Translator
"Hey, Seija! You came! You're looking much better today," Shimmy said with a happy grin, her concentrated burst of sunshine, so cute and sweet and life-giving the first sight Seija is exposed to the moment she makes to join another hakurei shrine festival. A view to which she reacts like its scalding her, one hand in front of her face to protect against the overdose of Vitamin D her way.
"Ugh, someone's way too happy to see me…" Seija grumbled, then sat aside her, offhandedly grabbing one of the many boozes laying around. "That aside, no way do I look good with you here."
The inchling blushed prettily at that, combine that with the fact she was dressed fancier than usual and you'd have a sight that'd be appealing to anyone else but made Seija groan and look down in embarrassment. Sometimes she forgot how the other always took the best possible interpretations of her words. And that really puts out the fun in acting demeaning or sarcastic. "T-thanks a lot…"
"Sure," Seija humbly took her loss for once and decided to just enjoy what she came for. Not the sounds of joy and cheer as friends from everywhere gather together. Not the firework-like displays of Danmaku the more rowdier amongst the guests indulged in. Not any of the dishes that were gracefully brought in from the richer folks amongst the group. And definitely not the group pictures some of the tengus made for any who waved for them to come take on. No, not any of that at all.
She came here for two things. The free booze and the occasional moment in which she got to discreetly use her ability to spill a drink or dish and have the occasion be passed off as someone being too drunk letting their dexterity go slack. The fact some even got scolded on the spot if they happened to spill something on their superior was a sight all the more satisfying to indulge in.
A shame her other two companions knew her too well to fall for that, yes, it wasn't just the inchling that was seated next to her. The celestial and misfortune goddess were seated beside them as well, the former all too eager to spout lines about how the booze is nothing more than water to her refined palette only to insist on having the latter chug more and more of it. Something the misfortune goddess doesn't seem too opposed to doing so, as even her own power can't have a durable drink turn rotten or sour on the spot. Perhaps she'll have a terrible hangover later, but right now? Nothing.
Perhaps they jabbered some more about something but Seija honestly couldn't tell. What did gain her attention was that Shinmyoumaru started to look confused and a bit worried. So, naturally, she asked, "Oi, what's wrong, princess?" in a discreet manner, one hand whispering against an ear.
The inchling flinched from the sensation of air breathing down there, but answered quickly and with no hesitation. "I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me but Marisa gave me a strange look..."
"Oh?" Seija took a quick look at the witch's direction and saw that Marisa is facing her own little group instead herself and the others. Still she knew Shinmyoumaru isn't the type to lie. And there was no way she'd let anyone but herself make the inchling feel bad because a professional mouth-basher happens to feel jealous or possessive or whatever the fuck, so Seija said, "I'm sure it was for me, not you. You know I've pranked her a few times. You're just sitting near me."
"She shouldn't be looking at you like that either!" she whisper-shouted back.
Ok, the inchling springing to her defense like that? It did make her feel a bit smug, if only because she successfully fooled her into thinking she's even worth that hassle and nothing else. "Don't worry about it. I'll have a little talk with her later to clear things up. It'll be fine."
"Hmmm." Shimmy said, actually making thinking noises out loud, in public, to look cute...this girl. "Okay, I'll let you handle it. At least you're back to normal now."
Minutes passed after that and as the party progressed, Seija, actually, did not move from her spot. While she was sure that the witch would eventually move, be it either to say hi to another pal of hers or to try and fulfill her kleptomania, thus giving Seija a chance to discreetly confront her…
Part of her was also afraid of exactly that. To be alone with her, the girl whose mere touch made her own sense and logic fly out the window. The same girl, who after yesterday's events. Might have actually gone further than just the kissing and petting if Shinmyoumaru hadn't interrupted them.
Honestly, she kind of hated the witch the things for making things that awkward. And worse than that, she was confused by the whole secret relationship thing the witch tried to offer so that she, Marisa, could maintain her reputation and social facade. The witch wants her cake and eat it behind everyone else's backs too. Hold on...that means she won't act in front of others! And the party…
Is filled with exactly that, other people! If the witch tries anything, all Seija needs to do is scream and voila, the moment is ruined, in other words, she's the one that has the advantage for once!
"I'll be back." It was that thought, that gave the amanojaku the bravery to stand up and move.
Once the booze started to get close to running low, Seija saw Marisa approaching the inner side of the shrine on her lonesome and followed her. Soon after, she saw the witch pull out more booze out of a tiny storage closet set in the 'kitchen' area of the place and decided now is the time to do this.
Standing at the witch's left side, back against one of those walls that could be kicked down and lead outside if need be, Seija said softly, "You know, if you have to glare at people who talk to me, I could give you a list of people I'd encourage you do it at because I don't want them around me either. Don't go giving the princess any though, it won't win you any points with me."
Marisa briefly looked startled at being snuck up on, but gave only a shrug to the rest.
"Nothing to say? Good, just remember what I said," Seija said right as she started to leave, but suddenly Marisa grabbed her wrist and stroked little circles on it with her fingers, which made Seija shiver and blush a little before she managed to yank her wrist out of the witch's reach.
Marisa smiled wordlessly, obviously pleased. Seija hated that look, and before the witch could walk out of the room, grabbed onto her arm, pulled her back and before the other knew what was what.
What else did Seija but give the smug magician a taste of her own medicine? The kiss was sudden, rough and more meant to really put a fright in the other person, but that didn't stop it from having the usual excitement behind it. Except this time the shock didn't paralyze or stun Seija, no, if anything, having Marisa be the one unable to move for once (because she's got firm grip on her arms, sure, that was definitely helping) was like a breath of fresh air to the amanojaku. This made sense to Seija, this is a moment that she can enjoy and it kinda drove her half-crazy. She held the witch tighter against the wall as she made the embrace shift closer, she could feel her breasts press against the other's chest and the way Marisa was melting in the embrace, trying to spout out words like 'stop' or 'there are people here' only made things feel more sinful and so, all the better to Seija.
Eventually, when the witch's resistance started to lessen and lessen and she looked but a moment from enjoying the situation herself. Seija finally pushed herself off the latter, a mean thing to do for sure, but the look of utter frustration the witch gave once she recovered from falling on her butt was a sight she wouldn't forget for days to come. Even better as she got the last word before leaving.
Yes, she finally flipped the situation for once. And that, in its own way was priceless to her.
After the festival was dimming down, Seija separated from the rest of the group to hang at the top of the Shining Needle Castle instead of heading inside. The cold winter's air and the gaze of the half moon felt like a blessing on her contrarian skin that hated warm yet not too warm sunny days.
As she let out another yawn and resisted the urge to sleep then and there, Seija heard a familiar voice say, "Seija," from above her, startling her so badly that she nearly jumped up and hurt her head ramming into the broom that was flying slightly above her alongside the person on top.
Marisa Fuckin' Kirisame.
They were alone together again.
Seija stood, cracking her shoulders and waking up the rest of her body in case of a nasty surprise before asking, "What?" somehow she managed to not sound super smug during it. A pleasantry she only indulged because of the massive firepower the witch is capable off and her own good mood.
Looking calm and pleasant, unlike the melting mess Seija shamelessly preferred, Marisa replied, "Gotta say, I didn't think you'd have it in you."
"I'm full of surprises." Seija shrugged, still on guard because that can't be all the witch came for.
"Anyway your situational skittishness-"
"That is not the word I'd use."
"-aside, I realized I didn't give you a real idea of what you can expect from me if we got together. I want to fix that so you can make an informed decision." and there it is, the problem of the night.
Part of what Seija wanted to say she knew exactly what to expect from her. The punchline being that the implication is the witch's body. But that's too easy, so she doesn't. "You'd do that how?"
That got another smile out of her. And if said smile happened to look particularly enchanting under the moonlight, Seija didn't say a thing and would deny it. "I'm told you never turn down free food."
Of course she'd do her research. As in talk to the people that talk to Seija. "Who told you?"
"Now that's a secret~"
Great, that said, "I won't say no to free food...but is this food truly free? I'm not so sure."
"I'm not going to demand you pay for your meal with your body." unless she wanted to, wink.
"That sounds more likely when you outright say it. But do go on, see if you can tempt me."
"A good, hot meal at a nice but not too nice place, some conversation, and a look at my intentions. That's all I want from you, I promise I won't even touch you. Pinky promise~"
"Eating with me in public? What about your reputation? Oh, great Kirisame?"
"I'm thinking a restaurant on the further outskirts of Youkai Mountain, like the Road of Liminality. Not only is it far from where I usually go with my friends but even the phantoms there might not recognize us. The human village is out of the question for obvious reasons."
"You're the second best incident resolver. People know your face"
"If anyone recognizes me and asks, we're having a last meal sort of thing before I personally deliver your butt to the Yama or something. If anyone knows the both of us, they'd know I take my job seriously and that you're one hell of an asshole. I doubt that'll happen though."
Dinner together was a terrible, terrible idea, but she was hungry. "Okay. Yes. But I reserve the right to run away from you at any portion of the night without you chasing me down." that and well, when's the last time anyone's tried to actually woo her the traditional way? Everyone likes a classic.
She said, before her corpse ended up in a ditch the next day. Jokes aside. Free food and getting to disappoint someone by leaving after without giving anything in return? A delicacy that must be had.
"Fine, though it made me wonder what your past meals were like... before I decided that I probably didn't want to know."
"Yeah, stick with that. It's safer."
Marisa seemed excited, which could mean anything. "Well then, hop on, I'll give you a ride."
"What? Right now?" Now that Seija didn't expect, then again she never liked waiting either.
"You're free now, right? Most of my friends aren't nocturnal either so the best time is now."
"Fine." she moved behind the witch, putting her hands around the other's waist as one would when being a passenger on such a vehicle. Wisely ignoring the other's taunt about how she can hold on tighter, only to end up doing so anyway by surprise due to a sudden acceleration the broom gives.
Before stopping just as quickly, "Oh. What's wrong? Did I spook you?" Marisa asks, all-knowing.
"Shut up and drive."
"Allright."
And that is how, in the midst of night. A witch brings an amanojaku to a totally not a date.
The contents of which?
See it, next time.