outside. ?Or... until your servants wake up, I suppose. They probably wouldn?t like a youkai in your house.?

?I?m feverish, so I might catnap for most of it.? Akyuu closed her eyes. ?But, when I?m awake, let?s talk. I want to hear about the outside world.?

?All right.? Kosuzu squeezed her hand. ?Since it?s your birthday.?

Akyuu?s breath grew steady. Kosuzu watched her sleep, holding her hand the entire time. She said she would catnap, but Akyuu?s eyes stayed shut for an hour. Two hours. Three. Her breathing grew quieter and quieter.

Kosuzu was gone when the first servant entered the room. The breakfast tray in her hands crashed to the floor.

The village fell into mourning.

There were two funeral ceremonies ? one for humans, and one for youkai. Kosuzu stood beside Ran Yakumo and stared at the floor, listening to the speaker talk about Akyuu?s life. There was so much she didn?t know about her friend now. A whole decade?s worth of memories she wasn?t a part of. She didn?t recognise the woman talking either. She was probably a little girl when Kosuzu left.

She had plenty to learn in the next one hundred years, before Akyuu came back. She had to find her parents and apologise to them. Return the books and the money she took. Visit Reimu and Marisa and explain herself. She wanted to be on good terms with them, before they all died.

And then, once she found redemption, she could face the tenth Child of Miare, and begin anew.

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Passing Notes (MariAli)
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2014, 09:58:35 PM »
Changed the thread title because none of these are short enough to call drabbles, hahaha...

Oh look I wrote a cute MariAli story.

Passing Notes
(AO3 Mirror)

The dolls were active today, whizzing around the living room like birds in an aviary. Marisa ducked every time one swooped too close to her head, and she pushed her ink pot down against the table, in case a doll smashed into it and spilled ink all over her notes. It was hard to concentrate on studying with all the clamour.

A shanghai doll knocked into the big pile of grimoires in the middle of the table, and the books wobbled dangerously. ?Woah! Come on, Alice,? Marisa yelled, trying to stop them falling with her free hand, ?can?t you calm them down a bit??

The two magicians were sitting at Alice?s dining table, enjoying a Saturday studying session. Or at least they would be, if the dolls weren?t so hyperactive. Alice sat amongst the chaos, calm and composed. ?I suppose I should,? she said. ?They are making a bit of a mess.?

?A bit? Hey, that?s my hat!? One of the dolls grabbed it off her head. ?Come back here!?

Alice giggled, and Marisa leapt up to give chase. The doll zipped through the hall, and towards the back door. Alice controlled the dolls all by herself, didn?t she? What was she trying to achieve, making Marisa run around her house like a moron? ?Give me my hat back, you little-!? She swiped at the doll, but it flew out of reach. It shot outside, into the garden.

Well, it was a fun game to play. It got her exercising after several hours of sitting. Marisa and Alice?s study sessions were supposed to only last an hour or two, but they always overran, the conversation moving from magical theories and potion brewing tricks, to rumours about other magicians and the current economic trends for material prices. The kinds of things Marisa could never talk to Reimu about, nor would ever want to.

The doll did a circuit around the vegetable patch, then flew back into the hallway. But it took a wrong turn, and went straight into the airing cupboard. It had nowhere left to run. Marisa stepped between it and the doorway, cackled like an old fashioned witch, and approached it with her arms outstretched. ?Now now,? she cooed. ?Why don?t you give Aunty Marisa her hat back? You don?t want to make her angry, now do you??

The doll looked from side to side, hung its head, then pushed the hat into Marisa?s arms. It slipped past before she could catch it.

?Hey, I wasn?t really gonna hurt you!? Marisa put her hat back on, and felt something fall on her head. ?Huh?? She took it off again and groped around her head. A folded piece of paper fell to the floor. Curious, she picked it up, and opened it.

It was a short note, written unmistakably in Alice?s handwriting. I really enjoy your company. I?d like it if we could spend more time together. Will you go out with me?

Marisa stared at it for a few moments, confused. Was this a joke? Well, only one way to find out.

?Hey Alice!? She almost knocked the living room door off its hinges. Alice was still at the table, the dolls now behaving themselves on the sofa. ?Is this note for me??

Alice?s face boiled bright red. She lifted her tea cup up and attempted to hide her face with it. ?W-What note??

?This one!? Marisa pushed it under her nose. ?That?s your handwriting isn?t it??

Alice took the piece of paper from her, and looked at it. Then she placed the tea cup back in its saucer, and sighed. ?You are so insensitive sometimes.?

So it was real! ?Oh, so you like me, do you?? Marisa grinned, pleased with this new information. ?Want me to move in and be your girlfriend and stuff??

??I must be completely mad.? She covered her eyes with one hand. The tips of her ears were bright red. ?But yes. Yes I do.?

??Oh.? So Alice was serious. Marisa found herself stuttering. ?Well, um? t-thanks??

?And?? Alice raised her head and looked straight at her. ?I want an answer, Marisa.?

?Okay, okay, umm...? Marisa turned away. She rubbed her forehead, trying to think. How did they go from taking notes on dragon scales to making romantic proposals? Either way, Marisa didn?t have to think long. Alice could be overly serious sometimes, but she had a sense of humour at heart, and Marisa enjoyed her company a lot. Dating another magician would be good for her career too, on a practical level. And unlike Reimu, who was always standing opposite her, Alice had her back when things got tough in an incident.

??Yeah.? Marisa felt herself blush. ?Yeah, I?ll go out with you, Alice.? She turned back around, to see the other magician?s reaction. Alice had a look of total disbelief on her face, which blossomed into a smile.

The dolls jumped around on the sofa, as pleased as anyone.

hungrybookworm

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I forgot to mention it here, but a while ago I did a fic meme thing on tumblr, and I collected the results three weeks ago and posted them on AO3! So here's 15 very short, six sentence drabbles!

Most of them are perfectly innocent, but two of them... really aren't. So don't read this at work. Your boss will be furious! Also be aware that one drabble has non-consensual kissing, and there is referenced character death in there as well.

[nsfw]http://archiveofourown.org/works/2369225[/nsfw]


In other news, I'm doing another fic meme on tumblr. This one involves picking two characters, and then a theme out of a list of 100 (!!) If you're interested, send me an ask with the characters and theme word/number, and you'll get a drabble in the near future!

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Remedy (ReiSana)
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2014, 05:01:37 PM »
Here's the first of the second fic meme drabbles. Except they're too long to be called drabbles. Haha, what's new, eh? There'll be quite a few of these over the next few days/weeks.

Based on the request "ReiSana - 83 (Heal)" from tumblr user moriyakanako.

Remedy
(AO3 Mirror)

?Where does it hurt?? asked Reimu, opening the first aid kit.

?Umm.? Sanae patted her left side. ?Around here. I think I pulled a muscle.?

The pain had been bothering her all week. It?d started after a particularly hectic day at the Human Village, running around passing out leaflets with Kanako and yelling slogans every five seconds. She?d come home with a sharp pain in her side, and it hadn?t gone away the next morning. Sanae couldn?t even sweep the leaves without wincing, and wiping the floor was out of the question.

It?d barely been a month since their failed attempt to take over the Hakurei Shrine, and not even a year since the three of them ? Kanako, Suwako and herself ? had arrived in Gensokyo, shrine and lake in tow. Sanae wasn?t really sure what to do about her injury. It wouldn?t be a big deal in the outside world, but this was Meiji-era Japan. Would she need to see a doctor, in case it got infected or something? Did Gensokyo even have painkillers? She?d already taken the last pill she had in her outside world stash.

She didn?t want to bother her gods, so she decided to ask elsewhere. Sanae only knew two humans well enough to call them acquaintances, and she still found Marisa Kirisame a bit intimidating. So that left, naturally, Reimu Hakurei.

?Pulled a muscle?? muttered Reimu as she rummaged through the box. Sanae glimpsed bandages, herbs, and a large bottle of alcohol, only half full. Finally, Reimu pulled out a few old fashioned medicine satchels: tiny pyramid-shaped bags that rustled in her hand. ?You?ll have to buy your own next time,? she said.

Sanae frowned, suspicious of the satchels. ?Buy what, exactly??

?Your own painkillers.? Reimu looked surprised. ?They don?t have them in the outside world??

Oh, so they were just painkillers. She sighed with relief. ?We do, but they?re pills, not powder. Do you know where I can buy them here??

?There are medicine sellers in the Human Village. I suppose you can?t buy the stuff on Youkai Mountain, can you??

?Kanako-sama and Suwako-sama told me about youkai medicine.? Though Sanae was part god, so it might not outright poison her. She didn?t want to find out, though. ?I didn?t think they needed different treatment when they were ill.?

?Of course they would. Youkai biology is completely different.? Reimu grasped Sanae?s wrist, and placed the medicine satchels in her palm. Her fingers were cold. ?Don?t take them all at once. You?ll die.?

?O-Obviously.? Sanae put the medicine in her pocket, flustered. She felt annoyed at her ignorance, for the umpteenth time since she started living in Gensokyo.

Reimu packed the bandages back into the box, then shut it with a loud clunk. She peered at Sanae for a few moments, scrutinising her. ?Are you flying everywhere??

?Well, uh.? Sanae blushed, self-conscious. ?I only learnt how to do it a few months ago.?

?A lot of new flyers injure themselves because they do it too much,? said Reimu. ?If you can walk somewhere, you should. Save flying for long journeys and incidents.?

?Ah. Right.? Reimu was right. Sanae flew whenever she could. She even hovered around the Moriya Shrine as she did her daily duties. Why wouldn?t she? She was flying! The stuff of dreams. ?Should I warm up before doing it too? Like, stretches and things.?

Reimu stood up, and picked up the first aid kit. ?If you want. I don?t.? And she walked back into the shrine, to put it away. Sanae?s left side stung as she turned around to watch her go. She felt incompetent, all of a sudden. She must be annoying everyone with her stupid questions. Maybe Reimu?s indifferent behaviour was a signal that Sanae was irritating her, and she was just too polite to say it outright.

But Reimu came back with a tea set, steam billowing out from the teapot and a plate of rice crackers in the middle of the tray. ?I?ve only got green tea,? she said, and smiled faintly at Sanae.

?Oh, green tea?s fine!? Sanae smiled back, relieved, and slid along the porch to give Reimu room to put the tray down. ?Thank you.?

?So what else do you have pills for in the outside world?? asked Reimu. ?Youkai extermination??

Sanae laughed, and forgot about the pain for a while.

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Cold Blood (Horror)
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2014, 10:28:15 PM »
Another fic meme drabble. This one is definitely too long to be called a drabble... anyway! This is an EoSD bad end story! It's a horror story about vampires, so you should know what to expect.

(Just in case you don't, that means blood sucking of the very distressing kind!)

I don't normally write this kind of dark stuff (cough cough cough cough), but it's nice once in a while! Based on the request "Reimu, Remilia 17 (Blood)" from tumblr user nijik-ajies.

Cold Blood
(AO3 Mirror)

A bullet smacked into Reimu?s side, knocking her out of the sky. She yelled, tumbled over the roof tiles, and landed on the clock tower balcony with a sickening crack. Pain flooded through her already aching body, and she winced.

The mist dyed the moon blood red. The light glowing from the clock face casted long, black shadows across the mansion roof. Reimu felt hot, sticky liquid flow down her bruised arms. Her vision blurred.

?Is that it?? There was the flap of wings, and Remilia Scarlet landed on the balcony handrail. She sneered. ?Ten attempts and you can?t even crack my second spell card??

Reimu opened her mouth, but her voice came out in a pathetic gurgle. She tasted iron.

Remilia jumped down, and stood over her. Reimu could just about make out her disappointed expression. ?You can?t be serious. Look at you. You?re a joke.? She pulled spell cards out from her pocket. They were still glimmering with magical energy. ?We made these for you, remember? We even let you write the rules! And you still can?t dodge my easiest cards.?

?One more time?? Reimu gripped her purification rod. She had to get up. She couldn?t lose here. ?Please, one my time??

?Hah!? Remilia snarled. ?Get up and say that to my face.?

Reimu?s arms trembled. Her ribs stung and her right leg was at a funny angle. Were they broken? No, they couldn?t be. Her sleeves were wet and heavy, and left red marks on the ground. Her head felt woozy. Danmaku was supposed to be non-lethal; how was all this even possible?

She heard a clattering sound, and realised that Remilia had tossed the spell cards over her shoulder. ?Sakuya did a fine job dodging all of these. I had to make harder versions to keep her on her toes. It was fun.? Her voice caught, and she sounded sad, for a moment. ?A lot of fun.? She knelt down beside Reimu, and ran a finger along her cheek. ?Maybe you?re just incompetent,? she whispered. ?Maybe if my Sakuya was the shrine maiden, this wouldn?t be a problem.?

?I?m not done yet?? Reimu?s voice barely rose above a whisper. Why was talking so hard? ?Please??

Remilia pulled her finger away, and licked it. Reimu saw her fangs, for a moment, and shivered. Of course, in the heat of battle she?d forgotten who she was fighting against. But now, on this quiet balcony in the dead of night, it was all too clear what Remilia Scarlet was. Her face looked warped and inhuman in the harsh red light. ?Don?t?? Reimu shivered, aware of her vulnerability. ?Don?t put that in your mouth??

?Why not?? Remilia gave an uncanny smile. ?They say Hakurei blood is delicious. Far better than any humans in the village.?

?No?? This was bad. Reimu?s eyes darted around, looking for a way out, but the mist concealed everything. ?You signed a contract, you can?t??

?Oh that?? Remilia laughed. She leant forward, and grasped Reimu?s shoulders. Her grip hurt. ?Like I care about some stupid piece of paper. Why, are you scared??

?Why? Why would I be scared of a youkai?? Reimu tried to push her away, but her arms wouldn?t move. Her limbs were limp and heavy, like a ragdoll?s. ?Get away from me!?

?I?ll tell you something else too.? Remilia brushed Reimu?s hair aside, off her left shoulder. ?I told the gap youkai that anyone bitten by a vampire just fizzles away and dies. But that?s not true.? Her voice rasped in Reimu?s ear. ?They turn into a vampire, just like me.?

?No!? Reimu squirmed, trying to get away. She felt a cold, wet tongue lick her neck clean of blood. ?Stop it, stop it! Help me!? She tried to shrug her shoulder, to block Remilia, but the vampire just pushed her head to one side, exposing more of her neck. ?Someone, help me!? Tears ran down her cheek. ?Marisa! Marisa!?

?Oh be quiet,? snarled Remilia. ?You?re annoying me.? And Reimu felt two cold, sharp pinpricks against her skin. She froze, terrified, and knew there and then that it was all over.

?Remilia, don?t?? She trembled, like a rabbit in the jaws of a fox. ?Don?t??

The blood ran everywhere.

*****
Days passed. The mist faded, and tengu reporters surrounded the mansion. Remilia Scarlet smiled like a proud child, and declared that she ended the incident herself. ?I was tired of it,? she said. ?I decided to start a new incident instead. What is it? Oh you?ll have to wait and find out.?

At the first sign of clear skies, Marisa Kirisame grabbed her broom and flew to the Hakurei Shrine. Her own attempt at solving the incident had ended at the head maid, and she wanted to ask Reimu how she dodged all the teleporting knives. ?Reimu!? She knocked on the door to the main room. ?Reimu, are you in there??

She heard a muffled voice coming from inside. ?I?m here.?

?Are you sick or something?? Marisa slid the door open, and saw Reimu hunched up in her futon. Her face was hidden under the blankets. ?It?s a bit early for the flu, isn?t it??

?Close the door,? She snapped.

?All right, all right.? Marisa closed it behind her, then sat down beside the futon. It was unusually dark in the main room. ?It?s a nice day outside, you know. The mist cleared up.?

?I?m thirsty,? said Reimu.

Definitely the flu, she thought. Marisa reached down and pulled a flask out of her skirt. ?I?ll pour you a cup then. Just wait a sec.?

But Reimu slapped it away, and grasped Marisa?s arm with both hands. ?I?m thirsty, Marisa,? she said again, and yanked her forward. The blanket fell away, and Marisa finally saw her face.

Reimu?s eyes were bloodshot, and her skin was snow white. She sneered, and Marisa glimpsed needle-sharp fangs.

Everything happened too fast. She didn?t have time to get away. By the time Reimu was done, the futon was sticky with blood, and the tatami shone bright red.

The second vampire incident began, just like that.

The End

microfolk

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Cold Blood (Horror)
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2014, 11:18:31 PM »
Random angry comment which in no way was written after reading a certain post from a certain person on tumblr, not at all.

Ok jokes aside good stuff, I should definitely stop being a lazy piece of shit and read all the drabbles you and Rabbit ?clair have written, I've never been a fan fiction reader but that's more because as I said before I am a lazy piece of shit, I'm definitely enjoying what I've read so far.

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Cold Blood (Horror)
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2014, 04:04:09 PM »
Random angry comment which in no way was written after reading a certain post from a certain person on tumblr, not at all.

Ok jokes aside good stuff, I should definitely stop being a lazy piece of shit and read all the drabbles you and Rabbit ?clair have written, I've never been a fan fiction reader but that's more because as I said before I am a lazy piece of shit, I'm definitely enjoying what I've read so far.
I'm a bit lazy when it comes to reading other people's fanfiction as well... I really ought to read more. But anyway, thank you! I'm happy you like it!

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Passing Memories (Sad Akyuusuzu)
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2014, 04:20:28 PM »
I keep forgetting to update this thread orz. Time for sad, smooching Akyuusuzu. Based on the request "Akyuu/Kosuzu - Memory (11)" from tumblr user rabbiteclair.

Passing Memories
(AO3 Mirror)

Akyuu leant over the desk, and closed her eyes. Kosuzu placed her hands over hers, and tried to stop herself from shaking. Suzunaan was deserted. The winter sun was setting outside, but the shop was still open for business. Anyone could walk in at any moment. They couldn?t afford to do this.

Kosuzu had never been so afraid in all her life, but slowly, steadily, she moved forward. She rose up on her tiptoes, and met Akyuu?s lips.

She?d expected them to be soft, but not like this. Akyuu?s lips felt fragile, easy to tear, like a page in a water-damaged book. Kosuzu didn?t dare move her mouth, just in case she hurt her. She felt Akyuu clench her fists beneath her palms. They were both holding their breath, too nervous to breathe.

What would Kosuzu?s parents think if they walked in right now, and saw her kissing the Child of Miare? Kosuzu slowly began to move her lips, tilting her head to one side to stop their noses pressing together. Akyuu?s lips tasted of lip balm, and knowing that almost made Kosuzu lose her nerve again. She reached up, and touched her friend?s hair with one hand. It ran through her fingers like water. Akyuu shivered, and gripped her arm in response.

Kosuzu pulled away, reluctant but desperate to breathe. ?Are you okay, Akyuu?? she asked, trying not to stutter. ?I?m not hurting you, am I??

Akyuu shook her head. ?I?m? scared, Kosuzu,? she whispered. ?You?re my best friend. I don?t know if we should be??

Kosuzu panicked. ?I?m sorry! I?ll stop if you want me to.?

?No!? Akyuu squeezed her arm. ?I? I don?t mind it. I?m just afraid, that?s all.? She blushed. ?Kiss me again? please??

Kosuzu leant forward, and felt Akyuu?s fringe touch her forehead. She stroked the smooth curve of her cheek with her thumb. They kissed slowly, tenderly, still too afraid to open their mouths, but too enamoured to pull away. Kosuzu felt Akyuu move closer, and the edge of the desk dug into their thighs.

She?d never been so aware of Akyuu?s presence: of her warmth, her smell, of her soft skin ? pale like a paper lantern ? and her transience. Kosuzu needed to kiss her, to remind herself that Akyuu was still there, still alive right in front of her, still breathing and still remembering. That maybe, even after Akyuu disappeared and Kosuzu found herself alone in the shop, maybe a part of Akyuu would still be there. Against her lips, between her fingers, burnt deep in her memory?

Finally, they moved away again. ?You?ll remember me, won?t you?? said Kosuzu. ?Please Akyuu, say you?ll remember me??

 ?How could I ever forget you, Kosuzu?? Akyuu smiled, but couldn?t hide the uncertainty in her voice. ?You?ve caused more than enough mischief to bother my next incarnation.?

?Promise you?ll remember me.?

Her smile faltered. ?Kosuzu??

?Please.?

Akyuu looked away, down at the hard wooden desk.

?I?m sorry.?

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Well Done (Mystia & Mokou Gen)
« Reply #15 on: December 17, 2014, 02:09:11 PM »
Writing gen is nice sometimes, especially silly gen. Based on the request "95 (Advertisement), Mystia, Mokou" from tumblr user shidiand.

Well Done
(AO3 Mirror)

Mystia stood amongst the charred ruins of her cart, horrified. The night air stank of ash and smoke, and the last glimmers of fire started to dim between the blackened wood. Kyouko was on her knees beside it, wide-eyed and covered in soot. ?It wasn?t me,? she said, noticing Mystia at last. ?A fireball just appeared out of nowhere and blew it to pieces. I didn?t have time to move it or anything!?

?I figured,? said Mystia. She?d left an hour earlier to fetch some change from the Human Village, leaving Kyouko alone to grill the next batch of eel. There was no way she could cause this much damage by herself. The cart was insured, thank goodness, so they wouldn?t lose too much money, but Mystia?s eyes still stung as she surveyed the damage. ?How are we going to afford that concert venue now?? Her lamprey eel cart funded most of their band activities. ?The deposit deadline?s in a few days.?

?I don?t know,? said Kyouko, rubbing soot off her face. ?Oh, my eyebrows are gone??

Mystia crouched down next to Kyouko, careful not to get muck on her clothes. She did what she always did when she felt miserable: she sang a song. ?The cart burnt down, oh it burnt like hell.? She made up the words on the spot, trying to cheer herself up. ?It burnt right down with a terrible yell.?

?I was the one yelling,? said Kyouko. ?Not the cart.?

?Mokou, come back here!?

Both youkai jumped. The voice came from behind them. Mystia turned around, and saw the Human Village schoolteacher dragging a white-haired, white-shirted human along the road.

?Why do I have to apologise? It?s Kaguya?s fault it burnt down!?

?You shouldn?t have set yourself on fire in the first place!?

?Come on, Keine!?

Mystia and Kyouko looked at each other, baffled. There was the crunch of gravel, and the two humans appeared in front of them. The schoolteacher nudged the other one, who dug her hands into her pockets and looked away, like a little kid caught stealing sweets. ?Sorry,? she muttered. ?I was having a fight with my arch-enemy, and I kinda? misjudged my landing.?

Her arch-enemy? Mystia didn?t know people still had those. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, trying to look threatening. ?I?m the cart?s owner,? she said, ?and it?s going to take more than an apology to fix this.?

The human clicked her tongue, and the schoolteacher glared at her. ?I?m sorry Mokou?s being so rude,? she said. ?What does she have to do to make it up to you??

?Keine!? The human ? Mokou ? looked alarmed. ?Don?t make things worse.?

?What does she have to do?? Mystia touched her chin in thought. ?Hmm.?

*****
Sekibanki smiled, leant back in her armchair and opened the newspaper. The fire crackled in the hearth, and warmed her aching feet. There was nothing like relaxing in the main room after a hard day?s work.

There was a knock on the door. Sekibanki grumbled, and tossed the newspaper onto the table. She pulled herself upright and walked over to the front door, cursing yet again the bad design of her house. She needed to install a few windows overlooking the front door, so her head could zip over and see who it was without the rest of her body having to move. She undid the latch and opened the door.

There, slouching awkwardly on the doorstep, stood Fujiwara no Mokou in? a leather jacket and doc martins? Her face was covered in thick make up, and her hair was tied up in three or four bunches.

?Hey,? she said, looking deeply embarrassed. ?There?s a, uh, rad concert on tonight. Wanna buy a ticket??

Sekibanki quickly shut the door again.

Spotty Len

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Well Done (Mystia & Mokou Gen)
« Reply #16 on: December 17, 2014, 02:28:41 PM »
There, slouching awkwardly on the doorstep, stood Fujiwara no Mokou in? a leather jacket and doc martins? Her face was covered in thick make up, and her hair was tied up in three or four bunches.

?Hey,? she said, looking deeply embarrassed. ?There?s a, uh, rad concert on tonight. Wanna buy a ticket??

Sekibanki quickly shut the door again.
Huh.
Now that is a scene I wanna see.

Writing gen is nice sometimes, especially silly gen.
Forgive my ignorance, but what's a gen?

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Well Done (Mystia & Mokou Gen)
« Reply #17 on: December 24, 2014, 02:05:20 AM »
Quote
Huh.
Now that is a scene I wanna see.
Thank you ^^

Quote
Forgive my ignorance, but what's a gen?
Gen is short for 'general', and refers to a fanfic without pairings or romance in it. I need to write more of it but my filthy shipping heart tempts me back every time...

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Echoes (Messy SeiShin)
« Reply #18 on: December 25, 2014, 01:46:37 PM »
Merry Christmas! Have some not-christmassy-in-the-slightest Seija/Shinmyoumaru!

This fic is set post-Impossible Spell Card, so if you haven't finished the game yet and don't want to know what happens, you know what to do!

Echoes
(AO3 Mirror)

Shinmyoumaru woke up that morning, and knew immediately that she had to leave the castle. She?d spent the last week wandering through the rooms aimlessly, barely aware of her own actions, only leaving once to restock the larder. Not today though. Today she would go outside and force her mind to focus on other things. She lay in her futon for almost an hour, staring at the tatami mats on the ceiling, willing up the courage to dress and cook herself breakfast.

Cooking was hard. She?d grown up being waited on, and Seija had done most of it during their revolution, grumbling the whole time as she slapped simple food onto Shinmyoumaru?s plate. Sometimes the meals had egg shells or lumps of flour inside, or tasted suspiciously similar to mud and dirt. But Seija was gone now, so Shinmyoumaru had to cook everything herself. She?d bought some recipe books, filled a notebook with neat, detailed ideas, and could now cook simple meals all by herself. Rice took forever. It amazed her just how tedious something so basic could be to make. Did normal people cook rice every night? How did they find the time to do other things too?  It mystified her.

After breakfast, Shinmyoumaru washed up. Despite being ?big? again, she still needed a stool to reach the sink. Once the dishes looked suitably clean, she brushed her teeth, tidied her hair, and located her helmet. It was chipped in a few places, and had a large crack running up the side. Scars from her fight. She?d have to replace it soon. How? What with? Worrying about that would come later. Next was the mallet, which she tied to its usual place on her kimono obi. Then her needle sword, and finally her shoes.

Time to go.

*****
In the end, she decided to visit the Hakurei Shrine again. Shinmyoumaru still didn?t have many friends, and she felt nervous wandering around by herself. She knew the youkai of Gensokyo were no real threat to her now, but she felt vulnerable heading out by herself anyway. Reimu and Marisa were familiar faces at least.

Getting to the shrine took an hour or two by air, but the route was straightforward and scenic. The fairies cheered as she passed, and a few even chucked danmaku at her. Another peaceful day in Gensokyo. She imagined Seija glowering over that. A month or so ago, she would?ve shared her frustration, but?

No, now wasn?t the time to think about that. Shinmyoumaru was determined to have fun today.

She arrived at the shrine, and immediately glimpsed blonde hair in the main room. Marisa? She knew it was bad manners to just walk inside, but she couldn?t see Reimu anywhere. Was she in the main room too? She took her shoes off, and stepped onto the porch. ?Excuse me??

It wasn?t Marisa; it was a taller woman that Shinmyoumaru immediately recognised as a youkai. She wore a frilly pink dress, and glanced at Shinmyoumaru with sharp eyes. A gloved hand reached out to a bowl of crackers placed in the centre of the table.

It was Yukari Yakumo, the gap youkai and one of the most powerful people in all of Gensokyo, and according to Seija, their worst enemy. But of course, Seija had been lying about that part. Shinmyoumaru had nothing to fear. Right?

?Oh, hello,? said Yukari Yakumo. ?I do believe this is the first time we?ve met. You?re an inchling, are you not??

??That?s right.?

?Then come in, have a seat.? She gestured to the cushion beside her. ?I haven?t spoken to an inchling in a very long time.?

Shinmyoumaru paused, then stepped into the room. She took off her sword as she knelt down, and placed it in her lap, her hand resting near its hilt. She took her helmet off too, worried that keeping it on might show disrespect. ?I am Shinmyoumaru Sukuna,? she said. ?A member of the inchling royal family, and the owner of the Miracle Mallet.?

Yukari smiled, and glanced at the mallet hanging off her obi. ?Reimu has told me a lot about you.?

She had? Shinmyoumaru shivered. ?I?m truly sorry for the trouble we caused during the-?

?Oh, pay that no mind.? Yukari Yakumo waved her hand dismissively. ?You have more than made up for it recently. Your efforts in catching the fugitive Seija Kijin did not go unnoticed.?

The way she said Seija?s name sent a wave of unease through Shinmyoumaru. The amanojaku should?ve meant nothing to Yukari Yakumo. Seija was weak, Yukari was strong. It was as simple as that. But of course, recent events had changed things. She gripped the hilt of her sword. ?Well, as Seija?s mistress, I felt it was my duty to bring her in, before she caused too much trouble.?

The gap youkai smiled. ?Indeed. Would you like a cracker??

?Aren?t those Reimu-san?s crackers??

?She doesn?t mind. Go on.?

Shinmyoumaru hesitated before taking one. She felt conscious of every action she took, as though the slightest mistake could roust Yukari?s anger.

?I was the last person to fight Seija Kijin,? said Yukari.

The cracker fell from Shinmyoumaru?s hands, into her lap. Her eyes widened. ?T-The last??

?That?s right. She put up a tough fight, for someone on the verge of exhaustion.?

?Did you beat her??

?Actually, she beat me. I was quite surprised, and impressed, I must say.?

?Oh.? Shinmyoumaru didn?t know what to think of that. Her hands shook as she picked the cracker back up. ?Then? what happened after that? Is she safe??

?Safe?? Yukari laughed. ?As safe as a wanted amanojaku can be, I suppose. I honestly wouldn?t know. She ran away after beating me.?

?Where to??

?Who knows.?

Yukari reached for another cracker. Shinmyoumaru turned hers over in her hand, her mind racing. Seija ran away after beating the gap youkai. Why? The Seija she knew would?ve celebrated her victory over their number one ?enemy?, and started issuing orders immediately. She would?ve rubbed the loss in Yukari Yakumo?s face. Was Seija still on the run? Were there other, unseen enemies? Shinmyoumaru already had a million questions buzzing around in her head, she didn?t need any more. Maybe Seija couldn?t afford to stick around because she was too badly injured.

That conjured up a horrible image: Seija alone, covered in blood, still bleeding? She was a youkai, so mere physical wounds wouldn?t kill her, but they still hurt. They still made the recipient suffer.

?Was she hurt?? asked Shinmyoumaru. ?Did she get injured during the fight, or anything??

?You seem awfully worried for someone who spent the last six months being duped by her,? said Yukari.

That hurt. Shinmyoumaru bit her lip. ?Whether she duped me or not doesn?t matter. She is still my subordinate.?

?Amanojaku thrive off being hated. You would be better off despising her.?

She tightened her grip on her sword. She couldn?t get angry here. Not in front of the gap youkai. ?Despising her would be exactly what she wants.?

?I see.? Yukari smiled again. ?Then yes, she was hurt. She was even more hurt by the time we were finished, but she could still walk. Her worst injuries are probably healed by now.?

?And you?re absolutely sure you don?t know where she went afterwards??

?Absolutely. Why, are you planning to search for her??

?Maybe.? Shinmyoumaru stood up. Her head hurt, and she was struggling to think straight. She had to leave, before she did something rash. ?Thank you for inviting me in, but I?m afraid I have other business to attend to.?

?Oh, what a shame.? Yukari didn?t look too disappointed. ?Maybe we can talk for longer next time.?

?Yes, hopefully.? Shinmyoumaru turned away, and stepped onto the porch.

?Make sure you discipline your subordinates,? added Yukari. ?They need to know their place.?

Her words barely registered in Shinmyoumaru?s head. ?Thank you for your kind advice,? she said, slipping her shoes back on. ?I?ll remember it.?

Yukari smirked. ?My pleasure.?

*****
She didn?t leave the shrine grounds. Shinmyoumaru sat on the roof instead, and watched the clouds cross the sky. The bright winter sunlight lit up the bare treetops, and the birds sang in their branches. She could see snow on Youkai Mountain in the distance. Six months ago Shinmyoumaru had never seen anything beyond the world of oni: a sunless cave system next door to Hell. Things like the colour of the sky and the sound of a forest shaking in the wind only existed in fairy tales. But then Seija Kijin showed up, and led her into this fantastic new world.

Seija wasn?t the easiest person to live with, but Shinmyoumaru had read about amanojaku in books. She knew Seija couldn?t help being horrible. It was in her nature, right down to her DNA. And she wasn?t really horrible, because she cared so much about the weak youkai of Gensokyo. At least, that?s what Shinmyoumaru thought at the time.

When she tried to think about Seija now, Shinmyoumaru?s head ached, and several strong, unidentifiable emotions shuddered through her. She?d always have to stop whatever she was doing to stare into space for a minute, and hope that the moment would pass soon. Seija had lied to her about everything. Her stay in the Hakurei Shrine had proven that. The inchlings hadn?t been persecuted; they?d caused their own downfall. It was downright humiliating to find out. Shinmyoumaru wasn?t sure how to even begin repenting for all the trouble she?d caused.

Maybe Shinmyoumaru would know how to feel once Seija explained everything. According to Yukari, she was still out there, still uncaught, still on the run, still refusing to give up.

Maybe she really was all alone somewhere, bleeding.

Shinmyoumaru covered her face with both hands. If things had gone differently just over a week ago, when Seija showed up in the Needle Castle with a collection of strange items, this wouldn?t have been a problem. If she hadn?t been too weak to catch her, too slow-witted to talk her into surrender, maybe Seija would be safe right now. Maybe Shinmyoumaru wouldn?t be alone in the castle. And maybe she would have answers to her ten million questions.

She untied the mallet from her obi, and held it in her left hand. Until now, Shinmyoumaru had only used it to make herself bigger, and to bestow power on inanimate objects for the sake of their revolution. But now?

For the first time since she?d first clasped its handle, Shinmyoumaru had a wish. A wish only a miracle could make happen. The price wouldn?t be too high, but she would take responsibility for it, if she had to.

She held the mallet up high, and whispered to it. ?Please, Miracle Mallet. Lead me to where Seija is. Let me talk to her again.?

The mallet started to glow. It was hard to see the light in the winter sun, but she could feel a warm, comforting energy flowing down the handle. She stood up, mystified, and turned slightly to one side to try and get a better view of it.

The light dimmed.

Oh.

Shinmyoumaru experimented. When she walked in a certain direction ? specifically north-east, the mallet glowed consistently bright. Any other direction, and it dimmed. If she turned in the complete opposite direction, the light was barely visible.

The mallet?s light was going to lead her to Seija.

*****
There was no time to lose. Shinmyoumaru flew home and packed as much food as she could into a day sack. She filled two flasks up from the tap, and grabbed a change of clothes as an afterthought. Then she left the castle, and followed the mallet?s light. It led her back to the Hakurei Shrine, and towards a small, dark pit hidden in the forest behind it. So Seija was hiding underground. That didn?t surprise her. She floated down, and began her journey.

Shinmyoumaru walked through darkness, holding out the mallet like a flaming torch. It cast harsh shadows on the rock walls that moved and twisted as she walked. She waded through a knee-deep lake, scrambled up a rock face five times her size, and trod carefully around bone-white stalagmites. She traversed through vast, cathedral-like rooms, big enough to make her forget her current size, and crawled through tight tunnels on her hands and knees. It was freezing cold, and the caves were eerily silent. Only the sound of her footsteps and dripping water echoed around her. Sometimes all she could hear was her own breath.

The deeper she went, the narrower the walls and ceilings became. For a while Shinmyoumaru was forced to crawl on her knees again, the mallet clenched between her teeth. Her kimono became frayed and dirty. She was tempted to shrink herself sometimes, when the gaps became unnervingly thin, but she knew that was a terrible idea. The cave system was too complex, and she would be lost in moments.

Occasionally the mallet would dim and glow as she walked in a straight line. Seija was probably on the move. Did she know Shinmyoumaru was coming? It seemed unlikely, but there was always a chance. Maybe one of her items acted like a radar or something.

When she felt tired, Shinmyoumaru would curl up to sleep on the cave floor. Humans apparently needed around eight hours of sleep a night, but inchlings only needed four or five ? slightly more than the average youkai. That put her at a disadvantage for hunting Seija, but by the third nap the mallet?s light was stable. She held it close as she slept, its warmth comforting her.

It was after her fourth nap, when her food supply finally ran out and she was considering purifying cave water, that the mallet suddenly glowed red. Up ahead was a small cavern, the size of a room in the Shining Needle Castle. She almost dropped it in surprise.

Seija was definitely in there.

It was enough to make her tremble, and Shinmyoumaru took a moment to pull herself together. Seija could almost certainly see the light coming from the mallet. There was no way she didn?t know someone was coming for her. Putting the light out would be a terrible idea; they?d be in complete darkness. Shinmyoumaru just had to step carefully, and prepare herself for a possible surprise attack.

Slowly, steadily, she walked forwards. Her steps rang through the cave system, louder than ever. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She wanted to run forward. She wanted to run away. She wanted to stand stock still, frozen in this moment forever.

And then, there she was, huddled behind a large rock in the corner of the cave. Seija was clearly trying to hide, but her long shadow gave her away. Shinmyoumaru stopped walking. She kept her distance, giving herself room to improvise if Seija made a run for it. ?Seija!? she called out. ?Seija, I know you?re there.?

Her voice sounded impossibly loud in the cavern. She saw Seija?s shadow twitch, then slowly thin. She was moving. Shinmyoumaru?s hand touched the hilt of her sword, then changed her mind and grasped the mallet?s handle with both hands. She wasn?t going to shed blood, no matter how desperate things got. ?Seija!?

And then, everything spun around.

The floor and the ceiling switched places, and Shinmyoumaru was suddenly upside down. She squeaked, but didn?t panic. A shadow flashed up ahead, and Shinmyoumaru instinctively lunged forwards. But her body moved back a step. Even her movements were reversed.

Of course, this was Seija?s trademark trick: turn everything upside down, and escape during the confusion. Shinmyoumaru had to stay calm. This wasn?t the first time she?d seen her do this. The shadow moved again, this time to the right. Seija was going to run past her. Shinmyoumaru bit her lip, and lunged to the left.

Her body moved right, just as she?d hoped. Their bodies collided, Shinmyoumaru?s helmet smacking into Seija?s stomach. Pain shot through her skull, Seija yelped, and suddenly everything swung around again. They landed on the floor, Shinmyoumaru on top, pushing down on Seija?s torso. ?Got you!? Seija squirmed, and Shinmyoumaru straddled her. ?Stay still, Seija!?

?Let me go, let me go!? Seija grabbed Shinmyoumaru?s kimono, and tried to wrestle her off. ?Get off me, you piece of shit!?

?Seija, be quiet and stop struggling!? Her words stung, but Shinmyoumaru didn?t want to hurt her. Not without reason. ?I won?t hurt you if you just listen to me.? Her voice sound firm, commanding, completely detached from the anxiety running through her. The Seija she remembered was stronger than this. Now she couldn?t even fling Shinmyoumaru off her, just tug at her clothes. Something was wrong. ?Don?t do anything rash!?

Slowly, carefully, Shinmyoumaru placed the mallet out of Seija?s reach, and gripped the amanojaku?s wrists with both hands. Seija snarled, but she was pinned to the ground effortlessly. Her arms looked bonier than before, and there were still scratches and bruises covering her skin. Shouldn?t those have healed by now?

?Get off me? I?ll kill you? I?ll kill you!?

?No you won?t.? Shinmyoumaru stared at her. Seija glared back, breathing heavily, her face full of disgust. There were bags under her eyes, and her cheeks looked hollow. Shinmyoumaru had gone over what to say millions of times as she?d walked through the caves, but now her mind was blank. The sensation of Seija, real and alive in her hands, overwhelmed her with relief.

?Seija,? whispered Shinmyoumaru. ?What happened to you??

Seija glanced away, furious. ?Nothing happened to me. I beat them all up, that?s all.? She attempted a snide smile. ?I didn?t need you or your stupid mallet after all. They were a piece of cake.?

?And then you ran away again.?

?I needed to plan my new reign.?

Shinmyoumaru looked up, back at the surrounding cave. She could just about make out a chequered cloak in the mallet?s light. Seija?s cheat items were probably piled underneath it. But she couldn?t sense any of the mallet?s energy.

She put two and two together. ?You ran out of power.?

?You wish.?

?You used up the last of the mallet?s power fighting Yukari Yakumo, didn?t you??

?I said I didn?t. Listen to me for once, you dumb inchling.?

Shinmyoumaru quivered. She wasn?t used to being on the receiving end of Seija?s nastiness. ?Stop insulting me.?

Seija looked at her again. ?If you?d teamed up with me again, we would?ve won.?

??Excuse me??

?You chickened out, Shinmyoumaru!?

Shinmyoumaru. That was the first time Seija had ever said her name, and she pronounced each syllable with disgust. Shinmyoumaru tried to stay brave, but tears welled up in her eyes anyway.

?You chickened out, and got all buddy-buddy with the other youkai! You betrayed me.?

?Stop it.?

?You?re just as bad as the rest of them. See the scratches on my arm? Some of those are from you.?

?Stop it, Seija.?

?And now you?re here to take me in, aren?t you? Hand me over to the youkai sages, watch me get tormented. Peace returns to Gensokyo. All that bullshit.?

?Seija?? The tears ran down her cheeks freely. She couldn?t afford to let go of Seija?s wrists and wipe them away. ?I did all that because I cared about you.?

?If you ?cared? about me you wouldn?t have told me to surrender.?

?You wouldn?t have stopped otherwise!? Shinmyoumaru was angry now. Her grip tightened. ?You disappeared after those humans beat me. I had no idea where you were! You could?ve been dead in a ditch for all I knew.?

?It would?ve been better for Gensokyo if I?d died in a ditch. Don?t pretend you didn?t think that.?

?I would never think something like that!? Shinmyoumaru sobbed. ?I love you, Seija! I don?t know how I?d cope if you died!?

Seija stared at her, shocked, even afraid.

Then, she laughed. A cold, uncaring laugh. ?You love me? Are you serious??

What else could Shinmyoumaru?s feelings be? ?Yes, I love you! And I don?t care if you hate it, either.?

?Of course I hate it. It?s disgusting.? But she kept laughing. ?You dumb princess. I?m an amanojaku. Only idiots fall in love with us.? She smiled. A slightly strained, but normal smile. ?It?s not too late, you know.?

?Too late for what??

?We can team up again.?

Shinmyoumaru frowned. ?What do you mean??

?You were right; the items ran out of power. That?s why I ran away.? Her voice was smooth, and the same tone she?d used when she first met Shinmyoumaru. She nodded towards the items in the corner. ?But you have the mallet with you. We can refill them. Give them power again. Then we really can take over Gensokyo together.?

She hadn?t expected this. Shinmyoumaru froze, trying to ignore the rush of confusing emotions this new information gave her.

?Why though?? she said, after a moment. ?Seija, why would you want to team up with me??

?Why wouldn?t I? We made a great team before.?

This wasn?t right. Shinmyoumaru decided to try something. ?Would you still team up with me if I threw away the mallet??

Seija looked startled. ?Why would you do something dumb like that??

?Would you, Seija??

?Urgh?? Seija?s expression slipped. ?What?s the point if you don?t have the mallet??

An uneasy silence hung in the air. It was obvious now. Even when she was corned, Seija Kijin wouldn?t give up. On turning Gensokyo upside down, on trying to sweet talk her way out of things, and on pretending Shinmyoumaru mattered to her.

?I know you lied,? said Shinmyoumaru. Her voice was unnaturally stable. ?I know everything now. Nobody hurt the inchling race. You told me all that because you wanted the Miracle Mallet.?

Seija didn?t respond. Her expression didn?t change. The moment seemed to stretch out forever.

Finally she spoke, with a soft, almost tender voice. ?You?re probably wondering why I look so sick, right??

Was she trying to change the subject? Shinmyoumaru kept her guard up. ?Yeah??

?None of them hated me.?

??What??

?None of the youkai I fought hated me. They weren?t even afraid of me.? Her voice quivered. ?They just wanted to piss around with their dumb reject cards and watch me suffer.?

?Seija??

?No-one?s hated me in weeks. It?s screwing with my health. My arms aren?t even healing properly.? She looked at Shinmyoumaru, almost relieved. ?Being nasty to you earlier gave me a good vitamin boost.?

?Seija.? Tears appeared in Shinmyoumaru?s eyes again. ?I?m sorry.?

?Well don?t worry, there?ll be lots of opportunities to make people hate me later, and-?

?No, Seija. I?m sorry.?

Seija frowned. ?Huh??

If that was Seija?s last ditch effort, then Shinmyoumaru was honestly disappointed. ?I told you before,? she said. ?I don?t want to be enemies with Gensokyo?s youkai anymore.?

Seija?s expression darkened. ??What??

?You are my subordinate. My right hand woman. You went against my wishes, and I need to punish you for it.? Shinmyoumaru?s voice grew firm again. She could still remember Yukari?s advice, clear and shrill in her mind. ?I was confined in an insect cage at the Hakurei Shrine for over a month. As far as Gensokyo is concerned, I have finished my sentence.?

?What the hell are you saying?? Seija tried to push Shinmyoumaru?s hands away, panic setting in. ?You?re gonna hand me over after all!??

?No, I won?t hand you over to anyone.? She leant forward, close enough for their noses to touch. ?Seija Kijin, for going against my wishes, for lying to me, for using me for your own ends and being a general menace to Gensokyo?s society, I am arresting you.?

?No!?

?Your punishment will be to live in the Shining Needle Castle with me, confined under house arrest.?

?Never, never!?

Shinmyoumaru stood up, and just as she predicted, Seija scrambled to her feet and tried to escape. But she grabbed the amanojaku effortlessly by the collar, and wrapped an arm around her waist. Seija bit, and scratched, but Shinmyoumaru could barely register the pain. She snatched up the Miracle Mallet with her free hand, and gently whispered to it. ?Take us home, right now.?

?No!?

Shinmyoumaru struck them both with the mallet, and they disappeared, leaving the cave in total darkness again.

The items stayed in the corner, left to rot for centuries to come.

The End

Notes:
1) I wrote this as a Christmas present for tumblr user amemenojaku, who has led me deeper and deeper into twisted yuri hell this year. Merry Christmas!

2) Needless to say I am deeply in love with Impossible Spell Card right now. This fic came from me wondering what would happen if Seija and Shinmyoumaru met again after Day 8, combined with me thinking about what might've happened to Seija after the last scene on Day 10. ISC is a great game for us fic writers. So much to think about, so many unanswered questions... and when did I start liking Seija so much? It's a mystery even to me.

3) I gave Shinmyoumaru shoes because the thought of her walking through a cave system barefoot felt too pitiful to me. My characters may suffer, but they should at least have shoes while they do it! (Though Seija is still barefoot, hahaha.)

Thanks for reading!

Kilgamayan

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Echoes (Messy SeiShin)
« Reply #19 on: December 25, 2014, 04:34:17 PM »
If you really liked Seija so much, you would hate her. =P

Great read, as always!
[22:40:12] <Drake> "guys i donwloaded esod but its not workan"
[22:40:21] <Drake> REPORTED
[22:40:25] <NaturallyOccurringChoja> PROBATED
[22:40:30] <Drake> ORGASM
[22:40:32] <NaturallyOccurringChoja> FUCK YEAH

[22:28:39] <Edible> Mafia would be a much easier game if we were playing "spot the asshole"

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Echoes (Messy SeiShin)
« Reply #20 on: December 25, 2014, 06:31:34 PM »
If you really liked Seija so much, you would hate her. =P

Great read, as always!
I express love for my favourite characters by making them suffer in my fanfiction! The more I love Seija, the more pain she's gonna feel. (Poor Seija...)

Thanks for reading too, as always!

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Through the Fire (SA Prequel)
« Reply #21 on: January 05, 2015, 03:01:27 AM »
Orin and Okuu underground! Based on the request "Rin/Utsuho - Through the Fire (89)" from tumblr user rabbiteclair. (I got lazy with the title, shhh...)

Through the Fire
(AO3 Mirror)

The heat gave everything away. Rin woke up from her catnap to find the palace?s chequered tiles burning hot. She leapt up in the air with shock, and scooted over to a nearby chair before her paws blistered. Blinding white light poured up from the stained glass windows set in the floor, and projected a kaleidoscope of colours onto the ceiling.

The air was thick and humid, and hard to breathe. Rin closed her eyes and let herself morph into her human form. Much better. She immediately felt cooler without fur, and she took a deep breath, making full use of her greater lung capacity. Her palms and soles throbbed, but at least her feet were covered with shoes. She could walk across the corridor now.

?Orin? Where are you??

Satori spoke to her left. She was shielding her eyes with one hand. Rin noticed a heat haze at the far end of the corridor.

?I?m here, Satori-sama.? Rin slipped off the chair, and stepped onto the floor.

Satori looked at her, frowning slightly. ?So you don?t know anything about this either.? She sighed after a moment, disappointed. Rin rarely had to say anything back, thanks to her mistress? mind-reading ability. It made things convenient. ?Can you talk to the other pets and see if they know where all this heat is coming from??

?Of course.?

?Thank you.? Satori walked past her. ?I?ll be in the bath, if you need me.?

?Okay.?

?You?re welcome to join me after you?ve talked to the others.?

?Thank you, Satori-sama.?

Once Satori was out of sight, Rin began her search for the other pets. She wandered down the corridor, looking through every room and cupboard she passed. There were hundreds of animals living in the palace, but today none of them seemed to be around. They were probably sheltering somewhere cooler, like in the ice house or near the roof. But before Rin could turn around and head for the nearest flight of stairs, a stray thought drifted through her mind.

Wasn?t Utsuho in charge of the Hell of Blazing Fires? The Palace of the Earth Spirits was built over it. If the heat was radiating from the floor, then wouldn?t that mean it was coming from there? Rin had been friends with Utsuho for a long time. She wasn?t exactly the brightest bird, even among hell ravens, but she always did her job.

Had something happened to her?

Rin wiped the sweat off her brow. It was probably just something stupid, like Utsuho tossing in too many corpses at once. But the palace hadn?t been this hot since they were cut off from Hell. Rin needed to see what?d happened for herself, before any of the other pets did. She stepped out into the corridor, and walked towards the courtyard.

It wasn?t much cooler outside. She could feel the heat radiating out of the ground. Her wheelbarrow sat near the backdoor, and Rin reached for it out of habit. But she stopped herself just in time. The metal would burn her, and it?d just get in the way. There was no point bringing it. Instead she walked over to the hole in the centre of the courtyard, and floated down through it. Seconds later, Rin covered her eyes with her arms.

The Hell of Blazing Fires was in operation.

The bright white light was scorching hot. Molten lava floated below her, robbing the air of oxygen. Her eyes hurt, and she felt her clothes grow heavy with sweat. She had to make it quick. Rin floated as close to the ceiling as she could, occasionally knocking into stalactites and sending them plummeting into the lava. Her head hurt. She was thirsty. Once upon a time she?d carted corpses through this heat, hadn?t she? Back then she?d barely noticed the temperature. Rin didn?t have time to be nostalgic though, not while she had an objective.

She saw a figure up ahead, dancing through the heat haze. Black hair, black wings? it had to be Utsuho. She was safe at least. ?Okuu!? Rin yelled, trying to catch her attention. ?Okuu, what?s going on??

Utsuho glanced in her direction, smiled, then continued dancing. Rin moved as fast as the heat would let her. As she got closer, she noticed odd things about Utsuho?s clothes. She was wearing a cape now, a huge white sheet that barely covered her wings. One of her shoes was covered in odd, grey rock, and her right arm now boasted a long, sleek cannon.

?Orin!? shouted Utsuho. ?Look, look at this!? She pointed her cannon up at the ceiling. Rin instinctively ducked, but what shot out wasn?t a danmaku bullet, but a ball of flame the size of a melon. Rin couldn?t look at it directly, but she could sense it pulsating as it hovered above them.

?I can make things like this now!? cried Utsuho. ?All thanks to nuclear fusion!?

Rin didn?t like the sound of those words. ?Nuclear fusion??

?Yeah, someone from the surface came down and showed me how to use it! I don?t really understand it, but apparently it?s a godly, mythical energy source they can?t do in the outside world.?

?Someone from the surface? Who??

?I don?t know her name, but she said she was a god.? Utsuho pointed her cannon back at the lava. ?Watch, Orin! Watch me do it. It?s amazing!?

Rin backed up to the cave wall, nervous, and observed Utsuho from a slight distance. She could barely understand what was going on, honestly. Utsuho would shoot little balls of flame out of her cannon. The lava would roar, and fly up in little bursts. There?d be steam, noise, sometimes smoke, it was all very theatrical. But Utsuho looked delighted, like a child playing with a new toy. Rin hadn?t seen her look so happy in decades.

But, there was something fishy about it. This nuclear fusion thing seemed too strong, too convenient. There had to be a catch. When Utsuho was finally done, she turned back to Rin with a smile as bright as the sun, and said:

?Maybe now, we can finally show the surface who?s boss.?

There was a wicked look in her eyes. Her smile seemed too confident. Despite the extreme heat, Rin shivered.

If she didn?t do something, all hell would break loose.

hungrybookworm

  • Shipper On Board
Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Heretic (Seija/Marisa)
« Reply #22 on: January 12, 2015, 03:02:33 PM »
At last! After mumbling about SeiMari on my Tumblr for months, I finally wrote a SeiMari story! It's rated 'M'. A light M, but an M none-the-less, and things do get pretty racy in places soooo...!

[nsfw]https://archiveofourown.org/works/3158771[/nsfw]

There's nothing extreme or upsetting in it, but you might want to glance over the tags before reading, just in case.

hungrybookworm

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Re: hungrybookworm's Delicious One Shots - Arrangement (pre-DDC SeiShin)
« Reply #23 on: February 02, 2015, 03:44:03 PM »
I need a Seija detox... Based on the request "SeiShin, 44 (Two Roads)" from tumblr user amemenojaku. Nearly done with my outstanding meme requests.

Arrangement
(AO3 Mirror)

There were no sunrises in the world of oni, and no sunsets. Only the lamplight glowing through the townscape gave a hint to the time of day. Oni were active at all hours, but at night the lights were brightest, and the yells and jeers and endless chatter nigh deafening.

The inchlings were more active at night too, as a necessity. Night was the most plentiful; when they best gathered resources, and scavenged food. The oni were often too drunk or otherwise occupied to notice a plate of party food suddenly disappear under their noses, or a few articles of clothing go missing from their drawers. The timing had to be impeccable; inchlings were considered pests, and one wrong move could result in casualties.

Shinmyoumaru didn?t have to worry about all that, for now. She had never left the castle grounds, and wasn?t allowed on scavenger missions. She had only glimpsed an oni once or twice in her life, and saw the rest in picture books and paintings. Her tutors would wrinkle their noses when she asked about oni, and declare that the princess need not worry about such things. She reached adulthood without once leaving the grounds, even for special events or parades. Her only hint to life beyond was the echoes that bounced off the cavern?s endlessly high ceiling: shouts and laughter of far away parties.

Her life was heading in one direction, like a mine cart being gently rolled along its track. The surrounding people pushed her along, ensuring there was no chance of her slipping backwards, or otherwise falling off the rails. And Shinmyoumaru was fine with that. Her future lay in leading her people. She would be fed, clothed, waited on and always get the best of everything. She had no reason to long for anything else.

Then one day, her mother requested her presence. Shinmyoumaru dressed in her finest clothes, and was led to her mother?s study. There was an unfamiliar man with her ? an inchling old enough to be her father.

Her mother, the queen, introduced them. ?Shinmyoumaru, this is your fianc?.?

Shinmyoumaru tilted her head, confused. The man smiled gently, and bowed.

The wedding was set for three months later.

*****
Shinmyoumaru couldn?t understand why it bothered her so much. Her fianc? was gentle, and a highly intelligent man. He would talk for hours about politics and the inner workings of the palace. He was a noble, and well suited to aid her future role as queen. The servants spoke highly of him, saying that he would take good care of her and any future children they had.

She had known for many years that her husband would be picked for her, and trusted her mother?s judge of character. Shinmyoumaru had never felt interested in any of the men in the palace, nor understood why her female servants gossiped about boys so much. If she had no preference for one herself, then what was the harm in letting someone else pick for her? That way she could focus on her studies, and spend her free time swinging her sword in the grounds.

But now, as the days drew closer to her wedding, she found herself feeling sicker and sicker. She couldn?t concentrate on anything ? books, lessons, even her fencing technique. Nightmares of being trapped or locked away haunted her as she slept. She was restless, and keen to keep moving. Her mother scolded her for fidgeting at important dinners, and took her aside afterwards. ?I know you?re excited, but you must remain on your best behaviour,? she snapped.

It was the week before the rehearsal that something changed. Shinmyoumaru woke up after only three hours of sleep, and knew that she had to leave the palace. Her servants were asleep; there was no one to stop her. She dressed herself the best she could, grabbed her needle sword and her bowl helmet, and escaped through the window, carefully climbing down the palace wall until she dropped into the bushes.

Getting out was effortless. No one was guarding the gates. The further she got from the grounds, the more at ease she felt. And soon her anxiety changed to excitement.

For the first time in her life, she was outside.

What would she do first? Most of the inchlings were asleep, so there was barely anyone around. She walked through settlements, investigating houses made from all kinds of materials ? from tin boxes to dirt piles ? and peeked in through the windows. She ran up and down the road, imagining merchants selling their wares in market stalls. And then up ahead she saw a bright white hill, just begging to be explored. She dashed forward, resisting the urge to giggle, and turned a corner.

She yelped, and staggered to a halt. The bright white hill was a person. A big person! Shinmyoumaru immediately grabbed her needle sword, trying to remember her training. The person was lying down, their back to her. She hadn?t been noticed yet. Shinmyoumaru had to run away, but her feet wouldn?t move. Her legs weren?t listening to her.

The big person groaned, and moved. Shinmyoumaru squealed, her needle sword slippery in her hands from sweat. She glimpsed messy black hair, horns, red and black patterns on the white cloth? it was an oni. It had to be. This was her first time seeing one up close.

The oni looked at her, and frowned. She was an idiot. She hadn?t run away in time, and now it was all over for her. One slap and she?d be crushed. But Shinmyoumaru wasn?t going down that easily. ?Stay back!? she snapped, as authoritatively as she could. ?State your name.?

The oni grinned at her, amused. They sat up, and crossed their arms, looking down at Shinmyoumaru. ?You can relax, I won?t crush you.? Their voice was a whisper, but to tiny Shinmyoumaru it rumbled like thunder. ?In fact, I?m looking for someone. Perhaps you can help me find them??

?Are you an oni?? asked Shinmyoumaru, somewhat bothered by their politeness. Weren?t oni meant to be loud and rowdy?

The big person paused. Their smile flickered. For a second they looked annoyed. ?No, I?m? I?m not an oni. I?m looking for her Royal Highness Shinmyoumaru Sukuna. I have vital information to deliver to her, which I can only give in person. Perhaps you can tell me how I can make contact with her??

?That?s me.? Shinmyoumaru wasn?t sure if this was the right thing to say, but it was the truth, and she valued being honest. ?I?m Shinmyoumaru Sukuna. Tell me your business.?

The big person looked surprised. Then they laughed. Laughed and laughed until they clutched their stomach. ?Are you serious??

?Of course I?m serious!? Shinmyoumaru felt annoyed. ?Do I need to prove it??

?It?s fine, I have a way of knowing for sure.? The big person regained their composure, and bowed. ?My name is Seija Kijin. Excuse my impoliteness, princess. I have vital information to give to you, and in turn, an offer. I would be honoured if you would consider it.?

Shinmyoumaru listened.

And her mouth fell open.

*****
Nobody questioned why Shinmyoumaru was so quiet the next day. Most assume it was nerves due to the upcoming wedding. Her tutors reassured her that everything would go fine, that a happy life awaited her. Her servants giggled and tried to speculate what the wedding outfits would look like. Her mother smiled at her at mealtimes.

Shinmyoumaru couldn?t stop thinking about Seija. About her offer of a revolution in Gensokyo, about the true history of the inchlings, about the Miracle Mallet, the Miracle Mallet! It really existed. Seija had held it up in the air to show her, letting its intricate patterns shine in the lamplight. And Seija was so polite, so patient, and answered all of Shinmyoumaru?s questions perfectly. She showed far more insight than any of her tutors.

And she was beautiful.

Shinmyoumaru felt resentful of her small size. She wished Seija was an inchling too, who could become her friend and teach her all kinds of things. Imagining them chatting every day in the grounds made her face blush bright red.

And it made the wedding seem even more horrible. The thought of her fianc? holding her hand in the future, and not Seija, made her want to cry.

It made the decision easy. Almost effortless. Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing, but she would go mad if she stayed there any longer. That night she wrote three letters: one addressed to her servants, one to her mother, and one to her fianc?. She placed them under her pillow, then gathered as many things she could find. And just like the night before, she slipped through the window, out of the gates and into the world beyond.

Shinmyoumaru wasn?t stupid. She knew this could all be a trap; a ruse to lure her away from the safety of the palace. To kidnap her and hold her for ransom, or far worse. But she didn?t care anymore. She just wanted to see Seija again, and hear more about the truth.

Seija was waiting for her. It took everything she had to not run over.

?So you?ve decided to accept my offer?? Seija smiled.

?I have,? said Shinmyoumaru. ?Take me to Gensokyo. Let me avenge the shame and humiliation my people have suffered at the hands of its youkai. I command you.?

Seija bowed. ?Of course. Allow me to carry you; it will be faster that way.?

Shinmyoumaru paused, frightened by the concept, but she had to be brave. ?Please.? She braced herself as Seija?s hands curls around her, and lifted her off her feet.

Lifting her off the tracks of her old life, to somewhere new.

?Stop her!?

Shinmyoumaru squeaked. Wasn?t that her fianc??s voice? Through the gaps between Seija?s fingers, she saw him lead a group of twenty inchling men along the road, heading straight towards them. Fear rushed through her. She couldn?t go back now; they had to get away.

But Seija was moving. Shinmyoumaru was bounced up and down with each stride. There was no need to run. The inchlings were sprinting as fast as they could, needle swords unsheathed, but Seija was a giant to them. There was no contest.

And the palms of Seija?s hands were warm. Shinmyoumaru clung to a finger, and watched her fianc? fade out of sight. He was still shouting as he disappeared, and Shinmyoumaru felt sorry for him. Maybe they would marry him off to a different girl while she was gone.

Inchlings were weak. They were powerless against someone bigger than them. If Seija was a bad person, she could?ve massacred the whole army with a few kicks. The reality hit Shinmyoumaru hard, and the importance of their upcoming revolution was clearer than ever.

There was no going back.

Notes:
1) I tried a different writing style for this one. No idea if it really works or not, but it was fun. Posh narrative voices fit the upper classes quite well, I think.

2) The plot is based off a dream I had a few nights ago, about Shinmyoumaru having a fianc?, but meeting up with Seija in secret. In the dream they plotted to get rid of the fianc? and his men, and complete their revolution by themselves. Including that would've made the fic even longer though! So it just ends with Seija carrying Shinmyoumaru off. This isn't how I personally headcanon Seija and Shinmyoumaru's first meeting going, but it's fun to play around with what ifs and stuff.

3) The prompt is 'two roads' but the big metaphor was about mine carts instead. Oops! Well there's still a road in the story, so I guess it's okay!

Thanks for reading!

hungrybookworm

  • Shipper On Board

After reading Chapter 25 of Forbidden Scrollery, I just... had to write this. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry in the slightest. Be warned that this fic is really grim, and contains character death and suicide threats. It also kinda relies on you knowing what happens in Chapter 25, and while you can probably still enjoy it without reading it, some things might seem a bit odd. I made a write up of FS Chapters 24 and 25 on tumblr if you're interested.

No Way Back
(AO3 Mirror)

Youma books were amazing.

Kosuzu loved them; had loved them ever since she first laid eyes on one, when she touched its crisp parchment with her fingertips, and admired the way the calligraphy looped and curled with inhuman scripture. She?d longed to read them for years and years and years, and when her eyes finally focused, and saw meaning behind the scribbles and indecipherable patterns, it was like a gift she?d been waiting all her life for.

She read through her entire collection within a week. She devoured the contents, eyes tearing across the pages, barely stopping to breathe. Kosuzu learnt ancient youkai secrets, tales long forgotten in modern Gensokyo, a hundred million little details about the world, and things even the most educated youkai scholar would never uncover. And in the best youma books - the scrolls and tomes with the creepiest, darkest aura - she encountered lost youkai, curled up fast asleep between the pages. She took great pleasure in unsealing the harmless ones and watching them curl around her desk like smoke, basking in their relief and gratitude. She was a goddess to them, a saviour freeing them from years of captivity.

The power gave her a kick.

Kosuzu collected more books. Her present collection was never enough, and she craved new additions. Her parents didn?t seem to mind her odd new hobby, but if she gushed about the books for too long Kosuzu noticed their expressions grow sour. If they suspected anything, they might confiscate her library, so she learnt to bite her tongue. Akyuu, her closest, most dearest friend, became her confidant. Together they would pore over the best books, Kosuzu reading the contents out loud, and Akyuu taking notes of her own, for possible later use in the Gensokyo Chronicle. They spend many happy afternoons like that, when business was slow or the nights drew in too early.

Every day was wonderful. There were happy things from beginning to end, and every morning brought newer, more wonderful events than the day before. Kosuzu had never been so content in all her life. She never wanted it to end. She prayed for her happiness to last forever.

Her euphoria drove her onwards, across all borders and barriers, and above her own limits. She could do anything, absolutely anything in the world. All she had to do was open a book.

And just like that, Kosuzu surpassed herself, and lost her humanity.

*****
The Human Village was completely silent. A chilly blue mist lurked around the canal, and the grass on the bank glittered with morning dew. Reimu?s breath came out in tiny puffs of steam as she kicked against Suzunaan?s shutters. Once, twice, three times. Marisa was hunched over beside her, mini-Hakkero in hand and the sweat chilly against her skin. They had flown to the village as fast as they could, and they couldn?t afford to stop and catch their breath. Not if they wanted to finish this in time. Neither exterminator had any idea if Kosuzu was still in Suzunaan, or if her parents were awake or asleep, but the crash of boots against wood would attract attention sooner or later.

And if they rested, they might start thinking, and then the whole miserable business would become ten times harder.

Finally, with one well timed strike, the shutters broke in half. There was a shriek inside the shop. ?Now!? The debris was kicked aside and the two women rushed inside. There was no sign of Kosuzu ? or her parents, or even, thankfully, Mamizou ? but Hieda no Akyuu was standing in front of the desk, shaking violently, her hairpiece askew and her eyes wide with terror.

?Stay away!? There was a small, sharp knife in Akyuu?s hands. ?Don?t come any closer!?

?Akyuu, what are you doing here?? Marisa dashed further forward, but was suddenly yanked to a stop. Reimu had grabbed her shoulder. ?Hey!?

?Stand still.? Reimu?s voice was calm; her expression firm. ?Akyuu, don?t.?

?I won?t let you kill Kosuzu!?

?Akyuu, put the knife down.?

?Never!? Akyuu sobbed. She held the knife up to her own neck, the edge catching in the light. ?Come any closer and I?ll kill myself!?

?Come on!? Marisa couldn?t believe this. As if things weren?t horrible enough already. ?Don?t even joke about that, you?re the Child of Miare!?

?You know the rules, Akyuu,? said Reimu. ?This isn?t your place to meddle.?

?Of course I know the rules!? Akyuu almost laughed. ?I?m the Child of Miare. I?ve seen this happen hundreds, no thousands of times, and I?m not going to let it happen again! Not to Kosuzu, not to my best friend. Not to the best friend I?ve ever had!?

?Then put the knife down.? It occurred to Reimu, then, that this was a stalling tactic. That Kosuzu might be far away from Suzunaan by now, and gaining distance with every second they wasted. The thought gave her hope. ?Killing yourself won?t save Kosuzu.?

?Gensokyo needs me! If I die you?ll have to deal with the consequences, won?t you?? Tears ran down Akyuu?s cheeks. Her breath came out in sharp gasps. ?But Gensokyo doesn?t need Kosuzu. She?s your friend, isn?t she, Reimu-san? Marisa-san? But here you are, ready to kill her, like she was never anyone important in the first place. Just another victim in Gensokyo?s perfect society!?

?Your job is to chronicle life in Gensokyo and its residents,? said Reimu, ?and mine is to keep the peace. I?m the Hakurei shrine maiden. This is my duty. Now please.? Her expression softened. ?Put the knife down, and step out of the way.?

?No!? Akyuu pressed the edge against her skin. A thin line of blood ran down her neck. ?I?m serious!?

Marisa couldn?t stand and watch anymore. She panicked, lunged at Akyuu, and tackled her to the floor. Akyuu screamed, and the knife clattered to one side. ?Reimu, quick!?

But Reimu was already sprinting behind the desk. She shoved the chair aside, and just as she feared, saw Kosuzu curled up beneath it like a cat.

There is nothing crueller than gaining hope, only for it to be snatched away moments later. Kosuzu hadn?t run away. She was right there, dressed as she always was, looking up at Reimu with a blank expression. The newborn youkai, Kosuzu Motoori, who had committed the greatest sin a human could imagine, now had to pay the price for it. Reimu felt cold despair wash over her. She wanted to grab Kosuzu by the shoulders and scream at her. Why didn?t you run away? If you?d escaped from Gensokyo I wouldn?t need to do this!

This is your punishment, said a voice in the back of her head. Because you were too soft with her all this time.

?Reimu-san?? Kosuzu?s voice was barely audible. She lowered her head, and began to cry.

Reimu moved aside, to give her room to climb out. I am not Reimu Hakurei right now, she thought. I am the Hakurei shrine maiden, and I am here to do my job. ?Come on,? she said, holding a hand out. ?I won?t let it hurt, I promise.?

It was the least she could do.

*****
They left Suzunaan that afternoon, once everything calmed down. The sun was high in the sky, and Reimu and Marisa walked alongside each other in silence. Neither knew what to say, nor wanted to say anything in particular. There?d been a lot of things to do once the hardest part was over. Kosuzu?s parents had to be informed and comforted. Akyuu needed escorting home, and the situation explained to her servants. Reimu gave a written statement to the village police, and the crowd that gathered around the shop had to be dispersed. But now, finally, there was nothing left to do, so they walked back to the shrine with slow, heavy steps. The crunch of the gravel felt loud. The birds overhead were shrill and annoying. Spring was fast approaching, and the sky was a bright, endless blue. The seasons didn?t care much for Kosuzu.

Reimu sped up when they reached the torii gate. She marched over to the main room, and slid the door open. ?Hey, slow down.? Marisa jogged a little to catch up, but Reimu didn?t look back at her. She stepped inside, and closed the door behind her. ?Reimu, come on. Don?t be like that.?

?I want to be alone,? said Reimu. Her voice was the same level tone as before. ?Leave me be.? Marisa heard her walk away from the door, further into the room. If this was any other day, Marisa would?ve followed her inside anyway, demanding to know what the matter was.

But Kosuzu Motoori was dead. Reimu had killed her with her own hands. It was clear as day what the problem was. Youkai didn?t leave corpses ? they crumbled away and disappeared. Marisa had seen Kosuzu crumble. Even the tiny bells on her head had faded into thin air. She?d felt Akyuu weaken in her arms at that moment, and a tiny whimper escape from her lips.

Kosuzu had just stood there, and accepted her fate. Maybe she was aware of just how deep her sin ran. Maybe she?d never wanted to be a youkai in the first place.

The thought made Marisa light-headed. She turned her back to the main room and sat down on the porch. The air felt cold, suddenly, and she shivered. There was no point staying here. She knew she should pick up her broom and fly home, and try and get some rest. Anyone would need time to recover from this. But her body refused to move. She sat still, trembling with her head in her hands, hoping that no one would see her, and that no one would interfere.

She was going to remember that scene in Suzunaan forever, over and over, in her waking dreams and nightmares. Even now, when she closed her eyes, she could see Kosuzu?s tear-stained face as Reimu-

?Good afternoon.?

Marisa clenched her fists. She could hear the smug smile in Yukari?s voice as she stepped onto the porch. ?A beautiful day, isn?t it??

??What do you want??

?Nothing in particular.? She felt Yukari sit down, to her left. ?I simply felt like paying a visit to the Hakurei Shrine.?

?Why don?t you go bother Reimu then?? Marisa quickly wiped her face with a sleeve, and looked up at Yukari. Just as she thought, the gap youkai was smiling. Marisa returned it with a glare. She wasn?t in the mood for playing around.

?And why would I want to bother Reimu after all her hard work this morning? She did her duty as the Hakurei shrine maiden. I have no reason to scold or admonish her.?

Anger flashed through her. ?Don?t give me that bullshit. You?re the boss around here. You made up that rule about punishing humans who turned into youkai.?

?Maybe I did.? Yukari put a gloved finger to her chin, in contemplation. ?Or maybe I didn?t. It was quite a while ago.?

?You forced Reimu to kill Kosuzu.? Marisa stood up, wanting to put distance between them. She was shaking again, this time with fury. Kosuzu?s face flashed through her mind once more. ?One extra youkai in Gensokyo wouldn?t have made a difference, you know!?

?I wouldn?t expect someone uninvolved in the management side to understand.?

?And I wouldn?t expect you to understand what it?s like to have friends!?

?Temper temper.? Yukari was clearly amused. ?Why are you so angry? Reimu always had the option of turning a blind eye. If anything she?s more pro-active about enforcing this particular rule than her predecessors.?

?I don?t believe for a minute she wanted to kill Kosuzu!? Marisa knew Reimu too well. ?Those two got on really well, they were like sisters sometimes, how could you-?

?Goodness, you really are worked up this afternoon. Can I recommend some soothing tea??

?Yukari!?

?All right, in that case, let me share my opinion with you.? Yukari spoke as though reciting from a book. ?Perhaps Reimu feels concerned that, should someone closer to her turn into a youkai, she wouldn?t have the courage to exterminate them. If she can?t exterminate little Kosuzu Motoori, then how would she deal with, well, bigger game??

Marisa didn?t like the way she phrased that. ??What do you mean??

Yukari tilted her head, and gazed into her eyes. ?Who do you think I?m talking about, ordinary human magician Marisa Kirisame??

A chill ran down her spine. ??No way.?

?It would be quite embarrassing if the Hakurei shrine maiden?s close friend stopped being human. Right under her nose too. She would certainly have to take responsibility.?

?I don?t plan to become a youkai magician!?

?I believe you attempted to make an immortality potion??

?Yeah, and? I just wanted to see if I could!? Marisa hated this. ?God, I touch a magic book and everyone thinks I?m gonna eat them. It?s the same all over Gensokyo.?

?Is that why you ran away from home??

?That?s none of your business!?

?Your parents were afraid you?d become a youkai, and be exterminated by the Hakurei shrine maiden. And it would ruin their business, of course, if word got out about it, so they tried to stop you pursuing your interest in magic??

?Shut up.?

??But you were too stubborn, and ran away to the forest to bask in sin.?

?I said shut up!?

?Now now.? Yukari was unperturbed. ?I admire your gall, spending every day at a youkai extermination shrine when you?re dabbling in youkai arts yourself. You say you want to stay human, but being human will only take your studies so far. Eventually you?ll grow tempted, maybe consider fleeing to Makai. Most of the magicians there were originally seeking asylum from Gensokyo, you know.?

?I told you I?m not interested in becoming a youkai.?

?A good thing you seem so fascinated by Reimu then. She can keep an eye on you every day of the week.? Yukari leant forward, and lowered her voice to a whisper. ?I wonder what her face will look like, when the time comes to kill you??

Marisa didn?t want to imagine it. ?Are you done yet? I?m not in the mood to play around today.?

?Oh, of course.? Yukari leant back again, a teasing smile on her lips. ?Go home whenever you wish. Don?t let me keep you.?

Marisa wasted no time. She had to get out of here, before her knees gave way or she punched Yukari in the face. She grabbed her broom, and set off for home immediately. Yukari watched her leave, letting her smile fade once the magician was out of sight.

Reimu would have to kill her. Marisa had known that from the very beginning. And that was exactly why she never planned to become a youkai magician. No matter how great the temptation or how necessary it was for her studies, she would never, ever cross that line.

She thought of Akyuu then, how she shook and trembled and whispered Kosuzu?s name so helplessly, and how Kosuzu had kept her gaze locked on Reimu the entire time, not glancing in their direction once. Marisa wanted to be sick. Cold sweat made her palms slippery against her broom.

She didn?t want the last thing she?d ever see in her short, foolish life, to be the moment her best friend broke.

Berzul

  • (*7(*7(*7(*7(*7
  • Round face... z( ⌣ω⌣)z
Interesting that I wrote a story about <Spoilers> before there was an example in canon. All the Youkai with little back story, not really based on mythical creatures, perhaps they got <Warning>?

hungrybookworm

  • Shipper On Board
Interesting that I wrote a story about <Spoilers> before there was an example in canon. All the Youkai with little back story, not really based on mythical creatures, perhaps they got <Warning>?
I'm not really sure what you mean, but thanks for reading!

Suspicious person

  • Just a humble wanderer
  • How suspicious~
Ohhh, that last story, clearly based off a certain something from FS without spoiling it. A bit dark, but it feels... somehow... hesitant ? Anyway, interesting read.

btw, this might be relevant

hungrybookworm

  • Shipper On Board
Ohhh, that last story, clearly based off a certain something from FS without spoiling it. A bit dark, but it feels... somehow... hesitant ? Anyway, interesting read.

btw, this might be relevant
Thank you! Earlier drafts of this story were actually a lot darker, but I toned it down because I didn't want it to be too miserable. Hitting that vital 'catharsis' point is tough...

Hehe, if you look at the tags on that picture's original tumblr post, you'll see that the picture is all my fault! Whoops~

YES SOMEONE DIES YESSSS I often find myself drawn to dark Touhou stories, and I think yours, unlike many others (including mine T_T), doesn't try to be overly depressing and continue on and on about a character's plight. You focused less on Kosuzu's death and more on everyone's reactions to it, which I think was really neat. ...that's not really the right word to use here, but oh well.

I'm liking this place better than FF.net already.