Author's Note: All the updates to this fic is in snippet format. Don't ask for more.
-DRAGON AND FAMILIAR-
*CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!*
In all honesty, I treat Gensokyo more home than... well my home. I dunno but I got acclimated quickly. Maybe that's what happened to Sanae. Though her attitude about Youkai hunting is a tad scary, even if admittedly I haven't seen that side of her yet.
Truth be told Lady Suwako and Kanako doesn't want me around her, citing my pervert ways. Though the tiny frog goddess teases me from time to time and Kanako does have a weird habit of having Sanae with me during my times outside. Then again it's probably their way of fending off Sanae's homesickness for the outside world.
In any case, apart from enabling me the sight of beautiful and cute girls, Gensokyo gives me the sanctuary I needed at times... especially now.
"You did get attacked?! Seriously?" Reimu asked surprised. I nodded while Reimu looked incredulous... then said something that was quite typical. "So... Did she realized you were some pathetic pervert?"
"Neh, neh Reimu. Give him a break." Marisa said alleviating my crumbling nerves. "Still I dunno of any youkai like that though. Maybe she's a Tengu." The black and white guessed causing the miko to shake her head.
"No. Tengus do not have that large wingspan. And I am not familiar with the term Sacred Gear either." The miko admitted, causing the witch to blanch.
"Whoa. Reimu admitting failure! Gensokyo must be ending ze~!" "Shut up you!" What then followed was the familiar squabbling from the two. I have seen it so many times that it was nothing to me anymore.
"They're fighting again?" somebody asked me. Turning I see the second semi-perma resident the mostly drunk oni Ibuki, Suika. Surprisingly however...
"Alice! This is rare! It's nice to see out!" Marisa called from her place where Reimu was on top of her and was about to put out her lights. Saved by Alice it seems. The elegant blonde puppeteer just sighs at the whole thing moves towards me. She then hands over manga that I have lent her sometime ago.
"Thank you for lending them to me." She said smiling. "They may be fictional in your world, but they were very informative." I could only blush and smile at this. Alice may reside alone but considering who she was, then she probably is the nicest oujo I ever met. And honestly I met a few of those at Kuoh.
"No problem. You do help me with these guys." I tell and hold up a few of my figures. She nods, then frowns.
"Still what I just heard was quite distressing. Still I do not know about Sacred Gears either." She admitted, causing Marisa to frown. "It's something interesting though maybe I'll call home and see if Makai has any information about it."
"Ahh... Thanks Alice!" "No problem."
"And that's swell and all but what do we do now?" Marisa asked who was now sitting properly along with Reimu who returned to drinking her tea.
"Why not visit Patchouli. Surely someone as knowledgeable as her knows something about the topic." The mentioned miko suggested causing the somewhat bored Marisa to have stars in her eyes. In an instant she was at my side with her arms linked to mine and...
"Good idea Reimu! We'll see you guys later!" "Wait Marrrriiiiissssaaaaaaaaaaa-!"
*CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!*
I all honesty, I have become used to flying. But flying with Marisa is always something else. It's not like she's a speed junkie or anything but, she's pretty bad when we need to hurry.
I guess the only thing good here is I get to hug a cute girl... in a way.
In any case, thanks to her fast flying it was in minutes when we came in sight of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and it's all red and viny Victorian walls and the nice garden out front... And of course the beautiful and somewhat poorly treated gate guard.
I never see it though.
While I don't visit the place often, I came enough to see that Meiling is treated well. Also apart from her gate duty, she's the mansion's gardener and oddly enough the cook. Admittedly she shares the latter task to Sakuya, who is often busy attending her mistresses or Patchouli.
Another thing is that I often heard how the fairy maids of the mansion are useless. It's not quite true. Because otherwise Sakuya would have probably got rid of them all. Heck they're often doing the cleaning of the mansion and considering how big it is thanks to Sakuya... well they're often very busy.
Strange, I didn't see Cirno or her friends on the way here. Not that I could considering who I was with. Oh well I'm not here to play with them anyways. Though I mostly watch, since they're kind of entertaining.
"We're here Issei!" Was the witch's exuberant proclamation as we landed.
"Ah... yeah." Was the only thing I could say. I'm rather disoriented you see... after all it's what going to happen to you when you when you ride with her. Well I get to hug her so that's all that matters...
Oh yeah there was an incident a while back where I accidentally groped her when I was flying with her. While she doesn't show her feminine side much it was it would show on occasions like that one.
Accidental or not, the red welt on my face lasted for a week. I was careful after that and she apologized since she knew that I knew better than to do those things.
Dropping Eirin's name is horrible enough but threatening me with master spark is pretty bad.
In any case we're here to talk to Patchy and see if she knows about Sacred Gears. Well I hope she does. Considering they're fiction back in my home world, I do not know if Patchy would know what a Sacred Gear is. Here's to hoping I guess.
"Hey Meiling we've come to visit!" The witch shouted from where we stood to the gate guard who was busy watering the flowers. Turning to us, she stared a little bit before frowning and turning to the door. She knocked a few times and said something to the person who opened said door. Afterwards she came to her post.
"Well hello." She greeted smiling at me. I kinda blushed; she's one of the few who's nice to me so her smiles was nice. "IT's good to see you Issei. Have you come to visit and play with Mistress Flan?"
Oh! That's right. One of the reasons the Scarlet Devil crew is nice to me is because of that. Since my figures don't break no matter the abuse, Flandre Scarlet could fight them to her heart's content or until I get tired. Her smiles and hugs are nice. And contrary to everybody says, she can hug you without crushing you... Well only if she expends her tons of energy which I provide.
"Sorry not today. We're here to see Patchouli about a problem I have encountered back home." I told her with the red head nodding and lunging her hand backwards and grabbing Marisa by the scuff of her neck.
"Oh? Well that's okay. Mistress Flan is sleeping today, and since we owe you that much I'm sure Patchy could help." She said in affirmative before dropping Marisa back out of the gate. "But we need someone to escort you since..." She gave annoyed smile to Marisa who just scratched her head.
"I'm not that bad!" The witch complained.
"Yes you are." A voice said from behind, shocking the both of us. Turning we saw the beautiful silver haired head maid of the mansion; Sakuya. "I'll take it from here Meiling, you can go back to your gardening." Nodding she pushed both me and Marisa and left Meiling to her chores.
*CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!*
I was not even a little bit surprised as we were suddenly in front of Patchouli who was busy reading as always. Considering whom our escort was, this is not shocking. Not at all.
"Marisa... Issei..." She greeted in her usual manner. "I understand the black-and-white, but I'm surprised you visited me Issei." She said as closed the book.
"Yeah well-" "You see-" Marisa interrupted and began telling her what I told her and the others back at the shrine. It looks like Marisa is doing this quick so she could wander and 'borrow' from the library.
"I see." She nods and motions for her assistant Koakuma who came with tea. Turning I saw Sakuya gone, oh well... it's not like Marisa could do more trouble. "From what I know, Sacred Gears were the term the Roman Catholic Church used to call the abilities of people who manifested in various ways."
Eh? Patchouli knew of it.
"I do not know the exact history of it nor what Sacred Gears truly are, but that's what it is." She shook her head. "Supposedly the church only used this term because most of their saints have some sort of ability and called it that way thinking it was a blessing by the Christian God."
"Wow Patchy, how'd you know that?" Marisa asked, she herself curious as why this is so.
"It's because the church was our primary enemies back at the land outside." She said sadly. "With the Scarlet Sisters being vampires, I'm sure you understand."
Ah... That's true. And considering the many stories about hunting vampires and how bad they are to human society, this was also of no surprise.
"That sucks Patchy. So..." The witch turned to me, seemingly now more interested in my so called Sacred Gear than 'borrowing' books. Then again, the reason why she was doing so was because she was learning magic and considering that the Sacred Gears could probably magical...
"I do not know. But it is sure that his ability to use his... figures as familiars is not that ability. So it is probably something else." Patchouli stood and said something to Koakuma again who nodded. "That's why..."
"Why what Patchy?" The witch asked and honestly I'm not feeling good about this.
"We experiment!" She said with gleaming eyes. Oh dear this is not good.
*CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!*