"Raaaaaaan, where are you? Ran!" Came the familiar half-asleep cry of the master of Mayohiga, also known as the Gap Hag of Paradise, otherwise known as Yakumo Yukari.
Sighing at the childishness of her master, Yakumo Ran finished pinning up the last of the recently washed clothes of her mistress', before she brushed off her hands and slipped inside, the lovely smell of cherry blossoms on the breeze reminding her that spring had arrived, and a trip to the local shrine would be in order soon, if only to please her mistress.
Wandering down the hallway slowly, Ran allowed her nine tails to sway behind her, as she listened to the continued cries of her mistress, feeling the beginnings of a migraine as the woman's voice continued to grow louder and more desperate in her prolonged absence.
Pulling open the sliding door to her mistress' room, Ran's golden eyes fell upon the blonde haired woman, sitting up in bed, with her mouth wide open, obviously in the process of gathering air to continue with her shouting for her Shikigami, though Ran was thankful she'd arrived when she did. The less she had to hear her Mistress shouting the better for her head.
Brushing off the uncouth way she had been found, Yukari closed her mouth, and quickly retrieved a folding fan from an unknown location (There were still some things about her mistress that Ran, in all of her wisdom, had yet to figure out, including where she kept such things), and used it to cover the lower half of her face, while answering her servant's arrival with a casual, "Ah, there you are."
"You called for me, lady Yukari?" Ran asked smoothly, trying desperately to retain her composure in front of her mistress, even though all she wanted to do was shout at the woman for not acting her age. Then again, her mistress was always rather touchy about that subject, and the last person who'd made a comment about it, a certain black-and-white ordinary magician, had been mutilated in response.
She also had to fight the urge to ask the woman why she had not simply opened a gap to where Ran was, and pulled her through. It was not beyond her lady to pull her away from an errand at a moments notice, and it was one of the, many, annoying habits of the lady.
"Indeed," Yukari stated, before getting straight to the point with her blonde-haired servant, "The cherry blossoms have bloomed, and the spring fairy has begun to make her rounds once again, just as that Yuki-Onna has gone back into hibernation for the year."
Ran wasn't seeing where this conversation was going, despite the fact she knew that her mistress was trying not to be cryptic with her, it was another of her annoying habits, "Yes, the weather is rapidly improving, and it is quite nice out my lady," The tall Kitsune stated.
Turning away from her Shikigami, Yukari hid the scheming grin on her face beneath her fan, though she had an inkling that Ran already knew what she was thinking, "You are aware what the arrival of spring herald, correct Ran?" The blonde haired Youkai asked.
Ran let the question hang in her mind for but a moment, until she put together all of the clues her mistress was giving to her. How childishly she was acting, the mischief twinkling in her eyes, how she alluded to spring coming, before she spoke up, "I suppose I should inform Reimu of our invitation to the Annual flower viewing then?"
"Oh no my dear Shikigami," Yukari replied, "Why tell her, when we can simply drop in unannounced, and drive her crazy with our intrusion, fufufu." Ran gave her mistress a blank look at her rather evil laughter.
"As you wish my lady," Ran stated, as loyal as ever. "Shall I be heading out to the human village to collect supplies to bribe the shrine maiden with to defuse her temper?" The Fox Shikigami asked.
"Ah yes, that may be a good idea, I'm glad I have such an intelligent Shikigami as you," Yukari purred, playing it up like it had been Ran's idea, when this all was quite obviously orchestrated by her mistress, "By the way Ran, just where is your own Shikigami? I haven't heard any of dear Chen's rambunctious announcements all morning."
"Ah." As a matter of fact, Ran wasn't entirely sure where her Shikigami had gotten off to, as she'd disappeared earlier that morning, before breakfast. She was sure that Chen would turn up eventually though, She always did seem to, even though her chosen company was questionable at best, "She's probably off playing with those delinquent Youkai again Lady Yukari."
"Pity, I was hoping to tease her a bit before the party, but never mind," Yukari stated, before rolling over and pulling a Manga out from under her pillow, "I need to see how this chapter ends, and if dear Ichigo will be able to save Rukia," The Gap Hag commented.
Once again embarrassed by the childishness of her mistress, Ran brought a hand to her forehead and sighed, before turning to leave, "Please don't spoil your appetite either Mistress, there is always a great feast during the event, and You know how much you enjoy Reimu's cooking."
Hearing an odd noise from behind her, Ran turned to find her mistress, now holding a stick of Pocky, with another in her mouth, and the manga in her opposite hand, apparently paying no mind to her Shikigami suggestion, making her groan.
'I wonder if Youmu has to put up with days like these,' Ran thought to herself, referring to the half-human gardener of her mistress' best friend, Yuyuko Saigyouji.
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"Lady Mima, get back here with those!" Youmu Konpaku cried, Both hands up in the air as she chased after the Purple-dressed Ghost magician, who was currently holding hostage her swords, playing a game apparently called "keep away," To the gardener's chagrin, "I need to finish preparations for the feast, please stop delaying my work and give me back my swords!" The young girl shouted again.
"Haha! You're too slow dear, and about a thousand years too early to be challenging the great Lady Mima!" The green-haired ghost shouted over her shoulder, Turning and sticking her tongue out at the younger ghost while pulling down her eyelid, still floating backwards away from Youmu.
"Lady Mima, stop picking on me!" The silver haired gardener shouted as the chase continued through Hakugyokurou, The mistress of the mansion watching on in amusement.
"Oh dear adorable Youmu, she's so easy to rile up," Yuyuko laughed, grabbing another cake from the nearby plate and shoving it into her mouth, relishing in the taste of her dear servant's cooking.
As they made another pass through the courtyard, Youmu seemed to notice what her mistress was eating, and cried out once more, "Lady Yuyuko, those are for the feast tonight, please don't eat them!"
Yuyuko put on an innocent expression in response, "But Youmu, your cooking is so delicious, and I'm just so hungry."
Youmu would have continued to yell at her mistress for eating their offerings for the feast, but she was distracted by a small rock that impacted with the back of her head, reminding her of her previous situation, "And you, give me back my swords!" The young girl shouted, beginning the chase once more.
"You can't catch me, you can't catch me!" Mima sang tauntingly, continuing to float just out of the gardener's reach.
Yes, one should pity this poor girl, but now, back to our main protagonist.
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Fourth wall, what's that?
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Thankfully Fox magic allowed Ran to hide her tails as needed, so she was able to enter the human village in relative anonymity, and proceed with her shopping in peace.
Trying to think of what exactly would be most appreciated by everyone at the party, Ran was sure to purchase several sweet potatoes, knowing for sure that what wouldn't be eaten would probably end up as the shrine maiden's meals for the next few months, so she was content in knowing that nothing would go to waste in the end.
Reasonably sure that she had collected enough food to even sate the black hole of Hakugyokurou, Ran left the shop with her purchases, and immediately contacted a young child that had been running by, causing the boy to spin out and hit the ground.
Only mildly concerned for the boy, Ran shifted the basket off to one arm, before she went to check on the human, "Are you alright? do you need a hand up?" The Blonde-haired woman asked.
Seemingly tougher than he appeared, the boy bounced back to his feet, and flashed the much taller woman a large grin, "I'm fine lady, it's gonna take a lot more than that to hurt me!" He proclaimed proudly, rubbing under his nose arrogantly with one finger.
A small smile came unbidden to Ran, and she reached down to pat the boy's head, "That is good to hear, you humans can be ever so frail sometimes," She stated with a chuckle.
Watching the boy run off, Ran's eyes caught on the sight of two other children nearby, seemingly waiting for this boy to catch up with them. One had straight black hair that was cut short, while the other, a girl, had bright pink hair.
Feeling a sudden pang of nostalgia, Ran hurriedly turned away, and came face-to-face with a Were-Hakutaku in disguise herself.
"Oh Ran, what brings you to the village?" Keine Kamishirasa asked with a small smile, her blue-white hair seemingly glowing in the light of the afternoon sun.
"Errands for lady Yukari I'm afraid," The fox Shikigami replied casually, "It seemed we were alarmingly unprepared for the flower viewing being held tonight, and my mistress requested I go and collect the necessary offerings for the shrine maiden."
"And I'm sure that Reimu will much appreciate all of the extra leftovers," Keine stated with a laugh.
The two women spoke for a short while, until Keine had to excuse herself to deal with a small fight between the black and blonde haired boys from before, and offered the Shikigami a hasty goodbye, and Ran decided to return home.
On the flight back to Mayohiga, Ran's mind wandered away from her duties, and back to a simpler time her life, before she lived for her mistress, and before she came to this land of illusions.
Unfortunately many of her memories before Gensokyo had become foggy over time, and as her duties to Lady Yukari had grown, more of her former memories had faded, until they felt more like a distant dream.
What she could remember was rain, a crying child of blonde, covered in blood, a mob full of anger, and a large red fox whose words burned like a whip, but whose crooning voice tempted her like a beautiful seductress. Then there was a bright flash of red light, The cries of the mob cut out abruptly, and then there was darkness.
And eyes, millions of eyes, in all directions, seemingly endless.
Ran tried not to dwell on the memories much, though they did come unbidden to her in times of quiet such as these, which is why she tried to hard to keep herself busy. She enjoyed the life she lived now, and despite how trying it could sometimes be putting up with her mistress and her own Shikigami, Ran enjoyed her work, and had made many allies since she came to Gensokyo all of those years ago.
As she set down in front of the mansion, Ran noticed just how late it had become, and realized that she should probably get her lady ready to go, since, knowing lady Yukari, she had all but ignored her suggestion, and had been pigging out on sweets ever since she'd left.
Sighing once again in annoyance at her mistress' antics, Ran pushed open the sliding door and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her after making sure her tails were clear, too many times of slamming the door on the large fluffy tails having taught her care.
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The Hakurei shrine was booming around them, and the loud noises of all the visitors made Ran's head pound slightly, though she couldn't hide how good a mood she was in as she watched her fellows enjoy themselves.
Sitting with her hands in her lap upon the porch of the shrine, Ran made sure to keep an eye on her mistress, who was thankfully indisposed at the moment.
"Aww Raymoo, you're so cyute, I could just eat you up!" Yukari slurred, hanging off of the local shrine maiden, who seemed entirely disturbed by the contact.
"Yukari, get off of me, you reek of sake, and it's no fair I'm not allowed to have any," The Hakurei shrine maiden whined, trying unsuccessfully to shove away the Sukima Youkai, whose strength overwhelmed her.
"Aww Ran, Raymoo doesn't luv me," Yukari said, faking tears as she brought her fan up to her face with one hand, without releasing her hold on the shrine maiden in the meantime, and getting, if at all possible, even closer to the girl.
Ran rolled her eyes at her mistress' immaturity, and turned her attention away to the rest of the courtyard, where the party continued to boom.
Youmu, who had been trying to stop her own lady from devouring everything, had unfortunately been distracted by the kidnapping of her ghost half, affectionately nicknamed "Myon" (though no one could say for sure where the name had come from, it seemed to stick), by a familiar green-haired ghost, and her, as well as an ordinary magician, were now tossing it back and forth between each other as they ran around the courtyard, keeping it just out of the reach of the fretting swordswoman.
Nearby a young Youkai girl watched in distaste, two small fairy dolls floating around her, one pumping it's arm in the air eagerly as it watched in rapt attention, while the other had it's arms crossed, and was looking away, refusing to acknowledge the childish game of the three girls. The girl had a small Sake cup in her hand, and under her arm she protectively held onto a thick tome, sealed with a simple ribbon. Next to her sat a girl in a purple nightgown, with a thick book open in her lap, who was only taking an occasional glance up over her book at the three, and occasionally letting out a sigh.
A young girl with crystal-like wings seemed to want in on the game, but was being held back by a red-haired Youkai girl, who was trying to explain to her why it was a bad idea. Nearby, an elegant maid held a sake gourd, standing at attention by her mistress, another young girl wearing a mob cap, with a pair of small bat wings, who took ladylike sips from her own cup.
a loud sound brought Ran back to attention, and she turned to find her mistress, now nursing a large bump on her head, while she caught sight of the shrine maiden storming off towards the two magicians, and had to hide her small smile.
Grumbling about something Ran couldn't hear, even with her enhanced hearing, her lady quickly shoved her own cup under her Shikigami's nose in a very unsubtle hint. Ran took the initiative almost immediately and grabbed the gourd laying at her side, and refilling the cup for her mistress.
taking a sip, a content sigh escaped lady Yukari, before she closed her eyes and the pair sat in silence.
"Ran, do you ever wonder about your life before you came to Gensokyo?" Yukari asked of her servant, without opening her eyes, and taking another sip from her cup.
Ran was quick to answer her mistress question, "No Lady Yukari, what memories I do have do not make me wish to search for answers about my life before Gensokyo, and I have made so many wonderful friends here that I do not think I would want to leave, even if you severed our bond and ordered me away."
Ran didn't notice the small smile that crossed Yukari's face at her answer, but did notice the sake dish shoved back under her nose. She dutifully refilled the dish in silence, and watched as Yukari downed the portion in one gulp.
Opening a gap beside her, and shoving her hand into it, a mischievous grin came onto her mistress' face, and Ran tenses in preparation for the chaos about to unfold.
Reimu, who had been chasing about lady Mima and Marisa in an attempt to quiet down Youmu and retrieve Myon, suddenly found her skirt pulled up, allowing all of the visitors to the shrine to see the girl's underwear in full view, much to the amusement of Yukari, who was whistling innocently as Ran refilled her sake dish.
Yuyuko began to laugh as Reimu's face went bright red, and the ghost princess laughed even harder when Both the black-white witch, and the loli vampire rocketed back with extreme nosebleeds.
Youmu just stared blankly at the shrine maiden, completely forgetting about her captive spirit half, and took in the sight of the girl's form, "What sort of underwear are those?" The innocent and naive gardener questioned to the foreign pair of undergarments, and how revealing they seemed to be.
Yuyuko took no time to drape herself over her servants shoulder and begin teasing her, purring into her ear, "Why Youmu, I'm sure if you're so interested in them, that I could get Yukari to fit you for a pair as well. I bet you would look so cute in a pair of panties."
The Ghost was not disappointed when her teasing caused Youmu's face to go bright red, and for the normally composed swordswoman to begin spluttering incoherently, to her mistress' amusement.
Ran just sighed in annoyance at her mistress' childish prank, but smiled as she thought back to the harsh memories in the farthest corner of her mind.
Yes, she may not be able to remember much of her life before she came to Gensokyo and became Yukari's Shikigami, but she didn't regret one moment of it, even when her mistress was so embarrassing to be associated with.
"Damnit Yukari!" The Shrine Maiden's cry echoed into the sky as the party continued long into the night.
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I'd like to think that I gave enough hints throughout the story about what the concept of this story is supposed to be, and I hope that I didn't make it too vague for everyone.
I'm sorry if the writing seems a little bit, dishevelled, for lack of a better term, but this was sort of a spur of the moment concept, not one of my ideas that I've been troubleshooting for a while, and I wrote it late, so my brain wasn't working at quite full capacity.
I also had to take multiple breaks in order to look up reference material (or try to, in some cases), to try and make sure this story was consistent. I still never found a piece of info about the name of the Yakumo household, but I'm fairly certain Mayohiga is the generally accepted fan-name for it.
I tried my best to personify the characters in the way I had planned, based off of some of my favourite fan-personalities. This included but was not limited to an adorably naive and easily teased Youmu, a childish, but still responsible Gap Youkai, and a very Tsundere Alice.
I especially like Tsun!Alice, though Kuudere is also pretty good. As for Shanghai and Hourai, I like the concept of them being a channel for Alice's inner emotions, the ones she doesn't show on her face.
This was also made as a sort of introduction to my personal Touhou universe, which most of my future Touhou stories (with some exceptions, which all will be marked AU in the summary) will fall into. Thus expect a lot of continuity in the future.
Oh yeah, this is the first, and definitely not the last Touhou fic I'm going to release, and I'm hoping that you've enjoyed this one.
If there's something you noticed about the story that you think could use improvements, or you spotted something I missed in the spell check phase, feel free to leave a review, telling me what you think. It's much appreciated, and it really helps me to improve my future work, not to mention giving me the warm and fuzzies.
Until next time everyone, Ja Ne!