Chapter 6: Dinner Date With a Vampire
The sun was setting upon Gensokyo as Kokoro went to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She was hopeful that her time with Sekibanki would not make her late, for she did not wish to disappoint the young Flandre. But as she crossed over the many forest trees she took a moment to look at her clothes, realizing she had the same thing on that she does all the time. Flinching as she patted her body with both hands, there was just one thing on her mind.
"I-I didn't get a nice dress on…"
She had wanted to put on a good appearance for her friend, but now had no choice but to settle for her normalcy. After pausing to sigh, Kokoro continued to fly towards the mansion, thinking of how she could have handled this better. She had the idea in her head of asking her parents for help with a dress, but…
Thinking of spending time with Byakuren saw her standing around accepting the many dresses her mother had to offer, wasting lots of time to the point that she would not make it to the mansion until dinner was long finished. With Miko, time wouldn't be the problem, but rather Kokoro worried about being so thickly dressed that she would look like the backdrop of a fancy play. The laughs of the Crown Prince filled Kokoro's mind as she shuddered at the thought.
"Normal…is better." She murmured as the mansion began to come into view. Cast under the light of the fading sun, the mansion looked even eerier than it did during the night, as a shadow was cast over the front of the building, and it was also helped by the lack of lights in the windows. After an exact minute Kokoro descended from the sky and landed at the front of the mansion gate and widened her eyes as the way was open and Meiling was gone.
Kokoro tilted her head a little and then made her way towards the front doors of the mansion, but before knocking on the door she froze up halfway and looked down at herself. Even if she couldn't acquire a dress, surely there had to be some way to look nicer before entering? She drew a hand back to the side of her hair and twisted some strands up a little, thinking of a ponytail before letting go and shaking her head.
"It'll just end up a mess." Kokoro let out a dejected sigh and then looked to the right, noticing a bush of white pansies. She held her hand out towards it for a moment and then pulled it back against her chest.
"I don't know. They'll recognize it…" Her thoughts held her back for a few seconds as she looked at the door and then the bush a few times rapidly, and after a little bit more she grit her teeth as well as she could and then quickly bent down to the bush and plucked put her fingers around one of the flower's stems. At that exact moment one of the doors opened, and a familiar voice called out to Kokoro.
"Fufufu. What are you doing, Kokoro?" Kokoro froze up and looked at the person who was so humored by her actions. Flandre stood with a hand on the door, wearing a more fanciful dress for the occasion. Her shirt and skirt were now black, with blood red frills around the cuffs, waist and the bottom of her skirt. She did not have her cap on, and her hair was tied into a ponytail directly behind her head. Even her pale skin looked rather polished up, with her nails having received a slight trim.
She closed her eyes and quietly chuckled some more, and with her face bright red Kokoro's heart beat against her chest and she unconsciously pulled the pansy from the stem to put it on the right side of her hair. She then stood up and slowly waved a hand at Flandre, but her knees were weak and shaking. The vampire opened her eyes and stepped forward to grab Kokoro's other hand, the cold feeling of her nocturne skin making Kokoro glance down at her arm as it was raised an inch.
"Come on, come on! Sakuya has made a fantastic feast!" Flandre tugged Kokoro with her diminutive strength and she leaned forward slightly while letting out a gasp of shock. Flandre eagerly flapped her wings and looked at her friend, who was a little surprised and still quite a bit nervous.
"A-Aren't you wondering why I don't have a dress?" Flandre paused for a moment and with a wide smile she replied "Who cares! What matters is that you're here!" She then tugged again and Kokoro went along with her friend's eagerness, being taken through the mansion past the right side of the staircase. Going through the winding halls, Kokoro knew it was only a matter of time before she'd be at the dining room.
"I-I've never dined with Remilia and the others without mommy or daddy around. How does a vampire dine? How do they judge their guests? Will I be punished if I mess up? I don't want to embarrass Flandre…" Kokoro looked at Flandre from behind as the vampire continued to guide her along, and she put up a resistance by pressing her feet down on the carpet to get her to stop for a moment. Flandre then looked back with a curious tilt of her head.
"Flandre, how does your sister handle dinners?" Kokoro inquired, and all too enthusiastically she received a reply of "I don't know! We can find out together!" Flandre then kept dragging her through the hall while Kokoro widened her eyes and found that hard to believe.
"You've never had dinner with her before?"
"Not for a few hundred years. It's slipped my mind, but that's fine! We'll be fine Kokoro, sis wouldn't drink your blood for a mistake while I'm here!"
"Forgive me if I'm not instilled with confidence." Kokoro dryly replied as Flandre let out her vampiric chuckle. Though despite saying that, Kokoro did feel more confident in Remilia looking past any mistakes, especially once the two of them finally made it to the dining hall. There she found a banquet table as long as the Myouren Temple is wide, each foot of it covered by dishes of food and drink. There were eight very tall stained glass windows that bathed the room in a bloody light as the sun finished setting, but that was clearly Remilia's dramatic nature at work.
Meiling was sitting at one of the chairs with her arms behind her head as she was half-awake, while Sakuya was delicately pouring what appeared to be a fine violet wine into a glass with vampire wings sticking out from the handle. Then there was Patchouli, the purple-haired, striped pajama wearing magician/librarian and her little devil assistance, the mischievous red-haired Koakuma sitting side-by-side each other. Patchouli's attention was focused entirely on a thick paged spell book, but it was held up close to her face swiftly to block a crouton thrown her way.
The person who threw the crouton surprised Kokoro with their presence, bringing relief to her question of how Remilia judges her guests. Opposite of Patchouli's chair was the disgrace of the Celestials…and the person Kokoro calls her "big sister", Tenshi Hinawai. As usual, Tenshi's hair was long and blue, with a peach-topped black hat atop her head while also wearing her white dress with slight apron and long blue frilly ended skirt.
"T-Tenshi…?!" Kokoro muttered out as Flandre let go of her hand. In the middle of lining up a crouton shot with a pulled back spoon, Tenshi's aim is taken completely off and the crouton smacks Koakuma in the forehead as she turns to face the menreiki and waves her right hand beside her head.
"Hey Kokoro, what a coincidence seeing you here!" She said nonchalantly, while Patchouli lowers her book and with a glare towards the Celestial commented "It's bad enough Remilia allowed you to stay for dinner, but I do not need you bruising my assistant. Surely you can lock up your childish tendencies for even half an hour, Celestial." She then lifted the book back up, but not before a crouton skipped off the top of her head. As Tenshi chuckled, Patchouli gripped the bottom of her book tightly and went back to reading.
By this time, Kokoro was beside Tenshi, who looked at her and asked with a satisfied grin on her face that held back further giggles "You got roped into dinner with that crazy vampire too?" Kokoro shook her head a little.
"I accepted an offer to come. Why are you here, Tenshi?"
"Eh, I was here to bug ol' book brain for a little bit when that vampire came along and urged me to stick around for dinner. Guess you being here explains why she bothered." Tenshi said while picking at her right ear, and Patchouli took the time to comment snidely "A simple explanation cannot fully explain the decisions Remilia makes sometimes, especially this very questionable one."
"Aww lighten up already." Tenshi swung her right hand forward and then looked at Kokoro, patting a hand on the back of the chair beside her. "Sit down Kokoro, I'd like to know how you've been lately!" She urged happily. Kokoro poked her head over the table and saw Flandre sitting down on the chair beside the one in front of the special glass.
"Sit beside me Kokoro! You can tell ME how your day went!" Flandre said while patting the chair to the right of her, and Tenshi just patted her chair harder than before while gritting her teeth a bit and forcibly saying "Don't I get priority for being your BIG SISTER…?!"
"Fufufu, that's funny Ms. Celestial, but Kokoro came here with me so she wants to talk with me!" Flandre said while bearing her fangs with a grin and closing her eyes.
"Oi! I have seniority over you there! So sorry!"
"I'm at least five-hundred years old." Flandre bluntly replied, but before the argument escalated further they were stopped by the sound of a chair being pulled out. Kokoro chose to sit to the left of Tenshi, and while glancing away from her two friends she murmured "I-I can talk to both of you, no need to fight over me."
Kokoro then glanced at Tenshi and mouthed silently to not cause trouble, and the Celestial saw her hands twitching on top of her legs and with a look towards Flandre she gestured out and said "We both like Kokoro, so lets just compromise for tonight."
"Fufufu, I was merely joking anyways. My sister has rubbed off on me, I suppose." Flandre said with the utmost cheerfulness as she flapped her wings and rested her hands on her cheeks with a brimming smile unbecoming of a vampire.
"Rubbed off, you say? Whatever does that mean, Flandre?" A more crass voice calls to Flandre, and without much fanfare Remilia was at the table beside her little sister with Sakuya pulling the chair out for her. Remilia's dress was very similar to Flandre's, but with violet instead of black on the clothes and her nails painted black. Her hair was slicked back with a frilled hair band on her head, and her wings were spread proudly.
Remilia immediately picks up the wine glass and takes a sip from it, then glances at Sakuya and remarked "As usual, you've picked the proper wine for the occasion. You may have a glass yourself and relax." Sakuya held a hand out and replied "I must not be tipsy for the clean up later. Perhaps another time, mistress Remilia."
"A pity, but insistence won't change your mind, nor do I wish to be demanding after the work you've put into this. Continue your duties as you please, I shall save some meat for you." Remilia said with a smile as she put the glass down, and Sakuya bowed and remarked "You are too kind, mistress" before leaving in a flash. With her maid gone Remilia stood up and brought a fork to her glass to clink it twice, waking up Meiling and causing her to smack her lips as her mistress made a proclamation.
"Welcome, fair denizens of the mansion and my two humble guests, to my breakfast feast!" The wording tripped Tenshi and Kokoro up a bit until they remembered who they were in the presence of, and she continued on merrily "Eat, drink, and converse to your heart's content! Let naught the sun be the end of your merriment, go on until your body bursts!" Remilia then plopped softly onto her seat and let out a breath, pumping her fist and whispering "Nailed it" before she put her wine glass down, humoring her sister.
Patchouli finally laid her book on her lap and took to her particular plate of food, a ravishing salad with some odd mushy meat placed beside it, keeping a close eye on Tenshi's antics as she moved a fork to the food. Remilia's plate was filled with that mushy meat, as was Meiling's, but Flandre had the distinction of a cooked steak on hers. Kokoro had the same thing, while Tenshi was given an herbed pork with a slice of crumbed peach pie.
"Oh, you know me so well!" Tenshi said with a slightly teasing voice, picking up the pie and taking a firm bite into it, splattering some of the food across the once clean table cloth, with Patchouli glaring piercingly and resisting the urge to say anything.
Kokoro cut into her steak while Flandre looked at her, taking advantage of Tenshi's stuffed mouth to ask "Did you enjoy your day?" Kokoro looked up and nodded her head, and after putting a piece of steak into her mouth she said "I helped someone I had wronged in the Human Village…"
"Hrmmpff? You've finally started doing that?" Tenshi said in a muffled manner before swallowing and continuing with a fork pointed at the menreiki "Seems like a waste of time really. How many people are going to hold a grudge against you for that incident, I mean seriously…"
Before Tenshi could lean back and enjoy herself, Remilia grinned widely and with a glance at her pointed out "Said by the incident causer. How brash for a Celestial to leave the 'little sister' to clean up the mess of her 'elder'." Remembering the last time Remilia caused trouble, Flandre just rolled her eyes and chuckled quietly before eating some more of her food. Remilia then focused her attention on Kokoro with her chin resting atop the back of her hands.
"I do find it fascinating that you wish to help those you wronged. Not from a vampiric perspective mind you, but that as a Youkai you shouldn't be inclined to help others without an ulterior motive." Remilia leaned forward and glided a finger around the top of her glass, continuing on with a piercing glare "But I suppose, my dear Kokoro, that's why I can tolerate you…The precious enigma wrapped behind 60 something masks."
Kokoro's body was wrapped with a chill that made her push back against her chair until Flandre remarked with a more audible laugh "Remilia is at it again. You can't have her as a servant, Remilia. She's my friend." Remilia winced and then sat back upright in her chair, folding her arms and with an irritated expression replied "D-Don't give me lip, Flandre, that was not my intention! I am simply taking interesting in my guest's behavior!"
"Fufufu, I feel we got off-track Kokoro. What happened after that?" Flandre gestured to the menreiki as she relaxed herself and was allowed to continue unimpeded. But since the next thing on her list of events was the meeting with Kuriya, Kokoro hesitated to bring that up, especially since no one in the room would like to hear about "heroes"…Well, except perhaps Flandre. Though Kokoro didn't do a good job hiding her hesitation from Tenshi, even if the Celestial's food stuffed face said otherwise.
"Well…I did meet up with Mamizou, and she let me help out a dullahan named Sekibanki. I spent most of the day with them at mommy's temple, and I think she learned to make friends." When Kokoro was done, Remilia out a gentle yawn and patted a hand against her lips before remarking "How oddly dull. Though I swear I heard that name before…"
"I THINK Sakuya mentioned seeing her in town a couple times. Didn't she suggest bringing her to the mansion?" Meiling said with a little uncertainty, but Remilia snapped her fingers to confirm the truth of that.
"Ah, that's RIGHT! Kokoro, you should convince her to come here for us!"
"No." Kokoro was unhesitant and Remilia just grimaced and immediately went back to her meat, scooping it up in her claws while grumbling all the while. Flandre chuckled again and then with a hand out asked "And then you came to us?" Kokoro nodded.
"A rather dull day, but I wish I could've been with you to see it all, fufufu."
"I want you to come with me again outside, but I have to think of something first Flandre."
"Oh curse the limitations of the sun. But I'm not allowed to use the parasol after the last time." Flandre took the limitations in stride, a wide smile crossing her face as she was at least thankful for Kokoro's considerations. Remilia looked away from her sister for a moment and hid her smile as well as she could.
Surprisingly, the rest of the dinner was rather normal, much to Tenshi's disappointment. With Sakuya left to clean things up and Remilia wanting to change dresses, Flandre was left to guide Kokoro and Tenshi back to the entrance of the mansion. When they were outside, Flandre said "That went better than I expected."
"Unfortunately…" Tenshi sighed with her hands folded behind her head, while Kokoro faced Flandre and asked her "Do you want me to come again tomorrow night? I can make it easily."
"Fufufu, no thanks. Lets take a break for a bit Kokoro. I don't want to get tired of seeing you. You know, being-"
"A vampire, right…I'm sorry." Kokoro looked aside and rubbed the side of her head, and Flandre gently chuckled and then grabbed both of her friend's hands. With a slight flutter she lifted herself up off the ground and then held a hand out to the flower, plucking it from Kokoro's hair and resting it on her palm.
"Big sis didn't even notice this was from her garden. I'll put it back so you don't get into trouble. Next time, don't worry about appearances Kokoro. I'd have a hard time imagining you looking different than you are now, fufufu." Hearing that made Kokoro's heart start fluttering, but also reminded her of that mirror Kuriya had. "If I grew up…Would Flandre still like me?"
After a few seconds of lingering on that, Kokoro slapped the sides of her face a couple times much to Flandre's confusion, and then thanked her for dealing with the flower. Then she turned around to leave with Tenshi, who was paying attention the whole time. Once past the gate, Tenshi raised her brows and asked "Kokoro is everything alright?"
"What do you mean Tenshi?" Kokoro asked while looking over her shoulder.
"You just seemed a bit off today. I'm probably the last person who should be saying this, but I feel you're hiding something. Last time you didn't mention something…"
"It's nothing like that Ten…" Kokoro's response was interrupted by her needing to put a fist to her mouth and cough twice, followed by a bit of pain coming from her chest. Kokoro paused for a bit as Tenshi folded her arms against her chest and said with light concern "Something went down the wrong pipe? You're going to need some water for that."
The cough gave Kokoro a moment to think of something to say to Tenshi instead of mentioning Kuriya yet. Turning around, Kokoro gestured out while thinking "I was going to say this anyways, but…"
"Tenshi, I didn't want to bring this up because I know Patchy would've mocked you for it, maybe Remilia too, but…" With as earnest a look she could muster, Kokoro hesitantly asked "Tomorrow I'd like it if you helped make amends for some of the stuff you did back during that incident."
Tenshi's expression went from smiling to a slight frown, and after a little grumbling she said "First the dinner wasn't that exciting then you're dragging me into charity work." With a bright grin Tenshi then commented "Those who have earned their right into that bountiful heaven need not to wash themselves of sin!" And while she was absolutely honest in her excuse, Kokoro knew not to bad down.
Firmly digging her feet into the ground, Kokoro stared at Tenshi and said "Celestials don't need to, but Tenshi should." The Celestial noted that Kokoro's glare was slowly growing firmer, and with a tinge of guilt on her mind Tenshi responded "Oh, fine! This wouldn't work if anyone else tried it, and it sucks you know that Kokoro. So what do you even want me to do?" Kokoro relaxed a bit and pumped her fist beside herself before focusing on her friend.
"Tomorrow, meet me at the edge of the Human Village. Then we'll go make amends to a couple people." That was all she had to say at the moment.
"You haven't even thought about who? Well, not that I'm expecting you to not be ready by morning. Alright Kokoro, you get some rest then, and PLEASE don't expect this to last more than a day with me ok?"
"I make no promises here, Tenshi." Kokoro said while swiping a hand in front of her body. Tenshi just nervously chuckled and then summoned forth a keystone to ride herself back to Bhava-agra, leaving Kokoro alone to fly into the night sky for a good rest back at the Human Village. At the very least, she was glad that Tenshi would be ready, albeit reluctantly, to help tomorrow.
However, down in the forest near the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the bushes rustled, and someone with light green hair and an eye floating around their body disappeared into the night…
Next Time: The Dream Outsider and the Immortal Friendship