Touhou: A New Mage in Gensokyo

We slowly walk up the steps of the Shrine. The sky is dark, and you can barely see anything. "Man, I am so tired." Sanae exclaims while stretching her arms. She yawns, loudly as she just seems to be wanting to sleep. She still has a smile on her face though as she really liked everything we did today.

I nod in agreement. "Yes, I am happy to be in bed soon, although today great."

As we go inside Suwako greets us. "Welcome back you two. You both look like you ran a marathon." Suwako chuckles and then turns to me. "Sanae you can rest I just need to talk to your friend for a second." Suwake tells her.

"Alright then, goodnight." Sanae yawns once more and walks towards the bedroom, leaving Suwako and me alone.

"Say, have you met Aya?" Suwako asks me.

"Aya?" I pause for a moment, sorting through memories. "Oh, the tengu woman, the one with the distinctive hat, right?"

Suwako grins, clearly finding my description of her amusing. "Exactly, she asked for you earlier today. She wants an interview with you for her newspaper."

I didn't expect that. And interview about me, that really perplexes me. "And when will she come to interview me?" I am not feeling too tired anymore, at least for the moment, as this is quite thrilling.

"She is sporadic, I am not sure. Don't be all worked up about it. If you don't want to just tell her. That's all I wanted to tell you. I don't want you to pass out from exhaustion after all, goo night!" Suwako walks away without me having the chance to answer.

I make my way to the bedroom. Sanae is already deeply asleep. I lie next to her as silently as humanly possible. Before I can finally rest, I think of the interview once more. I am not sure if I should even do it as I don't want everyone in Gensokyo to know who I am.

The next day I get woken up; I am surprised though. When blinking against the morning light, I don't see Sanae's calming face, instead Aya stands before me. She radiates energy and enthusiasm; she clearly is excited. I sit up, my mind struggling to catch up with the sudden change.

"Sorry to surprise you, remember in the bar when you told me about you being from the outside world? Please tell me more about it!" Aya exclaims, holding her pen and notepad ready to capture everything I say.

I push away the sheets and take a moment to breathe as I am tensed up at the moment. "I uhm..." I mumble, trying to force out a cohesive sentence from my mouth.

"Don't worry take your time!" Aya tells me. She talks fast and clear, which is in stark contrast to my slowness and my mumbling.

"What do you want to know about the outside world?" I ask cautiously.

"Everything! If you have trouble coming up with answers, then let me ask something simple. First how did your daily routine look like back there?" Her enthusiasm can be barely contained inside her.

Thoughts of hesitation start to invade my mind. I bite my lip, thinking about the days before I got here. "I am not sure if publishing this is a good idea." I confess, my voice is a bit shaky as I know I will disappoint her greatly. "I don't want people to read about my personal life, also I never really tell anyone about my past. I am so sorry, but I hope you understand."

Her enthusiasm stops. Aya retains her smile, but her energy faded. Despite me telling her that she still writes something down on her notepad. "If you ever change your mind or if you want to share a drink again, here's my address," she offers, passing me a slip of paper. She clearly isn't happy about my answer, but she isn't angry or sad either. I am glad she understands, and I am happy she still wants to hang out with me in the future.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." I am extremely grateful as I feel like I made a new friend. Aya starts to get ready for departure.

With a final wave Aya leaves me. The room is now quiet again. Sanae is probably working so I am completely alone now with my thoughts. I have so many things I still have to do.

I still need to learn the stunning spell. I also want to visit patchouli again in the coming days, I really should give her a gift for her help.

I venture outside, it doesn't take long until I meet Kanako. She seems engrossed with her work, so I decide to not interrupt her. "Sanae is in the middle of cooking." Kanako tells me all of the sudden. "It might be best not to disturb her at the moment."

"I see, thank you for telling me." I reply.

Kanako's lips curve into a mischievous smile. "Although." she muses, "you could always lend me a hand. Who knows, there might be a reward in it for you."

My cheeks redden a bit at her obviously lewd implication, I feel like I am unable to resist and accept her offer. I sit next to her, my shyness restricting me of relaxing. "What do you need help with?" I ask, my voice being quieter than normal.

Her demeaner is soothing, almost maternal as she explains. "These financial matters have left me with a headache. If you're willing, you could take care of the remaining calculations. They're fairly straightforward."

I nod, building up confidence in myself. "Sure, I'll gladly help you.

As Kanako rises from her seat, a warm smile forms on her lips. "Good luck." She leaves me alone now, I get on working, the task is as simple as she said. A little over half an hour passes before I finish the last calculations.

Not long after I hear a familiar voice calling us. I make my way and take a seat as the table is neatly laid for us.

Nothing much happens for the next few hours. We chat and eat. I help in the garden and train the Numquammovere spell. I feel like I am so close to mastering it, but I still need a little bit more time.

The door cracks open revealing Kanako. "I told you I'd reward you. You've done a good job. I will give you a prayer of good fortune as a thank you." She says her voice is as usual soft and warm. She comes closer, taking position to start the ritual.

Uncertainty suddenly overwhelms me. "Is that necessary? I mean, I didn't do that much work after all." A touch of nervousness colouring my words.

Kanako chuckles softly. She gently places her hands on top of my head. "You underestimate the power of gratitude. Besides, you're a human and I assume not the best mage, so you'll need it." She closes her eyes and starts chanting. I can't understand what she's saying.

As Kanako's hands withdraw and her eyes flutter open, I find myself gazing into the depths of her enigmatic smile. "There you go," she declares, her words resonating like a promise.

I don't feel any different after everything she did. "How long will that blessing last?" I ask curiously.

"Until I remove it. So, consider staying on my good side, alright?" She responds, her laughter is quiet almost like giggle, but not quite so.

A playful smile forms on my face. "So, I am at your mercy, then?"

Kanako gasps, her voice dripping with humour. "Blackmail? Perish the thought. I am a goddess of virtue, after all." Her mirth resonates through the room. "Alas, duty beckons. Until we meet again," she says, stepping gracefully toward the exit.

A sudden realization comes to me. "Wait!" I halt her exit. "Could you let Sanae know that I'll be visiting Aya?"

With a final nod from Kanako she leaves me once again alone.

Setting my magic book aside, I get ready for departure. I set out to the mountain near our shrine once more, this time in broad daylight. I make my way out of the shrine and onto my goal. As the sun hangs in the sky, casting a warm glow over the landscape, the mountain greets me with its bustling ambiance. Tengus weave through the scene, their varied activities creating a tapestry of colour and sound. Some give me a weird look, but most are busy pursuing their activities.

I reach Aya's house. The mansion stands as a testament to traditional architecture, its clean white walls. It greatly compliments its surroundings.

I knock on the door. Anticipation filling my head as I didn't expect her to live in such prestigious conditions. The door swings open, but instead of Aya, it's her friend from the bar that was asleep. Clad in her familiar white shirt and her black-purple skirt that reminds one of a chessboard. She gazes at me with mild surprise.

"How can I help you?" She asks me, her voice holding a hint of intrigue.

I politely smile. "I am sorry, is Aya at home?"

"Yes, let me get her." She retreats back into the house.

I look around behind me. This place is beautiful. I would love to live here. It's busy but not loud and the people here seem talkative too.

"Hey! So, you came to visit?" A voice calls me out.

I turn back to the mansion, it's Aya with a smile on her lips. "Hello Aya. Yes, I came to hang out with you."

Aya's eyes sparkle. "Come on in. We can catch up, and who knows, perhaps a drink might find its way into our hands." Her laughter dancing in the air. Her invitation is warm and welcoming.

"Let me take you to my room so we won't disturb others." She suggests as I come inside.

Aya closes the door and goes forward, leading me through the mansion. The interior of the mansion is well decorated. There aren't that many paintings, but a ton of figures and symbols are on the shelfs and tables. As we go through the big living room, I see the woman that opened the door being busy with something. She glances at me for a second before going back to her duties. The walls of the living room are white, the interior is surprisingly modern kind of reminding me of mansions in the outside world.

As we go upstairs Aya turns to me. "I must admit, I didn't expect your visit today," she confesses, a faint blush gracing her cheeks. "My room might not be at its best."

A reassuring smile forms on my lips. "No worries. I'm sure it's fine." There is not much to say about the floor upstairs. The walls are in a light wooden brown and left and right of the corridors are doors. It seems to be where everyone in this mansion resides.

Aya pushes the door open and steps into her room, a faint sigh escaping her lips. "Oh my, it's even worse than I thought" Aya murmurs to herself, she sounds embarrassed. As I follow her inside, the soft symphony of rustling papers is making its way into my ears.

"Just give me one second!" Aya's tone is hasty as she gathers all the notes and pictures from the ground. I can't help but be amazed at her determination, even if she isn't a great reporter, which I don't know since I have not read her newspaper, she sure as hell gives off the vibe of one.

"It's really not that big of a deal, Aya," I offer, my words laced with reassurance.

Her focus unwavering, Aya simply waves off my comment, her concentration solely on the task at hand. My gaze falls upon a photograph depicting a shrine maiden caught in a lewd pose. The shrine maiden herself is beautiful, I wonder why Aya has such a picture.

"Oh, thank you can you put it on the pile on the table please? "Aya gestures to a table, her voice relieved as she completes the tidying of her room.

"Yes, of course." I do as she asks and put the photograph on the growing pile.

Aya takes a seat on her and gestures me to sit next to her. "I really don't know why you were in such a rush; your room is clean; it was just a few photos and writings scattered on the ground."

Aya starts laughing. "Perception can be deceiving, but I suppose I always have been a bit harsh on myself when it comes to cleanliness."

"I wanted to know more about your newspaper. When do you release your newspaper? What do you put in your newspaper? Are you political? Is it just you or do you have any helpers?"

A playful blush forms on Aya's face. A charming contrast to her usually highly energetic behaviour. "I would have never guessed that you were so interested in the Bunbunmaru."

Leaning forward slightly she begins to tell me about her newspaper. "The Bunbunmaru is released weekly, every Friday. I release two versions one for Youkai and one for humans." she explains, her eyes alight with passion. "While I tend to not be too political, I strive to fill its pages with anything captivating that crosses my path. Youkai and Human-interests, stories, tales of the extraordinary, and glimpses into the enigmatic corners of Gensokyo." A thoughtful pause fills the room with silence for a second. "Though, sometimes I won't shy away from taking a stance."

After she told me all of this, I still want to know more about her. "You publish two versions?" I really want to know what she means by 'Human version' and 'Youkai version'.

She nods, her expression is now more serious. "Yes, one is tailored to humans in the village, so I tend to make it less gory and less esoteric. And the other is for all the others, I don't self censor in that one." She explains. A hint of resentment darkens her features, a stark contrast to the usual twinkle in her eyes. "Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates my efforts. There are those who attempt to taint my work, to undermine the truth I strive to share."

"Undermine the truth? Did someone smear you?" I respond with genuine concern, my heart echoing her distress. "That's terrible."

Aya's eyes flicker, a mixture of emotions dancing within them. "It's a long story, one I'd rather save for another time," she says, her tone tinged with a weight that hints at untold challenges. "But let's not dwell on negativity. Would you like something to drink?

I welcome the change in subject as Aya smiles again. "Yes, please." I reply returning her smile. "All that talking made me thirsty."

She gets up from the bed. "Me too. I'll be back in a minute."

As Aya makes her way to retrieve the drinks, I take a moment to observe her room. Her room screams of creativity as there is even writing on the walls of her room.

My eyes are drawn to her pen it shouldn't be special, yet one that carries the weight of countless stories, dreams, and revelations. Its age is evident. But I wonder how old it is.

In her room, I find myself strangely at ease, appreciating the subtle differences between Aya's haven and Sanae's abode. Aya's room holds a charm that resonates with me on a personal level.

Aya returns with two mugs of Sake. "Isn't it a bit early for that?" I quip with a grin, accepting the mug she hands me. She sits down beside me again. "Is it?" Her playful retort elicits a chuckle from me as we clink our mugs together.

"I am kind of glad you came today; I usually never get visitors." Her telling me that catches me off guard, that statement seems odd. She seems like a confident and outgoing person, so she should have a ton of friends. Aya notices my surprise and laughs. "No, no! Don't think I have no friends. I just visit them rather than them visiting me."

I take a sip from my Sake. "Ah, you had me worried for a second!" I chuckle as my concern was replaced by amusement.

A question comes into my mind that I have been asking myself since I arrived here. "Do male Tengus even exist?" I ask in a half-joking manner. I noticed the lack of men here which is odd.

Aya gets amused by my question "Yes they do, however male Tengus are extremely rare. You see I am over a thousand years old, so we don't need to worry about getting children!" Her tone changed into a wise one.

Gensokyo really is an otherworldly place. Over a thousand years old... I want to ask her so many questions, but I don't want to bombard her.

"I guess. Is the woman in the living room your best friend? I saw her at the bar, passed out." Aya's friend kind of reminds me of myself, not from personality but from posture.

Aya chuckles softly. "You're talking about Hatate. Best friend might be a stretch, but we have an interesting bond. We're more like friendly rivals, constantly pushing each other to do better."

"Why did she agree on going out to drink then?"

A victorious grin is on Aya's face. "Ah, that's a tale of a lost wager. We're both fiercely competitive, and last week, she bet that her newspaper would outsell mine. Suffice it to say, her confidence backfired spectacularly." Ayas eyes glint with a sense of pride and victory.

"I see, I would love to go out to drink once or twice a week if you'd like."

Aya's eyes light up, her genuine enthusiasm. "That sounds like a fantastic idea! I'd love to have you as a drinking partner. Just drop by in the afternoons; I'm usually here working on the Bunbunmaru."

I am happy to have made a new friend. Aya is always energetic, smiling happily and eager to know more about the people around her. Looking out of the window in her room I see that the sun slowly begins to set. "It was amazing being with you today, but I have to go now. I won't be gone for too long. See you Aya!"

Aya's smile remains as warm as ever, her eyes reflecting the gratitude she feels. "The pleasure was mine. Remember, my door is always open, and I'm here every afternoon. Until next time!"

I wave goodbye to her and walk downstairs.

As I decent downstairs the sight of a pink flip phone halts me. I can't believe my eyes. Hatate starts to notice that I stare at her and looks back at me.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Her voice mixed with curiosity and caution. Her eyes locked on mine.

Startled by the sudden attention I regain my senses and quickly answer. "Oh, no, sorry." I feel embarrassed as I stumble over my own words. "I thought I saw something. My mistake. Goodbye"

I continue my way. I am amazed. Hatate, a tengu in Gensokyo with a flip phone, A piece of technology that feels completely out of place in a place like this. There is clearly so much for me to understand still.

This is the last passage of this chapter. It's about the main characters last awkward encounter:

As I open the door my eyes widen with surprise, upon encountering a white-haired armed woman, with animal like ears. They twitch upon seeing me. Her attire exudes an air of traditional elegance, a stark contrast to the modern flair I observed in both Hatate and Aya.

"Hello." my voice emerges, laced with an underlying shyness as I find myself unexpectedly face to face with this armed figure. With a subtle gesture I step aside. My gaze locked on her sword.

Her lips curl into a semblance of a smile, though it carries a hint of forced politeness. As she brushes past me, a faint "Hi" escapes her, a simple yet undeniable acknowledgment of my presence.

She closes the door and with that I am now walking back to the shrine.