Steward Of Paradise At Work

by Tall-Gothic-Guy

I didn't come here to meet shrine maidens or monsters. I didn't come here to erect a cross. No one even told me about magic being a thing here. Actually, I didn't expect myself to be here at all. I was simply chasing a woman who created eye portals. But it beats being a runaway thief. I just wish I knew sooner, that this place will never give me a break, not even God...Bring it on.

26. Take a Deep Breath

I wonder if people living outside the village suffer the same bullshit as me everyday. If not, I wanna know how they get by.

Successive close-calls with death in the span of two days and I barely got a moment to go back to the village again. This is the second time I woke up in a bad manner, fresh from an attack. Fucking hell….where's Hercules when you need him? I sure as hell don't wanna meet him right now but I'd like him to go through one of his labors again and kill that motherfucking lion.

*Whistle*

Whistling the time away wasn't really my top choice to do when it comes to what to do when lying on a hospital bed while not wearing a shirt but at least it'll tell people passing by the hallway outside that sliding door that I'm awake now. I wanna see the doctor who dressed up this arm masterfully and thank him or her cordially. Would be sleeping right now but I slept in and out, like, I don't know, 5-7 times already, and it's already 1 in the afternoon.

Lost all the energy to go back to sleep now, if that's even a thing. It's a big guarantee that I'm never gonna be sleeping tonight until I tire myself out by some other means, and it's not gonna be dancin' the night out. This arm's been stitched up while I was passed out, a certain level of pressure might just open it up and mess up the thread. Buuuut, I do have the chance to experiment, which doesn't need physical effort but a good brainstorming.

I think that sounds nice.

Alrighty, it's settled: I'm gonna explore some more uses on Holy Fire tonight. Make some more Spell Cards too, and I'm gonna do it in front of a bonfire while some holy orbs float around the premises like big fat fireflies. Not sure if I wanna mess around with the magic fires though, something could go horribly wrong with a wound in the arm like this. The fires might just seep out of it….Egh, nasty.

Thank goodness Reimu had medical equipment ready when she dressed the wound, and not the traditional ones like I thought. She actually had modern medicine: antibiotics, betadine, gauzes and bandages, even the medical kit was modern-made. I asked how she got them and she said that it came from the technologically advanced 'Lunarians' in the Hospital in the Bamboo Forest.

I can see it now from here, but that A/C does not look like our own from Outside. It's small as an Ipad but it's strong enough to chill the room. I've turned it to maximum as I slid the window open, looking out the window that presented a grassy yard with the bamboo tree line.

And there's rabbits frolicking about in the trimmed grass. Haven't seen those critters in a while. When I began whistling due to getting bored, they started huddling together just outside to listen. Cute little things, especially when their ears and noses twitched.

I've lost more than enough blood when I reached the shrine, keeping up a calm face was slightly difficult in front of Reimu without showing that you're about to drop due to bloodloss. She and I knew we need to hurry to the hospital, but how could we do that when the place is not even that close? It's not like Reimu could carry me all the way there.

Luckily, Marisa happened to have arrived at the right time. I got on to her broom and she blasted us off as fast as possible as soon as we gave her the shortest version of what happened: 'I got attacked by a lion'.

As soon as we reached the forest full of bamboo, she said that we'll go on foot instead of flying in. The hospital is very hidden as she had told me before, and she strictly told me to never separate from her, because people never find their way out without the proper help. Not even she knows how to navigate it. So she hollered for a girl named 'Mokou', a person who acts as the local guide and escort in the place.

It took a while for the person to come by, and it was surprising that she was one of the people who was at the party last Saturday. Baggy pants girl. And all that extremely long ashen hair she had was very jarring to look at, especially up close, dragging across the dirt without the slightest fuck given in the least. Following after her in a sprint alongside Marisa was simple, but maintaining my balance was not. Every single bamboo we passed by was leaning diagonally, and it messed up my equilibrium very easily.

At some point though, I passed out. Right behind Marisa. The dressing on my arm was starting to bleed, bad, making me lose more blood, driving me to quick exhaustion and loss of consciousness. My heart sure was pumping fast on that sprint. I apparently forgot to hold my patched-up arm up to make sure the blood doesn't seep out.

Thankfully, they got me to the hospital just fine. Was really groggy when I woke up though, but after periodical sleeps, I was now robust and able….maybe a little. I won't be able to run or jog once I get out of here.

When I didn't see any blood transfusions plugged to my wrist, I wasn't surprised. O-negative blood is not that easy to come by.

That basically tells me to act carefully next time, avoid violence as much as possible and prevent further injury from coming unto me because there won't be any blood donor out there with the same blood as me to keep me alive. I didn't stick to that line of thought before but I guess it's gonna get important starting today.

Humans aren't gonna be the only people I'll be dealing with. Some misplaced wildlife are gonna be a problem as well, apparently. Seriously though, how did that fucking lion survive out here? How'd it catch prey? How'd it survive winter? How it'd it even live long enough to grow that big?

Geez…..fucking Gensokyo, still manages to surprise me.

*Kachak*

Hmm?

Well, hello, pretty nurse. The doctor happened to be that woman with long and beautiful silver hair done into a big braid talking to Yukari last Saturday. Her face is not even that bad too, sharp and very easy on the eyes. Never had grey eyes looked so appealing before.

Oh, and Reisen the Rabbit Girl's with her too, holding a note pad.

I nodded in greetings, smiling casually as I crossed my legs lotus-style atop the bed. "Hello, Doctor. Hello again, Reisen." Wasn't expecting you to be a nurse around here when you were in that suit you wore at the party.

"Nice to see you again too, Mr. Eman." That's kind of you to say.

Braids hummed in intrigue, "You sound pretty mellow for a man that was nearly eaten by a lion, if Marisa was to be believed."

"My only complaint is the lack of a second pillow to hug." Especially one that's fat and poofy, makes me fall asleep like a baby, even get happy dreams from it too, none of the rape and murder stuff happening at the moment. "If I were to assume: did Marisa add bluster besides the part that I was slashed by a lion?"

Her lips rose up to a slight smirk, "Would it surprise you if she had?"

…..

…..…..

"….what did she say?" I swear, if she said something completely unrelated….

"She said that you tried to wrestle it while trying to bite its testicles." Reisen informed.

Bam! Punch the nightstand! [Bitch.] Cue a faceplam, resting an elbow atop my right thigh. I swear I'm gonna fucking murder you, Marisa.

"Do not worry, we know better than to believe her." She assured as she stepped up closer, "The lacerations on your arm weren't deep so it'll get better in a couple of days, maybe a week or two."

"Where is Marisa? I'd like to thank her efforts to bring me here with a punch to the face."

She harrumphed at that in amusement, "Even if she was nearby, I would not let you strain yourself. That lion had very nasty bacteria and even poisons in its claws due to scratching trees, and it seeped into your system very quickly when you and Marisa were running all the way here."

…..oh dear…

If there's one thing you should do about getting poisoned in the bloodstream, it's to not struggle, otherwise the flow of blood will quicken, sending the poison all over your body, making you very susceptible to very horrible symptoms, if not death.

"Don't worry. I've already administered an antidote so you'll be fine." Oh thank God. "It's a bit of a surprise that you feel alive and active. I expected you to be a little dizzy from the antidote and all the blood you lost. From your dosage, it will take a day before the antidote fully expels the poison out of your body."

"I do not feel inclined for physical activity, if that's a good substitute to dizziness. And my ribs ache if I twist at a certain angle." It's probably the Holy Spirit again, doing Her thing in keeping me safe while I'm passed out. "I lost the mood for any willingness to do what I'm supposed to do today as well. Finding employment, that is."

"I won't tell you how to live your life but try to take a job that doesn't involve heavy exertion for a while. Your arm and ribs need to heal first."

"I'm aware. I'm aware." This ain't the first time I've been in a hospital getting stitches. "Since I am now alive and awake, is it okay if I head home now?"

"First things first." She said, heading to the table beside my bed and pouring blue liquid into a small cup from a bottle. Afterwards, she extended it to me, "We'll have to examine you, and have a bit of a long discussion."

"Hmm." I took the cup and sniff its contents. Smells kinda sweet, "What is this?"

"Something to energize you and quicken the healing process of your arm." She answered, "The conversation we'll be having is going to be a long one. A very long one. I don't want you losing interest due to drowsiness in the middle of it."

Really now…? Something tells me that something's going on, but it doesn't say if it's a good thing or not.

Hmm, whatever. [Right.] I then drank the thing whole. Gulp, okay. That was very tasty. Place the cup back to the bedside table, there we go. "Okay. What is next?"

"The usual basics. I rarely had the chance to examine you Outsiders, and I've been wanting to ever since your little show at the Hakurei Shrine." She told, then inclined her head in greetings. "My name is Yagokoro Eirin, by the way. The Doctor of the Clinic here at Eintei Mansion. Just so you know, this isn't the first time you've been here."

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

My memories about it has been hazy over the last few days but the one part that I…um, 'died' at the Scarlet Devil Mansion and lost an arm, I was instantly brought here to be fixed up.

But that led to later confusion, especially to Doc Eirin. Due to my current state at the time: possessed, broken, and horribly damaged, there were certain outcomes that were supposed to be inevitable but actually got averted.

I was not supposed to come back human, but I did.

I wasn't supposed to have a left arm, but I did.

I wasn't supposed to have pale skin anymore, but I did.

I was even told that I was possessed by more than one demon at the time, which should destroy my identity or sense of self, but it did not happen.

Overall: I came back as myself, down to the last cell.

The only explanation I could offer in my knowledge was that I got remade, the catalyst being God, and that it wasn't the first time it happened to me.

She did believe me (which was shocking because I didn't expect her to) but she said that it should be impossible for each to happen all at once. To rebuild a human body with a corrupt mind and soul mended back to its original state at a hundred percent was something that only the highest gods could do. Exasperated, I told her that it's the all-powerful God who did it, no other explanation besides that. If I could offer a better explanation, I would have done so already. But I was lacking, so that's all I could offer.

We then eventually went though some very thorough examination. All were benign, nothing involving a lot of needles and cutting me open but very thorough. She tried to confirm how human I really am, what differs my physique from an average human, how my body metabolizes food, etc.

I daresay she was getting a little too into this thing, pretty sure she's using methods that were supposed to examine a fucking leviathan, not a human. She acted very professional the whole time though, keeps me calm the whole while, but I could tell that she was very hungry to know what makes me tick.

She even employed some magic in the fray, especially towards my left arm. She wanted to know how it either reattached itself or grew back another arm at the time I lost it on the same night but my answer's the same: I don't know. I was passed out, just like the first time it happened when I had broken bones all over me. She did a blood test on me and was able to confirm that I have Holy Blood. She found that out due to the fact that each of my blood cells was coated with tiny quantities of divine energy.

In her perspective, I'm practically a god in human form.

I was very quick to laugh….hard. Admittedly, my laugh was so loud it even drew attention from the door and rabbits from the window. The majority that were from the door were smaller Youkai rabbits, all kids instead of teenager-nearing-young-adulthood like Reisen here, one that stuck out the most was the one with black hair and lop rabbit ears, who was taller than the rest. She had wisdom in her red eyes unlike the others behind her, which were nothing but childlike.

As soon as my laugh ran out, I corrected her and said my body contains a god, which can explain the divine coating on my blood cells. If it's a possibility: maybe all Christians had this kind of anatomy.

Vessels of the Holy Spirit, each of us.

Eirin just brushed me off and continued with the examination of my body. We even went far as to test my manipulation and control of my powers, both magical and holy. I was slightly cautious with presenting Holy Fires to her, given how powerful it is, but she assured that any knowledge obtained in this room will not go anywhere outside of it. Everything will be confidential, as the Word of the Doctor. Plus, she will not use what she has learned for anything malicious. If anything, she'll use it to create better, stronger medicine.

I'll just let the Holy Spirit fill very little power as possible in one presentation, just to be safe. And so, I let her see it, starting with the fiery figure of the Holy Spirit standing right in front of her before shifting into a holy orb. After that, I just did a little show, starting by making Her take several shapes like animals, birds, and even an outline of me, then I ended it by making Her coat the entire room, leaving some standing room around both Reisen and Eirin's feet before seeping back into me.

After all that, the one thing she has to say was a fascinated 'Impressive'. She doesn't sound so…surprised, she said that like an acknowledgement. Does that mean she has seen greater powers like it? At least Reisen looked understandably in awe.

And to my shock as she said it to me, the Doctor here is apparently old enough to watch Humanity start out as apes. Couldn't believe her. Would not believe her. Hard to believe her….but I actually believed her. And she happened to be the creator of the Lunar Society, a civilization on the motherfucking MOON(!), equally hidden from the Outside World like Gensokyo. Basically, I'm standing right next to a fucking GOD, AKA Yagokoro-Omoikane! Fortunately, it's hard to see her as such, not to mention hard to believe, considering that she acts more doctor than deity, down-to-earth like one too.

There's gods and monsters, now there's Ancient Civilizations that left the earth due to how ugly the humans were.

Apparently, the fucks in the Moon didn't like us just for being alive and about to die, calling it impurity. Not to mention inferior in regards to technology, very comparable to stone agers. So they took up to the Japanese concept of impurity really hard, thinking that death is a disease. Well, fuck you, Lunarians. If you don't like us, stay the fuck up there. I don't wanna live forever like you morons. That'll just be sad and boring.

Thankfully, the Doctor here has learned a lot about humans when she moved in here a millennium ago. We're either not different from each other, or the Lunarians didn't know any better about us. Case being: she'd rather be here than up there.

But she finally found her answer to the questions she were having, which was something she should've known herself (Seriously, Eirin, you live in Gen-fucking-sokyo. Anything's possible now!): it was God Himself that healed me. She assumed that with all the power to create life, it would be no trouble to fix me back.

Geez.

As Reisen was out the door, going somewhere to do something Eirin ordered her to do, Doc had this to say, "When we tried to cut open your shirt, we broke our shears because Marisa didn't tell me that it was enchanted." She remarked, handing over the neatly-folded and re-stitched shirt I was wearing earlier to me. I had been wearing white upper robes in that patient ward.

[Begging your pardon. Was a birthday gift, after all.] If only I had known you understood English sooner, I wouldn't have to put so much effort in pronouncing medical terms in an accent. I'm not that used to speaking in Yen, bro. [So what? Did you dispel it and then cut it off with a scalpel? Or did you simply rip it off me?] Lemme just put it on first, little bit of difficulty due to this fucking arm.

"The first one, but with a second pair of shears." As I finally got my head through the hole, slotting my arms out, she continued, "I also re-enchanted it as well so you don't have to go through the complicated process again."

Oh, that's kind. [Bless you.] Strap the knife holster to my thigh there, and there we go. Can't bring with me the machete when I go to the village. It's just for presentation's sake. Don't wanna freak out my employer with it in my hand, eh? [If you have them, do you have any Vitamin C medicine? Something to increase the immune system?]

"Chewable or pill?"

Well, that was a fast response. And there's chewable too, even for young adults or older? [Chewable.]

She turned and headed for the cabinet, loaded with so many bottles of medicine that don't look like anything back Outside. They even have weird labels, 'Butterfly Dream Pill', 'Nightmare Pill', 'Migraine Repellant'. I can't believe this is even a thing: 'Adrenaline pills'. I want some adrenaline pills.

After taking a bottle with a large C label in it, she handed it over to me, lightly shaking the contents. "Once a day after every breakfast, no more than that."

Oh? [Minding the Overdose, huh?] You did tell me that you could create any medicine, super-effective and without side-effects (as long as you got the ingredients), contributing to being the 'Brain of the Moon', being the smartest of all of Gensokyo at that. It can mean that anything she made can be made lethal if one doesn't know any better about the proper dosage.

"Exactly." Okay, she sounds snappy. "I don't want a repeat of some idiot thinking drinking more than one could increase its effectiveness. At least you have better brains than most of the humans I've handled."

….so she thinks we're all idiots, is that what she's saying?

Admittedly, I can't find reason to get mad at that.

If I try to empathize …..she basically is surrounded by idiots. As far as I've seen, this clinic of hers is clearly technologically advanced than all the other houses I've seen (including Yukari's), especially the village. Everybody's stuck in a primitive setting. And stuff around here looked like a few centuries advanced than even Outside. Not to mention that she's bloody smart.

No joke, I would condescend if I was in her place. I did the same thing at when I was at Rinnosuke-boy's place the first time when we talked about the uses of everyday objects. That guy really needs to know how a fucking blender works!

[Don't worry. I usually see a Doctor in the Outside World so I know what to do with prescriptions.]

"If only the villagers could have the same amount of sense as you." She shook her head, then slumped into a chair. "That'll be 400 yen."

[…..that's…cheaper than I expected.] Even so, I'm not gonna ask questions. Opportunity knocked, you gotta answer as quickly as possible. Just like fighting dirty, take it when you have the chance. With the right amount of coins in my hand….yeah, it's the one. [Here.] Looks like I won't have any lunch later unless I bother going back to my house again.

After taking the handful of coins, she said, "I'll have Udonge escort you back to the Village. No one gets out of the bamboo forest unless you know how to navigate it or you're with someone who does."

[I know. Marisa told me…twice, I think.] Little odd that you refer to the Rabbit Girl by her middle name. What gives? Is something going on with you and her family? [These gotta be tiny pills for a tiny bottle…] Shaking the pill bottle for a bit to hear how many are inside, prolly a hundred, I then slot it inside my pockets. [Expect me again soon. I might wanna donate some universal blood for anybody's benefit.]

"We'll need a thorough testing first." She pointed out, "We're not sure whether you will end up donating Holy Blood or just O-negative blood."

…..oh shit, yeah. [You think you can purge the divine qualities without harming the quality of the blood itself?] We just gotta make sure. Holy Blood can get tainted and make you very susceptible to possession due to its spiritual nature in your body. Remilia said so when she relayed what she's learned from Patch to me.

"We can try." She smiled in assurance. "But we'll leave that for next time. On the other hand," She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and looking at me pointedly in the eyes. "Eman."

I feel a grim air. [Yeah?]

"Tread carefully around Yukari. You get involved with her, nothing good ever comes out of it. Do you understand?"

Even you too, huh?

Sigh…..fuck. I place a palm to my face. I really can't take that advice so easily. It's so difficult, especially when it involves people I respect so much. I look up to her and ask, [What kind of history do you two have?]

"Yukari and I are not exactly the best of friends, Eman." She informed neutrally. "Even if we help each other at times, its only business. Nothing more. Alliances in Gensokyo are rather….bleak."

I click my tongue; Looks like things are still complicated around here, especially in the political area.

I hate politics.

[That's easier said than done, doc. I can't just do that so suddenly.] I said softly.

"I know you have faith and respect for her, but I'm saying this for your sakes." Her expression softened as she said it. "Don't trust Yukari. It'll save you a lot of pain."

…..fuck.

I knead my temples in frustration. My instincts were agreeing with her as well, contradicting my emotions and thoughts on the matter. Did I get too gullible at her show of kindness? Was that it? Was that what made me too easy to manipulate?

How am I gonna confront Yukari now the next time I see her?

[I…I'll try.] Emphasis on 'try', because it's gonna take forever to start losing it.

She nodded sympathetically and approvingly. "Good enough."

The door slid open and presented Reisen. "Master. My chores are done, is there anything else you need for me to do?"

"Ah, yes, perfect timing, Udonge." Eirin stood up from the chair and gestured to me, "Escort him back to the village. And give him a free medical kit." She turned to me, "It's possible he doesn't have one at home."

…touché, doc. [No.] I apparently forgot to include that on the list. Damn it.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

"Have you taken note of everything?" Reisen asked Eman as she stood next to him, smothering his nose with the smell of medicine around her form.

[Let's see: disinfectant, elastic bandages, gauzes, collapsible splints, scissors, alcohol, mask and gloves, all-cure antidote, 6 syringes, painkillers, cotton, one-day-per-use fever medicine….and some others I can figure out just by reading the instructions, I'm pretty sure that's everything.] He turned to Reisen, [Don't worry, I know first-aid.] He turned to Eirin, gesturing to the box of first-aid. [This can't be free, right?]

She pointed at the medicine bottles placed neatly at the corner of the medical kit. "The fever medicine and the antidote will cost you 900 yen. Besides those two, you can have the rest for free. Restocks, however, will cost you."

Huffing in resignation through his nose, he fished through his pockets and quickly gave a thousand yen bill to the doctor. [Keep the change. Alright, let's go.] He prompted to the rabbit, closing the medical kit and letting it hang by his good hand.

"Follow me, Eman-san." Reisen turned to Eirin for courtesy's sake, "I'll be back, Master."

[Later, Doc.] Eman thumped his chest lightly with his left fist and waved.

"You two have fun." Eirin said as they walk past the door.

…..…..

…..…..…..…..

…..…..…..…..…..…..…..

Eirin's neutral expression suddenly crinkled balefully as soon as they were no longer in ear-shot. Looking down on her own hand, she let a captured fragment of the Holy Spirit come out of her hand, nothing more than a little ball of light floating above her palm.

"The essence of life belongs to the flesh…..and death comes after life….such is the law of the Earth…" She intoned, watching as the fragment slowly fade away to nonexistence, seeing her unfit to wield its essence. Her eyes hardened grimly. "The Holy Spirit doesn't simply emanate lifeforce, It is Lifeforce itself. If he's not a weapon against the Lunarians like you told me, Yukari, then what is he?"

She wasn't expecting an answer.

"He's our weapon for the ones who are neither dead nor alive. Unlike that celestial brat, he's easier to control."

Eirin clenched her fist, fighting the urge to turn around, whip out her bow hidden underneath the nearby table just in case and let loose an arrow towards the Sage behind her. "What are you talking about?" She asked coldly.

"You will know soon enough." An amused chuckle followed after, "But once they arrive, everyone will realize that he's the better devil to know than them."

Eirin turned to look over her shoulder and saw nothing, not even the faint sign of a rift opening over the fabric of reality. She face-forward once again and pinched the bridge on her nose, brow furrowed deeply in frustration for her lack of control over the situation.

"Dammit, Yukari."

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

"Oh crap! I forgot it's my shift today! I'll be right back, Mr. Eman!"

And off she goes, bolting off back into the Mansion. Gotta say, love the extra-long violet hair flying behind her. Looks really silky as they fly, wish I could touch them from here.

[Hmm.] I wonder what shift she's talking about. Can it still allow her to escort me back without any trouble? Sigh. Looks like I'll have to wait to find out. [How long though? I can wait but what am I supposed to do?]

"Why not cuddle with some bunny bun-buns to pass the time?"

…..

…..…..

…okay, first of all: you scared the hell outta me, Wise Eyes. I didn't even see you sitting there on the veranda when Reisen and I walked out the door. [You understand English too?]

She frowned questionably, "I'm sorry, what? I don't get English."

….um, "Did you understand me speaking in English?"

"Nope." She shook her head with a smile, "That was just a lucky suggestion that perfectly answered what you were probably asking."

…..uh…..huh… [….Right.] I'll just place the medical kit here. Not like I'll be going anywhere just yet. "What is your name, little rabbit?"

"Tewi!" Well, that was amazing: She was just sitting with her bare feet dangling over the veranda's edge and she simply sprang upwards to her feet, spreading her arms widely. "Inaba Tewi, big boss of the rabbits of Eintei!"

And then a cute little thing hops atop my shoe, sniffing the laces. [Hello.] C'mere, you. Let's see: brown fur, white fluff around the neck, and probably a month old or two. Let's not forget its cute little ears as well, flopping downwards instead of upwards. A Holland Lop Bunny! My favorite breed! Let's place you here on the veranda. "She is yours too?"

"Nah," She waved me off, lounging with her head supported by her hand. "Probably some other family's daughter. Not big for a commitment yet."

Okay, I can now confirm that this kid's got a brain mature enough to go into that topic. Not to mention that her inflexion's completely unfitting for a child.

"I was referring to this one being under your rule, but whatever." I then began stroking the little thing's back. She seems to like it, not objecting to it or hopping away. She's even letting me rub her chin.

"So you a vessel of a god?" Tewi asked.

"Did you happen to hear me say it back there?" Me laughing my ass off after being called a motherfucking god would definitely draw attention, especially in a non-soundproof room.

"Yep." She rolled to lie on her front, holding her chin with both hands. "I only see shrine maidens do that kinda thing just for a little bit. Y'know, be their god's puppet for a while and then go back to normal afterwards but you're the first one I've seen that's not a shrine maiden and yet have a god in ya, and still act like yourself."

Hmm…..interesting. "No one has ever achieved such a feat before in your life?" I asked.

"Yiiep again! Not a single one." She smiled again, "Anybody that tries to end up dead or something else really horrible. Anyway, what kinda god you're packing in there, hmm?"

"An all-powerful God of love, if you will." Here, meet a piece of Him yourself. Here's a little ball of light that represents the Holy Spirit, a little bigger than a basketball, even though its quantity is nothing more than 100 ml. "That will be a mere fragment of His Being. Do handle with care, please. I can't guarantee you touching it without injury—"

She touched it.

"Ooh! It's like multi-flavored cotton candy! Except huggable!"

Okay, she's hugging the Holy Spirit to her chest like a stuffed animal as she rolled on her back…holy crap, no way.

Tewi could touch Her.

And she wasn't burning to a crisp like what Reimu told me. Not only that, there was reciprocation in the embrace, in the form of string-like tentacles wrapping around the kid's back and arms.

"Hihi! It's so fluffy! I wanna take it to bed with me and make Reisen beg for it on a sleepover!" She then rose up to her knees to face me, "Hey, can I keep it!? Please!? I gotta show this thingy to the other rabbits too!"

Forget showing it to the li'l things, there's a bunch of 'em coming over right now in a mob, little balls of fur hopping over in a wide variety of colors in their fluff, probably attracted to Her. Not only rabbits, there's also rabbit Youkai, matching the pink dress Tewi wore and varying in hair colors. They only gave me little glances or long stares before focusing on the holy orb their boss was holding.

[You come here.] You, Little Precious, will join your brothers and sisters on the grass. Don't join the Youkai. You'll get stepped on. Don't worry, I'll make another one for all you. [Here you go. Meet your maker.] As I sat lotus-style on the grass, Little Precious in one hand and a holy orb in the other, the other rabbits quickly swarmed me. Despite me being a complete stranger in their territory, they had no objections with my presence and hopped atop my lap, trying to get a sniff on the little ball of light. Holy shit, there's like 20 of these cuties and more. They're fucking heavy.

My face couldn't stop smiling in this fluffy heaven. There were so many rabbits, each one was so cute, even the adults, and they actually look excited to touch the Holy Spirit, like they want to get blessed by Her. Or rather, Him. One wasn't enough, not to mention that I might get suffocated via bunny cuddle so I let out 2 extra orbs to pop out of me and roll across the grass, getting swarmed by rabbits.

[Haha! Look at ya'll go.] It's almost like watching a pack of dogs chase after a single tennis ball. A couple adults and bunnies stayed with me, especially Little Precious. So much smooth fur was brushing across my arms as they hopped over it or rested their paws atop them, even one little bunny was sitting atop my bandaged forearm, patiently waiting its turn for a sniff. I didn't mind, it didn't hurt.

My holy orb disintegrated, coating my entire hands with holy fire. The result: the rabbits began scrambling over each other just to rub their heads on my palms. [Hey, hey, no fighting. There's enough for everybody. Sharing is caring, c'mon.] Little Precious was smart enough to post herself behind my hand, rubbing her nose on the knuckles where it is not so crowded. I wiggled my fingers, scratching the furs of whoever was in reach. A black rabbit and a brown rabbit with white paws were lucky enough to get the privilege.

[I wish I could keep one of you.] Then a sad frown crossed my face; sigh. [Too bad I'll be a bad keeper. I got better things to do besides care for any of you. You might starve because of me.] I let some holy fire coat the grass like a puddle, no wider than 1 meter. They actually huddled atop it like it's a picnic blanket, pressing against each other to make sure they get whatever space is available. The little ones were lying atop the adults, fitting snuggly in whatever crook they could find.

Whoa, look at that! Their eyes are closed. Not just one but all of them. Rabbits sleep with eyes open, I think for safety reasons, but domesticated ones close their eyes when they're next to those they trust most, especially their owners. This is a rather unusual sight. This could only mean that they actually feel secure next to the Holy Spirit, defying their natural instinct to watch out for danger at all times.

Nothing less from the One Person who designed their evolution blueprints, I guess.

[Hmm….] Oddly though, Little Precious here is not joining in the family cuddle. She's just sitting atop my lap, looking up at me instead of the puddle of holy fire. Lemme bring you close to my face to ask you something, [You don't wanna join in?]

I got no response, which shouldn't be surprising for something that doesn't speak, but the fact that she isn't squirming and instead holding still in my grasp says more than enough. [Okay, I guess I'll cuddle you then.] I give her a little peck on the forehead and press her gently against my cheek. Her soft fur is so wonderful, she's even nuzzling her nose against me as well as affectionate licks. Aw, she loves me. [Yeah, yeah, love you too.]

I wonder if the bunny-master exchange will happen. The one where the master pets the bunny first, the bunny then will pay back the service by licking the master's hand to clean it. The cuties do have the same cleaning habits as cats, hence why they don't smell so stinky.

*rustle*

…well, that's unexpected.

A visitor came by from the thicket next to the tree line of bamboo, and I'm pretty sure this guy's not welcome: a Grey Wolf. And boy, he's big, slightly bigger than the ones I accidently encounter back Outside. While I wouldn't be too worried in the presence of a single canine (dealing with a pack is far worse), I am not in the best condition to deal with it at the moment. My winched ribs aren't gonna let me move so efficiently, and this left hand won't do me any favors either, especially in using magic.

While the rabbits did scamper away, hiding under the small porch of the mansion, including Little Precious as she ran inside alongside everybody else, this wolf doesn't look like he was on a hunt for some rabbits. Looks like he's a lot more interested in the glowing balls on the grass.

Look at him go, he's really fixated on the glowing things, completely oblivious to my presence or anything in particular. He didn't even give the rabbits a spare glance when they scrambled. He approached one holy orb tentatively, nose flaring in sniffs whole way.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" To my surprise, Tewi's calling out to him as if she's seeing somebody she really don't want to see at the moment instead of a potential danger to her kind. "You know the rules! No wolves allowed! Your boss and I talked about this!"

Even animals follow rules now?

The wolfo here doesn't seem to be paying attention, already starting to sniff the holy orbs carefully. He batted a paw at it, it rolled across the grass after his touch. He quickly placed a paw atop it to make it hold still, then began sniffing all over it again.

So animals can touch the Holy Spirit too just like Youkai?

I loudly slapped my thigh, trying to gets its attention. When it didn't work, I clicked my tongue and loudly shushed, barking out a guttural [Hagh!] Despite my attempts, he didn't seem to hear them at all. He's even starting to lick the holy ball.

"Could you cut the light off instead, Eman? I don't think he's gonna be listening to anybody while he's with that thingy."

Right.

Finger snap: *snap*

The holy orb was gone, just straight-up vanishing into thin-air, which somehow scared the bejeezus out of him that he yelped and jumped backwards.

[Heh.] That was funny.

And then he finally turned to me, finally noticing my voice.

I pursed my lips; okay, this is slightly bad. His body language was starting to shift, from casual to stiff caution, even his eyes are starting to get really wary. His ears are rearing back, hackles raised in a growl, the tail raised up….okay, he feels threatened. Probably because he just realized he entered someone else's territory and thinks I'm one of the owners sent out to kill the intruder.

Oh no, it doesn't have to go that way, pooch.

I didn't move, staying deathly still as I could without showing any sign of apprehension. Closing my eyes for just a second to think of the Holy Spirit instead of thinking of the situation I'm in, I asked Her to show Herself through my hands. And She did.

I'm not a threat, boy, and I don't mean any harm. Let the Holy Spirit show you that. Look at my hands. Look. You can see Her, don't you?

His growls immediately went silent as soon as he noticed it, his form visibly relaxing and the curious flare in his eyes lit up. He even began to trot closer without the slightest regard of my presence, his muzzle pointed towards the holy orb in my hand. Kneeling myself down to give him easy access, he immediately began lapping it up as I held it.

While he continues showing affection to the Holy Spirit, I posted myself beside him and took the chance to brush my free hand across the fur on his body.

Holy fucking shit, he's very big up close.

Carefully, hoping I don't agitate him due to sudden contact, I gently felt his spine. He was amazingly soft, one would think that living in the woods wouldn't do any favors to your fur in keeping it nice to the human hands.

Slowly, I stroked him from shoulder blade to lower spine. I'm not sure whether he felt it or not, given that he's still fixated on Her, but his big wagging tail was something of an indication. He wasn't swinging it around when he was having a moment with the Holy Spirit. Now wiggling my fingers, scratching his fur, I slowly went up till I reached the space behind his ears. Now, he was hanging his tongue out, absolutely loving the contact. I shifted the holy orb to coat my hands and I began scratching his chin with it.

"Looks like you tamed him." Tewi remarked.

"I don't think so." I replied softly, rubbing his chest while my left hand handles scratching his forehead area. He's really loving it. "Without the Holy Spirit, he might turn on me."

"Why not find out?"

I froze on the scratching, sending a wide-eyed look towards Tewi. "Why?"

"Your thingy's got your scent on it." She informed, holding up the holy ball earlier in her hand that somehow didn't evaporate from the fingersnap. "It could work, y'know? If he smells your scent, pretty sure he'll recognize you as the thingy itself."

…

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" If what you said was the case, why the hell was he hostile when he noticed me after sniffing the ball?

"Ha ha, you got me." Oh, you stupid bitch. I'd throw a fireball at you but I got my hands full. "But seriously, I think it's the best moment. Cut the thingy off and see what happens."

"How so?"

"You're literally right next to him. And you left your scent on him as well his on your hands." She placed the holy orb on her lap, stroke her fingers across it like she was a villain petting a cat. Her mischievous expression that had cunning in her eyes does not help either. "You put it out and he starts getting familiar with your scent, he'll figure out that you really don't mean any harm and that the thingies come from you."

First of all, stop calling it a 'thingy'.

That was a sound reasoning, however. But I still have doubts…and I don't like the look on her face that seriously implies that she expects things to go horribly wrong once I do it.

…..but I have the same line of thought as well, but her saying it just got me even more interested in finding out if it'll actually happen. Besides, I have faith in the Holy Spirit's ability.

But do I really wanna go through with it? I still have concerns for my own safety, after all. And I'm really handicapped from countering a worst-case scenario, not to mention that I'm still at the start of my recovery. I would really embarrass myself when I go back to Eirin's office with fresh new injuries just after getting out.

….…..…..

….…..…..…..…..

….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..

I am so gonna regret this. I seriously am.

Fucking hell, I hate myself!

Ffff-hoooo, okay, here we go.

Left hand scratching behind the ears, the other with holy fires held out in front of his muzzle, which he proceeded to lap up, I asked the Holy Spirit to slowly dissipate. In this fashion, hopefully he'll find the lingering scent of the Holy Spirit on my palm that mixed with my smell and affirm that I am closely related to her, therefore marking me as not a threat.

40% of the flames remain, and I slowly backed away from him, keeping the lit hand held out towards him as I took some distance. He still continued to lick my hand with the same amount of enthusiasm, even as the flames went down to 29%.

11% remains…..okay…..here goes nothing….1%

Cut.

He continued licking a dozen more times on my bare palm, allowing me to actually feel his wet tongue without the warmth blocking any micro-sensation, then afterwards…he slowly stopped. He smelled my hand and turned his eyes to me, literally eye-to-eye with his amber orbs. He was quickly wary, but not to the point of being paranoid. It looked like he was…cautiously questioning me. He is open but still wary. I dare not move, but I did my best to reach out to him simply through eye contact and a soft expression crossing my face.

[….easy boy...] I whispered, barely audible even to myself. But to a dog's ears, they can hear it no problem. "Tomo."

Friend.

Slowly, he leaned his large muzzle close to me, nose flaring as he sniffed my face thoroughly. He was close enough to tap my face with his wet nose, even tried to smell my hair. I tried to lean back but he was very persistent in recognizing my smell. While he did, I steadily closed the distance between my right hand and his head. When my fingertips merely tapped his ear, he quickly turned face towards it. My hand flinching backwards at his recoil, I slowly reached for his head again. He sniffed my fingers, proceeding to the palms, then to my wrist, I finally had my hand placed in-between his ears again. A soft patting at first, then I slowly moved my fingers to scratch him.

He then sat down on his haunches, front legs straight, chest puffed out and head held high, nearly making him look really dignified and noble, like a knight. He's nearly taller than me when I'm squatting too. With his change of disposition, I increased the scratching speed. And I am receiving his approval: he isn't complaining, he's leaning up to my hand, and he's even making happy groans.

[Ha!] Holy shit! It worked! [I did it!] I realized joyfully, a happy smile spreading across my face. I turned behind me to address Tewi, "You were right, Tewi. It worked a suc….cess? Tewi?"

Where'd she go?

Oh well, [I guess I'll focus on you then. Mmm..!] Chin scratch….yeah, you like that, big boy? Yeah, you do. Oh yes, you do. [Such a good boy.] Now setting both knees to the grass instead of squatting, relaxing my ankles and making me now taller than him, I began to scratch his chest and his right side. Geez, he's so big I could put my arms around him and still not interlock fingers.

You grey wolves really do take the cake for size. Just look at your fucking head! It's 3 times bigger than my own!

In a battle, you could kick some serious ass. I wanna hear your bark though, would it be the standard woof or the fucking horrifying roar of an Alpha?

I posted myself in front of him and begin scratching his really soft neck, making him hang his tongue in content relaxation. Smiling, I poked his nose with a free hand. [Boop.] Wet nose you got. He licked his nose while I scratched his cheek with an index finger. When I got my face too close, he thought it meant something and started licking my cheek rather timidly. I chuckled lightly and lightly pushed his muzzle down, which was hard as he's got a lot of muscle in that neck. He continued to lick my cheek in a rather platonic speed, an equivalent to a light peck.

I just hope you do not slobber all over my face, boy.

[Ha…c'mere, big guy.] I kneel-walked forward until his head went past my shoulder and I got my arms around his poofy neck, my chest bumping against his own. I scratched his back whenever I can, and he makes happy groans in content. [If I'm gonna seeing start seeing you again, I gotta give ya a name.]

But what's a good name for a big boy like him? Hmm…

[I guess {Lobo} is a good start.] I let some holy fires coat my hands and I began wiping it all over his body. His reaction was glorious: He's panting even more apparent, he rolled to his back and exposed his underbelly to me for a nice rubbing.

The wolf sign of trust. Just makes me so happy.

[Aw, showing your vulnerable spot to me already? Or is the Holy Spirit doing that?] I'm starting to think he loves Her more than me. [Looks like I got myself a rival for your affections.] One human hand and one holy hand, they give the big boy a good rubbing. Yeah, you love that! Yeah! Who's a big boy, huh!? Who's a fuckin' big bad boy!?

Yes, it's you! Oh yes, it's you! You big happy wolfo in love with the Holy Spirit, you!

I gotta fix you a proper name if I could. I really don't wanna hear you get referred to as 'Robo' by every non-English speaking person here. Fucking yen vocabulary. Something English or Japanese could do, or a mix of both if I get a little creative. Just without any L.

Fucking dammit.

*Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.*

I hear running footsteps behind me. What's it?

"Hah! Hah! Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Eman!" Finally, you're back, Reisen. What took ya? You look like hell, though. What the hell happened? "Tewi hid all of my clothing on the rooftop, and I ended up tripping on my basket and broke it so I had to go get another one from the shed but it was filled with bamboo and it was stinking so I had to clean it up first because the medicine will get affected. When I was going to get the medicine, Tewi placed them all on my room instead of the cabinet! Sorry for taking so long! You must be bored!"

…..that was a hell of a time you went through while you were gone. Wow. Love the new outfit and hat though, makes you look like a lone Ronin. We just put a sword on your hip and the image is complete. Kinda makes you look like a man if you lower your head a little and hide your pretty face with your hat.

[Nah, it's fine.] I waved her off. [I was havin' some fun myself. Say hello to the boy here, he just came by to…..where'd he go?] How'd that wolfo disappear without me noticing? My hand was literally on his belly, I should've felt him move.

….oh wait, never mind. It was my hand coated with holy fire that was touching him, standard sense of touch is kinda blocked. Nothing but warmth. I can feel that I'm holding something but I wouldn't feel any texture, temperature, or even pain.

"Um, were you talking about the wolf that ran away behind you?" She asked.

[Yeah…I think you scared him off.] That's sad. Dammit. And I was gonna introduce him to the Rabbit Girl. [We were having a bonding moment before you arrived.]

"That's new." She remarked, stepping up closer. That's a rather big wicker box you're packing behind you. "I never seen wolves come this close to the mansion before. How was it not threatened by you?"

[Well, it was.] Not to mention that he was really alarmed due to being caught trespassing. [But he smelled the Holy Spirit through me and saw me as a friendly.] Here's a holy orb to illustrate my point. Good, now get back in me. [And he happened to be here 'cuz this thingy attracted him.]

Holy fucking shit, I'm a hypocrite.

"Really?" She sat down on the edge of the veranda, letting her legs hang loose to put on some sandals. You're practically skinless in that suit, girl. I can't even see your hands or feet underneath all that cloth. "I don't know what's to like about it. I only smell incense and hot water."

[Probably because he was an animal.] Not a belief-made flesh being like you, Youkai Rabbit. [Your resident rabbits like the smell too. I think they smell something we can't.]

"Um…I guess that makes sense." She hops down to the grass, now level with me with her sandals on. Holy crap, I didn't realize she had the same height as me. Damn, girl, you tall! "Shall we go?"

[Yeah, sure. Hold on.] Lemme just open the medicine kit for the alcohol. Where you at…ah, here we go. Just gotta wash my hands with it. I had been touching wolf fur, of course. Bacteria could stick. After placing the bottle back inside and clipping the box locked, I take it in my good right hand and say the prompt. [Alright, I'm good. Let's go.]

"Okay." She turned around and began walking towards the tree line, hands on the straps of her wicker box. "Stay close behind me, Mr. Eman. I don't want you to get lost when we go through the forest again."

I place my left hand on her shoulder, which made her look at it before turning to me questionably. [Just in case. I might look at something interesting and eventually hit face-first into a tree—uh, bamboo.]

"Um….okay." And then we head in.

Unlike when me and Marisa headed in, Reisen here's using an animal path that could've been invisible to people that haven't noticed it the first time. The venture was a little easy, sometimes I end up hitting a bamboo with my foot. For a place that's called the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, this place actually looks scenic. Just forget the fact that you're lost and take the time to look around you, you will definitely see that this place had its own characteristics of beauty. The stones, boulders, and some deformed ground add variety into the place as well, it could even count as a nice place to parkour in. I might as well get myself lost in this place and let loose.

But Reisen tells me that this place had its population of Youkai, and the majority are the ones born from long-lived animals. They have the least amount of civil mannerisms, especially the young ones, too wild and clouded by instinct to have any lick of self-control. There goes my plan to have some fun in this place by running around. Sigh.

"Can I ask something, Mr. Eman?"

[Sure.] Listening to the birds and insects was starting to get boring anyway. Lemme hear you talk some more.

"The animal who did that to your arm, was it really a lion?"

I turned to her, [Never saw one?] They aren't Japan natives, after all.

"Only pictures," She answered, "But I don't think Gensokyo ever had lions. I never even heard of rumors or stories about them, except for the Komainu ones but that's different. Was it really a lion?"

Hmm, [Sure was. It had the mane, the face, and the tail. And he was very big. Like, twice-the-size-of-a full-grown-cow big. And there were two of 'em. One's a female, and one's a male.]

"Gosh." She said in awe. "It's amazing that you survived."

[The female was the one that tried to kill me. What all the male did was just ram into me.] I rubbed my left side. [Got me really good on the ribs. I'm kinda surprised he didn't kill me instantly.]

"I know. Normal animals would just go for the killing bite." Then a realization flashed into her eyes, "Unless…"

[Yep. That lion was either self-aware or could think.] As far as I know, lions don't ram into people just for the sake of disabling them. They have claws for a reason and they're strong enough rip me apart with them.

"I was going to say that the Lions were Youkai."

What? [How'd you figure?]

"Well, if lions aren't native to Japan, then they could have eaten a human in the Outside World. Animals that ate a human will become a Youkai, and will end up in Gensokyo."

….well, I didn't know that piece of knowledge. [You got a point….but still, I don't think they were Youkai. They have a different…feeling around them.]

"Feeling?" She parroted questioningly.

[I-I don't know. It's a bit hard to describe.] You can't describe sensations that accurately using human vocabulary. They're meant to be felt, not described. [I've been around Youkai long enough to get a…feel of their presence. I sorta developed my sensory thanks to living on the streets for a while, y'know. Anyway, humans like Reimu and Marisa had a distinct feel, and Youkai like Remilia and Meiling have their own too, apparently. But those lions…they lack both. They were genuine animals. The female couldn't get close 'cuz I was pushing her back using holy fire, the male knew that and disabled me by ramming into me. It's like he wanted the female to get the kill."

"If they're not Youkai…" She paused for a bit. "…then what are they if they could think? How did they even get here?"

[Hmm….] Can't think up of any possible answers here. [I don't know. But given by what you said, I can assume that they prolly got into Gensokyo just recently. If they've been here for a long time, people would've known they existed, even you.]

"Agreed." She lowered her head in thought, adjusting the straps of her pack. "They probably wouldn't last long. How are they going to hunt prey in a forest environment?"

[If they use their smarts, they might be able to catch deer and live long enough to become Youkai.] I then showed her a wimpy smile, [Then again, what do I know? I'm still on my second week in Gensokyo.]

She gave me a reassuring smile. "But at least you got a level of savviness despite the amount of time you've been here."

[Knowledge Outside Gensokyo apparently had a lot of material for the supernatural.] Movies are good but I think literature would have the most accuracy. Lots of details there than on the screen, unless the directors were doing their research. [But now, my turn to ask questions. How was the music show last party?]

"The party?" She parroted, then her eyes widened in remembrance, "Oh, that! Yes, it was amazing! One of the best songs I've ever heard in my life!" Thank you, Pergamum. "It's actually the first time I've listened to Outsider music."

[Oh, you're gonna hear some more, girl!] I then placed my left arm around her shoulders, [I got lotsa songs in mind. Old classics, OPM, classic and modern rock songs, punk metal, neo metal, all kinds of metal! Oh, each one is a supreme majesty when you understand the lyrics! You wanna hear 'em next party?]

"Um…" Yeah, I know, personal space invasion, but c'mon, say the answer. "…you're gonna sing next time?"

Hm….. [Well, maybe, if I'm in the mood for it. So, you gonna be there next party for some more rockin'?]

She nodded rather enthusiastically, "Sure! I'd love to hear some more."

[YES!] THIS CALLS FOR A FUCKIN' CELEBRATION, PEOPLE! [MY FIRST FAN, EVERYBODY! A TOAST TO THE CUTE LI'L RABBIT NAMED REISEN UDONGEIN INABA FOR HER NEWFOUND INTEREST TO THE LITTLE SOMETHING CALLED ROCK AND ROLL! WHOOOOOOOOOOO! HAHAHAHAHAHA!]

"Mr. Eman….!" Haha, look at you, clamping down on your rabbit ears atop your head. Did I really scream that loudly? "Did you really have to yell all that?"

[Well, yeah. How else is everybody gonna know?]

"But not so loudly like that!" She whined, glaring at me with her awesome red eyes. "It's not like everybody in Gensokyo wants to know about what kind of music I like, right?"

[Hey, at least I know you got a reason to come to any Hakurei Party. So long as I'm around, my music-playin' will be the one of the many reasons you'll come.] I remove my arm off her shoulder and place it on my hip. [I'm not wrong, am I?]

I think she was about to rebut me but her mouth only hung, prolly stuck on what was she supposed to say. Her eyes looked around, rummaging around her brain for something to say. But all she could get to say was, "….no."

I then put on a friendly smile, grabbing onto her bicep and squeezing gently, urging her to continue walking. [No guarantees if you like all of 'em.] I said in an even voice, letting go as I place my hand back to her shoulder. [Some songs may involve singing in a certain kind of frequency. SoMeThInG lIkE tHiS.] Hoho, love the way you jumped. You really didn't expect that, did ya? [But I can't maintain that kind of voice loudly for too long while playing the guitar so don't expect any hardcore Slipknot songs from me.]

"What are Slipknot songs?"

Oh, whoops. [Oh, a rather popular metal band back Outside. Most of their songs have growly lyrics. They do have a rather Gothic-metal genre song though, less growls and more clean voices. It's easy on the ears if I think about it.]

"How easy if it still has growls?"

Shit. [Oh yeah, there's still some slurs at the end. Forgot about that, sorry. But the point is, it's a lot more…poetic, and the beat's kinda nice. I'll play it when I have the chance. You tell me what you think afterwards, okay?]

She nods without questions; this girl's actually a music lover. "I'll be waiting for the next party."

[Great!] I then looked around me in a full circle, just to be safe. [How far are we now?]

"Oh." She looked around her first, then she says, "We're more than halfway now. Just couple more—Wagh!"

….…..…..…..

…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….uh…?

I peek down on the pit hole she somehow fell through. [You 'kay, girl? Need a little help?]

"Ah—ugh, I think so….ow." She rubbed her bare head that smacked into the wall of dirt, her hat somehow fell off. Her form was littered with leaves and grass, remnants of the false ground she stepped on. She suddenly held still, looked down on something white and picked it up. It was a note. Once she was finished reading, she sighed, "It's Tewi again. This never stops. Even after a couple thousand times, I still fall for her traps."

Oh. [Sibling pranking, eh?] Not an unusual case.

She sighed again, opening her pack to check if anything's broken. "We're not really siblings or related or anything, even if our given names are Inaba. That's just what the Princess calls all the rabbits."

[Oh.] Well, that's new. [You serve a princess?]

"Well, yes. She just doesn't show up often to people." She heaved herself up to her feet, squatting down instead of leaning downwards to pick up her hat so she doesn't spill the medicine on her pack. "Master Eirin serves her too, mostly attending to her need when I'm not around."

[Okay.] After placing my med kit on the ground, I dropped to one knee close to the edge and held out my good hand for her to take so she could get out. This hole's rather deep, 9 feet down. If that kid dug this hole, I gotta give her props for the amount of work done here. Even the walls are smooth. [This is typically the first time I've heard of a princess around Gensokyo.]

"Princess Kaguya's not the only princess but she's much more well-known than most others." Patting the remaining grass and bamboo leaves out of her outfit, she looks up and notices my outstretched hand. "Oh, thank you." She looked at my other hand, which was resting its elbow on my raised knee. "Try not to exert that arm. The wounds might open."

I rolled my eyes, [I know. That's why I got my elbow on the knee.] I shook my open hand, [C'mon, get up.]

She swung her hands backwards, then hopped up upon the return swing, one hand reaching for my own while the other latches on to the edge of the hole, feet against the wall of dirt. Even though it wasn't so high, it's amazing that she managed to not look like she was being weighed down by her med pack.

[Up we go.] I grunted as I rose up to a stand, pulling her out of the hole in the process. As she got her knees on the edge, she placed her foot on the ground and finally rose up to her feet. I went around her to pat some excess leaves out of her suit. [Is the medicine alright?] You missed some grass sticking into the box here. Lemme pull that out.

"Don't worry. I prepared for it unlike the first incident." She informed, "I placed soft paddings before I went out so nothing was broken."

[Nicely done.] There we go, no more leaves. You get a pat-pat on the shoulder for comfort. [Let's keep going.] As we began walking (hoping I don't fall into a pit like her), I asked a question, [So you got another job besides nurse, huh? Is the disguise necessary for the medicine peddling?]

"Apparently, yes." She nodded. "Master said it's to help the villagers trust our product. Not a lot of people trust Youkai selling medicine. They'll think we're just swindling them otherwise."

[Well, you can't blame 'em.] If they don't recognize you as a person, then it's no surprise they can't. Around here, humans must remain scared of Youkai for the sake of the latter's sustenance. [But hey, it's honest work, right? Medicine for the village is good.]

She shot me a frown, borderline incredulous. "Unlikely, Mr. Eman." What? How? "Even if I tell them, some villagers couldn't get the idea that a medicine for coughing is not a medicine for back pains. Even if I just tell them simple instructions without going on about the complicated details, they'll think I'm conning them with false medicine!"

Damn…! [Yeesh.] I'll pat your shoulder for comfort.

"I know." Her head drooped, feeling a little down. "It'll take a while before I could get them to do it properly."

[One of the troubles of dealing with primitive humans, I take it?] I asked.

She nodded with a tired look.

[Ever tried wording it out differently?] Surely, even a nurse like you can use simple words, right?

"I have, and they still don't get it." She whined with an incredulous frown, "Hear this one: I sold some arthritis medicine to an old man once—I even did my best to make sure he gets it by making him repeat what I said, and still he…

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

[Geez…and how long's it been happening?]

"Probably a couple centuries. Princess Kaguya never told me the specifics but she said it serves as some kind of time to have fun. Something to break the boredom, if you will."

Wow….playtime murder….geez….Immortals sure have it tough. And poor Mokou. She's probably jaded in all that eternity she lived in. Watching her loved ones die to old age while she simply lives on like always, unable to join them must've been horrible. It's nice that Keine's there to keep her company, but even she will pass on too. I hope the weight will be light when the time comes.

And to think that this Princess is from the moon as well, including this Rabbit girl too…for people that used to live like stuck-up fucks at that white globe, they sure sound like really friendly people. Even Reisen portrays the Princess like she's nice company to talk with, even willing to partake in commoner leisure like games and stuff since she's regularly in a bored mood and wants to have fun, including the fact she is an absolutely beautiful woman that it would be criminal to not be enchanted by her.

Ahem, besides that, I guess the folks in Eintei have seen the best among humans that they knew better than to look down on us. Well, in the case of Eirin, she can have leeway since she has brains the size of a planet.

[How is that Mokou?]

"Unlike before, she's mellowed out, apparently." She informed with a smile, "She's now good friends with the Outsider, Ms. Sumireko, and she even found other immortals to be friends with."

[Huh….that's nice.] At least there's hope for her. [I'll do my best not to have pity on her.]

"Do that. You'll only annoy her otherwise." She advised.

[That's the plan.] I pat her shoulder again. Even though we're out of the forest, my hand's still placed there. [I'll just treat her like everybody else I know that'll die of old age.]

She gave me a weird look. "That's…an odd way of putting it."

[It means I'll treat her like a human. Not like Youkai could die of old age, eh?] Besides. You told me that. Only through violence, accidents, or suicide will they ever die, and I won't treat Mokou like one either. She's still a human, therefore deserves to be treated like one.

Her eyes was slightly wide over my explanation, but she quickly got her person together and nodded. "Makes sense."

[Yeah.] I then yawned, damn. This sun's really a bitch. This summer's gonna suck if I don't have a bottle of water next to me at all times. And I need sandals of my own, these feet need to breathe once in a while. I gotta buy one before I head home after taking a job.

A couple minutes of walking and casual talk afterwards, we finally reached the gate to the village.

[Alright, this is it. I'll be off now.] I patted her shoulder and took the path that lead to my home. [See ya later.]

"Um, where are you going? The village is right here."

Oh yeah, I haven't told her yet. I turned around and said, [Yeeeaaah, my house is in the middle of nowhere. Secured by barriers and protected by the Holy Spirit. Best place for a social recluse like me who likes his space.] I motioned the med kit I got in my hand, [Just gotta put this down first before I go job-hunting again.]

"I highly recommend that you rest first." She advised. "Let your body adapt to the damages for a little before you do anything."

[Yeah…] I scratched the back of my head, suppressing a frown from crossing my face. [….no. Not happening. I slept in and out in that clinic. I think I've rested enough, and I really don't want to have an all-nighter. I've too much energy stocked up in me.]

She sighed, easily submitting. Turning to the village gates just once, she turned to me again, "At least, try not to overexert yourself."

I groaned in annoyance. [I know. Besides, not like I could do anything with these ribs.] I'm really aware that they're fucked in case you're forgetting, Rabbit. [Anyway. See ya, let's talk some other time. It was nice seeing ya again and properly conversing with you, Reisen.] I turned around and raised a hand up as a wave goodbye.

"Likewise, Mr. Eman. Take care."

Good luck on your medicine peddling, hopefully your clients know what the hell they're doing with their meds today.

Now, I just gotta go home, and maybe eat a little sandwich before getting a job. With these ribs, I don't think I'll work in something that involves physical labor. I need to pick something small, simple, and straightforward.

But what's in the village that fits all three? Hmm…meh. I'll find out when I get there.

Holy Spirit, mind coming out for a bit? I need some company on the trip home. And for security reasons too. I'm definitely in no condition to fight today, prolly for a whole week or two.

And She comes out, little holy orb revolving around me, packed with 15 lakes worth of power.

Thank You. Watch out for danger for me, please? Blast them if they got any funny ideas.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

Was it me or did two days ago turn out really well for me? Right after coming back to the village with the med kit left at home, I immediately found a job. As soon as I got within a hundred feet past the gate, there was a sign just plastered on some random house's wall, saying that a dango-selling place is calling for a helping hand. In my current situation, being fucked in the ribs and injured on the left arm, it's a good start.

And it was a fucking good start. My boss was actually a straightforward guy, straight to the point and rather reasonable. The job inquiry was sorta fast, quick questions and an immediate hire: Can I cook? Yes. Have I sold things before? Yessir. Can I watch and learn instead of asking all the time? Maybe. And that's it, I was in. Is this how hiring goes in 1800s Japan? I kinda like it.

Making the dango sure brings baking to my world. The beating and rolling of the dough, never done that before. The process was kinda straightforward, just like my boss.

Pour some powder into a bowl, then 200cc of hot water. Then you mush it until it becomes a dough.

Crush and roll the dough into a ball (a little problem with my left hand but never any difficult. Boss was considerate enough to give me light work till I'm well), keep doing it till it's good. Then cut it in half. For the colored dango, you just pour just a tiny drop of food coloring into the core of a single halve, then roll and crush again till the color sets in.

After that, roll it into a long snake dough, then slice it into small marshmallows. The size of the dango matters so I have to mush two together for the appropriate size and shape it into a ball.

Then you dump the batch into a tub of boiling water, keep rolling them so they don't stick to the bottom. When they began floating, transfer it to a separate tub, this time with cold water. Once they cool, put three into a stick and there you go. Delicious dango, ready for the biting. Red bean paste is optional.

Fun fact: my boss can manipulate the temperature of water, either it becomes liquid nitrogen or straight up extremely hot that it melts the container. Very useful for a dango-selling business.

What happened afterwards, I got his praise for doing well on the first day. Though not so full of color in his voice when he said it, it shows when he gave me a nice patting on the back. I was so happy. There was a bountiful haul of customers as well, despite the limited hours of sunlight I got, granting us a lot of moola on a single afternoon. When we decided to close for the day, my share of the money was quite a lot (fuckin' 4300 yen, baby). Even though he said I only get 30% for now, it was still many. We had, like, more than a hundred people that bought our good stuff. And considering how many dango one person buys….

Must be buy-a-dango day or something.

Yep, it was a day full of good fortune, despite the case of my condition, with added burns on my arms and fingers (at least tell me that the water on the powder was hot before you tell me to mush it, boss!), and I even felt better on the next day. Ribs not so fucked anymore. Still can't run but it's a nice plus.

The Thursday went on normally, even Keine came over to buy some. Got annoyed when she saw my left arm and fussed over it. I quickly calmed her down with her ordered dango and told her to have a good day when she left. I received a hard slap on the back from my boss though, chiding that a woman's concerns are not to be wasted and should be taken seriously. That was a serious ouch, left a handprint there the whole afternoon. Nonetheless, it was a normal day. Bake, sell, and repeat. With a lunch break in the middle. And when the day ends, I got the usual amount of pay in 30%. Not many customers but at least we sold something.

And now it's Friday today, meaning I get to rest-off tomorrow as ordered by my boss to allow my arm to heal (nice guy) during the entire weekend and come back next Monday to continue the selling business. And I just went through another normal not-so-hot day just earlier: same old bake and sell, with the usual moola earned. Now I'm at home at the hour just before sunset, sweeping the floors, listening to the tunes coming out of my phone on the table to keep the atmosphere a little lively.

~Holy Divah! You've been down too long in the midnight sea!~
~Oh what's becoming of me?~

Never mind my headbanging, the holy orbs that are lighting up the house due to the darkening day are bouncing, blinking, and dancing to the beat with me. Ha! Even though they're just colorful balls of holiness, the Holy Spirit sure knows how to party! One bounces in the air, another that's inside a hanging lamp on the wall blinks in and out according to the beat, one even shifts into a music note, along with several others that's dancing across a ledger line made out of colorful fires (don't know if it's accurate)! There's even a little me on the living room table playin' a guitar while a circle of headbanging dudes surround him and rock to the beat!

Ah, never had cleaning been so fun, especially when your Guardian Spirit is there to enjoy it with you. [Ha ha! I love these fires! You are awesome, Holy Spirit!]

The nearest holy orb boops me in the cheek in reply. Yeah, love You too.

Sweep, sweep, I'm sweepin' to the song of Dio~! It's so fun~! This is my life and it's the way I like it~!

Just one more week or less, I can finally dig a hole for the trash and leaf burning. Hopefully it doesn't repeat what happened on my first Sunday here.

*Knock. Knock*

~Holy Diver! You're the star of the masquerade!~
~No need to look so afraid!~

[HHrrrrrgghhh…..!]

…..I wasn't expecting any visitors, and I sure as hell didn't tell anybody the exact specifics of where I lived.

*knock. Knock*

And I'm not in the mood for company right now.

Holy Spirit, let all of You hide inside the lamps, shift to color yellow-orange, but leave one with me.

Placing my broom and dustpan against the wall, the holy orbs going to their respective lamps while one stays above my right shoulder, I shut the music on my phone and pocketed it before heading to the door. Before opening it, I draw the machete from the holster hanging from the nail on the door and pulled it just partially open, hiding one half of my body that's holding the blade.

Alas, I have a rather peculiar visitor in front of my doorstep. That leaf hairclip on your hair is already setting me off. And you look really familiar.

"Oh." Her eyes turned to the holy orb before returning to me. "Good afternoon, Dearie. May I bother you just for a few minutes?"

Now, Holy Spirit.

I didn't even see it happen when She moved. The holy orb was just too fast for my eyes when it smacked the ground in-between me and the woman. Nonetheless, She did her part.

Thought you could hide it, huh? Hide your aura first. You could've fooled me otherwise.

This Youkai bitch is now caught in a snare. The Seal of Solomon is right below her feet, the extremely complex structure and design shining from the holy fires that constituted it. Her ankles aren't burning even though she's stepping on it, but she sure as hell can't move.

I figured out this trick straight out of my dreams. Every night I would always brainstorm possible uses for holy fires, many I've tried, and most simply didn't work, but the Seal of Solomon was the only one that came from a dream. As soon as I saw it, and even vividly remembered it when I woke up, I was very quick to execute it on the wall.

I wasn't sure if it was the actual seal, even though it had the six-pointed star and the elaborate symbols, but I always wanted to know if it worked.

"Wha…!" Her form was absolutely still, statue-like. Her wide eyes and gaping mouth, however, were still mobile. "What…!? Why can't I…..move!?"

Now I know. It does work. If I had branded the Seal on her forehead, she would've been my bitch.

I opened the door fully, showing my machete and grabbed her shoulder with my free left hand. This is merely a shot in the dark but here goes: with holy fires coating the hand, I willed the Holy Spirit to expose her. {Labas.} I watched as raccoon ears popped out of her head and a big fluffy raccoon tail rise out behind her.

It works. Now, no shapeshifter can hide from me.

[Hhrrrghhhh…!] I growled lowly, glaring at her. Shifting my grasp to her collar, I let magical fires coat the machete, causing heat to brush against my right leg (which I didn't care about), and I neared my face close to hers. "What…" My body lets out heat-waves. "…do you…" My shoulders lit up in flames, crawling upwards to my head, giving me fiery hair. "….want…..!?" I asked in gritted teeth.

Alarm and apprehension crossed her eyes, sweating crawling down from her forehead, whether by the heat or from the fear, I don't know, but it's enough indication to her that I'm not in the mood for bullshit. "I….I…am just here….to talk." She let out in a faltering voice, then her words slowly became clear in the next sentence. "No-nothing serious. Just a harmless talk, from Tanuki to human. I promise I won't do anything."

My grip tightened on her collar, pulling her upwards just slightly so my forehead bumped into hers. "And why should I believe you…!?"

"If it's about that attack with the fake-Marisa, I swear I won't pull any lies or attacks!" She let out desperately, her forehead likely scalding from the contact. I could feel her arms shaking, futilely trying to make them move from the ensnarement. Too bad. The Holy Spirit won't let you go unless I say so. "I'm just here to rectify that, Dearie! I mean, you got me under your thumb, see!? It's not like I could do anything!"

...…..…..…..

….…..…..…..…..…..

…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…alright. I'll let you go.

Cut.

The fires around me is extinguished, I release her collar, and let the Seal turn back into an orb above my right shoulder. Now released, she sighed a massive relief and placed her hands on her knees to take a few breaths before rising up to remove her glasses and wipe her brows. "Goodness. That wasn't a nice way to greet visitors."

Why should I trust a visitor that hid her inhuman qualities from me?

I reached for her hand, gently taking her fingers and led her in. "Sandals off."

"Yes, yes. I know." Shaking off her footwear just outside the door, I carefully led her to the dining table by her hand while I kept any hostility from coming out of me. I'm just being cautious, no need for her to think that I'm very paranoid, cuz I'm not.

Releasing her hand, I pulled a chair back and turned to her, "Please sit." I said softly and kindly. "I'll have something warm to drink ready for you."

"Oh thank you so much." She quickly slumped on the chair with a big sigh. I noticed that she hid her tail and ears again. I guess it's understandable since it'll get in the way. "Ah, that's heaven. I needed to get off my legs after what you did. Your trap ate my stamina and I thought I had arthritis because it hurts to simply move."

Well, I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me. "Is your forehead okay? Do you need ice?" I asked, willing the holy orb to become a candle at the center of the table. It looks a little redundant: a candle made out of glowing fires that give off light on its own, with the iconic flame at the top.

"Oh no need, Dearie." She waved me off gently, wearing a pleasant smile. "It'll heal. I'm a Youkai, after all. I must say: your house sure has an Outsider's touch."

"Thank you."

"Did you get the furniture from the Outside World or were they handcrafted here?"

"Outside." I answered simply. It's nearly impossible to stay antagonistic at you when I listen to you speak like an old woman. It nags at my instinct to care. "I'll be right back." I then head out to the bathroom. After filling up a basin full of water, I then drop my machete into it, making loud hisses and allowing steam to come out. Coming back to the kitchen, I then prepare the hot water, using the portable stove and pot this time. "May I know your name?" I asked, twisting the knob and igniting the fires.

"Mamizou. Futatsuiwa Mamizou, resident leader of Gensokyo's tanuki if you will. I already know your name, Dearie, so no need to go through the trouble." She introduced with a small incline of her head, "I hope I'm not bothering your time with me being here."

I turned a hard glare at her. I can easily like people for their politeness, but this atmosphere does nothing but make me even more suspicious at such an action. Kindness can and will make you drop your guard. I learned that now. "I was simply cleaning before bed time." Wasn't interested in any dinner for tonight either. Might as well save the stuff I've bought from the village for breakfast tomorrow.

"I guess that explains the broom and dustpan there." She gestured to the said two at the wall. "Isn't it a little too early for bed time?"

"Bed time does not always escalate to sleep, ma'am." There's still moments of contemplation and all that. "I can experiment with my powers in my bed and I can focus very well when horizontally reclined."

"And was your trap back there one of your successful experiments?" She asked.

I crossed my arms, "It is now. A recent attack gave way to a mindset to never trust a visitor unless truly verified as friendly. You'll excuse my actions for that."

"I understand, Dearie." She said honestly. "A human such as yourself should keep your guard up, especially when you live outside the protection of the Village. But that 'attack' you're talking about is exactly why I'm here."

I nodded in acknowledgement, subtly noting that bubbles are beginning to form on the water from the heat. "And you are here…to do what?" I asked neutrally, barely stopping myself from sounding cold.

She turned to me, looking straight at my eyes with her brown orbs. "To address that incident. I am…technically related to it. But I assure you, it is not from my initiative nor design. It was a rogue attempt from one of my subordinates."

I clenched my fist as I uncrossed my arms, barely hiding my jaw starting to sneer. "You're saying it was another tanuki?"

She wore an apologetic look, "Yes. I would like to say that I'm—"

"Stop." I held up a hand, my cold tone slipping out. I did my best to not look antagonistic, but my anger is seriously trying to come out of me, destroying any effort to appear civil. "Wait a moment." I said that in my best even tone. I even tried to soften the hardened look on my face, but even that much is a chore.

Fuck. I probably looked ready to retaliate for that attack due to my current body language.

Shutting off the stove, I grabbed ahold of the stove with mittens and steadily poured down the contents on her cup filled with Milo powder. I turned to her, "Would you like sugar?"

"Yes, please." She accepted with an eager smile. Probably her keen Youkai sense of smell that caught the flavor. "One and a half spoons if you may." Roger that. After pouring in the specific amount, I then swirled the contents with a spoon, then deliver it to her. "Thank you."

I then take a seat across the table from her, waiting for her to take a drink after blowing into it.

When she did, she let out a pleased sigh. She then addressed me, "You won't have one for yourself?" She asked curiously.

I shook my head, my silky tresses swishing. "No thank you." I straightened my posture, interlocked my fingers on the table and said, "Now…you were saying?"

She looked up to me questioningly, then remembered, "Ah yes." She took a sip before continuing, "As I were saying: I want to apologize for what happened. There are certain things you deal with when the people who work for you are still hanging on to their basic animal instincts."

There's something I want to know about more than the things you deal with, Mamizou. "Where is she?" I didn't hide my cold tone this time. "Where is that imposter?"

She looked back at my eyes, and her pupils became animalistic, slitted and glowing an eyeshine from the light of the holy candle. Simply seeing them triggered my instinct to be in the defensive. I barely stopped myself from jumping up out of my seat and roaring. "Dead."

….…..…..

…..…..…..…what?

"Yo….you're saying…" I actually did it? Have I actually done the deed? "Are you saying that I…I ki—"

"Killed her?" She offered, then shook her head. "No. You did not kill her." Oh, thank god. Geez, that was tense. For all the urges I have, I'm still a pussy. "But you certainly made her wish she was."

….now that's…not what I expected to hear. "Please explain?"

She took a long drink from her cup before beginning, "I found her lying on the forest not too far from the village, burning from the inside out. Boy, was she a mess. Her wounds weren't healing too, especially that bite on her neck."

I subconsciously sneered when she mentioned that.

"The stump on her arm was on fire for some reason, her bite wound was spewing out smoke, she couldn't stop screaming bloody murder, and the skin covering her ribcage had melted off, showing everything inside. It's like watching a furnace. I tried to feed her water but it still didn't do any good. Her insides kept melting inside her." Despite the things she's saying, her expression didn't shift or change. It's almost like looking at a woman summarize a story she read than recall something she saw.

It was outright unsettling.

"By her request, I put her out of her misery." She concluded, "It served as well as punishment for acting out of line. A single mistake from my followers can destroy our unity." She took another long drink from her cup and set it aside when she's done. "Ah, that was delicious. Anyway, Dearie, listen. Before I executed her, I asked her why she attacked you, and honestly what she said surprised me."

Why did she attack me?

"She said it was because you smelled like a hermit."

What? "Huh?" The hell are you talking about? I smelled like a 'hermit'? What?

"Let me explain it to you: Hermits are individuals who are gifted with supernatural power through religious training. While I won't bother you with the details, I can tell you that they are a delicacy to Youkai."

Acknowledged. I see hermits in Gensokyo have a different meaning besides being lonesome people that live away from society.

"Youkai wouldn't want to try eating them since they are strong enough to hold off even a shinigami." Death gods? "But let me ask you something."

"What?"

"Are you a hermit that earned supernatural gifts through rigorous spiritual and religious training?"

No; I shook my head.

I was a thieving monster who would attack people just for the sake of satisfying violent urges. Everything before my arrival to Gensokyo had nothing supernatural, only adaptation to the kind of life I had. These gifts were given to me in order to survive in the streets.

"Then what are you?"

My frown deepened just slightly. It took little for me to figure out my answer. "Just a Christian that is as flawed as another human being. That's all there is to who I am." I'm no role model, and I could never hope to be. I'm highly open to the possibility that someone else will be, and I will take after them when it happens.

Her eyes widened slightly, as if she had realized something. She inclined her head, her finger placed below her lips as she pondered over what I said. "So that explains it."

I tilted my head; a wordless gesture for her to tell me her thoughts.

She caught my motion and followed accordingly, "Dearie, how devote are you to your religion?"

"As much as I could manage even in my current personality and way of life." I answered almost automatically.

"Then that is our clue." She looked at me grimly, "Simply by your status as Christian, you are a hermit due to the God you worship and the level of devotion you have for your religion." So you know Him too, huh? "Here's another thing: if a Youkai successfully devours a hermit, that Youkai will become powerful, climbing the hierarchy of power by a large margin, coming even close to a death god."

It's the holy blood, isn't it? It's gotta be the one factor that'll make the devourer stronger. The divine qualities end up being corrupted and empowering the Youkai in the process.

"I don't know about you but by appearance, you don't look that strong to me. You look very vulnerable. That makes you a potential magnet for Youkai who wants to climb the power hierarchy as easily and quickly as possible. And yes, that means eating you."

Cold dread runs through my nerves and my danger senses immediately went haywire due to my internal panic boiling inside me.

"You're also easy to find as well." She added. "I could smell you just from a mile away. Just being this close to you is making my mouth water—"

[HAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!‼!‼!‼!‼!]

I was immediately up from my seat, sending the chair I was sitting on to topple backwards, and my paranoia snapped.

This meeting is fucking OVER.

{GAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSS‼}

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" This woman had the guts. My entire body was boiling with heat, motherfucking 308 degree Celsius at that, ready to blast her out the fucking door and finish her off outside, but she was quick to put her hands on my shoulders, easily reducing them to bones, and hold me down with her Youkai strength. "PLEASE CALM DOWN! I WOULD NEVER DARE TRY TO EAT YOU!"

I wouldn't have listened to her, I still would have grabbed both her wrists, crushed them, and bit into her neck to give her the same torture as the first tanuki….

…..but the Holy Spirit was equally quick to act and stop me before things could get even worse.

Every holy orb that had hidden themselves in lamps, especially the holy candle on the table, had flew towards me at blinding speeds, smothering me with holy fire from top to bottom. It was enough to make me stagger backwards and fall on my back, the bright menagerie of colors that clouded my vision also made me lose focus and forget my panic.

At first, it was just warmth and the feeling of cotton running across my body. But after a few seconds when I calmed down, I felt my emotions slow down. I felt my fear, panic, and hysteria disappear like a sandcastle being blown away by a wind, washed away by a warm wave that calmed me down immensely. The Holy Spirit was filling my thoughts with comfort, love, and security.

The feeling of being under the protection of the All-powerful God was more than enough to fill me back with confidence, because as long as the Holy Spirit is by my side, no motherfucking Youkai will ever come as close as a hundred meters if they ever had any ideas of eating me for the sake of power.

If ever a motherfucking monster comes to hunt me down, I'll gladly switch our roles, in the most brutal way possible. Just like what I did to that motherfucking tanuki that dressed like Marisa.

I wish I could hold the Holy Spirit, even make her tangible to my grasp because I really needed a hug right now due to the shame and guilt that's beginning to eat me on the inside. Ashamed for blowing up like that, and guilty for having the intention to murder my guest.

I sat up, still coated by holy fires, and grasped my rosary with both hands as I pull it out under my shirt.

†Thank You, and forgive me for acting out of line.†

With that, I stood up meekly, pulled my fallen chair back upright and sat down on it. The holy fires around me now disintegrated, returning to being holy orbs and going back to their respective lamps. One orb, however, didn't want to leave my side. This one must've been the holy candle. She floated next to me while illuminating the table, acting as emotional support and comfort by mere presence.

My hands interlocked back on the table, I looked up to Mamizou: she certainly looked rattled in her eyes but her steely composure hid it well. Her hands had already regenerated into perfectly shaped and delicate hands. I lowered my head and said, "I'm sorry. What happened….was too extreme of a reaction…"

Her response was to hold both my hands across the table and squeezed them warmly, "I'm sorry too, Dearie. I probably shouldn't have made you panic, otherwise I would've suffered the same thing as her, right?" She chuckled heartily.

I lacked the motivation to share her mirth. I simply pursed my lips and kept looking down.

"But you have my word though: I will never dare eat you, and I'm going to make sure my subordinates do the same and never bother you again."

I looked up to her again, this time with a firm look, "Swear to that."

She wore an amused smile, closed her eyes, and raised one hand up. "Seal my heart, and hope to suffer for eternity." She lowered her hand, opened eyes and asked, "Is that good for you, Dearie?"

"Be warned." I intoned. "I will not be held responsible if one of your followers suffers injury or death from me, because I will never attack first, with the exemption regarding Spell Card Battles."

To my slight surprise, she nodded in agreement without hesitation. "I'll keep that in mind." She patted my hands and released them. "That's all I'm here for, Dearie. To tell you these so you can watch out in the future and prevent power-hungry Youkai from going out of control and doing what they want."

I clenched my fist on the table, a frown crossing my features. "One question…"

"Go ahead."

"Why?" I asked with a hard stare. "Why tell me anyway? You could have just offered the apologies and then leave. You could have just kept silent about my status as a hermit subspecies and leave me to my fate, but you didn't. Why? And do not even say 'it's the right thing to do', because I will never believe it."

"….." Her eyes were slightly wide, then a mischievous smirk crossed her face, "Would you say the same thing if I was a human?"

"I can properly choose who I can and cannot trust among humans, but I could never easily trust a Youkai, especially when I meet them for the first time." Not since hearing about Yukari's manipulations, added by Remilia's veiled hatred for me. Trustworthy Youkai like Flandre and Meiling are a serious minority, countable by my two hands. Makes me sad.

"Hmph." She inclined her head in wordless submission, staying silent for several seconds before saying, "Alright. I'm not doing this just to help you, it's also to keep trouble out of my way."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You are under the protection of Reimu, yes?" How the hell you know that? "If you're asking how I knew: well, she attacked me and my followers after hearing about the incident and told us to keep our paws off you."

Ah, huuuuuh...okay. Looks like I'm gonna have to send some thank you gifts to Reimu. Geez, that girl is really doing so much for me in the background.

"While I am told to come here and rectify things with you, I still would have come here by my own initiative. Anyway: if she hears that another tanuki attacked you, she will seal me for good. And I don't want that. Besides, I got my own agenda. Some Youkai getting powerful due to eating you will greatly inconvenience me." She raised her hands up, palm upwards. "It's basically fair, yes? I'll say that we're helping each other by telling you. Now that you know, you can make sure that nobody oversteps their bounds."

…..

…..…..…..

…..…..…..…..…..…..

I place a hand on my forehead and sigh heavily. All this is so heavy, too much for me to accept. I got a responsibility far heavier than I thought. Not only do I have to make sure my usage of holy fires are kept minimal for the sake of security and my own safety but also to make sure nobody kills me and eats my face.

So what? Am I in danger everyday? Do I need to look over my shoulder every single minute, making sure nothing was sneaking up on me? For the rest of my life in Gensokyo...? Without even a moment to catch my breath?

…..fucking dammit!

"I see…." I replied, keeping my mournful mood suppressed. "….thank you for telling me."

"I know it is hard to take in but this is actually happening. You and I can't help it, it's just unavoidable." She reached across the table to pat my shoulder. "But don't worry. I know you can make it. Besides, you're not alone."

…!

…..heh.

Way to tell me, Mamizou.

"Yes." I nodded, looking up to her with newfound hope. "I'm really not. Not now, not ever, not even till the end of time." I'll just chalk up this job as some other bullshit I'll have to go through just like two years ago.

"That's the spirit." And she ruffles my head, then her eyes widened as she found it pleasing to the touch. Before she could ask for permission like Kasen did, I simply leaned to her touch and let her have it. She begins pulling a few strands, combing her fingers through the locks, and smiling contentedly all the while.

Then she retracts her hand, "I guess my business here is done." She rose up from her chair and bowed courteously, "Thank you for the delicious drink, Eman, Dear."

I nodded, "You're welcome." I rose up from my chair as well, taking her bicep in hand and leading her to the door. "I'll send you off."

As she put on her sandals and was ready to take off, I stopped her first: "Wait."

"Hm?"

I then embraced her. Her hands flew up in surprise, then eventually she returned the sentiments, combing my hair from the back of my head. She's actually warm, her thick robes making her really huggable and comfortable, and her perfume isn't bad either. Her long brown hair isn't bad too as it waved from the evening wind. "This is thank you."

"Ah, haha." She laughed awkwardly, "My turn to say 'you're welcome', I guess."

"Hm." I hummed in agreement, then release her, taking a few steps back and folding my hands behind me. Now we return to our original status as host and guest. "Have a good evening, Ms. Mamizou."

"You too, Dearie." She returned with a very pleasant smile. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. Make sure to look under your bed before going to dream land, okay~?"

Then she disappears in a puff of smoke.

[Hmph. Like any monster in my nightmares would try if they find out what I will do to them.] I say as I step back inside my house and close the door, locking it.

Bedtime monsters like the ones in the closet or the one under the bed? They'll get fucked too, in many senses of the word.

In this house, there are no monsters here….

…..ExCePt Me.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

At some point around the night, I awoke to the sound of howling outside my window, and I never went back to sleep until it stopped. Wolves. There were wolves outside my house, somewhere in the forest surrounding it, and I'm pretty sure there's one in my yard, leading a choir with an amazing voice.

Listening to them was the most surreal moment of my life. They created a song, a song of the night and the darkness. It was both haunting….and beautiful, sung by one of the most beautiful creatures God ever created, giving a recluse Christian like me a free midnight concert close to his home. It was enthralling, peaceful, and it made me appreciate the many wonders Mother Nature could give if you simply let her.

Best Midnight Ever.