Blossom of Bodhisattva (Touhou)

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHeIv2lg26U

[The magician, in black]
One of Reimu's friends has heard about the lively bunch currently residing in her shrine, and has decided to come and poke her nose in. This seems poised to go poorly, given how high tensions are riding.

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

A comet, perhaps a meteor, descended upon the shrine right alongside the first rays of the dawning sun. Only, instead of containing rock, a god, or even a mere baby. It produced with sparks of brilliant rainbow light a woman, dressed in black with blonde hair that glinted in the morning light. Her arrival sounded with a thunderclap that drew attention, shouts, and in the case of Aunn, barks. She stood in the middle of the path leading up the main building, her hand on her hat, a wide, fierce, joyful grin on her face. "Where's the Buddhists!"

There was only silence to greet her, yet the stunned pause only seemed to give the interloper an infusion of yet more energy, as she dismounted her broomstick, casually sweeping away the crater of dust that had been produced by her… kinetic arrival, in a practiced motion. You get the distinct impression that this is far from the first time she has arrived in this place, in this manner.

You nod your head slightly. "Marisa Kirasame, good morning to you."

Her smiling gaze locks onto you with almost startling intensity, as she beelines straight towards you. "So yer the one who's been making all the fuss! Nice to finally put a face to ya! Reimu's been whining enough about you that I figured I'd better have a look." The words are pleasant, but there's an undercurrent of cunning evaluation hidden behind them that you, of all people, can't miss. She's concerned about how her friend and rival is doing, and wants to evaluate you as a threat - and as a measuring stick.

You smile. "I am no threat, if that is what you are concerned about. I am not even a combatant. If you are speaking to the fight that occurred just a short time ago with Byakuren, that has been dealt with. If you speak of the 'fight' between myself and Reimu… well, she mostly threw magic at me while I wandered about."

Marisa laughs, delighted. "Man, I wish I coulda seen that. Usually, with Reimu, it's the other way around. Would be nice to see her get a taste of her own medicine." She looks around at the members of your sister's temple, now murmuring about her arrival as the two of you talk. "So you really decided to crash here, of all places?"

"She destroyed my home, so I borrowed hers." You reply with a smile. "Evenness and equalness with all things in life."
She tilts her head, smile still going strong. "Is that how that goes? I've always figured it was more like 'what goes around comes around', karma and all that. But you're supposed to be some Buddhist big shot, so I guess you'd know better than me."

"I would not describe myself as such," you say slowly. "But perhaps something similar. Is there something I can aid you with?" you stare at the witch, observing her. No, not a witch, a human that will become one some day. "Your father has recovered from his illness, that is good."

Marisa pauses, then leans in, her smile growing. "Interesting. Now, how did you learn that? Are ya like that vampire, seeing 'fate'? Nah, doubt that… reading my mind? Or my future… really need to look up more Buddhist magic after this. Any hints? Would be a nasty trick to pick up…"

You almost mention how that was merely delusions of grandeur on Remilia's part, but you still require her services in the future… and had already upset her. "No, I simply know you as you are and will be, as I do your father, and mother." You reply. "But how might I help you? If you seek Reimu…" You turn your head towards the shrine. "She is currently listening at the door to see if you start attacking me."

Marisa hums in consideration, as one of her hands reaches inside her dress to pull out a strange hexagonal device. "Well… now that you mention it. It'd be kinda fun to see what someone who gave her that kinda trouble was like." Her eyes start to take on a bright gleam, as with practiced, flowing motions, she begins to manipulate her magic. "I might just-"

Then she hisses, barely ducking in time as one of Reimu's stone orbs nearly hits her in the head. Reimu, in turn, has stormed outside, still wearing her lilac pajamas, and looks ready to boil over as she glares up at the taller girl. "Not. In. The. Shrine!"

Marisa's grin is brighter than ever, and you take a step back away from the two arguing girls. "C'mon, he was literally asking for it! I'd be careful! Just wanted to see what his dodging trick was like!"

Reimu, on the other hand, clenches her fists as she slowly breathes out. "Marisa. I had to rebuild the shrine twice last year because of you. I'm not going through that again!"

"Good morning Miss Hakurei." You greet warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

She glares at you. "I was having a wonderful dream, one where I could go a full month without some massive incident cropping up and needing my attention. And then I got woken up by yet another uninvited guest. So no, not particularly."

Marisa nods firmly. "Yeah, Reimu's always a big grouch when she wakes up before noon. Of course, she's also a big grouch when she wakes up after noon pretty often too."

"She is a very busy woman who is underappreciated for her efforts. I do believe she is afforded a few grumpy days."

Marisa hums. "Yep! A ton of village folks don't even realize how much this one does for them." She then tugs at Reimu, and pulls her into a strange hug, rapidly rubbing her knuckles against the shrine maiden's hair and forehead, ignoring protestations. "That's why I've gotta come by and poke her every so often, make sure she's still alive and kickin'!"

"Let – go!" After only a few moments of this, Reimu ducks under Marisa's reach, and extracts herself from the future witch's clutches.

"Thank you for not starting a fight," you say quietly. "It would be a shame to rebuild this shrine once more. Tell me, is your wife home today?" You ask, looking at Marisa.

Reimu blinks. "Her what now?" She turns to Marisa, whose smile has frozen over. "You got hitched? And you didn't invite me?!"

Marisa glares back at Reimu, her smile fading for the first time you've seen. "'Course I'd invite you, dumbass! I'm not married!" She looks back at you. "Seriously though, I'm not. What's this about?"

You pause, oh dear. "My apologies. That was a… mistake. I meant to ask about Miss Margatroid."

Marisa looks away for a moment, her gaze going distant. "I mean… we've been dating a while, but I never considered… huh." She shakes her head. "Alice is doing fine, I guess. Why-"

"You've been dating my daughter!?" Shinki's voice roars through the shrine.

You turned your head to see the goddess landing on the roof… which cracks as she does so. The woman glaring down at Marisa as her wings curl in around herself, edges glinting in the morning light.

Marisa, in turn, has reflexively pulled up her strange hexagon, an interlocking magical circle hovering in front of her defensively. The tense standoff continues for a moment, before Marisa blurts out - "She started it!"

"And good morning to you as well Lady Shi-"

"You shut up!" Shinki growls, pointing a finger at you. Then she swings it around to point at Marisa. "I will not have my darling daughter, dating some… some… blonde harlot thief who lives in the woods! I declare thee Jezebel!"

"Oh, Jezebel, haven't heard that one in a while." A far more…sedate and bored voice says, Sariel landing just next to Shinki on top of the shrine. The roof of which cracks again. "Knew her, relatively nice woman actually after a few hundred years of judgment."

The power around Marisa spikes in turn - though, of course, it remains little more than a pale shadow of Shinki's might. "You take that back! The rest I can take or leave, but I'm no harlot!"

There's a blur of shadows, and Shinki is suddenly no more than an inch away from Marisa, her finger dangerously close to poking the witch in the eye. "How else am I to describe some tramp who would mislead my daughter? To lay with some… some… human!"

"Well they kinda run the place these days." Sariel says, appearing just next to Shinki. "After we tossed all the angels running around on the surface and the Nephilim died off."

Marisa, far from cowed (despite, perhaps, all logic and reason), simply leans in, grinning.

You can't help but notice that as she does so, perhaps speaking to her bravery. All the assembling buddhists who had been watching are now rapidly backing away. Even your sister.

"Fuck off!" then the device alights, an eruption of energy surging fort-

Only for Shinki's hand to clamp down on the face of it, light and energy spilling out the sides for a good five seconds, all the while Marisa looks more and more panicked before the energy fades away. Leaving a wide-eyed, terrified looking Marisa, and an annoyed looking Shinki with a smoking and bruised left hand. She shakes it briefly, the wounds fading away as she glares at the human. "And overly aggressive."

"Hello pot, my name is kettle, how are you doing tod-?" Sariel asks.

Shinki's hand whips around, slapping over Sariel's mouth. With a burst of light, the energy she had just been hit with bursts out. You watch, as does Marisa and Reimu as the ground cracks underneath the angel, her eyes glowing in her head. Then the hand drops, and Sariel opens her mouth again to let smoke waft out. "Rude."

Marisa, in the interim, has once again tried to raise the device towards Shinki- only for Reimu's hands to firmly shove it back down. "Not. In. The. Shrine!"

She points at Shinki and Sariel. "You've done enough! Out, both of you! Marisa might be rude, and inconsiderate, and a thief, and a liar, and a-"

"If I may," you say firmly. "I invited both of them here, for I require their aid."

Reimu wheels on you. "Then keep them on a better leash! Look at what they've done to the shrine!"

As if to punctuate those words, a good half of the roof tiles come loose, clattering to the ground. A further punctuation was a groan, as a singular figure then stumbled out of the shrine, a redheaded former librarian's assistant, who took one, bleary eyed look at the figures arranged around her. Opened her mouth… and then puked the previous day's sin all over the porch.

"And good morning, Miss Koakuma." You greet warmly.

Koakuma ne Samyaza raises a sleeve to wipe away at her mouth, looking at you unfocused. "That oni shit will take years off…" Then she moves her gaze to Sariel.

"The fuck? Why is sh-" Marisa starts to say, only for Reimu's hands to clamp onto her mouth. "No more words from you," she points to Shinki. "Or you," Sariel. "Or you." Then you. "And certainly not you. Until someone fixes my damn shrine!"

Shinki arches a brow, raises a hand.

*Snap*

And snaps her fingers. At once the roof is fixed, the holes in the ground from the previous bouts are gone. The buildings are repaired, and the puke was gone… and there was what appeared to be a leather gag wrapped around Samyaza's mouth. "Good enough?" Shinki asks.

Reimu stills, then sniffs. "Fine. Fine! But don't do it again." Her eyes narrow. "You're all too damn old and powerful to be acting like this. Never thought Yukari would be the mature one…" She then turns on the spot, stomping back into the shrine and sliding the door shut.

Sariel watches her go. "גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑…"

Marisa stares at the angel. "What?"

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For Thou art with me." Sariel repeats. "She hasn't changed."

"She isn't kicking balls around anymore." Shinki replies. "or riding that turtle… where is that turtle?" Shinki asks, looking around the shrine.

"Genji? He retired and moved to Hokkaido." Marisa says, crossing her arms. Then she looks at you. "You said you called these hags? What do ya need 'em for?"

"I was bringing them along to meet Alice regarding a task."

"Oh, then I'm coming wi-"

Shinki glares at the human, causing her to halt her statement with a clack of her teeth.

…
—

[] [She knows Alice, it may help.]

[] [For the sake of peace, no.]

—

AN:

Erien: For those wondering, Marisa is quite powerful. We have a biblical level angel and a Demiurge here. Hydrogen bomb, meet Cirno.
Redshirt: Reimu, on the other hand, is more or less actively powered by the lack of fucks she has to give.