Now that I'm truly alone with no one to bounce off of with my silent antics. It's so weird to be silent mostly. I don't know what this week should hold for me. I've really been through alot and staring at the red ceiling laying down in comfy bed for once. No futon, no blankets only, no couch, and not that shrine kotatsu. A real frickin bed.
*Knock*knock*
For once people have manners unlike back at home. Well, before I resided in the Garden. I walk over to the door and open it...What is this?
"We're here to tend to sir's need." Maid fairies, I breath a sigh of relief as I wouldn't want to be near Flandre...Hold on.
"So where do you need clea! Eeep!?" The tallest one with a poorly worn wig and struggling to hide her slight jingling wings. That was Flandre coming in here with what I guess is a modified maid costume. She look surprised that I saw through her disguise.
"Darn it. I was hoping you fall for it." Her voice is as young and high pitch as you can imagine for a little girl. Since she only had the maid outfit on with a little adjustment her wings fully spread out revealing the jingling diamond shape rainbow jewels that hanged from them. I breathe out sharply in annoyance. Just what does the younger sister have in store for me?
"Sooo,(can you speak english?)."
"Yes, Flandre I can." She brighten up at that.
"So you're just playing being a mute?"
"No, just bad at talking to people." She looks at me confuse.
"But, we're talking to eachother right now."
"Let's not go down the rabbit hole of semantics."
"What is semantics?"...man
"It means something is similar, but not exactly the specified version of a thing." Again she is dumbfounded.
"Patchy would love to talk to you. Cause those are some big words mister? Huh? I don't know your name." Right.
"Venus Rose. Son of Kazami Yuuka." She nods before inspecting the necklace and bracelet on the end table.
"I see. Where you kidnap at birth or are you just pretending to be her son?" I sigh as I sat down on the king size bed.
"I wasn't kidnapped. I was brought in by M...Yuuka. I don't see why she would kidnapped children when she herself is fine with what she got."
"Hmmmm. Alright, I still think flower lady is pretty scary."
"Scarier than your power? Hard to believe that."
"She is a much higher caliber of destruction than me. I can't disintegrate people with pinpoint accuracy or turn them into trees. I can destroy, but its more like...just an implosion effect then actually causing what she can do or what I read what she can do."
"You people really believe Akyuu's book? You realize it's design to make us youkai seemed scarier than what is necessary. Especially thanks to Yukari's interference." Flandre took in this information the best she could. She took a spare chair to sit in and curl her knees close to her as she examine me.
"That is possible. So what's you're power?"
"Element manipulation." Her face brighten up.
"Can I see it?"
"Shiranui." I tried my best to focus the invisible flames to just my finger and soon she saw the slight grey whitish flames on my index finger. She scrunch her face though as the pungent smell waft in the room and fairies around us look quite ill.
"Smells awful. How come I can barely see it?"
"I manipulated the flames atomic structure to make invisible high temperature fire enough to burn youkai skin. In other's words it's to catch my enemies off guard." No point in worrying about fighting her at full tilt. We're sparring partners and we're both in need of practicing holding back. So maybe this won't be so bad. Of course my wording seem to give her pause.
"I think Patchy would love you. You both say such big sounding words." A possibility of us being both bookworms. I don't have her crippling declining health though.
"Except I'm not asthmatic like her." Again, she looks lost.
"You mean her breathing issues?"
"Just as I said, asthmatic."
"Well, I just wanted to see who I was going to play with. Atleast you're not an intruder or Meiling in the dark." Considering what you did was almost murder I don't think my options are bright. She gets up and heads for the door. She turns her head slightly at me.
"See you around Venus. Sweet dreams."
"Take care." She laughs heartily at that as the maid fairies left behind her.
"How...unpredictable of a girl." Speaking of.
"I can sense magic signatures. You don't have to hide...Sakuya." From the door way and was ready to attack me for probably overstepping my boundaries. She relaxes her throwing arm, to return to her stoic face.
"If you can do that. Why do you need such training?" To get a better grasp on how it works. I've been running around with almost zero control.
"Does everyone here at the mansion understand English?" She nods.
"Good. Makes this easier for all parties."
"Your voice is quite unique for a male. It's feminine and deep. It's higher pitch, but control."
"Recognized this?[I'm falling...doooownnn]." Her eyes seem to flash with life.
"To think that sir was the singer of that song. Ummm. If you'd like, I would like an autograph." A fan?
"You like rock music? Especially cause this whole place is so...old school." She held out a fountain pen and piece of paper.
"Very well. Turn around let me use your back." She looks surprised but obliged to do so and I quickly finished my haphazard name for her to keep. She turns around when I'm done and checks it and seems very content with it as she puts it away.
"I just really like your singing. Something about it really spoke to me." Uh huh.
"Glad to see my reputation can reach even the most up tight of people."
"So is that what that music is call?"
"It's call that because it hits you with pure emotions you haven't felt before." I'm purely making this up. However, rock and roll is hard to describe if you like it, you like it, and if you hate it, you hate it. I'm just... floored that the most stoic maid enjoys it.
"Raiko said it was familiar and I agree. It...spoke to me and I'm wondering where someone like a mute could have such raw emotions when they can barely speak?" It's meaning is about threads of fate and how the person won't falter until the world ends. To Gensokyo's residents it means we'll strive until we fade away from the outside world's memories. For me however, It's just a song about a lost soul trying to do right by his new family and won't ever let them go.
"Venus?"
"Oh! Sorry. You say something?" Sakuya shook her head.
"You must of been thinking of how respond to my feelings on you're willingness to be a mute."
"I'm just not...comfortable talking to people. As I got older...I'm just afraid of the judgment it brings. The most honest people get the most hate." Sakuya seem sympathetic of my plight.
"I...see. Perhaps the two of us aren't that different."
"You have social anxiety?"
"If you mean I'm afraid of what people think of me then yes. I very much do." Is everyone here a form of mentally scarred? Ultimate therapy session with Kasen is about to happen with almost all of Gensokyo.
"If it helps the first step is talking about it. Me being a mute is a mix of things. This would be a fine first step to stop it. However, I'm quite comfortable with not saying things so far. I think mom just worries...Yuuka worries about me to an extreme degree." To say mom outloud like that. She must of registered the change in my words.
"To think you refer her as a mother. It must be nice to see the sunflowers everyday."
"The whole place is filled with more than sunflowers though. The front end has roses, lilies, and the back yard has petunias and a small herb farm. The sunflowers are just what everyone sees cause that's the most common thing she grows. I'll admit your garden is just as diverse as Mom's. Meiling must be a really good gardener?"
"How did you know it was her?" Sakuya had a slight hint of surprise at my knowledge.
"Gate guardian gotta have hobbies. Doesn't make much sense not to have a well managed garden for a place this big." Her stoicism are beginning to crack as she smiles.
"I'll let her know tomorrow morning what you thought of her gardening skills."
"Yeah we best get some sleep too. I wonder how Medicine is doing right now?" In a blink of an eye Sakuya was gone from the room the problem was her magic signature was still nearby and slowly fading from range. I don't know how I got magical awareness probably from my passive always needing magic. I got comfortable and went to sleep. I only now notice that every light was power by electricity in here and the light switch was by the bed.
Good enough for me.
At Eintei:
"You're my nurses along with my assistant in training. You follow my rules and are under my supervision. I'm not Kazami nor am I your Father Ms.Hinanwari. You do what I say and I will not tolerate losing patients this year. No more death. No more starving children." Eirin Yagakoro the head doctor of Eintei and the one watching over Medicine, Tenshi and Shion for the rest of week. Eirin was kind, but strict. Her perfectionism and need of discovery are at odds with herself. Having a misfortune god under her roof was worrisome until Yuuka assured her that Tenshi and Shion will behave.
"Now then. Inaba?"
"Yes, master?"
"Show them where they'll be staying and get our spare uniforms. You must look the part as much as you do as well." Eirin watch Reisen bow and was about to lead them until she remember.
"Hold on Ms.Melancholy." The doll perk up.
"Yes?"
"How's my gift so far?" Medicine smile was beaming.
"Very useful in keeping me together this winter. Though. I'm in need of molding clay and some wood polish." Eirin nods in agreement.
"I'll look through our storage. Anything else?"
"Rust removal chemicals. I have metal joints now." Medicine lifts an arm revealing the iron ball joint exposure. Eirin writes down something.
"Very well. Now off to bed all of you. Tomorrow is gonna be big day. I have sick kids to tend to in the morning." Reisen takes the lead from Eirin's send off message.
"Is winter...always this bad?" Shion eyes the unfortunate filled rooms of adults and children alike being tended by Inaba rabbits. If anyone knew how awful winter gets, it's a poverty god.
"No, we usually don't get this many. However, some recent...developments have force us into taking care of young Youkai children as you can see." Reisen stops at a vacant room an inside was a Red horned Youkai. Brown hair on one side, and white on the other side.
"That isn't Urumi isn't it?" Reisen looked at Tenshi in surprise.
"No, a relative of hers though. He's young and a survivor of a recent ring of oni carvers. Oni horns and bones are good source of power. His mother died to a drug user. We haven't...found someone to take him in."
"Him? That hair and face looks awfully feminine." Reisen chuckles at Medicine's observation.
"You weren't the one to bathe with him after the famine massacre. Surprise the hell outta me too." Reisen had her arms out stretched to this room with the Tsukogomu child.
"You three will be helping him get acquainted with people again. Just...take it easy." They clamber in their new hospice for the week.
"So. He's a victim of not just the massacre, but Oni carvers?"
"Such...horrible acts on a child. How did he end up here on the surface?
"I'd heard of Oni families getting with the men here that are single to continue their bloodlines. He might just be a half youkai like the teacher and shopkeeper." Such a possibility is becoming more common for the youkai to have children with human males. The school has a seen a rise in youkai attendance. With that said the Village Elders had talks with Keine that she'll be just as responsible for the youkai as her supervisors Sekibanki and Kogasa as well were warn that if they can't keep the children out of trouble they'll be force to go somewhere else for work. While Keine wishes it wasn't such high strung issue. Everyone wanted the Youkai relations to go smoothly after the famine massacre during this summer.
"Well you're a kid talk to him."
"You know I can hear you. You know?" The youkai in question eyed his new room mates.
"So the Inaba have given up on me?"
"Given up?"
"You know. Finding me a home. The kind doctor tried and no one wanted me." The girls wince at that."
"Got a name kid?"
"Arasaka." Medicine recognize that name...She remembers Venus writing it down when explaining a war that happen long ago. Wrote that it was name for a cannon that you hold in your hands.
"After a war cannon?"
"Sure, that makes me feel so much better." The sarcasm with how he said that.
"I'm sorry. I'm Medicine Melancholy and this is Tenshi and the shy one is Shion. We'll be looking after you and other patients." His red eyes examined the three awkward girls in his room until he finally rose from the bed and clearly he was only a little bit taller than Medicine, but his hair was absurdly long so it block his vision.
"Nice to meet you." His horns were massive on his head. Shaped like bull horns.
"So you certain you're not like Urumi's kid or something?" He shook his head and the hair followed wildly from the motion.
"I don't know who this Urumi person is. Are they like me in some way?" The girls didn't know how to respond or tell him about the fisher woman on the Sanzu river of New Hell.
"Well, whatever. Be like that."
"Kid you gotta work with us here. We've only just met and you might have someone like you living nearby...by technicalities." If Arasaka didn't look enthused it was hard to tell. Shion notice a pair of scissors nearby.
"Arasaka?"
"Yes?"
"How about a hair cut?" The girls look at Shion fearfully as she held the scissors in her hands.
"Uhhh...I think I should do it Shion." However, Shion maneuver around Tenshi quite easily even with the sharp object in hand.
"I know how to cut hair. Who do you think does my sister's drills?" The other two are shocked as Shion twirl the scissors with confidence unseen from her before. She hops on a vacant bed and pats her lap.
"Come on, up you go. I'll be gentle." Whatever emotion that could be tell from Arasaka was silent, but he follow through.
"This will be a loooooong week Doll."
"Yeah. Let's hope our silent reincarnate is doing better than us." Both cynics at heart look at eachother as the night came through the window.
Waking up with natural sunlight hitting my eyes as become 2nd nature. The bed is comfortable, but the reds man.
"You're awake quite early. Anything you need?" You know that I don't dream that much? Anyways, I turn a little to see Sakuya is up and about.
"Where's the kitchen in this place?" I crave grill cheese. Sakuya seem appalled by my question.
"You know I can cook for you?" And ruin a grill cheese day? Not that I don't mind. I just want to make something simple for once.
"I don't know I feel like I should do this myself. I'm used to just cooking for myself." Sakuya bow at me.
"Get dress and here." A pair of white gloves same as Sakuya's. Right, gotta look professional.
"Even a guest must look their best as Mistress said." Taking them from her as she hurry to the door. Remilia must love to keep an image of being seen as a leader. There are other words to be said. Right now though, I should finish getting this suit on.
I walked out relatively clean and Sakuya look at me head to toe.
"Such an immaculate design. Perfect for dinner parties."
"I should let you know I'm not one for parties."
"A shame then. Our Christmas parties are always good." I see they actually celebrate that here...wait a minute.
"Do you know what day it is?"
"November 16th, year 200."...About 80 years or so years ahead of Gensokyo actual time of year 125.
"That's 80 years ahead." She look at me confuse.
"For the outside world yes. But we've only been here for 20." Time is wack in here.
"So every 5 years is actually..."
"2.5 years in here for every 5 years outside yes?"...That explains alot. While not entirely accurate the time dilation is slower here. Reisen was 40 when the moon landing happen. When Sumireko first appeared it was the 90s.
"Ever met a woman called Maribel Hearn?" This stunned her enough to stop walking.
"For what reason would a gardener's son have such information?"
"A good question. Unfortunately, I'm just very curious is all." She sighs.
"She's a well behaved dreamer of a girl. That is all I'll share as I'm sure that curiosity will not end well."
"Well, Guess I'll find her myself. She appears eventually given her ability. Though she has zero control over it. She's a youkai that lives on the outside world. I have no doubts she'll be interesting to talk to." Sakuya seem taken aback by my need to find her. I just want to confirm that they're different from eachother.
"I would refrain from such things if I were you."
"Got nothing better to do, but fulfilled these mysteries with answers Sakuya. My heart is the garden, but my mind is on new discoveries. No point not asking when I have the chance to know more." Sakuya stopped at door an open it to reveal the kitchen. The place was well organized and spotless. Everything I needed was right in this room.
"Ya got bread? Cheese? Butter yeah?" She looks off to one side and I notice an industrial refrigerator. Makes a ton of sense for them to have one. I open it and yeah there is some of the items. Don't know where is bread.
"We made a fresh loaf of wheat bread yesterday but what is all this for?" A good question with an even tastier answer.
"Wake up! It's time for work." The girls groan as they woke up quite early before the sun even shows itself.
"Arasaka that goes for you too mister...Ohhh nice hair." Reisen eyed the medium length hair he now had.
"Awwwwnnn...Really? Again Reisen?" His complaint fell on deaf rabbit ears.
"Yes, again. You know the rules better than anyone other than the other Inabas. Every healthy person that lives here must work for maximum productivity. Now wash up and get ready to shovel snow with the other younguns." He groan extra hard as he walk past everyone to the standing shower in the next room.
"Just because my element is fire doesn't mean I can withstand the cold Reisen." Arasaka's plea didn't register to Reisen.
"Not hearing it again. Not from you or your little friends."
"You're just as strict as Eirin girl. Why so uptight?"
"I came from a military background just like Eirin that's why. Now I won't take lip from a grounded Celestial. We got patients ladies, that need our help." Reisen marches away to deal with some other things.
"Jeez, her panties are gonna tie into a knot if she isn't careful. Also, Shion?"
"...Yeah?"
"I'm sorry for doubting your cutting ability. The kid looks great. But, what are we gonna do about the hair cause there is so much." The girl's eyed the left side corner of the room and look at a basket filled with Arasaka's hair.
"We could give it to Eirin for research purposes."
"What about his horns they're huge. They need to be grinded down so he doesn't bump into anything or worse." Shion has a point as the girls nodded in agreement.
"I've let you cut my hair. But I ain't letting you touch my horns." Arasaka emphasize this point by trying to hide his massive bull horns that went forward at an angle as he scurried off to shovel snow.
"Well, maybe later we'll do that."
"So you're a cook,musician, and a singer?" I finally had a grill cheese after months of not having one. And a glass of milk for my troubles. Life is good.
"What is this called then?"
"A grilled cheese. You could butter the pan first or butter the bread. Doesn't really matter the order as it's a sandwich with cheese in the middle. The fact you guys have sharp cheddar was just the icing on the metaphorical cake." Sakuya wrote something down as we finish our easy to make breakfast. I also made two more with one that had blood in it for Flandre. I'm not sicken by this as I got up from the table and headed for the viole.
"You're quite eager to meet Ms.Knowledge."
"Of course. I was as much a bookworm as she is before...Well it doesn't matter." Sakuya had a skeptical look on her face as we walk.
"You're quite open about yourself."
"There's not alot to hide. I know who I was, but not what I've now become. The best thing for anyone is one foot in front of the other." In other words don't worry.
"You're exactly like Reimu was back then. She was very carefree until...well incident after incident wittle her spirits down to what we now know is just an angry shrine maiden. One that doesn't deserve it either."
"It's nice that Rei Rei has caring friends in her life that want her to be happy. Maybe, some day she'll have her boring life to live."
"Rei Rei?"
"Nickname for Reimu. I can't exactly stopped myself from calling her that."
"I see."
"Don't tell her that."
"I'll...think about it."
"Well that's a definite yes you'll tell her the next time you see her answer Sakuya."
"I think it's cute."...
"Great."
"You sound displease."
"Within expectations."
"Meaning?"
"Don't take it the wrong way. But you ladies gossip alot. Anything that comes to mind you'll just say it out loud. I guess I shouldn't complain about it as this place is filled with women. I just appreciate the bluntness ya'll have." Sakuya hums at that point as we found ourselves near the double doors that hold the Viole. Patchouli's place of residence.
"You're not wrong about that. Can't really blame us that we want to share to the world for anyone that listens."
"Does that include when you have taken interests in the opposite sex?" Sakuya blinks.
"Does it bothered you that much?" After the Onis, Suwako, and the Aki sisters. Not to mention Hina. In some ways you girls are an open book. A book with secrets yes. However, you girls are quite...
"Let's just say...I love the honesty of you girls." I went inside the Viole and saw just how labyrinthine it is. About 3 floors and over 200 rows of shelves from where I'm standing.
"Just head straight you'll see her and...Thank you for your compliments. I'll let Mistress know of her thoughts." She left in a blink of eye. Can't have jirai on all the time that's too tiresome. Straight huh?
Walking through the place, you can feel the pressure and weight of the magic here. It's almost too much for me to handle. As I headed through I notice stack after stack of books until it converge unto one point in the middle.
"Flan, this magical equation is wrong in 2 places. How did you come up with this preposterous answer?" It's a very posh sounding voice if a little high pitch.
"It's the best I could do. I was busy Patchy."
"Busy with what exactly? Honestly child, it's like you don't want to learn how to better your control. Speaking of. You there! Boy of Kazami! I can sense that draining magic of your's stop that at once!" ...how? Anyways, the table was clear of most books and I could see the lavender hair of the magician. Her face was pale and tired violet eyes study me...she's kinda...pudgy in some places as she lifted a book and use it as a pointer at me.
"Say something cause I know you fake being a mute!" I sigh as everyone here speaks fluent English.
"It's not faking if I don't want to talk all the time Ms.Knowledge." If she had any emotion in her dead eyes it was hard to tell.
"Name?"
"Venus Rose."
"Not a common name for anyone. Rose's are red, and the planet Venus is Blue. You're name is a poem and a name fo-!
"Venus flytrap. I'm well aware of where my name comes from."
"Oh-oh! You think you can interrupt my explanations?"
"I have a better chance at keeping up with you then most pedestrians around here. I wasn't always a farmer's boy."
"Quite, then can you read this passage?"...Oh good nonsense...? It's runic.
"This whole book is in runics Patchouli. The whole thing is just about the passing of time."...She smiles.
"The how about this one?"...It's Hebrew specifically old Hebrew text.
"It's the rules of Jewish law dating back before christ was born by 200 years."...What's this about?
"You might have dual passives Venus." What?
"How does that work?"
"It's simple, there are things we don't quite understand including people born with dual passives. I have it and you have it. We both can read just about any text. The dual passives are becoming more common. Found out that Remy can tell which blood is from who without even tasting it and can recall their exact memories too.
"Is this a new development or was it something that people didn't notice?" Patchouli began rapidly writing things in a notebook. Her face elated at her discovery.
"Great...Now I'll never get to play if you two are gonna become like this."...
"SORRY FLAN." Whoa at the same time?
"But, this is new discovery about myself. I wouldn't have known this without being here." Flandre cross her arms and pouted at us. We tried to give her an apologetic glance.
"Now there is two boring people in the mansion."...Hey that's uncalled for.
"Flan. I assured you this isn't boring. If your sister has dual passives so should you as you're related by blood." Flandre eyed her fingernails.
"Then what is it?"
"Won't know until we find out. It's always quite hard to find the second one." This turn the wonderment into a sour expression real fast.
"Flandre...I'll play with you. But, you gotta remember I'm also here to learn with you. Now then anything like how to turn off a passive?" Patchouli went through a nearby tome and quickly comb through it.
"It...should...THERE! Ah yes, theoretically you can turn off your passive by focusing on it and like a switch just...shut it off. In theory you'll stop absorbing the magic here." I nodded and took a few steps back from the table in case I just...implode.
"Easy enough." Breathe in... and breathe out...I soon stop feeling like I was carrying a boulder on my back. I felt lighter.
"You look visibly better. All this magic is bad to take in constantly. Also, that was your first lesson on magic. Passives can be turn off willingly by the user." Sweet, I'm learning already.
"Wanna know what my passive is?" I'm actually curious if Flandre knows her passive?
"Sure, tell me."
"My passives is...I wanna play!" She quickly raises from her seat her wings flapping rapidly. Looks like she couldn't wait.
"Ugh...Chain sitter."
*KA-CHINK*
"Hey! That's not fair Patchy!" Solid steel chains kept Flandre seated in her chair.
"Please wait until my lectures are done. You too Mr.Rose."
"Noooooo!"
"Just call me Venus, Patchouli." As we watched the young vampire struggle.
Author Notes: I'm attracting more than the target audience...I uhhhh hope they can follow these well enough. Anyways, the magic training begins. As for Venus's muteness...We'll go back to it after this arc. I very much prefer him to not talk as that makes for an interesting challenge. Arasaka is...well if I do another Q and A I'll explain that idea. I also have the first side story to this posted. If you wanted a less serious story for fun check that first story out.