A Stay in Gensokyo

Chapter Five - Vermillion of the Night

By social standards, when you enter the home of another, you greet the person face to face and apologize for the intrusion.  However in this case...

"Yo Reimu!~"

"....."

The body doesn't respond, however with the subtle movement of her toes she wasn't out of this world quite yet.

"Reyymooo!~"

"H-huhh... Marisa..? Ahh, this feels so nice...~"

....

She eventually drags herself out from beneath the kotatsu as the way she carries herself seemed quite different from the normal shrine maidens. I can't think of any of the ones I've seen use the kotatsu in the way she did.

Sitting up she rushes her fingers against her long auburn bed ridden hair and yawns. Using a large red ribbon to tie her pony tail up, she had bands against her side locks. She wore the ordinary red and white shrine maiden uniform with detached sleeves and a sarashi wrapped around her chest.

"Uwa..."

She shifts her body over towards the kotatsu once again and tucks her legs in whilst grabbing a rice cracker off the bowl in the middle.

"...."

"Marisa... This, this is Reimu?"

"Oo, yeah that's her.~ Reimu I brought you a guest, she'll be attending the party also."

"Wah? Oh I didn't notice you there, sorry you don't quite stand out is all."

"Hah..."

I suppose it's better to not stand out than the opposite, I'm the kind that doesn't do so well in the light. We'd rather assist the ones that do and are just happy for their sake. However in doing so at times, we'd develop jealousy for the other. it's not easy being the assistant in ones glory.

Marisa pulls me in and covers my ear from the side Reimu was.

"Don't let Reimu get to you, she always says the first thing that pops into her mind."

If that's the case then perhaps I shouldn't take it to heart. However I've never heard of a Shrine Maiden that lacked delicacy, though there are times for everything. Perhaps this is just her upon some days and she's usually not one to use a kotatsu that way and not bother about her image.

"So what's with the +1, Marisa?"

"Oh well you see.~"

Marisa takes a spot beside the kotatsu, and as she reaches out for a rice cracker from the basket. Reimu glares.

"That'll cost you."

"Would this be enough then?"

Biting onto the rice cracker before hand, she reaches for her pocket and flips a coin towards Reimu. With a grin, Marisa observes the shrine maiden who seems to be inspecting the yen like coin.

"Hmm hmm, this will do."

Saying that Reimu slips it into her detached sleeves as though she was a magician doing a magic trick.

"Ek, it's not salted..."

Sourly nibbling in the rice cracker, Marisa's expression falls.

"Well you should have asked before taking other people's food, though I suppose it's nothing different from your usual thievery notions."

"Thief?"

Astounded I look straight towards Marisa who blankly stares at me as the rice cracker in her mouth bobs up and down.