Within the dark, maze-like confines of the Scarlet manor was Voile, the great magical library, which was located in the building?s basement. From the outside, one would never expect a library of this size to be under the devil?s home. Thousands upon thousands of books stocked the high shelves of the great library, not only allowing for much more room, but also denying access to a fair percentage of books to beings that could not fly. Perhaps this was just another safety mechanism to prevent intruders from raiding the place. However, one thing that is true about this mysterious archive, is that the library?s entire existence is meant for it?s one sole occupant, Patchouli Knowledge.
Silence fills the expansive room, as if everyone was sound asleep or away for the evening. The library?s usually dim lighting glowed eerily amongst what was obscuring darkness. Despite being nighttime, the library was lit quite well when compared to it?s daytime counterpart, which was even darker than it was now. Above, the occasional winged being could be spotted floating along, shelving and organizing books. Their movements were devoid of sound, making it seem like they were walking on air.
In the main area of the library sat a table surrounded by a countless number of books, divided into towering piles that got progressively shorter the further they got from the center. Upon the table?s top were various notes strewn about in an unorganized fashion. At the center of the table was a lamp which illuminated the pages, making the words that covered them readable. Other objects, such as pens, ink, and a teacup sat among the mess of papers and books.
Any visitor would likely call the place unorganized, but for her, it wasn?t.
The asthmatic magician sat silently, her eyes moving over the words with astonishing speed.
??Finished.? She muttered as she closed the book. She reached for her cup of tea. Taking a sip, she gazed at the silent library. For a moment, she wondered why it was so quiet, but immediately recalled the answer.
Oh yeah, Remi went out tonight... She thought as she remembered what her friend had told her earlier.
---
?Patchy!?
The purple haired magician looked up from her work to see her friend, Remilia Scarlet, standing before her with a smile on her childish face.
?Ah Remi, what is it?? Patchouli asked as she put down her pen for a moment and shifted her attention to the vampire.
The mansion?s mistress held up a newspaper.
Patchouli squinted to try and read the title. ??Bunbunmaru??
Remilia nodded, still retaining her smile.
The magician is hesitant for a moment, trying to comprehend why the vampire was smiling so cheerfully. ??What about it??
The girl grinned for a second, then put the newspaper on the table.
Patchouli gazed at the title, mumbling it aloud as she does so.
?The next Hakurei miko appears?? Patchouli gave a dull look for a second, various thoughts crossing her mind, only to be put to rest a moment later. ??and??
?There?s a feast to be held at the shrine tonight.? Remilia says confidently. ?To celebrate the event.?
Patchouli?s gaze sharpened. She knew what would come next and decided to give her answer before the vampire could ask.
?I have more important things to do than sit around and consume alcohol with a handful of anonymous drunkards.?
Remilia?s face contorted into a frown that bordered on a pout. She opened her mouth to speak, but breathed a sigh instead. ?I guess I?ll have to go alone then.? The vampire spoke as she turned and made her way towards the large main doors of the library.
?Take Flandre with you if you?re lonely.? Patchouli said as she returned her gaze to the book in front of her. She could hear Remilia grunt from behind her, but didn?t turn to look back. Soon enough the magician could hear the grand wooden doors of the library shut.
And with that she was left with peace and silence.
---
Patchouli let out a sigh, sitting her now empty tea cup down on the table. She pushed herself up out of her chair and to her feet, weaving through and around the towers of books.
?Hmm?? She muttered to herself as she scanned the titles of the books on one shelf. She shook her head faintly for a moment, then turned the corner to go around to the other side. ?It should be around here somewh-?
Patchouli stopped mid-sentence and gazed at the floor.
There, lying on the floor was a girl, sleeping peacefully with a book within her reach.
The magician grimaced for a moment. A certain gate guard and familiar crossed her mind, but she cleared her head of anger. Patchouli approached the girl slowly, as if in caution. She gazed over her features, examining them thoroughly. I don?t sense anything from her?and she doesn?t appear to be a youkai? The magician?s expression flickered with irritation for a moment before changing into a frown. What is that so-called guard doing?letting humans walk right into the mansion?
The girl moving faintly brought Patchouli out of her daze. She watched the stranger for a moment, as if to confirm the human was still asleep.
After doing so, Patchouli turned her attention the book that was within reach of the girl. She picked it up and began to scan its pages.
For a moment, the magician looked surprised, shifting her gaze to the girl.
Then, a smile slid across her face.
---------
---Amra
Tetsumaru stood just a few steps away from the shrine?s front entrance. He had seen Aya enter casually, and another girl exit cautiously. Now here he was, standing in front of the entrance, yet lacking the guts to step forward and enter. He continued to stare forward, his gaze fixated on the shrine.
?Something troubling you??
Tetsumaru nodded silently, his eyes still glued to the building before him.
?Wait a second, that wasn?t a voice inside his head. It was the voice of a woman.
Tetsumaru, realizing that someone had spoke to him, snapped out of his daze, and turned in the direction of its owner.
On the shrine?s veranda sat a woman, dressed in dull colors. She wore an odd shirt and a skirt that was a tad too short, compliantly revealing her bloomers. Her hair was short and a rosy-brown color. Glasses stood before her brown eyes, obscuring their deep color slightly. Atop her head sat a leaf which, while occasionally wobbling precariously, did not seem to fall. The most noticeable things about the woman however, were her ears and massive, fluffy, rosy-brown to brown, striped tail.
The woman took a swig of sake from a small cup that she held in her hand as she patiently awaited for the boy to respond.
---------
Keine listened to Kohaku?s story silently, occasionally looking deep in thought for but a moment. Once the girl had finished speaking, the schoolteacher spoke up.
?To address you concerns, Laresa,? Keine began as she shuffled through the papers, scanning them for pertinent information. After about a minute, the teacher spoke up again. ??These pages entail the Hakurei Shrine Maiden?s duties, while these mention other details related to the miko?s job.? Keine says as she hands two small separate piles of papers to Laresa.
As the violet haired woman began to read them, Keine turned her to the remaining papers. As she did so, she noticed the loose slivers of paper amongst the pile. She separated them and began to read.
!
The schoolteacher?s eyes widen. Her mouth opened slightly, as if to gasp, but she stopped herself before drawing the attention of her two former students. She carefully looked over the words again, digesting the meaning of why they were there.
?Located at the?? ? ?Were it not for the Great Barrier?? ? ??she can create or destroy a place like Gensokyo whenever she?? ?
Keine?s face twitched with a faint hint of annoyance. She had to consciously stop herself from raising a hand to her head and letting out an aggravated groan. She could feel a headache beginning to form in the back of her mind.
What is that woman thinking?!
The school teacher thought about sliding the slivers of paper into her pocket discreetly, but then realized that Kohaku was still looking in her and Laresa?s general direction. If she were to attempt to pocket them, she would likely be caught in the act and need to explain herself.
Reluctantly, Keine breathed a silent sigh and returned the slips to the main pile. A faint frown had forced its way onto the schoolteacher?s face without her knowledge. She glanced at Kohaku for a brief moment, then turned her gaze towards Laresa, waiting for the woman to finish reading.
