Sunshine is drawing.
Today's picture is of the Eternal Night incident. On one side of the page is Reimu, swinging a gohei overhead and shooting out lots of ofuda. On the other side are her parents, with Alice riding behind Marisa on her broom. Her parents are flanked by five dolls—a Shanghai, a Hourai, an Orleans, a Russian, and a Dutch. The latter few types of dolls are still a mystery to Sunshine. She knows that Alice has used them in fights before, but these days they mostly sit on shelves, only rarely getting up to help out around the house. That just adds to their mystique, though, especially since Sunshine isn't sure what they do in fights. In her picture, she's drawn the Orleans doll shooting fire from its hands, and the Russian doll has a sword. Pictures are usually better if they have swords in them.
She's just starting to debate what kind of attack to give the Dutch doll when Alice leans in over her. "Sunshine," she says, "would you like a snack?"
It is around snack time. Sunshine nods.
"What would you like?"
Sunshine quirks one finger in a way that a doll would probably read as 'apple'; her knuckles approximate the angle from the kitchen door to the pantry, and then a short downward swipe of her fingertip indicates that it's the bin of apples, on the bottom shelf. She realizes, a moment too late, that this means nothing to Alice. She shuffles through the papers on the floor, finding an already-used one to write on. [APPLE]
"Do you feel like you can say it?"
"I..." It's all that Sunshine gets out before the flow of words dries up, like a hose with a kink in it. "I-I'd like, um. Um. … an... apple, please." She barely even makes it to the end of the sentence, and finishes with a sigh of effort, shrinking down against the floor.
Alice lingers, looking concerned, but doesn't press the issue. She walks off toward the kitchen, and Sunshine stands and follows her. Alice opens the pantry and pulls an apple from the bin, but Sunshine is the one who sits it on a cutting board and carefully slices it into thin, almost-uniform wedges.
Once she's done, Alice grabs a plate and moves the apple slices over onto it. "Would you like tea?" she asks.
Sunshine nods.
"How many sugars?"
Sunshine is frozen to the spot for a moment. She left her paper behind in the living room, so she can't write a response. After a moment's thought, she instead holds up two fingers.
Alice looks thoughtful again, with a sort of expression that suggests she's thinking about saying something but knows she shouldn't. Instead, she nods in acknowledgment and starts a kettle of water.
Marisa peeks in through the kitchen doorway. "Still quiet, huh?"
"So it seems," Alice says.
It's true. Sunshine has barely said three sentences all day. Sometimes talking is easier for her, and other times it's harder. Right now, it's not impossible, but it isn't easy at all. It isn't the wiggly-worms feeling she gets when she has so many thoughts that they bubble away before they reach her lips, either. This is something different—like all the parts in her head that put the sounds together are rusty, and she has to force them to move and work together. She can still do that if she really has to, but writing is a lot easier.
Marisa steps into the kitchen and crouches down, bringing her to eye level with Sunshine. "Is there anything wrong?"
Sunshine considers this, then shakes her head.
"Anything we can do to help?"
Sunshine thinks a bit longer this time, then shakes her head again.
Marisa crooks one corner of her mouth up in a smile and kisses Sunshine's forehead. "No pressure or nothin', but y'know how writing was hard at first, but then you picked it up?"
Sunshine nods.
"Talking's just like that. The more you do it, the easier it'll get."
"Perhaps," Alice says, crossing the kitchen again, now with a teapot in her hand. She sets a place for Sunshine at the table, with a saucer of apple slices and a cup of tea. Across the table, she sets up another spot for herself, with a cup of tea and a few dainty biscuits. "... but it's also an effort for her. Think of it like a muscle: if you strain it from overuse, you need to give it a chance to rest."
"Hmm..." Marisa isn't considering for long before she moves on. "Well, how about this? I've got some errands to run in a bit. Do you wanna tag along, Sunshine? Maybe gettin' out of the house will help. Plus..." She leans in conspiratorially. "I can show ya a secret, even."
This one, Sunshine doesn't have to consider for long. If Marisa has a secret, it has to be something fun, right? Also, she has math homework to do today, and math homework is always boring. If she can put it off for longer, that will be good. She nods.
"A 'secret'?" Alice asks, raising an eyebrow. "It isn't anything that will get her dirty, is it?"
"Just what kinda secret are you thinking of?"
"The last time you told me that you had a secret to show me, it was a hundred meters deep in a cave."
"And it was a cool cave!" When Alice isn't satisfied by that, Marisa adds, "I'll get her back without a speck of dirt on her dress. Witch's honor."
"Oh, you have honor now? I'll keep that in mind." Only the slightest smirk hints that Alice is teasing. "It's fine if you want to take her out for a bit. "Please do let her rest, though, okay? No speaking unless Sunshine wants to."
"Sure thing. … and can I get some apple slices, too? I've got big plans for 'em."
The best part of going somewhere all alone with Marisa is that the flight is a lot more fun than it might otherwise be. This time, she dips the broom down low, skimming so close to the treetops that the very highest leaves tickle against Sunshine's ankles. When they fly across one of the wider footpaths leading out of the village, she dips down into the gap between the trees, following along above it. Sunshine is amazed at how different it is on the broom. She's walked this path before. On foot, it's long and boring. Flying, the tree trunks rush by them on either side, and they fly through the curves with enough speed to push her down against the broomstick.
After climbing back above the treetops, they turn. Rather than heading into the village, they circle around it. The trees fade away into a plain, which then slowly transitions into bamboo. Soon, the bamboo is as thick below them as the trees had been. The bamboo forest has even fewer landmarks than the Forest of Magic, but there's a single big clearing ahead, and Marisa steers right toward it. Sunshine isn't surprised to find that there's a big house in the middle of the clearing, nor when Marisa lands in front of it.
It's a big traditional-style house, like most of the ones in the village. Most of the buildings that Sunshine has seen in the countryside—Alice's house, Marisa's old house, the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the Hakurei Shrine—look a lot different from the buildings in the village. Seeing a building like this in the forest feels pretty weird. It feels even weirder when she gets a good look at it. A few dozen rabbits are milling around in the grass around the building. The rabbits don't seem the slightest bit disturbed as Marisa and Sunshine hop off the broom and walk toward the building. One of them is in their path, and it just casually lopes out of their way, shooting them a look of annoyance.
Marisa says, "I've just gotta step inside and grab some medicine. Should take maybe ten minutes, tops. Why don't you stay out here? And..." She pulls the little container of apple slices from a pocket, then offers it over. "Here, take this."
Sunshine takes the container, but she really isn't sure what she's supposed to do with it. She just ate an apple before they left the house, and she doesn't like apples enough to eat another one so soon.
"Hand 'em out to the rabbits. Trust me, they love those things."
With that, Marisa steps through the door, and Sunshine is left on the front step by herself.
Sunshine really isn't sure about this whole thing. Rabbits are definitely a prominent entry on Alice's list of things that might try to eat her garden. Being nice to them seems counter-productive. On the other hand, maybe that's the idea? If she feeds the rabbits now, they won't need to eat as much later, so maybe they'll leave her garden alone.
That still leaves the question of how she's supposed to feed them, though. The rabbits aren't much help—some of them are milling about snacking on foliage, and others are sprawled out in the grass, keeping a wary eye on her. After some consideration, she takes the lid off the container and sits it on the ground, then takes a few steps back.
She waits a minute. Two minutes. The rabbits are not inclined to come take apple slices, it seems.
Sunshine decides to try being more direct about it. She pulls an apple slice out of the container, then walks over to offer it to the nearest rabbit. This approach is immediately more successful. Another rabbit, farther away, looks interested before she's even fully extended her hand. It casually hops up, craning its neck back to sniff at the apple slice. Sunshine holds it closer.
The rabbit leans in, slowly, to give it a curious nibble.
Then, it lunges forward, snatching the slice up and yanking it out of Sunshine's hand. It turns and hops away, retreating a few meters before it drops its bounty and starts devouring it.
Sunshine lets out a soft, annoyed huff. The rabbit strikes her as pretty rude, but at least now she knows that they will eat the apple slices. Plus, the other rabbits seem a lot more interested now. A group of them drift closer to the first rabbit. Two of them try to steal the apple slice, while the rest eye Sunshine with clear interest.
She isn't taking her chances this time, though. She takes a seat on the building's front step, planting herself solidly. She pulls another apple slice from the container, but keeps this one close, held firmly.
One by one, the rabbits hop up to inspect it. Three of them lean in to sniff at it. One gives it a nibble, trying to tug it from her hand, but she just barely manages to maintain her grip. Soon, the three rabbits are jockeying for position, pushing each other aside to steal bites of apple. Once they settle into a rhythm, the slice vanishes in a matter of seconds, and Sunshine barely manages to yank her fingers away before they chomp down on them.
All of the rabbits seem aware that she has food now. They're crowding in around her, forming an increasingly solid furry wall in every direction.
Sunshine reaches down to grab another apple slice, but discovers that one of the rabbits has broken the truce—the container is sitting next to her, and so is the rabbit, craned forward to let it dip its head inside. She looks down just in time to watch it yank a slice out of the container.
Sunshine bristles with outrage. That isn't part of the deal at all! She tugs the container away, sitting it on her other side, and nods toward the rabbit. Ichigo moves into position, planting herself on the ground with her arms spread wide, ready to intercept the rabbit if it tries for another round of theft.
Just as she's satisfied that it's under control, a rabbit walks up on the other side of her lap, stealing another apple slice from the container in its new position.
Sunshine squeaks in surprise, then waves her arms overhead, trying to scare the rabbits off, but it doesn't work. The rabbits are all crowding in around the container, eager to loot it. She yanks it away, but not before three more of them get slices of their own.
And they all know where the slices come from now, too. Even though she's holding the container, the rabbits crowd in around her. They surge up onto her lap en masse, a big furry carpet that threatens to bury her. She raises the box higher and higher, but the rabbits only follow, with some of them resting their forelegs on her chest to crane their heads up toward it.
Sunshine feels like she's going to be buried in rabbits. She has the container as high as it will go, and the rabbits still aren't deterred. With a little sigh of surrender, she upends it, pouring the rest of the apple slices into the ground, and drops the container for good measure.
That works, though. Most of the rabbits hop over to the pile of apple slices, and the rest of the apple vanishes in a matter of seconds. That barely even slows them down. Some of them swipe their tongues against the bottom of the box, disconsolately trying to get the last of the juice. Others stretch up to sniff at her fingers. One enterprising bunny stays resting against her chest, snuffling at her cheeks in a very misguided attempt to find hidden apple slices.
For a few seconds, Sunshine is frozen in bewilderment, wondering if maybe the rabbits are going to try eating her. Finally, though, they seem to realize that the apple is gone. One at a time, they grow bored and wander off, retreating to their individual napping spots. Only a few linger around her, still sniffing at her hands.
The last few stragglers scatter when the door opens behind her. Marisa steps out from the building. "Oh, all done? Didja have fun?"
Sunshine looks from the now-empty container to the rabbits, then back again. 'Fun' doesn't really seem like the right word, but it was kind of exciting, she guesses. Rather than answering, she quickly picks up the now-empty container, then defensively clasps both it and Ichigo against her chest. She doesn't relent until they're in the air.
The second stop takes them back closer to home.
It's somewhere that Sunshine has seen before, it turns out. The landscape below is familiar from their near-daily flights to the school. Soon, another gap in the trees comes into sight, and her suspicions are confirmed—they're going to Kourindou.
The shop looks a little more run-down than the version in Sunshine's memories. The grass is tall and shaggy, concealing some of the junk on the ground even from the air, and the overhanging trees cover more of the roof. It's like the whole building is trying to shrink down and hide behind the greenery. There's still a footpath leading up to it from the road, though. It's just wide enough to accommodate the both of them as they land and make their way up to the door.
Marisa throws the door open. "Hey, Kourin! How's stuff?"
Rinnosuke doesn't look up, though. He has a device in his hands: a sleek grey thing made out of some hard, shiny material that Sunshine doesn't recognize. On one end, there's a handle with a little trigger, and a cloth bag drooping down. On the other end, a hollow tube tapers down to an opening. He turns it over in his hands a few times, like he's inspecting it, before he responds. "Sometimes I wonder if you've ever entered a building without shouting," he says. Once he seems satisfied with his inspection, he looks up from the device and flashes a smile to Sunshine. "And hello again, Sunshine."
Sunshine gives him a little wave, but her attention immediately turns toward the device in his hands.
Marisa's thoughts seem to mirror her own. "So, what's that thing?"
"Ah, this? It's a device that an associate of mine brought from the outside world." He leans forward, turning it around to offer the handle to Sunshine. "Would you like to try it?"
Sunshine hesitantly steps forward to accept the thing, but she isn't sure what to do with it at first. Only after following Rinnosuke's gaze does she remember that there's a little trigger on it. She holds the handle and pulls on the trigger with one finger.
The device vibrates in her hands and hums to life. It makes a loud, shrill sound, like really fast wind during a storm. She panics, fumbling with it for a moment, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything dangerous.
"It's called a 'mini-vac,'" Rinnosuke says proudly. "It pulls dust in one end and puts it into that bag for disposal."
Sunshine turns the 'mini-vac' around for a better look. She can feel a breeze coming from the hole. Cautiously, she leans forward to peer into it. Right as she starts getting close, she realizes that her hair is fluttering around, drifting toward the hole. With a squeak of surprise, she jerks back just before it starts eating her hair.
"Uh-huh," Marisa says. "Let me guess, she gave it to you 'cuz everything in here is so dusty."
"... she gave it to me because it's a collectible item, of course." Rinnosuke adjusts his glasses, looking a little flustered.
Now that Sunshine has some idea of how the mini-vac works, she experiments with it a bit. If she holds her hand in front of the hole, it tugs her hand right up against it, but she can still pull it free. She eyes a nearby dusty shelf. She taps it with the tip of the mini-vac, then pulls away. It leaves behind a perfect, clean circle, an oasis in a field of dust.
It's one of the most satisfying things that Sunshine has ever seen. Cleaning things is nice to begin with, of course. This thing, though, is so thorough that it's almost like it's outright destroying the dust.
She swipes it along the edge of the shelf, watching in amazement as it gobbles up the dust.
"Ah, Sunshine," Rinnosuke says, "I appreciate the gesture, but you don't really need to..."
But Sunshine is already moving down the aisle, dusting along the shelf. By the time he trails off, she's too focused to even try guessing how he was going to end that sentence.
Marisa chuckles to herself, watching Sunshine double back and start on another shelf. "Should've known better than to give her an opening to clean. She'll be at it for an hour now."
"Yes, I know from experience," Rinnosuke replies, dryly. "... I assume you're here to pick up your order?"
"I mean, I'm overdue for a visit anyway, right? ... but yeah."
"One moment, then."
Rinnosuke steps into the back room. Marisa leans against the counter, watching Sunshine zig-zag up and down the aisles, dusting away. Before long, Kourindou will be a very clean shop. Or, at least, the parts that Sunshine can reach will be.
Rinnosuke isn't gone for long. He returns with a tiny package, which looks even tinier in his hands. It's wrapped up in brown paper, and he hesitates for just a moment before handing it over.
"Thanks," Marisa says, and hurries to tuck it away. "... hey, speakin' of which. Do you think topaz would've been better?"
"'Better'?"
"For the yellow, I mean. That stuff I brought was citrine, but Alice got some topaz last week for some kinda project. Kinda wonderin' if it would have been better to wait for her leftovers."
"Hmh. Topaz is the clearly inferior choice here." A hint of a smile tugs at Rinnosuke's lips, and he adjusts his glasses. "When choosing gemstones, you should account for not only the physical properties, but also the spiritual ones. Consider the kanji for citrine—'yellow,' 'water,' and 'crystal.' With your own natural affinity for water—"
Marisa cuts him off. "Citrine is good, gotcha."
Rinnosuke looks only slightly annoyed. "So... you're intent on this, then?"
"I am givin' her a wedding ring. So, yeah. I don't think take-backsies really apply there, y'know?"
"I'll admit, I never thought the day would come."
"Rootin' for me to get back together with Nitori, huh?"
"I would never criticize your choice of partners, Marisa. And I'd much rather see you with Alice than that... kappa."
Sunshine draws near again, dusting along the edges of the shelves. She lingers for a minute or two, scooting some of the contents to the side so that she can vacuum their areas, then diligently moving them back to the exact spots where she found them. The two go quiet. Partially because this isn't necessarily a conversation that Sunshine needs to hear. Mostly because the mini-vac is loud.
Only once Sunshine is on the other end of the store again does Rinnosuke add, hesitantly, "I thought you should be aware that... your father knows about everything, Marisa."
Marisa does not respond.
Rinnosuke studies her face, and gives her ample time to reply before he continues. "About Sunshine, that is. And the fact that you and Alice have moved in together, for that matter. I'm sure that he'd appreciate the chance to meet his granddaugh—"
Marisa isn't so subtle about cutting him off this time. "By the way, didja like that red stone I found? S'called 'carnelian.'"
"Marisa—"
"I didn't think much of it when I saw it the first time, but Nitori polished it up pretty good, huh?"
"Marisa. Please be reasonable. Gensokyo is only so big. You can't avoid him forever."
Marisa gives up on her attempts to redirect the conversation. She meets Rinnosuke's eyes for the first time in a good ten seconds, shooting him a brief, genuinely annoyed look. "Guess we'll see about that, huh?" More loudly, she adds, "Thanks for the hard work, Kourin. C'mon, Sunshine. Why don't you give that gadget back? We've still got a couple more stops to make."
This time, they fly into the village. Most of it is a familiar journey—now that she's going to school, Sunshine has accompanied her parents on plenty of errands. Today, though, they turn and head toward somewhere that isn't the familiar herbalist's shop, or the square where the farmers park their vegetable-piled carts, or the tailor. Instead, they descend along one edge of the village, where a river cuts through it. Marisa follows the river for a while before landing in front of the building.
The building has a sign on it, but Sunshine doesn't recognize any of the kanji, so she isn't sure what to expect. There's a curtain in the front door, and she ducks down so it doesn't mess up her hair as they walk inside.
The place is completely full of books. It's almost the most books that Sunshine has ever seen in one place, behind only Miss Knowledge's library. It has some of the same creaky, dusty smell, and Sunshine wonders if this is the home of a magician, too.
The girl who's running the store doesn't look like a magician, though. She looks younger than Sunshine's parents; she's taller than Marisa, but most people are. When they first walk in, the girl is bent over her desk, frantically leafing through a book. When she notices that she's not alone, she jolts upright with enough force to send the bells in her hair jingling. "Oh! Miss Marisa! Good afternoon!" As she speaks, she quickly closes the book in front of her, resting a hand on the cover.
"Afternoon." Marisa digs into a pocket and pulls out a small stack of books, then slides them onto the desk. "Got some returns."
"Oh, thank you." The girl shuffles through the pile, then frowns and looks up. "Did you happen to find that one about crystals? It's been overdue for nearly three months..."
"Hey, so, anyway!" Marisa cuts her off, and steps aside to usher Sunshine forward with one hand. "Sunshine, this is Kosuzu. Suzy, this is Sunshine."
Sunshine hadn't been expecting to get thrust into the middle of the conversation so suddenly. She stiffens up and stares at Kosuzu for a few seconds before offering a shy wave.
"Oh!" Kosuzu looks almost as surprised. "Your daughter, you mean...?"
"Nah, she's just this kid I picked up. I'm thinking of startin' a collection."
Kosuzu only briefly ponders that joke before looking back to Sunshine and flashing a smile. "It's nice to meet you," she says, bowing in place. "Did you two come to get some books today?"
"Yep. Alice wants some stuff on metallurgy. I've got a few things I might wanna pick up for myself, too." Marisa turns and gestures toward a nearby section of the library. "Sunshine, I think all the kid stuff's back there. Do you wanna look through it and maybe pick out a few books? If you find ones you like, we can take 'em home."
"Just let me know if you have any questions!" Kosuzu adds.
Marisa heads toward the back of the shop, and Sunshine takes that as her cue to walk into the section that she'd indicated. The children section of the library is much closer to the front, and Sunshine is a bit self-conscious of the fact that Kosuzu keeps a sunny, expectant smile focused on her until she starts looking through the options.
This store has an even weirder selection of books than Rinnosuke's store does. Some of them look brand new, with impossibly glossy covers made out of weird, smooth material. Others are old and look like they might fall apart if she picks them up. There are lots of them, though. Sunshine isn't sure how she's supposed to pick one out of an entire shelf. She can't know whether the book is fun or not without reading it, and there's no way she can read even a little bit of each book today. Might as well get started, then. Pulling one of them out at random, she opens it up and finds that it's full of pictures of cartoon animals, with weird writing that Sunshine can't read at all.
She sticks at it. The next book is older and contains a long, dry description of math stuff. The one after that is thin and floppy, without a cover or spine, and it talks about how to catch bugs. Sunshine isn't sure why she would need bugs, but she holds onto that one for now just in case she thinks of a use for them.
She's just started leafing through another book when a loud THUMP comes from behind her, followed by a lot of things rattling around.
Sunshine spins around, but whatever caused all the noise is already finished. Now there's just Kosuzu, hunched over her desk and bracing both hands against something on top of it.
"What was that?" Marisa calls from somewhere near the back of the store.
"A-ah, it's nothing!" Kosuzu shouts back. "I just, um, slipped! Please, don't worry about me!"
Marisa mumbles something in response, but Sunshine doesn't hear it. Kosuzu is still in that weird position, though, with both hands pushing down on something. She shoots Sunshine a shaky, reassuring smile.
This is weird, but it doesn't seem dangerous or anything. Sunshine turns around and goes back to her search.
She decides to change her approach now. She walks down the aisle reading all of the titles, looking for ones that sound interesting. That's harder than it sounds, because book titles aren't very long, so they don't have much room for interesting words. Many of them, especially the shinier-looking ones, have names with words that she doesn't know at all, like 'factory' and 'truck.' Sunshine decides to look at that last one just to satisfy her curiosity. It's full of pictures of big, red machines with wheels on them, bigger than her parents' workshops. Sometimes they're parked in front of burning buildings, which is kind of scary. Sunshine thinks that maybe they go around setting buildings on fire.
She's just starting to really unravel things when another THUMP comes from the front of the store.
This time, Sunshine doesn't have to turn around. Looking up from An Illustrated Guide to Fire Trucks, she finds Kosuzu still bent over with her hands on the desk. This time, though, she's struggling. As Sunshine watches, the thing under her hands shudders, looking almost angry, and Kosuzu frantically squeaks under her breath as she tries to contain it. Only after a few seconds of staring does Sunshine realize that the thing is a book. There is a book on the desk and it is trying to move, and Kosuzu is holding it down. As she watches, the book manages to crack open, forcing Kosuzu's hand up a few centimeters. Kosuzu shoves it closed again, but a few papers go flying off her desk.
"Uh." Marisa's voice comes from across the store again. "Fall down again?"
"Oh, um, y-yep, ehe, really clumsy of me, huh?" Gritting her teeth, Kosuzu shoves the book down one last time. It stops moving, but she keeps a wary eye on it. "I'm fine, though! You don't need to worry about me, really!"
This time, Marisa walks back to the front of the shop, looking suspiciously from Kosuzu's face to the book in front of her. "... are you sure everything's okay?"
"Yep! Never better! A-ahaha." Kosuzu laughs nervously, adjusting her glasses. "Can I help you find anything, Miss Marisa?"
Marisa still seems suspicious about something. She stays in place, like she's waiting for something. When it doesn't happen after a few seconds, she sighs and says, "... Nah, I've got it. Just need to grab one more book and I'm done."
Marisa goes back to her browsing.
Kosuzu settles back with a sigh of relief... then stiffens right back up when she notices that Sunshine's eyes are still on her. She freezes for a few seconds, her eyes wide, then waves Sunshine closer.
Sunshine isn't sure what this is about. After seeing that book move all by itself, she's kind of reluctant to move closer to it. But, after a moment's consideration, she tucks a finger into An Illustrated Guide to Fire Trucks to mark her spot, then approaches the desk.
Kosuzu keeps an eye on her the whole time, with the occasional furtive glance toward Marisa's direction, like she's afraid that Marisa might see them talking.
Now that Sunshine is closer, she can get a better look at the book. It's covered in old leather that's sort of falling apart, and the writing on the cover has a lot of kanji that she doesn't recognize. The word 'tengu' is in there, though—Miss Kamishirasawa taught a lesson about tengu a few weeks ago, and Sunshine had to write the word twenty times for homework. There's a longer word with 'wind' in it, too.
As Sunshine watches, the tengu-wind book cracks open in the middle, and a stiff wind blows out from the pages. It's just one quick puff, though.
Kosuzu casually pushes down on the book with one hand, holding the cover closed. With her other hand, she quietly opens a drawer on the desk. Inside, there's a little basket of sweets. She chooses a lollipop, still wrapped up in a wax paper wrapper, and offers it over with a pointed, "Shhh."
Sunshine stares at the lollipop, then points to herself questioningly.
Kosuzu nods and whispers, "For you! Just don't tell Miss Marisa, okay?" She tilts the lollipop to indicate the book in front of her.
That's possibly the weirdest thing that's happened yet. Sunshine really wants to know what's going on with the book. The lollipop does sound pretty good right now, though. The apple wasn't bad, but the bigger her afternoon snack is, the longer she can play after dinner. With a hesitant nod, she accepts it.
Sunshine has just started undoing the wrapper when the book flies open again. Wind bursts out from inside, as loud and violet as if she'd open a window during a storm. It blasts Sunshine's hair back, and sends a few items tumbling down from the desk. The wind is even so violent that it launches the book itself into the air. Before it even lands, Kosuzu lunges forward and grabs it with both hands. She shoves it down again, slamming it into the desk.
This time, Marisa is quick to spring into action, too. She steps out from behind a shelf, with her arms piled with books, and squints at Kosuzu. "Suzy, are you gonna tell me what's going on?"
"A-ah, um, I tripped again? Really clumsy, huh?"
"Uh-huh..." Marisa looks to Sunshine. "Sunshine, is that what happened?"
Sunshine freezes. She hadn't been expecting this. Not telling Marisa about the weird book is one thing, but lying about it is another. Sometimes, Marisa has told her, lying can be okay when it's telling Alice something that will make her happier, or something that doesn't really matter. Sunshine still doesn't like it, but those lies don't seem to hurt anybody. This, on the other hand, kind of seems more important than that.
Sunshine shakes her head and pops the lollipop into her mouth.
"We... we had a deal!" Kosuzu squeaks.
She barely manages to finish the sentence before the book explodes again, launching up into the air with enough force to send Kosuzu stumbling backward. The wind that pours out sends paper flying through the store and almost knocks Sunshine over.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kosuzu has, somehow, managed to keep bowing while still following the two to the door.
"I already told ya it's fine." Marisa doesn't have a very 'it's fine' kind of expression, but she doesn't look mad, either. The book, now restrained by several thick twine knots, gives the occasional wriggle in her hand. Every now and then, it manages to crack itself open just far enough for a little puff of wind to escape. "Just, y'know. You really oughta tell me or Reimu when you find dangerous stuff like this."
Kosuzu fidgets. "Well... it's a collector's item, is all."
"Uh-huh. Don't worry, I'll bring it back once I've got it all, uh, tamed."
Marisa slips the book into her pocket, along with all of the fresh rentals. The ten-minute chase to catch the book didn't give Sunshine much more time for browsing, so she settled on the fire truck book and the book about bugs. Both books are still pretty mysterious too her, but if she reads them, then she should be able to figure them out.
Marisa shoots Kosuzu a final wave as they step out the doorway and back onto the street, then looks down to Sunshine. "Hmm, I guess that lollipop's all gone by now, huh?"
Sunshine nods. She finished it before they'd even caught the book.
"Feel like you've got room for one more snack? There's something I've been wantin' to show ya."
Sunshine nods much more excitedly this time. Marisa always gets the best snacks when they're in the village. They've gone to the candy store often enough that the owner knows Sunshine by name, and one time they bought dango from a rabbit. Between them, they've introduced Sunshine to a whole world of sweets that aren't cake or cookies.
They hop onto Marisa's broom and take off. Since they aren't leaving the village, it's a very short flight. They barely even get high enough to see across the rooftops before they start descending again, making the trip one long arc, like a ball thrown into the air. It's still far enough to take them from one end of the village to another. They descend into an unfamiliar intersection, with a few groups of people lingering around the corners.
In one corner, a temporary stand has been erected, and the sign overhead says 'SHAVED ICE.'
Most of the denizens of the square shoot them curious looks as they land, but Sunshine is accustomed to it. Marisa rests her broom over her shoulder and heads toward the stand, holding up two fingers. "I'll take two. One lemon, and for the kid..."
Marisa gestures down, guiding Sunshine's gaze toward the front of the stall. There's a handwritten sign hanging in front of her.
FLAVORS:
* Lemon
* Cherry
* Strawberry
* Plum
* Melon
* Pear
* Violet
Whoever made the sign doesn't have very good handwriting, so Sunshine has to stare at it for a few seconds before she can read all of the options. She realizes that the man who runs the stand is staring down at her expectantly. She taps 'STRAWBERRY' on the sign.
"And one strawberry," Marisa announces for her.
"Comin' up." The man moves to the other end of the table, where a block of ice sits on a strange machine, above a pile of something that looks like snow. He fills two big bowls with the snow stuff, then upends bottles of colorful liquid over them—yellow on one, red on the other. After jabbing a wooden spoon into each one, he slides them across the counter.
Marisa exchanges some money for them, then takes the bowls. "C'mon," she says to Sunshine, "let's go find some shade."
She leads Sunshine across the square, to a little patch of mostly-undisturbed grass along the roadside, shadowed by a nearby awning. There's a big rock half-buried in the ground, and Marisa hops up onto it, using it as a seat, then offers the strawberry bowl down to Sunshine. Sunshine takes it and joins her on the rock.
Sunshine has never had shaved ice before. The bowl is chilly in her hands, and at the very edges, some of the dainty ice flakes are starting to melt. Even as she inspects it, Marisa scoops up a big bite of her own and pops it in her mouth. "If you don't hurry up, it'll melt, y'know," she says.
The encouragement is all it takes. Sunshine hurries to scoop up her own bite.
It's crunchy. At first, it just tastes like water. After chewing it once or twice, the syrup spreads through her mouth, and she tastes that instead. It's like strawberry, or like what strawberries taste like when she imagines them. There are no seeds and no pulpy bits, and the flavor is even stronger than biting into a big, fresh strawberry. The chill starts quickly spreading through her mouth, too, but that's not unwelcome. Today is pretty warm.
Sunshine chews on it a few more times, marveling at the flavor, then swallows.
Marisa watches this with amusement and something kind of like embarrassment. "Y'know, I almost forgot your body isn't warm. Guess it won't really... melt that easy for you. How do you like it, though?"
That's a harder question for Sunshine to answer without talking. She gestures Ichigo forward. The doll hovers up to pull her notepad out, then sets it out across her lap while Sunshine takes another bite. Once everything is in position, Sunshine writes, [GOOD. BUT LIKE SNOW]
"Yep. In the old days, they used to just cut out the middleman and eat snow instead."
Sunshine isn't sure how to respond to that, so she doesn't.
They keep eating. Across the square, an old man walks up to the stand and buys some melon-flavored shaved ice. From one of the nearby streets, Sunshine can hear a group of adults talking with loud enthusiasm, and somewhere else, a dog barks. Sunshine has never spent much time just sitting outside in the village, apart from the school's playground. It's strange how much louder it is than the Forest of Magic.
The shaved ice is halfway gone before Marisa speaks up again. "So," she says. "... wanna see something neat?"
Sunshine looks up. She now remembers that Marisa did promise to show her a secret. She nods quickly.
In response, Marisa reaches into a pocket and pulls out a little parcel. It's barely the size of Sunshine's fist, and it's wrapped up in brown paper. She takes her time unwrapping it, unfolding the paper rather than tearing it off.
Sunshine watches with interest. Beneath the paper is a little wooden box. She briefly wonders if that might be the secret—it's kind of a pretty box—but then Marisa opens it up and shows her the contents.
Inside, the box is packed with white cloth. Nestled in among it, though, is a ring. It's silver, and along the top, there's a row of delicate little stones, the size of pebbles. The one on the left is red and shiny. The one next to it is a transparent, glassy orange, then a deep yellow. There are seven stones, and each one is a different color. Like a rainbow.
"It's pretty, huh?" Marisa asks.
Sunshine nods.
As soon as she pulls her finger back, Marisa eases the box closed again and slips it back into her pocket, looking like she's trying to hide it. That makes sense, Sunshine supposes. She did say it was a secret.
Marisa stares thoughtfully into her bowl, but doesn't eat any more shaved ice just yet. "I, uh," she says, and goes quiet again. This, by itself, is pretty strange. It's normal for Alice to take her time and pick her words carefully, but Marisa talks much faster. To Sunshine, who has to stop and consider every word that she says, it seems pretty amazing. Especially today.
Finally, Marisa finishes: "Y'know how me and your mom like each other a whole lot?"
This is even stranger. It's a really obvious question. Sunshine had figured that out before she even knew how to write.
She nods, though.
"And y'know how we've all been living together for a while?"
That's even more obvious. Sunshine starts to nod again, then pauses. Those two questions are kind of worrying. Sometimes when people ask questions about things, that's to get more information before they change something. If her parents ask if her shoes are dirty, what they really mean is that they'd like her to wipe off her shoes. If her parents ask if she's hungry, what they really mean is that she can have a snack if she wants one. So if Marisa is asking about this kind of thing...
Sunshine thrusts her spoon back into the shaved ice and tugs her notebook into position to write, [ARE YOU LEAVING]
"Huh?" The words catch Marisa by surprise. "What? No, no! C'mon, I wouldn't do that to ya." She loops an arm around Sunshine and pulls her in, giving her a quick, reassuring kiss on the forehead. The spot feels chilly and wet afterward, and she suspects that Marisa's lips still had some of the syrup from the shaved ice on them. Right now, though, the conversation feels even more important than wiping it off.
"Actually..." Marisa takes a slow breath, waggling her spoon in her hand the exact same way that Miss Kamishirasawa does with her chalk when she's thinking. "D'you know what it means when two people are married?"
Sunshine shakes her head.
"That means that they love each other a whole lot, and they wanna live together forever."
Sunshine nods. She's still learning new words, after all.
"I wanna ask Alice to marry me," Marisa continues.
[OK], Sunshine writes, and takes another bite of shaved ice.
"That's all you've got to say about it?" The question is half-teasing, half-inquisitive.
Sunshine pauses, with the spoon still in her mouth. She pulls it back out, but she still isn't sure how she's supposed to respond to that. Her parents already live together, after all, and she hears them say that they love each other almost every day. So what would even change? [ALREADY MARRIED]
"We are, huh?"
Sunshine has the creeping suspicion that Marisa is teasing her now. It only makes her even more resolute. She gives an obstinate nod.
"Well, then I guess you won't have any problems with it then, right? On account of us already bein' married and all."
"Mmhm."
Marisa laughs, soft and incredulous. "That was pretty painless, huh? I guess the real reason I'm saying all this, is..." She leans forward, closing in for easier conversation. Her bowl is empty now, and her thumbs fret against the edges while she chooses her words. "How'd you like to help me ask her? All you'd have to do is pack the ring around, then give it to her at the right time."
[EASY]
"Yep, it shouldn't be very hard. You'd be the star of the show."
Sunshine doesn't know about 'star of the show,' but it sounds nice. Plus, if she gives Alice a ring, that's basically giving her a present, right? Sunshine has never given somebody a present, apart from the occasional picture that she draws for one parent or another, but she likes the idea.
"Jeez, I was worried about this whole thing, but you're bein' so agreeable that now I'm just worried you'd go along with whatever I say. How about this: Do you wanna move out instead? Me n' you. We can move to the outside world, and we'll wander around playin' music on the street for money. Ichigo can dance."
Sunshine eyes Marisa suspiciously. She shakes her head.
"Are ya sure? Maybe instead we can move in under an old bridge, and we'll eat mud for dinner every day."
Sunshine shakes her head, so hard that her hair tosses around.
Marisa grins. "Just had to make sure you could still tell me no, kiddo. Now, let's talk strategy..."