The Past, the Present, and the Future
Most things have a start, as we all know. Many people look back at their past as the time they were young, had fun, and enjoyed life to the fullest. Those people are eager to see the future, as nobody knows what it may hold, good or bad. For some people, however, the idea of the future is a good subject of comedy, realizing the present is the future for them. And more than that, the past is a distant memory, one that no innocent, living being should have to endure.
Gensokyo, a world where mystical creatures dwell, and the supernatural reigns. A world of splendor, and beauty, depending on where you are, and who you ask, that is. Humans rarely visit this realm, as they either are unable to enter, or find it, or simply due to the fact they'd most definitely be killed. The Youkai that inhabit the realm of Gensokyo all seem to have a common distaste for humanity, more so than each other. Amongst the mountains, forest and lakes, there, in the center of a large, open valley, sat a Manor. More spectacular than any on Earth, that wasn't built to replicate it. This place was the Scarlet Devil Mansion, where the Scarlet family, along with several servants and attendants dwelled. However, most people never saw the Mistress of the house, or her younger sister, as they rarely came out during the day.
Because the Scarlet family are vampires.
Remilia Scarlet, the Mistress of the manor, was on the shaded balcony, sipping her fill of tea. Tea that, naturally, was mixed with a certain amount of blood from past failed intruders, that didn't escape successfully, or that she acquired from sapping it from humans who dared challenge her, or step foot in her manor. She sipped the tea elegantly, and looked out over the lake the Manor was built at the edge of. She had been living there for the past 250 years, following her retreat to the world of Gensokyo when she was 245 years old. Still young, for a vampire, that is.
"Sakuya" she said, stoically. The tall woman in a maid-like outfit standing near the door stepped forwards. She had silvery-white hair, piercing blue eyes, and a slender, elegant physique, which was further emphasized by her proper and refined posture and mannerisms. When she spoke, her voice was calm, and soothing, unless she was engaged in combat, of course. Her navy-blue dress with white apron and headdress were complemented with a pair of white gloves, which she wore when serving tea and coffee, and a golden chain, leading to a pocket watch, which she always had with her.
"Yes, Mistress?" Sakuya responded, looking as calm as ever. Remilia turned to her.
"The tea is very good, Sakuya. Then again, I think it gets better every day, somehow." Sakuya looked to the horizon to avoid the light blush coming to her face.
"Thank you, M'lady. I know how you like your tea prepared, so I make sure to make it right every time."
"Well, you're doing something different every time. Because it keeps getting better."
"I only make it the way you prefer it. I do not change anything."
"This is why I keep you around, Sakuya. Among several other things."
Sakuya let a tiny smile come to her face.
"Thank you, Mistress." Sakuya and Remilia both sat in silence for a moment, before Sakuya broke the silence. "I should check on the library. I think a certain thief has returned…" Remilia nodded, sipping her tea.
"Make sure you come back quickly, Sakuya. I'd get lonely otherwise." Sakuya nodded, and headed off to the library.
The Mansion's library was massive, and expansive. The shelves stood almost 15 feet tall, and the books were neatly sorted by author, and hen by title, and genre. In the middle was a small lounge, with a small table and a few chairs. When Sakuya entered, the tall double doors opened with a creak, letting the light behind Sakuya spill into the dark library, with only a single lamp providing any extra light. Sakuya made her way to the lounge, where she saw a young-looking girl, with deep purple hair, and a lilac nightgown, that had a pink silk robe over it, with slippers, and a cap, similar to Remilia's, though this girl's bore a little gold crescent shape on it. Approaching her, Sakuya couldn't tell whether she was asleep, or way too absorbed in her reading, as her head was hung low, over a large book. When Sakuya's heels clicked against the wooden floor, the girl looked up at Sakuya, her violet eyes had several dark rings beneath them. This girl was Patchouli Knowledge, the unmoving librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Her title was mostly a joke made by Remilia, but it wasn't completely false. Patchouli has a plethora of ailments and chronic illnesses, that made moving around a challenge for her. Despite these, she was actually a very skilled magician, capable of casting the elements in her spells. If they didn't cause her to collapse from the effort, that is. Sakuya giggled at Patchouli's messy, frayed hair as she drowsily looked at Sakuya.
"You really should start sleeping in your bed, Patchouli. We even gave you a room across the hall, so it wasn't far." The maid was the first to speak, with a kind smile on her face. Patchouli sipped her now lukewarm coffee, and spoke, her voice rough, and monotone.
"Sleeping doesn't interest me. Besides, Marisa would take advantage of my sleeping." She replied, looking back on her book.
"She already comes in when you take your naps, Patchouli. Koakuma has a rough job fending her off, you know." Sakuya replied, with a slight blunt tone in her voice. Patchouli rolled her eyes, and turned the page in her book. Sakuya took her coffee mug, and inspected it. "Should I make some more?" she asked politely.
"No, I'll be fine. Besides, I was going to try and sleep once I finished this chapter anyways." Patchouli replied, eyes still glued to the page. Sakuya set the mug down, before letting out a small sigh. Some silence reigned for a few awkward moments, before Patchouli let out a heavier sigh, and placed a bookmark on the page, and gently closed her massive text. "Sakuya."
"Yes?"
"How do you do it?"
"Hmm?"
"How can you be so… patient, and accepting of everything. We ask so much of you, and you do, exactly that. I feel bad for you, Sakuya. I… I wish I didn't have to ask you for anything. If my asthma wasn't so bad, I'd make my own coffee, get my own books from the shelves, but…"
Sakuya cut her off.
"It's alright, Patche. I don't mind it one bit. In fact…" Patchouli eyed Sakuya oddly, 'Patche' was Remilia and Marisa's pet name for Patchouli, so hearing Sakuya of all people say it was definitely an odd thing indeed. Before Patchouli could speak anything, Sakuya gave her a small hug, and looked her in the eye, going down to one knee so she was at eye level with Patchouli. "I'm more than willing to help you out, Patchouli. I help Mistress Remilia out because she's the Mistress of this manor, and I owe her my everything, and everyone else because it's my job. But I help you, because I know how delicate you are, Patchouli. And I don't want anything bad to befall you." She spoke, her stoic tone not once faltering, yet Patchouli could feel a hint of compassion and earnesty in Sakuya's words. She blushed a small but.
"Sakuya…" Patchouli embraced the Head Maid, before Sakuya broke the embrace.
"I should return to the Mistress." She spoke, standing up. "Take care, Patchouli." She stood up and left the library, closing the doors behind her.
When Sakuya returned to the balcony, Remilia had just finished her teacup, and looked over to Sakuya as she approached.
"How was Patche?" Remilia asked.
"She is still Patchouli. Nothing really different about her." Sakuya responded, pouring Remilia another cup of tea, as they watched the sunset. Remilia sipped her tea, before swirling it around in her cup a bit, then dropped another sugar cube into the mixture.
"Sakuya."
"Yes?"
"Do you remember?"
"Remember what?"
"That day… long ago."
"There were many days from long ago, M'lady. Many special ones."
"I was thinking of the most special of them all, Sakuya."
"And what day was that, Mistress?"
"The day I found you."