Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona belongs to ATLUS. Touhou Project belongs to Zun. I have no ownership of the copyrights of either series in any way.
Chapter 7: Shrine Work (Part I)
"Welcome to the Velvet Room." It would seem that at some point, I was brought to the Velvet Room, but why? "Now this is quite a surprise." I saw that Igor seemed to be quite taken with something. Theodore, however, was just as calm as last time… is there someone else in here too?
"What is?" It's rare that Igor sounds so… expressive.
"It would seem that, despite your achievement of the Universe, there is still room for you to grow. This is most fascinating."
"Room to grow?" I don't get it.
"I of course mean your Social Links."
"Okay, go on." That I do get.
"I'm sure that you remember that Social Links are a representation of your bonds with others. In turn these bonds are the true source of your power."
"I know that."
"Indeed you do. Now then, Theodore, if you will be so kind as to elaborate." He then shifted his eyes towards his assistant.
"Gladly." Theodore spoke up while opening up the compendium. "As the master has just stated, Social Links are a representation of your bonds with others and manifest itself as the source of your power."
"Yeah, and?"
"What intrigues the master so is the manifestation of another bond, another Social Link to be precise. This is surprising because it has happened despite your completion of the Fool's Journey."
"Wait. I thought I completed the entire deck. I made sure to look it up, though not extensively. I completed all twenty-two Social Links, from Fool to Judgment. How can there be more, besides Aeon?"
"Indeed. Normally that is all the Arcana. However, though my master had made no mention of it, Aeon is not normally part of the standard deck, and neither is the Universe."
"What?"
"Master, I believe you are more suited to explain this." Igor simply shifted eyes back towards me and drew breath.
"The Universe Arcana is unique. You remember the moment of its creation, do you not?"
"How could I forget?" I thought the world was going to end. It almost did too.
"Then you remember me saying that I had not ever seen such a powerful Arcana before, correct?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Good. Now to continue, even though you acquired the Universe Arcana, normally, the completion of the Fool's Journey yields a different Arcana: The World."
"Wait, so what does that mean?"
"My apologies, but the full ramifications of the differences have yet to be made fully manifest to both you and me." Igor said in an apologetic tone. "But I believe that for now, it is enough that you are aware that there is something amiss about your situation so that you can further explore it yourself." The Universe is not a part of the normal Journey? Why did I get the Universe then instead of the World? Igor took another breath. Something is moving.
"Now then, the original reason I have called you here for, is to show you this." Igor extended his hand to the open compendium in Theodore's hands. In the moment immediately afterward, a shining card began to float upward from the pages and then flew towards me, stopping right in front of me.
"Go on, take it." I was prompted by Theodore. I grabbed the card gently and placed it into better viewing distance. The light then died down to reveal the image. It looked very similar to another Arcana of mine. Flames, eyes, hands, infinity; all placed on the card, but in very different positions and shapes from what I was familiar with; that, and the card was more colorful than the one I was thinking of. At the bottom of the card was a Roman numeral: I, or one.
"This looks like the Magician." In fact all the symbols are the same and so is the Number. I took my eyes off of the card to look back at Igor. "I already completed the Magician. It was one of my first Social Links. What happened to it?" Why did I get the Magician again? What happened to my Social Link with Kenji?
"Do not be alarmed. That is not the Magician. That is the Magus; similar to the Magician but intrinsically different in its own way." Igor said, trying to assuage me.
"Do you remember what we have stated about Social Links?" said Theo who butted in all of a sudden.
"They represent my bonds."
"Exactly, though your fears are not unfounded. When a Social Link is taken to its maximum as you had brought them to be, they become unbreakable, since they then come to represent a bond of true friendship. To obtain a Social Link again, even though you had already completed it, would imply that the previous bond was not a true bond to begin with, and that it is replaceable." No one could replace Kenji though. I don't want anyone to. "Such a thing would mean that the Social Link was not worth anything at all. I hope that is an adequate explanation."
"It is." I look back at the card after hearing Theodore out. Something feels off though. Not bad but, I feel as if this card is not entirely new, and that is not because of the fact that I have never seen it before. It's like I've always had it. It doesn't feel like when I first made a new Social Link. There was no rush of new power or anything of the sort, or for that matter a slow voice telling me over and over again of the Social Link's progression. No, here it feels quite the opposite, literally. It's like it's already… completed.
"I sense that you have some questions about the card in your hand. Simply close your eyes and listen to it. Your heart will tell you to whom that card corresponds to." I nod my head and do as Igor instructed.
I close my eyes and focus on the card. As I do, images begin to flood through; images of a certain year. They were all from that one great year; a year that I will never forget. All the memories that came flooding in were focused on a single person. How we met, how she smiled, her quirks, her mannerisms, her strengths, and her weaknesses; all of these formed together to become the image of my first real friend.
"Sanae-chan" I say to myself. "This card represents my bond with Sanae-chan."
"I see that the answer to your question has been found." Igor said with pleasure.
"Well I still don't know why it only chose to show up now." I was friends with Sanae before I even knew who Kenji was. If the Magus really is similar to the Magician, how come I didn't start off with an already completed Magician from Sanae? It would have been very convenient; not to disown Kenji though since he really is a great guy.
"I believe a possible explanation for this would be that this bond, while true and completed, was forged before your tenancy in the Velvet Room. Because of such, it has lain dormant until contact with the other side of the bond was made while you have access to the Velvet Room." Theodore told me. So it was only because I saw Sanae after getting into this room that I was able to rediscover this even though I technically already had it. I guess that also means that Sanae is now one of my Social Links, and was literally my first one; completed and everything.
"Alright, I guess that makes a degree of sense… So are there any other Social Links I should be aware of?" It would mean more chances to make friends. Oh right. Power would come too, but friends are the better part of the deal.
"That, I cannot say. Whether or not there are more for you to discovery will be up to you. There may in fact be one right next to you. I do look forward to it however should more come about." Right, mysterious mentor stuff again. Oh well, it will be a surprise I guess. Besides, there's no one but the four of us in here… who am I talking about? Anyways…
"Can I ask another question?" Igor simply nodded a yes. "Is it because of the Universe Arcana that I can have more Social Links?"
"Perhaps it is, or perhaps not." Awesome, I love answers like these. "Regardless, I should mention to you that there are even more fusions available than before. For that matter, I can provide my services to you now if you wish." I do need to look through the compendium.
"Let's see what you have for me then." A faint girl's voice; wonderment…
Break
"We're here." Huh? Who said that? My eyes flickered open to find that my head was resting upon something white and fluffy that had a neat black bow… tie…
"Youmu-san!" I jolted upwards and fell immediately backwards on my ass. "Ow…" It seems that at some point during the flight to the Hakurei Shrine, I fell asleep on top of Youmu's back. I looked up to see her holding a hand out to me, after making sure I didn't break a bone. We were apparently at the foot of the stairs to the shrine; the same place that she dropped me off yesterday for the party. "Thanks." I took hold of Youmu's outstretched hand and got up on my feet. "Sorry about falling asleep on you." I must have been quite heavy for her.
"It was not a problem. I'm used to taking care of Yuyuko-sama in such situations." Youmu said in a sort of proud way. I think I'm sort of able to understand her now. Her expression then softened as she asked me, "Are you sure you will be fine? The Hakurei miko is not someone who will ever harm humans, but she is not exactly, to put it nicely, disciplined."
"What do you mean?"
"If there is anything the miko is known for, other than her fighting ability, then it is her laziness. Greed as well, but mostly she is known for being lazy. I'll ask again. Are you sure you don't want me to help you? I can assure you that I am well versed in the art of housekeeping and can be of great help to you." She asked me the same question yesterday when we got back to Hakugyokurou. She had just as much zeal then as she had now. Well, at least as much zeal someone like her could have. Myon was… orbiting me. A bit anxiously I might add.
"I appreciate the offer Youmu-san. I really do. However don't you have to take care of Yuyuko-san?" I'm afraid of what will happen if she is left to her own devices.
"Th… that's true… I'll be here in the evening to pick you up then." She turned around slowly, preparing to return to the land of the dead. Why was she so dejected? Even Myon, having returned to floating around her, was lagging a little bit. Well either way-
"Yeah, I'll see you then; oh and Youmu-san!" She snapped her head towards me. "Thanks for the ride. I really don't have anyone to rely on other than you for this, so thanks." I smiled at her, hoping that it would cheer her up a bit, however, Youmu then quickly turned away from me. Did I do something wrong? It seems that no matter what I do, she always seems to be angry with me or something.
"Of course. Anytime you need help flying, I'll help you." She replied, back to her normal (maybe better than normal) self. Okay, so maybe she wasn't angry. At least Myon seemed very energetic. That's better. She seems happier now too if that tone of voice was of any indication. "Well then, I'll see you later today." She said, and then she was off. Only now that I was watching her did I realize she is a really fast flyer. Just how fast can she go? She just flew out of sight in only a few seconds. Damn. Selective obliviousness… what?
"Oh right; shrine work." I said as a note to myself. I turned around to look at the hill and stairs that led up the Hakurei Shrine. "That's going to be quite a walk…" I said to no one. The walk wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be. It only lasted exactly 15 minutes and 43.146666, repeating of course, seconds.
Break
Wow. Yukari did a pretty good job. The shrine was completely restored to the way it used to be… and was just as 'pristine'. In any case, I better find Reimu and get to work. Looking around, I saw that she was nowhere to be found. All that was around were the birds and rabbits just doing bird and rabbit things. The miko was nowhere to be seen at all.
"Now where could she be?" I asked nobody. I guess we didn't really set any formal meet up time, but she should be up at… 9:36. "Maybe inside?" I absently said. No better place to look. I need to get a broom anyways if I want to start cleaning. After meandering about, I finally managed to find the entrance to the actual housing area of the shrine. I knocked on the door.
"Hello? Reimu? I'm here!" After a few seconds, there wasn't any response. I try again. "Reimu? It's me, Minato Arisato! I'm here for work!" Again silence. Is she inside? Maybe…
"Is the door open?" It wouldn't hurt to check since I am supposed to be here. I place a hand on the handle and, *Clack*, the door opened without a fuss. "Hello?" Nothing. "I'm coming in…" Slowly, step by step, I made my way inside after taking my shoes off at the entrance. The place was lit only by the sunlight from outside, but that made the place have a nice homey feel to it. However, the home was about as well kept as the outside; in other words, not very well kept at all. It was really dusty and kind of murky too. It wasn't that bad though. Reimu seems to have cleaned only enough to make it livable, but not really outstandingly clean.
"Reimu?" I asked again, hoping that I could find out where she was. The first door I opened led to a sort of living room with only one table and an entrance to the outside. It had a TV too interestingly enough. The second was a bathroom. I'm surprised she has plumbing. The next few rooms afterwards were a succession of other typical rooms, including a closet that I was going to go back to, to get a broom. I stopped in front of the next room that I found. This time the door was a bit more ornate and unlike the others, had a sign that said -
"Hakurei Reimu" I read off the sign. This must be her room. I knocked a couple of times but there still was no response. "I'm coming in." I know it's rude to do this, but what could possibly go wrong?
*Clack* "…" oh. That's what could go wrong. *Clack* I closed the door. "At least she wasn't awake." When I opened the door just then, I saw that Reimu was completely asleep and was not fully covered by her blanket, or covered at all for that matter. Apparently, she doesn't sleep fully clothed… I'm so glad she was not awake… or is it score?
"Now where was that closet?" Still, I'm very glad she was not awake.
Break
It's been about twenty minutes since I started sweeping the shrine grounds. I decided to start outside since… well… a girl needs her space in the morning, is a way to put it, and I have no intention of getting in the way of that. I decided to cast a Sukukaja to speed things along, and thanks to that, I've been making nice progress with the cleaning. At the rate I was going, I was going to be finished sweeping the entire outside in about another ten minutes. You know this isn't so bad. I have my MP3 to make the work bearable, and it's nice to be using my body to do some normal things again. Life's not so bad.
"You're already here? I see you've found the broom too." Oh crap. I turned around to see Reimu… fully clothed… standing behind me in front of the donation box looking a bit pleased. Unlike yesterday though, her blackish-brownish hair was not in a ponytail, and was instead just hanging loose, though it still had the same ribbon from yesterday ribbon tied on top of it. "Say, you didn't come into my room earlier, did you?"
"No." Don't get nervous. Don't get nervous. Don't get nervous. Don't get nervous.
"I see…" And she's none the wiser. "Well…" She then walked to around where I was all the while looking down at the ground, "You're not doing too badly… in fact I'd say you're doing a good job." She said while seeming a bit surprised.
"Thanks." She isn't that bad after all.
"I think I can leave the rest to you then." She then turned back around and seemed to be going back to the shrine's main building.
"So what are you going to be doing?" What does she do exactly?
"Oh, 'shrinely' things. I'm a busy shrine maiden." Well, okay, I guess. "I'll check up on you in a bit so don't slack off you hear me?"
"Yes ma'am." I had no intention of just half-assing this anyways. She closed the door behind her while humming a little tune.
Only moments later however…
"I'm going out shopping. Look after the shrine while I'm gone." Reimu stormed out of the shine looking quite miffed.
"What are you shopping for?" Shrine maiden things?
"Snacks!" She said as a matter of fact. That's it; snacks?
"Well… okay then. Be careful."
"I'll be fine, but thanks anyway." She said with an air of confidence. She then simply seemed to float up and then away, probably to wherever she shops for that kind of stuff.
"I need to learn how to fly…" It looks so nice to be able to and all things considered, it might be possible for me to find a way to. "Well back to work." I shifted my focus back to the task at hand. I need to get on her good side so that she will be willing get me on the other side of the border, at least for a short amount of time.
Break
After about 10 minutes of cleaning, I finally managed to get the walkway in front of the shrine to look at least a little bit presentable. I wonder what exactly I should be doing next. Well more cleaning I suppose. Reimu hasn't come back yet so I better not clean the inside of the shrine; female privacy and all that. So I guess that leaves… the store house… and the hokora in the back.
"Well I don't have access to the store house so time to clean the hokora!" I affirmed to myself. If I don't do this on occasion I tend to forget what I'm going to be doing in the first place, especially if there isn't anyone else around to keep me on track. I made my way to the back of the shrine to find the hokora messy and uncared for, just like the rest of the shrine. Hokora are sort of like mini Shinto temples located either near the street or in the vicinity of a larger shrine. They are used to house lesser gods and the sort. I found this one earlier when I was cleaning the main path and seeing just how far the path stretched out.
As I got closer to the mini shrine, I found it to be pretty typical. A small structure shaped like a shrine made of both wood and stone that stood neatly to the side. A few decorations such as sealing rope and some offerings inside were the only things that kept it from looking entirely abandoned since the other things that were on it were leaves, branches, and webs.
"This isn't going to take too long…" though I have to be careful not to disturb whatever resident lies inside. That is if there is someone inside in the first place. Then again this is the Hakurei shrine. The deity and whoever else lies inside here has to be pretty powerful given the importance of this place… right? Well in any case, nothing will get done if all I do is stand and stare.
I walk up right up to the hokora and begin by sweeping the branches and leaves off. This is going to take longer now that I realize that I have to throw this stuff away too, huh? Where is my working music?
Break
There. All the branches and leaves are gone. They aren't anywhere near here and have been disposed of safely… with fire… but safely nonetheless. It's really convenient to be able to use my personas at any time now rather than just one non-existent hour of the day. Now all that's left to do is to clean the rest of the hokora, including the inside of it, and I'll be pretty much done.
Now in front of it, I looked to see that if I wanted to get to the inside, I'd have to take the rope off. Carefully, I grab the rope and begin to lift it off of the structure and then place it to the side. Suddenly then-
"FREEDOM!" What the!? A voice, a woman's, suddenly started shouting from within the hokora. I back away from the hokora, ready my stance, and place my hand on the evoker. Lost your chance at surprise whatever you are. "Reimu, Reimu, I thought that experience would have taught you not to release the seal." The voice stated, now in a refined manner. So she knows Reimu then. "Well? No response? Is that anyway to treat your resident spirit?" I remain silent but ready. Whatever is here is in for a world of hurt when it attacks. "…Seriously, Reimu. It's been how long since we last saw each other and this is how you treat me? Come on I thought we were… well not friends, but certainly better than enemies."
As she said that, a figure rose from the hokora and simply stayed in place in the space above it. What floated there was a woman, as her voice suggested, who wore a blue dress and pointy hat that was also blue and had a yellow star on it, or was it a sun? The hat looked sort of like the kind of hat you'd see wizards wear. Her eyes were closed, and in her hand was a large wand or scythe like object that had a crescent moon shape at the end of it. She held the obviously heavy object with ease and nonchalance as if she wasn't holding anything to begin with; as if it were a part of her own body. Her hair was green like Sanae's and reached all the down to… well… she didn't have legs. Instead it was a ghost tail, like Myon, except the whole… well…what is she?
"Your people skills have not improved in the slightest Reimu. We should really work… on… that." Her sentence trailed just as she opened her eyes to find that I was not Reimu. "You're not Reimu." I just thought that.
"Minato Arisato. You are?"
"Well at least you're polite enough to give me your name before asking me for mine. Better than Reimu I suppose." She took a more relaxed position now rather than the smug one she had from before. Her posture was positioned as if she was sitting on something even though there wasn't anything except air below her. "I am the (Formerly Evil) Spirit Mima; Haunter of the Hakurei Shrine." Huh? "I can see that you are impressed, as you should be." I don't get it…wait she said-
"What do you mean by formerly evil?"
"Oh, you know how youth is. Dreams of grandeur, a seeking of self, mass genocide, you know that sort of thing" I don't know that sort of thing. I'm sort of glad that I don't. "Oh come on. Don't make that sort of face." What? Are you going to say you were joking? "That's all in the past. I've gotten over such trivial things." Trivial!? "But enough about me. I'd like to know exactly who it is that foolishly released me from my seal."
"…" what exactly do I say in this situation? I'm getting a very heavy sense of danger coming from her. Well more like potential. She seems more amused than anything else and her posture is not by any stretch of the imagination ready for battle. I might be able to get the advantage if I strike now then.
"Oh? Being shy are we? How cute. Don't worry I don't plan on killing you. You aren't even worth my time to begin with." No battle then. It's better that way. "However I do applaud your caution. It shows that you have a good grasp of the kind of situation you are in. Quite a rarity for humans, at least amongst the humans I met before my last sealing. In fact I don't find that quality to be bad at all."
"Thanks… I guess."
"I'm sure you're flattered." Mima then began to look around at her surroundings, completely ignoring any potential threat that I could pose to her. It would appear that she really does think that I'm not a threat at all. "So then… do you know where Reimu is?" I guess that was who she was looking for.
"She's out shopping. I'm looking after the shrine for her while she is gone."
"Oh. Now that is quite a surprise… Are you Reimu's boyfriend then?" If I was drinking water I would have done a spectacular spit take right then.
"No, I'm not." I replied in as calm a manner as I could, though I admit I was a bit taken aback by the question and so couldn't completely contain my anxiousness.
"Oh then you're her husband." She then quickly stated jovially.
"No, I'm not." Not even close.
"Well then, are you her slave? Why else would you be working for her? She is by no means rich." Is it just me or are her titles getting worse or at the very least progressively more implausible? Wait a minute.
"Your joke isn't that funny."
"Well shoot. You got me. Still, it was quite funny to see you squirm a little. Though it was far less than I thought it would be." This seems familiar.
"So what do you want?" Her objective isn't clear in the slightest.
"Well I want to see Reimu but she isn't here so you will have to do. Though I have to admit, it's not bad messing with you. I like it in fact. I think I might just make this a regular thing."
"I'd rather not."
"*giggle**giggle* You know, I will make this a regular thing. I can't pass on the chance to mess with someone interesting like you. I haven't met any human this interesting since Reimu and my apprentice. Let me re-introduce myself. I'm Mima, a Vengeful Ghost, and I am really looking forward to playing with you, Minato Arisato."
*CRACK*
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It shalt further stretch your Universe
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooses
To create a Persona of the Hunger Arcana…
In the moment of the words, time was still. A card appeared with the number XI. The mysterious voice, once again, rang through my mind telling me of a new bond… but with her!?
"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?" I turned around to find that Reimu was back from here shopping trip and was currently looking very serious. She landed behind me, which left me standing between her and the Ghost. "How did you get out?" she asked as she readied her weapons and cards.
"Good to see you too Reimu. I see that you've grown quite well, though still not too much in some areas." Mima egged her on.
"Shut up. Hold still so I can seal you back in to the hokora again." So she was the one who put Mima in there… oops. I turned around fully to get a better look at Reimu who was fully ready for battle now. I could hear Mima sighing behind me before saying-
"Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. It was nice meeting you Minato-kun, but I have to go before she seals me up again. As thanks, I'll leave you with something special." What could she mean by- *push* oh. She apparently rushed at me while my back was turned to her and pushed me towards… Reimu! The Shrine maiden's face turned from dead seriousness, to surprise, and then to panic in rapid succession as our faces came closer and closer.
Luckily I was still quite a ways away so there wouldn't be a chance of… something is pulling me. It's not just the push that Mima gave, but something seems to be actively pulling me towards her! Reimu was still like a deer in head lights, at least I think that's the American saying, and simply stood there right before we were right next to each other and- *chu*- we accidently kissed. Reimu (unable to sustain the momentum from my fall coupled with our collective weight) and I fell to the floor, with myself landing on top of her. My eyes were shut out of instinct.
"Now don't get too cozy. If you do however, tell me all about it later. Well I'll be seeing you! Bye-Bye~!" I couldn't see it thanks to my position, but I presume that Mima has left the premises. I got up as soon as I heard her say good bye, and quickly removed myself from being on top of the Shrine maiden and simply sat on the floor.
"Sorry about that." Kisses shouldn't be given lightly, well last time I checked anyways. I opened my eyes to see that Reimu was still lying on the floor, but in a daze. "Reimu?" Nothing, she simply laid there and for a while seems almost sort of… dead. If it weren't for the breathing and the rising and falling of her chest, I could have sworn that she wasn't alive. I took a seat next to her side to get a closer look at her in case there was some damage, but soon afterwards, she moved her hands towards her lips and, in a soft voice, said something.
"Th…w…s…m…f…rs…k….s." she whispered.
"I'm sorry, can you say that again?" I could almost make it out but not quite.
"Th…w…s…m…f…rs…k….s." She said it again and I still couldn't hear it any clearer, though not any less clear either.
"I'm sorry, one more time?" Once I asked, she then sat up from her position in a lurching manner, but her head still hung low so her face was obscured by her long hair. Her arms hung loose at her sides. After about a couple of seconds, I asked, "Reimu are you okay?" Reimu then immediately turned to me and I could see that her face was completely flushed red and she clearly looked angry with what looked like tears ready to fall from her eyes. Admittedly she was pouting more than anything else.
"That was my first kiss you Jerk Ass!" And as she yelled that at me she raised her hand and- *Smack*
"Ouch!" Slapped me right on my cheek, though Yukari hit much harder. As I was nursing my face, I saw Reimu get up and storm out of sight past the corner. A few seconds later a - *Slam* - well she closed the door in a very energetic manner. I then sighed and got up, dusting my pants as rose from the ground. "This is not going well." Not at all.
Break
About an hour after the incident, I was about finished up putting the hokora back into shape and had pretty much cleaned the entire outside of the shrine, save for the store house which I can't get into yet. I did however clean the outside of it. Reimu was still inside the shrine, probably venting whatever frustrations she has. This is not going to well. I need to get on Reimu's good side so she can sneak me out of the border for just a little while. If she's too pissed at me, then there goes my only plausible shot of seeing my friends on the outside again.
"This is not looking good." I told myself again for the umpteenth time. As I sighed once again, I looked up at the sky over the rest of Gensokyo to help calm my nerves. I needed to conserve my MP3 battery. As I looked however, I could see a distant figure in the sky flying towards me. As it got closer and closer, I could make out the image of a broom and a mage's hat. Taking a chance, I waved at the figure in a friendly manner. The figure returned the wave with one hand and began to speed up towards the shrine.
"Hello! Da-ze!" The figure yelled out. Only one person I know says 'ze'. And sure enough, Marisa was the one who came into view, with only a slightly different outfit from yesterday but still mostly the same. The only difference I could immediately notice was that the bow was purple instead of white today. Once she reached the shrine, she stopped in dramatic fashion, wind stirring from her landing, and she hopped off her broom and began talking to me without missing a beat. "How's it goin' Minato! Workin' hard I see."
"It's not too bad; could be worse."
"That's not a bad attitude to take it." She then took a look around at the shrine before commenting that- "The shrine don't look half bad. Hell, it looks pretty good."
"Thanks." I worked hard to make it actually pristine. She made a sideways glance at me.
"Say, when you're off the hook, want to come over to my place?" I raised an eyebrow to that statement.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Nothin', like what you're face says you're thinkin'. I just need someone to help me clean my house. I would really appreciate the extra hands." She said, with her cocky grin still strong.
"I'll think about it." How bad could it be?
"Great! I'll hold you to that. But enough small talk. Do you know where Reimu is? I don't see her out here."
"She's inside."
"Thanks. Well, keep up the good work." She then walked up to and into the shrine. All was noticeably quiet now that Marisa was gone from sight. However suddenly, moments after she went into the shrine, a muffled laugh of "Ahahahhahaha!" could be heard from inside the shrine. And only a second after that, Marisa flew out of the shrine on her broom at top speed while still laughing her ass off. I saw that Reimu had chased her out and looked somewhat exhausted. Though I wasn't too close to the door, I could see that Reimu looked like had faint tear stains on her red cheeks. Her face wasn't as red as before though.
While she looked pissed as she saw Marisa fly off, and was about ready to chase after her, she then looked down to find me standing in front of her. Her eyes widened and she seemed to flinch as she saw me. Her face then got its red color back and, she slammed the doors closed again. Oh boy. I looked up to find that Marisa was still hovering above the shrine on her broom still getting the chuckles out.
"Are you about done?" I asked her.
"Ahaha, hold haha, on hahahaha! Oh god! My sides! Ahahahaha!" She continued like that for about another ten seconds before finally regaining her composure and landing back on the ground. Her first question after ending her Hyena impression was "So, what was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"The kiss, of course! What else would I be talking about?" My working conditions?
"Not telling."
"Oh come on. Don't be such a prude. You can tell me."
"Ask Reimu."
"You know she isn't gonna say anythin'. Come on!" She prodded me. I then walked up to her and put my face closer to hers
"How about I demonstrate first-hand what it was like." I said to her in a softer, more intimate manner, though not too intimate. This ought to get her to stop. Her face flushed a bit as expected, but her cocky grin didn't waver in the slightest.
"Hey now, a girl's got to have her space." She then lightly pushed me away in a playful manner rather than in anger or spite. "But I get it. I'll stop. Don't have to tell me twice."
"I did have to tell you twice, three times actually."
"Details, details, ze." She shrugged. "Oh by the way, I'm here to give you something." She then began to dig through… her shirt to find whatever it was.
"What is it?" What would she want to give me?
"No, not that, that isn't it, not that either, Oh! Here we go!" Her face jolted as she found what she was looking for. Pulling her hand out of her shirt, she held a doll. "I was told by a friend to give you this; said she wanted you to have it." She then forcibly took my hand and placed the doll in it without hearing what I had to say. "She said that she was really impressed by what she saw yesterday and was a big fan, so she wanted you to have a present from her." Yesterday… was my first Spell Card duel.
"Um… okay…" what am I supposed to do in this situation? I feel like I just got chocolates on Valentine's day but I don't know who sent them. "What do I do with this doll?"
"She said to hang on to it. I don't know what she's doing, but it's probably best you don't go and lose it. She makes those dolls herself after all." Really? Wow. I then took a closer look at the doll in my hand. The doll was that of a little long haired blonde girl that wore a little maid's outfit and had a huge red ribbon tied to its head. It was amazingly detailed. If I didn't know it was a doll, I would have easily sworn it to be some sort of mini sized youkai like a Zashiki-Warashi or something. It looked so life like, but at the same time, it was a bit uncanny thanks to its unmoving body and expression. Still it leaned more on the cute side than anything else. The level of craftsmanship and care was almost too good to be something that was handmade, or is it because it is handmade that it looks so well done?
"Tell her I said thanks." It's not the weirdest gift I'd gotten, I've had weirder. I gently placed the doll in my inner coat pocket. For a moment, it looked almost happy to be treated nicely.
"I'll be sure to. Who knows, maybe you'll see her soon or something." Maybe… "Well I got to get going. My mushrooms are probably done boiling now. Have to use 'em when they're just right you know?"
"Um… sure." Why not? "Oh, wait a minute."
"What is it?" She asked, curious about what I had to say.
"Do you want your spell card back? I have it right here." I said as I pulled it out.
"Nah, just keep it. I can always make more of that one. Besides, it's yours now since you changed it, ze."
"Okay, if you say so."
"Well if that's it, make sure you take care of that doll, all right? Or else she's going to kill me, ze! See ya later Minato!"
"See you later Marisa-san."
"You can drop the 'san'." She said as she hopped on her broom.
"All right, Marisa." Her name is very western isn't it?
"That's more like it well, off I go!" and just like that she flew high into the sky before making a sharp turn towards the base of the hill that the shrine was situated on. And just like that I was all alo-
"I thought she would never leave." A childish voice sounded from behind me. Turning around, I saw a young looking woman that had blonde hair and a hat that had two eyes on the top. I use the word woman rather than girl, despite the voice sounding very childish, was because the person, who was kneeling behind me like a frog, was one of the mothers to my first friend. That person was Suwako Moriya. "Long time no see, Minato-chan!" she said in delight. "Oh, wait we saw each other yesterday didn't we? Oh well." Yeah it definitely was Moriya-san.
"It has been a long time, Moriya-san. I'm sorry that we didn't get to talk much yesterday when we saw each other." I should have at least said hello.
"Don't worry about it so much. We just sort of left because Kanako and I thought you would like to be alone with Sanae-chan. I'm also just happy to see a familiar face, though I'm surprised to see you of all people here." It's weird. She may sound like a child and have the disposition of one, but her word choice is like that of a grandmother's. "I should probably tell you that Sanae-chan is working overtime today and so won't be able to come over to help." Oh… I sort of forgot about that, but then again quite a few things have happened today.
"Sorry to sound rude, but what did you come here for?"
"Not much really. I just came here on a whim; thought the company would be nice." As whimsical as always, I see. But then her face then expressed curiosity for some odd reason. "Strange…"
"What is?" What's wrong?
"Hmmmm…. It's just that you don't feel the same as before."
"What do you mean by feel?"
"You probably know this, since you're a smart boy, that Kanako and I aren't exactly human." Yeah I noticed, but I honestly didn't really care and sort of ignored it.
"Well in case you haven't figured it out yet, long story short, Kanako and I are the gods of Sanae-chan's shrine." How come I am not all that surprised about this? "You don't look all that surprised about all this… and here I thought I would get some sort of reaction from you." I can sort of make the connections myself now. The faith, the shrine, why the faith was needed; nothing concrete though and I'm still missing quite a bit, but I don't think it's terribly important.
"Sorry, I've sort of become a bit used to all of this, so gods existing aren't that farfetched, especially when there are youkai out there." That and embodiments of Death, human sorrow, negativity, it all seems to just blend together now.
"Oh well, it makes explaining things a lot easier. But back to what I was saying. You don't feel the same."
"Go on."
"When we first met you felt distinctly human; almost nothing special, other than a weird extra feeling of death, but nothing too strong, so don't worry about that." Gee, who would have guessed, the feeling of death on me of all people. "Now though… it's not human anymore, at least, not as much as before."
"How so?" Aren't I still mostly human?
"I can't place it, but it's like it's… something greater, like a god, but more than that. Like a natural law of the universe given form .I've never felt something like this before, but your presence feels so natural to the world, to this universe." Really? Has my constitution changed that much?
"Is that a problem?"
"Not really, but from what I can tell, it doesn't really matter all that much anyways. Sanae-chan says you're still Minato-chan so I'll trust her judgment, and from what I can see, I can continue to trust her." She then began to hope away towards the Shrine's exit. Following her, I then asked-
"Leaving already?"
"Yup! I don't have anything else to do here, so I'll just go home. Don't worry about the whole natural law thing Minato-chan. You're still you right?"
"I am." I'm Minato Arisato.
"Then there's no problem. It was nice seeing you again Minato-chan."
"It was nice seeing you too Moriya-san."
"Please just use Suwako, we've known each other for long enough, and besides, as it stands, your existence is now on par with mine. Oh! But still use honorifics, please."
"I'm not on that level Suwako-san…"
"Maybe you don't know it yet, but I can definitely feel it. But as I said, at this point, it really doesn't matter." She said cheerily. Once we stood at the Shrine's gates, Suwako then stood fully upright. Before turning around to leave however she said, "Oh right, one more thing." While she continued to smile at me her expression for some reason became dark and menacing.
"Make sure that you don't hurt Sanae-chan's feelings, okay?" For a moment, I thought I saw an imprint of a frog surrounded by four pure white snakes of massive size. However, when I blinked they were no longer there. Something tells me that was more than an illusion, but she doesn't have anything to worry about. Sanae is my friend. I won't hurt her.
"I'll be sure not to."
"Not scared by the curse gods, eh? Not bad." She seemed proud when she said that. So it wasn't an illusion then. "Well I better get going then."
"Good-bye, Suwako-san."
"See you some other time, Minato-chan." And then she flew away, in a comical manner that involved flapping her arms and flailing her legs in a crazed fashion, towards some other distant mountain until she was out of sight. Now, I'm all alone…
Break
The sun was beginning to set now. There was nothing left to clean and everything I could think of was in order. I was sitting on the deck of the shrine, waiting for Youmu to come pick me up. A lot of things happened today. My Velvet Room visit for one thing, where I decided to actually rework my Personas and do some fusions after that discussion about Social Links. Speaking of Social Links, there is my link with Sanae which is already completed.
Then there is Mima. If I were to arbitrarily assign a numerical rank based on the strength of the bond, it would be rank 1. The Hunger, huh? If I recall, it was number XI or 11. Just like Strength, which is also the same number, it too had a woman above a beast. So the Hunger is going to be similar to Strength then? But the card seems radically different. Well whatever the case is, I guess I have to get closer to Mima. It will be an adventure I suppose.
Next were the Doll, Marisa, and Suwako. The Doll was still in my pocket, unchanged. It's weird to get a gift from someone you don't know. Maybe it's actually from Marisa? Well it doesn't matter. It's a gift so I better take care of it. Marisa was as boisterous as ever but something tells me I better keep an eye on her just in case. And Suwako is the same as ever. I better meet up with Kanako Yasaka when I can. I think that's everything that happened today.
"Oh, you're still here." I whipped my head behind me to see Reimu holding a tea tray that had exactly one tea pot and two cups. Oh right… I forgot about that… kiss. Reimu didn't say anything after that and simply sat down on my right. She poured the tea into both cups and handed one over to me. "Here…" That was all she said to me. I took the cup in hand while trying not to look as awkward as possible. I don't think I was doing a very good job though.
"Thank you." A little more formal than usual, but I don't think I can be any less here.
"You're welcome." After that, the only sound either of us made for some time was the sipping of tea as we watched the sun set further and further beyond the horizon. Finally, however, after some time, Reimu broke the silence. "You did a pretty good job…"
"Huh?" I didn't quite catch what she said there. I was just surprised that she spoke at all.
"The cleaning… I've never seen the place so clean… at least not in a long time." She clarified for me.
"Thanks." Better just get it out of the way. "Reimu, I'm sorry."
"If it's about that kiss, then don't be." She said with a small level of nonchalance. I began to look at her with a bit of incredulousness, unsure of the meaning of her sentence. It seems she too realized how vague she was being, as her face then turned as red as her ribbon again for what I remember to be the third time today. She focused back on her cup, a bit stiffer than before. "I don't mean it like I liked it or anything. Wait, no, I mean, not that it was bad… but it wasn't good either since it was my first kiss and I didn't want it to be with you, not that you are a bad person or anything or that I don't have anyone I like or… Just forget about it!"
"Will do." She's out of sorts and I don't blame her. She was rambling pretty badly just then. She and I then continued to drink tea like that for a little while longer, but the Sun was only on the verge of falling completely out of the sky. It wasn't there yet.
"Ah what it means to be young." Oh great, she's here.
"Hello Yukari-san." I greeted the Youkai as I took another sip from my cup. I don't know where she is but that is distinctly her voice.
"What are you doing here?" Great, Reimu's mood couldn't possibly get any worse.
"Oh just checking on you two. I see that the both of you are getting along well." As she said this, she walked out of one of her gaps and took a seat to my left.
"No we aren't." Reimu replied indignantly while I choose to remain silent.
"Oh? But I was watching you all day Reimu. You don't think I didn't see your little P-D-A?"
"Pee Dee eh? What's that?" Reimu asked.
"Oh I had forgotten that Gensokyo doesn't use that term. It's short for-"
"Public Display of Affection" I interjected Yukari's explanation.
"What he said." She continued, undeterred that I undermined her in this regard, small as it was. Reimu, fully realizing the meaning now, then shrunk back, and returned to her tomato impressions. "Oh Reimu, it's only kiss. Sure it was your first one, but it certainly won't be your last I can assure. Besides, Minato-kun isn't bad, in fact I think you probably enjoyed it didn't you? I've heard he is very good." Where did you hear that exactly!?
"I-I did not like it in the slightest! Not at all!" She yelled back. Ouch…
"Oh come now Reimu, you were never good at lying and now isn't any different. Your reply means that you liked it very much, and I for one am so happy for you. Ah, young love."
"Shut up you old hag!" Reimu was now getting desperate.
"Yukari I think you've said enough." I've stood out of the conversation for too long.
"Fine, fine, be a spoil sport, why don't you? Reimu, be a dear and get me a cup as well will you?"
"Fine! But only so that you can keep your mouth busy." The shrine maiden stormed back into the shrine, leaving me with my benefactor.
"Reimu is a sweet girl once you really get to know her." Yukari said once Reimu was out of sight.
"I was in the middle of that until you showed up, but yeah, she does seem so." Reimu seems to be holding a lot in.
"Tell me, what do you think of her?"
"Do I have to?" I've had enough trouble with that already.
"Well I can make you tell me, you know?" she then flicked her finger and suddenly my arm that wasn't holding my cup followed the motion like it was being pulled along. When could she do that? Wait… border manipulator… damn it I really am her bitch. Sighing, I then took a deep breath.
"Well, she really is one of the laziest people I've ever met. First thing she does when she sees me is goes back inside to goof off, only goes out when she wants something to eat, and she hasn't done anything to help with work at all. But, while she is rough around the edges, she isn't necessarily mean, and does recognize others accomplishments when the situation calls for it. Also…"
"Also…?" Yukari mimicked; though probably to remind me that I have to continue with my description.
"She doesn't look too bad. In fact she looks quite pretty. She is probably one of the slimmest girls I have ever met for her height while still being healthy. She's also got… very soft… lips. "
"I see… that's good! Well I should get going." Yukari stood up as she spoke.
"Leaving so soon? Don't I get to ask any questions?"
"You just did, and in order, Yes, and Yes." Great…
"So, is that all you came here to do?"
"I'm satisfied with the results. Everything is going according to plan."
"What plan?" I don't like the idea of her and plans for some reason.
"Oh you'll know it eventually, for you see Minato-kun, I'll let you in on a little secret, you're the focus of the plan." Crap.
"Don't I feel special? But really what are you planning?" Asking is one way to find out.
"Ah, ah, ah, have patience Minato-kun. If I told you now, that would be spoiling, and that's no good. " She said that end phrase with a strangely familiar nuance. Regardless however, the fact that she has a plan with me as the center of it is probably one of the scariest things I have ever heard of in my life, considering who's running that plan. "Well, I've overstayed my welcome, so I'll be going now. Bye-Bye~!" And just like that she is gone without explaining a god damned thing. Just then, Reimu walked out of the Shrine.
"Here's your cup Yukari, but you're going to… have… to… where did she go?" Reimu asked me quizzically. She is not going to like this.
"She just left."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE JUST LEFT!?" Geez, that is a lot of dislike.
"I don't know why but she just left right before you got here." Reimu looked like she was about to say something else but then just let out an exasperated sigh. Looking defeated, she sat down in the place where she was before she left.
"Whatever. I'm too tired to deal with this." I refilled her cup of tea and handed it to her. "Thanks" Since it has cooled down since she first poured it, it was cold enough to be downed very quickly. She did just that, after which she asked, "So what did you and Yukari talk about?"
"We talked about things, but nothing really important." You know what? It's probably just Yukari trolling again.
"I see." She took another gulp of her tea. "Don't trust whatever the old hag says. It just leads to trouble."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm serious. As the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, it is my duty to protect humans from Youkai like her. That includes you." She seems very proud of her duty. No resignation, no regrets, just pride. How admirable.
"Thanks"
"No need, it's just what I do… though you could make a donation if you want to thank me that badly." A donation, huh? Maybe I will tomorrow. Another moment passed, and the night was well upon us now. Reimu quickly went to turn on some lights inside but just as quickly returned to the tea. After we had exhausted our supply we just sat there, waiting for Youmu to come pick me up. It's still late spring, so the nights are only middle length. "Hey."
"What is it?" I asked.
"You better come by tomorrow. You still work for me." she stated. I don't know why though.
"I thought it would be obvious. Of course I'm coming tomorrow."
"I see… well I didn't want you to forget." She said somberly. I guess that kiss is a thing of the past now. "Oh! There she is." Reimu pointed out towards the exit shrine to a tired looking Youmu and Myon. "Well you better get going."
"Yeah. I'll be back tomorrow to clean the rest of the stuff." Reimu tiredly waved good bye and walked inside, not even bothering to go greet Youmu and Myon. When I finally reached her I could see that Youmu was panting heavily and Myon matched her by drooping unusually low to the ground.
"Sorry I'm late, Minato-san. I was tending to Yuyuko and it took longer than I had accepted. I'm very sorry for my incompetence." She bowed towards me. I'm a little too tired to think deeply into this.
"It's fine. Come on. I'm tired. Let's go home." I smiled at her.
"Of course." It was too dark to make out her expression but she sounded enthusiastic, pleased. Somewhere on the way home, to the Netherworld, I feel asleep on her back again with a fluffy white Myon staying close and cool in the late spring, full moon, night…
Author's notes: My apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I was distracted by a number of things besides the research I was putting for the Touhou side (I blame Radiant Historia and Batman Beyond). I meant to do this in the last chapter but forgot to, so let me clarify here. This story currently takes place right between the games of Touhou 11: Subterranean Animalism and Touhou 12: Undefined Fantastic Object. On the Persona side of things, it's the late spring after the Answer. Persona 4 is still about a year off.
This chapter is a slow one, but was necessary to establish a lot of stuff for later use; Social Links being one of the things chief among them. I debated whether or not to use Social Links since… well the whole debate and my reasoning's can be found in the first section of this chapter since that whole section pretty much also sums up my thoughts on the use of Social Links in other fics. I don't mind it but it bothers me with the implications… not too much though, to the point where it becomes prissy whining as I also think, if used effectively, that it can really add to a fic. There are a few other things if you can spot them, though I won't be telling.
Anyways, thanks for reading as always. If you found anything that you believe needs work or was insufficient, please feel free to tell me in as blunt a manner as possible. As the Chinese saying goes: Good medicine is bitter. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you look forward to the next chapter.
