Remilia looked around the room with a bored expression. Student Council meetings were the one thing she loathed from being her building's leader. Sakuya, who sat beside her, remained silent, occasionally staring at her Lady.
Familiar faces started appearing.
There was Hakugyokurou's leader, Yuyuko, and her loyal second-in-command, Youmu. Remilia disliked Yuyuko but nodded to her nonetheless. Sakuya and Youmu shared a small smile and a nod before Yuyuko sat on the other side of the table.
Nitori and Sanae from Youkai Mountain, Satori and Koishi from Chireiden, Kaguya and Tewi from Eientei. Remilia gave her greetings to all, in a polite yet cocky way, with various reactions. Nitori and Sanae greeted her back as politely as she had, Satori simply nodded to her while Koishi had asked her about Flandre (an annoying reminder that she had no date for the Ball, as she murmured to Sakuya earning her a chuckle from the Perfect and Elegant Maid) Kaguya was, like always, a diva, flipping her luscious black hair while passing beside her, Tewi gave her a simple 'hi!'.
The only ones who were missing were Reimu, leader of The Temple, and Marisa, from the Forest of Magic. Nitori was talking to Sanae about it, mentioning that Hina was over at Reimu's last night but that she hadn't come back. Remilia seemed uninterested in that until the kappa mentioned the Rainbow Puppeteer's visit and her suspicions on why she needed Hina.
"Seems like the Puppeteer and the Magician had an argument"- commented Sakuya in a low voice
"I don't know anything about that but it would certainly explain why neither of them is here. Usually, when Marisa gets sick, Margatroid takes her place, so it can't be that. Maybe they did fight… but that doesn't explain why the red-white isn't here"- answered Remilia pondering
But their conversation was interrupted by the Yama's entrance.
Each one of the Yama took their seat, with their subordinates –the Shinigami- close behind them.
The last one was their leader, President of the Student Council and Supreme Judge, Chief of the Yama, no one else but Shikieiki, followed by her own shinigami, a redheaded girl with pigtails.
"Scarlet"- she gave a nod to Remilia who was the closest to her
"Yamaxanadu"- smirked Remilia
"Greetings, everyone, and thank you all for coming on such short notice"- started Shikieiki with a strong voice-"but as you already know, the Summer Night Ball is coming up and if we want it to be a success we must start preparing as fast as we can to minimize the risk of incidents. And I'm saying this directly to you, Houraisan, no funny business"- she shot a very serious glance to Kaguya
"Hmpf"- she huffed
"Also, keep in mind that the next event is the Gensokyo Games so don't forget to tell your girls about it. We want to have as many participants as possible"
"But the Games are in like…three months!"-said Sanae- "why the rush?"
"Time is essential when trying to organize something. The bigger the event, the longer it takes. Simple logic, Kochiya. I assume none of you have any complaints about it, do you?"- asked Shikieiki with a creepy smile
Everyone in the room shook their heads.
"I thought so"- said the Yama- "well, let's start with the Summer Night Ball. First, we need to decide on a theme. Last year it was 'Imperishable Night', proposed by the representatives from Eientei. I suggest we avoid anything 'imperishable' themed this year due to the results we had. I also suggest we avoid anything 'Inmaterial and Missing Power' considering what Ibuki did. Any ideas?"
"We could…re-edit Mountain of Faith! It was a fairly popular theme when we used it and everyone had fun!"- said Sanae happily- "besides, our 'Miracle Booth' had a lot of satisfied customers"
"That would've been a good idea for an autumn ball, like when it was first used, but now we're searching for something suitable for a summer ball. Mountain of Faith won't do"- replied Kaguya- "as for the 'imperishable' ban, I'm absolutely against it. It was a great theme! Didn't you have fun? The firefly-like lights, our beautiful fake moon on the dancehall, and of course, the food"
"Ummm, Houraisan, that was nice and all but did you have fun in Udongein's Eyes of Madness room? It was awful! Some of the girls who entered even needed treatment from Nurse Eirin"-said Nitori
"And let's not forget that Fujiwara went on rampage and burnt all the food. And that was your fault, Houraisan"- added Remilia
"It was not my fault, Scarlet. We just had a little misunderstanding"- huffed Kaguya again
"Ah of course, lovers quarrel"- smiled the Scarlet Devil
"THAT'S SO NOT HOW IT WAS!"- yelled The Eternal Moon Princess standing up
Everyone in the room stared at Kaguya's flushed face, amused by her outburst. She realized that she was the center of attention and quietly slumped in her seat, hiding her head in her arms muttering something about liars and defamation.
One of the Yama's coughed and the girls continued searching for a theme.
Nitori insisted on having something futuristic but was quickly shot down by Shikieiki, with a stern warning on how it was still forbidden to use anything laser-like within the school. Unless it was party lights. Nitori wasn't speaking of party lights and so, her idea of a sci-fi theme was discarded.
Koishi suggested a theme that she called Subterranean Animism, but no-one wanted to have the party underground and the nuclear fusion part of it didn't pass the test of the Yama. She pouted, claiming that the nuclear thing wasn't real at all and that Okuu (a girl named Utsuho) would be totally responsible, which of course, no-one believed. She tried to focus their attention to the part of the psychological complexes that were used as minor themes within Subterranean Animism and the massive use of roses, but Shikieiki wasn't having it. Satori was relieved. She liked living in Former Hell, no way would she host a party as big as the Ball in her dorm and turn it into Actual Hell. Less with Koishi's weird ideas.
Shikieiki was frustrated. Why, oh, why couldn't they suggest something simple and nice? No, they had to come up with crazy, possibly dangerous, ideas. What annoyed her the most was that even her idea seemed unfit, despite her efforts. Of course, Shikieiki was completely unaware that a Final Judgment theme was highly inappropriate for a Ball, more so, when it included actual judgment, delivered by no-one but herself. She had earned her nickname of Supreme Judge of Hell and nobody wanted more lectures than they already had (and Shikieiki gave a fair share of them).
Girls discussed heatedly over themes and details such as having cucumber beer (an invention of the kappas) or having dead butterflies as decoration (an extremely weird suggestion made by Yuyuko).
Suddenly the door opened and two girls entered panting and covered in sweat.
"Late…can't breathe…"- complained Reimu bending a little with her hands on her knees while trying to catch her breath
"Reiiimuuu…I want to barf"- muttered Marisa supporting herself on Reimu's back
"Not again..."
"Ehm"- grumbled a voice
The two raised their heads to meet the really pissed face of Shikieiki.
"Excuse me, but you can't come in like that, looking like walking disasters nonetheless, and interrupt a Student Council meeting as important as this one! I specifically asked for punctuality and you show up 45 minutes late! What kind of irresponsible, impolite, behavior is that? You are building leaders, ladies, and the least you can do is respect the girls who chose YOU, who trusted you to take your position seriously, by being on time! There's a lot we need to do so I hope you've come with ideas, otherwise, I'll ask you to leave this room and go back to your dorms to reflect on your acts. Of course, I'll additionally ban your vote on anything related to the Ball. So, Hakurei, Kirisame, any suggestions on a theme?"- asked the Yama with a menacing voice and an even more menacing smile
The girls looked at each other terrified.
Remilia smirked, amused at the scene.
Marisa looked downwards and a shiny thing on her chest caught her attention.
Then her head shot up and she started babbling
"Yes, I have one! Yes yes yes yes! I have one! I have one!"
"Pray tell then, Kirisame, what is your idea?"- asked Shikieiki- "and it better be good, we've already wasted enough time on nonsensical idiocies"
"Casket of Stars!"- she claimed happily pointing to a little star pin on her blazer
"The hell does that mean?"- asked Reimu
"Yeah, Kirisame, what does that mean?"- said Youmu
"That our Summer Night Ball should be star themed! That means, our decorations can be stars and things like that"- replied Marisa
"Isn't it a bit childish?"- wondered Kaguya
"I think it's romantic"- smiled Yuyuko
"But there's nothing special about stars"- complained Tewi
"Of course there is! Aren't they wonderfully pretty? Besides, we could have a projection of outer space inside whatever dorm offers to host it, I can do it and laser free"- added Nitori
" Stars are nice"- said Satori
"It seems harmless…"-pondered Shikieiki- "yes, it's a good idea but which dorm is going to host this?"
"The Scarlet Devil Mansion will gladly host it"- said Remilia smirking- "since our dear black-white suggested we have a star themed Ball, the Koumakan is the best option for that since the night sky looks magnificent from our dorm and the stars reflect on the lake. Also, it's big enough for us to have two dancefloors if needed"
"What's in for you, Scarlet?"- asked Tewi frowning
"Are you accusing me of something, Inaba? I only want this Ball to be a success"- answered Remilia faking hurt
"No, I'm with Inaba on this one. What's in for you, Scarlet?"- said Yuyuko
"Nothing, Saigyouji. Don't confuse me with the likes of you"
"And what's that supposed to mean?"- she replied with fake sweetness
"You know what I meant with that. But in case you did forget, I'm talking about the Saigyou Ayakashi Incident."
"Why you…!"- Yuyuko stood up shaking a little
"Why would I bring that up? Because you're accusing me of having second intentions, which I do not, for once. So, it's your choice Saigyouji. Either we keep such matters to ourselves instead of wasting everybody's time and we get back to work or we start throwing our dirty secrets in front of everyone. Which is it?"
Yuyuko kept silent but sat back in her chair with her arms crossed. Youmu looked at her worried.
"Good girl, good girl!"- smiled Remilia- "now, where were we?"
Remilia's bright red eyes scanned the room but none of the girls answered her. Not even Shikieiki. The atmosphere was tense and the Scarlet Devil basked in the feeling of her own power. She turned Yuyuko's plan against her and now, she knew she controlled the meeting.
"Oh, girls, it's enough. Let the vampire and the ghost lady fight outside! Meanwhile, we have an amazing idea to work on"- grinned Marisa
Shikieiki slapped her forehead but nodded anyway.
"The black-white is right. Now that we settled on a theme there's a lot to plan to make it happen. So, Scarlet, you offered the Koumakan. What is the best way of maximizing the space? You said we could have two dancefloors but I think it's best we have just one big dancefloor. Is that possible?"- asked the Yama in a business-like tone
With that, the girls resumed their earlier discussions and after an hour or so, Shikieiki ended the meeting.
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Back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Sakuya was relaxing by the lake after leaving Nitori and her kappa team measuring where the Ball was supposed to take place.
She hummed absentmindedly, feeling soothed by the light breeze.
Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and she turned to see Youmu.
"May I accompany you?"- asked the girl
"That would be my pleasure"
With that, Youmu took her swords off and sat beside the Maid with her legs crossed.
"That was one hell of a meeting"- commented Youmu
"Indeed. For one moment I thought I'd need to step up to prevent Ojou-sama from hurting Saigyouji"- sighed Sakuya
"Like I would've let that happen"- said Youmu seriously
"You know, she's not as air-headed and clumsy as she looks"
"Of course I know, but as the heir of the Konpaku family, it is my duty to protect Yuyuko-sama"
"You still in love with her?"- smiled Sakuya
Youmu choked on her spit and started coughing while the other girl simply chuckled at her antics.
"Are you still in love with the Scarlet Devil?"- asked Youmu after recovering, clearly avoiding the question
"I am"- sighed Sakuya
"So, are you going to do something about it?"- asked Youmu curiously
"I'm thinking about it. Are you goingto do something?"- replied the Maid
"I don't know. Yuyuko-sama is precious to me, but I'm only her servant. It's different from the relationship you have with Scarlet. You follow her because that's what you want to do… while me…I can only be her underling, because that's what I was born to do"
"Even if you weren't born as her destined bodyguard, wouldn't you protect her anyways?"
"Of course I would. But that doesn't mean anything. The Konpaku family has always been linked with the Saigyouji, as their loyal servants, bodyguards and even gardeners. These swords I have were given to me with the sole purpose of protecting Yuyuko-sama. The only reason I'm even in Gensokyo is because Yuyuko-sama is studying here. How could she see me as an equal then? We've been raised to understand our roles and mine is the servant. She knows that. I know that. Even if I were to tell her about my feelings…there's no way they could be corresponded"
"Oh cheer up! Saigyouji would be lucky to have you!"- said a teasing voice startling the two girls
They both turned their heads to meet with the red-eyed gaze of no other than…
"Onozuka"- said Sakuya tiredly
"How many times do I have to tell you, call me Komachi!"- smiled the newcomer
"The same amount of times that I've told you to stop slacking off"
"I work at my own pace"- shrugged Komachi
Youmu was visibly embarrassed and annoyed at her presence but Komachi didn't seem to notice so she sat between her and Sakuya and started babbling about the meeting.
"Onozuka, why did you come?"- asked Youmu interrupting her- "don't you have some shinigami things to do?"
"Ah, I was on my way to the Koumakan, running some errands for Shiki-sama you know, the usual. But then I saw you two here and I thought 'what could the vampire's maid and the ghost queen's gardener be plotting?' so I came here to find you talking about crushes and all. Seems like summer does bring romance"- laughed the Shinigami
"Wasn't it spring that brought romance?"- wondered Youmu
"That they say, but I assure you, summer does most of the work. Look at you two! Who would've thought that THE Sakuya Izayoi had a heart to being with, less that it was capable of feeling something as tender as love. And you, Konpaku! No sword can hide a maiden heart as honest as yours, your feelings for Saigyouji are most sweet!"- replied Komachi teasingly
"Stop it, Onozuka. Like you don't have a crush on anyone"- said the Ghostly Gardener puffing her cheek
"Oh I do"- smiled Komachi- "but is completely hopeless, so I don't think about it"
Both Sakuya and Youmu looked at her shocked
"You're exaggerating, it can't be that hopeless"- said Sakuya
"If you think someone like me has hope, how come you don't think you'll have luck?"
"Because she completely hates me"- answered the redhead
"You're in love with Yamaxanadu"-stated the Maid
"Oh come on! How do you know such things, Izayoi! Damn, one of these days you'll take the 'psychic' job from Reimu, I tell you"- laughed Komachi bitterly
"I'm with Onozuka, how do you know? She's lazy and obnoxious! there could be a lot more girls who hated her"- complained Youmu
"Hey! I resent that, Konpaku!"
"Shut up, Onozuka"
"Stop, Youmu. We had enough drama at the meeting. Concentrate on the fact that Komachi here is crushing on Yamaxanadu, of all people"
"True. Yes, you are right, Onozuka. That is hopeless. Yamaxanadu doesn't care about anyone"
"On the contrary, she cares about everyone. She doesn't take care of people like Reimu or Hina, but she does, in her own way. She tries her very best to keep girls here in harmony and safety. And I tell you, that ain't easy. And I know I don't make it easier for her…but she got stuck with me since all the other Yama had chosen their shinigami before and I was the only one left. She's too polite to be open about it…but I know she hates me"
"Hmmmm…about that…I remember Ojou-sama telling me something about it. According to her, the Yama were discussing what to do with you, Komachi, since you seemed unfit to be a shinigami. They said that none of them were willing to take you as a subordinate and that you should be kicked out the shinigami for being irresponsible. But then, Yamaxanadu spoke up saying that she'd take you as her subordinate and that she'd answer to them and the Student Council were you to cause trouble. Ojou-sama wouldn't stop giggling through this, telling me something like 'to think that even she has a heart'. Of course, I didn't think it was important at that time. I have no business with the Yama unless Ojou-sama does…"- commented Sakuya
Komachi blushed a deep crimson red that matched her furiously red pigtails. She felt touched. She didn't know whether what Sakuya had told them was true or a simple white lie to cheer her up. She wanted to believe her though. She had spent the last year watching Shikieiki, feeling her so close and yet so far away. As her subordinate, she spent most of her time with her and yet, the girl was almost as mysterious as she was when they first met. Sakuya didn't know this, but that was the day they were officially introduced to each other. Shinigami worked as something like a 'police' force inside the school and because of that, they took the name of the Death Gods. With so many girls living there and considering they were…'special' (special meaning extremely prone to causing dangerous incidents) girls needed some training to become shinigami. She knew Shikieiki from her training, because she was always supervising. The shinigami trainees always spoke of her with incredible respect, saying that no other Yama was as cold-hearted or fearless as she was. And like a girl with a film superstar, she admired her without really knowing her. And then, after the training, she had to wait for the Yama Council to announce who had passed the tests and who were the Yama willing to take as subordinates. The moment she was told Shikieiki was her Yama, she couldn't believe it. But the girl who had told her, also warned her not to be too proud of herself, because Yamaxanadu had only taken her because she didn't have other choice.
Knowing that really bummed her and Shikieiki's judging stare didn't help. She wasn't too sure she wanted her to be her Yama after all. But with time she came to realize, Shikieiki wasn't completely cold-hearted. She tried to keep her cool because she needed to. She considered herself as the voice of reason within the school and because of that, she was willing to be the stern Judge of Hell. She had never seen someone so devoted to their job, not because it was enjoyable, but because it was necessary. She really was her opposite. While Komachi was relaxed and, in Marisa's words, the Master Slacker, Shikieiki never took a break. Komachi loved joking with the other girls, telling them not to commit suicide whenever they came near the Mound of the Nameless (where the Shinigami had their headquarters) while Shikieiki was always serious, the no nonsense type.
Yes, Shikieiki Yamaxanadu was everything she wasn't. And how such differences could've turned admiration to attraction, was something she didn't understand.
It didn't matter in the end, because she knew there was no way such feelings could ever be corresponded.
But Sakuya's story gave her the tiniest glimpse of hope, and with that, she decided to leave them.
"Great story, Izayoi, but I doubt that was true"- she lied-"anyways, I gotta go, if I'm late again with this, Shiki-sama is really really going to kill me!"
"Goodbye, Komachi, and good luck!"- teased Sakuya
"Yeah, good luck, Onozuka"- said Youmu
"Good luck to you, Konpaku! Remember my words, make Saigyouji yours at the Ball! The ghastly queen will be most honored to have you as her lover!"- laughed Komachi, running towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Sakuya and Youmu stayed in silence after Komachi's departure.
The Maid smiled.
"Komachi said that summer did most of the work when it comes to romance"
She mentally counted all the girls she knew that were crushing on someone. There was her, and Youmu, and Komachi. Patchouli-sama, Imoutou-sama, the Puppeteer…
She started giggling and Youmu looked at her with surprise
"Why are you giggling? It's creepy, Sakuya!"- complained the Ghostly Gardener
"It's summer, isn't it?"- she tried to stifle her giggles
"Ah yes…it's summer"- answered Youmu staring back at the lake
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Days had passed and after the black-white had told her and the other girls from the Forest all about the meeting, she started avoiding her.
It wasn't like Alice could blame her. She was avoiding her too. Every time they met by chance (after all, they still lived in the same dorm) things got pretty awkward. They'd open their mouths as if to say something, anything, just to shut them again and go on their separate ways.
Alice was working again on her Marisa doll, trying to fix its broken limbs. Not only did the doll lose an arm and a leg, she had come to realize the little fingers that took her so long to carve and attach had been lost too.
Her brow was furrowed in deep concentration.
That morning, she had decided she'd give it to Marisa as a way to ask for her forgiveness and so, it was being crafted with extra care.
She heard some knocks on her door and like ever, her heart skipped a beat thinking it might be Marisa.
"Will I ever stop waiting for her this anxiously? Even when she came regularly I'd jump at every step that sounded near my room, waiting, waiting for them to be hers"
"Who is it?"- she asked
"It's me, Mystia"- said a chirpy voice- "can I come in?"
"Sure"
With that, the door opened revealing a girl with slightly purple hair and big eyes.
"What is it, Lorelei?"- asked Alice turning to face her
"Well, first, you haven't come out of your room for hours and you skipped breakfast. I know it's not my business but the black-white wanted to make sure you were ok. Probably because she wanted to eat your pancakes but whatevs. Second, Reimu came by about half an hour ago asking for you. You better go to her dorm. It seemed quite important."
"Ah, thanks, Lorelei"- said Alice- "good messaging bird!"
"I'm not a pigeon! The only reason I came here is because Marisa asked me to and I'm not about to go against my building's leader. And I'm a sparrow! A singing bird! Haven't you heard me sing?"- complained Mystia
"All night, actually"-glared Alice- "well, if Reimu was looking for me, I'd better go"- Alice got up and dusted herself off, sawdust flying from her skirt.
They left her bedroom and while the 'singing bird' went back to her own, the Rainbow Puppeteer started walking towards Reimu's dorm, The Temple.
It wasn't an actual temple but it resembled a Shinto shrine and because of that, it was called The Temple. Also, with Principal Yakumo's sense of humor, Reimu, who was an actual miko, ended up living there and even becoming its leader.
When she finally reached it, she was welcomed by a sleepy Suika, who told her Reimu was waiting for her in her bedroom. There, the red-white was laying in her bed, playing with her ying-yang orb.
"Oh, hi Alice!"- she waved- "I see Lorelei gave you my message"
"Yes, she did. She said it seemed important and it better be, because I was in the middle of something"- answered Alice, sitting in a corner of the bed
"Well, whether it's important or not, that's for you to judge. What I can assure you though, is that you'll find my news interesting"
"You sound like Shameimaru. And that's disturbing. Have you been hanging out with the tengu lately?"- said the Puppeteer teasingly
"They are relatively good sources of information but no. And what I have to tell you, I witnessed it myself"
"Well then, spill it Hakurei"
"Patchouli asked Marisa to be her date for the Summer Night Ball…"- started Reimu
"What did…"- tried to interrupt Alice
"She said yes"
Alice looked at Reimu who kept playing with her amulet. Her usual laidback smile was nowhere to be seen so she knew she was serious. It almost seemed like she was monitoring her reactions. She must've been worried about Alice going all cray-cray, as she'd put it. Well, the news were disagreeable, to say the least, but Reimu was right about them being interesting. That was nothing but proof of how intense Pathchouli's feelings were. Otherwise she wouldn't have asked Marisa out. Patchouli was not a direct person. She was serious and shy, never the one to take action unless provoked one way or another. And even so, Patchouli Knowledge, of all people, had ruined her chances. She had the courage and honesty she was lacking and that was frustrating. She was in love with Marisa! With a fiery, possessive, constant love and yet, that meant nothing because even a girl like Knowledge could take her away…
"Are you ok, Alice?"- asked Reimu sitting up
"Yeah, yeah, why?"- answered the blond, shaking her head lightly
"Your face…you just made a weird expression…talk to me, 'kay? Whatever it is you're feeling, I won't judge. But tell me"
"Reimu…"-complained Alice
"Just do it! I'm doing this for you as well as for the mental integrity of Marisa. Just for you to know, that day when I got home she was crying"
"She was…crying? Why? What…oh my…"- her blue eyes opened in realization
"Why? Margatroid, how many times do I have to tell you? She cares about you! You've been friends for six years, about the greatest friends Gensokyo has ever seen. And then you go tell her to leave you alone, looking like for once, you truly mean it. Of course she was worried and of course she was hurt. And now, you no longer talk to each other, you don't have tea together, you barely even greet the other when you pass by! This has to stop. You just lost your chance to take Marisa to the Ball, don't lose your friendship too, ok? Now talk to me about your feelings or I swear, I'm gonna make you eat your dolls until you do"
Alice laughed loudly until tears formed in her eyes while Reimu stared at her confused.
"Oh my gods, you just went full crazy, right?! Don't you dare bite me in case it's contagious!"
But Alice couldn't stop laughing and started rolling.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Rei…hahahahahahhaahhaa Reimu hahahahahahahahaha!"
"What?!"
"You hahahahahahahahwerehehehehehehe soooo serious ahahahahahahahahaha and hahahahahahaha did you hahahahahahahaha re-really ahahahahahahaha think I went crazyhihihihihihi?"
"Well, I thought so but now, I'm sure you're pretty insane"
"Ah"- sighed Alice happily- "I haven't laughed that much since weeks ago!"
"Well, glad I could help. Now, would you please tell me what was so funny?!"-demanded Reimu
"I don't know…your face…maybe? I'm a little sleep deprived so don't take it personally...ah, what would I do without your meddling, Hakurei?"
"I honestly don't know"-smiled Reimu
"And I don't want to know"- smiled Alice back
"Don't try to escape, Margatroid"
Alice sat up and sighed. She was never good at talking about her feelings but Reimu simply got her to. And so, she spent the next hour telling her about the past days and the recent news. Living in the same dorm, she couldn't completely avoid Marisa and seeing her and not talking to her was driving her mad. Besides, she was aware that Marisa had been avoiding her too. And that only made it worse. Now that she knew that she had made her cry, she felt awful…did she really mess it up that bad? Reimu reassured her, telling that they could make up and Alice smiled a little, remembering that Marisa had asked about her, still worrying about her well-being. There was also the Ball thing. Alice wasn't looking forward to it and since Patchouli was going with Marisa, there was no way she could bail out of going with Kazami. She had no other options. Reimu offered, but Alice said no, slightly worried about Yuuka's reaction. She'd better keep her word. How bad could it be? Reimu shook her head, telling her Kazami was no match but accepted Alice's decision nonetheless. Sure, she could manage the deranged flower lover but…she was still Reimu. Lazy as ever, if she could avoid conflict, she would. They talked about Marisa. Alice seemed a little anxious on whether her acceptance of Knowledge's invitation meant she was interested in her as well or not. Reimu shrugged wishing she could answer that. Patchouli was intelligent and, surprise, funny, even if she only showed that side to a few, selected people, including Marisa. Alice said that she didn't care, that to her, Knowledge was serious all the time. Reimu smirked, telling her she was jealous, to which Alice completely agreed. Of course she was jealous, Patchouli was pretty, intelligent, apparently funny, and had the guts she didn't. And she was taking Marisa to the Summer Night Ball. She got to hold her hand while slow-dancing and have the mysterious blessing of the night fall upon her love. Maybe…maybe…what if she asked Marisa to be her girlfriend?! And then the black-white would say yes and all would be lost and…Reimu laughed, calling her a complete paranoid.
"Because really, Alice, mysterious blessing of the night? Since when are you that superstitious? I know there's this rumor about the Ball being a night for love, and many of the girls here ask their crushes on their first date and all that, but honestly, how many of them do become girlfriends afterwards?"
"ALL, Reimu. ALL"
"Now you're just exaggerating. A Ball is a Ball, there's nothing mystical about it. It means Patchouli will be dancing with Marisa, maybe slow-dancing too, but hey, it doesn't mean they'll kiss, marry and have children, ok? And, if you play it right, you might even steal Marisa for a dance or two. She might be going with Knowledge, but that doesn't mean you can't catch her attention too"
"Hahahahahaha you know I suck at anything related to wooing and seducing…I'm too awkward"
"That's because you overthink things, Alice. Relax! You're giving Marisa too much credit. She's still Marisa. The same old Kirisame who is rude, highly inappropriate, steals things and is mushroom freak. Yeah, she's lovable in an odd way but that doesn't turn her into some goddess. Keep that in mind. She's still Marisa. And that that crazy black-white likes you as you are. You don't need to do anything else than being you. That's the way you'll woo her"
They talked some more until Alice decided it was time to leave. She said goodbye to Reimu and Suika and started walking back to her dorm.
To her complete surprise, she met face to face with Marisa, halfway from the Forest. It seemed like she was going to Reimu's. They stared at each other, a meter apart.
Alice wanted to say something but could only help to stare. The sun, that started setting, turned Marisa's golden hair and eyes into copper and to her, she looked beautiful. Those golden eyes were looking back at her with surprise and something else, something she couldn't quite understand. She knew she looked like an idiot but there was no-one else to see that. Only Marisa.
Only Marisa and her.
She opened her mouth, like she always did, wishing the right sounds could come out of it and form an apology.
"Marisa…"-she said, almost whispering, her voice gently breaking the silence
"Alice…"-answered the black-white, in a low voice, coming closer
"Marisa…I…"-started the Puppeteer but failed to continue when she noticed the other girl getting nearer…
Marisa was now a few inches from her, less than an arm of distance, and she was studying her face.
"You know, Alice"- said Marisa softly while looking at her- "I like you in the sunset. Since your eyes are blue, it always seems like the sun is setting in the sea. It's really pretty"- she smiled
"Ah…thanks…"-she muttered feeling uncomfortable
"Ah, I know it sounded corny"- apologized Marisa- "it's just…I never told you and since you weren't talking to me I thought maybe I'd never get the chance to, and so…well, whenever we were having tea you'd always sit near the window and tell me to look at the sunset with you. You look really pretty in the sunset and…I missed that…not…not just you in the sunset. But you. And…and…and…I don't know what I did wrong, Alice, but I'll make it up to you, just talk to me again, please. This is stupid and I don't like it, I don't like passing you by not knowing if I can approach you. But if you really did mean what you said that day…then…then…I…I'll leave you alone for good…but tell me…were you serious?"- said Marisa
Her expressions changed from affectionate to nostalgic to sad and hurt. Alice was fascinated by how expressive she was. Ah, Marisa always wore her heart on her sleeve and her feelings on her face.
Alice let Marisa's words sink in and she felt her cheeks going red and knew she was blushing, but Marisa didn't say anything about it. Could life be any more absurd? She had hurt Marisa and there she was, asking for her forgiveness when she had done nothing wrong.
"Alice, answer me! Please…"- started the black-white but was interrupted by a pair of arms closing around her.
Alice was hugging her and all of her previous uneasiness disappeared.
Despite their long friendship, Alice had never hugged her before. Whenever she felt especially happy or grateful she'd give her a huge smile or a high five. But now, she was giving her a hug. A tight, emotional one.
"You're an idiot, Marisa"- she whispered against her neck
She giggled, hugging her back
"You've told me plenty of times, Alice"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Mari! I should've never treated you the way I did…I…I don't know what got in to me but I've been regretting it since that moment... I missed you too. You don't know how much, actually and you..."- Alice took a step back with her arms still around Marisa- "You're a complete imbecile, why were you apologizing?! I'm the one who should be apologizing…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry…"she ended whispering, hugging Marisa again
"It's ok, Ali. I forgive you, if there's anything to forgive. Just warn me in case you're feeling low and in need of space…I know I can be a little invasive…"- said Marisa
"I wouldn't want it any other way, Mari. I like you being you. A non-invasive Marisa just seems wrong"
"Does that mean I get to borrow your books?"- smiled Marisa breaking the hug
"If that prevents you from avoiding me for weeks, then you can borrow anything you want"- smiled Alice back
"Then I'll borrow Shanghai!"- laughed Marisa running away back to the Forest
"Shanghai is not a thing! Hey! Don't you dare take Shanghai!"- yelled Alice chasing her
And while she ran behind Marisa, she laughed.
With a clear, joyous laugh that filled Marisa with happiness.
That was how things should always be.
She hoped they'd stay that way forever.
